Chu The Cud

Superficial distractions overtaking awareness

What’s something you believe everyone should know.

It’s a paradox when people’s focus is on appearances rather than substance. Joining what is the popular movement without dissecting what is at the core.

The branding of a product was banned due to concerns from a small fringe group finding it offensive, yet the harmful ingredients to the body remain unchanged in the product. The focus is solely emotional.

The image outside takes precedence over the true issue of the impact of what’s actually within.

By focusing on the branding to avoid offending a few, they shift attention to the packaging while ignoring the actual impact of the danger inside.

It highlights how decisions are sometimes made to appease surface-level concerns rather than focusing on logic, leaving deeper issues, like health effects, unchallenged.

Social media is a major driver in shifting focus toward disinformation, seemingly diminishing the brain’s capacity and awareness to recognize what’s truly important.

Emotional triggers are powerful motivators, playing a crucial role in sustaining focus on specific issues. However, the urge to repost topics without proper research can lead to the spread of fraudulent information, fueled by emotional arousal to engage in the discussion.

Take a moment and clear your mind, shut down your emotional chaos and breathe. Realize the silliness of it all.

Don’t let it interfere with achieving happiness in your life.

Don’t let it push away people who once meant something beautiful in your life.

Don’t let it overwhelm and overtake your life.

We are in control of our thoughts and emotions.

Live life without fear of being unknown.

Tune out the blather.

c 2024 Chu The Cud

My new book is now on Amazon.

To evolve but never let go of your innocence.

What does it mean to be a kid at heart?

One day I took my nephews, Michael and Antman to the beach. They were having the best time. Snot running down their faces, sand all over them, wet and damp from the Atlantic Ocean. Not a care in the world.

Didn’t care about how they looked or smelled. Laughing and having the best time. That was the moment I realized how brainwashed we are as adults.

Years later, I got to experience it daily when I became a dad. It was remarkable.

We struggle to mold ourselves into shapes that don’t match our true form.

It’s about forcing ourselves into molds we were never meant to fit, sacrificing well-being to meet expectations, impress others, or chase after things that ultimately leave us empty. In a way, it’s like we’re pouring energy into filling someone else’s idea of success, trading peace for possessions that only clutter our lives.

Being a kid at heart is about holding onto a sense of wonder, playfulness, and curiosity. Taking risks and pursuing new experiences.

Not taking ourselves too seriously and embracing joy, being open, and sometimes finding humor or delight in simple things.

A person who’s a kid at heart is typically less constrained by societal expectations to be serious all the time and instead leans into spontaneity and creativity.

It’s also about not letting the weight of responsibilities overshadow a sense of fun, finding lightness even in tough moments, and staying curious about life.

Taking life seriously while not always taking ourselves too seriously is a recipe for resilience and joy, allowing us to stay grounded without losing our spark for adventure and curiosity.

c 2024 Chu The Cud

Now on Kindle.

https://a.co/er5MdMD

Beyond the noise. Critical thinking in a sea of emotion.

There are those with different opinions and ideologies than me and I love to listen and debate. Never attacking. That is what we stand for in the USA.

I’m not trying to change anyone’s mindset but to make a clear investigation of my own personal perspective. To use all the tools at my disposal. That’s how I come to my own conclusions.

I don’t use the technology available to hurt myself but to help myself. I look at the facts in many places and investigate the benefits, detriments and long term effects.

We are losing balance.

We are at a place where many use emotions more often to form impulse based logic. Too much emotion impairs judgment, leading to impulsive or biased decisions. Emotions can become a tsunami if left unchecked.

Social media doesn’t advocate for critical thinking of the masses. Just the opposite. It’s crafted to trigger emotions not logic.

Attacking without reading/listening is the playlist. Groupthink narratives pollutes this arena further. Anyone can play. Truth is not required.

When we were young most of us understood we couldn’t fly, even after viewing superheroes do it in a movie or television show.

However, some people thought they could after watching and tried.

We have to stop normalizing insane as rational, or there isn’t a good end for society or humanity.

c 2024 Chu The Cud

Bucket list

What’s the biggest risk you’d like to take — but haven’t been able to?

I would love to embark on a cross-country journey on my motorcycle, accompanied by my pen and camera to capture the experience in a memoir.

Though I’ve driven across this vast country several times by car, a motorcycle offers a completely different connection to the scenery and the road.

I plan to take my time, exploring local places and engaging with the people I meet along the way.

My route would span from Los Angeles to Miami, then up to Maine, before finally making my way back to California.

c 2024 Chu The Cud

A book

What have you been working on?

Twenty months ago, I began writing on this blog, which later inspired me to write and self-publish a book.

As a photographer, I also incorporated my photography into the book. It’s been quite a journey, and the past couple of months have been spent proofreading and editing.

I recently uploaded the 297-page manuscript to Amazon, and it should be live on the site within the next few days.

I’m looking forward to finally holding a copy in my hands.

I already started on the next book.

c 2024 Chu The Cud

Embrace the challenge

What’s something you would attempt if you were guaranteed not to fail.

Everything that I am capable of.

Failure is a lesson that strengthens and enlightens us. It’s empowering.

Failure is an opportunity for growth.

Life is not a guaranteed not to fail. Failure is part of the equation of life.

Failure is an intricate part of life. it provides a perspective.

I rise each day with a commitment to be positive, productive, peaceful, patient, passionate, supportive, empathetic, resilient, caring and grateful.

Failure is a road map of what not to do.

It’s a necessary part of success.

So don’t worry about failure.

Life without failure is an orange without its juice.

Just try it.

If you never fail, you are a failure.

c 2024 Chu The Cud

Keep pushing forward

What was the hardest personal goal you’ve set for yourself?

To keep pushing forward.

When life gets tough and an unexpected tsunami of bad situations crash into you, keep pushing forward.

When the floor underneath your feet is pulled from you and you fall into a deep hole, pull yourself upward and out and keep pushing forward.

When you’re exhausted from nothing going your way for a time, shaping negative thoughts in your mind, embrace positivity and keep pushing forward.

When the negativity of minutiae is surrounding your senses, shut it down and keep pushing forward.

Calm your mind. Serenity is within your reach.

Keep pushing forward.

c 2024 Chu The Cud

Broccoli and Asparagus.

What’s a topic or issue about which you’ve changed your mind?

When I was younger, didn’t like broccoli and asparagus.

Now I love it.

c 2024 Chu The Cud

Megalopolis

Just saw Megalopolis and wow, it was not good. If it wasn’t a Francis Ford Coppola film, I would have walked out about thirty minutes in.

It was slow, the script was all over the place, no character development, it had holes in the story, disjointed and flat, campy overacting like in a bad comic book movie.

No chemistry between any of the characters. It felt and sounded as if they acted against each other in different locations and the conversations were spliced together.

I wanted it to end before it did and when it did it was thrown together quickly.

They all had Roman names in the era of the Roman Empire.

It felt like an acid trip even though I never did acid.

Of course in this political election climate there’s a scumbag, cross dressing character looking for power, Clodio Pulcher who was characterized as MSNBC would describe Donald Trump. It was more overacting in the film by Shia LaBeouf.

I took my twenty year old son with me. I wanted him to experience this film in the theater. He was confused as to who was who and what was going on as I was.

When a man of Francis stature is making art, there needs to be more than only people around him who are enamored with him. He needs guard rails. He did everything on this project and it shows.

I love his earlier films, watching them many times over. However, after the 1980’s there are not many great ones.

Well, his Swan Song was a duck quack. Sometime it’s better to stop before you see the, bridge is out sign.

I don’t give any specifics about the story due to not wanting to spoil any scenes for those wanting to see the film.

c 2024 Chu The Cud

I am, therefore.

What aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in?

Proud? Was it a choice? I learned who I was by the family that surrounded me. The food, behavior and attitudes. And most importantly, the curiosity of others around me and the differences between them.

I’m a mutt. German, Spanish, Italian and Irish. A combination of spices and ingredients that make me who I am. I’m was born a citizen of the United States of America.

I’m American and happy that I am able to experience many cultures here, along with their food and cultural traditions. To learn about them.

As Popeye always said, “I am, what I am.” I did not choose, when, why or to whom I was conceived and born. But here I am.

There isn’t anything in my heritage that I’m particularly proud of and why should I be. To be proud makes the assumption I had something to do with it. I didn’t.

I’m a combination of its parts which creates authenticity of me. I like it all.

It’s complex.

c 2024 Chu The Cud