‘Other Sites’ Category
Proposition 8 (uh… WTF? again?)
May 26th, 2009
This morning, the California Supreme Court voted 6-to-1 to uphold the voter-approved ban on gay marriage. Call me naive, misguided, or liberal, but I don’t understand what even drove this initiative. Even the way the proposition was presented to the voters was a marketing initiative. (Yes on 8 was ANTI-Gay Marriage… but saying “yes” to something is subconsciously a positive thing—no matter what stance you have on an issue). Moreover, we live in an era of prenuptial agreements, a 50% divorce rate before the fifth wedding anniversary, and celebrities running to Vegas on a whim to marry their friends as “a joke”. Give this, why are some people claiming we are protecting “the tradition” or the “sanctity of marriage”?
The California Supreme Court further stated that Californians have a right, through the ballot box, to change their constitution. Of course I agree; the will of the population should prevail (Anyone who cares about a true democracy would also agree). However, most of the Yes on 8 advertising dollars were traced back to the Mormon Church (headquartered in Utah)… so does this really reflect the desires of the California population, or are the agendas of other states organizations lending themselves to propaganda-led initiatives?
In truth, this entire situation smacks of the miscegenation laws that banned interracial marriage in the 1800’s… laws that were repealed in 1948 by the California Supreme Court (Perez vs. Sharp), as they violated the 14th Amendment and thus were unconstitutional.
With the challenges present in today’s world—economy, crime, working poor, national debt, struggling children, global threats ad nauseum—aren’t their better things to tackle/fix than who marries whom? In my experience, if you can travel through this life and find one person that you love, trust and respect—regardless of their gender—than you are lucky. Gay or straight—who cares? I’m not radically Liberal or uber-Conservative… I’m just being logical. Besides, I have yet to be awakened at 7:30am on a Sunday morning by frantic knocking on my door and then, as I open it, greeted by two men on ten-speed bicycles asking me to convert to Gaydom.
To each their own… and more power to those than find love and companionship in this cynical, judgmental world.
Blog-In: Half-mowing, half naked
April 29th, 2009
Today’s Blog-in article is from Cheryl, a.k.a. The Daily Blonde (one of my favorite bloggers).Cheryl is a freelance writer, single mom of five and lives life without a filter on her mouth. On her blog, The Daily Blonde, Cheryl posts her commentary on daily life without sugar coating. She is currently is in an intense love affair with Twitter. Cheryl believes that laughing prevents wrinkles, chocolate solves most problems and growing up is over-rated.
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What is it about mowing the lawn that motivates some men to take their shirt off? I’m not talking about a physically fit guy that makes you swerve when you drive by. No, I don’t have neighbors that look like THAT. Less accidents that way, I suppose.
Today was one of the first days this spring that made me think that summer isn’t far away. There is nothing better than a warm day and the smell of freshly cut grass. On the flip side, there’s nothing worse than a sweaty man, sans the shirt, mowing his lawn with his beer belly in full view. And his hairy back. Let me not forget to mention the shorts that are just a tad bit too tight and the ultra modern black socks paired with white sneakers.
Hey, buddy….if you’re going to do yardwork half-naked, how about doing it when it gets dark?
Do men just have no shame? Do they forget to do a mirror check on their way out the door or does it just not matter? There must be an age when men just convince themselves that they look so hot that they feel that they are babe magnets with their shirts off. Man boobs, black socks and all.
Yes, these men are loved by someone. Someone who adores him with his shirt on or off. With his abundant belly fat and hairy back. With his black socks and ill fitting shorts. There is a woman who lays next to this sweaty man at night and thinks: “Ain’t love grand.”
That woman is not ME. Save your half naked self for your woman. I still want to hold out hope that one day I will meet Prince Charming and he won’t look like the sweaty lawn mower guy. Put a shirt on. Please?
Blog-In: In a Perfect World…
April 28th, 2009
My guest blogger today is Jackie Silver from AgingBackwards.com. She’s almost 50 and still gets asked for I.D. to buy wine! Jackie shares her secrets, tips and shortcuts on syndicated TV, on radio, in The Tampa Tribune and in her new book, Aging Backwards: Secrets to Staying Young, (available at Amazon.com).
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I read Charles’ post from Friday, March 27th entitled, “Kim – I love ya un-Photoshopped”, and it got me thinking about the quest for perfection. I must admit, I have a bit of a “perfectionist” streak in me. It’s something I’m learning to resist. In fact, recently one of my BFFs, Dr. Mollie Marti, founder of BestLifeDesign.com (@DrMollieMarti) gave me this little gem: “Strive for excellence, not perfection.” OMG, I totally get it! LOL So, we don’t have to be perfect. Perfection is totally unattainable anyway, so why not be the most “excellent” we can be in all areas, including the way we look and feel?
People ask me all the time, “What is Aging Backwards? It sounds like a great idea, but too much work.” The reality is, you can look and feel younger with minimal effort if you break it down into small, manageable daily habits, striving for excellence rather than perfection. Here are just a few practical and realistic tips for Aging Backwards, excellently:
- Free hormone balancing. They don’t call it “beauty rest” for nothing! Our bodies seem to tune up while we’re sleeping. Sleep deprivation has actually been shown to alter the production and action of hormones. Sleep is essential for repair and rejuvenation and experts say 7 -8 hours is optimal. How can you get the best rest? Keep your room dark – light disrupts the production of the important hormone Melatonin, which helps regulate your natural sleep cycle. Stay off your cell – a recent study out of the U.K. suggests that using your cell phone too close to bedtime actually interrupts your sleep. And yes, regular exercise helps you sleep better.
- Lose the stress. According to WebMD.com, 75 to 90 percent of all doctors visits are due to stress-related ailments and complaints. Up to 95 percent?? OMG, that’s huge! Chronic stress is not only detrimental to your health, but it also ages you. Stress can bring on a variety of skin issues, from acne to excess dryness to dull-looking skin and frown lines. Some doctors even think stress may be the primary cause of unexplained hair loss. So, what can you do for instant stress relief? Without even realizing it, many people clench their jaws when feeling stressed. Try these quick and easy jaw exercises: 1) Open your mouth as wide as you can, hold for three seconds, repeat for a total of three times. 2) Try to open your mouth, but resist with your hands three times. 3) Massage the joint in the middle of your face where your jaw hinges. 4) Massage the muscles under your ears behind your jaw.
- Get involved. Studies show that socializing is good for your brain. To quote an article in The Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, “The more participants interacted socially by talking to and visiting friends and relatives, the better their performance on the measure of cognitive functioning.” In another study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, a University of California Los Angeles team found that for middle-aged and older people, using the internet helps boost brain power. So, here’s my take: combine socializing and the internet (social media) on sites such as Twitter (follow me – @AgingBackwards), have Tweetups IRL (in real life) and you’ve got the makings of a mega-brain! LOL
You can see that getting some sleep, reducing stress and socializing are three easy habits that can deliver excellent benefits. Perfectionism = stress. Striving for excellence = healthy challenge. Please stop by my Web site, http://agingbackwards.com/, and sign up for my free newsletter.