One of the most annoying things about a morning where you are cranky and/or in a hurry is when you rush into the elevator, followed by two or three others who push the button for every floor below yours. This adds an extra 60 to 120 seconds of time and boatloads of annoyance. Today I figured out something even more annoying. Rushing into the elevator when you are in a hurry and a bad mood, excited to beat everyone into the elevator for a solo ride, and accidentally pressing the wrong floor below yours. Whoops!
It's no secret that we are living in a day and age that's highly driven based on social media's influence. We use vehicles such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest, blogging, discussion forums, the list goes on, to connect, spread information, ideas, opinions, etc.
Recently I watched two videos that really resonated with me on just how much of an impact these social forums have.
The first one if for KONY 2012, which I'm sure most people have seen or at least heard of if you don't live under a rock. The video was first posted on March 5th. When I first saw it the next day, it already had 10 million hits and by 4pm that afternoon it had 32 million. Today, 17 days after being posted, it has almost 85 million hits and thousands and thousands of people ready to take action on April 20th. I'm sure it's creator, Jason Russel, wasn't ready for the massive amount of buzz the video generated, but it certainly seems like it did the job it sought out to do: bring attention to an issue. Joseph Kony may not have been a household name a few weeks ago, but say the name now, and odds are people will know who you are talking about.
The second video is a trailer for a documentary by Jennifer Siebel Newsom that takes a look at media's representation of women and how it effects a woman's ability to achieve leadership positions. I think it's an intriguing subject matter, and just the brief snippets left me wanting to see more.
Now, I'm not going to go boycotting my favorite reality television shows (every Real Housewives franchise will forever be on my DVR) but it certainly gives the audience something to ponder...
It seems only fitting to return to the blogisphere after a one year hiatus to briefly discuss my current obsession, Christian Grey, a.k.a. "Fifty". It's very rare that a girl finds that special person who makes their heart putter and fill with butterflies. A person you can just blush at the thought of . Thankfully, I've found that person; unfortunately, he doesn't exist in real life.
Christian Grey is the main character of E.L. James' sultry trilogy which includes, Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, and Fifty Shades Freed, whose popularity is currently the hushed topic of conversation among females all along the East Coast.
After having been recommended the books by a few people, I finally caved in and entered into a seven day reading binge as I became completely entranced by the relationship of the young Anastasia and her brooding, yet extremely alluring, "Fifty". What seems like the quintessential love story takes a turn when Ana learns of Christian's secret life of BDSM and his painful history that brought him to that point. It explores the world of S&M and the relationship between dominance and submissiveness. James does an impeccable job of taking the reader on a roller coaster of emotions over the complexity of Christian, from lusting over his sexiness, to anger and frustration at his inability to overcome is dark past, to compassion over the same.
While I absolutely love the character of Christian, the books themselves weren't particularly well written. By the third book, I found myself annoyed by the submissiveness (pun intended) of Ana's character and struggling to get through it. Nevertheless, in the end I was extremely sad when I turned the last page (or rather swooped the last screen on my iPad). I'm also glad I trucked along as the final book offers a glimpse at the story from Christian's perspective, which was a welcome deviation from Ana's one-dimensional point of view.
Last week the Today Show featured a segment on the series showcasing it as a representation of violence against woman. They are obviously taking it way too seriously. Much like any other fictional book, Fifty Shades is meant to be a fun and exciting escape from our every day lives. If you want my advice, and the NY Times Best Sellers List's, its an easy read and well worth the short get away. Now grab your grey tie, curl up in your red room of pain (or living room couch if you prefer) and get you some Christian Grey!
The last two months have been incredibly busy but I've loved every minute of it!! With everything going on, I slacked (or basically completely gave up) on updating the blog, but now I'm back...Here's a breakdown of the last two months:
1 half marathon
1 promotion at work
1 bachelorette party in Miami celebrating Shaney which was 1 day in Fischer Island + 2 days of wilding out Ultra party goers - 1 broken down door + 20 girls dancing on tables = major success
1 30 Rock taping - airs in April, look for me and Weissy
1 fancy event - BTBJ at Capitale, amazing night thanks to Kurbs!
On Monday my one month service on Grand Jury for the great city of New York came to an end. All in all, I had bitter sweet sentiments as I was leaving. I'm happy I don't have to shuffle back and forth from Lower Manhattan to Midtown, then working overtime to catch up on what I missed, but the experience is one that I'm glad I had. I'm not good with change or leaving people, so when my co-worker jokingly asked me if I cried when I said good-bye to the other jurors he wasn't so far off. I seriously felt pangs of sadness and tears scratching the surface. When you spend three hours of your day for twenty days on end, learning about one another's day jobs and families on our down time, arguing over various views and interpretations of the presented stories, listening to disturbing cases, and watching crying witnesses, you are bound to become somewhat attached to those you share the experience with. With that here is my list of things I will miss, and things I will most certainly not:
Things I'll miss as much as I miss laying out in Sheep's Meadow with Pinkberry in hand:
The entertainment of inexperienced DA's.
Mike's morning greeting and more importantly call for 11am break time.
The 18 year old next to me who was paid $40 a day to catch up on sleep.
Our amazing foreperson who reminds me of my Grandma, who I love.
The restaurateur yelling at his employees.
Playing the "that witness/DA/juror looks like..." game. We had Dilbert, Alan Ruck, Valerie from the Princess Bride, etc.
My new friend and fellow Hoosier.
Seeing all the couples going to City Hall to get hitched.
Things I'll miss as much as trekking through two feet of slush:
The stupidity of inexperienced DA's
Jurors 1, 4, 7, and 17. I had about enough of all three of your stupid questions.
Listening to heartbreaking stories from victims.
Duane Reade cases, note to all - don't try and pull a fast one on them, they will prosecute you.
Listening to thirty minutes of the dictation of stolen check numbers and amounts.
Listening to two hours of seventy charges of shoplifting.
Going through security every morning - Yes people, change in your pockets will ALWAYS set off the metal detectors.
Without going into any detail, we heard offenses ranging from metro card tampering, robbery, assault, drug possession and sales, child pornography, and murder. You name it - we ruled on it. I learned so much over the past month and I wouldn't take it back for one second. Though I've become a more cautious and weary about what lurks behind every corner, I feel a little bit more connected to NYC. Now my duty is done. See you in eight years!
