What I’m Thankful for…and how to Make Others Just a Little More Thankful, too

Thanksgiving is over. The relatives have left. The turkey is all gone. All of the football games are over. My hangover from last night is gone. So what am I doing this Friday? Other than watching the Bruins game and the LSU vs Arkansas game, I’m thinking of what I am thankful for. And damn, do I have to be thankful for.

I’m thankful for my family and friends always being there for me. While I know people who have lost parents or grandparents, or whose parents divorced, my parents live together, and both sets of my grandparents are healthy and living within a 20 minute car ride from me, and I see them on a weekly basis. As a matter of fact, I have been fortunate enough to not even have attended a funeral in my life…yet. I am blessed with having the best friends ever…kind, honest, intelligent individuals who legitimately care about me, who stand up for me, and who comfort me in my failures and celebrate with me during my triumphs. True friends who are there for me in need, whether just to talk to when I’m down, provide advice, or give me rides to interviews when I did not yet have a car, or drive me home at 2 AM on a Saturday night so that I do not blow even more money on a cab or get a DUI.

I am fortunate to be living in the United States, where unlike in other countries, I can state my opinions without fear of being jailed or killed. I do not need to fear concentration camps, like in North Korea just for, saying the wrong thing, or get in trouble for this, like in China or Cuba or Iran or Venezuela. In this country, I am judged for my intelligence, personality and character, rather than my nationality, religion, or color, like my parents and grandparents were in the Soviet Union, or like most of Europe until after World War II. Though at times it appears like the economy here is falling apart, I feel so fortunate to have literally any type of entertainment right at my fingertips. I am lucky to be living in such a diverse society, where I can be exposed to virtually any type of culture. In too many countries, people do not get the opportunity to meet people different from them, and as a result just go by stereotypes that their government or parents or teachers say, making them xenophobic and ignorant. But not here. I am lucky to have friends from Germany to Ghana, from Ecuador to England, from Columbia to Cuba, from India to Israel to Iran. I have white, African, Asian, and Native American friends. I have Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and atheist friends. I can eat falafel from an Arabic eatery for breakfast, enjoy lunch in Chinatown, have a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant, and then go out to an Irish pub, where I can meet Brazilian, Lebanese, Italian, French, Swedish, and gorgeous women from all over the world. The overwhelming majority of the world cannot do these things because they don’t live in the USA. Why do you think that so many people want to live here? Why would the Mexicans risk their lives trying to get in here in 120 degree trucks or Cubans risk drowning in tiny boats just to get here? I am in eternal and irreparable debt for the many opportunities that it has given me the thankful for what this wonderful country has done for me.

I am thankful to be a member of the 21^st century, where technology does amazing things. Just imagine. Only 10 years ago, we didn’t have Facebook or smartphones. Only 20 years ago, we didn’t have cell phones or the Internet, or HD TVs. Only 50 years ago, there were no TVs, and no color or digital cameras. Only 100 years ago, most people did not own cars. Planes could not yet fly across oceans. Look at us now. We can get to anywhere in the world in a single day just by hopping on a plane. We can go skiing or hiking or to the beach just by driving there. We can save hours of research by looking things up on Google or on Wilkepedia. We can share our photos on Facebook, chat with friends about evening plans, and find out where the parties are at. We can tweet about big sports plays while the players are still celebrating them on the field. Only my generation has the ability to be watching 4 soccer games online, while watching the college football game, while studying for the Spanish exam on a Saturday night, while talking to our parents on the phone, as we are texting our friends about evening plans. Each and every us are so fortunate to be alive TODAY!

Most of all, I am thankful that while 40 million Americans, 14% of the country, live below the poverty line, not only do I have a roof over my head and know where my meal is coming from, but have a car, money for entertainment, cable and the Internet. I am blessed to have access to top (but extremely expensive) healthcare, clean water, and adequate sanitation. I am fortunate for having access to a decent education. Not only did I go to one of the top high schools in Massachusetts, but I went to a private math school and had a personal English tutor for the SATs. My parents and grandparents had enough knowledge to help me with my homework and explain things when I was confused. I found just enough money to go to one of the top and most expensive universities in the world. I now have a degree in Business Administration and Economics. I consider myself educated, up to date with daily news, and as having a strong understanding of the current economic, political, and social environment.

I would like to share with you some shocking, unfair, and appalling statistics. Did you know that:

·         There are 925 MILLION people in the world, 1/7^th of the population who go hungry…who legitimately cannot get enough food.

·         80% of the ENTIRE WORLD’S POPULATION lives for UNDER $10 per DAY.

·         Out of 2.2 billion children in this world, 1 BILLION live in poverty…every OTHER child in the world.

·          22,000 children die PER DAY due to poverty.
27-28% of children in the world are either underweight or stunted.

·         1 BILLION people in the world have no access to clean water; 2.6 BILLION suffer from basic sanitation.

·         An estimated 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, with 3 million deaths in 2004.

·         Every year there are 350–500 million cases of malaria, with 1 million fatalities.

·         121 million children in the world do not go to school.

·          Almost a BILLION people in the world still cannot read or write.

People, this is just SAD. When I see numbers such as these, how can I not be thankful for what I have? These appalling facts really put things in perspective, don’t they? As a matter of fact, if you are reading this right now, you probably are not part of these unfortunate statistics. What have I done to deserve to be not here, which these poor people did not do? What have you? We were born into the right families, into the right countries, under the right economic conditions. We got outright lucky. How can we not be thankful for being part of the privileged class?

So what can we do now that we are privileged and born into the right families, countries, and conditions? What can I do? Sometimes when I feel of how much stuff I waste, I feel guilty. While billions of poor people go hungry, and some die, how many times did I throw away food from my plate at the dining halls of Boston University? While billions of miserable wretched have no water, vow many times did I just stand in the shower for too long just because I felt like it? While some people have no clue where their next money will come from, how many times did I buy drinks that are too expensive, go to clubs that weren’t even that good, or blew money on stuff that I almost did not use or wear or need?

You know what? It’s OK. I’m going to continue eating too much, taking long showers, and blowing money partying. I’m too greedy, too egoistic, and too privileged to do to otherwise, and so are you, probably. But here is what I will do. I shall donate 10% of my income each year to charity. I don’t know which charity yet. Maybe UNICEF. Perhaps the Red Cross. Maybe to reduce poverty. Possibly to improve education. Perhaps to fight racism. Maybe all of the above. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

A couple of last thoughts. It pisses me off some much when some rich moron babbles about giving countries less aid or cutting money for political reasons, or blackmailing countries into voting a certain way. It infuriates me that rich countries give loans and usually expect weaker, poorer countries, to repay them. Did you know that “For every $1 in aid a developing country receives, over $25 is spent on debt repayment” or that “The poorer the country, the more likely it is that debt repayments are being extracted directly from people who neither contracted the loans nor received any of the money”? I didn’t either. Now we both do. Our priorities are so messed up. Ponder this chart, for example.

Global Priority	$U.S. Billions
Cosmetics in the United States	8
Ice cream in Europe	11
Perfumes in Europe and the United States	12
Pet foods in Europe and the United States	17
Business entertainment in Japan	35
Cigarettes in Europe	50
Alcoholic drinks in Europe	105
Narcotics drugs in the world	400
Military spending in the world	780

Global Priority	$U.S. Billions
Basic education for all	6
Water and sanitation for all	9
Reproductive health for all women	12
Basic health and nutrition	13

Yes. That’s right. We spend more money on cosmetics than on education. We spend almost as much or more money on perfumes, pet food, and entertainment EACH on water and basic nutrition. But most of all, we love our weapons and our drugs. How fucked up are these statistics? Look, I’m not advocating cutting military capabilities; a strong military is the core of any successful country, after all. But maybe, just maybe, if each man up and sacrice just a little bit more and put our heads together, we can all contribute to making this world a little bit better and a little bit fairer.

All statistics are from

http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

Five Things that can Only Happen on Halloween

So I’m taking a break at work, and I know that I promised to blog about solutions to all of America’s problems, but it is taking much longer than I thought, since it’s not as easy as you think to fix the world. I’m also kind of upset that my camera can’t download my Halloween pictures. Yes, Halloween has passed already, but I still haven’t said goodbye to it properly!

So without further ado…enjoy a good laugh with me!

5. The best opportunities and excuses to talk to the opposite sex without needing to think of an opening

Last year I was riding on the T to a Halloween party, with one of my buddies, who just happened to be dressed up like Russell Brand. On the next stop, a large group got on and completely randomly, a Katie Perry sat down right on the seat next to the aforementioned friend! Now, if he did not already have a girlfriend, what an opportunity for him to make his move! Probably this would work even better at a bar or club. Imagine a Katie Perry dancing, and a Russell Brand just coming up to her…who needs pickup lines when Halloween fate has showed you what to do already? Only on Halloween!

4. Scantily-clad, drunk, random chicks walking home in the pouring snow, who are so desperate to get home that they want to hitchhike in my car.

This happened last Friday night. I was driving 4 of my friends home while it was freezing and snowing outside, when I almost ran over a couple of kittens…err rather cute college-aged girls, near BU campus, who looked totally miserable, but happily drunk. They then proceeded to knock on my window, momentarily frightening me to think that I actually did hit one of them. Not to worry…they merely wanted a ride home. I can’t say I blame them… I was in my car, and my sneakers were still soaked through and I was miserable, so I can’t imagine how they were feeling, so I can totally see their desperation. Unfortunately, I had no more space in my car. Bummer…how often do random girls just ask a guy for a ride out of the blue! Had I met them 10 minutes later, I could have kept them warm  and gotten them home safely and gotten to know them a bit, and…you never know what would have happened next, and unfortunately, neither do I!

3. The irony of someone dressed up as an inmate or a cop getting arrested

How funny would it be for someone dressed up as an inmate to have a bit too much to drink and then drive home, only to get caught? Can you imagine what that sobriety test and subsequent arrest would look like? I’m usually not the jerk laughing at the misfortunes of others but such coincidental irony does sound kind of hilarious, and pretty embarrassing for the detainee, admit it! Or, think about this one…a group of roommates host an party where there is underage drinking. They are all dressed up as cops, and take full advantage of the excuse of Halloween to act like cops without getting prosecuted for impersonating one until… they get busted by the real cops and arrested for keeping a disorderly house and for furnishing alcohol to minors.  A cop arresting a look-alike cop would provide such a sight, and I’d bet money that this has happened before for Halloween!

2. Images such as this one:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=10150380245227355&set=a.218011977354.135140.7174672354&type=1&theater

You know what? I was that costume too! Dressed up as Whitey Bulger, I was naïve enough not to understand that prisoners probably don’t have pockets in their pants (makes sense once it is too late, right? So I had to wear jeans under my orange jumpsuit. Unfortunately, this jumpsuit zips all the way up. So if my phone rang or I received a text, or even just to grab my wallet or car keys, I had to basically unzip my whole top, and then stick my hand down my orange pants to reach my jeans’ pockets. As I was fumbling around here, my hand made it appear like I was having a boner! It didn’t help that my buddy kept making fund of me by saying that I looked like a pedophile, due to a certain Facebook status mentioning Halloween candy, kids, pedophiles, and Michael Jackson. Anyways…it’s pretty sad to make the choice of excusing yourself to the bathroom every time you need to return a text, or risk strangers thinking that you are suddenly having an orgasm inside your pants!

1. The excuse to cheat on your significant other

True story that I hear on the radio while driving home from work last night: A guy dressed up as Batman went to party with his girlfriend. Imagine his horror when sometime during the party, he finds his girlfriend making out…with another Batman! However, she told her boyfriend that she thought that it was him and that she got confused! Now, I understand that people get pretty wasted at Halloween parties, but to not recognize your own boyfriend, even in a mask? Come on. The excuse, however, is so creative and brilliant and so almost believable that it has me rolling over in laughter!