A Couple of Shout-Outs, a Correction and an Attribution

I got yelled at this weekend. My friends are mad I don't reference them enough in my blog. They think I am plagiarizing ideas, an accusation I deny fiercely. But Meghan demanded I print a correction. So much like the newspapers are embarassed when they have to print a correction, I am none to proud to have to be doing this here.

So, folks, to set the record straight: my Summer 2011 Wishlist, was made with the help of Meghan. We were actually sitting at the most ghetto Friday's I have ever been to in Foggy Bottom, and decided to create our list of things to do this summer. I typed it on my phone and made it a blog post when I was mad the weather. End of story.

And, while Meghan was yelling at me, Sidney decided to jump in as well. Just so everyone knows, when I referenced the How to Be a 20-something article from Thought Catalog on this blog post, Sidney was the person who emailed it to me. Although I don't see her referencing the person who emailed it to her. But it's cool, Sidney was just picking on me all weekend.

And finally, Steph said she wasn't referenced enough. So aside from saying she's an amazing friend and so fun to hang out with, please follow one of the few great Twitter feeds she writes and contributes to:


http://twitter.com/#!/epnersc

Could not find a picture of the 4 of us. So Alexandra gets a shout-out here as well.

And I did all this even though I don't see any of them following me on Blogger, and they rarely comment on my blog. It's okay I still love them

Happy girls?

Summer 2011 Wishlist

It's rainy and chilly in DC today. Apparently it's snowing in New York. Just when we thought we were in the clear for spring, March reminds us it's a mean, mean month. So all I can think of on this rainy day is summer.

Although the DC humidity is unbearable mid-summer, I still love that season. I just love being outside. I love the beach. I love eating lunch in Freedom Plaza. I love sun dresses, Italian ices, barbeques, and rooftop parties. I just love how happy everyone is in the summer.

And since I love lists almost as much as I love summer,  I decided to make my Summer 2011 Wishlist.

If I can make 85% of these things happen, I know this will be an amazing summer.

• Beach trip to Rehoboth or Dewey
• Tubing
• Mount Vernon
• Jazz in the Sculpture Garden
• Vineyard Trip
• Body of water once a weekend
• Family Picnic at Lido Beach
• Outdoor concert
• Nationals games
• Weekend in Baltimore
• Inner Harbor
• Orioles Game
• Brunch on Lauriol Plaza rooftop
• Paddle boating at the Tidal Basin
• Spend a night at National Harbor (This means I can also see The Awakening scultpure and cross something else off my DC To Do List)
• Screen on the Green
• Rosslyn Outdoor Movie Series
• Fourth of July party: complete with fireworks
• Visit a new city
• Amusement park (Six Flags, King Dominion, Busch Gardens)

Wow, I am going to be busy! There are only 16 weekends in summer!

In Case You Missed It: Rebecca Black- Friday

After an entire week of hearing this wretchedly-awful song, I realized that some people still have no idea who Rebecca Black is, or why her song "Friday" has become Internet gold.

After a quick Google search, and thanks to Wikipedia, I have a few facts about Rebecca Black.

• Rebecca is 13-years-old.
• She's from Orange County, California.
• Her parents paid a record label $2,000 for a package of two songs. Already written, mind you. Please keep this in mind as you listen to the lyrics of the song. Someone was actually paid to write these words.
• The reason Rebecca didn't pick the other song is because it was about adult love, and being 13, she has not experienced it yet.
• There is a rap portion of the song, performed by Patrice Wilson. One of the song's writers. Yes, it took two people to write this song.
• The video became a viral sensation and has received over 30 million views since it was released on March 11. A mere 10 days ago.

It's one of those songs that is annoying and irritating, yet you can't get it out of your head. Like Lamp Chop's "Song That Doesn't End" song and the Barney's "I Love You" song.

It's like she woke up one morning and said, " I want to be a musician." Or as a friend posted on an other's Facebook status about this song, "Daddy, Daddy, I want a music video for my birthday!"

And so she got one. And now it's all over the Internet. Trending on Twitter. Posted on Facebook statuses. It probably started to receive so much attention because Daniel Tosh discussed "Friday" on his blog for his Comedy Central TV show, Tosh.O. I swear I thought it was a practical joke when I first saw it.

Still, I encourage you to buy into this pop culture phenomenon. At the very least, you can learn the days of the week.

Six Things I Like About Today

Things I like about today, Tuesday, March 15.

1. It's Tuesday and it's my first day in the office. Which means I have a four-day week. Which means this week is already awesome.

2. Spring officially starts this upcoming Sunday. That's less than a week away. Spring in my second favorite season in DC. Days are starting to get longer. Cherry Blossoms are right around the corner, and more importantly, warmer weather! Goodbye gloves and hats!

3. It's pretty quiet in the office today, which means I am able to catch up on everything I missed the past two days fairly easily. And have time to write a quick blog post...

4. I have a date on Thursday! I am sure you are asking yourself: Does it really count as a date when it's your long-term, live-in boyfriend? The answer is yes.

5. I just came back from a fabulous weekend in Chicago and have a newfound love for this city. I seriously can't wait for my next trip there.

6. And finally, this little guy is on today's homepage of The Daily Puppy. What a cutie!!



Buster the labrador retriever. Photo from http://www.dailypuppy.com/.


Happy Tuesday!

Before I Die...

I think this is a really cool and fun idea. Graphic artist Candy Chang decided to paint a large chalkboard on the side of an abandoned building in her neighborhood in New Orleans. The chalkboard is a list entitled "Before I Die..." and has dozens of spaces for people to write what they want to do before they die. She provides chalk for passersby to use. It looks like she's also done the project elsewhere, so watch out, it may be in your hometown soon.

I think this is such a cool idea. The idea of getting a community together in a way everyone can connect and relate is great. Often, we are all so busy with our own lives, we don't stop and notice the things, or people, around us. To just take a minute and see what the other people in your neighborhood want to accomplish in their lives can be a humbling and moving experience.

Each sentence starts with "Before I die I want to ____________"

Maybe I'll do my own version on my blog here. So what about you? How would you answer the question?

Photo from Benjamin Starr at Visual News.

Looks like going crazy was the best thing that ever happened to Charlie Sheen

I posted this on my new "professional person" blog, but thought it was so great I had to share here too.

Sirius XM Satellite radio has created "Tiger Blood" radio. According to the press release it will be "a 24-hour limited run channel that will explore the breaking news, facts, fallout and career implications of the Charlie Sheen controversy. "Tiger Blood Radio" will air from March 5 at 6:00 am ET to March 6 at 6:00 am ET on Sirius channel 108 and XM channel 139."


If you haven't signed up for Sirius XM yet, now is the time to get on board!

Read the March 4 press release on their website here.
 
Also, we've all seen and heard his interviews on Good Morning America, the Today Show, and whatever radio station he made anti-semetic comments on. But, my cousin posted this video on her Facebook from Jimmy Kimmel. It's a Charlie Sheen/Charlie Brown infusion. Pretty hilarious.

Talking About My Generation

As I sat with my cousins at a family wedding this weekend, I realized how old I am getting. Not "old" in the "I need a new hip" sense, but old in the "I dance to stupid songs at a family wedding" sense. And as my 16 year old cousin so eloquently put it...

"You're not old, you're just a different generation."

Wait, what?

There is no generation after my generation. We are the last generation.

...Aren't we?

But no, I guess not. And in thinking about it more, I realized just how different this new generation is to my generation.

My generation grew up with beepers (I had one until I was 16), Dawson's Creek, and the birth of dial-up Internet and AOL.

Today, this generation has iPhones and Blackberrys in 5th grade. They are tweeting on their way to school, and updating Facebook after practice.

I thought it was the biggest deal when I got my own phone line, now pre-schoolers have a cell phone...just in case.

And while we all thought Dawson and Joey talked like college students, it was nothing compared to these shows now. Pretty Little Liars and Gossip Girl show manipulative teens trying to climb to the top of the social ladder, all while wearing inappropriate clothing to school, and consistently sleeping out on school nights. (Do these kids have parents or not?)

My generation dealt with midnight chat rooms (A/S/L anyone), but there was little harm if you knew not to meet up with some random stranger from the Internet. Now with Chat Roulette, you can see Chester the Molester's dick in the click of the mouse.

We had the Oklahoma City bombing and the Columbine shooting to mourn. Today, these kids are growing up in a post 9/11 world. Terrorism is a word used on a daily basis. Older siblings going into the military no longer means just boot camp, but it means there is a high probability of going into one of two wars.

Our alcohol consumption consisted on what we could steal from our parents or what the older kids decided to get us. Cue the Mike's Hard Lemonade and Natty Lite. Now Four Lokos are practically being handed out in the middle school parking lot. Oh and there are digital cameras to capture every moment instantly. Post it to Facebook or Flickr, and Grandma can look at you taking a bong hit.

In some ways, I am jealous of these kids. Fashion is way better now than when I was in school. It is so much easier to connect with friends. Moving (as I did in elementary school) doesn't necessarily mean you will be cut off from your childhood playmates. You can now reconnect and stay in touch forever.

But in other ways, I mourn this generation. Growing up with all that....noise, it's just constant stimulation. That can't be relaxing. I wonder if kids today still ride their bikes over to their friends houses, play dress-up with their cousins, and get Italian ices in the summer time. Or instead of walking down the block to see if someone is home, do they just shoot them a text?

Either way, it's become apparent to me that I really am part of a different generation. And while I am already in the workforce with people who are older, wiser and more experienced than I, there will be a day soon when this new generation are in my position. Probably feeling the same way I do now...