GorillaOffTopic, Everything But Gorilla Trades

It’s Halloween, but do you know the origins of this creepy holiday? The Gorilla had only a slight idea until recently. The Gorilla remembers well being a child and finding out that some of his friends were not allowed to celebrate the fun and festive day because their parents were “too religious.” That’s the only answer the Gorilla remembers getting from those friends about the reasons their parents refused them this kid “rite of passage.”

The Gorilla never quite understood this mentality, but apparently many parents refuse to let their kids celebrate, let alone acknowledge Halloween, so the Gorilla decided to find the origins of Halloween. It turns out that it is in fact scary and gruesome, but mostly just superstitious. The tradition of Halloween dates back to the ancient Celtics and Europeans, who regarded the beginning of winter as being an uncertain and frightening time of year. Because of the cold weather food supplies often ran low and for those people who were afraid of the dark, the short days of winter brought constant worry and fear. They equated the time to a time of fear and starvation that quite often led to death.

On Halloween, when it was believed that ghosts came back to the earthly world, people thought that they would encounter ghosts if they left their homes. To avoid being recognized by these ghosts, people would wear masks when they left their homes after dark so that the ghosts would mistake them for fellow spirits. In addition, they would leave bowls of food outside their homes to keep the spirits from entering their homes. Pretty soon the time of year became a festival in which people would dress up in masks for the All Souls’ Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called “soul cakes” in return for their promise to pray for the family’s dead relatives. The distribution of soul cakes was encouraged by the church as a way to replace the ancient practice of leaving food and wine for roaming spirits. The practice, which was referred to as “going a-souling” was eventually taken up by children, who would visit the houses in their neighborhood and be given ale, food, and money.

By the 800’s Christianity was widespread in Europe. Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints’ Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the Pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. 

Okay, so maybe the whole “time of death” thing is scary, but Halloween is still supposed to be fun!  Yes, there are scary monsters out there in the world; death, tragedy, heartbreak, and fear. But this is the one day that kids can dress up as the things they either fear or fantasize about being, and is a fun and healthy way to pretend- even if just for a day. Why deny them that thrill? Let’s not get all weird about it parents. Happy Halloween to all!

We have all seen those pretty pink ribbons, which indicate people’s support of breast cancer awareness. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so the Gorilla wanted to talk about the importance of this issue before October ends. The month may be ending and there are many issues currently besieging our nation at this time, but nevertheless, Breast Cancer affects all of us.

In 2008, an estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States. And next to skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women.  Surely we all know someone who has been affected by this unfortunate illness and it is everyone’s responsibility to be aware, and even get involved in finding a cure. Currently, there have been several highly publicized cases of Breast Cancer among celebrities. One of them being former ‘Married with Children’ star, and current star of the hit comedy, “Samantha Who?” -Christina Applegate. The actress recently underwent a double mastectomy although there was cancer in only one of her breasts. It turned out the actress tested positive for the cancer gene BRAC1, which indicates a much higher risk of getting the cancer so she opted to have both of her breasts removed instead of just the one with cancer. She decided that since the disease ran in her family (her mother and aunt both had breast cancer), that it would be the best option to prevent the disease from returning. A very brave choice, and a very traumatic one as well. She is now 100% cancer free, but will have to undergo major reconstructive surgery of her breasts.

It is a painful and often debilitating disease that takes the lives of so many people. One example is Elizabeth Rorman, who passed away at age 37 from the disease after fighting it for 7 years. Now, her best friend’s son is doing his best to raise money to fight the disease that took his “Auntie Beth.” Max Igoe is a tenacious 10 year-old, who has been raising money via his pink lemonade stand for the past 5 years. Max has already raised over $45,000 by selling his lemonade and raffle tickets and by hosting a casino night. With the help of his mother Nikki, Max’s lemonade stand recently received non-profit status and now has its own board of directors. Its goal is to reach a million dollars to go to Breast Cancer Research and Max says he won’t stop until he reaches one million dollars! “I want to find a cure for breast cancer,” he said. “I don’t want anybody else to die because they have it.”

The Gorilla was touched by this story. There should be more people like Max in this world! To help Max in his efforts you can mail donations by check or money order, payable to Max’s Lemonade Stand to: 15058 Rosecrans Ave., La Mirada, CA 90638 or visit www.maxslemonadestand.com. Let’s all fight for a cure for Breast Cancer!

Long lines. Yuck! And yet for early voters that is pretty much what they will be faced with this election year. But wait they will, and most people say it is no trouble to do so if it means change for a nation that is down and out in so many ways. It is a testament to the strength of a nation when a society such as ours- perhaps the most impatient society in history if you consider the fact that we are literally a “no wait” culture- insists on waiting in long lines to cast their vote in an election year that might be more relevant than ever before.

Voters are turning out in droves. A staggering 544,000 voters have turned out for early voting in Chicago’s suburbs to beat the Election Day rush. By the time Thursday (tomorrow) is over with, almost 700,000 people will have cast their early votes in that district. It is simply amazing and exciting! “Each day seems to break a record,” Cook County Clerk David Orr said. “This is the most intense presidential election I’ve ever seen. People are willing to stand and wait. They’re just so intent on it.”

It is expected that this election will exceed the 2006 numbers by triple digits. And in the other 29 states currently holding early voting options, it is an unprecedented year. America is expected to see the highest voter turnout in history for next Tuesday’s presidential election. More than a third of voters are expected to cast their votes early, before polling day- more than double the numbers in any previous election with a record number of new registered voters showing up at the polls this year. That is exciting news for everyone.

The Gorilla recalls that in years past, the number of people who showed up to vote seemed minimal and there haven’t been long lines, if any lines at all, in the last two presidential elections. People seemed lazy and complacent about their civil duties and privileges, and just plain uninterested. Not any longer. Perhaps Americans have finally learned through all of the hardships of the past few years that we must be pro-active in deciding who will make our country’s most important decisions.

The last election taught some of us (most of us) a harsh lesson, and people just don’t want to be complacent any longer! In addition, early voting may also be a result of voters not wanting to have to go through and repeat the mistakes that voting polls have experienced in years past; miscounts, recounts etc. A CNN poll found that 42% of the electorate is no longer confident that its vote will be “accurately cast and counted.” There are many reasons for the jump in registered voters this year, but no matter what the reason, it is important to take part in the making of our own history isn’t it? Halloween doesn’t seem to be on the minds of Americans right now….but change certainly does. Happy voting to all!

As the leaves fall from the trees, and winter winds begin to blow throughout the good ole’ US of A, what is that feeling in the air? Could it be that indeed the winds of change are blowing through, as we approach an election that is expected to be an unprecedented time in our nation’s history? Could it be possible, that for the very first time in our country’s vast and unique history, that a man of color could be President?

The Gorilla will not say which candidate he is voting for, but it must be stated that when thinking of our forefathers in history, we can all state with a certain degree of certainty, that some of them would be turning in their graves at the notion. (Sad, but true.) The Gorilla knows it is not perhaps “politically correct” to say such things, but we all know it’s the truth. Those staunch, uptight bunch of guys would never believe that a man of color could possibly ever dream of holding such a high ranking position in this country– the highest ranking in fact.

Now, good old Abe Lincoln would be, and probably is, smiling at the notion right now being the original “Maverick” himself in setting up and endorsing the Emancipation Proclamation way back in 1863. Now, he can take a good bit of the credit for guys like Barack Obama, and women like Condoleezza  Rice, staking their political claims to this great country- and, without sounding patronizing, what a wonderful addition they are! The Gorilla can’t help but be tickled just thinking about what some of those old racist guys would be thinking today, having been so ardently dead set against such a thing!

Now, the Gorilla is somewhat of a rebel and likes it when the uptight stuffed shirts get a bit bent out of shape about what is “proper or expected.” But again, the Gorilla must mention the fact and the obvious sad truth; we are not living in the 1860’s and yes, prejudice still exists. As much as we would all like to believe we, as a nation, have matured beyond that, we have not.  There are still many zealots (and even non-zealots) who are, (what the Gorilla’s teenage son would refer to as) “haters” out there. In fact, there have been several groups, such as the skinheads and certain KKK groups, and for that matter just everyday old-fashioned white supremacists, who want nothing more than to see black Americans (and those of other non-white cultures and origins) go down hard.

Currently, some skinhead groups are even threatening to “assassinate” Obama, simply because he is black. So why can’t we as a nation finally get past the prejudices of our past? Will the non-acceptance of blacks by some ever be truly a thing of the past? People of color are part of our rich culture and history and make our country great. These few racist individuals or groups, whose only agenda is hatred, should have no place and no voice in present day American culture. Get with the program dummies!

Although the Gorilla will not say if he will vote for Obama, he will admit that he is at least a “fan” of Barack Obama, the man, and is certainly impressed with his “audacity” and tenacity. It will be very interesting to see how history plays out with this one! It is a great privilege to be an American at this momentous time in history. No matter who wins this Presidential election, Lincoln’s Proclamation was a step toward the extension of the ideal of equality about which Jefferson had written in the Declaration of Independence, and it is amazing thing to see the fruits of his ideals come full circle in this Presidential election. No matter your choice, exercise your privilege and get out there and vote!

Like many of you, the Gorilla had his share of chores when he was a young chimp. Yes, he hemmed and hawed, much like any kid would at having to do what seemed like a boatload of never ending tasks. The constant thought in the Gorilla’s young mind was “will it ever end?” Geez. Just when you got done cleaning your room and washing the car, there always seemed to be more chores. Pretty soon the Gorilla figured out that if he did his chores more slowly, there would be less work- for now. He quickly realized that was just a way of delaying the inevitable, as there was always work to be done.

In the minds of kids, they believe that if they have done their chores that perhaps you will stop assigning them more duties, but alas, they quickly find out as they grow up, that it simply does not end. But nowadays kids just don’t seem to get it. Many kids the Gorilla knows don’t even do chores, and yet still receive an monthly allowance. Some just get money whenever they ask. The word “no” is rarely heard for some kids of 2008. And that is just nonsense to the Gorilla, who believes few things in life are rarely attained by doing nothing at all.

As parents we have a responsibility to teach our children the value of hard work and accomplishment. What good is it letting your children believes they have some God-given right to be waited on and to act like Prima-Donnas simply because they exist? The Gorilla pities those parents. Oh the monsters they are creating! This is why the Gorilla values the concept of doing chores. They are indeed a wonderful tool to teach kids about life; whether they are earning money for them or not.

It teaches them that through hard work, comes a sense of accomplishment. This in turn, builds self esteem and confidence. But when giving money for the chores, it also teaches kids about budgeting and using restraint with their money. After all, if you make your kids pay for their own itunes selections, they will be more selective about how many they order since it is coming out of their own pockets.

In addition, in times as tough as this, there is a strange phenomena going on within the wealthy families in the U.S. and abroad. Kids who never heard the word “no” are hearing it quite often and are learning to grasp the concept of “doing without.” (God forbid!) It is the first time in their lives for some. Sorry girls, but dad can no longer afford to buy you Gucci or Prada! Time to consider Target or Old Navy for you! (Perish the thought!)

Many parents simply cannot afford to have “champagne” taste now that they are suddenly on a “beer” budget! It is time we all change the way we think and now is the best time ever to teach our kids about the ever important concept of hard work and appreciating what they have. Even if for some, they must be forced to do so because of the state of the economy. Let them learn a valuable, life-changing lesson from these economic challenges; that it is only through hard work and perseverance that one can acquire a sense of true happiness. Yes, it is hard to makes ends meet sometimes and there will always be work to be done, but as the Gorilla’s mother used to say, “no one gives you roses or accolades for that which you must do in life.” Boy was she dead-on.

The current election is set to be one of the most important elections in history. With a record number of new voters expected to turn out to the polls this year, many expect that these voters will be voting for Obama. The number of young people expected to vote this year will trump the amounts in years past and the Obama camp is counting on it.

According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, the youth voting trend is finally making its way back upward after a decline in 1972 that never quite recovered. That number was up with more than 6.5 million Americans under the age of 30 participating in the 2008 primaries and caucuses — a 17% turnout compared to 9% in 2000. And in 2004, the presidential race turnout surged 11% points. And this year’s numbers are expected to well exceed those numbers.

But are these young people really going to vote for Obama? Many young people are still undecided on that. Jessie Grahn, 27, a student at Rockford College, says “When the two parties are pretty much the same party, it’s a bad thing.” Grahn said, “You’re basically saying ‘I want a green apple or a red apple instead of an apple or an orange.’ If you don’t want apples, you’re kind of stuck.” And many like Grahn will not vote for either McCain or Obama as a result. Still, if you look at America’s most popular networking site, Facebook, Obama has more than 2.1 million supporters. McCain has a little more than 574,200. Ouch! So perhaps Obama’s camp is correct in the assumption that these young voters will vote for him.

However, keep in mind that a very large percentage of those who use Facebook are not even old enough to vote so these numbers mean little in the whole scheme of things. In reality, Obama’s camp may actually have to be more realistic in their assumptions. Perhaps they should consider young people such as Jenessa Hamilton. The student at Illinois State University is a registered Democrat, but is voting for McCain. She believes he is more experienced, and she supports his views regarding foreign policy. She claims that most people her age aren’t “informed.”  “I don’t even think I know that much … to say that I have the best opinion,” Hamilton said. But she goes on to say that people should exercise there right to vote no matter what. The Gorilla agrees. Whether young people (or anyone for that matter) decide to vote for McCain, Obama, or any of the other candidates, everyone should take advantage of the right to do so! 

Okay, okay, the Gorilla admits he can sometimes be a bit cynical, and to be fair, it’s really it’s hard not to be in a world as shallow and materialistic as this one. It seems that modern humans are jaded, guarded, and well yes, as cynical as the Gorilla at times. But if you know the Gorilla well, you know that this old hairy primate is really a big softy at heart, so let’s just get down to the thing in this world that makes us all tick: NO not money (you shallow people should be ashamed if that was the first thing that came to your mind!)

The Gorilla is referring to that old four letter word- love. Now the Gorilla doesn’t talk about this stuff much, but did you know at heart, the Gorilla is a die-hard romantic? It’s true. The Gorilla even met his wife in a chance meeting at a crowded restaurant from across the room. He spotted the lovely vixen and it was love at first sight. “But can it really be?” You ask. The answer is yes.

It is why a popular Craig’s List post is all the rage right now among those who believe (as the Gorilla does) in “love at first sight.” The “I saw you” ads are wildly popular and are helping people who just caught a passing glance of one another -say in the subway- to defy the odds of never seeing each other again and to re-connect. But it’s not just Craig’s List that offers to re-connect people. There are several web sites that offer to bring people back together after a chance meeting. They include Craigslist, Kizmeet.com, ISawYou.com, and SubwayCrush.com.

Well it is a cool notion, but upon pondering this idea further, the Gorilla wondered if forcing the “chance meeting” is really a good idea. The Gorilla thought about the downside. As cool a concept as it sounds to be in theory, would you really want to meet that guy or gal that stared you down in a subway or the local bar or restaurant one late Saturday evening? What if you place an ad on one of these sites, only to find that he or she turned out to be a freak! That could be bad. Or perhaps the person is just one more needy, insecure person that you have nothing in common with. That could be even weirder still! 

That once romantic notion of “kismet” could very easily turn into a “wish we never met” scenario. Can anyone say “stalker?” Okay, so yes, the cynic is back. But the Gorilla cannot help it. Why not leave meeting someone to good old fashioned fate? And if you truly felt a connection, let life do what it does best for us and work itself out. After all, if we are truly meant to see that individual again, fate will most certainly intervene- and isn’t that the very best “kismet” of all?

The State of Florida has certainly dealt with its storms in the past and the one plaguing the seat of the State Representative for Congress is certainly no exception. First, we dealt with Republican Congressman, Mark Foley’s indiscretions, when he was busted for sending emails to underage boys with whom he admitted to having “inappropriate relationships” with. Although Foley was never charged with any criminal activity, he was asked to step down, and like a good little public servant, he did so.  Now, the Democrat who replaced him is himself in some hot water. Like Foley, Congressman, Tim Mahoney is also now dealing with his private indiscretions publicly, and it makes you wonder what’s in the water down there in Florida. Tim Mahoney was elected and replaced Mark Foley in Florida two years ago and has done relatively well for Florida since that time- until now, that is!  In his original campaign for the seat, Mahoney vowed to “clean up Florida” after the sex scandal that “rocked the house” in 2006 with Mark Foley. But instead of “cleaning up,” Mahoney made his own mess, which perhaps may be worse than his predecessor’s! Mahoney, in case you are all wondering, has admitted to having “numerous” affairs, including one with a fellow government employee, who he allegedly fired after the affair ended.  She ended up threatening to reveal the affair so Mahoney paid her off with his “own personal funds.” Too bad the news got out anyway (what a waste!) You see originally, there was only (according to Mahoney) just this one affair. No big deal right? Wrong. Since then, Mahoney has come out and admitted to several other affairs. Now, Mahoney’s wife, who formerly vowed to “stand by” her husband initially, filed for divorce yesterday. She is also requesting a full disclosure about their marital funds in regard to a property Mahoney says he sold to pay off his former mistress. (Bummer!)  What a mess!  With all of this drama and obvious immorality, you would think Mahoney would have the decency to step down in shame as his predecessor did, but he is actually refusing to do so. Personally, the Gorilla thinks this is an outrage! While some, people say that his personal life should have “no bearing” on his public seat as a government official- the Gorilla strongly disagrees. Personally, people are sick and tired of the excuse that “all politicians have affairs.” This is not only untrue, but it is a ridiculous justification for people like Tim Mahoney to get away with such immoral behavior.  

If you want to know if a candidate is fit for office, what do you do? You look directly at their personal life. What you find there is the very best representation of the man or woman. Is that to say people don’t make mistakes? Of course not, but it is a generalization. If an individual conducts him/herself in a relatively decent manner in private, that is a very good indication that they will also conduct themselves well in public. Not always, but most of the time, there is great truth to that fact. Nancy Pelosi has called for a House ethics investigation into the allegations against Mahoney. The Gorilla is with Nancy on this one, but he welcomes your comments.

Three million Americans have epilepsy. And for those people, life is a never ending roller coaster ride of uncertainty. Epilepsy is a debilitating brain disorder, which causes those who suffer from it to have recurring seizures, violent muscles spasms, and sometimes even loss of consciousness. Life can be difficult for those suffering from the disease simply because when these events occur it is hard to be certain someone will always be there to help.

Many people are turning to canines, like 15 month old Ben; a Golden Retriever trained to spot the signs of a seizure or other related problem. Ben can turn on a light, open a door, and pick up a remote control from the floor. He can even pull a heavy object with his teeth. He is specially trained to save lives, and he is helping Colise Johnson, who suffers from Epilepsy, and she could not be more relieved. “You never know what’s going to happen, but with him, he slows the ride down so it’s manageable.” She says.

It is uncertain how many dogs like Ben are paired up with those suffering from Epilepsy, but there is a definite need. Dr. Gregory Barkley, a neurologist at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and an adviser for the Epilepsy Foundation of America says the dogs have “an unqualified devotion to their master” that may offer important mental health benefits. He believes that over a quarter of those with Epilepsy could benefit by having a companion dog. Although the dogs cannot “predict” a seizure, it may respond to the early stages of a seizure. 

Jennifer Arnold founded the nonprofit service in 1991 and has placed more than 1,000 dogs with adults and children with physical disabilities or other special needs. She also helped train 100 seizure dogs to assist people with epilepsy, teaching them 90 different commands to help their owners. But the dogs come at a costly price. And at around $20,000, that is difficult for some to afford. Most of the dogs are donated through non-profit groups to the patients and it is life changing for them. Wow! It is exciting to think that a dog can be trained to help save lives and assist those with disabilities. Now if they could only train Gorillas….  

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said “though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” While that may be true in theory, in reality, America thrives on beauty and vanity; appearance, after all, is power.

Everyone seems to be beauty-obsessed in this country. Unfortunately, this ain’t your Grandmother’s America! This is 2008, and everywhere we look there is a vanity fair going on. From the size zero model on the cover of every magazine to the stealth muscular Adonis, with the six-pack abs, on the nightly infomercials we see on TV. There are at least 10 reality shows currently airing on TV at present, which showcase, fashion, models, beauty makeovers, style makeovers, and body makeovers.

From ‘America’s Next Top Model’, to ‘Biggest Loser’, the competition is fierce and everyone wants to be better, thinner, and hotter than everyone else. The muscles have gotten bigger and so have the breasts! If you look at action figures such as G.I. Joe, you will see that the G.I. Joes have progressively become more muscular over the decades. The original G.I. Joe of 1964 certainly doesn’t possess the abs he has now. He is notably more muscular now than he was back in the day. Could it be that even G.I. Joe has succumbed to the pressures of our extremely vain society?

Now don’t get the Gorilla wrong here folks; he is all for fitness, health, and wellness as a means to look and feel your best- but at what point does one get to be his/her best? When is good- good enough? With all of the pressure that society places on us to be “fabulous” at all times, how can anyone learn about the all-important self love that is so necessary for us to truly be satisfied in life? Are we placing too much stock in what’s on the outside and too little on what’s on the inside?

As parents, we (hopefully) teach our children that you mustn’t judge others based on their appearance, and yet, we ourselves, are in a fight against time, doing everything in the book to prevent aging; from those anti-aging formulas, to our daily workouts, to Botox and face lifts.  Are we really taking our own advice? Could this obsession with beauty be affecting our judgment?

Don’t say it hasn’t. You know full well that there are those of you that cringe when you see the bum on the street corner, peddling for your spare change. Do you take one look at his appearance and unconsciously think of him as a “slob?” The problem is, if we are all so bent out of shape about his burly exterior, how can we ever have the heart to see beyond, into the pain of a man, who may have endured inexplicable suffering and pain?

If we are all so focused on appearances, how can we ever focus on the matters of the heart? And yet, still, the simple fact is that outer beauty is often what attracts us to one another and that will always be human nature. There is really nothing wrong with that, but let’s not lose sight of what’s most important. Our eyes are only capable of seeing certain truths, but it is with our “third eye”- the one that sees the hidden meaning of life- that really matters. Remember, Mother Theresa was one of the most beautiful people ever to have graced this planet and yet on the exterior she was a simple, unattractive woman. Imagine if some shallow, beauty-obsessed person had refused to take her seriously all of those years ago. Perish the thought!