Big, Beautiful, and Ready For TV!

     I cannot explain how excited I am for TLC's three part series "Big Sexy," which is premiering tonight at 10 p.m.! It follows five plus-size women who are trying to make it in the fashion and modeling industry.

     They are out to show the world that the modeling industry is not just meant for size zero stick figures who are starving themselves and hurting themselves in the process ... and I like the fact that they seem to be doing it in a non-anti-thin way. They're not being haters and I'm cool with that. They are simply out there trying to make it like everyone else. 

     I also like that they have attitude and say what they want ... how they want! Because from I've seen in the previews, these girls can get a little raunchyyyyy so keep the kids away from the TV because as much as you may want some new role models for your kids ... These are not it. You may want to try Melissa McCarthy on "Mike and Molly" or Sara Ramirez on "Grey's Anatomy."

     So, be sure to tune in tonight for a (hopefully) refreshing (and possibly sometimes) sad look into the lives of these women ... and see why "Once you go big, you never go TWIG!"

Get yourself to the Butterfly Lounge, find yourself a big lady. Big boy, come on around and they'll be calling you baby. No need to fantasize, since I was in braces, a watering hole where the girls are round and curves in all the right places. Big girls, you are beautiful. Big girls, you are beautiful. [Big Girl (You Are Beautiful), Mika]

A-Storm's A-Coming!

     And you should ... Get the hell off the beach.

     This is how New Jersey lets you know we mean business when it comes to rain. 

     While those people are chillin' at the shore, other people are acting like they have never seen rain before ... People were willing to wait in an hour-long line at a gas station for the off-chance that gas becomes unavailable because of rain??? ... People stocked up on 24-packs of water like the Zombie Apocalypse is coming this weekend ... And don't even get me started on what Walmart looked like tonight. Officers were policing the parking lot like it was Black Friday.

    Calm yourselves, people. Yes, there is something to be said for being prepared and safe (so, yes, get the hell off the beach). There's another thing to be said for being crazy.

The weather started getting rough. The tiny ship was tossed. If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the Minnow would be lost, the Minnow would be lost. (Gilligan's Island Theme)

What's Wrong With The World Today? - Mother Nature's On Her .

     My bed was ashakin' on Tuesday afternoon ...

          from an Earthquake ...

               in New Jersey? WTF?!

Photo c/o http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

     And now this coming weekend, New Jersey is about to be hit by Hurricane Irene ... one of the biggest Hurricane's it has seen in decades?!

     What is going on with Mother Nature? Why is she hatin' on us? ...

     I actually have a theory. 

     YES! "Jersey [Freakin'] Shore."

     She wants them off the television, and off our shores, as much as the rest of New Jersey does. Whether she needs to shake them off the shores and have them fall into an Earthquake crack ... Or she needs to sweep them away in a gust of Hurricane wind ... She'll have her way ... Considering they probably won't heed any potential hurricane evacuation warnings because the only hurricanes they know are the ones they order at Karma on Friday nights.

     Although I whole-heartedly agree with Mother Nature's intentions, I just wish she'd leave the rest of us out of it. 

If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops, oh, what a rain that would be. Standing outside with my mouth open wide, ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah. (If All The Raindrops, Barney)

He Gave Love A Bad Name ...

     If it wasn't for their pictures being posted all over the internet and on the cover of newspapers and for the Facebook memorial sites popping up day after after, their story would seem more like an episode of "CSI" or "Criminal Minds" than an actual case ... It just seems too sensational to be real. But then again, there are some really crazy people out there who make this world one crazy scary place to live in.
     The story I am referring to, of course, is the shooting of Nazish Noorani, and her guilty (but also shot) husband Kashif Parvaiz.

Photo c/o the AP

     If you have been following this story, you know that Parvaiz was not the one to pull the trigger ... He apparently plotted to kill his wife ... And a woman named Antoinette Stephen pulled the trigger while the couple were walking home with their 3-year-old child. Reports are unsure as to the relationship between Parvaiz and Stephen. 

     Even if Parvaiz didn't pull the trigger, hearing stories like this is scary, especially when you consider the lies. Parvaiz told Noorani's family that he had studied at Harvard, yet there are no records of him there. She was apparently being abused by him. Noorani sent a text message to her brother stating that she couldn't "talk to him cuz he abuses me ... I'm so tired of this ... Someday U will find me dead, but it's cuz of Kashi ... he wants to kill me."

     Noorani's prophecy came true. Her husband admitted on Friday that he plotted with a friend to have his wife killed, and himself injured, in order to make it seem like a random act of violence.

     This story is that much sadder because their child not only watched their mother gunned down in the street, but also lost their father the very same day. Their child was essentially orphaned because of what? An affair? A bad marriage? Or simply the insanity of a madman? If it was one of the first, the decent thing to do would have been to admit it to himself and his wife ... and his family ... and get a divorce.

     Men like him give marriage ... and love ... a bad, and scary, name.

Bang bang, you shot down. Bang bang, I hit the ground. Bang bang, that awful sound. Bang bang, my baby shot me down. You shot me right between the eyes. You left me paralyzed. Bang bang bang bang bang. Oh, oh baby, I'm laying on the ground. I'll never come around. [Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) - Cher]

Side Note: If you or someone you know is being abused, please check the following sites for information and help:

The Hotline (National Domestic Violence Hotline -> 1-800-799-SAFE)

Safe Horizon (1-800-621-HOPE; includes information on legal assistance and trafficking cases)

Wafa House (1-800-930-WAFA; serves the specific needs of Middle Eastern and South Asian women)

If it is an emergency, call 911.

And always remember ... 

What's Wrong With The World Today? - Animal Abuse and Cruelty

Does this look like the face of an animal hoarder?

How about this?

Well, they both are! 

     Pennie and Steven Lefkowitz, owners of Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary, were accused of hoarding between 500 and 700 cats. They were subsequently arrested. 

     Alachua County Animal Services removed the cats from the sanctuary in High Springs, FL back in June. 100 of the cats had to be put down.

     According to the Haven Acres website, the sanctuary is a "private, no kill animal shelter" which was formed because the Lefkowitz's were "concerned about the high euthanasia rate at Animal Services." The website boasts that "since its inception, no cat that has needed help has been turned away."

     While I commend the original intentions of the Lefkowitz couple, at one point they needed to look around their "haven" and realize that what was once a sanctuary for these animals was probably turning into a hell. 

     The couple were given a special zoning permit to hold up to 200 cats at their sanctuary; once that number starting rising above that they should have sought help from outside organizations. According to one article, a large warehouse was used to house the cats. Animals need space to move and play, and they need individual attention. There is no way that the Lefkowitz couple could have given attention to all these animals.

     Animal cruelty is a sad and prevalent situation. GOD even knew about it from the beginning of time and said for people not to do it ...  

We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures. (Holy Quran, 21:107) 

The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs, 12:10)

     And then when God couldn't get people to listen, He sent Sarah McLachlan. I mean don't you remember the first time you saw this commercial and started crying over it? Every time I am sitting at the TV, and I hear "Angel" start to play ... I know the waterworks are about to come flooding out.

     I mean even babies know how wrong it is. This kid made me cry even more than just seeing the commercial.

     We, as human beings, need to learn that we are not the only ones who matter in this world and that all living things are worthy of love.

Don't be cruel to a heart that's true. Don't be cruel to heart that's true. I don't want no other love. Baby, it's just you I'm thinking of. (Don't Be Cruel, Elvis Presley)

Side Note: If you would like to learn more about how you can help fight the fight, visit the Humane Society. You can either donate or follow them on Twitter. You can also visit the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and donate or follow THEM on Twitter.

Jersey Strong ... Jersey Proud.

     Either last week or the week before, I came across this postcard on PostSecret and I was a little offended by whoever sent it in ...

     I mean, yes, we have the casts of Jersey Shore and Jerseylicious and Real Housewives to make us look like stupid, drunk fools with anger management issues, crime families to make us look criminal, and politicians to make us look corrupt ... But the people of New Jersey are not what the media makes us out to be. We are better than that ... and just when you thought no one could embarrass New Jersey anymore ... This man comes along.

     Can you say mid-life crisis?! Most people just buy a fancy car or motorcycle ... Or run away with their secretaries. This guy needed to go and record a rap video and embarrass a whole state in the process. Livin' large with those dreams.

     And seriously, when some of the most famous people in entertainment (No, not Snooki), and sports, and history, and everything come from New Jersey ... He chose to highlight Newark as his backdrop for his story and video? Ugh. Couldn't he lie and choose Tallahassee or somewhere that hasn't been hit with the media stupid gene, as of lately.

     And, WHAT? You don't believe me about all those famous New Jerseyans? You think it's just James Gandolfini (Westwood) and Whitney Houston (Newark)'?! You best check yo'self. Here's just a few (or more) for you to think about ...

Famous New Jerseyans in Entertainment

Paul Rudd (Passaic) 

Ray Liotta (aka that hot guy in "Goodfellas," Newark)

My Chemical Romance (Jersey City)

The Shirelles (Passaic) 

Dionne Warwick (East Orange)

Famous New Jerseyans in Sports

Jim Bouton (Newark)

Derek Jeter (Pequannock)

Shaquille O'Neal (Newark)

Famous New Jerseyans in the Arts

Judy Blume (children's author, Elizabeth)

Allen Ginsberg (poet, Newark)

Dorothea Lange (photographer and photojournalist, Hoboken)

Famous New Jerseyans in Other Fields

Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin (astronaut, Glen Ridge)

Alice Paul (American suffragist; original author of a proposed Equal Rights amendment, Mt. Laurel)

Paul Robeson (activist, artist, athlete, Princeton)

Martha Stewart (all-around rich businesswoman, Jersey City)

     Didn't I tell you New Jersey had a whole bunch of badass people who were born (and maybe raised) here? It's a great place to live and to raise a family ... and it's time that the media starts showing that.

So don't bother me 'cause I got no time. I'm on my way to see that girl of mine. Nothin' else matters in this whole wide world when you're in love with a Jersey girl. Sing sha la la la la la. (Jersey Girl, Tom Waits)

Side note: It's still true. We pump our fists. Not our gas.

Pakistan Zindabad!

Happy*(Belated)*Independence*Day*!

     Pakistan is 64 years old ... and people are celebrating ... with parades, and food, and friends, and fun.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah, The Father of Pakistan

Dil dil say miltay hain to pyar ka cherah banta hai, chehrah banta hai. Phool ik laree main pairoya to phir sehrah banta hai, chehrah banta hai. Dil dil Pakistan, jaan jaan Pakistan. Dil dil Pakistan, jaan jaan Pakistan. (Dil Dil Pakistan, Vital Signs)

I am incapable of transliterating Urdu into English well ... so I did it phonetically ... horribly.

What's Wrong With The World Today? - Disenfranchised Youth With A Feeling Of Entitlement

     Seeing how the riots are going down in London has got me thinking ... A lot of young people in this world either feel disconnected from society or entitled to everything they want. Clearly there is a whole bunch of other things that factor into the equation ... but the beginnings of the problems we see are either one of those.
     If you are following the news of what is going on in London right now, the riots are not middle-aged people who are angry at the government or the state of the economy ... It's young people who are going out, being violent, and taking what they want. And it's not just London that has seen this problem. There are stories everyday where we see young people who just get up and start rioting for no reason whatsoever ... other than the fact that they are young, and there are lots of them, and they feel in control. Heck, Rutgersfest 2011 at Rutgers University saw mob scenes that ensued in one night that I had never seen in my combined six years at the school. And just this week, the mayor of Philadelphia announced stricter curfews for teenagers because of the growing trend of flash mobs turned violent in the city.

     It's horrible because when I see things like this and hear that some of these kids are justifying their actions as "good fun" and then they go blame it on the government (yet they don't even know who their government is) ... It's just sad. Then they have the nerve to say that they are targeting rich people with businesses ... Do they not realize that a shop owner who sells grapefruits and pomegranates is not exactly making it big in London? It just makes me angry that they are trying to justify their clear lack of direction when what they are really doing is going out and having their version of a good time, and doing what they want, and getting what they want.
     It's also sad when you read that some of these kids are not even teenagers yet and I imagine that they are just doing it for attention. They are basically throwing themselves on the ground, banging their hands and feet, and screaming like a four-year-old ... begging for someone to listen ... be it their parents, grandparents, a teacher ... someone. Just someone to reach out before they really screw up their life. These kids need a value system and some of them are probably begging for one, even if no one sees it.
     I think it's good that London is starting to lay down the law and is arresting at a higher rate than in the past because these kids need a dose of reality. They need to know that their actions have consequences and that they can't just get away with doing what they want and getting what they want, because I'm sure some of them feel like they can.

I know you can't learn from my mistakes. You got your own roads you gotta take, and they might look like they're paved with gold. Just remember that you'll have to reap all the seeds you sow. Rebel Child, won't you heed my warning? One of these days the rain will come pouring. Some of those sunshine blue, sky mornings might just turn to gray. (Rebel Child, Gretchen Wilson)

London Calling ... And Burning!

London done gone lost its mind.

Photo c/o the BBC

     How on Earth does a protest turn into THAT ...

    And THIS!

Photo c/o the BBC

     These are not people trying to send a message to the police or government about a suspicious shooting ... I mean unless that message is "Arrest me now!" ... This is straight up criminality - a bunch of hooligans who are taking advantage of a situation and wreaking havoc on people's livelihoods.

     When did civilized protesting become setting cars and buses on fire? And shattering shop windows? And beating police officers? Like Cousin N in London said ... she had that awkward moment when she thought the streets of Pakistan would be safer than the streets of London, and that's saying a lot seeing as how Pakistan has been going lately.

Photo c/o the BBC

     The youth of London are clearly on some other shyttt because they are even using social media to plan their looting escapades ... hooking up on Facebook and Twitter with events and tweets. According to one site, Blackberry messenger was used to circulate this fun little message to anyone with a data plan ...

Everyone in edmonton enfield wood green everywhere in north link up at enfield town station at 4 o clock sharp!!!! Start leaving ur yards n linking up with your n*ggas. F*ck da feds, brings your ballys and your bags trollys, cars vans, hammers the lot!!

Half these kids are probably just jumping on the looting bandwagon because their friends are doing it and that's just sad. They even planned to hit up Westfield Shopping Centre and ransack that ... And like Cousin M in London said, "That's not even funny. That's totally unnecessary." For those of you who don't know, Westfield houses The Village, a section of the mall with stores that I go in and the employees look me up and down with either sad or suspicious eyes. If they succeeded in ransacking that mall, what a day they would have had!

Westfield Shopping Centre, 6/8/2011, Photo c/o ME

      Seriously though! These kids need to get it together and realize that one day soon they are either going to a) get arrested, b) get shot by one of their homies or someone else, c) burn to death in one of the fires they start, d) kill someone and have to live with that for the rest of their lives, or e) get away with it now and get arrested at some point in the future for some other stupid crime they commit.

Two jumps in a week, I bet you think that's pretty clever, don't you, boy? Flying on your motorcycle, watching all the ground beneath you drop. You'd kill yourself for recognition. Kill yourself to never ever stop. You broke another mirror. You're turning into something you are not. (High and Dry, Radiohead)

I (Still) Love Lucy ... And The Top 5 Reasons You Should Too.

     If everyone's favorite ginger, Lucille Ball, was alive today - it would be her 100th birthday ... and I am sure she would be up on a stage somewhere making people laugh because that is what she did best.

     Before "I Love Lucy," Ball starred in several B-movies as well in some stage shows. She also met and eloped with Desi Arnaz, her "I Love Lucy" husband, before the show was even conceived. 

     After Ball was cast as a cooky wife on a radio show and its popularity seemed to grow, the "I Love Lucy" idea was brought about ... Lucy - always her own woman - insisted she wanted to work with her husband. Although CBS did not like the idea of a mixed couple on TV, because they did not think the American couple would take it well, they agreed ... and after a couple of bumps in the road "I Love Lucy" made it into CBS's line-up and the public loved it! And still does. In the 60 years since it has aired, "I Love Lucy" has practically never been off the air, and it has been translated into dozens of languages and seen all over the world.

Top Five Reasons You Should Love Lucy

5) She paved the way for women in the television business. She was the first woman to head a production company - Desilu - which she started with her husband. After they were divorced, she did what any smart woman would do ... she bought his share of the studio and ran it successfully until it was bought in 1967 and renamed Paramount Television. 

4) Even if her first marriage didn't work out, you have to admit - Lucy snagged herself a (younger) hottie. She met Desi Arnaz in 1940 and eloped the same year. He was six years younger than her. Although a divorce was originally filed for in 1944, before "I Love Lucy" even aired, the couple did not actually divorce until 1960 - and they remained close friends even after the divorce.

3) She was one hot mama. In true Lucy fashion, when she was pregnant with her second child she insisted that her pregnancy be written into the "I Love Lucy" story line because the show was having top ratings at the time and most episodes were filmed live. CBS refused at first, saying that a pregnant woman could not be on television and the word "pregnant" could not be used either. But she wasn't going to have it ... so she continued to fight ... and she won, so her pregnancy was put into the story line ... but the word "expecting" was used throughout the show, as opposed to "pregnant."

2) Despite her antics, you can identify with her character. Although Lucy was always up to some crazy scheme in order to end up in a movie, or get a job, or cross a border ... her perseverance and work ethic is something that I think (or hope) everyone can relate to. If we all went that extra mile, or put that extra thought, into our everyday lives ... I think the world would be a better place (or a funnier one, at best).

1) She was just plain funny. Lucy's humor still resonates today. I dare anyone to watch an episode of "I Love Lucy" or "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour" or anything she was in ... and not laugh. Whether she was shoving chocolate down her shirt or pressing grapes with her feet or herding baby chickens back into their boxes, she was the Queen of Comedy in the '50s and '60s ... and she still is today. She knew how to be funny across cultures, ages, and time ... and that's what made her so successful.

Here are some classic Lucy moments for you to enjoy ... As well as some of my favorites.

Lucy's in London. Bridges are falling down. People are runnin' 'round and the town's upside down. With her mini-skirt on, she got in with the mod and she really became top-gear. With her motorcycle and her sunglasses and her long bright red hair ... It was Lucy runnin' wild. (Lucy In London)

What's Wrong With The World Today? - Dwindling Funds For The Arts

     This week the New York Times reported that Kansas, which has one of the country's smallest state arts budgets, decided to shrink it further - to zero. While that is an extreme end of the spectrum, many other states are also slashing their arts budgets. Wisconsin is cutting its aid by 67 percent, Texas by 50 percent, and New Jersey by 23 percent.
     The funds which are being cut generally go towards smaller theaters and cultural attractions, which depend on grant money or individual donations to help them survive, such as the Paper Mill Playhouse and the NJ Ballet Company.

     These types of organizations often look to the state for grants, but when the state doesn't have the money to give, what can they do? Are they just suppose to close their doors to the public and be done with their work? I don't think that is right in any way, shape, or form.
     I think this country has a partial obligation to its citizens to provide for its cultural upbringing - as do the citizens of this country to its neighbors. We should be avid supporters of the arts. We should be going out and supporting the cultural attractions in our states. We should also be fighting for arts education in our schools. I think everyone has heard the statistics about how children who play musical instruments do better in math and science, so I shouldn't even have to bring that up. But I don't even think that's the important thing about arts education in schools ...
     Having music, and drama, and writing, and reading, and all those things give kids something to look forward to everyday. It gives them something to be happy about. I played violin for 6 years, and I was always lousy at math. And I was never really that great at violin. But I had a whole lot of fun (while breaking a whole lot of ear drums in the process). And during that time, I learned a thing or two about myself --- like that I was not cut out to be a concert violinist BUT that I was cut out to be a writer ( ... I learned that in Writer's Workshop which I participated in simultaneously with my violin lessons ... Both of which were paid for by arts education funds).

     There are plenty of things you can do to support the cultural activities in your area, the arts in general, and arts education specifically, and it doesn't necessarily have to be monetary. Go see a show at your local theatre. See a play (or concert or comedy show or what-have-you) in the park --- they are super popular over the summer! Visit museums and gardens. See a dance performance. Go see the world's  largest rubberband ball, if that's your thing. Just go out and DO SOMETHING. These places and performers need your support.

     If you want to open your pockets and make a monetary donation to help the arts, here are some sites to check out (or to just peruse for informations sake).

Americans for the Arts

Exploring The Arts (Tony Bennett and Susan Benedetto)

National Assembly of State Arts Agencies

National Endowment for the Arts (click Donate)

Find Your Light Foundation (Josh Groban)

VH1 Save The Music Foundation
Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation (Russell Simmons, Rev. Run of RUN-DMC, and Danny Simmons)

But I have talent, a wonderful thing ... So I say, thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing. Thanks for all the joy they're bringing. Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty. What would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we? So I say, thank you for the music - for giving it to me. (Thank You For The Music, ABBA)

Ramadan Mubarak To All

     Today starts the Holy month of Ramadan for Muslims around the world and many people may think it is simply a time for fasting - however, it is much more than that. It is a time for reflection, charity, prayer, spiritual growth, and patience. 

     President Obama offered his Ramadan greetings last night and said this: 

     For so many Muslims around the world, Ramadan is also a time of deep reflection and sacrifice. As in other faiths, fasting is used to increase spirituality, discipline, and consciousness of God’s mercy. It is also a reminder of the importance of reaching out to those less fortunate. The heartbreaking accounts of lost lives and the images of families and children in Somalia and the Horn of Africa struggling to survive remind us of our common humanity and compel us to act.

     Whether Muslim or not, use this month (and every month) to, as President Obama stated last night, do unto others as we would have done unto us. So go ahead and do what you can - give to charity, volunteer at a local shelter, donate to a food bank, whatever you can do for those less fortunate than yourself.

     And for the Muslims practicing and fasting during this Holy month of Ramadan, remember no man or woman is perfect but that is what this month is for - to grow and to strive to stay away from sin as much as possible.

Tell me what we're gonna do for our brothers in Durban? For our sisters in Darfur? Show me what we're gonna do? Are we just gonna sit there? Nice and cozy on our armchair? Will we not even make a prayer? Will we not even make a prayer? (Make A Prayer, Sami Yusuf)

Side Note: If you would like to donate to the Save Darfur organization or learn more about it, click here. To learn more about the crisis in the Horn of Africa, visit the UNICEF's site, here. You can also donate directly to help the crisis by clicking here. Remember every little bit helps - from pennies to millions. It all adds up in the end.