edit your health

I'm doing pretty well on the trying to keep healthy front.
I have cut out a lot of the carbs in my diet, I eat loads of fruit and vegetables, I exercise for 30 minutes four or five times a week.
Sounds pretty good right?
But I am smoking cigarettes.
I started smoking in university when you could still smoke in the rehearsal hall at the Black Hole Theatre (Oh those were the bad ole days)
I smoked and smoked and smoked.
and then one day I just decided to quit - cold turkey.
and it took - until it didn't
my major downfall was when I moved to Korea and the smokes were two bucks a pack - it was simply too irresistible for me.
and I smoked and smoked and smoked
the time has come
it's time to stop again.
Unfortunately, I have been trying to quit, off and on, for the last couple of months with not very much success.
I've tried the gum, I've tried cold turkey, but the will is really lacking.
but it's gotta happen and it's gotta happen soon - like yesterday.
so here I go again. editing my behavior for better health.
wish me luck!

books into straw

I love books.
I'm a book slut from way way back.
I love the look of them, the smell of them (yes I sniff them don't judge), I love having them around for company.
When electronic book readers came out I dismissed them out of hand. They could never replace MY books. Without the tangible smell and feel of a book I would be missing out on too much of the overall experience.
Well, I was wrong.
I love reading on my iPod. I almost never read paper books anymore. The convenience is amazing. I can pull out my iPod anywhere and get a couple of minutes of reading. If I want to read in bed and not disturb Andrew - no problem. The iPod provides enough light for me to read without disturbing him. Forever banished are the constant hassles of trying to find the perfect night light. I can carry hundreds of books with me at a time - something I could never do with paper copies. I can look up words online, highlight favourite pages and phrases without ruining the book and the application keeps track of my highlights so that I can review them whenever I want. And I get to feel morally superior because I am not culpable for destroying trees in order to print the books I read.
Margaret Atwood has provided readers with another way  to feel morally superior and I applaud her for it. She has released limited copies of her newest sci fi novel in straw. Yup, straw straw. It is considered a waste product for farmers and is perfectly usable as an alternative to lumber.
I can't see myself going back to paper products any time soon but I am glad there are such great alternatives on the market.

super editing

I know that we have all ready discussed altering your face and your body in editing class but I think that this particular alteration deserves special attention.

philippines-superman

A fellow in the Phillipines is so in love with the image of Superman that he is altering everything about himself to look like his hero.

I don't even know what to say about this or where to begin - this goes soooo beyond changing your nose because you think it's too big or tucking your tummy 'cause you got a lil muffin top.

OK - Deep breath - Here we go

First of all let's talk about skin whitening. Imagine how much more empowering this entire exercise would be if he wanted to look like Superman but kept his own skin colour. Then he would at least be showing people that you can be super in any colour skin. The fallacy that white skin is superior (or super) to any other colour is a common misconception in the east. When I lived in Korea I couldn't count the number of advertisements I saw for skin whitening or skin bleaching. Every makeup store had bleaches and powders and creams and masks which guaranteed lighter skin for its clients. White is best according to every commercial you see. Girls that have fairer skin are automatically considered to be more beautiful than girls with darker skin. I think this whole turning yourself into Superman thing is crazy on the crazy juice but if he was going to do it I sure wish he had kept his beautiful brown skin.

He says that he is making these changes because Superman has always been his hero, but what is really important is the good deeds you do every day. He thinks that anyone can be super in their day to day lives.

Oh really?

If he really thought that then I don't see why he would even consider abdomen surgery to give him a six pack. He also plans to have metal inserts placed in his legs so that he can be as tall as Superman. I imagine that is an incredibly expensive and painful surgical operation.

I hate to go all judgey on the dude but I am afraid he is quite unwell. Instead of media exposure he should seek professional medical help and learn to really see the Superman that lives inside him instead of turning himself into an action figure.

Poor dude. I feel super sad for him.

He's just this guy, you know?

Today I'm thinking about editing my status. On Facebook it's reasonably simply, you simply mark yourself as in a relationship and you're pretty much done with the whole thing. In real life it's a bit more complicated.

When I meet people for the first time, they'll turn to the handsome man standing next to me and ask me who he is. Good question.

I used to call him my lover because I thought that was kind of hilarious and pretentious. I would say it in a super fruity accent and laugh my ass off.

That wore thin kind of fast and there are not a lot of options.

We are not married so I am absolutely not calling him my husband. No way. No can do. Never never never.

Calling him my partner is out. We are not in a business together. We are not gay. Nope, it just doesn't work for me.

Life partner is even worse. Seriously. Blech!

When I get really desperate I will call him my boyfriend. But I hate that. It makes me feel like a teenager. It makes me wonder when we're going to get pinned, or if he'll ever ask me to the sock hop.

So, when I am meeting new people, this is what I try to do . I indicate the man I love and I say, "Nice to meet you. Who's this? This is Andrew."

editing your family

This is a pretty personal post, and I know that it will elicit some strong feelings.
I try to be a responsible person.
I try to take my commitments seriously.
I try to do the right thing.
Family is important to me, and I really try to be there for my family as much as I possibly can.
I live in a tiny but adorable house, and my boyfriend and I live quite well off very modest incomes.
When my mom needed a place to stay for two months last year, we just blocked off the living room and gave her a place to stay and food to eat and did the very best that we could.
Same thing for my sister this summer - we are not rich people and we certainly do not live in a palace, but it makes us feel really good to help people who are important to us, so we do as much as we can.
It's not altruism. We are very selfish people, but it makes us feel good to help our family when we can.
I am building this picture because I am going to admit something that some people will perceive in a negative light.
I have edited out my unfamily.
I don't know how many other people have this kind of unfamily in their life, so I should explain.
My mom has had this best friend for 30 plus years.
For my whole life, I have been expected to show up at this best friend's house for all of the major Jewish holidays.
I never interact with these people at any other time of year.
When I was a kid I didn't really question the arrangement, but things are different now.
I not only have my own  family obligations, but also my boyfriend's family obligations.
All of these obligations can add up to a lot of time spent celebrating and socializing and listening and caring.
And then there is the unfamily.
I am expected to show up a couple of times a year for holidays, but any other time of year it's like the unfamily doesn't exist.
My own family went through an incredibly difficult year, last year.
The unfamily was not around for any of it.
They just expected that we would show up for the holidays as usual and do our pretend family thing and then go back to our regular lives.
Well, I am now saying enough is enough.
I do not have time in my life for unfamily or unfriends or unanything really.
I am editing out the extraneous so that I can focus my time, energy, and love on the things that really matter to me.
I am editing out the un.