Friends with Benefits? You Betcha.

I'm watching the one movie I'd been hear about for ages and never had the time/patience/desire to see, and I am now regretting that decision.  The cliched Let's-Flirt-And-Or-Have-Sex-and-Only-Be-Friends or, better, the We-Aren't-Supposed-to-End-Up-Together-But-You-Know-We-Will-Anyway themes have been done far too many times in the last five years, and yet we still end up watching them, enjoying them, and hoping to have the same serendipitous type of relationship.  Leap Year, Just Go With It, No Strings Attached, A Walk to Remember, Princess Diaries 2, Bridget Jones, Ugly Truth..... The list could go on and on.
So, when I rented Friends with Benefits as a way to avoid studying for Microbiology, I wasn't expecting anything new or different.  And, the truth is, at 56 minutes and 21 seconds, it isn't very new or different.  It's the same cliched story.  Enjoyable, funny, cute... I'd even call it hilarious at times, but there haven't been any twists or turns or anything that's really set it apart from the crowd.

Here is where the story grabs me.  I haven't ever really been a fan of Mila Kunis.  I haven't seen Black Swan, That 70s Show never did much for me, and I only knew her as a skinny, fashionable red carpet girl that every guy I knew wanted to bang.  (Yes, I used bang.  Thank you Emma Stone in Crazy, Stupid, Love for that one.  Excellent film by the by.)  In Friends with Benefits, she is a strong business woman, a head hunter for GQ magazine, who has been dumped recently by a guy that called her emotionally damaged and is now having casual sex with GQ's newest art director (Justin Timberlake) whom she recruited.  Naturally, they cut it off after awhile, she tries to get back in the dating scene, and things go screwy.  (Shocking, is it not?)

Long story short, she reminds me of myself.  Granted, I'm currently in a new, budding relationship, so I should technically say she reminds me of my formerly single self, but you get the gist.  She's spunky, after a break up she blocks off all emotional ties but still believes in true love and prince charmings (poor kid), and she just acts the way I act about certain things.  Mila: (after catching a guy being a jerk) "I really hope we can still be friends."  Idiot man: "Really?" Mila: "No.  Go f*ck yourself."  Sorry, but if you're going to act like an idiot/jerk/doosch/p.o.s then you deserve to be told as it is.  If the girl does the dumping, then friendship is sometimes wanted (not always, and not always right away, just ask my ex) but usually I try to keep the friendship tie.  (Yes, I realize that's a mean move since the guy will occasionally see that as hope and you really ought to try and stamp that out, but hey, we're nurturing.  Usually.)  If the guy does the dumping though?  Oh no ma'am.  That's just no bueno all around.  We do have some pride.  I would've thrown coffee on him, but that's just me.

Anywho, I should probably finish watching this movie since I have a ton of stuff to do (like a Microbio final in T-Minus 9 hours and 6 Oceanography quizzes due on Thursday) but I just wanted to stop by for the first time in ages to say hi, and Mila Kunis?  I'm sorry I judged you so harshly.  Please continue acting like me in this film.  Also, thank you for not being scary skinny in this movie and actually looking healthy for someone your size.  Well done.

Peace, Love & Starbucks

Sam

I'm not trying to be a Debby downer but........

I Iris am in a little bit of a funk. I feel sort of alone and unlucky. I feel as if I have had some bad luck in areas where others I know have been quite successful at. For example relationships, friendships, things people do while in relationships, and life in general. I feel as though I have missed the meetings on how to be successful in these areas. I know that the people I know who have been successful have told me I'm not missing anything and that if they had to do it all over again that they would be just like me right now. But personally I kinda don't believe that. Why? Because I think that if you yall were like me right now that you would be feeling the same feelings of failure, aloneness (if that's even a word), curiosity, and confusion. Well there is more to be said but I feel that I am depressing everyone who will be reading this so I am going to end this here.

To all the guys out there.

"You complete me." "Every morning I still wake up and the first thing I want to do is to see your face." "I want all of you, forever, you and me, every day." These are just some of movie quotes that us girls wish a guy would say to us. They are the kind of words we dream about hearing in real life. We dream about kissing in the rain and having the perfect love story unfold before our eyes. We wish that those kinds of moments would not be things that only happen in the movies. All we want is a fairy tale life with the perfect guy who knows how to make us happy. Now I know that guys aren't into the whole chick flick thing, but I believe that guys could learn a lot about what women want pardon the pun but I think chick flicks will help. It's like the directions to a girl in a way. It's a way that you can help your self understand what makes us girls tick. So all you guys out there do yourselves a favor and watch a chick flick and see what you learn. You might just be surprised. love Iris!

Social Network Numbers

I, Sam, have been an avid Facebooker for nearly seven years now. My sister urged me to join as an eighth grader, which I did to please her, all the while thinking that MySpace was far superior. Facebook was so plain, and sparse. In fact, I was the second or third person in my high school's network. Today there are nearly a thousand, and those are only the ones who have declared themselves members of my alma mater.
In the past few months I have had more adults than I can remember asking me how to work their Facebook pages. Whether they're beginners who don't understand the difference between wall posts and messages, or advanced users who want help to hone their skills; they all seem to assume that a college aged student is their best bet when it comes to asking advice. Now, it was the sheer number of baby boomers asking for Facebook advice that led me to wonder this: how much of the world's population is involved in this "social network"? So I did some reasearch.
Number of people in the world: 6,775,235,700
Number of people in the world with internet access: 2,095,006,005
Number of people on Facebook: Approximately 600,000,000
Now, those are some pretty large numbers. My first question was "what percentage of the world is connected through Facebook?" Well, that would be 8.85%. That may not seem like an overly large number, but I want you to really think about it. Hard. Approximately 9% of the world's population has a Facebook account. Nine percent. That may not sound huge, but nearly one tenth of the world is connected via Facebook.
After letting this fact sink in for awhile, I realized that my 9% was a silly figure. I mean, it's not like kids living in mud huts have access to the internet. So I decided to narrow the range a little. I looked up how many people have access to the internet. Two billion, ninety-five million, six thousand and five people have access to the internet. 2,095,006,005. That's 30.92%. Nearly a third of the world has internet access. Considering the age of the internet, and the fact that a decent number of the world's population lives in poverty (Just because the Chinese can pump out plastic McDonald Toys faster than you can say "Happy Meal with a Coke" doesn't mean all their people are rolling in dough...) I find this 30.92% outstanding. Go technology! Seriously.
With my new knowledge of the world's internet access, I went off and did some more calculating and I was more than a little intruiged. 28.63%. That's the percentage of Facebook users of the people with access to the internet. Over a quarter of all internet users are social networkers.
In middle school and high school, my generation though MySpace was big. We had millions of members. But now, Facebook has not only taken over the internet lives of high schoolers and college kids around the country...Oh no. Facebook is conquering the world. Hats off to you, Mr. Zuckerburg.
Tis rather mind numbing, isn't it? 30% of the world is on the internet. 8% of the world is on Facebook. If these numbers don't shock you, you either don't have a good grip on numbers, or you're a Generation WTF member who's too young to remember Legends of the Hidden Temple and the glorious days of boy bands. In which case, please stop reading my blog, as you are making me feel ancient.
With that bit of knowledge released into the Cyberworld, I am off to study, work, and perhaps even Facebook. Along with 600 million of my closest friends and family.


Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook
http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1SKPL_enUS412US412&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=population+of+the+world
http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

Life Back on the Rock

Well, it's been nearly six months since I, Sam, returned to our humble island, and it hasn't been what I expected. Iris and I talk even more than we used to (which was quite a lot to begin with), I got a job somewhere other than retail, and I feel old. I was hoping that when I came home, I'd feel like I was back in high school. Younger, carefree, and working at the bookstore. Well, I'm no longer a teenager, I work as an executive assistant, and I wear pencil skirts, blouses, and heels to work. Every day. I sit at an office, crunch numbers, make coffee, plan events, design and send out e-newsletters, stuff envelopes, and answer phones all day long. Not only do I do this willingly, I actually enjoy it.
Getting the job was pure chance: family had connections. Keeping the job? That was me. It should have been temporary, but now I've had my boss ask me to sign on until I leave for school and, a few months later, ask if I would be willing to put off school or take night classes and continue working for her. I have people call my company, and when I introduce myself they no longer say "Oh I know your father" or "Ohh, I remember your mother! How are you?" and so on and so forth. Instead I get calls like the one I got today.
I was talking to a woman and helping her with a question. She had asked for my predecessor, so I informed her Ms. _____ no longer worked for the company, and that I was her replacement. The woman asked for my full name, and when I told her, she responded "Oh, I know you! You were at the _____ banquet! (which my company held) You were so wonderful! That event was truly amazing, and to believe you've only been with the company for less than a month?" And it went on in that thread until I realized that I was no longer someone's daughter or sister.
I was my own person.
That's great, but until today, I hadn't been old enough to be recognized for myself. Yes, people mentioned my accomplishments, but it was inevitably followed by "Her parents are so proud, you know, Mr. and Mrs. _____" and it got to the point where I had resigned myself to being referred to as my parents' child until the end of time.
Looking in the mirror this evening, I realized there wasn't a 12 year old with too many freckles, teeth that need braces, windblown never brushed hair, and a naive and helplessly happy look in my eyes. Instead I saw someone who's freckles were now mere shadows, straight teeth, perfectly styled hair, and a look of pride and perhaps age in my eyes. Finally, I saw the reality of the person in the mirror.
The truth of the matter is, I like the person I saw in the mirror. Perhaps she's a little less impulsive, a bit less active, a lot more jaded, and a touch more wary, but she is me, and the person I've become. Every moment, every mistake, every smile, laugh, cry, shout, and scream has made me into this person. In a few years time, I will no longer be a crazy college kid, but rather a true adult. Someone with a career and a home of her own. I'm like the child that is dressed in their school uniform for the first time and isn't sure how to act. It feels just like every other thing I've worn, but it has that feeling of importance to it. Like the uniform has made you someone new. And I am. New that is. I am on the road to the rest of my life, whether I'm ready or not.

Love Comes From Within

Why is it so difficult to practice what we preach? How many times have we looked at our friends after a messy breakup, watched them wonder what they did wrong or how the guy could act so cruelly... How many times have we told them that he wasn't important and that they didn't need a man when they had their friends?

Why do we need men? Because men love us. And without men, who is going to take over that duty? Sure, friends love each other and comfort each other and tell each other how good they look, but that romantic, I love you when you have no make up on and are dressed in pajamas? That love comes from men. It also comes from within. You have to love yourself to truly know how to love. Sure, it's easy to say "I love me," but think about it: do you ever look in the mirror and say "I have love handles, a zit, and my hair's a wreck, but I still look amazing. I still look lovable."

How often do we look at ourselves and say "I look lovable?" That isn't as easy as it sounds, is it? Why is it so difficult to see ourselves as perfect? Or rather, as imperfect, but lovable anyways? I want you to sit in front of a mirror. Look at yourself. Look into yourself. Don't just look at the lovehandles and the blackheads and the slight crookedness of your teeth, instead look into yourself. See the goodness, the kindness, the intelligence, the humor, the wit. This is what makes us beautiful. This is what makes us lovable. If you can't see that, how do you expect someone else to see it? Until you can find that lovable person inside of you, you can't understand how to let yourself be loved. Loving yourself is the way to become self assured. The Beatles had it right, all you need is love. They just forgot to mention that love can come from within.

So I encourage you. Grab your diary, open Microsoft Word, grab a Post-It, or anything else you can use to write, and jot down what you love about you. Write down everything you've done that made you proud, whether it was winning a Nobel prize, or getting an A on your creative writing assignment in the fifth grade. Write it all. Then read it, smile, and love yourself.

Until next time,

Sam

Iris has a message

It bothers me that some people are so cruel and insensitive. It also bothers me that people don't like what they don't understand. I think that before you judge a situation or someone that you should try to understand that person or that situation. It's the people who are judgmental and insensitive that drive me CRAZY and make me sad. I wish I could smack some sense into these people and make them realize that's no way to live. So whoever reads this that point I am trying to make is that being judgmental and insensitive is wrong, and that if there is something or someone that you don't understand, then you should make the effort to understand before you form an opinion. Thanks.

Iri's rant about the show Sister Wives

I think that it is WRONG for the police to be investigating the Brown family. I believe that no one shouldn't be punished for how they choose to live their lives. The family is full of love and they aren't hurting anyone so why is it such a big deal? The people who are angry about the family's life style should watch the show before they judge. Watching the show will let people know that the family is loving, caring, fun, honest, brave, and AMAZING!!!!!!!! Each of the parents loves and cares for all the kids and the kids all love each parent. I can not believe that America is so judgmental against others. What happened to teaching people to be open minded and not judging a book by it's cover? Watching Sister Wives has made be very passionate about helping others whose life style is not accepted by society. We have started to accept gay marriage so why can't be accept polygamous families? I think Americans are afraid to accept something they don't understand and I am very proud the Brown family decided to make their lives public. I think the show will help people to understand their life style and show people that there is NOTHING WRONG with what they are doing. Situations life this make me sad to be apart of a society that can't accept others for who they are. I think that the people who are against the idea of polygamous families should put themselves in the Brown family's shoes and see how they would feel if someone was treating their family how others are treating this AWESOME family. I've never met a family like this one and after watching the show I want to meet the Browns. I encourage everyone who reads my rant to keep an open mind and think about the things that I have said. I also encourage people to watch the show and then form their opinions about the subject. Lastly I'd like to say that I think our four fathers would be kicking every single American's butt for a lot of the things that we are doing to this country. In the words of Kody Brown "Love should be multiplied not divided."

Iris can't stand the world.

I know that everyone is entitled to their own opinions but I personally hate it when some people base their opinions on how they feel and nothing else. That may not make sense to some since I'm having trouble wording how I feel right now. I am really into the show Sister Wives on TLC and yes some people may feel that one man having four wives is not right etc.... but some people also feel that a man having one wife is wrong. others feel being gay is wrong. I just don't get why our society can't except that everyone is different and that we as Americans have the right to live the way we choose. People come to America to live better lives and to have the freedom that they didn't have or couldn't have where they came from but once they get here we end up criticizing their life style and saying they are "wrong" for how they choose to live. I'm fed up with how some American people are reacting to these type of situations. I think it's stupid for lack of a better word. I think if our four fathers were alive today they would kick our butts for how the country they built is being flushed down the toilet. Someone needs to change the world and do it soon. I wish I knew how and I wish I had the resources to do it but I don't. Maybe someday I'll be able to slap America in the face and say what the fu.... is wrong with you people? Don't see that your actions and words are hurting others and that it is making a place that was once known for creating peoples dreams a nightmare. If someone can tell me whats wrong with the world and how to fix it I'd be grateful.