We All Should Care

Accept the call for a deeper purpose.

I just recently saw my first 3-D movie and it completely kicked my ass. I remember watching part of the Shining in “3-D” when they remade it for a TV movie featuring Stephen Webber (who I call “that guy from Wings”) and it was so lame. I couldn’t even tell what parts were in 3-D.

When I went to see The Final Destination on it’s weekend release in 3-D I was left speechless. Some of the previews were also in 3-D and I cannot stress enough just how much the entire experience kicked my ass.

My Mama had told me that she saw the first 10 minutes of Harry Potter in 3-D and how it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. She works with 3-D modeling for her job and so if she said it was cool I knew I had to go see it.

Technology these days is just absolutely insane. I cannot believe how well it’s made. How realistic it looks, how you fight the urge to duck and reach out to touch something. It’s incredible.

At the theater they charge an extra $3 per ticket to see the film in 3-D, but trust me people, that’s well worth it. If you have not already seen a film in 3-D I highly recommend the experience for everyone.

Here’s a list of upcoming movies that will be available in 3-D:

Toy Story and Toy Story 2 – October 2, 2009
Night Of The Living Dead (1968) – October 3, 2009
A Christmas Carol – November 6, 2009
James Cameron’s Avatar – December 18, 2009
Beauty and the Beast – February 12, 2010
Alice In Wonderland – March 5, 2010
How To Train Your Dragon – March 26, 2010
Hubble – April 9, 2010
Shrek Forever After – May 21, 2010
Toy Story 3 – June 18, 2010
Tron Legacy – December 17, 2010

Side thought… how badass would it be to have The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn in 3-D?!

[image courtesy google.com/images]

Everyone has instilled into your brain that New York is the city that doesn’t sleep, that you can apparently get steamed dumplings and electricians around the clock. However, when I visited [fabulous] NYC in August of 2007, I found that the only thing within walking distance of my hotel (Hotel Pennsylvania) that was open at 3 A.M was McDonalds in Times Square.

The city (besides the rats larger than my teacup Chihuahua) seemed deserted and peaceful. Times Square was still very lighted and colorful, yet the only thing open was McDonalds.

Meanwhile, if you were to head west to Las Vegas you would find that you can get not only booze, girls and poker chips at 3 A.M. but you can also get a ride on a roller coaster and entrance into “after hours” clubs that stay open until daylight. You don’t have to settle for room service when you can get a full service buffet or a four star dining experience at any hour and I’m willing to bet in this city of lights that you would be able to find an electrician at 3 A.M.

I guess I should say that you should see for yourself, but I’m just wondering how NYC got this reputation when I’ve been to both and Vegas is clearly the city that parties all night.

Have you been to either? What are your opinions on the city that doesn’t sleep?

I met an amazing man today, but forgot, like the winner that I am, to ask his name. He had been sitting in front of the Walmart entrance since 9 A.M (it was 5 p.m by the time I made his acquaintance) taking up donations for a remarkable organization.
One that I didn’t even know existed, but since hearing about it, I can say that I am beyond proud to be a residence of the Charlotte metro area.
The organization? U.C.A.R.E (United Cancer Alliance Reaching Everyone).

Their Mission Statement as taken from U.C.A.R.E:

“United Cancer Alliance Reaching Everyone, Inc. (U.C.A.R.E.) is a non-profit organization, founded in Concord, NC and is based in Charlotte, NC. U.C.A.R.E. was organized to provide financial assistance to individuals and the families of individuals receiving cancer treatment in the Charlotte, North Carolina Metropolitan Area and vicinity.”

How can you help? Well, I’m glad that you asked!

* You can DONATE to the cause

* You can Volunteer to help spread the word and collect donations

* If you own or operate a business, you can become a Sponsor

You don’t have to live in or around the Charlotte, NC. Metro area to help, donations are accepted from all over.
The only requirement is that you have a giving heart.

It’s beautiful when people reach out to help those in their community, see, there IS good in this world, you just have to look a little closer.

Recently, I have found myself once again single and let me tell you, I am at a loss! From the time I was 18(which honestly, I was mere days from being 19 when I had my first, real girlfriend/relationship), I have been in one kind of relationship or another with only a small bit of time elapsing between them and now, here I stand again feeling the way I did all those years ago.

I feel awkward and confused. I don’t really know how to spend my days and my nights are rather boring as well. I have been trying to bury myself in my job and now that I have my studio set up again, I shall soon be burying myself in yummy, yummy sounds. Through all this fear and confusion, I am seeing a bright light at the end of the tunnel…the prospect of once again finding out who “I” am. Currently, I am a 30 year old (as of monday) overweight guy with a penchant for writing articles about greens and masturbation. I am a writer, a poet, a musician, a good friend and a great lay (ladies ;D). Ok, scratch that last part but I am those other three things, which you now probably cannot for the life of you recall thanks to the mental images of chunky, sweaty man-love now gripping the very core of your being .(It’s natural)

Anyway, the point I am making is this. When we are in relationships, no matter what kind, we almost inevitably lose a part of ourselves along the way. Just be conscious of what parts you are losing before you find yourself running solo and no longer knowing quite how to handle it. I feel that it can often lead to either running back to the one that hurt you or to jumping headfirst into yet another bad relationship.

I’ve been getting into contact with my old friends and trying to spend some time with my new ones. I have been trying to get back into some sort of shape other than round and am starting to work on myself and the goals I long ago set on the back burner. I am developing new routines for myself and ultimately, I think that the changes I have made are positive changes and will yield results that will totally give my mind a boner from all the awesome that I am allowing to once again enter into my life.

Granted, I’m no expert at this but I’m sure there’s at least one person out there thinking, “Man, I sure wish somebody knew what I was going through.” Unfortunately, that someone is me. *WIGGLE*

Find your interests. Find your friends. Find your flaws and fix them and always remember, even though you are single, you are not alone!

If there is one thing I hate in this world (oh, lord, who am I kidding, there’s way more than one thing I hate in this world) it’s people who jump on bandwagons.

For those who are a little lost on what I’m talking about, Princeton’s example from their website defines a bandwagon as “a popular trend that attracts growing support; “when they saw how things were going everybody jumped on the bandwagon”.”

I’ve mostly experienced bandwagoners (yes, I just made that word up) with musical acts. The greatest example of bandwagonism (yep, made up that one too) that stands out in my opinion? In 2002 my [at the time] friends and I met Uncle Kracker and Kid Rock. While I had already had Kid Rock’s album for a very long time, after the Uncle Kracker and Kid shows, my friends went out and bought their entire musical catalogue. Even though they were more into boy bands at the time, just because we met them.

I’m not sure if they thought it would impress them the next time we met them, or what. It pissed me off, that’s all I know. They didn’t genuinely like them, they were disgusted with Uncle Kracker just hours before we met him, so what changed? A bandwagon.

These ‘friends’ proceeded to do that with many musical artists.

I feel that if you attend a concert and are introduced to new music that you actually like, sure, go ahead and buy their sounds. But, I think you should be honest with yourself and not try and impress others or the band because you’re going to end up looking like a fool to others.

I also have found a lot of bandwagoners with the vampire community. The vampire community has been around for many, many years and now it seems that everyone is jumping on the blood-suckers movement. I can say in all honesty that I have been obsessed with vampires since I was a little girl. While everyone was dressing up as princesses and fairies, I was a vampire. While everyone was watching Cinderella, I was watching Interview with a Vampire.

Please don’t get me wrong, I love turning people onto Anne Rice and Twilight more than anything in this world, but I feel that that is more like opening their eyes, not setting them on a bandwagon and telling them to go to the fair.

My current bandwagon complaint is about people who wear plaid for it’s popularity. These are the same people who made fun of Jackson Rathbone and Robert Pattinson just months earlier for living in plaid. Meanwhile, I want to point to my plaid shoes, of which I’ve admired for years.

The title of this post comes from a lyric in Fall Out Boy’s “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race” in which Pete Wentz wrote the song when he was frustrated with the “emo scene” that the band was associated with. The lyrics refer to those who blindly followed the trend.

I think that everyone needs to sit back, relax and like things for liking them. Not because it’s Cosmopolitan’s hot pick of the month, not because some blogger told you to buy it, not because there are screaming fangirls all over it, but because it’s awesome, because it fits your unique personality and because you want to. You’ll be happier and more zen that way. I promise.

[[image courtesy of google.com/images]]

I’ve made a pledge. A Pledge to get people to care. I intend on keeping my word, and yet I know it won’t be easy.
I’ve been writing on another site about Spencer Bell, and when I got this site up and running, I knew he had to be my first actual post. He is a young man that was taken well before his time due to Adrenal Cancer. Talented, an artisan, a beautiful soul. He deserves to have his legacy live on.
Before his passing in December of 2006, he made arrangements with his mother to have his works, his art, displayed to the world.
They are all very moving, and were, for me, life altering.
You can learn more about him HERE.
If you’ll notice the picture at the top of the page, that is my wrist, and on it, is a bracelet that says ‘The Music Lives On’ on one side, and on the other, is Spencer’s Memorial Site address.
If you haven’t heard of Spencer, you truly are missing out on beautiful masterpieces, touching stories, some that will make you laugh, others that will touch your heart and make you cry.
He may not be with us in his physical body, but he lives on, through his family, his friends, his fans, and last but certainly not least, his art.
So, I thought, “Hey! I have a great idea!” And thus, my outreach was born.
I have forty bracelets, just like the one that I have on my wrist, to pass out, to the first forty people who go to Spencer’s site, and fill out a profile, listen to his music, read his lyrics,journal entries, and look at his art. Get to know him. Report back to me with your link, your favorite piece, or story that you read about him,and I’ll send you a bracelet. (Not to mention that your soul was fed as well. It’s a win/win).
Then I’m going to forward each of your heart felt messages on, to his family. I know that your words, your feelings, and thoughts would touch them, help them to know that Spencer’s story is being shared around the world. That through him, through them, people will learn about Adrenal Cancer, and we WILL make a difference.

Update: Yes you have seen this post before, but it bears repeating since some people won’t scroll back through all of the awesome articles. Go, get to know Spencer and then report back to me on what you love, like, are impassioned by in his works. Go ahead, I’ll wait

In my search of morning gossip to go with my coffee, I stumbled upon something quite disturbing, yet amazing at the same time. Now, with everything that I’ve seen in my short 24-years on this planet, I am not easily shocked and although this didn’t shock me, per se, it sure as hell surprised me.

A Los Angeles based sperm bank, California Cryobank, has separated their sperm donors into celebrity look-a-likes. So now you can have the baby you always dreamed of having!

How superficial.

I am really on the fence on how I feel about this. Part of me says that it’s fabulous. That people day dream of having, say, Justin Timberlake’s, baby all the time so now, they can have a little bundle of joy with those signature curls, bone structure and of course, the baby blue eyes.

At the same time, should you really be so shallow about your babies looks? Especially if you’re going to a sperm bank to get impregnated (let it be known that I do not judge those who do, the thought has crossed my mind a time or two, actually.) shouldn’t you be happy to have a baby that is yours and healthy? No, that’s not enough… now the baby has to look like your favorite star too.

On the list of names, some are rather disturbing. Why you would want to have a baby that looks like Bob Saget or Tom Green is beyond me. Anton Yelchin is on the list, and here I didn’t think anyone knew who he was… apparently he’s famous enough for you to have a baby that looks just like him! How adorable!

Names that I was surprised to see on the list? DJ AM and Heath Ledger. No matter how adorable those babies would be, I think that’s a little tactless.

What do you think about this service? Would you do it or recommend it to a friend?

[[image courtesy of google.com/images and yes, that's really Justin Timberlake as a baby. Too cute, right?]]

Naomi Campbell, one of the most famous black models, who has achieved feats that most would never have thought possible, has recently been slated as saying:

“there’s at least one facet of the industry that’s just as bad as it ever was when it comes to black models: fashion advertising. And the recession is making it worse.
She goes on to say “[Italian Vogue] made some noise, but, unfortunately, we are the same as before,” she said. “People, in the panic of the recession, don’t dare to put a girl of color in their campaign, full stop. Nor of any other race. It’s a shame. It’s very sad.”

In this day and age, you’d THINK we could grasp equality in general.
It infuriates me that our society puts such a huge emphasis on race, religion, sex, sexual orientation. Strip all of that away and what do you have?
A human being.
All of us are made up of blood, bones, muscles, tissues, organs and skin. Does it really matter what package it’s in?
I understand that modeling is about outward appearance, and pleasing society’s standards of such, but beauty is beauty, no matter the color of someone’s skin.
This world needs to wise up, get with the program and treat all models the same, they all do the same job, they deserve equal pay, and recognition.

[[image courtesy of google images]]

I do not understand how a speech aimed at students encouraging them to stay in school and reminding them of the importance of an education can be construed as an attempt to brainwash them or glorify President Obama. It is not as though they do not hear this countless times throughout their lives and I doubt they will listen any more to the president (no offense) than they do to their parents and teachers that cram it down their throats on a regular basis. Furthermore, Reagan gave a commencement speech and Bush, Sr. an anti-drug speech both targeted at students that was televised in classrooms across the country. Viewing President Obama’s speech is NOT required and many schools are not equipped to view the broadcast (WOW, the lack of funding for schools SHOULD be the controversy). Besides, how many times while you were in school did educators attempt to force you to watch an inaugural, state of the union, or other speech given by a president and you spend that time napping or writing letters (I am not delusional enough to hope you were interested or used to the time to work on homework)?

Jim Greer, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida states:

“The address scheduled for September 8, 2009, does not allow for healthy debate on the President’s agenda, but rather obligates the youngest children in our public school system to agree with our President’s initiatives or be ostracized by their teachers and classmates.”

My question to him is, “How is that any different than anything taught in public schools. In most schools, there is no room for discussion or questioning and students are taught to blindly follow and accept, but I digress… Why aren’t our educators (or any of the people bitching about this) intelligent enough to think of having the students discuss the speech afterwards and write letters to the president voicing their opinions on his speech? The SAMPLE lesson plans are SUGGESTIONS nothing more. If you do not like the way something is worded, stop bitching and moaning and write your own lesson plan.

Why Bush Sr.’s and Reagan’s speeches were not tinder for controversy (Although, in all probability, there should have been but my rants and opinions of them and the injudicious war on drugs are best saved for another post.) some speculate is as simple as their being conservative, republicans, and white.

Read the article.

If only dancing around your living room and singing loudly into a broom handle could be a competitive sport, I’d be in the Olympics!
Earlier today, I was cleaning house, I popped in my, Spencer Bell Live & Wasted Album, and I sang and danced my heart out.
No kidding. I know all the words, and I may not sing them on key, I may even change a word or two on occasion but I don’t think Spencer minds, because I enjoy myself.
I enjoy his music.
I celebrate his life every single day,and listening to his music just brings a smile to my face.
Since I’ve “met” him, my life has started changing so much, in so many ways, and I keep saying it, but one day, Spencer, you’re stuck drinking with me, so prepare yourself!
There is a lot of new stuff happening on the Legacy site, you should go check it out, they’ve even added new works of Spencer’s.
Hurry and go now, LEGACY SITE or you’ll be sorry that you didn’t! If you haven’t been before,consider this, he has me bopping around the house singing his music, imagine what he could do for you!
He’s better than Tony Robbins ever had time to be, and he tells it real, like it is, no sugar coating! If you want to donate for research to help find a cure for the POS cancer that yanked this beautiful young man away from this world far too damn soon, go here –>CANCER BLOWS.
Every bit makes a difference!

[[Image courtesy of google images]]