Welcome to Chaos !!

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?

Today was Earth Day, it's late when I'm writing this......close to Midnight. I saw that there was going to be some event for Earth Day at Container Park today, that's on Freemont Street here in Las Vegas. I like Container Park a lot, so I asked Julia yesterday if she would come with me and she said yes. And today she decided to bring a boy that lives next door to her with us.
We were planning on taking him and his brother to the book store (Barnes&Noble) some day but he got to come with us to Container Park. Maybe I will have time for the book store next week, or Julia can take them both without me.
So this was me today during the day......



We took the little bundle of energy to the tree house at Container Park, fun for kids of all ages. I'm a big kid in case you didn't know......



We built our own house. That later got demolished.



We found a super cool toy store, Kappa Toys. So many cool toys, I have to go back. I saw a back pack I might need, pink with a unicorn on it. Good for Burning Man, or hiking. I like to think for a bit before I buy stuff.





After I got home I changed clothes and took Chhaya to Red Rock. After all Earth Day is about nature and I love the beauty of Red Rock. It's so serene there, just me and Chhaya together taking it all in. We rarely run into other people. I have to be outside, at least do something outside related besides taking Chhaya to the park, on a regular basis. I don't understand how some people can be content with just being inside. Not for me.



I use the timer and set it for ten seconds when I take pics like these and nobody is around to assist me.



This next pic made me think of Uluru, love the name too! That is a place I would like to visit one day.





No Earth Day can be complete without a heart in the sand. I wrote Earth Day above the heart but it's barely visible. I wish I had brought some incense with me to burn with some thoughts and prayers. I believe in the spirit of nature and think it's awful that we, the human race, are destroying this beautiful planet and exterminating animals. I am myself part of the destruction, yes I am very aware of this......



I filled a bag up with other people's litter. I know I said it many times but littering really bothers me. I don't get how you can go hiking or camping and just leave your trash behind? It's just so.....vulgar and low. Everybody can do something, everybody can do their part. I have to admit that since I have been in Vegas I have been lacking in the recycling department.
In Alaska I am really good at recycling but here in Vegas I wasn't sure how long I was going to stay. So I didn't look into curbside recycling. That's what you do here and I'm not even sure how it works I have to admit. Well, I gave some of my plastic and glass bottles to Julia to recycle (Julia recycles and offered to go and take care of the matter - thank you to Julia) and today I took some to Whole Foods. They have three recycling bins by the exit, I suspect it's for the people that eat there but since I buy most of my stuff that I consume on a daily basis from there I will start taking my plastic and glass back to Whole Foods from now on.....or start curbside recycling. No more excuses!

Sunday.....Fashion Show mall and enorme iced vanilla latte with whipped cream day!
I scouted Victoria's Secret for a new bra but did not find any. I did see a cute orange sundress though and possibly a bikini. I did find some jeans shorts and a super cute dark purple bralette at Free People though that I need to go back and try on, actually I love almost everything in the Free People store. I admired a pair of gorgeous jeans at Diesel but $300 for some jeans.....? I don't know about that and those were not even the cheapest pair.
Who wants to take me shopping?



Then I decided today was the day I was going to visit the Lucky Cat at the Cosmopolitan, so I dragged Julia for a "long" walk outside from Caesars Palace to the Cosmopolitan. So you basically give the cat a high five and out of it comes a card with your fortune written on it OR you can win something. Well, I won $5 in free slot play at the Cosmopolitan which I decided to redeem another day. Anyhow, the Lucky Cat is super cute and I think it's a fun place to stop by if you happen to be in Vegas. You can high five the cat and get your fortune told once a day.





And then I finally visited the 3 story Prada store at Crystals. I've been wanting a Prada bag.
I have three right now. One that I don't use anymore and the other two I use on occasion.
I would like one for a more frequent use. I can't say that there was anything that I just LOVED and had to have in the store. What did stand out was a brand new two toned style handbag that was just in. But I wasn't sure. So a possible Prada bag purchase/investment is on hold. Then I am also grappling with the moral dilemma that many Prada bags are made of calf skin (at least the ones I am considering). Some are even made of a combo of calf and lamb.
They even had alligator bags in the store. Hmmmmm.......I might have to reconsider another Prada bag buy, not sure yet.

I am disappointed that I missed out on the breaking ground for the IKEA store that is going to open in Vegas next year. There was a ceremony with people digging into the ground with shovels, they had a large Dala Horse, a table with Swedish snacks set up and local Vegas Swedes dressed in blue and yellow. I'm actually REALLY disappointed that I missed out on this event, it would had been so much fun to be there! Finally Las Vegas is getting an IKEA and not too far from my house either, on Durango and 215. IKEA will employ about 300 people and to quote the article, "Not all groundbreakings generate the nationalist pride of a Norse country, but this is Ikea, so the enthusiasm of the press event boiled down to all things Swedish - including the touted "Swedish values", which will extend full benefits to part-time Ikea employees, something Sandoval described as "extraordinary" and representative of "a culture we really want in our state."
So next year you can get meatballs with that yummy brown sauce and best of all, my personal favorite, Princess Cake!
And I don't understand why they refer to Sweden as a "Norse country" - Nordic yes, but Norse? To me that sounds like Norway and although Sweden and Norway are neighbors, IKEA is Swedish make no mistake about that!
Actually years ago.....I emailed IKEA asking were they planning on opening an IKEA in Vegas anytime soon? I was surprised that there was not an IKEA in Vegas yet, where to me it seemed like the perfect place for the store. Of course I had a vision in my head of me managing the Vegas IKEA too of course, therefore I was hoping to get a promising email back. And I did get an email back, thanking me for the interest and saying that no at that time there were no immediate plans for a Vegas location, the next stop for an IKEA was to be Sacramento. What? Why Sacramento? But now it's happening, well next year. Of course they will be missing out on not having me as the best manager and representative for IKEA EVER but whatever.....The "Swedish values" mentioned in the article make my heart feel a bit achy with pride. I do love Sweden. And I think that it is important to preserve and respect values.



My favorite dessert in the whole world, prinsesstårta (princess cake)! Pic from last summer when I was visiting Sweden.



Me by the Abba museum in Stockholm on Djurgården.



Representing Sweden! Well, I just got home sick......ugh.



I took Chhaya to Red Rock yesterday evening, we go about once a week. We both love it. Chhaya can be a real puppy there, explore, sniff around and look for rabbits and I can take in the beauty and serenity of nature which I need, especially if I have to go to work later in a smokey and loud club.

Back in January I was lucky enough to see Britney at Planet Hollywood, not only did I get the ticket for free, I got to be in the pit.....super close to Britney depending on where she was on the stage. I love Britney so that was a wonderful experience. Anyhow, she wore a jacket that had "I love Charlie" written on the back. Since this was just after the Charlie Hebdo massacre I thought Britney was making a political statement and I was a bit surprised too. Well, later on like the next day I realized that the writing on the jacket was a message to/about her boyfriend Charlie. She loves him.
I haven't heard or read any celebrity make strong statements about radical Islam. I'm sure some have but I have not had a TV since the end of December, so no TV for me. I know that Ben Affleck worked himself up last year when he was a guest on Bill Maher, basically defending Islam, being politically correct you know. I never really cared for Ben Affleck, he has always struck me as a dumb, goofy frat boy.



It's been windy here in Vegas the last couple of days. I'm outside enjoying the cool breeze, listening to the birds chirping and writing this. Later I'm going to lay out and tan. I have to vacuum today and I will force myself to go to work. Hopefully I will work through Saturday.
I have a few things on my to do list that I will try to cross off within the next week or so.
Make an appointment for an eye exam so I can get new contact lenses. Contact a host regarding possibly migrate my blog from the current host to a new one. This computer/blog stuff is very confusing to me. I don't speak computer language and I am always worried that I will make some mistake that might wipe out my whole blog. Lucky for me I found my "manager" KISA that lives in Germany and he has been helping me with all of this.
Without KISA I would be lost in the world wide web of blogging. I should to go to my storage unit and attempt to dig into a mountain of stuff to locate my old house fee receipts that I saved from when I was working at Sapphire. See Sapphire (a Vegas strip club) is getting sued, a class action law suit and I contacted the attorney that is handling the case on behalf of the dancers involved. He told me to come by his office, preferably with the house fee receipts.
I want to catch up with a few friends next week. I need to get a haircut (trim). I think about two-three inches and then I will be good through the summer.



I can be such a lazy creature of comfort sometimes. Even making a phone call to get an appointment for an eye exam can seem like the biggest task. I just want to drink lattes, eat pastries, read, write and get massages and pedicures and facials. Oh and be a good Mom to Chhaya.

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 .