A list of 2008's best triumphs and worst fails.... (FYI - the links with the icons preceding them can just be scrolled over to see what's underneath)

2008 TRIUMPHS

• African Americans - Barack Obama's win helps to immediately better the perceptions of African Americans in people's minds, especially because the image of the president is usually a strong and positive leadership position.
  

•  Organic anything - the green movement doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

•  The Twitter Community  - although not quite as pervasive as Facebook, I'm impressed with the speed and influence of the Twitter community. Kudos!

• Top Ten Lists of everything and anything you can think of. Seriously, we love top ten lists.

• Writers - technically the writer's strike was deemed successful until another lawsuit was filed in November. Maybe this is a toss-up then.

• Racism - I think most would agree that the election of the first black president helps us to begin pushing racial stereotypes over the cliff.

• Britney - All I have to say is, wow, I would have never seen a return like this a year ago.   She's like a one-woman Roman empire.  Disregard that ending though, or maybe............

• Dubai - As Busta Rhymes claims in his new, albeit, controversial song, "We getting Ay-rab money!"  This place is the new Las Vegas.
  

• Swimming  -  Everyone wants to be an Olympian now.

• Tina Fey - She is on fire!  You gotta love her regardless of your political views.  She represents that quirky, slighty nerdy, girl next door in all of us.  And yes she has transformed into a glorious swan from her former awkward and heavier 80's hair days, but that's the beauty of it.  It gives everyone who doesn't look like Angelina Jolie hope. 

• SNL - After Will Ferrell  and Cheri Oteri left, I pretty much forgot what late Saturday nights were for. Then Tina Fey shows up and now my dvr is set to record every episode.  Should this praise really be directed at Miss Wasilla?
  

• This phrase - Come on. We've heard it so many times that we can't say the phrase anymore without an attempt at a Fred Armisen impersonation of Barack Obama.

• This word - Oh yeah. Say it with me:

  via the NYTimes.

• This video - Please take to time to watch this lecture.  It's beautiful, poignant, and one of the most spot-on narratives of the human conditions I've heard.
  

• Shoes - I love shoes. Obviously more than this guy cuz you could never get my pair flying across the room.

2008 FAILS

• Racism - You didn't think I was actually saying that racism is dead, did you? Oh no, we have a looooong way to go.  Don't you just love us humans?

• The Economy - no comment.

• Private Jets - Like I said, old white men can't fly.

• The Earth - Poor earth. It keeps turning for us and we try to do everything to push it off it's balance.

• The Republicans - Sorry guys. It wasn't your year.

• Pigs, Moose and Turkeys - They always seem to be at the short-end of the stick, but this year they got the royal treatment.
  

• Holiday shopping - Maybe it's good that we've reigned in our spending and given the big, bad corporations a break.

• Plumbers - Say it ain't so Joe.

• Selling poltical offices to the highest bidder - This just doesn't seem to work like in the olden days.

• Televised  interviews - I can't decide if I enjoyed the real or fake interview better.
  

•  Pastors - Not since the Salem Witch Trials have our religious leaders held such sway over the population.

• Nutcrackers - I don't mean the ballet.  I'm talking about the one that got away from the presidency.

• Old White Men - God bless em, but they sure do screw up a lot.

• This phrase - For some reason, U. S. of A-ers seem to be getting a bad rap when it comes to geography.
  

• This word - for all of you playing a drinking game:

  via NYTimes.

• This video - I mean watching the video now I think wow, we gave her a lot of hell.  But I guess it was kinda cheesy. Especially when that little girl in the video came out for Obama.
  

If I could go back for one day.....

I'd tell my best friend that I appreciated her befriending me as a new student in the third grade three days before she unexpectedely died of an unknown brain tumor.  ( I had a debate with my brother over why I didn't go back to tell her she has a brain tumor.  But I'm trying to choose things that don't throw off the space-time continuum.  Or maybe I should just go back to six months before and tell her mom, but that would be weird)

I'd tell those girls on the bus to get a life...the same girls who later became my friends but I never stood up to.

I wouldn't have been embarassed to tell my fifth grade teacher that I couldn't see the board because I needed glasses (she had to inform my parents that I was squinting and my work was slacking)

I would walk through my junior high school with my head raised up and not give those preppy girls a reason to think they're any cooler than me.

I would take that troubled girl under my wings instead of secretly thinking that she was lying or actually more confident than she ended up being.

I would just breath and run to the finish line with no fear.

I would talk back to that annoyingly mean girl in high school much earlier than I did, saving myself and countless others a lot of headaches.

I'd then give that racist teacher a piece of my mind after I turned in my final exam.

I would save people.  

I would pet my childhood cat, hug and kiss him one last time.

I would say no.

I would say yes.

I would say get lost.

I would write down my grandfather's story.

I'd tell myself to not think too much.  Sometimes it's better to just act.

I'd tell myself not to jump to conclusions.  Sometimes it's better to just breath.

Maybe it's wrong to wish to go back and change things.  But maybe thinking of what we would have done with what we know now, can tell us to apply those same principles to the present.  I'm going to smile and talk more.  Be more generous without thinking.  Speak my feelings when they bubble up but hold back criticisms when they're better off unsaid. 

I asked my brother this same question......he said he would take the $200 million winning lottery numbers and give it to himself a week ago.   Maybe men think differently then us.

Here are some interesting links that have kept me amused.....

- - The cutest synchronized puppies.  I thought only my dogs did this but it looks like the raised inflection in our voices creates the same effect in all dogs.  Observe the cuteness.

- - Ever wanted to learn a language wthout leaving the house or emptying your wallet.  I found this site very helpful with step-by-step audio and text for almost any language. Vayámonos!

- - Please don't let me ever fall into this marketing hole.

- - How many countries can you name in 5 minutes?  I got 65/195.  Harder than you would think when the pressure is on.

- - Finally my life-time wish for temperature-controlled sand at the beach has come true!  Via Dubai of course.  Excessiveness is a way of life.  What can't they do there? 

-- When you think of Cleopatra, what image comes to mind?  Elizabeth Taylor?  Me too, although maybe a little more ethnic.  Well, now a certified Egyptologist (yes, they do exist) has recreated Cleopatra's face from images of ancient artefacts using computer regeneration technology.  I can't figure out who the likeness reminds me of but I do see a slight if any resemblance to the Obamas, no?

- - Ever had the desire to stay in a large, floating orange pod on your holiday vacation?  Or how about that lovely recycled concrete sewage pipe with lovely interior?  Well, stress no more, because those are just two of the ten weirdest hotels you can stay in to seperate yourself from the confines of the consumerist, tourist bunch.  


- - And a new favorite pastime of mine?  Watching other people fail at the FAIL Blog.  Tragic and magical at the same time.  Isn't it sad when a website is dedicated to other people's failures and immensely popular?  Maybe it helps to validate our existence and acknowledge our own countless failures.  Nah!  We just like to see trucks stupidly smash into poles.  That's funny!

My brother's favorite show at the moment is a British car show called "Top Gear".    Every once in a while I'll join him to watch the three funny gentlemen discuss the latest car crazes, most of which is beyond me.  But atleast it's funny and entertains me for a short time before hitting the hay.

The other day, the show focused in on the three gentlemen taking a trip over to America to see if they could survive a few days trekking across the southern states in crappy cars (this is an old episode but what can I say, I'm late for everything).  So they purchased their barely-held together vehicles for under $1000 and began their journey.

 The episode weaves in and out of a storyline focused on British humor and the longetivity of older American cars. But the story took an unexpected twist when the men decided to push their limits and paint offensive remarks all over their cars.   I'm talking about straight out insults for people of the more isolated regions of the South, like "Country Western Sucks" and "Man Love Rules".  It was quite funny at first, seeing them get stared down on the highway.  Not too comfortable, but safe.  However, when they stopped at a little country gas station, the full-out Southern fury I've heard about came gushing forth.  The inhabitants of the little country gas station that day were not too open-minded when it came to different lifestyles or opinions.  Although the comments were slightly forced upon them by the blatantly painted car, it was still quite interesting to see the outright hatred and misunderstanding confronting the well-dressed, British gentlemen. 

To make a long story short, they fled the scene before a truckload of big, burly men kicked their behinds, making for quite entertaining television; on the other hand, it also made for quite disturbing stereotypes of the deep South.

So I started thinking, why is the Bible Belt the way it is?  Is it only because of the religious fervor that seems to accompany almost every individual?  Or can we blame their way of life on isolation (the country vs. the city)?   Another good reason may be their less stressful lives, thereby warranting more time to focus on every little detail including their religion.  I think another perfectly legitmate argument would be that the episode seems to unfairly portray the American South, since any city would take offense to certain ideas/comments brightly painted on a car (try driving through Pittsburgh with "the Steelers suck" painted on your car door.)

So in particular avoid painting any sort of offensive remarks on your car when traveling to the southern neck of the U. S. of A.  Why you would paint on your car in the first place for any reason other than a wedding/graduation celebration or British car show is again beyond me.

As an update to my previous post "Get out and Spend......at your local charity" I decided to list a few resources for better gift-giving this year.

1.  I found a great website called changingthepresent.org, a nonprofit website offering gifts that change the world.  This year, why not give a gift that will make a difference without breaking the bank.  It's a nice change from last year's portable dog toilet  or The Hillary Nutcracker.  Here's a list of other great websites that offer charitable gifts.

 2.  Knit a scarf.  As outdated and granny as this sounds, imagine the feeling you get receiving a stylish scarf or hat that someone knitted themselves.  Emphasis on the word stylish of course.  My mother recently took up this hobby and has been churning out the cutest scarves in this season's styles and colors.  She even made one in the colors of my alma mater.  So pick up some knitting needles and knit your way through your list of family members while watching Jon Stewart.

                                                                 Knit a scarf this season by BraceletSeeds

3.  There have been some crazy rumors swirling around that Wal-Mart will be selling the 4GB iPhone for $99 after Christmas.  If there's one piece of technology I would vouch for it would be the iPhone or iPod touch. There are so many things you can do with this little gadget, it's endless. You can even plant real trees.  I know many out there are strong anti-Wal-Mart activists but this deal may render that title temporarily unavailable according to some.  So go out and buy a $100 Wal-Mart gift card and pray.  Either way they get a $100 gift card out of it.

4.  Find out what someone really needs.  And I don't mean those perfect pair of Manolo Blahniks.  I mean something that they really need.  Something that they may not even realize they do.  Example: your grandparents live alone (and you're against the belief of placing them in a nursing home.)  Why not pay for cleaning services for a  full year to make life a little easier for them?   Make sure you know the person enough to know that they would truly appreciate this.  

5.  Books.  You can never go wrong with a good read.  Find out what the person's passions or intellectual pursuits are and then find the relevant title.  Even better, get an audiobook.   A constant commuter would truly appreciate this gesture. 

6.  Pay for one class of lessons.  Cooking, language, self-improvement, dance.   Depending on their passion, there are endless lists of options to choose from.  Do they religiously watch Food Network's Ace of Cakes? Sign them up for a cake-decorating class.   Be creative! 

7.  You can never go wrong with gift cards, especially in hard economic times.  And it doesn't even have to be over $50.  But be careful of hidden convenience fees, particularly from banks and shopping malls.  Make sure the recipient knows to use the gift card as soon as possible to avoid late usage charges.  Or better yet, choose an online store like Amazon, Ebay or Lottay to help them get more out of less.

8. Chocolate!  Chocolate makes everyone feel better.  Make sure to get a purer form of chocolate to get the full benefits.  A gift that is good for you and yummy.

9.  And the perfect gift this season?  Security.   This can range anywhere from positive thinking to get through hard times, to a software security suite for their computer, to a USB drive to guarantee the safety of their content.  

In the end, however, I believe helping your gift recipients participate in helping those less fortunate than themselves could easily increase their feelings of well-being and security.

Love this comedy clip with comedian Sebastian Maniscalco on what it's like to shop at the discount store Ross.  A good laugh after a long day at work.

I realized today how much I've been increasing my organic intake now that there's a Whole Foods conveniently located down the street.   Atleast once a week I stop by to pick up some fresh organic juices, or sample the delicious array of cheeses and breads.  And then my conscience kicks in and I begin to think about how smart my decisions to pay so much more for supposedly healthier items are.

With all the rumors swirling around about the potential benefits of switching to organic, I can't seem to make up my mind of how far to go down the rabbit hole.  I at least try to avoid the dirty dozen of produce and Iike to buy my milk organic, though the label says that it's no different than regular milk.

So it's very possible that my purchases just help me get closer to attaining the ideal health/fitness lifestyle I strive for, though I've got a long way to actually reach my perception of ideal.  It's also quite likely helping the illusion of health we all like to wrap ourselves in to sleep better at night knowing full well that we can't stop the pollution we're breathing or the chemicals we're exposed to (atleast not fast enough to age gracefully in our adulthood.)

After those fleeting thoughts, I then turn to the assumption that somehow my expensive organic shopping is helping the environment, local farmers, or animals in some way.  But again those pesky rumors surface claiming many of the same methods or problems exist.  The debate rages on and there seems to be no clear-cut answer, especially depending on who you ask.

So it's quite possible that it may all just be a clever marketing ploy by the big boy companies that have duped me once again (Damn you Crystal Pepsi!)

Just please don't make organic pancakes in a can!

 Oh wait...... 

10. Ugly shoes

9. When his pant cuffs don’t  go over his ugly shoes

8. Obviously and painstakingly plucked eyebrows

7. A deep void where the awareness of the discovery of deodorant/cologne should reside

6. The spewing out of utterly trivial and pointless facts believing this ups his intellect/ sex appeal/ superiority

5. Dirty fingernails if he’s not a construction worker/ struggling artist/ avid hiker

4. High interest in the same subject you are interested in followed by blank stares when delving deeper into said subject

3. Aversion to animals, the elderly, or babies (if not occupied by a traumatic experience)

2. No knowledge of psychology (an understanding of why woman love socializing would suffice, for example)

And the number 1 way to lose me in less than ten days:

Picking fights with people struggling to serve or please them (i.e. waitresses, store clerks, family members)