Express Yourself

When it comes to “knowing,” everyone seems to have it all figured out. But people rarely take into account that our “knowing” is a mere reflection of who we are and what we have experienced day in and day out. A problem with this is that we, as people, tend to generalize our own feelings and reflect it on the people in front of us. Then when they act differently from what we expected, we automatically get upset. Here is where I emphasize the importance of communication between any two parties. It is not safe to assume that what we believe to be wrong/right, hurtful/innocent, thoughtful/careless is in sync with the person in front of you. Keep in mind that everyone’s life experiences vary. Even from day to day! What you believe today, you may no longer believe tomorrow. So do yourself a favor: Be clear about what you know and be aware of what others do not! This way everyone is on the same page. After all, we’re only human…not mind readers, unfortunately.

There Once Was a Shoe In the Mountains of Armenia

Being that I am Armenian, this article was especially amusing for me. Researchers recently found a well-preserved shoe that is made of a single piece of leather and laced up the front and back. It is believed to be dated back to 5,500 years ago. The shoe is currently at the Institute of Archaeology in Yerevan, Armenia's capital. My have we come a long way! Prior to this, the oldest shoe found was frozen in the Alps and dates back between 5,375 and 5,128 years ago.

If you would like to read a more detailed article, visit here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/09/AR2010060905024_2.html

Tourists Keep Left

Improv Everywhere is at it again!
The target: Tourists
Location: 5th Avenue and 22nd Street

As you can see, New Yorkers in this video are pro this lane division, whereas the tourists are claiming they can keep up. Hmm, doubtful? But hey, it's okay. Their slow pace is expected of them! I spend almost every day in New York City, and I, along with every other New Yorker is well aware that there is a certain walking speed that must be maintained. Whether you have a place to be, or not, the second you step foot into the city streets, expect a rush. Besides, walking in New York City is not just a walk, it's a skill!



Even Bloomberg's a fan. When asked about his thoughts about this stunt, he states: "Oh, that's a nice thing to do. I thought it was very cute."

Here's a link to the Improv Everywhere site to see more of their buzz worthy scenes: http://improveverywhere.com/

Don't Call Her Name, Alejandro

Heck, after watching this video, If I were Alejandro I would stop calling her name. Or not?! Lady Gaga is back at it again with her controversial, provocative and unsure-of-storyline videos. Entertaining to watch, but most definitely full of jaw dropping raunch!

Here's what Katy Perry had to say in her twitter post: “Using blasphemy as entertainment is as cheap as a comedian telling a fart joke.”

What do you think of Gaga stylin' the mushroom cut? [best seen at 6:20] Not to mention those guns...on her chest!

"I Poo in Blue"

Earlier this afternoon, I was exposed to an ever-so-adorable commercial [see above] that I just could not stop talking about for the rest of the day. It was for the limited edition Huggies jean diaper, created by JWT, a highly acknowledged marketing communications brand. Although the voice over is a bit on the "creepy" side, I must say, the copy for the commercial is clever! I mean, c'mon, "My diaper is full of chic," "When it's a number two, I look like number 1." These lines are fully backed by the toddler's confident strut as he charms onlookers in his blue diaper, classic white button down with rolled up sleeves and what looks to be converse sneakers. With this, Huggies is taking on an entirely new stance. Often time ahead of their competitors, it's a good decision on behalf of Huggies to offer this as a limited edition in order to see if consumer interest for such a product exists. Now, is a fashionable jean diaper necessary? In my opinion, no. But hey, we are after all living in a material world...literally!

Beach: When Caught In a Rough Current

Growing up, I used to love swimming in the ocean. I would swim so far back so that I could “ride” the big waves into shore, find sand bars that were so far out, yet the water was still knee high (given that I am petite, that says a lot!). However, in the past couple of years, this hasn’t been the case. More and more we are hearing sad stories on losses because of the rough waters.

I just watched a segment on LX New York about how to attempt surviving a rough current. Below is what was said:

* First, relax your body and let the current take you. Tenseness will restrict you from staying focused.
* Second, once the wave ends, you must swim parallel to the shore, which is away from the current. Often time, we try to swim perpendicular, as in, straight towards the shore where the current will simply take you back in. Also, be aware that your feet will no longer be touching the sand. Do not let this scare you!

Granted, saying this and actually doing it are two different things. As for me, I no longer go in the water for a swim. I simply go knee deep and splash around like a child! It’s just as refreshing, and believe it or not, still fun! In any case, I wanted to share this information with everyone just in case.

Wishing everyone a fun, but safe summer season!!

"Oh, what a beautiful morning!
Oh, what a beautiful day!" - Oscar Hammerstein

It's a beautiful day here in New York City. I hope everyone can take advantage and make the most of it!

Will You Have a Pulse? With Yahoo, that is

Back in February, the search engine giant Google launched its very first social networking feature, Google Buzz. To their dismay, they were unsuccessful in gaining user interest. For starters, they failed to offer privacy settings, which is essential as users today are more concerned about privacy than ever before. Secondly, Buzz lacked the integration of other social networking sites, like Facebook. Back in march, Facebook was the most visited website among all others. By not integrating such a popular website into their application, Google struggled in drawing user interest as it seemed to lack any benefit to the user.

Yahoo on the other hand, has trailed Google as the foremost site Internet users visit. In contrast to Google’s simplistic appeal, by incorporating a “Quick View” feature that gathers Facebook and Twitter feeds, Yahoo has been trying to leapfrog Google in that regard. In the coming days, Yahoo will launch its very own social networking service, Pulse, which will have an aggregation of real-time updates from a variety of social networking sites. This may be in fact the answer to what Google was trying to do with Buzz! Whether or not Yahoo learned from its competitors fundamental mistakes with privacy, not to mention Facebook’s recent troubles facing privacy, Yahoo will have a full privacy menu for its multiple services.

I am not much of a Yahoo user myself; however, I am curious to see what this launch can do for me. Hopefully its functionality will be easy to use.

http://mashable.com/2010/06/06/yahoo-pulse/

MTV F'in Movie Awards 2010

What the F? The "F" bomb was being used so frequently that even the people on the button weren't able to bleep them in time! However, I think it may have all been part of some marketing ploy -- I noticed many spots airing for Orbitz gum, you know, the remedy to a "duhty mouth." And clearly, there were plenty of duhty mouths throughout the show. If intentional, it was clever!



As for the actual show, not bad! The whole Team Edward vs. Team Jacob thing feels too played out already, so eh. Sandra Bullock on the other hand was as classy as ever. Not to mention sexy! Sandra gave a speech filled with wit and humor. I didn't expect anything less! But overall, the award show had some good laughs and awkward moments. Pretty much what MTV is good for! As for the Popcorn Man, I kind of want one!

'What' and 'If' ... Is It In Your Vocabulary?

“…’What’ and ‘if’ two words as nonthreatening as words come. But put them together side-by-side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life. ‘What if’…”

Last night I watched the movie, “Letters to Juliet.” The quote listed above was essentially the theme of the movie. The context to which it was used in is the following: “What if you had a second chance to find true love?” Although a serious thought in this regard, the quote got me to thinking on how these two words together, in any situation, can truly cause discomfort. I believe that our actions are primarily based upon our feelings. I also believe that a percentage of the time, we are reluctant to act upon our feelings because we are either too concerned about the thoughts of others, or simply because we are too afraid to take a chance. Chance is the word of importance here. With such a simple meaning, the possibility of something happening, it must be that as a society we have been conditioned to be more alert of negativism, than we are of positivism. Why can’t we be welcoming to chance and be thankful for the opportunity of having the possibility of something good arising, rather than limiting ourselves because of the possibility of something bad arising? Life is definitely a journey, and the best way to live it is by doing just that. Living! By taking chances, we allow ourselves to limit our use of the two words ‘what’ and ‘if’ by knowing what may have been. In the long run, this grants us a content and happy life. Besides, isn’t that what we all want anyway? A happy life?

P.S. It was a sweet movie!