Movin' On

(As a way to maximize sensory enjoyment of my blog, I've decided to add a soundtrack to my posts; once scratch-and-sniff technology makes an upgrade to computers, I'll add aromas as well. Listen while you read, pause it to listen to the embedded or linked videos. Or not. As a Professor, I just provide you with knowledge, I can't force you to use that knowledge, that's on you. Anyways, I thought this would be a good song to start this new aspect of the blog...Enjoy!)

Moving, although one of my favorite movies growing up, is one of my least favorite things to do. That's no shocking revelation, I'd say most people don't enjoy the process of moving; but I will be moving soon, and I have to do all the little things (change my billing address for several accounts, cancel the services at my current address, etc.) as well as the big things (move everything I own in life, etc.) that everyone hates doing, and I thought I'd write about it. It is all for the better, so it needs to be done. I try to embrace change openly because I believe in the cliche "change is the only constant in life", and if you don't actively change, the world around you will anyway, leaving you behind. Sometimes you have to give up something you're very comfortable with to improve your life and avoid stagnation. The improvements take time and effort, but in the long run, it's all worth it, and you'll eventually reach another, higher level of comfort.

So I'm changing my address for the first time in almost 7 years. It's been a long time, and I'm ready to move on. It will be a sad day, and I'm not sure how I'll express my feelings. Let's see how 1990's sitcom characters would act in this situation:

 

See more at CollegeHumor

Ah yes, the old "stare at an empty room and sigh, then say goodbye." Apparently so all the dust-mites will know you're moving on to another stage in your life (or that you weren't renewed for next season). You gotta love old sitcoms.

As you can see, I chose the quote from Boy Meets World for my closing line of this blog; not because I liked the show (I watched it rarely and thought it sucked, except for Topenga, who I hope sucked HEY-YO!) but for many other reasons. First off, it is true in its sentiment: I do love you all. Secondly, I think it's a relevant sign-off for me as a Professor; I feel this blog is similar to a class, teaching anyone who reads it about the way I view the world. Better yet, allowing me to learn how to more effectively express my views about the world. I also chose the quote because in the show, it represented change, and change is really a force that I have come to appreciate over the years. In this particular scene, change is reflected in the corniest, most contrived way possible, but that's also what's great about it. I grew up on shows like the ones in the video above, and they all treated real life situations as if they were the cheesiest Hallmark cards imaginable come to life. When I was young, I didn't notice it as much, and I enjoyed those shows as only a not-yet-cynical young child can. Now I just appreciate those old shows ironically, and because of nostalgia. They aren't really funny, but they are so bad it's funny to think you once thought they were funny.
So the Boy Meets World quote really captures all of these sentiments. I think it reflects and encapsulates the essence of this blog as a whole: intellectual, ridiculous, sentimental, humorous, sarcastic yet also honest, cheesy, and pop-culturally (I made that up!) significant.

And right now, it just so happens to reflect my life. I am moving out, and moving on. I'll still be in the same general area, I'll still have the same jobs, and I'll still be close to most of my friends and family; however, I'm finally breaking free of the shackles of 6C, aka the Land of the Lotus Eaters. I feel like 7 years have simply passed me by without even realizing it, albeit really enjoying it. What have I done with my life? Have I really made the most of every day, or have I squandered my prime by simply enjoying the pleasures of modernity and my bachelor lifestyle? And where is my stretch Hummer? I should have 2 by now.

In reality, though, I've accomplished more in these last 7 years than in the rest of my life combined. I finished my Master's; I published a few articles in magazines; I published a few books for other people; I made some great friends and had some terrific relationships; I've had countless mind-blowing mental journeys without leaving the couch; I started working at Pathways/Senderos (literally the best job I've ever had by far); I started working at Tunxis Community College (the next best job I've ever had); I got a lizard (two actually, RIP Grandpa); I bought a 52-inch flat screen tv as well as a HyundAAAIII!; and I started the hottest new blog on the world wide webnet. Not a bad list.

These last 7 years have been great. I've enjoyed my current residence as much, if not more, than any place I've lived, including New Orleans and UConn. Much like my time at UConn, I learned the importance of finding a balance between work and play; I learned how to proceed onward in my odyssey without having to leave the land of the lotus eaters. In fact, the land of the lotus eaters becomes even more enjoyable when you are productive; you can relax and enjoy yourself a lot more at night or on the weekends after working hard at achieving your goals all day during the week.
I've certainly made my share of mistakes while I've been here, but judging from life experience, I'd have made the same mistakes anywhere. I can honestly say I'm taking the lessons learned from my mistakes a lot more seriously these days. I've done a lot of growing up here, all while completely enjoying life.

And now it is on to the next stage of my life. In New Britain, Connecticut, of all places. I've been working there for the past 8 years, so it's about time, but it's still a bit difficult considering I spent my entire college career shitting all over my roommate for being from New Britain. Oh well, all a part of the Circle I guess...

"Prof Thug Moves On", starring yours truly. I'm looking forward to it. Lot of change going on right now, and as this blog serves to reflect my life, I figured I'd change it up a bit as well. Adaptation is the key to life, not just Nicholas Cage's best movie.

So there you have it. As Mr. Feeney so eloquently stated:

I Love You All (Here's Lookin' At You, 6C)...Class Dismissed.

Inspired to Inspire

There are some things that are so good they inspire me to write and be creative, and there are some things that are so good they make me want to give up writing completely because I'll never produce something as good. This video falls into the second group.

From Michael Peterson, aka Chief the Poet, this video is entitled, "Where I'm From". He talks about living and working in the inner city, specifically New Britain, Connecticut. The video is mostly shot at the New Britain High School football stadium, where Mike is a coach, so that is obviously very significant.
Mike's delivery is terrific, and it continues to improve, and as always his wordplay is impressive as it is enjoyable; but it is the meaning and the message behind all of his work that really makes it stand out. Mike is someone who works to improve the world every day and that focus and passion is expressed in every word. He deals with very intense subject matter, but he does it with a sense of humor (and a sense that he has been through it all and you can, too, if you just stop making excuses and make the effort) that makes listening to him feel like an entertaining, emotional journey every time.

And it's not preaching. It never feels like that. It feels like watching someone else go through therapy and feeling the therapeutic effects yourself. If you are unfamiliar with his work, you  are missing out. His live performance, "I Wish Life Had Training Wheels", was one of the best, and most emotional, experiences in my life. No exaggeration. Sitting with about ten grown men, amidst a crowd of 300 people, all openly crying.

As I said, sometimes a person is so good at something, it makes you want to give that thing up. That's really only partly true in this case, because part of Mike's message is achieving success despite the obstacles in your path, so I wouldn't really be getting the point if I quit. Also, I know Mike has been through a lot, and as I watch and listen to him, I can tell how much writing about his experiences has helped him begin to overcome (or at least deal with) those difficult experiences. I have always felt that when I'm writing, I'm more in tune with my true self, and I get a better understanding of my emotions and motivations. It really is like therapy, and I'm glad I'm getting back into it. It truly helps me deal with life and its complications. In Mike's case, he writes to make a positive impact on other people's lives, too, which is beautiful. I just write to rant about Jason Sudeikis and make poop jokes (mostly about Jason Sudeikis) but at least it's helping me become a better person, right?

In all honesty, Mike has inspired me to write more, as I know for a fact he has inspired countless youngsters in New Britain to become better people in his work as Dean of Students and as coach of several sports. Check out his videos on youtube and see him live whenever you get the chance.

"Inspirational Spoken Word" is a genre I can stay away from because he has that on lock, but he has reminded me how truly liberating it can feel to write and express yourself to the world. Share your story, express your opinions, if not to improve the world, at least to improve yourself.

Thanks brotha(er).

Captain Littlejohn and the BigfootMotorBoatinPonginBloggers are proud of you.

I Love You All (And You Should All Love Chief)...Class Dismissed.

SWP: Origins Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A gentle breeze swept through the field, letting off a powerful scent in the air around the hound as he ran after the large orange butterfly. The scent was sweet and tickled his nose; the butterfly seemed to enjoy floating around in the pleasant aroma as well, taking off in spurts in various directions with no discernible destination. As the hound continued his nonchalant chase, he heard a low grumbling in the distance. There was an appealing rhythm to the sound, and as he ran, the rhythm intensified. The butterfly flew into the treetops which suddenly appeared above them, but the hound hardly noticed as he continued running towards the source of the music. There were voices now, and he could almost make out what they were saying. There was a phrase repeating over and over again, he just could not make it out. It sounded like the voices were trying to tell him something. If he got a little closer he might be able to understand.

He picked up his pace.

It was clear now that the voices were talking to him, but the bass in the music was drowning the voices out.

He ran until he could'nt feel his paws touching the ground. The voices were becoming clearer now.

“Pro….” A little closer.

“Protehh...” Almost there.

“Protect…” 

The hound slowed his pace. He was now deep in a forest, the trees above blocking out all light. The voices were surrounding him, echoing off the tall trees. It was clear now what they wanted him to do. “Protect…” As he perked his ears to listen to what must be his destiny, the orange butterfly floated past his nose, carrying the scent of the field they just ran through. The hound watched the butterfly circle the air in front of him, then flutter away. He gave a depressed sigh as the butterfly flew into the canopy and out of his sight.

The music. As he was focusing on the butterfly, he lost what the voices were trying to tell him. What did they want him to protect? The deep bass could be heard in the distance, but as he tried to focus on the sound, everything around him faded to black. He felt a sensation of slowly falling, and as he tried to steady himself, his eyes flittered open and his head quickly jerked up, ears at full attention.

There was no field, and no trees giving refuge to orange butterflies; instead, the hound was inside a dark cave with light reflecting off the brown wall in the distance. The smell of the field remained, however. He could hear the music but the source, and the message, was still unclear. He looked around as his eyes adjusted to his dim surroundings. He was lying on a small cot with a heavy blanket over his lower half. There was no sign of anyone else in the cave.

There was no sign of the kittens.

He tried to jump off the cot, but a sharp, searing pain shot up from his hindquarters all the way to his neck. He howled loudly and lay down on the hay serving as a pillow. The pain was unlike anything he had felt before.

A figure emerged out of the shadows. The shape was surrounded by a cloud of smoke and moved slowly, gently, to the rhythm of the bass.

The figure moved closer. The hound could see the outline of a face through the thick cloud of smoke, but the pain shooting through his body refused to let him focus.

He closed his eyes and tried to envision the butterfly as the pain washed over him, whisking him away into a deep, dreamless slumber.

End Chapter 3

I Love You All...Class Dismissed.

The Name Game of Life

There are many people who believe that a name can greatly influence a person's character. We have all at one time or another said something like, "He doesn't look like a Thurgood," or, "He doesn't look like a Theresa," or whatever, because we assign certain characteristics to different names. Knowing that, does each person subconsciously identify with the given characteristics of his or her name? That's a good question. Thank you. You're welcome.

Names help define who we are. They help differentiate us from others, but oftentimes they esablish connections to others, such as when we name a newborn after a family member. Last names also establish a connection to your lineage, obviously. They also can reflect your ethnicity. You may not look Polish, but when people hear the "ski" at the end of your name, or see a "cz" somewhere, they know to start making pollack jokes.

The significance of names can really be seen with nicknames. A first name is bestowed upon you without your input and many times it means nothing more than your parents liked the sound of it; but nicknames are based on something about you, be it your freckles and red hair, your raggedy clothes, where you grew up, your huge glasses, or your tendency to throw up in the hallway in 3rd grade. A nickname can really say a lot about you.

I've had many names. My actual first name is somewhat unique, and I think it has influenced my character and personality. Most people say I'm very unique. When they say it, it sounds more like "odd", but I know what they mean.

Geoff. I love the letter "G". It has a lot of symbology to it, religious, numerical, and so forth.

Illuminati? Of course it is.

I love writing the letter; it's very loopy and circular. It was one of my first nicknames, G. I had to choose a nickname for the 8th grade yearbook, and that's what I chose. Which doesn't really count as a nickname because I chose it, but a few people somewhere had called me that, a few times at least. And it wasn't a cool thing, like "I'm a 'G'", it was just that my name started with "g". That's just lazy. Like when people call me "Jeff with a G". It shows a lack of creativity, but I still like both.

I love the fact that "G" has many different sounds to it. I love that my name confuses most people. They either look at the first letter and assume my name is Greg, or they pronounce it "Gee-off". That's what most of the kids at my day job call me now. I kinda like the sound of it. It's a nice change from "Jeff", and I love the fact that my name changes from situation to situation, because I often feel that I do the same thing. My name and I are dynamic.

A few of my past co-workers called me Mr. G. That has a nice ring to it. Professional, but you don't know if it's a legal profession or not, so there's an edge to it. I was called Mr. E when I was a substitute teacher. I'm a sucker for puns, and I like thinking of myself as mysterious rather than just weird, so that one was cool, too.

When I moved from Hartford to West Hartford after 8th grade, I was given the name "Hayofredo" by my freshman Spanish teacher. I have no idea if that's how you spell it, but it was pronounced "Hay-yo-fray-doe". Supposedly that was how you pronounced Geoff in Spanish, but I think there was a mistake in his translation because I haven't heard that before or since. My friend in the class soon shortened it to Hayo and that spread to the basketball team, and then to most of my friends back in Hartford. That was my original rapper name (classics all day, son). I even had 13 volumes of "Hayo Mixtapes" with nothing but the best hip-hop songs in the world all expertly mixed on 90 minute cassettes (still got 'em).

Then I went off to UConn, where I befriended a crew of people on the 3rd floor of Batterson Hall in the Northwest dorms. This group came to be known collectively as "EAD", a mock fraternity of sorts; the initials were not greek, however. Everybody was given nicknames, and one person, who came to be know as Barf, bestowed upon me the name of Thug. This name, like Geoff before it, has gone through, and continues to go through, many changes. Some of the names that the original "Thug" has morphed into include, but are not limited to: HayoThug, Thuggy, ThugNug, ThugNig, Thuggery, Mr. Thug, Thug Life, Thuggeriffic, Thugyeezy, Thugnology, T.H., T.H'er, T.H.U.G., T.H.U.G. Nuh!, Thugnificent, Thuggernator, Thugnuts, Thuggalugg, Thuggish Ruggish Bone, and Thugnugget, to name a few.

Many people ask me how I got the name, and I try to be as vague and elusive as possible, but I'll try to give a decent explanation now.

Basically, it's the same story as 'Pac's, except more real.

As I said, the name was bestowed upon me by my then-soon-to-be college roommate during my freshman year. I visited Batterson dorms one Thursday night (as per tradition) and the guys were all saying "What's up Thug!" After I finally realized it was me they were talking to, I asked what it was all about. I was told Barf gave it to me because I was a white boy from West Hartford that knew a lot about rap (paraphrasing, but pretty accurate). Now, despite the fact that it was 1998 and rap was very mainstream at the time, with white people making up the majority of rap sales (even pre-Eminem), and despite my dislike for the automatic association of rap with criminality, and despite the fact that I was not technically "from" West Hartford, it was true that I listened to mostly rap and had an expansive knowledge of the genre. As a rap fan, how could I not like the name? It was ironic and un-ironic at the same time. It's like a paradox (my favorite word, and situation). From then on, most people I met in college did not know my real name. Many still don't.

Now to get back to my point from the introduction (circle, circle); has my name influenced my character? I think that it has, and I also think I have influenced the name, and its many variations.

The name obviously has very negative connotations; therefore, I can attempt to change the image of a "thug" by possessing positive energy and spreading love. I may do things that people stereotypically categorize as things that "thugs" might do, like listen to rap and sell crack, but that doesn't mean all of the stereotypes are true. I can listen to rap and spread love (and crack) at the same time.

There are also connotations of the word "thug" that I do like. It implies a possession of street knowledge, and I certainly learned a lot on the mean street of Ansonia in Hartford's South End and then the mean road of Brookmoor in West Hartford. It also implies a person who lives his or her life without concern for society's rules and standards, someone resistant to the judgmental views of the common folk. It was that aspect of the persona many rappers attempted to portray that was so interesting to me; it's not that I particularly like guns and drugs and wild sex (I LOVE those things) but I admired and enjoyed the fact that rappers were living however they wanted to live, or at least pretending to live that way. Living like that takes courage, and that's the courage of a thug, and that's what I try to embody. In fact, I wish I was more thuggish at times.

I believe I influenced the name, too, and by that I mean the name has adapted to me. It started off as Thug, then morphed into Thuggy, which is what most people call me. Thuggy is like a more friendly version of Thug. When I first meet people, they are a little put off by calling me Thug, but Thuggy takes the edge off a bit.

Something like this, only not as corny or as likely to ruin your childhood.

The name reflects my view of myself as a sort of anti-hero, like The Punisher, or Walt White. I'm the guy that lives outside of society's rules, but ultimately fights for good. And this song plays whenever I enter a room.

Or maybe I just like it because it's funny. A pretty normal looking white guy named Thug. That's funny.

But why is it funny? Because when most people hear the word "thug", the image that immediately comes to mind is a young, black man. That's fucked up. All those negative connotations of a "thug" are automatically transferred to young black men. Any time you hear someone make a reference to "thugs", what are they actually saying? Listen closely. "Thug" has become code for "black male", just like "urban culture" has become a euphemism for "black culture". Some people have even said to me, "You're name is Thug? But, you're white!?" or something to that effect. That says a lot about our society and the preconceived notions, and straight up racism, that still exist. "Thug" has basically become the accepted form of "nigger". Now that would be a hell of a nickname. Hmmmmm....

So what's in a name? Well, everything that you want to be in a name. My nickname could have very well died in college, as Barf's did, but the fact that I embraced it, and in some sense embodied it (in whatever way possible, be it ironic or otherwise) helped it stick with me throughout the years. And like any good nickname, I did not come up with it or attempt to prolong the use of the name, which I really think is the key to longevity with any nickname.

And now my name has taken on another life, in the form of Prof. Thug., short for Professor Thuggy. I love it because it represents the yin and yang of my persona, a balance that exists in us all, some of us simply embrace it more openly than others.

And, once again, everything comes back around full circle. My born name starts with a G, and my socially bestowed name, Thug, ends with a g. That's some circle ish right there.

I Love You All...Class Dismissed.

Song of the Moment

So here I am sitting at home after a night out with the guys, and I want to hear a good song to zone out to and enjoy without thinking too much, one that allows me to simply vibe to the beat and/or laugh along with the lyrics, and I found one that does both:

Schoolboy Q, "Gangsta in Designer (No Concept)". He has one of the worst names in hip-hop, but he's also one of the most interesting and talented people in hip-hop. This song has a great beat and a very simple concept (in spite of the subtitle "No Concept"), but he kills it with funny storytelling and wordplay and something that's often missing in hip-hop, humor. The ad-libs ("Yeah!") are hilarious to me every time. He has that off-kilter (aka weird) yet very cool persona, and his flow/style follows suit. This song is definitely the best representation of his work so far and hopefully he keeps making music in this same vein. I've come to like him a lot since I learned about him a few months ago, and I've even come to appreciate his silly rapper name. Keep up the good work, Quincey.

I Love You All...Class Dismissed.