please!

So, I haven't written in a while... perhaps it is because I have been too preoccupied with classes and deciding what to do with the rest of my life- do I go for something that I probably won't like but it will get me done faster with a guaranteed job? Or do I shoot for something larger, something that I have no clue but only hope that I will succeed in? So, I am probably being stupid and am choosing the latter- hopefully it will work out in the end. Anyway, I am here to rant a little, as usual.
Something has been very annoying to me lately... And I can't figure out if it is just me being too analytical or if this is really becoming an epidemic. It seems that many of the people that I hold SO dear to me, cannot have an intelligent conversation. Everyone is always so superficial, asking "How was your day?" "What are you doing later?" or "I'm tired." And I admit it! I am guilty of this too sometimes- we don't ALWAYS have to have deep conversations, but sometimes it would be nice not to feel like a robot, going through the same day in, day out routines. These people don't seem to have feelings or emotions or opinions- or perhaps they are just too afraid of judgement to let them out? I WANT to know what is happening inside your mind, your body- I want to understand how you are feeling and what you think about this and what you would do in this situation- but I don't want to have to ask these questions! Let me in!!! Am I being unreasonable? Bear in mind, now, I'm not talking about my classmates or the mail man. I am talking about my friends and family and the people I plan on being with FOREVER- how on earth am I supposed to have surface conversation forever? I want to get on "another level" with these people that I care so deeply about, but is this too much to ask? Isn't that what love is about- relating on another level than everyone else? And anytime a deeper conversation comes up, why must it usually lead to some argument? I have I have not lost you by now, I know this is quite a tangent...
Its funny though. The people I don't know as well and don't really care what they think are the people who I have the best conversations with. Could that be because I know that they accept who I am already, and I the same? For instance, the best conversations in my life have been with my high school Spanish teacher, art teacher, and a friend named Pat I occasionally hung out with. I can be myself around them better than I can around anyone else. People have this perception of me- that I am miss priss, do-good always and with a smile on my face :) Well, I can do good and be classy AND be real and down to earth and spiritual at the same time. My conclusion is either that people just don't know how be to real anymore, or that they don't care to be real anymore. Thanks if you made it all the way through this. Peace!

the new plan, Stan...

So, the new healthcare reform speech...

I know it is a heated debate that no one seems to really know what they think or what is true and not true. Well, we all heard it from the man himself- he clarified all of the stupid lies and things that conservatives want people to think.

Without change, there is no growth, and whether we like it or not, the world around us is constantly changing and we need to get with the program and keep up.

Ok, anyway lets just lay out the facts (the facts that Obama said, not absolute Truth):

• The new plan will make existing health insurance companies work better for those who already have it and choose to have an independent health insurance. Those people that have insurance already through their jobs or Medicare/Medicaid will NOT have to change doctors, or anything really! You will actually have to pay LESS out of pocket money for hospital bills and doctor's visits, because a limit will be placed on how much the insurance companies can charge.
• Dental coverage for children will be included.
• Mental healthcare may be provided (it is in most countries with national healthcare).
• Private insurance companies will not be allowed to drop you once you have been receiving treatment, and they cannot deny you insurance because you have something wrong with you- that's what they are there for! And these big companies want to get as much money as they can with doing as little work as possible.
• The new plan will give people who don't have health insurance an opportunity to have it. STOP! So many people are saying- "Well those lazy people that don't work shouldn't be able to have it because they could go out and get a job and pay for it!" STOP! First- the majority of people that say this are the people that are well off, make enough money to support themselves and their families and have all the nice things they want. Well, it doesn't always work out for everyone like that. Millions of people work their asses off everyday- maids, handymen, self employed people, entrepreneurs, artists, day care workers, the independent young adult who is in school TRYING to better himself and probably can't afford Blue Cross Blue Shield for a minimum of ~$136.00/month (BCBS Alabama Individual/ 2008).

So, if you want people to better themselves and make something for themselves, you have to give them a chance. And yes, you do take the good with the bad just like in all situations, and there are those lazy bums out there, but that's just something we will have to deal with. And many of those lazy people have health conditions, which is why they are lazy (depression, anxiety disorder, OCD- none of these qualify for Medicare or Disability) but they are so poor that they do not go to the doctor and get their problems fixed, so they don't want to look for work because they know they will either a) not get hired, or b) get fired because of lousy performance.
The United States of America is the ONLY industrialized country that does not offer its citizens healthcare. ALSO, America has the HIGHEST prices for prescription drugs in the WORLD. Don't you think someone is getting rich off of you?
Single-payer health care is the system which the United Kingdom and Sweden use.

The term 'single payer' refers to funding and does not imply a socialized medicine system. A socialized medical system is one "in which all health personnel and health facilities, including doctors and hospitals, work for the government and draw salaries from the government" (Wikipedia.com).

This will not be the case.

Bottom line is, we've got to do something. And some form of this bill will pass, its just a matter of how much of it. We either sit back and remain stuck up in our old ways, or we get up and start doing something about it.

Peace y'all

yummy Maque Choux recipe :)

This is a yummy little recipe for Maque Choux ("mock shoe"), which is a nice summer side dish, or add sausage or shredded chicken to it:
1 medium sweet onion chopped, 1 green bell pepper chopped, 1 garlic clove chopped, 1 minced jalapeno, 2 tbsp. canola oil, 4 cups fresh corn kernels, 2 chopped tomatoes, 2 tsp. creole seasoning.
Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeno in oil. Stir in corn, tomatoes, and creole seasoning. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.(Canned veggies can be used, but its never the same ;)
And a word from Rachel Ray that I think all of us should do: Marriage Rule: "John and I will stay up long enough to have a laugh and share a meal together, even if it's really late. So we have a few less hours to sleep. Maybe life is a few days shorter. It will be richer on the other end."

no meat for one day a week?

I have known for a while that eating red meat often can raise cholesterol and increase your risk for cancer and other diseases, so I cut it out completely for about 2 years. Then, I returned to eating red meat which has caused my stomach to absolutely hate me! So then, my uncle directed me to a website called www.meatlessmonday.com that gives reasons why people shouldn't consume as much meat as we do. Eating a lot of red meat in your diet (am I'm interpreting this as about 4 times a week) can cause weight gain, diabetes, heart disease and all kinds of other things! And this is not asking you to eliminate red meat completely from your diet, but to just cut it out one day a week and perhaps you will see changes. Vegetarians are some of the healthiest people on the planet, so maybe taking one step in that direction could make us regular folks feel a little better about ourselves. Now many people will argue that "red meat gives you protein!!" Well... so does fish, chicken, eggs and the list goes on. One interesting thing I saw was that "animals products are the main source for saturated fat and the only source of cholesterol in the diet." Now, we do need some HDL (good) cholesterol to help eliminate the bad cholesterol LDL in our bodies, but if you don't consume lots of LDL, you wont need a ton of HDL! Like I have said in an earlier post, I don't claim to know what I'm talking about, I just know what I know!
So cut out the red meat just once a week, maybe take the dog for a walk, and feel better in your body. Because, after all, if our minds aren't in line with our own bodies, what else do we have?

eatthis.com

For all of you who are like myself and would love to be fit, healty and feel great too, but lack knowledge or motivation- check out this site. www.eatthis.com It gives you calories for a ton of different foods (including restaurants), what to eat everyday and all kinds of stuff.
Apparently, natural green tea will help you to lose weight. There are green tea pills which may be more beneficial. Also, fiber-rich foods like whole wheat, brown rice, dried beans, berried, dried fruit, apples, broccoli and potatoes with skins will benefit you in your weight loss quest. The best thing that I have done is the "no sugar" diet- which actually is not very hard and you feel really great! Just be careful not to let bloodsugar levels get too low. I am not claiming to know what the hell I'm talking about- I just know what I know ;)
Plain vanilla yogurt with cinnamon and a tad of honey is the most amazing thing- especially if you're not a fan of yogurt. Try with fruit mmmmm!
One more thing- eatthis.com says to eat these foods everyday: spinach, yogurt, tomatoes, carrots, blueberries, black beans, walnuts and oats. I think that may be because those foods will give you just about every vitamin that you need, AND they are low-cal!

And this is just a little something to chew on- "When life looks like its falling apart, it may just be falling into place."

act local, think global.

hello
I'm Megan- just a small town Alabama girl but with big ideas. I'm kind of impulsive with a love for adventure and new things. I wanted to get a blog not only to get my writing fix in, but also to share my passionate ideas with everyone that sees this- so about 10 people, if I'm lucky! I am an artist that has not really found her niche yet- but its there. I am a jack of all trades, but a master of none. I try to put my ideas on facebook but facebook is for pictures and saying hello to people you never make time to call. I want to ramble about the things I love and the people around me and also about the things that people need to hear- which brings me to my first topic!!!

Humans produce 70 million TONS of carbon dioxide a day! High carbon dioxide levels trap the sun's heat in our atmosphere causing temperatures to rise and extreme temperature animals to die, and eventually, us. This climate change is a REAL threat to human kind and all of live as we know it. Eventually, if a significant change is not made, our planet will begin to resemble Venus, with temperatures around 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Already, sharks are swimming hundreds of miles north in rivers, fall flowers are blooming in early summer, and of course, penguins, polar bears, and other extreme weather animals are dying.
Also, drink tap water- after all, that's all your bottled water is anyway! Dasani water and Aquafina are both tap waters from the city of their packaging plants.

Fossil fuels are also used in the packaging of water. The most commonly used plastic for making water bottles is polyethylene terephtha (PET), which is derived from crude oil. Making bottles to meet Americans’ demand for bottled water requires more than 17 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel more than 1 million U.S. cars for a year. And for goodness sake, put a grocery bag by your garbage and collect the plastic bottles you do use, and take them to a recycling center. If you just google the nearest one you will be surprised to find they are all over!

Please! Act local, think global. Do something today.