Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Just some funny photos, rage comics, etc. :D
Ok, I am probably going to overdo it on these types of posts, but everyone loves a laugh, so here are some funny pics and comics I came across this week! Enjoy :)
Friday, August 12, 2011
My 13th Trip to NYC (and Photos!)
My wish is to update this blog often, and of course I was taken off track by a couple weeks of traveling…story of my life. But, on that topic, I am going to share some bits from my recent (and 13th) trip to New York City. While I was primarily visiting to see and stay with Andre (Mister Andre Condit who you will see in many photos below), I was also able to visit with Saeed (the guy I visited and sorta showcased in my Dubai travel vlog video). In total, the trip was really quite divine (as always…I love NYC), though it certainly had its ups and downs.
I was in NYC from July 28th - August 8th -- one of my lengthiest trips to the Big Apple to date. I find that seven days is a good length for almost any vacation (although I would have loved a few more days when I visited Dubai.). As for Dubai, that is an entirely different blog post, but I really want to go back sometime in October or November. Can I make it happen?…I think so.
I stayed at the Wellington Hotel near Times Square for my first two nights (I wouldn’t stay there again FYI). The first night I arrived around 1 a.m. (late flight into JFK) and met up with Saeed at the hotel. We caught up for a while but ended up going to sleep almost immediately. We spent the entire next day together, going shopping, eating, shopping, walking, eating, more walking, and seeing a movie—pretty standard fare. Saeed is a very interesting guy, and we have our own history together that is quite complex (to say the least). On the 30th I made my way to Brooklyn on the Q Train to meet up with Andre. That is where our week began, and it was a fantastic week with great company. His roommate Stefanie is a criminal defense lawyer and quite the character. She clearly has a good heart, but her extraordinarily unique personality is certainly a thing that is refreshing. As for the sublime beauty himself, we had a lot of one-on-one time to talk, go on trips into Manhattan, go out to eat (we ate in Manhattan at Republic, this Afghan restaurant, the Maritime, and a ton of other places), go to clubs/bars, and engage in quite the high jinks (don’t ask). The second night I gave Andre the Myers-Briggs personality test. Before starting the text, I guessed that he was an ESFP personality type. After completing the test (around 90 minutes later) we found that he was indeed an ESFP. Anyone who has studied personality types can gain volumes from these simple four letters (I am a textbook INTP btw). Basically, Andre and I just hung out a lot, went on the hunt for skin care, met up with friends, and enjoyed each other’s company. I don’t want to sound too mushy or throw Andre off if he reads this, but each day we spend together always makes me develop a deeper appreciation/admiration for him, his ambitions, his mind, his talents, his eccentricities and his truly uncommon beauty. I find that I only meet someone so profoundly influential about once every three or four years. I can’t thank him enough for the great visit (visit number two), but I will make it up to him when he comes to Kansas for a week to visit my childhood home…I told him to expect: filet mignon, personal trainers, great shopping, an entirely different atmosphere, and a unique environment to recharge, detox, and gain a totally new perspective on the U.S.
Below are some photos I took (most are “posed” photos of Andre) in NYC. Tell me which one you like the most. I’d love to know! I really enjoy capturing the essence or personality of a person through the composition (and exposition) of a photograph.
This photo of Andre is my absolute favorite that I have ever taken. The proportions are so sublime, the balance is sublime, and the gentleness evoked is almost intoxicating!
This photo may also be my favorite. The composition struck me immediately once I uploaded it onto my laptop. The framing is so strong and the exposure is so surreal! I love the shadowy black figure in the background and the overall dinginess of the photograph is terrfyingly sublime.
Just a bit of gratuitous smouldering.
An action shot--most likely set to "Till the World Ends" (Remix).
Just a candid and especially ambrosial pic.
Josh--one of Andre's roommates and the cantankerous cat Foster.
Saeed looking dapper. Like it or hate it, I want that shirt!
$200 haircut thanks to Frederic Fekkai 5th Ave. He's fancy like that!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
A few of my favorite Arabic songs. Enjoy!!
After coming across a song from “Richii” today (well, I got it in my Facebook inbox as a “must watch”…probably because it is ridiculous) I got the idea of sharing some of my favorite Arabic songs (although his song “Gowa Hodny” is definitely not a close contender for a favorite). A few of these songs have videos but most of them do not. I love so many Arabic songs and artists. But here are a few songs that had a significant impact on my life (sounds so dramatic, right?). Most of these are close to my heart because I fell in love with them while in the process of learning Arabic. Some are Egyptian, some are from the Levante, some are Khaliji, and one is Iraqi…well, I guess the songs are just a big mix of dialects. Basically, I would be satisfied with Elissa (not live though haha) and Rashed Al Majid if there were no other artists. Enjoy! Maybe you will find a few new songs to enjoy, even if you don’t know what they are saying.
This song will make you fall in love with Arabic music. Elissa is the BEST!
The most romantic Arabic song I can remember!
A really fun song you might hear in a restaurant! I actually created this video haha!
This song says so much about Arabic music and its complexity and sound.
This is quite possibly my FAVORITE. I wish I could find a HQ version. Listen with headphones!! I love A9ala!
It doesn't get more beautiful than this song!
A classic Haifa Wehbe song. You can see the differences in music videos.
Just a fun song from an artist I am proud to admit I like -- Nicole Saba.
This is that new song I mentioned in the intro. It is a good example of the weird Western/Eastern fusion "Arabic music". I don't particularly like this type of music...although the guy has a cute accent.
My love for rage comics
If you know me, it should be no surprise that I really enjoy rage comics. I prefer dark humor over more mainstream humor any day! However, I also enjoy the simple and mundane type of humor found in rage comics (it’s a very common, almost sublimely immature type of humor). Below I have posted a few of my recent favorites. Enjoy and have some LOLs! -Michael
My thoughts on tattoos (random, I know!)
When it comes to my opinions, I am a very hard-headed guy. As an INTP type personality, I generally know what I know, apply my knowledge when needed and avoid opinions and situations that conflict with my understandings of things. Being an INTP, I am prone to being judgmental, which often manifests in a series of hasty generalizations. Although I am not here to critique this personality type, because it has certainly served me well, I am here to explain how my opinions of tattoos have changed in recent weeks. While you may think that tattoos are not really the appropriate subject for critical reflection, I think discussing them does elicit some topics that are core to one’s personal philosophy and, as such, might be fun to explore.
I am not going to mention the name of the person I am talking about so as not to offend his anonymity, but I will make clear my viewpoint on tattoos now and then offer my final advice about the tattoo he is contemplating.
For the longest time I have understood tattoos to mean a few things. For one, whenever I see a tattoo, I reference it against other tattoos that I have seen as well as the people who bear these tattoos (fair enough, right?). While it may be overly cliché to reference the numerous stories of people who ultimately grow to regret their tattoos, I find it more helpful to look at the mindset one is in when he or she decides to “get inked”. To me, it seems that there are two camps of individuals. One of these camps I support and the other I would advise to severely rethink their choice. The first camp consists in part of those who desire to get a tattoo after some monumental occurrence (I favor this camp). This occurrence must necessarily be out of the ordinary and beyond what most can fathom occurring within the scope of daily existence. For instance, if someone survived a small plane crash or if someone escaped a sinking ship or narrowly escaped a gunman’s bullet…he or she might rightfully wish to commemorate some aspect of the moment. There may be an added margin of acceptance to this category of people for those who choose to commemorate a very significant learning or spiritual experience. For instance, I visited the Middle East for the first time a few months ago. While I am not personally interested in getting a tattoo (due mostly to my skin care obsession--in all likelihood), I would not have judged my hypothetical self should I have chosen to get a tattoo representative of my trip (e.g. some Arabic script or some other clever thing). Andre visited Thailand recently and I think a small and tasteful (and well thought out) tattoo might have been the perfect thing to commemorate his set of unique memories. And, although I hesitate to admit it, I also like the tattoos that were permanently etched into the skins of their recipients all in the name of some infatuation or ‘love’…but that is likely due to my intense love of romance. This, however, has a very large grey area and I do not even want to touch upon this topic further. Basically, what I am trying to say here is that I believe in the beauty of tattoos that have a real meaning (i.e. something gloriously immutable)…and not some ill-conceived symbolic meaning. At the end of the day, I believe a tattoo should have some transcendent quality to it that could not be quickly stripped away by age or a general development of one’s perspective and maturity. Is that too much to ask?
Then there is the second camp of individuals. I know I am probably preaching to the choir when I mention this group, but hear me out. Think of a scrawny twenties-something guy you knew in high school. Remember the resentment that he undoubtedly harbored behind his eyes for all those who had what he desired and could not, at the time, achieve. This is one example of the kind of person I would advise against getting a tattoo. I cannot tell you how many people I have seen since high school that fit this general schema. In reference to the “scrawny guy” above, I would not be surprised if I were to see this guy and notice that he had gotten a tattoo of a wolf on his bicep (a clear manifestation of his inner torment and weakness?...um yeah!). Now you can see where I am going. I genuinely take most tattoos to represent a time of struggle (negative struggle, not some sublime gesture in which some obstacle is overcome in a sweepingly divine moment) or a point of past hardship that ultimately manifests as a physical and somewhat indirect symbol of this hardship (the tattoo itself). Even worse, I often see tattoos as a sign of one’s weakness (I’m a sexually liberated female, so I should show others who I am by getting a certain tattoo). Moreover, many often speak of tattoos as the ultimate sign of rebellion, and perhaps they were at one time. Indeed, I find them rather inoffensive and quote commonplace...but, hey, I live in L.A. I want to use my female Asian friends for this example. According to all of my female Asian friends, each claims that their parents would furious if they were to ever get a tattoo. Put differently, it seems that Asian parents tend to react to a much more intense degree when it comes to their children ‘defacing’ their bodies with this inky type of art. Well, I also do not know a single Asian girl who does not have a tattoo (of course, they are always in concealed locations—let’s be rebellious, but within reason haha!). Jessie’s is right under her waist line…Vicki’s is under her waist line as well…and the list goes on. Is this trend surprising to me…of course not. In both cases mentioned here, I feel that tattoos were decided on out of either psychological weakness or the pressure to fit within a very narrow image of an ideal child. Today, whenever I see a girl in her twenties or thirties with a barbed wire tattoo, I don’t immediately imagine that she is especially proud of her tattoo (or pondered over it for many months prior to taking the dive). Instead, I wonder what circumstances in her life led her to getting the tattoo. Surely she doesn’t manufacture barbed wire, surely she didn’t set up refugee camps with the Peace Corps…so is it possible that she got this tattoo simply to seem more badass? Maybe to make girls respect her more or for guys to like her more (or even to please a guy she was once interested in)? Even worse are the tattoos that people seem to get to keep people away from them (again, this may be a subconscious choice on their part and may not be the explicit reason for getting the tattoo, but the implicit reasons are the reasons I am interested in of course). As a fairly introverted personality type myself, I can certainly see similar individuals wanting to brand themselves for the sake of deflecting attention (of course, not going as far as to get a black tear drop inked on the face or a Nazi swastika on one’s chest). Sorry for the crude examples.
At this point, I am not really sure why I decided to write on this topic and I see that I have taken a rather large bite into the topic. Nevertheless, I am sure many feel the same way I do. At one point in my life, I even wanted to get a tattoo (between ages 19 and 21). Today, I genuinely have no desire at all to get a tattoo. What does that tell me: It’s probably best just to not get a tattoo...truly, the present moment could be full of corruptions that are not yet consciously clear to you. And if you do cave in and decide to get one, make sure it represents something that can stand against the observer’s test: Get the tattoo for yourself and make sure you are not merely getting the tattoo to portray yourself in a way that your presence and voice and mind should portray for you...Don’t let a tattoo speak for you--use your own intelligence, wit and ability! Ultimately, a tattoo should coexist with one’s personal image and not try to advance or evolve one’s image into a new and hazy conception of one’s future self.
I do believe that the guy I mentioned at the beginning of this post fits in with the first camp of people. When someone asks me if they should get a tattoo, my rule of thumb is to say no. The reason I say no is that I have never had someone present a strong case as to why they want to get one. In fact, their case is usually quite weak, poorly conceived or dastardly misdirected. However, in the case of the guy I know who is considering a tattoo, I would say go for it. However, do not get the tattoo if you are getting it for others to appreciate. Do not get the tattoo if you do not absolutely love everything about it (the size, the full extent of its meaning, the color, the changes your body will go through with age, etc.). Do not get the tattoo if you ever see it as negatively obscuring your image or you ever fear of a situation where you might actually want to cover it up. But at the end of the day we are all humans—all the same—and sometimes making a beautiful mistake is the best symbol for us to constantly be reminded of.
Michael
I am not going to mention the name of the person I am talking about so as not to offend his anonymity, but I will make clear my viewpoint on tattoos now and then offer my final advice about the tattoo he is contemplating.
For the longest time I have understood tattoos to mean a few things. For one, whenever I see a tattoo, I reference it against other tattoos that I have seen as well as the people who bear these tattoos (fair enough, right?). While it may be overly cliché to reference the numerous stories of people who ultimately grow to regret their tattoos, I find it more helpful to look at the mindset one is in when he or she decides to “get inked”. To me, it seems that there are two camps of individuals. One of these camps I support and the other I would advise to severely rethink their choice. The first camp consists in part of those who desire to get a tattoo after some monumental occurrence (I favor this camp). This occurrence must necessarily be out of the ordinary and beyond what most can fathom occurring within the scope of daily existence. For instance, if someone survived a small plane crash or if someone escaped a sinking ship or narrowly escaped a gunman’s bullet…he or she might rightfully wish to commemorate some aspect of the moment. There may be an added margin of acceptance to this category of people for those who choose to commemorate a very significant learning or spiritual experience. For instance, I visited the Middle East for the first time a few months ago. While I am not personally interested in getting a tattoo (due mostly to my skin care obsession--in all likelihood), I would not have judged my hypothetical self should I have chosen to get a tattoo representative of my trip (e.g. some Arabic script or some other clever thing). Andre visited Thailand recently and I think a small and tasteful (and well thought out) tattoo might have been the perfect thing to commemorate his set of unique memories. And, although I hesitate to admit it, I also like the tattoos that were permanently etched into the skins of their recipients all in the name of some infatuation or ‘love’…but that is likely due to my intense love of romance. This, however, has a very large grey area and I do not even want to touch upon this topic further. Basically, what I am trying to say here is that I believe in the beauty of tattoos that have a real meaning (i.e. something gloriously immutable)…and not some ill-conceived symbolic meaning. At the end of the day, I believe a tattoo should have some transcendent quality to it that could not be quickly stripped away by age or a general development of one’s perspective and maturity. Is that too much to ask?
Then there is the second camp of individuals. I know I am probably preaching to the choir when I mention this group, but hear me out. Think of a scrawny twenties-something guy you knew in high school. Remember the resentment that he undoubtedly harbored behind his eyes for all those who had what he desired and could not, at the time, achieve. This is one example of the kind of person I would advise against getting a tattoo. I cannot tell you how many people I have seen since high school that fit this general schema. In reference to the “scrawny guy” above, I would not be surprised if I were to see this guy and notice that he had gotten a tattoo of a wolf on his bicep (a clear manifestation of his inner torment and weakness?...um yeah!). Now you can see where I am going. I genuinely take most tattoos to represent a time of struggle (negative struggle, not some sublime gesture in which some obstacle is overcome in a sweepingly divine moment) or a point of past hardship that ultimately manifests as a physical and somewhat indirect symbol of this hardship (the tattoo itself). Even worse, I often see tattoos as a sign of one’s weakness (I’m a sexually liberated female, so I should show others who I am by getting a certain tattoo). Moreover, many often speak of tattoos as the ultimate sign of rebellion, and perhaps they were at one time. Indeed, I find them rather inoffensive and quote commonplace...but, hey, I live in L.A. I want to use my female Asian friends for this example. According to all of my female Asian friends, each claims that their parents would furious if they were to ever get a tattoo. Put differently, it seems that Asian parents tend to react to a much more intense degree when it comes to their children ‘defacing’ their bodies with this inky type of art. Well, I also do not know a single Asian girl who does not have a tattoo (of course, they are always in concealed locations—let’s be rebellious, but within reason haha!). Jessie’s is right under her waist line…Vicki’s is under her waist line as well…and the list goes on. Is this trend surprising to me…of course not. In both cases mentioned here, I feel that tattoos were decided on out of either psychological weakness or the pressure to fit within a very narrow image of an ideal child. Today, whenever I see a girl in her twenties or thirties with a barbed wire tattoo, I don’t immediately imagine that she is especially proud of her tattoo (or pondered over it for many months prior to taking the dive). Instead, I wonder what circumstances in her life led her to getting the tattoo. Surely she doesn’t manufacture barbed wire, surely she didn’t set up refugee camps with the Peace Corps…so is it possible that she got this tattoo simply to seem more badass? Maybe to make girls respect her more or for guys to like her more (or even to please a guy she was once interested in)? Even worse are the tattoos that people seem to get to keep people away from them (again, this may be a subconscious choice on their part and may not be the explicit reason for getting the tattoo, but the implicit reasons are the reasons I am interested in of course). As a fairly introverted personality type myself, I can certainly see similar individuals wanting to brand themselves for the sake of deflecting attention (of course, not going as far as to get a black tear drop inked on the face or a Nazi swastika on one’s chest). Sorry for the crude examples.
At this point, I am not really sure why I decided to write on this topic and I see that I have taken a rather large bite into the topic. Nevertheless, I am sure many feel the same way I do. At one point in my life, I even wanted to get a tattoo (between ages 19 and 21). Today, I genuinely have no desire at all to get a tattoo. What does that tell me: It’s probably best just to not get a tattoo...truly, the present moment could be full of corruptions that are not yet consciously clear to you. And if you do cave in and decide to get one, make sure it represents something that can stand against the observer’s test: Get the tattoo for yourself and make sure you are not merely getting the tattoo to portray yourself in a way that your presence and voice and mind should portray for you...Don’t let a tattoo speak for you--use your own intelligence, wit and ability! Ultimately, a tattoo should coexist with one’s personal image and not try to advance or evolve one’s image into a new and hazy conception of one’s future self.
I do believe that the guy I mentioned at the beginning of this post fits in with the first camp of people. When someone asks me if they should get a tattoo, my rule of thumb is to say no. The reason I say no is that I have never had someone present a strong case as to why they want to get one. In fact, their case is usually quite weak, poorly conceived or dastardly misdirected. However, in the case of the guy I know who is considering a tattoo, I would say go for it. However, do not get the tattoo if you are getting it for others to appreciate. Do not get the tattoo if you do not absolutely love everything about it (the size, the full extent of its meaning, the color, the changes your body will go through with age, etc.). Do not get the tattoo if you ever see it as negatively obscuring your image or you ever fear of a situation where you might actually want to cover it up. But at the end of the day we are all humans—all the same—and sometimes making a beautiful mistake is the best symbol for us to constantly be reminded of.
Michael
Friday, July 22, 2011
My Long Lost Friend
I was hesitant to have my first post be one of sadness...but, unfortunately I cannot escape the truth, so here it is.
So earlier today [this actually occured about two weeks prior to the date I am posting this] I got a very long text message from my mom saying that Teddy (my once-puppy and best friend) had died at the dog clinic in Johnson County, Kansas. I am still in total shock over it, but I know I will recover well. I loved him so much it's not possible to express in word (although I'd be happy to try). I am getting teary even thinking about it (awww, right? haha). He was the best little companion in the whole world, and as
cliche as it sounds, he was kind, he had such a strong personality, he was a little bit naughty but most importantly he had a loving heart. (ANECDOTE) He laid with my dad every day when he was dying of cancer three years ago. Even if my father was vomiting blood, passing out from pain, hallucinating from the intense medications, etc., Teddy was always right next to him and would always pop up for a lick (and perhaps a return belly rub). Wow...I just don't know what to think about all of it. And to imagine that I am now going back home to Kansas to live for a while..and he wont be there! He has always been there for the last twelve years (he was a Bichon Frise btw, 12 years is a good life span). It was HIS little home and visiting him was the best. When I go home, I will see signs of him everywhere. There are pillows with his image on them, he has his own Christmas stocking, there are photos all over the house... He really was a part of my heart, and he definitely represented an important part of my childhood and life in general. Teddy was certainly more of an idea than
cliche as it sounds, he was kind, he had such a strong personality, he was a little bit naughty but most importantly he had a loving heart. (ANECDOTE) He laid with my dad every day when he was dying of cancer three years ago. Even if my father was vomiting blood, passing out from pain, hallucinating from the intense medications, etc., Teddy was always right next to him and would always pop up for a lick (and perhaps a return belly rub). Wow...I just don't know what to think about all of it. And to imagine that I am now going back home to Kansas to live for a while..and he wont be there! He has always been there for the last twelve years (he was a Bichon Frise btw, 12 years is a good life span). It was HIS little home and visiting him was the best. When I go home, I will see signs of him everywhere. There are pillows with his image on them, he has his own Christmas stocking, there are photos all over the house... He really was a part of my heart, and he definitely represented an important part of my childhood and life in general. Teddy was certainly more of an idea than he was a little critter of flesh and bone. Again, cliche, I know, but his passing really does represent a symbolic passage of my childhood (although I have yet to qualify the extent of this passage). With his death goes many of the memories of my youth. With hope, Teddy will be buried at our farm in Kansas (one of his favorite places to scamper around because of all the freedom he had to run, play, sniff and get into things he shouldn't get into haha). I even got a unique idea from a friend on YouTube to plant a tree where he is buried...of course, I love what the planting of a tree represents on a number of levels. I wish an avocado tree would grow there!
Teddy meant a lot to me, and my 'real life' friends know that. I loved him because he was naughty. I loved him because he was sweet, but he would always choose comfort over being personable (and I loved him even more for his willingness to be selfish--it was truly him). I loved him because he always snuck out to munch on the cat food even though he knew he would get in trouble (he weighed the benefits/risks of doing it haha). Yet, on an entirely different note, I am not surprised that few of my "real life" friends seemed to care that much or reach out to me. I have learned (unfortunately) that I shouldn't expect that much from others, especially when it's just a dog. I got about 25 messages from youtube friends that were so sweet and supportive...but those around me didn't really seem to care at all. Andre, Ahmed (Seth), and a few other friends did reach out and shared in a laugh, an awww, and a sad moment of silence with me, and I will always remember and appreciate that. See, little things can make a big difference to someone. Of course, I realize that I am especially vulnerable to emotion right now because I am going through a noteworthy transition (e.g. a huge move), and with that in mind, I cautiously temper my expectations from others. To Teddy *raises glass*
Michael
An Introduction: A person(able) blog
I have finally broken down and decided to chronicle the random ins and outs of my daily life. I know it might seem rather mundane to the average person--one who may or may not care too much about an absolute stranger (and rightly so)--but I sincerely hope that someone will be able to take away a gem of hope, knowledge or even inspiration from my words.
With that being said, I will post some personal stories on this blog (anecdotes that actually occured to me if they are at all worthy of re-living). However, the majority of my content will be aimed at the expression of my personal philosophy (with the aim of conveying some deeper life messages in the process). I do have a lot to reflect on when it comes to issues of life, love, hatred, violence, politics, religion, freedom, wealth and self.
Michael
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