NaBloPoMo Month - "The X Factor's Whoopsy Moment!"

NaBloPoMo Month - "The X Factor's Whoopsy Moment!"
Entry #7 - 11/07/2013

Someone lost his or her job today because of a "graphics error" at the hit, strike that, former hit, nope strike that too, mediocre karaoke contest masquerading as a television show, "The X Factor." But some critics would say that the network is making to much of this latest incident considering it was only watched by 4.5 million viewers and had its last live Wednesday episode a month ago.

So many people had such high hopes for the Star Search / American Idol / The Voice rip-off, but nothing seems to be working for this now sad, sad talent show helmed by former American Idol fave Simon Cowell.

According to TV Guide's Liz Raftery, the Fox show incorrectly displaying the wrong voting numbers during the performance recap of the singing competition and as a result, the Top 13 contestants will re-perform their "Save Me" songs in a live hour-long performance airing Thursday night...giving "fans" the option to re-vote starting immediately after tonight's performance.

However, there's one little catch and this is where I find the situation to get even more comical or embarrassing (for Fox) or down right hilarious (for me) - Fox can't be bothered to change the recording voters will hear when they vote tonight. The same TV Guide article states, "Fox notes that viewers who vote via phone will still hear a pre-recorded message telling them to tune in "tomorrow," even though the results wont' be revealed until next Wednesday!"

Oh Fox! Oh Fox! Oh Fox! It's time to give it up. You already have one fading singing competition reality show jewel in your small crown, let this one go because it's not working! It's just not. To have someone not get the phone numbers right...and then to not change the pre-recorded message for the phone numbers is down right embarrassing! It's a sad day when the network that gave us American Idol, which gave us Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood is reduced to such amateur tomfoolery! Everyone should do themselves a favor tonight and just watch NBC's "The Voice" - I know I'm going too! 

NaBloPoMo Month - "Weight Loss Update"

NaBloPoMo Month - "Weight Loss Update"
Entry #6 - 11/06/2013

So by this point in time everyone is aware that I had Gastric Sleeve Surgery earlier this year. As everyone else is aware we are quickly approaching the Thanksgiving season it means that Black Friday shopping and eating like we've never seen food before is well upon us.

This year however and inspired by a blog post I found at "The World According to Eggface" I have decided to make a contribution in honor of my weight loss journey and the holiday season! So tonight I stepped on the scale to determine my current YTD (Year-to-Date) weight loss and it's holding steady at 175...I wish it would keep getting higher, the weight loss number, not the weight...but I'm proud to have lost the 175lbs. that I have managed to shed away. With just a little over nine months from my surgery date that is almost 19.5lbs. a month that I have been able to kick to the curb!

As I celebrate the life changing decision I made this year, I thought why not share that with others and I decided that I will be donating one non-perishable food item for every pound I've lost to a local food bank here in Stillwater, up to 150 items. The remaining 25 items...I've decided to donate to a pet rescue organization. I'll donate items such a dog and cat food and any other items that might be on their wish list. I'll update the blog often throughout the month on how the collection process is going and on which organizations I select for the donation! Let's celebrate this season and give back!

Until Next Time...Ciao Bella...

NaBloPoMo Month - "The Right Side of History"

NaBloPoMo Month - "The Right Side of History"
Entry #5 - 11/05/2013

"As president, I have always believed that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally under the law. Over time, I also came to believe that same-sex couples should be able to get married like anyone else. So tonight, Michele and I are overjoyed for all the committed couples in Illinois whose love will now be as legal as ours - and for their friend and family who long wanted nothing more than to see their loves ones treated fairly and equally under the law."

A statement from President Barack Obama that was issued today after the General Assembly of Illinois, passed, narrowly mind you, a gay marriage bill that has cleared the way for the state to become the 15th out of 50 (in case you were keeping count) to legalize same-sex unions!

We've all heard the saying, "It only takes one person to make a difference..." well tonight in Illinois those words have held more truth than ever before. The bill received 61 votes in the House, one more than the bare minimum needed to send the measure back to the Senate - which signed off on the bill...QUICKLY!

The passing of the Marriage Equality Act in the "Land of Lincoln" just one day after U.S. Representative Mike Michaud announced in an op-ed piece to Maine residences and the rest of the world that he was a homosexual.

The heart of this issue...same-sex marriage is about equality for everyone. In a country where we declare "all men to be created equal" only nearly one-third of the states in this country have followed through with that. How long will it take before the rest of the country joins Illinois and the other 14 states on the right side of history!? It's interesting to note that while members of the black caucus came out in support of the bill and deemed It a civil rights issue. While members of the African American Clergy Coalition praised (yes praised) those who voted against the measure by saying, "We will always believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. Yet we will still love the members of the LGBT community." I'm sure the Bishop means well enough...

"Today the Illinois House put our state on the right side of history. Illinois is a place that embraces all people and today, we are an example for the nation," stated Governor Pay Quinn...to which I reply your moved 35 other states...including Oklahoma...it's time to get on the right side of history!

NaBloPoMo Month - "I Lead..."

NaBloPoMo Month - "I Lead..."
Entry #4 - 11/04/2013

The state slogan for Maine in Latin is Dirigo and when translated to English means, I Lead...and that slogan could take on a whole new meaning come November 2014, if Representative Mike Michaud has anything to say about it...considering he could be the first gay governor in the United States of America.

Aggregated data collected from Pew Research Center in March 2013 and May 2013 indicates that the General Public favor legalization of gay and lesbian marriage by 50%. Democrats show their favoritism of the hot button issue by 62% while Republicans continue to practice 2004 politics and only favor gays and lesbians marrying by 33%.

U.S. Representative Mike Machuad

These numbers came into play today when Maine Democrat, Representative Mike Michaud a contender for his parties nomination for Governor declared today in a column that appeared in the Bangor Daily News and Portland Press Herald that he was in fact a gay man in Congress. And for those of you who are keeping count, that brings the total number of openly gay members of the United House to seven, and there are eight total openly gay legislators in Congress including Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin.

But what is so historic about Representative Michaud's announcement is not only the fact that he could become the first openly gay man elected to the post of Governor in the United States, but that he was so to the point about it and more importantly not wanting his truth to impact his state and the election that he has a vested interest in. In an effort to squash the "whisper campaigns" and "insinuations" from those opposed to his candidacy, he simply stated, "They want people to question whether I am gay. Allow me to save them the trouble with a simple, honest answer: 'Yes I am. But why should it matter?'"

In a society that worries far to much about who's zooming with who...will this coming out of the Michaud have an impact on the Gubernatorial election nearly a year away? If previous votes that pertain to gay marriage in Maine is any indication it appears no - in a recent poll conducted by Bangor Daily News disapproval of gay marriage in Maine is down 38%, while 62% of Maine residence say marriage equality has had "no impact" on their lives. What a novel concept..."NO IMPACT" it's funny how the idea of two men in a loving and committed relationship has had no impact on straight citizens of Maine, just as I am sure a man and a woman has had no impact on gay citizens of Maine - other than the idea of being denied civil liberties in other parts of the country...Oklahoma included.

Governor Mary Fallin announced her re-election campaign last month. She also ordered the National Guard to stop processing requests for military benefits for same-sex couples in September...and by doing so ignored a directive from the Pentagon. Governor Fallin based her reasoning on a 2004 law. It's no doubt that the Governor will campaign for re-election based on 2004 data regarding this issue. A decade later it's sad that one state could elect the first ever homosexual Governor, while another (hey Oklahoma!) is denying benefits to the National Guard! And let's hope that Governor Fallin doesn't preach to us about the sanctity of marriage...considering the fact she's DIVORCED!

Michaud put it best when speaking on if his sexual orientation would impact his nearly 30 years of public service or his job as Governor of Maine..."My personal life has never factored into how I do my job and it's not going to factor into how I do my job as governor. Let's move forward and talk about the issues that matter to Maine."

And talk about the issues that matter to all of us, not just in Maine but in the United States and in our own state. Who's zooming who should not longer be an issue. I'll continue to follow the Michaud election and hopefully a year from now write a post about his election night as the Governor! Can you imagine the Inaugural Balls and Galas!?!

 

NaBloPoMo Month - "Waiting to Exhale"

NaBloPoMo Month - "Waiting to Exhale"
Entry #3 - 11/03/2013

Today's blog entry comes from a "The Daily Post" writing prompt that reads: Tell us about a time when everything seemed to be going wrong - and then, suddenly you knew it would be alright.

This writing prompt actually got me to thinking about how I tend to overreact in some situations...shocker to some of you I know and then how once I have taken a moment to calm down, take a breath and think it over - the situation is sometimes, not all the time, much more simpler than I once thought it to be.

One of the most recent things that comes to mind where everything seemed to be going wrong was in fact this year. I'm it's one of the things that I will talk about in my Top 10 Defining Moments blog, but it fits the nature of this posting as well. In August 2012, I spent a month back home in Oklahoma. It was then that it dawned on me I was ready to come back home. I made a list of the top things I wanted to accomplish before leaving Las Vegas and then began the work of making the return happen. I had my weight loss surgery, put my house on the market and worked to find a new job. Suddenly when all of those things fell into place...life began to move at warp speed.

Moving Day - April 2013

Boxes had to be packed. Movers had to be contacted. More boxes had to be packed. An apartment had to be found. And before I knew it...the situation that I envisioned on having such control over was grabbing me by the balls and not letting go! The world seemed to be against me - I couldn't find an apartment in Stillwater, the movers weren't able to give me a solid date on delivery of my items, the house wasn't being sold fast enough and finally when the movers did give me a delivery date on a Thursday afternoon - it was for the very next day! My world was being uprooted and all I wanted to do was get a manicure and go bowling with my buddies (which thanks to that damn moving company I didn't get to do). It's funny how we plan and plan and plan for something to happen, yet it never really seems to be how it goes in the long run. I kept thinking..."If you want to make God laugh tell him your plans..." and now looking back at the situation I knew he got a really good giggle at me with this move! I have often said I wish life were like a musical and if it was in fact true - then Reba's 1996 "Close to Crazy" single from her album "What If It's You" would have been the theme song in my life for the week of April 29, 2013!

I left Las Vegas at approximately 12:30PM on Friday, 05/03/2013, nearly five years to the day that I first accepted an offer from IGT. With the Kia loaded to the absolute brim and knowing that I couldn't stop even for a moment to rest...I started on what would be a twenty hour journey across three time zones and five states...at this point I was still a ball of nerves and didn't know when I would be to "exhale."

It wasn't until nearly 12 hours into the journey with another six to go, when I stopped in Amarillo, Texas for gas and this large-ass cup of coffee that I thought to myself...I might just make this...I might just pull this off...and so I cranked the radio up as loud as it would go in my little Kia Sportage and rolled down a window so that cool spring Texas air could hit me in the face so to help me not fall asleep and wreck my car...because again, if you want to make God laugh...just tell him your plans!


Until Next Time...Ciao Bella and Exhale!

 

NaBloPoMo Month - "Who's Coming to Dinner"

NaBloPoMo Month - "Who's Coming to Dinner"
Entry #2 - 11/02/2013

This has always been a favorite question to ask in a group of new people, when you're on a date with someone and even in a blog post!

Dead or alive...who are the top five people that you would invite to a dinner party?

I thought it would be fun way to kick off (officially) NaBloPoMo Month and reveal in no particular order who my top five choices were - FEMALE EDITION! These delicious dinner companion divas are in no particular order.

Oprah! Reba! Danielle! Dolly! Jacqueline!

5. Dolly Parton
First of all, let me just start by saying that Dolly Rebecca Parton is Fabulous...and yes that is fabulous with a capital "F" honey children!

The original voice of the great song, "I Will Always Love You" has been a favorite celebrity of mine since a performed her classic hit "9 to 5" in sign language in early 2007 - and yes you read that correctly. From her turn as Truvy in my all-time favorite movie "Steel Magnolias" to having publicly declared that "It takes a lot of time and money to look this cheap, honey," to having told Larry King in 2009 that she's written over 3,000 songs - Dolly Rebecca Parton is guaranteed to be a good time...plus I would love to duet with her to "Islands in the Stream!"

Favorite Dolly quote to carry with you through life..."When someone shows you their true colors...believe them," from her 1995 autobiography "Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business."

Plus ya'll she's Miley's godmother...and you know it doesn't get much better than that!


4. Danielle Steel
Of course one of my favorite author would have to be on the guest list. Regardless of whether or not you have ever read any of Ms. Steel's 91 fiction based novels, one will have to admit that she is a master of her craft. As an aspiring writer I would love nothing more than to just sit with her and listen about how she is able to come up with character after character and storyline after storyline. It's been reported that she is often times working on at least five projects at a time. In 2012, she produced four novels and already in 2013, she has written and published three novels including her first New York Times Bestseller since 2006. Danielle Steel is much more than an author of women driven fiction for me. Reading her books connect me to my Mamma, like watching soap operas connect me to my great-grandmother - it's a special place in my heart.

3. Oprah
It's Oprah Winfrey ya'll...enough said!

2. Reba
While I may be a fan of Dolly Parton - I am the ultimate fan of Reba McEntire, having seen her in concert a record (for me at least) four times (2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013) - I have loved this fellow Okie since she wore that plunging red dress on some award show in the 90s and shocked her Momma! She continues to remain a relevant country powerhouse performer and has proven with Kelly Clarkson that she can put someone back on the map again. Reba's songs could tell the musical story of my life, much like ABBA's work told the musical story for Mamma Mia. In fact, perhaps a future blog post will be my Top 10 Reba Songs of all time!

1. Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis
Before Ginnifer Goodwin and Katie Holmes were playing the former First Lady in Made for Television movies, Roma Downey (Touched by an Angel) was showing them how it was done in NBC mini-series "A Woman Named Jackie" and as an a child...I lived for that movie. To the point, I was probably the only ten year old ever to read the autobiography of the same name. I would love to sit down with the former First Lady to just get a one-on-one account of the history she had a front row seat for...married to the Kennedy family, JFK's Presidency, the assignation and the years that followed. Jackie has always been my most favorite culture, pop or otherwise icon and to share a meal with her would be amazing!

NaBloPoMo Month - What the "BLEEP" is NaBloPoMo?

NaBloPoMo Month - What the "BLEEP" is NaBloPoMo?
Entry #1 (Sorta Of) - 11/01/2013

What the hell is NaBloPoMo you might be asking yourself right now...well I am sure glad that you did ask! According to the research that I found NaBloPloMo was started seven years in 2006 in response to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) which means for writers who aspire to write their own novel work to write the aforementioned novel in one month - that month being November.

 

While I have aspirations to one day publish my own novel, I thought NaBloPoMo is a much more realistic goal - 30 blog posts in 30 days. Now some of readers will no doubt inform me that as of this posting it is 11/02/2013, thus meaning I have already broken the #1 rule which is 30 posts in the 30 days - however I counter, for the record, that I didn't learn of the existence of NaBloPoMo until late last night and that I work 40-plus hours a week and I was to lazy to roll out of bed last night to do the proper research needed to write a blog...so this will be credited as entry one for "Sparkling Vodka: NaBloPoMo 2013 Challenge."

 

Through my research of NaBloPoMo I have found other blogs that have topic suggests for blogs that I will be using throughout the month. I'll feature some pop culture blogs that including talking about the fabulous "The Good Wife" and the equally fabulous Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope in ABC's "Scandal" and of course the November entry to the Top Ten Defining Moments of my Twenties.

 

So check back all this month and let's see if I can really do it ya'll...thirty blogs in 29-ish days!

 

Until Next Time ~ Ciao Bella