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Noble House
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| "I'm sorry but I don't want to be an Emperor - that's not my business - I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible, Jew, gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another, human beings are like that.
We all want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone and the earth is rich and can provide for everyone.
The way of life can be free and beautiful.
But we have lost the way.
Greed has poisoned men's souls - has barricaded the world with hate; has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.
We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in: machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little: More than machinery we need humanity; More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.
The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me I say "Do not despair".
The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress: the hate of men will pass and dictators die and the power they took from the people, will return to the people and so long as men die [now] liberty will never perish...
Soldiers - don't give yourselves to brutes, men who despise you and enslave you - who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel, who drill you, diet you, treat you as cattle, as cannon fodder.
Don't give yourselves to these unnatural men, machine men, with machine minds and machine hearts. You are not machines. You are not cattle. You are men. You have the love of humanity in your hearts. You don't hate - only the unloved hate. Only the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers - don't fight for slavery, fight for liberty.
In the seventeenth chapter of Saint Luke it is written " the kingdom of God is within man " - not one man, nor a group of men - but in all men - in you, the people.
You the people have the power, the power to create machines, the power to create happiness. You the people have the power to make life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then in the name of democracy let's use that power - let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work, that will give you the future and old age and security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power, but they lie. They do not fulfil their promise, they never will. Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfil that promise. Let us fight to free the world, to do away with national barriers, do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will lead to all men's happiness.
Soldiers - in the name of democracy, let us all unite!" | comments: Leave a comment   |
| | Subject: | Lost | | Time: | 01:23 pm |
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| Have you ever worn anything for so long it almost becomes a part of you? For some it's an old baseball cap, or a necklace, or even a pair of earrings. It's been with you through the best and worst of times, you'd never phathom showering without it (unless you chose the baseball cap, but hey if that's your thing...) and for some reason it just completes you in an odd way. Just before you leave the house you put it on as though the gesture itself was the only thing that could open the front door.
Now I ask: Have you ever forgotten or lost this item? Something just kinda changes about you, and you really can't explain it. At first you feel naked and misplaced yourself, but as time goes by you just sort of accept the loss, but always remember. You might even replace your old friend with something new, but it'll never feel the same, and you know if by chance you find your prized item, even years later, it's going on without question. A part of your life that you don't really need to survive, but has a way of making you feel whole.
Well, that's the best way I can explain her. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| | Subject: | The Return | | Time: | 12:53 pm | | Current Mood: | ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/thinking.gif) pensive |
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| The saddest scenario of life in my opinion, is never being able to live it the way you'd like. Filled with regret is the man who looks back on the past only to realize he stares into a clearer reflection of the present. It's funny how no matter how difficult life seems, if you wait five years, that past moment doesn't seem so bad in comparison. As you get older, we all know that you're faced with greater responsibilities, and for some reason shit tends to hit the fan a little more frequently than you'd like. Unfortunately it seems that many in society allow this harsh reality to stunt their growth, and leave themselves to live life in repetition. Someone once told me, "There are those who make things happen, those who wait for things to happen, and those who wonder 'what the hell happened?'". Fortunately, I've broken out of the habit of waiting, but staying the course of progression is no easy task. My only aide is a genuine belief that I was meant for greater things. Naturally, I have no idea what those things include, but I'll get there in time.
My point isn't for everyone to quit their office jobs and move to the country. (That crap only happens in the movies) What I will suggest is to do something different once in a while just to keep life interesting. You don't have to fly to some remote location. Just do something small and out of the ordinary to break the routine. If you do enough of the little things, you tend to find life a little easier, and maybe, just maybe, you'll find yourself living it the way you always wanted. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| The silence of this journal has gone on for too long. I'd like to blame the lack of updates on some great time-consuming project, but that's just not the case. The truth is it's been impossible for me to gather my thoughts into a complete entry until now. I suppose the many changes and events that made up this passed summer came too fast for me to reflect on individually. However, the darkness has gone and the time for resurrection is now.
As I've said, many changes have taken place since the last time I wrote. You guys can chime in with your opinions, but I noticed the wheels of change moving right around the time Roger left. The almost daily gatherings at his apartment faded with his departure, leaving only a group of people lost for what to do next. It seems that around that time responsibility came knocking, and for a good span of time we all separated from each other in some form. Oddly enough, it proved to be a needed separation — allowing each of us to grow as individuals in our own way.
I’ve noticed the results of this growth in all of us, and have come to realize who my friends are on a much deeper level. As a result, friendships are stronger, while some have weakened, and I find that sadly I’ve outgrown a good amount of people I once associated with and looked up to.
For the first time I find myself completely in control of my life. It wasn’t easy but I graduated high school, found a job, and made it into college finally. Though I have only a handful of friends, the respect and loyalty they have greatly compensates for their size in number. Above all, I’ve found a young lady who definitely brings out the person I’ve always wanted to be. For that, and her many unique qualities I’ve grown to love and admire, I’m forever grateful.
So it seems that the turbulent waters of the last few months were not as damaging as originally thought. However, I do look forward to a clear sky above, and the new path that lies ahead for me. Until next time, take it easy… | | comments: Leave a comment |
| Happy Saturday everyone. You don't really get anything, but hey, cheer the hell up.
Not a whole lot going on today really. My brother stopped by earlier this morning to show off his newly damaged car. He just fixed the damn thing 2 or 3 weeks ago, but I suppose having things go well for him just isn't in the cards. It's almost like he's getting answers from a depressed Magic 8 ball. On the positive side, he wasn't hurt in this accident, and this time the damage wasn't as extensive. I say he's got a few hundred dollars worth, but that's really nothing compared to the three grand he paid to fix it the first time. Once he's got that taken care of, he plans on selling it for 4,500. So if you know anyone interested in buying a 97' Cougar, let me know.
After he left, I pretty much had nothing better to do than observe my dad watching a baseball game. It's pretty funny to see how he moves his entire body in hopes that it will affect the distance of the ball. One day he'll jump out of the window and the Marlins will make a homerun.
I have to take care of a few things, so this will be it for today. Take it easy... | | comments: Leave a comment |
| I'm not quite sure how my dad does it, but it seems he can take food that is worthy of being thrown away, and turns it into a legitimate meal. Yesterday he combined beans from 3 days ago, and rice from 2 days ago, into "Arroz con Frijoles." Maybe this is just a big thing to me because I don't eat anything over a day old. I just think it's funny how he says, "Taste better today than Monday." I think since he lived around the time of The Depression, he's not too crazy about throwing away food, so he waves his Cuban wand and turns crap into good tasting crap. He gets credit for keeping me from starving when I get home from school though.
That's all I really have to say for today my friends. Take it easy... | | comments: Leave a comment |
| My brother's girlfriend gave me a call a few days ago, and asked if I could help her out that coming Friday with a group of little ones she teaches. I didn't really think it was a big deal, so I said it wouldn't be a problem, and unknowingly signed my life away as the phone hung up.
We headed to the place where she teaches and it turns out it was flooded with four and five year olds all wanting attention, along with a swift kick in the ass. So I'm standing there in a pool of runaway abortions, and foolishly thought that this was the most of my worries. Little did I know that class didn't really start for another hour, and these were just the kids that came early. See this is the part where you kind of leave your body and say, "Wow, you're a complete dumbass for agreeing to this."
As time went by things really didn't seem so bad. To be perfectly honest, for the most part the kids were really fun to hang around with, and they actually listened to what I said. The problem is in every group, you always have that one or two kids who are just asking to be visited by the Angel-o-Death. I know kids can be a handful, and yes they have a lot of energy. Hell, kids are kids. Just being that young in itself is sometimes an all-access pass to stupidity. But when you have one child dragging another around the room by his neck, he's now left the realm of innocence, and has suddenly transformed into a demon child. There really wasn't any holy water around, so all we could do was put the kid in timeout.
Other than the constant need to jump on my back in hopes for a piggyback ride, the kids were pretty cool, and they just really wanted to have some fun like anyone their age would. There was one little girl who was isolated from the group though, and when I asked what was wrong she said, "I miss my daddy. I don't see him til it's dark." That really hit a soft spot with me, but I just tried cheering her up, and eventually she joined her friends.
I'm happy to say every child went home that day alive and well... despite my best efforts, and overall I actually had a really good time. When I think about it, I probably could never be a teacher simply because I'd get too attached to the kids, and would have to say goodbye one day. But I suppose permanent farewells are just a part of life we have to deal with sometimes, and move on. I don't think I'm ready to say my goodbyes just yet though. Until then, take it easy... | | comments: Leave a comment |
| This whole week has been pretty damn tiring. My brother is taking care of business with his ex-girlfriend, which has thrown the rest of us into a whirl of chaos.
A while back she accidentally smashed his car into another, so he decided he should accidentally file a lawsuit against her for the cost of the repairs. I'm behind him on his decision completely, but he's had to ask my mother for some financial assistance so that he can get the car repaired in the first place, and have an actual amount that he can bring to court. Can't exactly go to court saying, "Yea she fucked my car and it looks like she fucked it hard enough to cost five grand."
The problem with asking my mother for help is she makes it into a business agreement rather than a favor. I can't really blame her that much because it is a lot of money she's forking over to him. The thing is even after you pay her back she'll bring up the favor in the future when she needs something. "You can't take me to the store? Well remember when I lent you that money for the car?" That's what things turn into when you ask her for a favor. Luckily I'm the only Rivas brother so far who hasn't needed to ask her for anything major.
On top of lending my brother money, she's decided to help him out with getting organized before he has to go to court. This is a good thing because, 1. My brother is stupid when it comes to organization, and 2. He's got one of the worst tempers I've ever seen. He's got a large amount of evidence against his ex, and I have no doubt all he's got to do is go to court, show his royal flush, and collect his winnings. But if he does happen to lose the case, I know it'll either be because the judge is a feminist, or he lost his temper in the middle of the discussion."Mr. Rivas, please wait your turn." "Fuck you. I got somethin to say woman!"
Something like that happening will totally screw up the game plan, resulting in a disgusting chain reaction of bullshit. If he doesn't win the case, that means that he won't get the money to pay back my mother. If he can't pay back my mother then Operation: Fucked will take effect immediately. The only good thing is his car will be fixed, and he'll finally be able to get where he needs to go without depending on anyone.
What's really cool is my bro and mother have been at each other's throats, and my older bro is making stupid decisions in Boston, so for the first time, I'm the good son. Life is good my friends. Take it easy... | | comments: Leave a comment |
| My uncle woke me up today, and told me to get dressed so we could try our luck on some lottery scratches. I finally started to get dressed after a good 5 minutes of finishing up my sleep. At the door my father was all ready with his pocket full of coins, to see what he could buy with all that metal he's collected over the month. It's kind of a twisted pleasure he gets. He'll get completely excited if he can pay for his groceries in coins. I guess it's because it reminds him of back in the day when everything was worth a few coins.
So we headed towards Publix and when we get there my father steps out of the car and goes inside the store, while my uncle and I dart to Tom's Books to test our luck. For as long as I could remember he's always brought me along on his adventures to the lotto machine. It always started with, "Hey chief, let's go play some numbers" and most times it ended with, "That's ok, we play tomorrow." When I was little he used to buy a few scratches for me since I was too young to get my own, which kinda made me feel like I wasn't a nobody--like I was just another person coming in to play. A few times I actually won over 50 bucks after scratching a 1 dollar ticket. This made me feel even better about myself, especially since I was able to keep the winnings. That's another thing about my uncle; he could blow 40 bucks and win nothing, and you could spend one dollar and end up with 40, and he'll be the happiest son of a bitch just because someone ended up winning, no matter who it was.
After playing for a good 20 minutes, my uncle leaves the bookstore with 15 bucks more than when he first walked in. I was pretty happy for him cause he's been low on money lately. So just as we leave, my father storms out of Publix holding a receipt tightly in one hand, and his anger towards the supermarket chain balled up in the other. You can tell he's my dad because he's the only guy who makes bagboys take the grocery cart to the car for him even if there's only one bag in it. He gets to the car and the first words out of his mouth are, "Ah dollah feefty-nueve for lettuce. Sedanos you can get 2 for a dollah." Now in most cases you don't want to laugh at a man right to his face when he's upset, but my uncle and I always do just because he gets even more pissed. Plus how the hell can you not laugh at a man yelling in the middle of a parking lot over lettuce.
After the whole debate about whether or not Sedanos was a real grocery store, we headed back home and I slept for an eternity. That's all folks, take it easy...
P.S. You know those emails people send you that tell heart-warming tales about infants in some foreign country dying from some rare disease you've never heard of, and it says "If this story touched you, pass it on to 8 of your friends, and if not delete it, but know that you have a cold heart blah blah buh di blah blah blah"? Yea, I delete those shits...
Today's Quote: "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go make your little sister a woman." | | comments: Leave a comment |
| You'll understand the title of this entry at the end.
Brentt and I took a trip to Friday's in hopes that I'd see my brother and warn him of his predicament with the law. He wasn't there, but I did find a pretty nice girl that he worked with who tried to get me his schedule. Her boss didn't let her though, so I was pretty much out of luck. At least she tried.
We had a crap load of time to kill, so I suggested we head over to International Mall, and check out Animations. I learned two things about Brentt during that little trip. First, that he has a great interest and respect for the world of anime. Second, he can't seem to control the volume of his voice when talking about anime in public places. It was pretty funny to walk through that store and have him talk about anime characters in a voice loud enough to make you wonder if he was only talking to you. So after the two girls at the counter gave me that "Get the hell outta my store before I bring out my stun gun" look, I thought it would be great timing to leave.
On the way back we were both pretty hungry, so we stopped by Taco Bell and picked up some Mexi Melts. Apparently Mexican food, to the mind of Brentt, registers as liquor and seems to greatly affect his driving skills. Now it's funny how one thing seems to spark so many other events, which eventually lead to the attempted murder of senior citizens. Let's recap what I'm talking about...
First, Brentt's girlfriend calls him. After she's done saying whatever it is she felt was important, she hung up, leading Brentt to hang up and put his phone beside him. But wait ladies and gentlemen! She's not done. There's a little more on her mind. So she calls back, causing Brentt to once again direct his attention to the phone beside him. They talk for roughly 20 seconds, and once the boy hangs up, he decides to take his eyes off the road...just for one second...to put his phone back in it's place. This is where the interesting part happens. Apparently in that split second where he wasn't looking, his hands took advantage of the situation and decided it was time to kill an innocent man. So they turned the wheel in the direction of a poor old bastard who couldn't even see what was coming. Fortunately, Brentt's ADD wore off and his eyes were once again brought back onto the road. This action triggered another to occur, but this time in his mouth, and in the form of "Oh shit". After quickly bringing the car back to it's correct position, Brentt and I had a good laugh.
And that, is how we almost killed a man. Take it easy people... | | comments: Leave a comment |
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Noble House
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