My Thoughts on Ebola

Currently in the world, we are being hit with the worst medical catastrophe that has come about in my lifetime. Of course, I'm talking about Ebola. Let me be clear, I'm no medical expert. But I really think we, as Americans are drastically overestimating the danger this poses to us.

We have the most advanced medical technologies in the world. The finest international doctors come to American schools to get their degrees. There is a reason that this epidemic broke out in West Africa, and (for the most part) has been contained there. So calm down everyone. However, this brings me to my main point...

It really bothers me that everyone basically ignored this issue until it touched down in American and European soil. Sure, the news gave it a little coverage, but not nearly its due. This disease has plagued West Africa for months now. It continues to run rampant through countries such as Liberia. Furthermore, experts do not anticipate it slowing down for some time. So why are people just beginning to care?

I think it can be traced back to how selfish this country is. Americans have reacted just as you'd expect: ignorance until they realize they could be affected, and then fear that they alone would be affected. The thing I think is important is recognizing that this disease will most likely not spiral out of control in countries like the US and Spain. It's the countries where thousands of lives that have been taken that need help. It's the ones that continue to be plagued that need first-world support.

My Thoughts on Batman

As many of my close friends know, I'm a big fan of Batman. I own comic books, t-shirts, lunch boxes, movies, video games, underwear, a mask, a drawing, and coffee mugs that all commemorate the Dark Knight. It started off a few years ago with a couple birthday gifts from my mom, and now it's starting to become a legitimate collection.

First of all, Batman is the coolest super hero of all time. Let's start by discussing his super powers... Oh wait, that's right! He doesn't have one!! He's just super rich and has all these cool gadgets. The idea of a man who is really no different than the average joe fighting crime is a fascinating one. It makes losers like myself hope that one day, we can be badasses, fighting crimes by the cover of night. Batman represents everything that a good, generic person wishes (s)he could be.

One thing that I don't mention much is why I collect paraphernalia that represents Bruce. It's because of my mom. The reason she first started buying me stuff was because when I was a toddler, I had this batman action figure that I could not be separated with. It's because of this 'terrible-two'-toy that my mom started buying me stuff: she thought my obsession with Mr. Wayne extended to my teenage angst years. Spoiler alert: it didn't. But I welcomed the gifts with open arms because the smile my mom gets when she reflects on how I was at that age is absolutely breathtaking.

So I started collecting stuff. I started buying stuff on my own. And I will admit - I do love batman, and I love have a developing collection of batman toys. But the reason I love it is because it makes me think of Deb, and how happy she gets remembering my innocence. An innocence that Batman attempts to preserve.

My Thoughts on Cooking

As you know, I wrestled all through high school and college. I've posted about wrestling before: about the grueling demands of each workout, the time commitment that each athlete must be willing to devote and about the miserable routine of starvation that accompanies all of that. Every wrestler has a different way of dealing with the hunger that is inevitable with cutting weight. Mine was rather peculiar - I watched the Food Network TV channel every day. While others thought of this as self-inflicted torture, for me, it was as close as I could come to enjoying food without even coming close to enjoying it. A consequence of this obsession with shows like 30 Minute Meals and Guy's Big Bite came a hobby that I find to be therapeutic: cooking.

Let's make one thing clear. I hate baking. I don't care for desserts overall, but the real reason I hate baking so much is because of the precision. Every recipe needs exactly 1.23 cups of flour or 42 grains of sugar. I'm not a fan of taking measurements when I cook. I prefer to improvise. I think that's why I like it so much. It's an art that I can participate in where every meal I make can be different, and at the same time, they can all be tasty (not to say I'm a great chef - I made chicken marsala recently that basically tasted like straight marsala wine). But it's something I can create which occasionally is enjoyable.

My favorite recipe is chicken parm. Maybe it's because I love chicken parm so much, but I think the bigger reason is because I love making my own tomato sauce. I think creating your own sauces and condiments is really fun, because those are the most rare to find homemade. I know plenty of parents who cook a lot, but not many use homemade peanut butter like my mom, or make homemade hummus, like Emily's mom. Creations like these are what make different cooks unique, and my tomato sauce is something I'm proud of once I'm done.

Maybe that's why I like cooking so much. It's something for me to proud of. I'm proud of a lot of things that I've accomplished. But the pride I take in cooking is different. Being proud of something like graduating college is cool - and it's something that everyone can acknowledge. But being proud of the things I cook is just for me. If other people try my cooking, they can like or dislike it as much as they'd like, but I enjoy cooking because it's cool looking at a finished product and thinking "I created this".