Yes, today is a homemade bonanza, but not my homemade bonanza. I literally haven’t cooked anything in weeks, because of all the stress with high school finishing lately. No, seriously. I had to beg my mother to make me food a few days ago, and I’ve been eating nothing but the leftovers of at meal for breakfast lunch and dinner lately. OK, not breakfast- I have toast and coffee for breakfast. But, in celebration of my being done with high school forever, and the sudden onset of a massive craving for a sit-down meal, I present to you the yummiest homemade thing I’ve seen in a while: homemade vegan bread, somemade chickpeas, homemade hummus and a resulting sandwhich, Via Vegan Eats & Treats.
Don't it look yummy ya'll?
And second(ly), the news about score one for vegetarians: If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, then you know I have this facination with men. I think it’s because being a man is the one thing I’ll never be able to achieve, no matter how hard I try. The unattainabile-ness (yes, that’s a word!) of manliness for me makes manly men an endless source of facination for me. So, when articles with headlines like:
pop up in my serach for vegetarian news, I notice. Apparently, the more fruits and vegetables a man eats, the more virile he is. So take that, seterotype of a steak-eating-beer-bellied-armchair-athlete. You’re not quite as manly as you think! Here’s an excert that gives you the jist of things, but the whole article is worth reading.
A possible relationship between men’s diets and the quality of their semen has long been a discussion point. Spanish researchers have now confirmed that antioxidants, molecules which are found mainly in fruit and vegetables and can delay and prevent the oxidation of other molecules, play a key role.
Low antioxidant intake is associated with low reproductive capacity in semen. This is the finding of a new study carried out in two infertility centres in Spain (in Alicante and Murcia) and which has been published online in the journal Fertility and Sterility.
Happy vegetarian-ing (yes, also a word!)
-A.Y. Othello
And here’s your Saturday Surprise! I first came across Jill’s blog ages ago- right around the time it first began as a matter of fact. I’ll Follow the Sun (check it out here) is, as she says, a place for “optimism to thrive”. Do you not love it? I was quickly impressed with the passionate tone she infused into everything she wrote. It’s clear that this girl’s right on track with following her heart. One of the key tennents of this Positive Revolution is using your own personal circle of influence to do what you can to improve the world. And that is exactly what Jill does in her personal life and on her blog. A big part of her life is volunteering and activism. So,natch, I had to get a hold of Jill and ask her a few questions:
When did you start getting involved and why?
My parents have encouraged me to be involved in volunteering and social issues pretty much my whole life, but I’d have to say I started doing a significant amount of volunteer work around seventh or eight grade with Girl Scouts and the National Honor Society. I wasn’t so passionate about volunteering at the time, however; I had always cared about people, I have always been considered highly empathetic, but it was hard to feel passionate at the time because I felt so young and powerless to make a real impact.
My first semester of college I had an AMAZING professor for my Social Issues class who really opened my eyes to the problems that people in society face today and, more importantly, the major impact just one person, even someone young like me, can make. It may sound corny but as soon as I was made aware of the fact that I could make a difference, I became really incensed and determined to try and actually make one. It was around this time that I started the blog, and also started volunteering with my college’s Women’s Center which has given me countless opportunities over the last year to volunteer at places like the Rape Crisis Center, go on conferences to gain more eduction, and take part in on-campus events like Take Back the Night and Walk a Mile in Her Shoes.
Looking back, its honestly crazy how quickly I started finding causes and events to give my time to after I decided to get involved…the decision to do so was probably the hardest part, everything else just flowed naturally from there!
So you really got into community service quite quickly! But what was it that made you change your mind about your ability to make a difference? How are your day-to-day thoughts about your role and influence in society different now that you’re had that amazing professor and have started taking action?
It was really that class that changed my mind about making a difference - he shared some personal anecdotes and talked about lesser-known activists who, while not gaining much recognition, had managed to make significant changes in their communities. Seeing that it had been done before, by people like me, shook me out of my denial. In addition, he got me to start volunteering for my college’s Women’s Center where I was thrown into a lot of awesome social protests, like Take Back the Night, which further cemented the idea that one person really can make a difference.
On a day to day basis I am always looking out for things I can do to make an impact. As I have stated on my blog, I believe that social change can come about very simply if enough people take the initiative simply to change THEIR behavior, and educate others about changing their own. For instance, I am trying to improve myself by refraining from speaking negatively about people, or judging anyone; I hope through my personal commitment and the platform that my blog allows me I can inspire others to adopt their own personal challenges… if enough people vow only to change THEMSELVES we could see a big impact in a very short amount of time!
Its like the book Pay it Forward - although that is an extreme example. What I’m getting at is; if I can touch just one person’s life, who knows what that may inspire them to do… we can all indirectly improve the world, simply by being a little kinder and more charitable
in our day to day lives!
Speaking of which, are you an organized person? How do you recommend people organize their time in order to be best able to give time? And, what do you recommend people do if they haven’t yet found that person to light their spark, and want to get involved?
I’m actually not so much of an organized person - although I do keep a planner to keep me on track. If people want to get involved, and I really believe that they do need that drive FIRST, then I believe they need to begin by finding something to light their spark. It doesn’t have to be a person; it could be a cause or a story… there are so many things that inspire people. For instance, I have tried to help with a whole variety of causes (from volunteering at homeless shelters to summer camps to the Rape Crisis Center) and I find that it is so much easier to find the time to help when you’re helping with something that you REALLY have a passion for.
I would advise keeping a planner and sticking to it; scheduling what you want to accomplish in a day is a huge part of getting things done! Also, remember not to overwhelm yourself. Its easy to fall into the trap of taking on too much, because there is so much that needs doing, but just remember that if you pile on too much and burn out then you won’t be of help to anyone - no one person can save the world, no matter how much time they give, but the little that you can do goes a long way in touching both individuals and society on a grander scale.
I know that sometimes when I volunteer, it can be really difficult to separate myself emotionally from the cause. Whenever I go to Nigeria to visit my family, it’s always difficult to sleep at night for the first few days knowing that I am lying in a comfortable bed in a country drowining in poverty. I notice that you too get extremly passionate when writing your blog. Do you see this as a negative thing, especially since the sheer magnitude of the problems that we face is entirely overwhelming. How do you cope? Is there any way to separate your heart from the problem so you don’t depress yourself? Is this even anything a person should worry about?
I don’t see passion as a totally negative thing, because my passion for causes helps me to stay committed and enthusiastic. However, I totally understand where you’re coming from with the issue of remaining separate from your work. Right now this idea is actually on my mind a great deal, as I have finished my Rape Crisis Advocacy training and am moving forward to on-the-job training so that I can be a volunteer advocate. I was emotional during the training - so it worries me how I will react in the upcoming months, it is certainly going to be a challenge to keep my own emotions from interfering but I believe it is possible.
I cope mostly by giving myself distance, whenever it is necessary, by doing things like reading, listening to music, watching TV, and so on. I also am grateful to have an amazing support system of people to be able to turn to when I need to vent or cry or anything about what I’ve been doing.
Appart from the whole “contributing and getting to make a difference” part, what’s your favorite part of voluntering?
Probably the people I get to meet - I’ve made some of my best friends by simply getting involved with a cause! In addition, on a selfish note, a few of my volunteer jobs have lead to actual paying jobs - it feels really good to get payed to do something that you would do for
free because you love it so much.
This has been an incredible week. I finished high school, got a tattoo and had an incredible time overall. Oh, and I cried a lot due to overwhelming nostalgia that no one warned me about. Seriously- you’d think that with people graduating high school every. single. year. someone would tell you about the flood of emotions that come with it- both the good and the bad. All you hear from seniors when you’re not a senior is that they “can’t wait to get out of here.” And then when you’re about to get out of here too, it suddenly hits you that your childhood is effectively over and you suddenly have to being a new phase in your life whether you’re ready for it or not.
On the other hand, I’m pretty blood excited for the rest of my life and have been spending a lot of time planning it. I’m still working out the details, but I can tell you now that it involves a lot of fame, fortune, environmentalism and of course, blogging. Oh, and travel. Lots and lots of travel. Oh, and I desperately want to meet John Styn one day, because pink haired men have to be as fun to spend time with as they are to read about. (Oh, and if you ever read this John, Hi, I’m A.Y.- pleased to meet you!)
I recently learned what a Rosary is,how to pray it, and them how to pray it in several different languages, and I’ve been fascinated with them ever since. I’m not a Christian, but I love the concept of the prayer beads. I might just get one, and wear it as a fashion statement, if that wouldn’t be blasphemous.
How To Adopt a Child from The Sangfroid. So, so, so funny. When I’m ready to adopt my kid 20 years from now Tegan, I just may follow your advice if things don’t work out!
I don’t know if I’ve posted about this before, but the New York Times did a (rather long, but very interesting) feature on young gay men getting married. If I have already told you about this, I’m telling you again because I really did find it wonderful to read.
Now that I have a tattoo, I need to start getting serious about sunscreen. Thankfully, Will Ferrell’s got me covered. (Haha!)
My next tattoo will be of unicorns. Why? Because a group of unicorns is called a “blessing” and I can’t think of anything I’ve rather have permanently etched into my skin. Here’swhat’sbeeninspiringme. I feellikesuchagirlygirlwhenI lookat these pictures (I have this extreme hatred of buying into my gender stereotype) but I must admit, every time I see a uni-horned horse, a part of me flies to the moon!
Weardrobe.com is bringing out the jealous aspect of my vices- it’s basically pretty girls posting pretty outfits. Cool concept, right?
A New York Times article on over-parenting. This is how I was raised. According to one of my closest friends, I turned out great despite it all, but I still sometimes wonder what I’d be like today if I had been given more breathing room as a kid. What do you think?
A part of me truly believes that talking about gay and straight relationships as equals, as opposed to one being a lesser alternative to the other will make the world a slightly better place. Hence why I’m forever discussing gay topics and issues and ideas around here. (I used gay to mean the whole non-heterosexual concept in general without having to use lengthy acronyms.) In any case, here’s a gay dating coach, if you’re a man looking for another man to make an honest man out of you, man!
Men generally get shut out of the parenting world, as though dad’s somehow don’t matter. Except that they do. And they formed a community too, which is great! I wish my dad had been around physically more while I was growing up. He worked a lot (and so did my mom), which gave us a nice lifestyle, but no one to share it with.
I am generally in love with Bloc Party, but I think I might just have to marry their song “Ion Square” seeing as I love it so much. I just put it on repeat 1 on my iTunes and let it go all day. Buy thier album. Seriously, you won’t regret it. It’s called Intimacy, and that’s exactly what you’ll feel when listening to it.
Quadir is one of my favorite YouTube personalities. This is why:
I was born in 1992, which was the last century, and that just makes me old. Especially when I see this video, recognize everything in it and start wishing to be a little kid again! I honestly can’t believe I’m not a kid anymore. It’s really bumming me out, and I haven’t figured out what to do about it yet!
Pippi Longstocking was, still is and will probably remain my favorite show from my childhood. I’m turning 18 in a few months, and I still watch the Pippi DVD I got for my birthday ages ago.
The Backstreet Boys + Arthur theme song= Ultimate 90’s awesomeness. Warning: the BBBoys couldn’t sing back then, and they still can’t, but it brings back memories!
That’s all folks! have a wonderful weekend,
A.Y. Othello
The tale of an intersexed woman. It takes a while to read, but it’s worth it. What I got out of this: when I start my cosmetics company within the next five years, all of my forms will have a blank line where the form-filler can indicate what they identify as, as opposed to a restrictive checkbox. Feel free to steal this idea!
I was wondering the other day what French kids with same-sex parents would call their two moms/two dads. I found the two-moms answer, but I have yet to figure out the nomenclature for the two-French-dads situation. Does anyone out there know? (I’m just curious.)
Same-sex parenting in French is called “homoparentilité” and there’s very little government support for it, because Nicholas Sarkozy (the president of France) is the French equivalent of John McCain when it comes to conservative ideology. (And I don’t like Carla Bruni- his wife- either!) But there is an Association des Parents Gay et Lesbiens (APGL) (Association for Gay and Lesbian Parents) out there. Why am I suddenly obsessed with French same-sex parenting? I haven’t the foggiest idea, but this is a list of things that have been distracting me from my studies.
They’ve (APGL) also got a faboosh reading list for French kids who’ve got same-sex parents.
My French isn’t strong enough for me two whiz through this article on French same-sex parenting. I’ve been slogging through it day by day with the help of a dictionary. From what I’ve read so far (just over half) it’s quite good.
I’ve been reading the blog PluginID lately, and it’s quite good. It’s all about realising who you are.
The 10 Commandments for Good Parenting: little known fact. I am obsessed with the concept of being an incredible parent to my (future) son. I don’t even want kids for well over another decade, and I’m already reading parenting books. Don’t ask why. I just love the idea of being SuperMom.
It’s important to know a little bit about a lot of things. Particularly health issues that you’re not familiar with. It makes you a more rounded person. I’m currently teaching myself about seizure disorders in children.
Super interesting NYTimes piece about young gay couples (early twenties) getting married. My personal opinion of the piece: I don’t like the glossy images of the “gay-stereotype” couples with their argyle sweater vests, expensive haircuts and immaculate homes. But it is 100% something to give your brain some new perspective. The article 10 pages long, but the font is big…
Wow. It’s been a while, eh? But, I’ve gotten a digital camera since then (did I already mention that?) and I’m now finally able to take pictures of my culinary brilliance. Today’s epic adventure centres around my love of the French. I speak the language pretty well (I’m told) and I love every moment of it. My understanding of actual French culture on the other hand is (I think) sub-par. I’ve got French aunts and cousins (not one, but TWO of my uncles married French ladies, and had French babies). So, I understand the culture as far as a parson would understand how a close family member lives. But I could do more than just chat on the phone with my cousins a few times a week. And so, to assimilate myself with my fam-jam on the other side of the ocean, I’ve decided that my understanding of the French will come primarily through understanding their food. I began, with a Croque Madame. Behold:
It was so easy to make, I almost expected it to taste bad/boring- especially since it uses a sunny side up egg, and I normally hate those. The running yolk just reminds of a dying embryo, and that makes me want to speed up my transition to veganism. And that makes enjoying my meal a bit difficult. This time around, I was so overwhelemd by how magically delicious my traditional French snadwhich was, that none of my usual worries popped up. Score!
Now, the traditional Croque-Madame is actually made with ham and cheese, not just cheese. The fact that is has the egg on top is what makes it a Croque-Madame. Madame means “Mrs.” in French, and ladies have eggs inside their ovaries- get it? A Croque-Monsier (”Mr.”) doesn’t have the egg. Just the ham and cheese. So technically, I just made a grilled cheese sandwhich with an egg on top, but it still tasted good enough for me to make it for both breakfast and dinner last Sunday.
As well, this sandwhich typically uses gruyère cheese, but I saw the provlogne before I found the gruyère in the fridge, and that’s what I used. And you normally use sourdough bread, but all I had was sweetbread. OK, so I didn’t really make anything like a Croque-Madame, but I really think I was able to capture the spirit of the dish, mkay? French tradition could use a little dash of Yours Truly! So, here’s the process, the whole of which took about 15 minutes from start to finish:
1. Cut two slices of bread. Thick ones, cause more is more.
2. Spread half a tablespoon of Miracle Whip (or regular old mayo) on each half of the bread. This is optional. I just like the slight tanginess the mayo adds.
3. Put three slices of cheese (I used provalogne, Gruyère is normally used….honestly, just slap on whatever cheese you have, as long as it melts well) onto the bread. I also cracked black pepper and salt on top of the cheese, just to keep life interesting.
4. Put the slices of bread together. Turn on your counter top grill, your toaster oven, heat up a pan, or prepare whatever cooking implement you will be using to turn the cold bread into a grilled cheese sandwich. Have a plate ready beside it.
5. Crack one egg into a bowl. Make sure to keep the yolk intact!
6. Melt a spoon of butter in a frying pan. When it’s all melted, carefully pour in your egg.
6.5 Put your bread and cheese into whatever it is that’ll turn it into a grilled cheese sandwich. For me, this is the step where I’d put the sandwich onto the George Foreman grill and close the lid.
6.8 Add a tablespoon of water to the eggs in the pan. Gently swish everything around so the water-butter mixture surrounds the egg and cooks it evenly.
7. How well done do you like your sunny side up eggs? Cook it to that point. Honestly, I think for this particular sandwich, a runny yolk does it the most justice, but it’s all up to you. There’s something about cutting into the sandwich, and having the yolk ooze over the melted cheese….yum.
8. When the egg is done the way you like, the sandwich will be done to perfection as well. Take it out, put it on the plate, and then use your spatula to plop the egg on top of the whole thing.
9. This is the best part: Enjoy! I recommend this meal with a cup of hot mocha and some Edith Piaf in the background. If you’ve never heard of Edith Piaf, start with “Non, je ne regrette rien” and then fall in love soon after:
“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope…and crossing each other from a million different centres of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
Monday June 1 will be the beginning of my last EVER month of high school. It’s both exciting, and sad and stressful. Exciting because I can’t wait to graduate. Sad because it’ll be the end of a beautiful era. Stressful because I also have my final exams, and I have to maintin my average for the university program I got accepted into.
And so, from now until June 26, A Positive Revolution will be featuring re-posts of all the articles that got lost when my server went hay-wire a while ago, and pictures of my life as it’s happening. You’ll see. But for now, here’s the playlist that’s been keeping my company as I study. What do you listen to when you need to get into a “zone”?
We’re going to mix things up a little bit here on the PosRev. Instead of writing witty commentary (!) about each of the links I’m going to bring to you attention, I’ll simply have a word linking to the site that gives you a clue about what it is. You’ve gotta live life on the edge, you know. And no worries, they’re all safe for work.
Hello all! It’s the Queen of the Universe here, just popping in to entertain you all. As you’ve noticed, there hasn’t been a lot of action around here lately. This is due to my being in the last 4 weeks of my senior year of high school. All my courses are doing their final projects (worth between 10 and 20% of my final mark, not including the exam) and my high school career is also wrapping up. I’m also running for valedictorian, so there’s that to think about as well. Aaaaaaaaaaand, I’ve got to prepare for going to university in September. And as if that weren’t enough, I’ve also got to prepare (mentally anyway) for my tattoo. I’m getting that in 4 weeks as well. Hence why my writing has been so sporadic. But here’s the music that’s been keeping me going lately. I hope it give you a boost as well. It’s sung by Darren Hayes, one half of 90’s band Savage Garden, my favorite band of ALL TIME. Seriously. The DJ happened to be spinning Savage Garden when I got my very first slow dance. And they’re genuinely good at singing live, unlike the overwhelming majority of singers these days. There’s a special place in my heart for these boys. And apparently, Darren Hayes also happens to be one half of a rather fierce gay couple as well!
This is only a clip of the song, performed live. But it’s still ah-mazing. There’s something about his voice that makes it quite clear that he’s singing from the heart. Behold:
And here are the fully lyrics too, cause I luv ya:
If I have understood correctly
Velocity equals the distance traveled
Divided by time
I’ve read every word ever printed
On quantum physics
And now it is time to try
I read your book, I found your notes
I dusted this thing off and turned on
The key
The rumbling motors
The buzzing incredible gadgets
The hissing electricity
And now the moment has come
I’m traveling back in time
They’re running down the hall
I’ve started the countdown
They want me to stop
But I don’t think so
I’m ready to go
Let’s get the job done
Beyond the paradoxical
All the lights are dazzling
Pass the planes, and trains, and satellite navigation
Pass the time I spent today
Through the nearest wormhole
In a stunning ball
Of white
The light explodes and lands on you
And you’re five
Always running away
And I was dying to kiss you
And I
I don’t want to cry
I don’t want to see
Where the moving van takes you
So I travel on
Beyond the stars
At one hundred and eighty-six thousand miles per second
I can fly
Forward a few years
To nineteen hundred and seventy nine
I caught a glimpse of the sky
They’re coming down the road
They’re coming to get me
I never should have come
I hide the time machine
I’m running down the hall
I think I’m in my old house
Pass the place where I grew up
Number nine Lake Road
Pass the swimming pool
And Mable park
And past Troy Clifford’s house
To the Argonaut (?)
To the fish and chip shop
Out the back and down the road
To the place I got beat up
Hey, put that rock down
Can’t you see he’s half your size?
Hey, he looks familiar
Oh my god, he’s me, age nine
Put your shoes on
And run away from here
I can’t get involved
This is all so weird
I’m meeting myself
This is all so clear
All the things I’ve lost
All the people I’ve hurt
All the times I lied
All the moments wasted
All I never did
All the dreams I had
All the things I would change
I can change them
All the things I’ve lost
All the people I’ve hurt
All the times I lied
All the moments wasted
I’m gonna make right
What I did wrong
And change how the future has come
Through appliance of science
I’ll take a hold of my enemies
Take their obscenities
Kiss them, and leave them like lovers who’ve gone
I’ll call my dad
I’ll tell him I miss him
And tell my reflection: ‘it’s not your fault’
And now the moment has come
I’m traveling back in time
They’re running down the hall
I’ve started the countdown
They want me to stop
But I don’t think so
I’m ready to go
Let’s get the job done
Put your shoes on and
Run away from here
I can’t get involved
This is all so weird (It’s me aged nine)
Let’s get the job done
All the things I’ve lost
All the people I’ve hurt
All the times I lied
All the moments wasted
All I never did
All the dreams I had
All the things I would change
I can change them
Beyond the paradoxical
All the lights are dazzling
Pass the planes, and trains, and satellite navigation
Pass the time I spent today
Through the nearest wormhole
In a stunning ball
Of white
The light explodes into another moment
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