May/June Recap

Life has changed in the last two months. All things taken into consideration, I'm happier now than I was in April. Here are the updates:

1) I'm dating a great woman with whom I love spending time with. She can cook, she's beautiful, she's a girly-girl, and did I mention she cooks? heh heh. She's very unique, and she has the cutest laugh I've ever heard.

2) I dealt with a pretty serious ordeal at work in which a disagreement with someone went too far. The issue got resolved, but mercy--THAT was a stressfull week.

3) I'm actually friends again with an ex-girl/former arch-nemesis from the fall--we had a blowout and weren't speaking for months, but in May we got in touch again...Life is funny like that.

4) My last trip to NY was crazy.....I shan't go into detail here, but all i will say is "JerkAsUsual" (inside joke)

5) My God-Daughter's birthday is this month!! she turns TWO years old!

6) Shout out to my boy (I won't put his name out there)--he just got his Bachelors Degree after facing obstacles at every turn. If you look in the dictionary next to the word "True Man" you will see his picture. He loves his daughter and treats her like a great father should.

7) When will the world realize that I am always right?

The Importance of Infrastructure Protection

This nation runs on a series of infrastructures set in place to preserve the quality of life that Americans experience freely. These infrastructures are divided into two distinct categories: Critical and Non-Critical. Under the purview of Critical Infrastructures, lies the Energy, Communications, and Water Processing, among others. Non-critical infrastructures, such as transportation, are important as well; however, the Critical Infrastructures remain in persistent danger from adversarial attack.

Why?

The answer can be summed up in two words: Infrastructure Interdependency. There are, within the category of Critical Infrastructures, certain infrastructures that rely on others to operate. This reliance is called Infrastructure Interdependency. For instance, Water Processing is among the most important critical infrastructures in place; however, a majority of its associated functions require power to operate. Electricity is needed to run the purification modules; energy is needed to operate the pumps that push the water. If an adversary were to disable the Energy Infrastructure within a particular region for an extended period of time, the Water Infrastructure would be crippled as well.

Access to water via plumbing would diminish within hours; within days, bottled water in retail stores would see a 100% acquisition rate. Civil unrest wouldl develop shortly thereafter, as citizens demanded a solution from their Government.

Although Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans are in effect for temporary disability, there is no way to prepare for an extended COOP plan. These plans are to ensure the continuity of operations until the situation is resolved--often having a truncated time frame within which operational status must be resumed. This is why infrastructure protection is one of the most essential functions of every level of government--be it Federal, State, or Local. We simple have too much to lose by NOT protecting our infrastructures.

New Lexus IS 250 AWD

Well, i finally made the jump into luxury. Behold, my new baby:

Top 5 Television Series Of All Time

1) "Battlestar Galactica"

2) "24"

3) "Lost"

4) "Law and Order: SVU"

5) "Prison Break"

My Swagger is on Autopilot

It's been almost a month since my last post--WOW, do I have updates for you guys.

1) Update 1: Interracial Dating:

So i entered my first interracial dating situation back in March. It was an excellent experience. There was a lot of hate from my friends, and I need to put this foolishness to rest now. A lot of my black female friends would ask foolish questions like "so, what...Black women aren't good enough for you now?" and "Ohhhh you're selling out" WHAT....THE....FRACK?

I'm shutting you all down now--a beautiful woman is a beautiful woman--I don't care if she's black, white, hispanic, asian, indian, or middle-eastern. She was college educated, and was beautiful, believe me--she treated me like a KING even though we only dated for about a month. (ended on good terms--very very complex situation). She was a good friend of mine before we dated--race has nothing to do with anything. NOTHING! All the haters out there, cut the malarchy at once.

2) Update 2: The Housing Market

So, I was going over the numbers for this Jaguar XF that I'm thinking about pursuing; however, I started looking at houses online, and now I'm considering pursuing my second house before getting the Jag. Renting out my current house would be easy to do, since I live a stones throw away from a U.S. Army Base with lots of people stationed there long-term looking for places to live. the plan is to calculate what my payments will be on the Jaguar, and then make sure the rent I charge turns a profit at least half of the cost-per-month for the Jag. Oh!, the joys of homeownership

3) Update 3: My Current Situation

I'm currently something with this student from my alma mater, Howard University. I phrase it like that because all we are now are friends who have recently discovered we like eachother. The catch is, she's 20. That's quite a few years younger than I am, and her immaturity shows. There are.......certain things.......that she does not do. I won't go into the implications of that, because that would take all day--but for the foreseeable future, we will continue to just be friends who like eachother. Her thought processes have some maturing to do. Plus, I'm in my relationship-only tip right now...and she is NOT relationship material.

4) Update 4: Manchu's Dating Philosophy

My formula is Friend-> Date-> Relationship. Contrary to the societal norm, I only date friends of mine. I find that it leads to a more fulfilling relationship and a deeper connection. Now, the down side to this is--if you end on bad terms, then you lose a friend. It's up to those parties involved to make sure things DON'T end on bad terms. i am only on bad terms with two of my exes--the rest of them I've remained friends with and they don't hesitate to tell me about myself when I seek advice.

I will not walk up to a random pretty woman on the street and ask for her number. That is classless. So now, I'm in something of a pickle: my 2010 resolution was to just have relationships--no "mutually beneficial friendships." But it looks like so far, when i've tried to make the relationship thing work--something happens and it doesn't work. I think i may need to retire from relationships for 2010.....easier said than done, since once I pick a friend i like, I tend to pursue her without consciously realizing it. My swag is on autopilot. I'll need to think of this a bit more.

The Jaguar XF Belongs In my Driveway

So, I was talking to my Father about cars yesterday and he was telling me how he took his Jag in for service, and while he was there, he was looking at the new models. He began to tell me about the Jaguar XF Model, which I was aware of, but never paid much attention to since it was out of my price range...or so I thought. He sat down with the sales rep and ran the numbers just to see what the cost of owning that vehicle would be, and it turns out I could easily afford the monthly payment on the XF. So now, I've been considering a new vehicle purchase, and I might shoot after the XF. After all, the best time to make expensive purchases is BEFORE marriage and kids, right?

College.......

One of the most important lessons a parent can teach their child is: Choose your major well. The importance of selecting a major that has practical applications in the real world cannot be emphasized enough.

Passion alone is not enough to be successful

My undergaduate major was Sociology, with concentrations in Research Methods and Statistics. I selected this major because I loved the subject matter and, although I knew it had no practical use outside of the scholastic environment, I went ahead anyway--since I planned on going to Law School right after undergrad.

Right? WRONG!

As i neared my senior year of college, I began to veer away from the law field and selected technology and business as my graduate pursuits. I took enough classes in each subject to get into a very good program involving both subjects; however, until I finished the program, I had to work.

1st. Sign of an Impractical Major

It took me 4 months to find a job in my field after graduation. Throughout college I worked as a full-time Overnight Security Officer, so--after telling all my co-workers that I was graduating college--imagine their reaction when I was still working security 4 months later. If i had a nickel for every time i heard "Matt, didn't you graduate?" or "Matt, If you have a degree, what are you doing here?"

2nd Sign of an Impractical Major

When I did find a job in my "field," it was in the facet of my field with which i was highly unfamiliar. My undergrad studies focused mostly on harcore research, calculations, and statistical software i.e. SPSS and others. This job I found after graduation was a Counseling Position. As in, counseling troubled teenage girls ages 16-22 who had been through a traumatic experience. I hated that job, and I didn't not care about the clients I was counseling. The worst part is--they could easily tell that I cared nothing for their well-being. I would give them the cookie cutter response and kick them out my office. i'm not sure if i helped anyone while at that job, and i honestly don't care.

Motivation

Graduate School saved me from misery. Taking up the business and technology fields for my Masters Degrees got me into a career with the Federal Government that i absolutely love. I get to use my analytical skills acquired in my major, so I finally have an opportunity to utilize what I learned and enjoy it. You would be surprised how much your attitude towards your job affects your performance.

Summation

I told that story to make it apparent that if you do not select a major wisely, life will be hard once you graduate. I struggled for a while after graduation financially. Why? Becasue there simply is no need for Sociology outside of the research and data analysis worlds-and to become a part of one of those worlds, one must have a graduate-level or higher degree. For those of you who are in college, or getting ready to do to college, heed my words well. Select Your Major, NOT based solely on to your innate passions; select your major based on what will offer you a comfortable life after graduation. I no longer struggle, and i literally make 3 times as much as i did when i first finished college; however, as with anything else worth doing--it is not an easy road to tread. You can always use grad school to pursue your passions, but for your undergraduate education, BE PRACTICAL.

The Five Worst Moments of my Life

5th Worst:
Finding out my old Cat Kevin got mauled to death by dogs (1993)

My parents sat my sister and I down in the kitchen and told us that we wouldt not be seeing our pet cat Kevin again. (we named him after our favorite movie character--"Kevin" from the Home Alone Movies) When we started to get nervous, they told us why. He had been killed. At this point, we were starting to cry, and I asked my parents how he died. My dad said dogs mauled him in the middle of the night, and he found Kevin bleeding in the driveway and there was no way to save him. Then my sister and I began SOBBING as in, "snot coming out of the nose, difficult to breathe" SOBBING!

4th Worst: Being cheated on by the woman i planned to marry one day (I'm not putting a year here, because i don't want to blow up anybody's spot) Respect is Respect.


3rd Worst:
Finding out my parents were separating (1994)

Not much to type here, except that it did not come as a surprise to me. Just because I expected it, doesn't mean it hurt any less.


2nd Worst:
Losing my job(2004)

At the beginning of 2004, I was working full-time as an overnight security guard for a new apartment building in DC and pulling a lot of requred overtime (6 shifts a week). Now, at this point, I was a full-time student taking 16 credits with classes every single day. With that course-load and a 48 hour/week job working overnights, it was very busy--and very tired. So during my lunch break, I had permission to go into the concierge's office and sleep for an hour. Now, the building manager did not know I had permission to sleep on my lunch break, and he would sometimes leave his room to check on me. He complained to my supervisors that I was sleeping every night, and they tried to explain to him that I was on my lunch break, and since I was a full time college student, they let me sleep on my lunch break. The building manager thought they were trying to cover up for me, and he gave them an ultimatum: Get rid of him, or I find a new Security Contractor for this building. Needless to say, They respectfully terminated my employment to keep the contract. My world was turned upside down, and this lead to the worst time in my life...

1st Worst:
Being so broke, I had to empty my entire closet to search the floors for pennies to buy food(2004)

I went through an unemployment period in 2004 when i was a College Sophomore, and I was out the dorm and in an apartment by this time. Life was rough; I would buy a bag of chips and make that bag last me an entire day, because I couldn't afford anything more. Of course, life could have been much easier it i had gone to my parents for financial support, but I am a very proud man and I do not like to ask for help. I had JUST moved into an apartment with my college roommate, and there was no way I was going to ask anybody for anything. This was the Nadir of my existence. I will never be broke again...I will never be broke again...I will never be broke again. That was not living--that was barely surviving.

DO NOT DO

I'm going to keep this short and sweet:

Had an excellent date tonight. I love women that are older than me, and this woman was about 5 years older than me. Here's the problem....she kept making allusions to our age difference. Maybe I'll get more detailed tomorrow. I don't know if I'm taking her out again. This is the second time this has happened (The first time was in 2009 with a former co-worker.)

There's a lot more to this tale, and I still had a great time, but i see where this is headed. That is all.

Just can't catch a break right now.....but I'm trying.....trying to be good...

There's Vudu at Work Here....

Picture, if you will, a high definition content distribution service with a tiered pricing model and relatively low price point. Now, imagine this service utilized a remarkable streamlined Graphical User Interface (GUI), making it accessible to more than the traditional entertainment enthusiast market. And, to top it off, content distribution and storage is managed by an elegantly designed media box with a unique remote that is as easy on the eyes as it is on the hands.

Such a service exists. It's called Vudu.

Vudu has been out for a few years now, and while it's enjoyed decent market penetration, it's not perfect. I've never bought into the service because I am a Home Theater Purist. My HD Projector costs as much as a small car, and my Blu Ray Player could send your kid to private school for three months. I won't even get into audio, because i'll be talking all day. For those of us who require the best of the best, Blu Ray Discs are the highest quality sources through which media can be delivered.

So who, then, does Vudu cater to? The "good enough" crowd. This crowd consists of consumers who, although knowledgable about the performance cireteria of a middling home-theater experience, either do not know or do not care about the granularities of squeezing the best possible performance out of equipment.

I hereby dub this group "The Wal Mart Crowd."

Therefore, it came as no surprise when rumors began circulating that Wal Mart was in talks to purchase an online media distribution service, that Vudu was a contender. Well, folks. The deal is official; Wal Mart has purchased Vudu for $100 million. that's roughly 200% of the initial amount Vudu was looking for. What does this say?

Wal Mart knows a gem when it finds one.

Slowly but surely, Wal Mart is trying to make a name for itself in the electronics world. In the past few years, they have upgraded their selection of big-ticket electronics from no-names like Sylvania (Forgive me, but I don't want my HDTV manufacturer's primary product to be light bulbs) to mainstream brands like Samsung and Phillips. They will succeed...eventually

Here's why.

Although Wal Mart has adopted the higher end manufacturers and products, they still carry the cheap unknown brands on their shelves. What does that mean for consumers? That means that a teen leaving for college this fall can pick up a well priced--albeit underperforming--Blu Ray player for $89, and upgrade to a mid-range Blu Ray player by his sophomore year. Where will he go to purchase that mid-range player? Wal Mart. If Wal Mart continues to expand its offerings, then by the time he graduates college and lands a job, he'll be able to upgrade that mid-range player to a high-end player. Where will he go to purchase that new player? Wal Mart.

Wal Mart was in the process of creating an electronic eco-system before their acquisition of Vudu. If there is one thing Wal Mart does right, it is convincing consumers that everything they need is in one place.

Now, how do they expand beyond their current customer base? There are people out there (I was one of them until a few years ago) who refuse to go to Wal Mart because they associate the term "value" with the term "cheaply made." This is where Vudu steps in. Vudu is as advanced as HD content distribution can get--and Wal Mart owns it. What does this mean? Wal Mart has made its first foray into broadband content delivery--a field that many in the industry consider to be the "future of entertainment." This acquisition opens up doors for Wal-Mart that no other retailer can offer.

I can see the advertisement now: SALE ENDS SUNDAY. PURCHASE 8 TOWELS, AND GET A FREE VUDU HIGH DEFINITION MOVIE DOWNLOAD.

Sound ridiculous doesn't it? It doesn't matter. It will work.

They can tie Vudu content to purchases and no Big-Box retailer can offer. New parents can receive a buy 2, get one free Disney Movie download deal for every five boxes of pampers they purchase. And then guess where the dad is going to go when he wants to watch an action flick on the fly? Vudu. where is that mother going to go when she wants to watch the Sex and the City Movie with her friends the day before they go watch the sequel in theaters. Vudu.

The possibilities are quite vast.

This was a very smart acquisition on the part of Wal Mart. I look forward to seeing what exactly the mega-retailer does with its new "toy." If you are pessimistic, keep in mind that Wal Mart hasn't grown as popular as it has by mismanaging its properties. Stay Tuned...

White Out?

The Grade: 7th
The Age: 11
The Location: My Locker (Remember Those?)
The Characters: Manchu, Poor Girl

My seventh grade started interestingly. I remember my first day, I was greeted by a "What The....?" as soon as I walked into my first class. (I later found out it was because I was wearing very tight jeans with massive size-12 sneakers, and a jeans jacket that screamed "fashion disaster in isle 3.") Having attended Linden S.D.A. School for 3rd through 6th grade, I was highly unaware of what the fashions were. My entire 7th grade was spent learning was baggy, baseball caps, and Snickers Bars were.

Anyway.....

So the third day of seventh grade, I am placing my books in my locker (again, a modern marvel to me, since I was a product of Linden School), and as i'm putting my books in my locker with my tight jeans and my tight shirt and my jeans jacket, a girl comes up to me out of nowhere and asks "Do You Have White Out?" But she said it funny. I look in my locker and see no white-out, and i look in here eyes and say "No I don't." She looked like she was about to cry, and she ran away. I was trying to figure out why she said "White Out" with a "g" in it. I go into analysis mode:

When she asked, it sounded like "Do you Wav-white gout?

So, i sounded it out......"Do you Wav-white....could she mean the term 'wanna?'"

I sounded it out again....."do you wanna gout?".......I say to myself, "gout?"

Then i separated the word, and a look of shock overcame me: It wasn't "gout" It was "GO OUT!"

Her question was "Do You Wanna Go Out?"

I had just been asked out by a pretty girl who was well developed for a 7th grader.....I was MAD at myself....

So i look around for her, and I try to find her for the rest of the day.....but i don't see her for a week. Finally, i see her in the hallway while i'm walking to class with my friend, and i stare at her trying to catch her attention...

and my friend says says "Uh Oh."

I'm like "huh?"

He says there goes Mel....

I say, who?

He says "The girl your dumb a** turned down,"

I ask "HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT?".....

He says "EVERYBODY CALLS YOU STUPID BECAUSE YOU'RE NEW AND YOU TURNED DOWN THE GIRL EVERYONE WANTS"......

I'm like....."I've been trying to find her for days to tell her I thought she was asking for White-Out..."

He says "Dummy"

So.....I ended up being enemies with that girl for most of middle school, because she and her cheerleader chronies always gave me the evil eye until I finished middle school.

Ah, so that is my "White Out" story. Stay tuned--there's more on the way.

My Social Dilemma

This may come as a surprise to some, but I am not a very social person. This has always been the case with me. I have always had a circle of friends that kept me in my comfort zone--but in certain situations where social interaction is forced on me, I get very uncomfortable, very quickly. I don't know why this is. My mother is very social, and my dad is somewhat social. as I've grown older, I've become better at utilizing social skills; however, I'm not where I want to be.

In elementary school, pretty girls made me so nervous, I just acted like i hated them (even though i had a crush on half of them). In middle school, I was over my "nervous around girls" phase, but I would avoid general social situations with fervor. In high school, I had my circle of friends--many of which were parts of other circles of friends as well, so social problems were never really an issue in High School. In College, I overcame my social issues by dating women who were super social. it worked fairly well, since each relationship was an exercise in social balance. College is over, and i still date super-social women...but I can't rely on that; I'll be married in a few years. I hated parties, and only went to 2 or 3 clubs.

Side Note: In all honesty, I avoided clubs because i was, and still am, too sophisticated for that. If I offended you, I don't care. Silence yourself.

I have been working on becoming a more social person over the last year or so, and it has worked.....somewhat. I say good morning to strangers, but I don't click very well with some of the people that i see often. There's nothing wrong with them, i just don't have anything to say. I think a big factor is my demeanor. Not only am I sometimes a bit apprehensive about starting a conversation with someone, but my demeanor might cause someone not to want to start a conversation with me as well. I've been told that my demeanor is intimidating. This interpretation is, of course, purely subjective, but more than one person has mentioned that to me.

I never thought I'd really do a post like this. I'm really telling the world about myself here. I get along with my friends excellently; nobody would know I'm somewhat introverted until I'm placed in a situation that forces me to be social. For example, based on how a friend of mine saw me interacting with my friends, she perceived me to be a very social person, until I went to a function at her college. She was looking at me the entire night with a "What's wrong with you?" face. Apparently, prior to the party, she told her friends that I was the "life of the party" and when they saw me not saying much, they were sending her texts DURING the function asking if I were upset about something.

So that's where I stand now. You would never know I'm not very social if you see me with my friends and I'm comfortable. But if I'm forced into a social situation, I become very uncomfortable. Well, world, there it is. Now, you know about me.

Busy...

This was a busy week for me.

A) I ordered a 6-Piece Cherrywood Bedroom Set (I'm more excited than i should be)

B) Made arrangements to remodel my floors (The estimate is taking place tomorrow)

C) I created a Full-Fledged Media Room where my weight-room once was

D) Stood on the elevator with Woman C from my "Litany of Demise" Post

E) Got re-united with my dearrrr friend that I haven't spoken to in a couple of years

F) Made a difficult decision on Valenties Day (If you only knew...)

G) Bought a Wireless Webcam so I can Skype Video-Conference from my Media-Room Sofa (Boo-Loving online will never be the same)

H) Left (and subsequently retrieved) my iPhone in my car at the train-station

I) Deleted my photo album of "special pictures" of women i've been involved with...(Don't Ask)

J) Figured out that sometimes, I'm TOO friendly to people (Yes, it's true)

K) Finalized my requirements for a wife (to be disclosed at a later date)

L) Received my Graduate Certificate of Homeland security Management in the Mail (Time to Frame that Bad-Boy)

Yes, this was a busy week indeed.

Malarchy on Valentines Day

I went to sleep annoyed last night. Very annoyed. Lets start at the beginning.

Friday evening Woman B from my "Litany of Demise" post calls me about Valentines day. Now as i've mentioned before on this blog, for the first time in my life, I'm actually working on being comfortable being single. So she starts talking about how she's so excited about V-Day, and how she got her hair done, and nails done,a fresh brazilian, and how stunning her outfit is. The whole nine yards. So the conversation goes as follows:

Me: "Hey, that's all excellent. You're a beautiful woman, and I'm sure your valentine will enjoy you."

Her: "He sure will"

Me: "Who is your valentine, anyway?"

Her: "You are, silly!"

Me: *Uncomfortable Silence*

Her: "Well?"

Me: "Look, I'm really trying to be a different person. I'm cool with not having a valentine right now"

Her: "Mmmm, you must have forgotten what i do"

Me: "Nah I haven't forgotten--believe me, I haven't forgotten..."

I can't post the rest of that conversation, but long-story short, she had convinced me to be her valentine. That was that--until I started having second thoughts. If i'm trying to break old cycles and be more selective of the women i deal with, how does letting someone from my past back into my life help at all? It doesn't.

So later that night, I call her and cancel on out V-Day plan. Now she is LIVID, and she starts to curse me out. I had to get loud and remind her who she was talking to. So then she calmed down and asked why i canceled, and I told her about me trying not to reopen old books, and my new selective process. She couldn't understand what I was talking about; We just agreed to disagree, and that was the end of that.

So last night, she starts BLOWING UP MY PHONE. Seriously--there are few things i hate more than incessant calling from the same person, and she KNOWS I hate it. I didn't pick my phone up, and I didn't listen to any of the 7 voice-mails she left me.

I wish i had. I would have been prepared for what happened next.

So 7:00am this morning there's pounding on my door. I don't know why, all i know is that i was UPSET that I was being awakened at 7:00am. I go to the door and answer it. It's HER. Apparently, she just off of work (She's a Registered Nurse and she works nights) and she wanted to stop by and wish me a Happy Valentines Day...I was about to start getting ON her for stopping by unannounced...but...

Now, I don't know if it was my morning woody thinking for me, or the lighting of the...Sun? but she looked absolutely STUNNING. Not just regular stunning....I'm talking about "for three seconds I saw her having my kids" beautiful...and at that point i hoped she hadn't come to change my mind, because it would have worked......

But thankfully, she didn't. I invited her in, and we had Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, and then she left. I'm so glad she respected my wishes, because this morning could have gone very differently...

Macpressions

So i've purchased a Macbook Pro, and after living with it a few days, i can give my first impressions as to how it compares to a PC laptop.

The Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the Snow Leopard Operating System (OS) is excellent. Now, I won't say it's superior to that of Windows 7's GUI, as they are two very different beasts. What I will say is that it is extremely novel--not a hard posit, considering the fact that this is my first Mac.

Performance in uncharacteristically fast. My PC laptop is twice as powerful (It better be; it costs twice as much), yet, the Mac loads pages and applications faster. How can this be? I'm going to run some benchmark tests and i will post some performance numbers soon. I must get to the bottom of this phenomenon.

The external styling of the Macbook Pro is second to none. THe aluminum outer casing, with the backlit black keys and glossy black frame around the screen is by far, the most attractive laptop machine i've ever used.

The only thing i wish Apple made provisions for was a Blu-Ray drive. My PC Laptop and both my PC Desktops have Blu Ray Drives, and writing information to a 50GB Dual-Layer Blu Ray is a pretty decent way to store mass quantities of data. Nevertheless, this Mac is giving me an absolutely stellar computing experience.

I'm going to film a Mac v. PC benchmark comparison next week and I will post it to youtube. I'll provide the link to the comparison on this site.

The Twinkling of An Eye

Moment 1

I opened my eyes to a world I've never known. Every stone, every branch; all the same--and yet different. All glowing. I glanced up toward the sky and my ears beheld a cacophony of perfection as the Seraphim sang out with voices like bells forged from both steel and love. Their song pierced through the heart of the Earth itself as it began to shake with the violence of ten thousand storms. Mountains crumbled; valleys were filled with debris that once composed their upper walls; lightning came from within the Earth, cracking its crust in jagged striations. Shadows ceased to exist in the presence of the immense luminescence saturating the Earth. The Time had come...

Moment 2

A gust of air overtook me and as I looked to my right, I beheld my Guardian Angel kneeling in acknowledgement of the might and glory of God. He rose swiftly and gazed into my eyes. In his eyes, I saw the love of a parent; I saw supernatural joy streak through his face as his belled voice rang the sweet words "You Made It." This Angel had watched over me since birth; he had witnessed my sins and my repentance. He shed a tear of translucent crystal, and in that very moment, his eye twinkled. The twinkle grew into a flash of lavender light, brighter than my eyes could behold. My vision faded...

Moment 3

As my sight returned, I realized something had changed. The Earthly garments that clothed my body a moment ago were strewn across the grass in front of me. Upon my shoulder lay a gilded cloak, under which a creaseless robe rested. As I awed at the perfectly woven garment, my arms felt uncharacteristically stiff. I stretched them high above me--yet, my arms did not move. What then was I stretching?........WINGS! "My.....my God" I cried in a language never before spoken by my tongue. I stretched my wings out to their full length; their plumage was a bright scarlet with specks of white at the tips of each feather. "Scarlet, for the blood that Christ shed for YOUR chance at redemption" said the Guardian, answering my unasked question. My Guardian Angel touched the tip of his violet-plumed right wing to the tip of my scarlet right wing-- thus was my first heavenly greeting.

Moment 4

My Angel spoke his true name--a name that, when spoken in the bell-like language of the High Host, brought the smell of cinnamon to my nostrils. He looked around us and said "It is Time." I surveyed my surroundings, and was shocked at the Chaos that ensued. To my right, a human cried to the sky "I'm sorry Lord..." Behind me, a group of distressed women cried to the crumbling mountains "Fall on us." Two miles away, a minister sobbed "Where did I go wrong?" as his unclothed teenage mistress lay dead in his arms. All around, the fallen ones--now visible--stood helpless with rage and fear filling their eyes, for they knew their time was short...

Moment 5

With a mighty wing thrust, my Guardian launched himself into the air so quickly that time literally slowed down as I tracked him. As he leapt, his mind communicated to me "We travel at the speed of thought...Come!" I spread my scarlet wings and launched myself into the air. Elation! "Glory to God in the Highest, Glory to God in the Highest" I roared as I flew to meet my maker...to meet my God. The last of the angelic cloud rolled away, and then....then.....I saw His face and wept tears of crystal. I wept for the life I lived and for the death HE died. Such love, such compassion...in his face, I saw pure Righteousness. As I flew toward him, I was joined by others with scarlet plumage--my bretheren who had also made it through that Earthen struggle. Sobbing and smiling, we all joined the High Host in proclaiming the beautiful truth: CHRIST HAS RETURNED!!

Hate?

Hate is such a strong word--but i feel it towards three people in this world. I know I shouldn't hate. Right?..........RIght?

The Greatest Battles...

Nostalgia is my enemy

I go through these periods of extreme nostalgia and I wish i could make them stop. It's easy for me to miss people. If you know me, that not something you would expect to hear me say--but it's a flaw i'm working on fixing.

For instance, A recent friend/potential future romantic interest, Carol, wears a rare scent that only one other woman has worn around me. This scent rocks my world (as its name subtly implies), but it reminds me of the other woman who wears it.

This is bad. Is it too much to ask for a life unmarred by the mind's subtle complexities?

I can't ask her to wear a different fragrance, and it smells amazing; however, having a memory attached to a fragrance is going to cause me problems if this leads somewhere 6 months from now. This isn't the first time this has happened.

People impact me more than I would like to admit.

I don't think this is a good thing. How do I break this cycle? Some cycles are easier to break than others, but how do I actually interrupt a constant cyclical mainstay of my life? This needs to stop soon.

Speaking of Carol....

Our spiritual beliefs vary significantly. Now, based on the content in my last blog entry, she doesn't fit the new criteria......

FAIL?

Change for the Best

So, for the first time in 8 years, I will be alone this Valentines Day--and I don't mind at all. It's a change of pace from my normal romantic life. I am very much a Serial Monogamist (Or Chain-Dater as a friend of mine hilariously puts it), so i have a constant need to be with someone whether they are right for me or not. The last woman that I dated that was actually right for me is Married now. Since then, I've been entering relationships with a series of pretty faces that I know will have NO place in my future.

I'm fighting my urge to date for the sake of dating, and that includes Valentines Day activities. Are there women out there that i know could be my valentines? Absolutely. Do I want to get involved with them? Absolutely not. One of my New Years Resolutions was to be much more selective about who I date.

Sure, my standards of attractiveness and collegiate education still stand, but I am adding religious dedication and childlessness to my standards. I'm at an age now where anyone I date is a potential wife for me. Stricter standards are needed.

Here's to a better me.

How It's Done

So, I'm out digging my car out of the snow for an hour, when my neighbor comes out--looks at me once, and says "Nah man, let me show you how it's done." This guy spend 5 minutes shoveling ONLY the front of his car--then.....He gets in his car, and DRIVES OUT (with snow still completely covering his car on the sides and the back) I shoveled for over an hour--he shoveled for 5 minutes, and we both got the exact same result.

Brains before Brawn.

Married Woman on the Train - Part 3

Ok, so i see Carol (Train-Lady) on the train again today. She doesn't sit by me at first, so i go to sleep. I get a tap on my neck half-way through the train ride. It's her. So we're chatting--nothing crazy, mostly about her experiences in law school. And then she offered to help me study for a major test I have coming up in June. Before I could say anything she gives me her card. I took it, and she was smiling really hard. Then i got serious and asked "WIll both you and your husband help me study?" She says "We're going through a divorce, but my family won't let me parade without my ring until the divorce is final" Something about them being Catholic....or something along those lines. So it'll just be her helping me study.....I'm not sure if it's the truth or not. If it is the truth, then she'll be single by the time study-time comes along....what should i do? If she's lying, I know it's GOODBYE.......but.....I don't know what i'm supposed to do here...

The Bruising of an Ego

Sometimes, I am appalled by the naivete of my youth. Read on, and you'll see why.

When I was a young lad--no older than 11 or 12, I used to have a crush on these two girls at church who shall remain nameless. (Hint--they look a lot alike)....So, in the mid 90's, The Pathfinders had a Camporee trip to Jamaica (The island, not the Avenue). It was fun...i would wear sunglasses at night-time because i thought I was cool. Yeah, I was an interesting kid. So at some point during this trip, somebody came up to me and said "Hey Matt, guess what? *** and **** both have a crush on you."

So I say "Is that so? heh heh," I go into my tent, lay down on the floor and kick my feet up on my duffle bag plotting how i'm going to holler at them both. Now, I was a nerd until i started high school, and I had no experience in this field (I was 11)....which my next actions will show.

Anyway, so we're on the bus going to Negril Falls, and I (cocky as ever) confidently think to myself "Heh heh, let me give them BOTH the sexy eye" so.......

I stared at them BOTH with the "You're mine" face...for the entire ride to and from Negril Falls, and they kept giggling and looking at eachother and giggling some more. So I'm thinking "Heh heh, They're happy I'm noticing them..Score one for Big Daddy"....It didn't cross my mind that they could have simply been laughing at me........poor me...

So, when we got back to camp, I started to make my way over to them (I don't know how i planned on hollering at them BOTH, but hey--what did I know?)...and their other SISTER came out of nowhere and stood in front of me, blocking my path (I guess I was expected) and said the following words "Look, my sisters do not like you. You are too young, and you are not their type. You were told they liked you as a result of a failed blackmail attempt"........

...OUCH!
...OUCH!!
...FRIGGIN OUCH!!!

At that point, the ground began spinning, and I felt a wave of heat roll over me as embarrassment flooded my veins. The only reply I could utter was "Huh? Me like your sisters? Naw they're too old for me" (Of course i didn't think that she knew I was lying becasue i was headed STRAIGHT FOR THEM before she intercepted me harder than a Favre pass). For the rest of the trip, I made sure to avoid the both of them, and they would still occasionaly look and laugh.

I'm pretty sure I am the ONLY one who remember that all of this happened. Why? My Ego is still healing to this day, and i'm in my mid-twenties.

(Shakes head, turns off light, and walks away)

Litany of Demise

Last year i had four romances: Let's call them Woman A, Woman B, Woman C, and Woman D--in that order. Each of them met their demise in a different way.

Woman A: Was a beautiful woman--a bit older than I, but had a sense of humor that was addictive. At one point, i felt like I wanted to spend my life with her. It's funny how feelings change.

Woman B: Was boring, but she was gorgeous--she was anti-social, but did I mention she was gorgeous? I dealt with her for a couple of months or so and we never reached a level of connection where i felt i could tell her everything--but then again, intellect wasn't a large part of our encounters...

Woman C: Was a high-maintenance woman i met close to my job. She was the perfect woman until she opened her mouth. She was an atheist, and at first i tried to witness to her. But after a while, no matter how attracted to someone you are, Enough is Enough!

Woman D: Was my high school crush. We got reunited on a Facebook, and from there, it took off. She DEFINITELY lived up to the hype. By far, she's the most attractive woman I've ever dealt with, and her sense of humor actually surpassed Woman A's, which shocked me because i didn't think that was possible. She was great....except for this one little issue...

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Woman A: I do not know

Woman B: She's still around from time to time--no future in her though

Woman C: Crept back into the picture in January--and got kicked RIGHT back out of it for her Atheist foolishness.

Woman D: We were friends for a while afterwards, but, I don't think we are anymore.

So, here is my thing: Why do personalities change when romance is involved? I'm not just asking about the women; I'm asking about myself as well. I'm not naive enough to believe that I alone in this world am immune to the agents of change. This is what i think about often. Of course these women are the villains in my mind--but what If i was the villain in one of more of these situations, and just didn't recognize it? I look at all aspects in an attempt to solve this riddle, but my pride gets in the way of a thorough investigation, so the question lingers....

What if I was the villain....?

Manchu's Rules on Treating Your Lady

1) Kiss her randomly, even if you don't feel like it--it will brighten her day.

2) ALWAYS open doors for her--It's a good look for BOTH you and her.

3) If she says she doesn't feel beautiful that day, do NOT go overboard telling her she's beautiful every five seconds. She'll think you're just saying that for the sake of saying it. Instead, make her day WONDERFUL in any way you can, and she'll forget her self-consciousness as she smiles at you.

4) Periodically surprise her with Spa treatments for BOTH you and her. Don't be afraid to get a pedicure with her--you know you're a man; she knows you're a man. That is all.

5) Make sure you establish early that you DO wear the pants in the relationship--but don't remind her every half an hour that you're running things. Women want to feel like they have someone to care for them--but they don't need another daddy (screw what T-Payne says)

6) If you love her, tell her. Odds are, by this point, she fell in love before YOU did. If you don't get that vibe, you might not need to be with her.

7) If she doesn't like to shave--gently offer to help her with this. Nobody likes fur......anywhere.

8) Stock up on Ice Cream and movies in the comedy genre. If she's going through a crisis, console her, pop on the movie, and enjoy some ice cream with her. It goes a long way.

9) TAKE HER SHOPPING periodically--she will be very happy, and i promise...so....will...you....

10) If she does not have a relationship with Christ, it is your job to help her with this. If your relationship with Christ is lacking, fix that before you try to fix hers.

Manchu Has Spoken

Married Woman on a Train - Part 2.

Ok so the married woman from yesterday was sitting next to my usual train seat today and she smiled as I boarded. I smiled but i was on the phone and kept on walking. After I get off the phone, she's comes to the back of the train and sits across from me; now we're talking about this expected snow storm. She's far more reserved than yesterday so I don't think she's trying to do anything crazy. Glad that confusion is over....or is it?

Married Woman on a Train - Part 1.

So I'm on the train and my eyes burn so I take of my glasses and rub my eyes. When I finish, this cutie comes over to me and says "is everything ok?" I'm like "eh? " She says "You're crying, it's ok." I'm like..."my eyes burn." She's like "well if you want to talk,, I'm here sweety" so I segue into sweet talking her and we're having a great convo until....until I see her Wedding Ring. Uh oh....

My Life's Intro...

If one were to ask me, "Manchu, what does it mean to live?" My answer would be "To Love is to live." This should let you know immediately that I am not the average man. I view things differently, and although I do produce 10,000 gallons of testosterone daily (beats chest and roars), i'm not afraid to talk about my feelings with anyone with fortunate enough to know me well. This blog will be an exposition of my life; it will be a confession booth protected by the curtains of binary fabric. I will share all--the good, the bad, the romantic, the foolish, and the past--for those who wish to know it.

Whether you know me well, or not at all, you will soon realize that I live an extremely interesting life.