So i ended up sorting things out with my mother..and it turns out there is enough money for my first semester at AEI...whether or not i'll be able to continue with other semesters and graduate is an issue of how much I am willing to work for scholarships and grants...
i love my best friend and our tardness.
Yesterday i ventured down to the OC for last nights Critical Mass in Costa Mesa which included riding to the premier of the Council of Doom's movie... As some of you may or may not know these boys have been picked up by RVCA and are now on their way towards getting some much needed notoriety by the biking community for their accomplishments in trick riding. The video was more impressive than i expected..and i had a great time.
Before it was shown there was a trick riding competition...these are some of the pictures i accumulated... It was a great night with good vibes and great spirits. I love the biking community..and im certainly going to miss it when i leave for school on sept 1. Tonight is my good friends moving out partyyy and im beyond stoked. :D
Thursday, July 24, 2008
It started off as a fine day...i pulled myself out of that miserable feeling i was having. I read my book, i researched scholarships, and i did what i needed to do. One day at a time you know? So why is it that when i try my hardest i am let down the most? Why are people turning their backs on me?
I am alone. And unless i want to feel completely guilty for the rest of my life...im not going to aei. I dont need to be treated like that..This was supposed to be my future..but i dont want it if im going to be constantly reminded of what a burden i am.
I will leave soon. Its easy enough to find jobs.. It's obvious how unhappy i am here, and the system requires that i pay 80000 dollars to learn, so why? Why do i try hard to be a good person, a smart person, a caring compassionate person...when i just get shit on by those i love the most.
I must be weak. Perhaps i bring it all upon myself. Im running away..and im taking harrington with me. Theres nothing keeping me here.
These past two weekends have been so very good to me at this point in my life. But now I'm snapping back into reality and realizing I've been doing a little too much of everything and not enough preparation for school. The month of July is coming to a close and I have some serious matters to take care of before departing to the great North West.
Of course being the awesome person I am, I completely forgot to bring my camera to this weekends CRANK MOB. It was amazing nonetheless...even with Zac busting a tube we were able to catch up with the group for a crazy gathering at a VONS. There were fireworks, music and a gas mask dry bong? My friend was amazed we weren't being handcuffed and escorted off the premises. No sir, we are a mob, fear us.
^^Zac and I lurkin on afroman.
Im at a loss of words right now with school tuitions, grant essays, and student loans completely saturating my mind. I need to read two books and write essays on each before sept 3. This is on top of the other mandatory thing I must do before embarking to AEI. So that is all for now. Ill leave you with a picture of some of my new found friends that i had over for a little gathering recently..
It comes up often in conversation...Why the environment? You can't save the world..It won't be in your life time anyways..so why even care? I suppose people do what I do because they have yet to lose hope in how things could be. We (humans) have come such a far way and yet haven't begun to switch into the next technological revolution. We are stuck in outdated forms of production although evidence clearly shows the detrimental affect of these processes. But of course people continue to choose monetary status over living, breathing and thinking organisms. We are a miracle planet that was able to evolve into beautiful ecosystems all depending on one another for survival...
I believe environmentalists know that our information is spreading. We continue to learn and teach others of what they can do to positively impact the earth. In this way i feel content knowing that im dedicating my life to the solution of a world that will need help. Enough of us exist so that when things DO begin to go badly on earth they'll know who to turn to. Hopefully by then it won't be too late..
I'm tired of the apathy i've experienced in my generation.. No one asks questions anymore. The "news" media tells us what we need to know and we take it for truth..even though corporations own more than 50% of all of it.. If you haven't checked out the documentary "The Weather Underground" please do so. It basically talks about a whole movement of people in the 70's who actually tried to change what our country was doing. The people involved were all smart, educated college kids who didn't believe war was the answer for Vietnam. You definitely won't ever hear about it in school but they worked along side the black panthers and other revolutionary groups of that time.
I'm helping with getting the word out for a movie called Battle in Seattle and i must say it was completely gripping. A perfect piece of yesteryear (1999) that won't ever make it into history books. It was a true demonstration of the peoples' right to assemble and freedom of thought and speech. Sadly, it is also a reminder of what a tight grip our government keeps us in. Your freedom is given to you in small increments so long as it doesn't cross someone with fiscal power.
Being vegan is a lifestyle I have done extensive research about. Most simply believe vegans do it all for the animals, but there are also a ton of health and environmental aspects as to why I choose to eat and live this way. This entry is simply to provide knowledge to those who don't quite understand the benefits of not eating or using products made with animal and want to learn more.
As with rising population, there has been a vast increase in meat consumption. So much to the point that MOST factory farms keep their livestock in terrible conditions, in order to save money. I would like to make it clear that i am NOT against eating animals..in the most natural of ways. Yes, we were blessed with a mind..that can hunt just like any other animal. I understand survival of the fittest, but we as humans have completely turned this into a process not of providing food to people but of economic gain.
Meat: Is it surprising that those in charge wouldn't think twice to spray their unhealthy "product" with a type of antibiotic in order to have a higher output? These antibiotics seep through their tough skin and disperse throughout their muscles. Is it irrational to think that these "seemingly harmless" chemicals are probably not good for us to consume? Do the people in charge of these million dollar operations really care about the health of people eating at low cost? These are all questions you must ask yourself when you go somewhere and buy a cheeseburger. You have no idea what was administered to that animal while it was being raised. It is completely logical for me to assume that an animal that was sick while alive would most likely produce a sickly meat filled with antibiotics and growth hormones...as cancer rates climb the charts..i can only assume the causes.
Dairy: Hormones, enslavement, and again...unhealthy conditions for the animals. The conditions in which these animals are raised does in fact affect their ending "product". We are constantly bombarded with GOT MILK commercials with celebrities endorsing how great it is for your body but in reality it is quite the opposite. We are the only mammals that continue to drink milk well into our adulthood, and we've always just assumed it's good for us. Cancers, allergies, stomach ailments, etc have all been found to be caused by milk. If you really stop to think about it, it is a liquid very much like human breast milk that a small cow discontinues to drink when it has gotten its fill of nutrients from it. We should follow suit and not consume a product that isn't even meant for our species. If you don't believe me check out www.notmilk.com to see all the different things milk does to your body. The actual calcium it gives is hardly worth all the production the milk industry has created. Again, this animals natural ability to provide milk for its young has been turned into a commodity coming to a shelf near you. These people (millionaires) DON'T care about your health. So please don't kid yourself.
Options?
The substitutes are endless. For meat there are tons of different textures of soy, tempeh, tofu, rice, grain, and wheat "meats". These things are not only extremely healthy but can be seasoned any way you desire. They last longer in the refrigerator and are much easier for your body to digest. For milk? Soy, rice, hemp, almond? All things that can be turned into a "milk" like substance. Great for cereal, tea's, and baking.
Environmentally: Since everyone has recently gotten completely hyped up on this "green" revolution you must stop to consider your eating habits. Billions of gallons of water alone are given to these animals to keep them alive in such numbers. In a system where water will one day not exist..it is very important for us to cut back our consumption of animal products. Not only that but land and grazing room will become a problem as population continues to rise exponentially.
Biblical references: "Then God said," I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it, they will be yours for food" Yes, Adam and Eve were in fact vegans. There are also a multitude of other vegan references through out the bible so if youre one of those who believe "god gave us animals to eat"...wrong. God made animals so that they may feed on one another as the natural order allows.
All in all...we have minds. Complex, problem solving, creative minds, that have so far created all different types of substitutes for animal products. We have come so far and yet our mindsets are holding us back from a new progression. All i can say, if this entry has not spoken to you in any way..is to continue to ask questions. Research! Find out what you put in your body and where it comes from. Opt for a veggie meal over a meat item a couple times a week. You'll be amazed how much better you begin to feel with less meat and dairy in your life. You make a positive impact on the earth and support an animals right to live just as we do. Even eating an animal-less meal a couple times a week lowers demand. Every single person makes a difference. Just because we have the ability to trap and control these animals destiny is even more the reason why we shouldn't. Animals are living beings with personality and thought processes. Any pet owner realizes that their animal recognizes them, can feel happiness as well as pain and abuse. They are not to be manipulated in such ways to make the highest profit. Being vegan is a complete boycott to these corporations because I understand that these people could care less about their customer, the average working people of america.
Things are still busy, and every day I usually have some sort of commitment to uphold too..Kind of hectic..but in the best way. So far ive spent a total of two nights sleeping at home since i moved in last monday. I've been spending the night at katrinas house as much as possible to save gas money and time driving between Redondo and the west side. I am completely exhausted and now i believe i might be getting sick. :/
Anyhow..July 4th was quite the event. I took Katrina and her friend Jeffrey down to san diego with me to visit a good friend, Endi. His band was playing a house show in some abandoned ranch style home. It was a night full of (mostly) good vibes, drinks, and seemingly nice people. Of course, being the nice area it was, the cops were already called at 10pm. It was a bust but since Endi's band had already played we decided to continue on to Denny's for some much needed hashbrowns. mmm...
www.myspace.com/hficlsi
Saturday we awoke about 2 minutes from the border in some Express Hotel in deep southern california. We missed the continental breakfast but didnt hesitate to test out the remote pool before returning home.. The drive back seemed to take forever, especially with my co-pilots exhausted and falling asleep. I stopped by Redondo for a few minutes before coming back up to the west side to meet with Zac. He will be riding his bike and camping solo from San Francisco back down to Huntington Beach, where he's from. Im so proud to have a friend that wants to accomplish things like that, i miss him already. Anyways...
We spent yesterday riding to Griffith Park and the LA Zoo. Sadly, the zoo was a half hour from closing by the time we arrived. We then took the bus from there to downtown LA in search of a nearby Chipotle, in which we found. He continued on to Union Station and I began to ride down Olympic back towards the beach. My main intention had been to catch a bus half way being that I was exhausted from climbing the hills of hollywood. While riding, I realized most of the route would be flat, or down hill. So I hustled it all the way home.
After taking a much needed shower I was able to finally relax and watch some tv. My muscles are aching right now..but I still want to go ride my bike. Too bad I feel sickly..and I'm missing my internship today because I was too tired to get up this morning..boooo Justine..
As you are most likely tired of reading this I'll end on the note that I have been officially accepted into AEI and will be starting on the Southwest bus this coming September. I have always been confident that I would be, but it was so nice to get the email confirming all my wishes. :D Soo..I have a ton of camping supplies to get, it's only less than two months away until I will be far from LA and tucked into this natural bliss of a learning experience...
This weekend has been absolute madness. With way too much to do in too little time. I welcomed the challenge but had no concept of how much work it would entail. On friday night i went on a venice critical mass ride and met up with some new people as well as familiar ones. We rode around and stopped to play soccer. At some point i fell off my bike due to a groove in the cement and my inability to get my foot out of cages faster. From this fall i acquired whiplash in which i wasnt aware of until the next morning. haha this guy was my favorite..he didnt have a bike but he decided to come out anyways...
Saturday was a mellow day of packing and visiting a friend to see Wall E again. (saw it on imax at midnight on thursday) It was fun. Some bike riding, some good food..and later that night i ended up going on midnight ridazz, another ride ive been meaning to go on for a while. It was fun but with too many stops and no idea where to go. Cops frequently visited us and some got tickets.
The next day was full of more packing and then i went with Katrina to see Devendra Banhart at the Hollywood Bowl. Too many free new castles later..these are the pictures i accumulated.
Needless to say we had too much fun. We danced up and down aisles with all kinds of people. Gilberto Gil is also a new love of mine..It was the world festival apparently. So there were all different types of music. We then got back on the park and ride and it took us back to westwood. (good thing we werent driving) Then we went to swingers and ate delicious vegan foods. mmmmhmmmm
Yesterday was rough. I moved everything i owned out of my place and back down to my parents house. I hope i get into school in the fall...otherwise ill go crazy staying in the south bay. Here are some other pictures I took this past week. Im still getting used to taking photos manually rather than auto..I think Im getting better?
Nothing special. I love Santa Monica and I'm really going to miss living there..and Joey the fat neighborhood cat.
I love learning new things from others. I appreciate the great outdoors by camping, bicycling, and hiking. I am currently in school for Environmental Studies and Communication. I am also serving on the Associated Student Board at Santa Monica College as the Director of Sustainability.
