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