Monkey Poop

Although I majored in business in college and understand the economical reasons for outsourcing, I have never liked the idea of it.

Of course most of you have probably heard about The Gap's sweatshop story. (They're also the same co. as the Banana Republic and Old Navy). A kid was sold into slavery by his own parents. The kids worked 16+ hours a day without pay. They were punished for whining or crying or getting sick. The hallways were "flowing with excretions from an overflowed toilet." This makes me sick!

There is a common misconception that paying more money for things means that their business is done in a moral way. Not true. Look at Nike, their workers are paid next to nothing. The materials for their shoes cost about $2 but we pay up to hundreds of dollars for them.


You would expect your $5 Wal-mart shirt to be made in some poor country by slaves or people paid so poorly, they might as well be slaves. But $40 shirts from The Gap? That is a surprise to me. Can the products really be guaranteed as quality? They contract these jobs to random places they don't even know much about, like whether it is ten-year-old kids making their clothes or semi-skilled people?

People say let them outsource these jobs, nobody in America wants them anyways. I would beg to differ on that - does everyone here even have a job? Unemployment rates point to NO.

There is more profit in it for businesses, which ends up helping our economy. I'm not convinced the profit of big companies helps us more than giving every American a job, but I'm no expert either.

We are an advanced, wealthy economy. We have the means to make the world a better place - by doing things properly, maybe not as cost-effectively as possible, but the right way. If we quit sending the jobs over there, won't there will be less demand for slave labor to make American products? Maybe they will put their manpower into something more productive and humane? Probably not. Why can't we at least set a standard for workplace environments and send the message these will not be tolerated? I really don't think most Americans care, they just buy what they like regardless of how it got there or what it means in the bigger scheme of things. And how are we as consumers supposed to know anyways? All we know is what the companies and the news tells us.

I think ignorance on The Gap's part, and other companies, too, is a choice. The average consumer has no way of knowing where their products come from but there is no reason for the big corporations/companies not be investigating who produces their products. Wait, yes there is, cost effectiveness. The almighty dollar. The older I get the more I learn that money is all the world is about. When will the world evolve into a caring, loving place? I think we're moving backwards instead of evolving.


It's like we're all a bunch of primates, slinging poop at each other, fighting over a banana tree to hoard them all for ourselves. How's that for a simile?

What do you think about outsourcing? Do you know of any other companies famous for this?

Garbage Filled Beauty - Smoking Bans

Smoking is kind of a sore subject for me because my father passed away at age 42 with lung cancer. So much for it only taking off the worst years of your life as many people think. I actually smoked myself for a few years before that (age 13 to around 16)- I was young and stupid and trying to be "grown-up."


One of my proudest moments was in college; I gave a speech about all of the negative aspects of smoking. I got a standing ovation and several kids told me they were going to quit. Whether or not they stuck with it, I'm not sure but I was happy to have influenced them if only for a little while.


I am so sick of seeing garbage everywhere. When people throw their cigarettes out the window and I just want to chase them down and shove an entire pack down their throats. A little extreme, I know, but it is so disrespectful. It's not bad enough that their smoking is affecting other people's health but they have to make an eye sore for everyone as well.


Pollution is getting bad - I walk outside in the morning, a half hour from 'the city' and it smells great because there is no smell. I get into town and have to turn my air off because of the nasty odors coming in through the vents. Go a little North into Wisconsin and you can tell how great their air is, it makes me jealous. It's almost a pleasure to breathe up there. So... why would you want to purposely inhale these awful poisons? It slowly kills you, makes you smell awful, and leaves nasty trails of butts everywhere.


There is going to be a smoking ban soon in Illinois and I can't wait. NBC reported that second hand smoke takes the lives of 2,900 people just in Illinois alone, the 19th state to pass this type of ban. Nobody will be allowed to smoke in bars. I will be able to go to my boyfriend's pool meets without having to go outside every hour because my eyes are burning. No one will be allowed to smoke in restaurants. I will be able to taste my food. No one will be able to smoke in public workplaces either. Smokers will have to be 15 feet away, so others can walk in freely without inhaling smoke. No more sidewalk cracks filled with cigarette butts.

I know a lot of people find it extremely difficult to quit, but if you're going to smoke - please at least put them in the trash. And please don't flick them out the window while driving!

What do you think of these bans being passed? I obviously am a fan of them; they will cut down on health care costs, stop unneccesary pollution, and protect innocent people. Do you think this is unconstitutional or correcting the previously unfair situation?

"Fairweather" Friends

I am one whom once I make a friend, I tend to keep them. My best friends from grade school and high school are still my friends. I stick by people. No matter how they have changed, I still love them the same. Isn't that how it should be? People have different views, that is a given. How boring would it be if we all agreed all of the time?

Why is that other people are not as loyal to their friends as others?

Why if I change my views, would a friend of a decade suddenly turn on me? I don't mind that other people aren't vegetarian, or even that they don't feel animals are important. That is their decision. I can live peacefully with them. So why, does it matter that I do care about those things?

I guess if a friend is repeatedly that close-minded and that judgmental towards me, maybe I should return that favor? Maybe it is me in the wrong and feel that people should grow apart because of their differences in opion. Why do I feel the need to hang onto people regardless of how they treat me?

Here are some quotes from the person I have stood by through many weird "phases" that I didn't agree with.

"This world is impermanant and "saving" it is pointless. Live now, stop f***ing worrying, it's worrying that somebody else may have a bigger army that makes you build yours and then absolute power corrupts. I don't know about you anymore. Your really f***ing pushing it. You had f***ing better (when you die) give yourself back to the world that born you. i.e. have yourself taken to the top of a mountain and have your body fed upon by vultures. You wanna give back... what better way? Don't f***ing hide in a casket so the bugs don't get ya."

There were some worse comments that refer to me being on a "high horse" but unfortunately installing HaloScan erases your old comments..? Didn't realize that or I wouldn't have installed it.

P.S. Profanity is the crutch of the inarticulate! Ha!

Driving Distractions

I keep hearing about all of these people who get in wrecks because they are texting while driving. A 38 year old man just hit a train while texting; but most of the cases seem to be teenagers. I have trouble talking on a cell phone while driving; I couldn't imagine sending a text message. There are even several people I know that do it though.

What can be that important that they risk that? It's almost as selfish as drunk driving. Cars are deadly weapons, especially when operated carelessly. Do you know anyone who does this? They are giving bad reps to young people, and they are starting to make it more and more difficult for them to maintain driving priveleges. I'm 24 so I wouldn't be affected by it, but what about responsible teenagers that need to drive to work to help out their families or to get to school? Pretty soon they won't be able to drive until they're out of high school if these things keep happening.

Enjoy this cute picture of a kid driving I found :) .

Preaching out of Shame

A hidden camera caught a Vatican official saying that "he didn't feel he was sinning by having sex with gay men and asking his visitor if he liked him." He has been suspended from his post because their teachings do view it as a sin.


Another story to add:
A Mexican priest briefly was arrested after punching a policemen who caught him driving drunkenly through the streets of Monterrey and was about to tow away his vehicle.


Is it me or do many religious people have something to hide? Do they feel the need to preach the word of God to make up for their own shameful actions? There have been tons of priests caught molesting boys. You can't even feel safe sending your child to church? It seems like most kids from religious schools turn out the worst, too.

If there is a God, do these people think that by putting on these masks of greatness, it will cancel out their sins? This isn't calculus, I don't think God will say okay one charity act gets rid of this instance of sex with a prostitute.


Although, it would be nice to believe in an afterlife and eventual justice, I have become very doubtful of any 'God' existence. I have always said I try to do good because I know I have to answer to myself; I have to live with myself. There are always consequences to your actions. Why not think about those before you act, not just for fear of eternal flames but because you actually care about other human beings and creatures? Why wouldn't a priest worry about killing an innocent person while driving drunk... because he thinks everything happens for a reason, it is God's plan for him kill someone if he ends up killing someone? That is extemely selfish.


I'm not saying that religion automatically equals bad people, that is an ignorant statement, but what do you think the correlation is between studying religion very deeply and these lifestyles? Does hearing that they can't do things make them want to do it more - rather than if the issue was not constantly preached at them and pounded into their brains?

No Fair!

Why is it that you can be completely discrete about your beliefs but people still single you out? Also why is it if they criticize you and you explain those beliefs - suddenly you're preaching to them? I feel like there's just no winning sometimes. People laugh at things because they don't understand them. They don't want to understand them. Out of sight, out of mind. Some people offer that as advice to not care. Isn't that what has made so many problems so bad in the first place? It is hilarious that someone actually cares about the reprocussions of their actions and isn't just a selfish person doing whatever they can to benefit their own interests???

Just wanted to get that off my chest.. I feel better now. Has anyone had a similar experience? How did you handle it?

If you want to know why I became a vegetarian - check out the video on this website: http://www.chooseveg.com/animal-cruelty.asp?gclid=CP3XsqfWgo8CFRqsOAodYHoI3A
There are just a few reasons that brought about this change in me. It's not just one place or one story - I have seen many similar videos about the meat industry in general. I will warn you it is hard to watch, especially if you're an animal lover!