Matthew Campisi

Life is good

2009-10-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

Life is truly good. I am very happy.

RIP Patrick Swayze

2009-09-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

Strength in the midst of tragedy

2009-09-07T08:10:00.000-07:00

"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him." And, "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them."

"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows." If you truly turn to God, He will care for you as no one else does, and in a way that no one else can.

new stuff

2009-08-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe it's almost September already. This year is really flying by. NOSSA has an election coming up in November. On January 14th 2010 a new President will take over. I'm really excited about that. I think it's time for some new blood to take over and help move the group along. I enjoyed being President of NOSSA. It wasn't easy. But I had some very good friends who helped me along the way. My family and friends, Chris Hamre, Steve and Mary Goldsmith, Brian Peterson, Ellen Frankel, Diane Sardanopoli....to name a few. My deepest thanks for your courage and your guidance. Thank you to all of the NOSSA members who cared enough to join our group and take a stand against heightism. I did my best to get us off to a good start.

So what does the future hold for me and NOSSA? Well, I don't plan on going anywhere. I intend to see this thing through until my conclusion. It really means that much to me. The words

"Vision, Resiliency, Commitment"

are more than a fancy slogan to me. They describe the inner stirrings of my soul when it comes to NOSSA. And whether NOSSA is one short person sending protest letters to some heightist broadcaster or 100,000 short people banding together to protest unequal treatment, I assure you that it will live. It won't be silenced. The seed is planted.

Daring Greatly

2009-06-10T04:06:00.000-07:00

It is not the critic who counts;not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;who strives valiantly;who errs and comes short again and again;who knows great enthusiasms,the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while DARING GREATLY so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.

-Theodore Roosevelt 26th President Of The United States

Appearance Discrimination

2009-06-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

I came across this great post about height/weight appearance discrimination on the internet:

"We live in a world in which we are constantly judged by our appearance despite the ideal "judgment by merit." People we pass by in a crowded city will size us up and immediately form an idea in their head of whom they think we are in less than two seconds; often times, this idea is completely wrong, as many people judge solely on a few factors of a person's appearance.Either way, there are several cases in which it is blatantly wrong to be judged by your appearance, yet most people probably do it every single day.

Why? Think of it this way: Human beings are afraid of the unknown. If a person thinks he or she knows who you are, even if that thought is completely wrong, then he or she will feel more secure for the moment. One of the most common attributes I've seen people be judged by is their height. For one reason or another, many tall and average-sized people seem to have it in their heads that people who aren't quite as tall as them are somehow "inferior" to them. Folks, a person cannot control his or her height; tall people didn't "earn" their height, and shorter people weren't "unqualified" for it. Now, this is a problem that is usually common in men; after all, many girls like to date the tall guys, so the short guys are automatically taken out of the dating pool for no good reason. Additionally, people seem to have it in their heads that tall people are better athletes, and while having more height gives you an advantage in basketball, a tall person isn't a better tennis player than a short person. When coaches use this mentality, many smaller kids are cast aside before the second round of try-outs.

People are also judged by their weight. Again, even though a significant portion of the world is overweight, society seems to believe that it is okay to discriminate against obese people. Fat jokes are one thing; sometimes, though, someone will not want to associate with someone who's overweight. I've seen it happen before, and I was greatly appalled. Just as it makes no sense to judge someone by his or her height, it doesn't make sense to judge someone by his or her weight. You don't know that the person is too lazy to exercise; maybe it's a genetic thing. And your weight has nothing to do with your personality, so you really can't judge an overweight person until he or she actually talks to you; however, the damage done seems to be irreversible, and obese people may never get a fair shake in this world."

The don't judge a book by its cover adage is rarely put into daily practice. I try very hard to be mindful of appearance based discrimination and I actively work towards eliminating these prejudgments from my own life.

Please give this some thought.

like a bullet through smoke...

2009-05-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

How to Destroy Your Enemy

2009-05-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

Excellent article follows below: (Source: http://www.geocities.com/dmathew1/weeklyx6.htm

On a simply beautiful day I was walking along the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, looking forward to eating some pastries at the Greek bakeries located opposite the dock. The sun was glimmering off the water and the air was becoming cooler even as the sun was nearing the apex of its journey across the sky. In the gift shops are sponges, some wet from their recent occupation filtering water, and numerous gifts which appeal to tourists because they have "Florida" prominently painted on them — and cheap, too, because a decal on the bottom says "China". The blue sky was interrupted occasionally by the trailing edge of a cold front which had brought a severe storm on Saturday night and a few days of cold weather. Ideal conditions such as these are very productive for the thinker because they distract the mind away from the common concerns of life. The question which presented itself to me at this time was, "How to destroy your enemy?" It is an important question indeed, and worthy of a wise and reliable answer.

Enemies take many different forms: People who behave rudely toward yourself, compete with you in your endeavors, oppose your words or actions, gossip against you or slander you, and those who hate or disrespect you. The two individuals who find themselves enemies will either not communicate or they will attempt to provoke each other's anger by words or deeds. These behaviors will motivate each of the enemies to complain about the other to their friends and others who will listen sympathetically. As the relationship develops, bitterness will create a grudge that perpetuates the attitude. Grudges become dormant once both parties no longer interact, but should they ever meet again the dormant hate and anger will emerge from its slumber. Worthy of mention also is those cases in which the hate becomes so powerful that it motivates either party to seek physical harm to the other. Violence accompanies hate just as maggots infest exposed meat. Slanders, altercations and murders signify the surrender of self control to the demands of anger and hate.

Enemies present a challenge to even the most spiritual people, and the common man usually cannot overcome anger. When a person is not bold enough to commit acts of violence, some satisfaction is found in contemplating or wishing violence upon an enemy. Lacking the tools of self control and subject to an earthly perspective, the common man seeks more passive means of destroying the enemy. When the enemy needs assistance, no help is given. When the gossip against the enemy is heard, the gossip is perpetuated without concern about the truth or accuracy of the gossip. Satisfaction or happiness follows the news that the enemy has suffered some setback or illness. The enemy becomes subject to constant criticism and complaint, and even when the enemy commits a good deed his motive is questioned and the benefits of the deed are minimized. All of these behaviors falls short of violence, but they display a short-sighted hate which is as self-destructive as it is destructive to the enemy.

"There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Proverbs 14:12). Everyone feels justified in acting evil toward an enemy, otherwise the above mentioned behaviors would not occur so often throughout society. The norms of culture declare that people ought to treat others as others treat them, contradicting the Biblical command, "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12). Your own behavior, dictated as it is by society and just in your own mind, leads you to commit the acts which offend you so much when they are directed at you. But you are not bound to live as you presently do, you may change your perspective, your thoughts, your words and your actions. No one will compel you to live wisely, you must make that choice for yourself. Every occasion in which a person becomes an enemy to you will provide an opportunity for you to refuse to become an enemy.

Proper behavior towards an enemy is, remarkably enough, identical to proper behavior towards a friend. "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" (Matthew 5:43- 44). Jesus, the author of the command, displayed His own willingness to live by it when evil people of that day decided to kill Him for teaching the truth and revealing their hypocrisy. When violence cannot solve the problem of human sin, a more powerful force must take precedence. Love defeats violence even when the violent destroy the good, and love defeats hate all the time.

Evil repaid for evil will only make both parties evil. At some point, the chain of self- perpetuating hate must be broken by individuals of character who will not allow themselves to succumb to their own emotions. "You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also" (Matthew 5:38-39). When no attempt is made to respond in like fashion to an evil act, the good will find themselves stronger in character and more willing to sacrifice the moment for a more exalted goal. What you gain from wisdom is more valuable than anything you may lose in the pursuit of wisdom. Life itself, which is transient and fragile, will eventually surrender itself to death no matter what course you choose. Rather than wasting time in foolish and futile acts of hate, invest each moment with the sense of importance associated with kindness, forgiveness and comfort. God created all these people, even the misguided, and we are obligated to love each and every one of them.

What use is a good act toward an enemy? Jewish wisdom declares, "Do good to one that is lowly, and give not to an ungodly man: keep back his bread, give it not to him, lest he overmaster you thereby: for thou shalt receive twice as much evil for all the good thou shalt have done unto him" (Ecclesiasticus XII). Good acts are wasted on the evil, and that is reason enough to withhold them. Or is it? A wiser teacher declares, "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. Therefore ‘If your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:29-21). The enemy does not dictate our behavior, we are responsible for that. Those who choose to live a good life must use every opportunity for good to an advantage regardless of the character of those helped. A casual act of kindness means much more than numerous small evils. A generous spirit is worthy of praise, especially when generosity is not contained by selfish consideration of what the other person may do for us.

How shall we act when an enemy suffers some setback, harm or illness? Suffering that others experience is a precursor to suffering which we must experience. Taking satisfaction in the pain of others reveals a deficiency of compassion. "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and he turn away His wrath from Him" (Proverbs 24:17-18). Every situation presents an opportunity for you to distinguish yourself from the enemy, and a compassionate response to the enemy will powerfully convey the selfless love which Christians must have to all other people. Extend a hand to the fallen so that they may in the future extend their own hand to you.

Acts of kindness toward an enemy will provide the greatest possible tool to destroy an enemy. An enemy is never destroyed until the enemy no longer exist. Destruction of the enemy occurs when the enemy becomes a friend. Some people will never respond to kindness or cease behaving as an enemy. These people are worthy of love and compassion and also much sympathy. Have sympathy for the people blind to wisdom and foreign to the virtues, those unfortunate ones who choose to make hate the defining characteristic of their own futile life. No amount of kindness will change them, but it will certainly change you. Let the evil of others provoke you to good, let the hate of others provoke you to love, let the rudeness of others provoke you to kindness, and let the lies of others provoke you to the truth. Abandon your former conduct and life your eyes above the dirt to the glorious shining light which overcomes all things. - David Mathews

Isn't wisdom a wonderful thing? Thank God for wise people. And may the ignorant someday see the light...

Family Guy

2009-05-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Happy

2009-05-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

Happiness is a state of mind or feeling such as contentment, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy. (Wikipedia)

Are you happy?

I've been asking myself this question a lot lately. I think despite the negatives in my life, the answer is yes.

This song is catchy

2009-05-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

Pirates of Somalia

2009-04-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

This piracy thing is getting out of hand. Something sensible ought to be done to get a handle on this problem. Pirates are a dangerous bunch and ought not be treated with kid gloves.

Hulk-A-Maniac?

2009-04-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

Legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan (who is going through a bitter divorce) was quoted as saying he "gets" why O.J. killed his wife.

Discretion is the better part of valor. He should of kept these thoughts to himself.

But at the same time, I don't think he was purposely trying to condone violence.

I think what we heard was comments from a very angry, frustrated, and hurt man who was caught venting during an extremely difficult period in his life.

So instead of attacking him like vultures, we ought to apply a bit of empathy.

if you dont know me by now

2009-04-13T16:45:00.001-07:00

wanting what you've got

2009-04-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

This economy sucks! People are losing their jobs. Families are going to bed hungry.Job competition is fierce. People are losing their homes.

I should be thanking my lucky stars I even have a job. Albeit a job that brings me little satisfaction and great distress.

They say that when you truly love your job you never really work a day in your life. Well since I've been here, I've certainly been working every day of my life.

I've been thinking a lot about my career direction lately. I think it might be time for me to reevaluate a few things.

At the end of the day (at least in my humble opinion) it's not really about how much money you make or how impressive your job title. Rather, it matters only that you are happy with the choices that you've made in your career path...

Holding Back the Years

2009-04-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

Comedy

2009-03-27T13:54:00.001-07:00

I never knew how funny I was until I started working in what is traditionally considered to be a big man's occupation.I mean I must be hysterical because so many folks laugh at me. Could it be my New York accent? No, they laugh even before I've said a word. Could it be the way I dress? No, I wear a standard uniform. Could it be the silly look on my face? No, I'm pretty expressionless. Hmm...Perhaps this is the role conflict that sociologists speak of?

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

2009-03-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

underestimate

2009-03-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

underestimate: undervalue: assign too low a value to; lowball: make a deliberately low estimate.

Do you ever feel that you are grossly underestimated by others? I've grown quite accustom to being underestimated by others. While I am by no means an overachiever, I certainly believe that I can accomplish a great deal more than my naysayers will give me credit for. I think alot of it has to do with my appearance. I don't believe my appearance commands much respect. Reminds me of the old saying, never judge a book by it's cover. Too bad few folks ever really heed this sage advice. The upside to this is the fact that it does motivate me (and others like me) to achieve.

thunder thunder thunder thundercats

2009-03-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

petty co-workers

2009-03-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

Isn't it sad how jealous co-workers will sometimes go out of their way to make you look bad at work? Apparently, some folks view me as a threat to their career aspirations. Frankly, I'm flattered! Surely if I was the incompetent boob that they portray me to be, I wouldn't be on their radar screens. It kind of makes me feel good in a strange way. I know that I'm doing something right :)

No Respect

2009-02-17T15:24:00.001-08:00

My Valentine

2009-02-10T06:08:00.000-08:00

XLIII

2009-02-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

That was a great game. While I was disappointed about my team not making it this year, I must admit that the Steelers and Cardinals did play an outstanding football game. Harrison's 100-yard interception was awesome and Santonio Holmes played his ass off. I was thoroughly entertained.

Heart of the Matter

2009-01-11T08:36:00.000-08:00