Gold crowns

Is gold forever? NG did a huge story on the gold industry in Indonesia this month & I thought it was really interesting.

Summing up about 12 pages of writing, Indonesia has jumped feet first into what seems like a self-feeding cycle leading to implosion. There is no strong economy over there so jobs are few and far between, thus the gold industry attracts the poor who are desperate for any sort of income. Even though it means destroying their natural forests, polluting the Earth and air, and shaving about 30 years off life expectancy, people flock to the mines, hoping to find just a kilogram of the shiny rocks. Since gold is highly revered, the demand is still high. And so, all these people hope to support their lives and their families by slowly killing themselves and their land. Of course, the initial reaction of us in the western world is to say 'well that's just wrong! preserve the environment! stop the gold mining!' That's what I thought, at least.

But then I thought about it. We are all pushing to keep this world alive - to save the endangered species and to stop pollution. The people they interviewed, however, couldn't care less. One woman even had a huge framed portrait of the construction vehicle she drives, considering her job a blessing. In truth, for her, it is. Without that small income, her family would probably starve. Gold mining is just about all they've got over there. So, is she supposed to boycott the act, knowing that if she wasn't there, 1000 people would be in line to take her job? Or should she do what is best for her and her family? It's somewhat inescapable.

It's not so much that I'm all about keeping the industry alive, but it's the same idea as deforestation. Yes, it's bad, but could their economy survive without it? Do they have another choice?

Finals

I hate them.

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Family photos - Genalogy

Oh Oh Oh It's Magic

But it got cancelled. So much for our little slice of heaven.

While shows like The Hills, the 3 versions of CSI, the millionth season of Law and Orders, Dancing with the Stars, and Lost, one can't help but wonder what happenned to good television. Television that maybe didn't showcase solely beautiful people or portray cops running in heals and loop earings. Maybe, just maybe, we could have a show with a real plot.

And God granted us Pushing Daisies. Talk about eye opening. Who knew television could be witty? Amongst the stories of serial killers, heart transplants, and the search for the perfect prom date, I had forgotten that shows could be happy. And not only was this show happy, but it was just entirely different. There was nothing on tv like it. Finally. An original thought.

It was easy to get lost in the vibrant colors and equally vibrant characters, the fantastical plot lines and 'aw' inspiring dialogue. It was easy to smile for an entire hour, allowing this fairy tale world to wrap you up in a big hug. We watch tv to mindlessly, as crime shows are solved before our eyes at 7 pm, 8 pm, and 9 pm central time. Murder, drama, solve, drama. Repeat. Pushing Daisies brought life back to the dead[ television set]. And what was wrong with it? I really want to know what people didn't like about it. Was it not dark enough? Was the cheery narrator pushing your buttons? Could you just not appreciate the sidestep out of reality for a little bit? While other shows pretend to portray real life (cops running in heels and tight shirts? really?), this show openly admits that it is not real - it's a dream. A wonderful, original, beautiful dream.

And apparently, I just woke up.

Boo ABC. If anything, you should take off Lost. I mean seriously. They aren't lost anymore.

Doorways: Prime place for congregation?

No.

Kids at my high school used to congregate in massive groups right in the intersection of our main hallways or directly in front of doors. This little human obstacle course was one of the most frustrating things about navigating through those hallways: trying to get to class without getting clothes-lined (ok a little bit of an exaggeration).

And now, here I am at college, faced with the same problem. The situation is this - buses. The great thing about buses is that they are equipped with chairs for your riding enjoyment. And yet, people stand. These people stand and clog the aisle and then, when you try to get around them, they act annoyed and refuse to move. Hey. You standing. If you had sat next to me (I promise I don't bite), we wouldn't have this problem. What is it that scares you so? A passing moment of physical contact? It isnt unheard of.

Now, let's pretend that we accept this. In this little hypothetical world, it's ok to stand in front of a row of empty seats. It's your prerogative. Your right as an American. However, it is not ok to forgo the welcoming seats in order to post up in front of the door. In this standing-tolerant world, you are free to stand in the entire aisle that pans before you on either side of the doorway. There are chairs galore for you to ignore. But, there is no need for you to stand in the way of everyone that needs to get on and off before you do. I promise that you will not miss your stop in the time it takes for you to get up out of your chair and make your way to the door. You standing there only makes things worse. So do us all a favor. Man up & sit down.

Talk about a hassle

Seriously. How many people have blogspots? It took about 20 minutes to get a url that worked. I tried everything from bowlandspoon to waterbottle.

So, welcome to mauvecurtains.blogspot.com

It'll be a unique experience.