Today, I walked into a room. Since I wasn’t raised in a bar, I closed the door behind me. Then it suddenly occurred to me that it was dark. A lesser degree of panic kicked in, as I begin looking for the light switch. 
The natural place to look is within a foot of the door; however, some architects seem to overlook common sense. Fortunately, it was within the proximity of where I perceived it would be. All was well.
I thought about it momentarily. How did I know where the light switch was going to be? I simply deduced that experience was the reason I knew where to look for the light switch. I went about my business.
Fast forward to the supermarket, where I overhear a lady in the checkout aisle share an anecdote over the phone. The anecdote:
I was in downtown L.A. and had to park. I didn’t realize that I would have to pay for parking. So there I was without any cash, and I had left my cards at home…
My initial questions were:
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I woke up early this morning, in spite of myself. It was irritating. I like sleeping in on Sundays. It feels great after an entire week of hustling and living life that on one day you can take it easy. Yes, my friends, Sunday is my favorite day. 
Growing up in the South, it was my experience that Sunday was a revered day. Most shops are closed. The primary business that was industrious were restaurants, but only because they knew no one else was working, and, as a result, would have a beaucoup amount of customers.
While I am an advocate for having a day of rest (and believe me, I take advantage of it), I think the concept of Sunday has been misaligned over the years. Sunday is treated more as a day of escape, than rest. It’s the one day that people feel can get away from the drudgery that’s called “Monday through Saturday”. Even then, people are not entirely satisfied, as they begin wishing Sunday was longer, or that there were two Sundays.
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I was part of a discussion the other day, and the topic came to proving critics wrong. Out here in L.A., there’s approximately 10 million people who are trying to prove someone wrong. Many people that live here, upon my observation, either came to L.A. to seek fame and fortune in some capacity or believed that opportunities would be more bountiful here. They want to stay until the reached some merit of success to prove to others they could do it, and/or to prove it to themselves. 
However, putting L.A. aside, we’re in America, where there’s about 300,000,000 people trying to prove someone wrong. All the citizens here, nationals and foreign-born, have deemed this land of opportunity (and for good reason), work their fingers to the bone (most people anyway) to prove to others that they can succeed, and you know the rest…
Point is, none of us are alone. And as such, the forces that gets one person moving are the same forces that gets everyone else moving.
When you set out to achieve something, there’s two types of energy you can feed on to keep you going:
positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement
There’s varying opinions on which is more effective, but here’s something I’ve learned. When someone tells you something negative, such as the classic line “You can’t do it,”, just live well.
When someone pays you a compliment, smile, say thank you, and just live well.
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Among the vast number of international art located in Dublin’s National Gallery of Ireland are the works of the Spanish painter, Diego Velázquez. Velázquez, who lived from 1599 – 1660, was swept up in the contemporary baroque period of art. 
He used this style of art in many of his notable portrait paintings of important figures. These included Spanish royalty, noblemen, and even Pope Innocent X. In addition to these, however, Velázquez also created scenes from history, one of the most famous being Kitchen Maid with the Supper of Emmaus.
Kitchen Maid with the Supper of Emmaus is a depiction of a maid cleaning up after a meal that Jesus Christ supposedly had eaten. According to the Scriptures, two men, from the town of Emmaus, a village near Jerusalem, had encountered Jesus shortly after The Resurrection, and invited Him to come have supper at their house. Many religious works of art during the contemporary baroque period composed of a mixture of historical figures or stories with modern backgrounds, costumes, settings, etc.
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Just yesterday I received an mp3 file from my good friend, Jesse Owen Astin (aka Like Clockwork), featuring his new record “The Dark”. It is an engaging song that focuses on some of the struggles that JOA had to endure earlier in his life. If you haven’t heard Jesse’s music, or even if you have, I have provided a link to his Like Clockwork page, and you can listen to the songs of the up and coming singer/songwriter:
www.likeclockwork.net
I hardly ever do music reviews, but there is one aspect of this song that has made me think. Someone who wouldn’t know Jesse may hear this song and say “What’s with this guy; why can’t he sing about happy stuff??” 
What’s funny is people who know Jesse would say that he’s a content person. In fact, he’s one of the most content guys that I know, and in these dark and uncertain times, Jesse is a crusader for “Good”.
And herein lies the point: the world is a dark, fallen place, and the reason that it is that way is because not enough “Good” people are willing to stand up and face The Evil they will inevitably come across. Evil from society. Evil from other people. Their own Evil.
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After years of debating and negotiations, North Korea has decided that they are going to do what they feel is best for their country and maintain an operable nuclear plant. It seems that North Korea simply wants to develop their nuclear program, while the U.N. wants them to cease and desist in forming their nuclear capabilities. 
If they have the capability and knowledge, then North Korea can do whatever they want within their borders, as it is their sovereign right to do so. And the U.N. has every right to protest the decision in Pyongyang to pursue nuclear energy. However, if North Korea feels threatened by other nations in this world, then can anyone blame them for wanting to be just a little prepared for the days ahead?
But what I find difficult to understand is why it is suggested that there will be dangerous “days ahead” if North Korea has nuclear power. Nuclear power is an efficient way to supply energy, in much more viable ways than mineral fossils ever will be. In spite of this, there’s also the havoc that can be wrought as a result of using nuclear weapons in war. Visit the ruins of Nagasaki and Hiroshima; it’s quite a harrowing experience, so I’ve been told. Is it impossible for people to use nuclear energy for strictly good reasons?
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There’s a debate that has raged in my mind for the past couple of weeks, and it goes something like this. It’s simple, yet difficult to make an absolute resolution.
What is stronger? A question or an answer?
Questions and answers are two of the most powerful forces in the universe. Each has their respective strengths, making monumental strides that directly or indirectly impact our lives. The range of thoughts and emotions that are triggered as a result of both of these, and it would take the life’s work of many to even try to comprehend it. 
To expound on this even further, let’s look at each one separately. A question contains all sorts of powers. It’s the initiative. An exploration. Rules, principles, and answers that have governed this world have been broken and shattered due to a singular question. For thousands of years, Earth was the center of the universe. That was the answer. But questions from men like Galileo and Copernicus altered the way we view our universe and ourselves. Even leaving this grandiose scale, questions serve as life altering events on a more personal level.
“Do you accept the job?”
“How much?”
“Will you marry me?”
“What would you like, sir?”
“What would you like, miss?”
“Are you happy?”
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Hi, my name is Guinn Terry Davis, and this is my blog where I talk about the usual, unusual, and per usual. That is a statement for all my first time readers. However, for those of you who are already familiar with me, I just spent a relaxing trip in MS to see friends and family. For those I saw, it was great seeing you; for those I didn’t see, my apologies and we will surely meet the next time I come. 
I mentioned being out of Burbank since I missed out on President Obama’s visit when he appeared on the Tonight Show. Although it was on the other side of town of where I live, I imagine on Thursday it was quite an event. A president’s appearance on the Tonight Show marked the first time a current president was ever a guest on a late night television show. From what I saw, the President did well (save the Special Olympics remark, but hey, who hasn’t made a comment like that at least once in their life?).
Another event that happened on Friday that didn’t receive as much attention as President Obama’s late night appearance, but equally as significant in my opinion, was the cast of Battlestar Galactica joining representatives of the United Nations during their session. They spoke to the Assembly, stressing the importance of world unity during these times of duress. The highlight of this event was Edward James Olmos’ riveting speech in which he, the cast, and the United Nations punctuated with…
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In a fashion similar to the skyscraper race in Dubai and Southeast Asia, Italy intends to establish itself in developing awe-inspiring structures by constructing the world’s longest suspension bridge. It will run over the Strait of Messina, from Italy to the island of Sicily, and will span over two miles. 
One of the most impressive aspects of the bridge are the two support beams, which will both be taller than the Empire State building. Planners for the bridge state that the completion date will be 2016.
When I heard this news, it brought to mind what I did this weekend, and that was visit the Griffith Park Observatory. I had never been there before this weekend, and I must say that I was impressed by what I saw. Displays of the many methods of astronomical study showed the history of the science and how far we have come in our understanding of the universe.
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Yesterday, authorities in Mexico reported that they had found six deceased bodies in a man-made tunnel below an old hacienda. Of the six, the two primary individuals that have been named are Juan Sandoval and Maria Elena Romero, an elderly couple who had excavated a fifteen yard tunnel underneath the hacienda over a period of several years in an effort to find treasure that is supposedly buried there. 
The cause of death has been identified as natural gases that had been released due to the constant digging. Whether there is actually treasure underneath the structure, though, remains a mystery. What initially struck me about this article was the fact that people, even in this age of information, are still seeking out buried treasures and loot the old fashioned way. Can you imagine digging fifteen yards by yourself? Really? I hate digging period, but it did occur to me that digging is probably the most difficult task involved in finding buried treasure (along with avoiding inevitable booby traps set by the people who buried the treasure; that could explain the gas that killed the people mentioned in the article). Both are required.
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