Something Quick...

Ok, so just a random rant that I thought would be willing to share. Topic: As a people, we're dumb... Reason (For this particular post): Space exploration....

Now don't get me wrong, I am all for space exploration to a certain point. The universe -or multiverses, if you believe in that type of thing, which is actually a pretty crazy concept, but I digress- is beautiful and full of insane phenomena that we should explore, to a certain extent. My problem? Spending hundreds of millions/billions of dollars to create satellites and fund different programs in order to search for a planet that's habitable.

I was talking to a good friend about something like this, and she said, "What do you think life forms would be like from other planets? Do you think they'll be smarter than us?" My reply, "Yeah, they'll be smarter because they won't exhaust all of their resources destroying their planet and searching for another one that's somewhat close, but still inhabitable for their species."

So my thought for the morning, what if we took all of the money that we spent on satellites searching for "the next Earth" and start working on the real deal first? Because at this point the highest ESI (Earth Similarity Index - something that compares planets to Earth) is like .84... and it's like hundreds of light-years away... And even though it's really cool that we keep finding these types of planets, (nah foreal though, it's cool as shit; there's like 4 or 5 planets that are over .80 which is wild, digress) it's damn sure not going to happen where we find a planet that is 100% in our universe. So let's take that billions of dollars that we're discovering the heavens with and use it to make our world a little more habitable. You know, purify some rivers, save some wildlife, not have people dying of hunger across the world or depending on corporations for every single need, etc.

As a human race, we need to start working on our planet because at the rate we're going, there's not many generations left that'll actually have actual beautiful places on Earth to cherish. They're slowly being destroyed by us, while we look outward instead of focusing internally...

Just my thoughts.

Marcus J

Which Seems More Achievable?

What's good people? New day, new post, same thoughts that came from a random occurrance in my life lol. If this is your first time reading the blog, Welcome. I hope what you read can spark some thoughts for you. If you're reading because you've somehow become interested with how I think, welcome back. Either way I appreciate the love.

SO today, the thought came from a dinner with one of my friends at a Golden Corral. Seems simple right? Check out where it goes though... lol

So we're at Golden Corral, chillin and eating the mounds of food that an all-you-can eat buffet affords for its customers and my mind goes back to my childhood instantly. When I was a kid, every holiday would be spent at Golden Corral. Birthdays, Celebrations, sometimes even holidays such as Easter if no one wanted to cook, but it seemed like we were always at Golden Corral. So the thing that got me thinking was the steak, of all things. I thought about how, when I was a kid, the best steak would come from Golden Corral. (Sidenote: These are all of my personal opinions on any restaurant metioned, I represent no one and have a right to my personal opinion... Don't need any lawsuits coming my way... lol) But, anyways, I loved Golden Corral food, man, it was always on point. Unparalleled to me. Except for Ryan's sometimes, because their mashed potatoes were crazy good, but I digress.

SO I start thinking about the conference I had just got back from, and all of the different things I've experienced since I've left for college. The wealth that some people have, the upbringing of some people, the experiences and my mind has a field day. What was my main thought? My neice's grandfathers. I'll explain why. And this is how I think about many things so pay attention.

Thinking back to my childhood, my dad was always the big dog, man. We went to Golden Corral and he would eat 3 plates of the steak, extra satisfied with every one, maybe a slight comment of how it was cooked but always content with the steak. (I'm assuming you got the fact that my dad is one of my neice's grandfathers and then her other one will also be mentioned.) We never even noticed how low quality the food was. Either because my parents were always satisfied or because we didn't know higher quality, the food was majestic in our (me and my siblings) minds right?

Then, I thought about the other grandfather. And I'm not using any names, just to make it easy for me. But this guy is ballin, right? It seems everytime I see him, he wants to go to the most expensive steak house around. On top of that he always pays for everyone, $50/$60 meals for the whole table... "You wanna beer too?" If you know me you already know my response, lol. But thinking about him in contrast to my father, it was crazy. He's the type to get the steak and if it's not perfect he might have a nice talk with the waiter and request another one (Which makes complete sense if you're ordering a $50 piece of meat). Now, if you are unaware, the steak you get for $50 is a lot different than the steaks which you receive at the golden corral lol. And somehow there's a complete contrast between the two styles. Then, I thought about how my sister's boyfriend has acted once and how we were taught to act. One time we were out to eat and he didn't like something he got so he sent it back, which may not seem like a lot to you all but to me, we were taught never to do that and if we ordered it we better like it. Whatever I'll get back to my point.

But this is how I assume my sister's boyfriend grew up. Not an all-you-can-eat buffet with low quality food that fills you with all this steroid infested food, but with steaks from cows who graized in fields made of the highest quality grass and wheats. (a tad of an exagerration but you get my point, lol) And now, somehow, my neice is the connector between these two types of men, right?

So, I was thinking about this and began to wonder, what makes people satisfied. Clearly there are people who live in poverty who are not well off, but they are happy with their lives. Then there are the kids who parents make tons of money, or the people who make tons of money themselves, and they completely hate their lives and always want more. I know money doesn't automatically equal sanity or a good life, but it definitely takes away the problems of the poor, and that's a shit load of problems.

While thinking of this my mind was racing, really trying to decide what made people the happiest, and if people as a whole could ever be happy at the same time, some type of Utopia, right? Is it possible at all? Or are people naturally not satisfied? And are we headed further and further away from this point of balance? You know, since all of these fuckin reality TV shows depict these fuckin idiots in these big ass houses with their designer clothing and surgeries to make themselves look fake af to have people admire them and directly brainwash half of the nation to sale their morales for money to aspire to be like said fucking idiots and never settle with what they have in material possessions... but I digress.

So my mind led me everywhere, even slept on it last night, then today I woke up and researched the beginnings of the term. Figures Thomas More made it up in England. Thomas More is a G too, King Henry the 8th really did some dirty shit to him, but you can look that story up though. Any ways figuring out all of this stuff about Utopia obviously led me to look stuff up about dystopia as well. And looking at the contrasts in the two along with thinking about the contrasts that I mentioned before I began to think, which of these seems more realistic for society? A utopian society or dystopian society?

So this is all I have been able to think about for the past couple of days, right? Which of these is realistically more attainable? And as optimistic I would like to stay about the human race, I could not even fathom a utopian society. A place where money is the least of people's worries and people only consume what they need and redistribute wealth in order to people who need it. A place where the main concern of the human race is perserving the planet that we inhabit in order for future generations to prosper and grow. (Even the other day some scientist wrote a paper proving that the world is on the verge of the next great extinction, look it up it's crazy as hell) But in thinking about everything that happens in the world today, I could never convince myself that people will ever get it. And even if some do, the false majority will not, and that is what will drive us to the latter.

For those who don't know, a dystopian society is something like The Hunger Games series. A place where the richest have perfect lives, perfect to the point where they're not sure what suffering really is, but behind the scenes is near slave labor. The poor work, starve, die while the rich party, waste and destroy everything, and reap the benefits of old money. And through my thinking, I believe this would be more likely for the world that we live in today.

If you've read my old posts it's evident that I believe in the disconnect between the rich and poor throughout the world, not just in America. I mean shit, affluenza is even a "disease" now that can get you off of murder trials if you were brought up too rich and priveledged... digress. But clearly with the lust of money and material possessions growing at a rapid pace and the appreciation for life and creation dwindling... I'm afraid utopia will never actually even be a thought.

Feel free to disagree with me, but in a world where it's easier to be praised for making a sex tape rather than finding cures for deadly diseases, or put in the spotlight for "twerking" instead of graduating I believe that our society is headed for a modern day Dark Age that will only lead to death and destruction...

I do, however, believe that someday, that will most likely not be in our lifetime, people will snap and be enlightened and recognize that every breathing thing in this universe is connected through something more powerful than anyone can comprehend. There will be a time when people aren't separated by religion because they understand there is no religion, simply because the human mind can't fathom the works of God. We won't be seperated by language or race because people will finally understand that we are all beings that come from the Almighty, and to hate anyone is equivalent to hating your souls reflection in someone else. We'll stop stripping the land for everything it has because, whenever it will be, we will recognize that everything on this planet breathes and has just as much of a purpose as the richest man on Earth. From the trees in the forest, to the millions of animals killed by moving vehicles, down to the homeless people that people often ridicule, we'll recognize the Godly power in every living thing and somehow make a change...

Until that day, though, we're just going to be remembered in history as the generation that destroyed the planet and led our race to one of the darkest periods in known history...

I believe there is time left to change it, but I also doubt people are willing to sacrifice to change it (see my last post)... Hopefully I'm wrong though... I pray that I am, but whatever I'll get out of my hippie mode now haha...

So, as always, feel free to comment, question, rebuttle respectfully... I appreciate any and all feedback... at the end of the day I'm just trying to expand my mind to different perspectives...

As always, these are just my thoughts folks...

Marcus J.

Marcus J's 50 Year Theory

What's good everybody? As stated in my most recent post, I'm back on my game. Studying history, science, religion, the universe and all it entails, and once again making my opinion and thoughts known to the world.

So I know you see the title and you're probably like, "Oh, so now this nigga makin' theories??" Well, indeed I am. And as always, if you have anything to respectfully say to it, please leave a comment and we can discuss. I respect all open thought as long as it is respectful and well thought out, as all of my posts are.

So some back ground on this new theory that I've been coming up with for the past couple of months. It began as I took a trip to my hometown of Dayton. I'm riding through my neighborhood and it seems that all I see is beat down houses, closed businesses, and men and women who look defeated. Yes, defeated is the only explanation that I could use to describe the looks in their eyes. So I begin thinking, as I usually do, why is life like this for us? (It's my hometown, a neighborhood I've lived in since I was 3 so yes I will be saying us, even though I was blessed to make it out) Haven't any of the people here just stopped and thought about the power that lies in numbers? (I'll have anothe post about the power in numbers so I won't go ham right now)

So through all this thinking I think of all of the research I've done on the Black Inferiority Complex and African-American propoganda and how we are taught to hate ourselves from birth, basically, through the American system. (This is a point where I don't really care about your opinions, this is damn near factual) But the thing is, it's not just blacks. It's whites, hispanics, any type of immigrant who is living in poverty. Well shit, any person living in poverty basically. Whatever.

So this led me to thinking about organizing our communities, right? I thought, "Why do we not just organize as a people and demand changes? Nobody enjoys living like this..." This led me to researching "Social Reforms" and revolutionaries, right? And this was the basis of my theory.

Let's take it back to slavery. There were major slave rebellions like every 30-40 years around the world, but that's because the oppressor was physical and apparent so I will start with the American Civil War. The 1860's, full of steps forward for the USA right? Emmancipation Proclomation in 1863 (not sure about that date, but pretty sure) aboloshing slavery from the Union. Abe Lincoln fuckin' shit up "fighting for blacks" (Even though I believe he was just as racist as the next man, he just might've realized it was morally wrong to OWN another soul... or maybe he started the whole thing trying to get votes from the North and purposefully created a rift in the nation, look up the different theories they're actually crazy.. lol digress though) Point being, the 1860's had many things from American black's to be proud about....... Until the nation began to restructure itself with institutional slavery....

So just like that my theory begins, right? I know I haven't said my theory explicitly but hang in there, you'll figure it out. SOOOO, institutionalized slavery. Make niggas free, but poor as shit and dependent on their rich white slave masters to survive and do the work for what may have been cheaper then the slave trades anyways, right? But TELLING these black people they were free was good enough for them, because they had the HOPE of becoming more than slaves someday.... And this is just speaking for America, all types of bullshit was happening in Africa too and the colonization of the kingdoms and blah blah, but I'll focus on America because I'm not too knowledgeable about the African history...

Well about 50 years passes right? And it seems that a whole generation of people begin to realize.... Hold up... We're still just as dependent on the white men as we were when we were slaves... Now remember, some blacks had already been rich through a lot of things, there was a Upper Black Class, if that's what you want to call it, but the majority of blacks were still dirt poor and dependent on white men's crops and corporations. So, the leader emerges, right?

Man by the name of Marcus Garvey starts an organizaion called the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) and rallies this generation. Does everything for black people, but actually nothing at the same time right? He was just the ultimate visionary. Travels across America and gives speeches to black crowds. Telling them that they are a powerful people and when united they can conquer all. I'm not gonna do a whole history lesson but Marcus Garvey was that nigga man, held it tf down. Unites blacks across the world, starts a newspaper that was published throughout Africa and Europe and plans to unite Negroes across the globe. And WOULD HAVE done it, but this fuck boy named J. Edgar Hoover, "American Hero", starts this project called CointelPro. Remember this for later. Hoover basically implanted agents in the UNIA to disrupt everything and cause the organization to fall to shit, causing it to go bankrupt, all plans to fail, and Marcus Garvey to go to jail and catch a sickness which led to his death. Score 1-0, THE MAN.

Forgot to mention the UNIA was founded in 1914, about 50 years after the end of the American Civil War. So although the UNIA was disrupted in the major plans, it showed the government that minorities could rally together for a cause. They gained small things, you know, a small say in things here and there and it was enough to satisfy that generation because, again, it was more than what they started with. Were they still equal? The WHITE ONLY signs on the doors could dispell that immediatly. That's extra fucked up btw, but I digress.

So what's 1914+50? 1964, right? except it happened a little bit early this time. But although I will talk about the Civil Rights Movement, I don't plan to dwell to much on Dr. King. Mind you he was a fearless leader, who CointelPro also had hands in his assassination, but he was just one man. And he was an older, wiser man. Who I will talk about who came to power to rally the black nation is the Black Panther Party. We all know who the Black Panther Party was, and what they did, but little do people know their ages. They were college students for the most part. Shit, Fred Hampton went to jail when he was like 18/19 and was assassinated when he was only 21. Another operation by the government, but I digress. The Black Panther Party were a group of people, led by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, who were conscious of the opressor against their people, their neighborhoods, their families, right? They were people who saw the nation for what it was and demanded a change. But, like I said this isn't a history lesson.

So, let's jump 50 years from the 1960's, since most progressive black activists groups lost power before the 1970's, thanks again to CointelPro, I'm tellin you man look up the operation it's crazy! Some say it even had Tupac murdered just for the simple fact that he was unifying gangs across the nation with his Thug Life brand, but they got to him before he changed his rap career to revolutionary.. digress again.

So my theory is, that our generation must take our stand against the evils that are taking place in our country. Every 50 years, it has been placed on the generation that was far enough removed to be conscious of the systematic trials that they are placed in. If you are one of the people that think it's not that bad anymore, then you're clearly not who I'm talking to at this point in my life, because you're living in ignorance and I'm sure it's blissful. For those of you who have been stopped and frisked, who have had cops pull guns on you and your friends, who have been recepients of systematic racism in any realm, YES I am talking to you.

And all the signs have been there, man. Trayvon Martin and the disgusting shit white people did after the trial (Reference the black face paint they did for Halloween and thought it was funny) to the uncharted unemployment for black males in this country, or at that matter the unemployment in inner cities in general, or just how America still continues to fight wars over seas looking for more dirty money instead of investing in our communities which are struggling. Man, if you don't see the need for change get out the fuckin way cuz clearly you're blind. I digress.

I know this post is getting long and y'all might be getting tired of it so I'll wrap it up here soon, but just know it is upon our generation to begin making requests. We are living in a generation where kids don't know who Fred Hampton is but they know Chief Keef, they don't know Huey Newton but they damn sure know some fuck nigga off of one of those reality shows. It is our obligation to educate ourselves on the past in order to oragnize the people and begin making changes, because I fear that if something does not happen within the next decade, it might be too late and there is no coming back.

We cannot just let our culture and society slip into a dark ages where niggas are stuck at the bottom of the totem pole, with no ambition and no liberation. We need to realize how dependent we are on the rich white corporation owners and rally against them. So explicitly, I believe, my theory is, that every 50 years there is a shift in the universe as we know it. The oppressed people of the world are able to focus their anger and agression to people other than their own people, and turn it into a progressive movement. We saw it with the Arab Spring, we saw it across the globe, but yet as African-Americans we are still complacent. As lower class Americans we continue to slave to the richest people in America who run the corporations and spend money that could rebuild cities on mansions and speedboats.

It's up to our generation to become aware, and make a change.

Feel free to comment if you would like to discuss anything or have a different, respectful point of view.

As always, these are just my thoughts...

Marcus J.

I Fuck Up...

Well hello there again family!


If anyone still checks this blog, which I'm sure only a couple people do (Probably only John Doe now, haha) you would have noticed that I have not posted in a looooong ass time. Did my thoughts stop? Never. Did I mismanage time? Of course. But the worst thing is I stopped letting my voice be heard.

The reason I haven't posted in a while will allow people to see several flaws in my character.

1. I procrastinate with the best of them.
2. I easily make excuses when I know I'm stronger than I give myself credit for.
3. I have many vices which put me in compromising positions.
4. Simply put, I FUCK UP!

Now, you might wonder why my first post back is something so trivial. Something as elementary as falling down, right? But it's a fundamental thought that holds us all back, if you think about it. You see, I've come to this realization about people who are a part of today's society, and I can only say today's society because it's all I have personally witnessed. The thing is we, I know I do, like to make excuses because we need a reason as to why we CAN'T reach the greatness we deserve. This can be seen through anything in life, right?

Example, take a good for nothing nigga that cheats on his girlfriend, right? We take our preconcieved notions about relationships and abide by them instead of doing what we know is right. simple decisions go the wrong way, which lead niggas down the wrong paths from the beginning. You know not to get the girl's number, you know not to text her, you know not to fuck her, you know not to lie, scheme, and bullshit but in your mind you might be thinking, "Well I know my girl is the best, but it CAN'T be meant for me to find what I need this early in my life. That's too good to be true, right?" Digress for the time being.

Or another example, when a well capable nigga fails a class he shouldn't. Shit not even failing, cuz in college a C is basically a fail. So what do we do, since we've been taught we were dumb our whole lives and are not as smart as the white mutha fuckas that sit in the front and are "legacy" students. We go, "Damn that dude smart as hell, I CAN'T get grades like him. His whole family is full of engineers [for example] and he just knows his shit. Damn sure CAN'T compete with him in the classroom."

Or looking at social change, right? The people with the big ass monuments in DC, right? MLK (which is actually a fuckin' mosquito bite compared to the real monuments, digress), Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, etc. Shit even people who don't have monuments that have done major shit. Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, fuckin' Fred Hampton, anyone who's done it major. We go, "Well, we CAN'T have an impact as major as that person... We just CAN'T do what that person did..."

I've gone on long enough with examples, all of which are things I battle everyday so I know somebody out there feels me. But the thing that I've come to realize is what if in some way we can turn our way of thinking around. Modern science says people use, what, 10-20% of their brains and CAN'T unlock the rest? Or the average African-American from the inner city CAN'T excel at a PWI which rakes up the most research dollers and funding. Or black people CAN'T change how fucked up America is and change a system that has repeatedly been placed and altered to keep the majority of us down as a whole?

I think shit should change. Because no matter how optimistic of a person I think I am, the same old negativity that I was placed in as a child has continued to haunt me to this very day. Being raised in a culture where sex is praised, success is hated, knowledge is frowned upon, and at the end of the day it's cut throats or be sacrificed for someone else to make it, I am a fucked up individual (we're a fucked up society) that all are conscious of the wrong that is apparent in everyday life but regardless play by these dirty ass rules anyways. When people around your neighborhood told you "Don't dream, you CAN'T do that. You'll just be disappointed." I'm here to say fuck all of that. Fuck everything. IDK what I'm even talking about anymore, so let's get back to the point.

I FUCK UP, ALL THE TIME. It's what people do, man. The difference is that we're conscious about it! We have the ability to change. Every time I buy a bottle of alcohol I know that it's money I could save to change the world. Everytime I have a conversation with somebody I shouldn't, I know it'll hurt someone I love. I fuck up man, all the time. We all do. The challenge is to first be conscious of the things that you're doing wrong, whether it be your personal vices or something that our society has hammered so far into your brain its in your subconscious now [check my older posts on BI Complex]. Whatever it is things have got to change, and I'm making the vow now to start it with me.

We only get one chance to change the world, man. [Well if you don't believe in reincarnation but I kinda do so take that for how you want to, digress] And I'm sure the people that've done the most with their time wasted minimal amounts of it thinking that they CAN'T do something, but rather thinking how to overcome the obvious barriers that turn most people away from their own greatness...

With that being said, expect posts from me regardless if I'm taking 18 credits or if I'm not doing shit at work. Becuase the people who have changed the world used the same 24 hour days to accomplish everything they did, and I'll be damned if I let a negative outlook on myself stop me from attaining my destiny.

Thanks for the rant. As always, these are just my thoughts...

Marcus J.

What Do You Stand For?

Hey watsup people? For this post I have a lot of questions, because I can only see this topic through my personal viewpoint so feel free to comment, as always. And though this post won't be as radical as others, at least I don't think once I get goin who knows lol, I still would ask if you have something to say say it and if you read it take it in and question yourself and your life. 

So the thing that sparked this post is an interview I watched with Sean Parker. If you don't know who Sean Parker is, he founded Napster, was on the Facebook board of directors (Justin Timberlake in the movie haha), and now is on some board for Spotify. Why is he important? Good question. I think his story is interesting because he went from a young kid, mad millions by founding Napster, lost it all in court cases for breaching copyrights, then was homeless and bounced back. Now he's worth approximately $2.4 Billion I think. Oh, and he's done all of this and he's only 34 years old. -That's crazy to me, digress.

Anyways, I was watching this interview, right? And it was hosted by Jimmy Fallon or something, and they were talking about how he got started computer programming and his early struggles (he founded Napster when he was still a teenager) and just his journey to where he is now. The one part of the interview that stuck the most to me was a certain part when the interviewer asked if Parker was happy to have regained his capital after being homeless and on the run. And what did he say? "Oh, it was never about the money..." Then he starts talking about how he just loved programming, and then he really loved music, so he put the two together and kept following that passion. 

And I mean of course when you're legally a billionaire you can act like money isn't that important to you. But there was something about the way he answered that you could tell that when he started everything, it wasn't about the money. He really just wanted to give people the opportunity to stream the music they wanted when they wanted to.

And when watching interviews from other billionaires, they all said the same thing. At the origin it was never about the money. Bill Gates said he just wanted to learn as much as he could and connect people. Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffet, etc. all of them said from their beginnings it wasn't about the money. Do I believe every single one of them? Hell no, but it's just crazy the uniform answer that they all gave. Digress.

Of course this sparked my thoughts, right? And I started thinking about the way that society is set up now. It's the complete opposite! If you're from a family who isn't extremely wealthy, which most of these men are, you are placed on the path to mediocrity. You are taught to go through the system, get a degree and a decent paying job that you can live on. 

And this belief isn't always placed by parents, it's everywhere! By schools, after school programs, churches, etc. I think that's disgusting. This could go hand in hand with my problems with the educational system in America but I won't do that right now.

The main thing I took out of it is, what would people do if they actually achieved what they wanted to do instead of having their dreams capped off? And how many people do what they do just for the money? And on top of that why would a society ever promote a system in which people are placed on a path to this mediocre system which doesn't allow people to reach their maximum potential. 

Even at my job right now, I hear people talk about how much they despise being at work, but I work at one of the most favored employers in the area. So my logic is it can only get worse right? So I've decided to step off of this path in my future.

I'll probably make a lot less than I was estimated to make with the current degree I will receive, but this is the way I see it. The thing that you do most in your time here on this planet is work. You begin to work at 22-23 if you graduate from college and you retire, eh with how the governments going, around 60-70. That's 40+ years of work, after which you have that same 20ish years to live if you're lucky and your heart hasn't been compromised from waking up earlier than your body is supposed to function, making you drink coffee and other energy drinks which slowly deteriorate your body, but I digress. 

My point is that in America you can either take a step out on faith and chase your own dream, or you can be complacent and chase someone else's; (i.e. working for any company where you work 40+ hours a week just for your work to maybe be recognized in an minescule employee award, digress) so why would you not chase your own? It's easier to follow the path that's laid before you, but it's more admirable to create your own. 

So back to the point of this post, what do you stand for? Are you just out here with no passion at all trying to get a check every week, or are you chasing a dream? And don't get it wrong, you can have jobs that you don't completely love if you have to set yourself up for a future movement, but are you rich and depressed or getting by and joyous?

You only get one chance on the earth, do you want people to remember you as the person who did what they were told or what they wanted and could not be stopped by obstacles? Idk man, I'll probably stop before I preach too much, but the only way for this pre-established system run by big name brands and corrupt CEO's to tumble is by more people taking the path less traveled. 

**First, why would you want to support these people's dreams? Second, why would you make yourself suffer through your entire life like this?**

So whether you want to create a clothing line that people can wear worldwide, or you want to become a doctor and start your own physicians office, or you want to invent something that effects everyone you interact with don't let this system of mediocrity mess you up man. It's clearly the reason our nation continues to lose its supremacy and I feel like it'll soon be debunked (hopefully within our lifetime) but until then, be the person to make that change. Don't keep going down this same road man, because if you chase somebody else's dream you'll never know what true happiness is. That's not your spiritual calling. You'll always have a void in you because you're not doing what you were placed on this earth to do if you have to force your heart to be behind it. Digress.  

I say, while you're still  young and have limited responsibilities (i.e. no kids/one kid, limited insurance, rent instead of a mortgage, etc.) and you have a passion, or are finding your passion, let it shine. Take whatever it is that you're passionate about (if you're not sure watch the news or have a debate with people about real world things, it'll find you before you find it) and find a way to change the world with it. After all, the worst that could happen is that you end up back in the system they tried to place you in anyways, right? But at least you can say you tried. And that passion will keep growing and burning and there's no doubt that you'll be successful, whatever your definition of success is. Promise you that. But I'll end this rant now.

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." -Oscar Wilde

Just my thoughts.

-Marcus J.

Who are you?

Stop for this post I chose to go with a more conservative title but the post content is, as I would like to think it is always, thought provoking. And I already know many people well try to denounce this immediately and not give it any thought but for those of you that for some reason read what I have to say on here just think about what I'm saying.

So the topic of this post is religion.If you're dead set on your religion and think there's nothing I can tell you you most likely won't care what I have to say but this is more for you than anyone. And I'll ask a lot of questions so if you have any answers please feel free to provide feedback because I'm just trying to be enlightened.

So the post title "Who are you?" is basically to these people who completely regard other religions as fictional. No matter what the religion it is that you count out, whether it be polytheism of the ancient Egyptian societies or it be Islam, this post is for you and the people who think like you.

Growing up in my Christian home, Methodist church, and Christian school during developing years in my life I was always very inquisitive. One question that I would always find myself asking is how can someone tell me that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Like no matter what, if you lived after Jesus died for our sins and didn't accept him you go to hell. Never bought into that whole thing whole heartedly, and I'll tell you all of my reasoning as to why.

When I was in 7th grade I did a project on Mohandas Gandhi. I studied how he held peaceful rebellions against the imperialist British government and how he sacrificed so much of himself for the peace of his nation, his homeland and his people. I admired the stories of him and all he did. Mind you this time I was in a Christian school, so one day I asked my teacher "Do you believe people such as Gandhi go to hell if they don't believe in Jesus?"

My teacher not ready for such a question at first would not answer. She was a sweet older lady, I won't expose her name but if you went to EDCS it was in history haha. Anyways after she didn't answer I asked her again. This time she replied, "Why yes. If he did not accept the Lord Jesus into his heart it unfortunately means he did."

If course this bothered me, right? Because how was he supposed to do such a thing when the people who were harassing his land had originally came in the name of Jesus? I'll digress on this point for the time being.

So this lead me to think, what about all off the people worldwide who had not even heard of Jesus? I mean after all Gutenberg didn't even make the printing press until the 1400's and by then I'm sure the Bible was not worldwide. So for these millions of people who died in this timeframe did they all go to hell too?

When I was in high school I was never allowed to get such questions out and always kept things like this under wraps, but in college I have relearned to question so this thinking emerged again. And now my question is who was the idiot that made religion an all or nothing thing? Yeah I said idiot.

Who became so blinded by this loosely translated Bible that we have today and said there's no other way. And I'm no master on Islam but who said that their religion is the only one which will get you to heaven? So to the point of the title I am saying "who are you?" To count out someone's religion as wrong, because these type of things are clearly for the gods and the passed spirits so how can anyone on this earth discount anything?

It is well known that many religions in today's society have very similar origins, and Islam even credits Jesus as a great profit if I'm not mistaken, so why did we ever turn to just discrediting a whole religion? Or was it a choice of the people? Digress.

Next question is what do you think about people in ancient societies thought about their religion off the time? Ancient Egypt, Greece, Babylon... what about them? The people whose spirit was of great purity and only believed in the religion of the time because it was what was spoon feed to them from birth, much like people's religion is now. Are all of these people burning in hell now because they were never reached by the God of Judah which had reached us all?

Who are we to count out their religions as well? And you might say but what about the dark ages and how their religions allowed kilos and stuff but just think about all the people that say they're Christians and do terrible things. We might be half way in a dark she right now foreal, but I'll save that for another day.

**Note: I'm writing this at midnight knowing I have to be up in six hours for work. I couldn't sleep and this has been on my mind for some time. Just laying here listening to classical music vibing and venting. So if this is a little different than my other posts know I'm in a more comfortable setting, digress.**

Lately I've been studying Hinduism, Buddhism, and other things of that nature and with comparing them to what I was taught growing in the Christian church I believe there is space for every religion. Above that I think religion is made to help teach morals to the masses. Even some more radical translations of the Bible place Yeshua, sometimes known as modern Jesus, as a man sent from God who was given to the earth to show people the way to live righteous. Whether he said he is the only way to heaven, that's debatable.

Idk man. I could go on for days about this so I'll probably wrap this up soon, but if you take anything from this just know there's many things about religion that many people will never know. You can study any of the holy texts that are in this world, but at the end of the day religion should never be used to tear people of the Almighty's creation away from each other. It should be to make us more aware of our neighbor and to make the Almighty pleased by bringing positive energy to this world while we inherit it and reaching those that come after us the same things. Not fuckin arguing about who's right like some stupid ass toddlers.

I just pray that everyone realizes what's at stake for the world if things continue this way and can start to change things from this cookie cutter process that's been outgrown.

No matter who you pray through, make sure it's with a whole heart and Godly intentions. And before you start to automatically disregard someone's view of the Almighty power in the universe, make sure you ask yourself "who am I to judge this?" or you might be what's actually wrong with the world today, not their beliefs.

It's late now, I've ranted enough, and I'll probably have to drink coffee at work tomorrow just to stay awake so I'm done.

As always, just conveying my thoughts to who cares to read them.

-Marcus J.

If Not Now Then When?

Ok so for this post it's somewhat radical but whatever, if you don't like where I'm going with it feel free to stop reading. Might go on a couple tangents on this one but just follow what I'm saying.

So to start I'm going to show my true nerd side. A couple weeks ago I bought a tablet for myself. Nothing too fancy, just a nice little tablet to use for school work and stuff. Before I got the tablet, I did multiple tech reviews of the specs and different comparisons of tablets and how performance vs. price is among a wide range of tablets. While I was doing this you know what I realized? That damn near every tablet had the same technical specifications... Like from the iPad to the Galaxy Tab 3. Every got damn one had the same RAM, same differences in storage capacity, same pixels per inch, etc. The only major difference was the different company and maybe a slight change in UI, but that's it. So first off let me say don't fall for corporations cheap ass marketing schemes. If you buy a hoodie, it doesn't matter if it's Nike or Reebok the shit will keep you warm in the same weather and will fail to keep you warm at a certain point. Digress.

Anyways, as I was doing these technical researches I also stumbled upon some patents that Samsung and Apple are applying for (which are all freakin crazy and the future is going to be insane by like 2020 when all of this stuff begins to come out, digress) and as I read these patents I couldn't help to think about how quickly technology is advancing. I mean, does anyone truly comprehend that in our short lifetime we have seen the transition from AOL dial up being standard to everyone having data plans for cell phones? Don't even mention how our parents started out with computers that took up actual rooms and now they're trying to SnapChat us on their new iPhone! I digress, just know technology is fuckin cool.

Anyways, I began to think, as I do, about all of the revolutions and things that have happened in the world and thought about how the most significant ones were done with no technology at all. I mean even Paul Revere would've enjoyed sending a text instead of riding that horse, we've seen that Geico commercial. Then I just went on to think, well damn our grandparents generation stood up for what they believed in during the civil rights movement and they didn't have shit but house phones and postcards.

This lead me to think about our generation. All of the stupid shit that's actually going on and how we're just content with sitting to the side and watching everything that's being done to the actual majority by the fictional majority in Capitol Hill.

-I mean just look at the government shut down. You see when they speak about it they have to say "partial shutdown" because they know damn well federal prisons still lockin innocent people up, the army still over seas looking for new lands to invade, and all them dirty ass conniving politicians are still making their 6 figure salaries. Once again I digress. I will say that whole thing is about to come back up in January so please be ready for it.-

Anyways, I thought to myself, "What is it going to take to get people to wake up and see what's actually going on?" Then I just began to think about how easy it would be to actually make a change if people actually weren't so complacent and stood together.

The internet is a powerful thing man! Technology can mess some stuff up. Shit, even the Anonymous group of vigilantes does whatever they want and the FBI knows they can't even begin to put an end to that.

So then with all of this thinking, as I clearly put in the title of this post, I began to realize that right now is the perfect time. We're at a pivotal time in history that no other generation will see. We are at a point where the ways of the past are being proven wrong daily. All of these fake teachings that were concreted in America's system are being dispelled everyday.

"If you ever want to make good money and have a great job you have to go to college!" Wrong. Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerburg, Sean Parker all have a couple billion to shut that up.

"Hard work is the only way to make it in this country." Oh really? This is why my parents can work hours on end and I can get on CNN and see an article about #RichKidsonInstagram and how these millionaires children are spending $30,000 dollars at a bar with their friends? Have they ever had jobs? Doubt it. Will they inherit their parents money? NO QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.

I could go on and on, and I'm sure that everyone else has their own examples, but the point is this man. We are at a rift between the Industrial Age of the past and the Information Age, which will be followed by the Technology Age. Yet somehow we're still doing things the exact way they were before all of these technological advances, for the most part. (Google and Facebook and companies of the sort figured it out, but eveeryone else is a bit behind.)

So when is our generation actually going to take a stand? When are we going to gain our own voice and begin to ask questions and demand answers? Clearly this system in America is once again becoming outdated, but our generation is scared to take a stand because the person who goes against the grain is criticized. What is it going to take for people to realize that RIGHT NOW is the ideal time to have a social reform (not all out revolution, but that's not out of the question, though) especially among the black community. Power doesn't come through these fake ass legislators just going along with things because it's the way things have been done and it's working. CLEARLY IT'S NOT FUCKING WORKING! More and more people on poverty, major cities filing for bankruptcy, the nation keeps becoming weaker mentally but strengthening the military, etc. I mean foreal man...

All of this technology and knowledge is at our fingertips and the biggest concern on most peoples minds is trending topics on Twitter and how many likes they get on their Instagram pictures. How about we stop living for/through other people with this technology and start using it to better the world. After all, I'm not trying to be a part of the generation where people look back and think, damn what did they even  do in their lifetime?

All it takes is to get people moving in the right direction, the power is in numbers. And with the technology we have, it's easier now more than ever to spread word to the masses. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogs, Radio, Television, Newspapers, Text Messages, Phone Calls, I mean got dammit we have everything that everyone's ever had in the past and more and we still won't do a damn thing...

All I'm saying is, we all see the problems that are going on in the neighborhoods, country, world and it is up to us to take a stand and fix things before it is too late. And if we don't think that now is the optimal time to do that, then when will we? Or will we ever?

Idk man, hopefully some of y'all feel me on this, but regardless leave some comments. I'm trying to see where other people stand.

As always, just my thoughts...

-Marcus J