Riding the Bus

There is more than one bus in the city. If you miss one, there is a good possibility that there will be another one coming along in the next few minutes. Additionally, a bus can only carry so many people; if you can't fit comfortably on one, why not wait for that next one?

These are questions that I ask myself every time I get on a train or bus in the city. Fortunately, I am usually getting on a bus or train at the end of the line so I'm pretty much guaranteed a seat or at least a little standing room. But it is amazing to watch everyone fighting for a seat, or trying to cram in the door at once, or even trying to squeeze that last person in before the doors close.

When did we reduce ourselves to cattle; do we realize that we are traveling like this intentionally? Maybe I'll just walk from now on...though that would likely be less entertaining.

Moo.

-moo cow jonathon

Vendors

< rant >
Working in the world of advertising has exposed me to a number of things such as the billable hour, working until four in the morning, working on Saturdays, caffeine addiction, and many other wonderful things. One thing that I could do without, however (other than clients), is vendors. Sure, my life would be infinitely more complicated if I had to rely on solely on my internal teams to accomplish everything, but at least there would be some form of accountability.

I simply don't get it, when my clients come calling, I respond as fast as I can and with as complete an answer as I can - what can I say, I'm a hell of an account exec. I take my job seriously (that's why I'm blogging mid-day...), I work hard, and get rewarded by both my supervisors and my clients. That's how the client, vendor relationship works - I am a vendor for our clients. Why can't our vendors treat me the same way?

A call on Monday should get a return call on Monday (or at least an email), not a call on Wednesday. Simple requests should be easily handled, not made to be more complicated. And why are they always quick to remind you when you are 20 days post job completion and that invoices are due in 10 days? Ugh.

I have found in my experience that booth vendors and web vendors are the worst offenders. If you need a booth built for a tradeshow or an online/interactive piece constructed, it almost seems that you'd be better off doing it yourself. Sure, you might need to acquire a few new skills and work some longer hours, but wouldn't it be worth saving yourself the headaches of dealing with the vendors and, hell, you've worked till four in the morning before anyway...

This, of course, is not to say that there aren't great vendors out there...they just seem to be increasingly hard to find. So my advice to you? Start shopping for vendors early in the process, and never settle on price alone...'tis not worth it.
< /rant >

-ranting jonathon

World Record?!

I have always thought that it would be really cool to hold a world record. You know, be the best person on the planet at doing something...anything. There are world records for the fastest land-speed (currently held by Thrust SSC at 763mph over one mile), the highest altitude parachute jump (though we'll see if this guy can break that), and even the fastest human.

But let's be honest, any of those feats can be accomplished with the right amount of dedication, training, engineering knowhow, or simple will and determination. There are some world records, however, that defy the imagination in ways that surfing an 85-foot wave can't touch...and in some cases can only be accomplished with the correct amount of inebriation.

World record for sheep shearing:
560 in eight hours - Jimmy Clark

Most t-shirts worn at once:
224 - Charlie Williams

Beer speed-drinking record:
1 liter in 1.3 seconds - Steven Petrosino

World's biggest cookie:
102 feet wide and over 40,000lbs - Immaculate Baking Company

Most snails attached to your face for one minute (kinda gross):
8 - Alistair Galpin

Oldest male stripper (very gross):
Age 67 - Bernie Barker

And then there's this guy who currently holds over 80 world records, including Duct taping a person to a wall:
2:38 - Ashrita Furman

So, has this post gotten you interested in setting a record of your own? If so, there is a way to fast track yourself into the annals of human stupidity, er, history - The Guiness Book Fast Track!

If you do decide to go forward with your quest for fame and glory, be sure to contact me so that I can take pictures - I'm sure that they would make another great blog post.

-broken record jonathon

More Traps!

I know, I know - I said that I was going to post up pictures from Long Beach, but I just haven't had the time yet. I'm sorry. While I put together the album, here are some more of the traps of life from our Southeast Asian art friend.

So everyone knows, I've also got some other great articles coming up as well - I'm actually planning ahead instead of "writing from the hip" - go figure.

In the meantime, enjoy these next three "traps" and have a great weekend; I know I'm going to.

***

Trap #5: The Trap of Giving up on Love

Love makes the world go round. We have all had disastrous love experiences. By letting that pain you felt during that hard time will only make your life less of an adventure. If you keep trying, you will find a person who you love, and who you would die for, and a person who would die for you, and who loves you. Keep looking, Keep loving, keep searching. You’ll find her. Do not let the pain of the yesterday hold you back today. NEVER give up on love. Love is why your alive today. Your parents probably loved each other at some time if they do not love each other today. Think about it. Someone has loved you, return that love to the world. Hate will only drag you down and destroy your life. This is why I discourage the “jerk” approach to women. To Love is to live. So keep on living.

Trap #6: The Trap of not Fighting

Ever want to give up? Of course. We all want to give up. We all want the easy way out. If you give up every time you will fail to live your life to its fullest. Keep fighting through it. You’ll get out. I promise you’ll get out. Whether it is by death or with life, you will get out. You must keep trying to achieve what you want. If you give up now, all the time you spent yesterday will have been in vain, and tomorrow will be forever changed. Keep fighting through the toughest times of your life, they will pass. Keep going!!!

Trap #7: The Trap of Fighting

This is contradictory to the trap above. What you must understand is that you must achieve equilibrium between fighting and not fighting. You must know when you have been defeated. If you fight for something you will never achieve then all the time you spent will be spent in vain. Fight for the possible, not for the impossible. You must know when to throw in the towel, and when you do, hold your chin high and have pride because you did one of the hardest things to do, admit defeat. We all lose in life. We also win every now and then too. The key is to treat every loss as a victory, because for every loss you encounter, you will leave the situation with more experience. Is that not a victory? It’s always win win. You have to learn to stop fighting for the impossible and to spend that time doing something else, rather than wasting your time for something you will never achieve.

- jonathon, et al.

Can't Go On Like This Anymore

I am happy in fits and spurts. Flourishes of happiness are tempered by an underlying sadness that does not want to leave me. I really want to feel better, but it's just not happening. I want to be the wonderful person that I know that I am. But, I simply can't do it if I'm still hanging on to something that is no longer there. I think that I've said to her all that I need to say about my love and desire for her, about always being there, doing whatever it takes, and always waiting for her. But she has moved on, is happy with someone else, and now it seems "us" is but a memory.

I have claimed closure, but no matter how much I try I just can't seem to shut that door, turn the page, close the book, or whatever other metaphor for moving on there may be. I want more than anything to fight for her, to follow her, because I know in my heart she is worth it and I love her. I wish that she wanted to be fought for, but I just don't think that she does. As sad as it is, there is no fighting for a love that is no longer there. I'll probably never know what I did wrong to hurt her so much, but I will be eternally sorry for whatever it was, though. A person as wonderful and amazing as her shouldn't have to feel hurt as she must have.

But for everything, I know that having seen the best of me and the worst of me she decided the worst just wasn't worth it. I don't fault her, and there is nothing wrong with that - she deserves to be with a person who can always make her happy. It just saddens me to think I'm not that person and that I allowed someone that I care for to think that there was more bad in me than good. I know that I am not a bad person, just one who had some problems and made some mistakes. But there is nothing more than I can do other than atone for those mistakes and move forward on my own.

I'm tired of waking up sad, crying when I think about her, causing myself harm, losing sleep, feeling horrible when I should be having fun, thinking about what could have been and where it all went wrong, and feeling the urge to reach out and hold the one person I know I can't - I am just emotionally drained at this point.

I know my love and affection for her will never disappear, but I know I can't go on like this anymore. It tears my heart apart, but I think that it's time for me to move on as well. I'm sorry that I wasn't stronger for her. I have to be strong now for me.

-...

For the Weekend

Since I'll be gone for the weekend, I thought I'd toss you some more of the Traps of Life to hold you over until I get back. I know how lost you'd be this weekend without my calming words...

So, while I'm gone, enjoy the weekend, enjoy life, enjoy the people in your life because everything is moving on a lot faster than you might have expected and it can all be different from one day to the next.

Trap #2: The Trap of Yesterday

Yesterday. Was yesterday good or bad? Why do you even care? Are you ever going to feel what you felt yesterday again? Probably. BUT are you going to be in that EXACT situation ever again? Hell no. Yesterday is over. Whatever happened yesterday is done and over with, and is a part of you life forever. Live for today, yesterday could have been the best day of your life, it could have been the worst day of your life, it could even have been an average day. What difference does it make? It’s over no matter what. Live in the present no matter how terrible the present is. Don’t forget about those great memories of yesterday, they are all you have. But don’t dwell on them. Look to the past only when you want to remember an old friend, or an old place, or an old feeling, or an old situation. Remembering a great feeling every now and then is completely different than living in that feeling, or trying to make that feeling last longer than it was meant. Again, live for today. It’s all that matters.

Trap #3: The Trap of the Closed Door

There are millions upon millions of chances, choices, and opportunities we as humans have. It is impossible to take advantage of every one. Most of the time we don’t even see a hundredth of them. When one door in your life closes, always remember there are a million more open ones. Always remember that there are still millions of doors that are always open in your life. Focusing on that one closed door will waste your time on this planet. Every thought you spend on that closed door will bring you closer to the end of your life. Look at the possibilities, not the impossibilities. Why worry about something that never was meant to be? Something that never could be? Never forget that closed door, it will make a nice memory, but do not focus all of your attention to it. It’s pointless, don’t let this trap in life hold you back.

Trap #4: The Trap of Change

Think about how your day went. Now compare that to yesterday. How were the two days different. It is likely they aren’t different hardly at all. This is because we as humans get into the classic routine thing. Well this is unavoidable. It is impossible to get a new job every day and it is impossible to do something new everyday. But what happens when we get into those routines, is we end up fearing change. We actually go out of our way to avoid change. Change is the spice of life. Change makes our lives exciting. Do not fear change. You should seek change in your life, not avoid it. I believe we fear change because once we are “happy” and once we have a “purpose” we are afraid of losing it. Can anybody say lack of risk? Live it up baby!!! Change is coming. You are changing everyday. Right now you're changing as you read my words. I am changing you right now. Don’t be afraid of change!!! Change is good. Change will make your life fun and exciting. Do you not want a fun and exciting life?

-jonathon, et al.

To Thine Own Self Be True

For some reason or another I've always fancied myself being someone other than who I am. I always thought it would be cool if I was a professional skateboarder, or a fighter pilot, or a hero of some sort, or any number of other things. It's not that I have a problem with me - I am smart, funny, reasonably good looking, generous, ambitious, caring, and kind; I am an awesomely great person. I am a lot of other things too, but I have always hoped for unrealistic advancements in myself; I suppose sometimes I take my self and my talents for granted.

I don't, of course, fail to realize my shortcomings though. I am not perfect - who is? It's taken me a while to do something about those shortcomings, though. It's taken a pretty big bump in the road of life for me to do a real self-evaluation. It's taken a major jolt to ask the question, "why?"

Through this bit of introspection, I've stopped pretending to be someone I'm not, I've stopped the daydreaming about unrealistic changes in myself. I have always known that I can improve myself, and I can be better; I can learn new things, but I know that I'm not suddenly going to become someone else simply by wishing it to be true. Like I said, I am an awesomely great person, and I'd like to think that I'm getting awesomely greater day by day. But, I am and always will be, me.

I think that Popeye said it pretty well, "I am who I am."

Right on, Popeye!

-still doesn't like spinach jonathon

Traps of Life

In my mindless meanderings around the net during my working day I sometimes come across something other than the useless drivel that is apt to be found. Sometimes I come across nuggets of wisdom "penned" by someone other than me; this was bound to happen at some point.

I found this on the website of a Filipino freelance web designer. I don't know if this is something that they wrote or something that they swiped, but I'll at least credit them for these words as they are not mine.

What follows is the first of "22 traps of life." I'll be posting these over the next several weeks as I require filler. While this is not groundbreaking stuff, it is common sense that bears repeating, and funny enough, this first one ties in with my quote. Enjoy.

Trap # 1: The Trap of Tomorrow

Tomorrow. Tomorrow can be feared, or desired. Tomorrow could be anything. Tomorrow could be nothing. This unpredictability of tomorrow is why we must live in the present. You could die today. You could die tomorrow. Wasting your time thinking about tomorrow is a terrible idea. Fearing tomorrow is just as bad as wanting tomorrow. Whatever tomorrow has in store for you will happen. Tomorrow will come soon enough. In fact, tomorrow will come too soon. Screw tomorrow. Live for today. Tomorrow will come whether you like it or not, so stop worrying about it. It’s pointless. Living for tomorrow is a veil that can blind anyone; be strong, don’t be blinded by it.

-jonathon, et al.

Ack!

I just looked at the weeks forthcoming and can't believe how busy I've become all of a sudden. Monday night...nothing for now, but look what's coming up:

• Tuesday day, lunchtime soccer at Telegraph Field
• Tuesday night, Intermediate Lindy Hop at the Verdi Club
• Wednesday night, AAAA class at Golden Gate University
• Thursday day, lunchtime soccer at Telegraph Field again
• Thursday night, kickball with Brian
• This Friday through Sunday, Long Beach Grand Prix with Scott
• Normal Saturday, weekend regroup with AAAA class team
• Normal Sunday day, Lindy in the Park
  
• Normal Sunday night, Brewskeeball with the Big Skeebowskis

And all this on top of working full time. The funny thing is, though, is that for all that I've got going on in my life right now, all the fun that I'm having, and all the new experiences I've had, there is still something missing...

-busy jonathon

Free Tibet - While Supplies Last!

Yesterday was to be like any other day except for the fact that it was also to be the day of the Olympic Torch Relay along the waterfront here in San Francisco. Most people would think that the opportunity to see the torch relay would be pretty cool if it wasn't for all the political unrest surrounding the Olympics. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year or so, and assuming that rock doesn't have internet or cable, you've no doubt heard about or seen some of the protests associated with the 2008 Olympics. Most of the recent protests have been focused around China's occupation of Tibet.

For those who don't know, here is a quick primer on the history of Tibet and why people have cause to protest.

Tibet was occupied by the People's Republic of China (PRC) back in 1949 and has been under its rule since then. A section of Tibet known as the Tibet Autonomous Region, although part of the occupation and governed by officials of the PRC, remains "somewhat" independent. The remaining regions of Tibet are governed just like any other province of the PRC. The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, along with the Tibet Government-in-Exile have long demanded Tibet's independence. Their reasoning is for the preservation of Tibetan culture and the fact that it was once a sovereign nation. In addition to Tibet's status of sovereignty, many protest what they believe to be human rights violations committed by the PRC against Tibet. The PRC, of course, denies any such violations and maintains that with the signing of the Seventeen Point Agreement, China has legal right to occupy Tibet.

I don't have an opinion on the matter myself because I simply don't know enough about it to make an intelligent argument. However, San Francisco is full of people ready to protest anything and they certainly don't disappoint in that regard. The trouble I found was that while most of the protesters had a legitimate understanding of the situation, there was a large contingent of people protesting because it must have seemed to be the trendy thing to do. I'm not entirely surprised at this, but it was somewhat troubling to hear people shouting slogans that they may not fully understand. Jonathon's protesting lesson for the day: it's important to do your homework before protesting (write that down).

Regardless, the protesters (the informed and uninformed alike) were out in force doing their protesting best. Though the somewhat ironic thing is that the Dalai Lama doesn't even agree with most of what these people were saying! Even in the midst of all the protesting - I managed to sneak beyond some of the barricades - the atmosphere was surprisingly not one of tension. It was much more calm than I had anticipated. I had hoped to be able to capture a little of both sides on film, though the protesters turned out to be much more interesting.

I had also hoped to be able to photograph the actual relay, but city officials changed the route at the last minute robbing me, and many others, the opportunity to see the procession. This was seen by some as a move of desperation, by others as a slight to the protesters. For me, it seemed to be a pointless waste of time and money. I mean, honestly, what is the point of going to all the trouble to host something which no one will ever see. The torch was ultimately taken in secrecy to the middle of the city, put through the paces of a roughly 3-mile run, and then escorted back to SFO for a quick ceremony attended by no one. Granted, it was a tough call to make - the city stated that it couldn't guarantee the safety of the runners given the number of protesters that had shown up, but then why do it at all?

So, I didn't get to see the torch, but I did get some good pictures from it all. Here is a sample - the rest can be viewed here. Enjoy!

-protestin jonathon

Just Like in the Movies

Why can't we all have love like in the movies? Why can't we all find that one special person and love them the way we feel is best and that would good enough? Why can't it be that easy to woo the other person into falling for you? Well, for one, there haven't been any globe destroying asteroids, murderous aliens, or domestic wars recently to help you along your quest. But, more importantly, art only imitates life, it does not replicate it. Unfortunately, that can be a tough pill for some to swallow - myself included.

Most movies have the joy, hope, and happily ever after all taken care of. It must be said, though, that those things constitute a pretty shallow understanding of what love really is. A movie could never adequately cover all the complexity and emotion that is true love - most movies couldn't even scratch the surface. Movies will never show the pain and sacrifice of love, they will never show the true emotion, nor will they will ever show the work and dedication that love requires.

The truth is that love is a complex and wonderful thing that can cause either the greatest happiness or the greatest pain you have ever experienced. When it is right, love is the best thing ever and the source of some of the most carefree and blissful moments of your life. You think that there is nothing that could ever touch the happiness that you are feeling or the joy that surrounds you. Sometimes though, as Nazareth put it, love hurts. Love can give you your best introspective moments and teach you life's greatest, and often hardest, lessons. Ultimately, however, true love is a good thing to have in your life whether it is in the form of euphoria or in the lessons learned from it.

I have found that true love, while powerful and often unconditional, isn't without its limits. True love can be damaged or broken through neglect, being taken for granted, or even through misunderstanding. Sometimes the damage caused by neglect, whether intentional or not, can be more than a person can take at a given time. I am an idealist, though, and I feel that if the love is true and genuine, it can never be lost entirely. Maybe true love will come back, maybe it will take on another form, but it never completely goes away. It is all dependent on both parties recognizing and accepting it as true love. Despite all of this, true love isn't a given - it is still earned on a daily basis through words, actions, and thoughts.

I always told myself that I would only say "I love you" to one person in my life and that person would be the one with whom I would spend my remaining years. Upon reflection, I've realized that this belief, while genuine, was a little naive. Love isn't an absolute for just one person in your life. It hurts to lose someone that you love, but it is reasonable to assume that you can love more than that "one person" in your lifetime. As trite as it sounds, there are lots of fish in the sea, and many that you can love to varying degrees as they enter your life...assuming you love fish.

The thing about love is, though it sometimes smacks you on the head at an unexpected moment, you have to be ready for it, and ready to work for it. Sometimes you may not be prepared even though you thought you were. Your love for the other may be genuine, but if you aren't ready for it, you can lose it all before you know it. That loss, however, isn't a bad thing, because it is helping to prepare you for next time; it is helping to make you realize that you are whole on your own even without the person you loved. And even if you are caught unaware by love again, you'll be a better person and better prepared for the road and the work that lay ahead.

Who knows, you may even find that the love you weren't ready for was "the one", and then if you are up for it, you fight for it. Though it must be cautioned that the battlefields that lay ahead of you will be dark and hurtful places. Chasing after love is not for the meek or the weak-hearted. This is a task for only the most noble of souls and the most daring of lovers. Most people will caution against it because of the potential for hurt and pain. They will say that things ended for a reason and that you shouldn't tempt fate. I feel that we learn from things both good and bad, and if it is more hurt and pain that is in your future, then you must be willing to accept it and grow from it once more. But if you feel strongly enough about anything in your life, especially love, sometimes you do have to fight for it.

If it wasn't for my love and loss I never could have written any of this - I would never have had this perspective. Love is a funny thing. You can't predict it, you can't plan for it, you can't force it on someone else, and you really can't really understand it unless you've lost it. I am no exception to this rule. Up to this point I had a string of short relationships that never amounted to much. My last relationship, however, lasted nearly three and a half years and was the source of the greatest happiness I have ever felt, a pain that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies, and ultimately an enlightenment and understanding of love that I wouldn't have found anywhere else.

I know that I have felt love and given it, and I have experienced pain and caused it. I have also learned and grown - I am becoming a better version of the person I was before. Ultimately I'm convinced that right now everything that has happened is for the best. I've come to learn that I wasn't ready to love her as completely as she needed because of things in my life that I needed to work out on my own. While I'm still working on these things and making myself complete, I have learned what it takes to really love someone and what in myself was preventing me from doing that.

For all of this learning, you may be wondering what's next for me. It's taken a while, but I've realized that the love I felt and am still feeling is true, it is real, it is unconditional, it is damaged, but it is worth repairing, and it is worth fighting for in whatever form it may take. I know that I'm ready for the long road ahead whatever it may bring.

Only time will tell what may happen next, but despite everything, I think that life still has a "happily ever after" in it for me somewhere.

-jonathon

Hiking Quicksilver

It was a bit of a whim, but Saturday evening found me lacking something to do and Sunday with even less going on, so I called up my buddy Brian and we decided that it was high time for a little drinking and a little hiking - not at the same time, of course. Though I couldn't stay long the following day, we figured a hike around Almaden Quicksilver County Park might be just the ticket.

We partied like rockstars Saturday, hitting up the local karaoke bar and then walking to the Mexican restaurant that was "just down the street" from his house. As it turns out, "just down the street" means about a mile and a half, give or take - but the burrito sure was good.

Sleeping in a little bit later than anticipated on Sunday, we all loaded up in the Merc and headed south. It was a nice hike, with plenty to see and lots of options for future hikes as well. There isn't much of a story to tell, so I guess all you have to do is simply enjoy the pics from the hike!

To see more pictures from trip and many others, visit my Picasa!

-hiking jonathon

Closure

Sometimes it is news that you don't want to hear but somehow knew that it was coming. It is the realization of your worst fears. But at least it something you can now see and no longer something to simply fear.

The conversation was good, it ended well, but without a glimmer of hope for reconciliation or any desire to try. Now I don't have to fear, to worry, or to wonder anymore. She is happy and I am happy for her.

I know that I will miss her for a very long time, and I know that I will always love her. But, I know that I will be ok and I will be happy too.

We both deserve to be happy.

-jonathon