what to talk about?

I have so much on my mind right now that i have no idea what to say. i can talk about the two books I'm reading for pleasure; Dracula and Twilight. Then again I don't want to talk about drinking blood because I feel as if I've spoken enough about it 9maybe not on this blog) and I'm a little sad that A) I don't have either books with me right now and B) Season 2 for True blood has finished. (what am I going to do til June???).
Anyways, i could also talk about the unfairness of professors, but I am honestly not in the mood to rant about poor grades and prof's power trips.
I could also talk about how my education psych prof refers to African-American's as the ultimate minority race. There's 3 in my class, or there's 3 Blacks, I think one is Haitian. Anyhoo, All three of them give such hateful stares and probably contemplate murder. Just like the rest of us Hispanic do when she mentions our growing numbers, but yet, we're still a minority. I love this prof, but sometimes it's so hard to be politically correct, when you really can't be politically correct to teach a class correctly. I could talk about that, but won't.
i could also talk about how I dropped off my daughter this morning at daycare and she was actually excited to go. How yesterday she got mad at me because she didn't go to school. But I definitely won't talk about that because then I'll just cry my eyes out because she's growing up so fast. maybe I should have another kid to replace my need of being needed.
I think I'm just going to invent a story today. Here it goes.
Once upon a time (Yes, it's going to be one of those stories).
Once upon a time, there lived a dyed-red hair gal, with hazel eyes that look more like a poopy brown today. The fake red haired beauty is sitting in front of a computer screen when she realized she forget to put shoes on. "Oh my goodness, I forgot to put shoes on", she yelled out loud. You would think everyone in her vicinity turned to stare a t her feet, but no one cared. The red haired beauty didn't seem to notice this at time for she jumped up and ran towards her car (which was a long way from where she was sitting). She ran past park car after parked car. She jumped over fallen trees, beat against the wind, sloshed through the snow. Ok, there was no snow, but she went through many obstacles to get to her Scion xB.
Finally, after what seemed like forever she reach her beautiful wine colored Scion xB named Stacey. She patted Stacey affectionately and said, "Oh Stacey. I forgot my shoes today." She jumped in and found her shoes waiting for on the driver's seat.
She thought, i must have taken them off when I was painting my toenails and forgot to put them on. . Happily, she went back to that computer screen to finish writing whatever it was she was writing. When she entered the computer lab however, everyone turned to stare at her feet. They all started snickering and pointing and saying things like, "Oh my goodness, what is she wearing. What are those atrocities?" She looked at her feet confused and wondered what they were talking about. Then she stared at their feet to see what they were wearing and realized that no one was wearing any shoes. she said, "Haven't you people forgotten to put shoes on today?" one brave soul responded, "What are shoes? Those nasty things you have on your feet? Do you not know that covering up your feet is bad for you soul?"
The dyed red haired beauty looked back down at her feet and look befuddled. She pondered the brave soul's statement and decided he was right. She bent down, took off her shoes and tossed them into the recycling bin. Everyone clapped in the computer lab and all was well for carpeted floors and cleaning ladies.

the edge of love

Today I saw the film The Edge of Love, by director John Maybury. It was a pretty good, not even considering that sienna miller almost had a lead role in it. The plot is based on Vera Phillips (Kiera Knightly) who sees her first love, Dylan Thomas, the famous welsh poet (played my Mathew Rhys). They still love each other, but Dylan has a wife, Caitlin (Sienna Miller), and son. Despite the animosity between Vera and Caitlin, they become best friends and love each other (not in lesbian sort of way). It's supposedly based a several true stories, but aren't most movies?
This film was a little depressing. It reminded me a little of Surfacing by Margaret Atwood, except it wasn't AS depressing and Great Gatsby, except it wasn't AS dramatic. But the feel and idea of the film resembled those two books.
I tend to get really affected when I read or watch movies, and this movie did just that. This movie was really sad in the sense that Vera actually loved her husband, William, but no one really believed her, not even herself. It took her a while to realize it, but at the end when she felt almost she almost lost for good (and not because of the war), she realized that she did love him and not Dylan.
I wish life didn't take this long to figure things out. I wish that the people who suffered during all these pointless wars didn't have to suffer. This film made me hate war more and more.
I'm sorry if I'm just rambling and babbling, but this film really shook something inside me and I can't figure out how to be coherent. The film wasn't EXCELLENT, but it was good. It might be because of the mood I'm already in, but the Edge of Love moved in such a way that a movie hasn't done in a while. Oh, except for Goya's Ghost, which I watched the other day. Amazing story and extremely sad. I cried a lot of Natalie Portman's character. Why are we so cruel? What is it to be a human? Because in history it means to be merciless, cruel, prideful, etc.

a college essay

The following is an essay i wrote for a religion class. I have had this professor and she would always give me low grades. Her corrections were mostly based on word choice and sentence structure (both of which are determined by the writer's style). She didn't like my metaphors either saying they didn't fit in to an academic paper. I totally disagree with that point. She didn't ask for an article or anything educational of the sort, just an academic paper. Why can't I make it fun and more entertaining to read?

Growing in a “western society” we have learned that we are the better part of the world. We are the most “educated”, we have the most opportunities; we conquer all. Our beliefs are better than others and the way we live life is better than the way others live their lives. The problem with this thought is that it is exactly what has been fed to us. We are sheep being herded to believe we are better. Could this be applied to other cultures where they believe they are better? Due to this cultural relativism is necessary for various reasons. One of them is the need for anthropologists to not judge. Various anthropologists come from different cultures, if they all judge another culture there would be different interpretations of that culture and it wouldn’t be a scientific observation. Their interpretations wouldn’t be valid because there are discrepancies. Also, if anthropologists would judge other cultures they wouldn’t be able to truly understand that culture. For example in several African societies (which most are animistic) perform clitoridectomy on their women. To western anthropologists this may seem odd and misogynistic; feminists would try to put an end to this as well. The reason this is practiced is because they believe it hurts women to have one during intercourse, and intercourse of that tribe is to be for the man’s pleasure and for the women to reproduce. It may seem wrong to us, but anthropologists would need to understand and not try to change their beliefs. With this in mind it is hard to not practice cultural relativism.
I believe it is really difficult to transcend our own cultural background. The problem is cultural perspectives are relative. We live in what is called the “western society”. However what does the western society believe in? Freedom of speech, thought, religion, etc? Or is freedom also relative? There are so many different points of views of what people believe within our own society, who is to say my culture is western? Furthermore, what about those people who come from many different cultures? Don’t they make their own culture, unique to them and their family members? Yes, as a whole the western society believe in several similar things. The problem is that as a whole we are not looking at other cultures. One, or several, anthropologists study it. They determine if they will understand or tolerate that culture, or they may splash some of their own culture on it; their own personal culture. It is difficult for one to forget his/her personal culture which may or may not be synchronous with that of the rest of society. The question should be, how can this affect the study of other cultures, religions, and beliefs? Should we impose are cultures on others? Or should we practice transcending our culture?

Cultural relativism should always be applied whether you agree with the foreign culture or not. They are their own people with their own beliefs. Just as Anglo-Saxon Americans need to understand Hispanic beliefs, we need to do the same to more unknown cultures that we are only beginning to learn about. However, since we are human beings we tend to not only care, but believe we are always correct. No matter what culture we are from, we think our beliefs are better than the minorities. This is how it was when Spaniards conquered Cuba and tried to impose Catholicism on them. What happened in the end? Cubans formed their own religion to make the Catholic Spaniards happy and their African ancestors happy. This should not have happened. Cubans should have been allowed to practice the “witchcraft” that was considered the devil’s work. Although the Spaniards believed they were doing the right thing by saving their souls, they really weren’t in the end. We don’t always know what is right even when it seems as if there is harm being done, we shouldn’t impose our culture or beliefs on other cultures and beliefs.

Human rights fall into the same cultural perspective category. The belief of human rights is that no one should harm themselves or others. That since we were blessed with reasoning we should know not kill or harm anyone unintentionally. The problem is that what we believe to be harmful may not be harmful to other cultures. Bringing back the African tribe that performs clitoridectomy; that is a painful and inhumane practice. It is unfair that the woman is not allowed to feel any pleasure during intercourse. It is unfair that women should only have intercourse to reproduce and keep their human race from becoming extinct. But, this isn’t inhumane to them. The women have no problem with this. They don’t feel the need to feel pleasure during intercourse, they agree that they only need to reproduce, they are content with this practice and they agree with it. I think that no matter what humans shouldn’t have to be killed. I think wars are pointless and cannibalism is unnecessary. However, will these two things be considered universal human rights? To stop countries creating wars and to stop certain cultures practicing cannibalism? Probably not, because human rights are perspective and there are many who would see the right in having wars and the necessity for certain cultures to practice cannibalism. Due to this though I think anyone has the right to stop societies from living their lives in their culture. I don’t think anyone has the right to decide what is unacceptable in a culture. I believe that if someone really disagrees with a culture they can try to educate the people and let them decide for themselves. Unfortunately, even that can be misleading. Educators can be biased, and only teach what they think is right and not share what could be right of that other culture. Cultures are hard to study, because, as mentioned before, we believe we are right and we care too much for others to want them to be right like us. Education can be the tool to save us from the Jesus complex and help us understand others without imposing anything.

The easiest way to live in a globalized world is to get educated on the subject in an unbiased manner. We need to learn about other cultures and understand other religions. We need to think critically and compare cultures and societies; see where discrepancies and similarities lie. We need to learn to not judge, but to accept. We need people to have greater interests in world news, and what’s happening outside of our little bubble. We should seek to be citizens of the world, but know that each person has their own idea of culture of beliefs. We should seek to be one with everyone and understand them. We shouldn’t try to meld ourselves into one huge “world culture” and we shouldn’t impose anything on anyone. But we should be like a salad; living together in one bowl with the tomatoes being tomatoes, the lettuce being lettuce, the cucumbers being cucumbers, etc. Like a salad the vegetables live in the bowl together, but still being true to their identity as a vegetable.

Of course I had a works cited at the end, but that's irrelevant. So what did you think? Do you think it deserved a 78% (that's the grade I was given)?

a tribute

there are several I can talk about right now, but the only thing i want to say is thank Gus+Rosemi and the rest of the "A-Team". You guys are turly amazing, unique and honest. I've never met people quite like you guys and I just wanted to let you know the reasons why I like you all so much.
First of all since I'm a little egocentric I love you guys because you actually take me seriously. Me opinion counts and it's worth something. You all ask me question knowing I'll probably know the answer. Because of this you guys in some way have made me more confident in what I do, and have helped confirm my will to become what I want to become.
I love your creativeness and view of the world no matter how crass. I love that no matter what there is true genuine love within each of you.
What I love most is how incredibly smart you all are. Not book-smart smart, not street-smart, but your won smart. The kind of intelligence that can only come when you know yourself and know how to recognize BS. Despite your many flaws, you all have more gifts then anyone can know.
So, thank you to existing and being on this Earth accompanying me in life. Even if that's not your mission, it is in my eyes (there goes my egocentrism again). I love guys, and remember I will charge after the first free hour. ;).

choices

I have believed that we have choices. Not matter how many, how insignificant or irrelevant. But they are there. It's whether we CHOOSE to follow certain choices or not that makes them significant. For the past few weeks (ok, days) i've done a mini sould searching. Partly because I'm writing this "deep, philosphical" book, but I'm writing teh book because I'm having some "deep, philosohpical, soul-searching thoughts". Funny enough, all my courses right now are talking about choices, and that we, of coursem, have them. This immediately reminded me of the 1995 movie with Michelle Pfeiffer called Dangerous Minds. Who remembers the lecture she gives the class about choices? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9yGsweX6eA

Grate movie, and so much to be learned from it.
Enjoy the clip.

life a sa vegan

I've been trying to become a began for 9 days now. I have had meat or chicken or seafood AT ALL. I've had milk and egg products, but not milk and egg. I can refrain from drinking my chocolate milk in the mornings, but i cant seem to stop eating ice cream or KITKAT! i just can't let go of that damn kitkat. It's just so deliciously scrumptious with the milk chocolate and the yummy wafers lined up on top of another inside (licking lips and closing eyes).
I was wondering, how do you eat a kitkat? The way I eat one is I seperate it from the group and begin to eat only the milk chocolate edges. When I'm done with that I eat the naked wafers. I can eat 3 king size kitkats, probably more if my husband would let me buy that many. =s. they's sooo good. I think this will be the little demon that will prevent me from becoming a complete vegan. Is it so wrong of me if I just indulge myself in this one animal product I can't seem to shake?

in response

I was going to write about an adventrue I had last night, but can't due to my loyolaty to the Twilight Saga. I'm signing in this morning to all the stuff I sign in to, and find that on MSN Today there's a story titled, "Love Bites: Is 'Twilight' Bad for Romance?" I click on it to see what it's about. As I'm reading the article I start to get angrier and angrier, by the second. Not because Erin Meanley, the author of the story, is bashing my beloved Saga, but because she her facts all wrong! To give her credit, she did say from the beginning she was reading the book from a feminist perspective, but she could've at least gotten her facts right?
To summarize what she wrote I'm going to provide the bullets she used in her story. To read the full story follow this link: http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/articleglamourmatch.aspx?cp-documentid=21540590&GT1=32023
The first point she make is:
1. Bella has no outside hobbies. I understand that possibly a lot of people wouldn't consider reading a hobby, but it is. what is the meaning of hobby, anyway? According to wikipedia, a hobby is a spare-time recreational pursuit. So, if reading is done during one's spare time, it is a hobby. It is implied that she reads a lot, for example in Book 3, Eclipse, Edward makes a comment about it, "I can't believe you're reading Wuthering Heights again. Don't you know it by heart yet?" (Eclipse, p. 17). Meyers isn't going to mention every time the girl does something away from Edward when the whole series is about him.
In this section Meanley says, "After she moves to Washington, Bella makes a few friends, but she's not interested in them". It says from the very beginning that Bella didn't have friends where she came from either. She's an introvert and not very sociable, which is half of America.
2. The guys are totally unrealistic. This is true. Bo guy would pack food and then offer it around, no guy would be so openly desperate to date a girl (I referring to Eric and Mike). BUT almost ever woman author writes guys the way they wish guys would act. Meanley says that this is setting a bad example for little girls, but giving them unrealistic views of boys. I don;t agree with this. I've been reading books for fun since I was 13, and I never believed that some guy was going to swoon me and be my Prince Charming. I've always known that the boys I will always and will never fail me are the ones in my books. This may not be OK, but I never had unrealistic views of boys.
3. Bella is brainwashed. She goes on to say that Bella is brainwashed because she loves her predator and whatnot. What a great feat it is for Edard that he doesn't kill her and so on. This is wrong though. It;'s not like he drinks human blood and then abstained from it fir Bella. It has been his life since he was created into a vampire. All the other memebers of his family loved a human. The difference is that they turned them into vampire immediately after. She isn't brainwashed, vampires look that perfect to everyone, not just her. Anyways, of course Edward would seem perfect compared to the humans.
4. Bella is a domestic diva. I understand that women want to be equal to mean and HAVE to do certain obligations that has defined women throughout the years. In my life I hope i never become equal to a man. Women are beautiful, nurturing or not. We are a unique gender among our species. Yes, we are treated unfairly and yes, we are expected to do a lot. But if you like doing certain things then do them. Regardless if they're feminine or not. Bella cooks for her dad, because he can't cook and she doesn't want to eat eat pizza everyday. Charlie never told her to cook, charlie never told her to do laundry. She used to do those things with her mom anyways, so what was difference with her dad? Bella never complains about it either.
As for Edward always saving her? She saves him too. She saves him from solitude which is something more than death. Without her, Edward would've lived an extremely lonely life. While Bella on the other hand probably would've married Jacob or Mike. She also saves him on occasion from being killed or hurt. In the 4th book, Breaking Dawn, she does the ultimate saving. She shields everyone from the Volturri. Edward could've never done that.
Erin Meanley is a feminist who doesn't want to think outside of it. She read the book on the surface only. She saw what she wanted to see and nothing else. I'm not anti-feminist, on teh contrary, I believe in feminine power. But i'm not close-minded. Things aren't always what they seem, and just because you're feminist doesn't mean you can't like feminine things and want a Knight in Shining Armor to come save you.
So, Ms. Erin Meanley, don't hate the Twilight Saga because you believe it is anti-feminist. It is not, and for that matter it is just a story like you said. you made fair points, but your biggest arguments were flawed. If you're going to bash something at least do it right.

it's not just a diet; it's a lifestyle!

Alright, so I have finally decided to go vegan. I've never been a vegetarian and I'm not much fond of salads, but as of right now, I'm going vegan. I've been debating on and off about it for a while, but felt that I would never be able to do it. I felt this way, becasue I tried once as a teen to not eat meat and my parents forced me to. So, unfortunately, that didn't go through. I also feel as if I can't do it because I'll be the only one in my family to try this. that can makes things difficult, because I'll still have to handle meat and other such products. Some of you may be syaing, "just make them go vegan as well", but i can't do that. My husband would never allow it, and if I try it on my babe, people are crazy enough to call child services on me for neglect and abuse. Crazy, right?
So, I'm going solo. I've found a lot of good research and a lot of scientific evidence to prove that it is healthier. There are drawbacks, but they can be easily fixed. For example, in food, its hard to find B12 in fruits or veggies. But, you can just take a supplement, and that's OK. Also, Vitamin D isn't found in any fruits or veggies, but you can just sit outside, soak in the sun for about 10-15 3 times a week, and you're good to go.
Since, I'm considering to be a vegan, this doesn't only mean holding back on animal-based food products. This also means, animal-based products, PERIOD! Meaning, nothing made of leather, or fur, or anything that would have animal's anything in creams, shampoos, cosmetics.
For met o change my lifestyle it's going to take some work and tears, but I'm determined to do it. I want to live a healthier life for my daughter. And I want to be a good example in all aspects of life.
Hopefully, I'll be able to do it. the problem is my record for sticking to things. I never seem to. The only things I've done for years is write ion my journal and doing the sign of the cross on myself before going to bed. So, hopefully, becoming a vegan will be added to that list. Wish me luck!

llaziness is definitely a virtue

Right now I am sitting in the computer lab of Green Library of FIU. I could take this free time that I have to study and take some online quizzes, but I believe laziness is a virtue. So here I am trying to think of things to do or read to waste time while I wait for my husband to get off work for lunch. I know I threw you off at "laziness is a virtue", but I truly believe it is. To use better words I think laziness is a privilege. I think anyone can really argue with me there. I think if you can afford to be lazy then something must be going right in your life. You don't have anything of importance, deadlines, appointments, meetings, (and any other synonym of those words), then you can truly be guilt-free LAZY.
I've been working to get my BA in psychology for 4 years. It's been non-stop, including summers. Before school started in the fall I had my first "real summer" since I had the babe. It was the most blissful 2 weeks of my life, so far. I was bored, but I was content. I was able to read what I wanted without feeling the need to put it down and do some schoolwork. I was able to not read if I chose. I was able to pay full attention to the babe, and not have to neglect while I work on a deadline that I somehow missed. It felt so incredibly relaxing to just do nothing. I didn't clean the house very much (I know, gross, but it wasn't that bad). The only thing I did was cook, but fortunately I like cooking.
I was content to have those 2 lazy weeks. They'll probably the last lazy weeks of my life, because I'm graduating in April, and from there it's only WORK WORK WORK, right? BTW, Xmas doesn't count as being a time for laziness, because of all the family time, and wrapping of presents, and buying the presents.

BTW I know laziness is something like Sloth, but it's not. Sloth is when you don't use your gifts and talents in a productive manner that may be helpful to others. Laziness, on the another, is just an aversion to work. being lazy for a little while, doesn't deprive anyone from your marvelous gifts and talents.