for your ease of reading

subject: world overpopulation, the issues
style: urgent, concerned
source: James Thurber

"There is no safety in numbers, or in anything else."

[Posted 5.2, 9:42.]

[Major edit 5.4, 18:02.]

An issue, which I think is the most important and most urgent problem in the world today, and which, from what I have seen, has received very little to no attention in the media and in the public eye, is the prospect of and potential for world overpopulation. In fact, when it was briefly mentioned in biology class in eighth grade, I had to essentially figure out for myself that it was a big problem. I began going over it in my head and thought, Hey, isn't this sort of a big deal ? I thought maybe I was mistaken or I had misheard, and that perhaps it really wasn't a big deal, because I had never heard anyone talk about it. But when I researched for information on the subject, my suspicions (and my fears) were confirmed. There is information online after all. It is a problem. It is the worst problem. And it has even been said that it is the only problem. If the world were not overpopulated, we would not have anywhere near as much to worry about as we do today. And if somebody doesn't spread awareness on this issue soon, the entirety of the human race will pay the price. Everyone will suffer. Thus, I take it into my own hands.

(The facts, from "Why Population Matters" on http://www.overpopulation.org/. You should go read the rest of that page, seriously.)

"Though more than two-thirds of the planet is covered with water, only a small fraction (around 0.3 percent) is available for human use and reuse. And no more of this renewable fresh water is available today than existed at the dawn of human civilization. World population, currently 6.5 billion, is growing by another 76 million people per year. According to the UN the world will add another 2.6 billion people by 2050. Rapid population growth has placed incredible stress on Earth's resources. Global demand for water has tripled since the 1950s, but the supply of fresh drinking water has been declining because of over-pumping and contamination. Half a billion people live in water-stressed or water-scarce countries, and by 2025 that number will grow to three billion. In the last 50 years, cropland has been reduced by 13% and pasture by 4%."

The bottom line is, there are too many people in the world. And worse, we do not have enough resources for everyone. What's more, the number of people is skyrocketing, and meanwhile, our resources are certainly not growing; if anything, they are shrinking. The birth rate is increasing exponentially, and the death rate is decreasing as life expectancy continues to grow. Do you see the problem here, folks ? This needs to be stopped !

Throughout the remainder of this post, I shall address several of the most controversial issues in the world today, and how they can be easily and logically solved, simply by taking into consideration the urgency of world overpopulation, (what should be) our foremost concern at all times. (Keep in mind I am not implying these are necessarily my own views; but most of them are, and those that are not should be.)

Homosexuality. Gay couples can't have children. This is good. More gays means a safer and healthier world for all.

Same-sex marriage. If they can marry, they will be more likely to stay gay. We have already established this is good.

Abortion. It is an easy way to ease population growth without killing people. Pro-choice all the way.

Adoption. It gives you children, without adding to the head-count. Much preferable.

Large family. Try to keep them small, please. Every child you bear brings us one step closer to annihilation. If you want more, you can adopt.

Premarital sex. It raises the risk of having babies. Don't do it.

Unprotected sex. It drastically raises the risk of having babies. Come on, guys. Be careful.

I will add more as they come to mind.

So basically, make sure you don't have children unless you plan it out beforehand. And even then, it should only be if you passionately want to. I mean, there are about sixty million married couples living in the United States today. [http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005055.html] And that's just married couples. So imagine:  if every couple in America -- just in America -- decided to have another child, we would be bringing sixty million more people into the world. What do we do with them then ?

I always see people fighting to save one another's lives. Stop child hunger, put war to rest, you know the spiel. You know what, though ? Ironically enough, war and violence and such are the things that have stopped the population from having exploded already; all because people are simply too selfish to stop having so many babies. If the Holocaust and the Crusades and the Inquisition and all the horrible plagues and diseases had never devastated the human race, we would all be fighting each other to stay alive. Saving people's lives is nice and all, certainly; I have no intentions to go off on a killing spree. But before you so fervently advocate world peace, first make sure we have enough room on this planet to hold everybody when people stop dying. The population needs to stop rising; otherwise, we all die. The population needs to stop rising. We can either kill innocent people, or keep them from coming into the world in the first place. You choose.

Think about it. Think, think about it.

misanthropy is rising

subject: ignorance, religion, arguments
style: intellectual
source: Albert Einstein

"Only two things are infinite,

the universe and human stupidity,

and I'm not sure about the former."

[Post begun on listed date;

completed on 4.29, 20:25.]

My misanthropy level is rising.

It has been quite a long while since I actually took the time to write anything noteworthy concerning religion. Nowadays I normally aim to stay away from getting into arguments about religion with religious people, because I have found that their minds are typically so terribly melded that you have trouble making any sense out of what they have to say, and even if you can, they certainly are not going to even remotely accept your input, and it will just end up turning into a huge fiasco where everybody hates one another's guts, so it is usually best to just stay away from them altogether and not even make the smallest attempt to voice your doubts of their righteousness. But today's little encounter has given me the inspiration I needed to speak out once again. And I suppose it might be worthwhile to hold an argument with a nonreligious person who happens to disagree with me, so I might as well give it a shot.

Allow me to start by saying that, when I made that statement today, I was not looking to start up a full-fledged debate. She said she wanted to know what it feels like to have blind faith. I said she wanted to know what it feels like to be ignorant. I was simply restating her point in different words. I suppose I presumed the fact that blind faith is characterized by ignorance was common sense. I still believe it is; but I apologize for assuming the average person is characterized by common sense.

For the record, I was not in the most ideal situation to be winning an argument. I was basically pitted against four or five other people; and it is not my nature in the first place to debate, let alone am I capable of fending off several opponents at once. I am willing to admit that I am not particularly good at oral arguments, and I should not be penalized for this reason. More importantly, I find that far too often, I am put down for not coming up with a retort for a certain statement right away. I can only assume that this is how everyone is treated in argument. Is it so terrible that I would rather think over my answer before I respond, so that I am relatively certain I believe in what I am saying, than blurt out the first comeback that pops into my head, while I am able to stand by my own statement only halfheartedly ? I think not.

In fact, now that I think about it, this must be a major reason for all the ignorance and lack of logic in the world. People always think they need to have an answer for every question as quickly as possible, often within moments, and they become so obsessed with beating their rivals to the punch that they never take the time to actually think through their reasoning and come up with a quality stance.

But as I have said, I am not one of those people. Which is why I infinitely prefer writing a long-winded rant about something than getting into a real-time battle of words with someone in which I am expected to rush to conclusions at every step of the way. So now I get my way.

Also notice that I never claimed ignorance was a bad thing. No, not at all. It certainly has its perks. Ignorance, as they say, can be blissful. And in fact, I myself would love to be able to experience what it feels like to be ignorant, under the condition, of course, that I could return to my original enlightened state when I had had enough. But this condition, of course, is unlikely in a real-life scenario, because it appears (from my experience) that once you submit to passive thought and naivete, it is quite a task to dig yourself back out.

Ignorance can by all means be positive. And it follows that I was not making, nor did I intend to make, any negative or defamatory statement regarding either a specific religion or the institute of established religion in general. It just so happens that I am not particularly fond of religion, but that is entirely separate and has little to no bearing on the issue at hand.

In fact, I made a mental connection recently that provided a little bit of insight, regarding Panic at the Disco. A great number of people really don't like Panic at the Disco or their music, and disapprove of anything associated with their name. Meanwhile, I happen to view them as my favorite band. What several other people detest, I spend time with on a daily basis. I immerse myself in the brilliance of their music, and I typically find it to be a fascinating, heartwarming, enriching experience. Perhaps the same, or a similar, statement can be said about religion. It works for some people, manages to make them happy, but for others it has an entirely contrary effect; and this is not something that necessarily needs to be reconciled. But the dispute here is not whether religion is a good thing.

The statement in question is, by extension, that "believing in God is ignorant."

"Ignorant" is defined by the modern Random House Dictionary as:

• lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned
  
• lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact
  
• uninformed; unaware
  
• due to or showing lack of knowledge or training
  

Someone who believes in God [or a god] by blind faith (and considering the overwhelming lack of evidence, I do not see any other manner by which to believe in God) assumes that what she is told by her religious leaders is the truth, without requesting any proof, without looking into it for herself, without taking into consideration the countless other options (namely, all the other religions of the world). She believes because she has been told to believe. The sole factor driving her to implant her faith in Catholicism (for example) and not in any other religion is peer pressure. She has been told, by people she looks up to and trusts, the same allegations over and over so many times that they have been reinforced in her mind as truths. It works on the same principles that convince young children to believe, without a doubt in their mind, that Santa Claus drops in through their chimney once a year and gives them presents, along with all the other good kids of the world. Children believe what their parents believe, almost without fail; especially when they are "taught" what to believe in church on a regular basis. The same process occurs with political beliefs and ideologies; it's called political socialization. Their minds are melded at an early age, while they are still considerably weak and naive, so that when they reach a more self-conscious age at which they can make their own decisions, the major ideological and sectarian choices have already been made for them, and they stand by their beliefs as faithfully as though they had had a say in them.

People sustain religion because they want answers (comfort, consolation, whatever you want to call it); while all along, they are fully unaware that by doing so, they have stopped asking questions. Who but a fool would expect an answer to a question they never asked ?

They believe because they have been told to believe. If there is a better word for this than "ignorant," I certainly cannot think of it.

Meanwhile, people like me were not force-fed any beliefs during our childhood, and look where we ended up. Sensible and mature, composed and intellectual.

Thank you for your time.

p.s. You asked me whether my unawareness of how it feels to live someone else's life makes me ignorant. The answer is simple; so simple, in fact, that I had to hold myself back from answering straightaway for fear of having misinterpreted the query. The answer is yes. Do I need to explain ?

they just get me

"sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole

just like a faucet that leaks,

and there is comfort in the sound.

but while you debate half-empty or half-full,

it slowly rises.

your love is gonna drown."

"cos in my head, there's a greyhound station

where i send my thoughts to far-off destinations,

so they may have a chance of finding a place

where they're far more suited than here."

"i'm honored to be your first special someone.

my greatest wish is to be your last."

i don't know why i didn't see this earlier.

what happens in the middle

doesn't make a difference.

reminiscence

source: Correspondence

[10.16.08, two weeks before It happened.]

"i'm sick of being afraid.

i'm sick of hiding.
i'm sick of pretending i'm happy with what we are.

when i go to a dance, or a luau, and everyone asks me, "where's diana
?" i want to tell them, "she's coming."
when our friends mock us cos they think we're too pda-y, when teachers
come by and yell at us for "hanging out" at school .. i want to tell
them everything. i want to tell them it's the only time and place we
have a chance to be together. i want to tell them we're breaking up in
eight months. i want to tell them to give us a break, because we're
the closest couple in our grade, and yet it won't last.
i want to tell them we only have about 100 hours left together. (i counted.)
i want to be able to list my relationship status on facebook as "in a
relationship with diana" and not "it's complicated."

but i can't. i can't do any of those things.

so instead, we need to get as far away from this place as possible."

If only.

optimism

We finally agree.

appearances

We managed to make ends meet,

but we never actually took the time

to unravel them.

How long will it take ?

Siempre estaremos restringidos

por las ataduras.

[Visualized and finalized 4.22.9, by siesta lingo.

Sketched in pencil. Solidified with assorted pens:

Foray gel ink; Uni-ball Vision Elite; Paper-mate Profile.

Ballpoints range from fine (0.7mm) to bold (1.4mm).]

repentance accented with dissent

subject: two despondent responses to one correspondent
style: helpful
source: Mr. Cellophane, Chicago

"Everyone gets noticed now and then,
unless of course, that personage should be
invisible, inconsequential me.

Mister Cellophane should've been my name,
'cos you can look right through me,
walk right by me, and never know I'm there."

Well, in that case,

I'm sorry I ruined everything.

There is just one more thing.

I still fail to see

why you know what's best,

why I should have to act

according to your standards,

do what you want me to do.

It's a shame you want to give it up.

I have a feeling you would have made

a really great friend.

[And now it gets even better.]

"I didn't want to talk about it because I wanted to see what would happen between us. I wondered what it'd be like. I didn't want to think about my parents or anything."

I completely understand what you were aiming for. And ideally, it would have worked, if I hadn't known. If I hadn't known about your religion, I wouldn't have held back, and you could have seen "what it'd be like." That's what you wanted. You wanted me to be unaware of the restrictions holding us apart, so you could discern whether we'd work together. But the problem was that the initial conditions changed. You didn't want me to, but I found out. And once I found out, your plan was no longer valid. You wanted things to happen naturally. You wanted to see if we could have a healthy, normal relationship. (Shame on you for thinking we could ever be normal.) Honestly, I too would have loved for it to have been that way. I too wanted to see how it would unfold naturally. But unfortunately, when I have to deal with that sort of ly information, when I have to know it will never work, it sort of prevents anything from happening naturally.

Frankly, I'm with you. I wish I had never known. I wish she had never told me. Because then your plan would have worked, and we would have been normal. And we might very well have been able to work up enough faith in fate to be able to overcome these hardships.

But instead, we are stuck with this. With nothing. We just have to forfeit our wishes. We have to make do with never being able to see each other again.

Funny, how one little scrap of knowledge can utterly spoil everything. Funny, how religion can transmogrify a happily-ever-after into the suffering and eventual death of an ideal love.

What is it I have been saying all along ?

[How's one last addendum, for the road ?]

So many people fritter away their lives with on-and-off relationships.
I don't want to do that.
No. What I would like is an on-and-off-and-on relationship.
I like the sound of that.

sometimes my mind disagrees with me, longitudinally speaking

I seriously

don't know what to

think. Silly me, for giving

you my heart. This I don't

understand: that now, this is

how you repay me ? That's

terrific. Tell me, who do

you think you

are ?

we were victims, together but lonely

subject: point of view
style: I already used "nostalgic," didn't I ?
source: Jack Johnson, If I Had Eyes

"Sometimes time doesn't heal; no, not at all.

It just stands still, while we fall

in or out of love again.

I doubt I'm gonna win you back

when you've got eyes like that.

They won't let me in, always looking out."

My head is reeling.

Six months. Wow. It has been six months. The period of time I've not had her is already half as long as the time I did have her.

And now, I shall go to Guiness for most times denied in six months. FML.

No, I get it. You're done wasting your time. That's cool.

But you know, I do still exist. I think. It is really awkward being forced to walk behind you rather than alongside you; it makes me feel like I am stalking you, and I don't like that. A "hi" would be nice.

Or maybe a "bye," at least ?

Then again, I have found that it is best not to say good-bye, because usually when you do, you always regret not having hugged them harder.

But the trouble with leaving it out, and just cutting off contact without any warning, is that I am never quite sure whether you intend for it to be a permanent thing, or whether it is just another "give me some time off" sort of deal.

There is nothing I can say.

it's your turn

Post as anonymous user:

1. One secret.
2. One compliment.
3. One non-compliment.
4. One love note, but it does not have to be for me.
5. Lyrics to a song.
6. How long we've been friends.
7. (Optional) And a hint to who you are.

-ships

subject: letters #2
style: varied
source: Taking Back Sunday, Makedamnsure

"I just want to break you down so badly,
while I trip over everything you say.
I just want to break you down so badly
in the worst way."

You know something ?
I had a lot of fun last night.
And you weren't there.
Yes.
It just gets better and better.

to II:
Spirited. That's what you are.

to RG:
This doesn't feel quite right.
I gave it a 30-day trial period,
but now it has just sort of
lost its appeal.
Even if I can't have her,
she is better than you.
And assuming whoever is best for me will have me
(not that whoever would have me is best for me),
logically, she can't possibly be you.
I'm sorry. I hope you didn't
expect this to work.

to new T:
I admire the relationship
you have with your father.
It's refreshing.

I guess, for Me, this is enough

subject: eighteen
style: affrighted
source: Metro Station, Seventeen Forever

"We're one mistake from being together,

but let's not ask why it's not right.

You won't be seventeen forever,

and we can get away with this tonight."

28 more days

and I shall be

seventeen

no longer.

I'm scared.

Time doesn't

wait up

for patience.

raising your children to save the world

subject: things I can't say

style: admonitory

source: George Carlin [at the end]

Child, before I let you go,

there is something you need to know.

Wherever you go,

there will always be people

who try to give you

wrong ideas about the way

the world works.

Some people will tell you

a giant rabbit comes out

in the springtime and

breaks into your house

when you're sleeping

with a basket full of goodies

to give you candy

and hide painted eggs

for you to find in the morning.

They call him the Easter Bunny.

He doesn't exist.

Some people will tell you

a magical creature with wings

called a fairy

breaks into your house

when you're sleeping

and steals your fallen teeth

from beneath your pillow

in exchange for pocket change

for you to find in the morning.

They call him the Tooth Fairy.

He doesn't exist.

Some people will tell you

a naked baby with wings

flies around with his bow

and his quiver of arrows

and shoots them at people

without warning

to make them fall in love.

They call him Cupid.

He doesn't exist.

Some people will tell you

tiny Irish men

always clad in green

wander around the world

and if you find one

he will lead you

to the end of a rainbow

for you to claim a pot full of gold.

They call them leprechauns.

They don't exist, and

rainbows are actually circular.

Some people will tell you

an overweight old man

in need of a trim

breaks into your house

when you're sleeping

with a sack full of goodies

by landing atop your roof

and sliding down your chimney

to eat your cookies

and give you toys and games

wrapped up in boxes and colourful paper

for you to find in the morning.

They call him Santa Claus.

He doesn't exist.

Some people will tell you

a patriarchal wizard

lives in a magical sky kingdom

watching your every move.

They call him God.

He

Oh, is it time already ?

Well, I think you get the point.

"Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man -- living in the sky -- who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do.. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time! ..But He loves you."

I dream in terms of storm-drenched philosophies and lovesick ultimata

subject: a dream I enjoyed this morning
style: nostalgic
source: William Penn

"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst."

I missed the beginning, so I don't quite know exactly how or why I came to be where and when I did. But somehow, I knew. In the dream, I knew. That I had been taken back in time about a year or so, and that I would only get to stay there for one day. One day. It certainly depends on the day. Fortunately it was a weekday. I was driven to school; and the only thing I cared about was finding her, as soon as possible. I had to find her so as I could hold her hand. I so badly needed to find her. I knew I had to hold her hand, because I knew she would let me. And it has been 155 days since she let me. Nothing else even crossed my mind. That was all I cared about. To stay with her for as long as possible while she would still let me in again.

I ran through the pouring rain, to where I thought she might be waiting. I found her. She reached out her delicate fingertips to proffer a signal of sweet salvation. I grabbed on. Stared deep into her eyes, clasped her tighter, held on and didn't let go. Smiled.

I had forgotten how good it felt.