I was just thinking...

I woke up this morning really missing California.  I am really starting to get used to being back in the Mid-West, but there are just some thing about California that I really miss.  This morning I was actually missing the smell of the salt water.  I'm surprised to admit it, but I even miss the sound of those annoying seagulls.

 I guess what I have really been missing the most is the beach.  We used to have regular family get togethers at the beach.  I remember one weekend where we left early in the morning and went snow boarding in the mountains and we were back home and on the beach later that evening.

I remember sneaking away at night having late night dates with my wife on the beach.  Once while were out walking along the beach we weren't paying any attention to the tide and we were completely doused by a giant wave, which sent us shivering back to the car.  One thing I am sure of the next time I go back to California for a visit...one of my first stops is going to be the beach.

I love writing, so much so that i write several blogs of my own, I guest write for several blogs, I write for hire and I write articles for several paid to write online sites. I also publish articles and content for AC Content. Of all of the places (besides my blogs) that I write for I think that AC Content is my favorite.

AC Content is like my own personal therapy. When I write at AC Content, I usually write about the things that are floating around in my thoughts, and in the process of writing them down it actually helps me begin to gain a better understanding of them. I also enjoy the interaction between myself and the other content producers on AC Content.

This afternoon as I was preparing to submit some new content I was looking back at the articles I have published so far. Each one of them serves as a snapshot into the mind, heart and life of mmog37. Some of those articles made me smile...other made me reflect and how far I come...and still others confirmed what others have been suggesting..that I am not all there :P

I thought I would pick my ten favorite articles from AC Content and Share them with you. Some will make you smile, some might make you sad, some might even make you laugh, but all of them will provoke you to think. If you have happened to read these before...I think they are worth a revisit. Enjoy!


10. Remembering The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:  A personal reflection.

 9.   I Aint Be Got No Weapon:  Are you influenced by undercover stereotypes and assumptions?

 8.  Lost:  Poetry based real events...

 7.  A Cup of Cappuccino:  An early morning encounter with a homeless man on the streets of S.F.

 6.  An Open Letter to My Sistas: A letter from the heart to my sistas

 5.  Cleaning It Up:  My struggle with eliminating several dirty words from my vocabulary.

 4.  Perception's Deception:  It's not about how things are...it's about

 3.  It's All In Your Head: Whether you think you can or you can't...you are right!

 2.  Top Ten Fears Blocking Barak Obama from Becoming President:  My first political satire piece.

 1.  Early Morning Football: Lessons learned from a summer of early morning football games



There ya have it, my top ten list.  I hope you enjoy them.  Feel free to let me know what you think.  Thanks in advance for reading :)

I have managed to clean my desk off three times this week. This may not mean much to you...but this is nothing less than a miraculous. Some people are able to work from an extremely clean desk...not me. I have a unique process when it comes to working and most times I am working on several things at once.

I have discovered that it irks me when my desk is really clean...it's counter productive for me. It's almost as if I haven't been doing anything. When I am writing I usually have several notepads and tons of reference materials on my desk. When I am working on my art I have stuff everywhere, art supplies, reference items and a big fat cup of coffee somewhere within my reach.

I have tried working with a clean desk...but it feels to creepy for me. This week I really did do my best to keep it clean...but after being at work for a few minutes the messed had returned. I've decided that I wont fool myself with the notion that I can keep a clean desk...but I will compromise and clean it at the end of each day. That way I can look forward messing it up the nest morning.

How about you, are you a clean worker? Do you have any quirks of your own when it comes to your work flow? Tell me about it:)

Being the analyst that I am (my wife calls it being nosey) I often notice that there seems to be a lot of out of control kids these days. When I say Out of control, I don't necessarily mean bad, it's just that these kids are very determined not to listen to their parents.

I always cringe when I see this because I have flashbacks to my own childhood. My parents were old school. There was no bargaining and from day one they let it be known that their household was not a democracy...there would be no voting or consideration of opinions. In fact their motto was when they wanted my opinion...they would give it to me.

My parents, unlike many parents of today, were not afraid to be the bad guys! They had no problem at all with hurting my feelings if it would keep me alive and keep me from becoming a menace to society. During my adolescence, I didn't quite understand it, but now as an adult with children of my own I can clearly see it.

When it comes to dealing with my own children, I take a different approach. Like my parents before me, my household is not a democracy, but at the same time i constantly wok on making sure that my children know and understand that they can trust the decisions that I make. As much as it pains me sometimes I also admit when I am wrong. Unlike my parents I also try to be as transparent as I can be...instead of telling them them to be nice to people I let them observe and catch me in the act of doing it myself.

When my children were small I didn't negotiate with them I made sure they they clearly knew that there such things as boundaries and when they are crossed there are consequences. Now that they are teenagers I find that those early lessons have paid off.

I might just be old school but I think too many parents are taking advice from people who don't even have children, and they are trying too hard to be their friends. Here's my two cents mom and dad...they will have plenty of friends but you are the only parents they will have...so be the parent!


What Do You Think? Are today's parents push-overs?