Cutest Bank Commercial I've ever seen

Weather Commercial

2 most beautiful Women

Responsibility in advertising

Responsibility back in the early days of advertising would have been simply to raise awareness to the consumers and get the products sold.
But the due to greed and the huge growth of the advertising industry our responsibilities have changed. Nowadays, as future advertisers, we have more responsibility, and it very important we know what they are because this industry's reputation is in need of a complete turn around.
Firstly, we need to realize that with all the media mechanisms we have today, with which we can use to show our ads and create awareness, should be sending out good messages. Especially since kids are ahead of the game when it comes to technology and are more likely to be exposed to all of the messages and ads we are creating.
WE need produce a change in the consumer.That is what we should do with the power that we have in this industry. Also this should be where we get our satisfaction and motivation when we do good advertising. We've got the power to open people's mind and make take this industry back to the days were it was still considered honest.
We should NOT abuse our power and send out messages of stereotypes, racism, nor sexism
And the last responsibility we have is to not lie to our consumers and public. We can influence a lot of people and therefore we should not try to fool anyone because:

A) consumers are smarter than most think
B)At the end of the day could you really feel proud of such ads that tell lies or are a variation of the truth. I don't think so, so why do that??
Remember we have the power! So use it to create good things!

Changing or forgetting the past..in the future?

Lola Rennt directed by Wim Wenders

Lola Rennt and The Butterfly Effect are just a few examples of films that are about changing or erasing the past in the present.
What if in the future we can erase, forget or change our past? What if we can go back in time, and make up for everything we have done wrong. Or change things, so we will be happier in the future? Or just forget completely what happened, who we are, and where we come from. Than we are able to start from scratch whenever we like. Would we or wouldn’t we?
Watch the Lola Rennt trailer that I posted above.
How realistic will this be in the future..Is it possible to make an interactive installation, to let someone experience the different stories of his or her past and the following outcomes and consequences? Or let a person experience how his or her life will look like by erasing or changing a experience? What is logic of certain people for things to have happened in a certain way on a certain occasion? What kind of decisions does a person make and based on and influenced by what?
However if we learn from the past, can we predict future decisions of people? And thus, future outcomes and results?
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.

This should be posted in every school....

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things the students did not and will not learn in school.
(He talked about how feel-good, politically correct teaching created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.)

Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world doesn't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault , so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now.. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

I particularly like number 4,7,9. Most kids don't realize the reality of the real world. I know I certainly have not fully and don't feel ready for the real world yet. But I feel like Mr. Bill Gates has given us a pretty good definition of the real world.

GREAT TRUTHS

I recently got one of those annoying emails which get forwarded to people a million times over. But I found this one surprisingly interesting and funny.
Food for thought:

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:
1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats..
2) When your Mum is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.
3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.
4) Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato.
5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.
6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.
7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.
8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.
10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
1) Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.
2) Wrinkles don't hurt.
3) Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts
4) Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground..
5) Laughing is good exercise. It's like jogging on the inside.
6) Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD:
1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional..
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down there.
4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician
7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:

1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus..
4) You look like Santa Claus

BILLBOARDS

I think these billboard ads are genius. Some take a minute to get, but this reminded me of one of my advertising lectures, where we learnt that, when advertisements leave a gap for the consumers to figure out, the ads are more effective since the consumer feels more of connection and remember the ads more after having to figure out the missing piece.
Fill-in-the-blanks of these ones..

the new phenomenom of the 'skinny obese person'

One of my friends told me about something really fascinating which had never crossed my mind before. So I had to do some immediate research and find out the deal with this new health discovery known as the skinny obese person.
As Dr Dolgoff puts it:
"It seems that the internal fat that sits around the vital organs (and which can’t be seen from the outside) is even more dangerous than the external fat that sits under the skin (and is more obvious). So you really can’t judge a book by its cover!
A study from the Imperial College in London found that people who maintain their weight through diet had more dangerous, internal fat than those who maintained their weight with exercise.
The most dangerous part of all of this? Skinny obese people mistakenly think they are healthy and are not as careful as they need to be. Thin people can get heart attacks and diabetes!"
SO don't be fooled by super skinny people who never work out,eat all the junk the want, and stay stick thin.
BEWARE SUPERMODELS!

THE BEST ACTRESS OSCAR CURSE

Most recently Sandra Bullock won the Oscar for best actress this month and now rumors are spreading that she is leaving her husband of 5 years, Jesse James. But this was after allegations that he was cheating on her originally with a porn star and then several other women came out claiming the same things.
But Sandra is not the only one who has had this misfortune:
Kate Winslet won the Oscar last year and she announced that she is getting divorced earlier this month, from her director husband, Sam Mendes.
A year after Hilary Swank won her Oscar, she filed for divorce from her husband Chad Lowe.
Charlize Theron won an Oscar for Monster in 2904 and then announced her split from longtime partner Stuart Townsend.
Halle Berry took home an Oscar and then divorced her husband Tony Benet within a year.
And remember Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillipe..well same scenario..a year after she won the Oscar they filed for divorce.
It seems these best actresses can't have their cake and eat it too!

"identifiable victim effect"

"The Death of a single Russian soldier is a tragedy. The death of a millions soldiers is a statistic."-Stalin



It is a fact that we are effected more by cases of single victims, rather than large numbers of victims. I read about this in a psychology book and then the next day I realised that I had experienced this "identifiable victim" issue.
It was during the 'Hope for Haiti' Celebrity fundraising effort, I remember sitting there and crying. Not because George Clooney was on the screen talking to me, rather it was from all the stories that were narrated by different celebrities throughout the whole televised event. The stories were personal and from all different people in Haiti (tourists,locals,kids), they really touched me.
Don't get me wrong, we don't just ignore the facts and figures they are effective and shocking. But the personal stories or the in-depth descriptions of victims or disasters hit a soft spot. The emotions come out, once you can relate to a single person.

SIBLING DIFFERENCES (RIVALRY)

Anyone who has a sibling has been through this at one point in their childhood.
Siblings are a bit like relationships can't live with them, can't live without them.
When you were young you used to play together, but would fight as soon as it came to sharing food or toys.
When you were in the teens you would be able to talk more about things and understood each other a bit more, but would fight over whether you did the same amount of chores,who got to sit in the front seat, or how much money you both were given for going out and allowances.
There is always some form of rivalry between siblings and at this stage, my brother and I don't fight as much as we used to, now we understand each other more and actually trust each other.
Since my brother was always the more "rebellious one" and I am more a "good girl", we have had our struggles. But I feel like the older we get, the more we rely on each other to help each other out and deal with situations, since we have grown up in the same household and gone through many similar situations and scenarios. I could not imagine being a single child.
I'm sure there would be certain benefits, but I love having an older brother; who has always been there for me,looked out for me, and taken care of me whenever I needed him to.

NIKE

This was done by the Mckinney agency. I thought it was fascinating to see how Nike attempts to send across their environmental message and also at the same time an athletic message, which is telling everyone, in a very innovative way to get off their butts and stop driving everywhere!
We need more ads like this which are sending out good messages and make the consumer change their bad habits. This ad doesn't attack people and make them feel bad about themselves. Mckinney presented the facts in a very clear and concise way and even offered a solution, but obviously after that it is up to the viewers to decide whether they will really change their ways.
But then again, they warn us at the beginning all these stints were done by professionals. HMMMMM...

LADY GAGA FEAT. BEYONCE-Telephone

This is a mini movie from Lady Gaga and Beyonce, who are both geniuses in their own right, but I have mixed emotions on this one. On on hand, I find it very bizarre. But on the other hand, it captivated my attention. And that is most definitely what Lady Gaga (especially) and what Beyonce are all about.
Here's what got my attention:
First of all lady Gaga and Beyonce singing together-what a great combo-the 2 best female musicians in the business
Then of course the outfits/costumes/fashion,whatever you want to call it.
Next was the weird storyline, its nearly 10 minutes long!
After watching this video, I was so focused on the video that I didn't actually pay attention the actual song, until I watched it a second time around.

What do you think about this video?

Sitting in class

Today, I was sitting in class, after running around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to get to my study abroad sheets signed and done with, and I thought to myself how fast College has gone by. Also how I will be going abroad next semester and coming back with only a year and a half left of College.
It sad,exciting, and mostly scary!
I know our parents are saying how we have all grown up so fast and blah blah blah, but I actually feel like they are right. I can't believe this summer I will no longer be a teenager. WOW.
I still feel like a kid inside though. I am a big kid who worries and little more and unfortunately has a lot more responsibility. But this kid is not ready to enter the big and bad world quite yet. I remember the vivid imagine of my teacher Mr.Griffin describing the reality of your first job. He said first day you are excited and are screaming with pride inside (WOOP WOOP!), then the next week you are like okay still pretty cool and feeling good and lucky about having this job (WOOP!). Then you become a little less pump it up about your job until it becomes a reaity that this is what you are going to be doing for years to come!

"These are the best days of your lives,so put on a smile and you'll be alright."
-Calvin Harris

I'm not quite ready for this. But I guess I have to wake up to the reality that College is not forever and I should cherish every single day, where I have a couple of assignments and tests here and there which seem super stressful at the time but after a couple days they seem like ancient history.
Also once you get the important things out of the way, you can go and enjoy a night out with your friends whether it be a simple movie, dinner, or night on the town. You have to budget your money, but the parents are there to back you up in case of emergency. And you don't have to get up everyday before 8am. You can arrange your schedule! how amazing is that?

Great Recent Technological Inventions

I have tried to think of some things which I would consider the best inventions in technology over the past few years. I came up with these few as my personal favorites.
SKYPE (free calling to anywhere in the world.how GENIUS!)
BLACKBERRY BBM (can send pics, voice notes, recordings for free and see if they got delivered and read),
Iphone applications (the list of amazing and useful apps on this device is mind-blowing and could go on all day, but I have to admit this would be the only reason why I would ever switch from the crackberry to an iphone.)
GPS NAVIGATION ( for all those times you were meant to look up your destination on Google maps, but never had the time to get around to it. Thank you for getting me to places on time GPS!)
Of course there is the IPOD (for when you are working out,in the library, or driving in your car. Its small, sturdy ,and convenient.)
Facebook (can be dangerous for love relaionships, but is a great source for sending a quick message or sharing some love by writing on the wall of your friends. Especially to your friends who live in different countries and you rarely get to see)

..if only I had invented one of these devices..

Switzerland vs. America

After finding out where I am from most people either ask, "So do you speak Swedish?" where I reply gracefully but bubbling inside," No,in fact, they speak french over there." Or they will ask a difficult question, to which I still don't know exactly how to answer. They ask me what the biggest difference between Switzerland and the states is.
Some things which come to mind are:

The weather (at least compared to Texas). There is a lot more snow in Switz.
The food and portions sizes (very big difference). Switz has much healthier food, my personal favorite is the cheese fondue, which does not taste at all like the "American ""Swiss"" fondue"!
I remember flying over to the states and going to the MacDonald's in the airport, where I ordered a cheeseburger meal and I thought they got my order wrong because the size of the coke and fries they gave me could not possibly be a small, but indeed it was!
The pace of things are a lot slower in Europe. Nothing is open on Sundays, it is against the law to mow your lawns or do any handy man work that might disturb your neighbours. It is also a lot harder to find who you need or find what you want unless you are well connected or know how the European way of life works. It takes a while to get used to after living in the fast moving pace of the States. Personally, I like a mix of both. It is nice to go back in summer and take it easy, and then come back to the states for school and have everything readily available and open 24/7.
Things are a lot more expensive in Switzerland, it's even in the list of top 10 most expensive cities to live in,so you can only imagine. That is a definite advantage of the states.
In Geneva, one even has to pay 20 cents or so for ketchup or any sauces you want at McDonald's!
Also the landscape is very different. Switzerland has the Alps, Lakes ,and countryside which is very beautiful and clean, whereas the states is much more tall buildings and big cites, streets, and houses.

Those are a few of the examples, but I can never fully explain the difference of each place, because the States and Geneva have very different cultures and atmospheres. I feel very lucky to be a dual-citizen and that I am able to get the best of both worlds, because each country has it's advantages and disadvantages. But I love the US and Switzerland and I would not want to be from any other countries!

FLASHING LIGHTS LIGHTS LIGHTS

Today started off like my usual Sunday's do. I slept in, made myself a nice breakfast (an egg muffin and banana juice),then checked my emails and facebook for an hour or so. What made it different was that I would be doing a photoshoot. It was for my friend, Veronica, who for her latest project, needed to take portraits of someone. The idea was that the photos needed to be "raw", whatever that means. I have seen some of her photos from her class and they are beautiful. Her assignments for her class have ranged from playing with a certain type of lighting to picking a theme for a set of photos.
When I first arrived at the shoot, I was a bit apprehensive. But nonetheless I packed a huge bag of heels, accessories, makeup,and clothes and was excited! Even though I didn't know what to expect.
I have done a couple fashion shows during my high school years and modelled for Elie Saab,but I have never done any sort of photo shoot, so it was a new and exciting process for me.


I had several realizations during my "photo shoot":
First off never realised how hard it was to be in front of a camera the whole time and think of new poses and positions while trying to look good and not be stiff in front of a huge camera. The set up was amazing all the flash equipment and her amazing camera made me feel like i was the new Heidi Klum or something but I saw some of the pictures and then felt otherwise...reality hit...(its funny how the you begin to act and feel like a diva with all the flashes going off and once all the attention is directed towards you)

Also everything feels so different behind the camera. You think its going to look one way when you are doing it and then it turns out completely different once you see how it looks on the camera. Not only does the camera seem to add 10 pounds,but it is different seeing what body parts stand out in the lighting and what looks awkward in certain positions. It helped me to understand and respect photo shop a bit more too.

Another interesting aspect during the shoot, which lasted 3 hours and where we ended up taking around 300 pics, was how you feel very stiff and aware of everything in the beginning of the shoot and then by like the last 30 min of the shoot you begin to get a flow and feel at one with the camera.
I am interested to see which ones she decides to use for her project. Either way it was a very liberating experience and one of the most memorable sundays I have had in a while.

Not a smart car!

One of my close friends in Dallas used to own a Smart car. I can understand why you would want one or consider buying one: there are the parking benefits, it's relativily fast,easy to maneuvre, and it is not too expensive.
But on average in the US, 115 people die each day from a motor vehicle crashes. That is a lot! I think there should be a ban on driving smart cars in the US. Especially in Texas, with all of these horrendous pick-up trucks cruising around. It is not wise people! Imagine the impact of a normal sized car hitting the smart car.
Or just watch this short clip ..

THIS IS FOR ALL THE TIMES I THINK ABOUT AND MISS MY PARENTS

These 2 people are the most important people in my life. They love,support, and guide me.They have made me who I am to today. This might be sappy but my parents now live in Russia and the time difference is 9 hours! Therefore we either have to skype each other early in the morning or late a night. Calling is very expensive and we sometimes get cut off. My mom and I joke but kind of believe that the reason we get off is because there is someone listening in on us and we seem to get cut off everytime we talk about something which they don't understand or are suspicious about, "they" listen to us and cut us off. We have moved a lot because of my dad's job. We have had our ups and downs but this is the furthest I have been from my parents and it makes me realize how much I appreciate them.
I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD....




....and I can't forget about the brother,who always dealt with me and devilish/ sometimes selfish ways! He is also the one, whose rebellious ways I have always had to deal with.

its just the music talking to you baby...

My Ipod recently added Playlist at the moment consists of a mixture of different songs:

I'm a Rainbow too- Fatboy Slim
No Stress- Laurent Wolf
Soldier of Love-Sade
Sweet like Chocolate-Shanks and Bigfoot
3 Words- Cheryl Cole feat. Will.i.am
Try sleeping with a Broken Heart- Alicia Keys
Heartbreaker-John Legend


Some are oldies that I just remember and some are ones I discovered recently (either through radio,Internet or friends).
Also, even if you have not read my earlier post of guilty pleasures, you will notice my favorite type of music is HOUSE. I respect almost anyone who likes to fist pump or break it down to house music,(except Jersey Shore cast and look-alikes)!
But to the point, I don't thing it is possible for our world o survive without music.
I mean think about it everyone at least owns a radio,or computer,or ipod,or boom box, or CD player, or some form of technology where they can't listen to music or an instrument with which they can create music. Even if we don't have the natural singing ability or capabaility of playing an instrument, we all can dance and appreciate a good beat here and there to destress ourselves and let go.
LIFE WOULD NOT BE THE SAME, WITHOUT MUSIC.

RELIGION

Today on CNN I was watching the devastation in Chile after a deadly earthquake hit. Then I saw the warnings for a Tsunami in Hawaii. All my thoughts, and I could say prayers, went to the families of those in these cities which were going through these devastating days and nights.
A few moments later I thought to myself, why would God (if there is such a being) allow Tsunamis,Earthquakes, and natural disasters like this to happen. I thought of what responses I would get from people who are religious, such as my mom.
Some might say it would be test your beliefs in God (if you would still believe in him after such devastating events),or to test your beliefs in yourself, while others might say it is to demonstrate that "shit happens" (pls excuse my french as my grandma would say) and we need to accept that and know not everything in life will go as planned.
But the more I thought about it the more unsure I got about my beliefs, yet I did come to a sort of conclusion. I concluded that I do believe there is a higher power of some sort, that I can't define specifically. I don't believe the Bible is a good source of evidence to believe in God. Religious books such as the Bible or the Quran have good stories about morals and consequences, but people who follow these books like their life depends on it , I can't quite grasp.
I have learnt a bit about Muslims, catholics, Jews, and Buddhists and I find certain things in each religion to be true or something that I believe in. But I can't say I am a follower of any religion, since they all hold some discrepancies in my eyes. But that is the great part you can have your own religion and no one can judge you for that.
I do not know fully what my beliefs are yet, but I know that every one's religious beliefs develop or change throughout their life and so I hope to become more in touch with that side of myself and find myself at peace with my spirituality.

THINGS ARE SO CLOSE YET SO FAR AWAY..

Tick Tock Tick Tock..is the sound I am currently hearing in my head. This is the countdown clock until SPRING BREAk! It is currently a little less than a week away until I am back home in Geneva,Switzerland and am reunited with my parents and best buds! The only problem is the amount of things I have to accomplish before then.
First of all and most importantly is my Study abroad application, that is due march 1st, but which I originally thought was due April 1st. Therefore, I have numerous sheets to get signed and classes to be approved by the Psych, Advertising, and German department. But I have successfully made appointments this coming Monday and hopefully all will go as planned and I will be on my way to London next semester!
That is only the first of many other things I have left to do. I won't go into in-depth detail of all the other things, because only the thought of them stresses me out to the max. But here is what my mental list looks like on paper:
1) 3 Midterms
2) 2 Papers
3) need to go and buy the list of things my mom wants me to bring back home (ex: mad men series, American cake mixes ...)
4)pack for Geneva
5) pay bills
6)eat healthily and work out..in the hope of losing a pound or two before going back and seeing everyone(I wish!)

MY ULTIMATE GOAL WILL BE to accomplish this list!
But with poise and confidence, such as Marilyn Monroe would, even under such stressful times.

WISH ME LUCK

handicapped?

Walking out of Central Market this afternoon, after having a scrumptious lunch, fresh California rolls and some chocolate raisins, I noticed something which disturbed me. It was a BMW that I passed on the way back to my car, which turned into the handicap spot.
A guy, who I would assume was around my age, got out of the car. He had the handicapped parking permit dangling from his mirror and it was not illegal or anything. But he did not look or seem handicapped at all, he hopped out of his car and ran into central market! I assume he did this because he was in a hurry and he did not want to waste his valuable time finding a parking spot a few spots further down.
But I have seen this before, and mostly on campus, people who are perfectly fine somehow get or borrow a handicap sign and drive around with it on their mirror.
REALLY? Are we in that much of a hurry, that we would allow ourselves to make the handicapped people's lives that much harder, just so we can get that one parking spot near the entrance of our building or destination? I find it inconsiderate, extremely lazy, and disturbing! Especially since it is usually young people who are abusing this rule.
How do they get these leaflets anyways? Do you they take it from their grandparents who don't drive anymore? I don't even want to know...

Alice in Wonderland

Other than looking forward to this friday for spring break, I am really looking forward to the new movie Alice in WOnderland to come out! It is directed by Tim Burton, I am a huge fan of his, and will be released on March 5th. I am going to make sure I am right up there in line with all the little girls, which the majority of will probably be dressed up as Alice, in their little blue dresses.
With such a great cast: Anne Hathaway (white queen), Johnny Depp(Mad Hatter), Mia Wasikowska(ALice), and Helena Bonham Carter (red queen), it should be a great movie. The movie reviews have been really good thus far and the trailer is captivating.
Only 10 more days guys!
I am sure it will be a hit at the box office! But I don't want to get my hopes up, because there are always the movies which are overrated just because of the cast. I will have to write another post on what I think of the movie after I see it.
..to be continued..
check out the trailer

4 most popular Nickelodeon Characters.

The other day, I had to analyze a kids program for a psychology paper of mine. It brought me back to the old days when I was in Germany and would the German versions of the Rugrats. It also brought me back in touch with what all the new nickelodeon cartoons were. I found some interesting facts about all the cartoons and specifically which ones were the most popular. 2 of the were "oldies" which I used to watch as a kid and the other 2 are fairly newer ones. I thought I would bring us all back to those cartoon days for a brief moment. I am curious what it would have looked like in my parents days (mickey mouse black+white cartoons maybe..) and I will be curious to see how this list changes in the future..


SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS



I shamefully have some friends at the age of 19 and 20 years old, don't judge my friends, who love this show or at least have some sort of Spongebob Squarepants merchandise. This is the longest running Nicktoon, second to the Rugrats, not only that but its the most watched show on Nicktoons. In 2007, Time magazine rated Spongebob one of the greatest shows of all time! pretty impressive for a sponge...

DORA THE EXPLORER


Dora the Explorer became a regular series in 2000 and since then has been a jackpot. In 2004 the show earned 1 billion dollars on sales! Dora is a rather new cartoon and so I have never watched a full episode but I know my little cousins are very fond of her and I've seen all sorts of Dora coloring books and toys.


THE RUGRATS


Who doesn't know this series? I think my generation grew up watching the Rugrats, or at least I did! I remember the minute I would get home from school I would grab my snack and run into the living room to watch the it. This was one of the first 3 nicktoons and it centers around 4 babies and their adventurous lives.

THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS



This is an animated cartoon series on Nickelodeon. It is a spin off from the Jimmy Neutron Movie, which was nominated for an Academy Award. It is the very 1st computer-animated series! Love it!

The film, Nine,is about a famous film director called Guido Contini (not the same Guido as in the Jersey Shore series), who struggles to find meaning in both his personal and professional life. He is portrayed as a smooth talker and is involved with many women, his wife(Marion Coltillard), mistress(Penelope Cruz),and muse(Nicole Kidman). Guido struggles with his next movie project, since he is a week away from production and he has no script. So the movie delves into his creative process.
Each woman shows Guido another side of life or source of inspiration. His Mistress is fun and sexy. His mom always tries to guide him and give advice. His wife is always classy and elegant.
In the beginning of the movie Guido has got it all;charming,witty,and good looking. But this all quickly takes a turn and Guido can't seem to find any inspiration. It is interesting seeing his creative process. He would lock himself on the set of his next film for nights at a time! Then would be greeted by hoards of press outside of his studio, showing the not so glamorous life of famous people.
It touches many different things we all experience in life. Infidelity,sadness, failure, relationship issues, procrastination, addiction (in Guido's case cigarettes and women) as well as when feelings of being invincible, success, big headed, loved and memories. The movie has great music,performances,actors and sense of reality. One of the best movies I have seen recently.

Green Police-->An Inconvenient Truth

After watching this commercial, which I thoroughly enjoyed, the next thought which popped in my head was I wonder what Al Gore thought about this commercial.
I can see Al Gore,during the Superbowl, watching this and really enjoying it. In 2006,he made a documentary called "An Inconvenient Truth", which was all about Global Warming and about the harmful effects our actions have on our planet. This documentary and the ad have vertical intertextuality. The ad uses humor to address the "serious" green police situation, while Al Gore used the scary facts and figures to get our attention.
Another example of vertical intertexuality that came to mind, was the old cop TV series on Comedy Central called "RENO 911". The cops in this ad make you giggle, just like the the cops on the comedy central show did,I wonder why that show ever got cancelled?!

spinach or spanish?!

This commercial reminds of everything that I that I don't care for and everything that I love about kids.
Their sweet little voices and how they can't prounounce all their vowels properly.
Their innocence.
How they think they are always right and argue about insignificant things, in our eyes, but very serious issues in their worlds.
How they make you laugh at the simplest of things.
How they make you forget about the stress and real world for a minute.
Reminds me of my brother and how we acted when we were younger* it triggers good memories of when I was young and free and careless..

PERSONALIZED M+M's

With Valentines day coming up, most of us will either be stuck trying to find the perfect and romantic gift for our loved one or we will be dreading the fact that there even such thing as Valentines days.
If you are either of these (which is everyone) I have found the solution for all...go to the m+m website link I have posted above and buy a packet of m+ms with your face on it. Its brilliant!
The process goes like this:
you can pick the color you want your m+m's to be.
you then pick a pic and/or enter a message that you want them to put on to your m+m's
ET VOILA indulge in them yourself and celebrate the fact that you are single and CAN mingle
OR send them to your lover,family members,friends and make their day.
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

10 Guilty Pleasures of Mine

1. Moelleux au Chocolat(aka Chocolate Lava Cake in the States)
2. Early Morning shows(Regis+Kelly, Hoda+ Kathie Lee Today Show, etc..)
3. Big Juicy Hamburger at Village Burger Bar
4. Crackberry (aka Blackberry)+ BBM
5. Jesus Luz (Brazilian Model/DJ aka Madonna's boy toy)
6. Shopping (especially in huge American malls)
7. spa/relaxation/"ME" days
8. staying out late on days that I should not be out at all.
9. Movie-Forumz.org (everyone should join, its got movies that are not even in the cinema yet)
10.House Music (probably due to my european upbringing)

LOVE and Marriage

So I was thinking about love and marriage ( reminds me of the old Frank Sinatra song)the other day and I realised there is a trend. First one, divorce rate is the largest it has ever been before at 50%! It is almost disturbing how common divorce nowadays and how I can only think of about 5 or 6 of my friends, whose parents are happily married,(not including those whose parents have gotten remarried). Divorce is certainly not something to be taken lightly; especially with kids.
I feel, well marriage is just a contract. There are exciting parts of the deal and not so exciting parts of the deal. But ultimately, marriage is something people are just doing, its as if people left and right are getting married or engaged. And some even get engaged for months or years, what is the point of that?
Also Is if marriage is a natural thing? Are we supposed to be with the same person for the rest of our lives?So what is the point of marriage if 1 out of 2 happy couples are choosing to ruin their perfectly good relationship?
I'm guessing there is sense of financial security, you have someone who will do anything in the world for you,Children... but all of these things can happen without a contract and getting married.
To me all that really changes is your last name. Who knows though when your in love you will do anything for your partner!

SO while I was driving in my car listening to the radio, there was a food specialist who was on. This woman was giving suggestions to people calling in, who were asking advice on which herbs mix well together tips on new+innovative dishes. First off, all this talk about food a) made me hungry and b) reminded me of what my goal was when I moved into an apartment last semester: which was to learn how to cook/eat healthy.
I know how to cook the basics: eggs, french toast, spaghetti bolognese,a couple chicken dishes and a couple others,but overall I would have to say I am disappointed in my progress. I could blame it on many things (such as budget,not enough time, etc..) But at the end of the day it all comes down to laziness, I have got into the habit of buying the ready made microwavable curry meals,frozen pizzas, lasagna..(and the list goes on. Instead I should be buying the sauces/herbs/ingredients and having a go at it myself. Hopefully, thanks to the new edition of Bon Appetit, that I bought on my way home, I will be able to make some meals which I can impress my parents and friends with when they come over to my place!

My Life Through Rose Colored Glasses

Ma Vie en rose is french for "my life through rose colored glasses", which is the name I chose for my blog. About 2 years ago I saw a film called "La Vie en rose" it was a film about a french singer and icon Edith Piaf.
She was quite a character but had a fascinating life! Edith was born on the pavement in Paris, and supposedly, she was blind from the age of 4 until the age of 7, until she was miraculously healed after by her grandmother. After years of struggling to make it in the show business industry, she was finally discovered by a nightclub owner, who saw something in Edith that no one else did. This nightclub owner was the one who started her trademark apparel, which was a black dress and since Edith was very shy, he also worked on getting rid of all her insecurities. I think he helped her to eventually she became one of the most well known french singers to this day. She died at the prime age of only 47 from liver cancer,probably thanks to her morphine and alcohol addiction.
But her songs are fab and they do what music should do, which is touch your heart and soul. Unfortunately, it's hard to say that about songs today, since most of them are remakes of songs from our parents and grandparents generations. But back to the point,no matter how many remakes are made of Edith Piaf's songs, her original versions are always the best ones. I love 'La Vie en rose' en francais, but I posted it in English so everyone can really understand her talent, (another fav. of mine is her 'Non, Je ne regrette rien'.) Check them out, when your studying and are tired of listening to the same playlist on your itunes.