VOTE!!!!

VOTE!!!
The midterm elections are a week away, and it is vital that you vote! Although I would love to ensure that everybody in the country votes for every democratic candidate and measure on the ballot, it is far more important that you just get out there and vote no matter which side of the fence you fall on.

You may feel that you don't have enough knowledge to make an informed decision, but that is no excuse. There are plenty of ways to learn about the candidates. If you are looking for ways to become better informed, you can go to http://www.dontvote.com, they can provide you with all that you need to get up-to-date on everything that will be on the ballot, no matter which state you are in.

Whether you like the direction the country is going, or you want to see a major change, voting is the only way you can have a say in it. Don't miss out on one of the few opportunities we have to make a difference. Vote!!

AIDS IN AFRICA

AIDS IN AFRICA: BONO DOES IT AGAIN!
aids, africa, oprah whinfrey, bono, red, red products, shop red.

Bono was just on the Oprah Whinfrey show, discussing a new campaign he has started called, SHOP RED. It's a brilliant idea. It provides the average person the opportunity to help in the fight against aids in Africa. You don't have to send a check, and you don't have to sign up for anything, all you have to do is simply buy products you are more than likely already buying.

The SHOP RED Campaign is in conjunction with a handful of stores and the premise is; buy the items that are tagged as red products and a specified amount of the proceeds will go to The Global Fund, http://www.jointheglobalfund.org, to send life saving medication to women and children in Africa who are living with, and dying from, Aids.

Stores In The Program

• Gap
• Armani
• Motorola
• Converse
• Apple

Just .40 a day can save a child's life. Can you imagine a baby, toddler, or teenager dying because they can't afford the .40 a day it costs for the medication? I saw some of the T-shirts they are selling at the Gap and they are very cool. Please go check them out.

The Holiday Season is almost here, just think of how many lives you can save by purchasing all red products as your gifts this year. I know I will. If you want to learn more about the program you can visit, http://www.JoinRed.com

ARE YOU TECH SAVVY?

ARE YOU TECH SAVVY? I know I'm sure not! But, I also know I love Computer, digital cameras, tivo, (don't touch my tivo), and all other technical toys, but they are beginning to make my life a living nightmare.

They were invented and designed to make our lives eaiser and more enjoyable. When they work and you can figure out how to use them, they do just that. But, GOD help you if you can't figure out how to set them up, let alone use the darn things, it just zaps all the joy out of what they were intended for.

I got my first tivo shortly after they came out. I'm a huge tv aholic and it seemed like this invention was made just for me. I eagerly took it out of the box and spent the next week in various stages of a nervous breakdown trying to hook the damn thing up to my tv. As it turned out, the instructions that came with were wrong, and it took calling the support desk numerous times a day throughout the week before I got somebody that actually helped me. Don't get me started on my first digital camera!

I thought my days of desposable cameras, that printed disposable pictures, was far behind me when I got my first digital camera. As it turned out, I never could take a decent picture on it. It was probably my fault, I was probably doing it wrong, but who can tell by reading the directions. I might as well have been trying to read swahili. And computers, the most frustrating of them all.

The problems is, we are all suckers for technology. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I'm just saying the makers of these gadgets should realize we're not all part of the geek squad. Take some pity on us please and make these things dependable and easier to set up. We'll all be happier, you'll make more money, and we won't lose our minds.

IS THIN NO LONGER IN?

IS THIN NO LONGER IN? Has society finally come to their senses, and realized that most of us don't find walking lollipops attractive? Are they getting how dangerous it is to portray the ideal woman as a walking q-tip? I don't think their motives are this altruistic, more likely it comes down to the GOD we all worship...MONEY!

Last week was fashion's version of the Olympics, Fashion Week. Most of us probably heard how Spain was refusing to hire models who were too thin, but what is too thin by their standards? Don't get me wrong, I think this trend is definitely a step in the right direction, but we have to realize that models lately are close to a size 0.

I just saw a report on Entertainment Tonight http://www.etonline.com/, that stated, "the average size model is somewhere between a 2-4, and their weight is an average 120lbs, while the average American woman is a size 16 and weighs 165lbs." Keep something else in mind, these size 2 models are over 5'7". They have to be in order to be a runway model. So, that size 2 is now even smaller than you think.

In my opinion, they don't want these models to be too thin because the clothes don't look as good. Granted, the whole reason for the shrinking of models from the past, (Cyndi Crawford was a size 6),was because fashion designers basically wanted walking hangers to display their clothes, but it appears you can be too thin.

These girls just look unhealthy, and the clothes look like they are on the walking dead. That doesn't make for big sales. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe they really do care that young girls and women are looking at these models and feeling like they just don't measure up, but somehow I doubt that.

Whatever they reason, it is a step in the right direction, and I applaud their new attitude. Let's hope there are more countries and more designers to follow.

How To Succeed At Online Dating

Now, I'm no expert on online dating, but I do have some experience. Therefore, I thought I'd share some of my insights with you. I have found that online dating is really not that much different than meeting somebody in person. In fact, in some ways it's better. You get to screen potential dates in several steps, thereby limiting the possibility of coming face to face with a totally incompatible suitor.

First, I will share a little bit of my adventures in cyber dating. I've only belonged to one, jdate, and I've heard from countless people I've told that they have one of the better reputations. However, I didn't join because of that, I happen to be Jewish and thought I would make my mother happy by finally dating a member of the tribe, (if your Jewish you'll get that.)

I either I got very lucky, or I'm a very good judge of character (truthfully, It's probably a little of both), because I ended up dating the second guy I met for a year. Although it didn't work out romantically, we are still very close, and who knows maybe one day we will end up together. Anyway I digress, I belonged to jdate off and on for a year, and in that year I went out with one guy, (also off and on) for a year, 2 guys were one daters, one got two dates, and one I went out with for 2 months. Here's the thing, they were all great guys, just not right for me.

I've heard so many horror stories that I can't help feeling a little left out of the online dating sludge pool, but I do believe there are a few little tricks to avoiding that, and that's what I want to share with you.

1. Be very honest:
I can't believe people lie on these things, I mean isn't the point to eventually meet these people, they will find out that you weren't completely forthcoming. Nobody wants to start off a relationship on that note, and more than likely nobody will.

2. Talk on the phone before meeting:
Let's face it, you cant truly know if you'll have nice conversation without first having one. E-mails are fine in the beginning, but don't spend too much time on them. One of the best pieces of advice I got before I went looking for love online was not to spend too much time e-mailing each other before talking, a lot of my friends wasted a lot of time only to find out they had nothing to say to the live person.

3. Always be yourself:
This is so important! If you are really looking for your soul mate you have to make sure you are really his. Besides, don't we all know by now our true selves come out eventually anyway. Do you really want him to meet the real you 3 days before the wedding?

4. Relax and have fun:
Easier said than done, I know, but if you approach this as fun and exciting instead of terrifying and embarrassing you might just actually enjoy yourself.

The bottom line is, if you are of a certain age, it isn't as easy to meet a significant other as it used to be. Most of us have learned the lesson the hard way about dating in the work place, and trying to find him in a club, well let's just say I threw my beer goggles away a long time ago.
I wish you all good luck and good love. Let me know how it goes.

Bye for now, talk to you later.

Dressing For Sex-cess

I found myself having a conversation with my sister the other day about the decline of today's youth. We were watching an old Britney Spears video, and were horrified that her parents let her out of the house dressed that way, let alone make music videos oozing with sexuality! Britney is 25 now and a mother herself, but at her peak she was between 16 and 20-years-old. After going on and on about this sad state of affairs, it hit me, I have become my mother! However, that doesn’t mean I’m wrong in thinking this way. It is said every generation, “in my day, parents would never allow you out of the house dressed like that,” or, “when a girl dresses like that boys will get the wrong impression.” Although I can’t say I would ever want a daughter of mine to present herself in that manner, I started to remember being told the same thing when I was a teenager and in my early 20’s. As a matter of fact, I used to take a change of clothes with me when I went out so I wouldn’t have to listen to my mother say, “you’re not going out dressed like that, are you?” I know I was a good kid; so maybe judging teenagers based on how they dress isn’t fair.

That being said, things do appear to be getting worse. I mean is it really necessary to wear your pants so low your butt crack shows when you’re sitting down? Another question we should be asking, is there a correlation between how kids today dress and the rise in sexual activity at younger and younger ages? I don’t know the answer to that question, but it does seem like more than just a coincidence. The thing that troubles me even more than kids whom willingly engage in promiscuous acts is the sexual objectification of mere children.

Going back to Britney Spears, when she first exploded onto the scene she was just 16-years-old, but she sure didn’t look it to me. Even worse, she didn’t look it to millions of adult men. It’s dangerous enough out there, why create even more potential for problems? When I was a teenager adults complained that kids copied Madonna’s style of dress; tons of bangle bracelets, bows in our hair, and day-glow shirts; my oh my, how far we have come. However, day-glow shirts don’t sexualize whoever is wearing them, whereas pants that sit below your hipbones do.

I don’t have any children of my own, and I remember vividly being a teenager and what I was like. I can sympathize with today’s parents, and I can understand the desire of these kids to want to look like their idols as well as compete with each other; however, I believe things have gotten out of control. It is very scary to see 12-year-old little girls dressing in such a way as to attract men four times their age. Combine all of these things with the hormones that rage inside every teenager, and you have a recipe for disaster.

I don’t mean to say children should not be allowed to express their individuality through clothes and other mean, merely; we should be watching over and redirecting them when they begin to veer off into risky expression and behavior.

I’m sure fifteen to twenty years from now these same children will be parents of their own teenagers, and terrified by all the things they are doing. This is part of what is called the circle of life. I don’t think it means, however, that we should just turn our heads and ignore behavior that can harm our youth. I suppose, ultimately, it is up to the parents to decide what is right for their own children. I know, should I ever be privileged enough to have kids of my own, the issue of clothing will be just one of many, many, many, concerns that will keep me up at night. But, I hear in the end, it’s more than worth it.





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