Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Partied Out

I missed the President's speech last night.  Well, I really didn't miss it at all.  I didn't watch it.  I'm sure it was a fine speech.  I sure he told us all how tough things have been but brighter days are coming.  Am I close?  I don't have anything against President Obama.  I just didn't want to watch the same speech that the prior 10 Presidents have given.  I have really become apathetic toward politics.  It seems no matter how many people stand up to tell what's wrong in this country, the general population doesn't hear it or doesn't want to hear it.  I think it's because we have become such an eggshell society.  People are afraid to say anything because they might offend someone.  Take for instance, immigration.  Yes, we are all ancestors of immigrants.  But to save our bankrupt society, we need to control illegal immigration.  Which means putting troops on our borders.  But wait that might offend certain groups.
So I don't see any reason to watch another rah rah speech.  If you politicians really want to get people going in this country, start passing legislation that helps our country and doesn't involve giving yourselves a raise.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

You like me, you really like me. (All 6 of you)

6 Facebook likes are all that inshanesbrain has received since I put it out there.  I started that Facebook page after my first webcast.  By the way, the webshow hasn't ended, it's just been postponed until I find more hours in the day.  Anyway, it doesn't bother that there are only 7 likes(one is mine) because I really haven't promoted it.  I would like to get a like button on this page but I'm not smart enough to follow Facebook's directions.  Any help with that would be greatly appreciated.

Back to likes.  I have seen all sorts of likes: Walmart, Target, beer, IKEA, prostitution... you get the picture.  People will like just about anything.  Last week and this week, I have shared Big Kev's View and asked that you hit the like button.  Apparently nobody did.  I find it odd that people will like anything except when it comes to liking a talented local artist.  I don't think it's jealousy or laziness.  Rather, I think people suffer from the "bucket of crabs syndrome."  When one crab starts to climb out of the bucket, the other crabs grab him and drag him back down.  I'm sure Kevin and his gang really don't care how many likes they get but I know from my own experience, that it is fulfilling when someone recognizes your work.  I've done two webcast and I can tell you it not easy.  For that crew to do a show a week, it shows a commitment that most wouldn't give.  To put yourself out there like that or like this with my blog, is tough.  Like anything else, people are more ready to rip you to shreds than they are to give you praise.

If you pan over to the right of the screen you will find a link to Big Kev's View as well as list of other friends' creations.  I'm not asking that you like all of their stuff but at least give them a look.  I will continue to promote my friends.  If that annoys you then you can un-friend me but I will keep spreading the word and help my friends succeed.  If you have a creation to share let me know I will gladly help promote it. It's okay to tell people, "Hey, I like what you do.  Keep up the good work."

Visit  Big Kev's View and Inshanesbrain on Facebook and hit the like button.  It really does help.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

I've been given 11 months to live

11 months.  That's less than a year.  Damn Mayans and freakin' Nostradamus.  I'm not much on predictions.  Anyone crazy person can say outrageous things and get one right.  But it brings up a good point, what if I only had 11 months.  I'm not sure what I would do.  Do I still go to work?  Do I stay home with my family? Do I go on a 11 month bender?   It's all a bit much for me to comprehend.  Whatever belief you have about the afterlife, we really won't know until we get there.  And if you have no belief, I'm sorry. 

I believe in God and I believe in Heaven.  I'll give you three reasons:  1)  The alternative is too sad 2) more important is the fact I've have seen things that can't be explained.  Coincidences? No way.  3) The human soul; everyday people do things that are extraordinary that they don't have to do but yet they do it.  That has to come from somewhere.

Back to me dying.  As I've said, I don't know what I would do.  I suppose there are a few places I would like to visit. But for the most part, I would be with my family and friends.  I don't think I would do any thing stupid.  I wouldn't want to speed up the process.  It's funny while  writing that last sentence, the stupid things that I do on a daily basis flashed in my head.  Speeding, climbing on the roof, etc.. Maybe we should all take a look at what we do.  Just because we have been given 11 months doesn't mean we are going to get them.  We all have places and people to see, forgiveness to ask for and forgiveness to give.  11 months? Hell, we might not make to the end of this blo....................................................................................

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Love and Passion (take ??)

After numerous technical difficulties, let's try this again.  Please excuse any formatting issues.  I am tired of trying to fix them.

It’s a new beginning on ISB.  I know it sounds cliche but it’s true.  I was disappointed in the direction my blog took at the end of last year. I think I lost focus on what I was trying to say.  The blogs weren’t bad they just weren’t up to my standards.  Yes, this blog has standards, as hard as that is to believe.  I slipped a bit.  I had points to make but got caught up trying to entertain as well.  Sometimes it’s a tough juggling act.
As I sat to write today, I knew what topic I wanted to cover but didn’t know where to start.  Add to that, another blog topic kept interfering with my thought process.  And then it occurred to me that both were related and so “Love and Passion” was created. 
Love.  Can it really defined?  It’s probably the most over used word in our vocabulary. What I want to talk about is when you truly love someone.  I think for us lucky enough to know and understand what that means, we can stand on a higher ground.  Do we choose you we love?  I don’t know.  I think there comes a point in your life when you meet someone and you know.  I know that sounds corny but how else can you explain it.  It’s my belief that people who don’t understand that, are afraid.  They are afraid of what or who they might be missing.  They don’t want to give up any part of their life in order to make that commitment.  In other words, they are selfish.  For the most part, that doesn’t affect anyone.  But there are those people out there, who love that person and will do whatever it takes to love that person.  And that includes putting up with all of their bullshit in hopes that one day he/she will see that what they need is right there. The selfish one can use that to their advantage and string along the one in love.  That’s just wrong.  Whether the love is real or just infatuation, no one should be strung along.  The one in love can’t help the feelings he/she has and the selfish one should not prey upon those feelings.  Cut them loose and let find true love.
I’m lucky enough to be married to a wonderful beautiful woman.  I can say that marriage isn’t easy.  You can make it easier by not be selfish.  I often wonder about married people who have separate checking accounts.  How can you love someone if you have no trust in them or hide things from them.  It doesn’t work.  His money, her money ,our money..baloney.  “And the two become one.”  Our selfishness, is what gets in the way of our marriages.  Ask divorces couples “What happen?”  and I bet most of the time you will get “we grew apart.”  Before it got to that point what did you do glue it back together?  Probably nothing.  No one wants to admit their wrong doings or the harsh words.  Life ain’t easy.  Don’t let life get in the way of your love. You should be glad you have someone to go through life with.  Which brings me to the next point. As I’ve have said I am lucky enough love and to be married to Gretchen.  I could go on and on about her.  Because I understand that, I have no right to stop anyone from his or her love.  I believe that everyone has a partner out there somewhere.  And if you’re a man and it’s another man, I say congratulations that you found him.  If you’re a woman and its a woman, or you’re black and he’s Asian, or you’re Jewish and she’s Muslim...congratulations all on finding your special someone.  I know that that view isn’t always popular but I can’t understand why someone would want to interfere with someone else’s life.  I don’t think we choose who we love.  We do choose how we share that love.  If that love is hetro, homo, interracial or not, God bless everyone of you.
Passion.  Probably another over used word.  Anyway, this thought came to me the other day: “What am I passionate about.”  I had to stop and think.  Growing up, that question was easy.  Baseball.  Everything I did usually revolved around baseball.  Playing it, reading about it, collecting it..it all revolved around baseball.  I would spend hours throwing a rubber ball or tennis ball at a brick wall or back door steps, practicing my glove work.  You could imagine the heartbreak I felt when I was told my fielding wasn’t good enough.”  Okay so I wasn’t the most graceful kid to ever play the game, but I got the job done even if it wasn’t pretty.  My fielding, yeah, it was good enough.  Hitting the curve ball, that’s a different story.  So my baseball passion was yanked out from under me, leaving with a void.  Lucky enough that left more time for dating.  Although, I wasn’t passionate about dating.  It was way to awkward.  On to college, marriage and career world.  I still was missing that one thing that I was passionate about. I like movies, books, and music and can talk about all  of them but not passionately.  Art?  Meh.  Politics? Oy!    History?  Getting warmer.  Making people laugh?  We’re getting there.  One day, circa 1998, while working at a youth conference, some words came to me.  I ran and got a pen and I wrote them down. From then on I began to write more.  But somewhere along the way I let life get in my way.  And then began to write less and less.  I had novels that I’ve started, songs I’ve written and more poems than I can count but life just wouldn’t let me enjoy my writing.  Then about 11 months ago, I started this blog.  I can say I have enjoyed it very much.  But was I passionate about writing?  The answer came the other day when I ask myself the aforementioned question.  I give you my answer in a bit.I have 3 friends that are passionate about what they do.  Their work can be seen to the right of this blog.  Chase Mayers is a comedian.  He recently opened for Carlos Mencia and now has a spot in the upcoming Comedy Arts Festival in New Orleans on February 1-5. Da Future is a hip hop duo that has recently preformed at The Crystal ball Pregame Party at Mardi Gras World and on morning TV.  They have also became on of my daughter’s favorite groups. Da Future is actually Eron ‘Eazy Money” Rousell and “Cprice” Chris Price.  Both have solo careers as well. 
These acts have passion about what they do and are willing to make sacrifices for their passions.  Incidentally, the three collaborated on “Tiger Bait” and have other collaborations in the works.
So what did these three friends do to stir my passions as they are all quite younger than me.  I think what I saw was their ambition and drive.  They all know what they want and are shooting for it.  Me, I’m extremely laid back and maybe I’ve been waiting for something to happen.  Not anymore.  I know what I want.  My passion has been exposed. I want to write.  And not just this little blog.  I want to get published.  So now I have to make a sacrifice.  As much as I enjoy this little blog of mine, it will be taking a back seat to my other writing.  ISB won’t be going away.  I just may not have as many post as before.  I have to juggle work, being a dad and writing.  If only I could turn this passion into profit. Hmm. Gotta work on that. A LOT!
Love and passion.  I am lucky enough to have both.  And now that I am not letting life get in the way of either, I find myself at peace in the world. It is a very good place to be.  Go find your love and go find your passion.  Peace!

Poem from youth confernce:
"Who was I"
As my soul leaves and
I look down upon myself.
I think "Who was I?
Will anyone remember me?
Did I do anything worth remembering?"
Then flashes of faces and places from my my past
and the shadows of doubt begin to cast.
From above my leviatation an illumination
and a voice that says
"Come home, for I remember."--Shane

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

ISB-Now an Award-winning Blog

In Shane's Brain has been awarded the coveted The Versatile Blogger Award.  I would like to think all of the little people that help make this happen. And by little people, I mean the voices in my head.  In our days of every child gets a trophy for showing up, my blog gets one too.  Okay, so I won't receive a trophy or even as much as a blue ribbon, but it is nice to be recognized.  I would like Brett Minor for bestowing upon me this honor.
"With great power,comes great responsibility"-- one of the Spider-man movies. With this honor, there are rules that I must follow and they are:
  1. Thank the blogger who gave the award to you. -Check
  2. List 7 things people may not know about you. 
  3. Pass the award on to 7 other bloggers and let them know they have won.
Seven things you may not know about me
This actually falls within a blog I was thinking about called Get to Know Your Blogger.  So there goes that idea. But here they are in no particular order:

    1.  I have endless supply of old jokes.  So are silly and some are tasteless.  They are stored in my brain as if it were an encyclopedia.  These jokes have been both praised and shunned.  (gotta know your audience)

    2.  I have gained 65 pounds since high school (down from 75).  I have never been one to have a weight problem but in the last 3 years I have really packed on the pounds.  I have started exercising again (we'll see how long that last).  I thought about starting blog about it but I don't know how good of read that would be. "I lost another .133 of a pound yesterday......".  I think I will pass.

 Okay, this is getting hard because I thrown myself out there in my prior blogs.  Let's see. uhhhhh.......

  3.  FAVORITES:  Food- I love pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches.  Two foods that I love but don't get very often are fresh crab dipped in butter and a sea bass with a lobster risotto that I had once.  It was heaven and one day I will attempt to recreate it
                              Movies- I have three movie that take their turn as my favorite.  Mr. Roberts is my favorite from way back.  It was released in 1955 and star Henry Fonda, James Cagney, Jack Lemmon and William Powell.  The Godfather from 1972 was perfectly made.  It has an allstar cast that includes Marlan Brando, Al Pacino, James Cann, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Abe Vigoda, Talia Shire and John Cazale. 1997's Good Will Hunting was a favorite of mine from the time I saw it in the theater.  It stars Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Robin Williams.  All of these films have a similar theme.  Watch them see if you can find it.  Others movies that are close to my top are Cinderella Man, Doc Hollywood and Casablanca.

  4.  I was once thrown into the Campus Lake in college.  It occurred after I proposed to girlfriend (my wife)at my fraternity's homecoming function.  I was watching my Raiders beat the Chiefs on Monday Night Football when the mob arrived at my apartment and burst in.  They grabbed me sitting in my boxers and a t-shirt. It took seven of them to get me there and I was all but one arm from breaking loose but exhaustion got the better of me and I gave in to my fate. Carried up to the bridge and tossed over the rail, I landed in the ice cold water.  I swam out and walked to the fraternity house by myself (everyone had bolted before splash down) and called my brother to come get me.  Rah Rah Delta.  Delta Tau Delta. 

  5.   I have an adopted son.  This may be a blog topic in the future.  I don't know yet.  I really am a private person and some topics I find too intrusive.

  6.   I may not be part Cherokee as mentioned in my blog Happy Birthday Grandma.  When I went home last Easter my mom wanted to know where I got that idea from.  Well, when I was younger my grandma had a ancestor photo of a brother and sister who married full-blooded Cherokee.  Now where that falls into my blood line I don't know, but upon further investigation, I am part Iroquois and Blackfoot.  The Cherokee part is still being researched.

  7.  I hope to run a 5k sometime.  I don't know if my knees if will allow it but I'm shooting for it.


Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time to follow more blogs.  I have been searching lately for some new ones.  With that said, I have one blog that I can pass this award to.  The blog is called  I Always Hated My Right Breast.   You can access by clicking this link.  http://badrightbreast.blogspot.com/  It is writen by Laurie Kindred, a friend of my wife.  I think everyone should read this blog.  I will notify her of this award but in the mean time, take a little time and read her blog.

Thanks again Brett.  You can find his blog at http://transformednonconformist.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading.