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.