Happy Holidays, You're Awesome

Yes, it's Christmas, and to everyone who doesn't celebrate it, well, it's an awesome day to realize how lucky we are. I'm not normally so shy looking as I am at the end (I'm quite loud in real life) but it was the end of a very long day of love and retail, haha.

If you wouldn't mind, in the spirit of the New Year, please take a minute to answer the following questions:
-Why do you come to my blog? What do you like best?
-Should I do more videos?

Thank you guys. Your participation, kindness, and inspiration motivate me to keep blogging.
Please keep being wonderful.

Always,
Mary

PS: The song is 'Building All is Love' from the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack.

100 Ways to be an Activist

Honestly, you don't always have time to save every part of the world always. Going into university next week means I have even less time then usual in preparation for the things to come, and it's really forced me to think about what I want to actually do with my life. The word 'active' is in activism, yet it seems to be a part that people forget about. Our best intentions are only as good as the effort we put into making them a reality, but sometimes it can be hard to take these dreams to the real world if we don't know where to start.

Well, there are 100 ways...

1) Find a cause that truly matters to you, so that you can literally feel the passion running through your body as you hear about it and your eyes almost well up and you begin to think of the injustice behind it. Embrace the power you have as a human to care and concentrate it into causes that truly matter to you.
2) Donate money to cause above. It's basic, but always required.
3) Cut your hair for cancer. I did it, and it makes you feel great knowing that if you ever get another bad hair cut again you can just cut it short because been there done that! Oh AND you get to know you just made a cancer patient's life a lot easier... kind of a big deal.
4) Start your own chapter or club at school and hold meetings to promote, discuss, and take actions on your cause.
5) Participate in someone else's club. We're not all leader. HOWEVER, this does not excuse apathy or a lack of effort. You know if you're lying to yourself about 4).
6) Pick up litter. Not only does it hurt animals, it hurts us. It hurts the food we grow, the water we drink, and the world we live in. Bring gloves and a plastic bag.
7) Read a variety of media to keep up to date on current issues. You can't change something if you don't know it's happening.
8) Podcasts about social change are a quick and easy way to get information on the go, and by subscribing you're encouraging the actions of the people involved in producing them!
9) Set aside your latest buy and blog about something that means something to you every now and then. Reach out to your readership and encourage them to care too.
10) Donate sneakers to Unicef and make someone's long walk much easier.
12) Donate business clothes to Dress for Success to help a woman get back on her feet.
13) Donate everything else to Value Village.
14) Recycle!
15) But try to repair it first. It's better to fix something than to throw it away, even if it's a more ethical way to toss it!
16) Composting your food turns it into food for Mother Nature.
17) Using public transit saves road space and emissions, two things we're always making more of at the expense of the planet.
18) Answer surveys! Someone is asking you for your opinion. GIVE IT TO THEM!
19) Surveys also usually have a 'more?' box for your comments, and make sure to tell them more! Politicians come to your door to get youth to vote, so tell them what it will take. People want you to like their product, so you just have to set the terms around your goals and what you'd like to see them do for your cause.
20) Buy things from bake sales. We've all been there.

Thanks
21) Buy products that use waste minimal and more efficient packaging.
22) Question everything. Is something eco friendly if its shipped from China? it may be organic, but that's a lot of gas to get it over...
23) Buy local produce. Help local farmers.
24) Eat in season.
25) Get to know your local farms. They're not the same as the big scar factory ones you see on PETA commercials.
26) Plant carrots or tomatoes or some other thing that apparently anyone can grow.
27) Plant a tree.
28) Play games with children: check out Big Brothers Big Sisters.
29) Read books to the elderly.
30) Learn the names of the major politicians in your city, province, country...
31) Learn the names of key global politicians who are relevant to news today.
32) Vote. God.
33) Vote. Seriously. Even if you don't like anyone. Spoil your value if you have to. Just let them know you care and you're unimpressed.
34) Tell other people to vote.
35) Fight for other people to vote.
36) Make pamphlets about anything.
37) Hand them out.
38) Make a bag with a message.
39) Make t shirts, pins, buttons... make them have meaning.
40) Memorize inspirational quotations to keep you going.

Thanks!
41) Donate books to hospitals, to libraries, to schools...
42) Teach someone to read, be it a child or someone learning to speak English.
43) Attend local theater and concerts.
44) Have an awesome tote bag you take everywhere and decline when plastic is offered.
45) Get a reusable bottle. Nalgene and Sigg give you cancer or whatever apparently... just ignore brand names and find one you like and drink it. Make sure it's recyclable if it does crack.
46) Buy your clothing second hand.
47) Don't let people bully others
48) take shorter showers.
49) Save water by reusing it. That which you used to clean your dishes can go into your garden if you use natural soap, which you should anyways because it will just end up in your rainwater.
50) Plug everything into one extended power plug so you can just unplug it every night. Even turned out, it can drain power and waste energy.
51) Don't call people fat. Ever.
52) Don't worship models (admire isn't worship.)
53) Follow activists on Twitter. A lot of people have an account and sometimes that daily random does of inspiration is what you need to take action.
54) Hold a walk or rally for a cause. Make sure to increase visibility by making posters and wearing all one colour.
55) Read about famous activists and know what they've been through to accomplish what they have. It will put your struggle into perspective.
56) Know your history: the million man march changed everything, and you can too.
57) Speak intelligently. "That's retarded" is ignorant and offensive and only shows you know nothing about the situation they are going through.
58) Don't use stereotypes, they are the opposite of action.
59) Instead of avoiding labels like "feminist", redefine them to what they should be.
60) "It is better to rally for something then protest against something." -Me, a few months ago.
I still agree.
61) Tweet about one important thing a day and bring it to someone else's attention.

Thanks!
62) Don't feel self righteous just because you joined a cause on Facebook. Raising awareness helps, but one little thing like that is merely slactivism.
63) Start an informative website for people to go to when they want more information on what you're talking about.
64) Write letters to the editor.
65) Donate condoms.
66) Do not under any circumstances ever prevent anyone from buying condoms.
67) Realize abstinence only education is stupid. (Sorry, let's be real, I'd take educated sex over uneducated sex any day.)
68) Respect other peoples religions. Respect includes a basic knowledge so you don't continuously question them and make them feel different.
69) Support advertisers who represent genders, races, and other demographics equally and respectfully.
70) Watch the Special Olympics as well. They are just as exciting and challenging and heroic.
71) Support your troops. Even if you don't agree with the war. Even if they're acting funny because they came home and they're shell shocked and scared and angry and crying and not yet getting the help they need. Even if they seem normal but a little off somehow. Even if you don't support your own government's choices. Even if hald the people you know in the army are jerks. Support your troops. They're doing it for you.
72) Support alternative business models. Buying an item that donates some proceeds is not a charity, but it is a good business model.
73) Focus. Seriously. Just focus.
74) Don't always assume your North American mentality is right. It's tempting to look down at the struggling and preach to them, but preaching seldom actually helps the person in need.
75) Donate 10% of your income to charity.
76) Donate bottled water, blankets, batteries, sanitary, and nonperishable food to shelters and food banks.
77) Buy a present for someone less fortunate at every major holiday.
78) Never waste something someone else could use.
79) Donate pet food to local animal shelters.
80) Donate diapers
81) Teach English to immigrants.
82) Send letters to those fighting overseas.
83) Know what recovery position is in case someone has a seizure. Stand up for someone with autism who might not be able to express what's bothering them. Understand neurodiversity.
84) Give up your seat for people who actually need it on the bus. Someone who needs a cane can't take the jumps and bumps like most of you can.
85) Take pictures of things that are wrong; polluted lakes, racist vandalism... Have proof and be clear when you are taking a stand for something.

86) Be critical without being rude. No matter how hard you're working for good, if you're hyperactive and make ill founded statements against "the corporation" (its the new "the man.") you only discredit the cause and lend to a stereotype.
87) Read local news.
88) Make local news. Do something worth talking about. Contact them. Get creative.
89) Actually pay attention to when the news is advertising a missing child. People frequently say "Imagine being that parent" and feel pity, but imagine being the child who is scared and either alone or with someone dangerous. Now understand why it's important.
90) Research what animal had to suffer for you to buy eyeliner. Make the answer none.
91) Research how many children made the jeans you're wearing. Realize it.
92) Talk to your friends about things that bother you. If you find someone with similar views, it can be easier to realize how to make a movement.
93) Attend a meeting of a grassroot local movement.
94) Get to know your neighbors.
95) Instead of giving change to, or even looking away from the homeless, spend some time with an organization that can make a real difference in their lives. Stretch your coins into a change that can benefit more people instead of just one.
96) Push for your school board to keep from cutting art programs. Mental health is as important as physical health, and yet frequently gets shafted during decision making and budget times.
97) Give someone a musical instrument.
98) Give someone a copy of something that matters, like 1984, or even V for Vendetta.
99) Uh.... have I said 'Vote' enough yet?
100) " Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." -Plato.

Always,
Mary

Hey teenage girls, it's been a while...

Over and over we wax and wane poetically about adolescence gone askew as Fox News sends out headline after headline crying the plight of our troubled youth. Fox News cannot save the next generation, and although, my beautiful teenage girls, you are frequently dismissed as superficial and inadequate, I do believe you can solve the problems of the future despite being pegged as one of the present.

"Our girls nowadays, oh no! They're dressing scandalously, they're scary skinny they have low self esteem. BACK IN MY DAY...." Back in your day women baked cupcakes, gave birth to beautiful children and... were generally not encouraged to be educated and frequently the victims of horrific violent actions then considered maybe not acceptable, but at least permissible.

My point is, no matter how far back you go, women have pretty much always been considered the weaker of the two genders. Blame society, blame anatomy, when the teenage girls of today look back for guidance they can only really seek it from a generation who has struggled some kind of sexist battle before. Nowadays it's different; to call everything fair would be blind, but it's not the same defined fight it was before. Feminists throughout changed laws, which are generally clear and well written out, but in the process they also changed the definition of a girl, and there will be no handbook provided for this.

It's healthy to have someone you can look up to and admire in times of moral crisis, but I frequently question the role models chosen by society for the young women of today. I don't even blame whoever is the current poster child of Disney for inevitably taking her clothes off any more, and have to laugh at those who are shocked by it.

"But MileyVanessaBrittneyInsertNameHere... my little darling looks up to her! She loves that show!"

So what? What does this starlet have to prove to your daughter? Who was the first person to say, "Oh you can act, you can sing, you are thus morally superior"? And why on earth did you fall for this person's grave mistake? In ancient Greece the philosophers and the actors were hardly in the same class, and we generally hold that society as a beacon of what is (primitively) rational and intelligent.

And yet we continue to hold mainly people who have a job in an industry known as entertainment up as pillars of ethics. Why can't we teach our girls that to like someone and to look up to someone is not the same thing? Even a few months ago I was under the delusion that this world lacked good female role models. I could not have been more mistaken. It may be hard to see the sun when there is smog in the air blocking the view, but the sun is still there, shining.

You can call me crazy for thinking every seven year old girl should learn at least some of the intricate, complex philosophical lessons of Simone de Beauvoir, but is it really more appalling then letting her sit mindlessly in front of stupid musical number after stupid musical number onscreen as the stars of it strip for magazines and comply to the desires of a perverted public thanks to a perverted corporation in their off hours? A girl will only produce results comparable to what she has been able to experience, so let her experience the genius of women at a young age. Don't sit her down with The Second Sex and ask her to let you know if she has any questions later... let her know who great women were, and what made them great. Take lessons, not quotations, and give them to her at a young age. Teach her that the definition of a woman is fluid, and "expressing urself!" is more than buying the right accessories.

This is not about being cultured, this is not about restricting her intake of a media you cannot keep her away from, this is laying the foundations of goodness and intelligent thinking so the next coked out starlet on the cover of The Inquirer is someone she thought was cool, not someone she thought was God. She might not understand those images when she sees them, and you might breath a sigh of relief when she forgets she asked "Mommy, what's a sex tape?" earlier, but you cannot pretend those misunderstood images did not make an impact on the shaping of her opinion and views on life.

It's much easier to slowly build a wall than to have to knock one down and start over again, so talk to her while she's young. Everyone makes different choices. You can make your own. Every human is relevant to society. You are a human. You are relevant. Those confusing thoughts and opinions you have, even when you role your eyes at me at call me lame, those are important, and I care about them. When you show that you are thinking for yourself and developing your own opinions, I see a light in your eyes that is incomparable to any other greatness, and I am truly proud of you.

I know it's hard to reach out and tell someone younger than you "this is what a woman isn't!" when you're hardly a woman, but displaying an affection and compassion to someone that you may have never shown yourself might just mean that you are that voice you needed but didn't have. If you don't teach the girls who matter to you how to think for themselves, some other outlet, possibly one much more sinister, will teach them how to think for it.
The greatest way to show you care is to care.
Go care today.

Always,
Mary

PS: This is totally inspired by Lee.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

This is what happens when you allow your child to hang around with her grandmother who is too involved in the art scene.

Suddenly she is obsessed with being part of expressionists paintings and only eats Campbell's brand soup.
Never underestimate your influence on someone and who they might become.
Here's to all the strong women out there; you may not all be mothers but I'm sure everyone is a mentor to someone and has the power to touch someone's lives in a meaningful way!

Love you Mom (& both grandmas...!)

Always,
Mary

PS: Posting has been weird lately, hasn't it? Normal posts soon...
PPS: THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BIRTHDAY WISHES! But more on that tomorrow...

Newsflash: "That's so Gay" is Not Okay

(hint: Neither is "He totally Jewed me" or "That's so retarded.")
Thanks prideinisrael.com for the image.

Yesterday was International Remember the Holocaust Day. Not a lot of people realized this, but that does not mean you cannot take a minute to acknowledge in tragedy that concluded with an inordinate number of lives lost and destroyed by intense hatred, disgusting intimidation, and a fear and incomprehension about other kinds of people.

Because that's what it is, incomprehension.

And although what you do every day or from time to time might not be tantamount to dictatorship and genocide, when you use slurs and deprecatory language, you are sharing and adding to that level of incomprehension that grew to create epic adversity against humanity.

Readers, Homosexuals are one of you. (In fact, you could be homosexual for all I know.) This seems obvious, but why do I have to remind you? Shut up about gay marriage and what any book you've ever read might have told you, because I am a devout Christian yet somehow I manage to respect and tolerate people who love other people with the same parts. Don't even think of gay marriage for a second, how about you think of gay respect?

Many opinions are held on homosexuality, but you know what is not an opinion? The question of whether or not they are human. What gives YOU the right to turn something they have been labeled into an insult? Why are you so bold as to think that it "doesn't matter" when you call things gay? I don't care what anyone says for any reason, I guarantee treating people with love and respect takes priority.

Homosexuals burned in death camps along with their Jewish brothers and sisters. The Roma people, many religious officials, rebels, and people with mental and physical disabilities suffered with them. Let's take a minute to remember everyone who saw the inhumanities of poisoned showers... human fat being used to make soap and candles... real, living, breathing, thinking people crying and wondering when it would stop.

So when does it stop? If you actually dare to imply you promote genocide, you can keep your opinion and get the hell off of this blog. Good. Now for the rest of you, my precious darlings that I pray nothing comparable every occurs to you, or anyone you love, or anyone ever... You pronounce yourself to be against genocide, and this is beautiful and worthy, however, what is your language saying?

Please never forget: people first, labels second.

Always,
Mary

How to Form a Protest!*

*a more public relations friendly version of this word is “gather of people with a likeminded passion for activism. With signs.” Or at least that’s what I told the police officer.

A lot of people have noticed that there are certain causes I am very passionate about. Be it ranting about body image or writing about Darfur, I try my hardest to get my point across; change must happen.

And what better way to try to make that change happen? A large group of people demanding it.

Some of you may have read back about my large yet legal protest I organised regarding the disgustingly huge human rights violations happening in the region of Darfur right now, and I promised I’d explain how you can get involved. Obviously, my pet cause is genocide so all terms will be based around that, but this can apply for whatever suffering you are trying to end.

1) Find people who care. They are out there, and they will help you. They may be a bit tricky to find but once you do you will love it. You need a core base of people to get together with you somewhat frequently and advertise this thing like it is the apocalypse. I did a lot of the work on mine almost on my own because my support base wasn’t very strong, but it is so much easier when everyone has a task.

2) Find people who don’t care, and make them care. The average person might be reluctant to give up even the slightest minute for a battered people, but you must use all your charm and sway to make them see the truth. For example…

“Did you know that in Darfur women are often raped brutally several times by several different men before eventually being shot?”

Seriously, if people say no to that… well.. Draw your own conclusions. Also, you need to appeal to people’s sense of fun, not just their sense of charity. As much as you’d like for them to care, a lot of people are busy or unmotivated. Let them know it’s going to be the biggest thing they’ve seen in ages, there will be more of their friends there, and there will be free cookies! Yaaaaaaaaay cookies!

3) Never beg. Never bug. Never argue. Some people are busy, and you have to accept that. As much as you’d like them to care, they don’t, or they do but they can’t. Begging and bugging is frustrating for everyone and just makes your cause look worse. Furthermore, don’t try to convert the negative people who think your cause is stupid. (“Oh my God we can’t do everything let black people help themselves…” Yes, sadly this is a real racist comment I heard whilst campaigning. Oh joy.) They are annoying, but constantly arguing will just lead to them trying to sabotage your lovely efforts with comments you may make while frustrating. Instead, just shake your head, give a “cluck cluck” to yourself, and say, “I’m sorry you feel this way” and strut off, feeling fabulous. BURN.

Optional: Add, “Wow, it’s amazing you can stay in that position for so long. You know the, the your head is up your ass one. You go walk 4 hours for water every night before you say that while carrying your fake Louis Vuitton. We can’t do everything, but you’ve done nothing, bitch.” like I did.

I’m sorry folks, I can’t always be classy.

4) Set a good date and time. Keep the route in prominent areas, and have it well known ahead of time. Choose a date that’s easy for people. I chose mid afternoon on a Saturday which seemed to work the best. I also found stopping points worked well for gathering people. I stopped at major places like universities and parks so everyone had a minute to breath.

5) Keep it legal. Make sure the police know your route for this peaceful protest. Make sure the starting point and the ending point are not only clear, but booked so you aren’t trespassing. You’d be amazed who owns what. I chose a junior high school as the starting point and the city hall as the end, and both had to be booked. The police were also incredibly helpful and had a car block off the streets for us as we banged our way down. If you have any type of entertainment after, make sure you have a noise permit.

6) Find out how to book a megaphone. If you have speakers or even just organising a large crowd before the walk requires it.

7) Let local politicians know. Politicians love photo ops and youth activism. If you stress how grass root this is, but remain professional, they’d love to show up. Make sure they understand it’s legal, and make sure you don’t bash any political party. Even though Stephen Harper has done little for Sudan, I avoided bashing the Conservatives to look mature, and thus garner a better reputation amongst the politicians, who can get stuff done.

8) Advertise like crazy. Make lots of posters, and post them everywhere. Make sure you recycle them when done! Can you afford radio space? Will the newspapers donate some slots? How about morning announcements at school? Oh, how about FACEBOOK. If everyone invites their friends it’s easy to message the entire event and tell them new info, and to spread the word. I got the word all over my province with just one network!

9) Ask for donations. Have a good charity that is related to your event so you can raise funds as well as awareness. Half the time though, awareness is more important. Bonus points if you have something to sell, like pins of a bracelet.

10) Let the media know. Give them a cell phone number, a starting spot, a place to meet you so they can photograph your crowd and do a story on your group, thus promoting the cause. To be honest, reporters tend to care more about what kids are doing then the cause itself, but it still gets it out there. Call all major news stations and make sure they know!

11) Be happy, no matter what. You’ve worked hard on this! If it’s 5 people or 500 people, if it’s raining or sunny, you have to deal with it and be glad it’s happening. Be optimistic, and everyone will want to hear about your cause! Grouchy people on the side of the street are nooo fun.

It takes effort. It takes lots of effort. And months of planning. But if saving the world was easy, we would have done it already. We often forget about the meaning of the word sacrifice, and putting aside a little bit of effort for a big cause hardly constitutes that.

Instead think of all the people in Darfur who have died in efforts to let their children live.

Think of the grandparents who walk four hours a night to get water for their family.

Think of sharing what little food you have.

That is sacrifice. We’re just being moral.

Always,

Mary