Home

Dorothy said it best, there really is no place like home.  I have been away now for about three months.  It is weird, scary, and exciting, to start on a new life path all by myself.  But we are all doing it together here at SMU; we are starting our own lives.  And if I do say so myself, we are doing a pretty good job. 

 

Being home will be a good rest from the stresses we deal with daily.  Hard classes, worrying about GPA, and that next test we have.  I am personally excited to get away from it all.  Family and friends, and turkey dinner await me at home and I just can’t wait.

 

But the fact is, I know soon enough, I will miss being at SMU.  It is a weird feeling, not wanting to be at “home.”  But then again where is my “home.”  I suppose, that now I have two.   I live at SMU for most of the year, I eat here, all my belongings are here, all my friends are here, so what is it missing that makes it not my “home.”  And I guess the answer to that is nothing.  I guess, that SMU has become a second home. 

 

I am almost positive my mother would be upset to hear me call SMU my home.  But it is not as though SMU has replaced my first home; it is somewhat of an additional, or second home. 

 

I however, find this comforting.  I remember being terrified to leave home.  To find a place that I am so comfortable at that I am willing to consider it my home away from home, well I consider that amazing. 

 

So, I can’t wait to return to my home for a short week, but I am not afraid to come back to my second home, SMU.

What Will they Trade Next for Money?

          The economic struggle in the United States is clearly visible and other strong Western countries are also struggling financially.  What worries me about this is not only the internal issues that could arise from this but the external affairs that could be affected.

 

            It is a scary feeling, having economic strains within a household.  But an Op-Ed article I read in the New York Times, brought a more frightening possibility to mind: that economic struggles could greatly affect a countries standing on moral issues.  This specific article, Did Britain Just Sell Tibet? written by Robert Barnett, describes Great Britain’s change in opinion about the freedom of Tibet based on economic issues.

 

            The troubles in Tibet have been greatly publicized, and Britain has always sided with and supported the idea that Tibet is independent of China.  Due to economic struggles, Britain, along with many strong Western countries, has turned to China for money.  In return for this help, Britain has announced their change in opinion concerning Tibet’s independence, they now believe Tibet is part of China.

 

            This change in opinion is very disheartening.  The idea that opinions can be bought or sold scares me very much.  I am upset that Britain has changed their brave, public stance on Tibet to receive money from China.  I can’t help but wonder what else can be bought, sold, or traded between countries.  I just can’t believe Britain would go so far as to trade freedom.

Surgery... without cutting??

As I was reading The New York Times I came across an article written by Denise Grady entitled Weight-Loss Surgery, No Cutting Required. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/health/21weig.html?ref=science) This immediately caught my attention, surgery without cutting?  I read on, and discovered that this groundbreaking surgery entails the surgeon feeding a stapler down the patient’s esophagus and stapling the stomach from the inside. 

            However, what I thought about more is what exactly made this patient need the weight-loss surgery in the first place.  The obesity epidemic in this country is truly disheartening.  The fact that, as a country, we are creating “ground breaking” surgeries to make people less fat is a little pathetic.  According to the article, “About 15 million Americans are morbidly obese, meaning their body mass index — a type of weight/height ratio — is at least 40 (overweight begins at 25).”  Why is America eating itself to death? 

            There needs to be something done with this epidemic.  The news talks about all the plans of action that are creating better gym classes and healthier meals yet seems as though the only thing that is being created is more life saving surgery for the increasing number of obese people in America.

Sir Elton John

This man truly has changed my life.  Why?  That’s a really amazing question, I have no idea.  I have never met him, although it is my dream to.  In fact, the closest I've ever been to Elton John was when I saw him in concert at the Verizon Wireless Center in Manchester, New Hampshire.  I was quite far away.  

 

I guess I have somewhat of an idea; it is the songs he writes.  Why?  I'm not one hundred percent sure.   They are all very catchy.  However, one of my favorite songs, Rocket Man seems to have no deeper meaning, at least that I can find.  It is just a happy song, one you can belt out in the car with the windows rolled down when you're all alone.  Yeah, one of those songs, we all have them.

 

The list goes on, Benny and The Jets, I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues, Crocodile Rock.  I could sing those songs over and over again.  But I think my love for Elton John goes further beyond the catchiness of his chord sequences.  I think it has to do with what he is trying to say.

 

Now I have no idea what Elton John would say to me if he read this.  I could be completely wrong.  But I guess this is more about what Elton John means to me…

 

The lyrics he writes are true.  He writes what he feels and what I all feel and what we all feel at one time or another.  I guess I feel as though he writes for the hopeless romantic in all of us.  We know the words he sings by heart because we relate them to our own lives whether they actually relate or we just wish they did. 

 

“And I guess that's why they call it the blues

Time on my hands could be time spent with you”

                                                               --Elton John

                                                  I guess that's why they call it the blues

 

When I hear this song I think of all the people I love and the ones I miss.  Elton John just hits the nail on the head with his lyrics and sending them straight to the heart, as corny as that may sound. 

 

Maybe that is my problem.  Maybe I am too “corny-romantic” loving, but oh well I love what I love.  And the expression of these feeling, I will go as far as saying, have changed my life.  I guess, I feel as though I have a connection with Sir Elton John on some level, or maybe all people in general for that matter. 

 

Perhaps the most amazing song is, Your Song.  It just embodies every magical thing about Elton John and his songs.  He has created the standard for love songs, mostly because they are so realistic.  These songs are just so amazing because they can speak to everyone and only one, which is why Elton John has had such an impact on my life.  Be it a love song or one to sing with the windows down, Elton John never fails to create the perfect musical experience.

 

“Hope you don't mind that I put down in words

How wonderful life is while you're in the world”

                                                                --Elton John

                                                                               “Your Song”

2 Billy Sim 0:12

I am currently reading Sex, Drugs, and Coco Puffs, by Chuck Klosterman.  Each chapter is a short tid-bit of something that Klosterman is cynical about, be it The Celtics vs. Lakers long time rivalry, MTV's The Real World, or even discussing Pamela Anderson's sex symbol status.  Chapter 2, entitled, Billy Sim 0:12, was one that I found very interesting.  He discusses the diabolical nature of the seemingly innocent computer game: The Sims.

For those of you who have never played this game, it is basically a simulation of life.  You design your sim, name it whatever you like, create its personality, dress it, buy a house, and then attempt to live a successful life.  Now personally, I went through my phase of playing this game in about the 6th grade.  It seemed innocent and fun and the time and I have still believed so until I read that chapter in Kloterman's book.

He describes the addictive nature of the game and one's ability to ignore the reality of their own life to fulfill the life of their sim.  The Sims is a game that is completely based upon economic and material gain.  The main objective of the game is to make your sim happy.  And the only way to make your sim happy is to buy it stuff.  So, this computer game that the children of America are playing are teaching them to be materialistic.

Klosterman points out the obvious flaws in the point of this game.  There is first of all no way to 'win.'  And children spend their hours escaping their own lives to try and buy thing for their sims.  This material based game is twisting priorities of our youth and should not be played.

When Harry Met Sally

When Harry Met Sally is an incredibly amazing romantic comedy staring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. It depicts their lives and their struggle between hating each other, friendship, and love. The main focus of this movie is the idea that Harry has, that men and women can never be friends. He believes this because love and other feeling will get in the way. He thinks that no matter what, he cannot be friends with an attractive woman, because he thinks he can never like them as just a friend.

I was immediately put off by that theory. I thought to myself as I sat on my couch snuggled in a blanket eating popcorn, ‘I have plenty of guys, that are friends.’ However, through watching the movie I saw that Harry and Sally, although constantly trying to be ‘just friends’ and ignore their other feelings, were meant to be together. And in the end, well I might ruin the ending here, but it’s just like every romantic comedy in the end, they end up together in love.

After the movie ends I think to myself, ‘well its just a movie;’ but is it? Can men and women truly be just friends? I think even further to the chemistry of our bodies. What is love, really, chemically? Isn’t it just a bunch of chemical reactions in your brain releasing different endorphins and neurotransmitters?

But I tend to think of myself as an optimist rather than a pessimist. And I think love and friendship both come down to faith. Its like what Noah says in The Notebook, “Science can only take you so far.” You’ve got to trust yourself and your instincts and you truly will find friendship and love in your life. It does not matter if it is a man and a woman; it is completely possible for them to be great friends or in love, it just depends.

Trusting China

In reading the New York Times online, I came across an editorial called: China’s Baby Formula Scandal.  (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/20/opinion/20sat2.html)  This article explains that we have not only had problems in the past with China having lead in products such as baby toys and dog food.  It also emphasizes the newly discovered sin of the Chinese manufacturing companies: contaminated baby milk powder.

It is honestly outrageous, the irresponsibility of Chinese companies to not fully check a product, especially one that is fed to infants.  Luckily this product never made its way to the United States, however, it devastatingly killed many babies is China and injured many more.  It amazes me the amount of times we hear about lead-ridden products on the markets, making people ill or even killing them, and China still can’t guarantee safe products.  It should be the duty of China’s government to ensure that the merchandise these companies are producing are harmless, however, they have yet to show their capability to do so.

Yet, maybe this is not all China’s fault.  Maybe we, as consumers, are a part of the problem.  We continuously demand more, cheap goods.  And the best way to do that is by importing from China.  The only real way to fix this issue is to boycott China’s products.  Can we even trust them anyways?  They have contaminated our children’s toys and poisoned our pets, what is next?  Poison our infants?  No.  Americans need to stop buying the cheap toys that have ‘made in China,’ inscribed in them, which all have the potential of causing damage.  That’s the whole point; we never know what where or when could be harmful.  But we do know that China is not a reliable source for safe goods for America. 

Enlightened by the discovery of a new lead contaminated product, I realize now that the chance is not worth it and the likelihood of China changing soon is low.  Americans must check the ‘made in’ label to ensure their own and their family’s safety.  Although China is growing quite rapidly, it is still not safe to trust China.