“Our Twitter, who art on the Internets.
Hallowed be thy tweets.
Thy Fail Whale come, Thy will be done.
On the Internets…As it is on the BBerry.
Give us this day our daily updates.
Forgive us our complaints. As we forgive those who @reply us.
And lead us not into spam accounts, but deliver us from boredom.
For thine is the Kingdom. The Power. The 140.
Forever and ever (until you break again).
Amen”
- Thank you @Cyberprvideo
I’ve had my share of highs and lows in life, but I am glad to say that I have never been a victim of domestic abuse. With that being said, if I had ever been a victim of domestic abuse, I’m pretty certain that I would not want the pictures of my bruised up face all over the internet, and on my birthday!!! Are we really that nosy, that we can’t let Robin Fenty (aka Rihanna) have some time to herself? It’s really none of our business, folks (though many act as if they’re entitled to know the details of this young girl’s life).
I say kudos to her for not putting out a statement. What is she supposed to say, “yes Chris Brown beat me?” Clearly she is ok, they let her out of the hospital, and she is with family. That’s really all we need to know. This constant digging, is a violation of her privacy. And, I hope they catch the idiot working at the FBI who thought it would be ok to leak the image to the tabloids (directly or indirectly). This is why so many domestic abuse victims don’t come forward. It’s a betrayal of trust. This is a real person we’re talking about here, Robin Fenty, who now not only has to deal with being attacked but also humiliated by the very authorities who are supposed to protect her.
Violation!
PS
Sorry I’ve been away so long, February is not my month. And honestly, there was nothing that I cared to write about.
So, much to my dismay I had the hardest time finding a book I thought was worth featuring this past month (and that’s with me being an avid reader). A few people have taken notice and even asked me what’s going on with the book club. Well, have no fear! Thanks to my mother I have finally come across a book that I felt was worth mentioning. I will admit I was hesitant to read it at first. There’s no pretty picture on the cover, no scandal on the pages, and no hero saving the day. With that being said, this book changed my outlook in one hour with one question: “What would I do if I weren’t afraid?” And, that’s only the the tip of the iceberg.
The book is Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, M.D. who is a psychologist, and it has stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list since it was written (at least that’s what I’ve heard). It’s a parable for how we deal with change. It not only attempts to help you realize how you deal with change, but also to point out that there are other ways to deal with it (perhaps better ways). After the parable the book also contains a discussion which serves as a way to help people figure out ways to implement what they learn in their day to day lives. The book aims to show the reader how to deal with changes that will happen (because change is inevitable), and also that they should make changes that are necessary.
I know we hear over and over, “you control your own experience.” If you gagged reading The Secret, then you’re not alone, I only watched the video and felt like it was a waste of time. With that being said, most people do not pay enough attention to themselves. When you are subject to a sudden change or need to make a change (the loss of a family member, losing a job, being in a bad relationship, etc.) do you find other ways to get “Cheese” or do you hang onto the old ways and hope “Cheese” finds you? If you can’t answer that question, you should read this book.
There’s not much more I can say about it without giving it away entirely (and I don’t want to do that, because it’s so short you literally can read it in an hour). If you have an open mind, this book will help you. If you don’t have an open mind, you definitely need to read this book. Remember, if you do not change you can become extinct.
more about "The Roots – What They Do", posted with vodpod
Throwback of the day, part II (finally found a way to get an embed that will work). . . “What They Do” by the Roots.Enjoy!
By now you may be aware that US Airways flight 1549 from New York’s LaGuardia airport departing for Charlotte, NC crash landed in the Hudson river just west of Manhattan around 3:30pm this afternoon. You also may be aware of the fact that all of the passengers and crew made it off of the plane alive. Now, do you know what you would do in a plane crash?
Mere hours after the plane went down Ben Sherwood, author of a new book The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life, held a Q&A with Time magazine, and revealed (at least to my surprise) that the majority of people actually do walk away from plane crashes.
People generally believe that no one survives a plane crash. But according to government data, 95.7% of the passengers involved in airplane crashes categorized as accidents actually survive. Then if you look at the most serious plane crashes, that’s a smaller number; the survival rate in the most serious kinds of accidents is 76.6%.
Click here to read the article in its entirety.
So, unfortunately, Universal Music Group likes being a thorn in my side, which for you means the embedded video won’t play. However, you should definitely click here to watch the video on youtube, because it really is the one of the funniest parody/social commentary hip hop videos ever. Not, to mention, it’s a great throwback song (I’ll admit, I’ve reminisced to it a few times). So, check out What They Do by The Roots.
Cathay Pacific's signature cocktail, the Cloud 9
I was having a hard time thinking of what would be a good drink to start off the new year as the Poison of Choice. Then I thought, “why not start off ‘09 on cloud 9,” which lead to my discovery of the Cloud 9 Martini. I’ve found quite a few different recipes for this drink (some lead more towards a martini, some lead more towards a margarita), but none of them looked official. -And, by official I mean, you can go to any bar, ask for the drink by name, and the bartender knows what you’re talking about.- That was until I found the Cloud 9, which is the signature cocktail on Cathay Pacific airlines. I couldn’t find the official drink recipe for their Cloud 9 online, which is not surprising, so as a certified bartender I’m taking the liberty of concocting my own Cloud 9 Martini recipe.
Cloud Nine Martini:
1 1/4 oz. Vodka
1/4 oz. Cointreau
1/4 oz. Lime Juice
Pour into shaker, which should already have ice, and shake (or stir) thoroughly, then strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with an orange slice.
Here’s to hoping your ‘09 starts off on cloud 9.
Every year millions of people make new year’s resolutions. And, while the resolutions of the previous year were broken faster than you can say “Valentine’s Day,” that doesn’t seem to stop anyone from optimistically declaring that this will be the year they lose weight/get over their fear of heights/stop smoking (or fill in with your own resolutions). I have never been one to make new year’s resolutions, because even as a child, they seemed pointless to me. -You’re not required to tell anyone what you’re resolution is, and there’s no one to hold you accountable when you break it (that’s a recipe for broken resolutions if you ask me).- With that being said, I figure there have to be some things that are easy to keep up throughout the year. So, I’ve compiled a list of what I think have to be the easiest resolutions to keep. You can adopt one, and feel good about making it through the year without breaking your new year’s resolution (if you can’t make it through the year keeping one of these. . . well, I can’t help you).
1- Instead of Dieting, Indulge. . . .
I haven’t seen the numbers, but I’m pretty sure that if “losing weight” is not the #1 new year’s resolution in America, it’s definitely in the top 3. Most people have trouble staying on diets when they’re not a new year’s resolution, making them a resolution probably increases the chances of you falling off the diet wagon. So, rather than deprive yourself this year, one of my ideas for a new years resolution is to eat a piece of chocolate everyday.
Now, I don’t mean a Snicker bar (the amount of chocolate you actually get compaired to everything else in that bar is not that much), and this cannot be substituted with a glass of chocolate milk. I mean actual chocolate (dark chocolate or milk chocolate) whether it’s a Hershey kiss, Godiva, or a World’s Famous Chocolate bar. The logic behind it is this: if you know you are going to have a piece of chocolate later on, you might not feel like you’re depriving yourself if you choose to pass on a glazed doughnut with sprinkles for breakfast. You won’t be torn and conflicted when deciding whether or not to decline a second helping of lasagna at dinner, if you know you still need room for your chocolate afterward. Also, by now you might be aware of several reports that chocolate actually makes you happy. So, if you’re an emotional eater who has a tendency to binge when they are sad, a few bites of chocolate bliss will nip those sour feelings in the bud. -Dare I mention that chocolate is also good for you because it has ant-oxidants? No, no, no! We’re supposed to be indulging here. And, according to Hershey’s website, the serving size for Kisses is 9, so enjoy!-
2- Overact, not Overcome. . . .
I’m going to make a confession, I am extremely afraid of certain bugs. Not ants, roaches, spiders, or the usual household fare. I’m talking about those creepy looking insects with fur and plenty of legs which help them hop 1/2 way across your room without any warning. Yeah, I have a fear of those bugs. So, I know how having a fear can effect you, and I also know that what the people closest to you do to try to help you overcome that fear, is often not very helpful. So, rather than try to overcome your fears this year, I think you should overact. Afraid of heights? The next time your friends try to convince you to go bungee jumping (and, surprise, you’re already at the top of the jump) run away screaming loudly into a corner and rock yourself back and forth. Overacting will accomplish one of two things (or, in the best case, both things) 1- your friends will make a mental note to never pressure you again, and 2- the next time you find yourself in a similar situation, you might just be laughing too hard from the memory to be scared.
3- Smile
I know it sounds cheesy, but smiling more often has to be the easiest new years resolution to keep. . . ever. If you need help keeping it up, just watch as many comedy central clips on Youtube as possible, back to back. I’m not saying you have to smile at random strangers walking down the street, just try smiling at everyone who works for your employer (if you work for the same company they can’t be complete strangers). When I started my previous job I made a conscious effort to smile at everyone that worked there as well. Lo and behold, within a week I made great office friends who were willing to help me with any task and answer the many questions I had about the work. Smiling more isn’t just great for work, it’s also great for play. . . as in, playing poker. It’s very difficult to keep a straight face unless you’ve had numerous botox injections. So why try? The next time you play poker keep a smile on the whole time (don’t overdo the smile, you don’t want your mouth to start twitching) and you’re opponents will have a much harder time reading you.
So, those are my new year’s resolutions, take ‘em or leave ‘em. But, if you take ‘em, make sure you let me know if you keep them until 2010.
“I’m sorry to say this, but you don’t need that much talent to get into show business these days. Today it’s more what you look like rather than what you have to offer.”
-Eartha Kitt, the one and only Cat Woman
January 1927-December 2008
Ok, I’m a week late with it but it was definitely a well rested week, so I don’t feel bad taking a break. I hope everyone had a great New Year’s Eve celebration. I spent my NYE hoping that when I got off of work at 11:00pm I wouldn’t get stuck in traffic (the firm I work for is literally five blocks from Times Square), and that I would get home in time to watch the ball drop with people I actually cared about. Luckily, thanks to the firm’s speedy car service, I did make it home with almost 30 minutes to spare, said “happy new year,” had a glass of champagne, and went to bed (if any year warranted me acting like an old lady, this was it). Now, I’m back in action, and hopefully back to providing what keeps you coming back for more, again.
January is kicking off the year in a great way. First of all, in addition to being National Blood Donor Month (thumbs up to everyone who donates blood), January is also “Yes Pecan” Month at Ben & Jerry’s!!!
During the month of January if you decide to indulge in Ben & Jerry’s “Yes Pecan” flavored ice cream (inspired by the President-elect’s campaign theme) at scoop shops across the United States, the proceeds will be donated to the Common Cause Education Fund. Now, I know you might be thinking, “it’s way too cold for ice cream.” Normally, I would have to agree, but this is for a good cause. So, suck it up and have a scoop. . . just wait a few minutes longer before you go back outside. And, to find out more information check out Ben & Jerry’s website.
For those of you who are lactose intolerant, or are just averse to eating ice cream when it’s cold outside, you can also help out a good cause this month by donating blood. Finding a blood drive near you is simple if you know how to look. You can try Google to check out locations for the Red Cross and see if they are having a blood drive near you. Or, in case no one is hosting a Red Cross blood drive, just check out America’s Blood Centers’ website to find locations of blood donation centers across 46 states (this is a little easier since these places are always taking blood donations, and don’t have the time restraints of blood drives). It’s as easy as putting your zip code in the “zip code” field, and hitting “enter” (if there are no centers within your zip code’s area, it will prompt you to enter your state code, so that you can find a donation center within your state). There is actually a blood shortage, so if you can, please donate. Who knows? It might be a family member you wind up helping.
I, unfortunately, cannot donate because I have sickle cell trait. But, I will be doing my part by having double scoops of pecan ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s (hey, one scoop is to make up for not being able to donate). Whichever way you choose to, please help out the cause. Happy January!
