The Jersey Shore: reality phenom or another brick in the wall?

Disclaimer, because i can :) I have never watched a full episode of these shows. 

Yeah...that really is a guy making a duck face....And there are countless more pictures of the male cast making duck faces. By now i think my point may already have been made. Has anyone ever wondered what makes the cast of this particular reality show tick? How do they see themselves? What do they think of themselves and their show? I am really, truly curious about how someone so ridiculous can justify their existence? Maybe not entire existence, but the show they are on, the one that made them inexplicably,  mind-bogglingly rich and/or famous. Do they ever step outside of their comfort zone, the one where everyone loves them and their orange tans are awesome and realize that they are, at best, a joke? Did anyone ever, really REALLY like them? How did they end up with a show? Were they famous before for some other reason and then they were put on a show? Did any of them have a sex tape? Did all of them? Or did some genius at MTV realize there was a hole in our collective souls that could only be filled with quality and educational content such as ....oh wait, never mind, they went for the lowest common denominator as usual. You know what that show is exactly like to me? Swamp People. Doing a search on Google, it returned results as appetizing as: Swamp cooking, Nature's grocery store or Turf Wars and i was tempted to try the Swamp People mobile video game, buy the t-shirt, sign up for e-mail updates or try their gumbo bowls. Sign me up! 

Has anyone heard these two speak? 

I am actually serious when i wonder what they think of themselves. Do they ever feel the impulse to leave this world a little bit better than when they came into it? Do they ever think to do some good with their popularity? Is there more than just laughing all the way to the bank? Do they even have anything, anything at all to teach us? Will they teach a child a needed lesson? Any kind of education? Do they ever feel the self-hatred of their fans as they blankly stare into their TV screens reaching out to them? Does it weigh on their shoulders that they stole an hour of countless people’s lives that they will never get back? A whole hour staring down into the gaping maw of blackness that is their insipid dialogue. There are so, so many internet cliches that i can think of when this show is even brought up, such as “My IQ just dropped 100 points just watching this” and “I wish i could invent a machine that allows me to stab someone in the face over the internet”

This is what your children will turn into if you don’t raise them properly 

However…there is always a sinister undertone when i hear about the new slew of shows…Back in my day we walked to school in the snow, uphill both ways! But really, why unleash them upon our own race? Why is television today so devoid of good role models? Instead we create precedent after precedent of fist pumping, drinking until everyone gets into a cat fight or pukes or passes out, sleeping with every single one of the people you know and make as much sense as a Neanderthal with a stroke. I know i sound like a broken record and this has been said over and over before. But come on, MTV, you used to play Come as You Are and Schism. Now we have…them?


Or are we to blame? Are they prime-time because we liked them so much or do we like them so much because they are prime-time? And that’s why this is becoming a sinister topic for me. Because, even though it’s been said over and over again, what if it’s the latter? Are we being dumbed-down as a race? I’m not trying to sound like another conspiracy theorist, i do hate those, i might just be out of touch with what’s “Hip” these days. But come on..”Mob Wives”? How long until “Here comes Honey Boo-Boo” is be the classiest thing to watch? I for one am sick of being herded like a sheep and told that I don’t deserve any better than The Jersey Shore; that the limit of my understanding begins and ends with cooking roadkill; that as a woman, the only useful skill i can acquire is marrying somebody rich and spreading them on TV for the enjoyment of millions others. Again, this is a truism but It reminds me of Idiocracy.


What do you guys think? Leave me a comment.

COFFEE TABLE ATRIA COLLECTION | GONZALO DE SALAS

COFFEE TABLE ATRIA COLLECTION | GONZALO DE SALAS

Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood thoughts

There has been a lot of debate on the internet over the Susan G. Komen foundation withdrawing funding from Planned parenthood and in 99% of the debate I've read it has soon turned into a circus of political mud throwing and more importantly a renewed debate over abortion rights. It seems people are getting very incensed about this issue all the time on both sides; seems like pro-lifers like to call the other side "baby killers" and the pro-choicers are constantly on the defensive because they fear Roe vs. Wade will be reversed if a Republican gets elected or public opinion sways enough to the right. Both sides are very emotionally invested in the issue judging by what I've read.
I'm a firm believer in the separation of church and state and this is a good example of what happens when religious issues hold too much weight in the political arena. Not to mention the enormous amount of money getting poured into lobbying and the creation of the super PACs to sway public opinion and votes.
I feel that religion is obviously no measure of a political candidate's capabilities and more often than not it's been proven no motivator for moral behavior. Anyone remember the vocal religious conservative who was a gay pedophile behind closed doors? Or the hundreds of self-proclaimed solid christian men who not only proved to be gay but cheated on their wives with prostitutes or did tons of drugs? This kind of hypocrisy only wins votes by dividing the country into left and right, because obviously the very people who are loudest about the importance of religion have no concern for morals when it comes to themselves.
What happened to the moderate middle? Or to religion being a private issue? Especially with so many churches and religions existing in the U.S.? I doubt a Buddhist would be supported in this country even though i admire their religion more. 
I'm somewhat scared of the consequences if someone radically religious would gain enough power to make changes in this country, especially since these religious types seem to have no respect for opinions opposed to theirs and others personal rights and our wishes to live our own lives without having our rights trampled on.
I've always wondered where these religious zealots would draw the line for abortion. What if the mother would die if she keeps the pregnancy? What if it was the result of a rape? What if the fetus was diagnosed with a deadly illness and it would die shortly after birth, even further hurting the parents? What if the fetus is diagnosed with something like Down syndrome and the parents can't imagine going through life caring for a child who will never be anything but a burden? What if the parents do not have the financial means to even begin to care for such a child? What is the opposite to abortion in these cases? Forced birth?
One common phrase used seems to be "If she didn't want to have a baby why didn't she use birth control?" It seems to me that we all conveniently forget about the mistakes we've all made when we were young. How about all of us? How many of us have made some not so smart choices when we were younger? Even though we've outgrown those times or we have gotten smarter how many of us can say they have never had unprotected sex? Maybe some smoked pot a couple of times or experimented with other drugs or drank a few times at a college frat party? What if every single instance you made one of those not too smart decisions meant a life sentence with no recourse and no way out?
As a girl i have to say that i have yet to hear a dude begging me to have sex with a condom; they all beg to do it without one. Yet this whole debate has nothing to do with the guy, it's all a war on the girl; even though the way i remember it, all the guys were trying to get into some girl's pants, not the other way around. It's mostly the guys hustling and "being players" trying to get a girl to sleep with them, not the other way around. Where is their responsibility? I'll bet that if the guys were to have to get pregnant after sex abortion would have been legal a long time ago.
I too have thought about what it would mean if i had gotten pregnant and i am nothing but terrified of the possibility to lose control over my own reproductive rights. When i was younger giving birth would have but destroyed my life, i wouldn't have been able to finish college, not to mention the poverty I've lived in for a while, i see no way i would have been able to support myself, a non-working husband and our child on my rather meager pay. The girls who end up pregnant are mostly poor and minimally educated, their lives made so much harder by having a baby, almost impossible to continue schooling and thus condemning herself to a life of perpetual poverty, not to mention becoming another drain on a system that only helps very little. The guy that sweet-talked his way into her pants? Not so much.
The decision must be a hard one to make anyway and it all rests on her shoulders. Some have pointed out that when using Planned Parenthood's services out of necessity, even though they were there for something entirely different than an abortion, they were greeted by protesters and picketers, getting guilted and insulted. How hurtful it must have been to be forced there out of poverty yet be insulted for it.
To me it's sad to live in a world so controlled by mindlessness, in darkness of the reason, so unmerciful yet so self-righteous that people are trying to take my freedoms away from me. I understand that certain things are illegal and there is a reason for them to be that way, but infringing on a woman's reproductive rights because your religious leaders tell you it's ok to unleash your inner bigot, that just enrages me. Just like the rest of the people involved in this debate, on both sides. This is just my side.

My new Jambalaya findings and recipes

  After poring over countless recipes i found this one that seems the most authentic to me. Thanks cooks.com :)

BEST CAJUN ANDOUILLE AND CHICKEN GUMBO




1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3/4 cup of canola or peanut oil
1 cup of plain flour
4 quarts of chicken stock (plus additional water if needed)
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1 tablespoon of fresh or dried thyme
2+ tablespoons of Tony Chachere's seasoning, to taste
1/2 pound or 4 cups of fresh or frozen okra, chopped
1 lb chicken meat, cooked and deboned
1 lb andouille sausage, sliced thin
4-6 cups of cooked white rice
chopped parsley and green onion tops for garnish
1 lb. of cooked deveined shrimp (if desired)
ground file' (if desired)

Start off by prepping the "Trinity" vegetables (onion, celery and bell pepper) by chopping them, then set aside with the onion separate.To a cast iron skillet warming up on med-high heat, add the oil and then the flour, blending well to make a roux. Continue stirring constantly on medium to medium-high heat with a metal spatula or wire whisk for about 15-20 minutes as the roux turns color from white to tan, then to a peanut butter color, and then a medium to dark brown color like melted chocolate.

Note: Make sure to scrape the entire base of the skillet as u go along and never stop stirring for any longer than about 5-10 seconds or it will scorch and be fit for nothing more than the garbage can.)

(*SHHHH this is a secret technique*) At this point add the onions first and cook for at least 5 minutes until they start to caramelize in the roux (which will turn it even darker), then add the celery, bell pepper, garlic and thyme to the hot roux, stir and cook on low heat for about 5 more minutes. Be sure to have a bottle of drinking water and a towel for your forehead nearby...it's like working over napalm :-P
Transfer the cooked roux mixture to a large stockpot and add the chicken stock over high heat (plus extra water later if needed to cover the remaining ingredients) along with the chicken, sausage and Tony's seasoning. While allowing the assembled gumbo to come to a boil, fry the bare okra in a few tablespoons of oil for a couple minutes and then add to the pot (or if desired, breaded okra can be substituted and served on the side).
Once brought to a boil, lower heat to med-low and simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. Serve hot over a bed of rice with green onions and parsley garnish, plus ground sassafras leaves (file') can be added for even more authentic Cajun flavor.
This recipe is the real deal and I have yet to taste a restaurant gumbo better than this (at least not here in Mississippi) lol.

Submitted by: Ty Jankowski / Jackson, MS

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,2227,152183-229204,00.html

Shaping and countouring the face

Anyone who knows me knows how passionate i am about fashion, beauty products, jewelry and perfumes. I shop a lot and do a lot of research. So, not too surprisingly, i decided to start my own website offering a variety of services in hopes of helping people out.
What I'm going to write about today is contouring your face shape using either specialized products or, more commonly used, bronzer and a shimmery eye-shadow or several darker shades of foundation. However i prefer the contouring products specifically designed for shading because in my experience they look a lot more natural than bronzer. Bronzer also creates a more drastic difference in skin tone along your jaw line, where your skin is generally at its' lightest. I read a study saying that as far as men judging the attractivity of a woman they found that women whose facial skin tone closest matched the shade on their necks were deemed more attractive; in short we have to extend the coloring into the neck area.
The purpose of contouring is deflecting focus from features you want hidden on your face; by darkening a certain area you are making it look recessed, just like shadows fall naturally on sunken contours: you can use it to shape your nose, make your face appear thinner, soften your square jaw or de-emphasize a sagging neckline.

Nose shaping: i find that for this particular area using liquid foundation in one or two shades darker than your skin tone works best, applied with a concealer brush for precision. To correct thickness apply the darker foundation after you have applied your normal shade all over. Start on the sides of the nose, leaving the center untouched; apply two parallel lines on the sides of your nose shading any particular features you want as well, for instance a protruding bone, creating what's called a "hump" on the nose. In my experience you want to blend well towards the exterior of the nose for a natural result, no sharp lines at all. I find it best to leave the foundation dry for a little bit, depending on the formula you're using. The pigment will stay more concentrated.

Jaw shaping: many of us, including myself, are blessed with round or square face shapes. They are not uncommon at all but i for one find my face much too "fat". That's how my research into face shaping started and with a lot of practice i find the results satisfying. The secret to successfully shading your jaw is moderation. You want the results to be subtle, not clownish.
Start off by choosing the perfect shade; more about this later. There are several types of brushes you can use but i found two to be most useful: a slanted blush brush or a long-haired flat foundation brush, both medium sized just because i prefer precision. I have however seen good results with kabuki brushes or fluffy foundation brushes. Start the application at the highest point in your jaw: basically more color will be applied to the most troublesome spot. Work your way inward, at first using long, sideways swipes, tapering off the pressure as you reach closer to your mouth. You shouldn't get too close to your mouth and you should stop under your cheekbones. Next step is blending, and blending well. What i do is i cover the line where the jaw bone goes under to the neck, making sure to get the whole area blended well under the jaw line using either up and down strokes or small circles. Make sure to blend well into your neck and go down the neck as well to ensure that there is no visible demarcation line. Continue upwards towards your temple shading the outer part of the cheekbone, just where the top of your ear meets the face. That is usually the widest part of the face.

Thinning out the face: The process is very similar to the cheek sculpting but i usually contour the cheekbones first and then i darken the sides of the face, focusing on the outside of the cheekbone and overall the sides of the face. How much you go towards the middle of the face is entirely up to you but a big part of this look is still the jaw as explained in the above paragraph.
Working with other prominent features such as a sharp chin or a very tall forehead is pretty much the same concept and I'm sure you got it by now: use the contouring medium as a shading tool, make the results look natural and blend. Blend. Blend.
Now i have seen many suggesting a 3 shape motion to contour - i don't find that very useful. Also i oppose shading the top of your forehead, just into the hairline. That effect will make your forehead look shorter, which is never a good thing, especially if you're emphasizing the verticality of your face. You know who has a short forehead? Apes. Not a good look.
I have run into a vast variety of products for this very purpose and i will try to go through them and review them.
I have included a (pretty long) list of products that you can use as a guideline for buying a kit that does what you want it to do. I've tried some of the products myself, some others i haven't but i am familiar with the brands. The first half of the list inclused kits, the second half luminizers and highlighters. I am very fond of highlighters, not only to use on the tops of my cheeckbones but as eye shadows, in the corners of my eyes, under foundation or concealer to hide my dark under-eye circles or mix with my foundation for a nice, luminous look.
The best way to achieve your goals of facial contouring is doing some research yourself, get informed, watch some tutorials (there are tons on Youtube) and practice. I wish you all the best in your quest. You can expect more articles from me and feel free to check out my website in case you find yourself in need of my personalized services at http://usabeautyshipper.com or http://elenazeeb.wordpress.com/


Bronzers: I won't go into a detailed review of any of them as there are so many out there I'm not even going to bother, although I am going to state the obvious: don't use one that has sparkle in it, it will bring the sparkly area into focus.
Mally products. I use her blush/highlighter duo every single day. The highlighter is golden so it doubles as an eye shadow.
Smashbox STEP-BY-STEP CONTOUR KIT: Wishing for more defined cheekbones Perhaps a more sculpted jawline Cheat genetics by using the new Smashbox 3 in 1 kit to add dimension to the face with shades to contour bronze and highlight An easy to follow guide demystifies how to add depth blend in warmth and create that resplendent glow BONUS FREE specially designed contour brush
It Cosmetics my sculpted face palette: My Sculpted Face teaches you step by step how to contour features of your face for the appearance of a slimmer look, a straighter nose, slender cheeks, more prominent cheekbones and even the appearance of a reduced double chin!The palette comes with 4 contouring shades designed to match all skin tones.The palette comes with 2 highlighting shades in both shimmer and matte.
Coastal Scents Contour & Blush Palette:•6 contouring, shading, concealing, and blush matte shades •Great for altering your facial structure •For those who want a more symmetrical look
MakeUp Forever: Sculpting Kit
What it is: A kit featuring complementary powders, dark and light, that helps contour, sculpt, and correct the face structure. What it does:Make Up For Ever Sculpting Kit allows you to sculpt, contour, and correct your face shape with a micronized powder that is easy to apply and blend. It can be used on all skintones and is non-drying and dermatologist tested.Sephora is the exclusive beauty retailer for this product.
LORAC TANtalizer™ Highlighter & Matte Bronzer Duo  What it is:A mirrored compact featuring a luminizer powder and a bronzing powder.
What it does: Highlight, color, and contour with this versatile and easy-to-use duo. It contains a velvety smooth luminizing powder for professional-looking highlighting and a matte bronzing powder for perfectly contoured and bronzed cheeks. The glamorous mirrored compact makes this duo a perfect choice for on-the-go red carpet glow.
Charlotte Ronson 3 X A Charm Luminizer, Blush, Bronzer What it is:A three-in-one blush, bronzer, and luminizer.
What it does:
It's a whole new wardrobe for your cheeks: mix and match this trio of colors to create a range of looks. Each features LFT™ (Light Filter Technology) to automatically adjust its pigments based on your lighting. The result is the perfect glow under any light, day or night. Made with long-lasting, jet-milled talc, these three silky powders glide on evenly to create a natural, healthy-looking glow. Moisturizers and vitamins calm and soothe thirsty skin.
e.l.f. Studio Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder: Create a healthy and natural glow all year long. The Blush highlights the cheeks to add a flush of color, while the Bronzer accents and contours cheekbones for beautiful definition.
Sephora Brand Sculpting Disk: A sculpting powder trio. What it does:Sephora Brand Sculpting Disk is a compact with three powders: mattifying, to give an even, matte finish; a blush bronzer, to bronze and define; and a highlighting powder, to illuminate and brighten.
SLEEK Face Contour Kit: A highlighter and pressed powder kit, which can be used to help sculpt and define one’s features. This product contains two powders. The darker powder is used to create shadows on the face, such as defining the jaw line or contouring the cheekbones. The lighter powder is the highlighter, used to reflect light off the face and can be placed in various places such as the apple of the cheeks, the temple, the tip of the nose etc.
ybf Brighten, Hide and Sculpt Concealer Makeup Help your little imperfections do a disappearing act. These three concealers glide on and help hide blemishes you don't want the world to see. With light, medium and dark shades in one stylish mirrored compact, you can match your skintone season in, season out.
Clé de Peau Beauté Contour Defining Powder.This luxurious face powder refill uses light-reflecting pigments and sophisticated colors to illuminate skin tone and enhance the natural beauty of features.
Benefit Cosmetics Face Powder Contouring Set: Brush on the secret to fabulous Hollywood-and-model-esque cheekbones with the Benefit Cosmetics Face Powder Contouring Set. The magic word in makeup artistry is contouring, and it's easy with this highlighter/bronzer combination coupled with the perfect coral "pop" of Coralista powder. They instantly help define, highlight and accentuate your features so you'll be red-carpet ready!
Stila Contouring Trio: ( 3x Powder Compact #Dark #Flash #Light ): Helps strengthen contour define & soften your features professionally Gives step by step simple instructions on how to shape cheeks nose & eye Creates vital lighting effect in an easy way With 3 shades light (a high-lighting powder) dark (a low-lighting powder) flash (a soft neutral shimmer) for various effects
MAC Sculpting powder pro palette: A powder specially tinted to enhance natural bone structure and sculpt contours into the face. Immaculately shaded to create natural-looking shadow effects, the the finish is sheer and matte.
Highlighters and luminizers:
MAC Shaping powder pro palette:A micro-fine shaping powder formulated with soft focus technology that accents and emphasizes the high planes of the face. More subtle than many highlighters, these are the ideal shade complement to M·A·C Pro Sculpting Powder.
MAC Iridescent powder/loose: Iridescent Powder is a finely milled mixture of Mica and pigments which gives the skin a beautiful sheen.
NARS Illuminator:A multifunctional face product that gives skin a refreshed luminosity.
What it does:This light-reflecting liquid glides on to refresh and enhance the complexion, creating a shimmering incandescence. Wear it alone, or pair it with makeup to transform your skin from ordinary to extraordinary.
Benefit High Beam: A luminescent complexion enhancer. What it does: Benefit High Beam is an ethereal pink liquid highlighter that creates a radiantly dewy complexion. For an angelic sheen, this pink shimmering lotion adds a soft, natural afterglow.
What else you need to know:
It's a "supermodel in a bottle…" and perfectly alluring on all skin tones.
Josie Maran Argan Illuminizer : What it is:An ultra-light skin brightener with a hint of bronze.
What it does: This bronze shade is perfect for highlighting and adding an instant beautiful luminosity to the face, collarbone, and body. Argan Illuminizer can be used alone or mixed with foundation for an instant boost of radiance and a natural glow any time of year and on skintone. It gives the skin a radiant glow that lasts all day.
LORAC Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder instantly puts your face in its best light, giving your skin a luminous red carpet glow. This oil-free, velvety powder brightens and evens out your skin tone, helping it appear naturally radiant. Optimizing the effect of light, this unique luminizing powder helps diminish the appearance of imperfections for a youthful, luminous, glowing complexion.
Smashbox Artificial Light Luminizing Powder: Inspired by Smashbox's bestselling Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion! Use this soft, shimmery powder as a highlighter and brightener for a gorgeous glow. Apply to inner corners of eyes, down the bridge of nose, above brows and high on cheekbones.