Celebrate Good Times - Come On

Celebrate Good Times - Come On

I realize my blog on "Racism In America" was very serious, sooo, this blog should lighten things up. Last week my wife and friends went to our local bar, "Dear Johns." It's not the most beautiful place in the world and I only give the Men's room a 2 (out of 10). However, the food is good the drinks are great and the singer is fabulous.

After a few too many drinks we all started singing along with the singer and dancing in the aisle. One of the songs had a beat you could stroll to. If you're under forty you probably have no clue what the stroll is. It's just one of the many dances in the fifties and sixties (see my blog "Dance Your Ass Off)." The group called "The Diamonds" created and sang "The Stroll" in 1957.

Sorry, I digress. At the same time the singer sang "The Stroll" I had to pee. I got off my bar stool and "strolled" down the aisle to the bathroom. I was greeted with major applause. As the group "Kool And The Gang" once sang, I thought to myself; "Celebrate Good Times - Come On." 

The next day I had a small hangover, but I was still in the "Celebrate Good Times - Come On" mood. It was great to remind myself that even though the outside world was doing everything it could to ruin my day, I had and have a great deal of good times to celebrate.

What about YOU! When was the last time you celebrated anything? I'm not talking about a birthday, anniversary, etc. etc.  I'm talking about celebrating a beautiful day, a fantastic wife, a fabulous party, a significant accomplishment, good health, good friends, a delicious ham sandwich, etc. etc. etc.

You would be amazed what a positive effect it has on the people around you when there is a big smile on your face because you're thinking about or just experienced something you choose to celebrate. That's right - it is your choice.

Sooo, the next time you make something good out of something bad; choose to Celebrate Good Times - Come On. The next time somebody does something good for you; choose to Celebrate Good Times - Come On. The next time you do something good for someone else; choose to Celebrate Good Times - Come On. The next time anything that makes you laugh; choose to Celebrate Good Times - Come On. The next time positive energy enters your body; choose to Celebrate Good Times - Come On.

The next time you're all alone choose to;

Celebrate Good Times - Come On

Racism In America

Racism In America

It made me sick in my stomach reading and listening about the events in Ferguson. A black boy gets shot and killed by a white police officer and it's all about racism. Just in case you're living on Mars, you probably don't realize a black man or woman is shot by a white police officer every day in America. However, it's not very often we call it racism. A black cop shoots a white person every day in America and we almost never call that racism. Therefore, there must be something special about the Ferguson situation.

I live in Southern California where there is a lot of tolerance toward gays, white people marring black people, Asian people marring white and black people, Hispanic people marring anybody not Hispanic, etc. etc. etc. Yet, even with all this tolerance, white cops shoot black people and black cops shoot white people every day in Southern California. Therefore, there must be something special about the Ferguson situation.

The only thing I can think of regarding the Ferguson situation is that we just got a major slap in the face that racism still exists in America. It's not about who shot who and why. We will spend months sorting through both sides' description of what happened on that day. Hopefully our legal system will do its duty and get to the truth. However, the real truth here is that after all these many, many years, racism still exists in America.

What makes me sick in my stomach is that the country I love with all my heart, still can't understand that racism is negative energy and doesn't enhance anybody's life. With all the education we get, not one school (elementary through college) teaches tolerance. 

Racism is all about anger. Why are we still so angry?  Maybe our father's father (black or white, Asian or Hispanic) had a reason to be angry, but what the hell does that have to do with us? I realize anger can be passed down to other generations, but why can't we take a step back and say: "my father's anger is not serving me. My father's anger is not helping me become happier. Having racism in my heart will only greatly reduce the chances of my kids having a happy life."

America is supposed to be one of the world leaders and yet we still portray blacks as thefts, Hispanics as lazy, Arabs as terrorists, Jews as money grubbers, etc. etc. etc. Stereotyping people creates anger in our hearts even for people that don't come close to their stereotype. Of the hundreds of millions of Arabs, how many are terrorists - very, very, very few. Yet, there are people in America who have anger in their hearts when they see a man in a headdress or a woman in a Veil. 

Racism in America has outlived its usefulness.  We need to just see people as people. It's their actions we need to focus on not their color or their accent. It's not about who is shooting who. It's about three things. Learning to live with everyone, getting rid of the anger that a parent, friend or relative put into our heart and realizing;

Racism In America - What Is It Good For - Absolutely Nothing

Whats Wrong With The World

Whats Wrong With The World

It's almost impossible to watch or listen to any media without hearing all the bad stuff that's going on in the USA and around the world. It takes effort to keep a positive attitude. The song below says it all.

For some of us the only way is to stop watching the news or listening to the radio. For some of us we have to avoid people who keep bring the subject up. The only way I've found to stay positive in a negative world is to love unconditionally. 

That means loving yourself, loving the people around you and even loving the people who are doing wrong. I know that sounds like bullshit, but if you love yourself, if you put your happiness in first position, hating the bad people in this world will never benefit YOU. Getting depressed over the ugliness being broadcasted will never benefit YOU.

The answer has to be finding the love.

Where is the love

Written and performed by the

BLACK EYED PEAS

What's wrong with the world, mama?

People livin' like they ain't got no mamas

I think the whole world's addicted to the drama

Only attracted to things that'll bring the trauma

Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism

But we still got terrorists here livin'

In the U.S.A., the big C.I.A.

The bloods and the crips and the K.K.K.

But, if you only have love for your own race

Then you only leave space to discriminate

And to discriminate only generates hate

And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah

Badness is what you demonstrate

And that's exactly how anger works and operates

Man you gotta have love just to set it straight

Take control of your mind and meditate

Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all

People killin', people dyin'

Children hurt and hear them cryin'?

Can you practice what you preach?

And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us

Send us some guidance from above

'Cause people got me, got me questionin'

Where is the love?

(Love)

Where is the love?

(The love)

It just ain't the same, always unchanged

New days are strange, is the world insane

If love and peace are so strong

Why are there pieces of love that don't belong?

Nations droppin' bombs

Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones

With the ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young

So, ask yourself is the lovin' really gone?

So, I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong

In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin'

Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends

Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother

A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover

The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug

If you never know truth then you never know love

Where's the love, y'all, come on

(I don't know)

Where's the truth, y'all, come on

(I don't know)

Where's the love, y'all

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder

As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder

Most of us only care about money makin'

Selfishness got us followin' the wrong direction

Wrong information always shown by the media

Negative images is the main criteria

Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria

Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema

Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity

Whatever happened to the fairness and equality

Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity

Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under

That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down

There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under

Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found

And ask yourself

Where is the love?

Where is the love?

Father, Father, Father help us

Send us some guidance from above

'Cause people got me, got me questionin'

Where is the love?

Sing wit my ya'll

(One world, one world)

We only got

(One world, one world)

That's all we got

(One world, one world)

And somethin's wrong wit it

(Yeah)

Somethin's wrong wit it

(Yeah)

Somethin's wrong wit world world world yeah

We only got

(One world, one world)

That's all we got

(One world, one world)

© TENNMAN TUNES; JEEPNEY MUSIC PUBLISHING; SONGS OF UNIVERSAL INC; CHERRY RIVER MUSIC COMPANY; PRINTZ POLAR PUBLISHING; EMI BLACKWOOD MUSIC INC.; NAWASHA NETWORKS PUBLISHING; WILL.I.AM. MUSIC INC.; EL CUBANO MUSIC;