They Need Us

            We never thought it could be possible. A country that easily rivals the USA in both wealth and industrial power is actually starving. There are rations. There are children without food and homes. They actually do need our help!

            I understand that tuition costs and other costs are rising but can you honestly not spare one dollar? If everyone in my school donated at least a dollar we’d have almost $2000 right there. If they donated two it’d be almost $4000.  That’s a huge difference for chump change.

            The nuclear situation, despite having dropped out of most of our news, is still a serious concern for the country. Just recently they got power to the pumps at the nuclear reactors but they are still having major issues stabilizing some of the plants. Two of five have been successfully stabilized but there is still a big concern with radiation.

            After shocks continue to rake the areas around Sendai, Japan, frightening people living in schools and stadiums. People are trying to survive on little water, none to bathe with, and very little food. They have no homes left and they have little means of getting new ones. The roads leading there are devastated and debris coats fields just outside of Sendai. The tsunami washed everything away. There are thousands of people found dead already, and thousands more unaccounted for. It will be years before normalcy finds most of the people in these areas again.

            What would you do? What if your home and all your possessions were just gone? I know some people around here who know what that’s like. They need our help, and we can make a big difference even by donating just a little. Think about your family, what if it was them affected and there was no one who’d spare a dollar for them? We can make a difference even if everyone only contributes a little.

Being an Adult

                Being the adult in a situation is knowing when to hold your tongue. It’s fighting your deepest darkest urges to scream at someone because you know they feel bad about what they did. And no, being an adult isn’t much fun and it is very difficult which is why people appreciate it when you handle things like an adult.

                Today my mom made me the angriest she’s made me in a very long time, perhaps the angriest she’s ever made me. We recently adopted my grandparent’s dog, a problem pooch, because they had to go into a nursing home (which wouldn’t allow pets). Nobody wanted the super energetic, super needy, really untrained, five year old, tiny dog, no matter how cute he was. A two year old would have been less of a handful to be honest, but we took him in and decided to try and live with him.

                We may have been able to but no matter how many times we took him out he’d still do his business in the house. It was frustrating and it wasn’t something that our family could deal with. For one thing my dad hates dogs, for another my mom is working hard on her studies for college, and for another I’m either working, at school, or with friends. Nobody had time for that needy of a dog. Not to mention the obvious house broken issue.

                So finally, while I was at work, she gave him away. That in itself didn’t bother me, it was that she gave him to a shelter. I could have roared with fury. I hate the thought of animals ever having to go to a shelter. How can they be “humane” if they will euthanize animals that can’t be adopted? I guess I just can’t bring myself to condone it. I can understand that they get full and everything but can’t something else be done? Perfectly healthy animals just die, every day, because people decide they don’t want them. There’s something messed up and disgusting about that. What if we did that with orphans? Oh this one hasn’t been adopted in a month, better kill them because apparently no one wants them. Isn’t that terrible? Now I understand, humans aren’t on the same level as animals but can we really say this is ok? I guess I don’t know, but I personally don’t believe in it. I’ll never let any animal that I have a say in face that fate. I don’t care what others say I won’t let it happen.

                Part of me hates her for that decision, hates that she couldn’t tough it out just a little bit longer until I could find something else. Part of me hates that she wouldn’t drive the two hours to give him to one that wouldn’t kill him if he wasn’t adopted in a month. But another part of me knows just how stressed she’s been lately and that’s the part that holds my tongue. I love my mother, I really do, and though I’m really, really angry with her about this I will hold my tongue. If she reads this I hope it’ll be years later when she’s not as upset. When I’m not as upset. For now all I can do is pray someone will love him even more than I do, and will have the patience to try and train him that we didn’t. My family is pretty amazing but some of our downfalls are the biggest that anyone could have. And of those I think a lack of patience is the biggest downfall we have. Oh if only she just could have waited a little longer…I would have worked things out.

                I had a plan. A friend of mine knew of a place that takes in stray dogs and finds them homes. They’re not an official shelter, but they’re professional and they won’t euthanize the pets, which as I’ve said I just can’t stand the idea. I wanted to look into these folks and see if something couldn’t be done. Something probably still could be done, if only they’d let me. I wanted rid of the dog too but I wanted it to be better than this. I understood it was hard but if she’d just LISTENED to me.

                I don’t mean to sound self-righteous, but just because I don’t have the years of experience that you have doesn’t mean that my words are meaningless. You should listen to young people, even if what they’re saying is stupid or overly critical. Sure, maybe they don’t actually mean it, but sometimes not listening to them is all it takes. Sometimes we’re pushed to the limit too, and we begin to consider things that we shouldn’t. If you won’t listen to us then who will? If you can see a problem you can prevent it. Your life is frustrating, but so is ours. If you look back when you’ll realize that not every day was the day you rode your bike for the first time, or spending time with friends, or collecting cans for penny candies. Some of that time was spent in your room, sobbing in anguish because you felt alone. And sure, maybe the feeling was unjustified, and maybe you weren’t really alone but that doesn’t change the seriousness of the situation. Your feelings were very real, as are ours, if misguided. Never forget that. Always try to remember what it was like being old, just as we try to be adults too. I’m not perfect at it, and sometimes I do the wrong thing. I try my best though, and I work hard. But please, give my words some weight and maybe I’ll learn not to throw them around so carelessly.

"Jeez Brian...I Don't Know What to Say..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNCzAc_kpbQ


My friend posted this on Facebook the other day and I couldn't believe my eyes. That...there's nothing you can say to that. You just knocked over his work of art. He could have made money from that and been famous! Hopefully, the Youtube video will make him famous off of that. That's just unbelievable. Gotta say, it was kinda cool watching it go down and Brian's expression was awful. You just feel so bad for him. How could you not?

University Functions

So far I have selected my school, taken a tour, applied, been accepted, paid acceptance fee, applied for housing and paid that fee too. The only things I really want to know at this point are the technical things and stuff regarding my majors teaching and Japanese. So, when I found myself in a hotel convention room, wandering booths, I’d assumed I would get more information than I’d already had. Boy was I wrong. It was the same thing over again as the tour, only this time we managed to get some advice from students. It wasn’t the most helpful advice, but it was something and I was grateful for that. Oh, I did manage to obtain some free pens, pencils, a flag, and button. Yippee I’m so glad I went. Ah well, if nothing else, it got me re-excited to go to college, and I did get a free cookie so it wasn’t a waste of time. I suppose I could have done homework, but I probably wouldn’t have. I just recently rented Pokemon Black and I’ve been playing it like an addict. So University events can be as repetitive as High School events but at least they offer complimentary food and goods.

がまん-Toughing it Out.

Let’s all take a moment and admire the courage of the workers of the Fukushima nuclear plants. They have been working night and day to try and solve Japan’s nuclear crisis. This is the worst nuclear crisis they’ve seen since World War II.

Japan has been frequently shown donning masks on the news for illnesses and the like in the past and who could blame them? They live in close quarters and disease could spread like wildfire there. This time however they don the masks because of radiation.

Threats of thyroid cancer and potentially worse later on loom over the heads of ordinary citizens living only 3 miles from the reactors. People are told to stay inside and potassium iodide pills, which will help prevent the radiation from affecting thyroids, are being widely distributed. People are saying “it’s not as bad as Chernobyl”, a Russian city that had radiation leakage so bad it contaminated the land so strongly that nothing can grow there today. Still, it could get worse.

In the Fukushima plants workers fight to cool the reactors, praying they can stop the leaking. They’ve taken the path to destroying the future of the reactor to preserve the present. A desperate, yet entirely necessary move. They’ve pumped sea water into the reactors but none of it seems to be working. If they stay much longer death will be imminent, but what choice do they have? If they don’t do it, who will? They’re digging their own grave, to prevent the death toll from rising some more. If that isn’t a hero, I don’t know what is. They’re fighting to preserve the lives of the community, selflessly risking their lives to save them from yet another nuclear disaster. Could you do it? If you were the only one who could save the whole country, but it meant you would probably die, could you do it? I’m not sure I could, but I’d like to think I would. Don’t forget the people like them. I think they should receive the highest honors they can get because there aren’t words for that. I’ll take a pathetic shot and say this,

どもありがとうございます。

Thank you very much.

I have friends in Japan, and these folks are doing all they can to save them. So thank you, thank you so very much.

Friends Afar

          It seemed to be a usual morning when my alarm clock went off and I rose out of my bed on that fateful Friday. I came downstairs and my mom said to me,
         "You'd better see this."
          Surprised by the gravity of her tone, I follow her gaze to the TV, where a news reporter is frantically announcing that an 8.9 earthquake hit Japan, followed by a tsunami. Without a second glance, I run to Facebook, hoping to find confirmations that people are ok. My thoughts race to foreign exchange students from this year or years before. I can hardly type my password fast enough. Sure enough, there are a few posts by friends saying they're ok, but very frightened. My breath catches in my throat, and I only have time to see a few more posts before I have to get ready for school.
           When I get to school it's all any of the teachers can talk about. The same news clips play over and over again, displaying horrors hardly imaginable to us.
            My Japanese teacher is the picture of calm, calm, but worried. He knows this is bad but for now he has to be our Sensei. He gives us some good news, about his family, but there are too many question marks.
            Worry is a strange feeling, the most anxious and restless kind. You can't sit still you have to do something, anything. Most of all you just check Facebook again and again, praying that more people will post they're safe. When they do you feel part of the weight off of your chest, like taking a textbook out of your backpack and then wearing the bag again.
              I lost sleep that first weekend, and have lost sleep since, unable to stop streaming news to see what's going on over there in that country I've always felt could be my second home. Has planned to be, for two weeks.
             My life dream is starting to slip from my fingers as I realize we may not be going. Four years I've worked for this and it might not come true. I swear at the sky and wonder why something so terrible has happened. But there is no answer to that, none with anyone to blame. It just is. There are thousands upon thousands of bodies in Japan and my dream might not come true. Fate is cruel.
            I spent Monday, wandering around sort of sadly, dejectedly, wondering how life can just continue when the whole world's upside down over there. I wish I could go and help, but I know I can't. Then, Sensei proposes we sell t-shirts and possibly paper cranes. I jump on the idea, my life filled with purpose again. Here is something I can do to help.

Ode to the Baconator

Recently, Wendy’s has created the most delicious burger in the world. It is the greatest thing to ever have happened to my mouth. The Baconator. It sounds, frightening almost, like the Terminator, or something of a similar, gigantic robotic nature. There is nothing to pick off this burger, as there are on others. I usually have a small pile of unwanted vegetables which are later folded into the burger wrapper but nay, not this time. This time there is nothing but foil left.

The applewood smoked bacon is the most delectable thing you will have ever tasted in the world of fast food. The burger is probably steeped in calories, but you don’t care, can’t care, because the burger is the ambrosia of the fat man. It is such to be craved, and not eaten on a daily basis. You would not eat cake every day, and you could not eat the Baconator every day, for fear of nullifying the taste of victory, and the taste of celebration. With cake you have lived another year, with the Baconator you are celebrating the entirety of life, and of the American dream.

http://weeklyguiltypleasure.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/baconator.jpg

“It’s So Fluffy, I’m Gonna Die!”—Warning! Spoiler Alert!

I think it’s high time I did a movie review.  I finally saw Despicable Me and it was everything it was cracked up to be and more. It’s got its own mascots (the Minions), the cutest animated little girl of all time (Agnes), and a villain who learns a life lesson. What’s not to love? Not to mention the hilarity of the whole thing. The plot is simple, but well done. It keeps the whole family laughing. The only thing I have to wonder is how many little kids like it. I would guess quite a few, but I know most of the adults and teenagers I know adore the movie. It’s cute, funny, and something everyone can like.

I think the reason it’s so enjoyable is because of the zaniness but also the serious undertone. It’s a really sweet and sad movie in some ways, because despite the fact that the three girls make you laugh you can’t help but want them to have a great home. Gru yearns for his mother to be proud of him. Vector wants to be somebody cool. And you actually can’t steal the moon.

The cast was pretty impressive for a kid’s movie. Steve Caroll, Jason Segel, and Russell Brand are the three main adult characters. Steve Caroll does well for kid’s movies, but I don’t like the Office much. Jason Segel plays Marshall, my favorite character from How I Met Your Mother and Russell Brand is hilarious. Elsie Fisher is adorable in real life as well as when she plays Agnes. Dana Gaier and Miranda Cosgrove did well too.

The minions are probably the best part of Despicable Me, however. They are adorable and carry the most gags throughout the film. Everyone adores the minions and wishes they had their own. The minions act as Gru’s workers and lead a sort of office like job and life. Gru knows them personally, and calls them by name.  They don’t seem to leave his house much, but will do so in disguise.

A great movie for all ages.

Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is a serious problem, people! Not only can it kill you, it’s one of the worst things to get that isn’t traditionally fatal. I ate some bad Chinese once and got sicker than I’ve ever been. I spent the whole night emptying out and spent the following day sleeping on the couch because every limb in my body hurt. Sure, it lasted two days, but those were two days of total misery the worst part being it could have been fatal. Ok, ok, maybe I’m over-reacting but people have died from food poisoning. In the movie Food Inc, they follow a woman who lost a perfectly healthy little boy to food poisoning. In the USA, so don’t think this is some third world country and it’ll never happen to you. But why take the risk? Fight for stricter food laws. This is not ok. There should be more regulation for our safety.  I could either spend two days in misery or be dead. Neither looks promising. Stop this nonsense and stop contaminated food from even happening.  

Freaks!

    Have you ever felt weird, or out of place? Have you ever wondered if something was wrong with you because you didn't fit in?
    Don't. Don't hide yourself to match someone else's standards. As Dr. Seuss would say, "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." I can guarantee you will find someone who will like you. They may not go to your school, or work with you, or even live in your hometown. But there are people for you. I'm not one of the "popular" kids but I have a lot of friends. You don't have to buy things from a certain place to be "cool". You are already cool, you're just cool to certain people.
   I'm sick of hearing people calling others weird or strange because they have different interests. Who handed you a mallet and made you supreme ruler? Who gave you the right to scorn that which you don't understand? Take a look at yourself, and how stupid you look pointing the finger of scorn at someone. Who is cooler, the person who can accept people for who they are or the person can only accept people who buy and like the "right" things?
   Learn to love, and forget hate. Love yourself, and love others as a whole. There may be people who bother you, people who aren't like you. You may not understand them. They could be a nice wonderful person, but if they like Star Trek they're a freak? Hardly. Quit hiding your obsessions, we all know you have some. I'll admit, I'm obsessed with Japanese culture, the language, everything. I love it. I find it absolutely fascinating and invigorating. When I was in middle school, I was one of those "freak kids" until about the end of seventh grade. I made five friends that would change my life forever. They were like me, they were weird. Still are.
   In high school I made even more friends with the same "weird" interests as me. As it would turn out, I'm not so weird after all. There are quite a few people that share my interests and Japanese culture has a huge following in the States, especially anime. In fact, they hold conventions for weird people like me. Crazy huh? Thousands of weirdos all in one vicinity. Suppose you went there and you weren't interested in anime or Japan. Then who's weird? The tables have turned. The point is, either no one is weird or everyone is. Embrace it. You're weird, but you've got weird friends awaiting you. Wonderful weird friends who'll let you be who you want to be. Suddenly, life isn't quite so bad anymore, is it?