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Book Review: “Pinterest For Dummies” by Kelby Carr and Giveaway

Holly — Sun, 20 May 2012 09:42:44 +0000

Pinterest has, seemingly overnight, become the hottest new social media website. I have been an avid pinner for the past several months and I absolutely love it. I can, and have on many occasions, spent several hours on Pinterest, and whenever I introduce the website to someone, I always warn them of its amazing ability to lure you in and keep you entertained until you realize that there was something you were supposed to be doing. It’s hard to believe that Pinterest was initially launched in 2010, only because it is just now becoming so popular, but it just goes to show you that in the internet world. it may take years for what you are doing to catch on, but it could very well have the ability to catch on in a big, big way.

Naturally, like just about every other popular activity and subject that urges people to need to know each and every possible thing there is to know about it, Pinterest now has its own For Dummies book. It’s official, guys, Pinterest has arrived, and the time to hop on that bandwagon is now.

Pinterest For Dummies was written by an innovative and just plain awesome woman who is part of a group of people who have the potential to benefit greatly from the magic that is Pinterest: bloggers. Kelby Carr is the founder and CEO of Type-A-Parent, a popular social network and blog, and the Type-A-Parent Conference, which I annually hear tons of terrific things about. Her penning this how-to book makes absolute perfect sense.

I thought I had Pinterest pretty much figured out, and to my credit, I do know what I’m doing when it comes to working the website properly. I can pin images, repin images, I know about the comment capability that almost no one uses, and I know that the like button exists, which I have come to realize through my usage of the website, is used by people who are too embarrassed or lazy to repin an image but still want to make sure people know that they were there. It was while reading this book, however, that I realized I could use a few pointers when it comes to using Pinterest in order to self-promote my own projects and really make an influential difference ind doing so. Turns out I didn’t know everything. Imagine that.

Pinterest For Dummies has the answer to any Pinterest-related questions or concerns you may have. From how to set up an account and start pinning to the many devices you can access and use Pinterest on and controlling your privacy settings, it is all covered. In addition to the whole self-promotion aspect of Pinterest, I was also very interested in getting tips on using Pinterest as an organization tool, effective mood board, and event planning tool. My life has recently changed in some very drastic ways. My partner of six and half years became my fiance in mid-April and in the beginning of February we bought our own home. I am now in the middle of creating a warm and inviting home that signifies who we are and starting the very beginning stages of wedding planning simultaneously! Lo and behold, I not only found out the easiest way to organize the many things Pinterest can inspire, but I also learned how to make a board a collaborative project and read about how it can also be used as a shopping list, a bookmarking site, and even using it to support a cause. There’s a whole lot of valuable information in this book.

The last two chapters of Pinterest For Dummies are also great resources. Chapter 11 lists 10 companies that are using Pinterest effectively, including Etsy, Lowe’s Whole Foods, and Better Homes and Gardens. Chapter 12 lists 10 power pinners that if you have a Pinterest account, you should be following. I was pleased to find out that I already follow the majority of the people who were listed and I definitely agree with the recommendations. The 10 people listed in this book have already been inspiring me on Pinterest exponentially throughout the past several months that I have been using the website.

Giveaway

If you just started using Pinterest and want information on how to make the most of it, if you don’t yet have an account but are thinking about joining the countless people already using the site, or even if you believe yourself to be an expert Pinterest user, I am confident in saying that you can benefit from reading Pinterest For Dummies. So how would you like to win a copy of the book for yourself? To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a copy of “Pinterest For Dummies” for review and the opportunity to host this giveaway as part of a promotional program with Global Influence. No other compensation was received, and opinions are my own.

#PhotoaDayMay: What You’re Reading

Holly — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:50:29 +0000

I am currently reading the novel Sister by Rosamund Lupton, for the second time. I got this novel on a whim for my Nook, pictured above, after seeing it appear on Oprah’s Summer Reading List last year and reading some absolutely glowing reviews of it. It is a thrilling and intense read; I was actually surprised with how much I really enjoyed it because I didn’t expect it to be as good and as captivating as it is. Even though I obviously know how it ends, since I have already read it once before, I am enjoying it just as much the second time around, which is pretty impressive in itself.

If you want to join in, check out the May Photo a Day Challenge List.

#PhotoaDayMay: Someone That Inspires You

Holly — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:28:12 +0000

My love and passion for writing, and the reason why I ever became interested in flexing my own writing muscles, is rooted in poetry. This style of writing has always appealed to me, since as far back in my life as I can remember. In poetry, there are no rules; you break lines when you want to and you use punctuation when and if it feels right. No one can tell you that you wrote a poem the wrong way because there’s no such thing as the “right way.” When poetry became most important in my life, to the point where it was very much my lifeboat as I was kind of mentally spinning out of control, I wasn’t one for following rules. You can easily see how this partnership, poetry and I, came to be. Poetry is the rebel of the literature world. It is an emotional style of writing for people who are often overflowing with raw emotion.

That is what Anne Sexton exemplifies to me. Her writing is raw and exposed emotion woven in and out of all of the complexities, stubbornness, and adamant declarations and confessions that she made about and because of herself in the work she produced throughout her life. The honesty that she had with herself through the sorrow and mental desperation she experienced nearly overwhelming to me, and extremely compelling. Even as I took this picture, I couldn’t help myself from skimming through the pages and finding some of my favorite Anne Sexton poems to re-read (“Love Letter Written in a Burning Building,” “Admonitions to a Special Person,” and “45 Mercy Street” if you’re looking for recommendations.) But it is that frankness that Anne Sexton had with herself and her writing, and the unapologetic way she saw the world and the people around her that inspires me to create more, and to not be so afraid of my own obstacles with happiness and general mental instability, because maybe the ugly way that I sometimes view the world will be beautiful to someone reading about it through my words.

If you want to join in, check out the May Photo a Day Challenge List.

#PhotoaDayMay: Fun

Holly — Sat, 05 May 2012 03:53:06 +0000

I admit that this is a bit of a cop out. Taking a picture depicting some fun activity and taking a picture of my computer screen with the band Fun. playing on Spotify are vastly different. However, nothing very fun occurred today, unless you count being so busy that I only had the chance to check comments here while at Best Buy playing with the Mac Books. I was originally there because my fiance’s computer decided to break a few days ago, which he needs for his work, requiring him to build an entirely new system. That has definitely not been fun, but since I was at Best Buy and all, I like to load Woman Tribune on the computers and iPads with the hope that someone will walk by the display and see the website. It doesn’t take much for me to get my kicks. But talking about bands is fun, and hell, this band’s name is Fun. I think I have fun covered.

I first heard Fun. on the radio a few weeks ago. The mainstream music channels on Sirius Radio really like the song “We Are Young,” but I have become quite partial to the songs “Why Am I The One” and “All Alone,” as well as the intro to the album and the song “Some Nights,” which is also the name of the album. I’m actually pretty surprised I hadn’t heard of Fun. earlier since Some Nights is their second album and the singer of the band, Nate Ruess, was also the singer of The Format, who I still love (a lot a lot a lot!) and listen to frequently. If you’re interested, I highly recommend The Format’s album Dog Problems, specifically the song “Oceans.” So good!

If you want to join in, check out the May Photo a Day Challenge List.

The Top 10 Female Film Directors of All Time

Guest Contributor — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:57:28 +0000

This is a guest post by Best Online Colleges, your guide to finding an online degree program.

Being a film director is a tough job. From managing egomaniacs to picking the perfect costumes, directing is one of the most demanding, intense, and rigorous jobs in the art world. But good film directors can have a huge impact on the success of a film. Female directors have made a major impact on the film industry, and their entertaining contributions to the genre have garnered substantial critical acclaim, especially in recent years. Here are the top 10 female film directors of all time:

Sofia Coppola

It’s no surprise that Sofia Coppola, daughter of esteemed director Francis Ford Coppola, followed in her father’s footsteps, but it wasn’t until she won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation in 2003 that she received the kind of attention and respect she deserved. This was a major accomplishment for the mostly amateur filmmaker, who had only directed two other movies before making it big. In 2010, Coppola did it again with her successful drama Somewhere, which earned her a Golden Lion, the highest prize awarded at the Venice Film Festival.
Lone Scherfig

Lone Scherfig is a Danish director who has developed a reputation for “mastering the art of subtle characterization” in her critically-acclaimed films. Scherfig made her international directing debut with the 2000 romantic comedy Italian for Beginners, which earned her the Silver Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Scherfig’s involvement in the Dogme 95 filmmaking movement has helped her gain recognition for her excellent directing and given her a chance to truly connect with the audience through the Dogme’s rules that forbid props, lighting, and costumes from the set. Scherfig made an even bigger splash with her 2009 independent masterpiece, An Education, which was nominated for three Academy Awards.
Mira Nair

Mira Nair is an Indian film director, best known for her gritty documentaries, independent shorts, and feature films that are moving and culturally enlightening. Nair’s breakthrough film, Salaam Bombay! told the story of a young boy’s struggle to survive alone on the streets of Bombay. The movie earned Nair a great deal of respect worldwide for her impressive directing skills and poignant storytelling.
Maya Deren

Maya Deren was one of the greatest female film directors of the ’40s and ’50s. The avant-garde filmmaker was best known for her silent movie Meshes of the Afternoon, which has become regarded as one of the best experimental movies of all time. Deren was a trailblazer in cinema and helped pave the way for other experimental and independent filmmakers with her unique perspective and keen eye for details.
Kathryn Bigelow

Kathryn Bigelow is one of the most well-known female film directors in Hollywood, and rightfully so. She is the first woman to ever win the Academy Award for Best Director, which she earned for her 2008 war drama The Hurt Locker. This achievement put Bigelow on the map as a notable director, but it wasn’t her first movie. The former wife of Hollywood director James Cameron has been making movies since the early ’80s, including action flicks Point Break and K-19: The Widowmaker. Known for her use of violence and action-driven plots, Bigelow isn’t afraid to make people squirm and that’s one of the things that make her movies so great.
Jane Campion

Jane Campion is a critically-acclaimed New Zealand director who has entertained audiences for years with her films, An Angel at My Table, The Portrait of a Lady, and The Piano, which earned her an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and best director award from the Australian Film Institute. Despite her denials of being a feminist, her films are notorious for featuring strong, independent women who defy all odds.
Nancy Meyers

By directing films like The Parent Trap, It’s Complicated, and Something’s Gotta Give, Nancy Meyers has become one of the most accomplished female directors of our generation. But she’s more than just a successful director. She’s also the mother of two daughters. In fact, the two young girls in The Parent Trap, one of her most successful movies, were named after her daughters. Meyers has worked with some of the biggest stars in the showbiz industry, like Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin. Meyers has also written many of her movies, in addition to directing them, such as the blockbuster romantic comedy It’s Complicated, starring Meryl Streep.
Julie Taymor

Julie Taymor is a very talented lady. She directs films, Broadway musicals, stage productions, and even operas. She’s also an accomplished writer of both books and music. Last but not least, she’s an accomplished actress. But it’s Taymor’s directing skill that has earned her two Tony Awards. She is perhaps best known for directing the Broadway Musical The Lion King, and in recognition of her work on that play, she was the first woman director in history to receive a Tony Award for directing a musical. But her prowess is not limited to the stage. She’s also directed critically acclaimed filmed such as Frida, which was nominated for no less than 6 Academy Awards in categories like Best Makeup and Best Original Score.
Nora Ephron

Nora Ephron is an accomplished director focusing on the genre of romantic comedies. She not only directs successful romantic comedies, such as Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally, but she also writes films with her sister, Delia Ephron. In addition to films, Ephron has also written multiple books and is active in the academic community. Recently, Ephron teamed up with her sister to write and direct Julie & Julia, which starred Meryl Streep and has received positive reviews.
Catherine Hardwicke

Native Texan Catherine Hardwicke is the directing force behind the Twilight saga. For those individuals living under a rock for the past four years, Twilight has been one of the most successful films of all time and has spawned a rabid following of fans and critics alike. In fact, the opening weekend of Twilight was the biggest opening day for a female director of all time. However, Hardwicke only directed the debut, and turned her attention to other projects before the successful Twilight sequels were launched. More recently, Hardwicke directed the critically acclaimed film Red Riding Hood starring Amanda Seyfried.

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7 Movie Quotes to Get You Through Exams [Videos]

Guest Contributor — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:00:45 +0000

This is a guest post by Zen College Life, the number one destination for college information online.

There’s no doubt about it–exams are the pits. Being stuck in the library for hours, bored out of your mind is the absolute worst. Oh, and trying to get motivated to study instead of Facebooking? Forget about it. As much as you want to skip studying and play Call of Duty instead, you’ve got to snap out of it and hit the books. If the pressure of crunch time isn’t keeping you focused or getting you excited about philosophy or molecular biology, then check out these seven great movie quotes to get you through exams.

“Show me the money!” (Jerry Maguire)

Just think, you’ll be saying “Show me the money” as soon as you’re done with exams and start looking for jobs. In the meantime, check out this hilarious clip and dance around like Cuba Gooding Jr. to get motivated about studying.
“My advice to you is to start drinking heavily.” (Animal House)

Think you bombed that chemistry exam? Worried about what Mom and Dad will think? Don’t fret; just follow the advice of the ever-so-wise Bluto from Animal House, who tells his fraternity brother, Flounder, to “start drinking heavily” after they wreck his brother’s car. Of course, you should probably wait to start drinking heavily until after all of your finals are over.
“Do, or do not. There is no try.” (Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back)

The incredibly wise Yoda can teach us all a lesson or two about doing our best to succeed, especially when it comes to exams! Just like Yoda tells Luke Skywalker to either do something right or don’t do it at all, you should either study hard for your exams or not even bother if you’re only going to “try.”
“Mr. Madison, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.” (Billy Madison)

If you’re preparing a speech or presentation and you’re afraid of looking dumb in front of the class, watch this hilarious Billy Madison clip and you’ll feel 100 times better. No matter how nervous or unprepared you are, you’ll never have to worry about receiving an outrageous insult like this from your professor.
“Remember, kid, there’s heroes and there’s legends. Heroes get remembered, but legends never die. Follow your heart kid, and you’ll never go wrong.” (The Sandlot)

Children of the ’90s know and love The Sandlot dearly. Just the thought of the movie can make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but it’s the wise words of Babe Ruth that make it even more awesome. So when you’re stuck in the library studying and wondering if you’ll ever make it in the history textbooks, remember what “The Great Bambino” said about heroes and legends and follow your heart, kid.
“Stupid is as stupid does.” (Forrest Gump)

Feeling stupid because you can’t remember the rules of exponents or who won World War I? Well, Forrest Gump would tell you, “Stupid is as stupid does.” This Southern saying means that no matter how stupid you or others think you are, your actions are the only thing that really matters. So, if you don’t study for your exams, but still expect to get all A’s, you might be, well, stupid.
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)

Take it from wiseguy Ferris Bueller; he knows a thing or two about living life to the fullest. OK, so you might not be able to play hooky or get out of taking your exams, but as soon as you’re done with the grind of finals, get outside, dine at an upscale restaurant, go to a baseball game, jump on a parade float, and just have fun, the Bueller way.

Photo by ActiVisionÂ®…~

Wordless Wednesday: All the Channels!

Holly — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:41:13 +0000

A few weeks ago we had DIRECTV installed and set up at our house. This was a big deal. A huge deal, in fact, because cable television has long been classified as something we did not need, and because we didn’t need it, we didn’t spend money on it. The second part of that last sentence pretty much sums up how my partner and I have been managing our finances–and our lives–throughout the time we have been together.

I haven’t had cable television since I was a teenager and moved out on my own. That is a lot of years to be out of the entertainment loop! Sure, it just may be cable television, but it is something that we can afford to have now and that is a pretty great feeling. Also, I have several handfuls of new favorite shows.

How has this been for “wordless?”

I would just like to note, as weird as it is that I even have to write this, that this post is in absolutely no way, shape, or form sponsored or affiliated with DIRECTV. We have no deal going on with the company and the only discount we received for signing up is the one we got through my dad referring us. Thanks, dad!

Are you participating in Wordless Wednesday this week? Link up your posts!

“The Voice” Season 2 Battle Rounds Week 2 Reactions [Videos]

Holly — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:00:30 +0000

It was another week of battle rounds on The Voice Monday night, and every single one of my favorites from this season competed, including Charlotte Sometimes, who I didn’t list in my post of favorites because instead, I dedicated an entire post to her. This was a pretty exciting episode for me with an overall great outcome, considering the vast majority of the people I was rooting for made it through their battle rounds and will be in the upcoming live shows. Glad me and the judges are on the same page when it counts.

This isn’t to say that I don’t have any opinions on the specifics of what went down Monday night, because I do. Believe me, I do.

Christina Aguilera once again pitted her best vocalists against each other. During the first week of battle rounds, it was Anthony Evans vs. Jesse Campbell; this week the battle was between Geoff McBride and Sera Hill. I don’t see any semblance of strategy in this. Why would any coach choose to discard some of the strongest voices on their team? The only explanation I can think of is that all of these people–Anthony Evans, Jesse Campbell, Geoff McBride, and Sera Hill–all came into this competition performing pretty much the same genre of music with the same type of energy. These are powerhouse singers who are big fans of adlibbing.

Moving on…

Initially, I wanted Sera to win. Ultimately, however, I enjoyed Geoff’s performance more, particularly because of the control and restraint he had over his voice. Having passion and evoking emotion in your voice is one thing, but getting so caught up in what you want to do that your voice runs away without you and you end up squeaking because you couldn’t hit a note you wanted so badly to hit is quite another. I think the reason why Christina chose to send Geoff home instead of Sera is because she still has Jesse Campbell on her team who, as we have already covered, has the same type of voice and feel as Geoff.

I am fairly certain that Blake Shelton is incapable of choosing appropriate songs for his team members to perform. First there was the decision to have Brian Fuente and Jordis Unga sing “Ironic” by Alanis Morissette, and then this week he chose “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People for Lex Land and Charlotte Sometimes. Blake obviously knows country music, hence his presence on this show, but I think he should seek advice from anyone who isn’t so entrenched in the country music scene to choose songs that better fit the style of music that the majority of the people on his team sing. Seriously, he could go up to a random person on the street and ask them for song suggestions and I think he would probably have a short list of songs to choose from that would fit these people better than what he has come up with thus far.

To be honest, I felt immediate relief when Blake announced that Charlotte Sometimes would be competing against Lex Land in a battle round; there was absolutely no way that Charlotte couldn’t win, and if she was sent home, I would have had yet another reason to be disappointed in Blake’s overall position as a coach on this show. I would have had the same reaction to anyone–literally any other contestant on the entire show–being put into a battle round with Lex Land because she is terrible. Just to make sure I was being fair and open-minded, I watched her blind audition again, and after that, I wholeheartedly stand by my previous statement. Terrible.

On a side note, with all of the battle rounds we’ve seen so far, it always looks like the contestants get along extremely well and are happy to be performing together. Charlotte Sometimes and Lex Land, however, look like they can’t stand each other.

Before we get into the next battle round, Juliet Simms vs. Sarah Golden, can someone please tell me what Juliet Simms is wearing and why? Thanks.

Now that we got that out of the way… It was no shock whatsoever that Juliet won this battle round, sending Sarah home. It is still unfortunate, though, because I liked Sarah; she’s a great folk singer and (wait for it) Blake was right when he said that she is capable of doing a lot of different things with her voice and can be a very versatile singer. I would argue that this was a poor choice in pairing, but I’m not sure if any other contestant could have been on stage with Juliet and sounded as if they belonged next to her. Maybe if she were paired with a male vocal, but even then I’m not so sure. Her voice is just very different from all of the other voices on the show.

The moment Cee Lo announced Juliet as the winner, Twitter flooded with comments about how The Voice is promoted as a show that isn’t about looks, hence the blind auditions, but is about looks once those auditions are over. I agree with this sentiment up to a point. In this specific instance, Juliet won the battle round because her voice is incredibly unique, and because she makes for a very convincing female version of Rod Stewart. Juliet Simms and Sarah Golden are from two completely different genres of music; had the song chosen for them been something from a folk background, it’s likely that Sarah would have done phenomenally while Juliet could have just sounded weird and out of place. Also, I think The Voice set up this specific kind of backlash on their own, and on purpose.

Before her blind audition, Sarah Golden spoke about how she could have had opportunities in the music industry, but was repeatedly turned away because of the way she looks. To amplify this, her audition was edited and aired in a way where we only saw the back of her body, the side of her head, a close-up of her fingers strumming the guitar, a far-away look at her singing on stage but with her completely blurred. In a 1 minute and 30 second performance, we didn’t see her face until 1 minute and 10 seconds into her song, when Cee Lo Green pushed his button and his chair turned around. They hid her so much that we, the viewers at home, were set up to expect something horrific. Instead, we got a normal looking individual with absolutely nothing wrong or weird about her, except for the fact that she does not fit neatly inside a box of femininity. This is a problem, a big one, and it is the fault of the entertainment industry as a whole as well as those who believe that gender, perceived gender, or gender identity is something that is easily navigated in the same way by everyone–in the way that is deemed acceptable by our society.

I knew Whitney Myer would be going home before even seeing her battle round against Kim Yarbrough. Whitney had a distinct intimidation problem right from the get-go. When they showed her practicing the song “No More Drama” by Mary J. Blige with coach Adam Levine and adviser Alanis Morissette, she was nervous, unsure of herself, and she set herself up to fail. In her own words, when she commented on how she and Kim were both powerhouse singers, she stated that “Kim’s house is larger than my house.”

Unfortunately, I was generally underwhelmed by Whitney and Kim’s performance. Afterwards, Blake said that he felt like he was “watching one of those diva concerts,” which is probably what Adam had in mind when he initially paired these two women up. However, the emotion just wasn’t there, as much as I wanted it to be. There were a few parts where the energy was rising and I was ready for the explosion of passion, particularly from Whitney, only to have it fizzle out before any real effect could take place.

It was extremely awesome to see Lindsey Pavao perform again, this time in duet form! She was put up against Lee Koch who, like Lindsey, also has a very peculiar sound that makes you want to hear more, even if you don’t know what it is that you’re hearing or why you like it. That is something special. Their performance of “Heart-Shaped Box” (seriously Christina, WTF!?) was bizarre and downright creepy. They pulled it off effortlessly. I was definitely rooting for Lindsey to come out of this battle round triumphant (which she did), but during this performance I almost forgot that there was a competition going on. I was just really into the show that these two strange and awesome vocalists were putting on and that was enough. In fact, once this season of The Voice is done and over with, I would love to see Lindsey and Lee form a duo and put out an album because I think it would be really fantastic. I want to hear more.

Jamie Lono in the blind auditions and Jamie Lono in a battle round against Jamar Rogers are two different people, I am sure of it. Okay, maybe not, but his performance in the battle round is the perfect example of what happens when your nerves turn on you. Also, I would debate that this is the worst pairing of contestants of the blind auditions thus far. I would have loved to see Jamie Lono and Sarah Golden in a battle round together; I think that their similar styles would have complimented each other very well; you hear that Cee Lo?

The Voice battle rounds continue tonight at 8:00pm EST, and I’ll continue to write about each episode. I’d love to hear some other thoughts on the contestants, so leave yours in the comments.

“The Voice” Season 2 Battle Rounds Week 1 Reactions [Videos]

Holly — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:55:46 +0000

The first week of The Voice battle rounds started with, in my opinion, some of the more underwhelming of the 48 contestants. There were a few notable exceptions, but for the most part, I had completely forgotten about some of the people who competed in the first set of battle rounds. Maybe it’s because there are 48 contestants to start with, which is a lot of people to keep track of, or maybe some people have just been genuinely boring. When it comes to reality shows, they always start off with at least a few filler people no one really cares too much about.

This was the first time I had seen anything beyond the blind auditions, so while this may be the second season of The Voice, I had no idea what to expect when the actual competition part of the show started up. What I thought was going to happen was that we would see one person sing a portion of a song and then the person they were competing against would sing the same portion of the song and they would be judged on who did it better. Instead, the two people battling it out in hopes of going on to the live shows have to sing a song chosen by the judges together, and they have to work together to pull the song off while simultaneously trying to outshine the other. That is a really interesting way to set the competition up.

The first battle round, Tony Lucca vs. Chris Cauley, came out in full we’re going to annoy the hell out of you mode. No, seriously, their entire performance of U2′s “Beautiful Day” drove me up a wall, mostly due to Tony Lucca’s ~~harmonies~~ screaming. Every time I saw him take a deep breath I immediately thought, ‘No, please, don’t make me listen to that again.’ To put it nicely, I was thoroughly confused by Adam Levine’s final decision on who to keep for the live shows and who to send home.

I can’t help but to live tweet #TheVoice tonight. First mild disappointment: Tony Lucca can’t harmonize, he gets to stay on #teamadam.

March 5, 2012 9:20 pm via HootSuite ReplyRetweetFavorite

@WomanTribune

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This confusion quickly became a trend.

I really didn’t like RaeLynn when I saw her audition. When Blake turned his chair around I thought that perhaps he sensed there would be a lack of country vocalists and so he snatched up whichever ones graced the stage in an attempt to get to coach at least a couple of people with hopes of a future in his specific genre of music. That dislike carried right into the battle rounds when she was teamed up with Adley Stump to sing Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’”. I wasn’t a big fan of Adley to begin with either, and to be fair, I am generally not a fan of country music. However, Adley did impress me. Her voice was strong while RaeLynn was pitchy and didn’t seem to know what she was supposed to be doing. Unfortunately, Blake confused this inability to sing on key with emotion and passion, sending Adley home and thus keeping in line with the trend of coaches making downright mind-boggling final decisions.

Blake made all sorts of bad decisions during this first episode of battle rounds. When he chose both Brian Fuente and Jordis Unga during the blind auditions, he said that he liked them because they had voices that lent very well to rock music, and he liked that. When put together for a battle round, Blake then decides these two “rockers” should sing Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic.” What?

I had completely forgotten all about Brian Fuente, and when I saw him perform alongside Jordis, there was not one redeeming quality about him. In fact, I think he may have a bright future as a backup vocalist, since that’s pretty much all he did during this battle round.

That was a great performance by Jordis, and the guy singing backup for Jordis. #TheVoice

March 5, 2012 10:37 pm via HootSuite ReplyRetweetFavorite

@WomanTribune

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Jordis’ performance wasn’t that great either, but I did a little research and found videos from her time on the 2005 competition reality show Rock Star: INXS. The woman has some definite skills, but she is also very inconsistent. Since Blake chose to let her continue on to the live shows, hopefully she can pull it together and put on stronger performances. “Ironic” was definitely not her song.

Christina Aguilera provided my first real disappointment of the night by sending Monique Benabou home. I really enjoyed her voice and she almost made my list of favorite contestants from the blind auditions. She was competing against Chris Mann, who I have to tell you, I am sick of hearing about. Apparently everyone I follow on Twitter and Facebook cannot get enough of him. They have known about him for years and want to support him, and I get that. Really, I do. I’m the same way when it comes to Charlotte Sometimes. However, with social media, you can in fact talk about the same thing too much and you can reach the point of overkill, where you start to alienate people with your fanaticism. I have reached that point with the number of #mannfans tweets that clog up my Twitter stream every Monday night.

I enjoyed the idea of turning Celine Dion’s “The Power of Love” into a duet, but I did have a little problem with how this song was performed, and I wouldn’t say it was necessarily the fault of Monique Benabou or Chris Mann. This applies to any song that was written by or originally performed by a woman that is later covered by a man. What is with the need to make sure the song fits into a little heteronormative box? Would it really have killed Chris Mann to sing the words ‘I’m your lady,’ or would that have upset viewers to the point of boycotts and other ridiculous actions? This is something that bothers me a lot.

I originally thought the outcome of the Angie Johnson and Cheesa Laureta battle round would be an easy nod in Angie’s favor. I didn’t think much of Cheesa’s very low register at first, and I couldn’t see the qualities that Cee Lo undoubtedly did when he turned his chair around for her during the audition. Low and behold, she did an awesome job belting out “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” The only issue is that so did Angie, making it extremely difficult to determine who came out on top. They sounded great together and I really enjoyed both of their performances, but Cheesa did overpower Angie in a few parts of the song, which is probably why Cheesa was chosen to go further in the competition, sending Angie home.

As if the last battle round wasn’t close enough, we then saw Anthony Evans vs. Jesse Campbell, which did not come across as a battle round at all but the best damn duet of the night. While these two men complimented each other extremely well, I think they are just too similar of singers. After watching their performance several times after I had originally seen it last Monday night, I still don’t know who I would have sent home. Because of that inability to see who was a tiny bit better than the other, I can’t really say much about the fact that Christina Aguilera sent Anthony Evans home, although I don’t think that I would have put those two vocalists in a battle round together in the first place.

The Voice battle rounds continue tonight at 8:00pm EST, and I’ll continue to write about each episode. I’d love to hear some other thoughts on the contestants, so leave yours in the comments.

Favorites from “The Voice” Season 2 Blind Auditions [Videos]

Holly — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:00:52 +0000

Before battle rounds begin on The Voice tonight, I thought I would post about some of my favorite performances from the blind auditions. While I have already professed my love and adoration for Charlotte Sometimes, I was also really impressed with a few other vocalists who I would love to see go far in the competition and come out of this show with new opportunities to make some really great music.

First, there’s Lindsey Pavao.

After hearing Lindsey Pavao sing during the blind audition, I looked up her performance on YouTube, eager to hear her voice again. I then proceeded to play the video repeatedly. Her voice is just so cool and intricate, and it captivated me immediately. Not to mention, she took a truly terrible song, translated it into a completely different genre, and turned it into an earworm.

Juliet Simms reminds me of Janis Joplin, which is a comparison that, in my book, can only ever be a good thing. I love Janis Joplin, and like her, Juliet Simms’ voice is honest, emotional, raw, and sometimes ugly, which I like. The grit in her voice is what I am drawn to, so I hope that her coach can help develop that a bit more.

I have never been a fan of Alicia Keys. As much as I love a woman with an alto voice that embraces that low tone instead of trying to hit higher notes in an attempt to convince the audience that there’s more range there than what she is naturally comfortable with, Alicia Keys just never did it for me and I could never latch on to even just one of her songs. Whitney Myer made me completely forget that I was hearing a song that was originally done by Alicia Keys. She made it a Whitney Myer song, infused with character and soul that made me absolutely love what I was hearing.

The power and fullness of Sera Hill‘s voice is overwhelming. She’s undoubtedly a powerhouse singer with an extraordinary amount of self-restraint, which contributes to her ability to stay on pitch and keep you in the moment with her. Her voice fills you up and then slowly lets you deflate as she mellows and it’s a really beautiful process.

The Voice battle rounds begin tonight at 8pm EST. Check out the video below for a sneak peek of what’s to come:

I have a feeling I’m going to be writing quite a bit about The Voice this season. It’s shaping up to be an impressive season full of some great talent.

40 Movies to Honor Women’s History Month

Guest Contributor — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:00:11 +0000

This is a guest post by Accredited Online Colleges, a website that explores the hottest accredited online degrees available.

Women’s history is everyone’s history. Just like men, women have molded and shaped the known world for better and for worse alike. Throughout this month dedicated to honoring women’s history, you’ll find a great opportunity for recognizing great movies for, by, and about women. Organize a movie night and get educated about some of the seriously cool ladies–both real and fictitious–populating the cinematic sphere.

Biopics

La vie en rose dir. Olivier Dahan: Singer Edith Piaf led a life at once beautiful and wholly tragic, reflected in this heavily acclaimed film starring the haunting Marion Cotillard.
Julie & Julia dir. Nora Ephron: Even audiences who manage to burn water can still love and appreciate the absolutely charming Julia Child – played here by Meryl Streep – and enthusiasm for the culinary arts.
Selena dir. Gregory Nava: Learn all about Tejano music sensation Selena Quintanilla-Perez, whose life shockingly and tragically ended when the president of her fan club committed a wholly unexpected murder.
Evita dir. Alan Parker: Argentinians either adore or despise struggling actress Evita Duarte and her husband, President Juan Peron, and this cheesy-but-beloved musical illustrates their wild days and mad existence.
Amelia dir. Mira Nair: Amelia Earhart may have failed in her attempt to circumnavigate the globe, but as an aviatrix still serves as an inspiration to girls and women hoping to succeed in traditionally male-dominated industries and hobbies.
Persepolis dirs. Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi: This striking animated adaptation of Marjane Satrapi’s seminal graphic memoir delves deeply into the changing face of Iran following the deposition of the shah and the personal prejudices she encountered living in Europe.
Joan of Arc dir. Victor Fleming: Even some nonreligious women find Joan of Arc and her fearless battlefield prowess a strong role model, and she pops into vivid life here depicted by the stellar Ingrid Bergman.
Erin Brockovich dir. Steven Soderbergh: Like all films adapting real people and situations, liberties regarding the nonfiction inevitably occur here. But that doesn’t diminish the core environmental justice, public health, and consumer rights messages at the center of this biopic.
The Runaways dir. Floria Sigismondi: Joan Jett herself intimately participated in the production of a movie all about the early days of her influential teenage rock band The Runaways.
Silkwood dir. Mike Nichols: Explore the very real, very terrifying true story of Karen Silkwood, who witnessed some awful human rights violations while working at a plant processing plutonium and died under mysterious and suspicious circumstances.

Chick Flicks/Comedies

Waiting to Exhale dir. Forest Whitaker: Forest Whitaker’s second full-length feature adapted Terry McMillan’s novel, which traces the trajectories of four African-American women as they attempt to navigate changing roles and romances.
Secretary dir. Steven Shainberg: This sexy, sultry viewing pleasure demonstrates that absolutely no shame exists in women assuming a submissive role in S&M scenarios–provided that’s genuinely what sexually satisfies her, of course.
Caramel dir. Nadine Labaki: Originally titled Sukkar banat, this movie takes place in a Beirut beauty shop and peeks at the diverse lives and loves of the workers and customers alike.
Thelma & Louise dir. Ridley Scott: Critics and audiences often tout Thelma & Louise as one of the all-time greatest buddy movies ever committed to celluloid because of its riveting central characters, who murder a rapist and find themselves on the lam.
The Joy Luck Club dir. Wayne Wang: Women’s history doesn’t get much more intimate than the bonds between mother and daughter, and Amy Tan’s novel and its subsequent film adaptation highlight two generations of Chinese-American ladies to showcase this near-universal theme.
The Devil Wears Prada dir. David Frankel: Power struggles between two extremely different approaches to life as an office lady form the crux of this movie’s central conflict, juxtaposing the competitive “ice queen” edifice of yesteryear with today’s pluckier ingenues.
Amelie dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet: Movies don’t get more charming and whimsical than this without Muppets, and Amelie is classic viewing for feel-good times.
Calendar Girls dir. Nigel Cole: To fundraise for a Yorkshire hospital, the Women’s Institute members compile a nude calendar in this encouraging comedy that proves young ladies don’t corner the market on beauty.
Dancer in the Dark dir. Lars von Trier: Despite existing as one of the most moving tearjerkers that ever jerked tears, Bjork’s killer performance of an immigrant woman whose American dreams splinter deserves watching at least once.
Steel Magnolias dir. Herbert Ross: Steel Magnolias centers around a beauty parlor in Louisiana and reflects on the experiences and cultural memes that made them simultaneously as soft as flowers and as hard as metal.

Documentaries/Women’s Issues

The Invisible War dir. Kirby Dick: Female soldiers who experienced rape and sexual assault while serving in the United States Armed Forces speak out about their suffering as well as the nation’s failure to properly address and acknowledge it.
The Perfect Vagina dir. Heather Leach: Host Lisa Rogers launches an exhaustive inquiry into why so many women risk losing sexual sensation by paying for expensive labial, vaginal, and other genital reconstructive surgeries.
Born Into Brothels dirs. Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman: Explore Calcutta’s squalid red light district through the eyes of poverty-stricken children born to prostitutes, who receive their own video cameras and training to document their daily experiences.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell dir. Gini Reticker: Beginning with one lady and one church, a strong, solid, effective Liberian peace movement comprised of the nation’s women spread to other houses of worship–eventually culminating in the election of its first female head of state.
The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter dir. Connie Field: No less than the United States National Film Registry wants to preserve Connie Field’s film about the women who hit the work force during World War II before societal expectations forced them back into the kitchen.
Cruel and Unusual dirs. Janet Baus, Dan Hunt, and Reid Williams: Transwomen who wind up in the prison system often experience far more inhumane treatment than their traditional counterparts, with the horrid details popping into shocking light here.
The Line dir. Nancy Schwartzman: This thoroughly sex-positive short documentary tries to make sense of how American society tends to marginalize female rape survivors who aren’t virgins or otherwise “perfect victims.”
Good Hair dir. Jeff Stilson: Comedian Chris Rock delivers a somewhat sociological analysis of African-American hairstyles–particularly those of women–and the expensive (sometimes unethical and/or hazardous) practices that spring up as a result.
Miss Representation dir. Jennifer Siebel Newsom: The media’s track record for portraying the true diversity of women remains, to put it nicely, rather awful, and Miss Representation tackles the problem unapologetically.
The Business of Being Born dir. Abby Epstein: Along with Ricki Lake, documentarian Abby Epstein delves into the disconcerting downsides of giving birth in America, which she surprisingly ends up experiencing firsthand when she gets pregnant during filming.

LGBTQ Interest/Social Issues

Transamerica dir. Duncan Tucker: Central character Bree Osbourne receives very different news at once–she finally received approval for sexual reassignment surgery and has a previously unknown, troubled son living in New York.
The Color Purple dir. Steven Spielberg: Alice Walker’s Pulitzer-winning novel springs to vivid, heart-wrenching life through this celluloid classic, which chronicles the life of a heavily marginalized, African-American woman from adolescence until mid-to-late adulthood.
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days dir. Cristian Mungiu: Romanian women in the 1980s were barred from securing abortions for unwanted pregnancies, meaning a thriving, and sometimes dangerous, underground flourished. The boiling drama showcases what lengths the female population will take when denied body autonomy.
Boys Don’t Cry dir. Kimberly Peirce: Based on a true story, the visceral Boys Don’t Cry depicts popular boy Brandon Teena whose life winds up a fatal nightmare when his small town pals discover he’s biologically a woman.
Hairspray dir. John Waters: Lively and life-affirming, one of John Waters’ more mainstream-accessible works features a confident, strong, and refreshingly non-waifish heroine who wields her new-found popularity to promote integration.
Real Woman Have Curves dir. Patricia Cardoso: Issues unique to the children of Mexican immigrants as well as women in the workplace–and, of course, their frequently frustrating unequal intersections–form the central themes of this film about a young woman trapped between college or career.
The Apple dir. Samira Makhmalbaf: This movie is a narrative about one family’s extreme measures to shelter the young daughters from outside influence.
Sarafina! dir. Darrell Roodt: This film pulls from the schools involved in the Soweto Riots and dissects how teachers can hold hefty influence over their students during times of political oppression.
Fish and Elephant dir. Yu Li: Chinese censors attempted to suppress one of the nation’s first-known LGBTQ-themed productions, which involves a simple narrative of a lesbian couple, returning lovers, and oblivious mothers.
Fried Green Tomatoes dir. Jon Avnet: Adapted from the Fannie Flagg (who also penned the screenplay) novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, this movie celebrates the power of friendships across generations and follows the inspiring romance between two Depression-era women.

Image credits: 1 2 3 4

I Watched Four Episodes of “The Voice” in a Row for One Reason: Charlotte Sometimes

Holly — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:45:24 +0000

While flipping through the channels on Monday night, I ended up catching the last 20 minutes or so of The Voice blind auditions. This was the first time I watched the show since the premiere of the first season, which I also just so happened to catch while flipping through the channels. The fact that I didn’t tune into the show again isn’t to say that I don’t like it. I did enjoy it, and I also think that it is infinitely better than American Idol, which lost me after the second season due to complete and utter boredom. The truth is, The Voice, while entertaining, just didn’t excite me enough to want to tune in every week. And so I didn’t, and then I completely forgot about it.

This season is different because when I saw that the show was on, I remembered that I recently read on Facebook that Charlotte Sometimes would be competing, and that excited me to no end!

Charlotte Sometimes is an immensely talented singer/songwriter with one of the most unique voices I have ever heard. I gravitate heavily towards unique voices that can’t help but simply be what they are without trying to sound like something else. I have been a fan of hers for a number of years now, since I first heard her music stream on Pandora. I heard the song “Sweet Valium High” and immediately got my hands on her CD, Waves and the Both of Us. I listened to that CD nearly every day for almost a year while working full-time as a web designer and developer for a fairly large company that was quickly sucking my soul from me with every new project I was assigned. I was overworked, miserable, loathed my job, but I rocked out to that CD while sitting at my computer for hours on end, and her songs never got old.

Naturally, after the episode ended, I proceed to go to the NBC website and catch up on the four episodes that I missed. I watched those episodes back-to-back in one night, and when I finally saw Charlotte Sometimes’ blind audition, I couldn’t help but re-watch it more times than I can possibly count. It is awesome.

If it weren’t for Charlotte Sometimes being on this season of The Voice there’s a very good chance that I wouldn’t be watching it; but because she is, I have something to be excited about and a reason to tune in every week.

I have seen a lot of people criticize the fact that Charlotte Sometimes is competing on The Voice, given that in 2008 she was signed to Geffen Records and released her first full album under that label. However, Dia Frampton, who competed in the first season, was also known in the music industry before being on the show.

As part of the duo Meg & Dia, she released six EPs and four full albums, two of which, Something Real in 2006 and Here, Here and Here in 2009, were released under Doghouse Records and Warner Bros. In August 2011, the last Meg & Dia album, Cocoon, was released independently, and because of her success on The Voice, Dia Frampton was able to release her solo album Red under Universal Republic Records in December 2011.

Just as Dia Frampton was widely unknown before appearing on The Voice, the same is true for Charlotte Sometimes, who has released two EPs independently since her 2008 studio album Waves and the Both of Us.

I think that the competition reality television world has taught us to assume that everyone who tries out and competes on a talent-based show is or should be an amateur seeking their 15 minutes of fame. In reality, these people have worked for the better part of their lives, giving their craft everything they have, in order to get their name and their talent out into the world. Just because a singer/songwriter, a duo, or a band is at one point signed to a label of some sort or releases an album does not mean that they have necessarily achieved the level of success that is presumed with being signed to a label or having an album.

My partner is a professional guitarist. In 2005, he independently released an instrumental guitar album. You can buy it on Amazon, iTunes, CD Baby, and other various websites, and you can listen to it on Spotify and Last.FM. He has achieved a level of success that, according to some, should disqualify him from attempting to propel himself and his music further out into the world through the outlet of a competition reality television show. However, the reality of his success tells a completely different story. He got lucky in the sense that he is able to work within the music industry, but the fact of the matter is that he relies on having that job. He has also been giving guitar lessons online for several years. The fact that he has an album out did not suddenly make him wealthy enough to quit his job and live on money coming from album sales. The same is true for artists who are being told that they don’t belong somewhere or shouldn’t be able to be part of something because people have unknowingly assumed that they have achieved enough or do not deserve the chance to become more widely known.

The fact that The Voice has opened their platform to also allow artists who have been struggling within the music industry to compete is only a good thing. It gives that artist the platform to reach more people and to gain new fans who appreciate the work that they love to do, and it’s good for the show because those same people will bring their fans along for the journey as they compete week after week, just as Charlotte Sometimes has compelled me to make sure I tune into The Voice this season.

Giving a Lifelong Gift to Your Children–Music!

Mikki — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:00:59 +0000

If you are like me, you often wonder what the best gift is for your children. I want to give them what they want, but it also needs to be practical. And, if it could be educational, that would be an added bonus.

Personally, I am growing weary of all the commercial stuff that they play with for a few minutes and then set down. Have you ever noticed that when kids are really young, they are often more entranced with the box your gift comes in rather than the toy itself? It’s because they are tapping into their imagination. Children are full of imagination. If they are playing with the box more than the toy, it’s probably because they can and want to create.

They can also do this with music.

The Gift of Music

Music can be a lifelong gift. For instance, if they learn how to play piano, they can play now as they learn and also as an adult to unwind from the daily stresses. The same can’t be said about a toy truck.

Most kids already have an appreciation for music long before we encourage it. I agree with William Stafford who once said, “Kids: They dance before they learn there is anything that isn’t music.”

Before my son could walk or talk, he paid attention to certain commercials when the TV was on. I soon realized it was the music of particular commercials that turned his little head and captivated him. This was true for both of my children, so I know Mr. Stafford is spot on with his assessment.

While it appears that children have a knack for introducing themselves to music, I believe that we have the responsibility to officially introduce them to it, if we want them to learn.

Introducing Music

I have done some research on how to introduce my children to music, because I see the value in it for various reasons, such as:

Improves concentration
Instills discipline and structure
Increases learning skills
Lifelong enjoyment
Stress reliever

Any one of the reasons listed above is enough for me to want to expose my children to music, and encourage them to learn a skill within it.

One way to introduce them to the joys of music is to simply listen to it often. Turn the TV off and put in a CD they would enjoy. This is a great time to do some arts and crafts, something fun that they can relate music to, rather than homework or chores.

You can also dance when you put some fun music on. Just last night my son and I danced together, and he loved it. He started singing while we were dancing, and it all stemmed from turning the music on and taking a break from cleaning up after dinner.

Keeping the Interest Alive

If you want to keep this gift alive, there are some tricks that I believe can work. First, find out what instruments they are drawn to, such as piano, flute, or guitar. If they are preschool age, buy them a toy instrument of whatever is drawing their interest.

Next, try to find a spot in the house that can be a dedicated ‘music room.’ Decorate it in their favorite musical items. For example, if they really like a certain musician, get some posters.

Also, let them play the music they like when practicing. It will help to hold their interest much longer, rather than a song they have no desire to play again.

I recently read something from Mrs. Rufina Gorin, Musical Director of the Gorin School of Music, which I completely agree with. She stated, “Any study requires focus, discipline, and consistent practice, and if a child does not possess these qualities and is not willing to develop them on their own, the result should not be ‘to drop the study’ but to help the child to develop them. These are qualities that will lead to success not just in music but in many other realms of life.”

Choosing the Instrument

If your child is older, then let them choose their own. You could lightly encourage them, but if it’s chosen for them it just might backfire.

However, if the children are young, bring instruments into the house. I am thinking of doing this now, as my kids are still too young to make that choice. So, I am leaning towards a piano, which is something the entire family can use.

I am hoping that as I learn to read piano music and play, they will pick up on it as well. At the very least, it will introduce them to music, as well as an instrument.

The piano is a wonderful instrument for the entire family for the following reasons:

It’s an instrument that can be shared with others
It provides a source for relaxation
The entire family can join in with singing along for parties
Two people can play at the same time
Great introduction to other instruments

Piano happens to be my favorite, so this is an easy choice for me. If my children appreciate it and want to take it up, it’s already there. If they choose something else later on, I will also encourage that.

If you are unsure, just pay attention to what your kids are drawn to and talk to them about it.

I believe that music is very important to a child’s development. So, I hope I have given you some ideas on how to best introduce your child to a wonderful, lifelong gift.

Photo by LauraReaux

The It Gets Better Project is Headed to MTV and Logo

Holly — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:20:24 +0000

The It Gets Better Project was created by syndicated columnist, author, and LGBT activist Dan Savage and his partner Terry Miller in September 2010 as an inspirational response to anti-gay bullying and the hike in (publicized) LGBT teen suicides. Since then, more than 30,000 touching and motivational videos have been created by countless celebrities, public figures, and regular people like you and me with one resounding message to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teens who are being bullied and facing discrimination, intolerance, and hate today: It Gets Better.

This project has achieved amazing success; by just the end of 2010, it raised over $100,000 from $2,500+ grassroots contributors that has gone to increase support and resources available to teenagers in the LGBT community through the project’s affiliation with the Trevor Project suicide hotline, GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), and the ACLU LGBT Project. By the end of this month, the It Gets Better Project will reach an even wider audience with the premiere of the It Gets Better special that will air on both MTV and Logo on Tuesday, February 21st at 11:00 p.m. ET.

The 60-minute special will be anchored by Dan Savage and will follow the lives of three young people at pivotal and emotional moments in their lives: a young man struggling to tell his family and friends that he is gay; a lesbian fighting for parental acceptance; and a transgender man preparing to get married. In additional to these stories, the special will also include video messages full of hope and support from very well-known people, including Adam Levine, Zachary Quinto, Margaret Cho, Chaz Bono, Tim Mcllarth and Brandon Barnes of Rise Against, Vinny Guadagnino, Dave Holmes, Sia and Jake Shears.

Check out the following clip from the It Gets Better special featuring Vanessa who is talking to her mother about her personal fight for acceptance:

This project came at a very crucial moment in time and this special is also very much needed in our society. Simply put, kids are dying. Every day, LGBT youth are being bullied by their peers as well as by adults and authority figures in their communities. They are paying attention to the 2012 political race to the White House and hearing from politicians that everything they are is what is wrong with society. They are being discriminated against, told that they are less-than, rejected and ostracized by their own families, and being cast out for no other reason than being who they are. The statistics are tragic: 9 out of 10 LGBT students have experienced harassment at school; LGBT teens are bullied 2 to 3 times as much as straight teens; LGBT youth with “highly rejecting” families are 8 times more likely to attempt suicide than those whose families accept them; more than 1/3 of LGBT youth have attempted suicide.

Kids are dying and the most important thing that we can do, that anyone can do, is accept everyone for who they are because that is enough.

When speaking about the It Gets Better special, Dan Savage said:

“The lives of these three young people will resonate with millions of teens–gay and straight–who are being bullied for simply being themselves. It’s so important they know that things get better and that living openly and honestly and being who you are makes it better. They have so many great moments ahead of them and they will do things they never thought possible–so long as they keep fighting, stay positive, and stay with us.”

The It Gets Better special is the second Dan Savage-centric announcement to come from MTV as of late; he will also be seen this spring in Savage U with Lauren Hutchinson, a show that will follow the duo as they travel to college campuses across the country offering a crash course to students on relationships, responsibility, sex, love, and life.

First Look at Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin and Ed Harris as John McCain in “Game Change” Trailer [Video]

Holly — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:00:56 +0000

We first heard about Julianne Moore portraying Sarah Palin in the HBO film Game Change nearly a year ago. Sarah Palin could only muster up sarcasm when talking about the movie, which isn’t surprising considering that it is an adaptation of Mark Halperin and John Heilemann’s 2008 presidential election tell-all book that portrays Palin in a terrible and uninformed light.

A year later, and the film’s cast has only grown more impressive. Ed Harris plays an exhausted John McCain whose own campaign ran away without him once Sarah Palin was introduced to the American public, and Woody Harrelson plays adviser Steve Schmidt who tried to cover up Palin’s inexperience, limited scope of foreign policy knowledge, and incompetence by banking on her charisma to carry her through the campaign.

Check out the following trailer for Game Change; the film premieres on March 10th at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

Acura Super Bowl Commercial: Jerry Seinfeld vs. Jay Leno for the First NSX [Video]

Holly — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:04 +0000

The Super Bowl is this Sunday, and if you’re like me, you just may tune in for the commercials alone. This is the only time when commercials are not just welcome, but anticipated, so why wait to see what is sure to be one of the hottest ad spots this year during the big game? We just saw Acura’s newest commercial that will air during the Super Bowl and couldn’t wait to share it with you.

High-end sports car aficionados Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno star in this spot for Acura where they are pitted against each other, competing to be the very first person in the world to have the yet-to-be-released Acura NSX. The commercial is hilarious and also features one of the most beloved characters from the show Seinfeld, the Soup Nazi.

The Joy of Books [Video]

Holly — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:14:56 +0000

Books have always been extraordinary and magical to me. When I start reading a new book, I see it as an invitation to experience someone else’s life while letting any stress in my life fade away, even for just a little while. We are allowed into the heads of characters in books; we have the opportunity to learn what makes them tick and what their weaknesses are. We get to see life through their eyes and then take the wisdom they leave us with and apply it to our own realities. It’s really astounding.

Sean Ohlenkamp’s absolutely remarkable video The Joy of Books shows just how magical books can be, in a more physical sense, by crafting some amazing stop motion animation and seamless editing.

According to the video description, the creation of this video was made possible with the help of nearly 30 volunteers who spent many sleepless nights moving, stacking, and animating books at Type bookstore in Toronto. The music in the video was composed by Grayson Matthews and is available on iTunes.

This Little Girl Kicks Your Ass on Guitar [Video]

Holly — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:02:26 +0000

So, you have a craft that you have been honing for years. You’re passionate about it, it fulfills you, and how it makes you feel is what has kept you going through the years, continuing your work and not giving up in the face of the incredible struggles you have had with it. Then a little kid comes around and completely puts any work you could ever produce to shame. Ever happen to you? Well, if you’re a guitar player, meet Zoe Thomson.

Zoe is 8 years old and she is an incredible guitar player–and not just for being 8 years old, either. She has incredible talent, surpassing the skill level of people who have been playing the instrument longer than she has been alive.

You can also see Zoe in The Mini Band, a band made up of kids ages 8 to 10 who are all taught at Lets Play Rock in the UK.

Angelina Jolie Live Q&A and “In the Land of Blood and Honey” Limited Edition Poster Giveaway [Closed]

Holly — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:20:08 +0000

Everyone knows Angelina Jolie the Oscar-winning actress, mega celebrity, and international activist, but with the release of the new film In the Land of Blood and Honey, Jolie can add writer and director to her resume. To celebrate this accomplishment and promote the release of her film, Angelina Jolie will be readily available to fans everywhere on January 12th as she conducts a live Q&A where you will have the opportunity to ask the actress your burning questions and receive an answer live!

The application below features a countdown to the January 12th Q&A, as well as the official theatrical trailer, behind the scenes footage, and you can even purchase tickets to see the film, which is currently playing in select cities.

“In the Land of Blood and Honey” has been nominated for a Golden Globe. The film tells the story of Danijel (Goran Kosti?) and Ajla (Zana Marjanovi?), two Bosnians from different sides of a brutal ethnic conflict. Danijel, a Bosnian Serb police officer, and Ajla, a Bosnian Muslim artist, are together before the war, but their relationship is changed as violence engulfs the country. Months later, Danijel is serving under his father, General Nebojsa Vukojevich (Rade Šerbedžija), as an officer in the Bosnian Serb Army. He and Ajla come face to face again when she is taken from the apartment she shares with her sister, Lejla (Vanesa Glodjo), and Lejla’s infant child by troops under Danijel’s command.

As the conflict takes hold of their lives, their relationship changes, their motives and connection to one another become ambiguous and their allegiances grow uncertain. “In the Land of Blood and Honey” portrays the incredible emotional, moral and physical toll that the war takes on individuals as well as the consequences that stem from the lack of political will to intervene in a society stricken with conflict.

Giveaway

Do you have a question you’re dying to ask Angelina Jolie? Leave it in the comments on this post and you could also win a In the Land of Blood and Honey limited edition poster.

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This giveaway was made possible thanks to PartnersHub. No compensation was received, and opinions are my own.

What’s Making Me Happy: Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt Singing “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” [Video]

Holly — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:55:36 +0000

I am a big fan of Zooey Deschanel. She is so cute and quirky it is almost unbearable, and I have enjoyed the oddball characters she has played in both television and movies. It is because of her that I sat through the miserable disappointment that was The Happening and was also the reason why I was even remotely interested in seeing Our Idiot Brother, which was mildly amusing. I’m sure I would have enjoyed that particular movie a lot less if I didn’t go see it two days after Hurricane Irene hit Northeastern Pennsylvania (among many other areas). Our power was still out and I couldn’t stand to sit and stare at the wall for even another minute.

And then there was (500) Days of Summer in 2009 which also starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt; another incredibly adorable person and a damn fine actor to boot. Turns out these two have been friends for over a decade, and suddenly the unmistakable chemistry we saw in (500) Days of Summer makes total sense. You can also see it in this video they recently made of them performing a duet of “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” on the ukulele and guitar.

So how about you, what are you doing New Year’s Eve?

Book Giveaway: Win a Signed Copy of “All About Vee” by C. Leigh Purtill [Closed]

Holly — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 07:37:06 +0000

I first read All About Vee by C. Leigh Purtill back in 2008. It arrived just before the beginning of summer and I picked it up expecting a light, girly read I would breeze through in just a few, short days, and then promptly forget most of the details within right after writing the review. My first impression of this book, the brightly-colored cover and teenagers holding hands with huge smiles plastered on their faces, pointed to precisely this series of events. When you have read and reviewed as many young adult books as I have over the years, you learn that you can indeed judge most books by their covers and know what to expect from them. The key word here is ‘most.’ But this particular book turned out to be so much more than that.

Veronica May is the main character in All About Vee. She is a kind and caring young woman and friend, she is outgoing and confident, and she is a gifted actress who travels from the small town in Arizona she grew up in with her father to Los Angeles, California to become a successful actress. Veronica is optimistic about her move to LA and the career she has plans of launching there, but she soon learns that in LA, the talent you have in your chosen profession matters less than how thin and attractive you are. And Veronica is a plus-size young woman of 217 pounds.

As C. Leigh Purtill recently wrote in an article we republished a few weeks ago, Veronica May’s self-confidence wasn’t just tested by the people she came into contact with in the book, she is in fact still being discriminated against because of her size by a number of people who have read this book since it was published in 2008. Veronica doesn’t suddenly get to LA, realize she’s “fat”, and then go on a crash diet or start popping diet pills and working out six hours a day, seven days a week with hopes of turning her body into a size 0 so the powers that be within the entertainment industry finally give her the time of day and a job. She doesn’t give up on her dreams or on herself by considering herself “less-than” because other people tried to make her feel that way.

Veronica struggles throughout All About Vee, but because she doesn’t struggle in the ways a lot of people expect her to or how a lot of people think plus-size women should struggle, a lot of contempt has been placed on the shoulders of Veronica May. But in all of the ways people have disliked her character, those are precisely the reasons why I have loved her and why she has stuck with me throughout the years.

Giveaway

It is for all of these reasons why I am super excited to have been given the opportunity to give away a signed copy of All About Vee to one lucky Woman Tribune reader.

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“All About Vee” has been recently re-released as the first installment in C. Leigh Purtill’s new series, “Fat Girls in LA.” The ebook is currently available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Hoarding Clean Up: Leave It to the Professionals

Holly — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:14:39 +0000

I used to have a particularly negative attitude towards documentary/reality television shows documenting a person’s struggle with a mental illness, an attribute that sets them apart from the society-accepted version of “normal,” or the challenge to change themselves in the face of discrimination. In my estimation, these shows, while they did strive to reveal a supposedly honest depiction of living with conditions such as substance abuse issues, obesity, and particular phobias, they were doing very little else but exploiting the subjects that were plucked from obscurity and put on the television screens of millions of homes nationwide. I saw the benefit of these shows in the sense that they bring a certain level of success to the television networks who produce and air them, and for the viewers who typically see quality entertainment value in the distress of the others.

While I certainly have some questionable taste in trashy reality television myself (Keeping Up with the Kardashians, anyone?), I wanted nothing to do with shows like Heavy, Addicted, Celebrity Rehab, and so on. That is, until I started watching the A&E show Intervention on a whim. This particular subject matter interested me because when I was growing up, my mother was an alcoholic and drug addict. She may still be, but she has not been in my life in any capacity whatsoever since I was about 10 years old. In some feeble attempt to make sense of my entire childhood within the course of seasons upon seasons of 44-minute episodes, I started with this show. I branched out to others over time, and more focusing on other subjects as I noticed articles popping up on blogs and websites I frequently read where the authors used these shows as catalysts to share their own stories, knowing that much of their audience had seen these shows and would know the basis of the issues they were discussing.

One topic that has come up quite a bit throughout the past few years is hoarding. The shows Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive have continued to gain more popularity; because of this success it’s safe to say that while it is still technically “taboo” subject matter, these shows have instilled knowledge of what hoarding is along with how and why it happens into the people who have seen an episode or two. This has given people who hoard just a little more confidence in reaching out to others and sharing stories of their own struggles with this compulsive behavior.

Television shows on the subject of hoarding always provide the people who are the subject of an episode with a therapist to battle their obsessive compulsive behavior, which they always end up needing because with being on an episode of one of these shows comes the often traumatic cleanup process. Hoarding clean up is extremely risky to do without the help of professionals because often in spaces that are affected by hoardings, there is buildup of dust, mold, mildew, trash, expired food, rodent and animal droppings and infestations, and sometimes even live or dead animals who have also inhabited the same spaces. These spaces have become uninhabitable by the time these cleanup crews get to the house of someone who hoards, and by that time the disorder has become as unmanageable as their space for the person affected by a compulsion that they cannot cease on their own. The risk to one’s safety and health when cleaning out a space that has been inhabited by a person who hoards for in almost every instance, a prolonged period of time is quite high. Paths and exits become blocked and human interaction with expired food items, airborne contaminants that rise after moving items that haven’t been moved in years, and on a more severe level, animal dander, excrement, and in some cases, carcasses are very likely to get people sick.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is transmitted by infected rodents and their urine, droppings, and saliva. It can be passed to humans who breathe in the virus and even more frightening, it is a disease that has no specific treatment or cure. This is a major reason as to why if you are cleaning out a space where someone who hoards has lived, or if you have any cleanup job that contains biochemicals or hazardous waste of any kind, that you must contact a professional service to help. Cleaning up a serious mess on your own may save you a few bucks, but it isn’t nearly worth the risks you would be putting your health in.

Photo by Dragonarium

“Who does that fat girl think she is?”

Guest Contributor — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:00:09 +0000

This post originally appeared on C. Leigh Purtill’s personal blog. Republished with permission.

That’s the strange comment I’ve read on some reviews of my novel, All About Vee. Perhaps not quite as harsh but certainly I’ve read comments that express that sentiment.

Why? I always wonder. Why would a reader be upset that my mc, Veronica May, a plus-size actress struggling in Hollywood, has confidence in herself? Plenty of other characters in other books know they are good at something, whether it’s acting or painting or sports. So what’s the difference between them and Veronica?

Her size.

There’s an attitude among a lot of people that overweight women shouldn’t be happy with themselves. They should want to look thinner. They should not like who they are. They should feel inferior to others. Many readers who pick up Vee expect that Veronica will be sad or have low self-esteem and that, over the course of the book, she will learn to love her body the way it is (or change it and then be happy and get the guy!). They don’t expect that the problems she has in the book are ones that other people impose upon her.

I’ve often told readers how I came up with my story about Veronica and her friends, Val and Ginny, the original 800 page book that was called Fat Girls in LA. I had been walking on my lunch hour in Beverly Hills and saw a lovely young woman waiting to cross the street. The neighborhood was filled with agencies for film and TV and this girl was overweight. I wondered if she was an actress looking for an agent – or maybe she was a model or a writer. I thought about who she might be, where she might have come from.

And I thought about being a fat girl in LA. You can never be too thin in this town, no matter what your profession. Even if you’re a writer and you’re attractive and thin, they can promote you better than if you’re not. Everyone, it seems, wants to be thin here. But what if you came from a town where no one cared? What if you were really good at what you did but you also happened to be overweight? Why should that matter?

Behold, the Vees were born. Three plus-size gals from Arizona who were best friends and who wanted to make their lives more exciting so they moved to Hollywood. Veronica was the actress and she got all the best roles in her small town – why shouldn’t she be positive about her talent? Why shouldn’t she assume she could get roles here in LA? Ginny was the writer and Val was the model. They all suffered discrimination here. Their friendship was tested. Their self-confidence was challenged.

I think a lot of readers who have problems with Veronica’s positive self-esteem have struggled with it themselves. They may want her to feel as they do and are disappointed that she likes herself the way she is. They may have had people in their lives tell them they need to lose weight in order to be hired – or loved. Make no mistake: Vee does not think she’s the best at everything, that she’s beautiful, that she should get every guy she meets. That’s the assumption readers place on her just because she’s a good actress. She struggles too. She just doesn’t struggle with what you expect her to.

She’s just like you.

“All About Vee” has been recently re-released as the first installment in C. Leigh Purtill’s new series, “Fat Girls in LA.” The ebook is currently available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You can also check out our full review of “All About Vee” here.

None yet, check back soon!

Twilight “Breaking Dawn” Celebration Package Giveaway at Fangs for the Fantasy

Holly — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:00:43 +0000

My good friend Renee co-runs a pretty awesome urban fantasy blog that anyone who loves the genre has no reason not to check out. Fangs for the Fantasy explores urban fantasy books, movies, television shows, and news and critiques them from a social justice perspective. Because of the strong social justice background of both of the writers of this blog, Renee who is well-known for her blog Womanist Musings and Sparky of Spark in Darkness, this site makes for a really great and well-rounded read, rather than just one review after another boasting a glowing recommendation without the usual refusal to confess the problematic elements of it that we’ve all seen in most other reviews out there.

If you happen to be a Twilight fan, Fangs for the Fantasy has a great giveaway going on where you can enter to win a Twilight Breaking Dawn Celebration Package. Included in the package (pictured above) is a Robert Pattinson watch, Breaking Dawn 2012 calendar, and tote bag.

The giveaway is open to residents of Canada and the U.S. and ends November 30, 2011.

Because this giveaway is not happening here I have disabled comments on this post. Head over to Fangs for the Fantasy to enter to win the Twilight Breaking Dawn Celebration Package.

None yet, check back soon!

10 Best Movies for Nerds and Those Who Love Them

Guest Contributor — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:20:00 +0000

This is a guest post by Online Degree Blog, your guide to over 450 online degree programs.

There are some movies that seem to be made especially for the nerd community. Even though there are hundreds of types of nerds, divided by areas of interest and social tendencies, these films just seem to speak to geeks across the board. They feature relatable characters in situations most nerds find themselves in or wish they could stumble into. If you’re a self-proclaimed nerd and haven’t seen one of the movies on this list, you should check it out. If you’re trying to woo a nerd, it wouldn’t hurt to have a couple of these movies on your DVD rack when your date comes over. You’ll definitely earn some brownie points.

Shaun of the Dead

Many nerds either love zombies, British humor, or British humor making fun of zombies. This film will satisfy any of those categories. Shaun, a guy who’s struggling with all the relationships in life, finds himself in the middle of an uprising of the undead and tries to save himself and his loved ones. Of course, that sounds like the plot of most zombie flicks, but this one takes you through a story with a care-free, comical air that you won’t find in just any movie. Hot Fuzz, which is from the same creators, will give you the same kind of laughs, but it’s not quite on the same hilarious level as Shaun of the Dead.
WarGames

This film is nostalgic for any ’80s-era nerds or those who like to remember the good old days of computers. Matthew Broderick stars as a hacker who accidentally breaks into a military supercomputer during the Cold War. The computer’s purpose is to run through the possible outcomes of a nuclear war, and when Broderick’s character simulates one thinking he’s playing a game, world war nearly breaks out. Not only does Broderick play an excellent nerd, but the idea that one witty computer genius could change the entire world is enough to make any geek proud.
Rushmore

Wes Anderson’s films have a special place in the hearts of those with big brains and a few neuroses. Rushmore plays on the interests of a wide range of overachievers as it focuses on the exploits of one strange student of Rushmore Academy. Max Fischer is the face of every kid that’s smart but doesn’t care about his grades. Instead of focusing on his academics, he joins club after club to find what he’s really interested in, from the fencing team to stamp collecting club to yearbook staff, because he believes that finding the one thing you really love is what will make you happy. And he’s actually already found his true love: his school. Now if that’s not something a nerd can relate to, nothing is.
Pi

If you’ve ever known an extreme math or science nerd, they probably liked Pi. Not just the number, but the movie. From the strange mind of Darren Aronofsky, Pi deals with an obsessed mathematician (are there any other kind?) who thinks the whole world can be explained in numbers. When he stumbles onto a number that seems to explain everything, from the stock market to religion, he gets into all kinds of trouble and cracks under the pressure. It may serve as a warning for other single-minded nerds out there, or might make them more eager to analyze the strings of digits they find and use them to explain the universe.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Don’t watch this movie with a nerd if you’re not prepared for a full-blown quote-along. Every scene contains at least a few ridiculous, well-known lines that you’ll remember long after the movie is over. It was made by the British comedy troupe, Monty Python, and loosely (very loosely) follows the legends of King Arthur and his knights. Some of the high points of this film are the Knights Who Say Ni, the killer rabbit, and the Black Knight who continues to fight even after all of his limbs have been cut off. British movies are so unlike those produced by Hollywood that may of them find an eager audience in the U.S. who prefer dry or absurdist humor over corny romantic comedies.
Weird Science

Anthony Michael Hall was a role model for all geeks growing up in the ’80s. He always had a way of showing us that nerds could be kind of cool and that there was more to life than getting shoved into lockers. In this John Hughes film, Hall plays a kid who creates the perfect woman with his friend using his computer. How many of you tried to figure out how to do the same thing after seeing this movie? Their Frankenstein woman can given them anything they want, and she not only gives them her undying devotion, but also sports cars, popularity, and girlfriends. The movie may be a bit campy, but it depicts the ultimate dream scenario for the 14-year-old boy in all of us.
Almost Famous

When you watch Almost Famous, there are two things you want to do: sing loudly to “Tiny Dancer” and get as close to rock stars as any nerd can by writing for Rolling Stone. The film is based on the adventures of director Cameron Crowe as a teenage writer for the music magazine, and the main character finds himself on the road with a rock band and its groupies. Not only does the dorky 15-year-old manage to get some loving from the hot ladies who hang around musicians, but he also ends up with a cover story for Rolling Stone. Any music or writing nerd loves to live vicariously through the rock ‘n’ roll exploits in this movie.
2001: A Space Odyssey

This film speaks to several different categories of nerd: sci-fi nerd, technology nerd, special effects nerd, etc. Stanley Kubrick’s imagined future (which thankfully didn’t turn into reality by 2001) shows humans exploring serious mysteries of the universe, battling a supercomputer, and becoming strange space beings. Most of us are fascinated by the idea of HAL 9000, the computer who realizes that the astronauts are planning to turn him off and tries to kill them all as a means of self-preservation. This kind of evil artificial intelligence is a popular theme in some of the best nerd movies.
Annie Hall

If there was an election for the ruler of all nerds, Woody Allen would certainly be in the running. His films introduce us to all of his neroses and pet peeves, and you really feel like you’re in the head and the life of this guy. Most viewers can either relate to Allen or feel a little bit normal in comparison, which is never a bad thing. Allen’s comedic musings on love and relationships in Annie Hall are the nerd’s alternative to romantic comedies and also might provide some useful insight for real-life dating scenarios.
Brazil

Terry Gilliam is a legendary director among the super-nerdy crews. He directed The Fisher King and 12 Monkeys, but Brazil has a special cult following. It’s part sci-fi and part satire in its portrayal of a dystopian society that relies on silly machines and involves too much bureaucratic nonsense. As a member of the comic troupe, Monty Python, Gilliam knows how to find the dark humor in a situation, even one where the wrong man has been killed because of a mechanical malfunction that caused a minor typo. Anyone who enjoys critically thinking about society and government, and likes jokes that involve the two will love this movie.

None yet, check back soon!

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