Animal Farm

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." Who can tell me where that comes from? If you guessed "Animal Farm" by George Orwell, you've probably read the title of this post. Congratulations. Anyway, here's my first big political video project! Here I tell you all about Soviet Russia by analyzing one of the greatest novellas of its time. Please respond with feedback, and remember to like, subscribe, follow- anything that'll let me know you want more!  
          "... for the past ten years I have been convinced that the destruction of the Soviet myth was essential if we wanted a revival of the socialist movement. On my return from Spain I thought of exposing the Soviet myth in a story that could be easily understood by almost anyone and which could be easily translated into other languages." -George Orwell

Mommy, I'm on TV!

          I'm not even going to try to apologize for my unheralded and extremely long leave of absence; no excuse is good enough. However, I can try to make it up to all of you with a shiny new surprise! Is this good enough?

          Yep, that's me. Don't look so surprised! My eloquence makes it apparent that I am, indeed, gorgeous. I'm back from my mysterious disappearance with an all-new attitude and an all-new YouTube channel! Will it flourish and grow, or will I fail to keep it afloat? Stay tuned to find out! 

Wonder Cox

          Happy Independence Day! Just to put this out there, I found a picture of Laverne Cox as Wonder Woman. You're all welcome. (Here's the link to the original twitter post by @_DownToEarth.) What better way to celebrate my country's independence than to post a picture of this iconic woman as one of our most iconic superheroes? Go, Laverne! 

Celebrate a New Week with Gender Equality

          Happy Monday, everyone! Pride month is drawing to a close, but it's been a pretty great one this year. I know that Mondays are kinda rough for some people, so I'm cheering you all up with a cool comic that perfectly embodies the true spirit of gender equality. 
          Here's the link to the original imgur page, but I'm also including the image below. It's kinda big, but it's worth the read.
          Remember, sexism isn't a "men's issue" or a "women's issue". Sexism affects everyone negatively, although I do have to admit that women have it kinda worse. (Femicide, anyone?) However, the stereotypes that claim that men always have to be interested in the same things, act the same way, and not express emotion are ridiculous and incredibly harmful. All in all, I agree with the message of this image- Sexism will not be overcome until both women and men can recognize it as a serious issue that hurts both groups, and work together.
          Have a great and world-improving week!
 

Update: I can't seem to get the image to be at a good size for reading that doesn't fall out of my post, so you can either zoom in your browser to view it here, or view the original on imgur. If anyone knows how to fix the issue, please shoot me a comment to let me know! Blogger needs to add some more features... 

Food for Thought: Abandoned Innocents

          On the night of April 14^th, 2014, almost 300 Nigerian schoolgirls from the village of Chibok were kidnapped by Boko Haram, an Islamist terrorist organization. I did not write an article about this event.

          Why am I writing about it now, two months “late”? Well, even though the entire media was in an uproar about it in April, I haven't heard a word about these girls for many weeks- not from news organizations, not from open-source websites, and not from human lips. Are the young scholars still missing? Yes. Are they still being kept as sex-slaves and many being indoctrinated into Islamism against their will? Yes. Does the public still care? Not really.

          After two months of imprisonment, surely these girls have given up hope. If I were among them, I would have. Despite a twitter campaign, empty promises from the government, and many people claiming that "I won't be able to rest until the victims are returned home", the world has forgotten about them already. I suppose that shows exactly how much Western society cares about people who are only an ocean away- and yet, an ocean is enough to separate the lamented from the forgotten, the rescued from the abandoned, and the saved from the damned. 

Image credit to ABC News

Sources: www.cnn.com, videos released by the Boko Haram terrorist group

Ghosts of Prejudice I

          There have been times and places when all human beings were equal. Sadly, such places and times are few and far apart. Yet, in many of those eras when humans were far too unequal, there was no common belief that humans are born inherently less than others- just a lingering belief that that was the way things should be, and always had been. We live in such a time. I now present to you the first in a series of short posts I will write about prejudices in our world today, why they came to be, and ponder why they still haunt us. 

Adam and Eve by Titian

Sexy/Pure: The Female Story

          Today, females are generally expected to be "pure" in order to be accepted. So-called sluts are viewed as the exception, not the rule, and abstinence is encouraged by many who see themselves as patriarchs. Yet, if we look into the past, it doesn't seem to have always been that way. 

          For starters, we have the bible. It's an obvious culprit- an ancient book (I'm not here to dispute whether God wrote it or not, we all can acknowledge that it's old) that is still regularly consulted. Although its readers may have good intentions, its sheer age makes it a perfect preservation site for outdated prejudices. 

          Looking at the very beginning of the bible, to the tale of Adam and Eve, it is obvious that Eve is portrayed as the impure one. It's she who submits to temptation, therefore "sin", and takes that fruit from the snake. Adam is good and upright even after his ejection from Eden, whereas Eve is the first sinner of the pair, a fallen woman. If this truly was the beginning of humankind, the portrayal of Eve was no good omen for women of the future. 

           In Greek mythology, we hear even more cries shouting that women are the slaves of desire. One story depicts Zeus and Hera, king and queen of the Olympian gods, respectively, arguing over who possessed more capacity for lust and pleasure: man or woman. Eventually, the pair consulted Tiresias, a man who had once been turned into a woman. He reported that women were ten times as lustful as men. (Hera blinded him in rage at this, as she wasn't the most merciful of the Goddesses.)

           Many other examples can be found throughout history of women being seen as uncontrollable sex-fiends: court records, literature, mythology, etc. Try finding some of your own information if you like- it's all out there. At some point, though, there was a change. Something happened that turned a woman from a "lustful animal" to a "pure angel". Our best guess is, it began partially with the Christian church. 

          Now, this isn't to say that the change was immediately, inherently bad. Church officials, when they began painting this image of the holy and innocent female, probably thought they were doing women a favor by giving ladies of status a more noble standard to hold themselves up against. Over time, the idea caught hold, and soon the tables were turned- the untrue stereotype of men being pure and upright while women were tainted and wild had turned into the untrue stereotype of men being slaves to their instincts, with women seen as innocent. 

          Wait- there's something strange here. Before, females were kept out of leadership positions because they were seen as sinners, more susceptible to temptation, whereas men were strong enough to keep their emotions at bay. Now, women must live up to an untainted standard, the phrase "boys will be boys" has fully integrated itself into the English language, the good, obedient wife is our societal ideal, and victim-blaming is common in rape scenarios. Despite this turnaround, women are still seen or treated as inferior by many. This switching may seem ridiculous, but with a bit of common sense, anyone can see that it exists. The question is, why? 

-Lily

Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica, the Book of Genesis

Food for Thought: Money, Money, Money

        I was born into a less than wealthy family. Money was definitely not the easiest thing in the world for us (it isn't for anybody.) Fortunately, a few years into my life, things took a turn for the better. I myself am in a financially stable situation, but I know it definitely isn't that way for everyone- and I know it won't always be that way for me. When I live on my own, the money situation probably won't be quite as cozy. And it's true: the overall U.S. poverty rate in 2011 was 15.0 (27.5 for blacks, 25.3 for Hispanics, and 9.8 for non-Hispanic whites). It looks like this country has a serious opportunity gap, as well as financial gap. But what exactly do we define as "poverty"?

Absolute Poverty:

          Absolute poverty is defined as a condition in which a person doesn't have the necessary resources for survival. Absolute poverty could, in theory, be defeated, if the necessary survival resources were provided to the poor. Poverty is usually measured in absolute terms in developing countries, where it is most common, but also can exist in wealthy countries if the vast majority of wealth is owned by a small minority. 

Relative Poverty:

          Relative poverty occurs when people are "poor" in relation to those around them. For example, in a first world country, poverty might be when a person is unable to afford what is widely available to other people, such as a telephone or electricity. However, in poorer countries, relative poverty could fall under the category of absolute poverty. The U.S. poverty guideline is $11,670 for households of one person. As I said before- 15% of Americans are under the poverty line. That's 46,000,000 people. Unlike absolute poverty, relative poverty cannot be eradicated, as destroying it would require equal distribution of wealth. 

More Info:

          Here's a video with more information about wealth inequality in the U.S, and why it's such a serious problem. But don't take it from me- do your own research and develop your own opinion. Or, if you live outside the United States, find out more about poverty and wealth distribution in your own county.

• Official statistics on poverty in the U.S.
• Article about the history of the fight against poverty in America from the New York Times
• The official Poverty USA website

What do You Think?

          Is poverty as severe of an issue as I made it out to be? More severe? What's the best way for dealing with poverty? If it affects so many people, why hasn't a good solution been discovered/put in place yet? No political party claims poverty to be a good thing. But relative poverty, at least, is an unavoidable part of our capitalist system. How can this problem ever be solved? Please, tell me (respectfully) your opinions and ideas in the comments! Do you plan to take any action against poverty? 

SOURCES: HTTP://ASPE.HHS.GOV

Rainbows for Russia: Muffins

          Ah, Rainbows for Russia. A much more challenging project than I had made it out to be. Do you know how long it took me to figure out how to make rainbow muffins? All month. All. Month. 

          However, I overcame several difficulties and created this masterpiece of a food. Granted, there is room for improvement, but it tasted good and looked pretty good so I am happy. Good lord, I am happy. I finally did it. *pants* I really need to work on my baking skills. Anyway, the point is that here they are: rainbow themed creations of my own making. I am dedicating these muffins to Russia, for their hosting of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics- not exactly without a hitch, but without major disruptions. As proven by many Olympic Games in years gone by,  this is a pretty great accomplishment. More specifically, these muffins are dedicated to the LGBT community in Russia. People can debate the finer points of the reasons for this as much as they like, but it's generally agreed that it is not easy being a LGBT person in Russia. So for that, I make these muffins in their name. 

          Have any of you guys thought of making a Rainbow for someone or somewhere? If you have, please tell me about it in the comments. Thanks!

-Lily 

Rainbows for Russia

          I know it's been a long time, but I'm here as promised. I've been really busy as an important Science Olympiad even has been coming up and I've needed to take a lot of time to prepare for my events. Sincere apologies. 
          So, as I hinted at in my last post, I painted my nails rainbow. I did it for a reason, though, and you can probably guess that too. I wanted to show my support for the LGBTQ community- but more specifically, the LGBTQ community in Russia. 
          Being repressed kinda sucks. Being repressed in Russia, though I can only imagine, must suck a lot. In addition, Russia's been getting a lot of hate from the rest of the world due to some of the goings on at the Sochi 2014 Olympics- tough anti-gay laws, butchering of stray dogs, bad living conditions for guests, infected water- and true, none of these things are good, but they're not the entire country's fault. Claiming that's so is like to claiming that all Americans are responsible for the nation's economy issues and high obesity rates. True, some particular corporations and political parties carry a lot of the responsibility for these issues, but you can't blame the entire county. The same with Russia. 
          You guys know that I love it when the Internet puts positive things out into the world. I mean, who enjoys scrolling through your Facebook feed and coming across sad, depressing, or just mean-spirited words and images? Not many people, I'm guessing. If you do, you probably need some help. I hate it when that happens, personally. So when I noticed a pretty good number of rude and bigoted comments online directed towards Russia- the whole of Russia- I decided to take matters into my own hands. Literally. 
          I painted my fingernails rainbow, because rainbows are not negative. This fact is not up for debate. Rainbows are positive, and they're the most widely known symbol of support for the LGBTQ community. I painted my fingernails rainbow, because they are a positive sign of support for the LGBTQ community, and I painted them for Russia. Here you go, Russia. Have a rainbow, they're free.
          My project for the month of March is to make as many rainbow-themed things that are directed to Russia, and post them on the Internet. The goal isn't to necessarily make these things so that Russia will see them, but that there will be positive things on the Internet about Russia that don't put down other countries, either. If you'd like to help, just make something- write, sing, draw, sculpt, just create- that's rainbow themed. Put it out into the Internet, and comment on this post about it when you do. Bonus points if it's directed at another country. Double bonus points if that country's government is oppressive, especially to the LGBTQ community. Cookies if it's directed at Russia. Well, I can't actually bake you cookies, but you should definitely treat yourself to some. You deserve it. If you're posting to twitter, instagram, or any other site where hashtags are usable, tag it #rainbowsfortheworld, then hashtag the specific country or community that you're targeting. 
          Spread the word. Show off the rainbows. Let people know. I'll keep you updated on my rainbow journey throughout the month. We'll see what happens. 

-Lily
           

"The Games have Always Been a Little Gay", says Canada

          Despite never having been there, I've always held a fondness to Canada. Even during all the drama of this year's Olympics, the Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion, which is dedicated to encouraging diversity in the workplace, decided to make this ad that only made me like the country even more. It features two luge sledders in morph suits doing... Well, you'll see what they're doing. Not only is the 33 second video hilarious, but it admittedly has a good point. Sorry, Russia.  

          Also, Facebook and other social media users are being encouraged to "Keep the Games Gay" by changing their profile pictures to the image below. Who thought that luge would be the key to supporting LGBT people in Russia? 

And here's a little hint at what my next post will be about with this magical mystery photo:

Oh, whoops. That's my cat. I meant this one:

Thanks for reading! Please like, share, and comment!

The Olympic Soap Opera that is Sochi 2014

          The Sochi Olympic Games has been full of drama so far, and the games haven't even begun (and no, I'm not talking about Lindsey Vonn's knee).

          I'll be happy to help keep you guys up to date on that from a world-improving standpoint. 

          Today, I'll talk about the Russian anti-gay law. For those a little uncertain on exactly what it means, the law passed in 2013 bans "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" that could be accessible to  minors, effectively making it illegal to spread gay rights material or even suggest that same-sex relationships are equal to heterosexual ones. The law has caused outrage worldwide, and even the legendary Sir Elton John called out the country for this "vicious homophobia" on his official website, saying that "Whatever the intention of Russia’s homosexuality and pedophilia propaganda laws, I am absolutely clear from my own personal experience that it is proving deeply dangerous to the LGBT community and deeply divisive to Russian society." Here's a quick excerpt from his complete statement. 

          "The people I met in Moscow – gay men and lesbians in their 20′s, 30′s and 40′s - told me stories about receiving threats from vigilante groups who would ‘cure’ them of homosexuality by dousing them with urine or beating them up. One young man was stalked outside a gay club by someone posing as a taxi driver who tried to garrote him with a guitar string because he was a 'sodomite'. Everyone shared stories of verbal and physical abuse – at work, in bars and restaurants or in the street – since the legislation came into force last June. And, some of the vital work providing HIV prevention information to the gay community has been labelled 'homosexual propaganda' and shut down."

          However, it's not just bad news today- many countries, people, and companies have echoed Elton's sentiments. Here are a list of who is speaking up, and how. 

• AT&T- the company was one of the first Olympic sponsors to officially object to the law.
• The USA- among the official U.S. delegation to the games are gay former Olympians Caitlin Cahow and Brian Boitano, an apparent move to show disapproval of Russia's policy.
• Google- you've probably noticed Google's new Google Doodle (above left). Along with the quote from the Olympic Charter shown beneath it, makes Google's stance on the Russian anti-gay law quite clear."The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play."  
• Human rights activists worldwide- protesters are speaking up across the globe for the right of LGBT people to live in peace and equality. 

          That's all for today, guys- stay in the Olympic spirit as the games begin, and don't miss the opening ceremony tonight! 

          -Fox

Sources: The Official Site of Elton John, NBC News, the Guardian, Philadelphia Daily News

Food for Thought: "Do What you Love"

          "Do what you love, love what you do." It's a common quotation now, and generally considered a pretty positive and inspirational thing to say. For my February Food for Thought, I decided to write about this. (See? February. Valentine's Day. Love. Do what you love. It goes togeth- oh, never mind.)

          Anyway, I first decided to write about it when I came across this article at Slate.com (courtesy of my mom. Thank you, mom. You make really good pancakes.) It's a little depressing, but an interesting opinion. For those readers who are lazy like me, I'll sum the article up with a quotation. 

          "Superficially, DWYL is an uplifting piece of advice, urging us to ponder what it is we most enjoy doing and then turn that activity into a wage-generating enterprise. But why should our pleasure be for profit? And who is the audience for this dictum?

DWYL is a secret handshake of the privileged and a worldview that disguises its elitism as noble self-betterment. According to this way of thinking, labor is not something one does for compensation but is an act of love. If profit doesn’t happen to follow, presumably it is because the worker’s passion and determination were insufficient. Its real achievement is making workers believe their labor serves the self and not the marketplace."

          Well. That's depressing. I can't say I agree with this rather pessimistic view on following your passions. Actually, I rather disagree. The article does have a point- in our society, the work of many is often unappreciated or assumed to be the work of one person- but I believe that DWYL isn't the cause of that. I don't think DWYL really about "disguising elitism as noble self-betterment", nor is that what it was originally intended to be. In my mind, DWYL represents that happiness doesn't directly correlate with money, and that if you keep working hard, making good choices, and following your passions, you're one step closer to happiness. In summary, it seems like DWYL is representing one ingredient to the "recipe to happiness", as opposed to representing the entire thing. Doing what you love is important to success, but there are other factors.

          I also found this contrasting opinion from John Green (go nerdfighters!) on writing (though his words apply to other forms of creating too) in the digital age. The opinions don't directly contradict, but definitely contrast overall. Here's the link. 

          Again, for my lazy readers, an excerpt: 

          "Every single day, I get emails from aspiring writers asking my advice on how to become a writer, and here is the only advice I can give: Don't make stuff because you want to make money- it will never make you enough money. And don't make stuff because you want to get famous- because you will never feel famous enough. Make gifts for people- and work hard on making those gifts in the hope that those people will notice and like the gifts.

          Maybe they will notice how hard you worked, and maybe they won't- and if they don't notice, I know it's frustrating. But ultimately that doesn't change anything- because your responsibility is not to the people you're making the gift for, but to the gift itself."

          What do you think? Who's right, and who's less right? Please post in the comments!

          Oh, and I couldn't find another royalty free picture that was related to my post, so here's a picture of a fluffy bunny. 

Aerie Ditches Photoshop Like A Boss

          It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a clothing company in possession of a good fortune, must airbrush their models. 
          I'm sorry for that pride and prejudice reference, but I'm more sorry that you don't get it. 
          Still, it's true- almost every clothing company Photoshops their models beyond recognition. Even though you probably already knew that models are airbrushed that way, here's a short time-lapse video showing just how drastic the changes are.

          Now that you know just how crazy the modeling business can be, I've got a less depressing snippet of the media for you: ads released by Aerie, American Eagle's sister store for lingerie, that feature models who have not been airbrushed at all. This is a really bold move on their part- I mean, when was the last time that you saw an underwear ad that didn't feature a stick thin, roll-less, belly-less, flawless skinned model? It's probably been a while. Here are some of the ads from "Aerie Real" ad campaign.

Here's one featuring a gorgeous young lady who has a belly. Up until the age of twelve, I was under the impression that unless a woman is overweight, she has a completely flat stomach. So you can imagine my distress when I hit puberty at ten and gained a few (normal) pounds, and I wasn't a skinny prepubescent kid anymore. And I was lucky- I didn't develop anorexia or bulimia like other young girls who suddenly feel like now that they're older, they aren't skinny enough.

Here we have a model whose tattoo is front and center, even though they're usually photoshopped out in underwear ads.

A model who looks... Well... Real. Aerie, you have hit the nail right on the head. And on a side note, that is really cute underwear.

*sarcastic voice* is that- gasp! Cellulite??? *falls out of chair* *gets back up again to make sure that precious laptop is still running*

And finally...

Thank you, Aerie. Thank you because your models are real people who haven't been edited and airbrushed until they literally look like plastic dolls, like the woman in the video at the beginning of this post. Thank you because unlike other ads, this one doesn't demean people who don't feel good enough because of our society's false standards of beauty. Thank you because your brand, which is aimed at girls 15-21 years old- girls in high school and college- is one step closer to helping young women understand that they're always gorgeous, and that they shouldn't let anyone tell them otherwise. I don't mean for this post to be a promo ad for your company, but you deserve a serious congratulations for this awesome ad campaign. Good job.

Pink vs. Blue

          So, you know those superstores/supermarkets/big-box stores that sell everything from produce to appliances to their own cheap clothing lines? Chances are, you probably have one near your house. They're everywhere in America and other first world countries now, and few people buy the basic necessities anywhere else. It's cheap, it's low-priced, and did I mention that it's affordable? I can't deny the convenience of shopping at supermarkets, but there's one thing that I definitely hate having to buy there: toys.

          Maybe it's my baby cousin's birthday and I'm shopping for a present, so shopping cart at the ready, I head towards the toy section. The instant I get there, something stands out. There are two toy aisles- and they're very clearly divided. There's the pink section full of Barbie dolls, princess tiaras, etc, all underneath a pink sign that says "Girls". Then there's the blue section, where there are action figures, foam swords, and a big sign that says "Boys." There's such a clear barrier, a line that you're not supposed to cross. It's feminine OR masculine, Pink vs. Blue. Why does it have to be that way? Sure, the majority of boys and girls probably enjoy the toys in the boy and girl sections most, respectively, but why limit them both to only girly and only manly? The most well rounded people usually know how to keep a good balance of each, and by making the two sections exclusive, stores only support our Pink vs. Blue society. Not only is it not healthy to promote this to small children, it's unfair. So next time you're around a younger friend or family member, just remember not to help promote the sexist attitudes that start to affect small children the minute they learn to speak. 

I couldn't find any royalty free images that were relevant to this post, so here's a picture of my dog a few days after he was born. You're welcome.

Food for Thought: The Meaning of Life, Explained through Death

        Hey, readers. I thought I'd try starting something new on the World Improvement Project- a monthly "Food for Thought" post. Today I'll try addressing something that I think everyone has thought about in their deeper, more philosophical moments: the meaning of life.
          I won't profess to have the one answer to this really big question... However, I will give you a little something to think about. 
          Imagine your epitaph. Don't imagine what it would say if you lived on for sixty more years and accomplished all your life goals. Imagine what it would say if you died this very instant. If you're very young, probably not too much, but if you're older, there might be some more. Maybe not. Just be realistic. What kinds of stuff would it say? 
          Now imagine another epitaph- one that's been written after you've died well into your old age and completed all your goals. What's this one say? Is it different than the first epitaph? Me being the geek I am, I made a Venn diagram of mine. Except... I'm way too lazy to actually draw one, take a picture, and upload it, and I'm definitely too lazy to scour the internet for a good Venn diagram generator. I've looked before, and trust me, none of them work. 

Epitaph One

• Pretty much nothing (I'm one of those young people who still needs to do something with their life)

Overlap

• Was a beloved daughter and sister (hopefully, haha)
• Loved writing and wrote all the time
• Mastered the art of tea-making 

Epitaph Two

• Succeeded in reducing discrimination and violence
• Traveled the world 
• Performed in a professional musical theatre production
• Wrote and published a book

          Yeah... I'm a little disappointed in myself, too. I feel so prioritized now, though! I should probably be writing. Or holding a rally. Or getting a passport. Or auditioning for a show. Or the more immediate issue, cooking dinner. Eh... I'll finish this post first.

          So, have you listed the contents of your epitaphs yet? Hopefully, there's a lot of overlap between the two. If not, you're at least more prioritized than me. 

          Now I just have one more request for the epitaph experiment: list all the things, from both epitaphs, that improve the world in one way or another. How many are there? How many do you want to have? 

           

         If you liked what I have decided to call "the Epitaph Experiment", please, like and reshare this post or let me know in the comments! If I get enough positive feedback, I'll continue my monthly Food for Thought posts. Hopefully this food for thought was chewy enough to get you to click that button. Just remember- without supporters, there is no World Improvement Project. 

         Thank you so much for reading!

          -Fox

The Death of Doctor Who: A Nod to Someone who was Proud to be Different

          I'd like to note that according to an article at BBC News that can be read here, the death of John Clews was a manslaughter, not a murder. Still, the gang violence that took his life serves as a reminder of how the different are often seen as less- and how we often lose so many people that way, whether they are lost to conformity or to the hate they get from those who refuse to accept them. Hate crime isn't something to be taken lightly.

PICTURE FROM BBC NEWS

           From change.org: (The petition can be viewed and signed here)

          "In 2006, Bromsgrove resident John Clews, known to locals as "Doctor Who", died after an altercation with local youths in the town centre. His death shocked the town and stands as a reminder of how those who are different or eccentric can be ostracised and victimised.

          A statue in memory of John will remind us all that we should cherish our differences - after all, what do they matter, as long as we remember to be nice to each other?

          It will also show than when awful things happen as a result of human behaviour, that there is no need to respond in kind, and instead we can come together and make something positive out of what has happened.

          RIP John Clews."
          
         Thank you to my friend Shaun for bringing this story to my attention.

Plus-Size Model is so Awesome, Ellen DeGeneres Applauds Her

          Have you ever seen a video of an interview so amazing, you just want to hug the interviewee? This is one of those interviews. Some say that Robyn Lawley, a plus-size model, is fat- she begs to differ. Here's a  video of her amazing interview on the Ellen show, where she says the most sense about female body image I've ever heard anyone say. Please watch! 

Racist Little Nine-Year-Olds

          When I was in fourth grade, racism became real. Obviously it had been real before that, but not in my world. In my world, it didn't matter that I was biracial, or my friend was Chinese, or my dad was Hispanic, or my teacher African American. I knew about racism, but race didn't matter to me- people were just people. One year, in just elementary school, I got a rude awakening to how racism could affect everyone, even me. That was when I realized that even kids as young as nine or ten had already learned to be... Well, racist. 
          I remember one day at recess when  I was hanging out with my friend Hannah* when some of the kids started up discussing good pairings for their classmates (fourth graders, am I right?) when someone suggested to Tyler* that he and Hannah* would make a good couple. He just blinked in confusion for a moment before saying, "I wouldn't date someone like her. She's black." He didn't even say it in a mean way, and it definitely wasn't a joke. 
          Once at lunch, I was sitting next to Will*, when he frowned at looked down at his lunch tray. "I don't like beans... Anyone else want them?" 
          "Ask Lily," Dylan* replied. "I bet she likes beans, I mean look at her." That was annoying. Call me a terrible Mexican, but I hate beans. Assuming that I liked them because of my skin color wasn't okay. 
          My point is, misconceptions and prejudice about race start at a young age. No one is born this way, but children learn by imitation. And once they stop imitating their parents, who do they look to for an example of "cool"? Us. Teens. We show the next generation how to behave, and when we behave in a racist manner, we just ensure that this will go on generation after generation. We don't have to, though. If we just treat each other as equals no matter skin color or country of origin, people will take note. The next generations will learn by imitation, and if the people they imitate are diverse and accepting, then they will be too. 

*indicates a name change in order to protect person mentioned

The Three most Damaging Words to a Little Boy

          Hello, readers!

          Today I have something directed at the guys out there... Have you ever been told anything like "man up!", "grow some balls," or "boys don't cry"? Chances are, the answer is yes. Sadly, society at large has decided that masculinity means being buff, tough, and never showing emotion. I can't imagine having to go through life like that. Guys should be allowed to be sensitive or emotional as they see fit, and the gender stereotypes in our world are extraordinarily limiting. Most people view females as the most oppressed by society and the media, but here is a great video about how our culture and its screwed up standards of masculinity can damage guys so much. 
          -The Fox

          

       

Seven Steps to Being a Superhero

          Everybody wants to be a superhero. Everybody. I used to want to be Spider-Man... Even though I'm a girl... Don't ask. Anyway, my point is, everybody wants to be a hero, even if it isn't a super one. Now, I don't know about you, but I'd rather fight discrimination than the Green Goblin.  The Harry Osborn version of him was actually pretty cool, better than Norman Osborn anyway. The point is, here are some steps that anyone can take to being a hero.

1. Identify and accept what makes you different. Write down some of the things that you, not anyone else, believe defines you, and write why that is a good thing. Know where your beliefs and individual quirks originated and why they are important.
2. Challenge yourself to do something different. Join new a club, take a new route to work, try a new restaurant, etc. I know that I keep repeating this one, but it really pays off. 
3. Keep learning. Meet a diverse spread of people, read a wide variety of books, and through it all, keep an open mind and learn about beliefs other than your own. But always remember to...
4. Wait before you judge. Just because somebody isn't like you or isn't like the societal stereotype doesn't mean that they're "bad" or "wrong". Please, give people a chance before you make any decisions about them, don't make assumptions.
5. Make sure everyone is heard equally. Don't let labels get in the way of hearing what everyone is saying and treating them as the equals they are, and include everyone despite what you may have assumed about them in the past.
6. Speak up. When you see examples of discrimination, don't just let it happen! Stand up for the victim(s) and make a positive impact. You don't realize how much this could mean to people, and doing the right thing is always good.
7. Fight for change. Once you change your own mindset about discrimination, you can start to change other people's mindsets too. As Ghandi said, "In a gentle way, you can shake the world."

The Murder of Kitty Genovese and Taking Risks

      In 1964 a pretty nasty incident occurred. Catherine Susan "Kitty" Genovese was walking from the dark alley where she had parked her car to her apartment, when a man attacked and stabbed her. She managed to escape after being seriously injured, stumbled away towards the apartment, was stopped from entering the building by a locked door, and was caught and once again stabbed by her attacker, and didn't survive the ordeal.
   

          The interesting thing about this tragedy is that in original reports, it was stated that many neighbors were aware of the attack, but strangely, none did anything about it. Although these reports were later proved inaccurate, it inspired a vast amount of psychological experiments that all came to the same conclusion: the more witnesses, the less likely each one is to help. This has been dubbed both "the bystander effect" and "Genovese Syndrome". But why is there a bystander effect? Why does more really equal less when it comes to seeking help? It's because everyone takes social cues from each other. 

          If a person falls down in the street, and you walk by, you might think to yourself, "Oh no! That person could be having a seizure or a heart attack or something. Maybe I should help them. But they could just have tripped over a shoelace or something, then it's not that important." You might look around and see if there's anyone else nearby. If there isn't anyone else, all responsibility falls on you and you're much more likely to think, "What if it is a seizure? I should check just in case." If there are lots of people though, not only does that diffuse responsibility, but you'll look for social cues from them. No one else seems worried, so you relax. The reason no one else is worried is because they're thinking the same thing and taking social cues from you. 

          The same thing goes for reaching out to other people. I know a lot of people who are scared of being open. Sometimes I'm scared of being open. But sometimes you've just got to be that person who breaks away and reaches out, because chances are, that other person is wanting to reach out to you, but taking social cues from your apparent apathy. Don't be afraid to try talking to someone, and if you're feeling doubtful, keep this Mark Twain quote in mind- “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than the things you did do." This also has been proven by psychological studies, so don't be afraid to try reaching out to people. If they reject your hand, their loss. If not... You just beat the Genovese Syndrome. 

New Year's Eve 2014: Resolutions and Cookies

          Happy New Year! 

          It's shortly after midnight where I am, and I am really psyched! Tonight's been great for me, probably my best New Year's Eve ever. Karaoke machine + closest ten friends + cookies = happy Lily. But How was your New Year? Please post in the comments!

          So I promised I would post with my resolutions, and here it is. 

          I have three resolutions. The things that I would like to affect are myself, those directly around me, and the world at large. 

1.           Myself- I want to promise myself that I will practice my yoga every day because it makes me feel happy and keeps me healthy, but I also that I will not let negative messages around me distort my positive image of my kickass, curvy, healthy body. No body dysmorphic disorder relapses! 
2.           The world around me- never insult anyone, or judge them. I want to make sure that I'm always kind with my words, but I want that kindness to be genuine, not just politeness. Judging people is also unfair when we never really know their stories. I only want to make (tactful) negative comments when they're intended to be helpful.
3.           The world at large- make at least five blog posts a week, no matter how small, and keep trying to spread the positive message of acceptance and self acceptance. 

          Enough about me, though, how was your New Year? Even if you don't have any resolutions, what are your plans for 2014? Please post in the comments!