#complexissues

[maxwellsmaart]

Julie Taymor talking with David Henry Huang and Christian Parker #mbutterfly #complexissues #publicprograms #lenfestcenterforthearts #gradlife (at New York, New York)

[sliwkaintheicebox-blog]

Cornell study suggests soda, junk food not why we’re fat — Cornell University

Indulgences like sodas and junk foods have long been blamed as the prime culprits responsible for worrying obesity trend…

“If you want to try and prevent obesity, or want to create policy that is going to help people, simply addressing the availability of junk foods and sodas isn’t going to do it...This isn't the difference between fat people and skinny people.  It's other things” - Dr. David Just

“Simply put, just because those things can lead you to get fat doesn’t mean that’s what is making us fat,” says Just. “By targeting just these vilified foods, we are creating policies that are not just highly ineffective, but may be self-defeating as it distracts from the real underlying causes of obesity.” 

[iama55]

Creative Brainstorm to Solve Real Issues Rant

Reading up on a lot of random articles people post on facebook, they range from serious articles about police brutality, but for every one of those posts I saw about 10 more posts about the color of a dress, and the fact that Jared Leto cut his hair finally.  I was guilty of spending more time reading that article and one about Stephen Hawking, and another one about a new Ford electricycle.  Although I try to focus more on less-useless articles, I thought, why is it that people can give so much brainpower arguing about the color of that dress, when if everyone cared and contributed this much on a real-life issue happening somewhere in the world, like lack of water and food, the world would already be a million times better?  

Then I thought, why am I guilty of that?  I am not a bad person, I'm just human.  I am fortunate enough to at least live in a first-world country, and people prefer to turn off the alternate reality that other less fortunate people live in this world because we can:  we're privileged.  We are motivated in a capitalist society by money defined as success, so we don't end up being on the bottom of the food chain, fear of being vulnerable and powerless.  This is seen in Hotel Rwanda when the TV crew thinks it would make a huge difference when Americans witness the brutality and chaos happening.  But then that hopefulness is shattered by someone who states, "You know what?  I think they'll just say wow that sucks and then turn off their TV."  

Despite a first world country, there are universal issues, we continue to work so we can maintain our quality of life, and we gravitate towards things that help us relax and distract our minds from work, financial problems, romantic issues, etc. and we do this by focusing on trivial issues.  And people continue to suffer because no one else is motivated to invest a lot to solve an issue that may actually be quite solvable,  because there is almost no reward of money or fame.

Then I thought of another issue, especially a quote by Stephen Hawking which essentially says, there is no such thing as perfection.  Perfection doesn't exist, because if it did, there wouldn't be you, or me.  That is true, but even if lessening aggression and adding empathy made the world a better place, what is perfection?  Since an example doesn't exist, there is no prototype hence everything is still measured in relativity- we might do this by continents, or by time periods, but what is perfection even?  I'm lamenting all the ppl who are privileged and have endless potential to devote their time to, thinking, instead of many couch potatoes who are uninspired and lethargic, sitting there drinking beer and watching reruns of Beverly Hills or something (lol idk), But what would be the solution?  A bunch of super ambitious people, clones of MIT students?  We'd be advancing the whole world speedily at an even more rapid exponential growth in intelligence and technology, but so many of these have conflicting ethics because the whole realm and spectrum of morals is complex and often contradicting.  Atomic bombs should not exist, yet how else could it have been built if not with a thousand brilliant minds?  

Two men argue with each other,one wants the upper hand so

Two men punch each other 

two men stab each other

shoot each other

horseback/machine gun/tank each other

bomb each other

atomic bomb each other. 

That's the genius of the ALS ice water bucket challenge, it was for a good cause but a lot of people did it I'm sure just cause it was "cool."  And I found out that is what my grandpa died from.  I really as of late wish I had the chance to meet my grandparents, I believe they were wonderful people.

I want to create some sort of new trend where people can just share ideas however they want, there is something about having weird epiphanies or random thoughts suddenly and having impromptu great conversations.  I can't problem solve in a technical fashion but I love discussing it and trying to piece out innovative methods to approach it with friends, or even strangers, I think part of that spontaneity and passion is what has been the beginning of many successful things, like spilling out the world of Harry Potter on a napkin in Hard Rock Cafe, or whoever made cream puffs.

Also, I'm eating gouda for the first time, and I can dig it. End rant.

[thenameisviv]

All you need is a little tape to fix the world. Right?