Italian Phrase

"You never age at the dinner table"

What Commercials Aren't Aired

Think once you have enough money to air a commerical that you can just air it? Think again. The commercials that are showed on tv are ultimately left up to the networks that show them. For instance, this short ad was rejected by numerous tv networks.

To view the ad click here.

The ad is very short, about 10 seconds long, and shows a man eating a hamburger and fries. The ad ends by saying that 52% of the calories of a BigMac come from fat, which the man then puts down the hamburger.

To hear the response about rejecting the ad from one of the networks, MTV, use the same link and then click on “MTV” under “Rejections”. You can also hear more rejections from other TV networks from the link.

As you can see, the ad is harmless and would actually be beneficial things: such as education, better ways to live, positive culture, and reliable information. People would be much better off and smarter! So why don’t TV networks show commercials like this? Well, it might be beneficial for the public to hear these things, but it is murder for big corporations. For example, this ad tells an interesting fact that would better the health of a lot of people. However, the ad also targets McDonald’s food. This shows the direct link between big corporations and what is shown on TV. If TV networks are doing this for the commercials they show, think of what information they provide and don’t provide on their shows. This is especially a big issue in news networks.

For more information go to adbusters.org

Greenpeace Slideshow

Check out these pictures from Greenpeace and learn a little while you're at it.

What-a-Day

Wowwy. What a day, huh? The democrats took control of the House (I think this is a good thing?) Nancy Pelosi is the first woman House leader (about time!). And the big thing-Donald Rumsfeld resigned (yay!). What does this all mean?

Well, I hope that this signifys a good change for America. To be honest, the Democrats and Republicans are really the same thing in the big picture. But, I think this movement is a message to the government that the people of America want a change from the direction we have been going in. I believe this is a good thing.

I hope this means that the democrats and republicans work together in a bipartisan way (and actually get stuff done). This biggest thing I want reformed is the coruption in our government and for the government to remember where they get their power from. I also really want to see the reform between the tight links of big corporations and government.

I hope this signifies change for the better, but as always in American government, we'll see....

My Letter to the President

Dear Mr. President,

I know many things are going on in the world today. However, this does not justify the American government’s ignorance of global warming. Of course it appears that you are concerned with “climate change”, as the Environmental Protection Agency acknowledges it, but what has America really done to help solve this huge problem?
I have just recently moved from Alaska, my birthplace, to Arizona this summer. In no other place are the effects of global warming more apparent than in Alaska. I remember as a child I could hike on Portage Glacier almost from the highway. Now, only a decade or so later, hiking is out of the question and I can’t even see the glacier from the highway (you can see it if you take a boat ride). Our summers have been extremely hot (in Alaska!), oyster farms have closed because the water temperatures have been too warm, the Iditarod’s starting point has had to move even more north due to less snow, polar bears are drowning…the list could go on and on. And although I know the Earth has warmer periods, just like ice ages, I know the majority of this is not due to the Earth’s natural cycles. This is not natural, and it’s common sense if you think about it.
I moved down to Arizona recently, just after the huge floods that affected Tucson and surrounding areas occurred. The road just down from my new house has debris everywhere and I just heard that the county is now qualified for federal aid. With the progression of global warming, floods, droughts, and wildfires, along with other types of storms and disasters, will worsen. This seems to me like it will hurt the government’s budget and the nation’s economy (things you are concerned with).
Although there has been lack of leadership from this administration when it comes to the issue of global warming, the general public has really started taking matters into their own hands. From a historian’s point of view, isn’t it kind of embarrassing to a leader when the people have to start leading the leader (especially on a matter as big as global warming)? It is very difficult for a whole culture and way of life to change without the help of a strong leader, and sadly, that’s what America needs right now if she wants to stop being the world’s biggest consumer and carbon emitter. I think you underestimate the American people and what they think of global warming. I know the American public underestimates itself, as many Americans think other Americans don’t care about global warming, when really they do.
If this administration really is trying to overcome this issue, please let me and the rest of America know, because right now it appears to us that this issue is being ignored. All I see or hear about is the Middle East, especially because of the recent Lebanon and Israel Conflict. My love and prayers go out to Israel and all the innocent in the conflict, but our media can focus on more than one issue. Why isn’t global warming being covered like crazy on the news? I haven’t seen any press conferences pertaining to global warming from the White House for a long time. And I’m not saying if I see a press conference about global warming I will be happy; I want our government to actually do things to solve this problem.
I know the American government is very busy right now, but is it busy with exactly the right things? Does it have its priorities right? I don’t know, so I have to trust you that it is and that you represent the American people well, and with an issue like global warming, the rest of the world as well. Global warming is unlike any other issue, not only in the history of society, but the history of the world. I demand that it be studied more, contemplated more, and focused on more. And not before it is too late, we must work on it immediately.

Sincerely,
A concerned citizen who misses her childhood glaciers,

For the latest news on climate change check out this link...

Amazon River drought, courtesy of National Geographic

Stupid American

So I was sitting outside the other morning, sipping my coffee and enjoying the sun. Aahhhh...It was beautiful and tranquil. And then these really loud people sit at the table next to me (I was at a cafe). Great! To make matters worse...they were really stupid loud people. Even more great. So of course I was listening to their conversation...I suspect the whole cafe was....as you couldn't not listen even if you wanted to.

So they are talking about politics...of course the stupid people have to talk about politics ....and the super skinny lady with her fat-free-skim-milk-half-foam-no-sugar-latte is talking about voting. It went something like this:

"Ya, I never vote for anything but the president. It is just so, like, stupid to vote for anything else. I mean what does a representative-thingy-person even do? ..... I don't go to the polls to vote, ya. I hope I can get, like, a mail in-thingy, you know? It's like a lot more easier. You know? That way I can vote and watch Desperate Housewives at the same time! ha ha ha ha...

Jeeezzz... Are these people for real?! It really scares me that there are people like this. And that these people are voting! First of all, just voting for the President does nothing. The biggest way to get what you want is to start with your local officials and move on up. And not knowing what a representative is? No wonder she only votes for President...atleast she knows what a president is...And voting by mail-in? So you can watch bad sitcoms?!! Urrrr...how lazy can you be?! People in Iraq risked their lives to go vote! And you can't even take a half an hour out of your day to show up at the polls?!!! Stupid, lazy, ignorant American...

I think a lot of Americans don't vote because 1) they take it for granted and 2) they are just stupid... Here's a news special on the stupidity of America's youth...

Limber Strawberries

don't step on me,
i'm already too weak,
my red lips are gone,
solitude is all i seek,
my beauty has faded,
into a suffering pale
it seems all too jaded,
such a short, sad tale.

20/25

and my eyes are getting worse

as my literacy develops

and if i could- i'd take it back

because i'd rather see colors

than read about the Pope and

skim the same old letters

Red Canna by Georgia O'Keeffe c. 1923

Voting

Wow, I just went through this big booklet the voting office sends to inform about the candidates and their positions on issues...And I just realized that no one running for any type of governmental office really represents me...

This sucks. And I was all excited about voting...I suppose I will still vote though. Better to get someone in office that is a million miles away from my ideal than a billion...

Hmmm...for some reason I am kind of shocked. There really isn't any diversity in our electoral candidates. Comparatively they may have some minor differences, but everyone really is very similar. And I can't even vote for the party I want to in my state...(Go Green Party!) It's kind of sad...

The "Evolution" of Beauty

Check this out... it is the production of a billboard sign, starting from a model to the actual advertisement. It is refreshing (and depressing at the same time) to see something like this; it just goes to show how much our culture produces and expects fake beauty.

People of America! Be who you are! Don't give in to Advertisements! If you want to know more about advertisements I would suggest checking out Adbusters, whose link is on my "Recommended Links".

Serpentine

Song by Ani DiFranco, Painting "Standing Against the Serpentine" by Jocelyn Audette

pavlov hits me with more bad news
every time i answer the phone
so i play and i sing and i just let it ring
all day when i'm at home
a defacto choice of macroor microcosmic melancholy
but, baby, any way you slice it i'm thinkin i could just as soon use the time alone
yes, the goons have gone global
and the CEOs are shredding files
and the democrins and the republicrats
are flashing their toothy smiles
and uncle tom is posing for a photo op
with the oval office clan
and uncle sam is rigging cockfights in the promised land
and that knife you stuck in my back is still there
it pinches a little when i sigh and moan
and these days i'm thinkin i could just as soon use the time alone
cuz all the wrong people have the powerof suggestion
and the freedom of the press is meaningless
if nobody asks a question
i mean, causation by definition is such a complex compilation of factors
that to even try to say why
is to oversimplifly
but that's a far cry, isn't it dear?
from acting like you're the only one there
unrepentantly self-centered and unfairenter all suckers scrambling for the scoop
exit mr. eye contact who took his flirt and flew the coop
but whatever
no matter
no fishin trips
no fishin
cuz mamma's officially out of commission
and did i mention
in there
somewhere
did i mention
somewhere
in there
that i traded babe ruth?
yes, i traded the only player that was bigger than the game
and i can't even tell you why cuz you'd think i'm insane
and that's the truth
and the music industry mafia is pimping girl power
sniping off their sharpshooter singles from their styrofoam towers and hip hop is tied up in the back room
with a logo stuffed in its mouth
cuz the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house
but then
i'm getting away from myself
as i get closer and closer to home
and these days i'm thinkin i could just as soon use the time alone
an i must admit
today my inner pessimist seems to have got the best of me
we start out sugared up on kool-aid and manifest destiny
and we memorize all the president's names
like little trained monkeys
and then we're spit into the world
so many spinny-eyed t.v. junkies
incapable of unravelling the military industrial mystery
preemptively pacified with history book
history
and i've been around the world now and i can see this about america
the mind control is steep here, man
the myopia is deep here
and behold
those that try to expose the reality
who really try to realize democracy
are shot with rubber bullets and gassed off the streets
while the global power brokers are kept clean and discreet
behind a wall
behind a moat
and that is all
that's all she wrote
and my heart beats an sss o o o ssscuz folks just couldn't care care care less less less
as long as every day is superbowl sunday
and larger than life women in lingerieare pouting at us from every bus stop
shelovesme shelovesmenot shelovesme shelovesmenot...
and "big government should not stand between a man and his money"cuz "what's good for business is good for the country"
our children still take that lie like communion
the same old line the confederacy used on the union
conjugate liberty into libertarian
and medicate it
associate it with deregulation
privatization
we won't even know we're slaves
on a corporate plantation
somebody say hallelujah!
somebody say damnation!
cuz the profit system follows the path of least resistance
and the path of least resistance is what makes the river crooked
makes it serpentine
capitalism is the devil's wet dream
so just give me my judy garland drugs
and let me get back to work
cuz the empire state buildingis the tallest building in new york
and i always got the feeling
you just liked to hear it fall
off your tongue
but i remember my name
in your mouth
and i don't think i was done
hearing it close to my ear
on a whisper's way to a moan
but pavlov hits me with more bad news every time i answer the phone
so i play and i sing and i just let it ring all day when i'm at home
a defacto choice of macroor microcosmic melancholy
but baby, any way you slice it
i'm thinkin i could just as soon use the time alone

The Idea of Consequentialism

What is consequentialsim?

Consequentialism is an ethical system that supports the idea that the ends justifying the means. This idea basically means that an end product will justify anything you did to get to that end product. For example, the French Revolution killed 1000's of people in order to obtain "democracy". These revolutionists believed in consequentialism, as they believed the slaying of thousands of people was justified because it brought about democracy.

This idea is very important, because from the French Revolution evolved many of the United States' ideas and perspectives.

The idea of consequentialism is a very tricky one. I believe it is usually not a good way to look at the world, because you are basically saying "what's good for us is good". However, there may be extreme times when this is necessary, e.g.- when a unjust government needs to be overthrown or when oppressed people rebel.

However, the idea of consequentialism is not a good policy for the U.S. or any nation (even though it is one of our biggest policies), because we do not use it correctly or in just extreme measures. America uses the policy of consequentialism everyday, creating global problems and saying to the world "we don't care about you! what's good for us is good."

I think it's important to point out though that not all Americans are consequentialists. President Jimmy Carter was not. This idea, the opposite of consequentialism, is called deauntilogical. But enough about terms, what does the U.S. policy of consequentialism mean?

First, I think it is important to note that consequentialism is an idea, a way of thinking, a perspective that many Americans grow up with. It is not just a law or policy clearly written down on paper, but a way of thinking that is embedded into America's culture and minds.

Second, I think it's important to note that this idea is harmful. Yes, it did bring about the French Revolution, but it's a nationalistic idea that doesn't care about the rest of the world or what occurs to get an end result. Consequentialism helps contribute to global problems, such as environemntal destruction, poverty, terrorism, the destruction of peoples, cultures, ways of life, and whole nations...

What can you do about this idea?

You don't have to be a conseqeuntialist! In fact, many Americans are not, as religious and individual thoughts play apart in combating this greedy and selfish idea. Jimmy Carter was a U.S. president and wasn't a consequentialist! Send a message to the government: I do not want consequentialism to be a U.S. policy! The effects of such a policy only cause harm to your nation in the end...

What Aristotle Thought About Money

I could go through the history of capitalism, mentioning Adam Smith and the like, but these are things the majority of people know, something that is often taught as a mandatory class in high school (with good reason, we'll get to that later...)

Well, much to the dismay of world historians, we are going to be taking a "family photo album" approach to the history of capitalism, that is, viewing it as though we are going back from the present to the past, and everything is related to why we are here right now, in the situation we're in.

We will start where most history classes in the U.S. begin- Aristotle. He lived from 384-322 BC and was disturbed by a new idea that was circulating at the time. This idea was a new way of looking at commerce and money. People were starting to invent the idea of money in the place of commodities (things). Aristotle, in the greek tradition of moderation, perceived money as an unnatural necessity of human beings. He believed that humans were born with no real need for money (but with necessities only sustainable to life- like food, shelter, water, and love). He argued that because humans had no real need for money, money could have an endless limit and consume the minds of people. For example, because you have a natural need for food, you know your limits (when you're full), or because you have a natural need for water, you know your limits (when you're quenched). Money, on the other hand, was something entirely different and new. People have no natural need for money- so the limit of money is unclear and unnatural.

Well, obviously Aristotle didn't win over ancient Greece with his argument, as money is extensively present in the world today. However, I think it is important to note this because it represents a time when things were very different. A lot of people look at situations today and assume "it has always been this way", but that is not so. This brings me to my next point:

In learning about global problems it is important overcome your ethnocentric perspectives on the world. Take your head out of your little bubble and look around! As I said earlier, in solving global problems it is essential to think globally, almost as if you could examine the earth like God. It is also important to note that you have to compensate for the lack of background you have in economics, history, or antrhopology. I certainly do not claim to know everything! And while I think it is important to learn about the world around you everyday, it is virtually impossible for any human being to know everything. You certainly do not have to have a master's in economics to understand capitalism and its affects. Another important point is that global problems, though they seem a bijillion miles away from the U.S., impact your life.You are affected by them everyday, either direcctly or indirectly and whether you realize it or not. So, yes, this involves and affects you! The world is a giant sphere of spiderwebs, all entangled and connected to one another.

To Be Continued...

Where Do Global Problems Come From?

Everything causes an effect; this is a universal truth. So what has caused global problems? Where do these problems start, why are they here, and what can we do about them?

The answer lies in learning about the world around us. Education, knowledge, and wisdom are the keys. Yes, it seems like a simple idea...but it's not! Too often, we are consumed in our everyday lives and forget about the big picture. Solving the issues of global problems require the intellect of a God- one that is longterm and insightfull to the world as a whole, collective piece.

So where do most global problems come from?

Well, it can be argued that a majority come from the culture of capitalism (gasp!) Now before you flee this sight because you're in new territory and can't believe what you just read, hang on a moment! Remember, ignorance is not the key. I would like to have an open discussion about the effects of capitalism. I am not saying communism is the right form of an economy (because I do not think it is); I merely want to have a conversation, an exchanging of ideas. Yes, maybe some of them may be new to you, but in no way is it something you have to beleive in. Indeed, challenge these ideas! Challenge everything you hear! It is widely known that throughout America the news cannot be trusted anymore and has even become slanted (on both sides of the spectrum). That is the biggest lesson I have learned- to not just eat things people have shoved down my throat, but to question them and say "what am I eating?" and "why am I eating this?".

Yes, of course, back to the culture of capitalism. I think it is hard for most people to realize or beleive the system we are living in could be the source of many global problems. This is America, they say, the home of the free, the home of the brave.

Well, it was. I beleive in what America stood for when it was founded. I believe people came here to live a life of freedom, liberty, and justice. I see then-America as the last and only chance for the world to have a place where the ancient laws embedded in all of humanity reign free and rejoice.

However, America has turned in this last century. She is not the promise she once was. She is far from what she was founded on. She is far from this idea of a beacon of light in the world, if not the opposite.

Global Problems

There are a number of global problems our world faces today. Just to list a few:
-famine
-poverty
-social conflicts
-gender inequalities
-widespread environmental destruction
-disease

It is baffling for a human mind to think about solving all of these issues, especially in one life time. Are volunteer efforts done in vain? Is there one solution to all of these problems? Will the fight ever stop?

The first step in solving global problems is to identify where they come from and why they are here. Like any other problem, identifying the conflict is the first step to solving it.

The Greatness of Human Existence Still Exists, I Assure You

The greatness of human existence is hard to reckon in today's world, but I assure you it still exists. Amongst the trees and the forests, it flourishes. It lies beneath the ground, mixed with brown and clay, it floats beneath the stars and flys with the winds. Amongst my soul it grows and yearns for more gloriful days. Past the hill I can see it and in my brother's eyes I know it is there. In the roar of a choir, in the climax of the symphony, I can hear it. Sometimes I hear it even louder when I sit silent. I can feel my ancestors. I can imagine what they'd be saying. The beat of the drum plays on. If only I'd listen more. To remeber when we could be prideful. To remember when we had the right. The greatness of humans still exist, I assure you. It is just a little deeper down. Just a little more dirt to dig. But there...at the roots! I can see its true colors! It is brown, but a deep and rich color. One that reminds me of earth or a chocalate I would like to taste. I found its roots. It wasn't that hard. It was just calling, so I dug it up. It was singing because it needed to be heard. And at what a time! thats what people need. to rise to their potential. to be great. to love. those roots were something special, and man, how they sang! they told me stories and sang like angels. They still do. Because it's not lost yet. From the day we were created life had a special meaning. that's what they told me, but I had already known that in my heart. So listen closely. You can feel the greatness of ourselves and the goodness of this world. It still exists, I assure you.