Wired for Distraction: High+Tech=Dumb

"Students have always faced distractions and time-wasters. But computers and cellphones, and the constant stream of stimuli they offer, pose a profound new challenge to focusing and learning...Article

This is an excerpt from an article that seems to be way more popular than I ever expected.

Who would have deemed technology as a backward step in intellectual behavior? But the evidence is clear. Technology is dumbing us down. It seems that our cognitive memory needs more time to store information than high-tech gadgets are allowing us. The problem seems to be attention span deficit. Multi-tasking is a convenient way for us to feel like we are doing a lot at once, but the long term effect is already starting to show. There are a few signs that are undeniable.

-The unusual amount of people weaving in traffic, while texting. This makes it more difficult to tell who is actually driving under the influence.

-Without the use of your phone, recite 3-5 of your best friends phone numbers. From memory.

-Try using a paper map to navigate your driving.

-Spelling, grammar and punctuation from speed typing and texting.

These signs might not seem problematic now, but the long term effect will show in the next 20 years. People are so busy minded with technology, that we depend on it like a mental crutch. If this crutch ever disappears...we will be forced to learn all over again the old fashion way. And that might not be such a bad idea

Your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

For The Conquering

Happiness

My life story ...so far

When I was 14, I decided to be a musician. It was a lifetime decision that I have never looked back on. I have talked to people who are my age that still don't know what the hell they want to be and it makes me feel so lucky and blessed that I knew who I wanted to be so long ago. However, I do not have my own house,a steady income, my own children who will carry on my family gene, daily phone calls from friends, a car I can depend on, money to travel with or a degree. A life, as they say.

What I do have, though, is this relentless passion and motivation to make music for all of you who chose to take on life's trials and tribulations day by day, with hard work and the willingness to survive. To some how filter all this chaotic bullshit that we create into moments of blissfulll ear joy. When I play a song to people who enjoy it, it gives me another reason to be here for another day. When someone tells me that my music makes them feel good, I have to make more. It's because of this that my life doesn't seem like work. Regardless of the countless hours I have spent alone, rain or shine composing music. Thanks to my family and friends, I have been awarded the time I need to create music. I am not speaking for every musician out there. I am telling you how I feel. Why? Because this is my life story. It's being written everyday that I am alive. My songs are going to out live me. I appreciate that dearly anytime I listen to Jimi or SRV or Robert Johnson or...any artist that is gone.

So I think it is important to make time to say these things that I will not be able to say one day. Technology makes it possible and very easy to record my thoughts and feelings, as well as songs. I'd hate for my entire life story to be read as a facebook thread, as I add one more file to the countless records of peoples lives being kept by...someone out there. And since I am a musician, the soundtrack, pretty much, writes itself.

It is quite a self empowering moment to realize that I do have control of my life if I am writing the story each day.

This is my life story...so far.

Your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

Dear Mr. President

Dear Mr. President,

my opinion is biased and reflects the age and experience I have had as an American citizen. As a 41 year old Black and Japanese American musician, I have been debating with people, defending and honoring your name since you have become the President of the United states of America.

I enjoy it very much. I hope that you get re-elected in 2012.

your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

For the Conquering

Here is a song I wrote recently. It's one of my many replies to all the political whining that's going on in the democratic party. When I heard that someone was "tired and exhausted" of defending President Obama, I was disheartened a bit. And I wondered if maybe during Dr. Martin Luther King's walk to the capitol, it was this person's relative who mentioned this same kind of thing to Dr. King.

"Mr. King...I'm getting tired of all this walking AND defending you. I thought you said we were gonna get 40acres AND a pony! "

Impatience wasn't the virtue I had read about.

Especially when it includes say an ENTIRE NATION of people.

But...instead of actually saying this to somebody...I wrote down these words with one of those old fashion tools we used to keep around the house. I think it's called a pen.

So this one is about internal struggle with in the camp; no fighting in the temple; bringing down the moral...etc...

We have technology. Let's use it to stick together...

You voted for change, now you wanna back out

I don't really know what you're talking about

You partied all night on the 8th of November

Now you try to act like you don't remember

You said if he lost you would move far away

And leave us with the people who continue to hate

They want us to flock like birds of a feather

Who can't take the pressure of sticking together

So let me remind you my friends

They unite to divide us all for the conquering

I don't mean to diss or scare you away

But the party on the right's pushin' judgement day

They're so quick to republish the hype

The monotonous drone of a stereo type

They got you shakin' like your sittin' on ice

Afraid to speak out because it wouldn't sound nice

You can't stand the words I've said

I CAN TELL BY THE CAPS IN YOUR COMMENT THREAD

Let me remind you again

They unite to divide us all for the conquering

Divided we fall, united we live

In spite of it all I could never give in

Lookin' back I would have to admit

That loose lips sink relationships

And if we end up lost at sea

You'll be looking down tryin' to tread on me

So hold tight to your hopes and dreams

They want control of the whole damn thing

And let me remind you again

They unite to divide us all for the conquering

~Musashi Lethridge

This song will be up soon on

The Musashi Trio at Reverbnation page...

AKA your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

Po'tree: Impossible...

In our hearts beat the rhythm of infinite dreams

In our souls we need not know what this means

Faith is the compass that wakes us tomorrow

Time is the essence of all things we borrow

I like to lean with a smile to tease gravity

Everything we do means the world to me

Through out our own lives we may see why we live

The reason we're here is our reason to give

Those who make haste to control other's dreams

Lose the meaning of hope and destroy everything

The heaven they've made with their insecure minds

Will be void of their soul like a light to the blind

Karma and justice divided by grief

Subtracted by moments of pure disbelief

All tell a tale that we find so endearing

When we take the time to confront what we're fearing

Negative news is abusive and crass

It manifests future events from the past

Focused on this type of sincerity

Brings out the worst of our humanity

Truth is a razor, a shield and a cup

It cuts and protects and might swallow you up

A day without truth is a child with no smile

I can live with your lies but I'd drown in denial

For every lost heart there's a family of dreams

For every cruel act there's an ocean of streams

For every lost moment that echos with pain

There's a chance of pure hope to remind you again

It is impossible for all to be lost...

your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

The next level of Haiku poetry: Edition #1

As a Black and Japanese person, I thought it would be fitting to revisit an old folklore tradition called "yo mama caps", (which was very popular among Black youths in my school days) and blend it with a Japanese poem format called Haiku.

"Yo mama caps" as I remember, was (and still is) the art of creating an imaginary mother of a friendly foe and manifesting insult, within an improv theme. Often done near a small audience of friends and/or acquaintances acting as a judiciary panel for deemed scoring ability. Shouts of "oooh shiiiiiiiiit!" and " Daaayuuuum!" were the equivalent of scored points in a match.

Popularized as a "one liner delivery" form, I though it would be a challenge to consolidate this "street thespianism" into Haiku format.

Haiku format, as you may know has 3 lines only.

The 1st and 3rd lines of poem must be 5 syllables. The 2nd line must be 7.

Some find Haiku poetry extremely challenging. Some do not.

As it turns out...I have a natural gift for this new hybrid art from which I have dubbed:

"Haiku Yo Mama-san"

I hope you enjoy this collection of works as much as I did creating it.

Your mom is so fat

she went outside today

The whole earth stood still

Your mom's so greasy

Rosie O donnel once said

she tastes like chicken

Your mom is so dumb

she could not write a haiku

and misspelled E.T.

Your mom is so poor

she used the corn on her feet

to feed you today

Your mom is so big

The Sun Belt holds up her pants

The Moon is eclipsed

Your momma's so dumb

she jumped out of a window

and fell to the sky

Your mom's so greasy

Jermaine Jackson had to say

your mom's so greasy

Your mom's retarded

She must wear a blue sticker

to think thoughts out loud

Your Mom is so large

the big bang theory still stands

right under your mom

Your mom smells so bad

I saw a skunk hold his breath

when he walked by her

Your mom drives so bad

my asian relatives say

your mom should not drive

Your mom drives so bad

I heard she failed the exam

on your new skateboard

Your mom is so fat

Greenpeace has taken the fifth

and has walked away

Your mom is so thin

she jumped into a fruit loop

and then disappeared

Stay tuned for Edition #2 of "Haiku Yo Mama-san"

Your friendly cyberhood

Uncle samurai

My Favorite Haiku: A Lesson From Sesame street

Here is a Haiku poem I wrote this year. It is one of my favorites.

I call it

A Lesson from Sesame Street:

zero,1.2.3

4,5,6,7,8,9

10,11,12

your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

Haiku Humpday For Tea Baggers

To break up the week, I have collected some Haiku poetry of mine for your viewing pleasure.

Haiku poetry is a simple format. The first line must be 5 syllables. The second line is 7 and the third line is 5.

Within this format I have written a few poems to poke fun at the tea bagger party. Also known as "extremely paranoid republicans."

Using the "fourth grade IQ" technique (which I have been developing over the years specifically for tea baggers since the age of 9), I have found a perfect harmony of comedic degradation, insult and level of intelligence to match this particular party of politicians.

I hope you enjoy this collection of works as much as I did creating it.

Your friendly cyber hood

Uncle Samurai

Sarah Palin Haiku:

You don't deserve one
You are beneath a Haiku
Let's change the subject

Haiku written for Christine "Dingbat" O'Donnell:
Tea bagging nut job
Witches are not satanic
Balls in mouth choking

George W. Bush Haiku:
You said Nuclear
But it sounds like Noo Kuh Ler
Thank god you are gone

Tina Fey Haiku:
God made you funny
Sarah Palin must hate you
Do it some more please

Pee Wee Herman Haiku:
When you skeet skeet skeet
Aim at Christine O'Donnell
Steal all her wet naps

A Haiku about Chris O'donnell and Sarah Palin in an MMA fight against Ellen Degeneres and Margaret Cho:
There was so much blood
A double death by strap on
Lesbians kick ass

A Xmas Haiku about Sarah Palin:
Santa Claus can't fly
The Reindeer refuse to work
They are scared to death

(all poems are written hypothetically and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or opinions of google)

The Legend Of The Tea Party Stalker: Christine O'Donnell

Delaware's Christine O'Donnell has recently filed a complaint with Facebook for something I am not even sure about. The letter has surfaced to sources unknown and many republicans are confused.

This version of her letter was said to be a tribute by an unknown writer. It was originally in the Polish language, but later transcribed into English. The fact that it rhymes is both amazing and purely coincidental:

Dear Facebook I have a bone to pick

Someone has slandered my name and pics

I'm trying to enjoy my new victory

but it's difficult when someone's stalking me

I receive a letter in my inbox daily

it's from T.P.S. could you block her maybe?

It gives me an ache in my poor tired head

Read it yourself, this is what she said

Hi Miss O'Donnell, I think you're so nifty

you look really good, not a day over 50

congratulations girl on your huge senate win

It makes me want to touch myself again

I know for a fact that we both are not married

I'm bi curious, so this shouldn't be scary

any time I see you with a mic in your hand

I wanna be more than just facebook friends

What if that mic was a toy that you got me

and you're looking up like a well trained husky

down on your knees with a look of pure sin

with sad puppy eyes and conservative grin

I 'd love to meet you and clear up this mess

I hope that this letter does not bring you stress

let's start a new club so our friends are impressed

the Savior Alliance for Lifting my Dress

Please don't be bashful and don't think I'm crass

I heard you went down onto Dickinson's class

and came right back up with a bachelor's degree

but lost your old mortgage to IRS fees

Which just gets me hotter than teen fornication

To know that we women are strong in this nation

paid out vacations from me with libations

and we can move past all this skype masturbation

but I'll keep that pussycat right in the bag

you call me dyke and I'll call you my fag

and every long day will be ours to let drag

all your GOP friends will have reason to brag

Republican party or two party lickin'

I heard Sarah Palin still tastes like fried chicken

So please write me back and please don't abort this

I'll send it to God if you choose to ignore this

Sincerely T.P.S.

The Legend of The TEA PARTY STALKER will continue...

Your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

(This is a fictional blog. Words and photos from this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of google)

My "Vacation" pics in Amsterdam

As the on line experience becomes more and more expanded, I have discovered that traveling might be over rated. What with all the angry anti muslim and anti american and anti war and anti- anti war people out there, why spend money running into these nut bags? Especially when I can just take a vacation here on the couch, with the smell of fresh cooked pizza in the air. For free. I know it might not seem like a real vacation. Not until I post it on line and share pics with my envious friends! Then all those memories rush in as I tell the stories. Even if they aren't my memories. Who cares, it was a free trip. Both ways. So if you have the time like I do, I highly suggest trying it. I know that when I "get back" and read the comments my jealous friends have shared, it will feel exactly like a real genuine vacation. Minus the real genuine expenses! Who ever reads the blog part anyway. Most people just scroll down, look at the pics, add a stupid comment and then get back to work before their angry hateful boss catches them.

Anyway, here are some pics from my "vacation" in Amsterdam:

Here is a real prostitute in the famous red light district.

I took the photo while high on weed

Here I am again still taking photos in the red light district.

STILL high on weed (that guy there is also high on weed. he didn't even know I was taking the picture, he was so high)

I ended up buying all these clogs because I was frikken zonked on some

Canal #7 (that's code for weed)

And here's the bike I rented but never rode. I lost the key to the lock

cuz I had just smoked a brickload of some Blonde Affy (which is aka hashish)

it's the same feeling as being high on weed

So I ended up taking the bus a lot. I asked this lady at the bus stop if she would take a picture of me next to a real prostitute. The lady said no. And the other lady, turns out, wasn't even a prostitute and walked away. Here is a pic of the lady that wouldn't take a picture of me and that other lady (who I swore looked exactly like a real prostitute and walked away).

Then I thought, HEY! I could rent a car while I'm here...

Want some advice? Never rent a car in Amsterdam

while you are high on weed

So, after wrecking that car, I went back to the coffee shop.

I totally forgot they even sold coffee there. Then I forgot I had

wrecked that smart car. But I remembered how friendly the

natives are in good old Amsterdam.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my vacation pics.

I'm pretty sure every vacation I take will be in Amsterdam from now on.

Your friendly cyberhood

uncle Samurai

The Legend Of The Tea Party Stalker

There once was a woman who lived in the minds

and the hearts of the people so brave and so kind

she would lurk in the shadows of political rants

and plot her revenge on these new miscreants

In a world of true sin and a world still at war

she knows all the reasons she's fighting for

so she made up her mind and she sold her old home

and spends time with her laptop on the road alone

Her first real victim was a tea party gal

she sent a request to be her facebook pal

the next thing you know there was drama on line

now the tea party gal is doing hard time

Confused and dazed she sits behind bars

and wonders how things could have gotten this far

why would my husband "go behind my back"

and " use the kids toys to smoke his crack"

Or "have 3 affairs with two young men

in the back of a Dennys bathroom AGAIN?"

and how could he ever think to be so rotten

and "sell ALL my jewelry for Oxycotin"

Then "drive out of state to a private tea party"

in an" eighteen year old girls Mazarati"

snorting" blow from her hand while drunk on Bacardi"

while I sit in jail as LaTeesha's new hottie

My children are gone and my husband has fled

And the note that he found are not words I have said

I would never" pay money to see him tied down"

and " beaten by gangsters from the West side of town"

And who told my husband that I was a liar?

And claimed " I had set that young stripper on fire"

Or slandered my name on that tea party list

" Girls Scout cookies that were soaked in my piss?"

Who hacked my e mail and credit card info

And spent all that money at Housewives And Nymphos

And posted receipts on a that junior high blog

Saying " This woman cries and she squeals like a hog"

A story of fiction? A story made up

from the recent libation that sits in my cup?

A lady who's nameless for on line conditions?

A legend of hope that may raise up suspicion?

(Dramatic Pause)

but if she is real...

She's dressed in all black and not much of a talker

Known to us all as the Tea Party Stalker

Maybe you'll met her and maybe you won't

If you are a Tea bagger... pray that you don't

To be continued...

your friendly cyberhood

Uncle samurai