The Big Question

Recently I was assigned Assistive Reproductive Technology for a science projective. I've been researching it, and to my surprise, it's actually quite interesting. Some of the articles I've been reading raise interesting ethical questions, like, " Does everyone have the right to have biological children? If they do, should we pay for them to have those children?".  I started thinking about that question a lot, and because I'm me, I veered off topic a little bit. Suddenly the question turned into "What should the government pay for so that its citizens are happy?  Do we as a country have a responsibility for everyone to live a healthy and happy life?"

It would be nice to say that the answer is yes, but as usual, money and politics complicates things. For one, not everyone has the same idea of happiness. To some people happiness might involve everyone who wants an abortion to have one, but to others it might mean an abortion-less world. Also, if the government pays for everyone to receive free assistance with their reproductive issues, we could become entangled in a religious and ethnical issue. 

That said, I still believe that everyone has the right to free healthcare. Healthcare doesn't have to provide coverage for IVF, but it should at least cover yearly doctor's appointments, live-saving surgeries, etc. I understand that the right to free healthcare comes at a cost, however it's a cost that we're already paying for. Despite the fact that America doesn't provide free healthcare for its people, it spends more money than any other country on health care. 

Image courtesy of www.impactlab.net
Poor little fella doesn't understand it either

Think what you want to think, but I'm set in my opinion on this issue. I'm lucky enough that I have really good healthcare, however not everyone is. I don't believe that it is at all fair or right for someone to die because they can't pay for medical care.

Image courtesy of annarose.net.au
Everyone loves cute things

See how cute those penguins look, huddled for warmth, supporting each other? If only society could be like penguins. 

The article that sparked my idea for this post: Penn State: Probing Question

Happy Thanksgiving & Around the World With Photos

Happy Turkey Day!

I suppose by now most of you have figured out that I'm not really blogging about international politics. I'm just blogging about... well, I really don't know. Life? Random events? Poverty. 

Eh. Doesn't matter. 

Have a turkey: 

Image courtesy of  Earth911.com

Don't you think those little turkeys are adorable? I think it would be cute to do something like that for Christmas too, except with reindeer or elves.

Anyways, I didn't come here to write about turkeys. Instead I'm here to talk about things I'm grateful for. Whenever I can't get to sleep my mum always tells me to count my blessings. Last night, curled up in bed, I did just that. I came up with quite the list (okay, not really. I went to sleep after about two minutes). 

1. My brother

He might be really annoying, but sometimes he does the sweetest things. Take last night for example. We lay on his bed and read our books together (Nick's reading Cinder by Marissa Meyer and I'm reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell). When I proceded to leave to go finish my homework, he jumped off the bed and attached himself to my leg, making it almost impossible for me to leave. I love siblings. 

2. Books

Anyone who knows me knows that I love reading. Without books... I would be lost. Books are just amazing. They take you different places, they give you new experiences. With that said, some books are not just my cup of tea. Cough, the Outsiders, cough, cough. 

3. Smartphones
I don't know how I ever survived without my iPhone. I love using it to quickly Google things, read books, check the news, etc, etc. I know people believe that iPhone's are silly, but I think that in today's world, they are a necessity.

In other news, I thought that it would be fun to show you some of my favorite photos from around the world. I find that looking at these photos gives me a better world perspective (and no, none of them are not of starving Indian children).

Image courtesy of Vijugi
Beautiful German castle near Munich

Image courtesy of Telegraph
Beach in Australia, near where my Grandmother lives

Image courtesy of National Geographic
Afghan girl 

Image courtesy of Carhoots.com
Iceland in the wintertime 

There you have it! Enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving week. 

Cinder

Image owned by Macmillan 

Recently I recommended a book called Cinder to my super sweet younger brother Nick. It might sound cheesy, but Nick is hands down the best little brother ever. Not only is he one of the funniest people I know, but he enjoys reading. I thought Cinder would be the perfect book for him because he loves good vs. evil stories, and Cinder is one of the best good vs. evil stories I've read. Plus, the technology and world building is very much his taste.

Anyways, Macmillian Teen recently posted about this super cool contest where they'll be giving away twenty ARC's (advanced reader copies) of Cress. This is one of the coolest contests I've come across, and I urge you to participate (sorry, super late notice, but it's better late than never). If you want to find more out about the contest click here.

Without further ado, here is what Nick thought about the book!

Me: Hi Nick.
Nick: Hi Lexi.
Me: After finishing Cinder, what do you have to say about it? Was it as good as you thought it would be?
Nick: It was better than I thought it would be. I saw Lexi reading it and I thought that it looked like a weird book, but I actually quite enjoyed it.
Me: Who's your favorite character? 
Nick: Iko! He was hilarious and had an entertaining personality. I also liked Prince Kai. He was actually pretty cool. I'd be mad if they got rid of him.
Me: Do you think this is a good book for boys?
Nick: Yes, however I think it is more targeted at the female audience. I think that the publishers should try and get more boys to read it by making the covers less girly. Some of the boys at school thought it was weird I was reading a book with such a girly cover.
Me: Do you think you'll be reading the next book?
Nick: Yeah, I do.
Me:  What do you think is going to happen in future books?
Nick: I think that there will be tension between Levana and the Earthen Union. I think that there may be war. (SPOILER) At the end I think Levana will die and Cinder/Princess Selene will marry Prince Kai.

Official Review
by Nick (scribed by yours truly)
4/5 stars

I thought it was a good book. There were no parts in it that were boring. I liked that because a lot of books can get really boring. It kept me hooked, mainly because it wasn't predictable. I didn't know what was going to happen next! I also thought it was a very fresh and original book. I've never read anything like it before. I highly recommend for you guys to go check it out. You will be quite surprised and you won't regret picking it up.

10 Things You May Not Have Known and Poverty

1. The Philippines used to be an American territory. 

2. The word soccer comes from the word association. 

3. India is the world's largest democracy (!!!). 

4. The Golden Gate Bridge is the world's number one spot for suicides (which makes me question why it's not taken down. I suppose money trumps all). 

5. Cats don't have collarbones. 

6. What do Julius Caesar and Oprah Winfrey have in common? They're both lefties! 

7. They call a group of kangaroos a mob. 

8. In Sweden there is hotel made of ice. It must be rebuilt every year. 

9. Human eyes never grow. 

10. Hot water weights more than cold water. 

The Ice Hotel in Switzerland.
Ice Hotel Website

I found many of these facts here. Some of it is not the sort of stuff I would personally be interested in knowing (read: it's inappropriate). However, most of the information on there is fun to know, and you can simply ignore the other facts (like me!). 

In other news, has anyone been following the typhoon in the Phillippines? My dad’s currently in Hong Kong, and it’s big news over there. They’re estimating that over 10,000 people have been killed in one town alone, which is approximately three times the amount killed in 9-11. I find it very sad. If the same thing happened in America, the number of casualties would’ve been under 1,000, but since most of the Phillippines is very rural without a good road system or properly built structures, the number is a lot higher. 

They say that money can’t buy happiness, but that is complete and utter rubbish. Maybe that’s true in America, where no one is truly poor, but when you’re living in an impoverished country like the Phillippines, an extra one-thousand dollars means the world. It means being able to buy food. It means being able to live in more expensive areas that aren’t as prone to natural disasters. It means being able to buy ultra-expensive supplies and food after a natural disaster. It means being able to afford a ride out of the effected area.

It means EVERYTHING. 

On the news (or Oprah, I can’t remember) there was a story about how happy people in India were, despite the fact that many of them were poor. The lady described how going to India ‘enlightened’ her. My dad looked at me and made the most hilarious face. 

“ India is not the sort of place where I feel enlightened,” he said. 

I’m tired of this new western idea that poor people are happy. They’re not. No human is happy hungry. No human is happy watching their child die because of a lack of medical care, and it’s stupid to think they are. If you really want to know the secret for happiness, stop looking for it. 

They look so happy, don't they?
Image courtesy of Borgen Project

Note: Feel free to disagree with me in the comments! I realize that I am not the world's leading expert on this subject. I haven't lived through poverty, so I don't really know what it's like, but I'm still going to try to understand. 

The Spirit of Christmas

Image courtesy of channel5.com
Bubbles and the pig

My six-year old cousin loves Peppa Pig. Everything she has is Peppa Pig themed: the blankets she sleeps on, the fort she plays in, the clothes she owns. When I was trying to bathe her, the only thing that would get her to cooperate was to bring an episode of Peppa Pig up on my phone. Long story short, she loves Peppa Pig. 

And I really envy her. 

It isn't that I want a Peppa Pig themed fort in my bedroom (I don't), but I do wish I her age. It sounds silly and stupid, given the fact that I'm young myself, but I really want to be a little girl again. I want to be obsessed with Barney and Rainbow Magic. I want to play in the secret park with my brother and live in my custom fairy bedroom. I want to watch silly movies on Christmas Eve with my brother while my parents package presents. I want to not have a care in the world. 

I know that my worries aren't as serious as others. I never have to worry about there not being enough food on the table, or if I won't get any Christmas presents. I can just focus on my schoolwork and my hobbies. Some children can't do that. They have to take care of a hoard of siblings and make sure their drunk parents don't do anything stupid. They feel bad when Christmas Eve rolls around and there's nothing under the tree. 

These are the children that don't want to be children again. They want to grow up and escape from the sad reality.When I think about those children; when I think about how sad they must be, I simply count my blessings and move on. Not this time. 

As far as I’m concerned, all children should enjoy being a child. They should all have at least one memory, whether it be of waking up on Christmas Eve to a red packaged present, or of watching Peppa Pig videos in the bath tub, that they want to go back to and relive. So, in honor of the spirit of Christmas (yes, I do realize it’s only October), I have decided to pledge to send a lovely present to a child. I hope you’ll do the same. 

Christmas!
Image courtesy of Local Nomad

P.S: This was the best site I found if you want to do the same as me: World Vision Christmas Donation.

Death & Default

Image courtesy of hereandnow.wbur.org
Protestors protesting against the government's lack of action in Washington D.C.

I've been thinking about death a lot lately. Not in a "I wonder if it hurts" way, but a "Will I go to heaven" way. Truth is, death scares me. Like, hide-in-my-room-with-the-lights-turned-on-and-a-knife-in-my-hand scared. I'm not frightened of the initial pain, because that's over and done with fairly quickly. I'm scared of what will happen to me after I die. Will I, like the Christians believe, go to heaven? Will I become reincarnated? Will I simply cease to exist, my ashes scattered among the dirt for some animal to urinate on (because, let's be honest, even your ashes aren't safe from the wonders of animal waste)? 

The more I think about death, the more I think about how it's like the government default. Much like death, we have no clue what’s going to happen after it happens. Will our economy completely collapse into itself? Will it be like 2008, or God forbid, the 1930s, all over again? Will we continue being able to go to school? Will the states become separate nations? Will we become like an anarchy? Will the world view America as a failure? 

Just in case the worst happens, we need to prepare. Below is your go to guide for the government default. Please enjoy. 

1) Will we die?

I really don’t know. I bet God knows the answers. 

2) Does this mean I don’t have to go to school?

Uh, no. You still have to go to school. Just because the government spent too much time arguing, doesn’t mean you get to skimp on your map final for geography. However, it is possible the government will be forced to cut education spending in half, which could (if you go to a public school) affect your learning experience. 

3) Will we become an anarchy?

No. Many poor countries are intact despite the fact that, they’re, well, poor. We would only become an anarchy if someone tries to over throw the current government. It’s unlikely, but still a possibility. 

There you have it! My amazingly accurate guide to the government default. If you are interested in more serious information, click the links below. 

Links:

CNN

Forbes

Yahoo Finance

OMG! It's an Anarchy (And Other Thing's To Worry About)

Today I planned to write a post on Stalin, but all the media frenzy around the government shut down caught my attention . So, instead of my post on Stalin (I promise it will come), I figured I might as well write about all the issues and confusion surrounding the government and Congress. For your  convenience, I even wrote it who, what, when, where, why format. You can thank me later.

TOPIC ONE: THE GOVERNMENT SHUT DOWN

The Thoughts of Almost Everyone

 We’re all going to die! America is shutting down! kjlafkdjfkfkaldsf! I wonder if the military is just walking out of battle? Wouldn’t that be HILARIOUS! Wait, maybe not. 

The government is SHUTTING DOWN! I repeat, the government is shutting down!

Actual Information

Who: Congress

What: The US is now an anarchy.

When: Uh, have you not watched the news recently?

Where: America- the Land of the Gun Owning Selfish

Why: The Republicans hate the Democrats

TOPIC TWO: HEALTHCARE and OBAMACARE

The Thoughts of Almost Everyone

But I don’t wanna’ pay for poor people to live! Can’t they pay for it themselves? Anyways, what does this have to do with me?

Who: You, Obama, Congress, Democrats

What: NASA has been trying to figure that out for while now. Sadly, they can’t now because of the government shut down. 

When: Who knows.

Where: Well, the US military provides it for Afghanistan, so...

TOPIC THREE: THE ECONOMY

The Thoughts of Almost Everyone

Woe is me. I wanna’ job. I went to community college! Doesn’t this mean I deserve one? Working in a shop- that’s below me. After all, I have a degree!  Also, don't my seven and a half children deserve a yard to play in and a golden retriever to be their loyal servant? The government sucks. 

Who: America, per usual

What: The housing bubble popped, the stock market crashed, and it’s all Obama’s fault. 

When: 2008

Where: All around the world

Why: Because we live in a land full of rich folk who steal all of our money.

If you couldn’t tell, that entire post was sarcastic. 99% of Americans are not sincerely worried about the government shut down (although we should be worried about the other 1%), and most Americans are somewhat informed about the housing crisis. Also, I made a personal decision not to write about Syria. I don’t think it’s my place to do so, and I hope you'll consider putting yourselves in the shoes of the Syrians before commenting.

If you want some serious information, I've put some links down below. 

The Government Shutdown- CNN

ObamaCare 1

ObamaCare 2

A post about the economy

A reminder
Link

Introductory Post & My Favorite Blogs

     I really hate introductions.

     If you go digging through famous bloggers' archives, you'll often find that they, too, have written an introductory post. I always marvel at how different they sound. Bloggers that have a distinct voice seem like they're writing a thesis paper for Harvard (in other words, really, really boring). Sometimes the "Mummy Blogs" will write about their four kids and how cute each and everyone of them is (this is the worst kind of introductory post).

     If you haven't gotten the memo already, I'm going to skip over my introductory post, and just tell you what this blog is about. Which, to be honest, is quite a lot.

• Cooking/nutrition- I like food, what can I say? Most of the food I eat is fairly healthy, but I really love the coffee macarons from Whole Foods, as well as their citrus covered madelines. Yum! I probably won't post a ton about this, since I haven't had much time to cook as of late, but I really do enjoy it. It's like going to therapy, but better (I've never actually seen a therapist, but whatever).
• News/International Politics- It doesn't even have to be current, just interesting. I'll share my opinions on stories and issues, as well as do updates on what happened once the news got over the topic.
• Opinion posts on issues- For example, I might share my thoughts on aboriginal rights in Australia or health care laws in the States versus Canada/the EU Countries. 

Okay! Now that's done (it took me nearly an hour to write all that. An hour. I know, I'm crazy!), we can move onto the second part of my post, which is my favorite blogs. Some of these blogs are fun to read, while others are informative.

Huffington Post
Although it doesn't seem like a blog (it garners over 100 million viewers a month), it is. One of the reasons I really enjoy reading the Huffington Post is its briefness and clarity. I can read in an entire article in two minutes, and understand exactly what's going on, versus the news, which takes over an hour to watch. I hope to add a little more creativity to my blog, but I would like to replicate the easy-to -read format of the Huffington Post. Plus, I wouldn't mind getting that many viewers.

 LearnVest
I started reading LearnVest a couple months ago when I stumbled upon it through Forbes's website. I spend a good couple hours reading the articles on there. Most of them have something to do with finances, but many of the posts hit on topics Americans are worried about today. If you haven't yet, and are interested in articles like The High Price of ADHD, How the Tooth Fairy is Making Kids Rich, and The President's New Plan to Make College Affordable, then I would definitely check it out.  Plus, is it just me, or do they not have really interesting article topics? One of my biggest wishes for Lexi the Duck is to write about interesting topics like LearnVest does. We've all heard about Hitler, but how many people know about Stalin's reign?

Oh She Glows
Personally, I would love to go vegan or vegetarian, but I feel really tired and off kilter when I don't eat meat. Still, I love how the writer of this blog takes her pictures. I have a fairly good camera, but my photos never turn out that good!

There you have it! See you next time.

Lexi

http://www.thatcutesite.com/uploads/2011/03/baby_squirrel_eating.jpg