Book Review: Badass

Badass: A Hard-Earned Guide to Living Life with Style and (the Right) Attitude by Shannen Doherty (Hardcover - Nov 2, 2010)

This was a tongue-in-check self help guide. The main focus points are:

• ownership of actions
• integrity
• self-esteem
• self-respect

The book is full of pictures of Shannen and top 10 lists. So it was a quick easy read.

The book was inspirational to me. It gave me the idea not to take myself so seriously. It endorsed my life internal dialogue of "live your life with our regrets".

I respect her take on the book by only describing her experience and not doing a tell all book about her ex-cast mates.

Upcoming Post in 2011

In 2011 Lisad00 will be posting on the following:

• Vintage Beauties
• Jump Starts
• Book reviews

I start an 8 week Jump Start tomorrow so be on the look out.

Sweetest Proposal: Sir, you're doing it right!

Check out this video a man made to propose to his girlfriend--they've been together 10 years and yet the energy and love shown through this video is as fresh as puppy love.

Madonna's Gym: First of Her Franchise in Mexico City

So, have you heard about Madonna's new project? She's opening a gym in Mexico City--a Madonna Themed Gym--and she's looking to expand (ala Gold's Gym or similar). Yes, ladies and gentlemen (gay gentlemen presumably), so you will be able to over-develop your upper-arm muscles like the Doyenne of Pop, her Madgesty. Apparently, early on they had problems with proper permits, but that has since be rectified.

According to her personal website, she's hoping to open "Hard Candy" Fitness Centers around the world. They will be high-rent, luxury gyms with top-drawer facilities and presumably snooty staff (okay, I made that last bit up).


From here website:

"Throughout her career Madonna has been devoted to fitness and well being and has worked out in literally hundreds of gyms around the world. As a result, she has a strong vision on what the ideal exercise, dancing and work out environment should be."

Also from the website: "Chris Dedicik, Hard Candy’s Managing Director commented, “Hard Candy Fitness is a one of a kind experience merging fitness with entertainment. We are dedicated to exceeding the expectations of our members.” Hard Candy Fitness members will experience the very best in innovative training methods including private, group and dynamic training including traditional classes such as Zumba, Latin Moves and Cardio Kickboxing as well as new programming designed specifically for Hard Candy Fitness. The fitness center will also include a Bike Studio, a Mind Body Studio featuring The Great Wall, where members can practice BarWorks, Sculpting, Capoeria and the newest trends in Yoga. It will also house a healthy alternative Juice Bar/Cafe. The lavish locker rooms built with the finest materials will be a sanctuary for members who will be able to relax in sauna and steam rooms. Members will also benefit from state of the art cardiovascular equipment with personal viewing screens, more than 60 pieces of strength equipment / free weights and the best group fitness, functional training accessories and brands including PreCor, Hoist, Free Motion, Nautilus, Hammer Strength, StarTrac, AbCoaster, and TRX suspension training."

I wasn't able to find anything out about the price per month (or annual price--don't high-end places often charge for the whole year at the get-go?). One thing is clear: Madonna is an excellent business woman and this is another cog in her empire. I'm not sure if I would ever sign-up for a high-end gym, let alone a Madonna themed high-end gym (is $$$ really worth it to avoid the riff-raff of gym-going folks?), but I will admit that her music is excellent to work-out with. So, what do you think readers? Will her venture succeed?

Bethenny Frankel "Used to Get Drunk and Binge," Then "Starve"

US Weekly Magazine reports:

"I used to get drunk and binge on everything in the deli, and then do a juice fast or starve, then do it all over again," the 40-year-old Bethenny Getting Married? star tells the January issue of Redbook (on newsstands December 21).

But when the natural foods chef learned she was pregnant with daughter Bryn in 2009, Frankel was determined to not overeat "out of emotion."

Well it seems that Bethenny Frankel is getting real about how she stayed thin. I am glad she now has a more balanced way of eating. I hope other can learn to change their ways before they do permanent damage to their bodies.

Prenatal Pole Dancing

Prenatal Pole Dancing DVD from Christina Applegate

So, I've seen this clip around the interwebs today. Its pretty funny, but the reviews seem to be mixed. Do you think that this video is saying 1. pregnant women can't be sexy or 2. the need for women to be sexy on all occasions, even during the later stages of pregnancy, is ridiculous and all part of the pornification of everyday womanhood. I'm going with the later interpretation, but I could probably be persuaded otherwise. What do you think readers? 1 or 2 or something else. Let us know in the comments!

E-Waste: Do you know how to recycle your old electronics?

So, do you know how to recycle your old electronics? I don't, but here's a resource guide from the UN and an accompanying article that talks about the impact that electronic waste is having on our shared environment. Apparently developed countries are shipping their e-waste (and the toxis that accompany them) to developing world countries. One local source for help with recycling e-waste is through e-stewards who will help you recycle and properly dispose of e-waste, you can find one near you HERE. Honestly, how often do you throw out your old computers, tv's, etc? Its not that often, so why not recycle? Peace

Ed Helms on Marathons

Jokes.com
Ed Helms - Marathons
comedians.comedycentral.com
Funny Jokes Funny Videos Daniel Tosh Stand-Up

Don't Do That, Seriously!

I can't embed the video, but HERE is the link. This is a short segment from The Boston Channel about the latest new dieting craze: injecting pregnant women's pee for weight loss (oh, also you have to go on a 500 calorie diet). Is it the diet or the pee? Probably the 500 caloried diet, but devotees apparently experience less hunger due to the pee injections. Its expensive, about $565 for six weeks worth of pee. There's research suggesting that this is bullshit (also cited in the link), but if there's one thing about diet culture I know: if it seems crazy, somebody's gonna try it (and maybe succeed for a while) but for most, its just another way to lose your money, not your fat. What I want to know: how is it legal to distribute bodily fluids for sale? What are the safety procedures? Are the urine donors screened for infections that can be spread via urine? I'm asking these questions, not because I support this concept, but because people are desperate to try anything to lose weight. I would hate to see someone get a debilitating or deadly disease because of a scam. Seriously people, don't inject yourself with urine. Just don't do it.

There's An Ap for That

Pretty soon there will be an Ap for your smartphone that allows you to "snap" a picture of what's on your plate and it will assess how many calories you've consumed, based on photo-recognition software. Crazy right? I'm sure that the first Ap will have tons of bugs, but after 5 years of beta testing, I bet this could work. Now the question is: do you want it?

Interested In Being Exploited? You Might Be In Luck!

Hey there plus sized readers, interested in being exploited? Are you FABULOUS? Do you have problems with boundaries? History of public drunkenness and/or shopping addiction? You're in Luck! VH1 is now casting full-figured women for their new reality show. Same casting folks as those who did Jersey Shore, so you know it'll be classy!

Here's the run-down from their website HERE:

You’re big and beautiful and know how to own it! You’re phat, fab and chic and have the big and bold personality to match. You’ve got the style, sex appeal and sass to get noticed without being a sample size.

Time to show the world that big girls have more fun!

VH1 in association with Doron Ofir Casting and Left Right Productions is now casting the hottest, most bodacious, voluptuous single women who are at least 21 years old and appear younger than 35 to represent the BBW’s in a brand new docu-series that will show a long-awaited glimpse into the ultra-fab world of big girls! If you have your cake and eat it too, we want to hear your story.

Whether you’re nightlife’s A-list, a full-sized fashionista, big and business savvy or singlin’ and minglin’ with L.A.’s hottest, we want to meet you!

Step aside skinny bitches, the spotlight isn’t big enough for the both us.

Big girls don’t cry… they freakin’ party!

Email BigGirlsClubCasting@gmail.com with your Name, Age, Phone Number and 2 recent photos.

For Our Jewish Readers: Happy Chanukah

Chanukah begins tonight, the festival of lights, rejoice! This morning on NPR I heard an interesting story about how Chanukah was popularized in the late 19th Century in America (and then later among European Jews) by two Reform Rabbis out of Cincinnati. Of course, its an ancient holiday, but the present incarnation, including presents, was a way for Reform Jews who were part of an integrationist movement, to partake in a winter holiday much in the way that 19th Century Christians began to celebrate Christmas (also a lesser holiday at the time, Easter remember is historically the significant Christian holiday) in its present, Dickensian-sentimentalist fashion.

Picky Eaters Might Suffer from Eating Disorder

According to an article at Life Science, picky adult and picky child eaters might actually suffer from an eating disorder, rather than just be annoying brats. "Selective eating disorder, more commonly known as very picky eating. Instead of having a couple foods they'd rather avoid, the way most of us do, people with selective eating disorder feel there are very few foods they are even capable of eating." So, instead of say, avoiding onions or disliking beets, those with selective eating disorder will only eat very very few things--like one man quoted as only eating crackers, peanut butter, grilled cheese and chocolate milk. Everything else, according to this patient looks like "a plate of barf." Its not just "stubbornness," but extreme food aversion. Some of the treatments for selective eating disorder mirror the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD because many of the thought patterns that develop around food are similar to those who ritually wash their hands over and over or engage in other obsessive behaviors.

As with anything dealing with food, there was quite a lot of backlash in the Jezebel comments that covered this issue (well, honestly, backlash on both sides--quite a few "picky eaters" came out of the closet to combat the "just eat it" crowd). When you read about patients like the man described above, limited to four foods and not possibly getting the kinds of nutrient you need to thrive, its very sad and treatment needs to be taken seriously. Same for all eating disorders, which now account for 4% of all children's hospitalizations. But the general trend toward indulging "picky eaters" or more accurately, the encouragement of all children to become "picky eaters" through the proliferation of "children's foods" --you know, mac n' cheese, grilled cheese, chicken fingers (no bones EVAR), fries and general crap--is a very bad development. In France, French children eat "food," not adult food, not children's food, but "food"--same for India. We pathologize food, advertise it, brand it, plastic wrap it, etc. I'm sure that their are children (& adults) with OCD or selective eating disorder, but in cultures where its expected that children eat what they are prepared, and what their parents eat, it is probably easier to identify and deal with. In our culture, "picky eating" is almost an expected phase...that can turn into a lifetime of poor eating habits, nutrient deficits and familial conflict. My brother was a picky eater and he's a picky adult eater--he's never really grown out of the "kids menu" mentality and that sucks, but at least he recognizes that its bad and tries to get his daughter to eat a more varied diet. I'm not saying, starve your children until they eat what's given to them, although I know one person that worked for (a friend wouldn't eat what her mother made, so instead of giving in and making her something else, she had to stay at the table until she had at least three bites...she refused, went to bed hungry, then the next morning they put out the same meal...she finally gave into the those three bites and she's a varied eater to this day.) It sounds really tough, but watching my poor mother make three separate meals, one for my picky-eater brother, one for my vegetarian sister, one for my dad, me and her was exhausting. Now looking into picky eating--is your kid or are you adverse to certain foods because you might be lactose or gluten intolerant? These are avenues of exploration that need to be traversed, but the best way to prevent picky eating is to only serve your family one kind of meal and expect everyone will try it. Expectations often predict behavior, but spreading awareness that sometimes picky eating is actually a full-blown eating disorder (or could develop into an eating disorder) is crucial in our conversations about food, food culture and eating REAL FOOD.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW: Bad Girls Club Kristen Kelly Says 'I Could Have Been Raped'

Radar Online Reports: Kristen Kelly from the Bad Girl's club reports that she was drugged during the wild behaviour that got her kicked off the show.

Kristen stated:

"I was victimized, somebody put a something in my drink, somebody could have hurt me, somebody could have killed me. I could have been raped."

"This is a very serious situation. People are date raped and drugged everyday. Every night when you go out, you really need to protect yourself and you can't think you're invincible like I did."

I don't condone the antics of the Bad Girl's Club, but Kristen does have a point that partying has its dangers. Every person going out needs to be mindful of their surroundings, "friends", and beverage consumption.

Just Watch

Aids PSA Topsy from Human Music & Sound Design on Vimeo.

Here's Selinah, a woman afflicted with AIDS. She agreed to be filmed once a day for 90 days. This is part of a program to help show that treatment for HIV/AIDS really works. Warning: it might make you cry, but in a good way. Right now, there are some really harmful rumors at work (in the US as well as abroad) that it is the HIV drugs that makes people sick, not HIV. Even the former president of South Africa trumpeted this concept (South Africa: An estimated 5.6 million people were living with HIV and AIDS in South Africa in 2009, more than in any other country.¹ It is believed that in 2009, an estimated 310,000 South Africans died of AIDS.² Prevalence is 17.8 percent among those aged 15-49, with some age groups being particularly affected. ³ Almost one-in-three women aged 25-29, and over a quarter of men aged 30-34, are living with HIV.)

This video and other outreach programs like it are helping to dispel the harmful myths that 1.) HIV isn't the cause of AIDS; 2.) those infected with HIV in developing countries "can't be responsible enough" to take the expensive drugs that help HIV patients in developed nations lead almost normal lives.

Peace

Notre Dame's Punt in the Probe of Lizzy Seeberg's Sad Death

Melinda Henneberger reports on the hypocrisy of cheering on a sports teams when one of its members is under suspicion of a sexual assault that lead to a suicide.

The author is correct that as a society we must separate reality from hero worship. We cannot participate in hate and cover ups to preserve the reputation of our heroes. If people do wrong we need to hold them accountable.

Reading Recommendation: How the Skinny Bitch Discourse Isolates Women

Check out this very thoughtful post a Jezebel: "How the Skinny Bitch Discourse Isolates Women."

Some salient points of interest:

The key change in the past decade around skinniness is the explicit recognition of thinness as a marker not only of status, but of proud isolation from other women.
*******

It seems likely that this "discourse of female cruelty" works in tandem with the narrative of compulsory individuality to suggest to young women that theirs is a hyper-competitive world where success is a solitary and sexualized pursuit. Whether it's chasing grades or getting guys, even your sisters are nothing more than "frenemies" at best.
*******

What's new is that rather than seeking to strengthen young women's bonds with each other, the dominant cultural message seems determined to fray them further. The relentless reminder that other girls are mean and manipulative combines with the suggestion that success (good colleges, good boyfriends, good jobs, good praise) is scarcer than ever and requires ever more competitive effort.
*******

I have a friend, "J" and she is a size 2. When she went to study abroad, her host mother was so offended by how thin she was, she insisted that she take second and third helpings of lunch and dinner. She was able to gain 8lbs after a full semester of rich, plentiful French food. She went home for Christmas, her mother was THRILLED to see that she had gained 8lbs! She lost the weight--over the freakin' holidays! Her metabolism was just too fast to maintain that 8lb weight gain without eating past her level of comfort/satiety on a regular basis. She has had to endure "skinny bitch" joking or not comments most of her life. She is not "a mean girl"--she is lovely and a delight. Perfectionism, extreme self-control, A-type personality, "bitchiness"--these are the stereotypes that characterize the very thin. Lazy, out-of-control, "jolly," ignorant--these are the stereotypes that characterize the fat. No one body type has market-control over laziness or bitchiness. People in all shapes and sizes exhibit personality disorders, as well as kindness, diligence and compassion. The article referenced above does an excellent job of looking at isolation and the alienation of women/girls from one another through body-type ideation. In order for fat-activists and body-acceptance activists to succeed in making the content of our character our markers rather than our body-types, we need to help our very-thin sisters feel included in these discussions. This means avoiding making those "eat a sandwich" jokes and supporting eating disorder victims (even when their own disorders makes them cringe when they see average/fat people). Vive la différence!

Jilted: Hetero's Sanctifying Marriage Reality TV Style

Ummm, yuck. So the premise is that a woman who is in a relationship gives her man an ultimatum: marry me (in a week's time) or we're breaking up...and my humiliation will be on the TeeeeVeeee if you "jilt" me at the altar. Once again, yuck. I'm fine with adults having serious conversations about marriage/commitment, maybe even timelines (reasonable timelines--one week is not enough for self-reflection), but this is just gross. Once again, hetero's are proving how very sacred marriage is and how soooo in danger marriage would be if the gay's got to do it.

Mila Kunis & Natalie Portman Starve for their Art?!?

Both Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis plummeted their already skinny BMI's into starvation territory for their latest film, The Black Swan, about anorexic ballet dancers. Kunis said that her family "freaked out" and "started panicking" when they saw her after five months of hard dieting to under 95lbs. Director Darren Aronofsky "recently admitted he became so worried about Portman's weight loss , he begged the skinny actress to eat."

Kunis probably had the most interesting quote when she said:

"I could see why this industry is so f**ked up, because at 95 pounds, I would literally look at myself in the mirror and I was like, 'Oh my God! I had no shape, no boobs, no a**... All you saw was bone. I was like, 'This looks gross'. But in photographs and on film, it looked amazing..."

She also said that gaining the weight back was emotionally difficult because the extreme dieting had altered her comfort with her previous (very thin, but not starving) shape.

Now, Christian Bale nearly starved himself for "The Machinist" and then packed on the muscle and pounds when he played Batman the next year. Usually when you hear about an actor altering their weight for a role, its the other way around. Renee Zwelliger is "brave" for gaining 30lbs and Tom Hanks had tons of fun gaining weight for "A League of their Own," but this weight-loss of already thin actresses into menses losing levels seems quite dangerous. Bad job, Hollywood.

Giuliana Rancic: I Get 63 IVF Shots a Month

US magazine reports:

Bill and Giuliana Rancic say that they're toughing it out with their IVF treatments -- sometimes involving more than 60 shots in a month -- to get pregnant.

The stars of Giuliana and Bill first opened up about their miscarriage in October. "It was several months of guilt and sadness," Giuliana, 36, told The View.

I commend Guiliana for keeping it real in Hollywood. IVF is no quick fix. So many Hollywood starlets are delaying pregnancies due to career. Then at 40 they do an interview about how she naturally conceived and gave birth. It could happen but probably didn't.

35th Great American Smoke Out, Today

Today is the 35th Annual Great American Smoke Out. The goal isn't to quit cold-turkey today and fail, but rather to take the day to make a plan for quitting. Check out more details HERE.

Also from their website:

The American Cancer Society is marking the 35th Great American Smokeout on November 18 by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By doing so, smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life – one that can lead to reducing cancer risk. Quitting smoking is not easy, but it can be done. To have the best chance of quitting successfully, you need to know what you're up against, what your options are, and where to go for help.

Turning Up the Resistance

So, I was at the gym the other day, enjoying a Gilmore Girls episode, while plugging away at the elliptical...and guess what happened? I didn't feel the workout. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I'm getting in better shape. So, I turned up the resistance. I've lost some weight recently, so I had to add some back via my cardio equipment. This is a good thing, but it also reminds me that you really do need to check in with your body when exercising. Its so easy to get into routines and fitness ruts. Many exercise gurus suggest never doing the same routine day in and day out, and I do get that, BUT its better to commit to 30 minutes on the elliptical a few days a week plus some toning than skipping out because you're worried you're working out the same muscle groups. Right now, I'm happy to have a gym routine that works for me, with an eye down the road at varying things come Spring. Still, its important to notice what your body is telling you. In my case it was: you need a harder workout. Sometimes it might be saying, "slow down" or "ouch." All of these signals are important for life-long fitness regimes and self-care.

Kelly Osbourne Poses in a Bikini

US Magazine Reports:

"I've never worn a bikini in my whole life," says Osbourne, who tells the magazine she's shed 50 lbs over the past year, USA Today reports. "I was called fat and ugly in the press almost my entire life.

"...I understand that being judged by others comes with the territory, but it broke my heart and ruined my self-esteem," says the 5-foot-2 star, who now weighs 112 lbs. "It sets you up to hate yourself in a huge way. I was so angry about the things people said about me."


I think the Bikini goal of health and fitness is always overkill, but I agree with her comments that constantly being put down ruins your self-esteem.

Diva of the Week: Adele

Her new album drops soon. I really liked her first.

Cary Tennis: Reasonable Advice Giver Today

So, sometimes I like to email my friends Cary Tennis' column at Salon and make fun of his ability to completely avoid answering the question of his letter writers, to wax poetic about life, art & the meaning of life. His column is great because the letters are usually thoughtful and much more detailed than most advice column queries tend to be. Other people's problems are interesting, sometimes...

Well anyway, today Cary actually got straight to the point and answered the letter writer's question. HERE's the Column. Essentially, she's 30, her boyfriend is 25, they are both in Ph.D. programs and she's ready to be almost ready for kids and he's much further off the mark. Should she dump him? Cary told her to clarify his timeline--does he think he'll be ready in 4 years or 10 years? Based on those possible scenerios he tells her to think provisionally about this relationship. "In other words, don't put all your eggs in one basket." This may be unromantic, but its real. I agree with him.

Which gets me to another point, I think that just as gender norms can get in our way of living our lives as we feel most comfortable (waiting for prince charming to ask us out), I think that romantic norms can get in the way of going after what we really want. Everything must be "natural" "spontaneous" or at the very least "destined" according to Romantic Comedy wisdom, but the real world seldom works out that way. So, here, she's having to make some very non-romantic decisions and it sucks, but its real. So, readers, what unromantic thing have you had to deal with to make your personal life fit with your life's goals? Share in the comments.

Thank You Onion!

Today Now!: How To Thrust Your Fat Into A More Appealing Shape

Half of Me Addict

Okay, seriously, I need to stop linking to Jennette at Half of Me or you'll just think that this is a blog devoted to her blog, but seriously, here's a really good post about how obesity is framed as a moral failing rather than a disease (like how lepers were once shunned because it was an indicator or their inherent evilness or AIDS was "punishment" for being gay, not understood as an infection of HIV). Seriously, check it out (and I promise to stop linking to her for at least a week).

Vintage Beauties: Jennifer Love-Hewitt

Jennifer Love Hewitt was a lead character on Party of Five in the 90's. She was picked as a vintage beauty because she had such a great complexion.

Designated Fat Girl

Check out this article written by Jennifer Joyner at Salon. First off, I'm gonna warn you that its heavy reading and potentially triggering to people who suffer from food addiction or eating disorders. Thirdly, what was REALLY triggering for me (triggering me to fly into a blind rage) was the comments at Salon regarding this piece. Not all, but several were unbelieveably hateful and completely lacking in human compassion. Jennette over at Half of Me has a review of Ms. Joyner's new book, Designated Fat Girl, which deals with eat disorder, her body image problems (actually, her abject self-loating), her botched gastric bypass and coming out of this dark tunnel, thinner but still grappling with her food addiction. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Wanna Win a Quaker Oats Amazing Morning Kit?

Leave a comment at Ann P's Blog HERE if you would like a chance to win her snazzy Quaker Oats Amazing Morning Kit, which includes lots of lovely oatmeal and a yoga mat. The kit includes:

• A yoga mat
  
• A copy of Bob Harper’s latest Yoga DVD
• Four packages of Quaker’s new Hearty Medleys Instant Oatmeal in two flavors, Apple Cranberry Almond and Banana Walnut
• A journal
• An oatmeal bowl
• Coupons for more free oatmeal
• A cloth napkin and spoon
• A super cute old-school alarm clock

Seriously, I need to start gettin' free stuff to give away myself!

Check Out this Interview with Hillary Clinton--She's Funny!

Diplomacy is generally a stuffy affair, so its nice to see Hillary Clinton (in Australia, on a comedy show) just be her delightful self. Hillary 2016!

Vintage Beauties: Kellie Shanygne Williams

Kellie Shanygne Williams played Laura Winslow on Family Matters . She was picked as a vintage beauty because her character represented a good womanly character.

Gay Green Acres: Must Watch!

Fergie Taking Her 'Own Journey' Away from Addiction

People reports:

Fergie has addressed her battle with crystal meth addiction but she wants to make one thing clear about her recovery.

"I'm not claiming to be sober," the singer tells Glamour in its December issue. "I think that that would be misleading. I drink alcohol. My father has a vineyard, and [the wine is] really delicious, by the way."

Well, I am happy she is keeping it real. Not every celebrity in rehab can be real with themselves.
I also like how she said it is her own Journey versus the best way to be. If Charlie Sheen could get honest with himself maybe he would be known more for his work then his antics.

Demi Lovato Was A 'Cutter' Before Entering Rehab

Radaronline.com reports:
In wake of the shocking news that Disney darling Demi Lovato has entered rehab for what her rep describes as "emotional and physical issues", one reason for her entering treatment could be is that she's a "cutter" - a person who self-mutilates as a way of releasing inner pain.

My heart goes out to her. As a child/teen star, I am sure agents/executives/fans/critics have requested a lot. Many times these requests are to much to ask of an adult let alone a child. I think we as a society should move back to evaluating people on their talent and not their looks. I believe this one gesture can sooth much of the drama celebrities create for themselves.

Halloween Candy

So, usually, we have left over Halloween Candy, but this year I had to do an emergency run 1/2 way into the trick-or-treating timeframe and pick up more because we ran out! We were almost cleaned out of the emergency back-up candy too (although we do have a couple pieces left). In my rush to find some candy last minute at the grocery, I picked up my new favorite candy: Take5. Its a salty pretzel covered in chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter. Its really good. I had two. Around the food/health blogosphere, I've seen alot of "fess up, what did you eat" posts. I'm not gonna do that...rather, what candy is your favorite? Are you the kind of person who can have their favorite candy around and eat it over time reasonably? Do you dread Halloween or love it? Let us know in the comments.

November Resolutions

November Resolutions:

I love perpetual self-improvement projects (I don't always necessarily meet all my goals and challenges, but the process itself is often helpful). So, I'm stealing Kim's idea from The Kim Challenge and I'm going to set some resolutions for the month of November (she does this every month at her blog).

1. Get enough sleep. Lately, House Hunters International and/or one of the New Housewives franchise has me staying up too late and then getting up still tired at 6:00 a.m. I need to try to be in bed by 10:00 p.m. reading or trying to sleep. No more TV in bed past 10 p.m.

2. Really commit to strength-training in November. I've been walking outdoors because its the last nice outdoor walking season until after March, but I haven't lifted a weight or done a squat in quite a while. Somehow at the gym, its easier to go from the elliptical to the weight room than it is to walk outdoors and then do some handweights/home-variety toning exercises. This month I will try to squeeze the last outdoor exercise possibilities while also remembering the weights.

3. Remember my vitamins. I'm pretty good on this score already, but I want to make sure that my vitamin regime is a firm habit, not just an occasional habit.

So, what about you, readers? Any November resolutions? These three seem pretty doable to me. They aren't huge resolutions like change a job or get married by 25th birthday kinda stuff. Sleep, pick up a hand weight and take your vitamins. These are within my reach.

Important Message from 2050

Seriously people, VOTE!

Vintage Beauties: Neve Campbell

Neve Campbell was a lead character on Party of Five in the 90's. She was picked as a vintage beauty because the character she played kept a natural beauty look. She was never busting out with a lot of make up or trying to vamp it up.

CONTROVERSY: Marie Claire "Fatties" Story Slammed By Mike & Molly Show Creator

Radaronline.com recaps the Marie Claire Controversy here. The gist is a Marie Claire dating blogger. Expressed a very descriptive dislike of obese people showing affection with each other as well as being allowed to exist on the planet. The blogger apologized, with the qualifier the hate stems from her past eating disorder. Marie Claire stands by the authors self expression.

I think this is a perfect example of how people think of and treat overweight people in society. I am glad this incident happen so maybe the thin people in the world can see the world ain't friendly to overweight people just because Lane Bryant has commercials in prime time.

So many thin people treat the overweight like we have a chip on the shoulder. Well, this overweight person does. I turned my chip into a boulder because of all the back handed compliments, stares, and disrespect I receive from people who don't even know my situation.

Lisad00 Missing Posts

Readers. I am very sorry that I have limited post as of late. I will provide more regular posts in the month of November.

Obama's It Get's Better Video

This video (and Hillary Clinton's) is really moving. Its wonderful that we live in a society were some of our highest government officials are able to express their support of GBLT youth and other kids who are bullied. I think that this message carries many meanings--the progressive side is winning the culture wars. The inherent worth and dignity of every member of our society is being valued more than at any other point in our nation's history. We have far to go, but it is getting better.

Must Read Article: The Myth of the Culture of Poverty

Go read this article right now!

Dr Oz's 28 Day Plan to Quit Soda!

I've never been a full-calories soda addict, but I did have a rather dysfunctional relationship with Diet Coke--I started getting nervous if I was running low on the stuff in the house, twitchy even, and I would often make calculations as to which real foods to leave out of my cart, so I would be sure to bring everything up (to my third fl apt) in one load. I broke the addiction since and I have occasionally had a diet or real soda without going full hog back ont the wagon (although I haven't had anything carbonated since early September). My rule, never buy soda to bring home, I can only have an occasional soda out. It works for me and right now I'm completely soda free. Here's Dr. Oz's 28 day plan to quit soda.

• Week one: Go from regular soda to a diet soda to get over the sugar craving. He encourages one to eat fish, eggs, and beans during this phase.
• Week two: Go from diet soda to caffeine-free diet soda to rid your body of the caffeine fix. He suggests taking ibuprofen for headaches and snacking on foods rich in vitamin B.
• Week three: Cut your soda intake down in half. Instead of only drinking the caffeine-free diet sodas, drink a seltzer water combined with a small percentage (about 20 percent) of your favorite fruit juice.
• Week four: No more sodas! Just chew sugar-free gum when you need a sweet treat.

So, what do you think readers? Do you think it might work? I think its a pretty good plan for full calorie sugar drinkers. For diet-soda addicts, I'd suggest starting out with week two and maybe extending week three for two weeks, where you cut down your now caffeine-free soda and try to mix in seltzer with juice or iced-green tea with juice. Thoughts? Share them in the comments.

New York Seeks to Ban Purchase of Soda with Food Stamps

So, Mayor Bloomberg and Gov. Patterson are pushing for a ban on purchasing soda with food stamps. "They are seeking permission from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the nation's food stamp program, to add sugary drinks to the list of prohibited goods for city residents receiving assistance. If approved, it would be the first time an item would be banned from the federal program based solely on nutritional value."

In 2004, the Agriculture Department denied Minnesota's plan to ban all junk food, including candy and soda, from their food stamp program citing that it could lead to embarrassment and confusion at the register.

I am no junk food apologist--soda is crap--but I do think that this ban is a great way for politicians to LOOK like they are doing something, when in fact, they're just beating up and fatties on food stamps, two discriminated groups for sure!

If politicians really wanted to DO SOMETHING they could push for the end of corn and soy subsidies that make soda so prevalent and "cheap." They could push for removing vending machines from schools and quality food in school cafeterias. They could help set up free wellness centers in low income areas complete with gym equipment, volunteer personal trainers and health/nutrition classes. Heck, that could be part of the healthcare reform and appear in ALL neighborhoods. But golly gee, I guess this ban will just make the rabid haters of the poor happier.

New Normal

Jessica Valenti, the founder of Feministing has published on her personal blog an incredibly moving piece about the premature birth of her daughter Layla. Read the whole thing HERE.

She developed extreme pre-clampsia and HELLP syndrome and to deliver via emergency c-section at 29 weeks. Her daughter was born just over 2lbs and very premature. My heartfelt best wishes to Jessica, one of my Feminist Blogger Heroines, and her family.

Here's a taste of her piece:

This isn’t to say there’s a silver lining to all we’ve been through – life isn’t that fair. Layla had to experience suffering before she could even be held or comforted. I’ll never be able to have a natural birth, and given the increased risk that I could develop pre-eclampsia and/or HELLP again, it’s likely I won’t have any more children.

But that’s just our new normal. And we’re lucky enough that this new normal includes a healthy mom and baby – we had access to wonderful maternal and neonatal care and to great health insurance that paid for it. Many others aren’t so lucky. One thousand women die every day from pregnancy-related issues; one of the four major causes is hypertensive disorders like pre-eclampsia. Going through this at a top-notch hospital was a nightmare – I can’t even imagine what it’s like for women who don’t have access to adequate care. So if you would like to do something nice for me and Layla – please consider donating money or taking action at Women Deliver or another organization that fights for maternal health. I know I’ll never look at the issue the same way again, and fighting for it will definitely be part of my new, different-but-wonderful, normal.

Frankenfish: Yeah, I don't know about this...

Have you all heard about the genetically modified fish being considered for public consumption?

The fish is designed to grow at twice the rate or a normal salmon (up to five times, by some reports), reaching the market in a year and a half instead of three years. While an atlantic salmon normally produces its growth hormone only seasonally, the genetically altered fish will produce the hormone all year long, the mechanism which makes it grow faster.

Controversy around the acceptance of this fish is deep. 11 senators, mostly from coastal states, have come together to urge the FDA to reject the altered fish. They say the agency is using the wrong process for evaluation and that they are deliberately leaving the public out of the discussion.

Even the traditional fishing industry is against the AquaBounty fish hitting the shelves and, if it is approved, they've called for the fish to be labeled as genetically modified. It's little surprise the fishing industry would want the fish either off the table or labeled. In an interview with Underground Wellness, Jeffrey Smith, author of Seeds of Deception, has speculated on the very real possibility that FDA's approval of the GM salmon could mean the death of the salmon industry. The FDA has already stated that it will not allow labeling of the GM salmon to distinguish it from conventional salmon. Considering the fact that more and more people are rejecting the idea of consuming genetically modified foods, people may stop eating salmon altogether in order to avoid exposure.

Already genetically modified corn has bred its way into conventional corn (and the courts even ruled against a farmer whose crop was infected by the GM genes and said that Monsanto had the right to sue him, even though he never wanted GM genes in his corn fields). What if Frankenfish gets out and breeds with the native population? What are the potential health impacts of exposing human beings and other fish eating animals to fish with genetically altered hormones? This is a dangerous precedent and even if it were approved no labeling requirements would be made to distinguish this fish from native species. This definitely smells fishy!

Some Suprises in the Butter vs. Oil Debate

Check out these surprising recommendations in the Butter vs. Oil debate.

Beets, the New Black???

Seriously, every health and food blogger has been going crazy with the beet recipes lately! I only experimented with roasted beets last year or so myself, but now I wanna try this beet, goat cheese and walnut salad which I have seen at least three places in the past month.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

4 medium red or golden beets (choose organic if possible), stems and leaves removed (don't discard)
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 handfuls of arugula or spinach
2 ounces of goat cheese

Method:

Wash and cut beets into bite sized pieces. Bake the beets in your oven at 375F for 45 minutes in a covered baking dish, or steam until fork tender. (Avoid boiling them, you will leach out all the minerals). Once cooked, cool slightly. Toss the beets in a salad bowl with the walnuts, olive oil, vinegar, black pepper and greens. Crumble goat cheese over top, just before serving.

Serves 2. Enjoy!

Car Culture Hurts More than Environment

For this week in duh, we have a study demonstrating that Americans take the fewest steps per day in comparison to other industrialized nations.

Americans averaged 5,117 steps per day, nearly half as many as Australians (averaging 9,695 steps) and far fewer than both the Swiss (9,650) and Japanese (7,168). Unsurprisingly, the US has the highest percentage of obese adults (34 percent), compared to 16 percent in Australia, eight percent in Switzerland, and three percent in Japan.

Below are some tips from FitSugar on how to increase your overall steps per day, but let me say that individual efforts are important, but even more so are structural efforts--and that takes the commitment of a society or at least a political majority. We need more walkable cities and small towns, more public transportation and smart growth or regrowth to get people moving. Our health problems are intricately related to how sedentary we are as a nation and adding to a little by little everyday approach to integrating health and reasonable movement is key to achieving a better balance. The kind of grueling workouts that they do on the Biggest Loser aren't necessary if we could integrate movement into our everyday lives and make a social commitment to real food. I'm not saying everyone would be skinny, but healthier, yes.

Here's FitSugar's tips:

• Park in the last row at the mall, grocery store, or any other place with a huge parking lot. You don't have to park in parking lot Siberia, but parking just 10 spaces back gives you an extra 70- to 80-foot walk. That's as many as 32 extra steps in each direction in and out of the store.
• Take the stairs, not the escalator. If your commute involves a stair vs. escalator choice, take the stairs. If it's an especially long set of stairs (mine involves one of these), vow to split the difference and at least walk up the moving escalator.
• Instead of sending an email, IM, or other piece of ecommunication, get up and walk to a co-worker's desk. If you're worried about distracting or surprising her with an unsolicited walk-by, email or IM her to ask if you can come by. Then walk over.
• On a sunny day, take a 15-minute walk during the workday. Even if you're an eat-your-lunch-at-your-desk kind of gal, take 15 to clear your head, enjoy the sun, and fit in some extra steps. At a brisk clip, you could fit in a mile of walking in those 15 minutes — that's 2,000 steps added to your daily allowance.
• Pace. Steps count even if you're not going anywhere. On a long evening phone call at home? Walk up and down the hallway when you talk. Waiting for a table at a restaurant? Fit in a mini-walk while you're waiting for the hostess to call your name.

The Daily Fail: More Depressing Than Ever!

Okay, this is a really depressing article from the Daily Mail:

"Forget finding the right man: what really makes a woman happy is being the right size. According to a 24-year study, a woman’s weight has a greater effect on her spirits than her love life does.And it seems that being obese leads to more misery and suffering than being single – while being thin provides more satisfaction than a relationship."

Within this article we have several assumptions: #1 "getting a man" should be the end all, be all of a woman's happiness, #2 its the fat, not the prejudices and media-induced self hate the social significance of the fat, that makes women miserable.

Its important to remember that no one other person will ever "complete you" and that to expect that from a man/woman is unhealthy in itself. That isn't to say that people garner a great deal of happiness from their relationships, they do, but you have to have a base to grow from together, not the expectation that "happily ever after" is magically insured.

Overweight or obesity comes with lots of problems--lower wages, social stigma, health problems (sometimes, sometimes not), but that doesn't mean that you can't be fat and happy. You can be, you just have to work at it and remind yourself that REAL LIFE IS NOW, not that magical day when you become thin!

What Now?

Apparently, sometimes growing veggies in your own backyard can be illegal?!? Steve Miller, who has been growing organic veggies for 15 years faces "a $5,000 fine for growing too many. Enter 'Cabbage-Gate.' City officials in Dekalb County, Georgia are claiming that Miller's property isn't properly zoned for growing so many vegetables." Umm, sounds like he pissed off some power-loving police officer who enjoys abusing his authority. There's laws on the books making it illegal to walk down the street backwards with an ice-cream cone in your pocket in one town. Growing too many veggies sounds similar. So what if he wants to dig up his lawn and grow tomatoes! That's good stewardship of the land and eating as local as you can get. I hope this fine is waived and the law rescinded.

Good Role Model of the Week: Christina Hendricks

"My mother never said to lose weight. Diets were never a big deal. My mom
was always beautiful and voluptuous and curvy, and I always thought
she was gorgeous."

— Christina Hendricks talks to Harper's Bazaar about the postive message of body image she received growing up.

Where Babies Come From: Still Really Confusing for Some Apparently

Jokes.com
Kristen Schaal - Family Friendly
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Funny Jokes Funny Videos Daniel Tosh Stand-Up

From the Guardian:

Young Britons are clueless when it comes to the facts of life, a new survey reveals.

More than 20% of 18 to 25-year-olds questioned thought a pregnancy lasted a year, 10% believed eating red meat influenced the sex of a baby and half expected a baby to walk and talk within its first year.

The poll also revealed that 20% of the childless respondents thought the umbilical cord was a musical note and 27% admitted they would consider genetic engineering if it meant a better-looking baby.

The vast majority (70%) were in the dark when it came to the true cost of raising a baby. A third of the respondents believed that £1,000 would be adequate to cover equipment, food, clothes and toys for a baby's first year when the latest studies suggest it is about nine times higher.

I've posted Kristin Schaal's "Family Friendly" stand-up routine in which she tries out some humor she thinks "people with babies" will especially appreciate. Since she's also confused by the "bases" in a make-out session, its safe to assume she might be channeling the clueless respondents from the Guardian article.

Bankrupt Toni Braxton Owes Up to $50 Million in Unpaid Debts

US Weekly reports:

The singer, 43, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy again, claiming she owes between $10 and $50 million in unpaid debts.

She says she's unable to cover the costs because she is only worth between $1 and $10million.

Braxton previously filed for bankruptcy in 1998. This past March, she was slapped with a $400,000 federal tax lien.

This is very sad. I wonder if she is surrounded by bad managers or she is just in denial about how a women need to be aware of their finances at all times. This is not something we can call a "man's" job. If we do we can get caught out there like Toni Braxton. She totally needs to talk to Suzy Orman.

Marie Claire's Scathing Report on Food Blogs

Marie Claire currently has a scathing article up online HERE regarding Food and Fitness Bloggers. Of the "big six" she reviews, I am an avid reader of two: Kath Eats Real Food and Eat, Live, Run. Kath and Jenna of those respective blogs seem to present a really healthy relationship with food and exercise--and most especially the pleasures of real food eating (which includes at times bacon and cake, but involves lots of salads, whole grains, legumes, fruit and of course, hummus). Jenna has recently revamped her blog going from food journal to recipe/cooking journal with specific tips, recipes and sometimes restaurant reviews, which is cool. Kath has been documenting her 40lb weight loss and her maintanance of that weight loss for three years.

Some of what the author of the Marie Claire piece offers is disturbing proof of food bloggers "hunger diaries" and I certainly DO BELIEVE that there are food blogs out there that simply work to justify and promote disordered eating and exercise induced anorexia--I've seen some of those blogs, though I won't name them because I don't believe in body/food shaming people with a real and devastating illness. Is someone in the "big six" one of those folks, honestly, I don't read any of those other blogs so I can't say, even if I would. What I do know, is that lumping Kath and Jen into "The Hunger Diaries" means that the author of the article didn't really read their blogs--even looking at a two week period of their blogs would should that those bitches eat and they eat well. So, I'm skeptical that she really did her homework at all.

So, I'm gonna leave you with one of Jen's naughtier recipes found HERE.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about three dozen cookies

2.5 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

2 sticks butter, softened (2 sticks)

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add the vanilla and mix gently to combine.

Add the flour to the butter and mix. Carefully stir in the chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for about twelve minutes, or until golden.

Fashion Week

Jezebel has a ton of Fashion Week Spreads up right now, but I thought I'd nab a couple shots from the Sarah Burton (in the House of the late Alexander McQueen) show. I thought that these dresses were just magical, very costumy, but still stunning. One feature I found in several of the dresses was this move to make a bustle--if that's the right word--that enlarges the hips. These bustles are very structured and clearly the garment and not the model's shape, but they suggest curves (even though real curves aren't allowed on the actual models). I'm not skinny-bitch bashing here, I'm just making an observation. What do you think about this sillouette created by the structured gowns? Am I delusional to think that perhaps the designer was trying to create curviness in the garment put on straight-sized (read 34 inch hips or smaller) models? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

You're Not Paranoid!

Everyone else is calling their piece "It Pays to be skinny" but I'm callin' it, it costs to be fat. According to a University of Florida study (cited in this article from the Wall Street Journal), "very thin women, weighing 25 pounds less than the group norm, earned an average $15,572 a year more than women of normal weight" and what's worse, "A woman who gained 25 pounds above the average weight earned an average $13,847 less than an average-weight female." 50lbs, it seems, can separate the have's from the have-not's.

To be "fair and balanced" they cite the impact of weight on men:

"Men were also penalized for violating stereotypes about ideal male appearance, but in a different way. Thin guys earned $8,437 less than average-weight men. But they were consistently rewarded for getting heavier, a trend that tapered off only when their weight hit the obese level. In one study, the highest pay point, on average, was reached for guys who weighed a strapping 207 pounds."

So, men actual benefit from some extra meat, but are penalized for skinniness. Yet, notice the big difference in terms of dollar amounts that a minority of thin men suffer verses a majority of women.

The WSJ writer couldn't just say that this was discrimination, however, oh, no! Rather: "People who conform to others’ ideas about the ideal body image may actually perform better on the job, because they can wield more influence over other people and get more things accomplished."

I call bullshit on that assumption and would rather see how these higher paid supper-skinny women stack up in terms of productivity (not just performance reviews where thin-bias would probably alter the data) rather than this speculation that "they might be better at their job." Thin does not equal competent, nor does fat equal lazy--there are thin people who are very good at their jobs and fat people very good at their jobs, but they don't receive equal pay for equal work because our fat-phobic society (and the Patriarchy) loves to reward conformity and punish non-conformity to our beauty ideals.

What Jay Smooth Said...Agreed

50 Lbs. Thinner, ‘Inspired’ Kirstie Alley Looks to Drop 40 More

People reports:

... after tipping the scales at 228 lbs. last year, the actress has dropped 50 lbs.–and isn’t looking back. “THE GOOD NEWS….I’ve lost 50 lbs!!! THE BAD NEWS…I have 40 more to go!!! …lol…..at least I’m more than half the way there!!,” she Tweeted on Oct. 4. What’s her secret? Staying faithful to Organic Liaison, the weight-loss program she launched in March, as well as finding support and inspiration from fans who took the dieting plunge with her.

I am all for people losing weight, but since she is part owner of Organic Liaison, is this about her health or is it about money?

Vintage Beauties: Phoebe Cates

Phoebe Cates left her mar on history with her pool scene from Fast Times and Ridgemont High .

Even though she was a Teen Boy Fantasy in the 80's, I liked that you never saw her rib bones in her bathing suit scenes.