Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Eight Random Things


My friend Ashley, tagged me for this, so here's to you:

1. I’m an ecofeminist! Wikipedia defines Ecofemism as:

• Ecofeminists argue that a relationship exists between the oppression of women and the degradation of nature, and explore the intersectionality between sexism, the domination of nature, racism, speciesism, and other characteristics of social inequality. Some current work emphasizes that the capitalist and patriarchal system is based on triple domination of the "Southern people" (those people who live in the Third World, the majority of which are south of the First World), women, and nature.

I am not really an ecofeminist, but more a fan of the ethicist Arne Næss. Neass is responsible for Ecophosphy T, which developed into the Deep Ecology movement. However, Naess thought that everyone should develop his or her own philosophy, so that is what I did. After writing about a 50 page thesis on my rational thoughts of how humans should behave. Upon sharing my paper with philosophers all over the world it turns out my ethic is most similar to a philospher, Chris Cuomo, who is an Ecofeminist, at the University of Cincinnati.

2. I desperately want to be my own boss. I am going to start my own business that can most easily be described as an ecologically friendly Home Depot! I will write more about this in a future post, but it is in the works!

Maybe run for office once I am old and crusty?

3. I fantasize everyday about moving to the mountains. Do not care which ones, but I always feel at home in the mountains. I have lived in Aspen, been to the North Cascades, Sawatch Range, San Juan Mountains, Elk Mountains, Front Range, Gore Range, Mosquito Range, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Sierra Nevada Range, Tetons, Alps, the Dolomites and Hiked about 600 miles in the Appalachians. I am not sure if I will ever move out of Ohio? I have a lot going for me here: Family, Friends, 100 acres and a cabin in the Hocking Hills, 120-acre family farm just south of C-bus that has been in the fam since 1860 and connections out of the wahzoo, but would I be happier in an environment surrounded by people who share my passions, I don’t know.

4. I used to think that I was a superhero; I secretly still think I am. Up until I was in first grade, I wore a cape. I interchanged a black cape and a red cape, but always had a cape. My favorite song is by Guy Clark: The Cape

• Eight years old with flour sack cape
Tied all around his neck
He climbed up on the garage
Figurin’ what the heck
He screwed his courage up so tight
The whole thing come unwound
He got a runnin’ start and bless his heart
He headed for the ground

Chorus

He’s one of those who knows that life
Is just a leap of faith
Spread your arms and hold you breath
Always trust your cape

All grown up with a flour sack cape
Tied all around his dream
He’s full of piss and vinegar
He’s bustin’ at the seams
He licked his finger and checked the wind
It’s gonna be do or die
He wasn’t scared of nothin’, Boys
He was pretty sure he could fly

Chorus

Old and grey with a flour sack cape
Tied all around his head
He’s still jumpin’ off the garage
And will be till he’s dead
All these years the people said
He’s actin’ like a kid
He did not know he could not fly
So he did

Nowadays, it is more I think I have a higher since of empathy than just about anyone does, might be my power. In addition, I also am always pushing the boundaries of my physical limitations, whether through hiking, biking, climbing or diving I am always on a mission to go further, higher and deeper to test my own limits.

5. I don’t drink soda-pop ever. Sometimes I will drink carbonated water (often flavored carbonated water) and every once in a while I will drink tonic water (mostly just with gin.) I miss Italy where wine was cheaper than water and all the water was sparkling spring water. Bellissimo!

6. Everyone that knows me well thinks I should be a chef or in catering. This boy can cook! It doesn’t hurt that I did an undergraduate in Plant Biology. I can identify just about everything edible in the wild and can grow just about anything. I love cooking! Eating, for me, is the most sensual activity next to making love. However, Socrates thought of cooking as a form of flattery, a knack that only produces "a kind of gratification and pleasure" and no real good.

To Socrates, cookery fails to reflect a rational and ideal world but rather concerns itself with what may be considered tasty by a particular gourmand. The real good would be medicine. This is ingrained deep in my psyche. While I know this is antiquated and chefs like Jamie Oliver and Black Creek Bistro are making a difference in the world, I have a hard time arguing with Socrates.

7. I am a dreadful speller. Everything that I write has been spell checked. I also have appalling handwriting. I’m lucky that I was born in the computer age, pretty sure I would be in remedial classes and riding the short bus if I didn’t type everything. I scored 12.9th grade on everything on my CTBS test in second grade, except spelling where it was at a second grade level. That never changed.

8. I am terrible with girls.

• I am sentimental to the point of sappy. You would think that girls would like a sentimental gentleman, but they also like hard to get and alpha males. All fights I have had since middle school have pretty much been because I see a guy (pretending to be a alpha) mistreating (In my opinion) a gal, yet the gal sticks around. Evolution needs to hurry up, damn you geologic time. Gals, why don’t you realize that in the 21st century that us intelligent and sentimental boys are going to be better mates in almost every aspect.
• I over think everything and I mean everything.
• I am really persnickety and vain, not necessarily on a particular phenotype but more on intelligence, personality and interests. Now that I’ve stated that, I’m certainly not adverse to a healthy body and big beautiful eyes. I think there are only about 15 people in Columbus who I would go on a first date with.
• I am weird (Did you read the rest of this post; I rest my case)
• I am a metro-sexual and get hit on by boys much more than girls
• Most of my idealized girls turn out to be lesbians? Not sure why but I have asked out about an equal amount of lesbians and straight gals. Maybe it is that I get lesbians confused with people who share my values

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