Duct Tape, Bacon, & Fish Tacos

Viva Mexico!

I just got back from a week in beautiful, sunny, Mexico with my even more beautiful, sunny wife and I feel amazing.  I can not tell you how much I needed that vacation.  It dawned on me, as I was sitting on the beach, how much taking a little time away from your routine helps you to hit the “reset” button.  You gain perspective, inspiration, and a sense of confidence in what your next steps are supposed to be.  Now that we got that out of the way, if you’ve never been to Mexico you have to go!

We got off the plane in Cancun and onto a bus which took us to Playa Del Carmen where we’d spend the next week in paradise.  Walking out of the bus station the first thing to hit my face was the sun and the breeze.  We started walking down 5th Ave., little shops and vendors lining the streets.  From behind a man approached and spoke to me in broken english, “You want some blow?” he said to me.  I smiled at him and replied, “No, that’s alright.”  We walked past 4th St., then 6th St., and a little vendor stepped away from his cart to ask me, “You like to get high?”  Again, with a smile on my face, I replied, “Thank you, but not today.”  We finally made it to 8th where we turned right and began down the sloped street toward our hotel and the Caribbean Sea which lay ahead of us.  We approached our hotel and saw a kind looking, older gentleman walking around selling cigars.  As we passed him he said, “Cigars?” and I said back to him, “Not right now but maybe after we get settled in.”  He retorted with a grin, “You like something better?”  Still staring at him we walked through the front door of our hotel.

After checking in and getting our luggage to our room, which was a beautiful example of how minimalism can be so elegantly done, we decided it was time to grab a bite to eat.  We headed back downstairs and out onto the street where we were met by the same older gentleman who, again, offered me cigars or “something better.”  Walking slightly faster up the sloped street we turned the corner to a hybrid street/marketplace full of beautiful sights, intoxicating smells, friendly merchants, and two men offering us, consecutively, “booger sugar,” “nose candy,” and “dookie,” which I have to admit I don’t think I’d ever heard of until that moment.  We politely declined all of their offers and ducked into a corner restaurant where we both exchanged looks and had a great laugh.

The rest of the trip was amazing and was sprinkled with many of the same offers.  Regardless, Playa Del Carmen is a place I would definitely travel back to in a heartbeat.  The locals were so friendly, the food was unbelievably fresh and delicious (we found a place where they made their own tortillas as you ordered), the beach was beautiful, and the air was clean and refreshing.  Traveling reminds me of how massive and diverse this world truly is and how much there is to experience and learn.  This fall we plan on traveling to New York for an extended weekend and next year we’re seriously considering England as our destination. 

If you can, travel.  Even if it’s within your own country I guarantee you’ll have experiences you’ve never had before and see things you may never have known existed.  The world is too beautiful a place to deny it from being seen.

If you have a suggestion or an observation about something, anything, please e-mail it to me at ducttapebacon@gmail.com or feel free to post a comment.

Cheers,

- Justin

Self Reflection Isn’t Found In A Mirror

Sure, you can look into a mirror and find a reflection of yourself but that’s not what's meant by self reflection.  Self reflection is really looking at yourself, evaluating what you “see,” and making life decisions based on what you feel.  You can accomplish this through many different methods.  Some people like to go around the world and experience other ways of life to help them figure out who they really are and what is really important to them.  Other’s like to sit, quietly, in a room and just meditate.  Some people like to do a shit-load of drugs and call it a “spiritual journey.”  Whatever method floats your boat everyone, at some point, needs to do some serious self reflection.  I have reached that point.

I’m at a point in my life where I feel very lost.  I’m not sure exactly what I’m meant to do.  I know what I like to do and what seems fun to me but I’m very critical of my skill set and my worth.  It’s a very interesting cycle I’ve gotten myself into; one day I’m extremely excited about my potential then I hit one speed bump and my entire outlook is derailed.  Why?  This is what I’ve been asking myself for the last ___ months.  Why do I question my skills so much?  Why do I question my worth so much?  Why do I question what I have to offer?  One answer I keep coming around to is that I’m afraid of failure.  Who isn’t?!  No one wants to fail, it doesn’t feel good.  But that doesn’t stop hundreds of thousands of people from doing what they love every single day.  So, I’m back to the question, “Why?”  Why do I have such a crippling fear of failure?  “That’s a great question,” I tell myself.  No matter how much I think about it, or talk to myself about it, I can’t come up with a rock solid reason for the fear.

My wife tells me that I need to just commit to what it is that I want to do and do it.  Everyone knows all the jokes about “guys and commitment issues.”  The funny thing is, I had NO trouble making the decision to commit to her for the rest of my life.  I had no fear of “failing” when asking her to marry me and no fear of the love we share.  Why (there’s my favorite question again) do I have such a fear of committing to what I want to do?  What is so scary about making a decision regarding your career path.  Honestly, what I believe, at least for guys, is that the general assumption is a man’s career defines who he is and how good he is.  That, right there, is the lie.  It’s the man who choses who he is and how good he is.  In other words, there is absolutely no difference between the most cut throat, successful business man and a sanitation worker if they both believe in who they are and how much they’re worth.

When I started this post I honestly wasn’t sure what direction I was taking this in and where I’d end up.  This has been a part of my self reflection.  Thanks for taking a little journey with me.  I just needed to write and get the ideas out there; I needed to put them in my own words to truly begin to hear them.  I know there’s a good chance you might be going through the same things right now but just know that you are not alone in your thoughts.  Reach out to a loved one or a friend and ask them to lend you an ear...or just write it out.  Sometimes you need to put your own words to an idea for it to start to make sense.

If you have a suggestion or an observation about something, anything, please e-mail it to me at ducttapebacon@gmail.com or feel free to post a comment.

Cheers,
- Justin

Retail Resolution time!

By now, I assume, you’ve made, and probably broken, your New Year’s resolution.  Come on...don’t lie to me...I know the game.  Hey, it’s alright.  You can trust me when I say you are not alone.  One of the hardest parts of the New Year’s resolution is coming up with the damn thing.  Of course there is the old standard which everyone has used at some point:  I resolve to lose ____ pounds in the new year.  That one always works out great, doesn’t it?  Then there are the other classic go-to's:  I resolve to get a new job, I resolve to save more money, I resolve to quit smoking, I resolve to call my parents at least once a week.  These are so popular but yet somehow have such a high failure rate.  The reason being is that most of these require pretty major changes to one’s everyday life.

I work in retail, as I mentioned in my first post, and I see a lot of people every day.  I also see a LOT of bad habits that retail shoppers have developed.  You shop in retail stores, there is pretty much no way around that.  You may be asking at this point, “Where are you going with this, Justin?”  Today is both of our lucky days.  I’m going to help you choose a very simple New Year’s resolution that you will be able to stick with and that will also enhance the life of every retail employee you come in contact with.  It’s a win-win situation!  Let’s get started...

RETAIL SHOPPERS’ NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION LIST:

1.  I resolve to hang up my phone when approaching the checkout counter:  There is nothing more rude than having a customer holding a conversation with their “bff” while you’re checking them out.  There are certain things that we need to ask and if you’re idly chatting away about what happened last night on Dancing With The Stars (actual conversation I overheard) we’re not able to give you the proper customer service.  I’ll actually talk to a customer as much as I possibly can and ask unnecessary questions if they won’t hang up their phone; It’s my little way of exacting revenge.

2.  I resolve to not pile EVERYTHING from my cart onto the counter at once:  If your merchandise is beginning to cascade off the counter and onto the floor or you look up and can’t see the RSP (register sales person) because there is an abstract sculpture of stuff blocking them, it’s time to wait until they’ve cleared a bit off the counter before adding more.  Not only will this help the RSP move faster and in turn get you out the door quicker, it will also help in reducing mistakes on your purchase.  The last thing you want to do is to hop back in line to get a refund on a piece of plastic that you got charged twice for.

3.  I resolve to not pitch a fit like a child when there is a hold up at one of the registers:  Waiting sucks; I agree with you.  But, if you’ve ever worked with a computer of any kind (and safe money says you have) you know it doesn’t always cooperate.  Systems can go down, machines can freeze, barcodes can fail to scan and force the RSP to input them manually, credit cards can create error messages that have to be resolved.  Odds are, the RSP is working as hard as they can to resolve (there’s our word of the day again!) the problem and get the operation moving again.  Just be patient or politely ask a passing associate if they could offer assistance to the struggling RSP.  If a problem occurs while it’s your turn at the register I’m sure you’d want it to be addressed and taken care of as thoroughly as possible.  Just remember that.  If it’s really taking a long time you can always call your “bff” and vent to them...just make sure to hang up when it’s your turn!

4.  I resolve not to yell at the RSP when they ask me for my phone number or some other piece of information:  Honestly, if you are that worried about someone stealing your identity you shouldn’t be out shopping in the first place.  In fact, I’m surprised you’ve left your place without wearing your aluminum foil hat.  You’re more likely to have sensitive information taken by some pickpocket, someone looking at your credit card as you pay, or someone listening in on your phone conversation (while you should be paying attention at the register) than by giving the RSP your phone number or zip code.  Honestly, most RSPs hear SO many phone numbers and zip codes they don’t remember the one you’ve just said.  Not to mention, more often than not, your name doesn’t even come up on their screen when you slide your credit card.  They have about as much idea of who you are as they have of how they ended up working in retail.  Don’t forget, you always have the power to politely tell them, “I’d rather not give that information out.”  I promise you they won’t care; they’re just going through the motions.  And, if they do give you attitude, you can simply remind them that you’re not the one bitter about your job.

5.  I resolve not to ask an employee, who is dressed in full company attire (i.e. shirt with logo, apron, headset, etc.), “Do you work here?”:  Yes, this happens and it’s a more common occurrence than you think.  It’s not like it takes that much for the employee to answer, “Yes I do,” but if you take the time to look at what they are wearing and still have to ask, I’d suggest knocking around the idea of wearing a helmet before going outside.

I could go on for a while with suggestions for retail resolutions but I’ll leave it at those five for now.  It gives you a good jumping off point.  The bottom line is put yourself in the position of the sales person.  If it would piss you off, it will piss them off and if you piss them off they’re not going to provide you with good customer service and that will piss you off and come January 2012 I’ll have to write another post about the same thing.  It’s a vicious cycle.  Anyway...if you decide to try one of my resolutions, awesome!  If you decide to stick with the one you thought up, good luck!  Either way, I hope you have a kick-ass 2011 and I look forward to talking with you more this year.

If you have a suggestion or an observation about something, anything, please e-mail it to me at ducttapebacon@gmail.com

Cheers,
- Justin

Two Snaps & A Rewind

COMING THIS DECEMBER:  A MOVIE YOU’VE ALREADY SEEN!!!!

There, I’ve just saved the movie industry millions, if not billions, of dollars on advertising.  They should thank me.  Honestly, I’ll be waiting for my check.  Well, why shouldn’t I get one?  I just did about as much work in fifteen seconds as most of the Hollywood execs. do in a week.  By now I’m sure you’ve figured out that I’m talking about the lack of ideas in Hollywood and I’m also sure that you feel the same way.

Hollywood used to be a place where the creative mind flourished, where great pieces of film were conceptualized and brought to life, and where no one told the Jews, “No.”  While that last part still holds pretty true the cold reality is that the big-wig, money hungry executives have just about run out of fresh, imaginative ideas.  Oh sure every once in a while we’ll see a gem wriggle it’s way through the cracks and shine itself brightly on the silver screen but the vast majority of what we’re feed is complete crap.

Take for example the hundreds of reboots (another word for remaking where you don’t give any acknowledgment to an existing movie of the same story, i.e. Hulk & The Incredible Hulk) that have speed past our eyes over the years, only to be pushed out of the way by the next one.  I group in, with the reboots, the unnecessary prequels/sequels that are dumped out for a quick buck as well.  In the next year or two alone, we are looking at over twenty of these types of movies.  Some of these titles will include:  Teen Age Mutant Ninja Turtles, An American Werewolf in London, The Blob, Child’s Play, Fantastic 4, Short Circuit, Dune, and Judge Dredd.  REALLY...JUDGE DREDD!  Do we really need to revisit this story?!  How much “better” can you make it?  And if you’ve never see Dune make sure you keep it that way; those of you who have seen it will back me up on that.

It was when I found out that they are going to be rebooting the Spider-Man franchise that I was pushed over the edge.  In case you’d forgotten, Spider-Man came out in 2002.  That’s eight years ago.  I’m sorry, but to reboot a movie, let alone an entire franchise, eight years after the original came out is ludicrous.  I say that there should be a fifteen year minimum time frame before you can touch a movie.  The reboot is going to be grittier, a la Christopher Nolan with Batman, focusing on a younger Peter Parker, age six to nine, and how he came to be the web-slinger.  The movie is slated to be released on July 3, 2012.  Honestly, I didn’t believe it before but I’m starting to think that 2012 might, in fact, be the “end of days.” 

I’m not saying that you can’t try a different spin on the same story but give us some time in between to digest the first effort and maybe get some variety in our mental stomachs.  As I said in my first blog, this is a time where creativity is blooming from all different parts of the country...the world.  I know there are some very talented writers in LA, in fact there may be too many and that could be the problem.  If that’s the case, then expand your searches.  I can think of a dozen very talented writers I know personally who have great ideas and would love a shot at bringing a completely new idea to the table.  But that will probably never happen for any of them because we are told to believe that recycling tired, used material is something that is safe and fun and entertaining.  Those of us who disagree, this is a call to arms.

Benjamin Bratt was recently in a movie called La Mission.  If you’ve not seen this movie you should make the time to do so.  It’s really a beautiful piece of cinematic art.  It was made by 5 Stick Films, Inc., Bratt’s new production company.  Along with his brother and their other business partner they started this company because they felt the same way about film as I do.  They were so surprised, even with Bratt’s name in Hollywood, how hard it was to get La Mission picked up and promoted by a movie house.  They decided to take matters into their own hands and take back the art that they both loved so dearly. 

I challenge you, like the Bratt brothers, to create something.  It doesn’t have to be an entire production company, however if it is let me know because I’d be perfect for your business.  Just pick something that you like to do and start creating, like I did with this blog.  I’m also in the works of putting together a sketch comedy troupe.  “Traditional art” in mainstream society seems to be going very comfortably down the corporate route but you have the power to affect what you consider art to you.  If you love music, write a song, or help promote an up and coming band.  If you love to draw, make a little collection of your work and find a space that you can showcase it.  It doesn’t have to be anything ground breaking, it just has to be something.

If you have a suggestion or an observation about something, anything, please e-mail it to me at ducttapebacon@gmail.com or feel free to post a comment.

Cheers,

- Justin

Candidates Should Take Their Mid-Terms Again

I hate politics.  I think you’ll agree with me in saying, regardless of if it went in your favor or not, “THANK GOD THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS ARE OVER!”  I try as hard as I can not to get too involved in politics; my reasons are twofold.  One, I don’t trust politicians further than I can throw them.  I don’t care how much one of them want’s to work for “the greater good,” there is no way for that to happen because our government is far too corrupt...that is another topic in and of itself.  Two, politics frustrates and bores me and I, there for, have no desire to know anymore than I absolutely have to about it.  Don’t get me wrong, I have my semi-educated opinions but that’s about as far as I take it.  I did, however, find this mid-term election quite interesting and not because of the topics that were futilely being debated.  Rather, the amount of advertising and campaigning that went into it is what hooked me.

It seemed that when a TV show went to commercial break the entire three minutes were filled with back-to-back campaign ads.  You may have gotten one Empire Carpet or KFC commercial squeezed in right before the show came back on but for the most part it was all smear ads.  Now, I understand that every time there’s an election there’re an unbelievable amount of commercials...I get that.  But each time another election cycles through, the ads seem to separate themselves more and more from informing us about what the candidate has done to make us want to vote him/her into office and focus more and more on what their opponent has done to make them unworthy to share the air you and I are breathing.  “Did you know that candidate John Smith didn’t go to his daughter’s fifth grade dance recital but thought it more important to attend a black tie gala in honor of his political party?  Bad father = Bad senator.”  Alright, that wasn’t actually an ad but it would have been a sweet one!  After all of this, I still haven’t gotten to the part that really chapped my ass.

The 2010 U.S. Mid-Term Elections were the most expensive to date totaling approximately $3.98 billion.  Again, 3.98 BILLION DOLLARS.

That’s right.  The “for the people” politicians raised and spent almost $4 billion to tell you why you shouldn’t elect the other guy/girl.  I know it’s a radical idea but how about putting that money into, oh, I don’t know, the struggling public school system?  The same one they promise to help fix.  Hold on, I don’t want to be greedy, maybe only use $1 billion.  Listen, if we keep cutting our kids’ art classes there won’t be anyone who knows how to make all those campaign graphics for the 2026 election!

There is only one person who I came out of this election respecting and that is Illinois Secretary of State, Jesse White.  The reason is simple; I saw one campaign ad for him, I saw it air only twice, and the content was completely about what he had done while in office. 

We need to demand more from our politicians.  They are elected into office to serve us, the people, yet they are completely fine with unnecessarily spending billions of dollars on campaigns to boast about how great they’ll be for us.

But, what do I know, I hate politics.

If you have a suggestion or an observation about something, anything, please e-mail it to me at ducttapebacon@gmail.com or feel free to post a comment.

Cheers,

- Justin

Too Dog-Gone Far

Let me preface this post by going on the record and saying that I love animals.  I’m a dog person at heart and will be getting one within the next year or two.  Also, I had bacon this morning for breakfast.  That having been said...

We’ve taken things a little bit too far in this country in regards to how we treat/pamper out pets.  What’s that?  You’d like an example?  Absolutely!  The other day I was eating outside at a restaurant and as I watched people walk by I saw a woman pushing a stroller.  When she got to where I was sitting I turned to look at what I assumed was her new baby.  My jaw hit the ground when I saw a DOG sitting in the seat.  She was taking her dog for a walk in a stroller.  A dog in a stroller.  I typed that point three times because that’s about how long it took me to really put my head around and process what I just saw.  I’m sorry, but when my dad told me to take the dog for a walk when I was younger I never once thought, “Gee, I wonder where my sister’s old stroller is?  I’m sure the dog would be more comfortable sitting down in a moving seat while I pushed it along.”  IT’S A DOG!  The whole point of taking it for a walk is to let it sniff things, explore, do it’s “business,” and to let it get some exercise.

It doesn’t just stop at dogs in strollers...oh no.  When I really stopped and thought about it I realized just how much people are doting over their pets these days.  Dressing their pets up in designer collars and clothes, taking them to pet beauty salons and getting their “hair” done or their nails painted (you can actually get a pet pedicure or as some people call it a “peticure”), buying them five star pet meals at pet restaurants, bringing them EVERYWHERE, carrying them around in pet carrier/purse hybrids, and even getting them their own homes.  Paris Hilton’s six dogs have a 300 sq. ft. dog mansion in Paris’s backyard with a price tag of $325,000.  Don’t believe me?  Google it.  It’s sick.

Do you remember when dogs used to be dogs?  When you used to take them out to the park without worrying if they were allergic to grass or if they’d be cold?  When you would feed them kibble for most of the week and treat them once in a while with a can of wet/soft food?  When dogs used to have nuts before everyone started chopping them off and they’d hump the couch?!  That was entertainment for the whole family! Do you remember when a dog was “man’s best friend” and not treated like an actual human baby?  Don’t get me wrong, I think we should respect our pets, love our pets, and treat them with kindness but, still remember that they are pets.  They’re animals.  They don’t need us.  They would be able to survive on their own just fine.  Instead of buying your dog that “peticure,” maybe donate that $100 to a charity?  Instead of buying your dog the high-end, organic, made from angus beef dog food that they only eat half of before it dries out and has to be thrown away, maybe buy some groceries and donate them to your local food bank.  Don’t forget that while it’s nice to look out for your pets it’s also nice to look out for your fellow human being.

If you have a suggestion or an observation about something, anything, please e-mail it to me at ducttapebacon@gmail.com or feel free to post a comment.

Cheers,

- Justin

A New Beginning

Have you ever felt like you were kicked in the nuts by your job?  I realize that’s a brash question but anyone who has felt slighted by their employer knows that’s the exact feeling you get in the pit of your stomach.  If you’re a woman I know this analogy isn’t exactly relatable but I’m sure my point isn’t lost. 

I’ve worked at the same retail company for four years now and for those four years have given everything I have to help better the business.  I’m trained to do every position necessary and usually find myself taking on multiple roles during the day.  I do the tasks I’m assigned and pride myself on doing them above expectation.  Bottom line, I consider myself, as most probably do (and most are probably accurate for doing so), a great employee.  During my annual review we came to the portion where the reviewing manager tells me what kind of a raise they feel I have earned.  Keep in mind no one, excluding management of course, received a raise for the past two years, no matter how well they performed.  I was informed that, to this company, I am worth 23¢ more than I was two years ago.

I was faced with a tough question.  What do you do when you’ve been told that for all your effort in helping to make money for a company they’re only grateful enough to give you 23¢ more an hour?  My answer was to start a blog.  The goal of this blog is not to trash the company and bring it down one customer at a time.  This is, in fact, the only time I ever plan on mentioning my current job.  The purpose of this blog is to inspire, both myself and you, the reader, to be creative.  Since the economy started dipping a couple years ago we have seen an influx, both on a local and national level, of new ideas and concepts, new ways of doing things, new businesses, etc.  I truly believe that this recession happened for a reason.  It helped to bring about a change that was needed in the way that we, the world, see and do everything.  It helped people to start finding their creativity again.  Helped people to start dreaming and taking chances again.

So, what is Duct Tape & Bacon all about?  Duct Tape is an amazing invention and I love it.  Bacon...well bacon might have to be discussed in a post all by itself.  Let’s just say that I have an almost unhealthy love of bacon.  Who doesn’t love bacon?!  Two amazing things helping to make the world better one piece at a time.  My posts will be about anything and everything. 

If you have a suggestion or an observation about something, anything, please e-mail it to me at ducttapebacon@gmail.com

Cheers,

- Justin