Recently in News & Society Category

I will admit, I wasn't really brought up with an interest in news (local or otherwise) or politics. If anything, I would only hear about what was happening in the Philippines and rightfully so -- that was the home of my parents.

The older I get and, more specifically, in the last year, I've grown a really strong interest in knowing what is going on around me and in the rest of the world. I've subscribed to at least two dozen news feeds this year to make sure I'm conscious of things happening in and around my neighborhood, around the world, in the economy, etc. (I don't watch much TV, so relying on the news wasn't going to cut it!) It dawns on me, though, that current events were not really taught much when I was in school. Up until college, anyway. Sure, in high school I'd had that one teacher who really cared about these things and took it upon himself to educate us.

(This post is dedicated to my nine nieces and nephews... and my Joseph. Ha!)

I want the kids in my family to be aware -- aware of the things we, as a country, are doing to make their world a better place... and aware of the things we haven't done... aware of the realities that exist outside of their Wii's and Xboxes... aware of people less fortunate than them... aware of all the rights and advantages they have within an arm's reach... and aware of how those little things that are tough for them are tougher for someone else in this world.

I want them to know that Guantanamo Bay is not a mythical place where Harold & Kumar went. Hundreds of people are being held there as detainees and prisoners have knowingly been mistreated and tortured since 2002.

I want them to know that along with grown women, there are little girls their ages in Darfur that are being subjected to sexual violence and rape, and have been for almost 5 years.

I want them to know that, among many journalists and writers in China, Shi Tao is imprisoned simply because he sent an email.

I want them to know that in some countries, kids younger than 15 are being recruited as soldiers and being exploited as combatants.

I want them to know that kids in other countries can still be punished by death for misdemeanor crimes.

And I want them to care about these things and have a genuine interest in them before they turn twenty-something.

Today, we unite as bloggers, fighting for these causes... blogging for hope.

For more information, visit Bloggers Unite.

...or not.

(This is not a sponsored post.)

I was totally tricked by a box of cereal last week! As I indicated in my last post, I typically start my mornings with a bowl of Special K (site) with red berries, but last Saturday, my sister and I were at the grocery store where something new caught my eye! We're walking down the cereal eye and on the shelf, I see these new boxes of Smart Start (site) cereal!

Right there between the new Cinnamon Raisin Smart Start (in a nice purple shaded box) and the new Maple Brown Sugar Smart Start (in a nice golden brownish shaded box) was a beautifully shaded blue box of Smart Start with blueberries. YUM!! On top of that, it was on sale, so I bought two. It seemed like such a great deal...

So all week last week, I'm eating just a little bit more cereal each day so that I can finish up the last of the Special K before opening up my new cereal. (Yes, I was anxious and impatient.) Friday's bowl was my last, so I got up Saturday morning, opened up my new box of Smart Start and started pouring cereal into my bowl. I pause. I looked in the bowl and there were no blueberries. No worries, I thought. I'll just shake the box a little -- they're probably all at the bottom! Still no blueberries.

So it dawns on me that something is wrong. I flip the box over and decide it's time I read what the box really says. Sure enough, the box says "DOES NOT INCLUDE FRUIT". Hmph... and why the hell not?!

I was so sad about this whole thing -- so sad that I'm slightly embarrassed. I mean, was I completely stupid not to have noticed such small print on the cereal box?? Was I? I'd like to think that the answer to that question is no. Because I honestly think (and hope) that there are other people who assumed the same thing I did.

When I was still a kid, cereals were so plain that it was always assumed that the fruit included in the pictures were purely decorative -- they were never included. But c'mon. Cereals have changed since then. Nowadays, if the cereal doesn't come with a toy, it's likely there is fruit in the box. For that reason, I'm very disappointed. I believe that this new Smart Start "Antioxidants" cereal is on the border of being falsely advertised.

I'm totally bummed!! And might I remind you, I have TWO boxes of this plain cereal to finish before moving on to another brand. So sad.

OKAY -- enough about my stupid cereal story. Sorry.

So I've been going through Time magazine's Most Influential List (list) and I'm shocked to see Miley Cyrus (article) on this list. Oh... my... God. Seriously??

(By the way, you know her recent photo on the cover on Vanity Fair? I really cannot comprehend why, in all the bad press she's been getting on it, everyone has focused on her being "topless". I mean, am I the only one who noticed how awful she looked in that picture? Looked like it could be the cover of "The Grudge 3".)

Anyway, back to my point. I understand it's hard to be a teen star. We've all been in similar situations... just usually without the world watching. Look, I agree with Donny Osmond (who wrote the article about her) that she's become a "tween" idol, but is that really all it takes to be on the same list as the Dalai Lama (article)? Unbelievable.

Is this what the world has come to? Oy.

This guy.

So, I got an email from a certain guy who, in an effort to protect the stupid, will remain nameless. Apparently, he was confident that the "you" in my Six Word Story was him. Sorry, dear. You couldn't be further from the truth. Seriously. You're light-years away from the truth. Man. Way off.

Don't get me wrong -- the "you" was a guy. He was the first and only guy I swore I loved right off the bat. Sigh. He was the first guy to take me on an official "date". He came to my house, met my parents, took me to dinner, and then to a make-out spot. True story! Anyway. The sight of him, the mention of his name, the sound of his voice (which is actually very annoying) gave me butterflies!! Before then and well, since then, I'd been a very guarded person. (And when I say "guarded", I don't mean it lightly. It took me almost 4 years to tell my last boyfriend that I loved him. Then we broke up. Ha!) So yeah, among other things, I always called him my Kryptonite. He had the capability of breaking me and frankly, he did break me.

So yeah, "Romeo"... not you. Sorry.

I'm getting ready for my detox. I had to push it back a week and a half because of a few prior commitments I'd forgot about. Friday, April 11th is the new date and I'm very excited! Every time I cleanse or detox, I also try to follow it with a change in diet and general health. I came across two articles this week related to health and well-being and I thought they were worth sharing!

This article suggests 10 ways to boost your energy. Some of them would work better for me than others, but we're all different, no? I'm highlighting the ones I am going to try and make habit. Feel free to read it in its entirety here.

1. See the light
Go outside as often as you can during the day (especially right before you need to be extra-alert), says Scott Campbell, Ph.D., director of the Human Chronobiology Laboratory at New York--Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in Westchester, New York.

2. Get pumped with protein
Eat plant- and animal-based protein throughout the day -- an egg or high-protein cereal for breakfast, 10 almonds midmorning, a cup of low-sugar yogurt in the afternoon -- and your stamina should stabilize.

3. Lend a hand
"When you make someone happy, you feel filled up again," Orloff says. You can find volunteer opportunities that suit you at www.idealist.org.

4. Breathe hard -- more often

5. Bag a new brew
Boost your energy with white tea, which has a delicate flavor that requires little sweetening. "Of all the teas, white tea goes through the least processing," says Iman Hakim, M.D., Ph.D., a professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona in Tucson and a leading researcher on the benefits of tea.

6. Tackle the blahs in bursts

7. Get hands-on help

8. Take a tech-free break
Give yourself at least an hour a day when you completely unplug from electronic devices. That chance to check in and connect with yourself will re-energize you, she says.

9. Meditate for a minute
Find a quiet place (even if it's the bathroom) and mentally focus on an image that brings you pleasure: the ocean, a flower, the sun, your cat; continue to keep the image in your mind's eye as you breathe deeply (roughly 10 seconds for each inhale and exhale). With a little practice, Orloff says, you'll become more skilled at maintaining focus and can add more short meditations to your day, whenever you need revitalizing.

10. Clean up your sleep
The buzzword in sleep science these days is "sleep hygiene," and it's about more than clean sheets -- it helps you create an atmosphere that's restful, so you'll sleep well and wake up energized without the need for sleeping pills, Campbell says.

Copyright 2007 HEALTH Magazine. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

The second article offers some interesting ideas to cut fat from your everyday cooking. Please keep in mind that I haven't tried any of these suggestions yet!! Again, I'll offer the ones I find most appealing, but for the full list, click here.

1. Substitute the vegetable oil in any baking recipe with mashed bananas (or similar fruits) and it will add moisture while cutting the fat and calories.
"If people have never done any kind of substitutions like oil and applesauce, I tell them to do it half and half. Do half the amount of oil and half the amount of applesauce."

2. When using nuts, use half the amount.
"I take the amount of nuts that are called for in a recipe, cut it in half and I toast those nuts," Doyle explained. "Toasting brings out a lot of flavor and a lot of crunch."

3. Substitute evaporated milk for cream in sauces and soups.

4. Choose meat cuts with the words "loin" or "round" on the package.

5. Cook chicken or turkey with the skin on to keep it moist, but always pull the skin off before eating to reduce the fat.

I'm really curious about the mashed bananas. I must say, thanks to this article, I think brownies may just be one of the first things I cook after my detox. Ha!

Okay, I think this is it for today. I need to practice! I'm singing Journey's "Faithfully" at Jarred's mom and step-dad's 30th wedding anniversary on Friday. I'm sooooo nervous! I haven't done this since just after high school!!

Note to self: Take 2 shots of Jager just before you hit the stage.

I still can't believe that Rock Steady Crew's Frosty Freeze is dead!!! Man... I used to love watching these guys battle out. I'm so bummed. He passed away at the age of 44 after apparently dealing with a longtime illness. The illness itself has been kept private. So sad!

I was with the girls for a few hours last night and we were watching Oprah's interview with the pregnant man. Boy, it was tough. Alyssa had all these questions about how men can get pregnant and then BAM!! -- they mention that he used to be a woman. Ugh. "How does that happen, Auntie Gemma?" We were able to get off the subject. Thank God.

After a quick run to the gym this morning, I pretty much stayed home and did some cleaning here at the house. Since I'm always running around, it's nice to be reminded how good it feels to just be home sometimes!

I managed to get a box of "stuff" together for the Salvation Army. I attacked my dresser first. I figure I need to save the closet for another day. Some thrift shoppers will be quite happy to come across some girly items in really good condition -- trust me, I'm too conscious to donate items that I'd be embarrassed about! Some of them were even brand new with tags on! I'm happy to announce I have outgrown my bras. Haha!! Of course I won't admit that this is the same reason tons of undies were donated or thrown away. SIGH...

007 | + | donate five boxes of "stuff" to the salvation army (1/5)
    1: Box of girly items (April 5th, 2008)

On a side note, I'm jumping on the FeedBurner bandwagon. I'll be honest -- I'm not entirely sure what benefits this will have for me, but I've heard good things, so why not?

For RSS Users:

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Okay -- I've been watching Top Chef all afternoon and just got a sneak craving for raspberries. Totally random, but off I go into the kitchen to find something to quench this craving. Hasta.

Yes, it's true -- another death for 2008. Jason De La Cruz's life was taken from him at the age of 31. Read this article for the full story. Jason leaves behind his wife, Mary, and 3 kids -- two of his own and one of Mary's from a previous relationship.

I went to high school with Jason, his brother Jeremy, and their sister, Janelle. Ironically, I had just seen Jeremy at BJ's the Thursday before Jason was shot. Even though I can't say I was really close to them, the news was still hard to swallow. It was Saturday morning and I was sitting at the Elephant Bar with my family for Alyssa's 8th birthday when I got the text. It was a friend of mine who happens to be a cop: "Jason De La Cruz was murdered this morning." Unbelievable. I sat there in disbelief for quite a while. I'm actually sitting here still shaking my head -- it's that crazy to me.

An arrest was finally made yesterday. A 19-year-old!! Can you imagine?! This kid is probably fresh out of high school and is now in jail... with a $20 million warrent. $20 million would buy a lot of pizza. (If you didn't read either of the articles above, you wouldn't get that line.)

Despite the bad news, I had a super busy Saturday planned out, so I couldn't let it bring me down. We had lunch for Alyssa's birthday, did a little shopping and got her a pink Nintendo DS. After those festivities, I had to run to Rhoda's birthday party. I was so bummed that I couldn't feast on the egg rolls, but I had just eaten and knew I'd probably vomit if I even made the attempt. But dude, her mom makes DOPE egg rolls! Not too long after we got to Rhoda's, I headed out with Marie, Henry, and Baby Ayanna to Mervyn's birthday dinner. Yes, more food. Ugh. But there was an upside... and it was called JAGERMEISTER. Ha! It's always good times when we all get together -- I'll have to post the link to the Picasa Album soon. I'm just waiting for everyone else's photos. Unfortunately, I didn't take many. But maybe that was a good thing... less evidence!

I got home at almost 4 or 5AM on Sunday and still managed to make it to church. The man upstairs must be very proud! Paid a visit to my friend who has finally recovered from surgery which was cool. Then headed back to my brother's to celebrate Alyssa's "real" birthday with a "fake" cake made with brownie mix. Don't look at me -- it wasn't my idea! It was good, though.

I AM EXHAUSTED. Wednesday already, but still recovering. Haven't read the book in a while, but I am expecting to have a fairly quiet weekend. Hopefully this means I can curl up and read in peace. I'm crossing my fingers.