I have had an extremely busy semester. I have still not been miraculously healed, so of course, I had inevitable make-up work to attend to that prohibited me from really doing anything fun or creative. One of the loveliest presents I have received this Christmas is free time. I have been able to catch up on writing poetry and reading other people's writing on Deviant Art, and I have actually just recently come into contact with an amazing opportunity. A fellow artist-friend of mine, Colin, and I were exchanging comments on several poems of both mine and his, when he mentioned that he had recorded several of his poems into songs. To make a long story short, I listened to several of them, and I was absolutely taken with the melodies he had composed for them. To shorten the story further, he sent me instrumentals and other various versions of many of his songs, and I recorded vocal tracks. One of them, a song called "She Draws (Me In)," is finished, and several are pending. Here is a link to the lyric video for the finished one.
I have been really inspired to sing recently. Maybe its the relaxation and relief of finally finishing the longest semester of my life, and maybe it's because I'm narcissistic and love the sound of my own voice. ;) But either way, I also have some other instrumentals by other artists I plan to record over this winter. I am devoting this break to art, much of which will be music, obviously.
Please, watch, listen, opine, comment, praise, share, bla bla bla, etc., ... this song in particular. Thank you all so much for listening!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Be a Green Steward
With the beginning of each new school year, comes a new science class. And attending a Christian school, there is always a chapter about Biblical worldview and the Creation Mandate. Though I don't blindly follow every extrapolation drawn from certain passages, I do agree with many of the science teacher's views about being "green" as part of the creation mandate.
Genesis 1:27-29 TNIV
So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."
These verses stem the idea of the Creation Mandate. Essentially, God is telling the first couple (who were equally representative of God's image; God's image being incomplete without said equal representation,) to rule over, have dominion, or take care of the animals, plants, and the earth itself that God created. There are very few Christians who would believe that humans have no responsibility to care for the earth, though some more obstinate people balk at the idea because they associate "being green" with liberalism, paganism, and general conformity to the world. Another argument that has been made is that Christians should be looking to Christ's return and the new heaven and new earth, and that taking care of our current world is unimportant or worthless. Certainly scientists who believe the Bible would not make such arguments. Part of Ruling is having a good understanding of what it is exactly that you are ruling. Part of that is expressed by learning about biochemistry or astrophysics, for example, but part of it, we already know.
We know that the Industrial Revolution caused a massive increase in pollution that is steadily rising. We know that the ozone layer has been damaged because of pollutants that were ignorantly released into the atmosphere. Even if you didn't see the use of caring for the earth because it is not our final spiritual destination, one would surely believe in the sanctity of human life because God made humans "in the image of God." Part of the function of the Ozone layer is to protect the earth from excess radiation from the sun. UV Radiation is widely accepted to cause various types of cancer which may, or may not be terminal. In essence, reducing the pollutants in the air could help to preserve human life, which is always desirable.
A second area that sadly, many are severely lacking in is simply recycling. I can attest to this personally. I have watched people throwing recyclable bottles into the trash rather than the proper receptical at school so often that I find it embarrassing and appalling. In fact, recently I was so fed up with these observations that I sorted the recycling out of several of the trash cans in my school and disposed of them properly. The worst part of the whole situation, was that the garbage was located right next to a recycling bin!
While some Christians may feel that they are exempt from trying to conserve resources such as paper and plastic, either because they are "created by God for our use," or promoted by secular parties, I would argue that recycling is a vital part of humanity's obedience to God. for example, throwing plastic bottles into a trash can instead of a recycling bin would be creating more surface waste on the planet because not all plastics are biodegradable. Throwing paper into a trash can instead of recycling causes more trees to be cut down faster, aiding in the depletion of oxygen and increase in carcinogens which damage our bodies, and decreasing the quality of human life. Failing to deposit plastic grocery bags or newspaper protectors into the proper recycling receptical allows them to be carries by the wind to places where they impede traffic, suffocate animals, or even cause distractions to drivers and pedestrians which can lead to the death of one or more individuals. All of these examples would also be examples of poor stewardship of the earth because it is creating unnecessary waste and unnecessary consumption of resources. By recycling the plastic products, we save more petroleum compounds which can also release toxins into the atmosphere. By recycling paper, fewer trees must be cut down as often, and the trees which are turned into paper can be re-purposed over and over to promote optimal preservation of forests which are the homes and food sources for thousand of species of animals and other plants.
The last part, is that neither of the previous two points are too far out of your way or too difficult to accomplish. Most public areas have recycling stations for both paper and plastic, and a vast majority of privately owned businesses and schools do as well. Using products that are free of harmful pollutants are usually not that much more expensive than those which have the potential of being less environmentally conscious. Maybe part of the problem is simply being to ego-centric and selfish. trying to live a lifestyle that promotes a cleaner, more efficient earth provides a better world for those living around us as well as our posterity. When you consider that the generations following ours will have to deal with the problems created or not solved by our generations, we should have a reality check. Maybe we should clean up our own mess so to speak, as well as lightening the load of previous generations that future generations will one day have to shoulder. Bearing up one another in love is never wrong. Recycling is another way to love God, and love people.
Genesis 1:27-29 TNIV
So God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."
These verses stem the idea of the Creation Mandate. Essentially, God is telling the first couple (who were equally representative of God's image; God's image being incomplete without said equal representation,) to rule over, have dominion, or take care of the animals, plants, and the earth itself that God created. There are very few Christians who would believe that humans have no responsibility to care for the earth, though some more obstinate people balk at the idea because they associate "being green" with liberalism, paganism, and general conformity to the world. Another argument that has been made is that Christians should be looking to Christ's return and the new heaven and new earth, and that taking care of our current world is unimportant or worthless. Certainly scientists who believe the Bible would not make such arguments. Part of Ruling is having a good understanding of what it is exactly that you are ruling. Part of that is expressed by learning about biochemistry or astrophysics, for example, but part of it, we already know.
We know that the Industrial Revolution caused a massive increase in pollution that is steadily rising. We know that the ozone layer has been damaged because of pollutants that were ignorantly released into the atmosphere. Even if you didn't see the use of caring for the earth because it is not our final spiritual destination, one would surely believe in the sanctity of human life because God made humans "in the image of God." Part of the function of the Ozone layer is to protect the earth from excess radiation from the sun. UV Radiation is widely accepted to cause various types of cancer which may, or may not be terminal. In essence, reducing the pollutants in the air could help to preserve human life, which is always desirable.
A second area that sadly, many are severely lacking in is simply recycling. I can attest to this personally. I have watched people throwing recyclable bottles into the trash rather than the proper receptical at school so often that I find it embarrassing and appalling. In fact, recently I was so fed up with these observations that I sorted the recycling out of several of the trash cans in my school and disposed of them properly. The worst part of the whole situation, was that the garbage was located right next to a recycling bin!
While some Christians may feel that they are exempt from trying to conserve resources such as paper and plastic, either because they are "created by God for our use," or promoted by secular parties, I would argue that recycling is a vital part of humanity's obedience to God. for example, throwing plastic bottles into a trash can instead of a recycling bin would be creating more surface waste on the planet because not all plastics are biodegradable. Throwing paper into a trash can instead of recycling causes more trees to be cut down faster, aiding in the depletion of oxygen and increase in carcinogens which damage our bodies, and decreasing the quality of human life. Failing to deposit plastic grocery bags or newspaper protectors into the proper recycling receptical allows them to be carries by the wind to places where they impede traffic, suffocate animals, or even cause distractions to drivers and pedestrians which can lead to the death of one or more individuals. All of these examples would also be examples of poor stewardship of the earth because it is creating unnecessary waste and unnecessary consumption of resources. By recycling the plastic products, we save more petroleum compounds which can also release toxins into the atmosphere. By recycling paper, fewer trees must be cut down as often, and the trees which are turned into paper can be re-purposed over and over to promote optimal preservation of forests which are the homes and food sources for thousand of species of animals and other plants.
The last part, is that neither of the previous two points are too far out of your way or too difficult to accomplish. Most public areas have recycling stations for both paper and plastic, and a vast majority of privately owned businesses and schools do as well. Using products that are free of harmful pollutants are usually not that much more expensive than those which have the potential of being less environmentally conscious. Maybe part of the problem is simply being to ego-centric and selfish. trying to live a lifestyle that promotes a cleaner, more efficient earth provides a better world for those living around us as well as our posterity. When you consider that the generations following ours will have to deal with the problems created or not solved by our generations, we should have a reality check. Maybe we should clean up our own mess so to speak, as well as lightening the load of previous generations that future generations will one day have to shoulder. Bearing up one another in love is never wrong. Recycling is another way to love God, and love people.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
I Am Number Four - Book vs. Movie
A lot of the movie "I Am Number Four" was consistent with the book. The book, as is often the case, covers a lot more actual story than the movie, which often shortens scenes, or combines multiple scenes into one. There are a few discrepancies with the book that I would like to point out in the movie.
After the introduction, the movie is correct enough to have number four, currently using the name "Daniel Jones", at a beach party at night. Unlike the book, however, Four is supposed to be on a boat, not treading water half a mile out into the ocean. Seriously, The first time I saw the movie, I thought there was going to be a shark attack. But he didn't pass out, and no one caught the obtaining of the 3rd scar on camera. When they left, they burned their important information, not six who was shown following them.The camera event is after four has developed his fire-proof powers and runs into a burning building to save his girlfriend, Sarah, but it isn't posted on a "They walk among us" website, in fact, the book says there is no such website.
Sarah, in the movie, runs a website called "Strangers in Paradise" for her photography, but in the book, once again, there is no such website. She takes several pictures of John, and it mentions her developing them in the dark room at school, but she is not trying to be a comical stalkerazzi as she appears in the movie. In the book, Four's telekinesis develops at Sarah's house when he accidentally breaks the lens of her camera because he is stressed about Henri's visit to the paranormal website operators. There is no camera with a pre-broken lens for her to give him, and he does not take a whole role of film up for pictures for her.
Which brings me to another point. The movie does not show him developing any of his powers. All he can do is turn his hands into flashlights. The movie shows him being protected from a fire by number six, who is in fact, not fire-proof. Speaking of six, she is casted as a white, blonde with an Australian accent, though she is supposed to be brunette, green eyed, and dark skinned, with no mention of any accent.
Six brings up another opinion of mine, I hope that Four will wind up falling in love with Six, and that they will be together forever on Lorien, and that he and Sarah will peacefully drift apart. Henri tells Four in the book, that once they fall in love they will be in love for their whole life, but even if he thinks he is in love with a human, he would still be able to fall into a much deeper, purer, truer love with a Loric girl, and then he goes on to mention that Four's parents were friends with the parents of a girl who is one of the 9 (now reduced to 6) on this planet. He says that their parents used to joke about them "growing up and falling in love and our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes, and said oh, my, my, my..." seriously, Taylor Swift aside. I think this is foreshadowing... I hope... that he and Six will fall in love, and that Six won't fall for Sam as she seems to be doing at the close of the movie. The only girl Sam is ever mentioned to be crushing on in the book is Emily, who is a friend of Sarah's.
The movie also does not show him communicating with animals, as is one of his other abilities. Speaking of animals, his "dog"/ lizard/ chimera from Lorien, called "Hunley" on their home planet, is named "Bernie Kosar" when Four, aka John Smith, arrives in Paradise, OH. That part was correct. But in the movie, giving him this name seems to be a bit of a joke between "John" and Henri (supposed to be pronounced ohn-REE because they are claiming that John's "father, really assigned protector, is french to cover up for his Loric accent,) though in the book, the name was on a collar tag already found on the animal.
Speaking of Henri, he does not die in the book until the final few chapters, during the battle, but he dies halfway through the movie, killed by Mogadorians at the home of the printers of "They Walk Among Us," though in the book, they escaped from the house without the mogadorians seeing them. When Henri dies in the movie, he is reduced to a pile of ash, though in the book, this only happens to the mogadorians after they die. In the book, Henri is cremated by Six, who can control the elements, and stored on a coffee can to be eventually taken back to Lorien and buried there.
There are many other differences, but I will not continue to list them, as this may make the movie seem like a dreadful waste of time. I really liked the movie. It was fabulously animated for the chimeara scenes, and the effects of the Legacies were incredible. The movie was thrilling. I actually screamed a few times! But the book was 1000X better. I would definitely recommend reading I Am Number Four, even going out of one's way to read it. It was so intense. I literally COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN.
After the introduction, the movie is correct enough to have number four, currently using the name "Daniel Jones", at a beach party at night. Unlike the book, however, Four is supposed to be on a boat, not treading water half a mile out into the ocean. Seriously, The first time I saw the movie, I thought there was going to be a shark attack. But he didn't pass out, and no one caught the obtaining of the 3rd scar on camera. When they left, they burned their important information, not six who was shown following them.The camera event is after four has developed his fire-proof powers and runs into a burning building to save his girlfriend, Sarah, but it isn't posted on a "They walk among us" website, in fact, the book says there is no such website.
Sarah, in the movie, runs a website called "Strangers in Paradise" for her photography, but in the book, once again, there is no such website. She takes several pictures of John, and it mentions her developing them in the dark room at school, but she is not trying to be a comical stalkerazzi as she appears in the movie. In the book, Four's telekinesis develops at Sarah's house when he accidentally breaks the lens of her camera because he is stressed about Henri's visit to the paranormal website operators. There is no camera with a pre-broken lens for her to give him, and he does not take a whole role of film up for pictures for her.
Which brings me to another point. The movie does not show him developing any of his powers. All he can do is turn his hands into flashlights. The movie shows him being protected from a fire by number six, who is in fact, not fire-proof. Speaking of six, she is casted as a white, blonde with an Australian accent, though she is supposed to be brunette, green eyed, and dark skinned, with no mention of any accent.
Six brings up another opinion of mine, I hope that Four will wind up falling in love with Six, and that they will be together forever on Lorien, and that he and Sarah will peacefully drift apart. Henri tells Four in the book, that once they fall in love they will be in love for their whole life, but even if he thinks he is in love with a human, he would still be able to fall into a much deeper, purer, truer love with a Loric girl, and then he goes on to mention that Four's parents were friends with the parents of a girl who is one of the 9 (now reduced to 6) on this planet. He says that their parents used to joke about them "growing up and falling in love and our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes, and said oh, my, my, my..." seriously, Taylor Swift aside. I think this is foreshadowing... I hope... that he and Six will fall in love, and that Six won't fall for Sam as she seems to be doing at the close of the movie. The only girl Sam is ever mentioned to be crushing on in the book is Emily, who is a friend of Sarah's.
The movie also does not show him communicating with animals, as is one of his other abilities. Speaking of animals, his "dog"/ lizard/ chimera from Lorien, called "Hunley" on their home planet, is named "Bernie Kosar" when Four, aka John Smith, arrives in Paradise, OH. That part was correct. But in the movie, giving him this name seems to be a bit of a joke between "John" and Henri (supposed to be pronounced ohn-REE because they are claiming that John's "father, really assigned protector, is french to cover up for his Loric accent,) though in the book, the name was on a collar tag already found on the animal.
Speaking of Henri, he does not die in the book until the final few chapters, during the battle, but he dies halfway through the movie, killed by Mogadorians at the home of the printers of "They Walk Among Us," though in the book, they escaped from the house without the mogadorians seeing them. When Henri dies in the movie, he is reduced to a pile of ash, though in the book, this only happens to the mogadorians after they die. In the book, Henri is cremated by Six, who can control the elements, and stored on a coffee can to be eventually taken back to Lorien and buried there.
There are many other differences, but I will not continue to list them, as this may make the movie seem like a dreadful waste of time. I really liked the movie. It was fabulously animated for the chimeara scenes, and the effects of the Legacies were incredible. The movie was thrilling. I actually screamed a few times! But the book was 1000X better. I would definitely recommend reading I Am Number Four, even going out of one's way to read it. It was so intense. I literally COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Making a Scene
Selena Gomez and The Scene has released a new single titled "Bang Bang Bang" and I decided that would be a good place to start as far as music commentary goes. When I listened to this song, I was severely unimpressed by the lack of lyric depth shown in previous songs such as "A Year Without Rain", "Round and Round" or "Who Says" and she seems to be repressing her natural vocal timbre. Her voice seems strained as if she is singing just slightly higher than her optimal pitches.
"Bang Bang Bang" is clearly a rant post-breakup song. Many listeners are suggesting that the song was written glorifying her new interest: Justin Beiber with phrases such as "He looks way better than you," and "He's got more swagger than you do."
Some opinions have voiced that this new single sounds like the Electro-Pop sensation La Roux. Though La Roux may have been an influencing factor in the creation of the music score, I think that the most influential component was simply the resurrection of electronic music. The sound of "Bang Bang Bang" lacks the deeper base tones of much of La Roux's music as well as the complex harmony accompanying Elly Jackson's performances such as "Bulletproof", "I'm Not Your Toy", and, one of my personal favorites, "As if by Magic". Once again, the lyric depth in this song is a main factor contributing to this verdict. "Bang Bang Bang", in my opinion, has the lyric depth of wet pavement after a light rain shower, while the majority of La Roux's music is closer to a 12-feet-deep, Olympic sized swimming pool. The rate of mindless repetition in Selena's song is approximately 89%.
Many artists often write songs not intended to be published, just as a way of letting off steam. This song leads me to believe that one of her producers came across the song on accident, and needed a few more songs to add to the most recent collection before they could release the next album, decided to add it as a filler and then chose to release it as a single to set up for the album before they released the actually impressive songs.
I don't think that this song deserves its current rating of 3rd highest Selena Gomez song on itunes. She has released several which are a much better use of your sense of hearing. Don't let that stop you from occasionally listening to it when its in a playlist of the whole upcoming album, but I wouldn't bother buying it as a single.
"Bang Bang Bang" is clearly a rant post-breakup song. Many listeners are suggesting that the song was written glorifying her new interest: Justin Beiber with phrases such as "He looks way better than you," and "He's got more swagger than you do."
Some opinions have voiced that this new single sounds like the Electro-Pop sensation La Roux. Though La Roux may have been an influencing factor in the creation of the music score, I think that the most influential component was simply the resurrection of electronic music. The sound of "Bang Bang Bang" lacks the deeper base tones of much of La Roux's music as well as the complex harmony accompanying Elly Jackson's performances such as "Bulletproof", "I'm Not Your Toy", and, one of my personal favorites, "As if by Magic". Once again, the lyric depth in this song is a main factor contributing to this verdict. "Bang Bang Bang", in my opinion, has the lyric depth of wet pavement after a light rain shower, while the majority of La Roux's music is closer to a 12-feet-deep, Olympic sized swimming pool. The rate of mindless repetition in Selena's song is approximately 89%.
Many artists often write songs not intended to be published, just as a way of letting off steam. This song leads me to believe that one of her producers came across the song on accident, and needed a few more songs to add to the most recent collection before they could release the next album, decided to add it as a filler and then chose to release it as a single to set up for the album before they released the actually impressive songs.
I don't think that this song deserves its current rating of 3rd highest Selena Gomez song on itunes. She has released several which are a much better use of your sense of hearing. Don't let that stop you from occasionally listening to it when its in a playlist of the whole upcoming album, but I wouldn't bother buying it as a single.
Monday, June 6, 2011
One Little Light
Recently, I have been learning that things aren't always going to go the way I want them to, or even expect them to. One would think that in a religious school, a private christian school no less, the students there would be more friendly and loving. After all, like a friend of mine said: "That's what Christians are supposed to do!" So why are many of the people around me constantly backstabbing me, and gossiping about me behind my back? I can smile and pretend to look happy on the outside. I can pretend that it doesn't bother me, but being the social creature that I am, I like having friends to talk to. When many of those friends start abandoning me because of vicious twisting of the truth and lack thereof, and I am left with few around me whom I would trust my feelings to without those words of confidence igniting rumors afresh, Who do I turn to? Why can't my a fore mentioned friend wait in one of the buildings to pick up my sister for work without random people whispering behind her loud enough to hear that "Those jeans are too ripped, and they make her look slutty. Besides, fat people shouldn't wear pants." That was when I realized I can't trust most of the people at my school, "christian" or not.
I have been seriously struggling with major depression issues for some time now. Whether my current poor health is to blame, or my social circumstances, I often feel like I can't tell anyone or they will judge me harshly, just as they judged my decisions and situations as of late. Sometimes writing helps, but most of the time, I feel depressed just to be around the people whom I know are putting on a charade, and nothing helps get rid of that feeling. Being near them is a smothering feeling of nearly tangible hatred and disgust. No one deserves to be treated that way. Christ commanded his followers to love everyone, and no one could possibly argue that the way many people act is in any way loving.
John 13: 34-35 ESV
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
I don't mean this to say that EVERYONE around me has been treating me this way. I have a few best friends who have never lost faith in me, a few good friends who have always supported me, prayed for me, held me up in their arms literally and figuratively. And I can never thank them enough. These are the friends that have kept me from falling, from drowning, and giving up in the middle of this. Real friends don't give up on you when lies are swirling all around you. We should all try to be that sort of friend for people. You never know when you might need one yourself. Once again, love is something that we all need to work on. Myself included. I am not always the most loving person, and I know that needs to change.
Proverbs 17:17 ESV
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Tonight, I walked outside to make sure I had gotten the mail for today, (which I already had,) and I saw a little blink of light. That was when I realized that the blink was the first firefly I had seen all summer. In that moment, I immediately thought of how true friendship shines a little bit of Christ's love for us, and can be a lifeline in the middle of immense sadness and struggle. No matter how alone I feel, there will always be a little firefly for me. No matter how dark the night gets, undoubtedly, a lightning bug will flash its light and send me the encouragement I need to keep going. Sometimes, just a kind word, a smile, a hug, or keeping one's unpleasant thoughts to one's self can make all the difference in the outcome of someone's day. Those are the little lights we see passing by on the way through the dark.
I have been seriously struggling with major depression issues for some time now. Whether my current poor health is to blame, or my social circumstances, I often feel like I can't tell anyone or they will judge me harshly, just as they judged my decisions and situations as of late. Sometimes writing helps, but most of the time, I feel depressed just to be around the people whom I know are putting on a charade, and nothing helps get rid of that feeling. Being near them is a smothering feeling of nearly tangible hatred and disgust. No one deserves to be treated that way. Christ commanded his followers to love everyone, and no one could possibly argue that the way many people act is in any way loving.
John 13: 34-35 ESV
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
I don't mean this to say that EVERYONE around me has been treating me this way. I have a few best friends who have never lost faith in me, a few good friends who have always supported me, prayed for me, held me up in their arms literally and figuratively. And I can never thank them enough. These are the friends that have kept me from falling, from drowning, and giving up in the middle of this. Real friends don't give up on you when lies are swirling all around you. We should all try to be that sort of friend for people. You never know when you might need one yourself. Once again, love is something that we all need to work on. Myself included. I am not always the most loving person, and I know that needs to change.
Proverbs 17:17 ESV
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Tonight, I walked outside to make sure I had gotten the mail for today, (which I already had,) and I saw a little blink of light. That was when I realized that the blink was the first firefly I had seen all summer. In that moment, I immediately thought of how true friendship shines a little bit of Christ's love for us, and can be a lifeline in the middle of immense sadness and struggle. No matter how alone I feel, there will always be a little firefly for me. No matter how dark the night gets, undoubtedly, a lightning bug will flash its light and send me the encouragement I need to keep going. Sometimes, just a kind word, a smile, a hug, or keeping one's unpleasant thoughts to one's self can make all the difference in the outcome of someone's day. Those are the little lights we see passing by on the way through the dark.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Forty-Two
I love coffee, and I love tea. I like black tea, chai tea, herbal teas, but particularly green tea. If I had to choose to drink only one beverage for the rest of my life, I would choose green tea. Now, this is a big deal because I am a caffeine addict and I am readily willing to admit this to anyone who would accuse me of being such. I adore coffee! J'aime particulièrement mon café au lait ! It makes me very very sad that Starbucks doesn't have café au lait on their main menu. You have to ask for it especially. For those of you who may not know, café au lait is a delicious combination of espresso and steamed milk (or in my case soy milk due to my current intolerance) in exactly equal proportions, which originated in France, (hence he French name,) and is traditionally drunk unsweetened and at breakfast either by itself or with a lightly buttered croissant. From my own past experience, it also goes extremely well with a biscotti, which originate from Italy, and for the sake of only talking about 1 foreign nation at a time, I will not bother to give a history of.
So why am I choosing green tea when I clearly love coffee so much? I would have to say for the health benefits. Green tea is full of antioxidants, which eliminate cancer-causing free radicals from your body, and help to boost your metabolism which means you can eat that biscotti every now and then without it making you fat. Seeing as I am a health freak with a little family history of cancer, both of those are rather important to me. Oh, and did I mention that it tastes delicious? Green tea comes in a vast innumerable quantity of flavors, some of the best being the combinations which include pomegranate, orange, lemon, blueberry, strawberry, grape, and acai. Which one is my favorite? Right now, I like original, plain, green-tea-flavored green tea the best. Usually I drink it oh-so-boringly sweetened with fiber, anti-oxidant, and B vitamin enhanced Splenda, which appeases my maybe-slightly-irrational-but-still-mostly-reasonable fear of cancer.
Today I came back home from hanging out with one of my best friends all weekend. I decided that since I had a lot of coffee this past weekend, I would make myself a cup of green tea for a little variety. So I pulled out my rather large box of plain green tea bags and noticed a tiny shadow on the lid of the box. I looked a little bit closer and it occurred to me that it was a dent. Upon further examination I realized that there was a very small "42" imprinted on the box. This brought a truckload of questions to my mind. "What is this? What is it doing here? What does it mean? What is it saying? What does it want? etc. 42. what does 42 have to do with tea? 42..."
That was when I noticed that the box said it contains 40 tea bags. Well those numbers certainly are close in the numberalphabet aren't they? I decided to count the tea bags and guess how many their were? 42... but the box said 40. Maybe its like a baker's dozen. A dozen is 12 for all of you metric-speaking humans.In medieval Europe, if royalty or noblemen purchased a dozen cakes or loaves of bread or something else like that from a baker and the baker didn't give them all 12, he could get imprisoned, or beheaded. Traditionally, lower class people were barely educated, so the counting skills of a commoner might not be completely pristine. To avoid unintentionally gypping the nobility, many would put 13 of whatever it was into the order for every 12 they were supposed to make. No one is going to kill you for giving them extra pasties, right? Eventually, the term "baker's dozen" became accepted to mean 13. I highly doubt the CEOs of Salada Tea would receive capital punishment for only including 39 tea bags in the box. Really now, how any people (other than me) care enough to count their teas? Maybe the reason is similar to the reason why companies who manufacture microwaveable products or other food include a message that says "Caution: Product may be Hot." Is everyone that afraid of getting sued?
My observation is rather simple. In order for our lives to work, we have to allow for a bit of give and take. We spend too much time jumping on people who have "wronged" us to think that maybe they just made a mistake. We need to learn to love people. As one of my teachers put it, "Love is going easy on people, and love is being patient with the people who annoy us." Why is it that we have to spend so much time worrying about the possibility that something we say will offend someone somewhere? Maybe if the world would just relax for a moment and stop keeping its nickers in a twist, we would stop focusing on ourselves so much, and relax enough to care about someone else for a change. When we take everything personally and demand that WE GET THE TREATMENT WE DESERVE OR ELSE, MISTER! We really drain the enjoyment out of life. If there is someone out there getting upset that thy paid for 40 packets of green tea but there was a miscount, relax. How many times have you bought a box with an extra 2? Maybe you should give the tea people a break. Just be chill. The universe isn't out to get you. The tea company isn't trying to rob you of $0.05. Focus on giving back to your community rather than trying to take everything it can give you. Be easy on people. Wouldn't you appreciate it if someone cut you slack when you mess up sometimes? Treat people the way you want to be treated, and eventually you will gain their love and respect.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
This is not the only problem we need to face. But if you try to live this way, you will notice a difference in yourself. I know I have noticed the change in my own life. I can forgive more easily, I can hope more easily, and I can give people the benefit of the doubt more often. This is not the only thing that humanity has yet to learn, but love might just be the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
So why am I choosing green tea when I clearly love coffee so much? I would have to say for the health benefits. Green tea is full of antioxidants, which eliminate cancer-causing free radicals from your body, and help to boost your metabolism which means you can eat that biscotti every now and then without it making you fat. Seeing as I am a health freak with a little family history of cancer, both of those are rather important to me. Oh, and did I mention that it tastes delicious? Green tea comes in a vast innumerable quantity of flavors, some of the best being the combinations which include pomegranate, orange, lemon, blueberry, strawberry, grape, and acai. Which one is my favorite? Right now, I like original, plain, green-tea-flavored green tea the best. Usually I drink it oh-so-boringly sweetened with fiber, anti-oxidant, and B vitamin enhanced Splenda, which appeases my maybe-slightly-irrational-but-still-mostly-reasonable fear of cancer.
Today I came back home from hanging out with one of my best friends all weekend. I decided that since I had a lot of coffee this past weekend, I would make myself a cup of green tea for a little variety. So I pulled out my rather large box of plain green tea bags and noticed a tiny shadow on the lid of the box. I looked a little bit closer and it occurred to me that it was a dent. Upon further examination I realized that there was a very small "42" imprinted on the box. This brought a truckload of questions to my mind. "What is this? What is it doing here? What does it mean? What is it saying? What does it want? etc. 42. what does 42 have to do with tea? 42..."
That was when I noticed that the box said it contains 40 tea bags. Well those numbers certainly are close in the numberalphabet aren't they? I decided to count the tea bags and guess how many their were? 42... but the box said 40. Maybe its like a baker's dozen. A dozen is 12 for all of you metric-speaking humans.In medieval Europe, if royalty or noblemen purchased a dozen cakes or loaves of bread or something else like that from a baker and the baker didn't give them all 12, he could get imprisoned, or beheaded. Traditionally, lower class people were barely educated, so the counting skills of a commoner might not be completely pristine. To avoid unintentionally gypping the nobility, many would put 13 of whatever it was into the order for every 12 they were supposed to make. No one is going to kill you for giving them extra pasties, right? Eventually, the term "baker's dozen" became accepted to mean 13. I highly doubt the CEOs of Salada Tea would receive capital punishment for only including 39 tea bags in the box. Really now, how any people (other than me) care enough to count their teas? Maybe the reason is similar to the reason why companies who manufacture microwaveable products or other food include a message that says "Caution: Product may be Hot." Is everyone that afraid of getting sued?
My observation is rather simple. In order for our lives to work, we have to allow for a bit of give and take. We spend too much time jumping on people who have "wronged" us to think that maybe they just made a mistake. We need to learn to love people. As one of my teachers put it, "Love is going easy on people, and love is being patient with the people who annoy us." Why is it that we have to spend so much time worrying about the possibility that something we say will offend someone somewhere? Maybe if the world would just relax for a moment and stop keeping its nickers in a twist, we would stop focusing on ourselves so much, and relax enough to care about someone else for a change. When we take everything personally and demand that WE GET THE TREATMENT WE DESERVE OR ELSE, MISTER! We really drain the enjoyment out of life. If there is someone out there getting upset that thy paid for 40 packets of green tea but there was a miscount, relax. How many times have you bought a box with an extra 2? Maybe you should give the tea people a break. Just be chill. The universe isn't out to get you. The tea company isn't trying to rob you of $0.05. Focus on giving back to your community rather than trying to take everything it can give you. Be easy on people. Wouldn't you appreciate it if someone cut you slack when you mess up sometimes? Treat people the way you want to be treated, and eventually you will gain their love and respect.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
This is not the only problem we need to face. But if you try to live this way, you will notice a difference in yourself. I know I have noticed the change in my own life. I can forgive more easily, I can hope more easily, and I can give people the benefit of the doubt more often. This is not the only thing that humanity has yet to learn, but love might just be the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
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