Save the Earth, Do this!

I think generally that consuming and using fewer resources is a good thing. I am afraid of the cost of what a mass-consumption society like the United States has on the Earth. We try to quench our insatiable appetite, but don't relate the societal and environmental costs of such a lifestyle. Where will all the Starbucks cups go once they are used (probably only once)? I think most people know the reality that most of our waste will end up in a landfill or dumped somewhere else. Whenever we buy a product we often don't take into account costs that are not from the price of the product, like the environmental cost of producing the product, maintaining a factory, and pollution. Some people don't look past the monetary cost of a product. The companies don't want to be upfront with it because they don't want customers thinking about it, similar to the idea presented in Food Inc. that large food manufacturers don't want the public thinking about where their food is coming from and extent to which animals are mistreated. The main goal in the recent Green movement, I believe, is to bring awareness to environmental issues, such as pollution, and the ferment demand for alternative products.

Even though Chicago doesn't have a recycling program (at least not in my neighborhood), I began collecting recyclables since freshman year. I am lucky because I have a park across the street which has recycling dumpster from a private company. Because of this, it wasn't such a hassle for me to start recycling. I started to recycle because I felt that things shouldn't be wasted, and if something could be used again, it should be used again instead of just lying in a landfill. Sounds reasonable enough.

Also I love Mother Earth. The numerous wonders and phenomena that occur in nature fascinate me. There is so much diversity and beauty. However, some human activities have challenged the existence of these wonders. Just yesterday in AP Human Geography, I watched a video/documentary about Jane Goodal and her work with chimpanzees in Gombe National Park in Tanzania. The way she described nature, as a peaceful escape from the human world, made me wish that I was back in Africa living simply in nature. Her relationships with the chimpanzees fascinated me because she respected them as individuals. The chimps' environment was being reduced due to human settlements. I don't know what to say about the moral argument of displacing animals for the betterment of humans, but I am sure that the loss of a rich variety of species takes away from the beauty of Earth.

Book to Read

I don't read many books. It's not that I do not want to read. I just don't get anytime, or rather, I don't make time for it. I am interested in certain topics, and I want to go more in-depth in stuff, but my initial excitement for a topic usually wears out. By the time I pick out a book and get time to read it, I usually have something else of interest in my mind. I'm like, "Do I really want to read this? I should probably do something else." I have a To-Read-List and I'm probably never going to get to it. I usually like classics, maybe because everyone else likes them. I usually just come across a book and say, "hmm, that sounds interesting." One book I remember putting on my list is Flatland. It's about a circle who lives in a two dimensional world. Its world is inhabited by other two-dimensional shapes. In the story, the circle meets a sphere who tells the circle that there is whole different world, a three-dimensional world. The book somewhat probes space and time and dimensions. It apparently also is a commentary of the social hierarchy in Victorian culture, according to Wikipedia. I wouldn't know because I didn't read the book. I usually find books when I google a topic that I am interested in. Sooner or later I find a book related to the topic or a book I 've heard about and put it on my To-Read-List, always with that false sense of assuredness that I will get to it.

Invisible Me

Sometimes I just feel so invisible. No one really knows me. I guess this is my fault, my natural shyness. Still, at the times I do want to reach out and be understood and to ask for guidance or support, I don't really find what I am looking for. I go in hoping that this person can understand me and really feel for me, but he/she doesn't, and can I really blame him/her? He/she already has things to care about: his/her life, his/ her friends; so why bother with someone else? It's hard even for me to start really caring for someone who is seeking help. I'm always so worked up over my own life that it's difficult. Even when I feel like giving myself to others, I can never really make a commitment to anyone. I may be able to help with trifling things that are only temporary, and who knows how far one action can go, but I really can't take the effort to understand a person's struggle. Generally, I'm pretty selfish. It is much easier to say "you'll be okay" or some other generic expression than to really help. Sometimes I wish I wasn't this way, but I can't really help it. It is probably irrational to hope for someone else to come and comfort me. I put less faith in others to comfort me and I have to deal with struggle myself.

There are those who do care about me, but to them I also somewhat invisible. There guidance, though it can help me, has been at times geared toward an end result, a destination which they want me to reach. There are definitely expectations placed on me, and though these expectations can be good, for some reason the fact that they are expected of me irritates me. They see their expectations, not me.  

There are times when I feel that I do not know myself, a self-invisibility. I cannot articulate my feelings or know where I am going in life. Sometimes I feel I am being pulled in all different kinds of directions, my soul being torn, each side wanting the entire me. Knowing not which way to go, to whom to listen, or what to do. 

So, as I said at first, no one really knows me; but then again, can anyone really know someone else? We live as separate humans with separate minds. Essentially, we are isolated from each other. It may seem that we are in a "group" when we are "with" other people, but does physical proximity mean we are "together"? Aren't you still the same physical person if you are with people or not? Merely one out of many. 

We Have the Right

We have the right to think, to believe in what we find fit. Basically, we have the right to be humans and to be treated like humans. We have the right not to be stereotyped and generalized. We have the right to be free. We have the right to be treated with respect, unless of course we do something that compromises our respectability. It is a blessing that we live in a society that is relatively free. Individual expression is not as suppressed as it is in other countries in the world. However, in our society there is still at times a lack of transparency with our government, and sometimes information is withheld from the public. How can we make educated choices on who to vote for and how we stando on particular issues if we do not have all the information? Therefore, we should have the right to know what our government is doing, things that directly affect us. We should always be pushing for a fairer society and be pushing for our rights. Our Constitution alleges that all human beings are endowed with certain unalienable rights (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness). We should follow with this tradition of acknowledging everyone's right to live freely and to be treated as human beings.

Movie Review

The Fox and the Hound is not only one of my favorite Disney movies, it is one of my favorite movies in general. I grew up on this movie and I used to watch it as a little kid. However, it didn't strike me as a great and powerful story until a few years ago when I rewatched it. I am not known to cry in many movies, but this is one of those movies for which I could not hold back the tears. There is this one scene that always gets me, that gives me that anguished feeling in my chest, and makes me want to scream angrily aloud about the unfairness of the world. For those of you who have not seen the movie, you probably don't know what I'm talking about, but basically I was angry about how the innocence of the main characters was destroyed because of the environment in which they lived.

We all have to deal with becoming less innocent and childish and free of worries when we get older, but it can also be a painful process. In the beginning of the movie, a fox, Todd, and a hound, Copper, are very young and playful little animals who are the best of friends; however, as the movie goes on, their unbreakable friendship slowly crumbles due to the societal projections about what their relationship should be. Even having been best friends when they were younger, Copper and Todd are told as they grow up that they should be enemies and that friendship was not possible.

What really touched me was how "enemies", the hound being the one who hunts the fox for his hunter, could be friends, and that they were taught to hate each other. They didn't see each other as another animal but rather as a friend. Hate for the other was conditioned into them by their environment. Going beyond the plot of the movie, we can look how it relates to our society, racism being a good example. I wonder if a black baby and a white baby see the other as different kind of people. I am sure they would play with the other just because the wanted a playmate. They would not really care about the color of the other's skin, would they? However, race is something, as they get older, that is taught to them and is a force that tears them apart rather than unifies them. I am not advocating that we should act like children, but it goes to show how their innocence is destroyed and how they don't see forces that would separate us as humans.

Mr. McCarthy's/Chicago's b-day weekend

How fitting it is that Mr. McCarthy and Chicago share the same birthday weekend. I don't know if anyone else noticed but Mr. McCarthy exudes "Chicago". He is truly a Chicagoan. I feel that Mr. McCarthy has experienced what makes Chicago a great city. He seems to be very proud that he is from this city, especially from its south side. I, myself have rarely gone to the south side, and whenever Mr. McCarthy starts talking about "that one place" in the south side I always feel left out. It seems to me that the south side is filled with Chicago culture and that I am missing so much of it. It kind of feels that I've been shielded from this part of the city, and now that it has been introduced to me, I feel like I hardly know anything about it. It is such a large part of Chicago that I guess I won't know much about the city without knowing more of the south side. Anyway, enough about me...Mr. McCarthy seems so schooled in everything "Chicago". He astounded us with his knowledge of Chicago restaurants during our food unit and I am sure that he has more interesting facts that we have yet to hear.

Finally I would like to say.........Happy Birthday, Mr. McCarthy!!! Hopefully as your age grows so will your wisdom. Hope life is treating you well, but not too well. Tell the wife and kids I said hi. I hope they are doing well too.

X is known

One thing that fascinates me about Malcolm X is how he was able to put 100 percent faith in something by outward, exclamatory expression in television broadcasts, campaigns, rallies and then renounce it later. I do give him credit for having the courage to give all his energy into one cause and more credit for acknowledging that his previous beliefs were twisted. After he had ferociously attacked those he had once called "integration-mad negroes" for being puppets of the white man and after he had preached complete isolation from the white man, he himself came to the belief that integration was possible and could be beneficial. Malcolm X is a hypocrite; however, it takes courage to admit one's hypocrisy, so therefore I give credit to Malcolm X for staying true to what he felt was true, even if it was contrary to most of what he had said. But this flip-flopping does lead me to question whether Malcolm X had all the right facts before he went in his tirade against the white man. The obvious answer is no, he didn't. Malcolm X was so passionate to a cause from which he would eventually stray. I always fear about being passionate about something because I am afraid that I will never have the all facts and that I would look like a fool once I found out that I was wrong about something in which I had put so much effort and faith. It would be hard for me to believe blindly like Malcolm X did, but by doing so, he was able to go through a process of examining race relations and finally did get to a better understanding of them.

X marks the spot

The world of Malcolm X is an astonishing place. I certainly have not known a similar place. I feel that his experiences are incredibly different from what I can experience or even imagine. His schooling, not knowing the history of African-Americans, his becoming an adult so quickly, all of it. I am glad that Malcolm X took the time to make an autobiography. I am always interested in why someone was the way he/she was. This autobiography really shows where Malcolm X is coming from. He shows how he, himself, was an ignorant part of the system, a doped up hustler, who barely slept and sometimes barely survived. Many times in the book, Malcolm X looks back at those people in Harlem who were just like him. He would say something like if they put the same effort into education as they did into hustling, and had been given some direction, they could have been successful doctors or lawyers or bankers or whatever.

At its time, I am sure that the book was a "novel" concept or at least had more of an impact than it does today. For example, in the history classes I have taken, I have seen parallels to the "white man is the devil" concept. It is no secret that Europeans have exploited people since they've begun interacting with other peoples. I have also been able to learn about the history of African slaves. Not knowing where he had come from, I don't think Malcolm X could have realized his true self. I believe that your history is something that makes up who you are because it tells you why you are where you are today. It explains so much about you that it would be hard to know yourself without it.

Album/Track review

I Know This Means Something

I would like to say that family means something to me. It is what I was raised from and what nourishes me today. When I have failed or fallen, family has been their to support me. My family has sincerely looked after my well-being. Family has been a big part of my life, and that is why I think it means something to me. But then again, when I say something means something to me, I mean that it will always be a part of me, of who I am. In that context, family may not be something that means something to me because I "couldn't not" see a possible future where family is not a part if who I am. I'm not saying if it is probable, but only that it is possible. But whatever the future holds, family will have formed how I will be, and that can never be taken away from who I am. So then it does mean something to me in that way. It just has always seemed that my family is the only one gives a damn about me, so I am glad for that. When I was first thinking about something that meant something to me, I thought about basketball because it has been my favorite activity and has been a way for me to escape from the real world and just play and be competitive. But when I thought about it, I concluded that it couldn't mean something to me because I felt I "couldn't not" see myself giving it up, and I felt that if something meant something to you, you couldn't give it up. And plus in the future I won't be as nimble as I am now and probably can't play basketball.

The Philosopher King of Chicago

Good Food Review

I went to an Italian restaurant on the corner of Lake and Ogden called La Luce ("Light" in Italian). It was a nice, small place. The walls were lined with memorabilia; it kind of felt like I was in a museum. There was a poster advertising the "Great War", mugshots of Al Capone, what seemed like an old-fashioned piano, and othr miscellaneous items. I was kept nice and warm because there was an old-fashioned furncein the middle of the restaurant.

I order the Homemade Ravioli. I asked the waiter what sauce I should get along with the Ravioli. He tells me that the marinara is good, so I order it. The waiter was a nice fellow. While I was waiting for the Ravioli, he went and talked to the other waiters in Italian. For some reason this made me feel more homely. Language often defines culture, and this made the whole restaurant experience feel more authentic.

The Ravioli was covered with plenty of marinara. The marinara was very flavorful, having the perfect zesty taste to complement the subtle taste of the Ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese. There were about seven large Ravioli. By the end of the meal, I was rather satisfied, especially with the french bread served earlier.

The meal was quite pricey; it was $16.95. I usually don't have meals this expensive, but it actually was one of the least expensive on the menu. Overall, it was a good meal. If you are willing to spend the money, La Luce is a pretty good place to eat.   

King still King?

Does Martin Luther King Jr. hold the prestige and influence as he once did? Ultimately, has his philosophy taken hold as a part of American society, or has it been heard by deaf ears?  There has been considerable change in race relations since Martin Luther King Jr.'s generation, but I think MLK would not think it has been enough. MLK said, "Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him." I think racism has become less external, something that can be physically seen/heard/felt as it was before. It has become less socially acceptable. People still have prejudices, but now they are more likely internalize/suppress them, and it comes out in different ways than before. MLK would still like to strive for removal of hate from our thoughts. During MLK day, I thought about him for a bit. He thought nonviolence was the only way to uplift African Americans. I believe that using aggression and violence can bring about freedom, but I am not sure that it would have been the best way to do so during the Civil Rights Movement. Wouldn't violence create more hate towards the African American communtiy and justify the stereotypes applied to them? It might temporarily bring about liberty, but I am not sure how it will be in the long run. Dr. King had a controversial view that clashed with many other Civil Rights leaders. I think that he believed in true equality between white and black.

I’m a Shoe

Yes, I am a shoe, which means I was probably made in China. I am probably the product of a multinational corporation, going to be sold for much more than the cost of my production. It is truly a wonder how globalization has affected all things in our daily lives, including shoes. I could be a shoe that is made with genuine leather, which means I was made from parts of a cow. This cow probably came from an industrial factory farm owned by a large food corporation housing many cows. Or maybe I am a shoe that has survived some sort of horrible disaster that has wiped out much of humankind and now am the subject of apocalyptic literature.

To be honest I do not know what this blog is supposed to be about...

I can be something that is fashionable or purely utilitarian, just simply covering my user's feet. My soles are there to console, to lessen the impact of the ground. My user's feet smell horrible after one day's worth of work with me on. I get tattered up, but my owner is still loyal to me. I do not get chucked into the trash like my cousins after two years. Having holes and split seams, my owner still loves me, using me when he goes out for a run. Otherwise, I am kept in his cozy closet. But I feel something. I feel like I am slowly biodegrading into the hardwood floor. Soon I will be only a memory...