Alisan Porter Won the Voice but did she Play the Mama card to put herself Ahead of Laith?

The voice season ten was one of the most exciting seasons so far. The talent was the best that I have seen in a long time and I have watched The Voice since the very beginning. A lot of contestants stood out and the mix of genres kept us anticipating the song choices and performance each week.

Alisan Porter was a front runner right from the beginning.  She won our hearts with her fairy tale childhood as Curly Sue and then  fed our guilt with her short lived movie career.  Don't get me wrong, her voice was amazing and I knew she would be a good competitor. She never let us down and continued to mix it up each week showing her vocal range.

Photo rights: Paul Drinkwater/ NBC

It wasn't until the top ten that she really started playing the mamas can still follow their dreams card.  I don't think it was fair because it gave her a advantage in my opinion.  She beefed it up every week claiming that her quest for the win was for mothers everywhere to show them that it's never too late to follow your dreams. 

Photo rights: Getty

I am not saying at all that I disagree with her about her mothers can do anything thing at all.  I am only stating that in my opinion it wasn't fair for her to use any advantage, even by accident or personal beliefs. Especially when more women watch the show then men.  The voting aspect is a whole different story.   Men usually don't vote on voice competitions so what did poor Laith have as his "advantage" or anything  said while on the show or off that could even possibly waiver anyone's opinion of him or his deserving to win?  Nothing, because he didn't need it, he was stand alone amazing and that's all he needed. That's all that should count anyway.

Photo rights: NBC

Laith al-Saada was the epitome of the show, The Voice.  He came out in the blind auditions and blew our minds.  His voice, his range, his rasp, and last but not least  those amazing guitar skills.  He was different than anyone that has ever been on The Voice.   As the weeks went on he continued to give me goosebumps and his guitar skills.... holy awesome batman.  I was for sure that he would win and then BOOM, Alisan popped out the mama stuff and I knew it was over for poor Laith.  He never gave up, he continued to entertain everyone. 

The season finale was exactly as I thought it would go but I must add that I am tired of the coaches performing, the teams performing with their coach, etc.  I don't watch the show to see the coaches perform, I wanna see the contestants.  No need for a two hour damn finale.  Another rant, I hate the long pauses by Carson Daly when announcing the winners, come on, is that really necessary?  It doesn't build anticipation if that's what NBC is going for, it pisses people off and that is how remotes get thrown into shit. 

I'm cool and I still love the show and will continue to watch as long as it's on, complaints and all.  I am happy for Alisan Porter and I know Laith will have an amazing career.  I can't wait for his album to come out. 

Personal Hour, Mad at the Husband.

It's hard to get excited about anything anymore, the things that used to make me the happiest now I could care less about.  I love music more than anything, I used to go to at least three concerts a year but now I give two shits.  I am always let down by my non concert loving husband.  He doesn't appreciate the music like I do.  If he appreciated me, he would want to make me happy. Music takes me to a place where I am not so alone, I don't feel judged, I feel nothing but joy.  I don't live in a big city where music is everywhere so when it is here, I want to go.  It's always a money issue even though he knows months in advance.  It hurts. Fuck it.


I just reread this and I kind of sound selfish and shitty, LOL.  In my defense there is a lot more to the story, it's not just lack of concert anger,  it's more.  This was just bitch fest.  We all need it sometimes.

DIY Shoe Stretching with Household items. No More Fear of Buying Shoes Online!

I can't be the only one that is nervous about buying shoes online because you can't try them on. I have found the fix and am so impressed with my findings that I will order shoes online whenever I want with no fear. 
I saw the cutest stiletto heals online for only $15 and I wanted them so bad.  I couldn't pass them up so I took a chance and bought them.  When they came in, I was so excited.  I was like a little girl on Christmas morning ripping them out of the box and immediately put them on.  They were too small, like a whole size to small.  I was crushed, they were beautiful but too tight.  I went to the shoe store the next day and planned on getting a shoe stretcher and as my luck would have it, they were out.  I am a very patient person but damn it those shoes were hot and I wanted to wear them now.  So what I did was look online for ideas and I came up short, I decided to use my redneck ingiunity to get the job done.   

 This works for all shoes, even fake leather, although real leather stretches easier.  I talked to a shoe store owner and he said all shoes were made to give a little, especially to make them last while wearing them.  I was concerned because these shoes were at least one size smaller if not more. 

Ok, heat helps stretch shoes so what I did was dampen two washcloths with hot water and I crammed one in the toe area and the other in the heel.  I used a tablespoon wedged real good in between the two washcloths to act as the stretcher.  I repeated it for the second shoe and left them overnight.  I must add that it was not easy getting the spoon in between the two cloths but if you want them to stretch right, use your muscles or ask a strong person to wedge that thing in there. 

The next day, I removed the contraption and tried them on.  Oh so close I kept saying to myself so I just repeated the process for one more 24 hour period and now my shoes fit perfect.  Never again will I pass up a sale on a pair of shoes just because they are a size too small.  I will fix them.  :)

I hope this helps anyone who finds themselves in my shoes.... LOL, Pun intended.  Good luck and happy shoe buying.

2 warm damp wash cloths crammed in both ends and held tight for 24 hours.

Warm washcloths damp not wet, crammed into the toe and heel and pushed in with a big spoon.

Country Creatures That are New to my City Girl Ass.

So after moving to the sticks in December, Shit has thawed and the creatures of the back country are
my biggest enemy.  Number one would have to be the flies.  Holy huge corn fed country flies batman.  What the hell is going on out here?  They are huge, and fast fuckers too. I think they are on steroids or some crazy shit.  We went total redneck and hung those sticky fly strips from the ceiling in various locations.  Nothing now but to happily wait and watch the little bastards get stuck.
After only a couple of days,  the adhesive strips are now adorning the ceiling with decorative dangling fly carcasses.  Art if you will. 

My next enemy are the fire ants in the backyard.  I'm not much of a shoe person in the summer, I wear flip flops or nothing.  These little bastards hide in the yard and wait for me to go outside with my dogs to play.  It never fails that I end up stepping on a fire ant mound.  The neighbors probably think I have lost my mind.  Here I am outside  jumping on one leg, no balance at all, hopping around to get away from them and attempting to knock them off of my feet at the same time.  Them little assholes burn like hell when they bite and it stings for long after you rid yourself of them.  I am not a violent person and I even try to take bugs outside instead of killing them but these ants are testing me.  I am not sure of the proper way to rid my backyard of these pesky pests and with my 3 dogs and two cats that play outside, I have to be careful about what I use as my murder weapon.  I think I will try to drown them with the water hose and float their asses elsewhere.  We shall see, but I wanted to share my new country living dilemmas with my favorite people. 

Exercises that make you lose weight for lazy people who Hate exercise but still want to lose weight. Whew long title.

I hate to exercise, I can come up with a thousand good excuses not to and I have.  I am out of excuses so it's time to be honest with myself and respect my body enough to give it a chance to stay around longer.  The honesty is out, no more denying it.... I'm lazy.  I am not working at the moment so I wanted to lose weight.  A little over  a month ago, I started making up my own routine to get fit.   I decided it would be best to weigh myself once and then put the scale up.  Scales only discourage people when they don't see results quick.  Your scales should be put away until at least week 4. Then weigh in once a month, record it and move on.  Don't stop if you don't see immediate results, stay in there and dig deep.  We have become the nation of now, no one has any patience anymore. To lose weight healthy, you cannot expect it to be an quick fix.  You must have some kind of rules in place that you must follow and a routine.  I will put my routine and my rules at the bottom of the page as an example.  Make yours work for you and your schedule.

Of course the first week was playing around with times and searching for the best exercises for what my needs are.  I took well known exercises and flipped them into "lazy" exercises.  It always helps to break your exercises into a few minutes at a time instead of thirty minutes or more.  You don't want to wear yourself out, that will only make you quit.  Choose days that work for you.   Don't set some crazy unattainable goal,  shit, don't set any goals, you don't want to set yourself up to fail.  Go easy on yourself but be tough.

The way my routine is set up, I can exercise everyday but that will change once I am employed.  I will tell you how I do it and you change it to your needs.

                                                           RULES

1.    Depending on when you go to bed, Do not eat anything 5 hours before you go to bed.

2.    If you get hungry before bed, drink a huge glass of water or 100% juice, It will confuse your body into thinking that you are full.

3.   I know it sucks but cut out as much sugar as you can but stay away from diet drinks, they are just as bad, hiding their evil behind the word diet.

4.   Cut out as many carbs as you can as well.

 

5.   Read labels and stay away from processed food.

6.   Remember and obey that breakfast IS the most important meal of the day. I get it, I don't like breakfast, I am never hungry in the morning but I found a Dr. approved alternative to breakfast.  Drink a Slim fast drink, mix instant breakfast with 1% milk or soy milk and drink that but you must eat breakfast or all of this will be for nothing.

7.  Drink lots of water!!

MY ROUTINE

* I get up early and after my cup of coffee I fix me a large cup of 1% milk and mix in Carnation instant breakfast in chocolate...Yum.

* I watch T.V and during every commercial break, I exercise.  It's three minutes of straight work out then rest time.  I stay seated and stretch at first of course. The next commercial break is a step up and so on.

* I turn everyday household chores into exercise, I do leg lifts while doing the dishes, lunges while vacuuming, squats as I fold laundry. The list can go on and on to fit your individual needs.  You make it work for you, everyone is different. 

* I never miss my favorite daily shows like Dr. Phil, I simply do any exercise while the commercials are on then back to rest.
* I use every trip to the bathroom, kitchen or anywhere around the house as a chance to exercise too.
With each step, I do a high step and bring my knees to my chest and then I come down into a lunge with the other foot and so on.  I look stupid as shit but who cares, I am at home. 

   

If you add up every time you exercise during commercials and around the house, you will be surprised at how those 3 minutes here and there add up to hours.  I am on week 5 and have lost 16 pounds and 3 inches off of my waste. 

EXERCISES THAT I DO.  All DURING COMMERCIALS

1.  Squats

2.  Use vegetable cans as weights and do arm curls

3.  Front leg lifts

4.  Side leg lifts

5.  For my butt, I lay on stomach  and do leg lifts

6. For cardio which is needed, I do jumping jacks.

7.  While sitting, I do heel lifts, than I switch to toe lifts for calf muscles

8.  Arm rolls

This should get you started I hope and you can make up a routine that works for you.  Stay strong and stick with it.  I am looking forward to losing more weight and at this rate, I will. 

Inexpensive Facial Products that work better than the Name brands.

I love saving money but I also like to have the latest products that actually work.  The best wrinkle cream that I have found is actually the Walgreens brand.  I did use the Oil of Olay collection but didn't see the results that I wanted.  I was short on money so decided to try the store brand.  It's called Derma/E from Walgreens.  It comes in a 2oz size jar so all of the product can be used.  I never buy any kind of facial treatments or makeup that come in a glass pump style bottle.  Once it's empty, there are  really several more applications inside but you can't get to them.  It's frustrating. 
I always try and get the stuff in the plastic tube, that way when it is empty, you simply cut the end off and use a Q-tip or your finger to scoop out several more days worth.

I have adult acne and I hate it, I have tried everything, literally. I have used Proactive, X-out, and anything over the counter that was available.  Now I am using the store brand Noxema only because it's cheaper than the real stuff. I have used Noxema but the Kroger brand called Clarify deep cleansing skin cream. works better than the real stuff. Same blue plastic jar that we are used to seeing.   I have been using it for 2 weeks now and my face is completely clear.

Everyone needs a good mousterizer and I found the best for less.  We  all know the benefits of vitamin E and even purchase vitamin E filled lotions for face and body. I  just cut out the middle man and buy some cheap vitamin E capsules from Dollar General.  They are inexpensive and you just poke a hole in the capsule and put it where you want it.  I use it under my eyes and on the tops of my hands, people forget how your hand wrinkles add years to your life. This time I happened to be at Kroger so I purchased the store brand called Replenish in a 1oz glass jar.  It is non sticky and absorbs quickly without leaving you greasy. My face has never looked or felt better. I hope this helps and I have more tricks up my sleeve that I will tell you all about later.  If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments.

No photo-shop, I have a zit on my shoulder that you can clearly see, lol.  My face is clear though.   :)

Nashville New Years 2016 with Chris Stapleton was a blast! (Pics Included)

Due to my ongoing anxiety and depression, I was terrified when my friend asked me to go with her to Nashville for the annual Bash on Broadway for New Years Eve. I really wanted to see Chris Stapleton and attempt to get over my fears, even if only for a day.  So I said screw it, I have nothing to lose so I went with her and it was the most fun that I have had in a long time.  They shut down Broadway street and had it all closed off for the people and food and drink vendors.  I didn't know how many people where there until after but it was so crowded that I knew it had to be a lot.  On the news the next morning it was reported that 150,000 people were there and I was one of them.  It was so much fun, everyone was so nice and I didn't get robbed or murdered so that's pretty awesome.  With that many people, I expected something bad to  happen but nothing did.  It was a peaceful event with no craziness, no drunks, I mean there were plenty of drunks but  no idiots, and everyone having a good time.  I mean we were all drunk but everyone became friends for the night and there was no fighting, no shootings.  I rang in the new year in my favorite Nashville bar, Honky Tonk Central.  Everyone sits together and gets to know each other. You come in alone and leave with friends, it's amazing how cool and chill the people of Nashville are. I was getting out drank by a sixty year old calling me a wuss.  It was great. I would love to plan a trip every new year because I have never had more fun with stranger and I came home with friends. I must include this as well.  I am not a big country music fan so I was expecting Nashville to be all cowboy boots and yee haws, but I couldn't have been more wrong.  They have everything there, it's not the country version of L.A (Like I have heard it compared).  It is the Music City of America, all music not just country.  I loved every second of my time in Nashville and I still have to go back and do the things that I didn't have enough time to do the first two times.  Here are some of my favorite places and pictures that I took while I was there. 

Greatest bar in Nashville, well one of them.

The stage from the front.

The closing of Broadway.

150,000 people crammed in one area on Broadway.

Chris Stapleton on the big screen.

The AT&T building. AKA The Batman Building.

These steps lead to the second level at Honky Tonk Central.  Not fun after drinking.  ;)

The beautiful original pews at The Ryman Auditorium

My pointy toed shit kicker and the Broadway street tile thingy.

My Bucket List, We are NOT Promised Tomorrow!

I do own this photo.  The Ankh. If you don't know what it means, than look it up.  Google Magic.

I have been told that I am too young to have a bucket list but I disagree, we are not promised tomorrow so shouldn't we have fun today?   Shouldn't we enjoy every second of it?   I am a firm believer in the fly by the seat of the pants lifestyle. No plans, no disappointments.  Either way, I would like to do a few things before I die.
In no particular order....

★ Jump out of an airplane  (with a parachute of course)
★Own a big diamond   (at least 2 carats)
★Renew my wedding vowels  (at 10, 25, and I'll be dead        before anymore)
★Write a Book  (that's a stretch)
★Go para-sailing over the ocean.  (any ocean)
★Make love to my husband on the beach (any beach)
★Quit smoking (cigarettes that is)
★Smoke pot legally
★Bitch slap a couple of people
★Say what I mean more. (no sugar coating)
★Help others in need whenever I can
★Move to Florida
★Learn to play guitar
★Try and make someone smile everyday
★Do something nice for a stranger

This list is far from being finished. I will update as needed. I think everyone should do this, even if it is only for fun.  It's good to be a dreamer and to want things, it's those sparks that keep our spirit alive.

You Can be Whatever you want to be and other Lies.

We live in a world where people put so much unnecessary pressure on themselves that it's almost cruel. It's a crazy place when we think that things are supposed to be a certain way because that's what we've been told our whole lives.  We are told from the time we are little that when we grow up, we can be whatever we want to be.  We can do whatever we want. Our parents, teachers, pretty much all of the people that as children, we are supposed to look up to.  It is not until we grow up and see that the whole deal is a huge damn lie that we are told to make us feel better, but it only makes it hurt worse when we get older and realize that all that shit isn't true at all.   It takes more than a dream to get what you want, sometimes it takes money we don't have, sometimes it takes time that we don't have and sometimes it's such a far fetched dream that it's unattainable no matter what you do.  I just think that it is kind of shitty to allow children to think that the world is some easy place with white picket fences and men that are always romantic, because the world is not that way at all.

DIY old CD with one of my favorite quotes on it.

The Voice Season 11 - Miley and Alicia coming, Pharrell and Christina... Bye Felicia!!

The new season 11 coaches!

I do not own the rights to this photo.  Here is your season 11 coaches. 

Season 11 will be different and maybe even better.  I can't wait to see what the newness will bring out. Pharrell and Christina will be leaving for season 11,  to shake things up  NBC will be bringing in Alicia Keys and Miley Cyrus to take their place as coaches.  We have already heard about the feuding between Adam Levine and Miley, I hope he will try to act more like a professional with Alicia instead of a bitchy bitch about "Miley being annoying".  She probably is annoying to him, Adam is getting older and it is showing.  He seems to have a huge corncob up his ass and his super skinny fake boobed Victoria Secret model wife needs to stick her hand up there and get it out.  I am a huge Adam Levine fan, don't get me wrong but after seeing some behind the scenes videos of him, he's kind of  a dick.  Plus he was quoted saying "if it wasn't for the fans, he'd be nothing"  but he sure doesn't act that way.  He doesn't follow anyone on social media but other famous people and that's bullshit.  Anyway enough about Adam, I'm just mad he won't follow me, lol.  Pharrell Williams leaving for the season was a surprise to hear, he's am amazing coach and I love how he teaches them to be who they want to be.  He never changes an artist, just shows them the way to find themselves.  I will miss that and his awesome fashion sense of course.

I do not own the rights to this photo.  Pharrell has awesome fashion sense and is an amazing coach, he will be missed.

Season 11 will be great in my opinion, Blake will still be there so that's a good thing. The back and forth bickering between Adam and him are one of the reasons that I love the show so much.  I think Miley Cyrus will bring a new spunk to the show, she's young, she's popular and whether you hate her or not, her talent is undeniable.  She reminds me of a modern day Madonna.  Madonna pushed the bar, wore crazy shit, burned crosses in a video and basically did whatever the fuck she wanted.  She was brave and it worked for her.  Miley is like this generations Madonna so I must give her credit whether I want to or not.

I do not own the rights to this photo.  Alicia Keys is beautiful and talented.  I am very excited for her to join the show.

Alicia Keys won my heart with her song Falling and her remake of Etta James song  At Last.  Her voice is amazing and her stage presence makes her a great choice for a coach.  I am looking forward to what she has to say as a coach.  Season 11 coaches are definitely a more versatile combination.  Blake has the country, Adam has his high voiced pop, Miley will bring in younger viewers and some shock value.   Alicia Keys is freaking amazing and I think she will be an asset not only to whoever she coaches but to the voice show as a whole.  Let me know your thoughts fellow NBC The Voice fans.

Beauty secrets from my Mama part 1. ..... I Will Finally Share.

My mom was not a cheap person by any means but when she bought something, she wanted to get her moneys worth. She taught me these tricks over the course of my life and they have saved me, not just money, but time.  Time is considered money to some people so this should help you in your life.

1) When buying pants and you're in a hurry or you're like me and HATE trying on pants, here's what you do.... Make sure they are zipped or buttoned and hold the pants out facing you, wrap the waistline around your neck, if it fits, they fit. Go ahead and grab a pair of pants to try it with now because I know you will.    :)
your neck is exactly half the size of your waist so as long as you know the length is right, skip the dressing room and move to shoes.  ;)
I have pants that are too big, when I put them around my neck, they loop past the exact length of how big they are on me.  You're welcome.

2) When buying foundation,  make sure it comes in a plastic tube or basically anything but glass. That way, when it's empty and you're saving money,  you just cut the tip off and get the rest of it out with your fingers. There's about another two weeks worth hiding in there.
Lipstick is the same,  spend the extra dollar and buy a lipstick brush. When it's empty,  there is another inch or so in the bottom. Its such a waste to throw it away.  Save the cash for shoes or something.    ;)

3) For the women that color their hair and are trying to save money, there's a trick for that too.  When your roots start to show or you have a few grey hairs you are trying to hide, get yourself some mascara that is close to your hair color and simply brush it in your hair to cover until your next hair appointment.  I have my husband do my hair color, the store bought ones are just as good as the salon but you're saving money, time and your sanity from listening to all the ladies talk about their stupid lives.

This is all for now, this should help you out for a while.  She had so many good ideas and secrets so I will post more later, stay tuned.  :)
I miss my Mama everyday, but she took the time to teach me little life lessons and made sure I could always get by with what I had. She was truly amazing.

The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville TN is Amazing. (pics included)

The history and people who have graced that stage left me in awe.

I love Nashville Tennessee, it really is the L.A of the south.  Even though I have visited several times, there's  no way to see or do everything that Nashville has to offer.  I still have to go back soon to cross more stuff off of my list, it's almost endless. They try and trap you with their fun attitudes and hospitality. I cannot tell I lie, I wasn't too excited to tour the Ryman but quickly kicked myself and wished I would have went sooner and definitely stayed longer.  After the short yet informative and even funny tour, you get to venture out on your own and see the place for what it really is.  It's a beautiful old church that was converted to the Ryman and continued The Grand Ole Opry Tradition.  The original pews remain and are a reminder of the spirit that you can feel as soon as you walk up the grand staircase. Also the original  stained glass windows are intact and breathtaking. I will include captioned pictures for your enjoyment but it will do the place no justice.  You have to go and see, feel it for yourself.  I will write more about the awesome places of Nashville but the Ryman deserves it's own page.  Email me for any questions you may have?  I can send you to the cool hidden (safe) hotels and fun things to do, but the Ryman is a stand alone historical, gorgeous place of peace and music.

The Grand Staircase.

View from backstage, the upper level shows here.

The gorgeous pews still stand.

Beautiful stained glass

Fake Nails that are Inexpensive and LAST!!! Stay away from the Funk at Salons.

We have all seen the news reports of bacteria infested nail salons and reusing equipment without sterilization.  It's becoming more common and I have been looking for a different way to keep my nails looking great for less with no stopping in a salon only to hope that I don't catch some infection while I am there. It was said in recent reports that nail salons are only checked by the health department once a year.  Once a year?  Are you kidding me?  That is a joke and it is putting people in harms way for funky feet infections or worse.

I have found a solution, for me anyway and I hope now for you.  Believe it or not Dollar General carries a brand of press on nail called Broadway nails.  They come in three length sizes, are decorated, easy to use and even come in petite sizes for smaller hands and bigger for larger hands.  The options are endless, from glitter to French manicure and everything in between.  For a whopping three dollars this happiness can be yours.  My mother-in-law just spent sixty dollars on a manicure and she was pissed when she saw how much better my nails looked.  The trick is to buy super glue in the bottle that can be opened, not squeezed out but others work.  I use gorilla glue. It's so easy to do and anyone can do it.  I get the regular nail glue with the brush on application and dip my brush in the super glue.  Sometimes I mix the two but the brush on glue is key.  I have been using these for a while now and have had no damage to my regular nails.  They come 24 to a pack so you have plenty in case you lose one, you just glue another one down and go on about your day. I am sure they have several different brands but I have had the most luck with the Broadway Nails.  I love the French manicure with the cool color tips, some decorated with swirls, colors and even little gemstones.  They are easy to apply and last for so long.  I will post pics, I know they might not seem pretty to you uppity fuckers but for me, they are great and I love them.  Sure there are slight imperfections sometimes but you'd have to be two inches from them to even tell so unless I am picking your nose, we are good.

Nashville is a Really fun Place to Visit.

I have been to Dallas, Austin, and other "so called" hip and fun cities.  Nashville has by far exceeded my expectations plus more.  I make sure to visit as much as I can,  it is so much fun and the people that you meet become your friends quick.  Every bar, club, and social place that I went to had the greatest seating policy... fill a table with everyone.  Make new friends because there is always a seat in Nashville.  If not, there is always someone who will scoot and share their seat or happily stand with you so you don't feel uncomfortable.  I have social anxiety and I was terrified to be honest but everyone was so nice and not the fake tourists nice, like genuinely nice.  It's very hard to leave Nashville, there is always something that you want to do, or somewhere that you want to go but don't have time.  I stay at least 4 nights and 5 days each time that I go and still end up with  list of unfinished places.  I don't know where to start on all of the cool places in Nashville, So many to choose from.  I'll write more on each place that I really enjoyed. Let me know if you have questions, I will be happy to answer as a tourist and give any tips that I have.

The Stage from New Years 2016

One of my favorite places to chill and drink.

The batman building and of course the Boot Barn on Broadway.

NBC The Voice Season Ten. Laith Al-Saadi all the way!!!

I do not own the rights to this photo.

Not only is he original and wonderful, he reminds us all that it is never to late to give up on our dreams.  I love him bringing back the blues and jazz but making it cool and fresh.  You may not know this about him and I hope it doesn't sway your perception about him.  His father is from Iraq and a lot of people (media) were buzzing that it mattered.  That's bullshit, the man was born in Michigan and last time I checked, that kinda made him American right?  I think it is nonsense and shouldn't even come into play, it makes no difference and it's just plain ignorant. Please educate yourself before slamming people.  I swear Americans love to grab their shovels and dig up the dumbest bullshit on people.  It's ridiculous.  Teach tolerance and peace.  Back to Laith, I love his sound, his quirky attitude and huge smile hidden by that beard we have all come to know and love.  I actually visited Nashville A few times and have heard him play in person.  His heat is huge and his voice is amazing.  Laith all the way for me. 

Facebook, I am Finally Dumping You, and Others Should too. See Pic Below!!!

Not you my readers of course, but Facebook does.  I was on Facebook for Ten years, not everyday but almost everyday. I lost so much time in my real life trying to look cool to people that I don't even hang out with.  Everything these days are so techie and impersonal but at the same time, it's intrusive to our lives and our freedom of privacy yet we post our innermost thoughts to a computer, to someone who you may never meet, someone who might like you too much and easily find you by your constant updates and check ins and murder or rape your dumb ass.  Not only that, Facebook is a part of everything if you look at the whole picture.  So many companies; Amazon, Wish, Etsy, Letgo, Pandora, Samsung,  the list goes on and on.  Not to mention YouTube, Dubsmash, Vine, my mobile strike game,  Almost everything has a  sign up through Facebook option.  I know it's appealing, one click and you don't have to fill out all that bullshit, I get it. In the end though, you are left in this huge cluster fuck and practically owned by Facebook, they have all of your information and your familes and friends too.  That scares me more, it's fucked up. Julian Assange gave an interview in 2012 and famously warned about social media, particularly Facebook and said "they are the greatest spy machines ever invented." Almost everyting we do is connected to Facebook and it may seem like an convience but I promise you, it's not good.
Do your research.  There is also a documentary by Ira Basen called "Facebook: What's not to like?" In his work,  he explains and exposes Facebook's phenominal rise to global domination and the surprising price that we will all pay for it.
This is not some crazy conspiracy theory either, this is real.  Facebook even entices you to sign up through them for free coins for this game, free gold for that game.  It's a constant cat and mouse game and I am done playing. Whatever you all decide to do, is completely your decision, I am not trying to sway people either way.  I am only warning to inform my peeps about strange yet maybe needed info. Also last but not least, Facebook made 5.8 BILLION dollars in 2015.  Yes I said Billion.

Please zoom in and read the rights that you are just throwing away for anyone, and for what?  Really think about this invasion of our privacy.  It starts here and goes who knows how far if we continue to let it.

Fruit Infused Water Might Save My Life.

When I heard about the new fruit infused water craze, I had to investigate.  I absolutely hate water and it is very hard for me to drink so I know that I don't get even 1/4 of the daily recommended amount.  With that being said, I was excited about this fruity water.  I don't like to drink the water with the fake sweeteners so this seems like an awesome and inexpensive way to fix all of my water problems.  I stayed at the Hotel Preston in Nashville  over New Years and every morning as I stumbled down hungover to the lobby, they had fresh fruit infused water, See above photo.  Every morning it was filled with a different fruit and one day I was surprised with cucumber water and it was wonderful. 

Okay so get you some gallons of water, room temp and add your desired fruit to the water. You can add as much as you want.  Be logical, I use one lemon per gallon of water.  Each fruit says it has a different time that it needs to sit out but I call bullshit and just do two hours. Meaning cut the fruit into slices, chunks, whatever and shove it in our gallon jug or picture, whatever. Let it sit in room temp for 2 hours, refrigerate and enjoy.  The options are limitless I guess, everyone has their own taste.  I love any citrus waters,  lemons, limes, and oranges.... Yum.  Also the cucumber water was one of my faves.  I now drink about 64 ounces a day which is a huge difference and we all know the benefits of water.  Time to get healthy and this is a simple start. 

My Time in the Flame. (poetry)

At times I think I can be happy again, most times, I just pretend.
I wish I could remember how all of this started. I wish even more that I knew when it would end.

If I could go back and do it all over again, would I?  What parts of my life would actually stay the same?  Do I think it would be easier if I had someone else to blame?

Would I even be happier or just driven insane? It will never matter what I do, my fate will remain. There's nothing more that I can do alone and no one cares enough to explain.

So please leave me be, I tried in vane and I got what I deserved....more pain.

My Path (Poetry)

In this moment once again I find myself in this place, torn between this existence that I lead and where I want to stand.
How many more times can I break, none of this life that I live was ever planned.
I was made different, I guess. I feel, I listen to my heart and then I jump with nothing but the hope that I cling to. On the way down it's  amazing and free, this view. It makes me feel whole, alive and most of all reminds me of the things that I have made it through.

Beautiful old barn in Arkansas.