SHAKESPEARE

We either scream with delight or hiss with disgust. We have all had our fair of Shakespeare and notes compiled with words such as ‘hamartia, hubris, nemesis and stichomytaia’ but the question is, did you truly understand it? I remember reading Hamlet and wondering, ‘when is this going to be over?’ while others shot their hands into the air like academic Raskolnikov’s and asked sensible questions. Personally I didn’t care that ‘tragedy is an imitation of action that is serious, whole and of a certain magnitude,’ but now I think I am beginning to understand why understanding Shakespeare is so important. Firstly, it is everywhere, 50% of all quotes are derived from Shakespeare and his plays. Secondly, I actually gained a pretty combusting list of vocabulary (which I know my teacher loved but my parents hated), and thirdly, I learnt a lot of about Sigmund Freud. Strange, how did we transfer from Shakespeare to Freud? Many of Shakespeare’s characters undergo changes, many of them in the subconscious mind. Ophelia is neurotic on the verge of psychotic, and Hamlet, well Hamlet is such as insane with revenge for his father’s cunning murder. Through Shakespeare I found Freud and thus this interest sparked into one of my current aims in life – to obtain a degree in psychology. Sometimes you find inspiration in the strangest of places.

Feels good to be creative.

After days of "brain-racking" with my advertising group - we finally came up with a campaign for the Vitamin Shoppe.  I proudly display our first properly executed attempt at creating an advertisement. Although the assignment had initially caused a wave of anxiety to shoot up my spine, it just goes to show that with determination, hard work and many creative brains - great work is possible.


Passion feeds persistence - no other quality is as essential for success.

If I were an ant.

If I were to swap places with an ant, imagine the possibilities! We could put a stop to world hunger, leave the earth somewhat intact, live in close-knit communities, save scientist’s time and energy and see the world from another perspective - that of a tiny ant. 
Imagine with the ‘abundance’ of resources we have as humans, how abundant the resources would be as ants – all could share and all would work for their livelihood. It would take millions of years if that before our natural resources began to show some wear, but as ants we are happy to eat the goodness of nature and the goodness of nature is happy to be recycled - the world would be our organic supermarket, DIY store and energy supply company.  
We wouldn’t roam the earth in our international police forms, symbols of status and suits of authority - as an ant these egoistic traits would be peeled from our very skin restoring clarity to our once "blurred" vision - now we can truly see in an unbiased manner. Imagine how many opportunities to learn and the endless adventures we would encounter. Perhaps we could understand why ants are such hard workers, how they manage to keep a utopian society and the secrets of the forest. But apart from learning, imagine the beauties that the human eye leaves untouched - the drop of water that turns into a sea, a bridge provided by a fallen leaf and a few blades of grass that create a lush forest. Ants have the amazing ability to see the world at its greatest. Perhaps as ants we would finally come to appreciate the intricate networks of the world in which we live in  - and most importantly obtain a different perspective. 


Watch this and you'll understand: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrW_TTxP1ow

Gaga Monster

GAGA Monsters! Lady Gaga is everywhere; a day does not go by when I do not hear Mama Monster’s name or see her outrageously blond hair. The Gaga we love is the one who struts down the street in a summer blue romper, cherry cherry boom-boom blonde with skin a shade of orange that Snooki can only dream of but now she’s channeling that inner demon, bleeding all over the stage and wearing meat slapped across her body. I think Gaga needs to return to her fun ways again and forget about the fake blood, my tummy is starting to hurt from all this high-fructose corn-syrup-based stage stuff anyway.

Is the grass greener on the other side?

Is the grass really greener on the other side? We like to think so. Human nature acts almost irrationally in the way in which it forces us believe that if only our circumstances were different, we could achieve our highest potential.  We spend so much of our lives wondering what could be rather than focusing on what we can we do in our current situation or position to enhance our opportunities for success, and as a result, we sometimes miss the opportunities that wave silently in our faces. Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers spends much time on this theme within his novel. Sometimes we just got to buckle down and do with the best we have got. Naturally, we remember all the good times; a holiday on the beach or a picnic in the park - the past remembers the fun. Many find it hard to focus on the positives of the present and are quick to attach negative meaning. Being negative is easy - all you need to do it say "no", and that's the end of it - a dead end street with nowhere to turn. It is all about the psychology. The trouble is that the greener patch of grass that we cannot seem to grow implies that we wants thing that we do not have. Most people value what they want or hope to achieve in the future rather than what they have in the present.  You can waste away the goodness of life by focusing on the lack of.  The past is hard to get to, the future will come with time, but when you live in the present, you make good use of your assets.  

SMART(Y) PARTY

This is going to surprise most of you, but if I could choose any car that has been manufactured, it would have to be the SMART.  It provides a practical solution to most daily hassles involving automobiles.  Firstly its size makes for easy parking –horizontally, vertically, laterally – the choices are endless.  Its lack of space makes for an easy way to avoid being the designated driver - no one wants to be squashed in the back seat - no cleaning required and no one taking advantage of your ‘love for driving.’ Although looks may be deceiving, it is quite nifty on the road, especially for dodging in and out and zooming past the reckless drivers on 75. They are cost effective, meaning that its small engine size benefits my wallet as well as being environmentally friendly.  Alright they may not be the most practical car for families but for young, free loving singletons – it’s the one and only. The colours and choices of patterns are endless – it is like driving a fashion accessory – as cute as a celebrity pooch.  This car is a perfect fit for my personality and just goes on to show that greatness exists in every shape and size, and that first impressions might be deceiving.

The Sharing Box

Whilst drinking coffee in Starbucks this morning, I was inspired by a little red box that sat perfectly nestled on one of the countertops – it read “The Sharing Box.”  What a beautiful idea – to provide people with an insignificant piece of paper and pen to share with others some of their most treasured holiday traditions.   I feel that this example, although simple, flawlessly exhibits the core values of the holiday season – the beauty of sharing, heartfelt memories, appreciation and family togetherness.  With the commercialization of Christmas and urgency for mass spending, tradition is lost and replaced with great indulgence.  A gift in simple terms is meant to signify part of a person’s compassion – a non-invasive means for showing gratitude to someone you love or care for.  However, in the present day, the value of a gift is often judged by the price with which it holds or the quantity supplied.  In doing so, society has squandered the true meaning behind Christmas – to return to primitive ways, is to remain thankful for the simple but meaningful customs that have been buried beneath the gluttony of modern society. 

On a happier note, one of my most treasured holiday traditions is spending Christmas Eve in front of a roaring fire, snuggled up between my mum and sister, sipping Cadbury’s hot chocolate sprinkled with melting white and pink marshmallows whilst watching “Look who’s talking now.” 

Appreciate the small things in life

There was once a time when the great powers of the market set out on a mission to create a world of ease and comfort. They invented things such as computers, mobile phones, and portable music players that succeeded in delivering the promise of simplicity and convenience.  After all, a happy society is a digital one, right?  Well, not necessarily.

Whilst most of us will blatantly admit to owning these things (and they do indeed make our lives a little more convenient) the happiness gained from such tangible products isn’t a sustained one. I can honestly say that I love my iPod, and listen to it during my thirty-minute daily run, but for the rest of the twenty-three and a half hours that it spends turned “off” sitting on my desk, it’s not really contributing anything of significance to my emotional state. 

It appears that as technology has advanced, the pace of society has gotten faster.  But ironically, overall levels of happiness haven’t improved at all.  In actual fact, it seems that there is a greater occurrence of depression than there ever was back in the days of old fashioned scheduling dairies and telephones with cords. Or maybe talking about depression is more socially acceptable.  Regardless of the reasons, I believe that only very few people stop to take time out and enjoy the small things in life.  Life has become so fast-paced and focused on getting to meetings on time, responding to calls, and checking emails that most forget that there really is a world of beauty beyond our technologically advanced workstations.

It is important to honor the small things found in everyday life that can bring us appreciation if we just take the time to notice their existence – acts of kindness and small gifts of beauty that come from a place that technology has yet to discover.   Don’t spend your day trying to avoid technology. Instead, just set aside a few seconds to appreciate the things that come into your life on a regular basis – this can go a long way towards making you a happier person.

Do something you love

My sister is currently in the process of applying to university to study journalism. We both were checking out a list of universities and I pointed to Brown University, her eyes lit up and she hurried onto their website to check out their majors. ‘Anthropology, Space Music, Ethnic studies...’ it had everything but journalism or communication studies, but still, Brown is Brown and it has an amazing reputation but my sister sat there shaking her head and clicked the [x] without another look. I was suddenly curious, why had she set her heart upon studying journalism, and her response struck a chord with me. My sister has many concrete principals which she refuses to go against such as respecting animals, helping others and being a social critic – her essays always relate to depravity in some way. She is a fervent fundraiser for the WWF and stresses the importance of ethics within the meat and other industries involving animals, and so has wrapped much of her heart into this particular vocation. “Through journalism I feel as though I can focus my passion for these concepts into the lives of others.” Freud once said that literature and art were the substance of his thinking, the foundation of an intricate network of ideas which he interpreted. Does journalism really have an impact upon the way in which we perceive ideas? The answer is yes of course, propaganda is an excellent example of how effective a writer can be by softening the truth or simply distorting it. My sister wants to be a journalist to raise important issues, ideas that for particular reasons are left untouched but must be raised. She is naturally curious about the world – a human sponge hungry for knowledge. So where should she go? Somewhere she can write because the there is no point doing something you do not love.

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only

"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” – Coco Chanel

Fashion and style is not simply a description of how well you dress or convey a sentiment through articles of clothing. Fashion is also the way in which you interpret nature, what you perceive as beautiful and or how the world appears around you. In a society dominated by materialism, the actual definition of fashion is shadowed and forgotten. Fashion can be the current way in which you live, the business of creating or studying styles and finally the way in which you act. Nature has its own fashion, it behaves in a way that it perceives as natural – the flowers growing weary each night, the birds puffing and singing glorious little songs, the sky turning from pink to blue and the waves slamming against the shore. In today’s society, the whole ‘oh to be green’ lifestyle has conquered many and has been deemed fashionable as well as physically lucrative. Simply, fashion does not stop at clothing styles or New York Fashion Week; it is much greater and complex than that. Through fashion or through the fashioning of an idea and casting it among the populace, we can raise awareness for abstract or ignored subjects such as emphasis on endangered species, global climate change or American consumerism. It is like anything, it is what you do with it that makes it unique. 

Yoga

Yoga denotes unity.  Its significance is “to come together and make whole.” It emphasizes that everyone and everything is connected, there is no division between mind and body, matter and consciousness, or heaven and earth.  Its practice recognizes harmony, accord and union.  Since there is no separation between mind and body, everything you think, feel and experience will have an affect on you internal biological functioning.  Your body remembers well - past transgressions and positive experiences can manifest into physical symptoms and as a result, health is often a reflection on your emotions, attitudes and perspectives.  Negative emotions, unresolved grief and jealousy manifest into tension, which can leave you vulnerable to many physical and psychological problems – when you don’t feel well, whether it be body or mind, you can more easily withdraw, get hasty and critical; all qualities that separate you from yourself and others.  It is through the practice of yoga, with recognition of the spirit, body and emotions that you are provided with a toolbox to help understand and embrace circumstances and life in a more holistic manner. 

Understanding your life’s journey, its spiritual significance, and shifting perceptions can displace the physical and emotional tension to allow healing, insight and peace. With each practice of yoga, moving your body and synchronizing with the breath releases tension – a process that allows you to feel and connect with your inherent vulnerability. Vulnerability is what opens you to surrender, and it is only through this level of availability that you can truly understand one-self and others. 

NESSIE

Most of us dismiss the concept of monsters as fairytales or silly myths not worthy of our attention. Yet many serious scientists have spent years in particular hope while studying the truth behind the sightings of a monster in the Lochness Lake in Scotland.

Nessie, the nickname of the strange but mysterious creature that resides in the serene location of the Loch is one of the most debated myths in Scottish history.  Sightings of this monster can be traced back as far as the 7th Century - when a local Saint by the name of St Columbia was believed to have interacted with the monster by giving him strict orders not to touch human beings - the reason why Nessie is only seen on rare occasions. Earlier sightings were recorded in the year of 1933 when two different individuals reported descriptions of the same occasion - a creature loitering on the road but quickly disappeared into the lake after being seen.  Many of these reports were mere verbal descriptions that cannot be relied upon scientifically, yet many presented photographs and videos to back up their claims. With advancing technology, many of these recordings were found to have some deliberate or unintentional flaw that gave the impression of the Lochness monster but in reality they were other objects or animals – remember that picture that looks more like several car tires?  In addition to these amateur findings, several sonar expeditions have been carried out to detect any unusual movement beneath the lake.  On many occasions it was found that some unexplained big object was moving beneath the surface of the water which could not be explained by the known objects or animals in the Loch.  The conclusions drawn from a variety of studies are still the same – there is no substantial or innovative evidence for the existence of the Lochness monster.  Many believe that it could be an ancient animal such as the Plesiosaur which has been long extinct (or so it seemed) but resembles the accumulated descriptions of Nessie.  Only time will tell whether it is true or not, yet the mystery still remains and will continue to inspire people to search for the answers. Questions are raised however, should we mess with a creature that for many years has failed to disrupt the human cycle?

Want to go on your own Lochness Monster search?  Here is what to do:

1) Sit along the waters edge of the lake with a pair of binoculars and a camera - make sure to bring plenty of sustenance as you may be here for quite some time
2) Rent a boat and spend the afternoon fishing on the lake - who knows what you will find?
3) Set up webcams along the shore - this way you won't miss a thing
4) Go scuba diving - the lake is freezing but that's what a wetsuit is for
5) Finally, spend enough time to enjoy the beauty of the Loch and its mystery may be unraveled.  

Finals, Finals, Finals

Finals, you fall at greatest time of year! You have me reading textbooks instead of drinking Chai lattes and enjoying the pre-Christmas sales. You leave dark puffy circles under my eyes and extra inches around my waistline – just a few of the joys to be had!

But don’t be discouraged, here are five tools to make it through: 

1. Classical Playlist: So, most of us don’t have an assortment classical music mixed in with our usual Gaga songs on I-tunes. But this is exactly what is needed for optimal studying. Studies show that classical music is connected to improvement in mental tasks - in simple terms, it makes you SMARTER! 

2. 24-hour establishments: If you are going to be up all night, you need resources – coffee, food or other essentials - so choose your location wisely!  

3. Leggings: 
real clothes during finals? Ridiculous! After being up all night studying or writing papers the last thing on everyone’s mind is dressing themselves in morning. To make it easier, everyone should invest in a pair of leggings. They are truly the perfect finals attire: comfortable to study/sleep, but still socially acceptable to wear in public – PERFECTION!

4. The right source of caffeine: As much as I love coffee for the "BUZZ" factor, the effects only last a couple of hours leaving you feeling drained and lifeless. To adequately combat sleep deficiency, tea is most useful - try it british style: Tetley's tea-bags, 1 spoon of sugar and a splash of milk. 

5. Brain Foods: There’s something about finals that just triggers the body to crave the most fattening foods but resist the temptation! Greasy foods make you sluggish and slow your brain down. Instead snack on healthy foods such as grapes, nuts, yogurt, granola, & popcorn – they help keep you energized and alert.  

10 Reasons why I love ORGANIC

1. GET THE NUTRITION YOU NEED & ENJOY TASTIER FOOD - SIMPLE IS BETTER

2. REDUCE HEALTH RISKS 

3. PROTECT FUTURE GENERATIONS - SUSTAINABILITY IS THE KEY

4. PREVENT SOIL EROSION

5. PROTECT WATER QUALITY

6. SAVE ENERGY

7. SAY "NO" TO CHEMICALS 

8. SUPPORT THE LOCAL FARMERS

9. PROMOTE BIODIVERSITY

10. AND FINALLY, HELP TO BEAUTIFY YOUR COMMUNITY

What Expiry Date?

After witnessing the vast quantities of waste after the Thanksgiving holidays, I began to question the rationality behind throwing things away.  It is a known fact that modern society fuels frivolous spending and carelessness.  We are quick to accept the consequence of waste in order to maintain our desired standards of living.  However, what people fail to recognize is that they are ultimately increasing spending by disposing of items rather than finding practical alternatives for its use.  Maybe its because they lack the imagination to see beyond the concrete functions or maybe it is pure ignorance.  Ultimately, an expiration date on a food item or an empty bottle does not constitute an invaluable product. Instead, it presents a list of endless possibilities.  Have fun with it and create something unexpected.

Take this for example: a fully functioning chandelier made out of recycled glass bottles - GENIUS! 

Creative Process.

The phrase "creative process" is a popular discussion topic in my advertising class.  Although, I am not an expert and have no idea what my personal creative process looks like at this stage in my education, I thought that it would be fun to imagine it instead. After a lot of thinking, I stumbled across the most simplistic way to describe my "imagined" idea generation process - a tree (I personally took this picture). The roots provide a network of resources and create a safe environment from which one can explore.  Each main branch signifies a unique idea, which then splits and fosters the generation of even more ideas. The round seeds represent the most developed thoughts - the "good" ideas. But the seed that actually completes the journey and successfully germinates represents the "great" idea - the "wow" factor.  Here is my creative process in a "nutshell"
IMAGINATION ROCKS!

Cooking.

Cooking gives you the freedom to invent new possibilities, new dishes & new tastes. There are no rights or wrongs, precise measurements, or step by step instructions.  Instead, it is a matter of intuition, communicating with the senses and being at ease with ambiguity.  See it as a journey, starting with a number of small and insignificant elements that blend together to create a greater whole.  The ability to create something of worth does not always require careful planning or the following of specific predetermined steps, instead it is the outcome of flexibility, spontaneity & simplicity - that of a natural process. 


Keep it simple & trust your instincts.  

Knowledge.

"It's not what you know, but how much other people think you know" - Zuha Jeddy


A quote from a conversation with my friend the other night.  An interesting thought, do you agree with it?

Beauty of Language.

Language offers us the sublime ability to communicate, express and convey ideas that would otherwise be left unspoken.  Unquestionably, language was crucial to the creation of society.  There is no way in which human society could exist without speech.  Language in its most basic and innocent form offers nothing more than the foundations of trust between individuals, and creates many invaluable relationships that prove vital in order to attain a fulfilling life.  One must be fond of people and trust them if one is not to make a mess of life and it is therefore essential that they should not let one down.  It is only when society becomes more complex that language remains unable to sustain its integrity and sincerity.  It has long been known that language, like any other form human invention, can be abused, can be turned from its original purpose to something useless or even deadly, it is in the instinct of humanity to exploit what we presently possess and alter its preliminary intention into something more suited to our specific needs. In society today, language is seen as a sharp tool used recklessly to get what we aspire to obtain. It is used against those gullible, those who gain significantly from hearing what they want to hear. In “Genesis,” Eve is reluctant to consume the fruit, but the serpent says to her, “you will not die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing goods and evil – Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals,” this quote from a historical account magnifies the danger of deception and its ability to entrap victims. It forewarns its readers about the consequences of lying, even persuading people against their own integrity to fulfill certain things that they would otherwise not do. In close-knit societies, language was safeguarded by the intimacy shared between the inhabitants of a group. Nowadays, the simplicity of intimacy no longer exists; the revolution of technology has replaced the need to converse in person. The beauty of communication has been abandoned and remains to be seen as nothing more than the source of gossip. Words that once carried meaning and weight have now become worthless and habituated, if we could only strip the layers of manipulation and deceit, maybe we could determine the verity from the falsehood, until then, how do we decipher lies from truth?

Dishonesty.

Dishonesty in advertising has proved to be one of the most common tactics employed in order to generate substantial consumer interest.  When scanning through the various media vehicles used to communicate with the consumers, it is apparent that society is constantly being bombarded with deceptive sales and advertising messages.  Words play a substantial emotional role in the persuasion process, and advertisers use this knowledge to manipulate consumers to buy products that are misleading or otherwise do not contain any of the intended benefits.  Roland Marchand states that, “advertisers left readers to assume that they could gain the same satisfactions of exclusiveness from belonging to the four million as had once been savoured by the four hundred,” they winnow the idea that you will be more valuable by purchasing the product. This constant stream of propaganda targets the common man who aspires to be a superior being, or part of a modern aristocracy. The emphasis of the exterior rather than interior elements creates this materialist society. Through the careful message element selection, advertisers are able to focus on the benefits of their product rather than its faults, in other words, they tell the consumer what they want to hear.  To the capitalist this is not considered dishonesty, rather, it is a way of making profit with every transaction at the least cost. Steve Craig also identified that, “the advertisers of some products simply wish to have their commercials seen by the largest number of consumers at the lowest cost.”   However, the definition of trust is one in which we openly reveal our weaknesses to others with the belief that they will not take advantage, so, clearly this is an act of dishonesty. Society is now at war with the growing ranks of commerce. If we are to ever free ourselves of Frankenstein’s monster, we must eliminate the need to lie otherwise the very foundations of society will dissolve beneath us.

Coupon.

I came across this coupon today, and being the nice person I am I've decided to share with all of you out there.

So as you all know, Halloween is only round the corner, meaning it's time to get started and look for that perfect costume.  Go to the link below to buy a $30 gift card to CostumeExpress.com for only $15.  They have over 1,000 costumes to chose from, so you are definitely not going to be limited in choice.  Don't wait until the last minute and discover that all the costumes you want are either sold out or not your size, meaning you are stuck wearing last years (again).

Hurry, this offer is limited in time.

http://livingsocial.com/deals/10402?ref=email-jp&rpi=1589797

Surround Sound.

   Before. 

After.

Somehow my creative juices are always in endless supply when I am supposed to be studying.  Life is so much better with Surround Sound.

Cows. Pigs. Wars. & Witches.

I have just started to read a politically driven book for my Sociology class called Cows, Pigs, Wars & Witches: The riddles of culture.  The book consists of a number of short entries that attempt to eliminate preconceived notions and explain human action in greater detail.  The entries consist of Mother Cow, Pig Love and Pig Hate, Primitive Warfare and the Savage Male.  Without going into too much detail, I will try to justify how these taboos serve as practical purposes rather than hindrances.  I am sure that most of you have met or know someone that won't eat beef, for the fact that cows are seen as scared creatures in their religion.  Most of us think that such a taboo is ludicrous but I shall attempt to portray the other side of the story.

Firstly, Hindus consider the cow to be a symbol of everything that is alive, just as Christians view Christ as sacred, so from this stance it perfect makes sense as to why Hindus wouldn't want to eat cows.  Many economists deem cow worship as the primary reason for India's hunger and poverty but without the cow many would be unable to live.  Oxen are the principle source of traction for their versatility and ruggedness. A shortage of oxen would mean having to rent or borrow from others, but this presents inefficiency problems, for if they miss the monsoon rain the farmers will be unable to plough their fields and transport their crops to market causing even greater hunger.  So, as you can see, cows are like factories, a low energy substitute that produce oxen instead of tractors and milk to feed humans.  

Secondly, cows are able to carry out functions of the petrochemical industry, their excrement's serve as valuable sources of fertilizer, heat for cooking and household flooring material.  The farmers refusal to sell decrepit cows to the slaughter house have long term beneficial implications.  During droughts and famines, farmers are inevitably tempted to kill and sell animals, but once again, when the rain decides to fall, they will be unable to plough their feels, resulting in greater hunger.  The farmer would rather eat his cow than starve, but that he will starve if he does eat it.  Useless animals during good times is part of the price that must be paid for protecting useful animals against slaughter in the long run.

Many say that the answer to India's problem would be a beef production factory, however a rise in beef production would only strain the ecosystem, and switching croplands to meat would result in higher food prices and deterioration of living. I'm sure most of you are saying that cows intensify hunger in India by feeding off the farmers cropland, but here's the thing; the cow is a scavenger and is not in competition with humans for land.  As you can see, cattle perform vital functions for which substitutes are not readily available.

Cow love mobilizes the latent capacity of humans to preserve in low energy ecosystems in which there is little room for waste.  This demonstrates the adaptive resilience of the human population by preserving temporarily dry and barren but still useful animals, by discouraging the growth of energy expensive beef industry, by protecting cattle that fatten up in the public domain and by preserving the recovery potential of the cattle population during droughts and famines.

The most surprising thing I learnt is that India makes more efficient use of its cattle than the U.S.  Waste is something of modern societies.

So love cows, don't hate on them.

Wax animals

This just happens to be my new found hobby, creating animal shapes (preferably ducks) out of burning hot candle wax.  It proves to be greatly entertaining, despite a few minor burns and blisters. I guess you could say it is creative, or just plain nonsense. Maybe if I continue to practice, one day I'll be good enough to work at Madame Tussaudes Wax Museum. Does anyone else have any weird hobbies that they would like to share?   

Everything in Moderation.

It was hard to hear my friend, makeup smudged by her tears and her once confident self image shattered by two hurtful words, one included ‘fat.’ I am an avid yahoo article reader and today an article came to my attention ‘5 signs you have bad-fitting jeans.’ What happened to loving the way you are? I agree in this day and age we have aimed campaigns at raising awareness for obesity, but is society taking our gullible, weak self images to the extreme? Some of the effects of unrealistic fashion features and ‘it’ models raise the ugly head of insecurity. It is horrendous when we see obese teenagers, but when it comes to women or girls in particular, society is excessively scornful. I am afraid that contemporary culture will raise an army of excessive human beings. What happened to moderation? Like the great Greek philosopher Aristotle who stated that our mission in life is to find a perfect balance between extremity and moderation, and that to find a perfect balance we must enjoy our cake and eat it too. That doesn’t mean that you don’t eat the cake, nor does it mean you take a second slice. It means what it means. A study in Canada showed that more than 27% of the teenage girl population had eating disorders, is that not a startling figure? The simple reason why people indulge in such extremities – skinny and obese is because the media sends contradictory images to our generation. First we are told that we must love your curves, but when our role models are found leaving the plastic surgeons clinic and the models that wear the clothes we are supposed to buy are wearing a size zero, what are we meant to think? Girls, it’s not about what you look like, its about enjoying life, accepting the ideology of moderation, and making sure that if you are hungry you eat, and when you are full, you stop. Discipline, moderation and confidence are key

Animals are not ours.

Animals are not ours to eat. Animals are not ours to wear. Animals are not ours to experiment on. Animals are not ours to use for entertainment. Animals are not ours to exploit.

PETA shouts these words to congressmen every day, so why don’t seem to take notice? I myself am a fervent animal activist; I fight for what is right, or what I perceive to be fair, just and equal. Maybe animals aren’t humans, maybe they don’t own fabulous mansions in L.A nor do they speak English or financially contribute to the economy, but they are alive, they are living and that means they are important and should be respected. I have seen some of the most violent images of animals being slaughtered in the abattoirs and tested on in labs, for ultimately nothing but human gain and pleasure - the truth many prefer to ignore. But, unfortunately it is happening, and will continue to happen if we don't impose some moral standards.  Humans were blessed with the ability to think, and although this was probably intended for good, the bad usually has a way of showing up. Some people support animal testing and some do not, but one question I pose is why do we implant such brutal treatments upon creatures that have no ability to speak up – to fight? Many humans themselves are inhumane, society breeds heartless people each day. When people are murdered in farway nations, our own armies rush to mobilize and cast their own aggression upon the attacker, so why are we not taking action against the aggressor of animal cruelty? 


It is difficult to decipher why there are countless rules in place for the protection of human rights, but very limited, if none to protect the rights of animals.  


This is where I believe the problem lies:
- Say for instance a man was punched in the face, he would feel pain and know that he had fallen victim to a form of physical assault
- If this man then walked over to the aggressors house, & kicked his dog - how would he respond?
- The aggressor would be angry that the man had kicked HIS dog (property) rather than be concerned for the pain the dog is feeling, for we all know the famous myth "dogs don't have very good memory," so doesn't really matter, right? 


What I am trying to say is that we objectify animals as belonging to the human race, the problem is there is no formal contract declaring this ownership.  It is of human nature to exhaust to deplete and control all the resources on this planet due to our ever increasing greed - but this is wrong, maybe if we could learn be satisfied with what we have in the present, then this problem can be avoided all together.


 We chose our pets, they don't chose us, it is only luck that determines whether they will be cared for or not, but whatever the outcome, their suffering goes unheard.  Think of it as a helpless baby in a crib - does that change your perspective? 


Final thought: what would you do if you saw someone beat your family pet into pulp, or to put it nicely, mutilation?

Single.

Something I have noticed since arriving in the United States is that everyone feels the need to have a boyfriend or girlfriend. What happened to independence and free will? Maybe it is just a Texas thing but it’s been playing on my mind since I have arrived, I have even pondered on writing a formal essay about it. I have watched from friend break up with a boyfriend and get together with another within a week, break up and get with another guy who she barely likes or does not find attractive. What happened to the soul mate? Why do girls or boys satisfy themselves with an okay model of what they want? Okay, we all dream of having Megan Fox as our girlfriend or Chace Crawford for our boyfriend but honestly, why settle for mediocrity? Some of the most influential women are independent, free thinkers, unhinged from the arm or control a man. Queen Elizabeth I for example saw England through many wars and never once married. The suffragettes, were amazing women, maybe got themselves killed but proved that they could find a place in the world for themselves without a man to help them. In this day and age where we find a near equality of status between men and women in the workplace, why do we seek to confine ourselves within a sphere of domestic expectancy? Maybe I sound like a suffragette myself, but think about it? Why not focus on yourself until you bump into the right person? You have your whole life to find the one, you don’t need to settle, nor do you need to entangle yourself when you are a free thinker, when you are intelligent, when you are a motivated person.

What does this dream mean?

HELPLESS.

So, last night I had the strangest dream and being my curious self, I set as it as my mission today to unravel. Oddly enough, my dream started with the thundering sound of a helicopter *it wasn’t looking good* and suddenly like a Hollywood movie, it zoomed in onto me. There I was, strapped in wearing a parachute and no one driving the helicopter. Adrenaline is pumping furiously in my veins and suddenly I thrust myself into nothingness. Everything turns to grey as I plunge to my death when suddenly an enormous Jurassic sized bird swoops down and grabs me between its colossal beak. Like nothing had happened, I open my eyes and strangely enough I am in a maze. Yes, just like Harry Potter and I am running and running and running until I can’t run anymore and the ground suddenly opens. I cling furiously to the edge until I see the giant bird commencing its descent and so I let go. Boom! I wake up. So I sped to the library this morning and tried to decipher the meaning behind my absurd dream. I suddenly felt like Alice. The helicopter is supposed to represent success and ambition. The falling part of my adventure indicates a loss of some sort or a lack of control. The giant bird also known as a bird of prey can indicate a decline in physical health. The maze represents uncertainty, confusion and lack of direction in life. So ultimately it comes down to this: I am falling because I lack control and fail to reach my goals, then the bird means that I am declining in physical health *better get back to the gym* and finally that I need more direction. I sound like one confused person but I’ll be successful. Great.

What were they thinking,

Yesterday I found a shopping list. Although simple, it contained a couple of items that made me wonder: what were they going to be used for? While some necessities included broccoli, toothpaste and toilet paper, some were less concrete. Number 7 reminded the buyer to get some tights, had she laddered hers or was she going to go to a fabulous party? Number 15 said to purchase some reeses, I don’t know about you but reeses remind me of birthday parties, Halloween and sleepovers. So was she organizing a party for someone, or was she simply buying them for a midnight feast if she woke up from her nightmares. How old was she? Was she married, single, black or white? Was she a she or a he? Most people assume that it is the woman of the household that does the domestic chores, that includes cleaning, cleaning, cleaning and shopping for food. It made wonder so many things like, what was her name? Number 22 on her list was a book, Outliers, a rather intellectual book, so was she intelligent or just a fervent reader? Was she successful? Some things inspire thought and today it was a lost shopping list.

An investment for the future.

So at the moment my sister is busying herself with university applications. She stressed herself out over her Cambridge application to the point of hysteria. So today my question is, why is there so much pressure on what university you go to? Why do we crave Ivy League status when state universities are just as good? Students who can’t even afford to attend the likes of Harvard, Princeton and Yale fight their way through junior and senior year to get into the top 10% and then find out that sometimes all their hard work, their lack of a social life and a strained sense of cool was all for nothing. The most costly school this year was the Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, estimated at around tuition of $57,556 per year. I, myself have faced the pressure of applying to universities that do not suit me or I am not interested in because of the name, such as Harvard and Stanford. It makes me sad when I hear that many students because of their high goals and ambitions sit in a pile of debt, sometimes thousands of dollars. Sarah Lawrence College defends its hefty price tag by saying that unlike other colleges, they believe in weekly meetings with faculty members. So we are paying for weekly seminars with our professors? It makes me angry when some people work hard their whole lives and then their dreams are crushed by a ludicrous price tag. Maybe American universities need to take advice from British universities? The British government is adamant in sending their students to university and depending from university to university for a UK national or citizen, annual tuition fees vary from ₤2000-4000 without books of course and board, I believe but boarding will only add an ₤1000 or so, that is around $3164-7911 a year, including the best schools such as Oxford and Cambridge. I think it’s time to make universities more affordable.

Pink for October.

The "I love boobies" campaign from the Keep A Breast Foundation has sparked outrage in many schools.  The campaign wasn't invented to go undetected by the radar, but instead, to spark controversy and make headlines to ultimately raise awareness.  In response, school districts have been banning students from wearing the bracelets deeming them as inappropriate and offensive.  Targeting the teen market is vital if any change is to be made, for they are the future, and encouraging positive health behaviours can reduce risks for contracting the deadly disease.  However, I am annoyed by the way in which sex is being used to sell cancer awareness to teenagers. The idea of reducing something as complex and devastating as cancer down to the appreciation of breasts is likely to disgust those who have had to fight for their lives as a result of being diagnosed with this detrimental disease.  The individuals responsible for this campaign support the claim that through wearing these bracelets peers will be more willing to strike up a conversation, and whilst I agree with this statement, I reserve the right disagree with the "conversation" aspect.  After all, the message they are trying to convey is powerful, but so is the double-entendre's other meaning, and that's the kind of thing that can degrade an atmosphere and ultimately portray the underlying meaning as a joke rather than a serious matter. 


Whilst the "I love boobies" campaign is questionable, at least the bracelets are being sold for money that benefit cancer research.

Dove Evolution

This video sent waves of uncontrollable shivers down my spine.  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE show this to all who truly believe they know what the definition of REAL beauty pertains to.  Adverts in fashion magazines and major billboard campaigns have a way of portraying an image of ultimate perfection, something far from truth.   Granted, I don't mind a bit of photoshopping and I'm sure most people will jump at the opportunity to have a few "nip and tucks" here and there, but it’s not reality. Ultimately, the road to happiness inevitably comprises of reality and acceptance - especially during the prime time of youth, when people are establishing their identity, opinions of themselves, and their bodies.  The media constantly reinforces what body images are most socially acceptable, however what they fail to clarify is that what we compare ourselves to is as real as a cartoon drawing. People might as well try to emulate Bugs Bunny or even Barbie for that matter... I thought we had learned from that lesson back in the 60's, but I guess not.  We are still sold the "flawless body" in silicone, plastic, and photoshopped images. Will there ever be a time when we are NOT told we’ll be happy if we are just ________ enough?

Mice don't like cheese.

This is a myth full of holes.  Ralph Emerson, the 19th century American writer once wrote, "If you invent a better mousetrap the world will beat a path to your door," however, he failed to mention anything about cheese.  According to researchers who obviously had nothing of greater importance to do, declared that the universal belief that the only way to lure a mouse to its death is by using a potent and smelly cheese, preferably cheddar or Swiss is a complete fallacy.  After this revelation, it is no wonder Tom never succeeded at catching Jerry.  So, for any of you with a serious mouse infestation a prime substitute for savory cheese would be the complete opposite, sugary chocolate - yes it seems that "chocoholics" exist in every shape and form.  

Starbucks.

Before any more companies attempt to get all fancy and cute with names for sizes, lets make something clear.

There are a number of predetermined sizes for food and drink that have already been tried, tested and agreed upon and make instant sense.

For those of you who are still unsure, they are:

Small

Medium

Large

and after supersize me...

Extra Large

If that wasn't enough, some decided to swap Small for Regular.  The reason: probably to encourage consumers to order the next size up.  Not only does this increase the consumers calorie intake in high fructose corn syrup and saturated fats, but businesses are also able to gorge off the added sales.  On a positive note, a medium or large is definitely easier to pronounce than "can I have a regular please?" The crazy thing is, companies such as Starbucks actually employ psychologists to work on these kind of logistics.  

So what is the reason behind Starbucks attempt to use such ludicrous names?

Let's take a quick look:
Small= Tall
Medium= Grande
Large= Venti

So here's my analogy: since Starbucks was originally from Seattle and owned by a bunch of hippies, who obviously appreciate "unusual" and "weird" ideologies, Tall appears to be an appeal to that sensibility.  Next is Grande. Spanish for Large. Again, attempting to be all cute by appropriating foreign words. But they can’t all be the same language....  In walks Venti, Twenty in Italian. Oh I get it! It’s 20 ounces!

My first attempt at ordering from Starbucks ended in complete confusion.
Me: "Can I have a small Soy Chai please?"
Starbucks: "Ok, so a tall Soy Chai for the lady please!"
Me: "No, can I have a small please?"
Starbucks: "Tall?"
Me: "No, small....."

I have learnt my lesson though.

Bonjour?

Having spent most of my childhood growing up in France, I can without a doubt make the statement that "I CAN speak French."  I'm sure that most of you are familiar with the quaint French Cafe, La Madeleine.  If not, well it's a so called French restaurant that serves so called French food.  As I walked through the door I was greeted by a hostess with the welcoming phrase "Bonjour, et bienvenue a La Madeleine," (translation: hi, and welcome to La Madeleine).  I was so impressed and eager to practice my French, although her Texan accent would have probably come under scrutiny if she had said that in France.  Nevertheless, I decided to reciprocate her warm greeting with "merci beaucoup madame" (translation: thank you so much miss), only to be given a puzzled and blank glare in return.  Confused by the whole situation - the atmosphere started to get slightly awkward as I stared at her and she stared back at me - I quickly decided to move along and sit down.  When the food eventually arrived, another French phrase was used "bon appetite" (translation: have a good meal), I decided to test the water one more time "Monsieur est ce que vous avez du sel? (translation: excuse me sir, do you have any salt?).  Once again, a blank expression took over his face as he jittered around not knowing what to do - this was completely hopeless.  I decided to shut up, and eat my food satisfied with the conclusion that "fake" sells, it just has to be presented in the right way.  If people are unaware/uneducated on the matter it is really easy to mislead and misinform.

So, the moral of the story - don't believe everything you hear or see.

Modern Fruit

One thing that drives me crazy about the United States is the endless "rubbish" blasted on the TV screens.  The other day, I saw an advert for some "health promoting" company selling "fruit in a tablet." Wait a second, since when did fruit come in tablet form?  The company's "revolutionary" idea was sparked by the fact that cutting fruit is messy, requires cleaning of utensils, chewing with the mouth and preparation time.  To resolve this "horrifying" problem chemicals would need to be placed into capsules, labelled as fruit and sold to the gullible consumers - no mess, all you need is water.  This made me really angry, It appears that humans have become so used to a life of leisure and ease that we are incapable of reaching into the fridge, washing a piece of fruit, opening the mouth, taking a bite, chewing once or twice, swallowing and then cleaning up after ourselves.

But - "what happens if a dribble of juice falls on little Mary-Sue's Roberto Cavalli dress?" - that's not a problem, we have chemicals to get rid of that too.

Everything we eat, wear, drink and inhale is full of man-made artificial chemicals - if this were what we ought to consume then we might as well be robots.  I miss the good old days of running through fields of organic strawberries, letting the juice of ripe watermelons drip down your face in utter contentment and stomach aches from eating too much rhubarb -  I don't think "modern fruit" can compare to this.

Soon we will be consuming all of our meals in the form of tiny capsules.  Sound appealing?  I don't think so.

Like Parents, Like Children

As I busied myself at home, I came to the abrupt conclusion that I am metamorphing into my parents! It all started a couple of days ago when my sister who is currently at high school was getting ready for her homecoming. Like a good sister I asked her around what time she thought she’d be home... ‘I don’t know’ was her answer. Great. So while taking a break from ruthlessly studying for my sociology test, I called my sister, our conversation went something like this, ‘When are you coming home?’

My sister responds, ‘I don’t know...’

“How do you not know, when it looks like the party is thinning out, you know.”

My sister sighs, ‘Well the crowd isn’t thinning and people are still arriving.”

“So around what time will you be home?”

“I don’t know, I’ll call you later.”

I wait. I study. I drink some tea. My mother goes to bed, she doesn’t seem too worried. I wait. I study. I drink more tea and then I pick up my phone. “Where are you?”

My sister responds, “I’m at a rave.”

“A rave? I thought you were at homecoming!”

“We were but we are now at the after party.”

I was getting really annoyed. So after those lovely phone calls, I realised that I had started using words like ‘old chap’ ‘cheery’ and ‘dashing young man,’ and had no idea where I had picked such vocabulary up. I have started bringing up the weather in every conversation, I talk about the younger generation with disdain and I have started changing my programmed radio stations to sad, 60’s songs. What is happening? After some research, it comes down to this. All human beings start life as a baby and ultimately die as babies, when we are unable to do simple tasks without aid; well we are turning into our parents. Simple as that. *rubs hands together* Oh I can’t wait to set my sister a curfew!

A word through images...

If you put all of these in a ziploc bag, shake them all up, and then pour onto my face, I'll feel like I'm at the beach.