Fat. Nothing about that word is appealing at all. In 2007, according to Forbes.com, more than 70% of American adults (ages 15 and up) were classified as obese. Someone is considered obese when their body mass index is greater than or equal to 30. If you want to calculate your BMI, you can go to this website: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm. If your BMI is above 30, you’ve reached a (low) point in your life where you’ve become so fat that people cannot call you overweight anymore. So, for lack of a better saying, let’s make a good situation out of the grenade.
I really do not understand why appearance itself is not good enough motivation for someone to change his or her life style. When you’re a big blob of fat and need to customize your clothing so that you have something to wear, you know you have a problem. I know there are special scenarios where someone will need to tailor their own clothes because of their freakish height or of their monkey like arms, but I am talking about average Americans. Wouldn’t this bother you: the fact that you don’t have a neck and have 4.5 chins? However, some people (yes, even obese people) carry their weight really well and don’t look morbidly massive. They often justify their weight because it doesn’t affect their “look.” To those people, did you know obesity increases your chances of a major disease such as, but not limited to, type II diabetes and heart attacks? Did you know obesity is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States? In reality, you can stop this epidemic if you simply live a healthier life style.
By no means am I advocating becoming anorexic, or picking up any type of eating disorder for that matter. However, I sure as hell am encouraging you to stop being so damn fat. Join a gym. Can’t afford it? Then go for a jog around your block, do push-ups and sit-ups at home, etc. Don’t have time? Go for a walk; JUST DO SOMETHING. Holy shit. I am tired of hearing everlasting excuses for why people can’t maintain normal weight; it’s so easy to do that you really have no excuse. Eat healthier. You really don’t need to have a double premium grilled chicken meal from McDonald’s (2260 calories), a Starbucks Java Chip Frappucino (650 calories) and an Applebee’s chocolate chip cookie sundae (1660 calories). I know a lot of your favorite foods are unhealthy and you shouldn’t give them up; just eat them in healthy quantities and try to mix in healthy foods too. This is one of those times in your life when you can pick your cake and eat it; just take responsibility for your actions. And before any hysteria erupts, let me clarify: when I blogged about standing out, I meant by doing something noteworthy. I don’t want to see your damn gut hanging out.
Don’t be that guy who buys one plane ticket but takes up two seats. Don’t be her either: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/27/Hawaiian_lady.jpg. Start making moves in your life before life gets to make a move on you.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Gay Marriage
Warning: Post will be unnecessarily very graphic; read at your own caution.
Picture this: ugly, naked man goes down on his wife whose vagina is covered with what one can only assume is her pubic hair. As the husband maneuvers through the jungle, he thinks: “at least I won’t need to floss tonight.” He eventually finds his target and gets busy. Disturbing image, right? Now picture this: two gay guys having anal. I will assume, only because I give my readers the benefit of the doubt, you find the tale of the heterosexual couple more unsettling than the homosexual couple. If you think about, regardless of gender, it’s actually the idea of sex that makes most Americans uncomfortable.
Raised in a protestant nation, conservative Americans are uncomfortable (or simply confused) at the notion of two men (or two women for that matter) loving each other. And if two men shouldn’t love each, then they certainly shouldn’t get married to one another. What I don’t understand is how heterosexual people are affected if two gay people get married. According to dictionary.com marriage is defined as “the legal or religious ceremony that formalizes the decision of two people to live as a married couple.” If you notice the key word is “people,” not man and woman.
Marriage is supposed to be a one of the most memorable events that occurs in your life yet ~10% of Americans cannot participate simply because of their sexual orientation. You are not allowed to strip someone of their rights, especially something as simple as marriage, because they are different from you. For those of you who are into “tradition” and live by the constitution, amendment 14 gives all US citizens equal rights under the equal protection clause. Apparently marriage is a privilege, but the problem is that gay people haven’t done anything to not deserve it. You cannot choose to be gay; you just are gay. Watch this standup act by Louis CK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPvVnrV1tow&feature=related. He speaks the truth; idiotic objectors have no reason to deny gays the right to marriage besides the fact that it makes them feel uneasy. It is perfectly natural to feel awkward at the thought of two men making out, but as I pointed out earlier it is also discomforting to think of a straight sexual couple making love. I’m guessing dissidents just hope that gay people will cease to exist; well they are here to stay, so treat them like human beings. Remember, America is a nation based on freedom for all of its citizens.
Blacks became a “whole person” in 1866, woman’s suffrage started in 1919 and now its time to let gays get married. Grow up America; I know I have.
Picture this: ugly, naked man goes down on his wife whose vagina is covered with what one can only assume is her pubic hair. As the husband maneuvers through the jungle, he thinks: “at least I won’t need to floss tonight.” He eventually finds his target and gets busy. Disturbing image, right? Now picture this: two gay guys having anal. I will assume, only because I give my readers the benefit of the doubt, you find the tale of the heterosexual couple more unsettling than the homosexual couple. If you think about, regardless of gender, it’s actually the idea of sex that makes most Americans uncomfortable.
Raised in a protestant nation, conservative Americans are uncomfortable (or simply confused) at the notion of two men (or two women for that matter) loving each other. And if two men shouldn’t love each, then they certainly shouldn’t get married to one another. What I don’t understand is how heterosexual people are affected if two gay people get married. According to dictionary.com marriage is defined as “the legal or religious ceremony that formalizes the decision of two people to live as a married couple.” If you notice the key word is “people,” not man and woman.
Marriage is supposed to be a one of the most memorable events that occurs in your life yet ~10% of Americans cannot participate simply because of their sexual orientation. You are not allowed to strip someone of their rights, especially something as simple as marriage, because they are different from you. For those of you who are into “tradition” and live by the constitution, amendment 14 gives all US citizens equal rights under the equal protection clause. Apparently marriage is a privilege, but the problem is that gay people haven’t done anything to not deserve it. You cannot choose to be gay; you just are gay. Watch this standup act by Louis CK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPvVnrV1tow&feature=related. He speaks the truth; idiotic objectors have no reason to deny gays the right to marriage besides the fact that it makes them feel uneasy. It is perfectly natural to feel awkward at the thought of two men making out, but as I pointed out earlier it is also discomforting to think of a straight sexual couple making love. I’m guessing dissidents just hope that gay people will cease to exist; well they are here to stay, so treat them like human beings. Remember, America is a nation based on freedom for all of its citizens.
Blacks became a “whole person” in 1866, woman’s suffrage started in 1919 and now its time to let gays get married. Grow up America; I know I have.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Culturally Diverse
I am Indian and by this I mean "brown," not "red." And although, I do not want to diminish what an intrepid explorer Christopher Columbus was, I must acknowledge how much he screwed future Indian-Americans when he accidentally coined the indigenous people of the Americas “Indian.” To make matters worse, the Native Americans are still, 519 years later, being referred to as Indian. Nevertheless, this post is about accepting being diverse. Many people struggle with the idea of being different, which is why they prefer to blend in and divert any unwanted attention they may be receiving. It is difficult to be a part of the minority rather than the majority, but I think this is something you should embrace.
Growing up in the USA, the land of freedom and opportunity, I have almost never found any difficulty in expressing my heritage. The fact that I was raised in New York City, where diversity is more common than your good ole WASP (white anglo-saxon protestant), only helps my cause. Thus, a big challenge I faced when I enrolled in Dartmouth—a place where Frisbee is a sport, people own argyle headbands and Asian fever spread like AIDs did in Africa (talk about white)—was maintaining my identity. It was crucial that people understood that I was “brown” and proud, even though I did math like an East Asian and dressed like I was from Connecticut. Obviously there is no way to define how to be Indian, but it’s just something you can tell.
I have seen many people who become “white washed” (another term that doesn’t have an actual definition, but you know who they are) and often neglect the culture they were brought up in. I feel as if this is an easy way out and individuals are failing to recognize the adversity non-whites have overcome in this country, many of whom were either your or someone you knows ancestors. From Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 to the large influx of immigrants to Ellis Island, America has come a long way to throw away its diversity label. It took the country 171 years to have its first non-WASP president, John F. Kennedy, and the only part of WASP he wasn’t was the “P” portion; he was Roman-Catholic. Still, I am most definitely NOT encouraging being a fob (fresh off the boat). Fobs who refuse to learn baseball because they think cricket is superior and use powder instead of real deodorant are infuriating. Those types of people need to learn that it is imperative to adapt certain parts of another culture, especially when it comes to hygiene. Learning a healthy balance between being “white washed” and being a “fob” will not only make you interesting, but will give you a sense of gratification.
So to my reader I leave you with one thing: Don’t try so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out.
Growing up in the USA, the land of freedom and opportunity, I have almost never found any difficulty in expressing my heritage. The fact that I was raised in New York City, where diversity is more common than your good ole WASP (white anglo-saxon protestant), only helps my cause. Thus, a big challenge I faced when I enrolled in Dartmouth—a place where Frisbee is a sport, people own argyle headbands and Asian fever spread like AIDs did in Africa (talk about white)—was maintaining my identity. It was crucial that people understood that I was “brown” and proud, even though I did math like an East Asian and dressed like I was from Connecticut. Obviously there is no way to define how to be Indian, but it’s just something you can tell.
I have seen many people who become “white washed” (another term that doesn’t have an actual definition, but you know who they are) and often neglect the culture they were brought up in. I feel as if this is an easy way out and individuals are failing to recognize the adversity non-whites have overcome in this country, many of whom were either your or someone you knows ancestors. From Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 to the large influx of immigrants to Ellis Island, America has come a long way to throw away its diversity label. It took the country 171 years to have its first non-WASP president, John F. Kennedy, and the only part of WASP he wasn’t was the “P” portion; he was Roman-Catholic. Still, I am most definitely NOT encouraging being a fob (fresh off the boat). Fobs who refuse to learn baseball because they think cricket is superior and use powder instead of real deodorant are infuriating. Those types of people need to learn that it is imperative to adapt certain parts of another culture, especially when it comes to hygiene. Learning a healthy balance between being “white washed” and being a “fob” will not only make you interesting, but will give you a sense of gratification.
So to my reader I leave you with one thing: Don’t try so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
College
Growing up in New York City always made me feel like a small fish in a big pond. This got me thinking about my life in Hanover, NH or life as a brown fish in a white pond. I am not going to lie: Dartmouth really took me out of my comfort zone and it was a daunting task to adjust to rural life. I grew up where I could find food joints open past 2:10 AM, shop at stores not named The Gap, use public transportation that works at least ½ the time (that’s right, there is transportation system worse than the MTA) and other minute details that I really took for granted.
I think people need to get out of their comfort zones and try new things. A friend once told me, “College is the one time in your life where you can try bizarre things and attribute them to the College aura.” This is the most opportune time in your life to study abroad, binge drink and play Frisbee. If you want to have a contest to see who can put the most cheese puff balls in their mouth or if you want to want to smoke salvia (legal in the US, fyi), then seize the opportunity. People won’t judge you for doing stupid shit because they have probably done a lot of idiotic things themselves. And if they do judge you, screw ‘em; remember Dr. Seuss’ famous quote: “Be who you are and say what you feel because those mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind”
Dartmouth has provided me with so much intangible experience that I am actually grateful to go to school in the woods. From joining a fraternity whose letters are better recognized as a white supremacist group (read: Ku Klux Klan) than the Greek organization itself to running around a 40 foot bonfire 112 times, I have really attempted to be an adventurous person. By no stretch of the imagination am I condoning placing “risk taking” above schoolwork; I am simply advocating doing things that you don’t foresee yourself doing in the future. So far I have jumped off a ledge into a pond when I can’t even swim, lived with an Italian family for 11 weeks even though at first I couldn’t even say something as simple as “Can you please pass the bread” and logged countless number of hours dancing on a wooden table with some of my best friends. Be spontaneous because “all the crazy shit [you] did tonight, those would be best memories.” (David Guetta, Memories)
Make the most of your four years. I sure as hell am trying to. So I guess this post is my way of saying: “Thank you Dartmouth. You were more than just a school.”
I think people need to get out of their comfort zones and try new things. A friend once told me, “College is the one time in your life where you can try bizarre things and attribute them to the College aura.” This is the most opportune time in your life to study abroad, binge drink and play Frisbee. If you want to have a contest to see who can put the most cheese puff balls in their mouth or if you want to want to smoke salvia (legal in the US, fyi), then seize the opportunity. People won’t judge you for doing stupid shit because they have probably done a lot of idiotic things themselves. And if they do judge you, screw ‘em; remember Dr. Seuss’ famous quote: “Be who you are and say what you feel because those mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind”
Dartmouth has provided me with so much intangible experience that I am actually grateful to go to school in the woods. From joining a fraternity whose letters are better recognized as a white supremacist group (read: Ku Klux Klan) than the Greek organization itself to running around a 40 foot bonfire 112 times, I have really attempted to be an adventurous person. By no stretch of the imagination am I condoning placing “risk taking” above schoolwork; I am simply advocating doing things that you don’t foresee yourself doing in the future. So far I have jumped off a ledge into a pond when I can’t even swim, lived with an Italian family for 11 weeks even though at first I couldn’t even say something as simple as “Can you please pass the bread” and logged countless number of hours dancing on a wooden table with some of my best friends. Be spontaneous because “all the crazy shit [you] did tonight, those would be best memories.” (David Guetta, Memories)
Make the most of your four years. I sure as hell am trying to. So I guess this post is my way of saying: “Thank you Dartmouth. You were more than just a school.”
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Chivalry vs. Equality
I’ve grown up in a world where a man is expected to treat a woman “equally” (i.e. pay her the same wage, consider her opinion in discussions, etc) whilst treating her like a queen (i.e. paying for dinner, opening doors for her, etc). To be quite frank, this is complete horseshit.
Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton fought for women’s rights so that women would not be oppressed. I know the only joke funnier than women’s rights is Helen Keller (kidding obviously), but let’s be honest ladies, if you want respect then earn it. Don’t bitch about how he didn’t pay for you at dinner or how he didn’t start an unnecessary fight to defend your honor. I hope you realize if I pay for dinner and you come over and have sex with me (whether it’s oral, vaginal or—my personal favorite—anal), you’re an inadvertent hooker. So you think I’m cheap because I don’t pay for meals on dates; oh right I forgot the economy only affects women and anyone with a Y chromosome got a pay raise. Take your head off cloud 9 and come back to earth. Also, I am sorry I didn’t start swinging at some brainless moron for saying “Ayyy mami whatchu got unda dat dress. I was hopin’ nuthin” (note the spelling). There are many creepy guys out there and I shouldn’t be expected to defend you every time because someone decides to be a jerk. STOP being dependent on men; you’re way too young to be throwing your life out the door like that.
That being said, I don’t want women to think I am being an elitist or anything of that sort. There definitely are situations where a man would pay for dinner or get into a heated argument; all I am saying is you should not EXPECT it. Chivalry started in the Middle Ages when the only rights women had were cleaning, comforting and cooking. I promise you I can be chivalrous all the time if you promise that you’ll act like a woman from the 1300s.
This is not a two way street. You can’t have your cake and eat it. Your move ladies.
*Note this post is for people not in serious relationships. If you’re in a serious relationship it should already be going both ways. More importantly, I don’t expect this blog post to change millions of people—or anybody for that matter. Rather, I just want others to open up their mind and see the world in a different way, a Deeper way.*
Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton fought for women’s rights so that women would not be oppressed. I know the only joke funnier than women’s rights is Helen Keller (kidding obviously), but let’s be honest ladies, if you want respect then earn it. Don’t bitch about how he didn’t pay for you at dinner or how he didn’t start an unnecessary fight to defend your honor. I hope you realize if I pay for dinner and you come over and have sex with me (whether it’s oral, vaginal or—my personal favorite—anal), you’re an inadvertent hooker. So you think I’m cheap because I don’t pay for meals on dates; oh right I forgot the economy only affects women and anyone with a Y chromosome got a pay raise. Take your head off cloud 9 and come back to earth. Also, I am sorry I didn’t start swinging at some brainless moron for saying “Ayyy mami whatchu got unda dat dress. I was hopin’ nuthin” (note the spelling). There are many creepy guys out there and I shouldn’t be expected to defend you every time because someone decides to be a jerk. STOP being dependent on men; you’re way too young to be throwing your life out the door like that.
That being said, I don’t want women to think I am being an elitist or anything of that sort. There definitely are situations where a man would pay for dinner or get into a heated argument; all I am saying is you should not EXPECT it. Chivalry started in the Middle Ages when the only rights women had were cleaning, comforting and cooking. I promise you I can be chivalrous all the time if you promise that you’ll act like a woman from the 1300s.
This is not a two way street. You can’t have your cake and eat it. Your move ladies.
*Note this post is for people not in serious relationships. If you’re in a serious relationship it should already be going both ways. More importantly, I don’t expect this blog post to change millions of people—or anybody for that matter. Rather, I just want others to open up their mind and see the world in a different way, a Deeper way.*
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