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.
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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.