Barbie and Ken in the 21st Century

Monday, January 31, 2011


Word on the street, or Yahoo, is that Ken wants to say goodbye to the single life after 7 years and wants Barbie back. And it has to be before Valentine's Day.

Get all the juicy gossip here

Go ahead, poke fun at the fact that I read this article and I am now writing about Barbie and Ken , but as a public relations/social media person I am intrigued by the brillant use of social media to market the dolls now. This is what really caught my eye in the article..

Ken and Barbie fans may also have picked up on the famous exes flirting on Facebook, or noted that Ken checked in on Foursquare at the famous Magnolia Bakery in New York to get special cupcakes for his favorite girl.

Which made me say," Um, Barbie and Ken have Facebook?"

It's true, folks. They do indeed have their own pages where they interact as beings. Barbie talks to her fans and asks opinions about clothes and offers advice on her page. Pretty much like you or I would do. She also asks advice about her ex, Ken and follows 'Genuine Ken' on Hulu.

Then of course you have to check out Ken's page. Barbie is mentioned in pretty much every status update he has and goes down memory lane with Four Square. He doesn't hide how much he wants Barbie back. Very much like a lovesick guy would do on Facebook.


It then brings me to think, How awesome is this person's job? They get to 'flirt' back and forth with Ken all day and make pictures to post. They even utilize Four Square and YouTube. Without the names visible it would read as if it was a normal person tweeting and updating statuses, not a doll. What a brilliant social media campaign. They manage to make their audience feel comfortable and on the same level and then use enhance it by bringing in other social media platforms. My how times have changed.

[Insert nostalgic feelings about when you played with Barbie]

I had the cardboard Town House with string elevator. The most my Barbie had a personality that wasn't mine was when I played with my sister. Barbie wasn't even in movies back when I played with them. Just had a lot of clothes, a pool, post office and the pink convertible. All the rest was left up to your imagination.Now, Barbie has many more personalities, jobs and living the single life. Or wait, maybe not for much longer.


~One of my heroes is Barbie. She may not do anything, but she always looks great doing it~. 



NOT Looking Before You Leap

Friday, January 28, 2011


We have heard it all of our lives. The phrase, "Look before you leap." 

I have been thinking about this phrase a lot lately in terms of my own life and everything that is going on. My whole life I have done just this phrase. Looked before I leaped. Weighed out every decision and everything that I have done that could potentially affect my life in the future.


Well, I think it is about time I leap without looking and see where it gets me.

The thought of doing this makes me nervous but it also makes me a little giddy inside. Who knows what just going for it will make happen in my life. Maybe it won't work out the best but at least I went for it. Or it could work out for me in wonderful ways. I won't know until I do it.

Everyone should have one of these decisions at some point in their lives. A time where you just go for something wholeheartedly because you want it in that moment no matter what might happen in a day, month or year. It gives you empowerment over your own life and how you want to live it. And if it fails you can still look back and know how you felt at that moment you leaped without looking and it will get you through.

Think of all the opportunities that could be missed if you are always so cautious, always look before you leap. I am not saying be completely irresponsible and just go through life willy nilly but let caution to the wind sometimes. That is where the greatest moments might come from.

So where will not looking before you leap get YOU? Why don't you find out!



~When you're young, your whole life is about the pursuit of fun. Then, you grow up and learn to be cautious. You could break a bone or a heart. You look before you leap and sometimes you don't leap at all because there's not always someone there to catch you. And in life, there's no safety net. When did it stop being fun and start being scary?~




EEK. ICK. GROSS.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011


The dirties hotel in America that is.

TripAdvisor has once again put out its report on which hotels didn't make the grade. Or rather really, really didn't make the grade. The images are rather disturbing. 

So if you are planning on travelling anytime soon and booking a hotel definitely do not choose these because it might look like this...



1. Grand Resort Hotel & Convention Center - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Sample TripAdvisor comment: "If you are looking for a hotel with chewing tobacco spit oozing down the halls and corridors; spiders actively making webs in every corner of your room; carpeting so greasy and dirty you wouldn't want to sit your luggage down - let alone walk around barefoot...... by all means, stay at The Grand Resort."
In a statement, the hotel said TripAdvisor's findings are a "startling and unsettling issue" that the company is taking very seriously. The hotel added that it has recently come under new management.
"The Grand Resort Hotel Group has already begun taking the steps necessary to restore this once great property, which has played host to tens of thousands of satisfied customers every year for its 30 years of existence," the statement says.

2. Jack London Inn - Oakland, California
Sample TripAdvisor comment: "The rooms displayed a level of filth and discomfort that mere neglect could never produce. The parking lot resembled a post apocalyptic junk yard. The halls reeked of cigarette smoke, body odor, and failure."
No one answered the phone at the hotel at midmorning Tuesday, but in a statement issued to ABC news, the managers said that maintenance issues for the hotel have been addressed and a detailed renovation has begun and will continue through 2011.
"Describing the hotel as 'the dirtiest hotel in America' is highly subjective and a gross exaggeration created from the reviews from some, anonymous disgruntled guests," the statement says.
TripAdvisor counters that hoteliers always have the option of posting a management response to any review on their property.

3. Desert Inn Resort - Daytona Beach, Florida
Sample TripAdvisor comment: "The ceiling was peeling, the walls were cracked, there were cigarette burns throughout the room, the Jacuzzi tub did not look clean, the bed was not a pillow top as advertised and very hard, I located a few small bugs on the box spring, some of the wood was rotten in the bathroom, and the balcony was littered with old cigarette butts."
In a statement, the hotel said it has spent an enormous amount of money in the last few years installing new flooring, furniture and other items, and added that most of its customers are either repeat or referral guests.
"TripAdvisor has remarks that can be placed by anyone," the hotel says. "We believe over 70 percent of the reviews are falsified due to the fact their description of the hotel does not match the Desert Inn."
TripAdvisor counters that it takes the authenticity of its reviews very seriously and uses various methods to screen the "legitimacy of the content" on the site. It asks property owners who have an issue with a traveler review to contact the company for a full investigation.
-Courtesy of CNN.com

For the complete list visit tripadvisor.com/dirtythotels



What if we all did our jobs how weathermen do theirs?

Monday, January 24, 2011


Would anything actually get done?

"I will be approximately done with the report sometime between Tuesday and Friday. I might know more if you ask me tomorrow."

This is about the 5th storm of the season here in the Northeast and it seems that the weather reporting is becoming more and more vague. I know that storms move blah blah blah but seriously already. Give a timeframe and amount. How do I know whether I can make plans for tomorrow if they still aren't saying when it is coming?  You get these kind of headlines.

NJ weather remains frosty with more snow possible later this week

Forecasters waffling on snowfall amounts

ALERT: Snow storm expected

Oh wait, update. It will now be here from sometime mid morning afternoon Wednesday to sometime in the day Thursday. Yea, thanks. That really helps. 

Maybe all this bitterness is actually from the snow, ice and literally below freezing temperatures but it really makes you think about how much weathermen get away with. They can say there is 8 inches of snow coming and then we get none and it is ok. It is not considered a mistake. Can they actually make a mistake? Pretty sure the answer is no.

Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the work that they do provide. Temperature wise. Just see a downward trend on how the weather stations work and [predict weather. You think it would get better and more precise because of all the technology. But I'm no weatherman.

That's my rant for now. Enjoy the snow, how ever much we are getting!


~Whether the weather be fine, Whether the weather be not, Whether the weather be cold, Whether the weather be hot, We'll weather the weather, Whatever the whether, Whether we like it or not~



That's my girl Britney!

Saturday, January 22, 2011



Britney Spears has broken the record for the biggest first-week sales tally for a song by a female solo artist!! (411,000 copies!) 

The song? Amazing. Oh you want the title? Sure.

"Hold It Against Me"

This honor was previously held by Taylor Swift with her song," Today was a Fairytale." Such a great song too. But I am so happy that Britney's song broke records. I have always loved Britney. Yes, even through the shaved head days. Everyone has a crisis now and again, hers was just splashed on everyones television. On a side note to that: So glad K. Fed was kicked to the curb. Is he still a chunky monkey?

Anywhooo, congrats to Britney Spearssss!! She hasn't stopped kicking booty since the days of "Hit me Baby One More Time" with pigtails and bangs. She even surpassed her own personal record of first week sales with "Womanizer" back in 2008, which sold 303,000 copies.

I know you are all waiting to hear the new song since it is obviously so awesome so here it is :)

 



Social media should improve your life, not become your life!?

Thursday, January 20, 2011


Unfortunately, it is too late to tell this woman that.


Seeing this headline made my stomach sick.

This mother left her child to make sure her fake dishes hadn't spoiled in Cafe World and to see what her friends were up to. Meanwhile, her son was left unattended in the bathtub. It begs the question, has Facebook become a sickness?

Many will argue this was an isolated incident and that there is something wrong with this woman. But is this woman different than some of us? We will leave family gatherings to check out Facebook. Pull out our phones at dinner to see what our notification is for. And I saw 'we' and 'our' because truthfully, it has become how society functions around Facebook.

People update statuses constantly about what they are doing, where they are going, etc. etc. Games have been incorporated into Facebook to make the return to Facebook all that more urgent. I will say I play those games that are popular on Facebook. There is a big difference though. I live alone, do it to pass the time and know when enough is enough. I will even make the occasional joke about myself and these games. It would never interfere with the real life and what is. 

I hope everyone reads this story and takes something away from it about their own Facebook usage. Think about how it could and does affect your life. I think it is necessary to take a step back and remove yourself from it if even for a moment everyday. Remember life before Facebook sometimes. Many positives have come out of Facebook but unfortunately, it can go too far.


~If Facebook were a country, it would now be the 6th most populous in the world. -- from InsideFacebook.com~



Mmmmmmmmmm!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011


It was a cold, icy day yesterday in the neighborhood. Many people were home from school and work. Myself included. What were your comforts?


Number 1: Chili!
Yummy!


Number 2: Tea
Friends inspired cup included.


Number 3: Pink Snuggie
Not the only one who enjoys it..


Number 4: DVDs
So many to choose from.

Number 5: Good ole' fashioned paperback book
Sorry, none of that Kindle included. Just not the same.





~Winter is the time of promise because there is so little to do - or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so.~



Tragedy Glasses

Tuesday, January 18, 2011


An event resulting in great loss and misfortune.

It is said that when a tragedy occurs, you are never the same. From that day going forward who you are changes as you recover. Life is now "the me before" and "the me after." I call this, the tragedy glasses. 

Two years ago I was a different me. Losing my mother so suddenly and unexpectedly turned my world upside down and forever changed me. The days following were unreal and I kind of just floated through it. There were the phone calls, emails, facebook messages and occasional visits that featured the words, "I'm so sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you," etc. etc. The words and sentiments were felt and appreciated but I echoed every sentiment in my own head. I was sorry for my loss. I couldn't believe it happened. I was thinking about me and how I would deal with this. 

The next few months and year were filled with many tears. It was getting through the anger and resentment that it was my mom. My mom was gone and wouldn't be there for all the important moments in my life. No words would bring her back. There were only pictures left to remind me of my mom's beautiful smiling face. Unexplained moments would be filled with sadness and regret. 

The pain will never fade. Time will just continue creeping on. But it becomes easier to deal with as more time passes. It is easier to look back on the times with my mom and smile instead of cry. It is easier to be thankful for the great relationship and time I had with my mom than be angry that she is gone. I have become stronger and more resilient to life around me. The little things are just really tiny specs to me. I don't feel the need to dwell on something so silly when there are far more important things in life.

I look around, breathe and take in what I do have in life. It might not be the best of all situations but it is definitely not the worst. I go to a job everyday. have a place to live and have the greatest support system. Life is not ideal. It's a fact of life. Just have to go with it.

You also realize and affirm who your true support system is. When you are down and out, look around to see who is there to pick you up. Those are the people you want around in your life for many years to come. Those are the relationships you want to build on and foster. Not the occasional acquaintances that make an appearance once in awhile. This is something that comes out of tragedy.

Just how silly life is sometimes and how people go through it. This is what I see through my tragedy glasses.


-There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than 10,000 tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love. ~ Washington Irving



I'll Be Sorrow Tomorrow

Tuesday, January 11, 2011


I’ll be sorrow tomorrow,
With me myself and I.
I’ll be sorrow tomorrow,
Holding myself while I cry.
I’ll be sorrow tomorrow,
While lying sleepless in my bed.
I’ll be sorrow the next day as one thought haunts my head.
And when I finally rest my lids and cease my icy breath,
That one thought will exist no longer,
That horrible thought of death.



Merry Christmas/Happy New Year!

Friday, January 7, 2011


OOPS.

It seems the holidays got away from me very quickly. And now here we are in a brand new year! Time to start anew and make resolutions that we know we actually want to do so we will keep.

What's your resolution in 2011?

My resolution is to be more organized. Because I will admit everything is chaotic and disorganized right now. Life included. Commence the storage tote buying and post it notes on my computer. It also helps having a sweet new laptop to start my organization on :) Thank you Santa!

Today I started with the Christmas decorations. I sorted ornaments and decorations accordingly. Even ordered myself a storage bag for my tree since the cardboard box it came in has seen better days. I also added more detailed job search emails. This is hopefully going to increase my chances of finding a job. Fingers crossed.


Either way, 2011 feels like it will be a great year. Things are going to happen and when I look back a year from now I can say, "Wow what a year." and it will mean the best thing possible. My years seem to be getting better little by little since my mom has been gone and this year won't be any different. Continue to work my hardest and make sure my mom is smiling down on me.

So remember to always have hope that this year will be better than the last. Because majority of the time it will be.



-Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. ~Hal Borland-



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