LOTS of Things are Wrong!!!

          Here in Miami, Barnes & Noble is the only bookstore here in Miami after Borders closed. It shouldn’t be the only bookstore where we can purchase books. A Books-A-Million store should be constructed here in Miami for students to quickly locate books for classes; probably, they would order from B & N if they didn’t have a book a student needs and wait a few days. Books-A-Million would be there for a student to surely find the books they need in a short amount of time.

          Barnes and Noble is totally unfair when it comes to non-member customers. I mean, seriously, the store is a book haven where thousands of books are being sold, yet members of Barnes and Noble seem to get the better discounts. Non-customers only receive coupons that are not even good enough. Also, there are only a few selected books that I don’t like that get discounted. Barnes and Noble should have better sales for a lot more young adult novels and send out and/or post high percentage coupons than just 15%.

          There are some housing areas in Miami that had not switched to a recycling program and are efficiently wasting recyclables. Recyclables thrown away into waste will cause a major garbage pile. Every single housing area should switch to the recycling program for more recyclables to be sent to the recycling center and keeping less waste from piling up. It’s also good for the environment and providing fewer resources to be wasted by using recycled products.

          What’s terribly wrong in Miami is how much traffic there is often, not to mention car accidents as if they have to happen daily. There is also the horrendous act of young drivers always speeding. People getting their driver’s licenses should understand the importance of driving carefully or they’ll be another “Drive Safely” sign. Young drivers should specifically know that speeding just for the thrill of it is idiotic. I think drivers need to see how reckless driving causes many dangers so the accident rate can gradually decrease, making roads safer for responsible drivers.

          War is a major problem that seems to always happen around the world, causing too many people to worry and many innocent lives being lost. Towns are destroyed in which they look like cheddar cheese from up in the air. Many soldiers are sent, making their families hope and pray for their safe return or awaiting for the bad news letter which could come at any time.

          Many endangered species are being hunted every day, the population decreasing as animals are suddenly turned into gourmet meals, fur coats, or the ugliest wall hangings I had ever seen in movies—so tacky! The main thing is that many animals are hurt around the world and it should be our job to help save them. The word should be known that everyone should help protect the world’s animals before they disappear from the face of the earth.

          Physical, verbal, and sexual abuse is a terrible crime still going on around the world that needs special attention. Women, children, and animals are physically and mentally hurt once they have been assaulted. Women and young children are raped or sold off in the black market, known as human trafficking. They are even abused at home which can scar them mentally for life if they do not get the proper help to cure them. Even in school, bullying has taken on a whole new meaning: when kids are bullied, some would take their life away to end the suffering. Lies are posted up on the Internet—cyberbullying—to easily make fun of someone popular kids would believe as pathetic, causing those kids to become hurt. Animals are cruelly used for men to gain easy money, but if they lose, the life of a poor animal is lost. It should be the government’s and our job to give people who have been hurt the proper care to save them and know that everything will be alright by stretching out our hands and taking theirs to let them know you care.

          Gun control seems to not be strong enough if some teenagers are able to sneak a gun past security to start a shooting or dangerous criminals with guns are able to walk freely anywhere before planning an attack. A tighter search party should be organized to thoroughly search for guns and stop teenagers or criminals from using them before they take a life.

          Many developing countries are suffering from living under unfortunate conditions, such as rundown houses, not enough food to feed their whole families, not enough money due to not being able to easily find jobs, and having little water to drink. The government and volunteers should help these people by giving them the necessary supplies they need, especially if a natural disaster happens. We should find a way to build up developing countries, as well as providing them with medical treatments if there are people with diseases.

          Bombs are another issue since people can make their own homemade recipes of bombs, just like what happened at the Boston Marathon. We need to work hard, as well as the government, to stop terrorists and/or seemingly ordinary people from making these explosions of terror before someone gets hurt or cross over into the light by providing better security and develop plans to find bombs quickly.

Nothing is Impossible

Have you ever been so close to failing a class with a slim chance of almost failing? You would be alright with failing the class? I'm pretty sure you'd rather pass than fail but as the chances of failing seem to increase, the willingness to pass either escalates or you're ready to throw in the towel. I ran into someone yesterday that had been afraid of failing the course since they didn't feel prepared for their final exam. In their eyes they just seemed to accept failure and let the pieces fall wherever they land because that was "reality". It just breaks my heart to see how people think reality as this negative realm of improbability and certain death. Sometimes looking towards the positives of situations can help more than the negatives. Don't throw in the towel just because things look grim; it's all perspective.

Just A Few More Days

As I'm sure every college student is aware of, the semester is finally almost over. For a select few that have already finished their examinations, their break has already commenced and we all hate them for it. I kid, of course, good for them. However, now the question is, what will I do for the next couple of weeks? Most answers would include doing things you like to do, obviously, like hang out with friends and go to the beach (since it's always summer in south Florida) or simply be lazy all day long. I would like to suggest that you, yes I'm talking to YOU, do something to better yourself. It can be anything, read a book that will expand your imagination and vocabulary. Learn a new skill, go to the gym and get that body you've been aching for, do anything that will make you a better, happier, more well-adapted person than you were yesterday. Then you can come back for spring semester with a stronger leash on life, and don't forget to thank me when you see me around. Adios.

Is the VS Fashion Show Exploiting Women?

During and after the extremely talked about Victoria's Secret Fashion Show I heard and read many comments about how putting on such a show is wrong and sexist. One tweet I read even went as far as to say, "I refuse to watch women parade themselves as pieces of meat... #TakeAStand". I think this kind of thinking is ridiculous. These women are not being forced to show of their bodies to the world. They CHOOSE to. Which I completely understand as they have worked extremely hard for the bodies that they have and obviously want. If they weren't proud of them they wouldn't be "parading" them around. There are always going to be rude and inappropriate people to make gross comments but that should not stop women from loving and showing off their beautiful bodies NO MATTER WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.

"Historically speaking, animating female characters are really, really difficult, because they have to go through these range of emotions, but you have to keep them pretty and they're very sensitive too — you can get them off a model very quickly. So, having a film with two hero female characters was really tough, and having them both in the scene and look very different if they're echoing the same expression; that Elsa looking angry looks different from Anna being angry."

This quote was stated by Lino DiSalvo, an animator for Disney’s Frozen.  Disney said it was stated out of context, but it is hard not to interpret it as saying that not only do female characters need to be pretty, but also that they can only have specific features to be considered pretty. It never personally bothered me before that the Disney princesses were always designed to be pretty, because that was probably how the princesses were usually designed in their original stories. It does bother me that what can be considered beautiful is bound by specific characteristics that few people may actually have. This quote implies that just that. I seriously hope this guy thinks about what he said or gets fired, and that Disney learns from the responses it got concerning the quote. Maybe the quote was taken out of context, but I find it hard to see it in any other light. I know the Princesses are pretty, because pretty sells better, but beauty comes in more than one form.

Obama Care/Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Sine the government shut down many people have asked why has the GOP  want to destroy Obama Care. The law that was passed would help millions of people , many that can't afford insurance for themselves or for those who have been denied because of a previously condition . That doesn't make sense everyone need affordable insurance so they can take care of themselves and family if the become ill. This bill is too good to pass up, it even help states in which they save money for the set up and cost for about three years . The United Staes is one of the countries that pay the most for health insurance because it has many problem that needs to be fixed in which the Affordable Care Act will fix. Countries like Canada has figured this out and just did away with their health care system and made a federal based program, where it is handled by the government . In my opinion the ACA is a great thing which would help the United States, in a time where it needs to save money and create more job , in which the Affordable Care Act (ACA) does.  Obama care is a great thing and when people realize the benefit rather than just not liking it for no reason then the US will be moving closer to decrease its overall debt .

"Feminism is a dead topic..."

“Feminism is a dead topic,” is something I thought I would never hear coming from a girl, let alone in a Women Studies course at college. It really boils my blood when people still don’t see the value in feminism, or when they don’t even understand the concept. Most people are ignorant and even refer to feminists as “feminazis” just because they envision butch lesbians who hate men and want to see them perish. Truth be told even people who call themselves feminists try to pick and choose how a girl should look in order to deem them worthy of being called a feminist. People need to understand that first of all, feminism is about the pursuit of equality between both genders, and secondly any and all type of girls can be considered feminists. It doesn’t matter if a girl likes to dress up in heels everyday and wear a full face of makeup, or if she prefers t-shirts, sneakers, and doesn’t feel like wearing any makeup at all, both of these girls could be feminists and both deserve to be treated with respect.

I think the problem with the concept of feminism is that the patriarchy is so deeply engraved into society, and therefore our subconscious, that it seems impossible that feminism can cover the vast majority of issues it is trying to solve. Sure, the first two waves of feminism were able to make huge strides in tangible areas; women can vote, women can work, and our pay is almost equal to that of men. The third wave of feminism though, seeks to accomplish both tangible and abstract goals. The clearest issue at hand is that of abortion. Why do old men feel that they have the right to tell a woman what to do with her body and actually make laws that prevent a woman’s basic human right to choose whether or not she’s ready to have a child? The abstract goals will of course be much harder to accomplish. Yes, rape is a crime and there are serious laws against it, but why is it that the first thing a police officer will ask a victim is, “What were you wearing?” Sure, sex is everywhere in society, and it’s impossible to watch most commercials that don’t use gorgeous, half-naked women to sell a product, but when will people stop slut-shaming a girl simply because she enjoys having safe protected sex, without causing any harm to anyone? Of course, the fashion industry has changed greatly by creating the market for “plus size models,” but why are women constantly told that beauty has certain standards in today’s society and why aren’t all shapes and sizes of a woman’s body accepted? Honestly, the list goes on and on, but it is abundantly clear to me that feminism is not in any way shape or form a dead topic, and the sooner people are educated on these issues, the sooner society can improve for both genders. 

Stabbed

                                                          Stabbed

Yup, it happened. I read about this in the New York Times and was shocked. I liked the ways of Buddha, they have good quotes and perspectives, but I guess there’s always another side to things.

 So here’s what happened.

Buddhist mobs killed a 94-year old Muslim woman. They also burned 70 homes. Hello? What’s the reason?  If it’s what I think it is, well I don’t have to say anything, we all know how religion can spark some wars. And if it’s for something else…it’s still pretty unnecessary. I mean, come on, a 94year old woman? You’re gonna stab her to death?

Apparently, this was not the first time that they had sectarian violence break out and the President, Thein Sein, arrived at the capitol of Rakhine State…I guess to get some business done, maybe get it taken care of.

The story is short and there are a lot of questions in my mind. I know that this article may be biased and I may only being seeing part of the story, and that this doesn’t mean all Buddhists are violent, but killing is still wrong in my view. Especially in this way. Reading this article just really turned my Buddhist loving world around. I couldn't believe that what I saw as the most neutral religion could be quite aggressive.

Abort Mission!

A protest of the masses, ash the souls, forget the casket

bodies drop -- bodies drop --bodies drop.

Your choices are of my concern, choose your wrongs and you will burn

bodies drop -- bodies drop -- bodies drop.

Do you like war? How about the world?

The Missiles drop, the buildings fall and bodies -- drop.

Life is a jungle, manipulated

Who made the rules, you think it's God?

How are you made? Sexually, asexually?

Do you have parasites? or any disease taking your energy?

Or demons haunting your memory?

Then a seed inside your belly in a month can maybe start to breath

But don't forget that you're the pilot in this world war

 -- Morality won't play a part

When the enemies are shooting, and you've had no guns since the start

Fly away, fly away, fly away.

Irresponsible and unprepared, never learn from your mistakes

The seed's now in you, it isn't safe..

Abort the mission.

Eventually --

Get lost in the air, heavy with -- death on your hands

You're flying down at super speed

Change course or you might crash

-- Abort the! --

Despite it all, who is to judge?

-- We've killed before.

This time it was.. yours

But you're still the pilot.

The Death Penalty

Albert Camus once said: “There are causes worth dying for, but none worth killing for.” I’m against the death penalty. It’s really hard for me to blame someone so harshly for anything that they do because I think actions are shaped by experience, and that person who has committed a crime so heinous as to end up in the position of “death penalty” must have had a terrible past experience that led them to such actions. When defending my position on the death penalty I often think of the movie “The Ides of March” and how George Clooney playing a presidential candidate defended his opinion. It is societies job to be better than the average man. We are animals. This is proven time and time again by how many murders take place, but it is our job as a community to make each other better, to soar to greater heights. I’m against the death penalty because I still believe in humanity and I believe that if we come together as a community we can help each other past violence instead of creating more. 

"That's So Gay.."

“That’s so gay” is probably the worst thing you could say in front of me. It equates gay with something lesser, often “dumb,” “silly,” or “feminine.” When I lived in New York City everyone was really PC. No one ever identified things other than homosexuality as “gay.” Now that I’m back in Miami I’m hearing people say it again. Saying “that’s so gay,” emphasizes that there is something wrong with homosexuality. That’s what happens when we identify things we don’t like as “gay.” It ostracizes a large group of people in our community and it is wrong. 

Dream Act

Some people that were not born here but grew up in the United States, have graduated from high school but are facing an uncertain future.  At this moment, those students are relying on what's called the Dream Act (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act).  The Dream Act is a legislation that is trying to help those these students to apply for a temporary legal status and to eventually become eligible for a US citizenship if they go to college or serve in the US military.  Also, this act helps with tuition eligibility.

          I agree with this act because as long as the people are doing no wrong they should be able to go on with their future in order to better our future.

Obama Care

When I heard about the Obama care, I said to myself, "Good that every citizen will have medical insurance.  But at what price?  Will it be low enough for them to afford it?" Yes, there are several options for the Obama Care.  If you don't choose one of the options you will get penalized.  A person with no insurance will pay a fee included in their taxes.  But we would all have to wait until this new program officially starts next year on January to see all pros and cons it will carry on.

Reefer Madness!

Hot Topics: Reefer Madness!

Some issues are less about right and wrong and more about sense and nonsense. In a nation where both cigarettes and alcohol are perfectly legal, it simply makes no sense for cannabis to be outlawed. The issue of legalization is not a moral one in my view. Legalizing marijuana isn't morally right, it's rationally sound. Marijuana's effects are no more devastating than that of alcohol or cigarettes, the fear of marijuana generated by multiple sources in the last century are outdated and motivated by financial gain, and the current number of men imprisoned due to drug possession has massively crippling effects on the economy.

Ganja is not good for you. Some argue that it possesses properties that combat cancer, but this has not been proven. However, marijuana is by no stretch of the imagination worse than cigarettes or alcohol. The adverse effects of alcohol and tobacco have been documented extensively. Alcohol damages the liver, is calorie-laden, and yet perfectly legal for anyone above the age of twenty one. Cigarettes have been so closely tied to lung cancer that they require a warning to be printed on the side of the box. Marijuana can also have a slew of negative outcomes, but many would agree that they are relatively minor. Furthermore, many consider marijuana a “gate-way drug”. It is my belief that many move into a more dangerous territory (That of hard drugs) when they see that marijuana isn't all that bad and begin to believe that the government is simply lying to them for their own gains, and that is marijuana isn't as bad as it was cracked up to be, so to must be the case for harder drugs. I am not an advocate for any other illegal substance.

The amount of people currently incarcerated due to drug possession in the United States is startling. We have more prisoners than China despite having a population roughly a third as large. If that isn't a comment on the problem with the system, I don't know what is. Having so many people as wards of the state is economically unfeasible, and our current economic track says as much. I do not pretend that legalization will solve our problems as a nation, but it would at least let us relax as everything turns to dung.

Maybe I'm A Little Harsh..

During the Thanksgiving weekend American actor, Paul Walker, lost his life in a tragic car accident in California. It's a terrible loss, considering that Walker contributed positively to society and leaves behind a family.On almost every media outlet, the news of Walker's passing is posted; visit Facebook or Instagram or even Twitter and you're bound to see at least one post about Walker. I enjoyed Walker as an actor and believed him to be a nice guy, so don't misunderstand me when I say that I think the media and our society are over-doing his death. Paul Walker was one of those actors that would be spoken about for a few weeks after a movie of his premiered and then he wouldn't be heard about until the next movie. In the car accident, Walker was accompanied by Roger Rodus, a person who most don't even know died as well. Is Walker receiving all this publicity just because he was famous? Just because he was voted #4 by Glamour Magazine in their 50 Sexiest Men of 2010 issue? I simply can't understand why society is focusing so much on one death when people fighting in wars are dying constantly; people all over the world are dying. Roger Rodus died just as Walker, but yet his death receives very little focus. Was he not as great of a human being as Walker? Like I said early, don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that society shouldn't mourn deaths or that society shouldn't mourn Walker's death in particular. I'm simply stating that the same attention should be placed on other deaths as well, such as Roger Rodus' death. I just believe that every death deserves the same amount of respect and attention.

Women's Self Love Movement Beginning to Put Down Certain Forms of Body Image?

I'm %100 on board with promoting self love to woman, especially young girls. Especially, with all the impossible standards that the media is setting for us. However, recently I've been deeply bothered by some campaigns depicting certain body forms, like skinny or "sultry" looking, as ugly or wrong in order to make women with different bodies feel better or so that the women that fit todays "view of beauty"can be looked down upon. Self love is all about accepting who you are inside and out. Whether you fit the world's mold of beauty or not!
For example, just because a girl is very skinny doesn't mean she is this way because she wants to please the masses, this is simply how her body is and she shouldn't be judged or put down because of that just as every woman shouldn't.
Just be careful when promoting self love, to not, at the same time, be putting down certain types of women.

To those who think school is a fashion show

There's a selective bond between my friends that occurs that begins with comparing ourselves to other girls around campus. A product of our own societal downfalls, we can't help but compare ourselves to other women we see. Although many have called us "pretty" and we take those compliments with 6 tablespoons of salt, it still lingers in us to judge ourselves, both negatively towards  ourselves and harshly towards others, on a daily basis. This kind of dissonance is learned early on; other women are seen as competition for our own success stories. My friends often lament that they wish they had the time, or worse, were vain enough to dress well for school in the morning; to throw on a pair of Steve Madden combat boots they know are far from comfortable and still do it all in the name of fashion, amen.

The "girl hate," as modern third wave girl power circles have put it, needs to stop. When we create a culture within ourselves that belittles fellow women for being happy and confident, something many of us aren't and are pushed not to be, it further drives the point to those at a higher level of societal influence that women need to be pushed to feel bad to buy the new cruddy shade of coral lipstick, the fat burner, the product that takes the culture out of your hair. Over time, I realized what this reliance on make up meant for me and others: nothing. Women do not need to dress themselves up to impress anyone, nor do you need to care as to why they do it. I am now happy to say that when I see a woman who took effort and time to look a way that makes her happy and comfortable that I am no longer jealous or bitter. We should celebrate the hard earned confidence of women, not destroy it. We are only building up yet another superficial patriarchal infrastructure that can be dismantled easily with the power of kindness and forgiveness towards self body image.

Stop judging women for doing what they want with their bodies.