Monday, January 31, 2011

I no longer believed in the idea of soul mates, or love at first sight. But I was beginning to believe that a very few times in your life, if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. Not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together.

Blue-Eyed Devil, Lisa Kleypas

Here is a Georgia State Trooper in riot gear at a KKK protest in a north Georgia city back in the 80s. The Trooper is black. Standing in front of him and touching his shield is a curious little boy dressed in a Klan hood and robe. I have stared at this picture and wondered what must have been going through that Trooper’s mind. Before the Trooper is an innocent child who is being taught to hate him because of the color of his skin. The child doesn’t understand what he is being taught, and at this point he doesn’t seem to care. Like any other child his curiosity takes hold and he wants to explore this new thing that this man is holding probably because he can see his reflection in it and that’s a neat thing and he wants to check it out. In this picture I see innocence mixed with hate, the irony of a black man protecting the right of white people to assemble in protest against him, temperance in the face of ignorance, and hope that racism can be broken because this young boy may remember that a black man smiled at him once and he didn’t seem so bad after all.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Every time you appreciate something; every time you praise something; every time you feel good about something, you are telling the Universe: “MORE OF THIS, PLEASE!” You need never make another verbal statement of this intent and, if you are mostly in a state of appreciation, all good things will flow to you.

Saturday, January 29, 2011


April 2, 1954: A couple is photographed moments after learning that their 19-month-old child had been swept out to sea at Hermosa Beach. That morning, Times photographer Jack Gaunt was at his beachfront home when he heard a neighbor shout, “Something’s happening on the beach!” Gaunt grabbed his Rolliflex camera and headed toward the shoreline. His photograph appeared on the front page of The Times the next day. The image won the 1955 Pulitzer Prize for press photography; the Pulitzer committee called the photo “poignant and profoundly moving.” But for Gaunt, the image was hard to bear at first, his daughter recalled in Gaunt’s 2007 Times obituary.

Source: community.livejournal.com

Maxence Cyrin - Where Is My Mind (The Pixies Piano Cover)


Pixies piano cover of “Where is My Mind?”

unusual words ⇢

lygerastia: the condition of one who is only amorous when the lights are out.
brontide: the low rumbling of distant thunder.
dactylion: the tip of a middle finger.
nudiustertian: pertaining to the day before yesterday.
gargalesthesia: the sensation caused by tickling.
petrichor: the smell of rain on dry ground.
dendolatry: worship of trees.
lethologica: the inability to recall a precise word for something.
psithurism: a whispering sound, i.e: the sound of wind in trees, or rustling leaves.
witzelsucht: a feeble attempt at humour.
epeolatry: worship of words.
woundy: excessively; extremely.
tacenda: things not to be mentioned.
naupathia: sea sickness.
baisemain: a kiss on the hand.

Chuck close’s method of painting is amazing, but once you know his background as an artist it’s incredible. he is paralyzed from the neck down and also suffers from face blindness (along with a number of other learning-sort of disabilities). He cannot recongize faces, even those of close family or friends. Click through for a wiki
Imagine yourself standing on a dusty lunar plain looking up at the sky. Overhead hangs Earth, nightside down, completely hiding the sun behind it. The eclipse is underway. You might expect Earth seen in this way to be utterly dark, but it’s not. The rim of the planet is on fire! As you scan your eye around Earth’s circumference, you’re seeing every sunrise and every sunset in the world, all of them, all at once. This incredible light beams into the heart of Earth’s shadow, filling it with a coppery glow and transforming the Moon into a great red orb.
~ Dr. Tony Phillips

what you need:

a small glass of rubbing alcohol or vodka
10 strips of newspaper (bigger than your nails)
LIGHT nailpolish. white, clear, light pink, etc. anything LIGHT
now do this:

dip your nails in the alcohol for a while so the whole nail is wet
press a strip of the newspaper on your nail and hold firmly for 30 seconds. do NOT move the strip, keep it firm
go over with a clear coat so it’ll last
I happen to believe the world will change only when we change ourselves. And that starts with finding ourselves. And that starts with listening to ourselves: learning to quiet the clamor in our minds and the voices of everyone around us and move toward what feels right- towards the things we know, for reasons we can’t explain, that we’re meant to do, the things that make us feel alive.
- Kelly Cutrone - If You Have To Cry Go Outside, And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You

60 Ways To Make Life Simple Again ⇢

Have been continuously focusing on:

Don’t try to read other people’s minds. Don’t make other people try to read yours. Communicate.
Be polite, but don’t try to be friends with everyone around you. Instead, spend time nurturing your relationships with the people who matter most to you.
Live below your means. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need.
Get off your high horse, talk it out, shake hands or hug, and move on.
Don’t waste your time on jealously. The only person you’re competing against is yourself.
Ask someone if you aren’t sure.
Don’t try to please everyone. Just do what you know is right. Don’t worry too much about what other people think about you.
Your health is your life, keep up with it.
Always be honest with yourself and others.
Clean up after yourself. Don’t put it off until later.
Maintain your car, home, and other personal belongings you rely on.
Smile often, even to complete strangers.
Treat everyone with the same level of respect you would give to your grandfather and the same level of patience you would have with your baby brother.
Apologize when you should.
Write things down.
Be curious. Don’t be scared to learn something new. Explore new ideas and opportunities often. Don’t be shy. Network with people. Meet new people.
Drink water when you’re thirsty.
Realize that the harder you work, the luckier you will become, so find hard work that you actually enjoy doing!
Take it slow and add up all your small victories.
However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. Accept this simple fact.
Realize that you’re never quite as right as you think you are.
Make mistakes, learn from them, laugh about them, and move along.
Newly working on:

Get enough sleep every night. An exhausted mind is rarely productive.
Get up 30 minutes earlier so you don’t have to rush around like a mad man.
Surround yourself with people who fill your gaps. Let them do the stuff they’re better at so you can do the stuff you’re better at.
Organize your living space and working space.
Get rid of stuff you don’t use.
Handle important two-minute tasks immediately.
Single-task. Do one thing at a time and give it all you got.
Finish one project before you start another.
Make a weekly (healthy) menu, and shop for only the items you need.
If you hate doing it, stop it.
Exercise every day. Simply take a long, relaxing walk or commit 30 minutes to an at-home exercise.
Let go of things you can’t change. Concentrate on things you can.

Egypt: A Nation Forced Offline (January 25th, 2011 Protests)

Friday, January 28, 2011

Egypt Jan 25






Egyptian demonstrators pray in central Cairo during a protest to demand the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak and calling for reforms on January 25, 2011. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Cairo, facing a massive police presence, to demand the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in a protest inspired by Tunisia’s popular uprising.
When some atoms of Hydrogen are mixed with Oxygen ,they form water
but with Nitrogen ,they form Ammonia
Human beings are just like chemical reactions ..
try to find your matching element to form a unique compound
or enjoy your life as a free element

Thursday, January 27, 2011

A photo of something you really hate.

This is a photo of the first Black girl to attend an all white school in the United States—Dorothy Counts—being jeered and taunted by her white, male peers.

This photo encompasses a lot of things that I really hate: prejudice, ignorance, racism, sexism, inequality…etc.

Makes me angry too. “After four days of harassment that threatened her safety, her parents forced her to withdraw from the school.”

You know what’s funny? Those assholes don’t mean anything to history. They are unimportant and will only be known as the guys who were disrespectful and rude to someone so important. But Dorothy will be remembered in history as the girl who stayed strong.


Woman In Moroccan Palace (Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn), Marrakech, Morocco By Irving Penn, 1951

Photo by Aaron Nace ..
So far he’s the most Creative, Talented and most Amazing Photographer I’ve ever seen !

Carrie: The most important thing in life is your Family ..
There are days you Love them, and others you don’t ..
But in the end ..
they’re the People you Always come home to ..
Sometimes it’s the Family you’re Born into ..
and sometimes it’s the One you make for Yourself ..

Sex and the City

Made for Lady Gaga



I’m sure Lady Gaga is interested ..
People are so fucking dumb. Nobody reads anymore, nobody goes out and looks and explores the society and culture that they were brought up in. People have attention spans of 5 seconds and as much depth as a glass of water.

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle ..
Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind ..
But then, one winter’s night, an old beggar woman came to the castle,
and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold ..
Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away ..
But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within ..
And when he dismissed her again, the old woman’s ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress ..
The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart ..
And as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there ..
Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world ..
The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his 21st year ..
If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken ..
If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time ..
As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope ..
For who could ever learn to love a beast ?

-Beauty and the Beast, 1991-

Dating tips from the past



نحن مجتمع سلبي جدا تجاه كل ما يحدث حوله .
بل إننا - كمجتمع - مصابون بانفصام الشخصية !
من الخارج، ثقافتنا إسلامية، ونهلل ونسبح بحمد الله، ويكاد أحدنا يموت من شدة الورع !
ونرتبك لخروج خصلة شعر امرأة من وراء الحجاب..
ونغض النظر عما يحدث وراء ألف حجاب وحجاب !!
كيف نكون مجتمعا إسلاميا، وأخلاق “شارعنا” لا علاقة لها بالإسلام ؟!
في الشارع : تجد الراشي والمرتشي واللص.. وجميعهم يحظون بالاحترام والتقدير من سكان الشارع .
في الشارع: تجد الأطفال يتعرضون للاختطاف كل يوم، والمخدرات تباع عند الزوايا.. ولا يقوم أي منا بتبليغ الجهات المختصة عن البائع والمشتري.. لأنه “عيب تبلّغ على قرايبك” !
في الشارع: مرّت عليك ألف مساهمة عقارية.. و999 منها تنتهي بـ”طلايب وعلمن خايب”.
ما الذي ستقوله عن سكان هذا الشارع ؟..
منافقون يقولون ما لا يفعلون ؟.. أم جبناء لا يعرفون كيف يطالبون بحقوقهم ؟.. أم سذّج كل من أتى إليهم “ضحك عليهم “.. أم إنهم - وببساطة - ليسوا سوى مرضى بانفصام في الشخصية ؟

الإسلام دين عظيم، وقبل أن يكون وعداً لآخرة رائعة فيها الفوز بالجنة والنجاة من النار..
هو مخطط ودستور لحياة رائعة، ودنيا من العدل والرحمة والصدق والنزاهة والشرف، وعندما ترى مجتمعا (مسلماً) فيه كل هذا الخلل في العلاقات والأخلاق، والخروج عن القانون.. تصل إلى نتيجتين لا ثالثة لهما:
إما إن هذا المجتمع لديه الكثير من الفهم الخاطئ لدينه..
أو أنه “شبه مسلم” من الخارج، وفي العمق هو أقرب إلى كائن مشوّه لا يدري إلى أين ينتمي

* جزء من مقال ( عن شارعنا وسكانه ) لمحمد الرطيان

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Jeddah Flood 26 Jan 2011


I DON'T understand! Is it THAT hard to build the structure of this damn city correctly?! Haven't they learned form the first time?! People are dying and drowning just from a little rain!! THIS IS JUST SO STUPID AND SHAMEFUL!! MAY ALL THOSE RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING AND KEEP STEALING THE MONEY BURN IN HELL!

May god help all the people stuck in their cars in the middle of the roads, and inside the hospital and educational buildings, may god save them from the collapsing roofs, the flooding roads, and the burning objects that burned because of the electric interaction with the water.

the story behind Mulberry's Alexa




It's a satchel. Or perhaps a briefcase. Or perhaps a handbag. Or perhaps all three. It's definitely a trophy, a portable statement of a desire to be considered fashionable, the leather expression of cool. It's the hottest, most recherché designer piece of the year. It's the Mulberry Alexa, the £750 handbag that's beating the recession, ruling over 2010's accessory market, inspiring a high-street homage or 10, and insuring that at least one British company surfs this wave of the economic downturn with breathless ease.

In October, luxury brand Mulberry reported that its sales had risen by 57% across the label's 40 UK stores in the proceeding 10 weeks when compared with the same period in 2009. Like-for-like sales increased by 79% across its 90 international stores. Mulberry is turning into one of those freaky anomalies the recession occasionally produces; one of the very few companies beating the odds of this grim financial climate, expanding while everything around it falters or fails. A lot of the company's success has rested on the crazy popularity of this one bag, which Mulberry unleashed on to its adoring public in January 2010.

The Alexa was conceived in tribute to Alexa Chung, the British broadcaster, model and fashion icon so routinely referenced in the style press that she'd be something of a meaningless cliché if she weren't quite so good at wearing clothes. The bag was first mooted after Mulberry creatives leafed through a magazine and spotted a photograph of Chung carrying an Elkington, Mulberry's classic men's briefcase. "We loved how it looked," says Emma Hill, Mulberry's creative director, the woman credited with much of the label's recent success, "and we thought designing a bag that was inspired by Alexa, by that particular image, was just… a nice thing to do. And, of course, Mulberry has this tradition of naming bags after girls. But it wasn't a collaboration [with Chung]; she didn't contribute to the design process."

Hill wanted to channel Chung's low-key, deshabillé, coolest-girl-in-sixth-form sensibility; and also the boysy, briefcase-y spirit of the Elkington. She concocted the Alexa template accordingly. "I don't believe in labouring things," Hill says. "If it isn't working by the first or second prototype, I walk away." But the Alexa was working. Did Hill know immediately that she'd hit on a winner?

"It was one of those things where you see the first proto, and you go: 'Oooh…' I call it a nose twitcher. I see [a prototype] and my nose twitches, because I can smell the money."

The smell of money is not the kind of sentiment you'd expect to hear invoked in the winter of 2010. Our jobs and pensions are under threat, for heaven's sake. And yet Hill could smell money: in one week in November alone, 380 Alexas were sold. Three hundred and eighty women spent £750 (at least) on one particular handbag. How? Why?

Hill thinks that in some ways the recession helped build the bag's fortune. "It sort of was the perfect bag at the perfect time," she says. "It was originally made at our factory in Somerset [subsequently, spiralling demand for the Alexa meant that production had to be moved abroad] and I think there is a sense in a recession that people want to buy British. I remember during the recession of my childhood, of the 1970s, that people wanted to buy from Marks & Spencer and John Lewis on a point of principle; I think this comes from the same place. But also, it's an adaptable bag – you can wear it in different ways. Over your shoulder, over your body, carry it in your hand. So it feels like you're getting more, in that sense. And it's not gaudy. It's easy, understated, but kind of exceptional. I always say it's the anti-It bag that somehow became an It bag."

Other justifications surface regarding the country's enduring, apparently recession-proof love affair with pricey handbags in general and the Alexa in particular. There's the cost-per-wear argument: you carry a handbag everywhere, every day, and so you get your money's worth from it. There's the chance that it's testimony to our ongoing need for some glamour, some decadent consuming, whatever else. "I spent my 20s not paying the rent so I could buy nice shoes," Hill says. "Women will probably always do that."

However it works, whatever drives it, whatever it says about us, Mulberry's singular ability to tap our bag lust and transform it into hard cash is impressive. Will anything come after the Alexa, though? "Oh yeah," says Hill. "Next year it'll be all about the Tillie. She's the new Alexa." The Tillie is a mid-sized, boxy-shaped, soft leather bag which builds on the utilitarian-luxe feel of the Alexa and moves it on slightly. The Tillie's making Hill's nose twitch lately. "But," she says, "the Alexa will keep going. We did different things to prolong its life with the new collection; we did it in what we call 'Bonkers': tiger prints, shrunken shapes, an Alexa camera bag. You know. For the die-hard Alexa fans." And there are clearly a fair few of them knocking around.


Another Story:
I love my oversized Mulberry Alexa. She makes me feel so confident, she brightens up any outfit and I love hugging her soft leather. I love the admiration she gets, I love it when people compliment her and I love swishing her off my arm as I walk through the more fancy parts of town. We’re best friends. I’m never letting her go.

Health Benefits of Grapefruit


Health Benefits of Grapefruit :

The health benefits of grapefruit are
too many to be overlooked.
Its albedo contains many anti-cancer
agents that help fight a host of diseases.


and it's very helpful in removing or dissolving inorganic calcium which may have formed in the cartilage of the joints, as in arthritis, as a result of an excessive consumption of devitalized white flour products. Fresh grapefruit contains organic salicylic acid, which aids in dissolving such inorganic calcium in the body.
Grapefruit can help in weight loss, since it is low in sodium, high in fat burning enzymes. Low sodium intake can help flush out excess water that is caused by high sodium food.
Grapefruit has high water content, and an increased water consumption can help increase metabolism.
Grapefruit is a rich source of Vitamin C
Grapefruit is rich in lycopene (the red color/pigment), it helps to prevent the occurance of tumor and cancer.
It is a liver tonic
Helps in cases of Gallstones
Helps in cases of Cold, Pneumonia, Fever
It is a powerful drug-poison eliminator
Helps in proper digestion of food
Can help improve complexion
Grapefruit is a natural antiseptic for wounds when used externally.
Nutritive Values : Per 100 gm.

Nutritional Benefits

Grapefruit doesn't only contain vitamin C which is commonly known to be protective against cold or flu. It is not just one nutrient that helps prevent a certain disease, but rather the combination of several ingredients in it that does the trick. This is the kind of nutritional power that we can find only in the way God makes our natural food.

This juicy fruit contains citric acid, natural sugars, essential oils like limonene, pinene and citral. It has high amounts of vitamin C, and smaller amounts of vitamin A, B complex, E and K.

In the mineral department, larger amounts of calcium, folic acid, phosphorus, and potassium are found. The nutritive phytonutrients of this voluptuous fruit¾liminoids, flavonoids, lycopene and glucarates¾help fight cancer and various diseases.


Health Benefits

When eating or juicing grapefruit, peel off the skin but leave as much of the albedo intact as possible as it contains the highest amount of valuable bioflavonoids and other anti-cancer agents.

Acidity: Although grapefruit has a sub-acid taste, its juice actually has an alkaline reaction after digestion. This has a profound effect in the treatment of acidity in the digestive system that causes a host of other health problems.

Atherosclerosis: Pectin in this fruit has been found to be effective in reducing the accumulation of arterial deposits, and the vitamin C helps to strengthen and maintain the elasticity of arteries.

Breast cancer: In another study, the bioflavonoids found in grapefruit was discovered to even halt cancer cells from spreading in breast cancer patients, by ridding the body of excess estrogen.

Common cold: A common cold is usually your body telling you that you are overworked. A regular drink of grapefruit during a stressful period gives your immune system the boost needed to prevent it coming on.

Cholesterol: A certain compound found in grapefruit helps reduce the excessive production of cholesterol from the liver.

Diabetes: A diabetic can safely eat a grapefruit. In fact, more consumption of this fruit will help reduce the starches and sweets in the system. If you have a tendency towards diabetes, consume more grapefruit juice to prevent it.

Digestive disorder: This juice helps to promote digestion by increasing the flow of gastric juices. Eat the fruit together with its albedo and pith for their extra fiber that aids bowel movements.

Fatigue: At the end of a long and tiring day, drink a glass of grapefruit juice with lemon juice in equal parts with a little honey, to dispel all fatigue and tiredness.

Fever: Besides drinking plenty of fluids, also drink grapefruit juice to reduce fever.

Insomnia: A drink of grapefruit juice before bedtime, helps to promote sleep and alleviates insomnia.

Pregnant woman: The bioflavonoids and vitamin C help to reduce water retention and swelling of the legs during pregnancy.

Sore throat: Drinking a freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice helps relieve sore throats and soothes coughs.

Stomach and pancreatic cancer: The anti-cancer agents in grapefruit (especially in the albedo) are particularly protective against these cancers in the digestive system.

Weight-loss: This fruit has a fat-burning enzyme and can help to absorb and reduce the starch and sugar in the body. It is widely consumed by people who are trying to lose weight. If you don't fall under the category of people mentioned below (look at "Caution" colum), then take a glass of grapefruit juice twice a day and eat normally.

Consumption Tips

Choose grapefruits like how you would oranges¾firm and springy to the touch. If you can, choose the pink and red variety which are slightly sweeter.

Keep grapefruits at room temperature before juicing to get the most out of it. To prepare, quarter the fruit and peel off the skin.

If you find the grapefruit juice too bitter or sour, mix with a little honey or with juices of other sweeter fruits.



Caution

Grapefruit contains high levels of flavonoid naringin that will reject synthetic man-made drugs. This is beneficial for our human cells because it helps to recognize alien compounds which should not be in our body, therefore, are treated as toxins.

The presence of grapefruits may halt the metabolism of these drugs, leaving the drugs in your body thus creating the risk of toxic poisoning. Doctors may tell you that grapefruit is the cause of the toxicity, but in fact, it is really the drugs that is causing the toxicity.

If you are not under medication, grapefruit juice can do a world of good. However, despite all its goodness, always remember to take only in moderation. Excessive consumption of any citrus juices can leach calcium from the body system, causing decay of the bones and teeth.

Vitamin A : Trace
Vitamin B : Thiamine .04 mg.;
Riboflavin : .02 mg.;
Niacin : .2 mg.
Vitamin c ; 40 mg.
Calcium : 22 mg.
Iron : .2 mg.



I understand the diaper thing, if a woman really changed a dirty diaper on the table that’s gross. Kim, where exactly are you eating?
Also? Weren’t you the girl who got peed on in a sex tape?

But I don’t want to talk about that.

What I’d like to talk about is this covering up while…
Life seems so pointless when I really think about it. What am I even striving for? My Bachelor’s degree? And then what? A decent paying job? My Master’s Degree? And then, I suppose, I should strive for a husband and a family? It just seems so methodical and mundane. Sometimes I wake up and I just can’t find a reason for being alive. I know that sounds weird, but I genuinely don’t mean it in a suicidal way, just matter-of-factly. I wish I could go away for a few months. I love my friends and family but right now I just feel like I annoy everyone.

Natalie Portman: Spreading Her Wings



Natalie Portman Photographed for the January Issue of Vogue by Peter Lindbergh


by Joan Juliet Buck | photographed by Peter Lindbergh

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Never Le Me Go



Watched this last night, I don’t have anything to say about it, except for the fact that it was probably one of the most heartbreaking movies I have seen in a really long time. But that’s not to say that it wasn’t good. It was actually brilliant. the movie are supposed to stir the viewer’s emotion, to make them question everything, to change them in ways they never thought they could, to make them feel emotions with an intensity they never knew they had..
It was absolutely perfect. Carey Mulligan is such a talented actress.
“ That is the simple secret of happiness. Whatever you are doing, don’t let past move your mind; don’t let future disturb you. Because the past is no more, and the future is not yet. To live in the memories, to live in the imagination, is to live in the non-existential. And when you are living in the non-existential, you are missing that which is existential. Naturally you will be miserable, because you will miss your whole life."
— Osho

“I once hand made a girlfriend a 50 page leather bound book. It was an illustrated fairy tale about a princess and an eccentric magician. The magician had his heart broken so badly in the past that instead of keeping it in his chest where it could easily get hurt again, he kept it locked up in a rusty trunk under his bed, where it had withered into a shriveled apricot. A lot happens that can’t really be summed up in one paragraph, but at the end, his apricot heart swells to the size of a house and they end up living happily ever after inside of it. It took me about a month to make, it was all rhyming, hand painted… something I was pretty gosh darn proud of. I really poured a lot into it, and I think its filled with some of my best paintings yet. Sadly in real life the story didn’t end as happy as it did in the book. Lets just say I’m living alone in that giant apricot heart at the moment.”

“ I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought, there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it’s true I’m here, and I’m just as strange as you.
— Frida Kahlo

King said in an interview that this photograph was taken as he tried to explain to his daughter Yolanda why she could not go to Funtown, a whites-only amusement park in Atlanta. King claims to have been tongue-tied when speaking to her. “One of the most painful experiences I have ever faced was to see her tears when I told her Funtown was closed to colored children, for I realized the first dark cloud of inferiority had floated into her little mental sky.”
“ I believe we inherit a great river of knowledge, a flow of patterns coming from many sources. The information that comes from deep in the evolutionary past we call genetics. The information passed along from hundreds of years ago we call culture. The information passed along from decades ago we call family, and the information offered months ago we call education. But it is all information that flows through us. The brain is adapted to the river of knowledge and exists only as a creature in that river. Our thoughts are profoundly molded by this long historic flow, and none of us exists, self-made, in isolation from it.
— David Brooks in What the science of human nature can teach us.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Black Swan soundtrack - Vitaliy Zavadskyy


Black Swan





I just watched Black Swan!! It was such a thrilling movie! Aside from the VERY explicit scenes, That movie was so freakin weird… but it was pretty freaking awesome and purley amazing. honestly, I’d put it with in the lines of a few high up there movies. it’s so moving, and just a work of art. at the end of the movie I was just sitting there with my mouth open, it was beyond amazing. this movie deserves much more then it’s been getting,It keeps you wondering what the heck is wrong with her the whole movie, and it takes a second to get what happened at the end…but still. THUMBS UP.
And I definitely give props to Natalie Portman, I can only imagine how hard this role was. I heard she had some kinda breakdown while filming this? I can see why. The role is crazy, and looks ridiculosly challenging.
it’s a great movie. it’s worth it to go see, maybe even twice. Well, I shan’t say anymore, except that this is a MUST WATCH movie absolutely loved all the darkness and how twisted it was. Totally awesome.

GO AND WATCH IT!!
I’m done being depressed. I’m done getting down on myself. I can’t believe I never realized how simple it is. I just need to be happy, and not let myself feel other wise. There’s no reason why I should be wallowing in despair over ephemeral things. Shit could be a lot worse - and it has been in the past - and I’m grateful for what I have now. No more self-loathing, no more brooding, no more doubting; just positive feelings from now on.

Sushi Nutrition Facts



One food that a large number of people choose to eat when they have a ‘cheat’ day on their diet is sushi (Like me). The great thing about sushi is that while it is higher in carbohydrates, it’s also lower in fat and is still relatively healthy if you choose properly and keep your portion sizes moderate so it’s one that won’t really steer you too far in the wrong direction.

Due to the fact that sushi is primarily composed of rice, you will take in many of the same nutrients that are found in this food. Just do keep in mind the fact that as it is white rice sushi is typically made of the overall nutritional value of it is going to be lower.

If you choose sushi that comes with smoked salmon or tuna, you’ll be getting a very good source of protein there and possibly some omega-3 fatty acids as well. The fish found in sushi tends to contain quite a high amount of phosphorus and potassium, so those are two other nutrients that you’ll take in when indulging in this meal.

One final thing that should be noted however is those that are watching their sodium intake may want to stay away from sushi, or at the very least stay away from having it with the soy sauce that’s typically served as it is incredibly high in sodium content.

Storing/Selecting
Since many varieties of sushi do contain raw fish you’re definitely going to be best off serving this food absolutely fresh. It can be stored in the fridge for a short period of time but even then it should be not left more than a day or two otherwise you’re going to risk it going bad.

Eat It With:
Sushi is usually eaten with soy sauce, wasabi, and sometimes ginger as mentioned above and can either be served as-is for the main course or alongside other sushami or sushi varieties. Most people will choose to consume a mixed tray of sushi so they get a taste of everything that this food has to offer.

Burn Off Sushi
To burn off the number of calories in sushi you would have to do:

38 minutes of intense rowing
34 minutes of running
65 minutes of golf

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

I received a blue box





my newest and loveliest Tiffany & Co!

I just got it today and LOVE it.It’s been a while since I got something from Tiffany’s. I finally have my own Tiffany Key! *PEEEH*

How to clone Chili's Molten Chocolate Cake

Monday, January 17, 2011


Café Scene, 1946

Artist: Raphael Soyer

Chocolate Brownie Marshmallow Crunch Bars


Fudge brownie, gooey marshmallow, chocolate peanut butter bars with rice krispies.


Things You'll Need:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 package (10 1/2 ounces) mini marshmallows
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

Instructions

1.Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

2.In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate, butter, and 3/4 cup of the semisweet chocolate chips on medium heat. Stir occasionally while melting. Set aside and cool for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, place the eggs and whisk thoroughly. Add in the sugar and vanilla. Stir the melted ingredients into the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in the dry sifted ingredients and mix well. Fold in the remaining 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips.

3.Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and even with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the corner of the pan comes out with moist crumbs.

4.Remove the brownies from the oven, and immediately sprinkle the marshmallows over them. Return the pan to the oven for 3 more minutes.

5.While the brownies are baking, place the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat, add the cereal,and mix well. Allow this to cool for 3 minutes or so.
6Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled before cutting. Makes 12 3×3-inch bars.
يقول جثري في كتاب نظريات التعلم :
“أن محو العادات و الارتباطات المُتعلمّة في حياتنا لا يتضمن التوقف عنها و عدم القيام بها فحسب !
بل يتضمن ذلك إحلال و إبدال تلك العادات و الارتباطات بعادات و ارتباطات جديدة ..
و عليه فإن الارتباطات و العادات يمكن محوها و القضاء عليها من خلال تشكيل عادات جديدة “
و بهذا المنظور يرى جثري أن ( النسيان ) يحدث عند الأفراد بسبب وجود خبرات جديدة تكفّ الخبرات السابقة ، إذ يرى أن خبرات جديدة في موقف ما .. تعمل على كفّ خبرات سابقة قد ارتبطت بهذا الموقف

Shakespeare. ›


My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there...

Sunday, January 16, 2011

I hope that Tunisia will get free elections soon... Ben Ali can run but he cannot "hide"... unless other countries turn the blind eye...

there are somethings about yourself, that you think you like to change
but you should know that, there is someone who’s gonna like you for everything you are
including those parts of you, that even you don’t like,
those gonna be the things he likes the most “

( Quote from Glee )

Handbook 2011

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Take time to pray and read your Bible daily.
6. Play more games.
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don’t have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don’t over do it. Keep your limits.
14. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don’t hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.
Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Think only of the best, work only for the best and expect only the best. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. Live in the faith that the whole world is on your side as long as you are true to the best that is in you.

laguna beach


*It’s just something that happens as you grow up. You realize it’s less important to have more friends and it’s more important to have real ones.

*You follow what you feel inside. It’s intuitive, you don’t have to try. It comes naturally.

“Why is it just when you get things together you hear from the one person who can pull it all apart?”

5 Ways to Deal with Negativity Towards Your Natural Hair


It’s funny how something as simple as hair can spark so much debate, heated conversations, and unsolicited advice. Especially when all you want to do is mind your business and just wear your hair the way it grows out of your head. Have people become so bold and comfy saying whatever they want about your hair? Seems so.

If you find yourself being the recipient of negative comments about your natural hair, here’s 5 ways I recommend to deal with it.



1. Completely ignore it. Act as if the negative comment was so insignificant that you didn’t even hear it. Goes something like this:

Negative commenter: Why don’t you just get a perm?
You: (blank stare) Hey, what’s for dinner? I sure am hungry.




2. Call ACME. Yeah, you know—the company Wile E. Coyote depended on for years to purchase gadgets to catch that wretched Road Runner.

Tip: Ask for the Afro Eject Device. What this does is anyone who reaches out to touch your hair without your permission will activate the Afro Eject causing them to catapult at trajectories even the most trained physics whiz can’t figure out.




3. Direct them to the wonderful online natural hair community. There are still people out there who think natural hair is ugly. Don’t get mad–they’re entitled to their opinion. Just send them the links to the many gorgeous heads of hair seen across the web like Nikole of The Moptop Maven and her homey Lori Cotton of His Hers Chicago; Jessie of Jessie Adore; Marian of MarianKihogo.com, etc., etc., etc. Basically kill them with natural hair fierceness.



4. Nonviolent protest. If the negativity comes from those close to you, rebel by wearing your hair as big as you can possibly get it. Nothing gets the point across quite like a big ole fro.



5. Confront the offender. All jokes aside (and I often find myself using humor in just about every situation to keep my stress levels low and myself happy), sometimes a good, clear conversation about how the offender’s comments about your hair make you feel and that they need to stop is often the best way. Just like with any confrontation, do it when you’re not emotional. Be calm, state your feelings, and move on. You’ve got better things to worry about like the millions of hairstyles you can style your hair in.

born in ” 1988 “




What happened in

1988

In 1988, the world was a different place.

There was no Google yet. Or Yahoo. Or Tumblr, for that matter.

In 1988, the year of your birth, the top selling movie was Rain Man. People buying the popcorn in the cinema lobby had glazing eyes when looking at the poster.

Remember, that was before there were DVDs. People were indeed looking at movies in the cinema, and not downloading them online. Imagine the packed seats, the laughter, the excitement, the novelty.

Do you know who won the Oscars that year? The academy award for the best movie went to Rain Man. The Oscar for best foreign movie that year went to Pelle the Conqueror. The top actor was Dustin Hoffman for his role as Raymond Babbitt in Rain Man. The top actress was Jodie Foster for her role as Sarah Tobias in The Accused. The best director? Barry Levinson for Rain Man.

In the year 1988, the time when you arrived on this planet, books were still popularly read on paper, not on digital devices. Trees were felled to get the word out. The number one US bestseller of the time was The Cardinal of the Kremlin by Tom Clancy. Oh, that’s many years ago. Have you read that book? Have you heard of it? Look at the cover!

In 1988… The Soviet Union begins its program of economic restructuring, perestroika, with legislation initiated by Premier Mikhail Gorbachev. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is established, creating the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States. Taiwan President Chiang Ching-kuo dies in Taipei; Vice-President Lee Teng-hui becomes president. The Great Seto Bridge opens to traffic in Japan. World Expo ‘88 opens in Brisbane Queensland, Australia. Celine Dion wins the Eurovision Song Contest for Switzerland with the song Ne partez pas sans moi. U.S. President Ronald Reagan addresses 600 Moscow State University students, during his visit to the Soviet Union. Wembley Stadium hosts a concert featuring stars from the fields of music, comedy and film, in celebration of the 70th birthday of imprisoned ANC leader Nelson Mandela. The Netherlands defeats the Soviet Union 2-0 to win Euro 88. Volkswagen closes its Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania plant after 10 years of operation. In Estonia, 300,000 demonstrate for independence. The United Kingdom bans broadcast interviews with IRA members. The BBC gets around this stricture through the use of professional actors. Super Mario Bros. 3 is released in Japan. Philip Morris buys Kraft Foods for US$13.1 billion. The video game of the day was Mega Man 2.

That was the world you were born into. Since then, you and others have changed it.

The Nobel prize for Literature that year went to Naguib Mahfouz. The Nobel Peace prize went to United Nations Peace-Keeping Forces. The Nobel prize for physics went to Leon Max Lederman, Melvin Schwartz and Jack Steinberger from the United States for the neutrino beam method and the demonstration of the doublet structure of the leptons through the discovery of the muon neutrino. The sensation this created was big. But it didn’t stop the planets from spinning, on and on, year by year. Years in which you would grow bigger, older, smarter, and, if you were lucky, sometimes wiser. Years in which you also lost some things. Possessions got misplaced. Memories faded. Friends parted ways. The best friends, you tried to hold on. This is what counts in life, isn’t it?

The 1980s were indeed a special decade. The Soviet-Afghan war goes on. Eastern Europe sees the collapse of communism. Policies like Perestroika and Glasnost in the Soviet Union lead to a wave of reforms. Protests are crushed down on Tiananmen Square in China. Ethiopa witnesses widespread famine. Nicolae Ceausescu is overthrown. The AIDS pandemic begins. The role of women in the workplace increased greatly. MTV is launched in the US. There is opposition against Apartheid in South Africa as well as worldwide. Heavy Metal and Hard Rock bands are extremely popular. The rise of Techno music begins. Originally primarily played on campus radio stations, College Rock enters the scene with bands like the Pixies, REM and Sonic Youth. The Hip Hop scene continues to evolve. Teletext is introduced. Gay rights become more widely accepted in the world. Opposition to nuclear power plants grows. The A-Team and Seinfeld are popular on TV. US basketball player Michael Jordan bursts on the scene. Super Mario Bros, Zelda’s Link, and Pac-Man gain fame in video games. People wear leggings, shoulder pads and Ray-Ban sunglasses.

Do you know what was on the cover of Life that year?

Do you remember the movie that was all the rage when you were 15? The Last Samurai. Do you still remember the songs playing on the radio when you were 15? Maybe it was This Is the Night by Clay Aiken. Were you in love? Who were you in love with, do you remember?

In 1988, 15 years earlier, a long time ago, the year when you were born, the song One More Try by George Michael topped the US charts. Do you know the lyrics? Do you know the tune? Sing along.

I’ve had enough of danger
And people on the streets
I’m looking out for angels
Just trying to find some peace
Now I think it’s time
That you let me know
So if you love me
Say you love me
But if you don’t just let me go…


There’s a kid outside, shouting, playing. It doesn’t care about time. It doesn’t know about time. It shouts and it plays and thinks time is forever. You were once that kid.

When you were 9, the movie Princess Mononoke was playing. When you were 8, there was James and the Giant Peach. When you were 7, there was a Disney movie out called The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Does this ring a bell?

6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… it’s 1988. There’s TV noise coming from the second floor. Someone turned up the volume way too high. The sun is burning from above. These were different times. The show playing on TV is Count Duckula. The sun goes down. Someone switches channels. There’s Yo! MTV Raps on now. That’s the world you were born in.

Progress, year after year. Do you wonder where the world is heading towards to? The technology available today would have blown your mind in 1988. Do you know what was invented in the year you were born? The Digital Camera.

Battle ships crowd the sea
Sixteen year olds in the army
Our jails are filled to the max
Discrimination against the blacks
Planet Earth 1988
Planet Earth 1988
It’s too late, it’s too late, it’s too late


That’s from the song Planet Earth 1988 by The Ramones.

In 1988, a new character entered the world of comic books: Quicksand. Bang! Boom! But that’s just fiction, right? In the real world, in 1988, Carly Patterson was born. And Nikki Reed. Chelsea Staub, too. And you, of course. Everyone an individual. Everyone special. Everyone taking a different path through life.


It’s 2011.

The world is a different place.

What path have you taken?

“Mere colour, unspoiled by meaning, and unallied with definite form, can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways.”- Oscar Wilde
Artist: Nelly Francoise