Wacky Wednesday: The return of Auto-tune and others...

Happy Wacky Wednesday everyone!

I'm quickly writing this blog as I get ready to head out for a meeting. I finally came into work early today (early meaning before 10am) and have a minute to do the blog. So without further ado....

Crazy Waitress Robbery Story:


Crazy Waitress hit song:


This guy is far too passionate about the treasury:


Painful? Check. Hilarious? Check.


What a wuss:


And my favorite:



Have a great day everyone!

Not MIA Today. Tuesday's Charity: Women's and Children's Crisis Center

So before I begin, I'd like to apologize for posting literally nothing yesterday. It was a bad day, filled with more work than I care to do in a day. So again, my apologies.

Today's highlighted charity is located in Whittier, CA and deals with an issue far too common even in these progressive times.

The Women and Children Crisis Shelter (WCCS) is an emergency and transitional shelter for women and children who have been victimized by domestic violence. Often times, women will stay in these unhealthy relationships after being broken down physically and mentally. These victimized women feel there is nowhere else to turn and don't want to risk homelessness for their children, so they stay with the abuser and sacrifice themselves for the good of their children.

The mission of WCCS is to serve victims who request protection and assistance, by providing culturally relevant and supportive intervention services, by coordinating with other agencies working to improve the wellness of families, and by providing information for the prevention of intimate partner violence.

Though initially starting out 1977 as a crisis hotline, WCCS eventually grew into a walk-in emergency shelter and then began offering a transitional shelter as well, to aid in the process of ending abusive relationships.

 Often thought to be a thing of past generations, domestic abuse is still far too prevalent in society. Many cultures, including our own, view women as objects or possessions. Though it can be harmless (men ogling models, porn stars, etc), it can also be very dangerous for those who take it too far. Teaching domestic abuse prevention in schools would be a great to help end this problem as a whole, much in the way that children are now taught about the awful consequences of racism, a problem that has been seriously weakened and could be eradicated completely with education.


I implore everyone to do their part in stopping domestic abuse and utilize, and donate, to shelters like WCCS. Abuse is not just a problem for the individual, it's a problem for society.

Freeform Friday: The Cult of Celebrity

Has America's obsession with celebrities hit cult-like status?


Sadly, yes.

In no form is this fact more painstakingly obvious than with the success and celebrity of the cast of "Jersey Shore".

This "show", about a group of male and female drains on society, has become an enormous hit. Let that sink in for a second. A group of 20-something, selfish, unintelligent douchebags get paid millions (yes, millions) of dollars to party, tan and get into fights.

Are you fucking kidding me?

It literally makes me want to vomit.  These are the people that others actually aspire to be and want to watch all the time. I can't even watch MTV anymore because I want to throw my fucking TV at whoever runs the network.

You would hope that the tragic life of the amazingly stupid Anna Nicole Smith would set some sort of warning, if not to the idiot reality stars, then at least to the girls who aspire to be these idiots.

Nope.

They still follow the likes of Paris Hilton, "The Situation", Lindsey Lohan and Spencer Pratt as though they are religious figures. It has become the sad reality in the world that being stupid, spoiled, and without any type of meaningful purpose is what we should all aspire to become.

If life were fair, the Executive Director of the organization I work for would be an enormous celebrity. He runs a very successful non-profit. His model of ending homelessness is being copied all over the country. He has raised millions (yes, millions) of dollars for charity to help the homeless, he's an active member of 6 different Boards for various charity organizations and he teaches a class on homelessness and gentrification in Orange County at a local university. Yet, he makes a fraction of what "The Situation" makes. Doesn't seem right does it?

We have become a celeb-obsessed culture while real issues are being ignored. I hear far too often from people who dish about celebrities as though they're close personal friends, that they have no interest in politics because "Politics is stupid". Thay actually say this.

There was a time, maybe 50 years ago, when the majority of the population could tell you far more about their political opinions than they could about celebs. Rather than talking about what club Bette Davis and Joan Crawford got into a fight at or who Mae West slept with last night, they talked about changes they wanted to see and did something about it. And they were successful!

Nowadays, I guarantee you at LEAST 75% of people aged 13 - 30 couldnt tell you who the 39th President was (It's Jimmy Carter).

It seems that people don't want to be intelligent. They're too pre-occupied with celebrity dating lives and clubbing habits.

I wouldn't be surprised if soon, in schools, we hear the following:


"Well kids, we have thirteen stripes to commemorate every season of the Jersey Shore. The red one's represent the seasons where Snooki got punched in the face and the white ones represent the seasons where the cast tried to claiom "GTL" as intellectual property.

And we have the 50 stars to recognize the number of foreign children Angelina Jolie adopted.

Let's recite the Pledge of Allegiance,

'I pledge allegiance, to TMZ, in the world wide web of the internet. And to the awesome deals, for which it spams, one nation, totally hot, with prada bags and Manolo's for all.'"

Do me a favor: Everyone try to learn something meaningful once a day. After a month, this celeb bullshit will become so laughable it won't even entertain you.

Rant over...

Thirsty Thursday: Cosmopolitan

The Cosmopolitan.

The name alone makes you think of the girls from "Sex and the City" as the drink typifies single, successful women having a night out on the town (I'm assuming this is the basis of that show as I've never watched it).

For women, this drink signifies success. It shows that not only do you enjoy alcohol, but at the same time, you class it up with a mixer, drink from a fancy glass, and most likely will not give that guy staring at you across the bar, the time of day. It's a power drink that is able to maintain attractive femininity.

In guy culture, this may be the gayest drink you could ever order that is not named a "Pink Cadillac". However,  this is the old standby to order for someone when you're looking to "Seal the deal" so to speak. Showing that you're not afraid to order it, along with the fact that there is a pretty decent amount of alcohol in the drink, usually work as a 1-2 combination. culminating in the horizontal mambo.

Ingredients:
1 Ounce Vodka
1/2 Ounce Triple Sec
1/2 Ounce Cranberry Juice
1/4 Ounce Lime Juice

Pour ingredients into a shaker half filled with ice. Shake Well. Strain into a martini glass.

For an extra kick, upgrade to premium vodka (Grey Goose works best with this drink) and Cointreau instead of Triple Sec. You'll thank me later.

Enjoy!

Wacky Wednesday: Stupidity

Hello All!

I'm pressed for time, so this will have to be fast, but luckily, it's Wacky Wednesday.

Time for some video pick-me-up's.

I love stupid people. As much as they can annoy and disturb me, I also enjoy that these people exist for our entertainment. Let's watch some.









Have a great Wednesday!

Busy Busy Busy....

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Today is supposed to be my day in which I post about a charity i love, but I just have absolutely no time, seeing as how the charity I work for has me finishing a bunch of stuff in preparation for an event we're having this week. I'l get a post up tomorrow, based on the regular schedule, but today seems unlikely.

In the meantime, enjoy these videos of my best friend and I writing and performing songs about various episodes of Project Runway, Season 7.

Enjoy!

Thirsty...Friday? Cape Codder

Hello Everyone,

Looks like I have 2 new followers. Awesome! Welcome to my blog.

Yesterday was insanely busy for work, therefore I had zero time to write my Thirsty Thursday blog. However, since Friday's are free-form anyways, I thought I'd go ahead and utilize that freedom to write a Thursday blog.

The Cape Codder

There are few times in which you find yourself happier to be alive then during a bright and sunny, yet cool Summer day. Maybe a slight breeze is blowing and you neither have nor want any specific plans. You're content to hang out on your patio, front porch or backyard and enjoy the day. And of course, the perfect compliment to such a day, is the Cape Codder.

The Cape Codder is the perfect combination of alcohol and anti-oxidants. Combining the distinct and refreshing taste of Cranberry Juice, with the power of Vodka, the Cape Codder is the old standby when you want to just relax and enjoy being alive.

The great thing about this drink is it's ability to cross all boundaries. Men love it and women love it, there's no gender exclusivity here, just good alcohol and great taste.

Just be careful not to go too far when adopting the Cape Cod attitude. You're a pair of Nantucket shorts and boat shoes away from Cape Cod douchebaggery.

Ingredients:
1 Ounce Vodka (Belvedere is preferred for this one)
Cranberry Juice to fill
Lime Wedge Garnish

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in the vodka, fill with cranberry juice, garnish and enjoy!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Wacky Wednesdays: I Love Autotune!

Auto-tune is nothing new, but it is amazing. You can essentially auto-tune anything, put a beat behind it and BAM! Hit song!

Here's a few examples:

Without autotune:


With Autotune:


And of course, my favorite, Antoine Dodson:


And the hit song:


Try to get that out of your head. Have a great Wednesday everyone!

Tuesday's Charity: Mercy House

Today is Tuesday and this is when I highlight a Charity or Non-profit that I feel is doing some good in the world.

I begin with my place of business, Mercy House in Orange County, CA.

Mercy House was started in 1990 by Father Jerome Karcher, a catholic priest at St. Vincent Depaul in Huntington Beach, CA. Father Jerome saw a need for transitional shelters for Orange County's homeless population and took action. He gathered a Board of Directors, many of whom are still active members, and hired his first employee, a 25 year old idealist by the name of Larry Haynes.

Larry is currently the Executive Director of the agency.

Breaking through the stereotype of the homeless person, Mercy House has successfully set a standard in its services to homeless men, women and children. It is the Mercy House mission to be a leader in ending homelessness for those who enter its system of care by providing a unique system of dignified housing alternatives, programs and supportive services. At Mercy House, the phrase “We help people find their way back home,” expresses its philosophy to help people find their way to permanent housing which they can call “home.”

From that initial idea of reaching out to the marginalized that Father Jerome had in 1990 and led to beginning services to the homeless community, Mercy House has always relied on the goodness of people's hearts. This compassion allows many men, women and children to experience their inherent dignity through programs leading to self-sufficiency and independent living through work and education.

I am extremely proud to be a Grant Writer for this organization and go home every day knowing that without some of these I do, none of this would be possible. It's a rather amazing feeling.

Some success stories:

Monday Madness: Glenn Beck and Capitalism

What is there to say about Glenn Beck?

Is he a sensationalist? Obviously. His fits of crying and bombastic statements offer irrefutable proof.

Is he dangerous? In my opinion, yes.

Glenn Beck promotes an America in which the separation of church and state is eroded beyond repair. Advocating for one nation under a very specific god, he seeks to strip away rights and liberties under the guise of freedom and liberty.

A bit of a contradiction there, Glenn.

In his America, personal riches take an enormous priority over compassion. This skewed view is a big part of the problem I have with conservatives in general, and Beck especially. They promote this supposed American ideal of independence and self-preservation to the point of selfishness.

Taxes are bad, keep all your money, welfare should be eliminated and anyone who says differently is, somehow, a Nazi.

Some of you may agree that taxes are bad, because you don't get to keep all the money you earn. However, that sentiment is almost exclusively an American one. America's dependence on capitalism has created a nation that see's success as how many houses and cars you personally own, rather than how everyone is doing in a collective sense.

This selfish ideal has led to backlash against progressive measures intended to help the less fortunate in many aspects.

Think about this: In many European countries, they don't bat an eye about a 50% tax rate, because they know it's for the common good. Homelessness rates are at or near 0%, education, including college is free, as are health care and many other social services. People in those countries see excessive wealth as unnecessary, because when you create a huge gap between the rich and the poor, problems happen.

Compare the crime rates of most socialized European nations with those of the US. The differences are staggering. The US, which has an enormous gap between the rich and poor with a shrinking middle-class, has a murder rate that is 4 times higher than any European country.

I was offended when so-called Tea Party activists held their ridiculous rally on Saturday and expressed concern over rising tax rates. These are people making over $200K per year, some making millons, saying they are worried about their livelihood if tax rates increase slightly. Meanwhile, millions of their fellow countrymen attempt to support families on day laborer salaries or are simply homeless. Unfortunately, these people are too busy with the horrors of day-to-day survival then to try and hold a rally asking for a more reliable government safety net.


The simple fact is that the divide between rich and poor is growing at an alarming rate. The once-vibrant middle-class is shrinking as more and more middle class families find themselves in poverty. The government is supposed to take care of it's citizens but voices like those of Beck and Sarah Palin equate safety nets for the less fortunate with Fascism, Communism and Socialism, though it's a good bet they have no idea what any of those truly are.


Call me a Socialist, I'd wear the moniker proudly. Ending homelessness, providing free health care and education for all, a more vibrant job market, guaranteed living wages, a much smaller gap between CEO pay and worker pay a Wall Street holding a minimal, if any, role in the government sounds much better than what is currently going on. Capitalism is failing. It's time to modify corporate and political greed or face our fate as a modern-day Roman Empire.