i found the writing and rhyming surprisingly moving and meaningful. ... i thought the rhyming style of nas' "ain't hard to tell" was awesome. the lyrical content was also unexpected. there are references to greek mythology -- "i drink moet with medusa" and "not stories by aesop" -- juxtaposing words from modern life like the pain killer motrin, moet champagne, glock pistols, and sylvester stallone.

-conflict honored, jewels kicked and hope elevated-





you have a life. it's a precious thing, and it's yours. make the most of it. don't give it up, don't waste it on things you don't value, regardless of what others demand from you. work with others when you can, love and give yourself to them as they deserve, but always by the standard of what is best for your own life. the purpose of ethics is to help you find and enjoy what is best, not to sacrifice it. pursuing your happiness, taking full responsibility for it, is a worthy and challenging task. it will take thought and effort, it will take ambition and courage, it will take everything you have, and if you succeed you will have the right to be proud, morally proud, of what you have accomplished.



"our first rule ... is that one must always see for oneself. consider the reasons which make us certain that we are right, but not the fact that we are certain. if you are not convinced, ignore our certainty. don't be tempted to substitute our judgment for your own."

-a philosophy for the 21st century-