Holly Robin catches up with celebrity guests as well as two of the stars from Star Trek Into the Darkness

The BQB

 The Great Gatsby Movie Review

F Scott Fitzgerald and his vision of the American Dream by Wiliam A Fahey

The Great Gatsby teased my eyes almost a year ago to this day I believe.  Just to think The Great Gatsby, the only book I actually enjoyed reading in high school was about to take on the challenge of becoming a blockbuster hit.  Baz Luhrmann‘s attempt at bringing F. Scott Fitzgerald‘s novel The Great Gatsby to life may have been bashed by film critics however most people I talk to find it to be exquisite.  Sure one can get lost in the glitz and glam of the elaborate cast, stunning scenery, interesting musical choice, and the over the top special effects, however one never loses the meaning of the message during The Great Gatsby movie.

The Great Gatsby is foundated on the American Dream, the American drive that you can have everything, money, parties, fast cars, big houses; you can have it all if you never give up.  What we fail to grasp is that the things that lie right in front of us, love, happiness, reality; they cannot be bought by money.  Rather they are attained when we are no longer chasing the American Dream, when we just appreciate living in the moment, basking in the sun of the present.

Like I said film critics everywhere were quick to deny the masterpiece The Great Gatsby that fans ranted and raved about across the internet platforms such as Fandango and IMDB.  One such critic from AreYouScreening.com stated this about The Great Gatsby “the book is mostly Nick Carraway’s thoughts on obsession, indulgence, and the odd nature of what we wish for. None of it is exactly well-suited for the screen, especially because the book gets its real power from Nick seeing it, not you.”  blasted the character transformation from novel onto the big screen.

Sorry I don’t buy it.  Perhaps this critic did not read The Great Gatsby the way I did.  But than again critics are inclined to destroy the American Dream, not live it.  This critic fails to realize, Nick Carraway is often related to Fitzgerald himself, seeing the innocence and hope lost amongst the corrupted and bitter individuals. Fitzgerald understood not only that true beauty is more than skin deep and money will never be able to buy true happiness.  Long story short, The Great Gatsby holds a mirror up to us, showing that Americans are encompassed by the American Dream whether they know it or not.  Every single one of us will want something that we can never have and in the end we either die trying tto live the dream or awaken to the nightmare that a dream is all it can ever be.

Why do I think that Luhrmann hit the nail on the head?  Well first off he didn’t undervalue Nick Carraway; the second biggest (if not most important) character in Fitzgerald’s novel.  In 1922 a young bright eyed, Nick Carraway gathered up his hope and ellaborate dreams and moved from the midwest to just outside of New York City in what was identified as “West Egg” Long Island.  Now, this is where we see the importance of a casting director.  Tobey Maguire screams Nick Carraway with those wide deep brown eyes, naive sense and a persona of hope cloaked by innocence.  Now I will admit, I am a major fan of Tobey Maguire, moreover I find myself entranced to Fitzgerald’s character, Nick Carraway.

The Great Gatsby 2013 Cast

Another far fetched opinion of mine perhaps but still I am throwing it out there.  Robert Redford may have played a great Jay Gastby, but Leonardo DiCaprio is Jay Gatsby.  Golden boy of America, a star actor, age 38 Leo has it all, minus a life, love and a home that he can enjoy.  Constantly on set, Leo has often balanced major movies at the same time or back to back.  Look at his recent schedule, DJango, Gatsby and the anticipated Wolf of Wall Street set to debut in November of 2013.

Leonardo DiCaprio is Jay Gatsby

Jay Gatsby dedicates his life to attain the mansion, the car, the clothes, and sure we all enjoy watching this come alive but how many of you asked why did he insist on living this way? A quick background on The Great Gatsby aka Jay Gatsby for those who didn’t know. Born under the name James Gatz, as a child he was prone to live a life through his dreams. Literally living under poverty’s roof in the Midwest, Gatz decided to run away from his two parents and the quickly approaching barren future he was destined to live. Now both The Great Gatsby as Fitzgerald’s novel and Luhrmann’s film bestow the truth behind Jay Gatsby’s past rather late in the game. Why? Well we will get to that later. In the film it is said that Jay Gatsby is born the moment that James Gatz sees a way out of the inevitable poverty, finding fortune in turmoil; literally. Falling victim to a violent storm, millionaire Dan Cody succombs to his fate as his yacht is mercilessly tossed amongst the rocks and waves just below the cliff that James Gatz is standing upon.  Taking a leap of faith, or perhaps one can argue Gatz would have rather died chasing millions over living a life of poverty, the young man ventures into the tumoltuous surf and rescues Cody.  Sure that he will inherit the millionaire’s fortune, Jay Gatsby studies Dan Cody and learns what it takes to play the part of the millionaire.  Now is born, the Great Gatsby!

Then we have characters such as Daisy Buchanon, the love interest of Jay Gatsby and the reason why he needed to become rich (because loving her just could never have been enough) and her husband Tom Buchanon.  Daisy and Tom were the leading stars of the American Dream.  To me Tom Buchanon is the American Dream, absorbing every single individual in it’s path, never being anything more to people than an empty promise.  Cheating on his wife Daisy, carrying on an affair with Myrtle Wilson, leading a double life, never wanting to give any of it up, yet never appreciating anything that he had.  Everything and everyone were just material things that could be bought or sold.

Daisy Buchanon with husband Tom (left) and lover Jay Gatsby (right)

Daisy Buchanon played by Carey Mulligan in Luhrmann’s film (who of which gave an impeccable performance) captured hearts only to crush them. Making her the evil character in the Great Gatsby.  Both her and Tom were careless, wrecking the lives of others without ever showing any emotion or indifference.  As long as they had their lifestyle what did it matter right?  Well we learn that Daisy Buchanon fell victim to true love years before her marriage with Tom.  Daisy and Jay Gatsby had met while he was a soldier in the war.  Promising to wait for him Daisy never wanted to marry Tom, it was only until she realized Gatsby was not returning to her that she would have too.  But how could she leave the old safe money she had come into for a swindler like Gatsby?  For a fortune built on lies and corruption?  I guess she would rather have the guy who decieved her because she knew exactly how her life would play out, then to have the guy who truly loved her and risk losing everything monetary she had come to know.

Now let’s get onto the stage.  Both of which the novel and film shared, despite what critics say.  Luhrmann’s film was nothing short of ridiculous but that is just the thing.  The Great Gatsby has been a green light to cinematic masterminds for sometime now.  Francis Ford Coppola transformed the novel into a screenplay and in 1974 under director Jack Clayton Robert Redford took the screen as Jay Gatsby beside Mia Farrow as Daisy Buchanon.  IMDB users put the movie at a 6.2 out of 10 and perhaps it is because F. Scott Fitzgerald had a different message in mind when he wrote the novel.  The head tagline used for the 1974 film was “A Midwesterner becomes fascinated with his nouveau riche neighbor, who obsesses over his lost love.”  Interesting.  After reading the book three times, I never once got this meaning from it, nor did my english professor.

I believe it fair to speak my opinion that F. Scott Fitzgerald never intended for the The Great Gatsby to fall under the literary category of Romance.  Rather he wrote it as a great American novel, one that years may add on too, but the message will stay forever young, that America was built on the American Dream, that no matter how much one has, it just never is enough.  That is why this story and the character Jay Gatsby is in my eyes an enigma.  For those of you who have heard the word but are not quite sure what it means, an enigma is something hard to understand or explain or a mysterious person.

F. Scott Fitzgerald capitivated minds throughout history because his novel was an enigma.  Painting a picture in the minds of his readers, making them fall in love with this dashing young handsome Jay Gatsby.  Sure a few would wonder if their was more to him, however the majority of Fitzgerald’s readers were like the guests at Gatsby’s parties.  Never written a personal invitation and never caring whether or not the host was present, just that the liquor was stocked.  Funny how Gatsby never called anyone by their first names either, except Daisy.  Old Sport was his way of addressing people.  Nick Carraway thought of Gatsby as his personal friend, however even Gatsby eluded Nick until he finally gave him the truth of his past.  Never asking anyone for anything, Gatsby kept his distance from people.  Therefore Fitzgerald invited many of us to drink from the glass of Gatsby, playing with our emotions as he revealed the true persona behind the young millionaire.  Showing us life is a stage upon which dreams can become reality, however it is never big enough to live upon forever.

When F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby perhaps he was preparing a warning to all those in danger of falling victim to the tantalizing American Dream, aka the Green Light.  Obsessed with the green light, this was a representation of the years that would come and go in front of Gatsby, all the while promising something great however just out of reach.  It beckoned him, lost somewhere in the fog, he knew it was there yet he could never seem to grasp it.  Just like Daisy Buchanon.

The Great Gatsby is strewn with hidden meanings.  The Valley of Ashes, where Myrtle Wilson lives with her husband Greg Wilson, shows how there is a lifeless, waste yard right outside a booming glorious city.  Funny enough you must pass through the Valley of Ashes in order to get to and from New York City and Long Island.  No one is so good that they are excused from having to step foot in this valley.  Ironically Tom Buchanon’s mistress resides here.

“The eyes of God” preside over this land as seeing everything that goes on.  Greg Wilson a common poor soul believes in God and claims that he sees all.  Yet it is by Wilson’s gun that Gatsby dies.  A good Christian goes and kills the man who supposedly killed his wife?  And than shoots himself?  While Tom Buchanon goes on living?  The American Dream stops for no one nor does it miss those who once chased it.  It moves on, consuming all those down its path.  For some like Wilson he was happy with his wife, his garage and his faith, however for others like Tom and Daisy that happiness could never be attained.

Gatsby’s car was a large yellow monstrosity, one of a kind, like Gatsby himself.  When Gatsby was behind the wheel it was transformed into a gorgeous beckoning toy, but when Tom drove the same car it became gaudy, materialistic and quite ugly to me.  Gatsby let Daisy drive the car home the night that Myrtle Wilson ran out at them.  Daisy never fessed up, only Nick and Gatsby knew the truth about his cousin’s wreckless and carefree driving.  Who knows, perhaps she was the one who put the foot to the gas and left, Gatsby would have never said he tried to stop her.  He loved her, so blindly that he did not even see the puppet she had become.

In the film we also notice that Daisy’s long flowing blonde hair was cut short once she was married to Tom.  Does this perhaps symbolizes her once carefree life now fell under the tight controlling hold of Tom Buchanon?  Another interesting thing I noticed was the white curtains that seemed to dance upon the wind, wrecklessly, freely in the porch area that Daisy lounged upon.  Tom never appreciated it but Daisy longed for it.

If you ask me the Great Gatsby may not have wooed the critics, but than again how many movies do?  If you are looking to get the same magic and marvel that Fitzgerald achieved in his book than I highly recommend the film.  If you are a steadfast believer that a novel should be easily converted into a film than please go crawl under a rock and stay there.  Nothing will ever be identical, however I believe that Luhrmann utilized both Maguire and DiCaprio in transforming his vision of the Great Gatsby and painting it cinematically before us.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071577/

The BQB

How to get an ‘A’ in real life.

People really care about ‘doing the right thing’ in school, because the consequences are clear: good or bad grades!

If we got grades in real life, things would be different. There would be more accountability for our actions, by far.

In school, letter grades were key motivating factors to study for exams and do well. They are a way in which students can feel immediate reward for learning, since schools have yet to provide money for those who get an A (other than grants and scholarships of course, which tend not to be immediate).

I always wondered what life would be like if people got grades in general day-to-day life. I think that if we truly could get an ‘A’ in real life, there would be extra incentive for doing great things. 

The more ‘good’ you do like volunteering or even simple acts of kindness, the more points you would obtain. Likewise, every time you are mean to strangers, do something unarguably unethical (cheat on your spouse or even cheat in business), or do things that are negative to the world you lose points. It sounds like a science fiction story, but it does seem interesting doesn‘t it?

The other day I was interacting with a lady who was very mean to me, and I am not sure why. I was trying to explain something to her and she just kept firing accusations that I was treating her like she was stupid, which I pleasantly denied and again, tried to convey useful information to her about her mom’s cable company account. Well she wouldn’t listen to me at all, and I just said, “Have a nice day!” She replied, “You don’t!”

That lady should have lost some points. 

Be Accountable in Life.

Just as we are accountable in school (grades) and in business (performance reviews or quarterly reports) we should be in life, even though we never will be, unless there is some Big Brother thing in the sky keeping it together.

Some restaurants may now post the caloric information of the food in terms of how long it takes to burn it off. This is fascinating because if we knew even roughly how long it would take to burn off a Big Mac, we might think twice about ordering one the next time we are in the drive thru. It adds a little but more accountability to the healthy vs. unhealthy food game.

We all know most fast food is processed and bad for us, and yet it doesn’t seem to matter. You know how in Canada they show pictures of black lungs or use very direct warnings on packages of cigarettes to deter people from smoking? Maybe in America they should show pictures of morbidly obese people next to the menus at the fast food restaurants. If we have to look at the blotchy, bulging and hanging gut of Joe Shmo before we get to the order placing area, maybe we would be tempted to get something else instead of the bacon cheeseburger? This could also be good for increasing jobs. Models with blotchy, hanging guts would get work in the restaurant business because it would be mandated from the surgeon general to provide photographic evidence of what may happen upon consumption of the foods served at that dining establishment. You already see those commercials for anti-smoking in which some woman (or man) who had a tracheotomy talks about why smoking is bad for you. You don’t even hear what the person is saying; you just stare at the hole in their throat which is how they are able to breathe now. As much as I would not want to see the hanging gut of Joe Schmo, I would rather see that then those tracheotomy commercials (which I can’t even look at when they come on the television).

If not with images, they could at least use harsher rhetoric on the menus, like instead of healthy options and regular options, maybe have it read healthy options and then not-so-healthy options. Or take it one step further and just tell it like it is with these alternatives that I prefer:

Healthy options versus fat bastard options

Lighter menu section versus I can’t see my groin anymore menu section

Rarely visit the hospital when I reach a certain age section versus we hope you have a good HMO section

Have to work out for twenty minutes a day section versus have to work out for two hours a day section

Feel great after I eat section versus feel like death after I eat section

Have an easier time finding a significant other section versus good luck with finding dates on craigslist section

My point:

While we have to establish a norm so that businesses can still serve these foods without it being embarrassing, there should be some level of visual reminder either as image or in text that would encourage us to eat foods rich in nutrients and discourage the processed crap that even organisms like mold won’t even consume. Yes that’s right, I saw on one of those health TV shows where some guy saved a fast food restaurant burger for like ten years that still didn’t have any mold on it—meaning there were so many preservatives in it you can only wonder what it would do inside a human body. Perhaps that should be the TV commercial: (show the 10 year old burger) If it’s not good enough for mold, it’s not good enough for us. Eat healthy, America! (fade to black)

The bottom line is that just saying, “That is not good for you” does nothing for accountability. We need to more clearly see the consequences to our food decisions. I think a compelling movie would be one where it shows a world where there is no junk food. Maybe a nation that has never heard of such foods and then when a different country tries to introduce these foods, the nation responds, “Why would you eat this stuff? Are you serious?” Yes, I know what you’re thinking: Now THAT would be science fiction. 

The BQB

 Texting While Driving

Texting while driving is the act of composing, sending, reading text messages, email, or making other similar use of the web on a mobile phone while operating a motor vehicle.  (Wikipedia) As I watched a news segment about the dangers of texting while driving, I couldn’t help but look over at my family and pray that we are never involved on either side of this new danger we now see on the roads. Was that chat or info really that important?

English: A sign that states “No Texting While Driving” in West University Place, Texas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I watched a statistic come on my screen that said 1-5 people between the ages of 18-60 text while driving.  While 1-3 for 18-34 year olds are texting while driving. That’s scary because that pretty much covers the majority of drivers on the road. On average 18 teenagers are killed everyday due to the distraction of texting while driving.

 On January 3, 2008 Heather Leigh Hurd was killed by a truck driver who allegedly was texting while driving. Her father Russell Hurd has been actively supporting a law in various U.S. states called Heather’s Law that would prohibit texting while driving across the board.

It seems that people are getting the picture with drinking and driving or at least the penalty for drinking and driving was soo stiff, that it wasn’t worth the trouble.  Either way it worked. As for texting and driving, there are laws, jail and even lawsuits being implemented and it’s a matter of time before these penalties hit home.

Washington was the first state to pass a texting while driving ban in 2007. As of now, 39 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands ban text messaging for all drivers. All but 3 have primary enforcement.  An additional 6 states prohibit text messaging by novice drivers.  3 states restrict school bus drivers from texting while driving.  Most states have fines from $20-$1000 and loss of license, points on their license, jail or even prison time.

If you think the laws and penalties like Punitive Damages being implemented for this new type of Distractive Driving is severe, wait until you are slapped with a “Wrongful Death” lawsuit.  That’s right.  You can be sued by the driver or the driver’s family for major bucks!  If you’re a minor driving, your parents will be liable for your debt! Civil damages are usually monetary awards due to a winning plaintiff by a losing defendant in a court of law. Civil damages can be general, punitive or special, or any combination of these.

There seems to be a new responsibility on the part of both the sender and the receiver of the text message not to continue this kind of negligent driving.  Dallas trial lawyer Todd Clement said “It seems to make sense that both people involved in the activity could very well be liable including the sender who is not actually behind the wheel.  As this case goes forward, I think what you’re going to see is a new awareness throughout the country.” So now, all parties involved in texting could be held accountable.  That’s great.

The bottom line here is that nothing is more important than driving safe when you’re on the roads. Texting while driving; not safe.  If you have to send a message or need to read one, just pull over safely!  It’s that simple when it comes to the issue of texting while driving.  Drive first, text later, when you are at home, safe in your chair, sitting.

State Laws regarding Cell Phone Use and Texting while driving: http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html

Another site worth looking into for updates and news regarding texting and driving:

http://itcanwait.com/

Texting While Driving

The BQB

I had an old buddy in town over Easter weekend.  He came out from back East for a wedding in Los Angeles and then made the trip down to San Diego to visit a bunch of us guys.  My one buddy had an Easter Brunch at his house so everyone could be together, kids and all. 

Back in the day, we were a crew of ten strong.  We all moved from back East and did everything together.  We worked together, played together and even lived together.  Probably close to 12-13 years of just the guys.  One by one, we married, had children and starting moving away.  We all try to keep in touch, but everyone’s schedules are different now.  If you add kids to the mix, it’s an entirely different schedule!

Thanks to technology, we are able to keep in touch better than before.  We can Skype and never have to see them in person! LOL.

So my one buddy had an Easter brunch.  Great food, drinks, the kids playing and great conversation.   All of a sudden we had a buddy arrive that we hadn’t seen in a while.  We all said our hellos and settled back down to what we were doing when all of a sudden, I noticed that he had a laptop or one of the new notebooks with him.  He had set the thing down and had a surfing video playing as he was visiting with us.  He would glance over at it from time to time and then return to the visit. How tacky I thought!  Some of us had our phones out to take picture or record a video or to show pictures but no one else was paying attention to another even while they attended this one.

So later that evening, my buddy in town came by for a visit and wasn’t even here five minutes before he got his phone out and proceeded to text someone as we were talking.  I then realized that he was having a conversation with someone else while visiting with me and my family.  How cool, he can be two places at once!  Just kidding! When he was done, I thought “cool, we can catch up now” as he started checking emails.  As he was leaving I hugged him and said “it was great to see you!”  That was all I did, was to see him!

I also remember my wife and I attending a house warming party where these two Jr. High aged girls were there with the one girl’s parents.  They were hanging out together while texting other people.  I could also swear that they were texting each other at some point. That was actually the first time I witnessed texting up close.  I couldn’t believe what these girls were doing.  If they would rather chat with someone else, why not just go hangout with them?

The point here folks is that, although technology may allow society to get closer to one another, it has become a distraction with getting up close and personal.  It’s taking away from our basic need of human interaction.  If we don’t acknowledge this, society will turn into a bunch of social lepers.

I have to go now, someone is texting me.

The BQB

Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Great & Holy Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries, is the feast that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ as he shared the Passover meal with the Disciples. The Mass of the Lord’s Supper initiates the Easter Triduum, the three days of Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday that commemorate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

Basically, this is the day that Judas betrayed Jesus and turned him in to the chief Sanhedrin priests in exchange for payment.  The arrest took place after the Last Supper as Jesus was arrested by the Temple guards in the Garden of Gethsemane,

Depending on the geographical area and/or denomination, determines the name used for today.  For instance in the Anglican Church, the Presbyterian Church and the Western Rite Orthodoxy today is “Maundy Thursday”.  The Roman Catholic Church uses “Holy Thursday” as does the United Methodist Church and Lutheran Church. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the name for the today is, in the Byzantine Rite, “Great and Holy Thursday.” In the Maronite Church and the Syriac Orthodox Church, the name is “Thursday of Mysteries”.  For the Coptic Orthodox Church, today is “Covenant Thursday.”

“Before the Passover meal, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. By performing this lowly act of service, the Bible says in John 13:1 that Jesus ‘Showed them the full extent of his love.’ By his example, Jesus demonstrated how Christians are to love one another through humble service.”  Many churches celebrate the tradition of feet-washing at their service today.

During “The Last Supper”, Jesus took the bread and the wine and asked his Father (God) to bless it. He broke the bread into pieces, giving it to his disciples and said, “This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Then he took the cup of wine, shared it with his disciples and said, “This wine is the token of God’s new covenant to save you–an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you.”  This is where the practice of “The Holy Communion” originated from.  Many churches celebrate Communion at their serves this evening.

This week is considered “Holy Week” as it is the last days of Jesus’s earthly life. Tonight also marks the end of Lent and the beginning of the sacred “Triduum” (“three days”) of Holy Week starting with Good Friday, where Jesus hung on the cross, thru Sunday the Resurrection.

Sources:

Maundy Thursday-Wikipedia

“What is Maundy Thursday”-ask.com

“The Days of the Holy Week”-The Voice

The BQB

Dog Stories For Anyone and Everyone

Dog stories always find a place in my heart.  I have found recently that dogs are not only man’s best friend, but human kind’s greatest teachers.  Honestly I believe dog stories provide us with everyday lessons of unconditional love, devotion, loyalty beyond compare and most of all this selfless nature every dog seems to be born with.

What can I say about the two dog stories below?  They are not mine, nor will I ever try to take credit.  However both brought tears to my eyes just as the dog story of Hawkeye back in August of 2011.  Sure we stumble across dog stories every now and again, but not all of them grab at your heart, my heart, in the way that these two did.

Inspirational, motivating, refreshing, dog stories are just what you need to put a smile on your face at the end of a hard day if you ask me.  Not enough words to express this story that I found just posted on one of my Facebook friend’s walls.  I am posting this not as my own, however stating if this is your work please let me know.  I have to share it though because it is truly an amazing and heart warming story.

After this I have attached another one of these sensational dog stories.  This one is a video that I saw working at NBC’s weekend Today Show last Sunday, March 23, 2013.  Listen I claim ownership of neither of the two dog stories.  Sure I can try to rewrite the stories and say oh yeah this and that, but I could never do either or justice.  I believe it is alright to post them as is, in the same light that inspired me, may you find inspiration.

One of my Dog Stories from A Facebook Post:

A Dog’s Purpose?
(from a 6-year-old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa , and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker ‘s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ”I know why.”

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.

He said,”People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The Six-year-old continued, 

”Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.

Take naps.

Stretch before rising.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Thrive on attention and let people touch you.

Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.

On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.

On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.

When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you’re not.

If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently. 

There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good. So, love the people who treat you right. Think good thoughts for the ones who don’t. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is part of LIFE…Getting back up is LIVING…

Have a great life.

End Facebook Post- Author Unknown

Another Dog Story Milo and Eddy Dynamic Doggy Duo

Eddy blind black lab and his brother Milo

The second of the dog stories I wanted you to check out is in the video below. It tells the tale of two friends, a blind black labrador, Eddy, and a small wire hair terrier mix (or so he looks) Milo.  Eddy naturally loves the water, but because of the loss of his eyesight at just 6 years old the young lab ran into a few obstacles; literally. NBC’s Anabel Roberts reports on the miraculous bond that developed between the duo.  Prepare yourself, if your a dog lover, this definitely is one of those dog stories that will bring tears to your eyes, but I promise it will warm your heart at the very end.

The BQB

What is love?  Sure we have the happily ever after approach thanks to Walt Disney and other great cartoon movies that implanted within my young brain that true love conquers all.  What is love to me?  It is the kiss that turns the beast back into the prince.  It is the touch that brings a life back from the dead.  But most of all what is love?  It is something that most people on this earth will never feel in its most true and pure form.

Call me a hopeless romantic but I believe love can move mountains.  Thankfully I have a small amount of people in my life who are keeping my faith in true love going.  Don’t get me wrong I believe it is a lot harder than it used to be, however I refuse to give up hope.

I went to mass today for the first time in months.  Probably since my grandfather passed in November of 2012 now that I am thinking about it.  I’ve been lost since he left.  Sure I can say he was meant to go, God  needed him, it was his time yada yada… But when push comes to shove it sucks and he was the one man who could have defined love over and over again.

My grandfather loved unconditionally.  Taking care of my grandmother when she was terminally ill and most of the family believed all hope was gone.  With a little bit of faith, a ton of prayer and an incomparable amount of love, I honestly believed my grandfather fought for my grandmother to remain on this earth.

Why could we not do the same for him?  Was my love not enough?  This is something I ask myself more often than not lately.  I have prayed for love, comparing myself to Dane Cook in Good Luck Chuck.  Sure I am an awesome girl, guys fall in love with me, but its always a happily never after in the end for me as I watch them commit to a happily ever after with someone else.  Why?  Who knows.

I asked my grandfather a few weeks before he died why he was with my grandmother.  Was it because he loved her?  Sure he did.  She was the mother of his children, but was he passionately in love with her?  I really don’t know.  Personally I could not be with someone I loved.  I would need to feel a strong attraction to that person, a yearning to have them in my life 24/7.  There are so many people I have had in my life that I can say I have loved, and quite honestly there are only a few I have been in love with.  Watching my grandfather however over the past year proved to me that I need to find the person I can’t live without.  Living with someone and loving them is not enough.  True love is what every single individual deserves but not everyone believes in.

So what is love?  I believe there are two types.  There is the type that grows on you.  You meet someone, you date, things are working, developing, and naturally take its course.  Then there is the type of love that ignites in your heart and burns brightly.  You can never seem to get a hold of it because the flame is just too strong, yet the warmth seems to embody your entire soul.  This love if you ask me is rather rare because it takes a special person to trust it and live with it.

What is love?  Well for me I hope one day to find a happily ever after.  I hope to find a man like my grandfather.  One that no matter what puts me before himself, loves me unconditionally and above all respects me as a woman.  Don’t lose hope in love, I know times are rough for a lot of you who are choosing to read this article, however what I learned today is this:

Sometimes our faith, our hearts, are tested.  If you truly believe in something, whether it be love, a person, a career, a change, whatever, you will never question the way you feel.  Sure you can question whether or not it is right, are you going to get hurt and a 1,000 other things, but at the end of the day there is something inside of you that just tells you to believe.  What is love?  It’s believing that it’s out there and understanding what exactly you want from it.  Sometimes the other person may not want the same thing back.  That’s ok.  One day you will find someone who knows what you are worth, who looks you in the eyes and  makes you feel like you are the only person who has ever existed to their heart.  Do me a favor, do not settle for anything less than this.

Thanks Pop for giving me my greatest life’s lesson, true love only comes once in a lifetime, when it does go for it, have no regrets.  I live my life as best as I can and I miss you everyday.  Below is a clip from The Holiday, if you haven’t seen it check it out.  It is quite ironic and I believe almost everyone can relate to one of the scenarios when it comes to asking What Is Love?

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How I Quit Smoking and Lost Weight Without Trying

Getting healthy on one aspect means getting unhealthy on another.  Is this true?  When you quit smoking, you gain fat–excuse me, I gained fat.  I’m not speaking on behalf of Americans, but those of us who have quit know what I’m saying.  I had a constant battle of hand-to-mouth disorder, in which I would find myself stressed out and wanting to smoke and ending up in the kitchen finishing off two burgers, a glass of milk, a handful of goldfish, some other weird tasting crackers and a pudding snack.  Yeah.  This is going well.  “I feel great” is what I kept telling people because that’s what I wanted to believe, but really in the back of my mind, I was contemplating stopping at Layne Bryant on my way out of the mall after getting my fat ass an orange Julius.  I was always the type that finished her fries and shake in about 3 minutes flat.  It’s so good!!  Why is everyone taking such small sips, I’d wonder.  Screwballs.  I even saw a few friends throw out what was left as I salivate over the idea of another 4 ounces of creamsicle-through-a-straw.  Damn it.  I just cried inside.

Funny Smile You Are Losing Weight Fitness Center Sign (Photo credits: www.mydoorsign.com)

Being healthy isn’t as easy as most people in magazines make it look.  Yeah.  Those pages are like, “it’s just this easy!” and it shows some skinny bitch doing squats and I can see that they know what we’re thinking: show me a photo of a size 18 lady with a spare tire doing a squat.  I need to stop referring to “us” and own up to the fact that it’s what I was thinking, really.

Eating healthy means preparing foods.  Sometimes when you’re struggling to survive from paycheck to paycheck, working part time as a mother, going to school full time and starting your own business while your husband is deployed fighting for the country?  Not so easy.  There were nights I drowned myself in lean cuisine meals.  That’s right. Plural–because 290 calories isn’t enough to make me feel better. There’s a title for people like me…the emotional eater.  Eek.  Way to make it sound nice or motivating.  When I’m titled like that, it makes me sad.  You really shouldn’t make an “emotional eater” sad, you schmucks in society!!

And this is only the beginning.  I’ve had weight issues my whole life.  From the 8^th grade girl who only ate carrots and sometimes threw them up after lunch because I was afraid that my whole body was going to turn as orange as the section under my eyes and the pads of my fingers.  I’d rather be a part-time anorexic than an oompa-loompa…I mean, who wouldn’t??

Well, I’ve come along way from 8^th grade Lisa.  I eventually turned into a loser in 9^th grade, a party animal in 10^th grade, I got boobs in 11^th grade and by my senior year, I looked incredible.  I started smoking at 19.  I joined the military and got toned by 20.  Started drinking like a fish at 21.  Met my husband at 22.  Pregnant / mommy by 23.  Fat as a whale at 24.  Jenny Craig at 26.  Depressed at 27.  Here I am at twenty-eight.  Eek.  And that’s just my weight-self.  Just wait until you hear about the migraines, the loss, the problems in my life that have made me doubt anyone and everything.  My family and friends have been incredible and I owe them a lot.  If this were the AA program, I’d be on the whole “making amends” section where I say how sorry I am for all I have caused everyone around me.  Apparently though, it’s been my sense of humor that has kept people at arm’s length….close enough to hear a joke occasionally, but not close enough to want to come to my party—if you catch my drift.

Okay, so what I’m getting at is finally, I have found a product and a company that I’m willing to be a big part of.  I’m getting healthy.  I’m getting money even, so I can quit delivering toilet paper for minimum wage (—yes, that is what I do.  A little funnier on paper than it is in real life).  I’m working toward a better me, and 2013 WILL be my year to do that.  I mean, I’m practically getting paid to lose weight.  That sounds too good to be true.  To be honest, I’m glad it found me.  I wasn’t looking for it, either.  I was always actually looking for Bacon with no calories.  Or ice cream without any fat in it.

When this company takes off this year and I’m making millions someday, I hope to look back on all of the people who had doubts about me—thinking that I couldn’t lose weight, get money and be happy—and just smugly smile.  The fat girl did it.  It won’t be the first time I do something out of spite…spite gets me far.

I remember doing “doughnuts” (no, not eating doughnuts) on my first boyfriend’s front yard in my 1986 purple BMW because him and his father told me I’d never have enough money or willpower to work in order to buy the car I wanted.  Well, I got it and now they had to pay for some sod.  I joined the military because we were in high school one day sitting around in the cafeteria and we were talking about a guy who enlisted in the Navy.  I said that it sounded like fun to be in the military (not knowing an ounce about it) and my guy friends turned to me and said something along the lines of, “you couldn’t hang in the military”—and you’ll never believe what I did that week.  Enlisted.  I hate being told that I can’t do something. So when someone puts me down for something, it makes me want to prove them wrong on so many levels.  I WILL ALWAYS ADMIT when I’m wrong.  That’s not what I mean.  But it’s almost like self-doubt meets that famous truth-or-dare question and I can always step up to the plate.  I get things rolling for myself.  I was never handed a car, a job or even allowance, and I believe that it’s a good thing.  I’ve worked so hard for everything I have.  I hate NOT working.  I have more of a work ethic because of the way my parents raised me and because of the military mindset.

For the first time however I did not work to quit smoking.  Something worked for me.  But, I’ve gone off on a tangent.

More to come.

Any questions? Email me at LisaDucette@rocketmail.com

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• Quit Smoking: Your Heart Will Thank You
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Beer and Leadership: Leadership on Acid (part 9)

Beer and leadership are two things that I value in life. With St. Patrick’s Day in the midst, we can all come together to enjoy our favorite brews. But like wine, there is so much variety in beer: Some are sweet, some are bitter, some are light, some are dark, some are hearty, and some are like water. The cool thing about beer is that it can tell us a little about who you are or where you are from. Many beers go in line with one’s personality and even one’s geographic location. Here’s everything you need to know about beer in five minutes:

Malty or Hoppy?

Whether or not you like the taste of the beer often depends on if it is more of a malty beer or a hoppy one.

A malty beer tends to have nutty, biscuity, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, or smoky flavor. The malt is basically the grain (like barley) that provides sugar which is fermented by yeast to yield alcohol and carbon dioxide. 

A hoppy beer is one with more zing–like the spice of the beer, or bitterness. Acids and essential oils in the hop (the cone shaped flower of a vine) provide aromas and character to balance the flavor of the malt. The hops provide floral, fruity, and maybe citrus flavors to the beer. 

Personally, I like a smooth beer with a caramel aroma and subtle bitterness–so I tend to go for malty brews. One of my personal favorites is a Scottish ale by the name of Belhaven. I see in the U.S. at certain specialty markets. Some British pubs might have it as well. If you like a dark beer, it doesn’t get much better. 

So the next time you are at a bar or pub and you order some beer with friends, think about trying something a little different, perhaps one to better suit who you are. If you are a college student who just wants to get messed up, then a cheap light beer is ideal. If you are at a fine restaurant and want something to compliment whatever you are eating, think twice about the style (ale, lager, stout, etc.) and it will be a better meal as a result. If I want something heavy, I’ll get a creamy stout. If I want something light, I’ll get an ale. If I want something in between, a lager works fine. 

You may not think of beer as being sophisticated like wine, but it certainly can be. Just like you can have a wine tasting, you can certainly have a beer tasting. As a holiday of partying (and beer) passes us by, remember to respect as much as you consume beer, and you probably will enjoy it that much more. 

Be a leader of beer! Educate others so that they too may learn about beers they may not have known even existed. What is your favorite beer?  Share with us your comments. 

The BQB