Opinions

Entries from April 2015

Friday, April 24. 2015

Been Thinking

I've been thinking about my choices and I have to do better choices. One of my goals in life is to be a better person, if not my MAIN goal in life. I don't care about "impressing" others, I do it for me because it makes ME feel good. Yes, I might write about it here in the blog but it's NOT to brag, like some person erroneously thought and wrote about it on Facebook. It was so transparent that she was talking about me. But hey, it's OK.....at least I'm doing something instead of nothing or next to nothing. When other people do something to extend themselves for a good cause it INSPIRES me and makes me happy for them, instead of scoffing at them and think that they are bragging. I think, "If they can do something like that, I can too!"
There is nothing wrong to mention that you did something positive (unless you bring it up every other day or still talk about that one good deed you did over ten years ago, except if it really was something spectacular). I admire people that do good. And I want to do more good. It's up to each individual to decide what they want to do with their life.
The other day one of my readers mentioned that I have inspired her to eat less meat and it really made me happy! How did I become a vegetarian? I grew up eating meat. Well, first of all - I love animals, that is the key factor. I was watching a show late one night on how animals are treated in the short time they are alive and right before slaughter. Although I knew about animal cruelty it didn't really resonate with me until that one night and I decided no more meat. That lasted a few years, no meat at all and then throughout the years I have cheated at times. I had meat when going back to Sweden (could not decline my Mom's food), although not a single bite last year when I was there. No meat at all in 2015. I ate meat once for sure in 2014, maybe twice, I can't really recall. But since about 2008 I have basically been meat free with a few exceptions. So really I am a FLEXITARIAN, I have brought that up a few times in my blog but it's easier to say vegetarian. No meat for me means no chicken and no fish. I do eat eggs at times and I do consume dairy. I am aware of how hens and chickens are treated and the horrible abuse dairy cows suffer through, it's really HORRIBLE at some (many) dairy farms. I have read reports and books on this subject. I just read that one large dairy company is promising to improve the life of their cows (Leprino Foods) after several workers got caught abusing the animals. Look up Leprino Foods animal abuse and see what human beings do to defenseless, beautiful and sentient beings. I think that all places that deal with animals for our consumption should by law have 24/7 surveillance cameras streaming live so the public can watch whenever they choose to. These places are so secretive, guarding themselves from any footage. Why? If everything is done right they would have nothing to worry about and nothing to hide. And who the FUCK goes to work on a dairy farm and abuses the cows?
Or any place with animals for that matter. Talk about sick individuals. I believe in mandatory jail sentencing for that shit.
So yes, I drink milk in my lattes, I eat yoghurt, whipped cream, ice cream and cheese. I admire vegans although I am not a vegan. But I do like what they stand for and I understand.
I became a vegetarian because I decided that I could not eat dead animals, simply because I love animals. NOW.....here is my dilemma. I have bags made of leather and some clothes too. I use products tested on animals. I need to rethink my actions and start making better choices. I looked for some vegan purses online and saw that Stella McCartney has a few that look very nice. I mean, I do not really NEED a Prada purse made from baby calf. And Prada has purses in other materials besides leather, like hemp and some sort of a nylon. My small Prada is made out of nylon. So I have options. Now to products. I need to rethink what products I use both on myself as in beauty products and for the house as in cleaning products. It doesn't take much to research this online. So no more ESSIE nail polish for me, meaning I won't acquire any new bottles of ESSIE. I need to make an inventory of my shampoos, conditioners, make up etc and slowly start making changes. I can't promise that everything that I use will be cruelty free but I WILL make an effort. Why? Because for ME, it's the right thing to do. I can say that not eating meat has not affected me in a negative way health wise, at least to my knowledge. I feel healthy, I am strong, I usually have pretty good energy (besides when I'm tired from work but hey, dancing is exhausting)......and I look great. ;-)
I also try to better myself with the stuff most of us in the Western world take for granted. Transportation, running water and electricity. I TRY to think about eco driving, although I do drive everywhere (unless in Sweden or NYC). The last two times I was in New York I was super proud of myself that I did not get in a cab once, not even going to or from the airport. I just HAD to schlep those suitcases on the subway. But in Vegas I drive, never took the bus once here. And there is no such thing as public transportation in Kenai. I also try to be mindful of my water consumption, like when I brush my teeth I turn the water off and I try to not turn on the light when it's not necessary, for example if I just need to grab something out of the bathroom and I know where it might be. BUT Chhaya gets a light on at home when I leave her for the evening. And I slip up at times, then catch myself and always think I can improve.
Trust me, I have no problem fessing up to when I forget myself, I am far from perfect. I don't want to be one of those people that talks the talk but doesn't walk the walk.
One can start small. Thinking you NEED meat every day is just wrong. You don't. You will survive without it, I promise. I like what Paul McCartney is proposing, Meat Free Mondays.
I think that's great. Do that, start with no meat once a week and ponder what it means......what life is for those animals that give up their life for you. That's how I started thinking. You have to start somewhere to make a change. And you do want to make a positive change for yourself and this world, right?





Monday, April 13. 2015

Jihad

It's been over three months since the murders in Paris at the Charlie Hebdo offices. I still think about that senseless act and other just as senseless and cold blooded murder acts have followed since then. The list just goes on and on, what some crazy Muslims do in the name of Allah. We have the killings in Denmark. That a group of about 500 Muslims gathered to pay respect to the gunman that finally was apprehended and killed by Danish police was just sickening to watch. ALL OF THEM should be sent packing back to wherever the fuck they came from, revoke their Danish citizenship (if they have one) immediately. I feel that any Muslim living in the West, as in Europe or the US and believes in jihad or feels entitled to practice inhumane behavior like FGM, honor killings and other similar violations of basic human rights, should have their citizenship/green card/VISA revoked and sent back to where they came from or wherever their parents/grand parents came from. There should be no room for people like that to freely roam around in society. At least not in Western society.
A deadly shooting of tourists visiting a museum in Tunisia (most likely carried out by Islamist extremists). Then we have the massacre at a school in Kenya, 147 innocent people, mainly students were shot dead, Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility. Children's aid workers on behalf of Save The Children taken hostage and murdered in Afghanistan, executed by the Taliban. Who does this? Pure evil.
I had a friend in Paris send me the first issue of Charlie Hebdo that came out after the shootings in Paris. I wanted that issue and I will never throw it away. Some people (as in non Muslims) have the nerve to almost defend what happened, saying that you should not joke about religion because it might offend some people. That is completely LUDICROUS. Any NON MUSLIM that even thinks that it is OK or excusable to go and murder people for some cartoons or a difference in opinions are just as brain washed as the Muslims that go out on their jihad missions in the name of Allah. And now some Muslim leaders in France are calling for more mosques to be built? Like there aren't enough already? How about building stuff that is useful for everybody - like parks, playgrounds, schools, libraries etc? You want to pray? Pray at home. You don't need a church or a mosque to pray to God. And what about the morons that run away from home to join ISIS? Young girls leaving their parents, friends and school to go and be a sex slave without any rights. Because trust me, women have NO rights in a Taliban/ISIS/Al-Shabaab patriarchy. Your role is to be submissive, serve your husband and to squeeze out as many future suicide bombers and terrorists as possible.



I have always been amazed that some women think that it is liberating to be covered up from head to toe, while men can basically dress however they want. Just another example of being brainwashed and a prisoner in the name of God. Try stepping out without that burqa on when the Taliban patrols the streets and see what happens.



I guess it is also not politically correct to call things for what they are nowadays.
Many politicians and people with a public voice tip toe around the real, very present and constant threat of terror that ISIS and similar militant Muslim groups pose. There is no room for tip toeing around this very serious problem anymore. You don't see ISIS trying to be open for any discussion and handling issues in a politically correct way. They barge in and just execute whomever that they feel is disrespecting their God. For them it is a crime to be a non Muslim too. Convert or die. Therefore I admire Marine Le Pen. I do not feel that she is a racist, she is a realist (just like me) and brings up real issues that some people are afraid to talk about publicly because they are worried that they are not being politically correct and might be offending people. Well, I am offended that others get offended so easily nowadays.
You have a brain, use it.



So this is my latest book. Heretic by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I SO admire this brave and intelligent human being. She was once chosen as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world and I don't doubt that for a second. She should be on that list every year. I very much admire this woman, she should be anybody's role model and I think this is a very important book that brings up a great argument. READ IT PLEASE! And yes, I have written about Ayaan before. Let me quote something from Heretic , "I have told my story at length in my memoir Infidel , so here I can be brief. I ended up working at a refugee screening camp, was granted asylum, worked hard to get off welfare and learn Dutch, received a university degree, and ended up writing, debating, and then being elected to the Dutch Parliament." Now that is a role model if anything!



While I am talking about religion and what brainwashed people do in the name of Allah or God I should mention the lunatics that belong to Westboro Baptist Church. These morons stand outside and picket events and even funerals with their hateful and narrow minded messages. They even have a site online that is called godhatesfags, (REALLY???) where they have a schedule posted for the next picket event. They drag along their innocent children to picket and poison their young minds with their uneducated hate. I think that everybody that brings their children to events that spread hate should have their parental rights examined and possibly revoked. I actually think that children DO NOT belong in church whatsoever. If a person chooses to go to church when they are mature enough to think for themselves and make their own decisions about religion and whether or not to believe in God, fine. I have no problem with that.
But children only go to church because an adult drags them there. I can think of better things for children to do than sit in church for hours at an end, listening to stuff that doesn't make any sense to them anyways. Plus it is SO funny and ironic to me that people feel so pompous and righteous about going to church once in a while, when in reality they are pretty shitty people and crappy role models for their children that grow up witnessing constant arguing, violence, boozing and drugging at home. Being a GOOD person and a positive role model for your children takes more effort than the occasional visit to church. HYPOCRITES!



I see the most fitting way to end this post with..... Je suis Charlie .