Opinions - 7

There is a curfew in Portland tonight and other cities across the US as well. I was tempted to go downtown and see the situation with my own eyes but in the end I decided against it. My thoughts on riot, vandalism and looting? I say go ahead and arrest and charge everybody involved with destroying stuff and endangering the safety of others. NOTHING....again NOTHING good will come out of it. I agree with protesting for what's right and fair, I believe in standing up for yourself and others when you see injustice and I also believe that violence is justified in certain situations like self defense but I do not believe in what is happening on the streets now. These people, or THUGS which is an appropriate term to describe them as said by president Trump are acting without logic. I would like for their own homes, businesses and vehicles to be set on fire and destroyed or perhaps their parents. Then there would be a different tune. Maybe that would be a fair punishment....you burn down somebody's house, business or car then you will stand by and watch when whatever you have gets set on fire. Portland has been scheduled to slowly open up after being shut down due to COVID-19, many have been without jobs and now add THIS to make things even more difficult. Yeah.... And speaking of the president....I got called a Trump supporter today for pointing out that making fun of his hair is immature. OK then. You are talking about the hair of a man in his 70s, like making fun of it? What the fuck does your own hair look like? Do you have a leg to stand on? If you do not agree with the president's policies then talk about that specific issue. Speak like an adult with some form of intelligence left in the brain. I definitely do not agree with the current US president on a lot but I am not a political science major, I try to limit my discussions to topics that I have some knowledge about and before getting so angry that my temper boils over I try to fact check and read up on stuff before spewing out some "facts" that are far from the truth. I know that there is a lot that most of us are not even aware of that goes on in the world of politics. I do NOT envy the role of president or prime minister anywhere, seems extremely stressful and comes with enormous responsibilities. Trump supporter? Actually I would had given my vote, had I been allowed to vote, to Bernie Sanders. As far as who I would vote for between the two candidates running here in the US in 2020.....there are other parties besides the two major ones. I would put my vote on somebody else.

Check out my eggies! Since it is Easter I decided to spruce up the eggs, which come from "happy" hens by the way. Meaning not from some chicken factory.
I want to believe that the hens are happy at least.
Some people were upset that they could not go to church today because crowds are not allowed to gather. But in some places the preachers did not care and crammed in a bunch of people into church anyways. Whatever.
I don't see this social distancing thing going that well in many places, like in some religious dwellings. Kids at skateparks spitting and blowing snot rockets, people going to underground bars because they just have to get drunk in a bar instead of at home (like the wife of a mayor in some town in Illinois), people meeting up with friends....stuff like that.
I don't go to church. Last time I did I had some words with the pastor. And realized that there were many hypocrites attending that church after my little conversation with him. I left with a weird feeling.
Also a friend of mine that is very religious and a very nice person overall went to his regular church a few years ago and the preacher started talking about the homosexual sin which made my friend upset and feel sad. I told him I would not set my foot in that church anymore if I were him. I also have a problem with mega churches that have those multi millionaire pastors. I have a difficult time justifying that wealth. After all, "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” New King James Version. I think it is OK to be rich but I feel that it is your duty then to do good for others. Otherwise that wealth is wasted on nothing. I would feel awful if I was a very wealthy person that did not use that wealth to do better in this world.
Multi millionaires have the luxury of doing a lot of good without risking becoming poor, unless of course they make a lot of poor choices along the way. And I feel it is wrong to force your religion onto others, that includes children at school. You should be able to choose your faith freely and willingly, not everybody is religious and that should not be a problem. If you really want to get into details, a lot of wrong and evil has transpired throughout the centuries by humans in the name of God.
You can have a relationship with God, Jesus, Mary or whatever you believe in at home and read your Bible at home. And if you go to church I think you should go there for the right reasons. Not just to show up to look righteous for an hour or two and then go home and continue to be an ass.
There is a very nice and spiritual place here in Portland called The Grotto where I have been a few times to feel a deeper spiritual feeling. And yes....I do pray. Not as often as I used to but it still happens. I consider myself spiritual.

Hi Monday.....it's kind of cold outside.
I am sitting here reading about COVID-19 and wondering what the truth about this whole thing really is? I went to Costco the other day and I have never seen so many people in there before.....stocking up on supplies. I just wanted to look at a few things, glad I did not stand in line.
So if this virus is not that dangerous like they say (the government officials) and basically not worse than the regular flu how come there are travel restrictions? And how come a school a few miles away from where I live is closed down until Thursday for all the surfaces to get disinfected, if the virus, again is kind of like the “regular” flu?
People in the US don't go to the doctor unless it's something serious due to the cost of a doctor's visits. Most people think it is an expense and rightfully so because it is. Perhaps it is time to finally address and change the health care situation in this country because it's obviously severely flawed.
Insurance, co pays and bla bla bla bullshit capitalism. Healthcare for all. If other countries can make it work so can the US. Figure it out. All those elected officials should put their minds together and come up with something that actually works. I can think of several solutions to get things moving in the right direction but I am not getting paid to solve the problems of this country.
Also people should learn how to cough and sneeze in public. I have known this since childhood and I am not interested in random people’s droplets on me.
And it is definitely time for people all over the world to think about and RETHINK their eating habits and how they relate to animals and how animals are handled and treated before human consumption of them.
So gross and wrong to consume endangered species, kill animals for their horns, tusks, scales and fins because you have some wrongful idea that you can benefit from consuming those parts (nobody gives a fuck about your erection problems and eating rhino horn won't address the issue anyways), torturing animals for endless meat consumption.
Newsflash - it is possible to survive without chomping down on chicken, hamburger, sausage and steak every day. Humans = scum of the earth.
One of the best things I have read in a while came from Andrew Muir, CEO of Wilderness Foundation Africa, "If we do not eat wildlife they will not harm us," he said.

I am very happy that this year's Golden Globes menu was all vegan. NO meat! YEAY! For all of you that still eat meat and have a difficult time imagining a life without eating meat I have a suggestion for you.....Try Beyond Meat, delicious and healthy! Better for the environment. Better for your health. And no animal had to suffer and die.
From beyondmeat.com, "A peer-reviewed Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) conducted by the University of Michigan compared the environmental impact of the Beyond Burger to a ¼ lb. U.S. beef burger. The result? A Beyond Burger uses significantly less water, land, energy, and generates fewer Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGE) than a beef burger."
I don't eat meat and that includes chicken and fish (for some reason some people seem to think that chicken and fish are not animals and always ask me if I eat that. NO I don't). The only time I am slightly tempted to take a bite of something with meat is when I am inside a Polish Deli and smell a sausage called Kabanosy. I grew up eating that and my mouth salivates when I smell it. Other than that NO I do not miss eating meat, chicken, fish and other creatures from the ocean whatsoever.
To be precise I eat a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet which means I eat dairy product and eggs. I am looking into ways to cut down my dairy consumption with other alternatives and as far as eggs go that is not even a weekly thing for me. My last two egg cartons came from a local place where the hens live their life without being confined to suffering in an egg factory.
When random people sometimes get into discussions with me about how they have to eat meat because their body needs it and bla bla bla I just feel that they are stuck in their backwards non forward close-minded ways of thinking with no ability to even want to try something different or change. They have been fed hamburgers and steak since childhood and that is what they are used to. But for all the open-minded people, check out Beyond Meat next time you are shopping for food and try that instead of meat.

Last night I went to Nordia House to listen to Joanna Cain speak about the differences between Scandinavian and US healthcare. "Joanna Cain M.D. will speak on the differences between Scandinavian and American healthcare systems both from the doctor and patient perspective. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge from her extensive experience across multiple US academic health systems, as a retired professor, a consultant with the World Health Organization, as well as Nordic culture." www.nordicnorthwest.org Very interesting. OF COURSE I think that the US should take steps towards free or at least low cost/affordable healthcare just like the Scandinavian countries, other countries in Europe and Canada. Nobody want to be sick (except for perhaps individuals with Munchausen's syndrome). Healthcare should not be a for profit business, pharmaceutical companies should not be allowed to charge exorbitant amounts for prescription drugs. Politicians should not be bought or sponsored by pharmaceutical companies whatsoever. It is very possible to change the US healthcare system. I am not going to figure out how to do it since I do not work as a politician. Bernie Sanders - "We say to the private health insurance companies: whether you like it or not, the United States will join every other major country on earth and guarantee healthcare to all people as a right. All Americans are entitled to go to the doctor when they're sick and not go bankrupt after staying in the hospital." Figure it out already! It's 2019 almost 2020 and the US healthcare system is majorly flawed. Since I only really have Sweden to compare with on a personal level I can say that I am sure that there are people in Sweden that complain about the healthcare they have received BUT having access to care regardless of income and/or insurance is SO much better and way less stressful than having to worry about whether you can afford to pay for your medications or not or if you will be able to afford seeing a doctor if you get sick or injured. Stress can make you sick as well. And in case you are not aware of it yet....Planned Parenthood does so much more than offer abortions. Planned Parenthood is great. I have used their services and I am grateful for them. I am pro choice, within guidelines. I wish people in general would spend more time contemplating if they really would be fit parents and if taking on the responsibility of raising a child is something that they are suited for. As long as there are individuals that molest, rape, beat, starve, sell and trade their children I fully support abortion. The people that commit these horrible acts (and there are plenty out there everyday that do) have no business reproducing.

By now most (?) Americans (I say most because some adults that I have talked to in the US know surprisingly little about a lot) have probably heard about Greta Thunberg, the 16 year old girl from Sweden that left school one day to strike for the environment, which she would then do every Friday and that turned into something big, leading up to her addressing the UN in a speech earlier this week.
There are people for Greta and then those that are against Greta, some say that her whole deal is orchestrated by her parents, especially her Mother. I can say this.....when I was 16 I was boy crazy and lived for clubbing on the weekends, I loved music and dancing. I also loved horses and read a ton of books.
No matter how you look at it, Greta is doing something positive. Especially at that young age in a society where many teenage girls are preoccupied with things that really do no matter.
I realized a long time ago that I should had put that boy crazy energy I had when I was a teenager into something much more meaningful and constructive.
My regret is that I should had realized it then.
Absolutely Greta has a point. Environmental issues are of uttermost urgency. Some say it's too late. That we have reached a point of no return. If you dismiss Greta because you think she is young and does not know what she is talking about then perhaps the scientists at NASA can make you realize a thing or two about climate change.
https://climate.nasa.gov
When I was in Sweden a few months ago I got ONE book. A small book with an important message, Greta Thunberg's "No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference". So very true. Most of us can do something. I believe in NOT littering. Picking up trash, yes even if its not yours. Recycling. Eating less meat and fish (I do not eat meat or fish at all), no reason to eat meat everyday.
But of course I can do more. Oh and I think that Greta is great.
Another thing and for many this is a difficult concept to grasp....understanding that the world is overpopulated and that squeezing out a bunch of kids probably isn't best thing to do. Limit the amount of children you produce or how about not having any at all? I am glad that I decided not to have any, I feel bad for the kids that have to grow up in today's world.