Lexidiem: Word of the Day

Happy Halloween!

Have a Happy and Safe Holiday!

Dance Like No One's Watching...

This piece was written in 1998 by Crystal Boyd and was titled "Happiness." It first appeared on an Internet list server called "Prose for the Weekend" and was later incorporated into her published book, Midnight Muse. It has been erroneously listed as "Author Unknown" in many places on the 'Net, in a number of languages, and is frequently misquoted. There seem to be a few variations, and this is one of them.
 
This is also dedicated to some very special friends. I won't name you here, for you already know who your are.

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough and we’ll be more content when they are. After that, we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation or when we retire.

The truth is there’s no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges.

It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with… and remember that time waits for no one.

So, stop waiting…

... until your car or home is paid off,
... until you get a new car or home,
... until your kids leave the house,
... until you go back to school,
... until you finish school,
... until you lose ten pounds,
... until you gain ten pounds,
... until you get married,
... until you get a divorce,
... until you have kids,
... until you retire,
... until summer,
... until spring,
... until winter,
... until fall,
... until you die.

There is no better time than right now to be happy.
 
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

By Crystal Boyd, from Midnight Muse, 1998

Thought for today:

Work like you don't need money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like no one's watching.

Technorati tags: Crystal Boyd, dance, Lexidlem, Jargontalk, happiness, Midnight Muse

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Barbra Streisand: great singer, but really lacks class.

Barbra Streisand made a big mistake. She, like many performers, thinks her fans care about her politics. During her show, she employed Bush impersonator Steve Bridges to sing a duet with her, while lambasting the current administration's policies (see the video here). 

She forgot that many of her fans could care less about her politics, but love to hear her sing, At a concert where basic, standard admission tickets went for $240, plus taxes and fees, people might just want to be entertained and not have to deal with a political harangue.

When a frustrated fan yelled out, asking if it was a fundraiser, Streisand implored, "Come on, be polite!" as she and "George Bush" exchanged comedic lines. But one obviously frustrated fan wouldn't let up, and Streisand unloaded on him.

"Shut the (f-word) up!" Streisand yelled, "Shut up if you can't take a joke!"

Streisand apologized for the outburst, noting that "the artist's role is to disturb," and delivered a message of tolerance before launching into a rendition of "Somewhere." That put the focus back on what the audience came for – to hear her sing.

Her spokesperson later claimed the "heckler" had to be a "right-wing plant", because a similar protest from a fan had occurred at an earlier show in Philadelphia.

What would she do if her fans demanded their money back because found her classless outburst to be offensive? Would she hand out refunds? How will she deal with offended fans that might cancel their orders for upcoming performances?

Her biggest fans and detractors alike would rather she just sing and save her politics for legitimate fundraisers, not concerts where they have paid to be entertained. 

Technorati tags: barbra streisand, f-bomb, f-word, lexidiem, jargontalk, concert, heckler, explicit language

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BuzzNet tags: barbra streisand, f-bomb, f-word, lexidiem, jargontalk, concert, heckler, explicit language

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month around the world. 

This is a serious issue, for all women are at risk for getting breast cancer. As you get older, your risk increases. Assuming you live to age 90, your risk of getting breast cancer over your lifetime is about 14%. That might sound scary, because it means that an average of about one out of every seven women will get breast cancer over a 90-year life span. 

You can also look at it another way: A 14% risk means there's an 86% chance that you won't get breast cancer.

Why am I, as a man, posting this information? Simply put, because I care, and because I know first hand how breast cancer can effect a woman, both physically and emotionally. 

This is serious enough that I'm sure the you get the point, so let's just lighten up for a bit. A couple of years ago, the Breast Cancer Society of Canada contracted Zig Inc. to come up with a way to convince young women to perform their own regular breast examination. They chose to use humor to reinforce self-testing as a 'normal' task that everyone does. 

So the classic Cam’s Breast Exam public service announcement was born. The founding partners of Zig Inc, believed that women value offers of help when they feel overwhelmed and unable to help themselves. When they’re offered help for something they should be doing they protest and happily play their own part. Cam (played by then 20-year-old Noah Plener, opens the 30-second spot speaking to the camera:

"Are you too busy to do your monthly breast self exam? Unsure of the right technique? My name is Cam. I’d like to help. Let me examine your breasts for you, absolutely free! I’m highly trained and highly motivated so call the number on the number on the screen. Call takers are standing by." 

The camera switches to three teenage boys sitting on a couch, phone ready. 

Cam continues, "So put your breasts in my hands. Let Cam do your breast exam."

The PSA concludes with "They’re your breasts. You do it. Examine yourself monthly."

And that's the point: you need to do the exam, and don't put it off, as it's more important that you may realize. As I said before, I care, and I know first hand how breast cancer can effect a woman, both physically and emotionally. I also know what can happen if you put it off, and don't start with that self-exam. It becomes easy to forget, then to put off that critical mammogram, figuring that it won't happen to you, only to that 14%, right?

Let me be up front: Been there - done that. I lost someone to breast cancer, so I know. I know the alternatives, the treatment, and that in most cases it can be stopped if caught in the beginning. 

I've gotten close to some of you here on Buzznet and other places on the 'Net, so let me just make this simple appeal: it's my birthday this month. You can give me a great birthday present by just doing that Breast Self-Exam (BSE). It's simple, only takes a couple of minutes, and won't even cost you what a birthday card would. If you haven't had one in the last couple of years, please pick up the phone and try to schedule a mammogram. In some areas, they're free if you look around. 

I've listed some resources below that you can check out. I've tried to be pretty global with this, but if you know of other such resources, please just add them in the comments. 

Resources:

• BreastCancer.org
• Breast Cancer Awareness  
• Breast Cancer Diagnosis?  
• Do I Have Breast Cancer  
• Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
• Breast Self Exam (BSE)
• Breast Self Exam - Canadian site
• Breast Cancer Society of Canada 
• Fashion Targets Breast Cancer - International
• EUROPA DONNA (ED) - European Breast Cancer Coalition
• Stichting Pink Ribbon - Nederland
• Japan Society of Breast Health (Japanese language)
• Run for the Cure Foundation - Japanese & English 
• Brazilian Society of Mastolgia 
• Safe & Sound Breast Cancer Awareness - Dubai
• Pink Ribbon Store - Pink Ribbon support bracelets available here! 
• NexProfiler™ Tool for Cancer -  a free service
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center - Seattle, WA
• Breast Cancer Tests & Diagnosis - Google Search

Tags: Breast Cancer, Elle Macpherson, Safe And Sound, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, lexidiem, Rethink Breast Cancer, advertising, PSA, breasts, Pink Ribbon, nipslip, nipplegate,

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Don Imus on No Child Left Behind

"When these bastards talk about leaving no children behind,
they mean getting them into the shower."

— Don Imus, Imus in the Morning, 10/2/2006