"I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite."
- Gilbert K. Chesterton
They say opinions are like assholes and everybody's got one. And lucky for us not everyone shares their assholes but for some reason they can't seem to keep their opinions & advice to themselves.
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Featuring Guest Blogger: Marquia Garcia
Hello, and welcome to my sob story (this is one of many).
Not only do I have ADHD, I am unemployed and I have been for about a year. I am a single parent and the only degree I possess is a PhD in Procrastinating, Anger and Day Dreaming. The first few months of unemployment went as so: take child back and forth to school, bike riding, job search, collect unemployment benefits, merrily stride through the park, window shopping, utter bliss. As the winter months slowly dragged on, I found myself falling out of love with my newfound freedom. I comforted myself with my literature habit, which is more like a drug (I’m a self proclaimed bibliophile), junk food, museum outings and the constant changing of my hairstyle. To no avail, I was without halt, slipping into an awful depression.
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Every student has a teacher that made a profound impact on his or her life and changed it's course forever, whether it be negative, like Mr. Ostrowski, the English teacher who suggested a young Malcolm X take up carpentry and abandon his legal aspirations which disheartened him and led him into a life of crime or positive like Oprah's third grade teacher, Mrs. Duncan who by taking interest in a promising student (and letting her lead morning prayer) inspired her to become (arguably) one of the greatest teachers of our time.
The teacher that had a profound effect on me was Ms. Kent. She taught me English in middle school, which was and still is my favorite subject, though I can't give Ms. Kent credit for that; my mother taught me to read when I was four and ever since I've been devouring books like Skittles. Once I discovered audio-books I became unstoppable.
But as an instructor Ms. Kent was special.
Continue reading "What Students Really Learn From Their Teachers..." »
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In 1992 an 18 year old Italian woman was picked up by her 45 year old, married driving instructor. He took her to a secluded area where he sexually assaulted her. She immediately reported the crime and her attacker was convicted and sentenced to prison. In 1998 an Italian Supreme Court decision overturned the conviction because... wait for it... she was wearing tight jeans.
The court ruled that because her jeans were so tight there was no way her attacker could have gotten them off with out her assistance, even though she testified that he wrestled one leg out in order to assualt her, making the encounter consentual.
Continue reading "Why You May Want to Think Twice Before Sliding on Those Skinny Jeans..." »
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I am a mother of four....ages 9, 7, 5 and 2. I think.....well actually....I am pretty confident I have ADHD. I have struggled as long as I can remember with the lack of focus to just function everyday in a productive way. I can't stand clutter to the point that my home doesn't looked lived in. Which is hard to accomplish with four kids....it takes purging the house several times a month to keep me from feeling like i am going to be suffocated. I also homeschool my children....which is so hard on me and them. I feel like i can't stay committed or on track. My mind is everywhere. It is like it never STOPS. I have a wonderful husband that is so supportive and does all he can to help even though he is going to school fulltime to become an RN. Please any advice you can give me would be so appreciated. I know this is affecting everyone I love in my life. I just want to be able to stop and focus and be what my family needs me to be.
Thank You,
HH,
Ponca City, OK
Continue reading "What's My Advice?: Overwhelmed Mother of Four..." »
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Studies show that listening to someone you disagree with can stimulate your brain.
Just a little something to keep in mind when your live in boyfriend's mother is musing about how co-habitation before marriage is ruining our society or your uncle wants to explain in detail why he feels Donald Trump should go all the way to The White House...
Happy Holidays!!
Keep Adding Bliss!
Michelle
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Featuring Guest Blogger: Jessica Hill
Each week I will harness the manic energy of NYC to try something new that could better my mind, body or community. This week I…
bid adieu to New York City and hit the Hamptons.
When I get home after a long day at work and an ‘eventful’ commute home with all the standard trials and tribulations of this beloved city of ours, I always feel like I need everything all at once. I need to eat dinner, have a glass of wine, take a hot shower, change out of my work clothes, collapse in a heap on the sofa, go to the bathroom… Clearly, attempting to do all of these at once would have disastrous consequences, but as the days get longer and the nights get warmer, my ability to focus and make decisions has waned to the point of almost complete absence.
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It's a question I get asked a lot. I'm certainly not supermodel thin, but apparently thin enough to be asked if I have any secrets. I'll tell you, but I don't really think it's a secret.
Despite what some bitter, snarky women (most of them, my own family members) might say there really is no magic bullet reason why I manage to stay in the normal range on the BMI scale, although I've had some close calls (Damn you, double stuf oreos!).
It's not genetics: there are plenty of women in my family who could stand to lose weight.
It not because I haven't had a baby: I know plenty of women who've had kids & look amazing (not just Heidi & Giselle).
I'm not a super athletic gym rat: I suck at sports (always have sadly) & I used to drive the 10 blocks to get to The New York Sports Club in Harlem. That's right, I drove a 1/2 a mile instead of walking, to work out!
I'm not a vegan/vegetarian or adverse to sweets: I love meats & treats! I could make that my slogan and wear in on a t-shirt. I might do that... If I were on death row my last meal would be a giant steak topped with butter & bacon, mashed potatoes (with more butter), corn (with, you guessed it, butter), a giant milkshake, a strawberry short cake, double stuf oreos & fried cheese with plaintains. An added benefit would be the heart attack I would suffer on the way to gas chamber.
It's not the ADHD meds: Despite rumors of a certain celebrity stylist giving her clients certain pills to keep them "sample size" ready, significant weight loss is not typical of ADHD meds prescribed at the proper dose. You experience a initial loss of appetite & weight loss (whoo hoo!) and then your weight and appetite stabilize (womp womp). I'm sure you could better results if you abuse your meds, but I wouldn't take the chance.
So how do I stay thin? And most importantly, how did I manage to easily drop 20 lbs in anticipation of my final wedding dress fitting? Here it is... the big secret...
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Featuring Guest Blogger: Tim Impelluso
A generic theme in science fiction space exploration has been the discovery of telepathic races. In such stories, space voyagers encounter creatures capable of transferring thoughts and feelings from a distance, and even healing each other’s wounds.
Will humans ever evolve into such creatures?
Certainly, we have evolved into creatures with opposable thumbs, capable of machine design, mathematics, ballet, and the composition of music. But has our physical evolution now stopped? How much faster can we run? How much higher can we jump? Should we bother to spend time and resources caring for those not as advanced if our focus appears to be the ever-continuing race toward physical perfection?
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Featuring Guest Blogger: Jessica Hill
Each week I will harness the manic energy of NYC to try something new that could better my mind, body or community. This week I…
... began to plan my wedding.
My boyfriend recently proposed, and I happily accepted. It was an amazing day that I will never forget. But I really don’t know how on earth I’m going to get through the next few months leading up to ‘the big day.’
The first mistake was thinking that it is about me and my partner. No, no, no, my friends, it is about everyone else. Jeez, can’t believe I didn’t know that… Totally missed that memo.
Moms want the entire family - second cousins once removed, great aunties, the works - to be invited. Grandparents don't want to travel far from their home or have to stay in a hotel. Friends jostle to be bridesmaids and then spend the next eight months complaining about it. Dads just want everything to be ‘sensible.’
The term ‘bridezilla’ should actually be ‘familyzilla.’ Just doesn’t sound as catchy as ‘bridezilla,’ so brides cop the blame for all the drama surrounding weddings.
“Well, are you going to have an engagement party?!” It wasn’t so much a question as a threat. You’d better have an engagement party. No, you cannot order a wedding dress online, regardless of how pretty you think it is and how much money you’re saving. Why? Well, because I just feel the need to have an opinion about it. If you can’t afford to spend $4,000.00 on a dress you’ll wear for one day, then you really shouldn’t be getting married in the first place, quite frankly.
Eep.
Continue reading "How Jess Spent Her Week... Week 15: Began to Plan Her Wedding..." »
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