>_< Cancer Beauty

You know what I'm talking about. From here on out this post is nothing but a little of bit of tough love, and some understanding on everyones part. I need some patience from everyone, because the things I plan to say may seem harsh, but as previously stated, needs some understanding. Let's talk real quick about what beauty is: different from everyone. Who I find attractive may be extremely different from who you find attractive and that's the beauty of human nature. You could be ugly as sin, but let me tell you ugly person - someone is going to find your ugly butt incredibly attractive.

Pictured: Beauty
(to someone) ... right? ... anyone?

Alright, it's time to real talk - what I came here for. I've been in a very bloggy mood lately, and I'm glad I have a lot to say. Theres a hurricane sandy one coming up, but let's wait until I have water and power back. *sigh ... but I digress. Looking through some popular pictures on instagram, I came across a picture of a fairly young girl, with a shaved head. Looking through the comments I'm seeing a majority of "OMG you're so beautiful." For one reason or another my mind automatically thinks, "there's something wrong with this chick." Horrible thing to say, right? But wouldn't you know it, she's got cancer. Before sh*t hits the fan, you should know that I was scrolling through the comments and I found one brave (or ignorant) soul that managed to leave this spicy comment: "wtf you're so UGLY." Boy did he hear it from everyone. In here lies the problem...

Apparently the imaginary line for beauty doesn't exist after some point. I understand that with chemo, amputees, bad scars, burns, etc  it can really deform your face or appearance. With  women especially it probably takes a huge hit on their confidence/psyche. The last thing that person needs is someone to call them ugly. I mean, come on... it's bad enough that they've gone through so much you don't have to remind them that right now isn't their best looking state. That's the argument for the defense here. Everyone jumping on the CANCER bandwagon (including me) telling this person off for being so insensitive. I'm jumping on here and not in the instagram comments, because my scumbag-brain suddenly has this thought:

fo 'real doe she ain't dat good lookin.

WTF brain?!?! ... and that's when I decided to write about the topic. This brave soul, most likely had no idea - like me at first - that this girl had a condition. He expresses his opinion like everyone else on the internet. My problem with this is that your average everyday people - even me - get called ugly sometimes... most times... whatever. But since your average everyday person - like me - doesn't have a condition then it becomes ok to follow through with this opinion, and have other support it. I took a look at this girl. She COULD be pretty, with hair. That's just the cold hard truth. Since I assume the chemo has affected her hair, then she has needed to shave it and I'm going to go ahead and say it's not a good look for her. Obviously though she can own up to it and wear it with both pride and confidence. I guess it's in there where her beauty shines through. From a physical d-bag standpoint, she's not really the best out of the bunch.

What I'm trying to get at here is that when knowing if a person is suffering from some tragedy that affects they way someone looks, we help maintain their psyche and confidence by always reminding them how strong and - especially if they're a girl - BEAUTFUL they are by saying so. I have an idea what girls are like, they'll always say someone or something that person is wearing is pretty and will turn to her friends and instantly take it back after the moment passes. I wonder if these people proclaiming beauty actually mean it, or if they just use it as a comforting lie to maintain peace...

I'd lilke to end by saying the person calling the cancer patient ugly was in no way wrong (however mean it was). HOWEVER, in that particualr situation with a public forum, you might want to keep to yourself first.

ta ta kids

>_< ROCK THE VOTE (Don't tip the vote over?)

Lay it out on the table first. I don't really have a lot of knowledge on how America works when it comes to politics and elections. I did take a high school history class, and they did teach me... but if I actually cared I would remember. So know that from here on out, I'm just kind of talking out of what I know. Please feel free to educate me, but in a educating manner. Don't get on your soap box and start preaching what I should and should not do. Thanks much! Now without further ado...

I don't vote. I don't know if I ever will vote. I understand that voting is one of the rights we have as free Americans and we should practice that right for "the good of our nation" and all that patriotic bull crap, but when it really comes down to it... does it really matter? Does my vote, the one with my name on it... does it really matter if I put it into the slot or not? Does it matter if I send it in? Here's a quick understanding of how I think this whole electing our president goes. I remember it being clearer when Obama got his first term but now I guess it's a little more fuzzy.

So each state has some kind of representative that indicates whether or not it's going to be Republican or Democrat. From these reps, the bigger guys see where the country is leaning toward and make a decision based on there own decision. And the majority wins. Bigger states have more votes in the Electoral College. I believe NJ has 14 this year (after looking it up). Anywho, if it's tied, then it goes to the house and then my voice is heard even less. My question is, where does my vote matter? I'm aware that people in the electoral college pledge to vote based on popularity, but it seems (at least in NJ) that we're going to go Democrat, whether I vote or not. So again I ask, what does it matter?

Maybe I'm too young to see the impact of a new/returning president. I think someone needs to physically show me that my vote matters in order for me to get up and actually do it. I've had a huge problem with the "voice of the people" ever since the occupy movements. Mainly - we ultimately don't have one. Countrywide, people were protesting and bitching about the 1% instead of actually going to work and doing something and, yes, it DID get media attention and it did inspire some people. However, what was the outcome? People were pepper sprayed and sent to jail thinking they were standing up for a good cause, and yet there isn't anything to show for it. Seeing all of this unfold it's not that hard to see that even if a mass group of people come together for one cause... if any one of the "big guys" doesn't want change to happen, it won't happen.

For me that goes with this whole election scheme. People are given the illusion of power, when the ballots are probably connected directly into a paper shredder. This country has already elected it's president, MONTHS maybe YEARS ago. I firmly believe we have no say in who gets to be put in a future Social Studies textbook. If I'm wrong, then I'll be happy to listen as to why.

On another note, I just visited doesmyvotematter.org. When I selected my state, "Assuming 3,868,237 people vote in New Jersey, the chance of your vote mattering is 1 in 17 Billion." 17 Billion. That's not enough of an argument to even consider voting. It goes on to explain why, and it's exactly as I put. Unless we're a hugely contested "swing state" then most likely the state is going to vote the way it's always voted. NJ has voted Democrat in the last 5 elections. So there.

Some people are happy to vote, and I'm not going to convince you not to. Just know where I stand. It really doesn't matter.

ta ta kids.

>_< Silver Spoons

Here's a fact: some people are blessed with a good upbringing. Others are not. Some have had the opportunities to be financially stable and therefore had an easier time growing up. Others have not. Some people could take full advantage of the educational system offered in the good 'ol USA. Some can not. Finally, some people despise those who are fortunate. Are those people right to? Maybe. Though they really should try to get the whole story first before being so quick to judge, because you'll just end up looking like the jolly green giant. Except you're jealous. Jealous green giant. Lettuce green giant. I don't know where this is going.

What a jerk.

The common phrase for those who are born a little more than just well off are said to be "born with a silver spoon (in his/her mouth)." Implying of course the spoon is primarily used in the mouth. Silver back then was apparently a sign of wealth, and if you could afford to eat with silver spoons (or be fed by them) you might as well be suckling the teat of the Gods. Drink up that delicious nectar. I don't know why everyone is beating around the bushes, let's just call this group of people spoiled. No spoons involved. We'll keep the silver though. We need those. For werewolves.

Die demon!

If you haven't guessed already, I've struck up a conversation with that same co-worker referred to a couple of posts ago. Another hot topic that's brought up between our different upbringings. I grew up in a well-off (NOT RICH) town in Jersey, while he spent most of his childhood in Southern Ohio. Yes, it was very different, but I'm not one to brag about how well I was brought up. He and I got to know each other on this basis, and I guess it didn't really seem to bother him until one day a co-worker and I were discussing some physical chemistry and he happened to listen upon it. (You should know that he only has an Associates Degree). He had mentioned how he was never taught, and somehow it spiraled into this whole rant about pride. A quick disclaimer: I reserve the right to my own opinions, but will never discourage you about the pride you carry.

Let's get one thing straight. Everyone is or has the opportunity to be better at something than you, and they have a right to. The way this rant went seemed to me like he was justifying his life for not growing up as well off as I or my other co-worker did. He would go on to say how he could win in a fight, how he's seen death, mocking society by belittling them - and consequently us - through his devout faith in Christianity (I may have used some words wrong in that), all in all he was defending his pride because I was walking around with a degree and he spent his life gaining experience in all the wrong places. By the tone of his voice, you could tell that he was starting to get a little irate just staring at us. Then I just had to say it.

"Listen, don't be mad because our parents worked hard to give us the life we fell into."

Yes, Shaniqua. I'm pretty sure I did.

I'm sure he was steaming mad, but it just got the job done. He stopped talking and we did our best to try and change the subject. It's become a bad environment for the workplace. That's when I got to thinking about writing this blog.

We all grow up in different ways. Like I said previously, I'm not one to discourage you about how you were brought up, good or bad. What matters is that you take pride in taking the best out of the situation you were given. Case in point: both my other co-worker and I had hard working parents in order to provide us with a stable life, environment, and education. How do we act? We finish college, and get a job. The Ohio native, had experienced terrible things, but worked up the power to give himself an associates, move out to NJ, get married and have the life his parents couldn't give him. Wonderful! Good endings for both parties. However...

If you think for one second you're better than me or the world because of what you went through, you're wrong. Dead wrong. What you've been through doesn't entitle you to be bitter towards me for "being born with a silver spoon." Sure my life may have been easier than yours, but I still worked hard to get where I am today. The steps you take to get to where you are should be something you take pride in, not something you can use to prove you're better. At the end, we're all in the same office, working for the same company. Salary? That's for another day.

>_< Rich not Beautiful

A few minutes ago a co-worker said something intriguing to me. Out of nowhere, in the midst of all our samples and instrumentation she said, "Man if we were only born rich, and not beautiful we wouldn't have to work so hard." Of course I agreed, because right off the bat who wouldn't want to be rich? Not incredibly rich, but more well off than the average higher than middle class family. I know that sentence involved a lot of hierarchical thought, but bear with me. I don't consider myself nor my family rich, but we certainly are well to do. I grew up with the right values and morals in mind when it came to money. I knew what we could and could not afford so in turn I knew what I could and could not have. Snacks from the super market? Sure. New video game every year? No problem! (Keep in mind I did say YEAR). New TV, gadgets, car, electronics? No way. Not in short intervals of time anyway. I believe I was a good kid, asking when I felt I deserved something as a reward, didn't whine too much if I couldn't get what I wanted. So I guess you could say I lived in a really sugar coated upper middle class life style. Nowadays I'm pretty stingy with my money since I'm trying to grow out of my parents wallet. I work hard for the money I earn. All tangents aside, let's get back to real reason why this post is going up. What WOULD happen if I were born rich, and not beautiful? Let's get started.

Let me start off by saying I know the second half of the phrase is just a way to positively reinforce something we don't have. Acknowledging the fact that we don't have money doesn't seem so bad since we deem ourselves beautiful. Really you can just put any positive adjective there and it would be ok. All this phrase really comes down to is "If we were born rich..." So what if? I believe that I hold a lot of my better morals, the ones that run deep, because I wasn't rich. A good handful might agree that we appreciate the little things more than those who are born into money. For me, that's all that it really comes down to. I have this notion, whether it be true or not, that those who are born into a huge mound of cash are just... unappreciative of what they have. It really isn't their fault either. For one reason or another, they were blessed with a lavish lifestyle, and the freedom to make and implement their own choices without thinking about the repercussions. Consequently, they don't really understand what its like to earn your own money. Imagine if you will a small child getting handed a crisp twenty dollar bill for spending the week doing hard labor. If he/she used that money later on to buy a doll/action figure, you could bet that he/she would give their life to make sure it stays clean and do what he/she can to make sure that toy lasts forever. I feel kind of the same about some things of my own. Someone who has the money may not. The difference here is what that object means to the owner. The hard worker sees the hard work reflected upon the object, where as the rich kid just sees an object. It doens't have to be a child either. An adult whose worked for years paying off a car or a house may appreciate it more than someone who just... bought one.

With a decrease in appreciation on certain things, certain morals become skewed. Ideals of sharing and caring won't become what they should. This is all saying with bias of course. I was never really introduced to a snobby rich kid like you see in childrens television. There could be those with a heart of gold, but to me I feel that living that kind of lifestyle doesn't expose you to what is actually going on in the world, and so the world that they live in becomes so enclosed to negativity that all their morals/ideals are beased off of how much money is left in their bank account.

I felt like I was going to wrtie so much more about this topic. Also, I was going to really dive in deep in trying to see things the other way... perhaps if you weren't born rich... just beautiful? Maybe another time.

ta ta kids