A little gem from my reading.

I just started Eating Animals this morning, and I'm already in love/hate with it. Love because it's informative and educational, hate because our species infuriates me. I wanted to share with you guys a little thought prompt, found on page 26:

"If we were to one day encounter a form of life more powerful and intelligent than our own, and it regarded us as we regard fish, what would be our argument against being eaten?"

I love this quote because it provokes thought. If our justification for eating animals is that we're stronger and smarter, is it okay for us to be food for something stronger and smarter than us? Why or why not?

I found this image on facebook (source unknown) and thought it was perfect, and tragically accurate. Fortunately, books like Foer's not only bombards the reader with knowledge (a lot of it, and much of which you could have gone your whole life without knowing), it makes you think critically about your choices and values. Foer is an author, not a journalist, and also a father and a consumer, and as he evaluates his place in this multi-faceted issue that is factory farming, I guarantee you will too.

Look out later for a clothes post!

Alie

A long-awaited return to blogging.

 Hi all.

I hope I still have some readers out there. I truly am very sorry for my unannounced hiatus. Believe me, I missed blogging. For a while I felt like it would be best to discontinue the blog if I'm going to be so inconsistent, but that would be very hard. So, I decided to step back up and keep doing what I do.

This past semester was very hard, for a lot of reasons. One day, I stopped being able to focus on work. I was so worried about work that it interfered with work. I started to worry about other things - what if my friends secretly hate me? What if I'm ugly? What if I'm too stupid to finish college? What will I do with my degree?

From there it progressed further. The same sentence would flash in my mind, over and over, making me incapable of simple tasks. It was a very simple sentence, but a very powerful one indeed. It said: Everything is falling apart.

Finally, I accepted therapy. I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, PTSD, C-PTSD, and possible panic disorder. My therapist and I worked on some strategies for dealing with anxiety and panic when they come, and how to battle the depression most effectively. (One strategy was to clear my plate of everything that wasn't absolutely necessary and essential. This blog, though I love it, was on that list.)I was able to focus enough to finish the semester, but I'm by no means "fixed." It will likely be a long battle to happiness.

But that's not all that's been happening, and it's not what I want to focus on.

Firstly, after the semester was over I got new hair!

Before. Long, side bangs, etc.

After! I went with a straight bang. I love it so far! 

Out and about with my new hair.
Sunnies: Target

I waited until after the semester in case I hated it. I've always been super stressy about changing my hair. I'm always so afraid it'll look awful. But part of it was that I wanted a change after everything that happened this past semester. It felt liberating and very nice.

I also took a maymester to get some extra credits completed as well as to cushion the blow to my gpa that last semester caused. I took my junior seminar and a class on the ancient philosophy of yoga. My junior sem was a writing intensive that I need to graduate. The professor I took focused the class around inherited genetic diseases. Did you guys know that being a heterozygous carrier for sickle cell helps protect against Malaria? Or that being a carrier for cystic fibrosis protects against tuberculosis? The body's evolutionary defenses are endlessly fascinating! Yogic philosophy will probably get its own post now that I have time, but I'll just say for now that even though it's ancient (upwards of 6000 years old) it makes so much sense, even and especially in light of scientific discoveries of the past several years.

Now, of course, I feel obligated to bombard you with pictures and news about APO!

This was my first day wearing letters! My wonderful big ordered them from greekgear.com

Pledging almost got scrapped for being unnecessary, but I felt so much friendship and positivity with my brothers that I knew it would be worth it. And I was right! Time spent serving with my brothers really truly was my safe haven when it felt like everything else was falling apart.

My pledge class, now newly initiated brothers!

My family tree. Top center is my g-g-g-big Brittany Brown and her descendants.

My family line!
From left to right: my big Rachel, my g-big Jess, and yours truly

It's been a great journey through the pledge process, and I'm so excited to begin my life as a brother of Alpha Phi Omega! Jess, my g-big, is Pledgemaster again, and she asked me to shadow her as her assistant! I'd love to run for Pledgemaster so the experience should help with that.

One last one! Yours truly at formal. I was dateless, but had a wonderful time with my brothers!
Dress: a store called Group USA
I'm donating it to my high school so someone else can feel as pretty in it as I do, so it was nice to wear one more time.

That's all the fraternity business for now. To finish off, let's talk summer reading!

I think the last book I told you I was reading was Standing in the Light: My Life as a Pantheist by Sharman Apt Russell. That was a fantastic read, I highly recommend it. Since then I've read Neil Gaiman's American Gods, a truly epic story by my favorite author, and Watchmen the graphic novel. I'm obsessed with the movie (and I'm going as the Silk Spectre for halloween!), and reading the book was awesome. What can I say? I'm a nerd.

In May, both Khaled Hosseini and Dan Brown had new novels come out, so I immediately picked those up on my nook tablet (Nook HD+ for anyone who's curious). Hosseini's novel, And the Mountains Echoed, was beautifully written as always, while not being as heart wrenching as his book The Kite Runner. Id give it 3.5 stars and would recommend it for anyone who likes deeply felt and strikingly human stories. Dan Brown's latest, Inferno, is my favorite by him so far. It was exciting, interesting, kept me on the edge of my seat, and dealt with current issues. 5 stars and highly recommended from me! (As a side note, I'd like to state for the record that I fully support the "bad guy." Do with that information what you will.)

Now I'm about to read something super important to me. Something that, interestingly enough, came out in 2009.

I bought this book when it first came out, on my tiny original nook. Since then, I've made it 84 pages into it. It's that gruesome. It's an author's research into the meat and agribusiness industry in America, and not since Upton Sinclair's The Jungle has such a horrifying exposé been put in print form. Did you know that for every ten large predatory fish that existed in the wild 50-100 years ago, only one is left due to overfishing the oceans? Or that the average KFC bird is only 39 days old at slaughter? Think about how many growth hormones it takes to make them that big! 

These are two facts I learned just from the first 84 pages of this book. It's a brutal read, but also very informative and important for anyone who cares about animal rights/welfare, public health and safety,  or sustainable food production. I've made it a goal to finally read it, start to finish. We'll see how this goes!

Sorry this was a long one guys, I just felt like I had so much to tell you! Look out for a post on some shopping I did this weekend, cruelty free beauty (as always), and a post about my recent exploits and discoveries about ways to help animals in need. 

Til then!

Alie

(Yes, I changed the spelling! What do you think?)

Updates.

Hello lovely readers,

I'm incredibly sorry that I'm such an inconsistent blogger :( though I do have quite a bit to tell you guys.

It's spring break! FINALLY! Midterms were very stressful, but I'm feeling confident that I did well. The only classes I had actual tests in were in anthropology, organic chemistry, and genomics, and they were all decently spread out during the week, so I feel good about how they all went.

Unfortunately, I got in a car accident on the way home on Friday night. I swerved, panicked and over-corrected, and now my precious Isabella is probably totaled, though I still have to hear back from my insurance agency. I'd just like to shout out to my boyfriend Dylan's WONDERFUL parents for taking me in for the duration of the break now that I can't get home!

I also started seeing a therapist at CNU's free counseling center. We've only had one session together, but so far I feel really hopeful for the outcome, and I'm excited to see her again after the break. Things have been particularly hard this semester, between anxiety and a lot of other issues, and I'm excited to try and work through them.

Another really exciting thing has been happening, specifically regarding my spirituality and worldview. I've been reading an excellent book called Standing in the Light: My Life as a Pantheist Sharman Apt Russell.  I've spent a lot of time reading about Pantheistic worldviews from a detached, explanatory, philosophical perspective, so it's been nice to read something by someone who lives it day-to-day. But, surprisingly, that's not all that's come of it. In fact, it's made me very thoughtful about a label I would NEVER have thought of in a million years: it's made me consider becoming a Quaker.

Now, hear me out: Quakers are NOT Puritans, nor are they exclusively and oppressively Christian. They are not the guy on the oatmeal box. My type of Quakerism is called "unprogrammed" - meaning they deviate from the very structured and church-like Quakers that we commonly think of. They follow the more traditional values system of the earliest Quakers, that see the Light in all. They are very egalitarian, with no church leaders, and believe in pacifism (if the Light is in all, what justification is there in violence?). Quakers were among the first feminists and animal rights/welfare activists, and have Pantheism strongly rooted in their belief system.

It's far from resolute, and knowing me I'll spend the next million years reading about it, but it's an interesting turn of events, and something I'm excited for.

Be looking out for what I'm calling Cruelty-free Beauty 3.5 in the next few days. I'm not calling it part 4 because there's only a few actual purchases and reviews, but there will be a lot of shout-outs to brands I've heard of or products I'm coveting at the moment :)

<3,Ali

The pledge process! And other randomness.

Hi all!

This past week and weekend were SO exciting! As you know, I was accepted as an official pledge of my school's chapter of Alpha Phi Omega!

My bid card! I've removed both mine and our pledgemaster's information.

After events Monday-Thursday, we found out on Friday whether or not we were accepted. Next stop: pinning! On Sunday I received my pledge pin.

Sorry about the picture quality. The "P" in the middle stands for pledge, obviously.

As you can tell, I was pretty stoked. 

Meet the Spring 2013 Pledge Class of Alpha Phi Omega, Alpha Delta Xi chapter! Can you spot me? :P

Brotherhood education/chapter meetings start this Sunday! I'm a little bummed that it will (for now) interrupt my Sunday dinners with Dylan's family, but I'll survive. I could not be more excited to have joined such wonderful brothers as a pledging member, and I look forward to one day wearing their letters!

This week is pretty dreary and cold - I'm babying a sick Dylan, studying for a herpetology exam, and trying to survive without getting sick. Over the weekend, Saturday night to be exact, Peninsula SPCA hosted their annual Fur Ball, a black tie gala-style event where donors and friends can have dinner, socialize, donate, and participate in live and silent auctions where all the proceeds go to our facility. They even brought some pets! I wish I had taken a camera, because seeing dogs all dressed up was adorable! Here's what I wore:

Please forgive my awful photography and my paleness!
Dress: Forever 21
Shoes: Kohl's, but I've had them since I was in the 8th grade :P #smallfeetproblems

We raised over $150,000! It was insanely successful, and the money goes to such a good cause. I'm so glad I helped make it happen!

Other than that, here's all the outfit stuff I have, but it basically sums up all of how I dress in the winter. Big sweater, leggings, scarf.
Sweater: Target (stolen from Maurissa)
Scarf: Gift from Dylan when he went to London a year ago :3
Leggings: Forever 21

Also, today was Signing Day. CNU likes to make a big deal out of everything, and declaring majors is no exception! Every spring semester, sophomores have to formally and officially declare their majors. Mine hasn't changed, but I still had to go through the motions -_- but I got a button, so it's worth it! (slight sarcasm).

I'm now proudly sporting this on my school bag :)

That's about all I got for ya folks - off to go do some chemistry!

<3,Ali

Weeeeeeeeee!

Hi all!

This week is stressful, as I'm expecting the rest of the semester to be as well :/ but that's NOT what I wanted to talk about!

As I mentioned before, I participated in rush week for Alpha Phi Omega, the national co-ed community service fraternity. I GOT MY BID! That means that I've been accepted for the pledge process!

I couldn't be more excited - I LOVE all of the brothers (it's co-ed, so you're called a brother no matter your gender - I'll even be a brother!) that I've met so far. They're truly amazing people, and I can't wait to get involved in service projects with such great friends. 

Pinning and first dues are on Sunday morning. I get to collect my official bid tomorrow afternoon, but the Pledgemaster Jess decided to alleviate the suspense and notify us if we were selected ahead of time. I love that, I love my future brothers, and I can't wait to join the family.

That's all for now! I could rant all day though!

Ali

SEVEN HUNDRED VIEWS!

I just checked, and I have 704 views!

This means SO much! Thank you to each and every reader who has bothered to stop in and read what I have to say! Thank you for putting up with my animal rights rants, my pointless opinions, my random breaks, all of it. I couldn't do it without you :)

This week will be busy, as I've got a test in organic chemistry, a lot of work due in Religions of the West, and an event almost every night of the week for Alpha Phi Omega, the national co-ed service fraternity that I'm rushing. I'll do my best to keep you all updated and not be a horrible blogger!

Cruelty-free beauty- Part III!

Hi all!

I am SO SORRY that this post is coming an entire week late :/ after this post I'll be resuming the 30 Day Self-Esteem Challenge, just picking up where I left off. This will make it more than 30 Days, but whatever.

Classes have been going well. I already have a lot of work piling up :/ but so far at least it's been interesting. We got some snow on campus Thursday night! Sadly not enough to cancel Friday's classes :(

Anyway! I thought I'd finally review some of the awesome cruelty-free products I acquired over the break and since! Unfortunately I didn't have a chance to take individual photos, and my new shampoo doesn't get a photo at all :/

1: 24/7 Glide-on Pencil in DEMOLITION [v]. 2: Skyscraper Multi-Benefit Mascara in SKYSCRAPER. 3: Naked Beauty Balm (Sample). 4: Eyeshadow Primer Potion 5: 24/7 Glide-on Pencil in MILDEW (Sample) [v]. 6:  Supercurl Curling Mascara (Sample). 7: Grind House eyeliner sharpener
[v] = vegan

So, what can I say except that I LOVE Urban Decay?! This is my first purchase since learning they were purchased by L'Oreal, but I wasn't disappointed. The eyeliner is simply to die for - it can last through my hour-upon-hour, face-smashed-into-pillow after class naps, so I'd say it's pretty durable. The name is not deceptive, it does indeed glide on very smoothly. The mascara also leaves no complaints - my lashes look great and don't take an hour! I haven't had MUCH use of the free samples (which, by the way, you get a sample of SOMETHING every time you order - just another plus!) outside of the beauty balm considering I already bought mascara and why on EARTH would I use mildew-colored eyeliner?! I LOVE the balm, but don't really have $34 to drop on it :/ To be honest, I threw the sharpener in my order rather than dropping into CVS and getting a cheap one because I was a few dollars shy of the free shipping limit :P but I enjoy it quite a bit! I don't usually wear enough eyeshadow to need a primer, but it DOES work very well when I have special occasions.

I've also been using their Surreal Skin Creamy Concealer in DREAM [v], which may or may not be on sale at the moment (hint hint), for my under-eye circles that will inevitably appear when one has 8am classes, their Lip Junkie Lipgloss in Midnight Cowboy [v], and their Midnight Cowboy eyeshadow palette (not currently on sale). Love love LOVE all of it, and I do recommend it. A lot of it's vegan, but it's all cruelty-free. But it doesn't stop there!

1: e.l.f Tinted Moisturizer in NUDE [v], 2: Mineral Blemish Powder in TRANSLUCENT (with brush included) [v]. 3: Glitter nail polish in FAIRY DUST

So first of all, e.l.f is THE go-to brand for really affordable, cruelty-free/vegan makeup. They're truly fantastic. The moisturizer has, for me, who enjoys simplicity, replaced liquid foundation and consolidated 2 steps into one. Not that I'm saying that's right for everyone, but for me it works. Loveeee it. The mineral blemish powder and brush make up what's called the Mineral Blemish Kit, and it's arguably my favorite recent makeup purchase. It's better for zits than caking on liquid makeup because it's a light, breathable powder, and it's treated with willow bark and tea tree to try and heal breakouts WHILE covering. It's also translucent, so it works on ANY skin tone. The nail polish looked BEAUTIFUL online, but wasn't really what I expected upon receiving it. It's a nice glitter that I think will look nice on top of black once my nails grow back, but by itself it isn't my favorite. :/

On top of a makeup overhaul, I also picked up Renpure Originals Luxurious argan oil shampoo and conditioner [v], and am planning on switching to the Shick Intuition razor. Schick is owned by a company that tests, but I have it on good authority that they themselves do not. :)

I will now begin discussion of feminine hygiene products - if you're uncomfortable reading about it for WHATEVER reason, feel free to skip it. It's the end of the post, so you're NOT missing anything! Don't say I didn't warn you!

****************************************

Over the break I made the decision to switch from using pads/tampons during that time to using what's called a menstrual cup. It's a reusable silicone cup that you insert that catches products of menstruation. Once it's full you simply dump it, wash it, and reinsert it. It looks a little something like this:

It's much more absorbent than pads and tampons, so you can wear it longer. Because there's no rayon present, wearing it longer won't give you toxic shock. Most importantly (to me, maybe not to anyone else), the only packaging or waste is the original packaging it comes in. This makes it MUCH more eco-friendly than pads OR tampons. It IS sanitary if you keep it clean and wash it regularly, though of course misuse and improper care can make that not the case. There are many brands, all of which I'm sure are fine, but I bought one called the Diva Cup (shown above). It's available on a variety of websites, including CVS and Walgreens and Target, but the cheapest one I found was at Wild Earth Market, a really awesome website dedicated to natural cures and remedies.

Generally I like it a lot. I initially had a hard time inserting/removing it, but once I got used to it it was fine. I had ONE leaking incident, but it was due to improper insertion. After that, no problems whatsoever. I'd definitely recommend it!

I hope you guys have an awesome week!
<3,Ali

30 Day Self-Esteem Challenge - Day 3

A part of your personality that you like.

I'd have to say the part of me I'm most proud of is my over-nourished inner child. I'm a bad sufferer of Peter Pan Syndrome. I've never quite allowed her - or, rather, forced her - to grow up, so I've never lost my sense of wonder at things that are new. I've never lost the importance of play and laughter, and I've never stopped seeing innocence as something nice instead of something to be overcome. That doesn't mean I'm childlike or innocent or immature or anything like that, it's just that I can be perfectly happy playing with my baby cousin's farm animals with her and watching Disney movies from my childhood. It's fun, and you're only too old for it if you tell yourself you are.

Well, now that that's over, some announcements:

Today is the first day of classes! I've had Organic Chemistry, Genomics/Proteomics/Bioinformatics (study of DNA sequencing and protein form and function), and Herpetology (study of reptiles and amphibians). I have the same o-chem prof as last semester, so that's good, and so far I really like both of my other classes I've had. Then again, it's a little early to make such judgements :P

I have Religons of the West and Cultural Anthropology tomorrow, so I'll let you know how those go!

This weekend I want to accomplish two posts: One on my new cruelty-free makeup products, shown below:

Images from my Instagram

And one on Pantheism. I promised all the way back in my intro that I'd do it, and I haven't. Reading Carl Sagan has inspired me! I'll give you a sneak peak to that one, a video put together by Max Schlickenmeyer featuring a fantastic quote from astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson:

Looking forward to sharing all of it with you guys!

<3, Ali

30 Day Self-Esteem Challenge: Day 2

A physical feature you like on yourself.

I like nice collar bones, and I have really strong collar bones that I find attractive and actually enjoy showing off.

The 30-Day Self-Esteem Challenge

I have let many things over the past several years corrupt and demean my self-image and perceived self-worth, but with this I am making a commitment to see a new me in this new year. If any of my readers wish, I highly encourage you all to participate. It can be scary and painful, but in the end it is worthwhile. I linked the source in my last post, so here it is (I'll complete Day 1 at the end):

Day one: A facial feature you like on yourself

Day two: A physical feature you like on yourself

Day three: A part of your personality that you like

Day four: A habit you have that you like

Day five: Something about the way you think that you like

Day six: Something about the way you just are that you like

Day seven: When do you feel best about yourself? Why?

Day eight: The last time you smiled when someone complimented you. What was the compliment and why did you smile?

Day nine: Something that you yourself do that makes you smile. Why?

Day ten: Why are you the way you are?

Day eleven:  Do you like the way you are? Why or why not?

Day twelve: If you could change something about your personality, what would it be and why?

Day thirteen: What do you think of your smile?

Day fourteen: What do you think of your laugh?

Day fifteen: Why do you think people are attracted to you, either friend-wise or romantically?

Day sixteen: The last thing you did that made you smile

Day seventeen: Another thing you like about yourself

Day eighteen: The last thing you did that made you laugh 

Day nineteen: Is there a particular outfit/article of clothing/accessory you like on yourself? Why or why not?

Day twenty: If you finish this challenge and still feel that your confidence is low, would you be willing to do it again? Why or why not?

Day twenty-one: When do you feel your most attractive? Why?

Day twenty-two: What do you think others like about your personality?

Day twenty-three: What physical feature do others seem to find most attractive about you?

Day twenty-four: What is your definition of “beautiful”?

Day twenty-five: Do you often compliment other people?

Day twenty-six: What is your favorite compliment to give and receive, and why?

Day twenty-seven: Do you often accept compliments? If not, why?

Day twenty-eight: Do you feel good about yourself today? Why or why not?

Day twenty-nine: When you don’t feel good about yourself, what do you do to change that, if anything?

Day thirty: Are you happy with yourself?

Day One: A facial feature you like on yourself.

I have nice skin (most of the time) and during the summer when my freckles come out I think they’re kinda cute.

I can tell you right now not all of them will have a picture, but for this one I figured why not.

I'm really excited for this challenge! :)

Post-holiday, pre-semester laziness.

Hello my dear readers!

I'd like to apologize for the unannounced (and genuinely unplanned) hiatus I took from blogging over the holiday and break from school. I haven't been SUPER busy, but I've been enjoying family, both mine and Dylan's. I had a wonderful Christmas, and I got some great stuff:

Prada's perfume isn't actually produced by Prada, which is a major fur powerhouse. It's actually produced by Puig, which is a completely vegan fragrance company. This is "Candy" and it smells fantastic!

I also got a really cute elephant  necklace, an plug-in for my iPhone that looks like the receiver for a corded phone from the 90's, and some clothes. With my Christmas money I ended up buying a TON of music (which I'll get to later), Windows 8 (love it), took my mom to see Les Mis for her birthday, a TON of vegan makeup I'll review in a future post, and these babies:

$23 at Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse in Newport News. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.

New Years was fun, Dylan and I spent it together, which is nice because we had to Skype our New Year's kiss last year :(. It was pretty low-key, so I ended up just wearing skinny jeans, a sparkly tank top, and a baggy cardigan (curses for me not taking a picture of it!).

Now on to some other news:

First of all: GO SEE LES MISERABLES. I've seen it twice now. I hardly ever cry in movies, but I was bawling. It's so beautiful! I want to name my daughter Fantine. (The soundtrack is, needless to say, wonderful as well).

Second: Go listen to Marina and the Diamonds. Yes, as usual I'm late to the party and they've been around for a while, but I bought both of their albums within 24 hours. So good. 

Third: I bought a lot of Urban Decay and e.l.f makeup, not all of which I've been able to try. Once I have, I anticipate a Cruelty-free Beauty Part III post in the works! :)

Fourth: I'm thinking about doing a 30 Day Self-Esteem Challenge (links to a Tumblr that I greatly enjoy; follow her for great advice and social commentary!), both on here and my personal Tumblr. Each day I'll answer a question with something I enjoy about my body, my personality, or my interactions with others. I think it sounds fun and uplifting, and I encourage all of you to partake as well!

Fifth: Feel free to follow my tumblr (linked above), as well as my Twitter, Pinterest and my instagram: AlexndraRae! 

I hope you all had a great holiday season, and for those readers about to start their semesters like me, good luck and study hard!

<3, Ali

Perspective.

Hi all,

I've been meaning to write about some of the SPCA events I've been doing over the past few weeks, but today my ideas got stopped in their tracks.

I went to a funeral today.

I didn't personally know the departed, it was the brother of one of my mom's close friends. His family hasn't disclosed the details surrounding his passing.

When my mom told me a few days ago, I practically threw a fit. I had JUST gotten home, I had things I wanted to get done today, it's Christmas and I didn't want to spend a whole day at a depressing funeral.

But being there today made me feel absolutely ashamed for thinking any of those things, because I was suddenly surrounded by his close friends and family thinking the exact same thing. They don't want to be burying a loved one this Christmas any more than I wanted to attend such a burial.

How must they be feeling, his parents who are saying goodbye to their son only days before Christmas? Or his sisters who looked up to their big brother?

I'm ashamed that I complained about the funeral. Looking a little bit further back, I'm ashamed I complained at all about having to come home for Christmas and not spend it with Dylan's family, about having to deal with my family's signature drama, about being cooped up with my mother for a whole week and a half. There's people right this very moment who don't have a home or a family to come home to this holiday season, or who are missing their loved ones, like the family I saw today, clinging to one another to ease the hurt.

My message today is this: keep things in perspective. Yes, we all have things not go our way sometimes, but there's always someone who has it worse. Always.

WOAH.

So, two days ago my pageviews last week were around 390. A few days later they were around 418. And now THEY'RE AT 509.

I can't believe it! THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! It means a lot that so much traffic has come around these parts! And it also makes me feel bad that I haven't been posting!

Finals week was... awful. Just awful. But then, that's to be expected, right? I only JUST emerged today from post-semester hibernation. I'm pretty sure I did well in my classes, but I'll find that out sometime tonight. 

What all has happened since I last posted? For one, despite the animal mishandling controversy surrounding the movie "The Hobbit" I went to see it (I got to see it free, so it's not like they got my money, which is how I  justified it.)

I don't know if any of you heard, but 27 animals died stupidly and avoidably on the set of the Hobbit (Source, Source). Chickens were left unattended and to the mercy of dogs, sheep and pigs broke legs in pens riddled with potholes, horses broke their necks falling off of cliffs. Crew members reported the conditions and deaths to their superiors, and nothing was done. Ridiculous, avoidable, senseless deaths, all for a movie. 

Now, upon first hearing about the incident(s), I got nervous about "PETA freaks" getting angry about nothing and tried really hard to adopt an "accidents happen" mentality. But upon reading more, especially director Peter Jackson's reaction, I began to share in the outrage. Jackson, in a tone that suggested he was offended at being bothered with the question, brushed off the issue by saying that no animals were used in action sequences. Well that's nice I guess. Except, it's not answering the question, and it's doing nothing to try to right the situation. 

No, it's not exclusively Jackson's fault. Actually, it's not his fault at all - as the director he really isn't in charge of animals on set. What is his fault is how he's handling it. No, it isn't fair to bully him for the deeds of others, but he's a known name that's largely involved in the film, so people are inevitably going to turn to him for answers. And that's how he chose to respond. Despicable.

I still ended up seeing the movie, like I said. I justified it for a lot of reasons: a) boycotting is a stupid way to make a point b) we used a gift card, so I didn't ACTUALLY give them my money c) more than just the crew and Jackson are punished by poor box office sales d) I wanted to give Jackson a chance to right the situation by replacing the crew for the next film e) I was morbidly curious about whether there would still be the "no animals were harmed" spiel in the end credits.

It was there. However, instead of the usual "No animals were harmed in the making of this film" that we've all seen before, it was altered to say "No animals were harmed in the filming of this movie." More honest, but still deliberately misleading and attempting to sweep under the rug vile and unacceptable cases of animal mistreatment and cruelty. 

I tried really hard to give the movie the benefit of the doubt. And it is an entertaining film. But I regret giving it my business. The situation itself is awful, but the reaction of those who have the power to right the situation is even worse. You're not a bad person for going to see the movie, but please be aware of the situation to be sure that we can avoid it in the future. You can be sure if action isn't taken to replace the animal handling crew, this blogger will be boycotting, writing letters, and blogging up a storm.

I'm on break, recovering from my finals coma from last week. I'll inevitably post about more happenings in my absence, and chronicle my hectic holiday. Until next time!

<3, Ali

New Year's already?!

Hi all!

In response to the title: not exactly. I've just been idly thinking about some things that I'd like to have as New Year's resolutions. After all, we're going to be lucky to be alive after the apocalypse, so why not do it big?! (Kidding.)

Before I do that, clothes and self-obsession:

Please forgive my messy mirror. Any my messy room. And my messy life.
Top: Forever 21
Jeans: American Eagle
Scarf: Plato's Closet
Shoes: vegan TOMS

Because it matched, I borrowed Maurissa's red peacoat to go out in. It's from Target (Merona).
I usually despise the color red, but what works, works.

Closeup of sweatshirt. "Paris is for Lovers!" How cute is that?!
Please don't ask me why I didn't just take off the scarf. Sigh. Hindsight is 20/20.

Anywho, just like with my reading challenges (one of which only half-worked :/ ), I feel like I'll feel more pressure to actually stick to my resolutions if you all know about them! Here are some I've dreamed up:

1) FORGIVE. LET THINGS GO. Probably my biggest personality flaw is that when I feel really, truly wronged, I have a tendency to hold a grudge. These grudges can last years. Don't get me wrong, generally I'm very forgive-and-forget, but sometimes people cross a line and I have a really hard time moving on. I need to learn to stop burdening myself with anger. (I actually have a tattoo plan for this, but I'll save the details for if/when it comes about.)

2) Counseling. I've been thinking about it for a while. It's been almost a year since life imploded on me, but I'm having a really tough time healing. My relationship with several members of my family are injured or outright broken, and it's caused a lot of stress and pain. I think counseling will help me get rid of some of the anger and hurt, at least enough to talk it out with my family. 

3) Read classic novels!

4) Hobbies. Ever since college, I've had a hard time finding and staying committed to things I enjoy. I'm leaning towards yoga and getting back into horseback riding. 

5) Study "A Course in Miracles" (description linked). I've had it sitting on a bookshelf since over summer, so I'd like to finally get into it.

6) Take proper care of myself. This includes yoga, as I mentioned above, starting to exercise (maybe), eating right. Also mentally (see #2) and spiritually; I'd like to actually start meditating or taking some kind of quiet reflection period every day. I'm a really anxious and wound-up person naturally, so I feel like only good things can come from that. (I'm asking for a cute mini Zen garden for Christmas, lol!)

7) Learn time management. My goal spring semester is NO ALL-NIGHTERS.

8)All A's (we'll see). 

Also, though it's too tentative to get a number, I'm thinking about phasing out eggs. Chickens are treated so horribly in factory farms, and they go through hell to produce eggs regardless. I don't eat them very often as it is, so it's not a HUGE issue, just something that's been on my mind.

Have any of you thought about your resolutions? Or do you, like many, find the whole thing to be dumb? :P

<3, Ali

My holiday playlist!

Hi lovelies!

Ugh. Why aren't there 25 hours in a day again? I have an annotated bibliography (done) and a short paper (in progress) due tomorrow, my organic chemistry lab final on Wednesday, offsite event training for SPCA on Thursday, an ochem exam in lecture on Friday, a rough draft for one of my final essays due Friday, Hanukkah with Dylan's family on Saturday, an SPCA adoption event Sunday, a 10-page paper due Monday, and finals all the rest of that week, including ANOTHER paper and all my logs for Religions of the East due. WHERE DID THE TIME GO?!

Anyway, because I'm drowning in stress and desperate for something to be cheery about, I thought I'd share some of my favorite holiday music! It's by no means a complete list, but it's a good start! They're also in no particular order, just ones that are on my mind currently.

(Yes, some of them are religious. If that offends you, don't listen to those and enjoy the others.)

1) "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" - Bing Crosby

(Seriously, if you don't love this song we aren't friends.)

2) "Believe" - Josh Groban, from The Polar Express soundtrack

4) "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" - Amy Grant

Infinitely my favorite religious Christmas song

5) "Happy Hanukkah" - Matisyahu

I don't celebrate Hanukkah (though this year I will be with Dylan's family who's Jewish), but this is seriously SO catchy. Honestly, regardless of WHICH holiday it's about, it's impossible not to get pumped for the holidays listening to this song. 

6) "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

I've always wanted to see them live.

7) "Do You Hear What I Hear?" - Carrie Underwood

There are a LOT of great versions of this song, but this one is currently my favorite. I'm not usually a huge fan of hers, but she does really good Christmas music.

8) "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time" - Paul McCartney

Duh.

9) "O Holy Night" - Josh Groban

Can't argue with a classic.

10) "What's This?" - Fall Out Boy

This is FOB's cover of a song from Tim Burton's movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's so fun! Shown here re-synced over the scene from the movie.

11) "The First Noel" - Carrie Underwood

Again, one of many great versions. And I want that dress.

12) "Dominick The Italian Christmas Donkey" - Lou Monte

If you don't find this hilarious, you need to reevaluate your life.

13) "Feliz Navidad" - Jose Feliciano

Classic, awesome, any list is incomplete without it.

And, finally, quite possibly my favorite Christmas song everrrrr. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." I've included several versions, including Judy Garland's in "Meet Me In St. Louis," a version by Coldplay, one by Luther Vandross, and one by the one and only Frank Sinatra.

Enjoy them! And happy holidays everyone :)

<3,Ali

Church finally!

Hello all,

I'm sorry for my angry rant of a few days ago. Actually, that's a lie; I'm not sorry for reacting to hate, though I'm not used to speaking while so fired up. I'm actually kind of proud of myself for staying so calm (in writing) with so much psychotic b*tch rage coursing through my veins (forgive the language).

Anywho, today a few other members of FOCUUS and I went to our local UU congregation for Sunday service. It was lovely! Though they do things slightly different then BRUU (which is to be expected), they seem like really great people, and I had an awesome time. I'm excited to go again next week!

Now, after that and meeting up with my boyfriend, Dylan, for lunch before he went off to do marching band stuff all day, I'm in yoga pants writing my million papers due over the next two weeks and watching ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas.

This is the life.

I think I might actually just start saying "I'm a Unitarian Universalist" when asked. It's much simpler than explaining Pantheism.

The A-word.

Hello.

I was having a fine and productive day, enjoying some Earl Grey tea and getting a head start on my weekend homework, when I saw this meme:

I normally hate butthurt rants, but I truly am very offended. I saw this on a Liberal Facebook page that I usually agree wholeheartedly with. Besides the obvious reason that I'm always disappointed when liberals resort to hateful, vitriolic rhetoric when they don't have to (after all, facts are on our side), I'd like to talk about it. 

You all know that I identify as pro-life. I think I've made that clear in several posts. However, when it comes to what I actually believe in the gigantic mess that is the abortion debate, I'm too much of both to truly qualify as either one. Let me explain:

My sincere hope, which I know I share with many, both pro-life and pro-choice, is to make abortion a horror of the past, but I hope to do it by making it unnecessary. I agree with the liberal, largely pro-choice idea that contraception, comprehensive sexual education, social safety nets, and adoption reform will greatly reduce abortion rates, and that until such things exist our country isn't ready to repeal Roe v. Wade and eliminate safe abortions. I would never for a second deny the advancement in women's social status after the legalization of abortion, though I truly think the same can be achieved through less violent and destructive means. The ONLY restriction I currently support is a time limit to ensure that, barring freak circumstances, pain-capable fetuses are protected, making abortion as humane as possible.

You may ask, "Why don't you just call yourself pro-choice?" It's a question I get a lot when this comes up. Really. 

The answer comes down to personal preference. I dislike the general attitude of pro-choice towards the act of abortion and the unborn themselves. Terms like "incubator," "clump of cells," and "rape baby" (the absolute worst one) completely turn me off to their message. I agree with them on their solution to the problem, but not on their attitude about the problem. Yes, I realize that this is a generalization and that there are pro-choice individuals who do not use such terminology. And I appreciate that, but like I said, it's personal preference.

I also, as you can imagine, dislike the contempt that flies at me the moment "pro-life" comes out of my mouth. Immediately I'm Satan, wanting women to die in botched illegal abortions and be slaves to reproduction. I shouldn't have to explain to you after everything I've just said that this isn't the case.  I do think that abortion is the very sad, though sometimes necessary, taking of a life. I've been called an assortment of names for this thought, from naive to dipshit (pardon the language) to sentimental creep. (Yes, I realize that there are pro-life people who truly are monsters, and that not all pro-choice people react that way to a simple disagreement.)

And this ties into the meme I posted. How dare anyone criticize me calling myself a certain thing without knowing anything about what I truly think. I am more than a label. If you [pro-choicers] would be offended by a meme that says "Oh, you're pro-choice? Please tell me how many abortions you've gleefully had!", then you understand why I'm miffed right now. Pro-choice =/= abortion-lover. Pro-life =/= woman-hater.

End of story.

I'll go a little bit further, though I don't feel I should have to. I will adopt children one day. I will be a foster parent one day. I hate to break it to you, but I'm living in a college dorm and still largely financially dependent on my parents. In no way am I fit, nor eligible, to adopt anyone. Does that mean that I'm not allowed to call myself pro-life? No.

And what about those who can't adopt for other reasons? Perhaps a prior conviction, perhaps financial struggles, what have you. How are you being fair to them? Are they unqualified to call themselves pro-life? What if, by the time I'm estimating I'll be adopting, I'm one of them? Will I be unqualified?

No. No, no, no. Because my label means nothing regarding my actions, or even my true beliefs. And no one has the right to tell me what I can and can't call myself. Or to mock my sincerity when they know nothing about me.

Ali