Movie/TV Poster: Resistance is Futile

Updated Jesus: A Closer Look

Putin on the Ritz

Jesus (Not for sensitive eyes)

Movie/TV Poster: Jurassic Park

Movie/TV Poster: Wilfred

Movie/TV Poster: Carrie

Movie/TV Poster: I.T.

Movie/TV Poster: Gravity

The Heartless & The Homeless

     I know for many it is difficult to understand how someone could become homeless. But that's a whole different topic for another time, I think.

     The complexities of community responsibility in Los Angeles as well as the realities that homeowners have to deal with 'traffic control' come to a head. Many moons ago, I used to have less compassion for the homeless. That comes from being brought up in a place where there wasn't an evident homeless problem, where misconceptions were perpetuated. "They should just go out and get a job like everyone else..." "The takers keep on taking..." "Don't give them money because they'll just spend it on alcohol and drugs..."

     When you find out the story behind each face, homeless grows into a new definition. When you find out that people you know are or were homeless, you somehow separate them from the rest of the homeless. But that's the problem: many don't make the connection that each homeless person comes with a unique story that is no less valuable than their own. People need to stop viewing those without material goods as sub-humans. It's unfair to think that, just because you are without residence, that your rights as a human become null and void. But that's the sad truth in this country.

     I kind of feel like I'm rambling today, but talking about our homeless population really sickens me because it is a problem that could be easily solved by a little contribution from EVERYONE in a community.  There are over 53,000 homeless people in Los Angeles, many of them are children. Los Angeles Almanac (laalmanac.com) reports that about "42% to 77% [of the homeless population] do not receive public benefits to which they are entitled." We have become a world of Me Me MEEE, and I think we need to reevaluate how we want our world to be. Mr. Homeless Man on the street is my responsibility as well as yours.

     There are so many with warm souls on the inside, while their outsides are covered in filth and excrement. It sickens me that people in a community would actively try to starve others just because they are viewed as a nuisance. That sounds like the Middle Ages to me.

     '“People here — it’s their only way to eat,” said one homeless man, Aaron Lewis, who lives on the sidewalk outside a 7-Eleven. “The community doesn’t help us eat.”'

     Los Angeles City Council, please don't give in to the voices of a few "entitled" homeowners. Step up to the plate and make positive changes instead of further oppressing a minority voice. Our homeless population could be a thing of the past if we all work together.

If you want to read the original article: http://goo.gl/ar76dc

Might As Well Face It; I'm Addicted To My Smartphone

     I don't even know what life was like before my first smartphone. I guess I remember playing Bookworm, or accessing some music database. What I remember about these dark ages is that I had limited access to the internet, to the world wide web of DATA...sweet information at my fingertips!  

     

     I now have an app on my smartphone that tells me movie information at the drop of a hat. When I wake up, I like to read my virtual newspaper. I usually start with Twitter, looking at my news list. I knew what happened before many people that there was a shooting at LAX because of my resources, like,  Facebook and Twitter. Basically, I start my mornings checking to see whether the world is still operational or not. 

     I also have a smartphone app that helps me study for data-intensive classes. For example, do you know when the Middle Ages began and ended? What key instruments were used during the Renaissance? I do, and it's because of my smart phone. It helps me with my studies, with navigation, and even with the occasional bus I need to catch. It also helps me to kill time.  

     First thing in the morning, I access Facebook and Twitter for notifications. There is always so much to catch up on. When I log in to my PC, I find myself checking my phone (probably Facebook) while I check Twitter on my phone. Between classes, I check Facebook. It's like a slot machine in Las Vegas. Sometimes there're notifications; sometimes there aren't. If there are a few seconds before math class, I guarantee I'm looking at Facebook for any new updates. 

     Thanks, smart phone! You offer me entertainment, access to information, and news.  

Today's Challenge, Tomorrow's Acceptance

Today's challenge is reaching tomorrow's acceptance that my body's limitations will cause me to RSVP "maybe" to every invitation from a friend.

Today's challenge is reaching tomorrow's acceptance that sometimes I can...and sometimes I can't.





Today's challenge is reaching tomorrow's acceptance that there will always be a pile of papers to sort through.

But I try not to overlook the battles, no matter how small or how large, where I come out victorious:

Throwing out expired medicine is therapeutic. 

Dressing up every so often is fun, especially Halloween! 

Happy Friday!
xoxo

Get Off My Back About Back Fat!

I'm coming clean because I think it just feels right to be honest now.


I have back fat. Yes, back fat.

No matter how thin or thick I am, the back fat is always there. Earlier this year, I posted a picture on Facebook, one showing me with my back turned to the camera, and I was appreciating the landscape.

I photo-shopped my own back fat out of the picture, then proudly posted it.

Why should I be ashamed of my own fucking back and how it naturally looks? So, to the world, I give you these two pictures: The photo-shopped and the original.

Hmm, this feels kind of liberating. Everyone should try it!

International Walk To School Day

"Despite the clear public health and safety problems presented by pedestrians being hit by cars, pedestrian safety is still neglected in the United States. Little federal spending goes to protect the most vulnerable road users. Most traffic safety programs are aimed at ensuring the safety of motorists, and too often pedestrians are considered at fault in accidents." (http://www.transact.org/report.asp?id=156)

     Why not turn International Walk To School Day into a lifestyle? The line of SUVs in front of our local elementary drop off/pickup is usually about a half mile long (and I'm not even counting the SUVs that try to cut in line by doing crazy maneuvers). For the most part, these families live within a mile radius of the school. What gives? Here are some interesting statistics directly from AmericaWalks.org. I am shocked at the decline of moving legs.

• Less than 6% of Americans’ trips are on foot, yet 13% of all traffic deaths involve pedestrians.
• Each year 6,000 pedestrians are killed and 90,000 are injured. One in five is a child.
• Among students living within 1 mile of school, the percentage of walkers fell from 90% to 31% between 1969 and 2001." (http://americawalks.org/resources/walking-facts/) 
• Parents driving children to school comprise 20-30% of morning traffic congestion in urban areas.
• You are 36 times more likely to be killed walking than driving a car.
• Almost 60% of pedestrian deaths occur in places where no crosswalk is available.
• Being hit and killed by a car is now the second leading cause of fatal injury and the fourth leading cause of hospitalized injury for California children aged 5-12.

     I was hit by a minivan when I was 19 years old. I crossed in a crosswalk. The person admitted he wasn't looking and only saw people crossing when it was too late to brake. For those of you who don't what that feels like: it's scary, your life flashes before your eyes, you're pretty sure you are going to die (especially the part where you go flying through the air), and it also fucking hurts. The driver's lack of respect for his vehicle's power and lack of attention to pedestrians crossing the street probably has stayed with him a little, but I am reminded of it every fucking second of my existence. Some days my arthritis and fibromyalgia are so bad that I can't do much at all, let alone walk. 

     If you are healthy and able, you should skip the car as often as you can and walk on your two legs. I guarantee you will miss being able to walk when your body tells you that you aren't allowed to walk anymore. Perhaps people's respect toward pedestrians would also improve if erratic drivers had the experience of "trying not to die" each time they set foot onto concrete.

Vehicles are killing machines. It's time to take them a little more seriously. 

     
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/photos/tn-gnp-me-walk-pg,0,755379.photogallery

Passion: Heart Smart

     Follow your passion! I started school because I was so driven to study linguistics and anthropology after having found myself at a glass ceiling in banking just before the crash – around 2005 – someone doing five jobs in one and deserved to be paid much, much more. I had so much experience in the administrative and project world, but I completely adored the thought of college and I loved the fact that I could tie culture into the evolution of language…eventually I found myself immediately enrolled in vocal music courses in addition to anthropology.
     I was so excited to be joining choir again after so many years. After a semester or two, I figured out that music was calling me directly by name. I had joined choir, immediately joined the honor choir, and was selected via auditions for special conventions and was a leading student in the music department.
I knew by 2010 that music was my mission. I began my trek as a vocal major and enrolled in every music course possible, including private lessons with an incredibly gifted vocal coach. Also, by early 2013 I had so much music theory training that I was writing so much music. I found that I couldn't stop writing music. I wanted to experience various time periods, various moods, various instruments...and WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?
     I am constantly driven by the memory that I started at a place where music in my head would remain just there: in my head, and I was bound to be eternally depressed and oppressed! I never thought that I would ever live in a world where I understood what that bass guitarist was thinking, just with his eyes, or how much I enjoyed the playful banter with my accompanist, where she points at me and says I'm singing the wrong note. I'll especially remember those experiences sitting near major choral composers who admitted what they were thinking (by candlelight in isolated cabins) when they composed their major works, or reading the advice of more contemporary composers such as Ken Ueno or Laura Shigihara.
     I love the challenge of getting it right. I love the challenge of trying to understand what the previous generations of composers were trying to say - through the rules and the deviations. In May 2013, I began writing a comprehensive piece, the first of its kind, for me. I have written other pieces and discovered that my true passion was making music and not just singing it. Why go into a field that isn't specific to what you really want to do? Someone has yet to explain that to me who is completely happy and following his or her passion. Learn what you love and learn it well.

Special thanks to friend Stel Pavlou for changing my life path.
Check out his site at http://www.stelpavlou.com/

Corporate Bailout

     The White House recently met with key officials in Detroit to discuss measure to "clean up" the city, whistling to the tune of around $300 million.  The money would be used to demolish old buildings and to hire more employees in public transit as well as firefighters. None of this money will go to lowering the debt which has brought Detroit to its knees. But is the government really responsible? In some ways, yes, as the vitality of this country depends on the health of each muscle, valve, organ, and artery.
     More importantly is the obligation the auto industry has on its Detroit constituents. The government's role in assisting Detroit is only a bandage for the greater problem which is massive job loss in Detroit. Corporations should have accountability because they were bailed out but left the cities we hold dear in ruins - many in poverty and without work. The repercussions of the auto industry abandoning its golden child, Motor City, is truly jarring. Further, it disgusts me to think that people are still willing to dish out thousands of dollars to allow auto companies to thrive while the people who made it possible for the auto executives are left in hunger, and with no way out.



Sources:

http://money.cnn.com/2013/09/27/news/economy/detroit-federal-help/index.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/27/us-usa-detroit-aid-idUSBRE98Q05020130927
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/09/27/white-house-details-obamas-plan-to-help-detroit/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/johntamny/2013/07/21/the-unions-didnt-bankrupt-detroit-but-great-american-cars-did/
http://money.cnn.com/2013/07/19/news/economy/detroit-streetlights-police/index.html?iid=EL

I'm Coming Out: My Feminist Rebirth

I am a feminist. 

Oh my god, I said it! I'd be in denial if I said this was not a scarily redefining moment for me. 

I am done calling myself an egalitarian. Sure, feminism and egalitarianism are kind of the same thing, right? That's like saying penne rigate and fettuccine are the same. Um, no. They each have different textures and hold flavors differently but, yes, essentially, their ingredients are the same. I have a secret sauce recipe and there is no way I am going to let it get anywhere near a bowl of steaming capellini. It's disrespectful to the sauce and to me. 

What I imagine will happen if you try to mix capellini or spaghetti
with my potentially award-winning sauce. Not good. 

Anyway, feminism... 

     I want to finally remove the stigma I long attached to what defines feminism. I don't burn bras. I don't hate men. Feminism isn't about either of those things. It's not about hating or punishing men. At its core, feminism is the search for balance and equality in a patriarchal society. Merriam-Webster, I'd be happy to accept that high-paying position you just offered me to write definitions all day. 

Thank you for all the practice, Balderdash. 

     There needs to be balance in the workplace. I worked as a telephone concierge for a hotel before I was 21. Unfortunately, I was forced to wear a uniform: a skirt, pantyhose, a white blouse and a disgusting blazer. My "office" was a broom closet in the kitchen of the top-floor hotel restaurant. What I didn't expect was Mr. Grabby-Hands Cook, who took every opportunity to smack me in the ass, grab my crotch, or try to stick his hand up my skirt. A minute alone and he would try everything. I laughed it off most of the time, but I didn't really know how to handle it. I just wasn't armed with assertive techniques at the time...and unprepared, confused about that type of attention. 

     Well, I managed to get out of that situation, thank goodness, when I turned 21. This nightmare happens all over the world. I know I'm not alone. Some women are way worse off after they try to speak up. Anita Hill probably had better things to do than deal with a barrage of media interrogators and a public testimony against her harasser, the dishonorable Clarence Thomas. Anita Hill sparked an awareness that hadn't really been discussed in great length before: workplace gender inequality. And what is even more jarring for me is that there is so much doubt when a woman speaks out and demands a safer and healthier workplace AND equal pay. Whoa, that's too way much to handle. How dare we demand equality! 

     Also in doubt is a woman's innate ability to choose what is best for her own body. There is so much ignorance on Capitol Hill; I feel so UNrepresented. Millions of dollars are being spent on ridiculous anti-women legislation (are we in the Middle Ages?) and millions of women are not getting proper care due to lack of access to low-cost reproductive health programs. In South Dakota, "The law requires the doctor performing [an] abortion to personally meet with the patient at least three days before her appointment. Despite the lip-smacking claims from backers of the law that this is about making sure women are making “informed” choices, it’s obvious the real aim of the bill is to multiply the number of times the doctors have to fly into the state." 

     Florida requires mandatory ultrasounds because choosing to get an abortion is not a difficult choice already. They really want to stick you with the guilt pole before you decide for sure-for sure. What purpose does that serve? Faith-based policies do not represent me nor do they represent women's health. Women need better representation from our elected officials. Far too much money is being invested in all the wrong areas, and things won't change when there is so much ignorant behavior from the people who are supposed to be on our side. The New York Times reported that Tea-Party conservative Todd Akin said, “It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare,” Mr. Akin said of pregnancies from rape. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down." Todd Akin, who are these doctors you are talking to? Botanists? You are so stupid and you obviously hate women and shame on you for perpetuating myths about the elusive and mysterious female body. 

     Anti-choice and anti-woman legislation continues all over the country. Viagra is covered under insurance, but women are always positioned to feel "lucky" when or if we get any reproductive-related costs insured, like birth control. Every time I go to the store I dread having to pay for those annoying and costly tampons and pads. Worse, there aren't that many options. The last time I visited the market, there was only one compact tampon option among the boxes of sparkly, "quieter" tampon wrappers in colourful containers so people won't know you are menstruating. 

Forcing women to buy costly feminine protection is an exploitation of a biological function. When will we see the day where communities care for their women instead of punish and shame them for their biology? A woman's body should not be used for profit. Go ahead and call me a socialist. I yearn for a day when supplies are available for all women, not just women who have money because in the long run, if you take care of women, you take care of half your community. You're taking care of your mother, your sister, your daughter, your wife. 

     We should learn from rural Indian inventor Arunachalam Muruganantham. He saw his wife sneaking off to clean some dirty towels one day only to discover that she didn't buy feminine protection in order to afford milk for the family. In many parts of India, women have little access to sanitary protection, forcing them to use alternatives such as dried leaves, ashes, or sand. Obviously, there are health risks. 

This guy sported a fake uterus filled with goat's blood and wore women's
underwear for a week to test his low-cost alternative sanitary napkin.  

     Feminism exists because every time a woman says she was raped, the immediate and general response is 'what did she do to deserve it'. It's time to start educating boys for a change in "how not to rape" and what are proper social boundaries rather than remaining in this old school world of "how not to get raped" and leaving the burden all on women to protect themselves. Read more about rape apologist culture. 

 

 I'm a feminist because I live in a country where the elected officials who defend the rapist outweigh elected officials who defend the victim. 

     

     I'm a feminist because I live in a country that punishes its own women and girls who were forced into sex trafficking, a country that does not address the real issue fairly: men who pay to do whatever they choose with a female sex slaves who don't have a choice. 

I am a feminist and I will not sit quietly.

 

Additional sources not directly cited above: http://www.alternet.org/story/150526/10_states_with_the_most_shocking_anti-woman_legislation

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/us/politics/todd-akin-provokes-ire-with-legitimate-rape-comment.html?_r=0

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/22/sanitary-towels-india-cheap-manufacture

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/25/us/miami-sex-trafficking/index.html 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/the-problem-with-boys-will-be-boys_b_3186555.html

http://globalgrind.com/2013/01/11/phil-gingrey-republican-raped-women-cant-get-pregnant-because-theyre-tense-uptight-details/

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57538757/richard-mourdock-even-pregnancy-from-rape-something-god-intended/

http://www.mommyish.com/2013/06/19/serena-williams-steubenville-worst-tweets-racist-misogynistic/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+b5media%2FMommyish+(Mommyish)

http://www.mommyish.com/2013/06/20/teaching-your-boys-not-to-rape-women/

A Globally Complex Epidemic

     The world we live in is much different than what I remember as a child. It is not the world that changed, however; it was me who changed. The changes I've experienced allow me to see the world not as small and individual transactions but as a complex enterprise that we are all involved in. From turning the faucet on to buying groceries, whatever we do on a daily basis affects those around us. It's a simple observation that we, as consumers (including me!), contribute just as much to how humans are treated here in the United States and around the world. Is it possible to avoid corrupt and exploitative practices? 
     Women still earn about 77¢ for every man's dollar, even after "Equal Pay Day" was enacted in 1963. Worse, the margin is even steeper for female minorities. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/09/women-and-equal-pay-wage-gap_n_3038806.html) On average, woman earn an unbelievable $11,000/yr less than men. Sexism exists, and it's evident in that wage inequality exists in every state. (http://www.nationalpartnership.org/issues/fairness/fair-pay.html)      
     You don't see your local Coca-Cola delivery driver gunning down union workers or stealing water from children, but it happens. Water is big business and Coca-Cola has made sure to get it's fair share. Horrifyingly, while millions of people have little to no access to potable water, "Coca-Cola has negotiated 27 water concessions from the Mexican government. Nineteen of the concessions are for the extraction of water from aquifers and from 15 different rivers, some of which belong to indigenous peoples. Eight concessions are for the right of Coke to dump its industrial waste into public waters." (http://killercoke.org/) The violence of this corporation doesn't end here. Read more...

"Today, at least 1.1 billion people (about one-sixth of the entire human population) do not have adequate access to clean drinking water, and 2.6 billion people lack proper sanitation[2]—causing nearly 250 million cases of disease and 5 to 10 million deaths worldwide every year.[3] And even though water is a renewable resource that can be managed sustainably and equitably, the global water supply is in fact rapidly declining due to misuse, pollution and for-profit privatization gambits." (http://www.foodispower.org/water-usage-privatization) 

     Nestle is not so sweet once you bite into its chewy nougat.  From poisonous baby formula to slave labor, Nestle's got it all. (http://www.organicconsumers.org/fair_trade/slavechocolate060414.cfm) And we eat right out of Nestle's corrupt and slimy hands. Hey, don't worry if you become diabetic: Nestle's got that covered, too. Just use their product Diabetisource, for control-tube feeding.  (http://www.nestlehealthscience.us/products/diabetisource-ac-) 
     The real challenge we face is whether we can avoid this complex and corrupt system. I don't think we can avoid the interwoven climate of consumerism. We're on a self-perpetuating train that rides in circles. Living off the grid is nearly impossible to do in this country. Most people need to purchase "things" from time to time in order to survive. Some of those "things" are produced by corrupt corporations. Sometimes people have little choice but to work for these companies, too - not because they want to but because it dominates the available job market in their region. (http://www.welfaretowork.org/history.htm) 
     I really hope someday I can say with confidence that everything I do, from the moment I wake up to the moment I begin to dream, is pure and has no ties to large corporate corruption and no ties to violations of human rights. It's terribly difficult to escape the cycle because these companies practically sit with us at the dinner table every evening. They dictate our lives through million-dollar advertising and careful product placement. I can't escape it but I will keep trying. 


p.s. If something happens to me, you might want to have a chat with Nestle and Coca-Cola. 

Alanis Morissette, I'm Very Sorry.

I oughta know better than to spend an afternoon creating silly pictures of musicians. I'm sure I could be doing something more productive, but isn't this just a little funny, at least? 

I made this picture. Yes, bask in the glory of my talent as a graphic artist. 

Juicy Jessica, Criminal Mastermind

I want to apologize for committing a serious crime. 

     I was about 7 or so in the mid-1980s and I convinced my friend and I to ride around our neighborhood whilst strutting our stuff on our Big Wheels, asking for cans for Jerry's Kids. We were supposed to redeem the cans and donate the money. I, of course, did all the talking...and had a different, more sinister plan in mind.
     I think we stopped after two or three houses, feeling paranoid by the dead-end street we chose to journey down for my little scheme.

I was so excited: I had made enough money to buy a pack of Garbage Pail Kids! Sorry, Jerry!

The gum was really awful but the cards were gold. 

   
     Even though my criminal past is where it should be - in the past - I still think I possess the ability to be creative in my endeavors, to manipulate my surroundings, and this post is a plea of sorts for redemption.

I will only use my superpowers for Good. 

How can I make a difference?

If you feel like you're out of ideas and hope to make a difference in your community and in your world, you've come to the right place!

Donate Your Time These are just some ideas to give you a head start 

Volunteer at an organization for refugees or immigrants. 

Even one hour a week can make a difference in someone's life! 

International Rescue Committee welcomes you to get involved. 

Award-winning actress Rashida Jones (The Office, Celeste and Jesse Forever, Parks and Recreation) met with Burmese refugees in Thailand. Read more...

You know and love her best as Lori from The Walking Dead. Long time IRC supporter Sarah Wayne Callies is "impressed by the bravery, dedication, and generosity" of those involved in IRC. Read more...

Donate Money/Resources

Many agree that there is sometimes no way, no matter how many bags you give out to friends, neighbors, or coworkers, to get all the fruit off large trees so none is wasted.  What organizations exist in your community?

If you're in Southern California, Food Forward is here to help!

These humanitarian soldiers "rescue food that would otherwise go to waste." 

Clothing: Rescue Missions will usually pick up gently used clothing and other items.

A short guide about what to donate.
Please don't donate that pile of shirts your 15-year-old cat peed on. 

Foster, adopt, or care for an animal in your loving home. 

Blackie, born circa 1996.
Returned swiftly to nature in 2011

Calvin, born 2002.
Wandered into the unknown in 2011 because
 everything scared the living shit out of him.

Check the web: your local animal shelters are always looking for volunteers and foster families. 

Desert tortoises are in danger at a conservation facility.

Find out how you can help.

Picture concept by Wawra Studios                         Sources: [Clip art, nurse] [Clip art, tortoise]

Have a lot of excess money, Scrooge? 

Share your disgusting surplus of wealth: intriguing TEDtalk about Effective Altruism and how you can still live the good life. 

Peter Singer shows us some positive ways to invest our absurd stacks of Franklins. 

Donate Knowledge

Teach adult literacy or read to kids at your local library or community center. 

Guide others interested in community gardening. 

Check out Ron Finley's story. 

Write about what you know. 

Soraya Chemaly
Discusses Feminist, Gender, and Culture Topics
Featured at Fem2pt0.com and Huffingtonpost.com

Prison Culture "Prison Culture is an attempt to document how the current prison industrial complex operates and to underscore the ways that it structures American society."

What are your ideas?

Talkin' 'Bout My Inner Motivation

I admit. I am a phone junkie.

I love all the options I have for my phone! I can shoot ZOMBIES! I can track how many miles I've walked! I can listen to any music in the world! Whoa!!

But apps aren't what make me happy, it's my own personal drive and commitment...

I was the one who originally sought out happiness to begin with. Even if I have apps, it's my choice whether I continue to use them or not.

Runkeeper

Like many other apps, it inspires me to improve but the motivation really comes from within. I like the fact that I can compare my goals to the goals of my friends! Either way you look at it, Runkeeper is a positive experience.

SuperBetter

A Challenge (For lack of another term) Designed by the AMAZING Jane McGonigal

Jane McGonigal's memorable TEDtalk presentation will never leave my mind! Her struggle from a brain injury is so inspirational, and her SuperBetter app is beyond! 

WomanLog

Just keeping up with womanly goings-on is annoying. This app is really helpful! I've been using it now for about 4 years. Really worth it if you are just looking for tracking your cycle!