The Reid Breed

Sexpot [Seks Pot]
n. Informal
A woman considered to have sex appeal

Lately, it seems as if all my childhood favorite super-stars (specifically Tara Reid, Lindsey Lohan and Britney Spears) have proved to neither have the morals nor liver for the young Hollywood lifestyle. Sadly, at one point during puberty I considered Tara to be one of the sexiest women in Hollywood (can I somehow blame it on the raging hormones?) As pathetic as this sounds her role as Melody Valentine in Josie and the Pussycats (also a comic I loved) made me want to play the drums because she just looked so damn hot! Unfortunately, Tara developed a bad reputation as an out of control party girl and since then her life has become fairly predictable... Rumors began circulating that she was written off of scrubs due to her hard PAArtying ways, she was admitted into the Promises Rehab facility in 2008 for alcoholism and anorexia, the two major films she appeared in, My Boss's Daughter and Alone in the Dark, were ripped apart by critics, and since then most of her movies have gone straight to DVD. She now earns the majority of her income by making public appearances at nightclubs etc. However, this year has been a step in the right direction for Tara. In the past Tara refused on multiple occasions to pose for playboy because of a botched tummy tuck and boob job (and perhaps a naive dream that somewhere, somehow people still thought she was a role-model of innocence). This year she attempted to redeem her sexpot image by posing topless in Playboys October issue. I am also happy to say that this year marks her engagement to internet entrepreneur (cash cow) Michael Axtmann. I can't help but wonder is Tara in the midst of doing a 180? Could she still make a comeback and become the sex symbol she once was?

Enclosed is an old photo pre-drug & alcohol abuse/body self-mutilation as well as a recent (extremely photoshopped) photo from her October Playboy issue.

Disney

Vanessa or 'VaneXXXa' Hudgens the longtime Disney star has yet again failed to keep her nudie pics underwraps (no pun intended). Unlike her first debuted photo scandal that surfaced the world wide web on Sept.6th/2007, Vanessa's latest anatomy lessons feature an abundance of photographs (we're talking double digits, a far stretch from her single 2007 photo). How the photos leaked is still a mystery since in both cases the pictures were taken with HER cellphone. I personally have no idea how she is going to redeem her 'good girl' Disney star image. Vanessa is currently filming 'beastiliaty'...I mean 'beastly' and hopes to get over the scandal. In my opinion the only 'after school specials' she should be starring in are the ones featured on redtube.

A Dream Sequence

"To create one's own world in any of the arts takes courage." -Georgia O'Keeffe

If anyone reads this blog I think it would be a great platform to share some beauty. Literature, art, music, dance, theatre, photography, etc.

Tell me about something alluring that has the ability to take you out of the mundane. Low brow or high brow, it can be anything.

If I am right and no one reads this blog, I will continue to update this article with things that I treasure.

Update: Turns out a girl I know named Leah had a similar idea. She posted a note about books and asked everyone to post 15 memorable books in 15 minutes. Here is the list so far (reading list for a few years).

1) Last Exit to Brooklyn - Hubert Selby Jr.
2) Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
3) The Informers - Bret Easton Ellis
4) Prozac Nation - Elizabeth Wurtzel
5) Portnoy's Complaint - Roth
6) Martin Sloane - Michael Redhill
7) Sifting Through The Madness For The Word, The Line, The Way - Bukowski
8) Candide - Voltaire
9) The Witches - Roald Dahl
10) Lolita - Nabokov
11) The Stranger - Camus
12) Breakfast of Champions - Vonnegut
13) Lullabies For Little Criminals - Heather O'Neill
14) The Watchmen - Moore and Gibbons
15) Story of My Life - Jay McInerney
16) Slammerkin- Emma Donoghue
17) The Glass Castle- Jeanette Walls
18) Brighton Rock- Graham Greene
19) The White Hotel- D M Thomas
20) Catch 22- Joseph Heller
21) Bel Canto- Ann Patchett
22) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time-Mark Haddon
23) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
24) Portrait of a Lady-Henry James
25) The Elegance of the Hedgehog-Muriel Barbery
26) 1984- George Orwell
27) The Golden Bowl- Henry James
28) The Haunting of Hill House- Shirley Jackson
29) The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar- Roald Dahl
30) Honeymoon in Purdah- Alison Wearing
31) Gravity's Rainbow - Thomas Pynchon
32) 2666 - Roberto Bolano
33) Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace
34) The Savage Detectives - Roberto Bolano
35) Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
36) Adverbs - Daniel Handler
37) Kilter - John Gould
38) Trout Fishing in America - Richard Brautigan
39) Gypsy Guitar - David McFadden
40) The Subterraneans - Jack Kerouac
41) Not Wanted on the Voyage - Timothy Findley
42) The Collected Works of Billy the Kid - Michael Ondaatje
43) Rabelais and His World - Mikhail Bakhtin
44) The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami
45) Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
46) Gravity's Rainbow - Thomas Pynchon
47) 2666 - Roberto Bolano
48) Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace
49) The Savage Detectives - Roberto Bolano
50) Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut... Read More
51) Adverbs - Daniel Handler
52) Kilter - John Gould
53) Trout Fishing in America - Richard Brautigan
54) Gypsy Guitar - David McFadden
55) The Subterraneans - Jack Kerouac
56) Not Wanted on the Voyage - Timothy Findley
57) The Collected Works of Billy the Kid - Michael Ondaatje
58) Rabelais and His World - Mikhail
Bakhtin
59) The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami
60) Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61) The Cider House Rules - John Irving
62) Glue - Irvine Welsh
63) Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
64) Generation of Swine - Hunter S. Thompson
65) For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway... Read More
66) Islands in the Stream - Ernest Hemingway
67) Till We Have Faces - C.S. Lewis
68) The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test - Tom Wolfe
69) The Tempest - Shakes
70) On the Road - Jack Kerouac
71) We - Yevgeny Zamyatin
72) Junky - William S. Burroughs
73) Life of Pi - Yann Martel
74) Finnegan's Wake - James Joyce
75) A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
76) Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Copeland
77) Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf
78) Book of Longing – Leonard Cohen
79) Recollections of My Life as a Woman – Diane DiPrima
80) The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton
81) The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway
82) Q and A – Vikas Swarup
83) The Colour Purple – Alice Walker
84) The Rez Sisters – Tomson Highway
85) Where the Sidewalk Ends – Shel Silverstein
86) Naked Poems – Phyllis Webb
87) The Bell Jar- Sylvia Plath
88) Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
89) The Cay – Theodore Taylor
90) Naked Poems - Phyllis Webb
91) Watership Down - Richard Adams
92) Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman
93) Green Grass, Running Water - Thomas King
94) Watchmen - Alan Moore... Read More
95) Wizard and Glass - Stephen King
96) The Stone Angel - Margaret Laurence
97) What is the What? - Dave Eggers
98) The Cariboo Horses - Al Purdy
99) Stilt-Jack - John Thompson
100) The Martyrology (Book 3) - bpNichol
101) The Cosmic Code - Heinz R. Pagels
102) Not Wanted on the Voyage - Timothy Findley
103) Dragons of Summer Flame - Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

104) custodians of paradise - wayne johnston
105) The fat woman next door is pregnant - michel tremblay
106) the tin flute - gabriel roy
107) two solitudes - hugh mclellan.
108) catcher in the rye - J. D. Salinger
109) the shipping news - annie proulx
110) Fear and loathing on the campaign trail '72 - Hunter S. Thompson
111) angela's ashes - frank mccourt
112) Three Day Road - joseph boyden
113) In the skin of a lion - Michael Ondaatje
114) Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maud montgomery
115) Darkness at Noon -Arthur Koestler

Posh & Becks=Sex

There have been many reproductions of Posh & Becks including Jessica & Tony, Tom & Gisele, and Eva & Tony, but no one can replicate the aura of this British super-couple.

Posh is a former member of 'Spice Girls' which is hands down the biggest pop group sensation of my generation. The 'Spice Girls' are the pioneers of mainstream teen pop music during the 1990s, having sold over 60 million records worldwide.

Becks found his fame in Manchester United as well as the highest grossing sports team in the world, Real Madrid. He made his Manchester debut in 1992, when he was 17 years old. His jersey number is 23, after his favourite basketball player, Michael Jordan. Beckham was the captain of England from 2000-2006 FIFA World Cup.

They met when Victoria attended a Manchester match in 1997. He proposed Jan.24th/1998 in an English restaurant. They married in Luttrellstown Castle, Ireland on July.4th/1999. Together they have multiple homes including the unofficially dubbed 'Beckingham Palace' in Hertfordshire est 7.5 million Euros, and three sons, Brooklyn Joseph (1999), Romeo James (2002), and Cruz David (2005).

I am constantly awed by their joint success, beauty, and presence. Before Beckham joined Los Angeles Galaxy in January 2007, they were still on the Western Media's back burners. They have furthered their fame by promoting themselves through the advertising business. They have posed together for companies such as Armani, Coca-Cola, and Calvin Klein (to name a select few).

I can't place my finger on it but there is just something intensely powerful about this duo. I am constantly mesmerized by their advertisements, fashion savvy, brisk rise to fame, and the immortal way they never seem to age. For the mere sake of being beautiful, they are by far my favourite celebrity couple.

Favourite Posh and Becks interview,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P842Tmi6lrc&feature=fvsthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P842Tmi6lrc&feature=fvstEssay Questions 2QQ3

Little Leaguers

Recently I had a friend tell my best friend something nasty behind my back. She pinpointed one of my major insecurities and denounced me as if it were as normal as filing her nails. I run in a small circle of friends and tend to idealize them all, so the blade felt twice as sharp midst this unexpected verbal attack. It's a useless and irrelevant thing to dwell on but I can't help but recollect the sour taste of high school frenemies.

Am I socially naive? I thought that age comes with tact but perhaps I misconstrue basic manners as generosity. After a year of living with boys I have forgotten how to analyze the connotative meanings in catty conversations. Boys always speak denotatively, and it becomes easy to forget. Better than easy even, I relish the simplicity of my daily repartees.

I feel like I am M.I.A to the exclusive club of undertones and implications. Is it wrong that I don't see any appeal to this secret society?

I will pledge my oath of allegiance to myself.

1) I will try to be as blunt and honest as I can.

2) I will try to laugh off malicious and petty betrayals.

3) I will try not to use uncalled for sarcastic undertones.

4) I will try to be a better friend.

The Fad is the Rad, Brilliant Lad, Daniel Radcliffe

Brief History

Daniel Jacob Radcliffe was born July.23rd/1989. I used to think that he got the part of Harry Potter because his father was the director, but as it turns out it is just a rumor, one that I helped spread. I think the rumor started because Daniel's mother is a casting agent for the BBC. He got his big break when the producer of Harry Potter saw Daniel at a London production of 'Stones in His Pockets'. After several follow-up auditions he was selected to play 'Harry Potter' the starring role in the adaptation of J.K. Rowling's award-winning book series. On top of the Harry Potter installments he has been in 'December Boys', various television shows, and the Broadway stage show 'Equus'.

Why I Think Daniel Radcliffe is Special

The interesting thing about Daniel Radcliffe is not that he was worth an estimated 17million euros in 2007, that he likes punk rock, or that he is an avid fan of cricket. I adore Danielle Radcliffe because he is open about aspects of his life that have been traditionally rendered 'taboo'.

1) Daniel has revealed is that he suffers from a mild form of the neurological disorder 'Dyspraxia' or 'Developmental dyspraxia', a heterogeneous range of development disorders that affects the initiation, organization and performance of action. I think that this would be a hard thing to admit since the world consists of a lot of ignorant elitists or alternatively, ignorants who would form biased opinions that he is 'stupid' (since they love to have opinions on things they know nothing about).

2) He has exposed that he is not ashamed to be friends with 'gender-benders', a.k.a. 'transvestites', or 'drag queens' because he thinks of the alternate sex as, "amazing, crazy, mad, weird people". In fact, he is so fascinated by the drag scene that he told the October 2008 issue of 'Details Magazine' that he would love to play the role of a drag queen in an upcoming film. Currently he is rumored to be friends with many drag queens but his b.f.f. is a transgender New Yorker named 'Our Lady J'. The pair met during his 'Equus' theatre debut and have become very close since. She performs at various gigs in New York singing covers of 'Alanis Morisette', 'Nine Inch Nails', and 'Dolly Parton'. Since their meeting Radcliffe has been introduced to a New York gay artist named Jim Hodges, who decided on whim to introduce Radcliffe to the world of the New York drag scene. Needless to say, he loves it.

People now wonder if Radcliffe is gay. I don't think he is, but if he was I don't think his entourage makes much of a difference to his professional life.

Daniel is also very supportive of the gay community and in interviews he has stated that he is very flattered when people ask if he is gay. He admits that he has discovered some major perks to his friendships,

"The one piece of advice I would give to any actor is, if you want to go out on the street without being recognized, without even being looked at, go out with a 6' 8" beautiful transsexual. No one gives you a second glance. Especially when you're 5' 5".

Radcliffe's honesty and sincerity with his fans has given me a new found respect for him. It's not everyday a Hollywood man will be ballsy enough to pursue meaningful relationships if raised eyebrows pursue.

Doesn't anyone remember the Eddie Murphy incident in 1997? Murphy was arrested picking up a 20-year-old Somoan born transvestite prostitute. He told 'Entertainment Tonight', "I'm just being a nice guy." Obviously their motives are entirely different but if Eddie really was 'just friends' with her he could have said so. He was ashamed and that's what the media works off of. Radcliffe has remained under the radar with his relationships because the press knows it doesn't bother him, its not a secret, and therefore its not a scandal. It shouldn't be!

I think Hollywood could learn a few things from Radcliffe and I hope to see him in drag on the big screen very soon.

Its obvious form my first post that I have been thinking a lot about religion lately. The first midterm for my religion class is on Monday and Dr. Penner told us, "those who will do well on the midterm are those who do not have the same opinions about religion that they did in the first lecture". The people who put serious thought into their religious opinions would snag the A.

Last night before bed I began to think about the midterm questions he posted but my a.d.h.d. had other plans. I began to think about my own religious life. I began to think of some of the good I was taught in my previous faith, Catholicism. I concluded the most important lessons I learned were about forgiveness, charity, and faith. Faith not necessarily in God, but in other human beings.

I have always known that if not in any other aspect of my life, I want my religious life to be a struggle. I have already struggled. I have struggled most with letting it go, it hurt my family deeply, and it was really hard for me to accept that there might not be an after life. The thought first seriously occurred to me while dating an atheist. He told me to try to think seriously about the possibility of no heaven. I did to humor him and the tears started to roll. It was probably the most cryptic idea I had ever considered. Sometimes I still pray before bed because it was one ritual I really embraced as a catholic. I have tried to 'neutralize' or 'de-catholisize' praying but it still feels wrong not to end a prayer with the trinitarian formula.

Still, I don't want to go to church on Sundays to stare mindlessly into the beautifully stained glass, to watch my sisters fall asleep, or to look back at the clock every 10 minutes. The only thing I ever truly enjoyed about going to mass was how happy it made my mother.

When I begin thinking about Jesus, for myself, I found the ultimate struggle. It's simple, straight forward, and seemingly impossible. Jesus was a man, who many people say didn't turn water into wine, or walk on water. Maybe he didn't, that's not what is important about Jesus. The most important thing Jesus ever did was love. His miracle was that he loved everybody, even those who hurt and betrayed him. True to his Jewish heritage he did not allow himself to be shaped by the world and its ideologies. I think the idea of loving everyone is a hard and noble philosophy, I am far from it. I am not claiming to know the secrets of the universe I am only trying to better myself. Personally I find it easy to forget the roots of religion. The fight between science and religion for 'the truth' is not the struggle I want to endure.

Those are just a few of my thoughts. Try not to make fun.

<3

Call me Lady.

There is the great debate surrounding Lady Gaga. Genius or crazy?

A very summarized (and very incomplete) bibliography of Lady Gaga.

Gaga was born March.28th, 1986. She learned to play piano by ear at the of age four, was accepted to Juilliard by eleven (though she didn't attend), and wrote her first piano ballad by age thirteen. She went to Tisch School Of The Arts in New York to study music for a few years before dropping out.

At nineteen she was signed and dropped by the label 'Def Jam'. Her song writing skills landed her jobs for Akon's 'Konvict' label, Fergie, Pussycat Dolls, Britney Spears, and New Kids on the Block. She later became a burlesque model and frequent drug user. She claimed her performances to be, "The Ultimate Pop Burlesque Rockshow".

Apart from her idol Andy Warhol, Gaga took inspiration from David Bowie and Queens vintage glam-rock pop melodies, about them she has stated, "Queen and David Bowie were the key for me... I didn't know what to do until I discovered Bowie and Queen. When I was playing the New York rock clubs, a lot of record labels thought I was too theatrical. Then, when I auditioned for stage musicals, the producers said I was too pop." Gaga has also stated that she has "married" many different genres and tries to integrate elements of various genres into her music, "from Def Leppard drums and handclaps to metal drums on urban tracks." Gaga later began to incorporate more pop melodies into her music. Akon recognized GaGa's vocal talent after hearing her on one of his tracks and convinced Jimmy Lovine to sign her to a joint deal with his own label, 'Kon Live Distribution'.

My Opinion Of GaGa

It is obvious that Lady GaGa has talent, she is a twenty three year old superstar for crying out loud! Thats not why I have a fetish for GaGa. I love the artistic persona she is inspiring to become. She is offended in interviews when called a 'character' or a 'persona' but has admitte in the past she hasn't always been GaGa, "Some people say Lady Gaga is a lie, and they're right...but every day I kill to make it true."

I like that she is a misfit in popular culture. She is my cultural hero. I love how provocative, nervy, and unconventional her performances, music, and interviews are. One of my favourite GaGa quotes is, "The truth is what I'm a role model for, is the ability to change culture". I think she is aiming to change culture by not conforming to the pop culture norm that women have to be 'pretty', 'sexy', and 'wholesome'. Pop artists are shoved into a media mob if they voice something unconventional, and overnight a miniscule act grows into a full-fledged scandal. Think of how wild everyone went when Britney Spears shaved her head. Do you think the media would have the same reaction if GaGa did it? The answer is NO.

GaGa is famous for not giving a fuck about how the media perceives her. I think her only desire is to be different then the average Jane, "I love the Jonas Brothers, they're very talented. I met them once. I'd like to have a foursome with them". She is a great role model because she is confident enough to be her own person and she refuses to adhere to societal expectations. In a similar way that Micheal Jackson was neither 'black' or 'white' GaGa is ageless. She is eccentric, wild, but not a 'pop tart'. Her outfits pay tribute to her art rather than her sexuality. Lady GaGa does not conform to sexy, she creates it. She is sexy because she is original, she is sexy because she is an artist.

My Criticism

I loved her shocking performance at the mmvas. I loved the flaming tits, the cooch grabbing, the whole anchalada. I also love the hair bow & button, the black lipstick, the bubbles, etc... I am concerned about her latest photoshoots, in particular the shoots with Maxim and Elle.

These photoshoots showcase her body, sexuality, and youth in a way that isn't GaGa's style. The photo's aren't quircky enough and I don't like it. I want to look at her and see the super freak I have come to know and love.

Maxim Photos,
http://amygrindhouse.com/lady-gaga-maxim-magazine-pictures.html

Elle Photo/Interview,
http://fashionindie.com/the-inner-views-lady-gaga-in-elle-magazine/

My Musical Love Affair

I love music. As a child I grew up with classical, choir, folk, jazz, classic rock, as well as some angry feminist music. I proudly memorized 'You Outta Know' and sung it in the car with my mother by the time I was eight.

Then there was the 'Spice Girl' phase, it came right before the nano craze. When I was mad at my parents I would blast 'Spice Girls' out my window. I loved them and bought so much of their merchandise I won a poster in a 'Spice Girl' draw. I also entered a 'Spice Girls' airband contest with my friends, I was ginger.

Then came early teenage life as an emo with a barbell and a spiky wristband. I was engrossed in heavy metal, punk, punk rock, emo, emo pop, and screamo. I even got an offer to tour with a semi well known band since a fellow emo was cousins with the bassist.

As a mid-late teenager in the ultra cool town that I grew up in I hit the bars/truckstops/downtown strip/fields, with pop, hip-hop, and dance music.

Now university music is full of folk, alternative, and underground. I began to judge people by their musical preferences until I went home and talked to my dad. He is an even bigger music connoisseur. My dad has stayed by my side through my music exploration and development. He even tried to listen to some screamo once.

Lately he has been into Cuban music. He made me remember that each musical genre has its pros and cons and being a music snob is just as bad as being a general snob. He listens to music because he loves it and love is not exclusive. Each genre has taken care of me as I've grown up.

I decided to send my mom a 'Spice Girls' song called 'Mama' and even though 'Spice Girls' isn't her band of choice she told me she cried when she listened to it. All kinds of music can be meaningful.

I've recently acquired some of my old favourite tunes (even the screamo) and you know what? Years later I still love it.

University Lingo

A few months ago I was thinking about the difference between a secondary and post-secondary vocab. I decided to write down some of the words I heard students, t.a.'s, friends, family, and professors say that aren't typical of high school banter. Some of the words are simple but still contribute to the evolution of language since secondary school. This list also gives everyone (especially me) an opportunity to learn some scholarly lingo. So in no particular order here are some common and uncommon words I have heard (some may occur more than once). I will continue to update the list and maybe eventually add definitions.

propaganda, lieu, semantics, paradox, suffice, interdependencies, pragmatic, solidified, clairvoyant, copacetic, manifest, elicit, tumultuous , redundant , sodomy, stipulations, turbulent, ramifications, absolve, protagonist, immaculate, effervescence, commonality, ideology, egregious, denigrate, pathologize, convention, lascivious, interval, degenerate, adversity, regime, resonate, disembody, scarce, detract, depicts, indicate, re-enacts, eminate, dynamic, consoles. tailored, succession. allegedly, divergent, prolific, tenuous, exponentially, counter-intuitive, apathy, contingent, irradicate, infer, precedent, titillate, albeit, typify, revelation, assert, belittle, anomaly, nostalgia, innocuous, nuiance, repugnant, ostracize, cryptic, transcendental, implicit, explicit, ascribe, resonate, ambivalent, precarious, binary, monotomy, pinnacle, deterrent, paradigm, perpetuate, farce.

Lost In Lost

WARNING: For 'Lost' viewers only

I have a bad habit of watching television shows that progressively get worse as the season moves forward. Unfortunately I am also OCD with my TV shows, partly because I feel obligated to stick with them. I often find myself influenced to continue this obligation because of a hope and desire that a series will return to its original glory. This scarcely happens.

The show that has been bothering me lately is 'Lost'. I have seen every episode. I really loved the first and second season but lately (this season in particular) it has forsaken all logic. I have no idea how the writers are going to resolve the incongruous plot details they have implemented into script throughout the series, especially with only one remaining season. Its getting a bit ridiculous.

So here is a list of things that don't make sense in 'Lost'. Post if you can add to the list or answer my questions.

1) Why do 'the others' steal peoples babies?
2) What is the purpose of the dharma initiative?
3) Why can't pregnant women have babies on the island but the island can heal people who have cancer or are paralyzed?
4) Why is Jacob speaking through Jack's dead father and why did Claire go crazy and choose to reside with him in his creepy cabin?
5) Why Ben didn't want to give up Michael?
6) Why do random people suddenly have magical powers? (Desmond seeing the future, Hurley conversing with the dead)
7) Why does the island and Jacob's cabin move and vanish?
8) What are the whispers in the forest?
9) Ben once told Locke a story about a box on the island that can make anything you want, where is this box and why can it do that?
10) Why are the numbers 4815162342 mean and why are they lucky but also lethal?
11) Why doesn't Richard age and why does he wear so much black eyeliner?!??!?!

These are all important questions that need to be answered.

xoxo
Love,
Sara

The Girls Next Door

I will readily admit that I am a pop-culture whore. I love reality television. I have been guilty of watching full seasons of, Americas Next Top Model, A Shot At Love, Engaged And Underaged, From G's To Gents, Iron Chef, Laguna Beach, Living On The Edge, Paradise Hotel, Paris Hilton's My New BFF, Project Runway, Restaurant Makeover, Say Yes To The Dress, Survivor, Taking The Stage, The City, The Hills, The Real World, The X-Effect, and What Not To Wear.

The latest reality television show I have indulged myself in is 'The Girls Next Door'. I'm a little late to jump on the bandwagon since Hef and his trio has now split, but I enjoy it none the less. The show is about Hue Hefner and his three former girlfriends, Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Kendra Wilkinson. Respectively, Holly is Hef's first girlfriend, Bridget his second, and Kendra his third. What makes this show interesting is the diversity of the girls. Holly is a playboy editor, Kendra is extremely athletic, and Bridget has her Master's Degree in Communications. They don't have much in common except their ambition, beauty, and a love for playboy/Hef.

I have always been critical of playboy bunnies immediately classifying them as 'dumb sluts'. They may be sluts but the only bunny I think is dumb is Holly.I know most people who have seen the show are thinking 'you think Kendra is smarter than Holly?' Let me explain...

Holly sleeps in the same bed as Hef and is responsible for satisfying him (sexually) as well as looking after the other two girls. So basically the honor of being Hef's 'number one girlfriend' entitles her to responsibility and frequent sex with an old man. Throughout the seasons she is hopeful that Hef will marry her which is in and of itself stupid.

Holly fits my former stereotype that playboy bunnies are tarts. Kendra and Bridget are the ones that have made me reconsider my opinion. Bridget and Kendra have no responsibilities in the trio and receive all the benefits of being Hef's girlfriend. This includes luxury vacations, a mansion, a personal butler at their disposal, media exposure, an allowance, top hairstylists, top makeup artists, estheticians, and invitations to exclusive Hollywood parties.

Its hard to be critical of these girls when apart from having sex with Hef they are living my dreams. They are optimizing their youth! They are living life in a way most people will never experience in exchange for occasionally (for their sakes I hope very occasionally) sleeping with Hef. A lot of girls between the ages of 18-23 regret people they naively fooled around or slept with. 'The Girls Next Door' are offered a massive amount of opportunity in exchange for a 'naive' hookup with Hef. The average girl is rewarded with bad memories complimented by an awful hangover.

Bridget and Kendra repeatedly said they have no desire to be Hef's number one girlfriend, and why would they? They get anything they want for relatively nothing in comparison to Holly. Hef usually kicks girls out of the mansion by 23 so they get to jump back into the game with tons of gifts and experiences. Holly will be entering the game with either a broken heart or a failed attempt at gold digging.

In terms of Kendra and Bridget I can't help but wonder, are they brilliant?

Five Factor Model (FFM)

I learned about the five factor model in second year psychology. I thought it was really fun to test it on myself and my friends. Basically the five factor model is a model believed to be applicable to everyone. It contains five dimensions that are held to be a complete description of personality. In 1936 Gordan Allport and H.S. Odbert went through two of the most comprehensive dictionaries and extracted 27,953 personality-describing words, it was then reduced to 4,504 adjectives. In the 1940's Raymond Cattell eliminated synonyms, the list then sat at 171. He reduced it further to 35 and later 16, which led to the development of the 16PF personality questionnaire. In 1961 two air force researches used Cattell's data and found five reoccuiring factors. The five dimensions are O.C.E.A.N. or, Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Exrtaversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Openness to experience- curiousity, adventure, ideas, experience
Conscientiousness- self-descipline, act dutifully, planned behaviour, achievment-aimer.
Extraversion- energetic, positive, surgency, stimuli seeker.
Agreeableness- compassionate, coopertative, not suspicious and antagonistic.
Neuroticism- experiences unpleasant emotions easily, anger, anxiety, depression, vulnerability.

These five factors are influenced by both heredity and environment. The test results are not necessaily constant but longitudinal and cross-sectional studies show data with a high degree in stability over time, a.k.a. test results usually don't significantly change over time. It is believed that if you score too low or too high on a certain category it could be a sign of a mental disorder.

Now out of 100 points each category could be divided equally into 20 points. So you have 100 points to designate to how you believe you are suited to each trait. 20 on one trait is average, 0 is low, and 40 is high.

To take the 16pf questionaire,
http://similarminds.com/cgi-bin/16sm.pl

My 16pf results,

Cattell's 16 Factor Test Results Warmth ||||||||||||||||||||| 66% Intellect ||||||||||||||||||||| 66% Emotional Stability |||||||||||| 38% Aggressiveness |||||||||||||||||| 54% Liveliness |||||||||||||||||| 54% Dutifulness ||||||||||||||| 42% Social Assertiveness |||||||||||||||||| 58% Sensitivity ||||||||||||||||||||| 62% Paranoia ||||||||||||||||||||| 62% Abstractness |||||||||||||||||||||||| 74% Introversion ||||||||||||||||||||| 70% Anxiety ||||||||||||||||||||| 62% Openmindedness ||||||||||||||||||||| 70% Independence |||||||||||||||||| 58% Perfectionism ||||||||||||||| 50% Tension ||||||||||||||| 42% Take Cattell 16 Factor Test (similar to 16pf) personality tests by similarminds.com

Because the world is round it turns me on... because Canada is Canada its just sexy. RAWR!!!

Canada day is the sexiest day of the year. Instead of saying Zeeellers we say Zellers.

Fun with photos

I really enjoyed my multimedia course this summer. It was really fun to learn to play with photoshop and if the program wasn't $600 I would start saving for it myself. To me digital art was challenging since photoshop is easily accessible and easy to use. Rather than the combination of skill and 'the idea' that is required to be good in traditional art the primary focus in computer art is 'the idea'. I made this particular picture in the class, it has 7 different things edited in that weren't there originally. Can you spot them?

Skinny in your mini?

People always ask me what the secret to being skinny is. I don't consider myself thin but if I did have a secret it would be the snacks that my mother (on a constant diet) has made me accustomed too. Here are 10 delicious/fast/cheap/low calorie things my mother and I eat.

1) Instead of regular cookies try baby cookies dipped in creamy stirred vanilla yogurt.
2) Microwave chopped sausage and mix it with cottage cheese.
3) Boil a chicken soup base and add chopped sausage/chicken, celery, carrots, and rice.
4) A Soft boiled egg (5 min) with toast and margarine (basic but delicious).
5) Instead of popsicles kick it old school with frozen juice boxes!
6) Mix cinnamon and sugar in a dish, cut up an apple and use the cinnamon as a dip. Or you can peel the apple, glaze the cinnamon sugar over it, and microwave it for 2 1/2 minutes. Eat with 1/2 cup of nonfat vanilla yogurt
7) MMM (obsession this year) sliced tomato with a dash of olive oil, salt, pepper, and either mozzarella (sliced from a ball), flavoured havarti, or feta cheese.
8) Want a veggie to bbq? Grilled zucchini is to die for!!!
9) Salad & spinich mixed with walnuts, cooked pears, and pommegranate seeds (this one not so cheap).
10) Light rye (wasa brand) with layer of both margarine/butter and honey.

Hope you enjoy all these things as much as I do!
Bon Appetite!

Why it is wrong for religious fanatics to hate on gays and support Carrie Prejean

Everyone hates on Perez Hilton for hating on Carrie Prejean for her answer during the Miss California USA 2009 competition. I don't understand how this became a controversial topic because of an uninformed opinion. To recap during the competition judge Perez Hilton asked her what her opinion of same sex marriage was. She responded,

"Well I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one way or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. You know what, in my country, in my family, I do believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, no offense to anybody out there. But that’s how I was raised and I believe that it should be between a man and a woman."

I think it was a mystery to a lot of people why this beautiful young lady was being heavily criticized when she was trying her best to be polite.

It is because marriage is not solely a religious contract. "Marriage is an institution in which interpersonal relationships (usually intimate and sexual) are acknowledged by the state, by religious authority, or both." Though many gays and lesbians are hoping for a progression in the church their main focus is a progression in the state laws. They are aiming for civil or secular marriages which is a marriage performed by government and not a religious organization.

The state and religion are two entirely different things. Her political beliefs should be independent of her religious opinions. By intertwining her political and religious beliefs she is disrespecting everyone who does not belong to the Christian faith. She is saying, "My country does not accept you because you do not believe in what I believe in." She could have remained true to her religious beliefs and said "While same sex marriage goes against my religious beliefs, all people in America are equal and deserve equal rights." Instead of (what I heard), "Christians are the most important people in America."

Why am I so sure of her ignorance about the matter? For starters she thinks gay people can be "cured". Second, when asked about civil unions in an interview with Van Susteren she says,

"My thought on civil unions? You know what, Greta? I don't have the answers to everything. I'm not running for political office. I don't have the answers to everything, you know, in the world out there.

But I think that there should be rights for people, you know, especially in California. I think that people that are homosexual should have some rights, you know, hospital rights, and things like that.

But I would like to be more educated on that, so when I do have a better answer for you, I will get back to you on that one.

But so far I just support traditional marriage, and that's my main focus."

If traditionally the constitution of marriage has had the option of being independent of religion then isn't a civil union a traditional marriage?

Case closed.

Spinning Wheels Religiously

Last Thursday I attended my first University Religion course. Unfortunately, I am the type of person who hypothesizes how the entire semester will be laid out based on the professor’s mannerisms in their first lecture. When I got to class I saw my red-faced, birkenstock wearing, longhaired professor. Immediately I classified him as an outdoorsy type who probably had a big ego since he obviously didn’t conform to any particular trend. I was wrong. I was in awe as this man began to speak. He was bold, loud, and more passionate than any instructor I have ever encountered. He informed us there were to be no textbooks, no notes, and no late marks. Then we were dismissed.

I was very skeptical about the material he would be covering in the next class since there currently is no class format. Upon arrival he showed us a film about two mountain climbers/friends entitled, 'Touching The Void'. He said the climber 'Joe's' experience was metaphorical of man's struggle with organized religion.

I personally do not believe in organized religion despite the fact that Catholicism has played a pivotal role in my household and educational upbringing. After fourteen years of Catholic education I was fully prepared for the professor to start lecturing us about the virtue and benevolence of Jesus. For the second time I was wrong.

By the end of that lecture my throat and stomach were heavy and my mind was full. Dr. Penner surprised me by speaking as I did as an angst ridden and insubordinate teenager. He told us he was here to provoke us and to anger us. He started by suggesting that organized religion is selfish, in that it tries to make us feel safe by offering us heaven, god, and joy in exchange for our souls and devotion. Religion is not something one should be able to possess or control. It is not a crutch for life. In trying to control religion one gains superficial happiness and loses the truth. There is no correct formula for living life. True spirituality should only take us out of the humdrum of our normal lives and make us feel alive.

To 'feel alive' we cannot allow ourselves to be controlled by the fear that deeply consumes us in our everyday lives. This fear is ingrained in our culture and our genes. E.g., fear of being unattractive, aging, not finding a spouse, etc. Inherently humans want comfort and security but spiritually we should not rest on one particular path. One should not be ‘defined’ or ‘definable’ in the way I tried to define Dr. Penner during the first lecture. Spiritually there should be constant growth. It is necessary to discard the trappings of our cultures, and the identity of ourselves in those cultures to grow as people. Struggle gives birth to spirituality while passivity gives birth to superficiality.

Can we give up everything to be reborn into our culture? What would our friends and family think if we gave up everything to be closer to 'god' or the 'spirit'? Would they be happy if we stopped caring about the daily grind in order to find god? What if we gave up everything to find god? People forget that Jesus and Buddha gave up everything and in this way I believe that true religion is cultish.

To end my thoughts I feel that organized religion has lost its way. Society uses religion as a stereoptying tool while some religions use themselves to provoke fear by promising eternal damnation. I am not claiming that myself or Dr. Penner are aware of the secrets of religion. Einstein once said "The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know," spiritually I am proud to say I feel the same.

Random video for your entertainment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLL1Rrw7jFw&feature=channel_page