tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72883883819885037702024-02-06T23:24:59.136-06:00Frankly PaigeA blog chronicling the ventures of Caroline Paige Sherwood.Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-81036714884133139852011-10-04T09:30:00.001-05:002011-10-06T09:17:48.893-05:00Politics vs. Prostitution<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i>In honor of the coming release of the iPhone 4S (and yesterday's mess-up of this post), I am reposting something I wrote on, <a href="http://www.blogforthat.blogspot.com/">There's a Blog for That</a>, a blog about life with my iPhone.</i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is my belief that one of the iPhone's best features is also one of its worst. </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Autocorrect</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. On the website/pop-culture-phenomenon, "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.textsfromlastnight.com/">Texts From Last Night</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">," a fellow iPhone user poignantly identifies the issue: "Seriously, iPhone. Stop autocorrecting all my f*cks into ducks. You're making all my strong worded texts look harmless and adorable." While the feature can be immensely helpful to speed-texters, it is also responsible for such catastrophes as, "OMG. I just locked my jews in the car again" (damnyouautocorrect.com) and "that personal trainer licked my butt!" According to CNN.co</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">m, "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the iPhone's auto-correct function turns 'heard about garys internship at the whitehouse?' to 'heard about farts internship at the whorehouse?'" Even worse, what would Gary's friends at the whorehouse think if they read in a text that he'd gotten a new job at the White House??</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A new website, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com/">damnyouautocorrect.com</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, allows victims of auto</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">in</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">correct to send in pictures of their phones' "misfixes" for everyone to enjoy. As more and more of my text messages are butchered everyday, I can't help but wonder if and how Apple will address this problem. Is there a way to make our phones understand us better? And is autocorrect the future of typing for all keyboards? The iPad also autocorrects users' typos; maybe it's just a matter of time before technology completely dictates our usage of intentionally misspelled wordz and phonetically-written catchphrases (ie. "baaahahaha" or "oh GAWD"). I am a frequent user of "nize" and "srzly" and would very much like to keep my freedom of expression.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Clearly Apple's autocorrect function can do some damage if one presses "send" before he proofreads an autocorrected text to his boss. On the other hand, it also provides us with a good laugh now and again, so perhaps the positives outweigh the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">negligés</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I mean negatives.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm sure you have all experienced some quality autocorrect moments and I'd love to hear about them!</span></div>
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Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-65713368479930828212011-09-27T11:26:00.000-05:002011-09-27T11:30:08.325-05:00What's So Wrong with Advertising?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As an aspiring copywriter with a BA in Advertising/Marketing Communications, I often notice people complaining about advertising. They say the messages are too invasive, too frequent and, my favorite, they make you want things you don't need.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If advertising is that powerful, how come it doesn’t work to stop people smoking, make them eat 5 fruit/veg a day, stop binge drinking etc. Despite the </span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Central Office of Intelligence</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> producing hundreds of high profile public information campaigns, spending millions on advertising for over 60 years, it has not managed to readily alter public behavior. </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-greenbanana.wordpress.com</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of course, it's much easier to make a shiny new car look appealing than to make sobriety a fad. But the general idea holds water. Now, I'm not here to argue the value of advertising. Wait, yes I am. But I'm not going to push the idea upon my readers that advertising is flawless and something to be praised. (Though I think some ads are!) But let me ask you this: Do you buy things? There you go. Without advertising, we wouldn't be aware of a product's USP, or unique selling proposition. We wouldn't know what makes Skechers Shape-Ups different from Nike Airs, and therefore would not have those toned bums and thighs. Catch my drift?</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Let's talk about brand loyalty. Earlier this month, Brand Keys released a list of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=158230">top loyalty leaders</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. Topping the list is Amazon, followed closely by Apple's iPhone. I've never heard anyone complain about Amazon's service. In fact, I frequently use the online retailer. I'm also an iPhone user, so you can see where I'm going with this. People wouldn't buy these things, wouldn't be so loyal to these brands if they were </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">bad.</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Yes, iPhone ads make people want iPhones. But the advertisers aren't lying, the phone really does have tons of cool features. Do those people who think advertising is "evil" think the countless benefits of having Apple's smartphone should be hidden from consumers? That's right, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">consumers.</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Like it or not, you are a consumer. Personally, I don't see what's not to like. Since the beginning of human existence, people have bartered and traded for goods and services. It's natural. Get over it, people.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My friend, Alex, brought up a good point about advertising in schools. I looked into it, and it turns out it's becoming a more and more popular way to generate funding for school programs, and even to keep teachers employed in this tough economy. And it's true, school bus ads alone can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for a given school. But those are ads on the outside of busses, while children are inside. Advertisements strewn about the hallways of a middle school might be a different story. Critics say children, who are impressionable by nature, should not be bombarded by advertisements in school. Blogger, "Jaded Scribe," responds to this criticism by insisting, "Instead of trying to squash children's exposure to advertisements, parents should make sure the ads aren't their only source of information." This is indeed what parents must do because, try as they may, nobody can eliminate advertising's presence. Even though children hold no purchase power, you'd be hard pressed to find a parent who hasn't given in to his child's demands at least once. I'd say advertisements in schools have definite benefits, raising money for programs that would otherwise become obsolete. But you can be sure I won't stand for my child whining at me daily, begging for Twinkies because he sees them on his locker everyday. Maybe we should get on board with bus ads and keep the Hostess banners out of gymnasiums.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">It looks like Disney and other companies are getting a head start and trying to hook us <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/next-great-american-consumer-135207">from birth</a>! Is this something we should be afraid of? Or should we just say "Hakuna Matata?"</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My final point was brought up to me by my friend, Will. He says:</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The fact that America is the only developed country where prescription medicines can legally be advertised [bothers me]. You wonder why this country is f****d, it's because people are told day in and day out that they're depressed, or have restless leg syndrome.</span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I agree with Will. It is messed up. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A new study by researchers at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology looks at the effect of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising on spending for prescription drugs. The study found that, on average, a 10% increase in DTC advertising of drugs within a therapeutic drug class resulted in a 1% increase in sales of the drugs in that class.<br /><br />Applying this result to the 25 largest drug classes in 2000, the study found that every $1 the pharmaceutical industry spent on DTC advertising in that year yielded an additional $4.20 in drug sales. DTC advertising was responsible for 12% of the increase in prescription drugs sales, or an additional $2.6 billion, in 2000. DTC advertising did not appear to affect the relative market share of individual drugs within their drug class. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-www.kff.org</span></span></i></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You know what? I don't think I want to touch this one.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Let's hear what you readers have to say. Hope this gave you some insight into a topic about which I am quite passionate!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-50378231429494199452011-09-26T09:53:00.000-05:002011-09-26T09:53:44.672-05:00One of Those Things That Happened When I Was 8Let's hear it: What is the best thing you've ever gotten grounded for?<br />
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This is the "Question of the Day" I've come up with for my internship. I'm going to ask everyone at work about the "best" reason they've ever been grounded. Want to hear mine? I thought you might.<br />
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Let's back up, ohh, 15 years to when I was 8. (I'm not really sure when this took place, but 8 is the age I always say I was when something happened before I could really pinpoint a date. Suffice it to say, I did a lot when I was 8.) My friend Hillary came over and we were playing upstairs in my room. I'm not sure whose idea it was; she was a couple years older than I, but I've been known to be an instigator if you can believe it. All I can say is which ever one of us came up with it was clearly in a stupid phase of her life.<br />
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The idea was simple: Tie everything we could find -- socks, bandanas, a Foxtail (remember those?) and more socks -- together; tie that "rope" to something in my room; climb down. Climb down from my bedroom window. On the second story. Like I said, clearly stupid. It was probably Hillary's idea.<br />
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Well, we got as far as about 4 feet of completed rope before my mom walked in and shut down the entire operation. I was grounded, I'm sure Hillary's mom was notified, and I can't remember hanging out with her again. (The only other time I remember being alone with Hillary, she put Gak [remember Gak?] down my favorite dress and ruined it. Looks like my mom was right in cutting those ties.)<br />
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So, please, let's hear your story!Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-75328160134268387402011-09-22T10:12:00.000-05:002011-09-22T13:24:13.011-05:00Dream On"Dreams are the royal road to the unconscious." -Sigmund Freud<br />
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I dream a lot. People constantly tell me I have weird dreams, but I am convinced that their dreams are likely just as weird and they just don't remember them. My dreams range from lucid and plausible to completely bizarre, as I'm sure yours do. But no matter what's going on in my subconscious or yours, we are usually lost in the moment.</div>
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I've heard about a way to find out if you're dreaming, to harness your subconscious and control it throughout the rest of your dream. You must find (or manifest, I suppose) a light switch and flip it. If the light doesn't go on, you're dreaming. (Or you need to change the light bulb. Come to think of it, this advice could really send someone into an Inception-type dilemma if his light bulb is actually burnt out in waking life...)</div>
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Recurring dreams or nightmares are pretty common, I think. Personally, I have three dream themes that plague me quite frequently. First of all, there are the alligator dreams. Ever since my grandparents lived on an alligator-infested lagoon in Hilton Head, these vicious swamp-dwellers have been my biggest fear. And going to a lake-side school in Florida didn't help my paranoia. Alligators turn my dreams into nightmares at least once a month, give or take. Scary stuff. Then we have the nightmare that I forget all my lines in "Kiss Me, Kate," the musical in which I had a leading role senior year of high school. It's always the same thing: I'm waiting in the wings to go on stage and my mind goes completely blank. I can't remember one single line! I look around frantically for a script, but not one appears, so I'm forced to walk on stage and completely humiliate myself and ruin the show. According to my mom, these dreams never go away. She still has dreams about forgetting her lines in high school shows. That gives me a lot to look forward to. Finally, I have dreams that something goes horribly wrong while I'm babysitting. Most recently, 6 year old Ellie was driving her two sisters and myself around in her mother's Suburban while the baby I forgot to bring along was at home in who knows what kind of peril. A few nights later she was smoking a cigarette. Having responsibility for four children on a regular basis seems to have taken a toll on me. I can only imagine how my nights will go when I have my <i>own</i> kids. Oh wait, I won't have time to dream. I'll be up all night.</div>
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To my mom, every single dream is "the dream of unpreparedness." I can understand how the forgetting-my-lines thing means I might be unprepared, but she seriously says it about <i>every </i>dream. So I go elsewhere for my dream interpretation. <a href="http://www.dreammoods.com/">Dream Moods</a> is a website where one can search or look through a list of terms to find out what his or her dream means. I commonly look up last night's dreams, and let me tell you, you'd be surprised how often they make perfect sense. I once dealt with having the same nightmare every night for a couple weeks. As soon as I looked it up and found out what it meant, I stopped having it.</div>
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I really do agree with Freud, I think dreams most certainly mean something. But, as he said, "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."</div>
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Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-54062603314684018902011-09-20T11:14:00.000-05:002011-09-20T11:14:48.301-05:00Overcoming AddictionHappy Tuesday, readers! I want to talk about something serious today. Addiction. Addiction is a real problem that should not be underestimated. People talk about having "addictive personalities," and according to Wikipedia, that's actually a real problem. So is thinking Wikipedia is a viable source. I don't want to make excuses, but I fear I am a person suffering from an addictive personality. From a very young age I've had problems getting hooked on things and feeling the need to get my fix. But it's time to acknowledge my faults and share with you the top 10 addictions I have (sort of) overcome. Brace yourselves.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">The Top 10 Addictions I Have (Sort of) Overcome</span><br />
10. Free Willy. I only wish I kept my letter from President Clinton responding to my inquiry about what he's doing to save the whales. <br />
9. Titanic. If you were in Mr. Hagan's 4th grade class with me, you might remember my sick addiction to all things Titanic. True, plenty of girls went through the same thing, but I'd like to know how many of them played the two video cassette tapes until the picture became fuzzy and jumpy. Fun fact: Last week when I was suffering from insomnia I sang the entire Titanic soundtrack in my head.<br />
8. Coldstone. This habit kicked in during my sophomore year in high school when the national ice cream chain opened a store near my house. I went almost - okay, literally everyday and got a "Like It" sized scoop of coffee ice cream with Heath Bar mixed in. Thank God I got over that phase because if I was dealing with that addiction as a 23 year old I would be 450 lbs. Thank you to my family and friends for the support you gave me to overcome this one.<br />
7. Nutella. Ever walk into your dorm building to find an 18 year old girl covered in Nutella with her hand stuck in the jar? Sorry for that, guys.<br />
6. Tuna sandwiches. (I'm sensing a pattern here...) You know what? I'm still addicted to tuna sandwiches and I don't even care if you think it stinks or if you think I'm going to get mercury poisoning. I like them. Deal.<br />
5. Quick Trip breakfast sandwiches. I know, this one's really shameful. I had gone an entire 23 years without having a single sausage, egg and cheese biscuit from anywhere. Then, one fateful morning I was peer pressured into trying one. What they say is right, you know. Just one time can get you hooked. I still struggle with this one every time I pass a QT before 11:30am.<br />
4. Facebook. Duh.<br />
3. Nacho Mama's. I think when you overcome an addiction to alcohol or drugs you're not supposed to ever drink or do drugs again. Well I must be pretty strong because I went from hitting the Nacho Mama's drive-thru bi or tri-weekly to a couple times a month. It takes a lot of willpower to resist those beany and cheesy nachos, but I'm getting stronger everyday.<br />
2. Domino's Chicken Kickers. During my first year of college I was dependent on these little nuggets of joy. Some of you might remember the great Kicker Fit of 2007... I try not to think about it. But how could you blame me when Domino's was on our meal plan?? Once again I am glad I overcame this addiction because a 23 year old eating pizza and Chicken Kickers every single night - yes, it got that extreme - is just embarrassing.<br />
1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Did I watch this movie every single day when I was 14? Yes. Three times a day? Yes. Did it pay off because I met Daniel Radcliffe, the love of my teenage life? You bet. No shame.<br />
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I'd like to thank everyone who supported me through these tough times. I could never have overcome any of my addictions without you.Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-66675028669564450372011-09-19T09:48:00.000-05:002011-09-19T09:51:51.286-05:00Grace Kelly and the West Virginia Pill-SnortersThis summer I enjoyed expanding my cinematic horizons. I went on a Hitchcock kick and also found my new (and first) favorite documentary. Not only do I feel more culturally enriched, I also now know the Boone County mating call.<br />
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Grace Kelly is the picture of class. Watching her in "Dial 'M' for Murder" and "Rear Window" was a treat and a trip back in time. I think it's safe to say her gracefulness (how aptly she was named), charm and talent are incomparable to any other film star in history. (Though I think we will all agree that Lindsay Lohan comes in a close second.)<br />
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I absolutely loved "Dial 'M' for Murder." With its perfectly constructed plot and unforeseen twists, this murder mystery was a perfect introduction to Hitchcock's repertoire and my favorite of the bunch so far. When it came time for my second Hitchcock film, my expectations were pretty high. The back of the "Rear Window" DVD case claimed it had one of the most unexpected endings in film history. Really?? Because it seemed to me that what happened in the end was exactly what the main characters said would happen throughout the entire movie. Don't worry, this is no more of a spoiler than the film itself is. Despite some disappointment in the ending, however, I did enjoy "Rear Window." Once again, Grace Kelly was a marvel to watch.<br />
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Then I had to get into Hitchcock's darker collection of films. "Psycho" and "The Birds" are two of the most talked about movies out there, so it was about time I saw them. I couldn't help thinking Norman Bates, the creepy hotel owner in "Psycho," was really handsome. Even when he was cleaning up after the famous shower scene ("REE REE REE REE!"), covering up a murder, I found myself very attracted to him. (Does this say something about me? Should I be worried?) A Facebook friend of mine reminded me of an episode of one of my favorite shows, "How I Met Your Mother," in which Barney points out the direct correlation between someone's hotness and their craziness. His explanation can be seen <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG4mgF58k6o">here</a>. So, without spoiling the ending of "Psycho," I'll just say that it seems Barney was right. Because Norman Bates is HOT.<br />
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"The Birds" met my expectations of both creepiness and quality of special effects. If you've seen it, you know what I mean about the special effects. Very 1963. I recommend it to everyone who has ever wondered just how much we <i>really </i>know about birds and whether they can be trusted. For me, it cleared up the suspicions I've had for a very long time.<br />
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NOW! Blog readers! I am about to introduce you to a great work of documentary film-making: "The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia." Produced by Johnny Knoxville and the same people who made "Jackass," TWaWWoWV is the story of what happens during a year in the life of the White family in Boone County, WV. From fighting to snorting painkillers to creating an absurd scene in the Taco Bell drive-thru, this family is the epitome of the American Dream. That is, if the American Dream is to live off welfare, sleep with your cousin's husband and lose custody of your newborn baby when the hospital finds drugs in her system. Hey, for some people that's probably not too far off! At least the welfare part.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4aiWXM9FFI">Y'all wanna hear the Boone County mating call? </a><br />
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While watching this fantastic documentary, I couldn't help comparing Mamie White, "the biggest, the baddest and the meanest of all the White family," to Grace Kelly. Can't you see the similarities?<br />
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So, dear readers, to sum up my summer of movie-watching, I'll say that Alfred Hitchcock and Johnny Knoxville both know how to make damn good films. I should suggest those with weak stomachs avoid the West Virginia Whites, but heck, give it a try.Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-88211702553095263922011-09-15T09:57:00.000-05:002011-09-15T11:02:35.567-05:00Top Ten Perks of Being an Unpaid InternLadies and gents, I'm back! That's right, Frankly Paige is up and running again.<br />
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To kick off my return to the world of web logging, I'm going to present to you my top 10 perks of being an unpaid intern. As my faithful followers know, I had a three-month-long internship with an advertising agency called King & Tuke in London last summer. Now I have another internship on The Hill in none other than my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. This internship is at another ad agency called McGowan Crain. As it's only day three, my duties expand no further than writing the odd headline and observing the way things work around here. But I have no complaints. So, here it is, folks:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">The Top 10 Perks of Being an Unpaid Intern</span><br />
10. Learning to make the perfect cup of coffee<br />
9. Feeling insanely excited when your work is selected to be shown to a client<br />
8. Being able to tell people, "I work at ______" just like someone with a real job<br />
7. Discovering YouTube videos before anyone else<br />
6. Figuring out what makes a company work<br />
5. Not being as stressed as everyone around you<br />
4. Learning the ropes of the job you want "when you grow up"<br />
3. Pretending you're still in college because you don't have a salary<br />
2. Getting the motivation to actually find a paying job<br />
1. Not paying income tax<br />
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Stay tuned!Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-48988032072639770302010-11-22T16:48:00.000-06:002010-11-22T16:52:41.739-06:00My Second Blog<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In my Writing for Advertising class we were given the assignment to create a blog for a product, so I chose the iPhone. Check out </span><a href="http://blogforthat.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">"There's a Blog for That" here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">!</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In other news, work is piling up as I count down to winter break. But what I'm </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">really</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> looking forward to is graduation. May 2011, I'm coming.</span></div>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-80346395461718568282010-11-01T16:47:00.000-05:002011-04-24T12:46:18.729-05:00NYC ya later.<div>So much for continuing that story! </div><div><br /></div><div>A short overview: NY was fabulous. Saw so many friends: Lizzie and Louisa Rechter, Brian LeMay, Will Salomon, Will Stevens, Alex Muhoray, Nate Fulton, Colin Menzel, Sarah Fowler, Faith McCormick, David St. Geme, Trent Pande, Nick Robbins, and Peyton Sherwood (brother and friend). Went to a Yankees playoff game, walked 40 blocks down 5th Avenue, frequented Rockefeller Center and ate and drank some wonderful things. Lots of pizza and then au revoir, NYC!</div><div><br /></div>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-25686866658264168402010-10-16T14:25:00.000-05:002010-10-17T11:45:42.987-05:00I'm in New YorkIn case you didn't hear, I'm in New York. <div><br /></div><div>to be continued...</div>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-74949806493999794542010-08-18T10:03:00.000-05:002010-08-18T10:17:44.078-05:003 Days 'til HomeIs it really THREE days until I go home? I'm so sad about this :( I've had such a great summer in London. I feel like I've gotten the hang of London life and I could stay here for a lot longer. Unfortunately, duty calls, and I must go back to school on Monday. One more year and then I'm free to move wherever I want. (Assuming I can get a job there!) Maybe it'll be London, maybe Atlanta, maybe somewhere completely different. I've got about 8 months to make up my mind.<br /><br />Right, let's get on with it then:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What I'll miss about London:</span> When walking/busing down the street to meet my friends for lunch I realized how much I'm going to miss Old Street! Before we moved office we were located at 20 Old Street and the new office is just down the road, not far at all. So I've been on Old Street almost everyday for the past three months and I've come to know it very well. One thing I'll especially miss is the "food alley" as my girlfriends and I call it. Vendors from all over the world set up vans, tents and tables on one side street off of Old Street. I was partial to the Italian place; they had the best tortellini! I'll miss the daily grind of having a real job, as crazy as that sounds. It won't be near as exciting having a job in America. To me, going to work everyday was an adventure right up to the very end.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What I'm looking forward to in America:</span> It's getting harder and harder to come up with these :( Not that I don't love home, I do. I've just been living in my favorite city for the past three months; I've been spoiled! But one thing I've been looking forward to since I GOT here was and is seeing the kids I babysit. And there's a new little one! The Lochhead family welcomed a baby boy, Gus, last month and I can't wait to meet him. Most of all I can't wait to see my buddy, Georgia! No favoritism here, we just spend the most time together out of all the 9 children I babysit.Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-53720576353528024882010-08-16T04:23:00.000-05:002010-08-16T04:33:33.700-05:005 Days 'til HomeWell, I missed yesterday because I was/am in Berlin! I'm visiting my Uncle Topper, Aunt Katja, and cousins, Max (14) & Tillman (10). It's been a few years since I've seen them, so it's so great to catch up - and in Berlin! What a cool city. Yesterday we walked all around and Topper kept pointing out when we were in old East vs. old West Berlin. We saw where the wall once was and all of the new buildings that have recently gone up. There is some great architecture here. While Berlin is a big city, there are certain parts that give it a small-town feel, such as the awesome wooden playground we went on yesterday and the garden my aunt and uncle rent and care for; it's only a bus ride away from their apartment. See? Big city, small-town feel. Today I'm off to explore with Max and Tillman. Here we go!<div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>What I'm going to miss about London: </i>Double-decker buses. I absolutely LOVE taking the bus at any time of day. My favorite seat is at the top in the very front. It often seems as though you are about to or have already run over the car or cyclist in front, but rarely does that <i>actually</i> happen. In my eyes, it's a free tour of the fabulous city that is London.</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>What I'm looking forward to in the USA: </i>Hmm.. it's hard to top double-decker buses, so let me give this a good think ... Mmm, yes. I've got it. Whole wheat options and light options of everything. It seems like we have hundreds of choices when it comes to bread alone. I love the really thin wheat bread. It lets me feel like I'm being health-conscious while eating my turkey sandwich and feel less guilty on that trip to St. Louis Frozen Custard Factory.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>*Another thing I'll miss about London: </i> Everyone is not so damn concerned with weight! This is a good and a bad thing. You can understand both sides, I trust.</div><div><br /></div><div>Until next time! x</div>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-49750436409768153112010-08-13T06:30:00.000-05:002010-08-13T06:45:28.841-05:009 Days 'til Home<span style="font-style: italic;">What I'll miss about London:</span> <span>Being able to "pop down to the shop." Gotta love the corner news agents and local shops where you can get just what you need pretty much whenever you need it. Chocolate fix? Absolutely; grab a Dairy Milk or a Flake. Alcohol? Check! Will that be a £5 bottle of Cab Sauv or a few cans of Carlsberg? And of course you can get your Heinz baked beans for that English fry-up you're so desperately craving after a big night out. </span><span>It's true that as far as convenience, America is the King. But the little convenience shops that seem to be on every corner of every street are wonderfully helpful for this American in England.<br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />What I'm looking forward to in the USA:</span> Walgreens, of course! And having the choice of two Walgreens that are equidistant from my house. Without shame, I'll add that I get to DRIVE there and I don't have to walk. Granted, Walgreens is further from my house than the nearest news agent is here, but even if it was just as close I might still drive. Although that isn't very green of me... I'll cycle - I mean bike - instead.Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-118280928442756552010-08-12T04:16:00.000-05:002010-08-12T04:30:01.026-05:0010 Days 'til HomeThis post comes on the morning after the day I got bitten by some kind of spider. My ankle is swollen and painful as all hell but there's no point trying to make an appointment to see a doctor; there's NO chance I'd get in before next week. Did get some medicine from the pharmacy... and had to pay out of pocket, of course.<br /><br />So, without further ado:<br /><br /><em>What I'll miss about London:</em> Their lovely currency. Makes more sense than American coins, I think. 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, 1 pound and 2 pound coins make everything eeeasy. Oh, and no added tax at the register - it's already factored in so you're not paying $2.67; it's £2.60.<br /><em></em><br /><em>What I'm looking forward to in America: </em>Being able to see the doctor on short notice and health insurance coverage.Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-62584879323717121812010-08-11T05:59:00.000-05:002010-08-11T06:08:41.793-05:0011 Days 'til Home<span style="font-style: italic;">What I'll miss about London: </span> Pimms and cider.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What I'm looking forward to in the USA: </span> Bud Light and the gym.Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-30709391056112697122010-08-10T12:23:00.000-05:002010-08-11T06:09:29.374-05:0012 Days 'til HomeSince I've been a terrible blogger this summer, I plan to make up for it by blogging everyday until I go home. I will list one thing I'm going to miss and one thing I'm looking forward to when I get home.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What I'll miss about London:</span> Glasses of red wine in Bar Soho.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What I'm looking forward to in the USA:</span> Tide-to-go.Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-41454837422557800542010-07-12T08:57:00.000-05:002010-07-12T10:25:48.169-05:00Anthropological ObservationsOnce again I've found it difficult to make time for blogging. My apologies, faithful readers.<div><br /></div><div>This is my 6th or 7th time in England and I think I'm finally able to pinpoint some differences between this country and my native one. After returning home from my summer here in 2007 I was at a loss for words when people asked me how things across the pond compare to things at home. To be honest, I didn't think things were <i>that</i> different with the exception of English people being decidedly more laid back about certain things and stores closing at 5pm everyday. I have always, always appreciated the ever-present option of going to the pub and I take advantage of it when I can. (This may be indicative of a personal problem but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, shall we?) The drinking culture is obviously different over here, a big part of that to do with the legal drinking age being 18, not 21. While 18 year olds can legally go out to clubs and have a few pints with lunch or dinner down at the pub, we Americans take the much more tactful approach to drinking: Take eight shots of vodka and go out and see what happens. (Note: Good things rarely happen to an 18 year old after eight shots of vodka.) Everyone here in England asks about the famous "red cups" they've seen in movies like "American Pie," and let's face it, we Americans know that a party ain't a party 'til you've got your Solo cup. College students in America are beer pong experts by the end of their first semester and are well versed in Flip Cup, Quarters and Kings/Circle of Death, among other culturally relevant drinking games well before their 21st birthdays. Funny, aren't we?</div><div><br /></div><div>The best part of drinking in England is the number of late night Kabab shops where you can get a burger and some nice thick-cut chips after a night of drinking and dancing. <i>Oooh</i> - I'm sorry, England, I've just remembered that in America you can get Taco Bell at almost any hour of the night, provided you have a DD. Sorry - that one goes to America.</div><div><br /></div><div>But England comes back swinging! The most endearing quality of every single Brit, and I feel confident making such a sweeping statement because I swear they ALL have this in common, is the seemingly endless list of idioms every one of them knows and uses constantly. I love it! I just don't have the memory for it; I can never think in time to say something is as "cheap as chips" or that I did "sod all" today. I can't even think of them now when I'm trying to. I'm rubbish - there you go.</div><div><br /></div><div>And one final observation of the Yank vs the Brit: Americans are insanely nice and happy all the time. We all have very good manners when meeting new people; we shake hands and say "nice to meet you," and then we usually ask our new acquaintance about himself to find anything we may have in common and that might be a jumping off point for conversation. Even the tone of voice we use, or at least for girls, is different. We speak in a considerably higher pitch that doesn't sound like our real voice. Why this is I have no idea. In England when two people are introduced they will just say "alright?" "alright." and that's that. They take less of an initiative to speak to people they don't know. In fact, they don't do it. Often times Americans seem "fake" and insincere to the English when they are so high-pitchedly asked for detailed descriptions of their personal lives by a complete stranger. People really start to notice I'm American when I make conversation with strangers in the chip shop or out in a bar at night. But I'm completely genuine in my gregariousness and I'm not ashamed. Having spent so much time over here I have developed an understanding of English culture and I can communicate with them comfortably like I can with my American friends. I know, I know, they're not animals in the zoo. But in my experience I've learned that the longer one spends in another culture the easier it is to relate to the people there and to form deeper relationships. But as is human nature (with the possible exception of the French), after a while the two cultures begin to understand each other. By this I mean that the American's voice returns to normal and she tries to seem less excited about every single thing that happens and the Brit starts to consider the possibility that when one person is nice to another, she might actually not be taking the piss and it could be genuine.</div>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-53918460916294311442010-06-19T07:43:00.000-05:002010-08-12T04:31:04.752-05:00Impending Doom SyndromeGreetings from across the pond! I've finally got around to blogging for the first time since I've been in London. Okay, I just made it sound like I'm way busier than I am. I was just too lazy. But here it is, folks! Blog abroad entry numero uno. <div><br /></div><div>Let me open by saying I thought I saw a dead body on the way to the tube station this morning. While walking with my friend Callum, I suddenly noticed a pair of feet... and then some legs.. and I freaked out when I realized it was a man lying face down in the dirt under a bush! He was fully dressed in a suit and had a bag or briefcase next to him, so I figured he couldn't be homeless. Callum guessed he just hit the booze too hard last night and decided to pass out on the ground. Nearly gave me a heart attack!</div><div><br /></div><div>Now onto the basics. I'm living in a terraced house in Kennington with four other girls. I really like them all so far :) My internship is at Alphabet Advertising on Old Street and I'm enjoying it very much! I've been working on a print ad geared toward tourists for a campaign for the London Transport Museum. The people in charge seem to like my ideas so with any luck they will use one of them! Last Tuesday I got to go on an assignment (how cool) and actually visited the museum because the people at Alphabet wanted to know what I thought of it in my humble American opinion. Let me tell you, I loved it! It was so interesting to see how London really did evolve alongside its transportation. </div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of transportation, I take the Tube everyday to and from work and/or to go out at night. I love the Tube. I see so many different types of people and have a good time trying to blend in. I'll admit I'm somewhat embarrassed to be thought of as a tourist. After all, I've been here six or seven times now and after this summer I'll have lived here for a cumulative period of a year. But not looking American is particularly tough for someone like me, an American. And I'm about as American as American Cheese with my blonde hair, blue eyes and J. Crew shorts. I don't have that cool culturally-ambiguous look that might get people wondering just where I'm from. No, they're probably wondering what I did with my cowboy hat and boots. To dress like a Londoner/British person, you must realize that the weather sucks here. It's not summer - it's cold. And I can't seem to grasp the concept of "layering" because every time I try I end up ... well, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic" class="Apple-style-span">not</span> layering. I understand this is really a simple thing.. it's actually the most basic, I-don't-even-know-why-I'm-blogging-about-it idea, but I seriously can't seem to do it! I say to myself, "okay, Paige, it's getting chilly out there, you'd better layer." And then I end up walking out the door in a tank top and a cardigan and some sandals. I'll get it sooner or later. Oh, another nice image aside from me having intense difficulty getting dressed is me falling down the stairs last week. Twice. But I wouldn't be who I am without bruises all over me, so I guess I'm just subconsciously making sure I don't change too much while I'm abroad.</div><div><br /></div><div>On a more serious note, I'd like to mention that during my exploration of Google Earth the other day (which I am seriously going to make a habit because I didn't really realize Africa was where it is...) I went to look if there was any satellite imagery of the oil spill in the Gulf. This tragedy is one to which we should all be paying close attention; it's going to forever change our world. For us who don't work in the oil business it is so hard to fathom why they can't plug up this hole. Day after day, barrels and barrels of oil are pouring into the ocean. It really seems like a nightmare; like the end of the world. And the experts don't even know how long we will be dealing with this disaster. The effects of the BP catastrophe may extend far beyond our lifetimes. As President Obama said in the newspaper I was reading over a fellow Tube passenger's shoulders yesterday, the time to find alternative energies is now. There is an exhibit at the London Transport Museum that shows four possible routes for the future of our world in relation to energy. You can see it at http://future.ltmcollection.org/forecast.html. </div><div><br /></div><div>Using "tree hugger" as an insult is no longer viable. If you're not concerned about our planet and the energy crisis, you are living in a dream world. Sometimes I have the tendency to express symptoms of my "IDS," or "Impending Doom Syndrome." I got it from my grandmother, Dolly Sherwood. It is known by all the Sherwoods that Dolly would be the one to worry that if someone puts a hot iron too close to the edge of a table and someone bumps that table, the iron could fall onto the pile of laundry below, ignite it, and burn the whole house down. And the smoke from the fire could get in the flight path of a helicopter flying over the house at that very instant and cause the pilot to choke and go blind, sending his passengers and himself into a downward spiral, crashing into the orphanage that could be below. But when it comes to the future of our sacred Planet Earth, let's all try and think a little bit harder about what could happen as a result of our actions. Let's all have a little bit of IDS, shall we?</div><div><br /></div><div>I realize this blog entry is far too long. My apologies to all and especially those who stayed with me throughout.</div>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-49460306902200937452010-06-06T16:59:00.001-05:002010-06-06T18:03:36.745-05:00Be My GuestI don't understand it when a person has bad manners when he is a guest in someone's house. I know whenever I am at a friend's house and we have a case of the drunchies I always clean up after myself. Put the dishes in the dishwasher, put the food away, etc. And I don't eat all their food. Usually. Most times when I have people over, which I do quite frequently, I have to clean up after everyone leaves. That's fine; it comes with the territory. I usually get help collecting beer cans and bottles, which is a very nice guest-ure. However, today when my dad got home he made a strange discovery and asked me if anyone I had over last night was crazy. I think he meant certifiably as opposed to the kind of crazy I am because someone decided to go into my pantry and smell or taste all the jars of peanut butter, jam, sauce and things of the like. Unopened or opened - didn't matter to this guy. And all the tops were off! It was like freakin' Mardi Gras for non-perishables in there. Who does that?!<br /><br />It is important to be a good guest. It is also important not to be a freaking weirdo and remove the lids from multiple jars of food for no good reason. There is no good reason for doing that. It's weird. Especially if it's not even your house.Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-37369096211143732582010-05-23T13:48:00.001-05:002010-05-23T14:19:06.120-05:00Much To Do ListWell, well. Haven't I been a poor blogger lately. I recently returned from my week-and-a-half visit down to Florida for Rollins' graduation. I had a wonderful time temporarily living with 2/3 of "le pouvoir de trois," as Eric calls us. Now it's a few weeks in the STL and then onto bigger, better things as I high tale it to London and begin my internship at the ad agency. *Let me amend: things definitely won't be bigger, everything over there is quite a bit smaller than it is in the good ole US of A. And as for it being better... let's HOPE it's better; I have high expectations. In fact, I have very high expectations. Of myself. Last spring when I lived in London for 4 months I was very often guilty of being a lazy bum. This should not come as a surprise to those readers who know me well. Looking back on all the time spent in my room at Regent's College I feel as though I did not take full advantage of all the city has to offer. Of course, it was by no means a total waste! I enjoyed a quarter of a year living in my favorite city with a couple of my best friends just a tube ride away. This time I won't have any of my American chums there with me, but this is no crisis. I do have some great friends there (some meaning two, but hey, quality, not quantity) whom I am looking forward to seeing often and I'll be living in a house with three other girls who are sure to become friends if I have any say in the matter. But friends or no friends, I intend to make the absolute best of my summer in London. I WILL get up everyday with intention. Weekends will be cherished and filled with exploration. I intend to leave no borough un-burrowed, no ale untasted, no museum turnstile unturned. (Note: Leaving no ale untasted was simply for effect. I dislike ale very much. I welcome the day that may or may not come when I develop an affinity for it, but there is no ongoing pursuit.) I intend to see the sights I should have seen in my total 9+ months of being a UK resident, such as Bath and Winchester Cathedral to name a couple. It's a freakin' shame I'm going with almost no money because I'd love to do some more Euro-traveling. But my plan is to take full advantage of living in London. If one day you are talking to me on Facebook when it's 2pm on a Saturday in London and I'm not hungover, tell me to get my butt over to Buckingham Palace and have tea with the Queen.Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-11622472698625372842010-05-05T09:06:00.001-05:002011-07-27T18:15:55.307-05:00Dirty Dancing"Due to a disturbing decline in dance lessons, most Americans can't tell a tango from a mango." (groupon.com)<br /><br />Most of my friends' experiences with dancing began in 7th grade at raunchy Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. We all know the scene: Forty or so 13 year-olds paired off, dancing to songs with lyrics we thought we understood, boys' hands all over regions we young teenage girls didn't know we had until they were being fervently groped by our eager pubescent counterparts. It was heaven for middle school boys. And my fellow females and I got plenty excited for these parties, too. We looked forward to -- and replayed in our minds for weeks after -- dancing with boys we liked; drinking in the smell of their Abercrombie cologne was as intoxicating as the spirits we had not yet experienced. (In my case, anyway.) <div><br /></div><div>When my mother came to pick me up from one such party, she broke the rules of parent-child relations by coming inside instead of waiting in the car like she was supposed to. Later she confessed that she was appalled by what she saw and described it as a scene from "Jungle Fever." (I still haven't seen the movie, but I don't doubt her comparison.) But we were only 13. We weren't expected to dance properly.<br /><br />Now we're in our twenties. A couple months ago a group of friends and I went to a bar downtown to do what college kids do. When we hit the dance floor I had an immediate flashback to the days of "Who Let the Dogs Out" and it hit me: Nobody knows how to dance these days! Buuut that's not completely true. There are a select number of Generation Y-ers who know how to properly dance with a partner. Unfortunately, the skill is not equally distributed between males and females. To find a man who can dance is like striking oil. That night downtown I did have one friend who could lead me in a dance and keep his hands where they ought to have been. I find this kind of dancing a lot more fun, not to mention those boys a lot more attractive! But come on, I'm not an old fart. I know that when you're out at a club or a bar, that kind of dancing doesn't really fit the mood, and that's fine. </div><div><br /></div><div>But let it be known that there is somewhere bumping and grinding is NOT appropriate and we all had better get wise, QUICK! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Weddings</span>. I am fearful that in the next five years when my friends start to get married, people my age will cause some Baby Boomers to go into cardiac arrest when they dance to Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" like it's Sisqo's "Thong Song." So, ladies, let's pressure our guy friends to watch some "Dirty Dancing" (how ironic) with us and learn how to take us for a spin around the dance floor while also studying the moves ourselves. As for the men, if you ask us to dance and surprise us with your skills, take it from me, you will immediately be 100% better looking.</div>Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-10730013594924367032010-05-02T10:50:00.001-05:002010-05-02T10:50:21.310-05:00Class ActMen (though I use the term loosely) who are involved with married women or women who are involved with married men are by far the lowest of the low. This is the most disgusting, despicable and character-sacrificing thing anyone could possibly do.<br /><br />I met one of these scumbags a couple nights ago at a karaoke bar. He was/is a friend of a friend and seemed nice enough after talking to him for a few minutes. When we discovered we both have the same go-to karaoke song, Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" (ironic, I know), he proposed we sing it together. I happily agreed and he signed us up, insisting that I let him sing the second verse/chorus. While waiting for our turn, it came up that this guy had recently started seeing a married woman. I've met many people who do stupid things and I usually try to stay out of their business, but I couldn't help but argue with his behavior. When it was clear that he did not have a working moral compass, I dropped the subject. Although I knew he was not the kind of person I wanted as a friend, I wasn't going to cancel our karaoke duet. After a couple beers and some $1 jello shots our names were called and we took the stage. The first verse/chorus went fine (as fine as semi-drunk karaoke can be) and then I backed off and gave him his turn like he had asked. Well. This guy (whom I had just met, let me remind you) started spitting a well-rehearsed rant about how he was "up [there] singing with this platinum blonde bitch" - me. He went on for the entire verse and chorus saying horrible, degrading and incredibly embarrassing things about me, the girl he duped into being his prop. The things he was saying were of course untrue, as we had met just an hour before. And I'm not a platinum blonde. Well, it was obviously attention he was craving and he got it; the majority of the males in the bar got a kick out of his new lyrics. Once he'd finished and left me completely blindsided, he walked off the stage in all his sleazy glory. I should have put down my microphone and eighty-sixed that low-life but I guess my training in the performing arts kept me up there and I finished the song. (Pretty poorly, I have to say, but I doubt people were listening to me after that impromptu lesson in Jackasses 101.)<br /><br />Well, it's clear, folks, that there are some bona fide gentlemen out there. What happened to being r-e-s-p-e-c-t-ful? As an optimistic person, I won't write off the whole human race or even the half of it to which I don't belong. But with scumbags like Tiger Woods and every other over-publicized celebrity DB out there it's getting harder everyday to believe good, honest men exist. Don't give up hope yet, ladies. And don't settle for losers, either. Being a gentleman will come back in style, I have faith.Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-21605281811248481042010-04-30T11:53:00.001-05:002010-04-30T12:25:30.171-05:00Driving While StupidWhen it comes to texting while driving, I hate to admit that I'm as guilty as the next guy. I could say that I do it "safely," but let's be honest here. There is no safe way to text and drive. Oprah is taking steps to get people to make their cars "no phone zones." She insists that a call or a text isn't worth losing a life. Obviously she's right. She's Oprah. Last week I had a close call in being victim of another chick's stupidity. I had a green light to go straight across the intersection and she was across the intersection going left on a green - it was my right of way. As I drove into and through the intersection, I noticed the car opposite me did not look like it was going to stop. She was turning in my direction and when I looked to the driver... she wasn't even looking up!!! This stupid _____ was texting while entering an intersection when she didn't even have the right of way! So I gave her a little "BEEP BEEP" (though I was thinking "BLEEP BLEEP!") and we both slammed on the brakes. She looked like a deer in the headlights. Both of our windows were down and I almost said something to her but I bit my tongue. I could see on her face that she knew what an idiot move she had made. I'm sad to say I doubt that was the last time she texted while driving. I also regret to say that didn't shake me of the habit either. As a member of the iPhone clan, I know that for me texting is even more of a danger. Henceforth and herewith, I pledge to stop texting while driving. Let's see if I can do it.<br /><br />*Disclaimer: Content written on my living room couch in St. Louis is less likely to be as wildly entertaining as content written during one of my crazy adventures. Stay tuned...Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288388381988503770.post-3898017479080366812010-04-29T20:17:00.000-05:002010-04-29T20:19:09.340-05:00Chinese Philosophy<div class="GBThreadMessageRow_Info"> <span bindpoint="authorLinkWrapper" class="GBThreadMessageRow_AuthorLink_Wrapper"> <a class="GBThreadMessageRow_AuthorLink" href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1305270016">Paige Sherwood</a> </span> <span class="GBThreadMessageRow_Date"> April 29 at 6:19pm </span> <span class="GBThreadMessageRow_BranchLink" bindpoint="branchLinkWrapper"></span> <span class="GBThreadMessageRow_ReportLink" bindpoint="reportLinkWrapper"></span> </div> I should have started a blog a long time ago. For example, when I went to work in a pub in a small town on the southern coast of England for three months in the summer of 2007. That would have made for a good read. Or when I spent my spring '09 semester in London, that would have been something to blog about. Maybe I should have been blogging while I spent a weekend on a houseboat in Amsterdam or when I went couch surfing in Barcelona or hiking through Italy last May. Could it be that the most exciting experiences of my life have already passed me by?<br /><br />Au, contraire. I expect this summer to be the best yet as I'll be living and working in my favorite city in the world, London. After much persistence, I secured an internship at an advertising agency called Alphabet Advertising and I'll be doing copywriting work among other intern-y sorts of things. In other words, I'm doing exactly what I wanted to do this summer.<br /><br />But my life isn't just a bed of roses, which brings me to today's postulate: Yin Yang - More than just a patch on my jeans in 4th grade. The concept of Yin Yang in Chinese philosophy explains that in the natural world, opposing forces have reciprocal relationships; there is a natural ebb and flow of life that is beyond our control. For all the wonderful experiences in my life there are elements that are far less than ideal (i.e. living at home, changing colleges, constantly missing the people I love most) to balance them out. I think most people live balanced lives like this, but it seems to me that I live in extremes. Isn't that what they say to do? Live life to the extreme? Guess I can put a check in that box!Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07225001682939500954noreply@blogger.com0