There is Something About Friday

Friday is normally a pretty lax day for me. I tend to relax this day. My mind takes a break, and I can find some peace of mind.

I think it has something to do with the fact I realize that my brain doesn't HAVE TO connect to the rest of the routine, run-of-the-mill, hellish hamster-wheel upon which we are all supposed to be running.

Yeah, there is something about Friday ... I feel pretty good.

Such a relaxed state of mind also shows up whenever there is a blackout ... or a tsunami flood ... or a fire drill during 2nd grade in the late 1960s. Watching a baseball game also gives me the similar feeling.

Now wait! What does a blackout, a tsunami flood, a baseball game and a fire drill in 1969 have in common?

I believe they all represent a timeout from the ever-running hamster wheel, which becomes a form of a present-day prison.

• The prison is the routine.
• The prison is the set of patterns that keep us spinning.
• The prison is the tender mind trap that ends up killing our autonomy, enthusiasm, creativity and joy.  

We may not even recognize that the wheel starts turning. It may start out as a brand new job ... that ends up as the dead-end job. It may start out as a comfortable eating routine ... that ends up turning into some extra poundage on the scale. It may start out as a dream home ... that ends up being a money pit that holds you hostage at night. It may start out as an efficient way to drive to work or the store ... that ends up being a groove dug deep into the road between here and there.

The hamster wheel is also given to us - in the form of bills, taxes, low wage jobs, a high cost of living, and a limited amount of space and time to make it all balance out. As we accept what is thrust upon us, by people and debtors who don't give a shit about our happiness, we can find ourselves in places we did not want to be. And the beat goes on. And the wheel rolls on.

And then comes Friday: a window to a brand new world. Something called the "weekend" is upon us. It shone bright as a child when it meant the end of the school week and the chance to sleep in on Saturday and Sunday. It also shines bright as an adult, as the M-F workweek ends, and we're given a reprieve to focus our energy on other "more fun" parts of life.

But have we ever thought that on a deeper level, there really is no such thing as "Monday through Friday?" Have we considered that the workweek, the school week and "days" in themselves are man-made? Could that mean that we can create something new for our lives, and KEEP that free feeling in our minds each of the moments of our lives, as the sun rises and the sun sets? Could we escape the hamster wheels, without a need for a blackout, a baseball game, a tsunami or even a "Friday?"

I believe so. Freedom makes it so. Our minds can attune to what exists beneath it all: an autonomy that can have us drive another way home. A choice to eat a brand new meal beyond our creature comfort habits. A road-trip away from the safe haven of a house. A free moment in time where we see, feel and experience the deepest reality - there is no necessary allegiance to the workweek and there is no need for a hamster wheel at all. 

James Anthony Ellis is a writer and producer who likes to pick people up at the airport in the middle of the night since it's a way to break out of the normal routine of things. If you are traveling and need a ride, or you want to read more of his books and services, click here: www.LegacyProductions.org.

The US Senate Candidates - Uh-ohhhhhh

It’s that time of year again. Yes, today in California. This is when we – as voters taking part in one of our civic duties – get to truly review the options before us and make the choices to vote in our selection for proposals and candidates. It’s also a time when we get to truly be scared out of our minds.

Now, this piece here won’t cover the Presidential candidate selection. That is a whole other cartoon. This piece will cover the California selections of US Senators. I, like you other lucky Californians, have received the “Official Voter Information Guide” pamphlet in the mail and have reviewed it thoroughly. And I, perhaps like you, am horrified.

Actually, truth be told, when my wife and I first opened the mailer over a month ago, we had the laugh of our lives. We couldn’t believe the slap-dash, errant delivery of these candidates. These are unedited words from our potential CA Senators: 

Ling Ling Shi (No Party Preference) of Rancho Cucamonga says, "Run for God’s Heart and America’s Freedom, challenge 10 giant chaos in economy and economy-related sectors."

Yes, this is an exact quote found in the pamphlet. And yes it was chaotic just reading that statement. Is good grammar not seen as a valuable campaign promise?

President Cristina Grappo (Democrat) of Alameda, says “My education & expertise merits this prolific occupation in order to represent California… I am mainstream Facebook in social media! My core values drive America!"  

I don’t even know what the first sentence means, as it sounds like she did a “Right-click / Synonym” on a few of the words there. And I’m so glad something is driving America; little did I know it was Cristina’s core values.  

Massie Munroe (Democrat) of Glendale, says, "Through my national and international research and political activism, I identified ‘mind control slavery’ by satellite energy technology weapons and social engineering programs that have been in continual development for the past 50 years and facilitated their ‘declassification.’”

I do believe there is much going on beneath the surface, and conspiracies are not always conspiracies, but if you are going to have success outing some “mind control slavery,” have it make much more sense to the common activist… and humanoid.

Don J. Grundmann (No Party Preference) of San Leandro says basically "Fight-the-Power.org." 

You go Don! I’m sure that website will give me all I need. Though since it’s located on a physical pamphlet, there is no hyper-link. How about next time, take the effort to submit some content!

Herbert G. Peters (Democrat) says “Our first 70 years; our country grew and flourished. We had no income tax. Motto: Manifest Destiny. Democrat Presidents; were most wise: Andrew Jackson balanced budget seven of eight years. Franklin Pierce vetoed a federal welfare bill.”  

You must get some points just for knowing anything about a president (Pierce) that no one really recalls from history. But some points are taken away for simply coming across like a high school student. 

Karen Roseberry (Republican) of Palmdale says, "S.A.V.E. the future!"

That’s it Karen? Can you embellish just a little bit? Like what does the acronym S.A.V.E. stand for, if anything? "Say A Verb. Eh?" 

And last but surely least, Jason Hanania (No Party Preference) of San Francisco, said "01100101." 

Is that what unlocks the button for the warheads? Is he showing off, or did he simply get stuck in some binary code parallel universe?

So, in summary, we are in trouble. No, not all the US Senate candidates came off this bad. There are some candidates who wrote lucid, intelligent, clear missives of vision and purpose. But sadly, these were in the minority. The fact that so many of the candidates could scratch out such drivel, and given it could bypass any sort of vetting process either shows that we are indeed the land of opportunity for anyone … or that we have some real holes in our political system. 

And these would be holes that would be filled, unfortunately, by some really ding-dong leaders. 

James Anthony Ellis is a writer and producer living in Lemon Grove, California. He is considering running for US Senate, since he at least owns a spell-checker. He can be reached at www.LegacyProductions.org.

You Remembered the Pepper

The pepper.

Yes, it was remembered. So much so, I had to murmur the phrase "You remembered the pepper." Now, this may not seem like a big deal to some, but if you only knew the backstory.

And so here it is:

As a youngster, there were many comfort foods for me:

• Poptarts
• Lucky Charms
• Honey Combs
• Campbell's soup
• Pasta shells with butter and pepper

The latter was just your normal pasta shell cooked to softness, with the addition of butter and pepper. Sound simple? Well sure! It had to be - I even learned to make it (along with my younger sister) when I was in my early teens. The meal had to have all the parts - shells, butter and pepper. Without one of these elements, it JUST WOULDN'T have held the comfort that comfort food is supposed to hold.

Flash-forward a few decades, and I haven't felt very healthy for over a month. The wife presents some options for dinner. One of them was gluten-free pasta with some organic vegan butter. My eyes lit up. The main ingredients were there. Shells, butter. I then let her know about the whole "pepper" aspect to my comfort food dealeo.

Later on that evening, as the meal was being placed upon the table, my mind raced to this odd concept that "Oh no, she may have forgotten the pepper." I don't know why I thought this. My wife is quite the one with the memory and the ultra-consideration. But the doubt was there, if just for a streaking moment.

So, when the moment came - and I peered upon the meal in front of me, there it all was. Besides the other parts of the meal was the pasta in a bowl, and a pepper shaker right next to the bowl.

"You remembered the pepper."

This meant a lot to me, let me tell you. Again, may appear minor to some. But for this boy who recalls some old-time comfort, and for this man who is so very happy to have a wife who not only remembers what's important to me, but makes sure she does all she can to see that I receive it, I could not be happier.

Love you baby.  Let's eat!

I Can't Believe What Happened To Me At Work!

You are not going to believe what happened to me at work the other day.

Imagine this. This is all about imagination and all about analogy.

There I was working a good half-day of work. Four hours at $25. I did my best at the job and truly felt I earned my keep - a solid $100, a "Benji" as it were.

Upon my departure of my place of employment, a masked man, unknown to me, approached and
DEMANDED that I give up my money. WTF!





It seemed that he would want all of it, the entire $100. However he said, "I'll take half of what you earned in there." I don't think he had a gun, but I wasn't going to make too much of a fuss. He let it be known that those he worked for DEFINITELY had guns and could even come and put me in jail if I didn't give him half of my $100.

WHAT? I would be arrested if I refused to give up my hard earned money? That is ludicrous. He was the one demanding - pretty much at gunpoint (might as well have been) - the money he felt was due to him.

Due to him? I was the one who worked for it. I was the one who put the effort out and earned it. Why the fuck would he say that it was due to him? The amazing gall of such a prick.

Plus I wanted to say ... what the hell are you going to do with that money you're stealing? Now I didn't say it exactly like that, since I didn't want to rock the boat. I just said, kindly and gently, "So upon what will you spend the money you are presently acquiring?" He provided me with a pie chart, which I was supposed to believe. It actually showed that well over half of my 50 bucks would be spent on his own upkeep and then also the cost it would take to build up his empire, invade other people's property and blow the brains out of adults and children. 

Number one - I don't want anyone to take my money without any justification, other than their lie that it's due to them and they can legally do so. How can that be backed by a country based on freedom and equality, and the power of natural law found within the Constitution?

Number two - I don't want ANY of that money they are "appropriating" to be about overtaking other people in other places, destroying property and killing innocent lives.

But what is one to do? Tell me America, the land of the free and the home of the brave ... what is one to do?




James Anthony Ellis is a writer and producer sick of government overreach, living in ... I don't want to say now.  He can be reached, for creative purposes only, at www.LegacyProductions.org.

Sick!

Sick.

That's right; I've been sick.

And I am totally sick of it.

Started a month ago. That's right, a month ago. I have prided myself for years on being able to force out an oncoming sickness within a day. And I've been able to do just that. Whenever some sort of cold or sneezing has come upon me, I totally used the power of my mind, the power of my breath and the power of a surrendered rest to heal me.

Once I even was able to heal myself within an hour, when I HAD TO ... since I was at Magic Mountain and there was no time to waste on being sick. On that trip to Magic Mountain, I took a one-hour time-out in my car and did that deep surrendered rest that has helped get me back on my feet ... and back on the rides.

But this time - staring in early February - was different. And it sucks!

I think I let my guard down. And it cost me. I went on a binge - gluten, sugar, tons of food and then lack of sleep. This combination allowed my immune system to be in such a weakened state that I was susceptible to the evil forces of nature, to the Devil itself. At least that's what it felt like.

It started out with a bit of muscle aches. This turned into a three-day fever, which turned into days of little food as my hunger left me. There were days of a headaches behind both of my eyes, then days where I felt I could operate at about five percent capacity. I then started to feel it in my chest. Oh no, not the chest. This is the worst place that a sickness can hit me. It's here where I start to use the phrase "Oh, here comes the night." This is an ominous thought, seeing as the night brings uncontrollable coughing. It's the sort of cough that is relentless, especially when I lay my body down to rest.

WAIT A MINUTE! Let's figure this out. If you lay down to rest, and you automatically start coughing, then that means you never sleep. Oh man, this can't be good. And it wasn't. Imagine this: the only way I could get an ounce of sleep was to sleep sitting up. That meant creating a place on the floor next to the bed where I could prop up six pillows and attempt to fall asleep. With only the handy PC playing "Friends" episodes next to me as some solace, I was set for night upon night of torture as I coughed uncontrollably.

Over the three weeks of coughing (and I'm still not completely over it), I ended up losing 17 pounds. That is most likely 15 pounds of phlegm alone.

And so here I am, much lighter, still coughing (but not as much), but with a newfound appreciation for a few things:

1. Rest and sleep
2. The love and care of my friends and my ever-present wife
3. The need to fully boost and support the immune system
4. Health itself

Health itself! Yes, it's not the newest concept on the planet. But it sure is freaking true. Without health, you are nothing. You are nowhere. Without health, I'm a slumping, gasping blob on my bedroom floor. Without health, I cannot write; I cannot work; I cannot give; I cannot live my life purpose; I cannot live.

Let us raise our glasses high in honor of our bodies and our health ... and all that it takes to keep ourselves at our optimum health. The glass? A glass of water in one hand, with some echinacea and golden seal in the other. That's right. Let's learn what serves our body, and then give it what it needs. We are going to need this body if we are going to accomplish what we want in this life.

Yes, it sucks to be sick. But it sure has taught me a very important lesson along the way. May I get over this cough, but may I never forget where I got it ... and what it takes to keep it away...


James Anthony Ellis is a writer and producer when he can ever stop coughing. He can be reached at www.LegacyProductions.org.

Searching for the Perfect Valentine's Gift

OK, let's see - she's received the chocolate and the card and the flowers and the ...

- Wait a minute. What else is there but a box of chocolates and a card and a bouquet of flowers?

I don't recall seeing anything different on TV and movies. I think there were a couple of men who gathered their buds together to sing a song, but do I want to cash in my chips like that? I might need my buds to help move me out IF I CAN'T FIGURE out a unique Valentine's gift.

I mean let's face it fellas. It's true - our women have received the chocolate and the card and the flowers. It's been done. And it isn't the thought or even the action that counts here. It's the sign of care. And care doesn't show up in the obligatory or the routine. Right?

So my job this year, like all years, true for all of us out there, is to find something that will stand out, something that truly speaks to the heart of the matter. Not to flatter with bombastic flair, or to placate with the ordinary.

Hearts, though common to us all, are no ordinary venture.

So search we do. Stores galore. Online Google searches. Flower stands. Bloomingdales, Macy's, Nordstroms and Nordstroms Rack, and even the last-ditch late-night effort of Target.

And after all is said and done, and all the stores are entered and bins sifted, and flower stands rummaged... what are we left with?

• That which has been here all along.
• The heart of the matter ... residing right there where you live.
• The words and sentiments that arise when one sinks in and simply remembers why you joined.

For me, I will find something cool to wrap and give of course. Gifts are wonderful and appreciated. Yet I will also write those words that don't always come through in common conversation. I will draft, in prose no doubt, the song of the soul, the music of the spheres, the metered lyrics that speak truths that flow where waters are still.

I will offer personalized words of love. And I trust that on this holiday, as true on any day that the love emerges and is expressed ... it will be enough.

 

Jim Ellis is a writer and producer living in San Diego, California. He can be reached at LegacyProductions.org.

Cookies, Tricky Red Letters, and One Defensive Elf Man - A Study in Customer Service

Of late, in my adventures through gift shopping, Internet promotion perusing, and restaurant food eating, I have become quite the expert at spotting good customer service. And then also the other type of service.

Many valuable lessons abound for those who pay attention to how people treat people - especially in the arena of sales, marketing and service.

Take for example my recent trip to a vegetarian eatery on Adams Boulevard in Normal Heights (right near that neon sign actually). I had the awesome experience of standing before two waiters who were listening to my constructive feedback about some service.

Me:  "Hi there. When I called in my order, the woman who answered the phone had some incredibly loud banging sounds behind her, so much so that I could barely hear her talking."

• Waiter #1 (I'll call "Tall Elf Man") was defensive.
• Waiter #2 (I'll call "Cookie Man") was receptive.

Tall Elf Man: "She was not on the clock at the time."
Me:  "It still was not a good experience for me, the customer."
Cookie Man:  "Thank you for letting us know."
Me: "OK. You're welcome."
Tall Elf Man: "She was probably in the kitchen; it gets loud in there; we can't control that."
Cookie Man: "Even so, she didn't need to take the call in there; that's valuable feedback."
Tall Elf Man: "Do you want a cookie?"
Me: "Really?" (Moved deeply, sniff) "As a give-back?"
Tall Elf Man: "No ... I just thought you might want to buy a cookie."

What was awesome about this experience was that I was "me" the entire time, expressing my views, while I had two very distinct responses. One showed a person who cared and was taking in what I was saying; the other was more interested in what he already knew and didn't really care what I had to say. I didn't need a free cookie or anything back for my somewhat disturbing experience on the phone. I just wanted someone there to listen to my feedback. One receptive person did; one defensive person did not.

Which one do you think would inspire me to come back to this establishment? Which one would inspire me to want to steal a cookie?

People - wake up! You needn't be right or wrong; you needn't give up any free merchandise; you needn't fear a landmark court case trying to prove inefficiency. Those in a service role in our society merely must give a crap about those they serve. And that could mean as little (or much) as simply listening to a customer.


Now there is one other glaring customer service lesson that I must share. Hey a 2-for-1 deal here. A few months ago I had two very different experiences with some online promotions. See if you can tell the difference between the two and what it means about true customer care and service.

First one - The Los Angeles Kings offer subscriptions to their promotional e-mails. Here is how they
present it:

See how this organization has the e-mail recipient decide for him or herself what promotions he or she will receive? It says "Please check the box below if..." That is all set up for one's free will to make a known decision about a clear direction. We check the box for that service we wish to receive. Compare that to...

Second one - The Experian credit score service offers a 7-day trial to see a credit score. Here is how this company presents it: 

Hmmmm. But wait. Notice a few things. What are the outstanding elements on the page? The blue headline asking about a true need of the public. Then the fancy red lettering: the cheapo price of $1, and then the button to get that credit report. Notice as well the magic dollars falling from the sky into what must only be OUR hands. This is all set up so well to entice the customer (sucker) to not notice the 7-day trial aspect of the promotion. And of course, if you - the consumer (sucker) - sign up for this subtle trial and then unwittingly allow the trial to lapse ... well of course, that will be $39.99 each month you don't notice it on your bill.

Will they prompt you with a reminder about the trial? Will they make it 100 percent clear when you sign up for a trial? Will they inform you your credit card is being charged more than $1? No. That would not help them lull you into spending more than you actually wanted. This is a good example of a company working against the true desires of a public in order to make more bucks. (Perhaps those are Experian's hands in the graphic?)

In comparing the two online promotions, we see the Kings give a care about their fans or customers; we see that Experian wants to simply out-manuever and out-market the consumer. One gives due respect and full disclosure so a customer may make the choice he or she really wants. The other is a sign that money and profit can rule over customer service for some companies.

In the end, who will be successful? Red letter trickery? Defensive elf waiters? The one who makes the most amount of profit? I guess it all depends on your value system and your true level of care for those you set out to support.

For me, I'm going to eat my cookie and keep my eyes and ears wide open.


James Anthony Ellis is a writer and producer living in San Diego, CA. He can be reached at www.LegacyProductions.org.