Dear President Bush,
Today is the day that I step out to congratulate and commend you. I may not agree with all your decisions throughout the past eight years of your presidency, but, at the end of each day, you were still a father. And tomorrow, you will be the father of the bride.
Good job,
minal.
With Pope Benedict XVI on his way back to Rome tonight after nearly a weeklong visit to the United States, I’ve been thinking about my own faith.
First off, I am not Catholic. I’m neither Jewish nor Muslim nor Buddhist. I don’t even practice Hinduism, the religion I was born into. But I do indeed have faith, and I am indeed blessed.
My curiosity of religion — any religion — runs deep, but judging which one is “right” doesn’t interest me. How does one prove accuracy when speaking of faith? How does one prove something that, by definition, has no proof?
Quite simplistically, faith offers us healing and gives us hope, and that is evidence enough.
I’m going to be the world’s biggest jerk for saying this, but here it is:
Enough with the “Go Green” movement.
There, now I’ve become a target. You can go egg my car — just be sure to use only organic, cage-free eggs.
Seriously though, taking care of Mother Earth is a notion that is now en vogue, a notion that Corporate America is now glorifying — much like it has done with hip-hop — and stripping it of truth.
Take last night, for example: While watching television I saw three consecutive commercials for “green” products and/or retailers. These ads were featured during intervals of my favorite show, “What Not To Wear,” which aptly aired an episode dedicated to sustainable, earth-friendly styles.
While such efforts are noble, my skepticism is emerging like a wart. Are we seeing an authentic concern for our environment or the newest marketing trend? Is it all for a green planet or greenbacks?
Before dedicating resources to coin the term “Budget-friendly prices, earth-friendly products,” perhaps Wal-Mart should allocate those resources to improve its appalling record on labor standards. Except that doing so wouldn’t reap any profits the way a catchy “green” product label would.
And maybe before hosting an episode on sustainable fashion, Clinton and Stacy of “What Not To Wear” should work to appear less snarky and more sincere when talking about recycled clothes.
Shame, shame, shame.
I read a story at work by Eric Adler of the Kansas City Star that expanded on this “Green Fatigue” I’m feeling. Apparently, I’m not the only one.
Colleen Ryan found that sixty percent of people said they agreed with the statement, “I often wonder if a product is really ‘green’ or if the company is just saying that it is.” Ryan is a research analyst and consulting ecologist for Mintel, a firm that follows consumer trends. She wrote a report in February titled “Green Living” based on an Internet survey of 3,000 people.
And most poignant of Adler’s story was this:
Sometimes, when she’s standing in the market deciding whether to buy locally grown vegetables sprayed with pesticides or organic lettuce packed in a plastic tub and shipped 1,500 miles, (Lori Felder) wonders which decision is really better for the environment.
The story made me ask: Is organic always cleaner?
Such confusion is bound to arise when every company jumps on the bandwagon to “Go Green.” Separating the true from the less-than-true isn’t easy when we see all parties hugging a tree. Unless we are the tree, we can’t accurately judge the authenticity in the embrace.
Yesterday at work I found myself in the company of several ethnocentric buffoons. They were wondering why their charismatic Pretty Man was being lambasted by the Indian courts.
“He didn’t even kiss her on the lips!”
I was thoroughly annoyed. The audacity of some Americans. These are people whose idea of a cultural experience is probably a trip to Chicago.
Here’s the truth, folks: Don’t go gallivanting about in a foreign country Anglo-style and act surprised when someone calls your behavior offensive. I don’t care if you’re Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama or — stop the presses — Richard Gere.
Yes, the outrage in India is a bit excessive; there’s no need to throw Gere and Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty in jail. But please, don’t taunt a modest culture. That makes YOU narrowminded, not the people who abide by it.
Hollywood is a whore compared to Bollywood’s repuation of releasing squeaky clean movies, in which even kissing is taboo. I remember as a teenager watching a Hindi movie with my parents and being appalled when the onscreen couple kissed for longer than seven seconds. The sight was too distressing, and I had already seen porn by then!
Double standard? No. Just cultural difference.
Gere shouldn’t have kissed Shetty the way he did. Period.
And an HIV/AIDS awareness fundraiser in India is the last place one should display any actions that allude to getting it on. I’ve seen the clip and how his ”parody” of a scene from a film failed mercilessly. Shetty was surprised, embarrassed and trying to avoid his face, and he didn’t get it. She even admits in Hindi afterward: “That was a little excessive.”
And she’s right. It was excessive for the time, the place and the people.
RESPECT!
Here’s the clip.
So, has anyone seen Fox’s new television show “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” I just watched it today for the first time, and lemme tell you — I have never seen grown adults feel so accomplished that they are on the same mental level as 10-year-olds.
Is stupidity what our country has come to celebrate? Sad, I say.
Today, a woman lost her chance at winning $50,000 because she thought a rhombus had 10 sides. Another guy had to rely on a 9-year-old girl to stay in the game over this question: In what month does summer end? His answer: August. Correct answer: September.
Each contestant has a chance to win $1 million. If they don’t and are eliminated, they must look into the camera and say, “I am not smarter than a 5th grader.” How freaking demoralizing. The show is hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, remember him? And I wonder: Is it coincidence that the host is someone who got famous for his redneck jokes? Hmm..that’s Fox TV for ya.
