It's the new year, and I have stuck to my guns in making some changes to my life. The rollercoaster of possibilities wanes down to a gentle river ride, and I'm paddling with the current (pun intended).
Currently, I am on a quest for..
Something within walking distance of my job.
Nothing over the top or expensive.
It'd be nice to include some utilities.
Oh, and also, structurally pleasing- with a decent amount of space for me to enjoy my leisure time.
Sure, the description above is mostly aimed at the apartment I'm searching for- but I also find myself laughing a bit since it reminds me how I also have an ajenda searching for a new guy..
-
A friend at work was successful with the online dating site.. mumble mumble mumble- she's been with her current boyfriend for over a year now. Since I'm ready to hop off the single/casual/scandalous bandwagon and get back into monogomy, she suggested I check it out.
I wasn't sure what to expect.. Online dating always seemed like it was for lonely divorcees, middle-aged men and woman who have gotten past the point of bar hopping and going to clubs, ect. Everyone sees the commercials for various sites- and it seems like they're either trying to scam you or marry you off...
Well, this site- I haddn't seen advertised anywhere. It was designed by Harvard Graduates, and I'll admit they did a pretty nice job. It's casual, has a sense of humor, and uses a math algorithm to match you on Match%, Friend%, and Enemy% based on user generated data. You answer questions, then check which answers you'd accept from others, and how important the question is to you. Presto.. not only does this help guide you toward people with similar lifestyles and interests, but it guides you away from the creeps that can take a decent photo. Every so often the staff will post up silly articles using data... like, apparently most people in Nebraska experience rape fantacies. And there was a gripping article comparing the desire for monogomy based on sexual orientation/gender. I like that they use the site to conduct research while assisting people in finding a partner. Good deal.
To no surprise, there has been a fair share fo good/bad interaction. I try to keep my expectations low. "There has to be a catch, why are they single? why are they dating online?" But, let me look in the mirror at those sentiments. I'm a busy woman. I don't get out much- as most of my friends are in Jersey. AND it's hard to find someone with similar interests as I miander the streets, on a whim, on a chance... on foot.
Recieving some compliments has been nice to reduce my stress levels also. Seriously, if I don't find an apartment soon- I will be homeless come March 1, 2011.
That said... enough typing, I'm back to the interwebs for my search.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Maximum Capacity?
It was a touch over two years ago that I was in the shower (my meditative space), when my mind began reeling with thoughs, ideas, and devastation. The thoughts would not rest in the confines of my mind, so I attempted to explain them through writing- and it turned into a three+ page paper about the taboo overpopulation of the Earth. Some recent thoughts I want to write about urge me to reference this "essay", but it seems hardly fair to do so without posting the older verses first. The below passage has been edited slightly- and is definitally a little scatterbrained, but please follow along with patience.
__________________________________________________________________
Part One: The Standpoint
The definition of vegetarianism seems to vary from person to person. Some will not eat meat, but consume eggs and dairy products since their production is not generally detrimental to the animals. Veganism is the more extreme of this dietary lifestyle, completely eliminating the consumption of animal products.
Keeping that comparison in mind, I have found myself questioning the guidelines of the Christian lifestyle. As far as I am aware, Christians believe that God created this Earth and everything on it, including all forms of life; God loves his creations just the way they are. I have heard the cliche, "It's how God intended," many times, aimed at many different scenarios, and it all seems appropriated following the Christian beliefs I just mentioned.
Now, take that thought and visualize a mother with tears streaming down her face, in a hospital. She kneels beside a bed screaming, "God, please God, save my son! He has a brain tumor! Please, Doctor, please save my son. God, please watch after him and make sure he makes it through this." While it is an emotional moment for this woman as she expresses her devotion to Christianity, she doesn't even seem to realize that she has invalidated the basic principles of such beliefs. As a non-religious person, I'm attempting to look at this objectively. The way it seems to me, this woman would be the "vegetarian" of Christianity. She believes in God's creation and gifts, but resists accepting the facets of life that interfere with her happiness. If her son were to die, the woman would surely accuse God, o at least beg of him, "Why did you take my baby away?!" But the way I see it, God would have also created that tumor in her son's brain.
Some would argue that God also gave man the ability to learn, grow, interact, form society, and accuire knowlege. So if he gave us the means to create modern medicine, it would couteract everything I just mentioned, making the tumor a mere obstical, rather than morbid fate.
In accordance to the idea that God created humans as a species that could grow and change over the years, I would naturally assume that he would give the same rights to all his creations. There is proof everywhere that everything changes. Catfish can breathe above water if they are washed ashore. Plantlife can give off chemicals to naturally ward off impending insects. Viruses can mutate to spread by air rather than touch. The Earth is a living, breathing ecosystem- no exceptions.
Our human bodies need certain balances of nutrients and stimulants to be sustainable. We are naturally equipped with antibodies, white blood cells, and the capability of antioxidant retention. Wether the problem of a broken leg or the comon cold arrises, we are chock-full-o-ways to fix ourselves and survive.
So why not the Earth? The Earth thrives when its elements are working in harmony, the same way our bodies thrive with health and happiness.
Part Two: The View
When people get onto an elevator there is a safe funtioning capacity. If too many people get on to the elevator, or something else is loaded on to add excessive pounds, it can cause the elevator to not funtion properly. In the worst case scenario, the elevator could break, and possibly trap or crush all of those inside it. The implied question at hand reaches far beyond any religious claim, but a phyisical matter. What exactly is the Earth's mamimum capacity?
In the early days, I can assume humans functioned on a similar playing field with all of the other animals in the circle of life. The circle of life encompasses the idea that all creatures have a function on Earth- the life and death cycles. Weather and natural disasters would impact the cycles, but always predictably with the Earth's governing biorhythms- which are determined buy gravitation forces and position in orbit.
In modern times, humans as a while have complicated the Earth's functioning terms. Advances in technology and society have left a thumbprint of more than just pollution. Not only are there more humans than ever- but we also live longer lives. So is the problem that there are too many of us, or that we live longer than intended? Feel free to put it in this perspective:
You have a printer. To print things it needs sheets of 8.5" x 11" paper loaded into it. The printer can hold fifty sheets of paper at any given time. The problem is, you need to print a FIVE BILLION page assignment. The most effective way would be to let the printer print the fifty sheets at a time, refilling regularly with more paper and ink until the task was complete. The least managable method would be to try and load all FIVE BILLION pages into the printer at once... or concoct a Rube Goldberg apparatice to allow for extreme invasions of paper into the printer while it is trying to function, leaving it to run out of ink and burn out of excessive use- possibly exploding.
The vast population is definitally an issue. The more people there are, the more physiolgical needs there are to be fullfilled at any given moment. While such an increase occurs amung the human poplis, food sources are expended among us and the surrounding wildlife. As though that isn't enough, the already extended population is living well beyond eighty years of life- sustainable life decreasing- forcing domains to suffer death of famine.
The Earth has even tried to control the human problem by mutating diseases, or seemingliy created new ones. We conquer allergies to pollon- BAM! allergies to fish. We conquer chlamydia, BAM! HIV and AIDS. We conquer something.. and a thousand variations of cancer sprout up like daisys.
Humans seem to have this idea that we have ascended from the generl circle of life. We want to be special. We want to survive on our own terms. We want control. From an objective, non-humanistic standpoint I can say that our modern society has been reckless and acted more like a paracite to the earth than a functioning creature "of God" (for all the Christians out there).
Part Three: The Vision
Amung all of the innovations science is makng, which I support and respect, I really think that the role we humans play as a part of the Earth should be evaluated and innovated as well. As sad as it is, the only positions left wafting in my mind are to exploit the positions of life and death. When is it acceptable? When is it intended? What effect does it have on the big and small picture? It is easy for small groups of people to covet those around them- but how many "exceptions" is acceptable.
A small start would be to allow safe abortions and discontinue the artificial insemination of women over thirty-five years of age (or in general, since artificial insemination has a high rate of resulting in multiple births *cough*Octo-mom*cough*). Unintended life could facilitate a small step in the direction of becoming a positive role in the ecosystem again. Maybe the next step would be to pull the plug sooner on vegetative life. The step after that could be an impliented maximum family size on a global level.
If the world is to get to the point where it becomes VITAL to basic human survival for there to be less of us, I'm hoping is could be satiated through means other than mindless slaughter, genocide, and war.
The Earth's atmosphere has already changed, It is obvious that it is trying to adapt to all of the damages we have caused. The Earth is trying to fix itself by fighting off its parasite.. Do we really need to fight each other too?
__________________________________________________________________
Maximum Capacity
Part One: The Standpoint
The definition of vegetarianism seems to vary from person to person. Some will not eat meat, but consume eggs and dairy products since their production is not generally detrimental to the animals. Veganism is the more extreme of this dietary lifestyle, completely eliminating the consumption of animal products.
Keeping that comparison in mind, I have found myself questioning the guidelines of the Christian lifestyle. As far as I am aware, Christians believe that God created this Earth and everything on it, including all forms of life; God loves his creations just the way they are. I have heard the cliche, "It's how God intended," many times, aimed at many different scenarios, and it all seems appropriated following the Christian beliefs I just mentioned.
Now, take that thought and visualize a mother with tears streaming down her face, in a hospital. She kneels beside a bed screaming, "God, please God, save my son! He has a brain tumor! Please, Doctor, please save my son. God, please watch after him and make sure he makes it through this." While it is an emotional moment for this woman as she expresses her devotion to Christianity, she doesn't even seem to realize that she has invalidated the basic principles of such beliefs. As a non-religious person, I'm attempting to look at this objectively. The way it seems to me, this woman would be the "vegetarian" of Christianity. She believes in God's creation and gifts, but resists accepting the facets of life that interfere with her happiness. If her son were to die, the woman would surely accuse God, o at least beg of him, "Why did you take my baby away?!" But the way I see it, God would have also created that tumor in her son's brain.
Some would argue that God also gave man the ability to learn, grow, interact, form society, and accuire knowlege. So if he gave us the means to create modern medicine, it would couteract everything I just mentioned, making the tumor a mere obstical, rather than morbid fate.
In accordance to the idea that God created humans as a species that could grow and change over the years, I would naturally assume that he would give the same rights to all his creations. There is proof everywhere that everything changes. Catfish can breathe above water if they are washed ashore. Plantlife can give off chemicals to naturally ward off impending insects. Viruses can mutate to spread by air rather than touch. The Earth is a living, breathing ecosystem- no exceptions.
Our human bodies need certain balances of nutrients and stimulants to be sustainable. We are naturally equipped with antibodies, white blood cells, and the capability of antioxidant retention. Wether the problem of a broken leg or the comon cold arrises, we are chock-full-o-ways to fix ourselves and survive.
So why not the Earth? The Earth thrives when its elements are working in harmony, the same way our bodies thrive with health and happiness.
Part Two: The View
When people get onto an elevator there is a safe funtioning capacity. If too many people get on to the elevator, or something else is loaded on to add excessive pounds, it can cause the elevator to not funtion properly. In the worst case scenario, the elevator could break, and possibly trap or crush all of those inside it. The implied question at hand reaches far beyond any religious claim, but a phyisical matter. What exactly is the Earth's mamimum capacity?
In the early days, I can assume humans functioned on a similar playing field with all of the other animals in the circle of life. The circle of life encompasses the idea that all creatures have a function on Earth- the life and death cycles. Weather and natural disasters would impact the cycles, but always predictably with the Earth's governing biorhythms- which are determined buy gravitation forces and position in orbit.
In modern times, humans as a while have complicated the Earth's functioning terms. Advances in technology and society have left a thumbprint of more than just pollution. Not only are there more humans than ever- but we also live longer lives. So is the problem that there are too many of us, or that we live longer than intended? Feel free to put it in this perspective:
You have a printer. To print things it needs sheets of 8.5" x 11" paper loaded into it. The printer can hold fifty sheets of paper at any given time. The problem is, you need to print a FIVE BILLION page assignment. The most effective way would be to let the printer print the fifty sheets at a time, refilling regularly with more paper and ink until the task was complete. The least managable method would be to try and load all FIVE BILLION pages into the printer at once... or concoct a Rube Goldberg apparatice to allow for extreme invasions of paper into the printer while it is trying to function, leaving it to run out of ink and burn out of excessive use- possibly exploding.
The vast population is definitally an issue. The more people there are, the more physiolgical needs there are to be fullfilled at any given moment. While such an increase occurs amung the human poplis, food sources are expended among us and the surrounding wildlife. As though that isn't enough, the already extended population is living well beyond eighty years of life- sustainable life decreasing- forcing domains to suffer death of famine.
The Earth has even tried to control the human problem by mutating diseases, or seemingliy created new ones. We conquer allergies to pollon- BAM! allergies to fish. We conquer chlamydia, BAM! HIV and AIDS. We conquer something.. and a thousand variations of cancer sprout up like daisys.
Humans seem to have this idea that we have ascended from the generl circle of life. We want to be special. We want to survive on our own terms. We want control. From an objective, non-humanistic standpoint I can say that our modern society has been reckless and acted more like a paracite to the earth than a functioning creature "of God" (for all the Christians out there).
Part Three: The Vision
Amung all of the innovations science is makng, which I support and respect, I really think that the role we humans play as a part of the Earth should be evaluated and innovated as well. As sad as it is, the only positions left wafting in my mind are to exploit the positions of life and death. When is it acceptable? When is it intended? What effect does it have on the big and small picture? It is easy for small groups of people to covet those around them- but how many "exceptions" is acceptable.
A small start would be to allow safe abortions and discontinue the artificial insemination of women over thirty-five years of age (or in general, since artificial insemination has a high rate of resulting in multiple births *cough*Octo-mom*cough*). Unintended life could facilitate a small step in the direction of becoming a positive role in the ecosystem again. Maybe the next step would be to pull the plug sooner on vegetative life. The step after that could be an impliented maximum family size on a global level.
If the world is to get to the point where it becomes VITAL to basic human survival for there to be less of us, I'm hoping is could be satiated through means other than mindless slaughter, genocide, and war.
The Earth's atmosphere has already changed, It is obvious that it is trying to adapt to all of the damages we have caused. The Earth is trying to fix itself by fighting off its parasite.. Do we really need to fight each other too?
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
...toward something else
The new year approaches.. and even though, technically, the only thing that changes is the calander date on January 1st.. it feels like a mental stamp. I always make a resolution.. one that's feasable. This year's is upgrading my life.
It's my mental note of accending beyond some of the immaturity I have allowed to linger in my youth... It's being more organized, budgeting better, and not looking back. I'm even upgrading my relationships. Friends are evaluated and appreciated- no more lying to myself that anyone is more significant than what they are... and any of my rondevoux, are no more. A little self control will go a long way. After a year and a half of being single now, I think I'm ready to get into a new relationship- with zero candidates as of right now. All the same.. no need to let my baggage drag into the new year..
I just want to run away from it, and toward something else.
Be happy :)
It's my mental note of accending beyond some of the immaturity I have allowed to linger in my youth... It's being more organized, budgeting better, and not looking back. I'm even upgrading my relationships. Friends are evaluated and appreciated- no more lying to myself that anyone is more significant than what they are... and any of my rondevoux, are no more. A little self control will go a long way. After a year and a half of being single now, I think I'm ready to get into a new relationship- with zero candidates as of right now. All the same.. no need to let my baggage drag into the new year..
I just want to run away from it, and toward something else.
Be happy :)
Monday, December 20, 2010
"..what do you believe?"
We are in the thick of the holiday season here in the United States. It's supposed to be a time of joy, community love, sharing, sympathy, forgiveness, and fun.. But as with many traditions that start out as a good idea, they somehow get skewed over the years- like a global "telephone game". So Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Birthdays... are all now economically driven- over-capitalized affairs.
And we still love them.
While many cultures celebrate various events- genreally families even add their own variations in. Thanksgiving became my favorite holiday over the years. It wasn't just the food that made it enjoyable.. My blood relatives were always far away- we never really spent holidays together. So, it was in the community which I grew up in that I developed close ties- my extended family.. and for Thanksgiving, more so than the other holidays, it seemed more appropriate for friends and families alike to spend that time together. The entire Highschool football team, it seemed- would play the annual game against our rival team, then return to go house hopping all over town. Friends who didn't have particularly good relationships with their parents would find themselves at my table, and I was always welcome to drop by others. It wasn't the misprecieved celebration of an arrogant historical moment between the hospitality of the Native Americans and the origional Immigrants- no.. I enjoy the holiday spirit, and the idea that everyone can be thankful for what they have... instead of always being bombarded with advertiements and messages telling them to be otherwise dissatisfied with their lives.
Valentines Day.. it is oh so beautiful to celebrate love. Love has inspired poems, books, and babies.. and could probably solve the world's problems if people were so compassionate as to accept it as much as they strive to give it. But unfortunitally, the world is not such a place to foster the delicate emotion on such a scale.. and it is outragiously belittled to be sold as heart shaped everything, bad chocolate with cheap sparkling wine and marked up red roses. Yep, apparently it isn't enough to actually care about someone unconditionally.. sparkly things are required... every year. Or not.. I'd be happy with a smile, a kiss, and some sincerity.. or even romantic love letters like St.Valentine origionally wrote to his true love from the confinds of his jail cell. There's always something special about a handwritten letter- especially in today's digial world. (They don't even teach children to write in script anymore! It's going to be like a foreign language when our generation is elderly... but that viewpoint is a discussion for another day.)
Mother's and Father's Days........ appreciate them everyday, how bout?
and I can't even talk about Christmas.. we all know the mangled mess that tradition has become between the religious symbolism and St.Nicholas adaptation- to a glorious mess of foiled gift wrap, fake trees, and crowded shopping malls.
Actually, this year I even put a twist on my gift giving techniques. It's true- I don't affiliate myself with any religion. The holiday celebrations are more out of habbit than anything else. But I am adimant in my belief that giving gifts should not require an occasion.. and furthermore, should never feel like an obligation. This even includes birthdays in my mind. When I am out and about, if I see something that I know a person would enjoy.. I get it and give it to them. Not only does this give me more gratification.. but the person recieving it is usually that much more excited. ...how many gifts have you gotten over the years from people who don't know you very well, or you could tell just grabbed something last minute, just to get it... and it leaves you with a question mark hanging over your head- mind reeling, "OMG WHAT IS THAT? WHY WOULD ANYONE BUY THIS?" ...that scenario- totally avoidable in my book. Plus, as an added bonus- you don't feel financial stress. Do something nice for people you REALLY care about, when you can- and when your wallet can. *shrug*
Back to my twist- I created a puzzle- to make the process more fun, for me at least. I got a bunch of really awesome stuff over the course of the last few months, nothing I wouldn't gladly buy for myself- and gave the "gift sets" names like: "Be Asian." "Be his sunshine." ..and "Be knocked out." All the names related to the gifts... but don't give away the surprise. So as my puzzle recipiants solved the puzzle, they could get dibbs on whatever gift title appealed most to them... maybe I'm cheesy and lame.. but since it's the time of year people DO exchange gifts, I wanted to switch it up for my own mentallity's sake..
Going back to the comment I made about not affiliating myself with a religion- I feel like more and more people are in my boat. Politicians and religious advocates have hosted statements such as, "a Godless nation", "a land of loose morals and values", "...falling apart".
What's falling apart exaclty? Just becasue I don't believe that the writing in The Holy Bible, The Quaran, The Torrah, or any other manuscript are supreme and just- does not mean I philander the streets with vulgar behavior and dishonesty. I just like to found my personal beliefs on reason. Just as I've said over and over again... I like things to make sense. If any religion made sense to me (though, I am not affluent with the intricacies of all religions).. I'm sure I'd be open to giving it a go. Til then- I'm so neutral, beige looks bold... by affiliation anyway. I do have my own theories about creation and all that jazz.
Well, I guess to sum this up- I'll make mention of New Years. It is the global celebration that recognises the passage of time. Every year brings memories, progress, faiure.. and hope that the next year might be better. I ook forward to the new year. It's a hepful marker in the chroneology of making persona changes to better myself.
What's your resoution?
And we still love them.
While many cultures celebrate various events- genreally families even add their own variations in. Thanksgiving became my favorite holiday over the years. It wasn't just the food that made it enjoyable.. My blood relatives were always far away- we never really spent holidays together. So, it was in the community which I grew up in that I developed close ties- my extended family.. and for Thanksgiving, more so than the other holidays, it seemed more appropriate for friends and families alike to spend that time together. The entire Highschool football team, it seemed- would play the annual game against our rival team, then return to go house hopping all over town. Friends who didn't have particularly good relationships with their parents would find themselves at my table, and I was always welcome to drop by others. It wasn't the misprecieved celebration of an arrogant historical moment between the hospitality of the Native Americans and the origional Immigrants- no.. I enjoy the holiday spirit, and the idea that everyone can be thankful for what they have... instead of always being bombarded with advertiements and messages telling them to be otherwise dissatisfied with their lives.
Valentines Day.. it is oh so beautiful to celebrate love. Love has inspired poems, books, and babies.. and could probably solve the world's problems if people were so compassionate as to accept it as much as they strive to give it. But unfortunitally, the world is not such a place to foster the delicate emotion on such a scale.. and it is outragiously belittled to be sold as heart shaped everything, bad chocolate with cheap sparkling wine and marked up red roses. Yep, apparently it isn't enough to actually care about someone unconditionally.. sparkly things are required... every year. Or not.. I'd be happy with a smile, a kiss, and some sincerity.. or even romantic love letters like St.Valentine origionally wrote to his true love from the confinds of his jail cell. There's always something special about a handwritten letter- especially in today's digial world. (They don't even teach children to write in script anymore! It's going to be like a foreign language when our generation is elderly... but that viewpoint is a discussion for another day.)
Mother's and Father's Days........ appreciate them everyday, how bout?
and I can't even talk about Christmas.. we all know the mangled mess that tradition has become between the religious symbolism and St.Nicholas adaptation- to a glorious mess of foiled gift wrap, fake trees, and crowded shopping malls.
Actually, this year I even put a twist on my gift giving techniques. It's true- I don't affiliate myself with any religion. The holiday celebrations are more out of habbit than anything else. But I am adimant in my belief that giving gifts should not require an occasion.. and furthermore, should never feel like an obligation. This even includes birthdays in my mind. When I am out and about, if I see something that I know a person would enjoy.. I get it and give it to them. Not only does this give me more gratification.. but the person recieving it is usually that much more excited. ...how many gifts have you gotten over the years from people who don't know you very well, or you could tell just grabbed something last minute, just to get it... and it leaves you with a question mark hanging over your head- mind reeling, "OMG WHAT IS THAT? WHY WOULD ANYONE BUY THIS?" ...that scenario- totally avoidable in my book. Plus, as an added bonus- you don't feel financial stress. Do something nice for people you REALLY care about, when you can- and when your wallet can. *shrug*
Back to my twist- I created a puzzle- to make the process more fun, for me at least. I got a bunch of really awesome stuff over the course of the last few months, nothing I wouldn't gladly buy for myself- and gave the "gift sets" names like: "Be Asian." "Be his sunshine." ..and "Be knocked out." All the names related to the gifts... but don't give away the surprise. So as my puzzle recipiants solved the puzzle, they could get dibbs on whatever gift title appealed most to them... maybe I'm cheesy and lame.. but since it's the time of year people DO exchange gifts, I wanted to switch it up for my own mentallity's sake..
Going back to the comment I made about not affiliating myself with a religion- I feel like more and more people are in my boat. Politicians and religious advocates have hosted statements such as, "a Godless nation", "a land of loose morals and values", "...falling apart".
What's falling apart exaclty? Just becasue I don't believe that the writing in The Holy Bible, The Quaran, The Torrah, or any other manuscript are supreme and just- does not mean I philander the streets with vulgar behavior and dishonesty. I just like to found my personal beliefs on reason. Just as I've said over and over again... I like things to make sense. If any religion made sense to me (though, I am not affluent with the intricacies of all religions).. I'm sure I'd be open to giving it a go. Til then- I'm so neutral, beige looks bold... by affiliation anyway. I do have my own theories about creation and all that jazz.
Well, I guess to sum this up- I'll make mention of New Years. It is the global celebration that recognises the passage of time. Every year brings memories, progress, faiure.. and hope that the next year might be better. I ook forward to the new year. It's a hepful marker in the chroneology of making persona changes to better myself.
What's your resoution?
Friday, December 17, 2010
standing on solid ground?
I remember breaking my arm in the fifth grade. I had been skiiing a Big Boulder with my sister and some family friends of ours when physics defeated me- resulting in a radial split. The doctor had to rebreak my arm to set the bone straight. The cast was applied, my wrist bent at a fourty-five degree angle.
After the bone had healed enough for the cast to be removed, I remember the the total conflict and weakness I experienced. My skin was thin, flaky, and yellowed from lack of sunlight. The muscles were weak and shrunken from inactivity. To top it off, no matter how much I willed my wrist and fingers to move within their flexibility, they simly would not respond accordingly- they couldn't beacuse the nerves needed to wake up.. a stuggle of a proccess.
Why am i mentioning this injury? It didn't kill or traumatize me- a fairly common occurance..
...because I wanted to talk about how the planet must feel like a handicapped veteran.
Think about this. We as a species alter the natural habbitat beyond what any other animal does to comfortably live. Sure everyone is becomming more concious about their carbon footprint, more sensitive to our skies, the ozone, and global warming alike. But with all this looking up, I feel everyone has forgotten to look down.
How much of the earths surface is covered in concrete at this point?
Abandoned parking lots, roadways, foundations of buildings, landing strips and so on... and it isn't like we ever retract the alterations we've made once we've decided something is going to exist on that particular patch of surface. And what does this do? It creates a "cast" on the surface of the earth. It blocks sunshine and keeps out the rain and snowmelt which it is so very thirsty for.
And people wonder why buildings and roadways have collapses here and there. Let me make mention of what is hapening beneath your feet. There are underground waterways along with dirt. It's part of the complex drainage system nature provides. When we stop the moisture from penetrating the surface, over a period of time the underground waterway will start to "dry up", leaving a larger pocket of air, rather than a comfortable measure of water ressure which helps maintain the surface. So the weight of the surface can sometimes collapse in on these various pockets of air, causing a slight shift to the ground on which we walk and build.
I live in a city, and frequent others (which seem to be getting larger). I am not saying that our systems of habbitating are completely wrong, but they are somewhat unreasonable as we try to micro-manage the ecosystem.. which I'm pretty sure worked perfectly fine until we decided to run amuck all over it. Even farmland is generally sprayed with pesticides- affecting the insect, animal, and plantlife- poisioning the ground that is beautifully exposed.
I can't even voice a possible solution to help our broken planet.. because like when I had my cast removed- it is easy to imagine that the thirsty ground beneath our abandoned shopping malls and highways is dry and weak. One of the reasons floods are commonplace after the dry season in Africa, is simply because it is difficult for the ground to absorb the water it is exposed to after so long a time without.
In the same way we are making advances in reducing pollution, conserving energy, and utilizing green roofs, and natural energy souces like wind and solar.. I hope we are also looking ro regulate the concrete armor we are bestowing upon the green and blue face of this world.
After the bone had healed enough for the cast to be removed, I remember the the total conflict and weakness I experienced. My skin was thin, flaky, and yellowed from lack of sunlight. The muscles were weak and shrunken from inactivity. To top it off, no matter how much I willed my wrist and fingers to move within their flexibility, they simly would not respond accordingly- they couldn't beacuse the nerves needed to wake up.. a stuggle of a proccess.
Why am i mentioning this injury? It didn't kill or traumatize me- a fairly common occurance..
...because I wanted to talk about how the planet must feel like a handicapped veteran.
Think about this. We as a species alter the natural habbitat beyond what any other animal does to comfortably live. Sure everyone is becomming more concious about their carbon footprint, more sensitive to our skies, the ozone, and global warming alike. But with all this looking up, I feel everyone has forgotten to look down.
How much of the earths surface is covered in concrete at this point?
Abandoned parking lots, roadways, foundations of buildings, landing strips and so on... and it isn't like we ever retract the alterations we've made once we've decided something is going to exist on that particular patch of surface. And what does this do? It creates a "cast" on the surface of the earth. It blocks sunshine and keeps out the rain and snowmelt which it is so very thirsty for.
And people wonder why buildings and roadways have collapses here and there. Let me make mention of what is hapening beneath your feet. There are underground waterways along with dirt. It's part of the complex drainage system nature provides. When we stop the moisture from penetrating the surface, over a period of time the underground waterway will start to "dry up", leaving a larger pocket of air, rather than a comfortable measure of water ressure which helps maintain the surface. So the weight of the surface can sometimes collapse in on these various pockets of air, causing a slight shift to the ground on which we walk and build.
I live in a city, and frequent others (which seem to be getting larger). I am not saying that our systems of habbitating are completely wrong, but they are somewhat unreasonable as we try to micro-manage the ecosystem.. which I'm pretty sure worked perfectly fine until we decided to run amuck all over it. Even farmland is generally sprayed with pesticides- affecting the insect, animal, and plantlife- poisioning the ground that is beautifully exposed.
I can't even voice a possible solution to help our broken planet.. because like when I had my cast removed- it is easy to imagine that the thirsty ground beneath our abandoned shopping malls and highways is dry and weak. One of the reasons floods are commonplace after the dry season in Africa, is simply because it is difficult for the ground to absorb the water it is exposed to after so long a time without.
In the same way we are making advances in reducing pollution, conserving energy, and utilizing green roofs, and natural energy souces like wind and solar.. I hope we are also looking ro regulate the concrete armor we are bestowing upon the green and blue face of this world.
Monday, December 6, 2010
"Sorry.."
I've been noticing it more and more over the last few days, not that it's by any means a new behavior.. I was opening the door to leave the locker room and head to work when another woman, whom was outside of the door on the other side, and about to open the very same door whose knob was grasped in my fingertips- she said, "Sorry," as we both continued on toward our respective destinations.
Sure, I know that in our western culture, it is considered courteous to acknoledge others as we interact. A hand-wave to the safe driver.. a head nod or smile upon eye contact with someone familiar.. a held door- and other pretty general non-verbal conoduct usually makes sense to me.
"Sorry." ...Sorry for what exactly?
I don't follow, and even I am guilty of this verbal tendency. It is inappropriated so often that the apologetic nature of the word is practically left invalidated.
examples:
"I'm sorry, but that bitch totally deserved to fail."
(maybe she did.. but you aren't sorry to admit that... no guilt or remorse)
Two people walking toward one another are faced with the studder step, not sure wether to shift right or left to avoid collision. "Sorry."
(OR.."excuse me".. "pardon" perhaps?.... Both people were equally enrought somewhere. unless shoving was involved of course, it hardly seems needed)
ect.
I guess I really honed in on this since I was sick this past week. I was bedridden for three straight days and without energy to exert, I wound up watching the Korean drama "Bad Boy". It carries the familiar themes of romance, confusion, pots of revenge, family, and monetary status. So seventeen hour-long episodes later, and my mind is reeling in subtitles and eastern culture- where it seems people have more pride and values than Americans do.
Some of their passing phrases were: "Work hard." "Thank you." "How fortunite for you." "This will come of use" "Take care."
It is true, being polite is one thing- but take a week and try to listen for all the misused "I'm sorry"s exchanged among your area. People acknowlege that "I love.." and "I hate" are strong terms, flung too loosely from the lips of many.. but I really think they do not stand as a pair in that category.
In any case.. if it's beyond your control- don't apologise.
If it's another instance.. try to use the correct terminology.
If everyone gets comfortable jsut putting their own meaning on words and phrases, we will lose the meaning of everything to chaotic babble.
Or maybe it's just me.. and I find your wasted time reading this unfortunate. (but I'm not sorry for writing it, lol)
Sure, I know that in our western culture, it is considered courteous to acknoledge others as we interact. A hand-wave to the safe driver.. a head nod or smile upon eye contact with someone familiar.. a held door- and other pretty general non-verbal conoduct usually makes sense to me.
"Sorry." ...Sorry for what exactly?
I don't follow, and even I am guilty of this verbal tendency. It is inappropriated so often that the apologetic nature of the word is practically left invalidated.
examples:
"I'm sorry, but that bitch totally deserved to fail."
(maybe she did.. but you aren't sorry to admit that... no guilt or remorse)
Two people walking toward one another are faced with the studder step, not sure wether to shift right or left to avoid collision. "Sorry."
(OR.."excuse me".. "pardon" perhaps?.... Both people were equally enrought somewhere. unless shoving was involved of course, it hardly seems needed)
ect.
I guess I really honed in on this since I was sick this past week. I was bedridden for three straight days and without energy to exert, I wound up watching the Korean drama "Bad Boy". It carries the familiar themes of romance, confusion, pots of revenge, family, and monetary status. So seventeen hour-long episodes later, and my mind is reeling in subtitles and eastern culture- where it seems people have more pride and values than Americans do.
Some of their passing phrases were: "Work hard." "Thank you." "How fortunite for you." "This will come of use" "Take care."
It is true, being polite is one thing- but take a week and try to listen for all the misused "I'm sorry"s exchanged among your area. People acknowlege that "I love.." and "I hate" are strong terms, flung too loosely from the lips of many.. but I really think they do not stand as a pair in that category.
In any case.. if it's beyond your control- don't apologise.
If it's another instance.. try to use the correct terminology.
If everyone gets comfortable jsut putting their own meaning on words and phrases, we will lose the meaning of everything to chaotic babble.
Or maybe it's just me.. and I find your wasted time reading this unfortunate. (but I'm not sorry for writing it, lol)
Sunday, November 21, 2010
life. unplugged. reconected.
We'll start by stating the obvious: I have ben MIA from my blog for some time (over four months). Now lets get over it and reflect, yeah?
_____________________________________________________________________
Summer. It wasn't a girl, or 500 days of a non-love story. But it was eventful, and thinking back on it leaves questions lingering in the chroneology. There were lots of parties, some drugs, sex, and alchohol... and the inevitable drama which ensues with socialization. I can't count how many disagreements I got into over the summer... but the blood does boil, they say. Somehow I always managed to walk away from the flames with a smile scraped across my face like Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knihgt"- except I survived the Ambien.
Speaking of Ambien- I was proactive in releasing myself from dependency. Some days are better than others, and the same story goes for the nights. The first week was the easiest. My body was generous in keeping the pattern of a normal nights sleep. The third the worst. I was in withdrawl, the baggs under my eyes dragged across my sunkissed cheekbones. Since then, it varries- and I have occasionally given in to the small blue tablets. But compared to popping them every night, I'd consider that progress rather than relapse.
Up in through even the start of September, I was hardly at my Philadelphia abode. Always traveling. working hard. playing harder. Some of my friends forgot I didn't live in New Jersey.
But even with my self-centered perspective on time management- making memories and seducing adventure- on a very serious note, I also came to terms with the emptiness I had inside for the one part of my life which has never felt fully satisfied- the lonely feeling of disconnect from my family.
As with these entire last four months- my perspective has been "Don't just have an idea: DO an idea."
So what does a person who hasn't seen their father's side of the family in seven years do about this? She finds some of them on Facebook, talks a tad, buys a plane ticket and goes back to Ohio for the first time since her Grandmother died. I was able to visit back in October, and it was the happiest I've been in a long time. The plain ticket was by far a superior purchase than anything I have ever paid for in my life. Nothing trumps love. Nothing.
Autumn... blurred by.
Between the undestinct end to the summer, my trip to the buckeye state, my amazing twenty-first birthday, halloween, and two months of not having hot water in my appartment... I just wake up with a dry throat, bundled in my cacoon of blankets almost wondering how I got there. Wondering how Thanksgiving is this week, which means Christmas is like a month away, which means it's already almost a new year...
..which brings me back to the most prominant conumdrum I write about. Where did the time go?
(an idiotic question to ask.. since it IS the most consistant thing that exists)
So much more has gone on that I wont even type about now.. and I prefer it that way. It's been nice to step away from technology, the internet, and even my cell phone somewhat. Spending time doing things, and seeing people, and talking in person, sharing laughter, sharing the constantly fleeting time... That's love.
Let's see what happens this winter, yeah?
_____________________________________________________________________
Summer. It wasn't a girl, or 500 days of a non-love story. But it was eventful, and thinking back on it leaves questions lingering in the chroneology. There were lots of parties, some drugs, sex, and alchohol... and the inevitable drama which ensues with socialization. I can't count how many disagreements I got into over the summer... but the blood does boil, they say. Somehow I always managed to walk away from the flames with a smile scraped across my face like Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knihgt"- except I survived the Ambien.
Speaking of Ambien- I was proactive in releasing myself from dependency. Some days are better than others, and the same story goes for the nights. The first week was the easiest. My body was generous in keeping the pattern of a normal nights sleep. The third the worst. I was in withdrawl, the baggs under my eyes dragged across my sunkissed cheekbones. Since then, it varries- and I have occasionally given in to the small blue tablets. But compared to popping them every night, I'd consider that progress rather than relapse.
Up in through even the start of September, I was hardly at my Philadelphia abode. Always traveling. working hard. playing harder. Some of my friends forgot I didn't live in New Jersey.
But even with my self-centered perspective on time management- making memories and seducing adventure- on a very serious note, I also came to terms with the emptiness I had inside for the one part of my life which has never felt fully satisfied- the lonely feeling of disconnect from my family.
As with these entire last four months- my perspective has been "Don't just have an idea: DO an idea."
So what does a person who hasn't seen their father's side of the family in seven years do about this? She finds some of them on Facebook, talks a tad, buys a plane ticket and goes back to Ohio for the first time since her Grandmother died. I was able to visit back in October, and it was the happiest I've been in a long time. The plain ticket was by far a superior purchase than anything I have ever paid for in my life. Nothing trumps love. Nothing.
Autumn... blurred by.
Between the undestinct end to the summer, my trip to the buckeye state, my amazing twenty-first birthday, halloween, and two months of not having hot water in my appartment... I just wake up with a dry throat, bundled in my cacoon of blankets almost wondering how I got there. Wondering how Thanksgiving is this week, which means Christmas is like a month away, which means it's already almost a new year...
..which brings me back to the most prominant conumdrum I write about. Where did the time go?
(an idiotic question to ask.. since it IS the most consistant thing that exists)
So much more has gone on that I wont even type about now.. and I prefer it that way. It's been nice to step away from technology, the internet, and even my cell phone somewhat. Spending time doing things, and seeing people, and talking in person, sharing laughter, sharing the constantly fleeting time... That's love.
Let's see what happens this winter, yeah?
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