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Riots: The Language of the Unheard

I don't support or agree with rioting. But by "rioting" I mean violence, vandalism and theft - not just protesting. I know not to blindly believe mainstream media's version of a news story or to listen to ignorant posts on social media... so to be clear, marching, protesting, even "angry" protesting is not the same as rioting. Blocking traffic is not rioting (protests are by design meant to be disruptive, otherwise what is the point?) That said, no I don't support or condone actual rioting, but I do get it. People riot when they have no voice and have no hope. People riot when they've suffered for so many years and that anger finally boils over. People riot when they've got no other option.

Even Dr. Martin Luther King (one of the greatest supporters of non-violent civil disobedience) said that it was morally irresponsible to condemn rioting "without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention." He referred to riots as "the language of the unheard." Everyone's been complaining "oh this will solve nothing" and maybe they're right... but peaceful protests are a privilege that aren't usually afforded to the disenfranchised and oppressed. Protests that are not disruptive are very easily ignored and so they are ignored and the protestors go unheard and nothing happens.

With that said, here is a list of just a few of the many historical protests that by today's standards may or may not be considered "rioting" just to remind everyone that it isn't new, it isn't different, and sometimes, yes, it is effective.

Feeling frustrated and hopeless

I just can't.

I still don't support rioting (although I know that not everything portrayed by the news as "rioting" is actually rioting - I'm talking about violence, vandalism and theft, not just angry protesting) but man... every day I feel a little bit more and more like I just want to smash things. And that's coming from a person who doesn't suffer from systemic racism on a daily basis. So I definitely get it. It sucks and I hate it, but man do I fucking get it.

On being thankful...

I wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. Last night I was surrounded by family and family friends and I felt very blessed. Of course, then the topic of Ferguson was brought up. Or rather, the topic of "those animals in Ferguson" and "that thug who deserved to be shot" came up. And I then got mad.

I know everyone has their own feelings about what happened and these are strong feelings. I do as well. I'm not even going to get into the intricacies of the racial tensions in Missouri, the alleged corruption in the Ferguson police department, or the seemingly bizarre way that the district attorney's office chose to present the case to the grand jury. I'm not. I could say a lot on all of that, but that's not the issue. You are allowed to disagree or agree with the grand jury's decision but you're not allowed to be a racist asshole.

Happy Halloween!

Lara Croft - Tomb Raider

Halloween #TBT

Music Monday: Lucky One

This is one of my daughter's favorite songs: "Lucky One" by Simple Plan.

Download "Lucky One" by Simple Plan

Get the whole album Get Your Heart On - The Second Coming

Music Monday: Secrets

"Secrets" by Mary Lambert (from Heart On My Sleeve)

 

Get Heart On My Sleeve on iTunes
Get Heart On My Sleeve on Amazon

The Vampire Diaries: Forget me, Forget me not...

I can think of worse things than being stuck in "Groundhog's Day" with Ian Somerhalder. Just sayin'. 

Watch Episode 6.02 "Yellow Ledbetter"

Parent Life

One of the best messages?

OKCupid thinks that this is "one of the best messages" that I have received. This is why OKCupid sucks.

:head desk:

Music Monday: Girl All The Bad Guys Want

Here's an old one... about ten years ago someone put this one a mixed tape for me. I don't even remember who it was, but maybe I was a little bit cooler than them?

Download "Girl All The Bad Guys Want" by Bowling For Soup

Get the whole album Drunk Enough To Dance

Music Monday: Partners

Barbra Streisand’s duets album featuring 12 of the world’s greatest male vocalists comes out tomorrow!

 

Preorder Partners by Barbra Streisand - Target

Preview Partners by Barbra Streisand - iTunes

Also... check out Barbra on Jimmy Fallon tonight (9/15) and GMA tomorrow (9/16).

Music Monday: Angel in Blue Jeans

Love this mini-western film of Train's Angel in Blue Jeans from Bulletproof Picasso! New album drops 9/16!

 

Preorder Bulletproof Picasso by Train on Amazon
Preorder Bulletproof Picasso by Train on iTunes
(Releasing on 9/16!)

Check out my review here

Review: Bulletproof Picasso by Train

My daughter is a huge fan of Train, so she was thrilled when I told her that I had access to their new CD Bulletproof Picasso before it was officially released. One of the only complaints that I've had about Train over the years (this is their seventh album) is that a lot of their songs sound exactly the same. My daughter disagrees but that's how I have always felt about them. There are definitely some songs on this album with the trademark Train sound, but there was also a diversity that I enjoyed.

Music Monday: Promise

  

Download "Promise" by Tori Amos

Get the whole album Unrepetant Geraldines

True Blood Final Episode: Thank You

So it's finally come. The True Blood finale. I gotta say, I was kind of underwhelmed by this episode. Even as a regular episode it would just be meh, but as the FINAL episode?

Watch this episode "Thank You" on HBO Go

Music Monday: Already Home

Download "Already Home" by A Great Big World

Get the whole album Is There Anybody Out There?

True Blood Final Season: Love Is To Die

The second-to-last episode of True Blood's final season still hasn't answered the question "will it end in True Love or the True Death?"

Watch this episode "Love Is To Die" on HBO Go

Music Monday: I Must Be Dreaming

Download "I Must Be Dreaming" by the Maine

Get the whole album Can't Stop Won't Stop

True Blood Final Season: Almost Home

In episode 8 of True Blood's final season ("Almost Home") everyone except for Eric and Pam continues to piss me the fuck off.

Watch this episode "Almost Home" on HBO Go.

A quick note on the Ice Bucket Challenge

To my friends doing the Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS, just a warning...

There are actual health risks to dumping ice cold water on yourself or someone else (some minor, but some more serious cardiovascular and pulmonary issues depending on the person). I don't really care for "awareness" campaigns because I believe they usually do very little to actually help their associated causes and donating your money/time is way more beneficial. I'm not going to shame anyone for having their fun with these kind of stunts but I personally think this one is a bad idea. If you have health issues please consult a doctor before you succumb to peer pressure on this one. Or just write a check.

To make a donation to the ALS Association: ALSA.org/donate/

What Movie Sequel Should You See This Summer?

Step Up: All In - the fifth installment in the Step Up series - opened today. If this summer's movies are any indication... Hollywood is running out of original ideas. So many of the films out right now are sequels (or reboots), but which one is right for you? Check out this helpful flow chart to help you decide! (Click on the image to enlarge.)

Are you ready for Step Up: All In?

Can you keep track of the dancers/actors in the first four Step Up movies? Well you better figure it out because this Friday, they're uniting for the fifth installment in the series Step Up: All In.

Each of the four films follows a similar pattern, each stars a motley crew of misfits and dancers, each includes a romance between two main characters (that are kind of hard to tell apart) and each ends up with (at least) one super climactic, kick-ass dance routine. There are so many characters that crossover from one film to the next, that it can get a little confusing to keep track of who's who and who's in which crew...

#WCW: 10 Surprisingly Dorky Facts About Mila Kunis

It's #WomanCrushWednesday and one of my favorite #WCW women is the adorable Mila Kunis! The star of Friends with Benefits and Black Swan, Mila Kunis is arguably one of the sexiest women on Earth. (Even pregnant, she puts plenty of other women to shame.)

However, she's got a slightly nerdy side that you might not know about... and it kind of makes her even hotter...

Music Monday: Appreciated

Download "Appreciated" by Rixton
Get the whole album Me and My Broken Heart

True Blood Final Season: May Be the Last Time

This week's episode of True Blood (the final season) is called "May Be the Last Time" and I can only hope that means it may be the last time that we have to suffer through another Bill Compton flashback.

Violet looks hot even when she first wakes up.

Watch this episode "May Be The Last Time" on HBO Go

Strange U.S. Beach Laws: What You Can & Can't Do Where...

On New York beaches, a woman can go topless anywhere it is legal for a man to do so, but it is illegal to bring a pig to the beach in Miami or to feed a shark in Hawaii. Are you aware of the laws at your local beaches? Before you get too naughty this summer, check out what you can and can't do.

Read More at RSVLTS.com

Music Monday: Rude

Download "Rude" by Magic!
Get the whole album Don't Kill The Magic

True Blood Final Season: Karma

In this episode of True Blood's final season - appropriately titled "Karma" - everyone is getting what they deserve, maybe. I've come to the conclusion that the people of Bon Temps are all a bunch of morons and they should all just die already. Except Pam and Eric, who should live on for all eternity, and rule the world.

Watch this episode "Karma" on HBO Go.

The ESC Reads Fifty Shades of Grey... so you don't have to

Did anyone else see the 50 Shades of Grey trailer? The movies looks... about as bad as the book! In case you've forgotten how bad the book was (or were smart enough to never have read it in the first place) here's a little resource for you: The ESC Reads 50 Shades of Grey... so you don't have to. Chapter-by-chapter critiques of the first book courtesy of the Evil Slut Clique.

Wedding Dance Traditions From Around the World

Dancing is often a big part of any wedding celebration, but these dance traditions vary in different countries and cultures.

The "Money Dance"

Read more at LearnClubDance.com

True Blood Final Season: Lost Cause

In the fifth episode of True Blood's final season, everyone is partying it up. Well almost everyone. 

Watch this episode "Lost Cause" on HBO Go

Top 10 Foods You Can’t Look Tough Eating

There are some foods you just can’t look tough eating, no matter how cool you think you are. No matter how hard you try, it’s pretty difficult to look like a bad ass while eating these top 10 most embarrassing foods.

Read more at RSVLTS.com

True Blood Final Season: Fire in the Hole

In the 3rd episode of True Blood's final season, the writers are clearly trying to bring Bill and Sookie back together - no matter how forced, contrived or unwanted that may be.

 

Let Eric Northman live!
[Watch this episode "Fire in the Hole" on HBO GO]

The Best Summer Movies

Summer is my absolute favorite season, but even I can get a little overwhelmed by the heat at times. I love being outdoors in the sunshine but every once in a while it's nice to pop in a movie and relax in the air conditioning. So these are some of the best summer movies ever made... for those days when you just can't bear the real thing.

#365feministselfie is halfway there!!

So the #365feministselfie project is officially at the halfway point! In case you haven't been following me on Instagram (why not?), the challenge was created by Veronica Arreola of Viva la Feminista in response to criticism of selfies and the women who take and post them. She challenged everyone to post a selfie every day for an entire year. We are now officially six months in, with six months left to go...

True Blood Final Season: I Found You

Episode 2 of the final season of True Blood is all kinds of fucked up, just like the first one. 

[Watch this episode "I Found You" on HBO GO]

The Best Wedding Movie Dance Scenes

Wedding movies range from romantic to funny to bittersweet... but one thing that is always memorable is the dancing! Here are some of the most memorable wedding dances from movies...

Read more at LearnClubDance.com

True Blood Final Season: Premiere

"Do you smell that?" that's how the last season of True Blood ended... the Hep-V infected vampires were headed into town to crash Arlene's mixer at Bellefleur's. The Season 7 premiere opens up to bloody chaos.

[Watch this episode "Jesus Gonna Be Here" on HBO GO]

Last Chance True Blood Refresher

The seventh (and final) season of True Blood is set to premiere tonight. Tonight? Tonight!! I know that last summer feels like a long time ago, so here's a little reminder of what the major characters were up to when we last left them.

 The Season 6 finale left off after a 6-month jump in time... Where are they now?

Iconic Dance Moments You Know You've Tried To Reenact

Certain pop culture moments just stay with you after you’ve seen them. They’re not necessarily the best scenes from movies or television or music videos, but for whatever reason they’ve stuck with you over the years. Any of these scenes might’ve been part of your childhood experience or remind you of a certain point in your life. Maybe you’ve watched them over and over… maybe you and your friends tried to reenact them. (If you haven’t tried to recreate at least one of these moments then you probably at least wish you had.)
These are some of my iconic pop culture dance moments.

If you’re near my age, you’ve probably done at least one of the things on this list.

 Read more at LearnClubDance.com

The 10 Most Bad Ass Dads in Hollywood History

What would your parents do if you were taken hostage by terrorists? In honor of Father’s Day, here are ten of film’s toughest dads.  You know you wish one of these bad asses was your dad.

Read more at RSVLTS.com

10 Really Convincing Reasons Why Every Guy Needs A Platonic Female Friend

My best friend is a guy. No, we're not sleeping together and no, neither of us is gay. Most of our other friends suspect that we are secretly hooking up but the truth is that our friendship is totally platonic. In fact, he's such a good friend that I wouldn't ever consider dating him for fear of losing him (because I know a relationship between us would never work but what we already have is awesome).

I think that every heterosexual guy could benefit from having at least one close platonic female friend. And here are 10 really convincing reasons why... 

Read more at RSVLTS.com!

Last Minute Father's Day Gifts

If you haven't gotten something for that special man in your life yet, here are some last minute ideas...

Order by 9pm tonight (EST) to get your items with Standard Shipping! Use code FINAL80 to get 80% off select items.
 

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I Love My Baby Daddy