Origin of Organics

Where, when, and how did the organic food craze start? Gas prices continue to rice, the price of flower and some other grains has doubled, the housing market is in shambles, yet we are still willing to pay double for an organic tomato.

We have been eating our non-organic produce for years with no real complaints, so where was the market for organics? If we remained ignorant to the concept of organic food would there be a demand, or would we continue to happily munch on a pesticide controlled apple?

Farmers and Ranchers go to countless length to get USDA certified organic approval on their products to please our culture. I can only hope that this organic craze is not just a phase. It may be that the rise in the popularity of organic food is just another trend that will cycle through our society. I hope not. If organics is just a trend, then it is very possible that the "Go Green" movement is just a trend. And then what? Then we would go back to drinking bottled water and eating genetically engineered produce, because being green is no longer cool.

Our Attemps to Break the Ice

My favorite icebreaker goes like this:
Me: How much does a Polar Bear weigh?
Lady: Uh, I dunno.
Me: Enough to break the ice. Hi, I'm Tom.

As a society we have countless strategies to reduce our anxiety in social settings. In college the most prominent of these is drinking. In some peoples minds drinking has become a necessity for any social situation. This is why "pre-gaming" (drinking before actually going out) has come into such prominence. What separates depending on alcohol for social situations from alcoholism. It is a very fine line.

Social awkwardness has become socially acceptable in my generation. It is now commonplace to point out awkward situations at social gatherings. This is probably a healthy alternative to drinking, but it is interesting how we come up with countless ways to reduce our anxiety.

Hooka Bars: A Modern Melting Pot

I do not smoke, I do not enjoy being around smoke, but I have been to a Hook Bar. Even if you despise the smoking of all forms, going to a Hooka Bar is a worthwhile experience.

Every Hooka Bar is unique. They are all independently owned, and each one has its own feel. The most interesting feature of any Hooka Bar is the people.

Most often you will find two main groups of people: Middle easterners, ranging from Egypt to Iran, and white college students. What other setting would you find such a unique combination of people comming together for one purpose: To smoke Hooka and play cards.

Again, I am not a fan of smoke/smoking, and I would probably not go back to a Hooka Bar, but there is something to be said for the cross culture unity found in one of these businesses. I am not saying that smoking Hooka will solve the prejudice that continues to swarm in our society, but it is by no means a step in the wrong direction. Perhaps this same format, a common yet menial bond, could be applied to some other form of business.

To be continued...

In Memory of James Liddy: Plans For Being Old

I have no idea what I want to major in. No idea what career I want to have. No idea where I want to live. But when I get to the age of about 85 or so, I have my whole life figured out.

In my home town of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, there are a few people that everyone knows. They are not philanthropists or polititions, they are just old people. These guys spend their days walking around the city, through the college campus, in and out of coffee shops, restraunts, movie theaters, and even bars (trendy bars at that). Everyone knows these people.

I have no doubt that this is what I want to do with my elderly life. Walking around, talking to people, wandering the differnt propieterships of the city. Thats the life for me. Elderly life that is.

Recently, one of this figures from Milwaukee passed away. For a few days, the city held their breath after hearing of the passing of James Liddy. People who Liddy probably didn't know (though they knew him), were saddened by his passing, and spoke out about it in local newspapers. This man, by his warm heart and active participation in Milwaukee culture, took hold of the entire community.

I Love Christmas.

I understand and appreciate all of the evils of Christmas: It supports commercialism, it supports materialism, we are losing sight of the true meaning of Christmas, it blinds us to the real problems in our world, its just another "Hallmark Holidy". Al of these criticisms have some validity, but that does not change the fact that I Love Christmas.

Lights, The Smell Of Pine, Ugly Sweaters, Rock Hard Christmas Cookies From Grandma (I chipped a tooth last year), Family, Eggnog, Getting Presents, Giving Presents, Traditions.

These things rock! This is what Christmas is in my mind and I love every part of it. Most importantly, along with Thanksgiving and New Years, I think it helps me and hopefully everyone else get through the bitter cold that is Midwest winters.

I also believe that this anti-Christmas movement is a product of our societies perpetuating yearn to be trendy. Being "anti-Christmas" is just like shopping at Urban Outfitters and Nalgene Bottles and The North Face (all of which I have), it's just another way to be trendy. Its now cool to ignore the holidays. And that sucks. (It probably also is a signal that someone may have had a troubled chilhood with negative memories of Christmas, but that is not as easy to criticize).

In conclusion: Christmas rocks.

Caffeine Fix

We live in a coffee culture. We don't get enough exercise, we don't eat well, we don't get enough sleep, and we make up for that by going to Starbucks every morning for a Vente Latte.

The first question is, do we need it? The answer to this one is easy. No. Is it enjoyable? Probably. The fact is, you could get more energy from eating and apple than you good from a cup of coffee (without the yellow teeth and bad breath.

The second question is, why do we do it? It is cultural. The coffee shops are there, we see people in them, so we feel it is normal, acceptable, and maybe even required. It is also a matter of competition in the work place. The productive employee on the caffeine high is going to beat out the semi productive employee.

The biggest downfall of Coffee drinking is the crash. We drink coffee to wake up in the morning. Then we drink three more cups to get through the work/school day, and by the time we are back with our family or friends, we are crashing.

Grab an apple.

Graf Cats

I never know where to stand on Graffiti. There are multiple viewpoints that I support, yet most of them are conflicting:

1. I believe that Graffiti artists are a drain on society. They post their art in public spaces, which later has to be cleaned up by the city. Who pays for the Graffiti to be cleaned up? I do. You do. Taxpayers do. Graffiti artists don't ask us if we would like to pay for the cleanup of their artwork, but we have to anyway.

2. I believe that Graffiti is artwork. The fact that it is done illegally does not rule out the fact that to some people (including me) it is a beautiful work of art. I would pay good money for a piece of Graffiti artwork.

3. I believe that making legal walls for Graffiti is a good idea.

4. I believe that Graffiti artists who only do legal art are not fulfilling the initial mission of Graffiti (A response to the saturation of advertisements in our culture, none of which we ask for).

Obviously these views conflict, but on an unidentifiable culture such as Graffiti, this ambiguity is natural.