I want to talk about religion today. Specifically Christianity, but all others as well. It's been on my mind a lot this past week, and I would just like to have a general discussion of what I believe, what I don't believe, and how I feel. Feel free to comment about how I'm wrong, what you think I'm right about, how YOU feel, etc.
First of all, I am not a religious person. I don't KNOW what's out there - I don't know if there's a God, or many gods, or a giant tree, or a life as a hedgehog waiting for me when I die. I don't know, but I am not necessarily writing any of these off either. My eyes are open to signs, I'm open to proof in any direction, but as of yet, I haven't seen any.
I have a few major issues with Christianity specifically, and with organized religion as an idea. My issues with Christianity pretty much lie with God - Jesus was a cool guy, he said nice things and did what he could to make things better. God, on the other hand, is kind of a jerk. He's a little like an abusive boyfriend: you can't hang out with any other guys 'cause he's so jealous, he takes credit for the good things that happen but blame the bad stuff on you, and he tells you what to do and if you don't do it, you're screwed. I have issues with worshipping (shut up wiggly red line, I WANT TWO P'S IN THAT WORD) someone who does that kind of stuff. My biggest issue is the "you go to Heaven only if you believe in God" clause. I'm a pretty decent person - am I destined to burn in Hell JUST because I don't blindly believe in God? I don't think that's fair.
I feel like religion used to be a private, personal thing - you had this relationship with God, you prayed and went to church and had that community, and you lived your life in accordance with the Bible (or whatever it is you followed). Nowadays it's shoved in everyone's faces, forced to the foreground. I don't want your beliefs shouted at me as I walk down the street. I don't want to be forced to talk to someone about Jesus every time I step outside my house. That's what you believe, and that's awesome. I don't care. But you don't see me knocking on your door at 7 AM asking if I can tell you why God doesn't exist. I don't force pamphlets into your hands outside the mall detailing why you need to stop believing in Jesus or you'll be abducted by aliens. So you keep your beliefs in your house and your church, I'll keep my non-beliefs to myself, and we'll all be happy.
I'm not bashing anyone's beliefs, by the way. I respect everyone's equally: if I'm in a Christian household, I bow my head for grace; if I'm invited to Passover, I observe all of their traditions; if I were ever around Buddhists or Hindus, I would do my best not to offend them, too. Just because I don't believe doesn't mean I don't respect that you do. But if I respect your belief, I feel it's only fair that you respect my disbelief. Just don't try to convert me and we'll be fine.
Okay, so my issue with organized religion as a whole is this - it seems as though religion has become less and less about God and faith and compassion (which is really what all religions are about, being a good person and loving your God/s), and more and more about who is right. Who cares who's right? If you're a Jew and you think you're the ones who believe the right thing, why does it MATTER if I'm a Hindu and believe the wrong thing? Why does it MATTER, if you're Christian and I'm Buddhist, if I'm not going to Heaven? Why does it MATTER if Heaven doesn't exist, and all the atheists are right? Who really cares? Believe what you believe, do what you think is right, and let everyone else do their own thing. You're not going to force anyone into truly being a Christian, or a Jew, or a Buddhist, or WHATEVER, so just go about your own business. Love God or Allah or Krishna however you want, but LEAVE EVERYONE ELSE ALONE. Stop killing people over whose God is real. Stop attacking people for believing something you don't. I mean, we don't attack people for believing that French is a better language than Spanish, do we? We don't start wars over whether red is a better color than blue. No one has to die over anyone's opinion on Crocs, so why is religion different? If I'm allowed to hate Spanish, love red, and burn a pile of Crocs on my front lawn without a war breaking out, why am I not allowed to be an atheist without starting something? (... for the record, I want to speak both French and Spanish, like both red and blue, and DETEST Crocs. :D)
I just don't understand. I don't understand how some people can call themselves "Christian" while rejecting everything that Jesus Christ taught. I don't understand why these people get to go to Heaven while I'm not good enough. I don't understand why no one can see that all religions are exactly the same at the core - do good things, be a nice person, love your fellow man. And I know that a lot of the religion thing is the relationship with God, which is great and wonderful and I sometimes wish I had that, but that shouldn't be between anyone but you and God. Don't drag me into it hoping to convert me, don't use it to try to prove someone of a different faith "wrong," don't talk about it unasked or without some real reason. Your relationship with God should be private, while the benefits of that relationship should be public - your heart, your soul, your love, your kindness. These are the things we need more of, not arguments over whose God could kick whose God's omnipotent butt.
While we're at it - atheists, QUIT BEING JERKS. There is no reason for you to bash people for believing something YOU don't, either. I know, they started it by preaching to you, but SERIOUSLY. Just quietly don't believe in God, and if someone's offending you by all means speak up, but other than that, just LET IT GO. There's no need to offend people or just generally be mean. Like I said above, you keep your beliefs to yourself, we'll KEEP OUR NON-BELIEFS TO OURSELVES, and everyone will be happy, yeah? YEAH?! (I'm serious. It's just as pointless for an atheist to try to convince a Christian that God doesn't exist as it is the other way around.)
Okay. So this is my religion post. I might have more to say about it sometime, but aside from comments I'm hoping to leave it alone for a while. I don't like to talk about religion. I never want to offend people, but I don't want to be converted. I just don't. I don't want to believe in the Christian version of God, because I don't agree with what he teaches and I can't see any proof that he exists. The minute that changes, I'll let you know.
You want to know what I believe in? The majesty of nature. The mind-blowingness of science. Love of all kinds. The kind of magic that lives in nighttime car rides while blasting the Smiths with the windows down. Family and friends. Connecting to strangers in ways you never expected and creating amazing friendships. Music, how it can touch thousands of people in the same way, and yet differently. Evolution. Saving our planet. Helping people in need. Perhaps some force that helps and guides us, but how we ultimately have a choice. Dumbledore and Harry Potter. People, sometimes, though it's difficult when I watch the news. No day but today - I believe that there is only this, and we need to make it the best we can and improve it for the generations to follow. I don't care what happens after I die as long as I have made my life meaningful, touched someone else's life in a positive way, and hopefully made the world a little bit better for everyone else to live in.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Semi-accomplishment...
So last week I introduced the amazing goal-accomplishment challenge extravaganza. My goals for the week were:
2) Leave Post-Its with happy messages on them everywhere I go this week! -- FAILED
3) Give 10 random people a small present or a card. -- FAILED
44) Tweet a random fact every day. -- MOSTLY WON
31) Go to the gym thrice a week. -- FAILED
EPIIIC FAAAAIIIL. I didn't do any Post-Its or presents, but I Tweeted a fact every day but Friday and Saturday. I didn't go to the gym, but I did walk a lot on Wednesday, so perhaps that counts... buuuut I didn't do it again, so I still failed. D:
GO ME. =/ See, this is why I need this blog! This is why you're here! HELP ME NOT FAIL. I mean, if that's how well I do with stupid, easy tasks like those, HOW AM I EVER GOING TO DO THE BIGGER ONES?!
The next batch of goals will be slightly more important, with slightly longer deadlines. I will still be aiming for the gym three times a week, along with:
18. Learn at least three simple songs on my accordion,
27. Write some letters to the editor of the Sun News,
52. Start learning American Sign Language.
I will have two weeks to complete these three goals (posting some sort of proof, like a video of me playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on the accordion), so on the 7th we will find out if I get to be punished or not. :D The rules still stand for the gym, too - if I don't go to the gym or do some sort of vigorous physical activity AT LEAST TWICE a week, I shall be punished.
Which brings us to the topic of punishment for failing so hard this week! Yaaay. Please leave your suggestions in the comments, and we will vote on the best one. Then I will do it and upload some sort of proof (video, audio, whatevs) and everyone will have a grand laugh at my expense.
In other news, my face got wrocked off this week when I went to see The Parselmouths, The Moaning Myrtles, The Whomping Willows, Justin Finch-Fletchley, The Blibbering Humdingers, and ALL CAPS! :D It was pretty spectacular, and the trip was just generally awesome. <3 YAY HARRY POTTER. I am such a huge nerd. BUT I am okay with that. ^_^
Okay. So. That's about it for now. :D Suggest punishment ideas in the comments please!
2) Leave Post-Its with happy messages on them everywhere I go this week! -- FAILED
3) Give 10 random people a small present or a card. -- FAILED
44) Tweet a random fact every day. -- MOSTLY WON
31) Go to the gym thrice a week. -- FAILED
EPIIIC FAAAAIIIL. I didn't do any Post-Its or presents, but I Tweeted a fact every day but Friday and Saturday. I didn't go to the gym, but I did walk a lot on Wednesday, so perhaps that counts... buuuut I didn't do it again, so I still failed. D:
GO ME. =/ See, this is why I need this blog! This is why you're here! HELP ME NOT FAIL. I mean, if that's how well I do with stupid, easy tasks like those, HOW AM I EVER GOING TO DO THE BIGGER ONES?!
The next batch of goals will be slightly more important, with slightly longer deadlines. I will still be aiming for the gym three times a week, along with:
18. Learn at least three simple songs on my accordion,
27. Write some letters to the editor of the Sun News,
52. Start learning American Sign Language.
I will have two weeks to complete these three goals (posting some sort of proof, like a video of me playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on the accordion), so on the 7th we will find out if I get to be punished or not. :D The rules still stand for the gym, too - if I don't go to the gym or do some sort of vigorous physical activity AT LEAST TWICE a week, I shall be punished.
Which brings us to the topic of punishment for failing so hard this week! Yaaay. Please leave your suggestions in the comments, and we will vote on the best one. Then I will do it and upload some sort of proof (video, audio, whatevs) and everyone will have a grand laugh at my expense.
In other news, my face got wrocked off this week when I went to see The Parselmouths, The Moaning Myrtles, The Whomping Willows, Justin Finch-Fletchley, The Blibbering Humdingers, and ALL CAPS! :D It was pretty spectacular, and the trip was just generally awesome. <3 YAY HARRY POTTER. I am such a huge nerd. BUT I am okay with that. ^_^
Okay. So. That's about it for now. :D Suggest punishment ideas in the comments please!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Look at all these updates! Whooo!
It seems as though they have FINALLY capped the oil leak, and so far it's held up. They said the naked eye could even see the difference within just a few hours or something, so that's encouraging. Too bad it took them EIGHTY-NINE DAYS TO DO THIS. Although, there is "something" seeping near the oil well, but they're not sure what it is yet or if it's an issue. I guess we'll find out pretty soon, huh? It'll either explode and destroy the ocean, or it'll be okay. =/
In less important news, I've caught up with the vlogbrothers! Wooot. And my epic wizard rock concert of awesomesauce is only TWO DAYS AWAY. :DDD I can't even.
Okay, onto REAL business. The challenge thing is going okay so far. I've Tweeted my random facts, but I have yet to give presents or leave Post-Its (I'm planning to do a lot of that on my trip, though) and I haven't yet made it to the gym. BUT. I have tomorrow, then if there's a gym at the hotel, Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, and then Thursday and Friday. So. I can totally make it. :D I'm fairly excited. I know these are silly tasks, but considering a) how I haven't even been able to do half of them yet, b) how weird I am around people, and c) how long I've wanted to do this kind of stuff, I'm okay with starting off with these. The next ones will probably be some sort of real challenge, something I really want to do, and will be more interesting for me to blog about.
Changing subjects! A friend and I are writing a musical based on Twilight, only BETTER. It will very much be a parody, and it will be hilarious, and we will post it on YouTube when we're finished. It's actually going very well. We have a few songs completed, some scenes totally finished, and most of the cast assembled. We're very excited. Except for all the thinking about Twilight we have to do... that part sucks. =/
Anyway, friends, that is all from me tonight. Just a little update on some stuff. Leave me your thoughts, comments, questions, whatevs. I'll probably update Thursday, or maybe Wednesday night, after I get home. There will be many stories, and hopefully some success on the challenge front! :D STAY TUNED. I'M SURE IT WILL BE FASCINATING.
In less important news, I've caught up with the vlogbrothers! Wooot. And my epic wizard rock concert of awesomesauce is only TWO DAYS AWAY. :DDD I can't even.
Okay, onto REAL business. The challenge thing is going okay so far. I've Tweeted my random facts, but I have yet to give presents or leave Post-Its (I'm planning to do a lot of that on my trip, though) and I haven't yet made it to the gym. BUT. I have tomorrow, then if there's a gym at the hotel, Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, and then Thursday and Friday. So. I can totally make it. :D I'm fairly excited. I know these are silly tasks, but considering a) how I haven't even been able to do half of them yet, b) how weird I am around people, and c) how long I've wanted to do this kind of stuff, I'm okay with starting off with these. The next ones will probably be some sort of real challenge, something I really want to do, and will be more interesting for me to blog about.
Changing subjects! A friend and I are writing a musical based on Twilight, only BETTER. It will very much be a parody, and it will be hilarious, and we will post it on YouTube when we're finished. It's actually going very well. We have a few songs completed, some scenes totally finished, and most of the cast assembled. We're very excited. Except for all the thinking about Twilight we have to do... that part sucks. =/
Anyway, friends, that is all from me tonight. Just a little update on some stuff. Leave me your thoughts, comments, questions, whatevs. I'll probably update Thursday, or maybe Wednesday night, after I get home. There will be many stories, and hopefully some success on the challenge front! :D STAY TUNED. I'M SURE IT WILL BE FASCINATING.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Exciting new project! GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENT!
A little over a year ago, I made a list of 102 goals I wanted to accomplish in my life. Some were short-term or of indeterminate deadlines, like learning a new language or finishing at Tech; and some were longer term, like living in NYC for a while or being a vegetarian for a year. After a year, I've crossed off 12 of my goals:
19. Write a speech.
20. Give it!
35. Get my chest tattoo.
39. Protest something.
47. Buy a new car.
50. Be nicer in my day-to-day life.
54. Sow sunshine - plant sunflowers!
55. Take a random road trip.
57. Try Thai food.
67. Dumpster dive!
98. Save a life.
100. Try a new food every month.
So you can see the variety in my goals. There are four languages, three instruments, two sports, two dances, three body mods, and more writing goals than you can shake a stick at. And this would all be well and good except... well, I suck at keeping up with things. This is how it usually goes for me:
DAY ONE OF NEW LIFE-CHANGING GOAL ACHIEVEMENT CHALLENGE!
Me: I'm SO PUMPED for this new goal! My life is going to be TOTALLY AWESOME when I lose weight/write a book in 30 days/learn to play guitar/make a dress/become a vegetarian! I'm totally doing it!
DAY FOUR OF NLCGAC!
Me: I am SO GOOD AT THIS. I've totally stuck to my goals and am going to CHANGE MY LIFE. Whoooo!
DAY FIVE OF NLCGAC!
Me: Whoops, I overslept/am too busy/really wanted a soda/am sick/stupid excuses. Guess I'll start over tomorrow!
DAY SIX OF NLCGAC!
Me: What is the point? Everything I try to do is stupid and I always fail and I can't do anything right. I might as well eat a whole pan of brownies/sleep 18 hours a day/waste my life on YouTube/quit school and my job because I SUCK AND WILL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING.
DAY ONE OF MY FAILURE AT EVERYTHING!
All of my friends and family: So how's that thing you were doing coming along?
Me: ... yeah, I had to quit that.
DAY ONE OF NEW LIFE-CHANGING GOAL ACCOMPLISHING CHALLENGE, FOR REAL THIS TIME!
Me: THIS TIME I'M SERIOUS. I'm going to TOTALLY win! I CAN DO IT!
Et cetera.
So, I'm total crap at accomplishing things, but that was what this summer was supposed to be about - I'm jobless, I'm not in school for three months, I've got all this free time, so I was going to spend it improving myself and doing things to make me happier. And as of halfway through July, I HAVE TOTALLY FAILED. :D Big surprise!
And that, dear bloggy blog, is where you come in. I am going to BLOG MY WAY TO SUCCESS. :D I figure with an audience/people who will be disappointed if I fail, I will have incentive OTHER than me just wanting it to happen. Also, as an added bonus, IF I FAIL, YOU GET TO PUNISH ME! :D If I state a clear goal, like "I want to weigh 30 lbs by July 23" (only more realistic than that, obvs) and I don't win, you, my dear readers, will be able to submit punishments and vote on the ones you like the most. Obviously they will have to be non-lethal, legal things, but humiliating and gross and painful are okay. :D DOESN'T THAT SOUND FUN.
So here's how it's going to work.
* I have 50 goals on my list (I trimmed some from my original list - things like "go to Europe" and "live in NYC for a while," things that are unachievable right now), excluding the two that won't be completed until next summer.
* There are 24 weeks until the end of the year (what?! When did that happen?), so if I can manage to accomplish a few goals every two weeks, because some of them are one-shots ("try Greek food") and some will take some time ("learn some German"), I think I can wipe out all 50 goals.
* I will put deadlines on them, and will update each Saturday to announce the new goals and deadlines, and to report on my progress. Pictures, if applicable, will be provided to prove it, but I am HEREBY SWEARING to tell you the truth. I will not pretend to have accomplished something if I haven't really done it. You have my word. As Gaga is my witness, my hand on the complete Harry Potter series, I will be entirely honest about my success or failure.
* If I fail to reach my goal, be it through laziness or forgetfulness (although if there is some circumstance beyond my control, we will have to come to an agreement about whether I should be punished or if there should be an extension), you may suggest punishments in the comments, and vote on the best one. I will then make a video or take a picture or make a post of whatever the punishment is and upload it to YouTube or this blog for alllll the world to see.
* If I succeed at completing all 50 goals by December 31, 2010... well, something cool will happen. I'll need suggestions on rewards or something awesome to do.
This week's goals will be starting small, and the deadline for the first three is next Saturday:
2) Leave Post-Its with happy messages on them everywhere I go this week! (something I've been wanting to do for a long time, akin to PostSecret, only with happy messages instead of secrets) This will be especially exciting since I am going on a ~*ROAD TRIP*~ this week. :D
3) Give 10 random people a small present or a card. ALSO EXCITING BECAUSE OF THE ~*ROAD TRIP!*~
44) Tweet a random fact every day. (Ongoing, but as long as I do it for a week, this will be counted as complete.) People who don't follow me on Twitter will be able to see my Tweets in the sidebar! <<< It's over there.
31) AND SUPER BONUS GOAL OF ONGOING DOOM: Lose 80 lbs by Halloween, 2010. This will be the big one, the hardest one, the one I most want to accomplish. I think if I manage this, I should get something special. :D We'll see. As far as progress goes, I will be aiming to go to the gym thrice a week and weighing in every Friday night. As far as punishment goes - if I fail to weigh in, no big deal. IF I FAIL TO GO TO THE GYM TWICE, meaning if I only go once a week or don't go at all, I GET PUNISHED. So starting tomorrow, I have to go to the gym three times this week, or next Saturday you guys get to fill the comments with delightful punishments.
SO THAT'S IT! Goals are programmed into my phone to remind me, all the rules are laid out in this uber-long complicated post, and we're off! Leave me your thoughts, feedback, reward ideas, whatever in the comments, and hey - tell your friends/family/coworkers/people in Starbucks/favorite waitress about this! I need all the support I can get, and the more people suggesting punishments, the more fun it will be! So pass the link around, and help me get myself in gear and finally cross some things off this darn list! :D
19. Write a speech.
20. Give it!
35. Get my chest tattoo.
39. Protest something.
47. Buy a new car.
50. Be nicer in my day-to-day life.
54. Sow sunshine - plant sunflowers!
55. Take a random road trip.
57. Try Thai food.
67. Dumpster dive!
98. Save a life.
100. Try a new food every month.
So you can see the variety in my goals. There are four languages, three instruments, two sports, two dances, three body mods, and more writing goals than you can shake a stick at. And this would all be well and good except... well, I suck at keeping up with things. This is how it usually goes for me:
DAY ONE OF NEW LIFE-CHANGING GOAL ACHIEVEMENT CHALLENGE!
Me: I'm SO PUMPED for this new goal! My life is going to be TOTALLY AWESOME when I lose weight/write a book in 30 days/learn to play guitar/make a dress/become a vegetarian! I'm totally doing it!
DAY FOUR OF NLCGAC!
Me: I am SO GOOD AT THIS. I've totally stuck to my goals and am going to CHANGE MY LIFE. Whoooo!
DAY FIVE OF NLCGAC!
Me: Whoops, I overslept/am too busy/really wanted a soda/am sick/stupid excuses. Guess I'll start over tomorrow!
DAY SIX OF NLCGAC!
Me: What is the point? Everything I try to do is stupid and I always fail and I can't do anything right. I might as well eat a whole pan of brownies/sleep 18 hours a day/waste my life on YouTube/quit school and my job because I SUCK AND WILL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING.
DAY ONE OF MY FAILURE AT EVERYTHING!
All of my friends and family: So how's that thing you were doing coming along?
Me: ... yeah, I had to quit that.
DAY ONE OF NEW LIFE-CHANGING GOAL ACCOMPLISHING CHALLENGE, FOR REAL THIS TIME!
Me: THIS TIME I'M SERIOUS. I'm going to TOTALLY win! I CAN DO IT!
Et cetera.
So, I'm total crap at accomplishing things, but that was what this summer was supposed to be about - I'm jobless, I'm not in school for three months, I've got all this free time, so I was going to spend it improving myself and doing things to make me happier. And as of halfway through July, I HAVE TOTALLY FAILED. :D Big surprise!
And that, dear bloggy blog, is where you come in. I am going to BLOG MY WAY TO SUCCESS. :D I figure with an audience/people who will be disappointed if I fail, I will have incentive OTHER than me just wanting it to happen. Also, as an added bonus, IF I FAIL, YOU GET TO PUNISH ME! :D If I state a clear goal, like "I want to weigh 30 lbs by July 23" (only more realistic than that, obvs) and I don't win, you, my dear readers, will be able to submit punishments and vote on the ones you like the most. Obviously they will have to be non-lethal, legal things, but humiliating and gross and painful are okay. :D DOESN'T THAT SOUND FUN.
So here's how it's going to work.
* I have 50 goals on my list (I trimmed some from my original list - things like "go to Europe" and "live in NYC for a while," things that are unachievable right now), excluding the two that won't be completed until next summer.
* There are 24 weeks until the end of the year (what?! When did that happen?), so if I can manage to accomplish a few goals every two weeks, because some of them are one-shots ("try Greek food") and some will take some time ("learn some German"), I think I can wipe out all 50 goals.
* I will put deadlines on them, and will update each Saturday to announce the new goals and deadlines, and to report on my progress. Pictures, if applicable, will be provided to prove it, but I am HEREBY SWEARING to tell you the truth. I will not pretend to have accomplished something if I haven't really done it. You have my word. As Gaga is my witness, my hand on the complete Harry Potter series, I will be entirely honest about my success or failure.
* If I fail to reach my goal, be it through laziness or forgetfulness (although if there is some circumstance beyond my control, we will have to come to an agreement about whether I should be punished or if there should be an extension), you may suggest punishments in the comments, and vote on the best one. I will then make a video or take a picture or make a post of whatever the punishment is and upload it to YouTube or this blog for alllll the world to see.
* If I succeed at completing all 50 goals by December 31, 2010... well, something cool will happen. I'll need suggestions on rewards or something awesome to do.
This week's goals will be starting small, and the deadline for the first three is next Saturday:
2) Leave Post-Its with happy messages on them everywhere I go this week! (something I've been wanting to do for a long time, akin to PostSecret, only with happy messages instead of secrets) This will be especially exciting since I am going on a ~*ROAD TRIP*~ this week. :D
3) Give 10 random people a small present or a card. ALSO EXCITING BECAUSE OF THE ~*ROAD TRIP!*~
44) Tweet a random fact every day. (Ongoing, but as long as I do it for a week, this will be counted as complete.) People who don't follow me on Twitter will be able to see my Tweets in the sidebar! <<< It's over there.
31) AND SUPER BONUS GOAL OF ONGOING DOOM: Lose 80 lbs by Halloween, 2010. This will be the big one, the hardest one, the one I most want to accomplish. I think if I manage this, I should get something special. :D We'll see. As far as progress goes, I will be aiming to go to the gym thrice a week and weighing in every Friday night. As far as punishment goes - if I fail to weigh in, no big deal. IF I FAIL TO GO TO THE GYM TWICE, meaning if I only go once a week or don't go at all, I GET PUNISHED. So starting tomorrow, I have to go to the gym three times this week, or next Saturday you guys get to fill the comments with delightful punishments.
SO THAT'S IT! Goals are programmed into my phone to remind me, all the rules are laid out in this uber-long complicated post, and we're off! Leave me your thoughts, feedback, reward ideas, whatever in the comments, and hey - tell your friends/family/coworkers/people in Starbucks/favorite waitress about this! I need all the support I can get, and the more people suggesting punishments, the more fun it will be! So pass the link around, and help me get myself in gear and finally cross some things off this darn list! :D
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
A month later...
So I'm kind of bad at keeping up with things. :D But I'm back now! And I have three things to talk about!
THING 1: I've recently discovered the vlogbrothers on YouTube, which is the channel shared by YA fiction author John Green (Paper Towns, Looking For Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines) and his brother Hank Green (runs http://www.ecogeek.org, writes occasionally for the NY Times, does other cool things). They have this insane following called the Nerdfighters, who are made of awesome, and one of which I am. :D It is awesome, they are awesome, and it has made my life a lot more awesome since discovering them.
THING 2: The oil spill! Yeah! I've not really been following this very much, but recently I've been thinking more about it. It's TERRIFYING. I do NOT like this situation. It's very scary to think that the actual, honest-to-god END OF THE WORLD may be upon us. And I don't know what we can do to fix it, other than try to suck up the oil that's spewing out and figure out a way to scoop it up off the water. =/ But it's a very distressing situation, and I will be attempting to follow this from now on.
THING 3!: Vegetarianism and the world today! Putting aside the much-discussed issues of animal cruelty and health benefits, consider the resources that go into raising animals for meat. Half of our water supply goes into growing food that we feed to, well, food. It takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce just one pound of meat, and about 20 percent of the world's population, or 1.4 billion people, could be fed with the grain and soybeans fed to U.S. cattle alone (goveg.com). It takes 5,000 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat, while growing 1 pound of wheat only requires 25 gallons. You save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you do by not showering for an entire year (goveg.com). These are some serious numbers. Our resources are limited, and frankly, I kind of think this is a waste.
I like meat. I'm a big fan of ham, burgers, steaks, and especially bacon. I've tried and failed at vegetarianism before, and I'm not saying we should all stop eating meat forever. I'm just saying maybe we could ALL cut back a little. Instead of 1 out of 10 people eating NO meat, what if 10 out of 10 people ate LESS meat? If we could all cut back on our meat intake, maybe just didn't have meat one night a week, or skipped the bacon and sausage at breakfast every day - that would save huge amounts of water and food, plus things like corn that could be used for alternate fuel sources. Not only that, but fewer animals would have to be raised for food, which would mean better living conditions, less land and grass devoted to raising food, and less gas consumed carting the animals back and forth. Not only all of THAT, but we would all be a little healthier.
Vegetarianism is hard, and it's not for everyone. And I know there are people out there who don't see any of these things as problems, and so will refuse to change anything about their habits. Those people probably drive Hummers and use their sprinklers even in thunderstorms and leave all their lights on while they're on vacation elsewhere. BUT, for every ONE of those people, there could be twenty people eating less meat, conserving energy, driving less and walking more, taking shorter showers, and buying locally. There could be, like, three vegetarians for every one of those people. Six bike riders. Four people who have gardens. It doesn't have to be one person doing it all - you can pick an area and go all out, or you can do a little of everything, but as long as you're doing SOMETHING to help our planet, you're helping save the world.
Well, save OUR world. The planet will go on without us - what we're really trying to save is the future of our species. We only have this one world to live on, guys. If we break it, we're going to die out. And with people like the Hummer guys and British Petroleum and the Octomom, I'm afraid that will happen sooner rather than later.
What do you guys think about all of this? Opinions on the oil spill? Arguments for or against full or partial vegetarianism? Leave me your thoughts!
THING 1: I've recently discovered the vlogbrothers on YouTube, which is the channel shared by YA fiction author John Green (Paper Towns, Looking For Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines) and his brother Hank Green (runs http://www.ecogeek.org, writes occasionally for the NY Times, does other cool things). They have this insane following called the Nerdfighters, who are made of awesome, and one of which I am. :D It is awesome, they are awesome, and it has made my life a lot more awesome since discovering them.
THING 2: The oil spill! Yeah! I've not really been following this very much, but recently I've been thinking more about it. It's TERRIFYING. I do NOT like this situation. It's very scary to think that the actual, honest-to-god END OF THE WORLD may be upon us. And I don't know what we can do to fix it, other than try to suck up the oil that's spewing out and figure out a way to scoop it up off the water. =/ But it's a very distressing situation, and I will be attempting to follow this from now on.
THING 3!: Vegetarianism and the world today! Putting aside the much-discussed issues of animal cruelty and health benefits, consider the resources that go into raising animals for meat. Half of our water supply goes into growing food that we feed to, well, food. It takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce just one pound of meat, and about 20 percent of the world's population, or 1.4 billion people, could be fed with the grain and soybeans fed to U.S. cattle alone (goveg.com). It takes 5,000 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat, while growing 1 pound of wheat only requires 25 gallons. You save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you do by not showering for an entire year (goveg.com). These are some serious numbers. Our resources are limited, and frankly, I kind of think this is a waste.
I like meat. I'm a big fan of ham, burgers, steaks, and especially bacon. I've tried and failed at vegetarianism before, and I'm not saying we should all stop eating meat forever. I'm just saying maybe we could ALL cut back a little. Instead of 1 out of 10 people eating NO meat, what if 10 out of 10 people ate LESS meat? If we could all cut back on our meat intake, maybe just didn't have meat one night a week, or skipped the bacon and sausage at breakfast every day - that would save huge amounts of water and food, plus things like corn that could be used for alternate fuel sources. Not only that, but fewer animals would have to be raised for food, which would mean better living conditions, less land and grass devoted to raising food, and less gas consumed carting the animals back and forth. Not only all of THAT, but we would all be a little healthier.
Vegetarianism is hard, and it's not for everyone. And I know there are people out there who don't see any of these things as problems, and so will refuse to change anything about their habits. Those people probably drive Hummers and use their sprinklers even in thunderstorms and leave all their lights on while they're on vacation elsewhere. BUT, for every ONE of those people, there could be twenty people eating less meat, conserving energy, driving less and walking more, taking shorter showers, and buying locally. There could be, like, three vegetarians for every one of those people. Six bike riders. Four people who have gardens. It doesn't have to be one person doing it all - you can pick an area and go all out, or you can do a little of everything, but as long as you're doing SOMETHING to help our planet, you're helping save the world.
Well, save OUR world. The planet will go on without us - what we're really trying to save is the future of our species. We only have this one world to live on, guys. If we break it, we're going to die out. And with people like the Hummer guys and British Petroleum and the Octomom, I'm afraid that will happen sooner rather than later.
What do you guys think about all of this? Opinions on the oil spill? Arguments for or against full or partial vegetarianism? Leave me your thoughts!
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