For the past few weeks, I feel like I haven’t been able to shake Joseph Kony.  No matter where I go I see his face, hear his name, or hear opinions about the campaign against him that was launched on March 5th.

I think the KONY 2012 campaign is a beautiful and powerful demonstration of the potential of social media to introduce and potentially impose an idea on society.  When I first watched the video, I was overcome by how smart it was.  Within 48 hours, 7 million people had taken the time to watch the 30 minute video.  You can’t argue with results like that.  In the video, they gave us something to care about, someone to blame and something to do about it.  Something we do every day, something as simple as reposting a video, gave us the feeling that we had really made a difference.  And as far as I can tell from the unbelievable, overwhelming support it has generated, I would say that’s true.  I’m not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing, but I think it’s interesting that we didn’t ask questions, and took everything that the campaign presented as the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  Which,  to be fair, it isn’t.

What the campaign didn’t present were the real dynamics of the situation in Uganda, which in truth is a very complex issue that involves more than just Joseph Kony and the LRA.  While I think it would be nice to believe that the campaign’s support was generated by people who made educated and well informed decisions, the reality is that the campaign achieved exactly what it intended because people didn’t know the full facts, and didn’t bother to look any further than what the video presented.

I want to stress that I am not criticizing the campaign or its supporters in any way.  I think that KONY 2012 brought necessary awareness to the situation in Uganda and the prosecution of war criminals.  Even if I do not exactly condone their omission of facts, I will admit that they would not have seen the success and overwhelming awareness had they really delved into the issue and exposed its intricacies.  War crimes are just that, and I think that if the extent of what people took from KONY 2012 is a name, a face and a commitment to a righteous cause, then that’s okay with me.  I can appreciate the fact that I now live in a world that is at the very least aware and invested in an important issue.  I think this is a situation where you can argue with the methods, but not with the results.

What KONY 2012 created was a generation of people who are, if not well informed, then at least aware of a reality that needs to be addressed.  The facts, the real facts, are that Joseph Kony abducts, murders, rapes and mutilates children, and that he needs to pay for what he’s done.  If I now live in a world where people see that, regardless of their reasons, then that makes me happy.

Looking for something to blog about, I came across a page of conversation starters.  The site detailed the logistics of a conversation (first contact, introductions, speaking, and conclusion), and included some ideas of what to say to break the ice, so to speak, and hopefully stir up some interesting conversation.

I was interested in the kinds of questions they suggested asking.  On the list of conversation starters to use on a first date, there was the standard “How was your day?”, followed shortly by a series of questions I have never personally asked anyone I’ve just met, and hope to never be asked by a stranger!  Such as…

“What time do you normally wake up?”

“What time do you normally go to bed?”

“What were you doing 30 minutes ago?”

“Where were you at 1AM Sunday morning?”

Not only do some of these questions sound a little interrogatory and intense, but replace some of those “Where/what were you”s with a “I know what/where you” and they just may come across sounding suspiciously stalker-esque!  Not quite the impression I strive to give on a first date!

Finally, a selection of my favourite conversation starters from the rest of this beautiful website. Cheers everyone!

“Have you ever kissed someone who’s name started with an S?”

“Who’s your favourite TV attorney?”

“Have you ever been in love with 3 people at the same time?”

“Have you ever had a crush on an animated character?”

“What are your favourite 3 websites and why?”

“Have you ever milked a cow or goat?”

“Have you ever crawled through a window?”
Hee hee,

Em

It seems I’m not the only fan around here.

I just got home from seeing the very last Harry Potter movie, and though it was amazing and wonderful and, for lack of a better word, magical, I can’t help feeling sad that it’s all over.  I, like Faiz, am a big HP nerd (no offense buddy.)  Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was one of the first big girl books that I read to my dad (rather than with him,) and by the time I got my hands on the second one I tore through it in a matter of days.  I waited as patiently as I could for the release of each new book,  I’ve been Harry Potter for Halloween on multiple occasions, and I’ve attended more midnight showings than I like to admit.  It’s funny to think that something as silly as a series of books, and the characters in it, have made such an impact on my childhood.  But there’s no denying it!

In English AP this year, we got into many heated discussions (some would say debates!) about what constitutes a good book, or what qualifies as literature.  It’s not something that’s easily defined, but we generally agreed on a few things:

First, that it should be relatable to everyone who reads it, regardless of the subject matter.  Looking at the hoards of HP fans, young and old alike, I think it’s safe to say that people find something in JK Rowling’s books that resonates deeper than just a silly story about some wand wielding wizards.

Second, that it should carry an underlying message or theme to the reader.  For me, personally, I think that the morals underlined in all of the HP books are important for children in particular to learn and recognize – integrity, courage, and perseverance being among them.

Now I’m not trying to say that Harry Potter is great literature, or that JK should be, by any means, be counted alongside the greats – the Dickens and the Austens and the Orwells.  But there is something to be said about the boy who lived, and became one of the most famous person in his world, and ours.

I just really love Harry Potter, okay!?!?

Emily

Working at a tea store, you get a lot of people coming in to ask questions.  Questions like “What is green tea?”, or “Where does this/that tea come from?”, and my personal all time favorite, “Do you have tea handpicked by monkeys?”.  Once enough people ask the same question enough times, you start to take note.  Around this time of year, when everyone is stressed, tired, sick and stretched way too thin, we get a lot of questions about what teas to drink to either help with cold and flu symptoms or to help boost the immune system.  So, at long last, here are my top picks for teas to get you through the season!

Matcha is a powdered green tea which is made from shade grown leaves, which are steamed, dried and then stone ground into a very fine powder.  You’ve probably run into matcha before in a green tea latte from starbucks, a green tea smoothie from booster juice or something similar, however the traditional Japanese ”ceremonial style” matcha is served whisked with a small amount of water.  It is very strong, and tastes very earthy.  (To be honest, it tastes like grass, but we’re not supposed to say that at work!)  The reason matcha has become so popular in North America recently is for it’s amazing health benefits.  It has the highest concentration of antioxidants in any food source, and because by drinking matcha you are injesting the leaves rather than just drinking an infusion, it will give you 10 times the antioxidants than you would get from a cup of green tea!  During the shade growing process, the leaves are starved for sunlight which causes them to produce copious amounts of chlorophyll, which detoxifies the body.  It can also boost the metabolic rate by 35-40% when consumed on a regular basis, and is known to boost the immune system.  Basically, a super drink with numerous health benefits and great results!

Chamomile tea is an infusion made from the flowers of daisy looking plant things.  The flowers themselves look like the little fuzzy thing that Whoville is on in Horton Hears a Who.  Random, yes, but true!  Chamomile is used as a sleep aid and to relieve tension and reduce stress, and will also help with sore throats and muscle pain.  In ancient Roman times, chamomile was used to relieve pain from menstrual cramps! All around, just really nice, relaxing, and soothing.  So if you’re stressed, tired, sore, or just plain need a break, chamomile is the way to go!

Jiaogulan is a Chinese herb that is closely related to the cucumber plant, and is known as the “immortality herb” because it is said to increase longevity.  It comes as little woven balls, which make a really light, sweet infusion.  But, the craziest thing about Jiaogulan is the health benefits associated with drinking it.  It is known to help regulate cholesterol and blood pressure, is very high in antioxidants, has many disease fighting properties and will also boost the immune system. Yay Jiaogulan!

Sideritis, or mountain tea, is a flowering plant from the Mediteranean that is used for its medicinal properties.  It grows at very high altitudes, usually with little to no soil on the surface of rocks (hence mountain tea).  Traditionally, the tea is made from an infusion of the flowers, stems and leaves of the plant and is served with honey and lemon.  Mountain tea has been known to help with allergy symptoms, sinus congestion, strengthen the immune system, supress the common cold, flu and other viruses.  The Greek varietal is available in most Greek slash Mediteranian groceries.

Stay happy and healthy!   =]