Right after I wrote about the doggies at the office yesterday, of course two new ones had to come in today! So of course, I can’t help but add them to the mix:
Sophie, a feisty little one!
Then came Bumblebee from upstairs, the most complacent one of all.
He kept making rounds around the office and occasionally stirring up trouble with Sophie, who wasn't happy he was there.
At work, we have daily guests of the canine variety. I managed to get shots of all but one, who hasn’t been around for awhile now. Here they are, in all their cute glory!
Duke hangs out by my area during the day, often napping or chewing on a toy.
Little Kaya, who is rather shy and scurries around a lot. She likes me enough to jump on my lap now!
Toro (Torro?) had surgery recently for a torn ACL, but he's still making his way around just fine. Here he is contemplating how he can get the treats up on the desk.
You know, I don't actually know this puppy's name. A bit paranoid and avoids contact with most people. I did manage to pet him a few times though. 🙂
Not pictured is Barkley, a gray pit bull.
I was watching this video of Aimee Mullins about adversity, and the thing that struck me, strangely enough, was not her main message, but the moment when she spoke of “childlike curiosity.” I do agree with her message and the powerful way that language sets a precursor, as well as the strength of the human spirit. So I suppose that’s why everything else she said didn’t hit me the way that the reference to curiosity being childlike did.
Why did that part stand out? Well, because I wondered why attributes like wonder and curiosity and innocence are so often described as “childlike.” It’s as if we no longer recognize that adults can be like that and when they are, it’s a rare thing. What’s wrong with “adult-like” curiosity? What has happened in our society that makes everything children do so great and everything that adults “grow into” so bad? Actually, I think that’s exactly what happens because of society. Because we have this sort of structure, at a certain age, things like responsibility and maturity take hold. Expectations develop into more serious ones and we lose much of our freedom to do what we want, enjoy as we like, and not worry too much.
The good thing is that it seems our culture is more and more tolerant of “childlike” activities in adults. After all, records of generations past make them seem rather rigid, but that could just be because what is recorded is not the playful silly moments shared, but the serious and “important” moments had. Nevertheless, I still do feel that generally we are heading towards habits that allow more carefree expressions from older people. I just hope that soon we can progress to such a point that people who sing in public because they are happy aren’t given strange looks as if they’ve lost their minds. Or that fully-grown men and women can get child’s meals without feeling shameful.
Speaking of, why is it that small portions are only allowed to those under a certain age? It’s like the problem with McDonald’s Super Size meals – when you offer larger portions, people will get them*. And when they get them, they try their very best to finish the portions in front of them. So why not just offer smaller sizes and alleviate this pressure that people have looking at their uneaten food? I think we still stuff ourselves full much of the time because of our hunting and gathering days, when food wasn’t so easy to come by. Nowadays, it’s far too easy to overeat, and judging adults who want to get a “child’s” meal is part of the problem.
Personally, I believe in expressing your joy. People sometimes find me too enthusiastic or hyper when I am happy and excited. Generally, they enjoy it, though they are wary and wonder if I’m just a bit cuckoo. But why is that? Why can’t I burst into song because it was playing in my head? Why can’t I be giddy over the smallest victories? Why can’t I jump around and share my positive emotions? Well, I can. Just not without being judged. And that’s ok, I’m used to being judged. When I’m happy, I’m happy and I’ll show it if I want to. I think more people should.
I hope that people will learn to stop putting up the walls around themselves and open themselves up the way they did before society taught them otherwise. I think that’s what people mean when they refer to those childlike qualities. It’s freeing yourself from the bounds that society puts you in, even if just a little. Let’s not become drones and make all the motions going through life without experiencing and enjoying the way we did before the clamps started to pin us down.
*The issue of portion size and the poor eating habits is up for discussion in a future post – ironically, I just watched another TED video, this time about America’s (and now the world’s) eating problem.
Ever since I was young, I’ve had trouble with eye contact. Whenever I look into people’s eyes, I find that I can’t hold the gaze for long, and I either start to look at random things that surround us or other parts of their face. It all stems from extreme shyness in my childhood, when I was too scared to look at people, so I stared at their noses or eyebrows instead. Even nowadays, I find it hard to hold someone’s gaze, perhaps because I find it to be so intimate. Eyes have always been my favorite body part. Looking straight into them distracts me from the conversation at hand. I get lost and my mind spins. Eyes are far too intense. I’m still working on it, but I think this is such a deep-seeded childhood habit that I don’t know if I will ever overcome it completely.
Anyone else have this problem?
In the spirit of the Olympics going on now, here are some clips from the Paralympics in 2008!
Starting with a 100 meter dash by blind runners. They get partners who run with them, so it’s a challenge of teamwork too. Their running buddy can’t cross the finish line before them, but must also stay within a certain distance, so they’ve got to be about equally fit.
men’s 100 meter from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Then on to the 4X100 on wheels! Check out the guy who was going so fast he flipped himself over!
men’s 4X100 meter race from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
And finally, the medal ceremony for the 4X100 relay.
How often do you replace your toothbrushes? If you listen to your dentist, you probably do every three months or so, which means you go through three or four a year. At that rate, Americans would be producing far more than the 50 million pounds of waste per year we already do from throwing those little guys away. Since toothbrushes are inherently in need of replacing periodically, how do you avoid the waste issue?
Well, why not try Recycline’s Preserve toothbrush?
First of all, their handles are entirely made from recycled yogurt cups saved from ending up in landfills. It’s free of BPA and the bristles are brand new, so you can rest assured it is safe to put in your mouth. They consulted dentists to come up with the curved handle to help you reach those tricky places at just the right angles. The tiered bristles are designed to fit around your teeth and gently massage your gums. You have a choice of Ultra Soft, Soft, and Medium stiffness for the bristles, depending on your sensitivity. Preserve toothbrushes also come in delicious colors such as Berry Red, Eggplant, and Pear Green.
Besides that, they come in a reusable travel case, complete with ventilation holes! The case is made from wood-based plastic from renewable forests so you can feel good about using them too. Once your toothbrush has reached the end of its effectiveness, you can send it back to Recycline in a postage-paid envelope. Their partner company will recycle it for you and make plastic lumber for park benches, picnic tables, and boardwalks. Rest assured that your environmental impact is minimized and every effort is made to keep plastic out of landfills! If you like, you can even purchase a subscription to their toothbrushes and get a new one sent to you every three months, along with an envelope to send back your used one.
So, the next time you’re looking for a replacement toothbrush, think Preserve. You’ll responsibly minimize your environmental impact associated with dental hygiene and even enjoy a better clean! It’s truly “Nothing wasted. Everything gained.™” What’s not to love?
[written for OppGreen Insights]
A drizzly night earlier this month, my friend and I went into LUSH after a wooonderful dinner at Buddha’s Belly. A lovely surprise awaited as I was invited to get a free facial!
Ready to start!
First layer, the face wash.
Having some fun with the fizzle they put in the water.
The final stage, a mask. Mmm, blueberries!
A few nights ago, I went to a screening of HOME, a film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand. It’s a film that brings to light many environmental issues surrounding the planet. It has such spectacular graphics that sometimes it doesn’t feel real. Plus, you’re seeing things from a bird’s eye view (or, more accurately, a hot air balloon’s eye view), which is rather unique in itself. Such images are striking possibly purely because of the difference in perspective you get. Whatever the case, the beauty of the film is undeniable and the message it spreads is powerful. In fact, you should go see it yourself – it’s free to the world!
The bit that struck me the most was when it said that Dubai has just about as much sunlight as you can ever hope for, yet not a single solar panel. It’s not really something that I had thought of before, but it’s ironic, isn’t it? The great thing about films like these is that they not only inform you and teach you, they make you think. They don’t always have the answers for you, but they bring about certain issues that are important to consider. Just by starting conversations and getting people aware of things they should consider, they’re making a vital contribution towards the betterment of this world. In addition to learning that tidbit, the film also showed me an area (I believe it was in Germany) that has solar panels covering the rooftops. If a place like that with less sunlight can take advantage of the energy provided by the sun, why aren’t the countries closer to the equator and with far stronger sunshine following suit?
It’s truly a fantastic film that should be shared with the world. By making it free, what better way to spread it far and wide? That is his goal, and he has been traveling all over the planet to promote the film, answer questions at screenings, and generate the sort of momentum we must gather to turn the environmental movement into something that will truly change the world. We are changing for the better, but not fast enough. It’s not too late to right some of the many wrongs that have happened, but all too soon it could be. Hence, it’s important that we take action now, in a way that we haven’t been. Copenhagen was disappointing in the lack of unity between countries and that NEEDS to change. We’re the first and only species that has ever done so much harm to the very environment we live in. Are we set on self-destruction?!
I hope not. Which is why I appreciate efforts like these to get people to take charge of the future and make this world better, not worse. And for those who laugh and make fun of the environmentalists out there… well, you can be the ones to blame when our progeny no longer have a safe planet to live on. That’s just a lose-lose situation for us all. It’d be pitiful for a “great” population such as ours to contribute to our own undoing. So much for being superior. Ultimately, the film ended by saying that “it’s too late not to be optimistic” and I think that’s true. If we give up hope, all is lost and we destroy so much beauty and wonder. So, we have no choice but to put our hearts and souls into saving the future of the planet and believe that we can. I certainly believe we can. Now, will we?
One late night on my drive home, traffic suddenly came to a standstill on the 405 North. (Read the story here.)
The ambulance arrives on the scene…
After an hour of waiting, many got impatient and started to back out, including this limo.
limo backing down shoulder of highway from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
photo credit: Chris Doolittle
Firefighters in California have adopted a fire suppression policy for over a century now, which works very effectively in the underbrush type fires of Northern California, but do very little to stop the brush type fires of Southern California. In fact, wildfires are still occurring increasingly year after year, with over 99% of the ones in coastal Southern California started by human activity. It’s not just an issue of how we fight the fires; it’s how we prepare ourselves to prevent the fires.
Much of the problem arises with urban sprawl. As our communities push further out into the undeveloped land surrounding us, we not only put ourselves at risk of being in the path of a wildfire, we are more in danger of starting them. Since fires are something humans feel they can control, more or less, there is often a misconception that we can just stop the unwanted ones from happening. However, that is not the case, especially since our homes are teeming with highly flammable materials, including the very palm trees swaying our backyards. Fires are bound to break out, whether caused by humans or nature.
So, we should follow Dr. Jon E. Keeley’s advice: think of wildfires like we do of earthquakes. We certainly don’t go around trying to patch up the San Andreas Fault, and neither should we try to stop all the brushfires from igniting. As a matter of fact, in a study conducted by Keeley and Fotheringham in 2000, they found that chaparrals (native plants in Southern California) need periodic wildfires to help their seedlings grow! It’s actually the smoke and chemicals from charred wood that allow the seeds of chaparral to germinate, otherwise they lay dormant.
Chapparals have adapted to the wildfires that swept the area every decade or two and now need them to continue to survive. That’s not to say that the increased frequency of wildfires is a good thing, though! When fires occur too frequently, native chaparrals die before they get a chance to recover and soon the hillsides are replaced by non-native weeds and dry vegetation. These new plants are far less resistant to burning, increasing the frequency of fires, which spread to kill off even more native plants. And thus the cycle continues, to the point that of the nine megafires (fires that burned more than 100,000 acres) in the past century, half occurred in just the last six years.
So how should we deal with the wildfires? Well, to start off with, it would be smart to NOT build homes and developments in high-risk areas, which experts have identified. Then, for those homes that are already on the fringe of wild land, clear out the vegetation in a 100-yard radius. Also, homeowners should be cognizant of the materials in and around their homes. Palm trees in particular are dangerous because they are extremely flammable. Embers flying from a burning palm tree in your yard could then ignite a fire on nearby structures. Finally, we should accept that wildfires are part of the cycle of life for our local vegetation and have a plan like we do for earthquakes.
To learn more, check out Dr. Keeley’s Oppenheim Lecture Series presentation.
