What's Wrong With The World Today: Rushing. Rushing. Rushing.

     It's been a little while since I've blogged for y'all and I can say that is because I have a J.O.B. What uppppp?!?!!! I've technically had one since graduation but it's getting kind of crazy in the office because we are down to the wire for a shoot we are doing in the coming weeks ... And that's all I can say about that.
     But ... BUT ... the fact that I am using work as an excuse is the main reason for this blog post ... I have been working ten hour days and running around like a chicken with no head and have noticed that a lot of the world is doing the same. It's just all rushing, all the time.
     People need to calm the heck down. The world is not going to end, people. I mean maybe considering that whole Mayan 2012 thing ... But, it's not going to end because you didn't finish your expense report or because you didn't log some silly tape or you forgot to ask some customer if he needed fries with that or some other odd job that needs to be done before so-and-so a time. Everybody just needs to take a chill pill and calm down.

     ... And I found the best site for it - I mean at least for me, who falls asleep to nature sounds almost every night. It's called calm.com and you go to the site and do nothing. Literally. You set yourself up for either two or ten minutes of either guided or unguided nothingness ... And it's awesome. I can't say that it will change the course of your life or greatly alter your stress levels ... But if you want a little peace in your life, check it out. And if you're having a particularly hectic day at work, throw on some headphones and do a little bit of nothing for two minutes - it's better than finding out about the twelve new people from high school who are now engaged, married, or pregnant (or all of the above).

     So go ahead, take a second, stop rushing, and just be.

Before you went to work this morning in the city, well did you spend some time with your family? Did you kiss your wife and tell her that she's pretty? Did you take your children to your breast and love them tenderly? You've got to stop and smell the roses. You've got to count your many blesses everyday. You're gonna find your way to Heaven is a rough and rocky road if you don't stop and smell the roses along the way. (Stop and Smell the Roses, Mac Davis)

Big Time Beauty

     A few posts ago I wrote about the whole YouTube Kate Upton shenanigans and who would have thought that I would be writing about another Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit model within the same month! ... Not me! Especially because I don't really care too much for the magazine, in general ... But when I stumbled upon this article earlier today I was stunned!
     Now I have been following Crystal Renn for years. She's modeled for loads of stores that I have shopped in and I am aware of her consistent up and down weight issues, as well as her battle with anorexia ... AND I worked on a show focused completely around the SI: Swimsuit Edition (heck, I met Kate Upton ... although that photo has never seen the light of day - never pose next to a supermodel ladies ... It never makes you feel good) but I did not even recognize Renn in the photos within the magazine. She has had a complete transformation - to looking generally healthy, not that as a previous "plus-size model" at a size 8 or 10 she didn't look healthy.

     I am happy that Renn seems to have finally taken control of her body and seems to be at a happy and healthy place with herself. The fashion and modeling industry can take a toll on women and it does  not seem like an easy world to navigate so I really do commend her for what she seems to have done here.

We go out to a party somewhere, the moment we walk in the door, people stop and everybody stares. She don't know what they're staring for. She don't know she's beautiful - never crossed her mind. She don't know she's beautiful - no, she's not that kind. She don't know she's beautiful though time and time I've told her so. [She Don't Know (She's Beautiful), Sammy Kershaw]

You Can Call Me Master N!

     I don't have much to say except that ... I GRADUATED!!!!!!!! I'm done with graduate school. It's official. I passed my classes. I passed my thesis. I crossed the stage ... And I'm done. All I'm waiting for is a piece of paper to say it. Rutgers tends to take their time with the diplomas but I can handle that because it's all good!

... But trust me on the sunscreen. [Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen), Baz Luhrmann]

Macho, Macho Military Man ...

We have now come to understand that there is no such thing as moderate Islam. It is therefore time for the United States to make our intentions clear. This barbaric ideology will no longer be tolerated. Islam must change or we will facilitate its self-destruction.


- Lt. Col. Matthew Dooley

     If you are shocked, appalled, in disbelief, etc. of what you just read ... Join the club. Especially considering that those words were spoken in a course presentation in Virginia last year. I also cannot believe that a it took a top military officer and the Pentagon condemning the class which advocated a war against Islam (and Muslims, in general) before having the course and the professor suspended.
     The story broke after course material, entitled "So What Can We Do? A Counter-Jihad Op Design Model," for the course entitled Perspectives on Islam and Islamic Radicalism, was posted on wired.com.

     The thing that really upsets me is that there must have been numerous high-level military officers who sat through Dooley's presentation and did not report him to whomever was in charge. I understand that military academies are going to have classes based around the Middle East, based around Islam, based around Islamic Extremists ... that all makes sense to me and I don't have a problem with that ... It probably keeps our military men and women (and us, in turn) safer ... But when this guy started "teaching," did no one notice that something was a little off with his ideologies?

     Another thing that is bothering me is that this guy teaches this class ... gets condemned by the U.S. military and government ... and then gets suspended, but still gets to keep his job? Doesn't that seem a little off too? My guess is the school had known about this course for awhile and had known how it was being taught and did nothing to stop it and now they are caught in a bind.

     It appalls me that such hate can exist --- I mean, this guy taught a whole class on basically waging war on over 1.6 billion people - the majority of whom don't bother anyone. The majority of whom are chilling at home praying or watching "American Idol" or whatever their country's version of it is ... because God knows that show has taken over the world quicker than any type of extremism I know.

     Hopefully after the investigation into this guy and this class, he will learn that he isn't as smart as he thinks he is.

You treat me just like another stranger. It's nice to meet you, sir. I guess I'll go. I best be on my way out. You treat me just like another stranger. It's nice to meet you, sir. I guess I'll go. I best be on my way out. Ignorance is your new best friend. Ignorance is your new best friend. This is the best thing that could've happened - any longer and I wouldn't have made it. It's not a war, no, it's not a rapture. I'm just a person but you can't take it. (Ignorance, Paramore)

Too Booby-Licious For YouTube

     Hey All. It's been awhile ... But it's getting down to the wire for me and my thesis is due in ... a week. AHHHHHHH. So I've been crazy busy!!! Research, research, and research. That's all I've been doing ... But I'm taking a few minutes out of my time to comment on this.

     Not the video in general ... But the fact that this past week the video was banned from YouTube for violating its nudity policy. Ummmm ... As far as I can tell, Kate Upton is not naked in this video - damn near close to it, but not naked. The woman is a bikini model what do they expect her to be wearing in most of her videos? She is barely recognizable in clothing.

     There are hundreds of videos on YouTube of women in bikinis dancing that have not been banned - so why her? She's too sexy? Too curvy (don't even get me started on how she's being called the new face of modeling because she's "voluptuous"). It's ridiculous. 

     On Wednesday, YouTube brought the video back with an age restriction ... but apparently that was a mistake too ... because by the end of the day that was gone too. Can we cool it with the double standards here? Yes, the woman has boobs. Yes, they are jiggling around. Yes, she is famous. How does that make her naked - because last time I checked if you are violating a nudity policy ... I'd assume you'd have to be naked.

I don't think your ready for this jelly. I don't think your ready for this jelly. I don't think for this. Is my body too bootylicious for ya, baby? (Bootylicious, Destiny's Child)