http://www.slate.com/id/2292303
Wow, Donald, congratulations. If you do decide to run for the presidency at least you can use this as proof that you CAN get things done, in comparison to the equally efficient way you manage your hotels and properties. Oh wait...
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/birth-certificate.pdf
I think it's weird to have such a private document floating around the internet, accessible by anyone, but I guess when you're the President of the US nothing escapes the public eye.
Now that the "birthers" can't harp on this issue, what's going to be the next target of attack? The citizenship status of Obama's dad? His qualifications to attend Ivy League institutions? Idiots.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Beyond Food, Water, and Oxygen
What We Really Need « Thought Catalog
I heard today that all animals need social inclusion, or else they will die. We are no exception.
I heard today that all animals need social inclusion, or else they will die. We are no exception.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Fiery Slumber
"Depending on the context of your dream, to see fire in your dream can symbolize destruction, passion, desire, illumination, purification, transformation, enlightenment, or anger. It may suggest that something old is passing and something new is entering into your life. Your thoughts and views are changing. In particular, if the fire is under control or contained in one area, then it is a metaphor of your own internal fire and inner transformation. The dream may be a metaphor for someone who is "fiery". It represents your drive, motivation, and creative energy. Alternatively, the dream may be warning you of your dangerous or risky activities. You are literally "playing with fire".
To dream that you are being burned by fire, indicates that your temper is getting out of control. Some issue or situation is burning you up inside.
To dream that a house is on fire, indicates that you need to undergo some transformation. If you have recurring dreams of your family house on fire, then it suggests that you are still not ready for the change or that you are fighting against the change. Alternatively, it highlights passion and the love of those around you.
To dream that you put out a fire, signifies that you will overcome your obstacles in your life through much work and effort. If you are setting a fire to something or even to yourself, then it indicates that you are undergoing some great distress. You are at the brink of desperation and want to destroy something or some aspect of yourself."
-www.dreammoods.com
I took a super long nap today and had a dream that I was watching two people's hair being set on fire. They were doing it to each other. I wanted to stop them but I was on one side of the wall looking out, they were on the other side. Later I went to wash my hands at the sink and fire started coming out of the drain. I almost got burned. It was so vivid.
I love doing these non-scientific analyses on my dreams. After reading the meaning, it seems almost intuitive that it would be what it is.
To dream that you are being burned by fire, indicates that your temper is getting out of control. Some issue or situation is burning you up inside.
To dream that a house is on fire, indicates that you need to undergo some transformation. If you have recurring dreams of your family house on fire, then it suggests that you are still not ready for the change or that you are fighting against the change. Alternatively, it highlights passion and the love of those around you.
To dream that you put out a fire, signifies that you will overcome your obstacles in your life through much work and effort. If you are setting a fire to something or even to yourself, then it indicates that you are undergoing some great distress. You are at the brink of desperation and want to destroy something or some aspect of yourself."
-www.dreammoods.com
I took a super long nap today and had a dream that I was watching two people's hair being set on fire. They were doing it to each other. I wanted to stop them but I was on one side of the wall looking out, they were on the other side. Later I went to wash my hands at the sink and fire started coming out of the drain. I almost got burned. It was so vivid.
I love doing these non-scientific analyses on my dreams. After reading the meaning, it seems almost intuitive that it would be what it is.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Mac, 1. Windows, 0.
Today I was talking to my friend and he commented about how awesome Windows 7 was because it had this built-in search feature where you could type in keywords and the program would look for all the files in your computer that had those terms in it. Before when he owned an older version of Windows he had to download some Google software that had that function because it was not yet part of the OS. I responded by sounding amazed that there would be such a neat little useful function.
Inside I was smugly thinking, yah, my older generation Mac has that as an option on the toolbar too, and it was already a built-in feature without additional software downloads. It's called Spotlight.
Inside I was smugly thinking, yah, my older generation Mac has that as an option on the toolbar too, and it was already a built-in feature without additional software downloads. It's called Spotlight.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Seemingly Mundane, as my Yoga Instructor Says
Should I start taking multivitamins? It seems like a very 25-year-old thing to do, which I soon will be. I feel like the older I get, the more I appreciate my body and want to take care of it. I think it's an awareness I got from doing yoga. When I try seemingly impossible poses it makes me notice things about my body, because I'm staring at like, my toes. Or the veins in my hands. Or noticing my breathing. I'm really glad I have all that, and I want to hold onto it for as long as I can.
Funny, the things you used to take for granted when you were younger suddenly become much more important when you get older. And some of those things are right in front of you.
Funny, the things you used to take for granted when you were younger suddenly become much more important when you get older. And some of those things are right in front of you.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Channeling the Doomsday Prophet
Second massive Southland fish die-off has scientists looking for links
Ahh! Second massive fish die off in a month on the California coast. Could it really be a sign of an impending apocalyptic earthquake? (I'm referring to geologist Jim Berkland's prediction about the "seismic window" and patterns of quakes on the Ring of Fire.) Well, I guess if the big one comes there's nothing we can do about it except run around like chickens with their heads cut off.
I was talking to a friend today and after our conversation I concluded that the best gift I can give someone I care about is an earthquake preparedness kit. (Well, for people living in earthquake zones anyway.) They might think I'm crazy, but if you think about it, I live on a huge fault line. It only takes one huge shake up to destroy everything and devastate lives (knock on wood). So people living in places like Los Angeles really should make a kit for themselves. I know I should for myself, but I am guilty like most other people and just never get around to doing it. We Socaler's just don't think about it because it seems like such a remote concept, that the ground would crack beneath our feet and the roofs above us come tumbling down. I don't really care if the recipient of my gift thinks I'm crazy. If the big one does come one day I hope that person will have my kit in an accessible location and think, wow, I'm so lucky I have this. ULTIMATE told-you-so victory. =D
Ahh! Second massive fish die off in a month on the California coast. Could it really be a sign of an impending apocalyptic earthquake? (I'm referring to geologist Jim Berkland's prediction about the "seismic window" and patterns of quakes on the Ring of Fire.) Well, I guess if the big one comes there's nothing we can do about it except run around like chickens with their heads cut off.
I was talking to a friend today and after our conversation I concluded that the best gift I can give someone I care about is an earthquake preparedness kit. (Well, for people living in earthquake zones anyway.) They might think I'm crazy, but if you think about it, I live on a huge fault line. It only takes one huge shake up to destroy everything and devastate lives (knock on wood). So people living in places like Los Angeles really should make a kit for themselves. I know I should for myself, but I am guilty like most other people and just never get around to doing it. We Socaler's just don't think about it because it seems like such a remote concept, that the ground would crack beneath our feet and the roofs above us come tumbling down. I don't really care if the recipient of my gift thinks I'm crazy. If the big one does come one day I hope that person will have my kit in an accessible location and think, wow, I'm so lucky I have this. ULTIMATE told-you-so victory. =D
Monday, April 18, 2011
Fountain of Youth
You know when you were growing up and you saw all the adults doing cool things that you as a kid weren't allowed to do? Then you would wish you were an adult so you could do things like drive a car, spend money, and stay up late.
Well, adulthood is overrated. Hear that kids?? Stick to being a kid. And if you're a kid who's reading this, know that there are adults out there who are jealous of your life.*
I'd almost give anything to go back to the days where my biggest worry was about how my mom would yell at me because I got sand in my hair again.
I just want to have one day where I can play all day. Haven't had one of those in so long.
The simple days.
*If you're a kid you really shouldn't be reading this.
Well, adulthood is overrated. Hear that kids?? Stick to being a kid. And if you're a kid who's reading this, know that there are adults out there who are jealous of your life.*
I'd almost give anything to go back to the days where my biggest worry was about how my mom would yell at me because I got sand in my hair again.
I just want to have one day where I can play all day. Haven't had one of those in so long.
The simple days.Saturday, April 16, 2011
Nesting Sentiments
I'm watching a dad feed his two labs with his baby strapped to his back. His wife is standing behind him tending to their baby in her front sling. For some reason I look at them and think, I want that life someday.
Apparently the old Asian men are very intrigued as well because they cannot stop staring blatantly, albeit for different reasons.
Apparently the old Asian men are very intrigued as well because they cannot stop staring blatantly, albeit for different reasons.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
A Dummy's Understanding of the US Federal Budget Situation
There’s currently all this buzz about the budget deficit and government shutdowns in the US. I hear it on the radio, I read it in the news, but I have to be entirely truthful and say my understanding of the whole situation is rather superficial. So in an attempt to be an educated citizen, I decided to look into it a bit more, despite knowing I would be taking precious time away from my thesis. I hope it’ll be worth it. I think it will, because what happens to the budget now and in the future will have a huge impact on my generation: as taxpayers, and as recipients of healthcare, social security (if it’s still around by the time we retire), and other potential government benefits.
The Economist released a rather impressing (not to be confused with impressive) visual of the US budget deficit today. The IMF reported this data. Currently it looks like our budget deficit is about 11% of GDP, while gross government debt as a percentage of GDP stands at almost 100 percent. The latter statistic is pretty scary, but I guess when compared to Japan we’re in a much less severe position. On the other hand, the forecast for reducing out deficit to GDP ratio looks rather optimistic. I guess if a solid plan to reduce the deficit is passed and implemented, we can get the ratio down to a little under 8% by next year. But, to use the old cliché, the devil is in the details. I’m more interested in how exactly the deficit will be cut, so I did a little novice research.
Both parties, Democrat and Republican, are adamant about cutting the budget deficit. They just can’t agree on where the cuts should be made. And this is where the groundswell for partisan politics come in, i.e. the finger-wagging and blame-placing. It might help to first look at what our current federal budget looks like.
The creator of this pie chart took the data from the Congressional Budget Office. It is pretty striking that healthcare constitutes almost a quarter of all spending. With social security and defense spending taking up another 2/5 of the federal budget, I’m assuming everything else is lumped under the category of “discretionary spending.” Everything else, as in education, transportation, environment, urban development, veterans’ benefits, state/foreign affairs, etc is under this one category, which constitutes also about 1/5 of the most recent budget spending report. (The percentage has hovered between 12 to 20 percent in recent past years.)
Here’s a link to a nifty little visual the Office of Management and Budget at the White House put out about what the composition of federal spending looks like.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget
So it would make sense to make cuts where it would really make a dent right? I mean, if you’re proposing cutting something that constitutes 1% of the entire budget, that’s like throwing dollars into a trillion-dollar vault. It’s not really going to make a difference, and it won’t aid in the goal of reducing the deficit in the long run.
The next step I took was to see what both parties are proposing cutting. This is the schematic I’ve come to after doing some research. The items are presented in descending order of proposed amount to be cut. In other words, the top of the list is where the largest amount of cuts would be made.
I got this information from respective publications released by the Office of Management and Budget at the White House and the House Budget Committee.
What the Republicans are not cutting, that the Democrats are in favor of, are taxes that were extended to households and individuals during the “Bush tax cut era.” The Republicans are in favor of extending these tax cuts. This is significant because if the tax cuts were allowed to expire it would free up revenue. The counterargument is that these tax cuts are necessary to put more spending power in the hands of Americans and encourage economic growth. If we get our budget in order and eliminate unnecessary spending, argues Republicans, we wouldn’t even be discussing the option of getting rid of tax cuts.
This chart is an oversimplification. Yes, these are the areas that both sides respectively are promoting to cut, but it doesn’t reflect the rationale behind them. Many Republicans are motivated by the need to eliminate “wasteful spending” and “earmarks” (do those buzz words ring to you?), or at least it is claimed. Democrats do not want to make substantial cuts to social spending, so programs like Medicare, Social Security, and education in general are receiving similar levels of funding. Both generally agree that defense spending needs to be kept at similar levels—Democrats are willing to dig a little deeper in favor of cuts.
I’m not a super economist so even after reading about this I’m not sure what to make of it. I’m in favor of spending as long as it goes toward social services that will help average Americans, and I’m willing to use my tax dollars for that purpose. What I don’t have is faith in the unwieldy, politicized bureaucracy to allocate revenue in an efficient way. So Paul Ryan’s plan to reduce the size of the government might address this issue, and if it does then I’m for it. I also agree that the deficit needs to be kept under control, because these levels of spending are unsustainable. And when it comes time to pay back what we owe, chances are that we—this current generation entering the workforce—will all still be alive to see our hard earned dollars going to pay back our creditors. And if we’re all complaining about how high taxes are now…imagine that multiplied by a few times over. It doesn’t take a dummy to realize that in times of economic hardship, the taxpayers always come to the rescue, whether they want to or not. In the meantime, I hope both sides come to a consensus long enough to avoid another government shutdown.
The Economist released a rather impressing (not to be confused with impressive) visual of the US budget deficit today. The IMF reported this data. Currently it looks like our budget deficit is about 11% of GDP, while gross government debt as a percentage of GDP stands at almost 100 percent. The latter statistic is pretty scary, but I guess when compared to Japan we’re in a much less severe position. On the other hand, the forecast for reducing out deficit to GDP ratio looks rather optimistic. I guess if a solid plan to reduce the deficit is passed and implemented, we can get the ratio down to a little under 8% by next year. But, to use the old cliché, the devil is in the details. I’m more interested in how exactly the deficit will be cut, so I did a little novice research.
Both parties, Democrat and Republican, are adamant about cutting the budget deficit. They just can’t agree on where the cuts should be made. And this is where the groundswell for partisan politics come in, i.e. the finger-wagging and blame-placing. It might help to first look at what our current federal budget looks like.
The creator of this pie chart took the data from the Congressional Budget Office. It is pretty striking that healthcare constitutes almost a quarter of all spending. With social security and defense spending taking up another 2/5 of the federal budget, I’m assuming everything else is lumped under the category of “discretionary spending.” Everything else, as in education, transportation, environment, urban development, veterans’ benefits, state/foreign affairs, etc is under this one category, which constitutes also about 1/5 of the most recent budget spending report. (The percentage has hovered between 12 to 20 percent in recent past years.)
Here’s a link to a nifty little visual the Office of Management and Budget at the White House put out about what the composition of federal spending looks like.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget
So it would make sense to make cuts where it would really make a dent right? I mean, if you’re proposing cutting something that constitutes 1% of the entire budget, that’s like throwing dollars into a trillion-dollar vault. It’s not really going to make a difference, and it won’t aid in the goal of reducing the deficit in the long run.
The next step I took was to see what both parties are proposing cutting. This is the schematic I’ve come to after doing some research. The items are presented in descending order of proposed amount to be cut. In other words, the top of the list is where the largest amount of cuts would be made.
I got this information from respective publications released by the Office of Management and Budget at the White House and the House Budget Committee.
What the Republicans are not cutting, that the Democrats are in favor of, are taxes that were extended to households and individuals during the “Bush tax cut era.” The Republicans are in favor of extending these tax cuts. This is significant because if the tax cuts were allowed to expire it would free up revenue. The counterargument is that these tax cuts are necessary to put more spending power in the hands of Americans and encourage economic growth. If we get our budget in order and eliminate unnecessary spending, argues Republicans, we wouldn’t even be discussing the option of getting rid of tax cuts.
This chart is an oversimplification. Yes, these are the areas that both sides respectively are promoting to cut, but it doesn’t reflect the rationale behind them. Many Republicans are motivated by the need to eliminate “wasteful spending” and “earmarks” (do those buzz words ring to you?), or at least it is claimed. Democrats do not want to make substantial cuts to social spending, so programs like Medicare, Social Security, and education in general are receiving similar levels of funding. Both generally agree that defense spending needs to be kept at similar levels—Democrats are willing to dig a little deeper in favor of cuts.
I’m not a super economist so even after reading about this I’m not sure what to make of it. I’m in favor of spending as long as it goes toward social services that will help average Americans, and I’m willing to use my tax dollars for that purpose. What I don’t have is faith in the unwieldy, politicized bureaucracy to allocate revenue in an efficient way. So Paul Ryan’s plan to reduce the size of the government might address this issue, and if it does then I’m for it. I also agree that the deficit needs to be kept under control, because these levels of spending are unsustainable. And when it comes time to pay back what we owe, chances are that we—this current generation entering the workforce—will all still be alive to see our hard earned dollars going to pay back our creditors. And if we’re all complaining about how high taxes are now…imagine that multiplied by a few times over. It doesn’t take a dummy to realize that in times of economic hardship, the taxpayers always come to the rescue, whether they want to or not. In the meantime, I hope both sides come to a consensus long enough to avoid another government shutdown.
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Spice Girls Have Nothing on This
Adele.
Florence and the Machine.
Ellie Goulding.
Imogen Heap.
My recent music tastes have been hit by a wave of British lady-talents. I'm rolling in the deep, in a headlock, and a bit starry eyed.
Florence and the Machine.
Ellie Goulding.
Imogen Heap.
My recent music tastes have been hit by a wave of British lady-talents. I'm rolling in the deep, in a headlock, and a bit starry eyed.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Crossroads
cw
theres really one question u need to ask yourself
will you regret it, if say, u didnt go, and you looked back at this opportunity 10 years from now when ur 35
if the answer is no
then dont go, stay with everything
if its yes
dont let yourself regret things that you have total control of
theres really one question u need to ask yourself
will you regret it, if say, u didnt go, and you looked back at this opportunity 10 years from now when ur 35
if the answer is no
then dont go, stay with everything
if its yes
dont let yourself regret things that you have total control of
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Why I Get Palpitations When I Drive in the 626
Have you seen her?
Have you seen him?
If you have, chances are you have been in the 626--what some Angelenos would informally refer to as the Asian-populated bloc of cities east of Los Angeles proper. It's close to where I grew up. Well, hopefully you don't drive around that area often, because it's enough to turn even the most patient competent driver into a ball of rage. I don't consider myself overly angry on the road, but driving around this area just seems to bring out a completely different side of me. I understand where the stereotype about Asians being bad drivers comes from. And of course I know the fault with all stereotypes is that they do not apply to many of the people they target. Well, don't be all huffy about it until you've had a trial run down Valley Blvd. Then we can reevaluate. And I'm not saying ALL Asians are bad drivers. It's a pretty select demography within the general population--typically the middle-aged, Darth Vader-visor donning (if it's a lady), Toyota/Mercedes-touting Asian that could very well be your mom or my dad. (Actually both my parents probably fall into this group, God bless them). Because of this frustration, I have to succinctly delineate in a blog post why driving in the 626 drives me up the wall. And I am probably not alone.
1. Driving at speeds turtles can probably beat
I will be driving behind said Asian driver where the speed limit is 35, but the perpetrator is going at 20. When I become exasperated and change lanes, I pass them to see a 10-car wide space between them and the car in front. Why must you go so slow?? No wonder there are always traffic jams during the day on weekends and it takes 15 minutes when the real time to get from Point A to Point B is 5 minutes. And when it comes time to make a right turn, they have to start braking about 1000 feet in advance in order to make a turn that is painfully slow.
2. Excessive braking
I hate it when people brake for no apparent reason. I not only feel bad for myself and the cars behind me which now have gotten caught up in the chain effect of having to brake, but I feel bad for the perpetrator's car as well. All that braking must really wear down the pads. Asian drivers seem to do this quite well. Traffic is smooth, there's a green light, and then...BRAKE! Few minutes later...BRAKE! Again! Wtf man. You don't NEED to worry about hitting the car in front of you when they're like a block away and traffic is flowing.
3. Stopping in the middle of the road/lane/parking lot without probable cause
Err. This one really annoys me. Go right. Go left. Go straight. Do not, for goodness sake, STOP in the middle of the road and become confused. Pull over if you are lost. Do not risk a traffic accident by stopping without signal. Do not stop in the middle of the parking lot trying to decide where to go. When a lane is coned off for construction purposes, do not stop in the lane next to it trying to get in. It will not happen!
4. Inconsiderate parking
What is this? Why do I see it so much in parking lots driving in the 626? When did marked spaces not mean anything anymore? This especially makes me want to have an aneurysm when it is the only open space left in the entire parking lot. And I can't park in it. Because someone decided to invade the space next to them.
I rarely experience this anywhere else I drive in LA. Sure, there are traffic jams--LA is one of the top dogs when it comes to ugly traffic--but that's because it's a legitimate jam. Too many cars, too many drivers. The traffic jams in the 626 are a whole different monster. They're totally preventable! Sure, there is a lack of parking. But that's because there is just more demand than supply. Not the case here.
I feel a lot better venting. Driving in the 626 will probably shorten my life span in the long run, but at least the awesome food there is worth the sacrifice.
Have you seen him?
If you have, chances are you have been in the 626--what some Angelenos would informally refer to as the Asian-populated bloc of cities east of Los Angeles proper. It's close to where I grew up. Well, hopefully you don't drive around that area often, because it's enough to turn even the most patient competent driver into a ball of rage. I don't consider myself overly angry on the road, but driving around this area just seems to bring out a completely different side of me. I understand where the stereotype about Asians being bad drivers comes from. And of course I know the fault with all stereotypes is that they do not apply to many of the people they target. Well, don't be all huffy about it until you've had a trial run down Valley Blvd. Then we can reevaluate. And I'm not saying ALL Asians are bad drivers. It's a pretty select demography within the general population--typically the middle-aged, Darth Vader-visor donning (if it's a lady), Toyota/Mercedes-touting Asian that could very well be your mom or my dad. (Actually both my parents probably fall into this group, God bless them). Because of this frustration, I have to succinctly delineate in a blog post why driving in the 626 drives me up the wall. And I am probably not alone.
1. Driving at speeds turtles can probably beat
I will be driving behind said Asian driver where the speed limit is 35, but the perpetrator is going at 20. When I become exasperated and change lanes, I pass them to see a 10-car wide space between them and the car in front. Why must you go so slow?? No wonder there are always traffic jams during the day on weekends and it takes 15 minutes when the real time to get from Point A to Point B is 5 minutes. And when it comes time to make a right turn, they have to start braking about 1000 feet in advance in order to make a turn that is painfully slow.
2. Excessive braking
I hate it when people brake for no apparent reason. I not only feel bad for myself and the cars behind me which now have gotten caught up in the chain effect of having to brake, but I feel bad for the perpetrator's car as well. All that braking must really wear down the pads. Asian drivers seem to do this quite well. Traffic is smooth, there's a green light, and then...BRAKE! Few minutes later...BRAKE! Again! Wtf man. You don't NEED to worry about hitting the car in front of you when they're like a block away and traffic is flowing.
3. Stopping in the middle of the road/lane/parking lot without probable cause
Err. This one really annoys me. Go right. Go left. Go straight. Do not, for goodness sake, STOP in the middle of the road and become confused. Pull over if you are lost. Do not risk a traffic accident by stopping without signal. Do not stop in the middle of the parking lot trying to decide where to go. When a lane is coned off for construction purposes, do not stop in the lane next to it trying to get in. It will not happen!
4. Inconsiderate parking
What is this? Why do I see it so much in parking lots driving in the 626? When did marked spaces not mean anything anymore? This especially makes me want to have an aneurysm when it is the only open space left in the entire parking lot. And I can't park in it. Because someone decided to invade the space next to them.
I rarely experience this anywhere else I drive in LA. Sure, there are traffic jams--LA is one of the top dogs when it comes to ugly traffic--but that's because it's a legitimate jam. Too many cars, too many drivers. The traffic jams in the 626 are a whole different monster. They're totally preventable! Sure, there is a lack of parking. But that's because there is just more demand than supply. Not the case here.
I feel a lot better venting. Driving in the 626 will probably shorten my life span in the long run, but at least the awesome food there is worth the sacrifice.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Who Knew?
he11o g00dbye14
did you know snookie is ethnically chilean?
and that she's adopted?
11:24
henrywang228
shut the hell up
did you know snookie is ethnically chilean?
and that she's adopted?
11:24
henrywang228
shut the hell up
Some Things I Found
Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment. Girls, you know those split ends that are just horribly ugly and make the tips of your hair feel and look like straw? This product doesn't undo split ends (I don't think there is legitimately an existing product that does that) but it does moisturize your hair to the degree that it might be illegal. In other words, the formula is awesome. It is so thick in consistency. When you slather it on, it literally feels like your hair is being coated in paste; you can feel it weighing down on your head. Afterward my hair felt like all the stiffness had been taken out of it. Incredibly soft. It's supposed to be made with an all-natural oil ingredient found in the nuts of trees in South American rainforests. I think it's pretty awesome, and if it can save my hair then everyone has hope!
Another thing I have to comment on is the smell. It might smell gross to some people (understandably), but I love it. I can't really describe it. Sugary, with a smoky effect. When I inhale it the first thing I think is, organic. Earthy.
Patron Coffee Liqueur Tequila. Leafing through a magazine today and discovered this. How long has it been on the market? Coffee? I like. Tequila? My hard liquor of choice. I wonder what happens when the two are mixed. The high I get from caffeine and boldness I get from alcohol might be a deadly combination.
I've been realizing that my life hasn't ended without Facebook. Maybe it wasn't as integral a part of my life as I thought? I wonder if it would be a drastic move to stay permanently away from the social network...
Thursday, April 7, 2011
New York Times Lens Project: Carolyn Drake and Xinjiang
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/04/in-xinjiang-exploring-a-changing-story/
Another amazing photographic project. Carolyn Drake traveled through Central Asia and Xinjiang and documented part of her latter trip here. The photos that struck me the most were the ones showing demolitions of Kashgar. Literally, an entire culture is being wiped out within China's borders. When I was in Shanghai, there were a chain of Lanzhou restaurants run by ethnic Uyghurs who had traveled to the city from their hometowns. It's indicative of a broader trend that's happening in Xinjiang--human migration out of the area to more sustainable economic opportunities in China's booming regions. They're leaving behind their homes, their way of life, their cultural roots, because life in Shanghai and the urban centers are much different. By the time I am able to travel to West China (if I can get past all the government-imposed travel restrictions), there will be no Xinjiang as we currently know it.
Another amazing photographic project. Carolyn Drake traveled through Central Asia and Xinjiang and documented part of her latter trip here. The photos that struck me the most were the ones showing demolitions of Kashgar. Literally, an entire culture is being wiped out within China's borders. When I was in Shanghai, there were a chain of Lanzhou restaurants run by ethnic Uyghurs who had traveled to the city from their hometowns. It's indicative of a broader trend that's happening in Xinjiang--human migration out of the area to more sustainable economic opportunities in China's booming regions. They're leaving behind their homes, their way of life, their cultural roots, because life in Shanghai and the urban centers are much different. By the time I am able to travel to West China (if I can get past all the government-imposed travel restrictions), there will be no Xinjiang as we currently know it.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Me and the Kitchen
Err...I have a little embarrassing confession to make about myself, so quick post before I begin my night reading. I had a great, great meal with friends tonight. The company was awesome, but the part that really amazed me was how yummy the meal was. We had Thai green curry with chicken, eggplant, and bamboo shoots, a Chinese broccoli and mushroom dish, and ground pork sauteed with chili peppers. Everything was perfectly flavored. In my mind, I couldn't get over how tender the chicken was. And it was home cooked.
By a guy.
In my life, I think I am incredibly blessed with males who can cook really well. There's my dad, who used to be a professional chef. My ex-boyfriends were culinary talents. A good number of my guy friends range from being decent to amazing cooks. So I'm really lucky because sometimes I'll reap the benefits of being able to eat whatever they make. And then, it makes me realize how incompetent I am. Out of a combination of not living on my own enough and having enough time to improve my cooking skills, plus I guess just being impressively horrible naturally, I can't cook to save my life. [Refer to my cooking fiasco in a previous post.] And being surrounded by guys who are such good cooks highlight my sense of inferiority. In no way do I think that because I am female that I should be a good cook, but it's a skill I feel is necessary to have for many reasons.
The problem is, I don't know if there's hope for me. Based on past experience, it's going to take a lot of learning and patience...-_____-
By a guy.
In my life, I think I am incredibly blessed with males who can cook really well. There's my dad, who used to be a professional chef. My ex-boyfriends were culinary talents. A good number of my guy friends range from being decent to amazing cooks. So I'm really lucky because sometimes I'll reap the benefits of being able to eat whatever they make. And then, it makes me realize how incompetent I am. Out of a combination of not living on my own enough and having enough time to improve my cooking skills, plus I guess just being impressively horrible naturally, I can't cook to save my life. [Refer to my cooking fiasco in a previous post.] And being surrounded by guys who are such good cooks highlight my sense of inferiority. In no way do I think that because I am female that I should be a good cook, but it's a skill I feel is necessary to have for many reasons.
The problem is, I don't know if there's hope for me. Based on past experience, it's going to take a lot of learning and patience...-_____-
Monday, April 4, 2011
She Said What?
http://thoughtcatalog.com/2011/the-funny-thing-about-the-slutwalk-feminism/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ThoughtCatalog+%28Thought+Catalog%29
This makes me really mad. Mad as in I am about to go Incredible Hulk. What disappoints me even more is that the piece was written by a woman. If women cannot even stand as one to fight for their entitlements, then what hope do we have? That's the inherent problem with women--it's so much easier to turn against one another than to find ways to relate to each other. I still can't decide if it's structural or innate. Ok, but that's for another post.
The mentality exemplified in this piece is exactly what is wrong with our society, our patriarchal, misogynistic, un-progressive, imbalanced society. It makes me so mad whenever people say that women are to blame for the way they dress. That they were asking for uninvited behavior when they decided to wear revealing clothing. Are they idiots? It completely displaces the blame onto the victims and affirms the admissibility of disgusting, slimy behavior--from cat-calling to rape. You cannot characterize a rapist as someone who was compelled to act due to external circumstances. Even the lowest life form knows it is morally reprehensible to cause harm to someone else. Perpetrators are completely guilty for what they have done. Do not try to tell me the woman deserved to be assaulted because of the way she dressed. Well, continue this line of argument and why don't we just completely absolve the perpetrators of all wrongdoing? Women certainly do not think, oh, I wonder if wearing this will get me attacked, when they are looking through their wardrobe and trying to decide what to wear. Women dress the way they do for a number of reasons, and none of them entail inviting harm to themselves. I can't list all of the reasons because every woman is different, but I can say that I absolutely always dress the way I do because it brings me confidence, it fits the social setting, and because sometimes I just want to look damn hot. None of those reasons remotely ask for a male to hit on me.
In a way I am continuing the fallacies of the argument in the piece above, because most slutty dressing does not lead to outcomes as severe as rape. I don't have the exact figures but I'm pretty sure most rape crimes are caused by someone a woman already knows and less so by complete strangers. Women may get a cat call and a creepy look. And I am not saying that women should not expect that when they dress revealingly. It will happen. But there are those minor annoyances that can be dealt with, and the more serious behavior; for example, groping or inappropriate touching. And really, what I take issue with is people saying, well if you do not want that attention you should not dress that way. Well, fuck you. I should be able to dress the way I want and not out of consideration of how people will respond. Men don't have to, why should I? I shouldn't have to, and saying I have to ignores where the change in attitude should really take place.
What do women get from "protecting" themselves by changing the way they dress? A society that will never see the unforgivability of discriminatory treatment of men and women. A society that condones assaults on women and questions the reasons for such behavior when it should be crystal clear. This post reminded me of a radio piece I heard recently where a New York Times reporter got into some hot water because readers thought he had portrayed the gang rape of an 11-year-old girl in Cleveland, Texas, quite unsympathetically, even laying partial blame on the way she dressed and implying that the victim had caused the crime unto herself. Besides the fact that she is 11 and does not have an inkling of thought as to how vulnerable she was, the other thing with bringing the way she dressed into the equation is that it demonstrates how we as a society assume that if only women changed one little physical thing about themselves, that things would be ok. The problem is definitely structural and a lot more embedded than we would like to think. It's going to take a lot more change than trading in a short skirt for pants to change the way people think about gender relations.
Women should not have to live in fear for their safety and make unnecessary choices based on that. Men don't have to worry about whether their appearance will elicit unwanted behavior, why should women? The hope for a progressive society is to move in a direction that allows both sexes to become increasingly liberated, to live the lives they so freely choose as long as it doesn't harm others.
This Thought Catalog post? Opposite direction.
This makes me really mad. Mad as in I am about to go Incredible Hulk. What disappoints me even more is that the piece was written by a woman. If women cannot even stand as one to fight for their entitlements, then what hope do we have? That's the inherent problem with women--it's so much easier to turn against one another than to find ways to relate to each other. I still can't decide if it's structural or innate. Ok, but that's for another post.
The mentality exemplified in this piece is exactly what is wrong with our society, our patriarchal, misogynistic, un-progressive, imbalanced society. It makes me so mad whenever people say that women are to blame for the way they dress. That they were asking for uninvited behavior when they decided to wear revealing clothing. Are they idiots? It completely displaces the blame onto the victims and affirms the admissibility of disgusting, slimy behavior--from cat-calling to rape. You cannot characterize a rapist as someone who was compelled to act due to external circumstances. Even the lowest life form knows it is morally reprehensible to cause harm to someone else. Perpetrators are completely guilty for what they have done. Do not try to tell me the woman deserved to be assaulted because of the way she dressed. Well, continue this line of argument and why don't we just completely absolve the perpetrators of all wrongdoing? Women certainly do not think, oh, I wonder if wearing this will get me attacked, when they are looking through their wardrobe and trying to decide what to wear. Women dress the way they do for a number of reasons, and none of them entail inviting harm to themselves. I can't list all of the reasons because every woman is different, but I can say that I absolutely always dress the way I do because it brings me confidence, it fits the social setting, and because sometimes I just want to look damn hot. None of those reasons remotely ask for a male to hit on me.
In a way I am continuing the fallacies of the argument in the piece above, because most slutty dressing does not lead to outcomes as severe as rape. I don't have the exact figures but I'm pretty sure most rape crimes are caused by someone a woman already knows and less so by complete strangers. Women may get a cat call and a creepy look. And I am not saying that women should not expect that when they dress revealingly. It will happen. But there are those minor annoyances that can be dealt with, and the more serious behavior; for example, groping or inappropriate touching. And really, what I take issue with is people saying, well if you do not want that attention you should not dress that way. Well, fuck you. I should be able to dress the way I want and not out of consideration of how people will respond. Men don't have to, why should I? I shouldn't have to, and saying I have to ignores where the change in attitude should really take place.
What do women get from "protecting" themselves by changing the way they dress? A society that will never see the unforgivability of discriminatory treatment of men and women. A society that condones assaults on women and questions the reasons for such behavior when it should be crystal clear. This post reminded me of a radio piece I heard recently where a New York Times reporter got into some hot water because readers thought he had portrayed the gang rape of an 11-year-old girl in Cleveland, Texas, quite unsympathetically, even laying partial blame on the way she dressed and implying that the victim had caused the crime unto herself. Besides the fact that she is 11 and does not have an inkling of thought as to how vulnerable she was, the other thing with bringing the way she dressed into the equation is that it demonstrates how we as a society assume that if only women changed one little physical thing about themselves, that things would be ok. The problem is definitely structural and a lot more embedded than we would like to think. It's going to take a lot more change than trading in a short skirt for pants to change the way people think about gender relations.
Women should not have to live in fear for their safety and make unnecessary choices based on that. Men don't have to worry about whether their appearance will elicit unwanted behavior, why should women? The hope for a progressive society is to move in a direction that allows both sexes to become increasingly liberated, to live the lives they so freely choose as long as it doesn't harm others.
This Thought Catalog post? Opposite direction.
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