What time is it?
Ive thought of a riddle, do you care to think of an answer?
The twins are two numbers on the clock,
When the hand forces you to stop,
The digits are a multiple of the two numbers,
What time is it?
Archive for year: 2015
The Rush experience
From the first moment when I was introduced to the band [Rush] [some odd six months ago] most of what I heard involved praises of their lyrics. In preparation for the live concert that took place earlier today [June 19, 2015] I was instructed to take in a daily dose of what they had to offer.
To be honest: although I enjoy the music I was having a difficult time deciphering the lyrics; each time I pushed the play button the words failed to reach me.
Earlier today I had the opportunity to experience the band live. I have to say that live; is exactly how Rush should be experienced.
The band trio took on the stage and got straight to business. The curtains dropped and the music started. There was no chit-chat, no introductions, no typical “hello Toronto, are you ready?… bla-bla-bla…“. They took the stage and started playing.
As the music boomed, somewhere in the middle of the madness a boisterous man screamed “we are not worthy“, my friend laughed and I thought to myself “that man has a point“.
Ironically, during the concert, the one thing that was supposed to make Rush great [their lyrics] could not reach me. It could have been the volume, the location of our seats or an aged/screechy tone of the singer’s voice; I simply could not fathom what he was trying to convey; his words melded into a set of indistinguishable sounds.
However, I do not believe that this was the point of the experience. The real magic of Rush lies in their music. I had the opportunity to experience a 2.5h of straight rock madness. The drummer, the base player, and the lead guitarist: all delivered a masterful performance. I fond myself losing track of time and space: in a psychedelic manner I kept returning to reality only to wonder what happened, how did I go from the beginning of the song to the middle, to the end? I kept loosing myself and the melody, the cycle kept repeating.
For the lack of a better phrase: Rush is a band that delivered.
On my way home I popped in a CD with their music. Listening to the familiar melodies again something odd happened. The words, the lyrics and the meaning was finally there. What previously seemed like a challenge was no longer a struggle. Every word, every syllable uttered finally reached me. It seems, that somehow, my experience at the concert allowed my senses to become attuned to the music.
I finally hear the words. I finally hear the message. I finally have the opportunity to understand and embrace everything that this band has to offer.
I can’t wait to re-discover Rush all over again. I can’t wait to listen to their songs, to their music, to he intricate melodies and most of all I can’t wait to listen to the lyrics.
$2
What is the cost of a happy go lucky feeling at the core of your stomach?
Apparently it’s $2.
I was standing in line waiting to pay for a pouch of peanuts [retail value $0.85]. An elderly woman was standing in front of me. She carefully examined her collection of goodies: a midsize bag of corn and a small pouch of chocolates.
Taking her time she slowly asked about the cost of each item; the clerk informed her of the prices:
Corn: $3.58
Chocolate: $2.00
She paused, contemplated, looked at her tiny wallet, looked back at the clerk and finally [with a sigh] asked to take the chocolates off her bill.
Six months ago I would stand there and do nothing; I would probably be annoyed by the delay and would storm off feeling irritated. Today, I gently tapped her on the shoulder, extended my hand, smiled and offered a toonie.
Dear reader, I am not the type of a person who would naturally come off as a gentle person. I don’t usually exude peace and good will. People would likely mistake me for a serious, quiet, confrontational type. So it could have been possible that the woman would have reacted defensively. But she didn’t. She graciously accepted my gesture with a smile and gratitude.
I hope that this little act of kindness made her day. I hope those chocolates remind her of the kindness of strangers. I hope that you my dear reader consider the possibility of offering a helping hand when an opportunity presents itself.
Cheers
Admiration
The word admiration is defined as: respect and warm approval; something regarded as impressive or worthy of respect.
I’ve thought about the word earlier this morning and a sudden question burst through the fogginess of my mind: do we have people in our lives that we admire?
I do believe that there’s greatness in the world but do we [as the social collective] see it? Do we take the time and say “Well done!“? Do we acknowledge the idea that people are doing amazing and wonderful things, that the values that we hold in the depths of our harts, the values that we sometimes are too afraid to utter are real, that there are people in the world who live by those values and who make an effort?
I think I do from time to time, and I think that I out to do it more often.
Max
Stand your Ground
How do you see the world? How does the world see you? Do you know what you’re worth? And are you getting your share of the pie?
Earlier today I partook in an exhilarating experience that tested the entire core of my being. From the moment that I picked up the phone and uttered a typical greeting I knew that the path ahead would be filled with guilt driven propaganda.
The Topic
It was a simple discussion: I wanted a raise in my hourly rate for the services that I`ve been providing.
The players involved in the conversations were: an agent and yours truly
The Preparation
This was not a spontaneous occurrence: this was an orchestrated even that took time, effort and patience to put together. I’ve spent a month learning, negotiating, reflecting, asking, waiting, rejecting, and demanding fair treatment.
It is not necessary to go in to details. All you have to know is this: I believe that a man who is responsible for 95% of the effort deserves 95% of the profit.
The Challenge
My dear reader. My sole intent and purpose for writing this post is to shed light on the ugliness of guilt and shame driven manipulation. I am not immune to these tactics and it is my hope that if you are reading this you will find some comfort in the knowledge that they can be avoided. That the plan has a flaw, that in order for the attack to work the victim must believe in his own depravity.
To this I simply urge you, DON’T. Stay true to yourself and to your goal at hand. Believe, hold your head high and move forward.
Through out the entire discussion the agent has failed to give me a single solid point of value. There were no facts, no rime or reason, he leveraged his entire opposition on the simple idea that I should feel ashamed for wanting to demand the bread that I have earned. And here’s how he went about it:
- This is unreasonable
- You are unreasonable
- We are one company, you can’t be thinking of yourself
- How can you suddenly ask for this? What changed?
- This is disrespectful
- I am shocked
- You are being unrealistic
- I can’t make the call, it’s not up to me
- This will take time
- You are not being fare
- I can’t make any promises
- You are being selfish
- You are not worth what you’re asking
- Our company overhead cannot afford your proposal
- You are replaceable
- Anyone is replaceable
How to HOLD YOUR GROUND
I won’t lie; it’s not easy; when you know who you are, your worth and that you are fighting a moral principle. Each and every comment listed above is an insult designed to get you off balance, to pull you in to an emotional turmoil, to bring you to your knees and have you beg for mercy.
I suggest the following strategy.
- Set a time limit to the call, don`t waste time
- Don’t bother explaining, stick to your goal
- Give options and stick to them, don’t stray from the path
- Let him talk, don’t jump to defend yourself
- While he is talking jot things down
- Wait for 5/10/15 seconds, just wait, silence is uncomfortable even for trained negotiators
- Think, don’t rush, let him sweat, let him explain himself
- Use the following line: I know what I am worth, and I am sure if you were to put yourself in my shoes you would understand that this is justified
- Be prepared to walk away
If you believe that the agent/world is going to notice your worth [as you toil away at your post] and treat you fairly, then I urge you to think again. Try speaking to someone retired and ask if they ever received what they were truly worth. Your rate is a by-product of your self-worth and your willingness to stand your moral ground; demand nothing less and hold true to your believes.
I know, it’s not fair, it’s tough and it is so much easier to fall in line. But consider what you might be missing!
I will leave you my dear reader with a quote from a movie; I hope this message gives you hope, I hope you have courage and strength to believe in yourself and in your value. BE FREE!
Fight and you may die. Run and you will live at least awhile. And dying in your bed many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here as young men and tell our enemies that they may take our lives but they will never take our freedom!