Each year, October 31st brings with it a chance to carve the face of KISS frontman Gene Simmons in your pumpk
in, dress up as a sexy version of Jasmine from Aladdin, dance to the “Monster Mash” at a masquerade with your honey and, most importantly, stuff your face with as much sugary goodness as you can possibly muster. Even though you’ll most likely be clutching your aching stomach the next morning, Halloween and candy are inseparable, because you simply can’t have one without the other.
Hollywood isn’t innocent either when it comes to indulging in candy on All Hallows’ Eve. Celebrities may stay in shape thanks to strict diets, but everyone has been known to splurge once in a while. In fact, places like Dylan’s Candy in New York City honor those celebrity sugar binges by dedicating a whole wall of treats to all of their favorites. Here are five candies that have been officially endorsed (at least verbally) by some of your favorite Tinseltown hotshots:
Sometimes the simplest songs are the sweetest, no? I recently discovered Kina Grannis‘ music, and I have to say that I think she’s beautiful and talented. She’s going on a huge tour starting here pretty soon, and I know I’ll definitely be at one of the shows.
There’s a reason people go for duets, don’t you think? I think we’re all (at least us women) holding out for a dream of a relationship. I’m not sure I buy that “chick flicks” and sweet songs like this fall into the fantasy category. Even though there’s no perfect relationship, maybe the right one for you feels that way anyway.
February is Teen Violence Awareness Month, and although I don’t usually do much about these special awareness months in general, I think this one is especially important this year. The media has been completely filled with reports of teen violence, even on popular television. MTV’s reality show Teen Mom followed Amber Portwood and she let loose on her boyfriend and baby daddy. On an episode of the hit show, she was seen repeatedly hitting Gary Shirley.
For those of you who found “the one” after the first date you went on, consider yourselves exceptionally lucky. Seriously. It’s a miracle. And it probably saved you from being jaded like the rest of us.
But for those of you who are still on the search for someone to share your lives with, I’m here to tell you that being a relationship pessimist is understandable. The fact is, most people you meet and go on a date with won’t be “the one.” It’s time to face reality. And yes, it’s easy to get down on ourselves when this happens over and over and over again.
I’m not going to sit here and tell you to perk up. Being positive and optomistic about relationships is incredibly hard when most are doomed to failure from the get-go.
The average man is more interested in a woman who is interested in him than he is in a woman with beautiful legs. -Marlene Dietrich via @AFlirtYourself
The moral of the story? Guys are just as scared as us. And if you’re interested in someone, go for it and tell him!
Too often we get caught up in our own fears. I’m just as guilty as everyone else. And these fears can even manifest themselves while you’re in a relationship. Not too long ago, I moved away from a guy I cared about deeply, due to family and financial reasons. Before I left, we sat down to talk and I let go of everything I’d been thinking throughout our relationship, but hadn’t had the nerve to say. SO not good.
First of all, this episode was CLUTCH when it comes to the kickin’ musical arrangements. I don’t care if you’re a Glee fan or not, but the above song is the bomb, no? I absolutely love singers with clear strong voices who just belt it out at the top of their lungs (you know, kind of like me in the car — not).
Secondly, the message of the song is just so “feel good.” This is my thing. Everyone thinks that quality movies and songs have to have some drama-ridden dark message to them. Well, I’m here to say that that is so not true. I’ve actually touched on this idea before in my post about why great movies suck, but I refuse to buy into the theory that you need to uncover some deep-seeded human truth in order to create a work of profound artistry.
“So be kind, and don’t lose your mind … Take me for what I am; who I was meant to be.”
Usually people make resolutions to DO certain things in the new year. I’ve decide to take the opposite approach:
1. Fast food: Okay, not all fast food. I’m sorry, but I can’t give up on Taco Bell. That being said, McDonald’s has officially left my life for the next year. Mark my words!
2. Sitting for more than 5 hours straight: This seems like a good thing to give up, don’t you think? Working from home and without a team makes sitting all day so easy. No one’s bugging me to come to their office, and no one’s making me feel guilty for not exercising. If I don’t see it, it isn’t there … right? Anyway, since there’s a gym about 200 feet from my front door and it’s included in my rent, I’m thinking I have no excuse.
3. Writing about things I don’t care about: You know, there’s always this pressure to write about something “important.” Well, who’s to say what’s important? Just because politics and the environment are world issues doesn’t mean that I have anything vital to say about them. My goal is to shrug off the criticisms about the things I enjoy talking about (i.e. celebrity gossip). If you don’t care, then don’t read it!
4. The occasional cigarette: Yes, I sometimes indulge in one too many alcoholic beverages and bum a cigarette from an all-too-willing friend. I’m not sure why, but I cough the entire next day and fully regret that decision. Plus, the only conclusion I can come to about why I did it is that maybe I thought it looked cool at the time. If you now think I’m pathetic, I understand. Anyway, I quit.
5. Over-analyzing: The female population is the worst when it comes to this. I wouldn’t say that I over-analyze as much as some people that I know, but I’m certainly not innocent to it. There’s no crime in thinking about things after they happen, but dissecting them to the point where they no longer make sense is probably not a good thing.
6. Reading trashy novels: Let’s be honest: I won’t be able to fully accomplish this goal. So, I’m going to cut back. The idea behind this is that I feel like I’ve missed out on so many classic novels. I’ve come to realize that time moves too quickly for me to waste my time reading only trash. Maybe we’ll do a 3:1 ratio here. 3 trash: 1 classic.
7. Comparison shopping: No, not the kind of comparison shopping you’d do in a mall. I want to stop comparing myself so closely to people who are in completely different phases of their lives. People take different paths in life, so I have to believe that my path is the right one for me. It’s a little on the philosophical side, but I’m sticking to it!
8. Avoiding problems: I’m sure I’m not the only one who is plagued by putting aside problems instead of confronting them head on. Whether it’s difficult, embarrassing or nerve-wracking, I know in the end that it’s better to deal with something now than to stress about it for ages.
9. Being shy: I’ve come a long way in the shy department, but the one thing I really need to focus on this year is ridding myself of my phone phobia. In the past, it’s been as bad as forfeiting my pizza craving because I didn’t want to call to order one. I’ve at least moved forward from that, but it’d definitely be nice if I didn’t have to consciously work up the courage to call someone for the first time.
10. NEGATIVITY: I saved this one for last because it’s the #1 thing that I need to stop being. There are those people who are perpetually positive and there are others who are constantly negative. I’m not sure I’m negative all the time, but I do think I naturally jump to the worse case scenario and freak out before thinking things all the way through and viewing them in perspective.
It’s that time of year again when I talk to the AOL Instant Messenger automated Santa Claus (sn: SantaClaus). It’s been a tradition since my junior year of college, and I’m not about to quit now. Enjoy!
Me: Santa!! SantaClaus: Hey. Its you again. You spreading that Christmas spirit?
Me: You know it. It’s been so long since we last talked. SantaClaus: Interesting. Type menu.
Me: Still as demanding as ever, I see. SantaClaus: Excuse me?
Me: You heard me. SantaClaus: If the elves and I are not keeping up with you, try using the menu while we catch up!
Me: I’m not interested in using the menu, but I do wish I could sit on your lap. SantaClaus: It’s Christmas time again! Ho, Ho, Ho! I am so excited!! Here are a few things for you to do to get in the holiday spirit. Type a number:
1 . Xmas Gift Finder
2 .. Wish List — <>
3 … YOUR Shopping List
4 …. Play Xmas Games!
5 ….. Xmas Polls and Voting
6 …… 3 Million Santa Helpers on AIM
7 ……. Let the Elves find UR holiday gifts
Me: I’d rather not type a number, thanks. SantaClaus: Take a moment, collect your thoughts, and try asking me another way. O.K. ?
Me: What’s new in the North Pole these days? SantaClaus: Hmm… What, what?
Me: That’s kind of like that saying the rappers use along with some obsene hand gestures. “Wha, wha?!” SantaClaus: Whoa! Ho! Ho! slow down there! That’s quite a lot for a man of my age to wrap his head around. Would you mind trying some shorter questions?
Me: I didn’t ask a question. SantaClaus: That’s what I’m here for!
Me: Oh, sorry. I wasn’t aware of that. I’m going to ask you a question now. SantaClaus: Ask away.
Me: What are the names of your reindeer? SantaClaus: My goodness. What, what?
Me: Really? You’re stupid, Santa. SantaClaus: Well, I am trying to learn.
Me: You need to try harder. SantaClaus: Can I ask YOU something?
Me: Sure. SantaClaus: Have you set up a Wish List yet?
Me: I am a wishless speciman. SantaClaus: Indeed
Me: Indeed, Santa. Indeed. SantaClaus: Yes!!
Me: YES! Happy Holidays. It’s been a stimulating annual conversation as per usual. SantaClaus: O.K. I’ve answered that one as best as I can a couple of times in a row now. Type menu to get back in the sleigh.
Me: MERRY CHRISTMAS!! SantaClaus: Merry Christmas to you!
Me: Hasta la vista SantaClaus: Why did you say that?
Me: It means goodbye SantaClaus: Good bye and don’t forget this is the time of year to reflect, be with family, and wish other’s peace and goodness. Merry Christmas to you!
Are you a sexual molester who’s tired of the everyday grind in jail? You’re in luck! Once you make bail or get out on good behavior, we have just the job for you. Get your kicks the healthy way as a TSA groper.
And if you land the gig by this coming Wednesday, you may hit the jackpot. It’s National Opt Out Day! So much junk, so little time.
This message has been brought to you by: a concerned citizen.
Today I was directed to a Washington Post article by Ted Koppel called “Olbermann, O’Reilly and the death of news.” If you have yet to read it you should do so now, while keeping in mind that it was written by a well-known liberal. That fact alone is shocking!
For those of you who don’t religiously follow the news (don’t feel bad — I’m one of you), Keith Olbermann is a left-leaning MSNBC host who was recently suspended for making cash contributions to three Democrats running for office. If you’re like me, you probably don’t understand why he would get into trouble for something like that. Well, this world is all about policies. It’s simply one of MSNBC’s policies that their employees can’t make contributions to particular politicians or political parties. Obviously this is an effort to retain some semblance of “hard news,” which is a term that refers to unbiased reporting that only focuses on facts and cuts out opinion altogether.
Now, Tedd Koppel points out that it’s almost humorous that Olbermann would get suspended for such a thing. In fact, he says that it “ seemed like a whimsical, arcane holdover from a long-gone era of television journalism, when the networks considered the collection and dissemination of substantive and unbiased news to be a public trust.” He points out that these days, we can pretty much pick what news we want to hear. And he’s not talking about choosing whether to read sports news versus news pertaining to the war; he’s talking about deciding to watch FOX’s version of the news versus MSNBC’s.
What's your fancy?
Back in the day, news organizations would strive to deliver fact-based news. To be fair, there’s no such thing as completely unbiased news. Even deciding which news to share is a form of bias, but that aside, America now seems to be 100% fine with choosing to watch biased news based on our personal views. Want to watch a liberal-leaning news program? You may actually be out luck on that front, but you can certainly tune in to hear the opinions of well-known left-wing commentators like Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann and take it as the truth. And obviously you can tune into FOX if you want your daily dose of conservatively swaying stories.
What I don’t understand is, why do you want to be lied to? Even if it’s not blatant lying, it’s definitely a form of untruth. Ugh.
I’m going to stop talking like I know anything whatsoever about politics now, because I don’t. You’ve probably realized that by now. In fact, I get so upset when I try to figure out the political world that it literally angers me. I’m frustrated right now after writing two paragraphs. Not only that, but I had do about an hour of research before I even felt comfortable saying any of the above. Enough is enough! The reason I’m writing this post is because I’m a graduate of journalism school. That’s right — I got my degree is a dying industry. And Ted Koppel’s article pinpoints my frustrations with the media in this country exactly.
What’s funny is that journalism school still teaches you to be as unbiased as possible. There are lessons upon lessons where they force you to write unbiased stories (you actually start with writing an unbiased sentence, which is much more difficult than it seems like it would be). WHY are they wasting their time? Here I was, graduating with a Master’s in journalism and expecting to inform the world about things they needed to know in an unbiased and factual way. It took about two seconds post-graduation to realize that it’s not possible. Hard news is out the window and now we’re stuck with the soft stuff.
If you know me, you know I’m pretty far from doing any sort of traditional journalism whatsoever at this point in my life. I worked at E! Networks for a year posting stories on the completely biased industry of celebrity news. It’s sensational. It’s fun. It’s rarely 100% true. Now, I’m commenting on the celebrity lifestyle and giving relationship advice. It’s all pretty much opinion-based and rarely about anything that should be important. But I don’t really regret taking this direction in life, because the simple truth is that I’d rather spend my time on lighthearted bias than the kind that really has an effect on our society.
And those truly are the two choices — lighthearted bias or serious bias. Take your pick.
