The Sounds of Newark

May 6, 2012 under Life, Newark
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I just left WWIII. Exaggerating? Perhaps a bit, but I could see an environment like that drive someone crazy whereupon they seriously would believe they left WWIII.

“Get to the point,” I can hear you say, but before I do, let me list everyone I’m planning on tweeting this to:

• The City of Newark: @CityofNewarkNJ
• The Mayor of Newark, Cory Booker: @CoryBooker
• Newark Police Director, Sammy DeMaio: @SammyDeMaio
• Newark Southward Councilman, Ras Baraka: @rasbaraka

Ok, I have a lot longer list but this is taking too long. Here is the point of this post:

“NOISE!” Did you hear that? Did you understand it?

Let me translate:

After taking a short nap with ear plugs earlier this evening, I woke up to two of the loudest car alarms ever installed. Well, except for my neighbor’s, but that is a different story, kind of.

“What was setting them off?” you ask.

Good question, glad you asked (thought I was going to have to imply you asked).

Both motorcycles and car stereos riding by, continually. Thus, what we have here, folks, is the sound of a wicked trinity: loud music, high pitched motorcycles and the car alarms they set off.

(Semi-unimportant side note: both car alarms were part of the High Rollaz, the cars a part of a group parked so their drivers could drink at Mercedes and Mink.)

“Is that it?” you ask.

I’m sorry to say, but “No, this is just the sound that made me blog.” In fact, I have been thinking about blogging about the increase of noise pollution around those parts for sometime but had not reached the tipping point, until now.

Now I’m done.

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Money, Knowledge, Exploring and Politics

April 5, 2012 under finances, fun, Life, politics
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What does it mean to be successful? How about making $100,000 a year, would you consider that to be successful? I was thinking about that earlier this afternoon, if I could just make about $100,000 a year, now that would be a real nice piece of change that I could really sink my teeth into.

Recently I have been brushing up on an audiobook called Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, and in a particular part, Harv stresses how important money is.

Now as Christians, money is not our God, nor are we to make it an idol, but perhaps it is best said that “Money is a tool.”

Continuing from that thought on money, I am reminded of the latest Wealth Track I watched, whereas the guest speaker put it just the right way: “Money gives you options.”

“Money gives you options,” and interestingly enough, I have heard that thought expressed before by Bishop T.D. Jakes, whereupon he was commenting that if you had money in New Orleans when Katrina hit, you had options, such as you could have bought a boat/raft (before the storm hit of course), or you could have driven out. (Jakes was pointing out that a lot of people were stranded because they were broke, and could do little more than rely upon the government for their salvation.) A rather good message he shared if you ask me, that being another audiobook (the name of which evades me at the moment) as well.

If you can’t tell, I am a man of audiobooks. However, I am also a man of books (real paper and the sort), though I seemed to have found listening to be more efficient. However, I seemed to also have discovered speed reading semi-recently. Maybe I am a little bit behind when it comes to that (my age being 32), but the way speed reading goes (fast), perhaps one day I will catch up to where I should be (in all my reading obligations).

I was thinking about this earlier today too, the art of speed reading and how happy I am to have discovered it, as well as thinking about something else I may have discovered (more like “rediscovered”) a love for: the art of exploring.

“The art of exploring?” you say.

Yes, and I know it sounds kind of cheesy, but after browsing through the book How to be an Explorer of the World in Barnes and Noble the other week ago, I have actually gone on some quite interesting adventures (even if I say so myself).

Did a little touring of the Jersey Shore, which I haven’t done for a decade, and even the other day discovered that 24 hour gyms exist, stumbling upon my first one, 24 Hour Fitness in Hasbrouck Heights (New Jersey), last week. The concept of 24 hour gyms blew my mind, like one could never have the excuse of not having enough time to go to the gym.

Thinking about a 24 hour gym makes me like to think of a little saying by Bishop Clarice Fluitt: “Time and space, get out of my face.” Time has left the building, but now as for space, I’m not quite too sure I even know what it is.

Anyway, I have been heavily debating about joining a different 24 hour club instead (Life Time Athletic in Berkeley Heights), my only reservation that it’s $75 more than my current gym membership. This all at a time when I’m seeking to start saving and eventually investing

Money, money, money again.

In the audiobook The Richest Man in Babylon (or an audio recording related to it), I learned how important that at minimum one should save and invest 10% of their income. This doesn’t mean I couldn’t afford the extra 75, but is spending that extra 75 something I really want to do. No, but is it something I should do? Maybe. We’ll see. (Perhaps after I’m done saving for my trip to Kenya :).)

Well I’m done writing for the moment, but I did want to share some pics from my Jersey Shore trip. Perhaps on another post, soon. I’ve also had a lot on my mind when it comes to politics, almost feel like I could rail hard on the subject…. I see so many things that are wrong when it comes to politics: pro-abortion; pro-gay marriage; pro-gambling, through lottery or even here in Jersey, the casinos; 15 trillion dollar deficit; and anti-Israeli stances to name a few.

The Bible says “whatever a person sows, that shall they also reap.” So, if we as a country continue to walk down bad paths, America will reap the fruits of these bad paths and it won’t be good.

I could also rail about situations here in Newark. This whole time I have been writing I have had ear plugs in. The noise level around here has skyrocketed being that a new commercial neighbor specializes in car stereo installations. This is not cool, being that Newark’s noise pollution before this new neighbor, was already high enough. For example, now that spring is here, so are the motorcycles, and they love to show off. Unfortunately, showing off usually makes a wicked amount of noise, and whether it’s day or night makes no difference to these bikers.

Here’s where the issue of money comes in again. Why not just move? I could easily leave Jersey, but I don’t want to do that. However, staying in Jersey but moving out of Newark is not an option for me at the moment, again, this having to do with money.

Money, money, money.

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Unusual Inclination to Swing at Business Proposition

February 22, 2012 under fun, journal, Life
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I’m in a really happy state at the moment: earlier I was over at Barnes and Noble and just as I was standing up to leave, a conversation was struck up with a cute/pretty girl.

I’ve met some interesting people over the years at Barnes and Noble, so I wasn’t too surprised when I noticed she was interested in chatting for a second. After discussing a few things she even offered me her phone number, which also didn’t surprise me too much because of the nature of our conversation and her motive which I suspect to be along the lines of a business proposition (nothing morally devious if that’s what you’re thinking).

You know those businesses that seem to require you mainly to sign up other people and then as a side operation to sell certain products?

So in my mind I’m writing her off but at the same time I’m intrigued by her personality, approach, pleasant manner and looks. Thus so, I don’t just call out her intent and end it all there.

After exchanging information she said she’d contact me, and truth be told I don’t mind, knowing full well she’s going to pitch and I’ll have to decide whether or not to swing. And unusually so, due to several factors, I may even be inclined to swing, but (a small amount of) time will tell.

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Remembering Whitney Houston: My Humble Tribute

February 13, 2012 under journal, Life
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Well, apparently the Grammys are on (or were) and I can’t even find the channel. Ask me if I care. Music is a beautiful thing but if it doesn’t give glory to God, well, I can’t say that it interests me much. However, that is not to say that there is not the occasional non-Christian song that catches my fancy, but for the most part, if it ain’t Christian, I ain’t interested.

Speaking of the Grammys, and music in general, I can’t help but think of Whitney Houston. Now her music might not fall in my traditional musical forte, but I couldn’t help but notice she was born in Newark, the city I’ve been compelled by the Lord to reside in for nearly ten years now.

Interesting to note, the other night Waiting to Exhale came on and I thought it too risqué to maintain the channel thereof, it being a movie I can’t say I ever watched fully. Never watched fully perhaps because I’m white, but more probably because my parents would have discouraged such a sexually permissive (a judgement….

Oops, forgot about my neighbor’s cat I let out on the roof a couple hours ago. Not my fault he’s so sneaky. (Don’t you love my denial of responsibility?)

Anyway, like I was saying, the movie just seemed to me to be too “sexually charged,” for lack of a better phrase. Maybe I made my judgement too hasty, being Whitney lost her life the next night….

Wow, just lost another sentence (see 12th paragraph of my Online Public Journal) due to accidental deleting, and since I’m creatively writing, I don’t feel it integrally creative to try to rewrite the sentence or so….

So, perhaps I could share a few of my thoughts over the day on Whitney.

My first thought would have to be understood in the context that I drive the church van for our church on Sundays. With that understood, it must also be understood that I work very closely with the youth, and the teenagers in particular which this first observation is related to.

While driving the church van picking up one of the youth about a year ago, they (opting for the singular use of the word to hide gender) came into the van singing Whitney’s I Look to You:

I have to confess now I’m shedding a tear as I write and that song is playing the background. They say that men are not to cry, but there are times that we allow ourselves to do so. And most times we won’t admit or confess it, it’s just not in our nature to broadcast the such. After all, we are men. Funny, just as I was writing “after all,” Whitney was singing it in her song. Wow!

Truth is, I have been avoiding the thought of her death, because indeed it made me want to cry (like it was contagious) seeing others were grieving over her passing.

I really can’t do this. Death is such a funny thing, making a grown man cry. Wow!

Well, I want to finish writing this post.

Pastor Sam (one of my pastors, if you didn’t know) said a prayer for the Huston family after his sermon today, which didn’t surprise me but kind of did (in a good way).

Lastly while driving folks home from church, someone pointed out the church where they thought Whitney grew up in (something I have not been able to confirm just yet…).

So really it was just those three things that I wanted to share about Whitney: Her comeback song that youth sang while stepping up into the church van those many months ago, my pastor’s prayer, and the church where she might have grown up in.

That being said, I might even say my own prayer for the Huston family:

Lord watch over that family in this time of need, and may there be seeds of salvation that come forth from this death, as in John 12:24. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen and amen.

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Birth Control for Premarital Sex

February 13, 2012 under fun, politics
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I know I can’t always do this, though I might like to, but I’d like to respond by post, even if it’s a quick one, to someone whom I might consider that of a grammar mentor: @RoyPeterClark.

I would have responded just through twitter to his post Why the bishop is wrong but have supposed my reply to be too long (another shocker [see last post, 13th paragraph]).

I suppose what I really want to say is that this is why (because of his Why the bishop is wrong) Peter Roy Clark should become a Protestant. Of course I’m just messing around, but truth be told, we Protestants don’t give a flying puck (lol!) about birth control when it comes to marriage. However, and this is a big “however,” if it’s birth control for premarital sex, well, no! No Christian worth his salt is going to support birth control for premarital sex, and you can quote me on that.

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Current Newark Underground Happenings, I Suppose….

February 13, 2012 under journal, Life, politics
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Sometimes I don’t think I can help it, politics just calls my name and I come running. But, it is not my life, Jesus is my life, and I need to remember that. Been a little busy this week, so have not really been able to write a quality post like I would have liked. But, I have accomplished the last Christmas video that I spoke of in my last post, and I am so pleased with it, truly believing it to be a James 1:17 video, straight from the Lord. Here it is:

Whenever I make a youtube video, I am reminded of (I think) “Start with an earthquake then slowly build to a climax” (of which I’m not sure who is the originator of), and of which I attempted, even if I didn’t succeed, to do.

In a way, I do consider it one of my babies of the year….

You know, I’m laughing to myself, because I never remembered the “build to a climax” part of the quote. Not sure if that is going to change things for myself.

So it’s Sunday evening, and I just wanted to chill, didn’t even want to go to the gym, figuring maybe I could just take it easy on Sundays and leave the rest of the week to do whatever needs to be done. Perhaps finding the rest in the sabbath sort of thing….

Well, it isn’t often that the Mayor of Newark (@corybooker) responds to any of my tweets, though I have to give him credit for responding more than might be expected, but he surprised me with this direct message a couple of hours ago:

“This one isn’t picking on me. The council is outrageous and should be cutting the spending. I can’t do it. Its the legislative branch.”

He was responding to this tweet of mine:

“‘@Giambusso: For Newark City Council, a fat budget in lean times | http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/02/for_newark_city_council_a_fat.html‘ why u like pickin’ on @CoryBooker so much? Lol”

Now I made that comment out of jest because I once seemed to see the starledger writer @giambusso take a shot at the Mayor through an article, an article which I force to elude me due to time and boredom constraints.

Truth be told, the above article (about the “fat budget”) I never read in full but said (through DM) I’d do so to the Mayor. Of course I didn’t say when…maybe tomorrow *eyes looking around as if able to detect anyone’s thoughts of “baloney”*.

Actually, when it comes to Newark politics, I am curious what is to become of the @occupynewark movement that is currently occupying…Military Park in downtown Newark.

Through their own tweets they have supplied their latest legal right, which seems to state they could only “occupy” until 9pm yesterday. Guess the “Occupy Movement” don’t respect squat, what a shocker. LOL! See how I get hot when it comes to politics???

Anyway, why should I care?! After all, they seem to blend right in with all the open-air drug dealing that I suppose to see (in Newark) anyway. Forgive me now, cause I really do love Newark, but even today, I saw two dudes standing on the corner of some vague storefront (and maybe it was Irvington, which for some reason I hate to admit because it waters down my argument [but even if doing so adds to the credibility of my honesty, even if I do say so myself], and can’t help but think they were only standing out there to sell drugs. Maybe I’m wrong, but I couldn’t look at them without knowing they would display if only in their eyes how dangerous they were.

So now I’m mentally comparing @occupynewark to open-air drug dealing, I wonder what’s next….

After reviewing this post, I have to confess I’m planning to tweet it directly to @corybooker, @giambusso and @occupynewark, and that with full knowledge that the dog that barks the loudest does not necessary receive the food from the master but most certainly the dog that has favor does. This I know from personal experience. PEACE

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Online Public Journal

February 8, 2012 under journal, Life
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So I’m driving home from Barnes and Noble earlier tonight and the phrase “online public journal” comes to me. It comes to me as I think about what I’m good about writing, and that is recording my life in a journal. I think. Well, who’s to say I’m not good at it? I believe I must be the judge. Anywho…yes, writing an “online public journal” seems to be something that I would be good at, in regards to blogging. I don’t know how popular in could become, but at least it’s something that I could do well and enjoy. And, what is life without a little enjoyment?

So, to start off, I want to mention that in my last blog post (a few minutes ago), I was talking about politics and it’s not something that I saw in this “online public journal,” however, if you can’t tell, the post seemed to kind of take on a life of its own, like it needed to be said for whatever reason. So, I said it.

And now I shall say something else.

I think of myself as a funny person. Even if no one else does.

Woke up today….

Was just interupted, thought maybe I heard a gun shot and went carefully to investigate but glad to say I think it was probably just a dumpster lid slamming down.

The thing about gun shots is sometimes you can’t tell. Especially if it’s only one. The thugs make it real easy when they pop off 5 or 6 shots, though this of course can be tragic if they are actually aiming at someone and hit.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called the police for gun shots, and now I’m wondering if I should be writing this for fear of thugs tracking me down. Naw, they ain’t smart enough. I need to insult their intelligence, being that one who engages in violence for violence’s sake should know that their day is coming, the day when their violence will catch up with them. We all reap what we sow: sow well and reap well, sow poorly and reap poorly.

OK! May I fall back to what I was saying: I woke up today…. “Yes,” you are saying, “we all did.” But I wasn’t finished, I was going to say that I woke up today and cleaned the Mission. Wow! Fascinating, I know. Perhaps it was a good thing that I thought I may have heard a gun shot, makes for much more of an interesting story, no?

Not an unusual start to a Tuesday morning: cleaning. While cleaning I listened….

I can’t get a break. The church van’s car alarm went off, so I went to go inspect that. False alarm, which doesn’t surprise me. I might have just not even bothered, but some terrible thieves have been cutting off our catalytic converters and they are about $350 a pop to replace. They cut mine off my vehicle the other week ago, for the second time and I still haven’t had it replaced. Quite a bit of insanity having to deal with such things, but we do deal and are fighting back with alarms and a state-of-the-art electrocution exhaust system that delivers death upon touch. Just kidding about the second part. Alarms and hope to have some sort of camera security system soon.

Darn. Accidentally deleted a sentence or two again (see The Politics of Politics). That is more than annoying.

Let me stumble back to the beginning of my day, saying that “listened…” to…. What did I listen to? I forget the name of it and I don’t feel like getting up to check my phone. Something about “innovators” with Dennis Waitley. Ah, yes, Breakthrough Thinking. I’ve probably listened to it 5 times, but I just finished listening to The Habit of Now and so haven’t quite yet settled on what next.

After that, most of my day was consumed with DVD duplication. I’ve been looking for good DVD burning software to just copy a DVD as well as make a DVD with a menu and the such. It was so difficult for some reason, continually running into technical problems for one reason or another. However, I did finally find two free software programs: Windows DVD Maker (which actually came with the laptop I’m working on but was giving me problems for some reason before) to make a DVD with a menu, and CDBurnerXP to simply just copy a DVD (though technically I copied the DVD onto my laptop first, which may or may not be something that is always required and yet for me to find out).

Ooo, the van just chirped a little. Not the full alarm like before, but am not motivated to go check again in any case. Been out on that roof too many times tonight (already)!

SO! Finally found all the free software to finish up our “thank you DVDs” to all our Christmas supporters. Am happy about that, and that now leaves me with one final great task of putting together the last of the Christmas DVDs which I hope to have done by the end of today. Help me Jesus.

I think I may be closing this post pretty soon, but first I’d like to mention three things from service today: Pastor Tilly’s first reading from The Harbinger: The ancient mystery that holds the secret of America’s future (by Jonathan Cahn); A short prophetic word (about warhorses and the such) by Chuck Pierce; and a prophetic insight by Aquilla Nash (sorry, can’t confirm if this is the exact word or not from earlier today).

Finally I suppose I’ll close this post by saying that we continued our study on the book of Exodus tonight, of which I did record but have not edited and posted online yet. Soon.

Peace

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The Politics of Politics

February 8, 2012 under politics
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It’s true that lately I’ve been sort of guarded on the subject of politics, perhaps because it seems a bit futile. For example, I usually have a pretty good idea if someone is a democrat or republican, and it seems to me that neither side will ever see eye to eye very well. So, the only thing left to do is talk politics with those that see eye to eye, and perhaps that can seem a bit futile in itself as well, as in, “What does such a conversation accomplish?”

Personally I am a registered republican, but I have not taken very much pride in that fact for sometime, knowing that being proud and vocal about the fact is a good way to alienate those who might, not necessarily take much pride in being a democrat but more so, just love OBAMA…. Notice how I didn’t say President Obama. Is that ok? Or does he deserve the “President” part at all mentions of his name?

Wow. I just accidentally delete a sentence or two in that last paragraph and I REALLY do not feel like trying to retype. So, I think I’m going to let that last paragraph stay how it is….

Changing the subject a bit, perhaps refocusing back on the title: how do you like the title? I thought it was pretty clever. Which probably does not say much being that this is my blog. But, “the politics of politics” seems to me to be a perfect phrase to express how crazy politics can be, that even politics has politics. Or am I thinking too deeply about it?

I’m not sure I am, because the moment someone begins talking about politics, assumptions immediately start to fall into play. Immediately we identify or distify (make oneself distant from the speaker, if only mentally) and the game begins…or ends….

My point is, that in order to make politics interesting and non-repulsive to opposite points of view, there must be a game of politics played, therein we have the politics of politics.

And the game of politics that I seek to play at this very moment is to express my truest points of view without disenchanting my beloved Obama lovers, a game that is trickier than politics itself.

However, recently I’ve been armed with an I-don’t-care-if-you-don’t-like-my-point-of-view-attitude, because I’m just saying what I think is right and still love everyone the same. So, if you are a democrat, great, I still love you.

Perhaps I should just end this post now, because that last sentence made me laugh and I suppose it best to end on a merry note. Cheers!

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Do Dreams come True?

February 2, 2012 under Life
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When I was growing up I wanted to be a professional baseball player. I remember my eldest brother warning me that doing so would be very difficult, but I still believed it was possible. To tell you the truth, I’m not sure I was ever any good at baseball, only playing one season intramurally in 5th grade or so.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” I’m sure we were all asked that question from time to time as we grew up, and perhaps still ask ourselves some form of the question occasionally. “Do dreams come true?” I asked in the title of this post, and I’d have to say “sometimes.” Sometimes we hit the mark and sometimes we don’t even have darts to throw.

However, for some years now one of my favorite bible verses has been Galatians 6:7:

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

And it’s the simple message behind this verse that seems to put everything in perspective. It’s the reason why we shouldn’t expect to find a million dollars while just going for a walk: in other words, producing quality fruit takes quality work.

If you want to learn a new language, you have to study. If you want to lose weight then you have to eat less and burn more calories. “What we put into something is what we’ll get out of it” is the old saying, so if it is our dreams that we hope to see come to pass, then it is to our dreams that we must sow seed, roll up our sleeves and get to work on. Daydreaming is just not going to cut it.

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The Case of Illegal Dumping

January 10, 2012 under Life
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Back in the day I can remember reading children’s mysteries that began in such a way as above: “The Case of….” They were always simple titles, straightforward like above, but memory fails to remember an author or a title of such a series.

However, I do here write not so much of a mystery, but of an experience: the experience of being on the rotten, stinking, disgusting end of illegal garbage dumping. It is not I per say that am the recipient, but my employer of whom I’ve had the honor of playing the non-J.D. lawyer for. But “Why,” do you ask, “does my employer need a lawyer if it is the recipient of a crime?”

Why? Because a city inspector claimed it to be our garbage and an attempt by us to remove “bulk” on a nonbulk pickup day, and thus has sparked a vicious escapade on our part to defend ourselves, all the while opportunistic garbage-freeloaders took the opportunity to release their dirty dippers and the such into the illegal-dumping-black-hole which was located just behind our dumpster. Notice how I put “was” in italics: wanting to stress that “was” is not an “is” being that earlier today I figuratively rolled up my sleeves and literally shoveled dirty dipper after dirty dipper into a garbage can.

Call it whatever you will, but I too saw an opportunity earlier today, an opportunity to be the garbageman I so proudly proclaimed I’d be (back in my rebellious high school days when a great mentor cared enough to ask what I’d do with a life not careful for a great education) when I noticed some room left for a little, nasty trash, being that tomorrow the container would be emptied and the unused space go to waste. So on with my work gloves and a little determination to dent the dirty mound of complacent dumping, I cleaned the mess one poopie dipper at a time until the day said “The sun must rest and darkness must awake.”

The tips of my ears chilled by the mild winter night, I dare not work too late into the darkness, darkness having its way of warning wisdom to stay away. Satisfied with the work of my hands for the evening, I retreated indoors to nourish a neglected appetite, as well as nourish a sleep-deprived body with a soft, half-dreamy nap. Interesting to note, in this half-dream, half-vision, I believe I saw a spiraling staircase and up I went talking to good, interesting people along the way…. You can draw your own conclusions from this dream/vision, but I for sure have drawn mine and do dare say they’re all I need.

The dream has shortly distracted me from the continued sharing on this dirty case of illegal dumping, but the tale is not completely spun: court falling on Wednesday next week and a couch and other such oddities still refusing to grow legs just yet. However, with the help of my friend twitter, I have hopefully been heard by enough loyal to city hall to receive a much appreciated helping hand. And if indeed that helping hand comes through like I hope it does, there still lies the issue of facing the prosecutor and judge who compelled me to shovel poopie dippers not our own, and may attempt to collect a fee on top of that.

And after that, there is always the issue of a possible repeat experience, which only the offending dumpers wouldn’t mind. If I might make a suggestion, it would be that of a gun shot detecting camera on the corner, and then at least if I was shot shoveling other peoples illegally dumped dirty dippers, the police may have a good lead on my shooter….

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