Thursday, May 29, 2008

And proof that kids are getting dumber

Two girls lost some limbs while falling asleep on RAILROAD tracks. Did they not realize that people still use the railroads!!!

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/05/29/pkg.me.girls.hit.by.train.wcsh

Um yeah. Fasting was a failure

It ended around 5pm Tuesday evening when I called my mom to tell her I was dizzy and hungry and she yelled at me to eat something. I'm so weak.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Fasting

Tomorrow I plan on doing a juice fast for 2 days. I'm hoping that if I put this in my blog, I'll actually follow through. I'll keep you guys posted on it. Here's the link to the fast I'm doing. All organic juices, water and herbal tea.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA400178

More Weekend Update

Last night had a blast with my coworkers and good friend. Met a coworkers friend from high school who's in the Navy. He offered an interesting perspective. Despite being from the Bronx, his behavior and attitude totally reminded me of guys I went to high school with. He taught us about Bitch Assness- and passed along the text forward No Bitch Assness. Take it how you will.

Was supposed to spend the day with my sister exploring Brooklyn and going to my spinning class but her and her bitch assness lost her new cell phone on the bus, so I spent the day reading at the East 86th street park.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Long Weekend Highs

My weekend has been lovely so far. Perfect mix of chillaxing and being productive. Last night, two very good friends and I made dinner at my friend's apartment. It was probably the healthiest meal we consumed together.. err.. ever. And such a nice alternative to eating out. Not only was it cheap- less than $10 per person, but we were able to spend some quality time- no distractions, and have the satisfaction of a great meal.

Then this morning after doing my laundry, (always another big accomplishment) I met up with my parents and sister at a gallery in Chelsea. Can't believe I haven't seen my sister in 5 months. We saw some inspiring artwork and I even managed to work in some exercise- walked about 2 miles to the gallery. Then we ate at one of the best Italian restaurants I've been to in the city- Pepe Giallo on 10 Ave and 25th street. Totally reasonable and every dish was scrumptious. I grabbed their business card and realized they were owned by the same people as Pepe Rosso in Grand Central- where I sometimes indulge with the best prosciutto/ mozzarella paninis.

As if my day weren't any more perfect, I saw the new Indiana Jones movie with a good friend. I LOVE INDIANA JONE'S MOVIES. Every time I see them, it makes me want to become an archaeologist. Part of me is deeply interested in history, archeology and art history until I realize that maybe I'm better off focusing on the presence. There was one cheesy line that resonated with me as obvious as it is.. that knowledge is the biggest treasure. It goes back to everything in life- the idea of what is true, people gaining power by hiding knowledge, getting through life with knowledge, etc. Sweet Dreams.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Laughing it Off

Last night we all went out to honor a coworker who only temped a few months but was super awesome. He introduced us to laugh yoga- the ability to laugh at a bad situation. In honor of him, that's exactly what I'm doing.

Direct quote to my coworker just now.. "The image is seared into my brain. I need to spend the next 24 hours looking at pictures of babies and kittens."

blah

why do I waste so much of my energy being optimistic. Life is fucking hard. Haven't figured out if the idea of karma is valid. absolutely nothing comes easy to me. Must have a neon sign that says this girl likes drama, likes a roller coaster.. is not content coasting along contentment. let's shake things up all the time. fuck.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Cancun Pics a Good week late





So miss that weather seeing as how it's lower than 60 degrees out now!

Lazy

Just spent the last two hours watching Ugly Betty online. That show is the best. Only show that makes me crackle out loud. Love the gay nephew. And so enjoyed doing anything productive like going to the gym or doing my laundry.

For those of you that miss the dirty details of my life due to all my environmental audience, I'll throw you a bone. I'm currently recovering from errr.. stubble burn on my upper lip and chin. Messed up yo, messed up. Sort of looks like I peeled from a sunburn. In all my years, never had anything like that happen. Can't imagine this one will go anywhere. Ah weddings.. classic.

Monday, May 19, 2008

More Reason to Give Up Factory Meat

Direct quotes from my PETA Vegetarian Starter Kit. People knock PETA cause they're so extreme but I can understand their passion for animals. I mean the way some animals are treated is so atrocious and gut wrenchingly depressing that it's no wonder people get so passionate about the cause. And something for the women.. even though I'd love to eat fish, and probably won't stop, apparently the mercury from fish stays in your system so long that it can effect your ability to have children and your future children. I have also read the same things in other books that people may find have a less extremist view point.

So you say.. well, I'm a healthy adult. I came out okay... but meanwhile rates of childhood obesity and type II diabetes has skyrocketed and studies show that we're the first generation that may not outlive their parents. Not sure what generation they mean.. I'm guessing post 1981. I feel that by living in NYC I have the opportunity to be more environmental- i.e. not drive, walk everywhere, buy from the farmers markets but I already have a few strikes against me with the pollution. Case in point, I've lived here for 2 1/2 years and until the last year, never ever had allergies. Now I have allergies and need eye drops because my eyes get irritated by the pollution.

And for the quotes "Turkeys and chickens have their wings and legs broken when the are shoved into transport trucks, and they are shipped through all weather extremes with no food or water."

"Chickens are genetically manipulated and dosed with antibiotics to make them grow so large so quickly that they become crippled under their own weight."

"Ammonia levels in chicken farms are so high that the corrosive substance burns the birds' lungs and skin."

"Chicks have their sensitive beaks cut off without any painkillers."

And if you don't care about the hens and chickens, it's important to keep in mind that Dr. Atkins died at 258 pounds..

As a consumer, we can make such a major impact especially in this area. Politicians care about creating policies that have immediate results and I doubt this is one of those areas. And I highly doubt they'd support local, sustainable farms anytime soon. To do that, they'd have to change the entire system- Cut ties with the pharmaceutical industry, large companies like Con Agra, and hurt all the farmers who only grow corn and live off government subsidies. And they'd lose the big grocery stores.. big shipping companies. But on the other hand, people would be healthier. Less oil would be used. Communities would be confident in knowing they can sustain themselves instead of relying on foreign imports. Less pollution. Farmers would be happier doing more varied work and actually making money. Anyway, we have the power to change the system through our wallet. Al Gore is the perfect example of someone who made a monumental change using the private sector vs. through the government. Okay. I'm going to keep reading Omnivore's Dilemma and will stop preaching. Hope I'm giving some valuable information and not rambling.

Dirty Meat

Case in point.. article about beef recall. Sort of ventured back into eating meat but I'm still going to limit my consumption and avoid cheap meat from salad places etc. Let's hope I'm not affected by mercury from replacing my meat with fish. I wonder how e-coli could contaminate meat? Oh yeah.. maybe because cattle lives in their own feces.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/ground-beef-e-coli-recall-47051903?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist

And total side note. I went to my dad's chorus concert. He's in the community choir. There was a sign language interpreter. Someone please explain to me why a deaf person would go to a chorus concert? I think my home town is a little too politically correct sometimes.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Inspiring and Frustrating

Just had a long talk with my eye doctor this morning about the environment, global warming, health and the government. Felt bad about holding up his other patients.. but was interesting. He said he used to work for the government and that they tend to ignore issues that they can't fix. And that it wasn't until Ralph Nadar wrote some book in the 60's that started people's mistrust of the government. And that his generation had a completely different concept about what the future would be like through shows like the Jetsons.. they sort of thought that technology would fix everything. But no one anticipated the turmoil in the middle east and other areas around the world. And that our government worries that if they reveal what they know, people will panic. I think people need to panic.

We also talked about all the extreme weather. And his theory was that before we reach environmental.. err... melt down-- the various disasters are bound to cause more socio-economic issues. Like for instance, those hit by these disasters are in poor areas. But in theory, it's the rich countries who've created most of the carbon emissions, thus causing the disasters. His fear is that these children whose families were torn apart will grow up to resent the original polluters.

We also talked about how crazy it is that the medical field isn't trained in nutrition. I'm astounded that doctors aren't taught to make the connection between your health and what you put in your mouth on a daily basis. However, his response was that many areas of nutrition haven't been researched enough. For instance, it seems that every 5 years what we're told is good for us, now doesn't help prevent cancer, etc. But at the same time, you wouldn't expect an eye doctor to see patients who have problems directly related to the environment. i.e. my eyes keep getting red since I've moved to the city which is directly related to the air pollution. He sees more patients who have cataracts due to diabetes. Type II diabetes being directly related to the amount of sugar that permeates everything we eat. And sees more people who have allergies, also directly related to the CO2 that affects how much pollan is in the air. Which gets me on another tangent related to food-- as stated in the Omnivore's Dilemma that while fast or processed food may be cheap, it's financial impact on our health and the environment far exceeds it's face value.

It was inspiring to know that not everyone is living in the cloud- people are questioning the government and societal norms at every age. For a while now, I've been seeking this type of discourse. I don't know if it's who I hang out with or what- but it seems like it's almost rude to delve into deep debates about religion, politics, the environment, etc. on a Friday or Saturday night. Potentially a huge generalization but people have this attitude that they've spent 40+ hours at work and now all they want to do is get wasted or have a light hearted conversation. Of course most people's jobs tend to be some what repetitive. While you're using critical thinking skills, it's unlikely what you're doing is so taxing that you can't engage in interesting discourse.

And on that note, it's nap time before my friend's wedding. I fell off the wagon and just had cooked, factory farmed chicken. As much as I want to go green, it sure is hard to do in the suburbs.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Back in the US

Just got back from Cancun, pictures to follow when I'm awake enough to function. It was definitely a relaxing trip. I wouldn't say Cancun represents Mexico in the least though. It was super super touristy and cheesy, sort of like a Mexican Las Vegas. I didn't expect to find a Hooters, Outback Steakhouse and various other chains only a short bus ride away. And despite people thinking Mexico is so cheap, Cancun isn't. We did an all inclusive deal which may not be too cheap in more classy locales. But once you venture outside the hotel, prices are insane. Souvenir shops offer goods more expensive than Times Square and the hotel's idea of a reasonably priced lobster meal was $47.

On the plus side, we all spent plenty of time pool and beach side. I did a considerable amount of reading- two books that I think will change my life. I'm reading Omnivore's Dilemma and just finished Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss about reincarnation. For the trip, I went with a guy I've known for less than a year, and his friends- 3 of which I've hung out with a considerable amount. In addition to them, there were two sisters of my friend's friend, and their boyfriends. We were a group of 9 with me and the boys as sort of the outsiders-- or tag alongers since the sisters and boyfriends were going to a wedding. It was tough to be an outsider in such a close nit group. They've all known each other for nearly ten years. And we spent the kind of time together that I haven't even experienced with some of my closest friends. But they were all easy going and had the same -sit on the beach all day philosophy that I do for vacation. Definitely wasn't jam packed with activities. Although the insane thing was that I actually woke up every day between 7:30-9. Never in my life did I think I'd be hitting the ocean before 9am. We all went to bed around 10:30/11 and I was rarely tired. Speaking of, in an effort to keep that pattern, I'm out. PEACE.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Cancun

So no that I've been posting a ton, but I'll be out of commission until Wednesday. Going to Cancun!! Pictures to come!

Caffeine

Still going strong with the no meat thing. But I may have some coffee this morning. I figure I'll probably have coffee when I'm in Mexico so I might as well have it now. I was doing a pretty good job for 3 days and felt good-- but this morning is rough. I probably didn't sleep too well cause I'm still not completely packed and have so much to do today.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Food Stuff and Caffeine

So I'm into week to of my vegetarianism (fish allowed). I can't say I notice a difference in my health or overall well being but it's probably saved me some money. Actually, it will probably help me lose weight over the long hall. I've passed up a whole bunch of highly caloric treats like anything to do with procuitto and if you go to the Whole Foods Salad bar, most of the stuff that has chicken is pretty creamy. It's also good to know that I can sustain without meat. I have no idea where I got the idea that I need to have meat nearly twice a day. In a few days, I'm going to Cancun and may have meat there since it's more likely to be raised by more organic means. But now I'm reading Omnivore's Dilemma which will only strengthen my resolve to only eat organic meat and avoid foods that have artificial additives. It's not just about trying to become healthier- which I'm sure I easily reverse every weekend drinking- but it's about NOT supporting the industries that are harmful to our environment. Putting my dollars to work and supporting the organic, environmentally friendly industries.

On the caffeine front, I'm trying to go without coffee this week and am on my second day. I'm actually doing fairly well with that as well. Can you tell I just read Skinny Bitch? It seems like my energy is more consistent. Yesterday I had green tea in the morning and afternoon but today I was able to get by with just morning green tea. It's good to test myself and make sure that I'm not necessarily addicted to anything. And I definitely think that I convinced myself that I needed coffee. I wonder what I'll give up next week. Blogging?

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Weekend Update

Back by popular demand because some people use my blog to follow along with my life instead of calling me. Saturday was pretty exhausting. After being fairly successful and finding a dress for a wedding at the mall with my mom, I went went back into the city. Well.. first I missed one bus by 2 minutes. Dude, the bus is never early!!! Then, after waiting for 10 minutes at the stop (wasn't sure which bus I missed) someone honked at me.. and rolled up. Was sort of freaked out until I realized it was a good friend. Perfect timing. He drove me to another stop where I proceeded to wait another 15 minutes. Finally, I settled onto the bus, excited for a 40 minute nap. Not so fast. At this hotel where the bus stops, about 20 people got on, holding the bus up for 10 minutes. I overheard one loudly complain she only had a $100 bill. Are you kidding!!??

Anyway, finally got into the city, changed and went into Brooklyn to a party that I was 3 1/2 hours late to. Never the less, the party was still going on strong and we sat, boozed and played various Wii sports until around 1:30.

Today woke up and was fairly productive. After err.. running an errand in the West Village, I walked around and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Then in a moment of super energy/being productiveness, I decided around 5 to trek to Central Park for a run. Given the lateness of my decision, I got off at 86th street and did a fairly decent job running. Enjoyed a violin performance at the park while I massaged my tingling legs (haven't gone running in a loooong while). And also enjoyed a trumpet performance at Union Square on my way home. All in all this weekend, I donated about $5 to various subway performances/street performances. Caught 2 break dance/subway performances and 2 musical groups. Was a very good weekend. Now I'm chillaxing.

Trouble with a capital T


Went home to Schmersey Friday night and went out with my pops for a few hours. We came back to this. Why yes, that is all their paper's strewn across the floor thanks to the trouble makers Mischief and Lola. They've become a decent team.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Bush Sucks

Apparently President Bush is the most popular President in modern history. Hahaha.


http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/01/bush.poll/index.html