Thursday, June 30, 2011

Epiphany

I had an epiphany today! It was something deep and profound that I immediately felt like sharing with the world. I made a mental note not to forget it and everything. Now I can’t remember it.
I remember another thought that occurred to me today was about the number system. I saw the number 8 and I thought about how it looked like the infinity sign turned on edge. Then I wondered if the people who chose the symbols for numbers did that on purpose. Then I wondered who came up with numbers. They must have been invented thousands of years ago. 1234567890. We use them every day. They are the same throughout the world –at least that’s what Lindsay Lohan’s character said in Mean Girls when she was explaining why math was her favorite subject in school.  
Then I remembered my epiphany (the fact that I had one anyway, not the actual epiphany itself). It was so uplifting that I could still feel my soul’s heightened elevation since the epiphany occurred to me, but I still couldn’t recall what it was.
Then I went to lunch at Chipotle. I was sitting there drinking a Minute Maid Lemonade-Mr.Pibb hybrid soda I had concocted, when I noticed the text on the side of the Chipotle cup. Apparently there’s a place online where you can tell a story and if the company likes it they will put it on the side of one of their cups. I was immediately inspired. I’m sure there’s going to be a text limit (I’m going to guess a paragraph), so I’m going to try it out here:
-Imagine this on the side of a Chipotle cup you are about to fill with soda-
“Well hello there. Either you’re avoiding eye contact with the person in front of you or you were momentarily distracted by this text. I just wanted to say that as a vegetarian I love this place. (Mostly because of their burritos –I like mine with black beans, freshly grated cheese, and rice. Don’t mess with the classics). I also like it because they are an environmentally friendly establishment. Some people don’t really want to change their life style and become a Hippie, so it’s nice that people can do little things like support Chipotle which goes out of its way to make sure the world is kept the heaven on earth it is meant to be.”
I figure sucking up to the restaurant is a good way to get on their cups. Plus it’s pretty true.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Things I learned from the 5 past hours of Consciousness

I've been awake since 5:30 A.M. It is now 10:30 A.M. you can applaud for me if you feel like it :)

Today a woman named Sherry talked about her love of champagne. 

She said she tried to find one thing to celebrate every 2 weeks to have an excuse to drink some with her husband.

She then said last Saturday her son was in a car crash.

 No one in the car was harmed and that night she drank champagne to celebrate life.

I think most people take life instances that could be fatal in a negative way instinctually.

It takes a person with a lot of optimism and serenity to let go of something that could easily be viewe as negative and strive to see the good instead.

It's always easier to say defeat than it is to claim victory.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

It's Hip to be Hippie

I’m going to attempt to explain something that’s a little “out there”. I live my life “outside of the box”, so it’s not surprising. So now I’d like to take a shot at rationalizing why it’s o.k. for people to hug trees. Yah I said it…
Crazy, tree-hugging, out-there, touchy- feely, hippies. They’re crazy and lost in their own “spirituality”. Not rational. Not logical. Impractical. Hippies.
People these days cling to rationality like a toddler to a blanket. They’re afraid of what will happen I they step out of the well accepted, deeply founded realm of logic and into the unclear, harder to understand realm of emotions/ spirituality. To avoid this most people wall themselves up inside unseen cubicle spaces they carry around with them. They keep people at a distance physically and emotionally. Humans are not just physical beings. It’s Mind, Body, and Spirit. So here’s your rope ladder to climb up to reach a place you ordinarily would not have allowed yourself to go.
There are these things that exist called “trees”. What are they? They are hard, tall structures that branch off and become thinner and more brittle. Trees have cellular processes –they absorb nutrients from the ground which allows them to grow. They have photosynthesis and produce a gas known as oxygen that other organisms require to survive. A tree is alive; but a tree cannot communicate with anything outside of itself. But there are people who are like that.
Coma patients. People lying in hospital bed who have no brain function. They usually call these people “vegetables” ironically –they are alive, but they are inactive and cannot connect with the world around them. Yet we don’t just walk up to a brain-dead patient and say, “Oh well”, and just pull the plug. Even though coma patients are unresponsive, their lives are still weighted and given value. They are still taken into consideration. What’s the difference between that and a tree? Even if you know a brain-dead patient will never regain consciousness, their lives still mean something. Why not a tree?
Trees have been hacked, sawed, burned, and deforested by man for centuries without second thought. Trees have no value to most people. Does that mean they are worthless? Scientific studies have shown that plants respond to various elements in their environment. There was an experiment with plotted plants that showed plants grew more responsively when classical music was played and people talked to the plants n a positive way. The plants also responded negatively when loud crashing noises and yelling were introduced to their environment. Even if trees have no way of knowing your act of respect given with a hug, would it hurting anything?
Caution: While hugging a tree you may feel slight deflation of ego and embarrassment if others choose to hold your actions against you. This can be avoided by owning who you are and not letting others’ opinions of you define you.
Lastly there’s a thought of selflessness that goes into hugging a tree. Most people hug because they want a hug in return. Most people don’t hug others if they think the affection is not reciprocated. Trees can’t hug back. It is a selfless act to hug a tree because you know you will receive nothing in return and it may even come at the expense of your pride and ego. This is compassion. It is something worth doing.
This might sound a little “out there”, but I view a tree as a symbol representing different aspects of myself as a person. It’s not exactly exciting to say a tree represents you, but it’s truth just the same. I feel I have roots (thoughts) that delve deep below the surface- these can be seen s having emotional/intellectual depth and or “the darker side of life”: like the fact that I can listen to Seether, Theory of a Dead Man, and watch Fight Club. Then there’s the main portion of the tree that seems ordinary and everyone can see clearly (“Me” as viewed by others). Then there are branches that shoot upward out of reach that get thinner, frailer, and become harder to see. This is my spiritual side- a side that’s harder to reach, a side that’s harder for others to see and connect to, and a side that can grant a greater, more expansive view on things from above. I am a Tree.
("Borrowed without the intention of returning" from tumblr)

Monday, June 27, 2011

Health Care

What should we do? Should we maintain Health Insurance or should we shift over to Government Health Care?
Health Insurance: Expensive. Not everyone can afford it. Medicare sucks. Privately owned insurance companies control all. But there are no taxes on healthcare.
Government Health Care: Krugman (a well known Economist) says that government health care would ultimately lower health care costs. Everyone would get their medical needs met and the government would deal directly with drug companies and hospitals so that prices would be lowered and treatment would be less expensive. We would have to pay taxes, but we would also no longer have to pay health insurance since everyone would be covered. It would be publicly regulated.
I don’t know when we decided it was a good idea to charge people for getting sick, but this is getting ridiculous. Last time I checked, having to reset a broken leg or getting heart transplant surgery were necessities not luxuries. Liposuction is a medical treatment people opt for and choose to have. Not cancer treatment. Yet we act like medical treatment is a cruise line only available to those who can afford it. Those who can’t can lose everything: a car, a house, a life.
So here’s how I see it:
The wealthy can afford to pay taxes for government health care, but they prefer not to since it goes to paying for someone else’s medical bills and they’d rather just pay their own with their own health insurance since they can afford it. Their health insurance is also usually covered by higher paying jobs through health benefits so they pay less on health insurance anyway.
The middle class struggles to pay for health insurance and they would do better with government health care.
The lower-income families and especially the elderly are economically screwed. They usually end up living off government aid if they can’t afford medical treatment on their own.
Another thing to take note is:
As kids get older they have initial health concerns to get over like: colds, chicken pox, getting sick from germs because they don’t wash their hands, food allergies, cuts, broken bone – jungle gyms can be dangerous, tonsils or molar teeth removed, and a slew of other things kids are prone too because their immune system is still new and they lead more reckless lives because being cautious is still new.
Adults don’t have as many issues: maybe allergies, occasional insomnia, occasional headaches, birth control, routine doctor’s visits, occasional infections… So unless you get hit by a bus or suffer from a longer-lasting condition, for the most part adults get non-prescription drugs like Tums and Tylenol. *If a serious incident were to occur most adults can pay for them, but young adults –especially recent college grads starting out in the world- don’t often have health benefits covered by a job and can’t afford insurance on their own –which means they’re economically screwed in this as well.
Elderly. It’s the age all humans dread. You’re health starts to severely decline. Medical issues can include: Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Schizophrenia, stroke, heart attack, arthritis… It’s not good. They have loads of medical bills heading their direction. Suffering from pain and worrying about finances are the last things anyone wants t experience before leaving this life.
So which is worse: paying for health insurance or paying taxes?
It seems like there was a period of time when man put the wellbeing of others before his own. It was all for one and one for all! People had a more communal way of thinking about things and it was all about “the greater good”. Majority rules. Now it seems like every man’s for himself. “I don’t want my hard earned money going to pay for someone else’s medical treatments”. Why not? You’re money is going to easing the suffering of those who could not otherwise afford medical treatment. It’s going to preventing people from bankruptcy and losing their homes. We pay taxes to pay for security with police officers and education with schools. We pay to make sure our infrastructure is taken care of. We pay for gas to be put in our cars. Why is it such a burden to pay to make sure those who need care are taken care of?
P.S. Like my diagrams and detailed images??? I know. It's impressive.

My Todaily Life

Today I took a little adventure down a fair distance to a part of town I had never been before. I was expecting Slumsville or Ordnaryia, but instead I go mini Beverly Hills. I was like, holy crap! This is a nice place. I can never afford to live here. There were bright sidewalks, tall palm trees, sweeping white staircases leading to front doors… Even the roads seemed fresher. And yet, 5 minutes away was an area that had dismal apartments that ran for $875 a month. On my way back I couldn’t help but notice that every where I passed there seemed to be some sort of business – be it a mom and pop shop or Baskin Robbins. There was everything. Every sort of store you could ever possibly need in a 15 minute time span apart. We are so spoiled here. You need something? Odds are it’s within an immediate distance. Food: High Class, Fast Food, Sit In Restaurant, Farmer’s Market, Bakery, Safemart, Saveway, and even the Dollar Store has food. And gas stations. There’s food in places you wouldn’t think there would be food in. Need furniture? Target, Good Will, Furniture X… Need Bungee Jumping Cord? Target (maybe), Outdoor Supply Shops… Anything you want and can usually afford. No matter how bad they say life in the U.S. is getting, I still think we have it pretty good. There’s no war in this country (Although we are at war with other countries – it is still on their turf, not ours). There’s no plague of cholera or malaria we need to worry about. Still got clean drinking water. When’s the last time you saw someone wandering around I rags with no shoes on? I think some things have just become more obvious during this Recession. Homelessness isn’t new. In fact I don’t think there was a time in America’s history when homeless people didn’t exist. There have always been “poor” and “rich”. It was just that there was a majority of the “middle class” and too make them feel better about society the other two were then labeled “upper-middle” and “lower-middle”. Now the middle is disappearing and where back to poor and rich. But we’re still pretty well off-ish. I don’t know. I just think we should at least appreciate the conveniences in our lives. Anything that makes life simpler should be applauded, not taken for granted.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Trailing Oregon

On June 25th 1848, five settlers set out to travel 2,000 miles from Independence, Missouri to Willamette Valley along the Oregon Trail. These brave men and women had come together from various backgrounds to experience the ride to a new and better place. So that day Edward Cullen, Sarah Palin, Glen Beck, Xena Warrior Princess, and Dr. House set out with 7 oxen, 25 sets of clothes, 90 boxes of bullets, 3 spare wagon wheels, 3 spare wagon axels, 3 spare wagon tongues, and 2000 pounds of food.
Edward had decided to travel mostly to get away from the city and all the fan girls that dwelled within it chasing him around constantly.
Sarah Palin had set out, not on a political campaign…, but to see and appreciate the historic parts of our great nation.
Glen Beck had joined the crew because he felt it would be an easier way to spread the word and inform America of the coming Apocalypse.
Xena had decided to travel because she hadn’t gotten any good acting roles in a while and she thought that a reality show might be fun.
Dr. Gregory House had no initial desire to go, but after ending the season by ramming his car through Cuddie’s home, he decided hiding out and lying low for a while was a good idea. The wagon crew also needed a doctor and Phil was too busy.
The weather was clear and warm. The pace was “strenuous” which means slightly faster than steady. It took them about a week to hit their first landmark. The following log tracks the accounts of their journey:

June 9, 1848
    We have arrived at the Kansas River Crossing. Sarah wanted to go fishing, but we said we had already spent a week getting there and we had several million more miles to go. The river was 4.3 feet deep – don’t ask us how we knew, we just did, so we decided to caulk that sucker and sail across! We did not sink.
June 12, 1848
Xena keeps mostly to her herself. Edward broods mostly. Sarah and Glen get along just fine. I glance over at the barrel of the rifle… it’s only a matter of time…
June 13 1848
The weather is very hot. My dress suits are not holding up well and Xena keeps looking at me strangely. I can’t tell whether she’s a feminist or a lesbian… or both.
June 13, 1848
    Xena has a fever. Dr. House gave her some medicine and flirted with her. Xena acted tough and said she could walk it off. Sarah’s maternal instincts kicked in and we decided to rest for 3 days just to be safe. Sarah also looked rather becoming in the moonlight this evening.
June 19, 1848
    We have arrived at the Big Blue River. I decided to rename the river Gently Streaming River. It was beautiful. It reminded me of a girl I use to court… Anyway, the river was 2.7 feet deep. We let the oxen cross. Some of our clothes got wet, but the weather was warm, so we didn’t worry.
June 23, 1848
Xena’s fever still hasn’t broken. If only there was a pharmacy nearby, we could get her some Dayquil. Dr. House keeps trying to test her for various causes to see why her fever is still spiking. Xena keeps telling everyone she’s fine, but I’m worried. I might catch it.  I am also starting to question the level of professionalism of Dr. House…
June 24, 1848
    Xena is well again. Finally! I was debating whether it was humane or not to let Edward eat her if things took a turn for the worse…
June 27, 1848
    I knew it would come! There’s a huge storm, wind blowing crazy, lightning flashing across the sky… Our Creator is warning us of our sins and our need to mend our ways of dissention. Vote Republican! It’s the only thing that can save us now…
June 28, 1848
    The weather was a little blustery last night, but we made it through. We spent the day at Fort Kearney. We met some nice people. There were large wood cabins. I saw some men wearing funny hats.
July 6, 1848
It has officially been a month since we set out. I’ve been keeping track of our rations and it seems we’ll need to hunt soon. Dr. House claims he can handle a shotgun. He can be amusing when he’s not being condescending. Sarah also says she can handle a gun. Not when I’m around.
July 7, 1848
    I shot 112 pounds of meat with 2 bullets. I told them we didn’t need to buy that many bullets. I would have caught more meat, but Edward’s skin sparkling frightened the deer away. He is no longer invited on hunting expeditions. And Sarah Palin was annoying. She is also no longer welcome.
July 8, 1848
God has sent us another sign. A fire in our wagon destroyed 421 bullets. We must fight for the right to bear arms. It is our Constitutional duty. If we lose bullets and we lose guns… we lose ourselves.
July 13, 1848
We covered 19 miles today. This is why it’s good to own a Hummer. Everyone argues about gas prices, but if we didn’t have gas than we would all be riding around in wagons like these taking 24 hours to get somewhere it would normally only take about 25 minutes.
July 15, 1848
Our food rations are down to 1, 482 pounds. 1482. The year Columbus sailed the ocean and declared this country America. I feel I must take it upon myself to bring in the hunt. Xena won’t let me go, so I’ll leave tonight and shoot first thing in the morning.
July 16, 1848
I’m surrounded by idiots.
July 17, 1848
    We reached Chimney Rock. While everyone was looking at the strange, native architecture, I went hunting. I got 49 pounds of meat using 20 bullets. Those deer were really fast.
July 18, 1848
Thank God I can hunt deer for myself. Otherwise I might starve here.
July 19, 1848
Great… Edward Cullen is sick with typhoid fever. The one member of our crew who is immortal and he gets sick by eating some bad deer meat. I think it’s a waste of penicillin. Debating whether to make him turn me into a vampire or not. Nah. An eternity on this earth with these morons…
July 24, 1848
    We shot 101 pounds of meat using 3 bullets. I decided to make a new rule: No one hunts with me.
July 25, 1848
Sarah Palin has the measles. I am deeply concerned for her wellbeing. Dr. House doesn’t seem to be taking the gravity of the situation seriously. 2 people sick. A small group of travelers alone on a desolate prairie. The Apocalypse due next month… These are dark times.
July 28, 1848
    I am well again. I hate Glen Beck. I’m tired of him telling me I will go to Hell during the coming rapture on August 17th because I “feed on the blood of the living”. I eat deer- same as everyone on the wagon. The way I eat it is just different.
July 30, 1848
    We have reached Fort Laramie. I found out that not only is it an Army Post, but also a fur trading center. Glen was sweet and bought me a mink sweater!
August 2, 1848
    Edward Cullen broke a leg today. He then got up and it healed after 10 minutes. I’m secretly thinking about getting a vial of his blood and injecting it into my leg. I can heal it and I won’t need a cane anymore…
August 8, 1848
    Edward Cullen died of dysentery. I guess he wasn’t as immortal as he thought… Well now we know what kills vampires.
August 10, 1848
    One week until the Apocalypse as Reverend McGiver has calculated.  Edward’s soul should change its ways now before it’s… too late.
August 18, 1848
Glen Beck has a fever. I’m debating whether or not to give him medicine. After all that time saying the end of the world would come August 17th and here we are the day after, and I say, “Well I guess God was busy” and he says, “The Apocalypse is now predicted to be 5 months from now…”, and now he has a fever –maybe I should just take it as a sign from God that Glen needs to be punished for his stupidity.
August 20, 1848
    Sarah Palin has cholera. The lives of so many people I don’t care about are in my hands…
August 28, 1848
   Today we have lost a truly beautiful member of humanity. Today Sarah Palin died of cholera. She will always be remembered for her spirit and her words of insightful wisdom.
August 28, 1848
God took the wrong person. The other one is more annoying.
August 29, 1848
Glen Beck is well again. Damn it.
August 30, 1848
Glen Beck has a broken leg. He got run over by a wheel. How do you not see that coming?
September 1, 1848
I was near death. Then Dr. House saved me. I will forever be grateful for his valiant efforts. Though not his bedside manner…
September 20, 1848
Cough Cough… the weather is really hot and I’m surrounded by miles of desert and a sadistic man with a cane.
September 27, 1848
 Glen Beck is unfortunately well again. We have arrived at the South Pass and have decided to take the shorter route to Green River. Anything to speed up the process. I really don’t want to have to bundle up with Glen when winter hits…
October 3, 1848
Well we’re halfway to Oregon. 2 of our group members are dead. I honestly didn’t think Sarah would make it. The trek was going to be too challenging for her. The vampire dying was a bit surprising though…
October 9, 1848
 Today we bravely arrived at the Green River Crossing.
October 14, 1848
 I shot 751 pounds of meat but was only able to carry back 200 pounds of meat. 2 bullets. Welcome to the land of the buffalo.
October 22, 1848
Xena is sick with typhoid fever. If I lose Xena, I become the only sane person left in this wagon. I will then inevitably go crazy and kill the only other crazy person. Your move God.
October 31, 1848
Xena has recovered and she has the hots for me. We also reached Soda Springs. I decided to celebrate Halloween by dressing up as the ghost of a vampire. Glen then said my attire was distasteful because of what happened to Edward. I then argued that Glen had disrespected Edward by telling him he was going to Hell -Which Glen of course argued is where he is now. So why does my costume matter? Glen then carried on while I stared and Xena’s leather bust.
November 6, 1848
  We reached Fort Hall today. Oh yah… and Glen Beck has dysentery. Ha ha ha… I guess the Apocalypse came sooner than he thought.
November 13, 1848
An ox died. Then Greg decided to take over the reins. He took a wrong trail and we lost 5 days. Never let a man drive.
November 15, 1848
Glen Beck is well again. Xena has dysentery. God, why must you be so cruel to me? Is it because I don’t misinterpret your teachings and then use them to deny others their rights and tell random strangers they’re going to Hell?
November 21, 1848
Glen Beck has cholera. In other words, he’s now slowing down our progress physically instead of intellectually.
November 30, 1848
Glen Beck was bitten by a snake. I told Greg to stop laughing.
December 5, 1848
There is No water. Dr. House chose to take this moment to make a joke at our Saviors expense saying, “Now Jesus will have nothing to walk on when the Rapture comes because of Global Warming”. I think we all know where Dr. House will be going when the Rapture comes…
December 15, 1848
Well the good news is we have reached the Snake River Crossing. The bad news is there is no longer a “we”. The wagon tipped over while floating.  I lost: 280 bullets, 2 wagon axles, Glen Beck (who drowned because he could not walk), and Xena drowned as well. The oxen made it out o.k. though.
December 17, 1848
I have the measles and don’t have any medicine. Crap.
On December 18th, 1848 Dr. House succumbed to the measles and passed away. On his tombstone are the forever immortalized words, “It’s Never Lupus”.

Chicken Chow Mein Theorem

People think that if you sympathize with animals or you support Animal Rights you have to give up meat and go completely vegan. First off, most people only become vegantarian to live healthier lives and often consider the lessoned abuse to animals an added bonus. Secondly the main reason people become vegantarian after learning about Animal Rights isn’t out of obligation or duty- but out of compassion. It’s hard to justify eating a McDonald’s hamburger when you acknowledge all the cows slaughtered in line to make the unhealthy meal. (This is why when I have a McDonald’s craving, I just have one of their parfaits –which are Mcmazing- and their classic French fries -which I call “crack fries” because they are so addicting).
Here is my proposal to those who refuse to give up meat: The Chicken Chow Mein Theorem. When you go to eat Chicken Chow Mein it is 33% chicken, 33% noodles, and 33% veggie lettuce. Most restaurants place more emphasis on the meat portion of the meal. (Like when you order a steak with a side of mashed potatoes). The portions are more weighted towards the meat. The Chicken Chow Mein Theorem calls for smaller meat portions with less emphasis on meat as the center of the dish. Soup, for example, is a good balance of meat and veggies.
Just cut down on your meat intake. If everyone did that less chickens, cows, and pigs would have to suffer and die. You can also opt for the Only Eat Meat Once a Week plan. Or go “selectively vegantarian” like I do and avoid meat like you would chocolate and sweets- only eating them on special occasions or when around a group of people who expect you to.
You don’t have to change your ways completely, just adjust them. We may not connect with animals the same way we do people, but animals can suffer just as much as people can. In fact, they seem to suffer more. How can stopping an animal’s suffering be considered more of an inconvenience than giving up a hamburger?

Friday, June 24, 2011

Chinese Astrology...(No this has nothing to do with Scientology)

Year

Element
 
Animal
Year

1924–1983
1984–2043

Feb 05 1924–Jan 23 1925
Yang Wood
Rat
Feb 02 1984–Feb 19 1985

Jan 24 1925–Feb 12 1926
Yin Wood
Ox
Feb 20 1985–Feb 08 1986

Feb 13 1926–Feb 01 1927
Yang Fire
Tiger
Feb 09 1986–Jan 28 1987

Feb 02 1927–Jan 22 1928
Yin Fire
Rabbit
Jan 29 1987–Feb 16 1988

Jan 23 1928–Feb 09 1929
Yang Earth
Dragon
Feb 17 1988–Feb 05 1989

Feb 10 1929–Jan 29 1930
Yin Earth
Snake
Feb 06 1989–Jan 26 1990

Jan 30 1930–Feb 16 1931
Yang Metal
Horse
Jan 27 1990–Feb 14 1991

Feb 17 1931–Feb 05 1932
Yin Metal
Goat
Feb 15 1991–Feb 03 1992

Feb 06 1932–Jan 25 1933
Yang Water
Monkey
Feb 04 1992–Jan 22 1993

Jan 26 1933–Feb 13 1934
Yin Water
Rooster
Jan 23 1993– Feb 09 1994

Feb 14 1934–Feb 03 1935
Yang Wood
Dog
Feb 10 1994–Jan 30 1995

Feb 04 1935–Jan 23 1936
Yin Wood
Boar
Jan 31 1995–Feb 18 1996

Jan 24 1936–Feb 10 1937
Yang Fire
Rat
Feb 19 1996–Feb 06 1997

Feb 11 1937–Jan 30 1938
Yin Fire
Ox
Feb 07 1997–Jan 27 1998

Jan 31 1938–Feb 18 1939
Yang Earth
Tiger
Jan 28 1998–Feb 15 1999

Feb 19 1939–Feb 07 1940
Yin Earth
Rabbit
Feb 16 1999–Feb 04 2000

Feb 08 1940–Jan 26 1941
Yang Metal
Dragon
Feb 05 2000–Jan 23 2001

Jan 27 1941–Feb 14 1942
Yin Metal
Snake
Jan 24 2001–Feb 11 2002

Feb 15 1942–Feb 04 1943
Yang Water
Horse
Feb 12 2002–Jan 31 2003

Feb 05 1943–Jan 24 1944
Yin Water
Goat
Feb 01 2003–Jan 21 2004

Jan 25 1944–Feb 12 1945
Yang Wood
Monkey
Jan 22 2004–Feb 08 2005

Feb 13 1945–Feb 01 1946
Yin Wood
Rooster
Feb 09 2005–Jan 28 2006

Feb 02 1946–Jan 21 1947
Yang Fire
Dog
Jan 29 2006–Feb 17 2007

Jan 22 1947–Feb 09 1948
Yin Fire
Boar
Feb 18 2007–Feb 06 2008

Feb 10 1948–Jan 28 1949
Yang Earth
Rat
Feb 07 2008–Jan 25 2009

Jan 29 1949–Feb 16 1950
Yin Earth
Ox
Jan 26 2009–Feb 13 2010

Feb 17 1950–Feb 05 1951
Yang Metal
Tiger
Feb 14 2010–Feb 02 2011

Feb 06 1951–Jan 26 1952
Yin Metal
Rabbit
Feb 03 2011–Jan 22 2012

Jan 27 1952–Feb 13 1953
Yang Water
Dragon
Jan 23 2012–Feb 09 2013

Feb 14 1953–Feb 02 1954
Yin Water
Snake
Feb 10 2013–Jan 30 2014

Feb 03 1954–Jan 23 1955
Yang Wood
Horse
Jan 31 2014–Feb 18 2015

Jan 24 1955–Feb 11 1956
Yin Wood
Goat
Feb 19 2015–Feb 07 2016

Feb 12 1956–Jan 30 1957
Yang Fire
Monkey
Feb 08 2016–Jan 27 2017

Jan 31 1957–Feb 17 1958
Yin Fire
Rooster
Jan 28 2017–Feb 18 2018

Feb 18 1958–Feb 07 1959
Yang Earth
Dog
Feb 19 2018–Feb 04 2019

Feb 08 1959–Jan 27 1960
Yin Earth
Boar
Feb 05 2019–Jan 24 2020

Jan 28 1960–Feb 14 1961
Yang Metal
Rat
Jan 25 2020–Feb. 11 2021

Feb 15 1961–Feb 04 1962
Yin Metal
Ox
Feb 12 2021–Jan 31 2022

Feb 05 1962–Jan 24 1963
Yang Water
Tiger
Feb 01 2022–Jan 21 2023

Jan 25 1963–Feb 12 1964
Yin Water
Rabbit
Jan 22 2023–Feb 09 2024

Feb 13 1964–Feb 01 1965
Yang Wood
Dragon
Feb 10 2024–Jan 28 2025

Feb 02 1965–Jan 20 1966
Yin Wood
Snake
Jan 29 2025–Feb 16 2026

Jan 21 1966–Feb 08 1967
Yang Fire
Horse
Feb 17 2026–Feb 05 2027

Feb 09 1967–Jan 29 1968
Yin Fire
Goat
Feb 06 2027–Jan 25 2028

Jan 30 1968–Feb 16 1969
Yang Earth
Monkey
Jan 26 2028–Feb 12 2029

Feb 17 1969–Feb 05 1970
Yin Earth
Rooster
Feb 13 2029–Feb 02 2030
Feb 06 1970–Jan 26 1971
Yang Metal
Dog
Feb 03 2030–Jan 22 2031

Jan 27 1971–Feb 14 1972
Yin Metal
Boar
Jan 23 2031–Feb 10 2032

Feb 15 1972–Feb 02 1973
Yang Water
Rat
Observation, Wit, Imagination

Feb 03 1973–Jan 22 1974
Yin Water
Ox
Libra Open, Hard-Working

Jan 23 1974–Feb 10 1975
Yang Wood
Tiger
Leo, Brave, Honorable

Feb 11 1975–Jan 30 1976
Yin Wood
Rabbit
Giving, Creative, Sensitive

Jan 31 1976–Feb 17 1977
Yang Fire
Dragon
Ambition, Passion, Solitude

Feb 18 1977–Feb 06 1978
Yin Fire
Snake
Intelligent, Materialistic, Driven

Feb 07 1978–Jan 27 1979
Yang Earth
Horse
Gemini, Outgoing, Versatile

Jan 28 1979–Feb 15 1980
Yin Earth
Goat
Creative, Calm Artistic, Smart

Feb 16 1980–Feb 04 1981
Yang Metal
Monkey
Mysterious, Playful, Clever

Feb 05 1981–Jan 24 1982
Yin Metal
Rooster
Loyal, Motivated, Blunt, Social

Jan 25 1982–Feb 12 1983
Yang Water
Dog
Loyal, Kind, Helpful, Practical

Feb 13 1983–Feb 01 1984
Yin Water
Boar
Generous, Compassionate, Peace


Yin is characterized as slow, soft, yielding, diffuse, cold, wet, and passive; and is associated with water, earth, the moon, femininity and nighttime.
Yang by contrast, is fast, hard, solid, focused, hot, dry, and aggressive; and is associated with fire, sky, the sun, masculinity and daytime.
www.chinesezodiac.com
Years ending in even numbers are Yang. Year ending in odd numbers are Yin.
Metal = Years ending in 0 or 1, Water = Years ending in 2 or 3, Wood = Years ending in 4 or 5, Fire = Years ending in 6 or 7, Earth = Years ending in 8 or 9.
(Thank you Wikipedia!)