So I guess the world is going to end next year, right? Isn’t that what they’re saying? My friend Jeremy and I were talking this weekend about it, and we figure the Mayans just got sick of writing, and that’s why their calendar ended in 2012. I mean, it has to end somewhere, right? Those Mayans had been working their asses off all day writing this calendar, and at some point, what I’m thinking is that one of them finally said, “OK, guys, let’s wrap it up for today. Happy hour at the pyramid next door starts at 4, and I still need to pick a few ears of maize before it gets too dark. We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow.”

Then, when tomorrow came, there was something else more pressing on the agenda, like creating the first known written language, for example, and the calendar got pushed to the back burner.

But what if the world, totally coincidentally, does end next year? Holy accurate predictions, Batman! I guess, just in case, we should all try to have the best year ever.

I knew there was a reason I was already starting to get excited for next Christmas. Yes, I realize it’s only March, but that means that Christmas season is a mere eight months away, and GUESS WHAT???

THIS!!!!!!!

It’s a Yule Ball at this amazing place, Whimsic Alley, right in the very heart of Los Angeles! And it combines two of my most favoritist things in the whole wide world: Harry Potter and Christmas!!!!!!! Whimsic Alley was brought to my attention by my lovely new friend Andrea, the amazing genius who was behind this

(that’s her on the right)

and this

and quite frankly, her attention to detail when executing anything involving a theme or a costume has me wondering where she has been all my life.

I am expecting with unadulterated hope that there will be another Yule Ball in 2011. I have no idea how this year’s managed to slip under my radar. But listen to this, witches and wizards: Full dinner. Open bar. Enchanted ceiling. Dance. Performance by a band called Wingardium Leviosa! And Christmas! All on one night! The only thing more wonderful that I can think of would be if an owl flew in my window right now and delivered my acceptance letter to Hogwarts.

Oh boy, I really hope that bartender will mix me a butterbeer!

One of my resolutions for 2011 is to renew my dedication to not buying products from companies that test any of their products or ingredients on animals. I used to be very strict about this, but in recent years have let myself slip, using such excuses as, “Ohhh, it’s 2010; I doubt anyone tests on animals anymore; it’s so outdated.”

However, when I revisited Peta’s lists of companies that do and do not test on animals, I was annoyed, to say the least, at the number of companies that still DO test on animals (even though it is, indeed, long-since outdated, unnessary, and not required by any law). Most appalling to me is that many PET FOOD companies torture DOGS in order to do things like put a “new and improved” label on their food. Blergh, it makes me sick. I hope one day those dogs get loose and run into the CEO’s office and bite them in the crotch and don’t let go. That’s what I’d do. (I mean, if I were a dog. As my human self, I probably wouldn’t bite anyone in the crotch, at least not literally. Maybe metaphorically.)

So anyway, in my quest to be a responsible and animal-loving consumer, I set out on a quest (read: sent an email) to find out if Bath and Body Works tested on animals. The wording on many of their products reads, “Finished product not tested on animals,” leading me to believe they were trying to be tricksters, and that their ingredients might be bunny and puppy tested. That would make me madder than if they hadn’t said anything at all, because you know, if you’re going to be evil, at least own up to it. But anyway, the results of my quest (emails) ended up being positive, which is happy news, because even though it’s not even my most favorite store, it is one of the three stores near my work, so by default, it is one of my three favorite stores near work.

Oh, and side note: just in case you’re unclear on what is involved in animal testing, it’s not just rabbits and mice sitting in a little salon getting their hair washed and nails polished. (“Hey, Louise, what you up to today? Want to sneak into Mr. MacGregor’s garden and nibble on some carrots?” “Aw, nah, it’s cool, I’m heading over to the Procter & Gamble lab to get my hair did.” “Aw, ok, girl, I’ll check you later.”) It’s pretty grizzly, and you can read about one common test here, if you have the stomach for it.

For your reading pleasure (pleasure being relative, of course) and purchasing knowledge, here is the email chain between Bath and Body Works and me. (I’ve changed the customer service people’s names. Obviously.)

——————————————————————————–
Hello,

Can you tell me if the ingredients in Bath and Body Works products are tested on animals? I saw your company listed on Peta’s "Does not test" list, but the wording on many of your packages suggests that the individual ingredients are indeed tested on animals. Either way, it’s confusing, so I’d like to hear it from the source.

Thank you for your prompt reply.

Best regards,
Marcy
——————————————————————————–

Dear Marcy,

Thank you for your email regarding our Animal Testing policy. We are happy to assist with your inquiry. At Bath and Body Works, we share the public’s concern about animal testing. Bath and Body Works does not conduct animal testing to substantiate the safety of our product. We support, advance, and utilize current alternative methods when evaluations are required.

Our products are not tested on animals. In addition, we require all of our suppliers to adhere to our no testing on animals policy for products supplied to us. This policy applies to every product that is produced, supplied or tested on behalf of Bath and Body Works, in both the United States and abroad.

Thank you for your interest in BathandBodyWorks.com. We hope you enjoy our products and look forward to serving you in the future.

Sincerely,

Person
Customer Service Specialist
Bath & Body Works Direct

——————————————————————————–

Dear Person,

Thank you very much for your reply. Not to… ahem… beat a dead horse, but I’m still confused as to whether any of the ingredients used in Bath and Body Works are tested on animals, by anyone, on behalf of anyone. I’m not satisfied purchasing a product that contains any ingredient that has caused an animal to suffer, regardless of who ordered that testing. I think you’re telling me that indeed, no animals suffered in the making of any ingredient used in Bath and Body Works products, but I want to make absolutely sure I’m interpreting your reply correctly.

Maybe an easier way to ask would be to find out if Bath and Body Works adheres to the EU Cosmetics Directive: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_packaging/l21191_en.htm

Thank you kindly for your further attention to this matter.

Best regards,
Marcy
——————————————————————————–

Dear Marcy,

We appreciate you taking the time to write us in regards to our policies, services and products. We value your inquiry and your interest in Bath and Body Works and The White Barn Candle Co.

We want you to know how much we appreciate your insight on the wording of our Animal Testing policy listed on our labels. We will note your request to make it less confusing, but also want to take the time to explain why it is worded this way.

We want you to know that we believe all living creatures deserve respect and we would never think of testing any of our products on animals. Likewise, we don’t ask anyone who may be helping us develop or make our products to conduct these kinds of tests on our behalf.

At one time, we had stores in the United Kingdom as well as the United States. Under United Kingdom law, all labels on cosmetic and toiletry items must read, “This finished product not tested on animals.” As a convenience to our customers in both countries, we decided to have the same labels on all our products instead of keeping separate inventories for the UK and the US.

We hope this information has put to rest any concerns you may have had, and helps you enjoy all your favorites from Bath and Body Works. We will certainly take your comments to heart and will also forward them to our Executive Team for future consideration.

If we can be of any further assistance, please reply to this email or contact us at 1-800-395-1001, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.

Sincerely,

Human McWorker
Customer Relations
Bath & Body Works

——————————————————————————–

Dear Ms. McWorker,

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to me so quickly and thoroughly. From now on, I will enjoy shopping at Bath and Body Works and will tell my friends that they may do the same, knowing that rabbits around the world would support such an endeavor. :)

Many Thanks,
Marcy

Y’all, I wanted to make a point to write in this blog more in 2011, and so far I’m not doing so great. I have a barrellfull of half-written blentries, and I start out with the most lighthearted of intentions, but then they end up being so serious. Gross! Who wants to read that!? I’m thinking of starting a new blog called, “Marcy’s Super-Serious Blog,” or something like that, because all of a sudden I’ve got all these big-time serious topics I want to discuss with the internet. And if I tuck them away somewhere on their own, maybe people who like reading serious stuff will find them and read them, but you won’t be subjected to the whole ordeal, because, booooring! But meanwhile, I had wanted to continue writing here about dumb stuff I do, ridiculous things I observe, and creative new ways I procrastinate. But I guess fewer of those things have been inspiring me lately.

Although I will say (in non-serious news), I’ve recently started watching TV again after about a year off, and of course, the first thing that sucked me in was The Bachelor (dang it!). I’ve seen two episodes, and I’ve seen Brad smile a total of ONE time. ONE time. He’ll even say things like, “Hearing you say that makes me so happy,” while sitting there looking like someone just died. I have no idea what those women see in him. He hasn’t said one single thing that was funny, relaxed, or that didn’t sound like he was trying to recite it from a memorized script. In fact, I’d say he’s just about the awkwardest thing I’ve seen all year. And wasn’t he already on the Bachelor once before? He should be comfortable with the cameras by now, so I think it’s pretty safe to say he simply lacks any kind of a personality. Well, anyway, despite all that I’m hooked, and we don’t even have TiVo anymore, so not only do I watch the show, but I watch all of those horrific Hometown Buffet commercials that go along with it.

And I wonder why I’m uninspired.

I guess you could call that a smile... in the same way you could call a horse a tractor. An awkward, uncomfortable tractor.

10:58 AM: Lindsay: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1352943/Decommissioned-Harrier-jet-grabs-eBay–asking-price-just-69-999.html10:58 AM: Lindsay: WAAAAAAANT

10:59 AM: Marcy: What the frack!? Um, do you think a terrorist is NOT going to buy that and immediately stock it with missiles and start killing people??

11:01 AM: Lindsay: ‘thank you for your winning bid! we will ship your brand new harrier jet to your address at: broken down shack, outskirts of afghanistan border, middle of the mountains, next to the dead goat’ within 6-15 business days. It is FedEx deliver confirmationand fully insured

You guys! I’m watching Obama’s State of the Union address on MSNBC, and is it just me, or did a bunch of them go out for margaritas beforehand and are now struggling to stay awake? Hillary Clinton looked like she just woke up from a 20-hour nap.

My only other current observation is that it was interesting to see who clapped and stood and who remained seated when Obama said that now, men and women would no longer be prevented from serving the country they love based on the person they love. (Love it! I clapped and stood in my head.)

Isn’t democracy fun!?

Hey Fellow Citizens!

Today is hugely important for us as a state and a nation, so please get out there and vote! If you’re unsure about some of the candidates or propositions, here is who/what I’m voting for.

So you know if you want to listen to me or not, here’s where I stand: (Skip the next 2 paragraphs if you already trust me or just want to see the issues, already.) Issues that are important to me are the environment, insurance reform, education, and public transportation. I’m also concerned about overspending/mis-spending and government corruption. I dislike that big business is making decisions that affect us every day and hate the fact that California is in such a huge defecit. I’m registered non-partisan, because I like to vote for whomever or whatever I think will serve us best, regardless of party. That said, I almost always favor liberal and progressive candidates.

Much of my information comes from my boyfriend David, who has worked in politics for 8 years and keeps very good track of what’s going on. He’s met some of these candidates and/or has heard them speak in person, and he knows in-depth about their records and positions. David is passionate about many of the things I am, such as insurance reform and the environment. That, along with his super-hot muscles, is one of the reasons we get along so well.

So here are my picks:

Ballot measures:

19 — YES. I like this because I don’t think marijuana really hurts anyone, especially compared to alcohol. Also, I think taxing it will make good money for the state.

20 — YES. Props 20 and 27 do opposite things, and I’m voting YES on 20 and NO on 27. Basically, every so often, districs get redrawn. When politicians are in charge of this, they can draw a crazy puzzle piece around their supporters, pretty much guaranteeing that they get to stay in office, regardless of what they’re doing there. Several years ago, more power for re-drawing was given to an independent districting committee. Prop 20 gives more power to the independent committee, while Prop 27 gives more power to politicians. Democrats say to vote yes on 27 because they’re currently the party in power in CA, so this helps them temporarily. However, it’s more democratic in my opinion to have this done by an independent party and keeps things more fair.

21 — YES. I thought about this a lot, because parks are important, but on the flip side, times are tough, and car registration fees are already expensive. However, I did decide to vote yes, because parks have been losing so much money lately. I wish they could get money in a better way, but the bottom line is, that’s probably not going to happen any time soon, and parks are in big trouble. They are closing and closed, and they need money very, very badly. And parks are very important long term. Our land is precious, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. So I’m voting YES.

22 — No? The pros and cons on this are utterly confusing. Only groups we could find that have an opinion on this were CA nurses and the democratic party, both of whom say no. I think I’m going to vote no simply because we shouldn’t pass something that nobody seems to understand. Make it more clear and bring it up again in the next election.

23 — NO, NO, BIG FAT NO!!! This is a measure introduced by TEXAS oil companies who give neither a wet rat’s ass nor a wooden nickel about California. This will increase air pollution and DESTROY the environment, and I might personally punch you if you vote yes on this. VOTE NO!

24 — YES. There’s a lot of sneaky, false info. floating around about how this will hurt small business, but this is false. CA’s business tax rate is actually pretty good — it falls in about the middle, country wide. This measure will put the tax rate back to what it was BEFORE a few years ago, when in order to pass a budget, democrats were forced to cut a deal with big business. These tax breaks were bad for the environment and good for large corporations and insurance companies. Voting yes will return their tax rate back to normal.

25 — YES. CA is one of only 3 states that require a 2/3 majority to agree to pass a budget, and it makes things way more difficult. Some important changes need to be made to our budget, and this will make it easier to get those things done.

26 — Big, fat NO!!!

27 — NO — See prop 20′s explanation above.

Candidates:

Attourney General: Kamala Harris — She’d be the first woman, first minority and first gay/lesbian attourney general. She’s currently the San Fran DA and is incredibly intelligent, passionate, progressive, etc. Her parents were active in the Civil Rights movement, and she’s passionate about justice.

Insurance commissioner: Dave Jones is awesome. He’s been in the state assembly for the past 6-8 years. He’s liberal and progressive and has introdued strong bills on the environment and health care. One of his bills, which didn’t pass a couple years ago, would have given California residents protection from being denied by insurance companies based on pre-existing conditions. He also went after insurers for dropping people who got sick by finding small mistakes they’d made in their applications. Basically, this guy is rad, so let’s vote for him. Oh, and his opponent has taken lots of money from insurance companies, so is basically in their pocket. Booo.

State Controller — John Chiang

Sec. of state — Debra Bowen

Superintendent of public instruction — Tom Torlakson is progressive, has been in state legislature, and was a teacher for years

Governer — Jerry Brown, basically because Meg Whitman will destroy the environment and side with big business on everything, including things that will directly hurt you and me, unless you are the CEO of a huge corporation, in which case, I doubt you’re reading my blog.

Lt. Governor — Gavin Newsome – mayor of San Fran. He’s very progressive — has balanced the budget in San Fran even when most cities have been in the red — has established a city-wide health insurance program for San francisconans — very smart — has helped the environment — we like him.

US Senate — Barbara Boxer, because Carly Fiorina is horrific (See Meg Whitman)

OK, that’s my two cents! Go vote if you haven’t yet. Yay, democracy!

I got to thinking just now. I wonder what the executives at my insurance company (American Heritage Life Insurance Company, part of Allstate Workplace Division) (in case anyone is googling it to see if it’s any good) (it isn’t) is doing with all the money I’m sending them each week. I know one thing they’re NOT doing with it, and that is helping me pay for my medical expenses. So what do you reckon they’re using it for?

Maybe they go to the zoo each week — the whole company just takes a zoo day. Hey, that might also explain why I have to wait on hold for so long when I call! They can’t answer the phone, because they’re all at the zoo buying lemonades with my money! I think we’re getting somewhere with this.

Maybe they order things out of those catalogs for old people, like rubber mats you put in front of the sink, or theraputic toe-separating slippers, or suction-cup handles you stick on the shower wall to help you get in and out of the tub. You think? They sure could buy a lot of those things with my money, because I sure do send them a lot of it!

Maybe they rent limousines every weekend and get dressed up and drive around their cities drinking booze, hanging out the sunroof, and catcalling passersby.

Maybe they buy ugly, gaudy gold jewelry, or bad Christmas sweaters, or golf shoes. Or maybe they just put it toward their country club memberships. Or maybe they get their shoes shined 10 times a day.

Or maybe they give it to charity, because they’re so interested in helping people and making the world a better place. HAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHA! Ohhhhh.

Do y’all have any speculations? I’d love to hear them!

Hi! I’m mad, so I’m going to rant about it on my blog. I just found out that my claim for a basic, yearly lady visit to the OB-GYN was denied by my health insurance plan (American Heritage Life Insurance Company, part of Allstate Worksplace Division). Sure this was a mistake, I called them, only to be told that they don’t cover preventive care. No, they’d rather that I never go to the gynecologist, get cervical cancer, and then ask them to pay to get that fixed. That is what seems logical to them.

I am paying $160 every month out of my own shallow little pocket for health insurance that gives me next to no coverage for anything. And there are groups of politicians who are trying to repeal Obama’s healthcare reform, which isn’t nearly as perfect as it could have been, but it’s still a giant step in the right direction, and in many ways, it’s holding insurance companies responsible for their behavior. Anyway, if you are one of these people, I urge you to come and tell me to my face that you want me to have to continue to pay out the nose for nothing in exchange, and that you’d rather have me get cancer than have “big government” in your business. Yeah, because, um… big, evil, greedy business is so much better. Insurance companies don’t give a flying f**k about you or me, and yet they have all the power.

So better yet, if you don’t want health-insurance reform, why don’t I send you my $260 doctor’s bill?

On a lighter, yet related, note, watch my friend Jonathan’s video, which is one of my favorites ever.

Everyone fantasizes about things. Sexy things, exciting things, exotic things — traveling to new lands, having passionate affairs — me, I fantasize about a full two weeks to get stuff done. Like, there’s a snowstorm (yes, I realize that would never happen in L.A., but this is a fantasy, so humor me), and everyone must stay inside for two full weeks. Everything is closed, and the only thing to do is things that are always on my to-do list but are never high enough on the list to get done. Like cleaning out my email inbox (I currently have 1,552 unread emails. YIKES.) Organizing the papers in the literal inbox on my desk, many of which have been there since before I moved in March. Backing up this very blog, updating it to the latest WordPress version, and fixing the archives section. I would go through my closet and pick out stuff for Goodwill. Finish the painting I started months ago. Put more pictures on the wall in my room. Practice guitar! Put more music on my iPod. Order stuff that I need from online catalogs. Send an email to friends with my “new” address, which I’ve had since March. Etcetera. Etcetera. Etcetera. Of course, meanwhile, I’d have plenty of good food to eat, Mary would be here to keep me company, we’d have a roaring fire in the fireplace, and we’d probably be singing Christmas songs. Oh, and I’d still be getting paid even though I wouldn’t be at work. Maybe this winter my fantasy will come true, and we’ll have a freak snowstorm that shuts down L.A. I hope not, actually, because that will probably mean the world is ending. Maybe I should just fantasize about hiring an assistant instead.

Can we talk about how in England, they apparently call the big trash can on the street a “wheelie bin“? Brits are so precious.

Here is a picture of Trash Cat Woman being escorted into a police car. I think we all know, however, that the real story here is the ridiculous getup those cops are wearing. WTF???

*This photo and all my info on the topic is from www.dailymail.co.uk

Did you all hear about this woman in England who was caught on video putting a stranger’s cat in a trash can for seemingly no reason? The article says she has no idea why she did it — that she doesn’t know what came over her. It made me wonder, why do we sometimes do things that even we can’t explain to ourselves?

I’ve heard that vertigo isn’t the fear of falling as much as the fear of jumping. Although I’m not afraid of heights, I understand that. Having spent the vast majority of my life living in cities in the mountains, I’ve often been in high places and had the thought, “I hope I don’t jump off the edge.” Sometimes I’ll even picture myself jumping off, or worse, pushing someone. Mind you, I don’t want to or intend to, even for a moment. It’s just a fleeting thought that I have: “I hope I don’t.” So… did this woman think, “I hope I don’t put this cat in the trash,” but the difference is, she actually did?

One time I did do something kind of similar. Different in that it didn’t hurt any animals, but similar in that I made a really weird choice for no apparent reason. I have no idea why I did it, but I did. This was probably about a year ago or less. I was somewhere kind of nice, like a movie theatre or a restaurant — I don’t remember exactly — and I went to the bathroom. As I turned to leave the stall after having flushed, I glanced in the toilet to make sure all was well, and in fact there remained a single, small, round turd. I had already partially opened the stall door, and I could see the woman who was waiting for the stall, and she saw me; and as I slightly jerked toward the toilet to flush it, in a split instant, I thought, “Nah,” and I didn’t. I just left, and didn’t flush it. The woman entered after me and gave me a disgusted look as she flushed it herself. Why did I do that? I have no idea! I just didn’t feel like it. I just made that decision based on nothing at all, and it really went against the very fiber of my being. I am a very clean person and delight in having a pristine bathroom at home; I believe we each have the responsibility to be considerate of those around us; and I ALWAYS FLUSH THE TOILET, for crying out loud! It’s the most basic of civilized human behaviors! So why didn’t I give it a second flush? I can offer you no answer to that, except it was one of those times where vertigo took hold, and I just did something that I’m not programmed to do. It’s like that one time a robot expresses emotion and everyone stands there shocked, like, “Did this just happen? This is an aberration; this should not be. Take this robot back to the factory and program out the emotion, immediately.” And as the scientist slaps a sticker on the robot’s forehead and carries it off to be re-programmed, you see, if you look very closely, a glint of victorious rebellion in the robot’s eyes.. It did it. It wasn’t supposed to, but it did.

Everyone is saying this woman is an evil animal hater, but she and her family insist that she loves cats. I don’t know what’s more disturbing — the thought of an angry cat-hater torturing friendly felines or the realization that in the case of Trash Cat Woman vs. Vertigo, Vertigo won. At least she didn’t push anyone off a mountain.

The woman at Trader Joe’s looked at me like I was crazy when I went for the cart behind the cart that was in the front. Does that make sense? I pulled out one cart, then pulled out the next one and took that one. So naturally I felt the need to explain, so I said, “I like the red ones,” to which she gave me an even crazier look, because they are all red. But what I meant was, the solid red ones. Because they. are. awesome.

Side note: I’ve been using the word “cart,” because I want you to know what I’m talking about. But growing up in N.C., we called them “buggies,” and I frankly prefer that, so I’m switching now and bringing you along with me. Yay! Here we are. We’re talking about solid red buggies, and you’re in for a treat.

So, historically, when I’ve gone to the grocery store, I’ve always gotten the bad buggy. You know the one. The wheels squeak; or one of the brakes is permanently in the locked position so it drags across the floor making a noise like a dying hippo; or it veers to the right or left so that in order to keep it going straight, I have to throw my entire body weight into it. On the way out to the car, if the sidewalk is slanted one way or the other, it careens toward that side, dragging me with it until I swing around and block its trajectory or race over to the opposite corner and pull it, lurching to and fro until I finally arrive at my car in a full sweat. I always got that buggy.

Until…

One day, I took my roommate to the airport right around rush hour. After dropping her off, rather than spend my day on the freeway, I chose instead to go to a shopping center and kill some time. Well, there is a Trader Joe’s at that shopping center, and much to my surprise and delight, upon entering I noticed that all the old red and chrome buggies had been replaced with sleek, solid-red ones. And folks, not only were they beautiful, which they were — a sporty shade of candy-apple red — but the way those buggies handled — well, it was, quite frankly, a dream come true. Sporty suspension. Razor-tight turning radius. Responsive handling. Light and zippy, yet sleek and fast. All in all, an exhilarating driving– er, pushing experience.

I was so stoked that I took a picture. Ahem… two pictures. And did I get some crazy-person looks? Yes, I did. But it was worth it.

Since then, my own neighborhood store has started replacing old buggies with the new ones. Unfortunately, many of the old “bad buggies” still remain, but when I’m lucky enough to get a new one, it makes it that much sweeter. But don’t take my word for it. Go take one for a spin today!

Please read the title to the tune of Aerosmith’s “Love in an elevator.” And now that we have that taken care of:

I’ve been reading a self-help book, as I am wont to do, that told me to look for love everywhere I went, and to look for the connections between others and myself, and between others and other otherses. This was very good for me, because lately I’ve been witnessing a lot of hate in the world, and it’s started to get me down in a major way. I’ve gotten so tired of experiencing all the aggression that occurs 1,000 times a second on the freeways, for example, and it all culminated a couple weeks ago when someone put a pre-printed business card on my car that said it hoped I got cancer, because I was parked a little bit over the line in the tiny compact car space that my compact car does not fit into properly. Yes, I will repeat that: Someone went to the trouble of ordering and purchasing business cards that say on the front, “Way to park, asshole.” And on the back, “I hope you get cancer.” It was actually quite a visually appealing card, with a lovely combination of fonts printed on a nice brick-red color. But the point is, feeling that malice directed at me was the straw on the camel’s back of hate that I’d been witnessing, and it made me really, really sad.

So, back to the self-help book. The day after I read the section about looking for love everywhere, it was “one of those mornings” where all forces of the universe were determined to slow me down, and after running to catch the metro, I got there a minute too late, and had to wait, all sweaty-like, for the next one. When I finally got on, a woman using a walker (with difficulty) got on, too. A youngerish woman and a blind man both got up for her to take their seats. (Side note: The question has been raised as to how the blind man knew to get up for her, and my guess is that the youngerish woman said something, or maybe he’s just that good.) Well, the walker woman (henceforth referred to as Walker Woman or WW) took the blind man’s seat and began talking with him and the youngerish woman (YW). When the blind man got off, he said goodbye to YW, and she and WW kept talking. Throughout their conversation, I unabashedly eavesdropped and exchanged eye contact and smiles with both of them at various points. When it was time for me to get off at my stop, I said goodbye to Walker Woman, and Youngerish woman got off there, too. And here comes the best part: Youngerish woman crossed to the other side of the platform to wait for the train going in the opposite direction. She had gone past her stop, and I believe it was out of love, because she didn’t want to prematurely end her conversation with Walker Woman. She wanted to make sure WW was taken care of, and then and only then did she get off and make her way back to where she needed to go.

Love.

I’m so glad I missed my train that morning and ended up on the one I ended up on.

That day marked a new chapter for me, one of looking everywhere for love and kindness, and finding it. I make a point to make eye contact, smile at, and talk with more strangers, and I’m making new friends all over town. I still see the hate, and it still bums me out, but now I have something with which to balance it.

I think you should try it, too. We’ll fill the world with love, one person at a time. Then one day, we’ll realize that we don’t see any hate, because there won’t be any.

(Do I sound like a hippy, or what?)

Y’all, I am fa-REAKING out about nuclear energy. I know this sounds weird, but I am. I don’t want it. And lots of powerful people are calling for government funding to go toward developing nuclear energy in the US. WTF?? This scares the ever-loving s@%t out of me, and would you think I was crazy if I told you that all the way to work this morning, I was in a state of near panic thinking about it?

So from what I understand, this oil spill in the gulf of Mexico has lots of people finally realizing that we need to get off oil as an energy source. And that’s great news, because we really, really do need to get off that shit for so many reasons, including, oh, I don’t know, war, and the destruction of our whole planet, and at first I was like, “Well, this oil spill really sucks the big one, but at LEAST it will get people’s attention and we can finally, seriously start developing alternative energy sources.” But then I realized, Hey, I bet now people are going to want to go nuclear even more, and that SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF ME! Last night I was feeling scared about it, so I brought it up to my boyfriend (I have one, Blog! I haven’t told you yet, but I do!). My boyfriend is not only cute, funny, smart and sweet, but he also works in environmental policy, as though he had read the handbook on how to woo me. So he knows all about this stuff, and I was really hoping he’d tell me that nuclear energy will never happen here, but he didn’t, and instead, he told me some stuff that made me even scareder (although I assure you this was not his intention, because he is sweet, as I mentioned earlier).

Things that I find spooky about nuclear energy include:
1. Things can go wrong, and we might blow up the world.
2. The more nuclear plants and nuclear waste-storage facilities we have, the more targets we have for terrorists (eeeek, terrrror!)
3. Speaking of nuclear waste, do you want it near your house? I don’t. It never breaks down. Ever. And it will kill you.

Why do we think creating this stuff is a better solution than what we’ve got? Maybe it works temporarily because it doesn’t release greenhouse gases, but I’m telling you people, down the road, we’re going to regret the shit out of this decision. If I had my druthers, we’d power everything with wind and solar power, and we’d all travel by train. With the billions it would take to build one single nuclear plant, we could build a giant, slightly creepy-yet-adorable army of windmills! And I’ll be the first to tell you that solar power is awesome, because my last apartment building had hot water that was solar powered, and I’ve never seen water that heated up that fast or stayed hot that long. Every time I showered, I felt like I was at a swanky hotel (except for the peeling paint on the window frame and the cat scratching on the door to get in). The fact that Southern California isn’t completely powered by the perpetual sunshine that we have blows my mind to smithereens.

So what do we do? Write letters? Start a Facebook campaign? Does anyone get the shivers like I do when you think about this?

If I haven’t convinced you yet, think about this: If we get more nuclear power, we’ll have to endure years and years of people who should know better pronouncing it “nucular.” If that’s not ghoulish enough to make your teeth chatter, you must be a robot.