From a Closeted Feminist

Before I start off with my rant, I have a question for you (a few, actually). Who is a feminist? What defines a feminist? What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a feminist? Are you a feminist?

 

If you answered something like……

Positive and negative terms for sexually
active men and women

• A feminist is a bra-burning crazy woman
• Feminists are women who hate men
• Feminists are lesbians
• Feminists want more than equality
• Feminists are under the illusion that equality does not exist
• Feminists secretly wish they had a dick and could sleep with anyone
• Fuck no, there’s no fucking way I’m a feminist.

……then you’re not alone.

 

You see, we live in a society where the word feminist has a negative connotation. I have heard of celebrities admitting that they are not feminists. What makes people afraid to admit that they’re feminists? To answer this question, one needs to understand the meaning of the word ‘feminism’ and understand why it came into existence.

 

I remember my undergraduate class “Psychology of Women” where the first question my recently-married (see how I have to put this in to make you understand that it’s not only lesbians or spinsters who talk about these things) professor asked us was “how many of you value females?” Almost all hands shot up (I’m sure the ones who did not raise their hands must’ve gotten some dirty looks from others). After this, Dr. Smoak added, “Look around you, all of you with their hands up in the air are feminists” It was as simple as that. It was easy. It was true! That is all I can say, if you value women, then you’re a feminist. If you admit you’re a feminist, it does not mean that you cannot be nurturing or you cannot take care of the family or that you have a want to burn bras! No, feminist means you value women as much as you value men, and you see both sexes as equal. As simple as that!

 

But is it really? I know so many people around me who use the term “feminism” in a negative way. They’re mostly men though a surprising number of them are also women. The moment I tell them that all humans are equal, they give me dirty looks. Some have gone as far as to tell me that it I must be saving a lot of money by not wearing a bra! Okay, let’s just make this one thing clear. I wear bras, I love bras, and I’ll never NOT wear them because honestly, they have supported me more than any of my friends! So no, I don’t save money that way!

 

There, I said it, I’m a feminist. Is it because I hate men? Nope, I love them in all their glory. It isn’t because I want to be like them. There are times when I enter a filthy toilet and wish I could pee standing up, but that isn’t enough to make me want to be a man! No, I’m not a lesbian. And certainly no, I do not want women to be more privileged than men. I have been a minority and have belonged to the privileged culture and I have always spoken for the minorities, so I do not think it is about power. No, I’m not a feminist for those reasons. I’m a feminist because I’m a humanist and I value all human beings regardless of their sex, ethnicity, caste, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, etc. I’m a feminist because I BELIEVE that women are not treated as and considered equal to men.

What, then, is equality? Equality is when both the sexes are considered equal by all. Equality means getting the same pay for same qualifications. Equality means having the right to vote, right to drive, and right to speak your mind. When men can drive, why can’t women? When men can be promiscuous, why can’t women?

Why is it easier for someone to say that they are LGBT allies than to say that they are feminists? Why is it easier for people to stand up for racism than it is to stand up for sexism? Yes, I agree that some people may have played a part in making this term become so negative (I could easily argue about this but I’ll give this point to you), but that does not necessarily mean that everybody who stands up against sexism is “out to get men”! It is easier to accept that these women are crazy than to accept the fact that inequality exists. Same goes with arguments about other minorities. People in power would like us to believe that gender inequality does not exist and anyone who says it otherwise is delusional. But facts do not support this notion!!

So, this is where the closeted part comes in. I am not sure if I should tell the world that I'm a feminist because of everything that I've mentioned before. I'm not sure how they would react. Fuck, I'm even scared that they might come after me with torches and pitchforks!! I had a so-called friend who once said that I cannot tolerate men being superior to women and that I hated men for this. He couldn't have been more wrong because he got the reason wrong!! I only hate those (women included) who say that women are inferior to men and women cannot do everything that a man can do. Oh, and those who say that "women need to be put in their right place". Yep, so if you're one of them, don't bother coming in front of me.

On second thought, you may, because I've been forced to hide my feminist identity. I'll be a closeted feminist until the day I die, thank you very much!!

 

The D-Bags in My Profession

Where did our thinking skills go? What about questioning skills? Do we have to take everything at its face value?

 

As usual, I’m angry with some people in my profession. I’m not angry because they’re better than me but because they’re dumber and they don’t know it yet, and they’re ruining the profession for the rest of us! As they say, ignorance is bliss! It is human nature to listen to authorities because thinking causes distress and use of resources, which we don’t want to use unless we absolutely HAVE TO! So anyway, this fellow posts things on the net without any references attached to it. For example, he says something like, “long hours in front of TV cause kids to reach puberty early”. Jackass, support it with some research else you’re simply pulling things outta your ass, really! What impact does this have on people? People start to think that because this famous person who has knowledge about the world said it, it has to be true!

 

When will people in my profession realize that psychology is not based on opinions or simple observations and generalizations. It is a science where, if you have a hypothesis, you test it and then decide if it holds true under any or all circumstances, and only after doing that, you let it fly in the open. Your opinions mean shit to me. Show me a study and I might….MIGHT believe what you have to say. If you’re saying something, support it with a study, yours or anybody else’s, but a scientific study! If you cannot do that, then don’t call yourself a psychologist because you’re nothing more than a douchebag pulling things out of your ass or writing things you've heard from other without using your brains to think about it twice! You’re nothing more than a fool pretending to be a bigger fool!

Did My Profession Ruin My Life?

Well, it's not AS bad as it sounds........I think! I remember when I was in school and friends simply meant someone to laugh and cry with, and share your feelings with. Then came college and things remained the same.. The one thing that my undergraduate years taught me (apart from my academics) was how to communicate with people and help me become more confident. Unfortunately, being a foreign student hanging out with mostly Indian peeps did not help me that much, but it was a positive change nevertheless. And then came grad school.

Grad school was for only 2 years of my life, so there's no way I could've learned enough for it to make me ruin my life. No, it wasnt the learning that ruined my life, it was the awareness! I remember my professor telling the class that this profession will make us see things differently and once we started doing that, things would never ever be the same. (Un)fortunately, it did! I can't say where it all started but it did, and I blame (or thank) my profession for interfering with all aspects of my life! So how did it ruin my life?

For starters, I started questioning everything (for the most part). One might say that this bit is enough to ruin your life, and I agree! But if I don't question, I don't get the answers, and if I don't get the answers, I can't sleep at night. This questioning craze made me look for answers and started making me think critically. I stopped taking things at face value and that made me more aware of things around me. Yes, it ruined me forever because I cannot go back and turn that thing off. People around me got irritated because they told me something which was their opinion masked as a fact, for which they did not have a valid reason or answer. Yep, it ruined my relationships!

After those 2 years, I realized that I couldn't be around people who were superficial. Talks that did not have any depth did not interest me. You tell me that you saw XYZ thing and don't add anything more, I'm sorry but that doesn't interest me! Tell me what you learned or how you felt when you saw that thing, or at least something more to build up on that statement, but don't simply tell me you saw it just for the sake of talking about it!! I started losing interest in superficial people who were always talking about things they did over the weekend or people they met. I wanted more, I wanted to know them, their thoughts, their reactions, and all they gave me was foam that was absolutely useless! Yep, my profession ruined my social life!

Then there was the thirst for discussing ideas! I never truly understood the meaning of Eleanor Roosevelt's quote until this point of time. I was around people who bitched about other people and discussed their daily lives, but knowing people who discussed ideas was a luxury I did not have once I was done with my education. When I came back, I couldn't find anyone who was willing to talk about anything but themselves. I felt as if I was in limbo and there was no way out.....until I came across one, yes ONE person at work who could question ideas and think about them critically.

And finally, there was this need to communicate. There was a time, like everyone else, where I did not want to discuss my feelings with anyone and when I used to think that things get better when you sweep everything under the rug. After a certain point of time, I decided that I could not live with all the crap under my carpet....I simply refused to let it just sit there, this huge elephant in the room. I decided that I could not be around people who did not want to discuss their issues, and I believe I upset a few people with that attitude, but I stopped caring after a period of time because this was me....take it or leave it!!!

So yes, my profession ruined my life! I cannot live around people who are so narcissistic that all they can do, day in and day out, is post their pictures on FaceBook and wait for people to comment on them. I am different and I had realized this in school, but it took me years before I had the courage to come out (to myself) as an intellectual individual. I had to hide my thoughts in fear of people calling me a nerd or a geek. I continue living my life as a minority because most people are afraid to come out as thinking individuals. I continue being a closeted intellectual because it's scary to come out in a society that wants people to fit in and not question anything or anyone, a society that wants women to be obedient and not think for herself, and a society that would rather have superficial individuals who can brag and boast than have intellectuals who can make others think. Yep, my profession ruined my life but I think it was for the better....

I Abso-fucking-lutely Cannot Get Over You!

Dear India,

I'm soooo proud of you....for being sooo consistent.....in having your head up your ass most of the time. Seriously, I AM proud of you! You NEVER fail to disappoint me...and with this new issue at hand, I'll talk to you about how you've found another way to disappointment me....AGAIN. Let's have an honest conversation, shall we?

Sweetheart, what I don't like about you is the fact that you can only focus on one thing at a time. You've been talking my ear off about this Delhi gang rape issue but you don't seem to be able to focus on other rape issue that happened in Gujarat where a 2-year old was raped by her uncle and dumped before she succumbed to death, or other thousand cases that happened every month which are not reported. Nope, you can only focus on things that the media focuses on, isn't it?

Another thing I really hate about you, honey, is your fucked-up justice system and your thoughts towards punishment. I MEAN REALLY! Do you seriously think that having capital punishment for rape ever going to work out? REALLY? Wouldn't it be easier for the perpetrator, then, to kill the victim instead of risking him/her tell the authorities about it if he is going to get the same punishment? REALLY? Is your head that far up your ass that you cannot see this straight? If it were me, I would make sure that we change the certainty of punishment, not severity....but I guess it's just me!

Also, pumpkin, what are you doing about the hundreds of thousands of other women who are violated every year? What is the message you're giving them? You're asking them not to go out at night, not to wear "indecent" clothes, not to walk alone, etc. From where I stand, it doesn't seem like you're empowering them in any way, are you? Which leads me to ask you another question...What, in your opinion, leads to sexual violence?

Anyway, back to empowering women. Tell me, honestly, what are you doing about empowering women? I'm having open conversation about sexuality and sexual exploitation with my 12 year old students, what are you doing? You're forcing me not to do this, you're forcing me to see sex as a taboo (which, by the way, I refuse to do), you're thwarting my efforts at making our youth more informed and open about violence....and it's making me angry! So, how are you empowering women? I am afraid to go to the cops lest they pass some rude comments or blame me for getting violated. I am afraid to close my eyes in a train lest someone gropes me. I am afraid to sit on a bus full of people lest someone jacks off in front of me.....SERIOUSLY!! I don't see you empowering me, I honestly don't!

You make people caution their daughters and sisters to not go out at night but you don't tell these very same people to teach their daughters and sisters to fight for themselves. You teach them to fear walking alone at night but you don't teach them to shout when there is danger. I am appalled at the way you're handling this violence against women....REALLY!

Well, I could go on forever about this but I won't! Here are a few things you should remember if you're going to make any progress on this issue:

1. Empower women! Help them come out of the shell they've been living in for such a long time. Marital rape is still rape! Educate them!
2. Understand the cause for violence against women! Power and control....ever heard about it? Not sexual gratification. But if you still feel that sexual gratification is the cause, then lift some pressure off the whole sex thing! SERIOUSLY! Also, R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
3. Make the legal system better! I mean, c'mon, isn't that obvious! Also, remember that most perpetrators of rape know the victim, so you'll have to work harder towards this!
4. Be empathetic, not sympathetic! This is something that should come naturally but it hasn't, so work towards it! Ask that corrupt system of yours to work towards this!

So, babe, when can I expect you to take your head outta your ass? When we have a few thousand more of such cases? Or when your leaders are done taking out minorities (or terrorists, as they like to call them)? Or when we become a failed state and use this as a tool for redemption?

I'm waiting...

I'm back, bitches!!!!

For all the ___ (I'd be lying if I said 2 or more) of you, I'm BACK! Back after a 10-month haitus. What's been going on? I moved halfway across the globe (or is it 3/4th way?) and everything that goes with that. I lost 4 kgs and few inches. I lost my dog and my desire to change the world. I got a new car and got back the life of luxury. I could go on and on about this shit but honestly, who cares? My topics might have changed along with my lifestyle and the country of residence, but the thing you like most about me, my sarcasm, hasn't! So bitches, get ready for Megsie 2nd Gen (basically, it's the same me with a change or two to make it exciting for you...a.k.a the Steve Jobs/Apple way)!!

Daytime, primetime, news: Dumber, dumber, dumbest!

I have always hated daytime television. There's nothing good on it except maybe a program or two like Oprah and Ellen. I absolutely HATE the soaps.....I have commitment issues in my personal life, how am I going to commit to watching a soap for 15 years? And if that wasn't enough, even primetime television got crappier! You can check that out here.

With most channels out, the only thing I could watch were the news channels like CNN and MSNBC (and occasionally FOX to balance things out!). But that was ruined last Thursday when the only thing I could watch on TV was a freakin' 'balloon boy' who wasn't even on the balloon!! WTF!!! I understand that the 24-hour news channels don't have enough news to cover for 24 hours (remember the Michael Jackson coverage?) but this is taking it a bit too far, don't you think? I don't want to watch some boy who wasn't on a balloon being called lucky, I don't want to see that family on TV for doing NOTHING, and I most definitely don't want to see a kid THROW UP on TV!!!! He was on the news for NOT flying in a balloon and then he was on the news for throwing up on national television while interviewing for the other news!! DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?? aaarrggghhhh!!

I would kill just so that the news channels had some actual news to report!!!! When did the media get so obsessed with non-doers? Hey, I haven't done anything with my life, does that qualify me for Larry King Live? Fame whores...ugh! Where did the things that mattered go? There was a time when you got celebrity news only on E!...now it's round the clock on all channels! You know you're in a shit-hole when you can remember your favorite celeb's bra size but not the country where Istanbul is located! Wake up and smell the poop...we're crapping ourselves!

Second Life? Don't think I'd want this even in my 100th Life!

In my defense, it was a Monday and I was bored!

I came across an old issue of Counseling Today, which talked about the usefulness of Second Life in therapy, specially for people who had social anxiety and phobias. I had come aross SL a while ago, almost about 2 years back, when it was supposedly a huge deal. At that time, I was into different kind of computer games, First-person Shooter (FPS) games like Doom and Half-life, so I hadn't given it a shot. Anyway, I tried SL sometime back and that was some experience!!

I chose a name, downloaded the software, and logged on to SL. I (or my avatar/character/player) fell to the ground....literally....with others falling on top of her. Well, it didn't look as good as it sounds, believe me! So anyway, I spent about 45 minutes in the tutorial section, by the end of which I was ready to get out from that area. Newsflash: People in SL don't walk or drive, they "teleport". You pick an area and teleport.

The first area I teleported to was some Avatar Island or something, where people (I later learnt that they could've been 'bots') answered my questions like what I can do in SL, where I can find more people, etc. The person helping me was really nice and she said I needed to get a "skin" and some clothes and all, and asked me to follow her. I went to a place where you could get clothes for free. Free? I thought everything was free in SL, but alas, it isn't! You pay for a lot of shitty shit, like skins, eyes....you name it! Oh yeah, and hard-ons!! So, there I got my skin, clothes, eyes, and all that shizzle.

Then this person took me to a place called a "university", where she was learning psychology....as if!! Hey, at least she was trying! And then something weird happened...she teleported me to some place where avatars were dancing....that's all they were doing, at least on the outside. I entered inside and saw pairs of tiny pink balls everywhere but no one to be seen. So that gal asked me to "use" one of the balls and before I knew it, she was humping me!! And I was, like, dudeeee....gerroffmee!

So while she was humping me (dry hump rather since I still had my clothes on!), I was thinking how I could escape from the clutches of the crazy, psycho lesbian! Finally, I teleported myself to some social island (and I use the term 'social' loosely), still shaking from the incident!! Anyway, I was outside on my own again and decided to explore the "social" island. Social, my ass?!! I couldn't find a single person for miles and when I finally did, he wouldn't say a word!!

So, I decided to teleport to another social island, but the same story was repeated for the next 4-5 "social" islands. Getting tired of this nonsense, I clicked on an adult island, and lo and behold!! People!!! All sick, perverted, twisted, naked, ugly-in-real-life people! Not to say that actual people would not get turned on by this shit, but virtual reality isn't my thing and I really was not ready to type all the way...hell, there are better options!!

I left the adult island and went to a couple of other social islands but couldn't find a single soul. Now, I don't know which world the creators of Second Life live in, but the places where I've been to, they're always packed with people....10 peeps/meter of walking! I don't think I really want to live such a lonely, pathetic Second Life. Why would I want to live in a world where the only place I can meet people are fuck-islands? Honestly!!!

I survived my Second Life for a day (few hours in first/actual life) and I don't think I'll ever become THAT desperate to actually consider Second Life my second life. It might be a good outlet for .001% of the normal population or 75% of the perve population, but for me, hell looks better!!

Shouldn't have done the Crime if you can't do the Time

It doesn't matter how good of an actor or director you are, RoPo, you called this shit upon yourself. He pleaded guilty to unlawful intercourse with a minor when he was 44 y/o. The girl was 13! THIRTEEN!!! Did she look like she was 18? Did she act like she was 18? Polanski should've known better...or not! But that's not what pisses me off....Hollywood pisses me off. They need to shut the fuck up! Whoopi said, "I don't believe it was rape-rape". Well, if people don't know, they shouldn't speculate what it was or wasn't. If the same shit had happened to someone famous by a non-famous person, people would be all over the rapist.

According to the reports, the girl was drugged, and actually did say no the Polanski. And the other thing is that he pleaded guilty. So where's the problem? He is not being tried again, at least not just yet...then why is Hollywood getting its knickers in a twist? For one thing, whatever Polanski is, he isn't above the law. When you let him go, you set the example for others to do the same. Essentially, you're telling the privileged that they can do whatever they want as long as they're famous and have the money, isn't it? Is this the example you want to set for rest to follow?

Another thing is that when paedophiles get caught, they almost always say, "this was the first time". Yeah, right...and I'm god! Most such incidents aren't reported because of the extreme shame that the victim goes through....one of the reasons why majority of the rapes aren't reported.

So Polanski, it doesn't matter how fucked-up your past has been, that isn't an excuse for screwing a minor, you disgusting piece of shit!

When did mice get so expensive....and awesome?

Yesterday, my mouse died! I had been using it for the past two years. And best part was that it was a tiny optical mouse with retractable cord....one of the twins my bro had gotten for free from a DuPont exhibition. It was cute and small and had light all in the right places. But I guess it lived wayyyy longer than I had expected it to!

So anyway, yesterday I decided to order a mouse online instead of going to Staples or the Shack since this way, I would get more variety and lower prices. I was interested only in a Logitech mouse and searched for it on their website, on Amazon, and on NewEgg. Last time I actually bought a mouse was in 2004, which I forgot back home, and is still living (I assume). That was a corded optical mouse, so I decided to get a laser cordless mouse this time around. I assumed that 40 bucks for such a mouse should be enough, and I would be able to get a pretty good one with that amount. WRONG!!

I looked at some mice on Amazon, and they're....hot!! I mean seriously, have you had a look at them? Those gaming mice? Take a look at this one on the right. My right hand could get aroused just looking at it...holding it...lying on top of it!! Man!! And the features.... a Nano receiver, it can work on any surface, including glass, and has a million other tiny little things I didn't know a mouse could do! The only drawback is its pricetag....$100...no thank you...not even for my favorite hand!

If you thought Logitech Performance MX was mean, check out Logitech MX Air!! It works on the desk or in air. In AIR!! AIR!! How awesome is that? It's tempting...AIR!!....but be prepared to pay $150! AIR!! Okay...still way to much...AIR!! Talk about Tourette's!!



So then I finally bought Logitech v400...on the cheaper side, but still a cordless laser mouse...oh well...


AIR AIR AIR...

Beliefs and Science

Belief makes a star appear as a god, science makes a star appear as gases.

Every now and then, I ask myself how people can hold onto beliefs which they cannot prove are facts...and this is one of those times. There is a Philadelphia forum that I follow to read about current events in my neighborhood, and on that forum, there's a section called Spirituality and Faith. In that section, there is a user who is a creationist and posts excerpts from books and studies supporting his beliefs. Is he wrong in his beliefs? Who is to say what is right and wrong when it comes to beliefs. But my frustrations with such people come from the fact that they consider their beliefs to be true and everything else to be false. I am not questioning their faith in any way....they can follow whatever they want to, but when they start putting their unscientific "facts" to explain their validity is what infuriates me.

Unfortunately, such people exist everywhere. Take for example this guy on the forum...it doesn't matter how many facts and scientific studies you put in front of him, he is never going to understand them. He infuriates others on the forum because he doesn't even try reading the scientific studies posted by others. He believes, no wait, he KNOWS that what he believes is the truth and everything that doesn't correspond to his beliefs is false. Ironic, isn't it? Because this belief is what it is, a belief and not a science. Science is about change. Science is when you stop believing that Earth is flat because you have evidence which shows that it's round. It's when you stopped believing that atom was the smallest constituent of matter when electron came along.

I understand when people want to resist change...it's scary and it's unknown. This is especially true for people who live by certain beliefs, which could be anything, and changing these beliefs could very well mean changing themselves. But calling yourselves scientific under such circumstances is wrong. Go ahead, resist change if you must, but stop thwarting others' efforts to make a progress. Like that guy on the forum, you can argue for your beliefs, but when we show you the evidence, have the balls to quit or accept change....otherwise, you're just a dumb fuck!

What now, Apple Fanboy?

As I've mentioned in my earlier posts, most people going for Apple products do so more for their looks than anything else. Recently, HP came out with a line of notebooks called Envy that is bound to give Macs a run for their money!! Check them out here. Apart from being sleek and Windows Vista and 7 compatible, Envy has a user-replaceable battery, unlike Macbook Pro!! Yayyy for user-repleaceable batteries! But if you're not into user-replaceable batteries, try Dell's Adamo series notebooks which are Windows compatible.

So, all you Apple Fanbois out there who bought Macs because "they look good" (80%of all Mac users) and nothing else, are you gonna make the switch or would it be too shameful for you to admit that something better exists out there?

WHAT THE FUCK, LAYS??

I was having a perfect day. The weather was nice, I ran into one of my old classmates, and everything was going great....until I came home with my groceries!! First, I went to Whole Foods to get perishable items and dinner, and then went across the street to a Super Fresh to get non-perishable items. I usually don't eat chips but since I had picked up a sandwich from WF, I decided to get a bag of chips. I looked for the "healthiest" item in the aisle, read the nutritional info (mainly fat content and carbs) and threw it into my cart. It was Lay's Baked BBQ chips.

I got back to my apartment, opened my sandwich, opened the big bag of chips, took out a few and put them on my plate, and put one crisp in my mouth. It had a different taste. I have tried regular Lays BBQ in the past, and this one was different. Most likely, it was because it was baked, not fried like the regular Lays. So then, I decided to check the ingredient list. First thing I read was "CONTAINS EGG, MILK, SOY, AND WHEAT INGREDIENTS". Hmm....sure these are potato chips, I asked myself. I understand milk because it might have cheese, and these days, it's difficult to find a product without soy or wheat ingredients. But egg? That's an odd one!

So I continued reading the main ingredients, which are as follows:

Dehydrated potatoes, corn oil, modified food starch, sugar, salt, and less than 1% of the following: onion powder, soy lecithin, dextrose, leavening (monocalcium phosphate and sodium bicarbonate), natural flavors, molasses, fructose, spices, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, torula yeast, wheat starch, garlic powder, malt extract, maltodextrin, extracts of paprika, citric acid, chicken fat, soy flour, tomato paste, corn syrup solids, yeast extract, barley malt flour, lactic acid, egg yolk, and whey.

Chicken fat?? WHAT THE FUCK IS CHICKEN FAT DOING IN MY BAG OF CHIPS???? I would've overlooked the chicken fat had it come at a time when I wasn't a vegetarian. But seriously...chicken fat? I know about deep fried shit in tallow and lard, but this is taking it a bit too far. So then, I decided to check out Lays' website to get more info on their other products. What do I find? A lot of their products contain Porcine, or pork enzyme....essentially, enzymes from piggies. Almost all of them have natural flavors. For those of you who don't know what natural flavor is,
The exact definition of natural flavorings & flavors from Title 21, Section 101, part 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations is as follows:

"The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional."

Few years ago, I had read a book by Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation, where he described the differences between artificial and so-called natural flavors. I won't go into all the details, but the bottom line is that natural flavor isn't really "natural". Some more research later I found out that Frito Lay's wasn't giving out exact information about what kind of flavors were included in "natural flavors" (figure it out for yourself if you're smart enough). Hmm..... MOFO ASSHOLES!! I mean seriously!!??!

Is it too much to ask for vegetarian yogurt, vegetarian Starburst and Skittles, and vegetarian potato chips...like they have it in the UK?

The "R" word

Racism....what's with this word? For some people, this word has become a taboo. Some put this out there as if everything comes down to this one common denominator. And for some, it doesn't mean anything. Recent events, especially former President Jimmy Carter's interview where he said, "I think overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he’s African American..." has brought this issue into the spotlight again. But before I say anything, I want to make it clear that whatever I say in here is based on my experience and knowledge, so feel free to disagree.

Does racism exist? I'll be damned if it doesn't!! One thing that drives humankind is power. Every single one of us wants to have power...being powerless is scary!! Throughout the history, we have seen people use different techniques to gain power. We have had wars because of that, we have raped, pillaged, and plundered for power. Our history shows that we can go to any lengths for that power....and unfortunately, we don't learn from our mistakes. Discrimination is one of the ways in which we maintain power and control. When I talk about discrimination, I not only mean in terms of race but also in terms of religion, caste, class, gender, and sexuality. Racism is just one of them...

I come from a country where we do not have racism. There, we 'only' discriminate people on the basis of their caste, creed, education, and culture (part of the country they're from). Fortunately, I had always belonged in the majority group in my country and felt safe. Although I had traveled to other countries, I had never stayed in those places long enough to be pushed aside. It wasn't until I came here that I realized the privileges I had back home. Would things have been different had a been a White alien? Probably. I have known other White non-citizens who had heavy accents not being asked whether they were US citizens or if they understood English. This has happened to me a few times....being asked if I understood English...among other absurd things.

That was in the Wonder Bread land, the Midwest. The other day, a couple of my friends asked me to acompany them to a bar that I had never been to in Philly. But when I went in there, I felt like I was the only minority in that place....and people were looking at me funny. No, they didn't ask me to leave.....not verbally at least. But their looks said it all! Unfortunately, there have been a lot of other times when I have encountered similar behavior. Is it because I'm a non-thin person? No, I see several people fatter than me. Is it because of my clothes? I don't think so, I see others wearing similar clothes. Is it because of my accent? Could be, but I hear a guy in suit with a German accent. Is it my ethnicity? Bingo!! No non-white person around! I feel like an animal in a zoo, so I have an overpriced beer and leave the bar 10 minutes after I entered.

Yes, racism exists....at least from where I stand...like it or not. But then someone says, "show me the racism, I cannot see it!". Of course you cannot....we don't have segregated drinking ountains anymore, do we? What we have now is covert racism, not overt racism. An African American driving in a White neighborhood gets pulled over for no apparent reason...that's racism. A White American says he is "colorblind", that's racism. Hah...you can still see shades of gray, can't you? This is one issue that gets me really mad...colorblind!! How does that work? Because when I meet someone different than me, I don't ignore the fact that they're different. I don't look at them and say, "oh you're White? I didn't know that!". Ignoring a person's racial/ethnic background and putting him or her in the "White norm" is wrong because you're stripping her off of her individuality, of her very culture the moment you do this.

I could go on and on about it but I'm going to stop at that for now. As for the minorities, everything isn't racism. Every single blow that you encounter isn't racism, regardless of how racism permeates into the society. Saying everything is the fault of racism makes you helpless and powerless....something you don't want. At the same time, take a stand. Just because you're the President belonging to a minority group does not mean you have to change your ways to fit into the majority group. Saying it wasn't racism but you thought it was isn't going to make people like you. Just because there is a minority President doesn't mean racism doesn't exist...tokenism, anyone? Riddle me this...if the current president wasn't so "White", would he have been elected? This question came from my 16 y/o African American client.

There is nothing worse than a racist who doesn't know he is one!

Chuck Africa, WE need this!

A couple of days ago, I was watching the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien where he mentioned KFC's new sandwich with deep fried chicken breasts instead of buns, so I decided to search it on the net to make sure such a sandwich exists. UNfortunately, it does!! It's still in the testing phase so is available only in Providence, RI and Omaha, NE....and thank god for that!!

So the "sandwich" is called Double Down and between those two deep-fried chicken breasts are 2 kinds of cheeses, bacon, and sauce. Calories? I wasn't able to find any accurate information on that, but I'll be damned if it doesn't have at least 600 cals!!

So what did I do next? I tried searching for other outrageous menu items on America's restaurant chains' menus, fast-food and otherwise....and the results were shocking!! I always knew that DQ's Blizzards contained pure FAT and that Starbucks couldn't be healthy with all that whipped cream (regardless of what Mary-Louise Parker has on Weeds). I knew it, I knew it, but deep down, I was wishing that it wouldn't be all that bad, for the sake of humanity. Well, it is....check out the following items:

• Domino's Pasta Bread Bowl, Pizza Primavera. Couldn't find nutritional info on Domino's website but got it off from another website. 1340 Calories...that's more than a day's worth of what I should be taking in (1200 given my lifestyle and need to lose weight)


• Ruby Tuesday's Boston Blue Burger. 1424 KCal....smooth! Again, couldn't find it on Ruby Tuesday's website.


• Hardee's Monster Thickburger. Two 1/3 lb. charbroiled 100% Black Angus beef patties, 4 strips of bacon, 3 slices of American cheese and mayonnaise on a sesame seed bun. 1420 Cals.....oh momma!


• Wendy's Baconator. This one has 830 cals but 51 gms of fat (76% DV based on 2000 calorie diet) and 23 gms of saturated fat....more than 100%....!!


• Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing. I believe this one is from the book, Eat This, Not That! Whopping 2900 calories....that's more than two days' worth of calories for me!!


• Old Spaghetti Factory Chicken Caesar Salad, dinner portion, 990 cal. For a salad???? Just keeps getting better, doesn't it?


• Baskin Robbins Large Chocolate Oreo Shake, 2600 cal

NOW I understand why this is the fattest nation. Unfortunately, the problem runs deeper than this and it seems like no one cares about the people who actually eat this trash. I cannot imagine how it must be for the ones who eat such things....limited income, no health insurance, lack of awareness and education, and chronic ailments...that's some life!

My homemade naked burrito with guacamole, pico de gallo, black beans and brown rice is waiting for me....but I guess I just lost the appetite!

LEAVE ME BE!!

I love Mrs. X.....oh how I love her. I have mentioned her in my earlier post about adoption, check it out here. I love her for only one reason....conversations with her are always stimulating and they bring me back to reality. They make me realize why I'm not like her and why I could never be like her....oh how I love her!!

So the other day, we had a stimulating conversation....at least for me. For her, I'm pretty sure it was a nasty one. Just to inform you, I was brought up in a culture where we were taught to respect people, especially the elders, and that's why I couldn't tell her the things I wanted to tell her. But at the same time, it was difficult for me to not speak my mind...aah...the wonders of being rooted in two very different cultures! Nevertheless, I did say what I had to while being respectful.

So that day's topic was religion. How did that come up? She said that I should fast for a day (yeah, right!!) each week which would help me land a job.... Yeah, don't even get me started!! Then she asked me, "You don't believe in religion though, do you? That's the problem with the new generation". Seriously? FYI, that's not the problem with 'new generation', that's the problem with education....it makes us question useless beliefs! So then I proceeded to tell why I'm a nonbeliever (I hate the use of the word "atheist" because I don't "believe" that God doesn't exist, I just don't believe s/he does......very different!).

Fasting??? REALLY??? I have never done that in my life! I know there were girls in my school who used to do it for 9 days each year, to get a 'good husband'....Oh the horror!!! Thank god (just an expression, don't get your knickers in a twist) my parents weren't religious!! So anyway, Mrs. X said I should fast because even if it didn't work, it wouldn't be harmful ("except for my metabolism", I mumbled). Then, out of nowhere, she said that I should turn to religion and god, because the only way is up. OUCH!!! That was way below the belt...!

Now, I could've said something equally insulting/hurtful, but I realized she is a family friend, older than my mom, so I let it go. But my question is, what is the deal with religious people? Why are they always trying to convert you? I don't go around knocking on people's doors asking them to support my beliefs! I don't try to convert religious ones into nonbelievers (although it wouldn't be difficult). And I respect all religious people (except religious zealots). So why can't they?


If believing in freedom and respect for all, believing in science, and having transgendered friends screams depravity, then be it. Go ahead, live your pious, moral life with your ignorance and naivete...!

Not Another Apple Wannabe...yawn!!

If you follow my blog, you know how much I hate Apple and Apple products, including Steve Jobs! If you don't, check it out here.

So yesterday, I had an opportunity to meet yet another Apple convert who didn't know anything about his MacBook. He was out in the courtyard, trying to set up his wireless router with max security, and I was sitting in my chair with my Windows OS notebook. After few minutes of trying, he asked me if I knew how to find MAC address on his Mac, so I asked him if he was running Windows or Mac, and he told me his was a MacBook, so he was "obviously" running Mac OS (STRIKE 1!!).

Next, I asked him if he knew how to find MAC address on his PC, at which he said, "MAC address on PC? I thought only Macs have MAC address"!! Oh brother...STRIKE 2!! So then I quickly googled it on my PC and showed the page to him, and he still didn't understand, because the way it was shown on the internet was a bit different than what he had on his Mac. Finally, I had to guide him, step-by-step, so that he could find the MAC (Media Access Control) address.

After he set up his router, we had the following conversation:

Me: So you're a new Mac user, I assume?
Him: No, this is my first notebook but I've used Windows in the past, at my parents' house.
Me: So what made you buy MacBook?
Please say security, efficiency, eco-friendliness, or anything remotely close to this
Him: I really like the way it looks. Even my friends like it. (STRIKE 3!!)

It's a shame, we could've had pretty babies!

Now that's a typical Apple user!! Aaaarrrggghhhhh...I'm starting to think I hate Apple more because of its users than its products!!

An Environmentalist's Dilemma

In case you didn't already know it, I'm an environmentalist...I recycle, reuse, and reduce. I take my canvas grocery bag to the supermarket, I always clean and recycle #1 and #2 plastics, #4 plastic bags, and all recyclable paper, glass, and aluminium. I have switched to CFLs, I use public transportation, have started eating organic as much as I can, and have stopped using shrink wrap. Also, I use cold water for both my clothes and dishes, and take shorter showers (this doesn't compromise my hygiene in any way!!) or turn off the water when shampooing and soaping, when I don't have time for a bath. So today, I finally decided to switch from regular cleaners to environmentally-friendly cleaners.

I was out of dishwashing detergent, so I decided to get one from the supermarket, but right before I stepped out, I watched Dawn's new campaign about saving wildlife, where one can buy specially marked Dawn bottles and donate $1 to save the wildlife. TEMPTING!!!! The penguin, duck, and otter in the commercial were sooooo cutee! In the ad, they showed them being cleaned with Dawn after an oil spill...and they all got squeaky clean and even cuter!!

So, I decided to get Dawn and forgot about environmentally-safe detergents. But as I was standing in the cleaners' aisle, I couldn't decide on which one to buy...Greenworks or Dawn. So I just stood there, reading label for one and then the other, and then repeating the action at least 3 more times. I probably looked a bit shady doing that..or confused, so after 5 minutes of reading labels and standing at the same spot, an assistant came and asked me if I needed help. I told him I was having a problem deciding which detergent to buy, at which he looked at my canvas shopping bag and said, "Ahh....you're all into organic, I believe. Thus the trouble deciding?" I was like, No, you turd, it's 'coz imma Libran!! Not really, I just smiled at him, at which he suggested I should buy both.

Now wait a minute, you don't think I'm THAT dumb, do you? I ended up buying GreenWorks because it was free of dyes, chemicals, and it had biodegradable preservatives, and you didn't need to call a Poison Control Center if you swallowed it (you never know...it's me!!). I'm still wondering if I did the right thing, because I obviously couldn't buy 2 bottles....that would last me a year!! And I thought that you didn't have to worry about making these kind of decisions if you were an environmentalist!!! Oh well....


P.S.
Dawn's campaign ends on October 1, 2009. Their goal is to collect $500,000 and they have collected about $18,200. While PA and NY have it over $1000, states like ND, SD, and VT are still in two-digits!! I'm assuming people in VT are buying green products, while people in SD and ND don't have internet access or they're only buying detergents that come in buckets...!! For the rest of you, BUY DAWN!

How Fucked Up is Josh?

I'm studying for GRE General Test, and I just came across this problem. Problem is okay, maybe a bit difficult for me (I hate probability), but that's not what I'm thinking.... All I can think about is poor Josh and how fucked up and bored he must be to do this. This is how the problem goes:

Josh works on the second floor of a building. There are 10 doors to the building and 8 staircases from the first to the second floor. Josh decided that each day, he would enter by one door and leave by a different one, and go up one staircase and down another. How many days could Josh do this before he had to repeat a path he had previously taken? 80, 640, 800, 5040, or 6400. (Obviously, since I was thinking about Josh, I said 80, which is WRONG!! Oh well...)

Now, why would a person pick a new door and staircase everytime? Doesn't he have a life? How can he remember which one he took in the morning after working for 10 straight hours? What if he used one to get lunch? If the answer is 5040, it means he can do this for 13.8 years!! Hope he gets fired before that...jackass!

My next question, who is the real loser? Me or him? =oD

I tawt I taw a puddy TAT

What's the deal with the Tweety tattoo? Yesterday, as I was coming out of the neighborhood grocery store, I saw this huge White woman with a muffin top, with a Tweety tat!!! Oh the horror!! Don't get me wrong, I'm fat myself, but I don't let my flab hang out just 'coz it's summer! Anyway, back to the woman...I wouldn't even have noticed her if I hadn't seen a tiny little Tweety tattoo on her exposed lower back! Really!!?!? Tweety??? I mean seriously...!?

Is this some sort of a new trend? I'm all for tattoos, in fact, I love all forms of body art. If tattoo didn't hinder my chances of getting employed, I would've gotten at least a 50 by now. I believe that tattoo, like any other form of art, defines you. It says a lot about your personality. I wonder what Tweety tattoo says about your personality! But this woman wasn't the first, unfortunately! I've even seen men with Tweety tats... Tweeties on ankles, necks, forearms, lower legs, you name it! When did it become trendy to have a Tweety tattoo? And I thought only fairytale and butterfly tats were annoying!!

In search of perfect Ful

The last week of December 2008 was perhaps the best week of having breakfast. That week was different. It was unique. It was oh soooo good! And there was only one thing that made it so good - no, not that dreamy Arab - Ful Medames, a.k.a Egyptian Fava beans. If that makes me sound pathetic, so be it....you cannot judge until you've tried it!! FulMedames was a part of the Arabic breakfast I used to have, which also included pita, baba ghanoush, feta cheese, labneh, hummus, and eggs. But Ful always overshadowed these other insignificant things! The whole week that I was in Dubai, that's all I used to eat for breakfast....Ful Medames with pita.

After coming back from Dubai, I started to miss Ful. I knew I shouldn't have gotten attached to it, especially since I knew I wasn't going to be able to have it for more than a week. I thought Ful was going to be like an exotic affair you had in a foreign land....intense, but gone in a week never to be seen again. Every morning I had it, that's what I fooled myself into believing. I started counting down the days we had together. The week was up, I was back at my place having carbs for breakfast. Life was dull without Ful. And that's when I decided to make Ful, simply because I had to have it.

I'm not a good cook....I know only 3-4 things at the most, and those are barely edible. But I decided that I had to do it if I wanted Ful. I searched the net for Ful Medames recipes, and (un)fortunately, there were a gazillion Ful recipes out there...and each one different. I figured out it wasn't going to be an easy task trying to get Ful back in my life, but that's the price I have to pay. And so, the search began....

The first recipe I checked called for canned fava beans. I thought to myself, that shouldn't be difficult, I mean they have all kinds of canned beans...black, red, butter, kidney, black-eyed, etc. Turns out, it's more difficult than I thought. The local grocery store didn't have it, so I went to Whole Foods and even they didn't have it. So I went to Trader Joes but no luck there either. I finally went to an ethnic store in West Philly and was lucky to get dried fava beans (not canned). Because of this, I decided to look for recipes that required dried fava beans instead of canned ones.

The first time I made Ful, it turned out really disgusting...not even remotely close to what I used to have in Dubai. The peels of beans made it hard to chew, it didn't have a smooth texture, and left a bad taste in my mouth. So, after a couple of weeks, I decided to try another recipe. For this one, I soaked the beans overnight, peeled them, and cooked them in pressure cooker. Still a bad taste. A month later, I tried another recipe where I soaked them, peeled them, and simmered them for 2 hours. No luck....still left a bad taste.

By this time, I was down to enough beans to make Ful for 2 more days. Day before, I thought I should give it one more try. So I soaked the beans overnight, and did not peel them. Yesterday, I cooked them for 4 hours, seasoned them with cumin, and added olive oil, parsley, de-seeded and chopped tomatoes, and chopped onions. That made the taste a little more bearable, but still not good enough. What happened to the creamy texture of my favorite Ful? During this time, I had also been to a couple of middle-eastern restaurants that served Ful, but nothing as good as the one I had in Dubai.

I have enough beans left to make it one more time, and if I don't do it right this time around (or come close to it), I'll have to give up on Ful....and I don't want to do that. It is good for my health, it's filling, and it's high in fiber, protein, L-dopa and iron, and low in carbs and fat...they're everything a person could ask for. But it seems like I'll have to give up on them...on Ful, which will forever remain an exotic dish of the middle-east. But I have one more shot, so the quest continues.......