When I think of pests, I usually think of roaches, rats, or mosquitoes. The Japanese government in the documentary The Cove called the slaughtering of dolphins pest control.
I have never had the privilege of swimming with dolphins, and after watching this documentary, I no longer have the urge to go to Sea World and play with the dolphins considering what the fisherman do to get them. I was horrified. Not just by the fact that they basically scare these dolphins into this lagoon to trap them, but the ones that dolphin trainers don't want, they brutally kill. Some of the scenes in the movie were just too horrid to even look at. I actually cried.
The Japanese government also decided to sell dolphin meat, which has toxic levels of mercury. They even decided to provide it in school lunches. So they kill intelligent beautiful animals that have been adored for saving people's lives and then sell the toxic meat to their people. I thought governments were supposed to protect people from harm.
Dolphins look like they have a permanent smile, but the leader of the movement to save them said that it was just a facade. Dolphins actually have a consciousness, and are aware of what is going on. They know they are in captivity and can actually become depressed. Dolphins cannot thrive in captivity. I learned that Dolphins have to actually make a conscious effort to breathe, unlike humans for which it is automatic. Ric, the trainer for Flipper, said that he believes Katy, the Dolphin's real name, committed suicide because she was so unhappy. She swam in his arms, looked in his eyes, took a breath and didn't take anymore. I thought that was awful and it broke my heart.
When they are being slaughtered, they know what is going on. Which is probably why they kill the dolphins trainers don't want; the government doesn't want them communicating with other dolphins not to go in the area where they can be easily caught.
I wish I could do more than just go to their website and sign a petition, but at least I feel like I am doing something. The interesting thing is that the Japanese people had no idea this was going on. They had no idea that poisonous Dolphin meat was being packaged and sold to them as whale meat. And the Japanese government is doing whatever they can to get the IWC to release the restrictions they already have on whale fishing.
I believe that people need to understand that we are all connected. Every living thing on this earth is connected in some way and the demise of a species, no matter how small it is, will lead to our demise. We may have "dominion" over plants and animals, but that doesn't mean we can do whatever we want. Why don't people realize that when our resources are depleted, our species will no longer exist. When you get a pet, in order for it to survive and thrive, you have to take care of it. Well we have to learn to look at the earth in a similar way. In order for the earth to continue to exist, we have to take care of it. We must remember, we are dependent on the earth, not the other way around. The earth can go on without us, but we cannot survive without it. The earth will continue to take care of us if we take care of it. And taking care of the earth includes animals.
This movie also made me think about consumption. One of the arguments the Japanese government made was that the dolphins were eating too many of the fish and depleting their resources. These are species of fish that were already depleting due to humans. We consume way too much. Despite the fact that they were using that argument to defend killing dolphins, it does bring up a good point. We consume more food than we actually need. Greed is going to destroy us; glutton is going to do the same. By showing respect for this planet, we are ultimately showing respect for ourselves.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Where Are The Wild Things
What makes us civilized? Is it our ability to obey laws and rules? Is it our want and need to live in a world where people peacefully coexist? Is it our will to fight for civility? Is it just because we are human?
Two days ago I watched "Where The Wild Things Are" and I loved it. I read that book everyday when I was little. (Yes I'm aware it only has like 50 words). I was impressed that Spike Jonze could take basically a picture book and transform it into such an imaginative and poignant film. I truly believe he made the movie for those of us who grew up with the book.
The thing that affected me the most was the fact that Max, the human, was less civil and mature than these things categorized as wild animals. It was interesting that the "monsters" sought civility and law and welcomed Max as their King. They were happy to have someone advise them on the best way to live their lives, and they were open to his suggestions. Unfortunately because he was a child, some of his suggestions didn't have positive outcomes, but they listened and thanked him.
I think it is awesome when a something appears to be a simple scene, yet has a profound meaning. For instance, there is a scene where Max and Carol, his best wild friend, are walking and a dog walks by. This dog is a normal size dog, but on that island, it is huge. Max believes he has gone to this world with these big monsters, but he hasn't. Compared to everything else, they are just a small part of the world. It made me think that if the Wild Things were taken out of their world and put into Max's, if they would be miniature size.
The movie also makes some important statements about life. Carol and Max wanted to build a fort where only what they wanted to happen actually happened. They realized by the end of the movie that it was impossible. Bad things are going to happen and there is nothing anyone can do to stop them. The best thing is to learn to deal with those bad things. In the beginning, the wild things asked Max if he could stop the loneliness and sadness. Max said that as their king, he would protect them from those things. And obviously he couldn't; he was incapable of keeping the sadness away. None of us are capable of keeping the sadness away.
Sometimes it's hard for us to realize flaws within ourselves and it took Max seeing his own flaws in someone else before he realized that he acted like a brat with his mother. It took him seeing his selfishness in someone else before he identified with his own self-serving and spoiled attitude. When he saw himself reflected in Carol, he was ready to go home and be a better son.
And I totally teared up at the end. When KW, probably the coolest wild thing in my opinion, said to Max before he left to go home "Please don't go. I'll eat you up. I love you so." Now, at first hearing that, someone may think that line odd. But KW "ate" max to hide him from Carol who was throwing a temper tantrum and said he wanted to eat Max because Max did something to upset him. So this action, eating someone, that we would normally perceive as violent, became something beautiful, loving, and protecting. KW was telling Max that she would protect him from the bad things; she was being like a mother.
There are a lot of great things, in my opinion, about this movie. It's hard to say whether a movie based on 50 words stayed true to the book, but I believe it stayed true to it's essence. It showed that only when we are mature, can we hear wisdom. It showed that we are a small part of a much larger universe. It showed that life is messy and things will not always go the way we want. It showed that being an animal doesn't make you wild; acting like one does. And humans are capable of acting like animals.
When Max came to the island, the wild things accepted his advice and followed him. They had questions, but ultimately they believed that his way would be better than the way they were living. In the end, they were wrong. The way they lived was suitable for them, and they learned to trust what they believed was right for them and their community.
There was a lot of emphasis on the inevitability of change and the need to accept and welcome it. Change is a part of life, and it is important to learn to adapt instead of fighting against it.
I thought the movie was amazing, despite others' opinions. My judgment could be swayed by my attachment to the book, but I believe it has it's merits. A supposedly civilized human may have come to an island full of monsters, but the monsters weren't the wild things. Max was the wild one.
(A little side story. I work at Blockbuster and I hear some crazy things. Two guys came in one day to rent this movie and they were talking about how they were excited to see it and started talking about Spike Jonze. Before they left, they said it was crazy how he went from making Jungle Fever to Where The Wild Things Are. Now, I didn't say anything, but trust me, when they left, I laughed. I mean, Spike Lee did Jungle Fever not Spike Jonze. I thought it was hilarious.)
Two days ago I watched "Where The Wild Things Are" and I loved it. I read that book everyday when I was little. (Yes I'm aware it only has like 50 words). I was impressed that Spike Jonze could take basically a picture book and transform it into such an imaginative and poignant film. I truly believe he made the movie for those of us who grew up with the book.
The thing that affected me the most was the fact that Max, the human, was less civil and mature than these things categorized as wild animals. It was interesting that the "monsters" sought civility and law and welcomed Max as their King. They were happy to have someone advise them on the best way to live their lives, and they were open to his suggestions. Unfortunately because he was a child, some of his suggestions didn't have positive outcomes, but they listened and thanked him.
I think it is awesome when a something appears to be a simple scene, yet has a profound meaning. For instance, there is a scene where Max and Carol, his best wild friend, are walking and a dog walks by. This dog is a normal size dog, but on that island, it is huge. Max believes he has gone to this world with these big monsters, but he hasn't. Compared to everything else, they are just a small part of the world. It made me think that if the Wild Things were taken out of their world and put into Max's, if they would be miniature size.
The movie also makes some important statements about life. Carol and Max wanted to build a fort where only what they wanted to happen actually happened. They realized by the end of the movie that it was impossible. Bad things are going to happen and there is nothing anyone can do to stop them. The best thing is to learn to deal with those bad things. In the beginning, the wild things asked Max if he could stop the loneliness and sadness. Max said that as their king, he would protect them from those things. And obviously he couldn't; he was incapable of keeping the sadness away. None of us are capable of keeping the sadness away.
Sometimes it's hard for us to realize flaws within ourselves and it took Max seeing his own flaws in someone else before he realized that he acted like a brat with his mother. It took him seeing his selfishness in someone else before he identified with his own self-serving and spoiled attitude. When he saw himself reflected in Carol, he was ready to go home and be a better son.
And I totally teared up at the end. When KW, probably the coolest wild thing in my opinion, said to Max before he left to go home "Please don't go. I'll eat you up. I love you so." Now, at first hearing that, someone may think that line odd. But KW "ate" max to hide him from Carol who was throwing a temper tantrum and said he wanted to eat Max because Max did something to upset him. So this action, eating someone, that we would normally perceive as violent, became something beautiful, loving, and protecting. KW was telling Max that she would protect him from the bad things; she was being like a mother.
There are a lot of great things, in my opinion, about this movie. It's hard to say whether a movie based on 50 words stayed true to the book, but I believe it stayed true to it's essence. It showed that only when we are mature, can we hear wisdom. It showed that we are a small part of a much larger universe. It showed that life is messy and things will not always go the way we want. It showed that being an animal doesn't make you wild; acting like one does. And humans are capable of acting like animals.
When Max came to the island, the wild things accepted his advice and followed him. They had questions, but ultimately they believed that his way would be better than the way they were living. In the end, they were wrong. The way they lived was suitable for them, and they learned to trust what they believed was right for them and their community.
There was a lot of emphasis on the inevitability of change and the need to accept and welcome it. Change is a part of life, and it is important to learn to adapt instead of fighting against it.
I thought the movie was amazing, despite others' opinions. My judgment could be swayed by my attachment to the book, but I believe it has it's merits. A supposedly civilized human may have come to an island full of monsters, but the monsters weren't the wild things. Max was the wild one.
(A little side story. I work at Blockbuster and I hear some crazy things. Two guys came in one day to rent this movie and they were talking about how they were excited to see it and started talking about Spike Jonze. Before they left, they said it was crazy how he went from making Jungle Fever to Where The Wild Things Are. Now, I didn't say anything, but trust me, when they left, I laughed. I mean, Spike Lee did Jungle Fever not Spike Jonze. I thought it was hilarious.)
Sunday, March 21, 2010
"A Serious Man" Is Some Serious Shit
Last night I watched the movie A Serious Man and I thought it was amazing. It really made me think and I love movies that force me to rethink my life and rethink how I approach it.
I really don't want to give too much of the plot away because I want people to watch it. But a lot of bad things happen to Larry the main male character, and he can't seem to catch a break. And one of the interesting things was that the more he sought answers to his question of "why" things were happening to him, the more questions he had. He never found the answer. Why didn't he ever get an answer? Because the answer was too simple for him to realize. Bad things happen because they just do. No matter who you are or what you expect, bad things will happen and there is no way to avoid them.
The best way to expend your energy is not in trying to figure out why bad things happen, but learning how to deal with them. Frustration, stress, and anxiety are counterproductive. And those feelings only make you more open to negative experiences. The most productive thing is to cope with the bad things and move forward. It is all about perception. Things aren't naturally good or bad; we only perceive things as good or bad. I know it totally sounds like an after school special to tell you to use your bad experiences as an opportunity to change but we all should.
We can't keep bad things from happening and it's a waste of our life's energy to try to do that. I believe the Serenity Prayer asks God to help us accept the things we cannot change, change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference. It is a waste of energy and time to attempt to control the things we can't, like the ways of the universe, so we should focus on improving the things we can, like ourselves.
Also, we should have more faith in ourselves. Larry kept seeking answers from others and never found them. Perhaps if he had just took a moment and listened to his own mind, heart, and soul, he would have found answers. We have answers to our own problems but we don't trust ourselves; we don't trust the wisdom and knowledge we have concerning what we need and what is best for us. We allow other people to convince us of what we want and need and don't truly know beyond society's projections. We need to figure it out.
In the movie, Larry had this horribly obnoxious annoying son that was just a pain in the ass. The son would call Larry at work under the guise that it's an emergency, complaining that he couldn't get a certain channel on the television. He went to his own Bah Mitzvah high. Finally at the end he realized what an obnoxious child he was being. At the end, Larry's life was beginning to change and something positive finally happened. As soon as he was beginning to feel some sense of happiness and calm in his life, something destructive became imminent....something bad they couldn't affect. By the time they learned what life was really about, it was too late. We shouldn't do that. We shouldn't waste any time looking outside of ourselves for answers that reside in our own beings.
Despite the slow pace, the movie was extremely insightful. There was one quote that hit me. One character said, "Only I know my own action." On the surface that seems trivial, but at further analysis, it is beautifully complex. How many times do we assume the intentions of others based on their actions? How many times to do we assume a certain behavior is for a specific goal? How many times do we presume to know the motivations for people's behaviors? (I mean, there are professions where people make money claiming to know such things).
We cannot control how others behave, but we can control how we react to their behavior. We can't control what people say, but we can control how much it affects us. We can't control what is brought upon us, but we can control what we bring to the lives of other people. We can't control the universe, but we can control the energy we put into it.
Don't just exist, live. Don't waste time fighting what can't be fought. Don't worry about control...spend time exerting your power. Find your power and use it to positively affect your being and others. Remember who you are beneath the labels, like sister, mother, brother, niece, manager, employee, student, girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband, father, writer, artist, nerd, dork, republican, democrat, independent, libertarian, conservative, liberal, musician, singer...whatever the label. Remove yourself from those things meant to put you in a easily manipulated box and just be free. :)
I really don't want to give too much of the plot away because I want people to watch it. But a lot of bad things happen to Larry the main male character, and he can't seem to catch a break. And one of the interesting things was that the more he sought answers to his question of "why" things were happening to him, the more questions he had. He never found the answer. Why didn't he ever get an answer? Because the answer was too simple for him to realize. Bad things happen because they just do. No matter who you are or what you expect, bad things will happen and there is no way to avoid them.
The best way to expend your energy is not in trying to figure out why bad things happen, but learning how to deal with them. Frustration, stress, and anxiety are counterproductive. And those feelings only make you more open to negative experiences. The most productive thing is to cope with the bad things and move forward. It is all about perception. Things aren't naturally good or bad; we only perceive things as good or bad. I know it totally sounds like an after school special to tell you to use your bad experiences as an opportunity to change but we all should.
We can't keep bad things from happening and it's a waste of our life's energy to try to do that. I believe the Serenity Prayer asks God to help us accept the things we cannot change, change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference. It is a waste of energy and time to attempt to control the things we can't, like the ways of the universe, so we should focus on improving the things we can, like ourselves.
Also, we should have more faith in ourselves. Larry kept seeking answers from others and never found them. Perhaps if he had just took a moment and listened to his own mind, heart, and soul, he would have found answers. We have answers to our own problems but we don't trust ourselves; we don't trust the wisdom and knowledge we have concerning what we need and what is best for us. We allow other people to convince us of what we want and need and don't truly know beyond society's projections. We need to figure it out.
In the movie, Larry had this horribly obnoxious annoying son that was just a pain in the ass. The son would call Larry at work under the guise that it's an emergency, complaining that he couldn't get a certain channel on the television. He went to his own Bah Mitzvah high. Finally at the end he realized what an obnoxious child he was being. At the end, Larry's life was beginning to change and something positive finally happened. As soon as he was beginning to feel some sense of happiness and calm in his life, something destructive became imminent....something bad they couldn't affect. By the time they learned what life was really about, it was too late. We shouldn't do that. We shouldn't waste any time looking outside of ourselves for answers that reside in our own beings.
Despite the slow pace, the movie was extremely insightful. There was one quote that hit me. One character said, "Only I know my own action." On the surface that seems trivial, but at further analysis, it is beautifully complex. How many times do we assume the intentions of others based on their actions? How many times to do we assume a certain behavior is for a specific goal? How many times do we presume to know the motivations for people's behaviors? (I mean, there are professions where people make money claiming to know such things).
We cannot control how others behave, but we can control how we react to their behavior. We can't control what people say, but we can control how much it affects us. We can't control what is brought upon us, but we can control what we bring to the lives of other people. We can't control the universe, but we can control the energy we put into it.
Don't just exist, live. Don't waste time fighting what can't be fought. Don't worry about control...spend time exerting your power. Find your power and use it to positively affect your being and others. Remember who you are beneath the labels, like sister, mother, brother, niece, manager, employee, student, girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband, father, writer, artist, nerd, dork, republican, democrat, independent, libertarian, conservative, liberal, musician, singer...whatever the label. Remove yourself from those things meant to put you in a easily manipulated box and just be free. :)
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
My Argument For Legalizing Marijuana
(This post was influenced by my new favorite television show Weeds.)
I do not smoke weed, but I believe that Marijuana should be legal. I find it ridiculous that the government can make a plant that naturally grows on this planet illegal. I understand it's what you do with it that makes it illegal, but it's like telling me I can only steam my tomatoes; I can't roast them or make them into spaghetti sauce.
Now, there have been many scientific studies saying that the effects of long term marijuana use is minimal. I mean, smoking cigarettes is much more dangerous yet those are legal. There are legal pharmaceutical drugs on the market that are more dangerous than pot and yet those are legal. You can overdose on Oxycontin; I've never heard of anyone overdosing on marijuana.
I believe the government should get out of the business of judging morality and stick to those things that really do pose a threat to people. And I'm sure the government doesn't realize the benefits to the country of legalizing marijuana.
First, most violent crime is drug related. I'm just going to make the assumption that if it is legal, the crime rate would greatly reduce. Especially in Mexico where drug cartels are killing hundreds of people in order to protect themselves. There would be no need to kill someone because they may know your involvement in a cartel if it was legal.
Secondly, marijuana sales could be taxed. The government could include it in sales tax and tax the businesses that sell it. The government is in a huge deficit and is missing out on another source of income.
Third, those who enjoy marijuana would benefit, not just because they wouldn't have to risk going to jail, but I would think the price of marijuana would go down once it became legal. So consumers would benefit from cheaper prices.
Along with that, the amount of people selling it might decrease because the amount of money a dealer could make would go down. Part of the reason dealers make so much money off of pot is because it is such a commodity. Well when you make it legal, you reduce it's value and perhaps young people would consider taking another route to make money.
Now, I have a friend who said that, despite the fact that she smokes, she doesn't believe it should be legal. She believes that people would become unmotivated and never go to work or be ambitious in their endeavors; pot makes people complacent. Well, that may be so. But you would still need money to buy pot so you would still need to work. Also, pot smokers may work harder to make more money to have more weed. And managers can still punish employees for going to work high or for having weed at work. And just because it's legal doesn't mean people are going to start smoking it who may not have otherwise. I don't know one person who doesn't have access to weed. I have access to it but I don't smoke it; my brother definitely has access to it and chooses not to.
I believe it is wrong for the government to tell you what you can or cannot do in your own home. Now, if you smoke in your house and then decide to drive, you should get in trouble. You should be arrested because your choice is now putting others in danger.
Now, in terms of other drugs, I'm not sure if I want those to be legalized. Other drugs such as cocaine, heroine, meth, and ecstasy are much more dangerous than pot. But, and I don't mean to sound insensitive and mean, but if you choose to do those drugs and possibly kill yourself, that is your choice. And neither I nor the government has the right to dictate your personal choices.
I don't truly understand the logic for making weed illegal. But I shouldn't be surprised; the government has always taken it upon itself to decide what is right or wrong morally and then make that which they deem morally reprehensible, illegal. I want the government to get the fuck out of people's houses.
So yeah, that is my argument for legalizing marijuana. I'm all for something that would reduce the amount of young black men in jail or in a cemetery. Think about it; these young men who choose to take that route could have a legitimate business that doesn't put their lives in danger everyday. Now, I'm not saying there wouldn't be any negative consequences to legalizing marijuana. Because it would no longer be a commodity, people who would normally sell weed may move on to selling dangerous drugs. Consumers may buy more dangerous drugs as a result. I'm not suggesting making it legal without thinking about all consequences, but at least consider it.
And if you aren't going to make it legal, at least decriminalize it. I find it ridiculous a drug dealer gets 25 years to life in jail because of the three strikes rule, but a rapist gets 8 years and gets out in half of that because of good behavior. We need to truly rethink our position.
I do not smoke weed, but I believe that Marijuana should be legal. I find it ridiculous that the government can make a plant that naturally grows on this planet illegal. I understand it's what you do with it that makes it illegal, but it's like telling me I can only steam my tomatoes; I can't roast them or make them into spaghetti sauce.
Now, there have been many scientific studies saying that the effects of long term marijuana use is minimal. I mean, smoking cigarettes is much more dangerous yet those are legal. There are legal pharmaceutical drugs on the market that are more dangerous than pot and yet those are legal. You can overdose on Oxycontin; I've never heard of anyone overdosing on marijuana.
I believe the government should get out of the business of judging morality and stick to those things that really do pose a threat to people. And I'm sure the government doesn't realize the benefits to the country of legalizing marijuana.
First, most violent crime is drug related. I'm just going to make the assumption that if it is legal, the crime rate would greatly reduce. Especially in Mexico where drug cartels are killing hundreds of people in order to protect themselves. There would be no need to kill someone because they may know your involvement in a cartel if it was legal.
Secondly, marijuana sales could be taxed. The government could include it in sales tax and tax the businesses that sell it. The government is in a huge deficit and is missing out on another source of income.
Third, those who enjoy marijuana would benefit, not just because they wouldn't have to risk going to jail, but I would think the price of marijuana would go down once it became legal. So consumers would benefit from cheaper prices.
Along with that, the amount of people selling it might decrease because the amount of money a dealer could make would go down. Part of the reason dealers make so much money off of pot is because it is such a commodity. Well when you make it legal, you reduce it's value and perhaps young people would consider taking another route to make money.
Now, I have a friend who said that, despite the fact that she smokes, she doesn't believe it should be legal. She believes that people would become unmotivated and never go to work or be ambitious in their endeavors; pot makes people complacent. Well, that may be so. But you would still need money to buy pot so you would still need to work. Also, pot smokers may work harder to make more money to have more weed. And managers can still punish employees for going to work high or for having weed at work. And just because it's legal doesn't mean people are going to start smoking it who may not have otherwise. I don't know one person who doesn't have access to weed. I have access to it but I don't smoke it; my brother definitely has access to it and chooses not to.
I believe it is wrong for the government to tell you what you can or cannot do in your own home. Now, if you smoke in your house and then decide to drive, you should get in trouble. You should be arrested because your choice is now putting others in danger.
Now, in terms of other drugs, I'm not sure if I want those to be legalized. Other drugs such as cocaine, heroine, meth, and ecstasy are much more dangerous than pot. But, and I don't mean to sound insensitive and mean, but if you choose to do those drugs and possibly kill yourself, that is your choice. And neither I nor the government has the right to dictate your personal choices.
I don't truly understand the logic for making weed illegal. But I shouldn't be surprised; the government has always taken it upon itself to decide what is right or wrong morally and then make that which they deem morally reprehensible, illegal. I want the government to get the fuck out of people's houses.
So yeah, that is my argument for legalizing marijuana. I'm all for something that would reduce the amount of young black men in jail or in a cemetery. Think about it; these young men who choose to take that route could have a legitimate business that doesn't put their lives in danger everyday. Now, I'm not saying there wouldn't be any negative consequences to legalizing marijuana. Because it would no longer be a commodity, people who would normally sell weed may move on to selling dangerous drugs. Consumers may buy more dangerous drugs as a result. I'm not suggesting making it legal without thinking about all consequences, but at least consider it.
And if you aren't going to make it legal, at least decriminalize it. I find it ridiculous a drug dealer gets 25 years to life in jail because of the three strikes rule, but a rapist gets 8 years and gets out in half of that because of good behavior. We need to truly rethink our position.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Michael Moore and Chris Rock
I love watching documentaries; that's one of the reasons I love Netflix. They have a shit ton of documentaries. (Isn't it funny I work for Blockbuster and I still have my Netflix.) Well in the last week I have watched two documentaries. I watched Good Hair by Chris Rock and Capitalism; A Love Story by Michael Moore. The first made me laugh and the latter made me think.
Concerning the first, Chris Rock does make some good points about black women and their hair. A lot of us do have a tendency to spend a lot of time and money on our hair. But he made a good point of asking black women what they consider good hair, and the overall opinion was that the straight, bouncy, Farrah Fawcett type hair is the good hair. I was wondering when wearing your hair naturally became bad? or ugly? I have to admit, I do get my hair relaxed. My hair is much easier to manage when it is relaxed. And I do like my hair straight, curly, and bouncy, but I do NOT believe that my hair is better than natural hair.
It was also insane how much money women were spending on extensions. I mean, one lady allowed her customers to put their weave on layaway. That is crazy. One celebrity said she spent about 50,000 dollars a year on her hair. THAT IS INSANE!!! I spend about 300 dollars a year on my hair. Now, if it makes you happy to spend that money and you can afford it, I say go ahead and spend it. But it bothers me when a young woman who is a teacher, and basically makes nothing, is spending thousands of dollars on extensions. I think that these women need to get their priorities straight.
Lastly, one of the funnier things was when Chris starting talking to black men. Some black men actually admitted that they will look at a woman and from her appearance, judge how much money it would take to maintain her appearance and not ask her out. Haha I just wanted to laugh when the men talked about how much money they spend on their woman's hair.
Now, on to Michael Moore. Capitalism; A Love Story was extremely good. I like Michael Moore but I am acutely aware that he is usually biased and partisan, usually only giving information that will support his point of view. I was expecting the same thing here, but it was surprisingly bipartisan and informative. He took time to expose everyone who played a part in the current economic situation. I actually learned some things I didn't know.
I like that he focused on people and gave some personal stories. I was really affected by some of the things I learned. I'm not going to give too much away because I want everyone who reads this to watch that documentary.
I know the downfalls of Capitalism; I know that it promotes a selfish mentality. I believe that the people who say that Capitalism is the best way actually mean that Capitalism is the best way for them and the best way for them to make money. The problem with the "more profit" mentality is that companies will do anything, including firing people and reducing benefits, to increase profits. I even learned that major corporations like Walmart and AT&T have taken out insurance policies on their employees so that if their employee dies, the company receives money. I think that is unethical and I don't understand why that is legal.
I believe that the richest people in our country have all of the power, and they are not using it for good. It sucks that in this country, money is power. It isn't intelligence, kindness, generosity, love, or charity. In this country, we worship money, believing that money is what will make us happy.
Honestly, I don't mind some people being wealthy and having lots of money. I have a problem with the gap between the "haves" and "have not's" growing exponentially. Even in a recession, the rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. You know, I don't mind giving tax money to benefit medicare, welfare, food stamps, medicaid, and other government programs that help people. I want people to be able to survive and thrive. And this is a great country and there are millions of people who care for others and want to help, but the people who have the power and can give people opportunity don't give a shit. They don't give a shit because helping others in need won't benefit themselves.
I really enjoyed both of these documentaries because they were enlightening in different ways. Michael Moore really made me more aware of what I have and made me more grateful to have a roof over my head, a job, a car, family and friends, and I am blessed to have had some wonderful opportunities in my life. I believe anything that not only opens your eyes to some of the things going on in this world, but also makes you appreciate what you have is wonderful. GO WATCH THEM!!!
Concerning the first, Chris Rock does make some good points about black women and their hair. A lot of us do have a tendency to spend a lot of time and money on our hair. But he made a good point of asking black women what they consider good hair, and the overall opinion was that the straight, bouncy, Farrah Fawcett type hair is the good hair. I was wondering when wearing your hair naturally became bad? or ugly? I have to admit, I do get my hair relaxed. My hair is much easier to manage when it is relaxed. And I do like my hair straight, curly, and bouncy, but I do NOT believe that my hair is better than natural hair.
It was also insane how much money women were spending on extensions. I mean, one lady allowed her customers to put their weave on layaway. That is crazy. One celebrity said she spent about 50,000 dollars a year on her hair. THAT IS INSANE!!! I spend about 300 dollars a year on my hair. Now, if it makes you happy to spend that money and you can afford it, I say go ahead and spend it. But it bothers me when a young woman who is a teacher, and basically makes nothing, is spending thousands of dollars on extensions. I think that these women need to get their priorities straight.
Lastly, one of the funnier things was when Chris starting talking to black men. Some black men actually admitted that they will look at a woman and from her appearance, judge how much money it would take to maintain her appearance and not ask her out. Haha I just wanted to laugh when the men talked about how much money they spend on their woman's hair.
Now, on to Michael Moore. Capitalism; A Love Story was extremely good. I like Michael Moore but I am acutely aware that he is usually biased and partisan, usually only giving information that will support his point of view. I was expecting the same thing here, but it was surprisingly bipartisan and informative. He took time to expose everyone who played a part in the current economic situation. I actually learned some things I didn't know.
I like that he focused on people and gave some personal stories. I was really affected by some of the things I learned. I'm not going to give too much away because I want everyone who reads this to watch that documentary.
I know the downfalls of Capitalism; I know that it promotes a selfish mentality. I believe that the people who say that Capitalism is the best way actually mean that Capitalism is the best way for them and the best way for them to make money. The problem with the "more profit" mentality is that companies will do anything, including firing people and reducing benefits, to increase profits. I even learned that major corporations like Walmart and AT&T have taken out insurance policies on their employees so that if their employee dies, the company receives money. I think that is unethical and I don't understand why that is legal.
I believe that the richest people in our country have all of the power, and they are not using it for good. It sucks that in this country, money is power. It isn't intelligence, kindness, generosity, love, or charity. In this country, we worship money, believing that money is what will make us happy.
Honestly, I don't mind some people being wealthy and having lots of money. I have a problem with the gap between the "haves" and "have not's" growing exponentially. Even in a recession, the rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. You know, I don't mind giving tax money to benefit medicare, welfare, food stamps, medicaid, and other government programs that help people. I want people to be able to survive and thrive. And this is a great country and there are millions of people who care for others and want to help, but the people who have the power and can give people opportunity don't give a shit. They don't give a shit because helping others in need won't benefit themselves.
I really enjoyed both of these documentaries because they were enlightening in different ways. Michael Moore really made me more aware of what I have and made me more grateful to have a roof over my head, a job, a car, family and friends, and I am blessed to have had some wonderful opportunities in my life. I believe anything that not only opens your eyes to some of the things going on in this world, but also makes you appreciate what you have is wonderful. GO WATCH THEM!!!
Friday, March 5, 2010
I Am Not...Afraid Of Rejection
Currently I am working on a novel and it's exciting that I'm halfway done. Five months ago I was fired from a terrible job. A week after losing my job, my dad gave me a laptop. I believe that was the universe telling me that now was the time to start. There was no need to wait. (I really didn't know why I was waiting in the first place.)
So I began the endeavor of finishing my first novel and eventually having a published work. Well...the money I had could only last me so long and eventually I could no longer focus on writing and finding a job became my first priority. I was so worried about not finding anything, I was too distracted to write.
Well, I found a job. Then I realized that I needed to work on completing my Graduate School application and again, writing my novel went to the wayside. I was still writing, but not nearly as much as before. I began writing in the middle of October and by the middle of December, I had completed half of the novel, or at least what I think is the halfway point.
Now, I have completed everything for Graduate School and it would appear I have no more distractions. I will admit, I got a new boyfriend in November and he became a distraction too. But now, I shouldn't have anything keeping me from finishing my novel. And I've come up with many excuses. When I began the novel, I would go to the Botanical Gardens three or four times a week and write there. I would also go to Barnes and Noble. I loved writing outside and for some reason, leaving the house made it easier for me to focus on my goal. If it makes any sense, I left the house for the sole reason of working on my novel so mentally it was easier for me to focus. It would be stupid to leave the house for a reason and not follow through; it would have been a waste of time.
Anyway, I digress. Besides being more distracted at home, other excuses were being too tired to write or being distracted by life's obligations. I would never force myself to write; I felt if I forced it, my writing wouldn't be as good. (I still stand by that last one. I know myself and I know that to be true.)
Today, however, I had a revelation. The previous excuses were true, but the main reason I haven't finished is my fear of rejection. I want to get published and there is a 100% probability that my manuscript will get rejected by publishers. And that is creating anxiety. People are going to read my writing, something I hold very dear to me and something I believe very personal, and tell me it's crap, it's semi-crap, it's okay, it's good, or it's worth publishing. Editors are going to tear my words apart, and it's a necessary part of the process to having my book on a shelf in Books A Million.
Somehow I have connected being published i.e. being validated, as defining me as a writer. It just needs to sink in that I am a writer and 15 rejections doesn't make me any less of one. I wish I didn't care so much what other people thought and could be happy just knowing it was finished, but I do care. I do want people to like it and I do want people to enjoy the words that I have carefully crafted together.
I remember sitting in the Botanical Gardens one day unable to focus. See, I am addicted to NPR and that day, a critic happened to be talking about his opinion of a new novel. He tore that book to shreds! It freaked me out and hindered my own creative process. I was blocked by my own fear; I had to call my younger brother for a pep talk.
This fear has been keeping me from doing something I have wanted to do. I can't let that continue. Everyone is afraid of something, but when that fear takes over and dictates your actions, that's when it becomes a problem.
I need to have more faith in myself and in my abilities as a writer. I may not be the next Toni Morrison or Phillip Roth, but I am a good writer. As long as I recognize and know that, I do not need the approval or validation of an editor, publisher, or anyone else. I can now focus on just doing something I love.
So I began the endeavor of finishing my first novel and eventually having a published work. Well...the money I had could only last me so long and eventually I could no longer focus on writing and finding a job became my first priority. I was so worried about not finding anything, I was too distracted to write.
Well, I found a job. Then I realized that I needed to work on completing my Graduate School application and again, writing my novel went to the wayside. I was still writing, but not nearly as much as before. I began writing in the middle of October and by the middle of December, I had completed half of the novel, or at least what I think is the halfway point.
Now, I have completed everything for Graduate School and it would appear I have no more distractions. I will admit, I got a new boyfriend in November and he became a distraction too. But now, I shouldn't have anything keeping me from finishing my novel. And I've come up with many excuses. When I began the novel, I would go to the Botanical Gardens three or four times a week and write there. I would also go to Barnes and Noble. I loved writing outside and for some reason, leaving the house made it easier for me to focus on my goal. If it makes any sense, I left the house for the sole reason of working on my novel so mentally it was easier for me to focus. It would be stupid to leave the house for a reason and not follow through; it would have been a waste of time.
Anyway, I digress. Besides being more distracted at home, other excuses were being too tired to write or being distracted by life's obligations. I would never force myself to write; I felt if I forced it, my writing wouldn't be as good. (I still stand by that last one. I know myself and I know that to be true.)
Today, however, I had a revelation. The previous excuses were true, but the main reason I haven't finished is my fear of rejection. I want to get published and there is a 100% probability that my manuscript will get rejected by publishers. And that is creating anxiety. People are going to read my writing, something I hold very dear to me and something I believe very personal, and tell me it's crap, it's semi-crap, it's okay, it's good, or it's worth publishing. Editors are going to tear my words apart, and it's a necessary part of the process to having my book on a shelf in Books A Million.
Somehow I have connected being published i.e. being validated, as defining me as a writer. It just needs to sink in that I am a writer and 15 rejections doesn't make me any less of one. I wish I didn't care so much what other people thought and could be happy just knowing it was finished, but I do care. I do want people to like it and I do want people to enjoy the words that I have carefully crafted together.
I remember sitting in the Botanical Gardens one day unable to focus. See, I am addicted to NPR and that day, a critic happened to be talking about his opinion of a new novel. He tore that book to shreds! It freaked me out and hindered my own creative process. I was blocked by my own fear; I had to call my younger brother for a pep talk.
This fear has been keeping me from doing something I have wanted to do. I can't let that continue. Everyone is afraid of something, but when that fear takes over and dictates your actions, that's when it becomes a problem.
I need to have more faith in myself and in my abilities as a writer. I may not be the next Toni Morrison or Phillip Roth, but I am a good writer. As long as I recognize and know that, I do not need the approval or validation of an editor, publisher, or anyone else. I can now focus on just doing something I love.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
What Do Women Want? (And an addendum)
Addendum to Healthcare Legislation: I am so tired of the hypocrisy of Republicans. First, they are insisting on being fiscally conservative but they weren't being fiscally conservative when they approved a war that cost on average 10 billion dollars a month and is part of the reason this country has such a tremendous deficit. They are also upset that Obama is calling for the Senate to use Reconciliation to get the legislation passed with a simple majority versus the usual filibuster. Well George W. used it to pass tax cuts to the wealthiest one percent of this country and they didn't have a problem with it then. One republican congressman says he disagrees with it this time because it has never been used to pass something on such a large scale and something that is 1/7 of the economy. Well, aren't taxes the basis of the economy and the sole source of government funds? I am so tired of them talking and talking and not doing anything. I am glad Obama is taking control, telling the republicans FUCK YOU, and doing what is best for us.
Now, on to what women want. Men have been trying to figure out since the beginning of time what women want. The problem however is that we don't really know what we want and I ask that men be a little patient.
It is difficult living in this world as a woman having conflicting ideas thrown at me about the type of woman I should be. On one hand I am told that I should be independent, self-sufficient, and not need or want a man. Needing or wanting a man is somehow anti-feminist. On the other hand, all of these images of weddings and marriages are also being thrown at me. I'm told that I should want to get married and be a mother, and without doing those things, I am not a real woman. So I shouldn't need a man but I should get married and ultimately need and want a man. It's a contradiction that women struggle with their entire lives.
We have to decipher what we truly want from what society thinks we should want and what we think we want. It's not an easy thing to do.
I believe feminism is about choice and not being forced to live my life a certain way. I want to be independent and self-sufficient, but I also want a man who is a gentleman and who is chivalrous. I want the guy to open the door, pay for a meal, and take charge of situations. But I also want respect as a woman and I want to be able to take care of myself. I know this screws with a guys head; there is a fine line guys have to learn not to cross from being a gentleman to infringing upon a woman's independence.
Honestly, I don't mind paying for meals or participating financially in my relationship, but even in my efforts to be a strong independent woman, I still want my man to take care of me on some level. There is this balance that has to be found.
I feel independence doesn't mean that I don't choose to be taken care of; it means that I am capable of taking care of myself but want a man who is also capable of taking care of me. Again, feminism is about choice. I want to know that I can take care of myself but that's not the life that I may choose. I may choose to be a housewife or a stay at home mom, but that doesn't make me any less of an independent woman. Before I chose that life, I chose to learn to take care of myself and that is what's most important.
Women need to take time and truly figure out what they want. Forget about who society says you should be, but focus on the life you believe will make you happy. If it is not important to you to learn to be self-sufficient and independent, that is your choice. If you want to get married and be completely dependent on your husband, that is your choice. If you decide you do not want to marry at all and be single, that is your choice. And this choice in particular should not prevent women from being mothers if they so choose. If you are in a relationship, but you don't want to get married, that is okay and there is nothing wrong with that. And I hate that women see the fun and joy in weddings and feel they are left out. I say, if you want to celebrate your commitment with someone, DO IT. Go ahead and have a huge party to celebrate your commitment to someone else; you don't have to get married to do that. I say, if you are a single woman, have a party to celebrate that. It is awesome to celebrate your choice not to take that path in life.
Women, don't let society influence your decisions, especially when figuring out what you want in life and what you want in relationships. And let me tell you, it is okay to want that chivalrous guy and still be independent. My boyfriend knows that is the kind of woman I am, and he is doing his best. :)
And women, you may want to give men a break. Men are easy; they want food and sex. That's pretty much it. Men typically say what they mean and don't hide what they want under layers and layers of subtext and innuendo. I will say, in the bedroom, men can be a little shy about what they want, but otherwise, they will tell you. Don't expect the man to figure you out and figure out what you want. Every woman is so different. My advice is to just tell him. Tell him the kind of man you want and need in your life. Tell him how you want him to act. For example, one day I was driving with my boyfriend and his best friend in the car. I had to stop for gas. Now, I'm used to the man I'm with to volunteer to pump my gas for me. If my brother, father, or cousin were in my passenger seat, they would just get out of the car and start pumping. Well, my boyfriend didn't do that and I was a little disappointed. Now instead of letting that incident fester and create tension, the next time we went to get gas I told him that I'd like him to offer to pump it for me. And I told him, it was just the principle of offering. Sometimes when he offers, I may say no. But I told him that in my eyes, a gentleman at least offers. And since then, he has been aware of that and has offered to pump my gas for me. There are some other things he does/doesn't do that I believe are ungentlemanly but I'll let him know about those things later. Honestly, he is a gentleman and he does treat me like a lady. I have no complaints. :)
So ladies, first figure out what you want beyond society's influence, and if it's the opposite of what society says, fuck society. You are your own person and you need to do what's best for you. When you figure out what you want, if that involves a man, tell him what you want. (Oh, just a little sidebar. Women, stop making these lists of what you want in a guy that only Jesus could live up to. They are people, not robots. And if a man told you he made a similar list, you would probably call him shallow or superficial. Men are human beings; you can't go to a website and create the perfect man and have him delivered to your house. Everyone has flaws; they key is to decide which flaws best mesh with yours. These lists only limit you and you could miss out on the right guy because you were so intent on achieving perfection. And no, there is not just one guy out there you could spend the rest of your life with. Prince Charming is only in fairy tales and there is a reason those stories are works of fiction.)Men, try to be a little patient and give us some time because most of us are still trying to figure out what we want. And honestly, so are a lot of you. So maybe we need to all take a deep breath and chill. We need to all be honest with ourselves and create the life we want, not the life we think we want and not the life society says we think we want.
Now, on to what women want. Men have been trying to figure out since the beginning of time what women want. The problem however is that we don't really know what we want and I ask that men be a little patient.
It is difficult living in this world as a woman having conflicting ideas thrown at me about the type of woman I should be. On one hand I am told that I should be independent, self-sufficient, and not need or want a man. Needing or wanting a man is somehow anti-feminist. On the other hand, all of these images of weddings and marriages are also being thrown at me. I'm told that I should want to get married and be a mother, and without doing those things, I am not a real woman. So I shouldn't need a man but I should get married and ultimately need and want a man. It's a contradiction that women struggle with their entire lives.
We have to decipher what we truly want from what society thinks we should want and what we think we want. It's not an easy thing to do.
I believe feminism is about choice and not being forced to live my life a certain way. I want to be independent and self-sufficient, but I also want a man who is a gentleman and who is chivalrous. I want the guy to open the door, pay for a meal, and take charge of situations. But I also want respect as a woman and I want to be able to take care of myself. I know this screws with a guys head; there is a fine line guys have to learn not to cross from being a gentleman to infringing upon a woman's independence.
Honestly, I don't mind paying for meals or participating financially in my relationship, but even in my efforts to be a strong independent woman, I still want my man to take care of me on some level. There is this balance that has to be found.
I feel independence doesn't mean that I don't choose to be taken care of; it means that I am capable of taking care of myself but want a man who is also capable of taking care of me. Again, feminism is about choice. I want to know that I can take care of myself but that's not the life that I may choose. I may choose to be a housewife or a stay at home mom, but that doesn't make me any less of an independent woman. Before I chose that life, I chose to learn to take care of myself and that is what's most important.
Women need to take time and truly figure out what they want. Forget about who society says you should be, but focus on the life you believe will make you happy. If it is not important to you to learn to be self-sufficient and independent, that is your choice. If you want to get married and be completely dependent on your husband, that is your choice. If you decide you do not want to marry at all and be single, that is your choice. And this choice in particular should not prevent women from being mothers if they so choose. If you are in a relationship, but you don't want to get married, that is okay and there is nothing wrong with that. And I hate that women see the fun and joy in weddings and feel they are left out. I say, if you want to celebrate your commitment with someone, DO IT. Go ahead and have a huge party to celebrate your commitment to someone else; you don't have to get married to do that. I say, if you are a single woman, have a party to celebrate that. It is awesome to celebrate your choice not to take that path in life.
Women, don't let society influence your decisions, especially when figuring out what you want in life and what you want in relationships. And let me tell you, it is okay to want that chivalrous guy and still be independent. My boyfriend knows that is the kind of woman I am, and he is doing his best. :)
And women, you may want to give men a break. Men are easy; they want food and sex. That's pretty much it. Men typically say what they mean and don't hide what they want under layers and layers of subtext and innuendo. I will say, in the bedroom, men can be a little shy about what they want, but otherwise, they will tell you. Don't expect the man to figure you out and figure out what you want. Every woman is so different. My advice is to just tell him. Tell him the kind of man you want and need in your life. Tell him how you want him to act. For example, one day I was driving with my boyfriend and his best friend in the car. I had to stop for gas. Now, I'm used to the man I'm with to volunteer to pump my gas for me. If my brother, father, or cousin were in my passenger seat, they would just get out of the car and start pumping. Well, my boyfriend didn't do that and I was a little disappointed. Now instead of letting that incident fester and create tension, the next time we went to get gas I told him that I'd like him to offer to pump it for me. And I told him, it was just the principle of offering. Sometimes when he offers, I may say no. But I told him that in my eyes, a gentleman at least offers. And since then, he has been aware of that and has offered to pump my gas for me. There are some other things he does/doesn't do that I believe are ungentlemanly but I'll let him know about those things later. Honestly, he is a gentleman and he does treat me like a lady. I have no complaints. :)
So ladies, first figure out what you want beyond society's influence, and if it's the opposite of what society says, fuck society. You are your own person and you need to do what's best for you. When you figure out what you want, if that involves a man, tell him what you want. (Oh, just a little sidebar. Women, stop making these lists of what you want in a guy that only Jesus could live up to. They are people, not robots. And if a man told you he made a similar list, you would probably call him shallow or superficial. Men are human beings; you can't go to a website and create the perfect man and have him delivered to your house. Everyone has flaws; they key is to decide which flaws best mesh with yours. These lists only limit you and you could miss out on the right guy because you were so intent on achieving perfection. And no, there is not just one guy out there you could spend the rest of your life with. Prince Charming is only in fairy tales and there is a reason those stories are works of fiction.)Men, try to be a little patient and give us some time because most of us are still trying to figure out what we want. And honestly, so are a lot of you. So maybe we need to all take a deep breath and chill. We need to all be honest with ourselves and create the life we want, not the life we think we want and not the life society says we think we want.
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