Flash mob, on a serious note.

Yesterday I was emailed this video by Moveon.org:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FhMMmqzbD8&feature=player_embedded]

While I think it’s hilarious, I also find it pretty serious. Kate and I talked about this a few weeks ago, and I think it’s really important to talk about it in context.

Let me begin with another chain: Walmart. As my friend S has pointed out, yes, sometimes it’s cheaper. I get it. But is that all that matters? Maybe for some people, and I understand that right now I am lucky to have a job, and a support system. But can we really turn a blind eye to our morals when we can get a bookshelf $10 cheaper? How does that feel on your conscious? I know for some, it doesn’t matter. Target and Walmart are the same in their eyes: giant corporations that swindle you with crap that becomes broken and unusable as the Target 2011 rolls out, promising shiny new low prices and bookshelves.

And, for the most part, I agree. Why is Target selling me something that won’t last? Why wouldn’t we strive for things that will last us, as strong as the so-called American spirit? Where would you buy kitchen supplies if not for Target? Towels? Stationary? Make-up?

When I was in China, I reluctantly shopped at Walmart for my needs. I was only there for two months, and I didn’t know where else to go. But I am sure if I had spent some time in the Hutongs around my campus, I would have been able to find almost everything I needed. And you can bet I would have been that much more proficient in Mandarin. I have never been inside a US Walmart, and I hope that will be true for the rest of my life. I have morals, and I try hard to live by them every day, not just when it’s convenient.

But, some people think Target is different. Or is it? I read this article, and was surprised to find that maybe, Target isn’t as Anti-Walmart as we think. Also this article, which explains the similarities between them. I have a friend moving here in a few weeks, and no-doubt Target will be on our minds as we go through the shopping list one needs to start in an apartment. But what do we do if we don’t go to Target? Where would we go? Well, I aim to find out. I understand that not everyone thinks their money will make a difference, that not spending $50 at Target isn’t going to make them miss a beat. But what if everyone you KNEW did that? That’d be a lot more money…and think of the effects around the country.

What if we got tools and cleaning supplies from our local hardware store? Kitchen supplies from our local kitchen store, etc., etc.? I know, I know, big brands are just as bad: why would I pay more to buy a hammer from a small ACE than from Home Depot or Target? Because I want that small retailer to stay. I want them to thrive, and to pay their employees more, to know my name when I walk in, for them to understand my problems. Now, maybe this is the Michigan country-girl in me, or the small business toy store worker in me, but I think that’s important.

Living in LA, everyone strives to go to local restaurants, to places small and large, places successful and booming, to places small and uncrowded. Why aren’t we the same with the rest of what we buy? Now, I know that sometime in the near future I am going to cave to the bullseye. I am going to go to Target to get something I know they sell. But what if we all tried that much harder to just buy local? Could we really help LA’s economy grow? Maybe, just maybe, we could.

What up, Kate? I think you're awesome.

This is my friend Kate. And her bf Tom. And me.

That’s her 4 years ago.


This is her last summer.

That’s me and my bests. Last summer. I love them.

Anyways, back to Kate. This is the thing: she’s amazing. wonderful. She’ll watch an entire season of any TV show you want in one sitting, ice cream and snacks in hand. She’ll also finish an entire tub of hummus and celery sticks with you on her roof over a pitcher of sangria. She’ll also go to the museum with you, and have something intelligent to say about just about every artist there. And even artists who aren’t. She’ll watch Oscar-nominated films, indie films, and bad chick flicks with you, and enjoy them all. She’ll defend you to the death, cut someone with a shank for you, if she needs to, and makes sure to always say “please” and “thank you” and “Is there more coffee?” She’s pretty much my fave. And she, my friends, is also a ridiculously talented writer. (I know, you’re not surprised. I wasn’t, either.)

She has been published here. Go read it. I’ll wait.

SO good, right? I just love her. Check her blog out, here. She’s totally worth it. I promise. (Like an extra set of crunches, or that extra handful of cranberries on your morning cereal, or that last episode of Full House about the time they lose Comet.)

You can thank me later.

Soy crisps: bu yao.

I just went to the grocery to get lunch, and ended up with a turkey and cheese sandwich (are you shocked?) and wanted some rice cakes to complement my meal. I love love love the carmel flavored ones. But…I decided to try something new.

 

Bad idea.

 

I got the sea salt flavored ones. Delicious, right? NO.

 

Terrible decisions. Never have them. Looks like I am going to have to eat those reserve cheetos, after all. Menawhile, Never trust the soy. This is what we’ve learned.

Ex-homosexual? What?

I was biking home and I was handed a flyer from a woman wearing a shirt that said “Ex-slave.” I was intrigued. I looked at the flyer after I parked my bike, and it had a picture of a girl with a shirt on that says “Ex-homosexual.” It was a flyer for the Passion for Christ Movement. I was so offended I wanted to blog about it, but then I went to the website to find out more.

Now, nearly 40 minutes later, I am fuming. I watched most of the video on the home page, and it is a bunch of “ex-homosexuals” who are telling people that 1.) Homosexuality is not natural and 2.) You (too!) can be delivered and stop being homosexual.

What? The evidence they use is from the Bible, which like, OK, fine, but they decide multiple times in the video that because science has NOT proven otherwise, homosexuality is wrong.

They are answering common questions of the homosexual community, and one of them is that people are “born” gay. They discuss how CNN did a story which asked the question, “Are you born gay?” and the answer was, “I don’t know for sure…there is no gay gene.” But all they repeated was, “there is no gay gene, there is no gay gene.” Not the line that said, “I don’t know for sure.” I want people to know that I did a quick search, and found this article quickly, which says that scientists are not sure, still. So…nice try, video.

Moving on, the next part of the video assumes they have proven that you decide to be gay, and that you’re not born with it.

Another part of the video said that “our bodies weren’t meant for this and you have HIV and AIDS shooting up through the roof in homosexual communities.” Umm, last time I checked you didn’t get HIV or AIDS from being gay. You got it from someone else that had HIV or AIDS, and you can get it if you’re straight, too.

Later in the video, it mentions that a lesbian couple was raising children, and one of their children, a boy, wore bracelets and pretended to wear earrings. The video claimed this was evidence that children are not to be raised by lesbians in the first place, because they have no male influence. To this I ask:

*What about single parents, moms or dads?

*What about people who have a mom and a dad and grow up to be gay?

Then they go on to talk about how in the story of Sodom and Gomorroah the sin of the cities was homosexuality. Jewish texts dispute this fact, but that’s another rant for another day.

They also mention how National Geographic found the cities, and proved that they were destroyed, and found syphilis and clamidia in the soil. Which are STDs that are found in the gay community. Thus proving that the sin of the city was homosexuality. Oh, but wait…straight people get these, too…shoot…

IN ADDITION, National Geographic clearly states:

Some scholars place the Biblical cities in current-day Iraq, at Mashkin-Shapir; others posit that the cities were buried under the Dead Sea. The remains of these cities have never been found, though some believe the strongest candidates for Sodom and Gomorrah can be found in the archaeological remains of the Early Bronze Age cities of Babe Edh-Dhra and Numeira, to the East of the Dead Sea.

So, they did NOT in fact find the cities, nor did they prove that they were destroyed by God.

These types of “Christians” are the ones who offend me. The ones who — like in this video — compare the “natural” feeling of being gay to the “natural” feelings of murders and rapists. If is so offensive to see six or eight twentysomethings preaching about why they know being gay is wrong. Because they know. They can’t even get their facts straight, let alone know what God means by everything in the Bible they read that has been translated from ancient texts in languages none of them can read, written by men we’re supposed to know and believe were rightous and wrote only the word of God.

It’s a sad day when people who call themselves Christian try to tell others they know what God meant by something that was written down by men who also thought they knew what God meant by something.

I guess all I can do is pray for those people.

God wants you to recycle.

This is what I have decided:

God wants you to recycle.

I am sick of hearing about people who don’t care about recycling, and I am sick of hearing about people tell me why I should go to church. I think that everyone’s relationship with God should be their own, and I think that God would probably tell you to recycle.I have had countless people tell me, “You should join a church.” Blah blah blah, God this, God that. And some of those very same people go around throwing their plastic in the garbage, tossing gum out the window of their car, “forget” that milk cartons can be put in the blue bin. What is the matter with everyone?

God gave us this one world, right? And we’re supposed to live here, hang out a while, be nice to people, and head over to him when we’re done? Cool…so why wouldn’t we clean up after ourselves?

After all, he did all that creating for a reason, and I am pretty sure he designed it the way he did for a reason. So we took down some trees, put up some houses, explained to God we needed somewhere to live. He got that, right? Dwellings have been around awhile, and since there hasn’t been a huge disaster, I guess he understands.

But then, we pushed it. We needed a pool, some TV, some video games, the spa, a place to get our hair done, somewhere to buy our clothes, somewhere to store the stuff we don’t need anymore. We need soda and junk food and plastic and Styrofoam and Tupperware. We need cell phones, house phones, computers, iPods. Oh, and chargers for all those things. We swear, God. We need them because we are humans. And we need them because everyone else has them. We need them because we’re humans who are more advanced than other animals. And you made us that way.

Well fine. We have houses, and TVs, and video games, and spas. And I use all those things. But the least we can do for God, the very least we can do, is pick up our shit when we’re done.

And, if not for God, for our children. Or our siblings’ children. Our friends’ children. Whoever.

So, people, pick up your shit. Separate it, recycle. Hold your can until you get home if you have to, put it in a blue bin. Use both sides of paper, and unplug stuff you’re not using.

Try harder, everyone. OK? Could you do that for me? For the kids you know? For God?

For Earth?

Thanks.

peace/love.