That Filthy Jersey Shore House…..Ughhhh!

Courtesy of Morgan Carlson170

I recently watched a clip of the Jersey shore and noticed something that seemed to go unnoticed by me during the regular season. What a filthy house they live in. As I watched during the regular seasons, it was always subliminally in the back of my mind on just how filthy that house was. It always appeared to be very cluttered and in disarray. Every one had clothes and random items just scattered about the floor, as disorder clearly ruled the trench. It also jogged my memory of other reality shows in which the lifestyle of the reality stars seemed very filthy. The Real World, Flava of Love, Charm School and countless other reality shows that encompassed a group of persons always seemed to have a house so out-of-order, that it left me wondering about the housekeeping. Particularly in deleted scenes, there was much more filth about the house that left me to think that it was perhaps this very filthy appearance that encouraged producers to cut these particular scenes from the regular season.

You would think that even if a person is generally a mess about themselves, being under constant surveillance would be encouraging enough to maintain a kept living establishment. Nope! Not the case clearly, as these reality stars illustrated no shame in their game. I also wondered about the company that were brought into many of these homes. As with the Jersey shore, The Situation and his pact of wolf buddies always flooded the abode with regular DTFs while these examples of females seemed to shrug off the fact that they had to sift through an obstacle course of filth to get to their destination.

A fellow writer for the Yahoo Contributor Network-Associated Content Ayanna Guyhto, had opened my eyes even further as to just how filthy the lives of these Jersey Shore cast members were being led. I didn’t even think about the cesspool of a jacuzzi until she pointed it out in her article: Living at the ‘Jersey Shore’ House Might Make You Sick. Nor did I even realize that there was an ongoing issue with one of the toilets that seemed to not bother anyone for days on in. Ugh! Her article was tremendous and in-depth and made me wonder just how classy and sophisticated these stars are, as they so portrayed in the media, while clearly before our eyes, there is a world of true filth in the midst.

What You May Not Know About Electronic Cigarettes

Image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The electronic cigarette seems like the best invention yet. One may have noticed those kiosks set up in their local mall with some random guy puffing away at what seems to be an average cigarette. To much amazement from a distance, one may wonder; “Wow! How is he getting away with smoking in a public place?”

Introduced several years ago, most people now know that the electronic cigarette is the answer to those craved filled smokers of the original cancer sticks, except without most of the harmful additives such as tar and ammonia. The electronic cigarette looks like a real cigarette and smokes like one as well. It is however, much heavier as it is constructed from metals with an attached battery pack for operation. Also known as a cartridge, smokers simply by a start-up kit and use refill cartridges to maintain their habit. The initial cost can be as much as $100, while refill cartridges can range from $10 and up.

The electronic cigarette pumps out a harmless water vapor that quickly dissolves in the air. This allows for use of the product indoors, although the disclaimer suggests that permission still be acquired as many facility owners and managers may be unaware of the special product.

Well if it is a fake cigarette, then how does it still manage to satisfy that real craving? This is because, although the electronic cigarette doesn’t contain most of the 500+ toxins as does a real typical cigarette, it does however contain the addicting additive that is nicotine. Although in much smaller amounts, there is still a controlled amount of nicotine within the product, thus making it possible for one to substitute the real thing from this innovative invention.

Perhaps an even lesser known fact is that there are carcinogens within the electronic cigarette that can still cause significant health problems for smokers over extended use, as reported by Dr. Murray Laugesen in a New Zealand news interview via http://www.3news.co.nz/Row-breaks-out-over-safety-of-e-cigarettes/tabid/372/articleID/113909/Default.aspx.

The point of it all seems that if one wants to truly “kick the habit”, then a full immersion may be in order and complete riddance of smoking all together would be best suited, rather than going from one bad habit to another.

Best Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas For Girlfriends

When choosing the right gift for a girlfriend for Valentine’s day many things must be considered. The key factor is to pay attention. Paying attention to your significant other and understanding her likes & dislikes will ease the tension in gift giving. After having these qualities about your girlfriend under your belt, the next step is to simply use a little imagination. Remember to steer clear of things that are typical, ordinary and common, like flowers & candy, as these types of gifts will simply put you and your gift in the category as being the worst Valentine’s day gift and free trip to the dog house. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6196246/worst_valentines_day_gift_ideas_for.html?cat=46 Instead think abstract and apply imaginative thought for optimum results and much needed brownie points. The following is a list of the top 5 Valentine’s day gift ideas for girlfriends.

5. Quality Time

Women love quality time, it illustrates thoughtfulness and appreciation which are some of the stronger desires from girlfriends. In a relationship, quality time is important and on a special day such as Valentine’s day, this can be very rewarding for both parties, especially if there is not much funds on your part. It’s the little things that count that have huge affects, so spending large sums of money isn’t always the sure way, although it can help tremendously. When dealing with a low budget, quality time can be the perfect thing. It simply takes some brainstorming as to what activities can be done.

Setting up a day with just the two of you can be a start. Very economical is going for a walk or cuddling up, it simply takes some imagination to develop a platform for these cost effective-less activities. For instance, A day starting with breakfast in bed should get the mood started off on a good foot. A lunch picnic may follow while cooked dinner can cap off the night. In between all of this, activities like a push on the swings at the playground or sampling free items at the mall can be done as well. These things may sound cheesy to you, but to her its all about the quality time. The key is to maintain good stimulating conversation. Pick her up and spin her around during a hug at any random point and state things like, “I love you” or “I’m so happy we’re together.” for extra credit. It would be very helpful to have a small audience as well. This makes a positive imprint on a women that sees that her man isn’t afraid to profess his love in public and makes the top 5 list of best Valentine’s day gift ideas for girlfriends.

4. Something New or an Upgrade

A gift of something like a new computer, or new phone in particular is a great Valentine’s day gift for the girlfriend. A phone with many features and capabilities may not be necessary as this can prove to be too savvy. Instead cater to the things that women enjoy the most. If the phone has easy of use for testing and social networking apps like Facebook, this will do. An easy way for her to touch base with friends and family are the factors to concentrate on when picking out the phone. Even one in her favorite color or with her favorite theme can be an added incentive, but the point is to fashion the new gift to her liking and personal style. This is why something new qualifies as being number four in best Valentine’s day gift ideas for girlfriends.

3. Be Clever

Knowing that your girlfriend may perhaps want to see a particular movie that is out or a concert with her favorite artists is another tool to use to your advantage. It is all about presentation however. The generic; “I’m taking you to the movies” can come off as being very bland and distasteful. Instead, place the tickets somewhere inconspicuous and create a scenario where it may seem that you accidentally stumbled upon them. Of course excitement will set in amongst good humor, but the thrill of the surprise will be the key factor here and qualify this gift as being 3rd in best Valentine’s day gift ideas for girlfriends.

2. Think sentimental

Valentine’s day is all about being sentimental, sensitive and everything else mushy. Catering to this will keep you on the right track and in good graces with the girlfriend. Such items of sentiment can include things like something soft, plush and cuddly-like a teddy bear. However, not just any teddy bear, but a more personalized one instead. Places like Build-A-Bear would be a great place to start with customization. You could take all of the qualities of your girlfriend and apply it to the bear, like dressing up the bear in clothing that compliments your girlfriends style, a favorite type of hat that your girlfriend likes can be added and even an attached piece of jewelry can be draped around the bears neck or wrist. To take it a step further, the bear could be featured in your girlfriend’s favorite color and perhaps have a collection of her favorite songs on a cd that is attached to the hand of the bear. The point here is that the possibilities are endless as there is plenty of room for imagination, making this hit 2nd place in best Valentine’s day gift ideas for girlfriends.

1. A Gift For A Queen

Pampering is a sure way to earn Exclusive brownie points with the girlfriend. Knowing that you have prepared a day of nothing but spa treatment, massage, hair & nails will send a message that you really care. Something like this takes prior arrangements to set up and also illustrates that you have been planning things and thinking about them well before that date. This isn’t a last minute resort type of gift and she will surely understand this. In addition, a miny shopping spree in a limo would put things over the top. This may seem a bit extravagant and costly, but there are many ways to get these things done at very affordable rates and planning these things around a holiday like Valentine’s day can ensure discounted rates and prices. This is why this is number 1 on the list for best Valentine’s day gift ideas for girlfriends.

The objective around Valentine’s day is to be unique, tentative and to try something new, for in her eyes everyday should be Valentine’s day. With that being said, steer clear of things that perhaps should be done on a daily or periodic basis. In whatever is done, try not to go overboard as well. Establishing a nice medium will suit you well for no women enjoys the company of a pushover.

What’s Worse Than An Enemy??? A Frenemy!



What’s worse than an enemy? A Frenemy! A Frenemy is worse than the traditional enemy because there is an ulterior motive involved. With the typical enemy, there motive or angle is easily identified. They get right to the point and make it aware that they dislike you and are simply a “hater”. This can be expressed and observed verbally, physically or both. The hater typically hates because he or she is displeased with him or herself and see their wants and desires through the lives of others. Instead of pursuing the same happiness they see in others, they’d prefer to demean those in success and gripe and become very negative. A hater is almost always condescending, optimistic and always seeing the glass as being half empty. They will find the bad in everybody and every situation. This ill feeling and type of attitude is not an overnight occurrence either. Haters typically have bottled up resentment over an extended period of time that manifests itself through negative acts and jargon.

However, when it comes to frenemies, the contrary holds true. Frenemies are very much opposite when it comes to disposition and disguise their “hate” through caring gestures, kind words and other acts of seemingly good deeds. However, “everything that glitters ain’t gold”. Frenemies hide behind a facade of genuine friendship that can elude people into feeding them an arsenal that will ultimately be the demise to that person that discloses the information. Think about someone that smiles in your face, yet you here that they speak negatively about you behind your back. Or perhaps you’ve known of a person that has stolen from you only to help you look for what they know they’ve stolen. These particular types of friends make it hard to detect the disloyalty. It is also more of a dangerous situation to surround oneself with these types of people because the deception isn’t readily recognized and leaves room for a very disappointing outcome. An eventual tragic outcome can also occur, as people typically do not like to be fooled or betrayed, mainly by those they’ve instilled trust in.

When dealing with potential friends in general, it is always best to retain any personal and intimate information about oneself in the beginning stages. Getting to know who you are dealing with is very important and key in making a decision to allow them in your circle. Trust and loyalty are like precious commodities, in that they are hard to come by and when one does, they want to nurture it to make it last as long as possible. However, one may ask; “How would you know that a friend is really a frenemy if they are cunning and deceitful?” This is where observation is key. Observe the behavior of a potential friend around others. Notice their dialog and even physical gestures when dealing with certain situations. The following list includes some factors to watch for when identifying people whom may be Frenemies.

Frenemies Watch List:
1. Does the frenemy tend to talk negatively about everything?
2. Is the frenemy very critical of others?
3. Does the frenemy talk negatively about others to you or in your presence? Here is where you’d wonder; “I wonder if they talk about me like that to others.”?
4. Does the frenemy complain about everything?
5. Does the frenemy often seem upset or disappointed if they ask you for a favor that you cannot deliver on?
6. Does the frenemy inquire on your personal business in a very eager manner?
7. Does the frenemy constantly suggest negative solutions to issues you may present to them?
8. Does the frenemy often say: “Oh! You can’t trust him/her”?
9. Does the frenemy often suggest that you do things that leaves you wondering; “How come they won’t do it themselves”?
10. Does the frenemy point your out your indiscretions in a direct or indirect manner?

What An Unremorseful World

In today’s world it seems more and more that crime and inhumane activity is being glorified. The liberal media seems to be the main outlet for exposing such activities and is impacting the actions and decisions of others whether directly or indirectly. A good example of this is with the news. I always stated that instead of being called the news, perhaps it should be called “The Bad News” because more often than not stories of negativity are being reported. Robberies, assaults, crimes of passion and many other criminal acts are at the forefront of just about every journalistic network. It isn’t until the tail end that one would see news about the good things in life. The many good things that are taking place around the nation and the world. It seems that good news may be a bit of a bore.

It is this very bombardment of negative reporting that has formed a sort of norm in society, a norm that makes people eventually numb to the real horrors and tragedies of some of the most gruesome crimes that takes place in our world. Tru-tv is another network that is dedicated to bringing you some of the most extreme and senseless acts of violence in the form of entertainment, with shows like Worlds Dumbest Criminals, Most Shocking and Disorder in the Court. These shows are insightful in a way but they also play a major role in the numbing effect one may have toward cruel and senseless acts of violence. Another hit show that has taken the nation by storm is The Bad Girls Club. This reality show is geared toward acquiring some of the toughest group of women and putting them together in a home and simply filming their daily activities. The theme of being a “Bad-Girl” sets the tone for the girls to act as such. Aggressive, violent and combative to prove that they are the roughest and toughest seems to be the main theme of this show, although the objective of the producers are claimed to have these women learn life lessons regarding team work and bettering their social skills. It is this very type of “entertainment” that causes others to make poor decisions when faced with similar life issues. Often younger and more impressionable viewers will look at these shows and try to emulate what they see. This plays on rational decision making and leads to remorseful and/or regretful actions when facing similar life issues. The promotion of dealing with one’s anger and quarrels in a violent and criminal manner is often provoked by these and many other shows of its kind and creates a realm of people that make poor life changing decisions that perhaps would not have been made without the influence of such entertainment.

Various studies as reported on the media awareness network http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/effects_media_violence.cfmwebsitefound that many children exposed to high levels of violence, whether through television, movies, video games and/or music were more likely to act out in a violent manner when faced with real life issues, particularly issues that caused anger. The constant bombardment of these violent acts via media outlets has also made people, particularly the youth, more numb and less remorseful to witnessing and/or engaging in acts of violence themselves.

With such data as this, the question is, how do we as a society combat this? Trying to develop our kids into productive citizens in society and be hard enough without the treachery displayed via media outlets, peer-pressure, etc. In this case how can we protect them from such vulnerabilities all while completing the task at hand? Keeping them away from television and the computer and video games altogether may seem a bit far-fetched to many. Perhaps a full emersion of social skills may be in order. However, this will immediately become disintegrated upon certain societal exposures. In the “old days” the wise ones would often say; “It takes a village to raise a child”. Perhaps this type of effort is what it takes to combat years of embedded negativity. The key word here is “village”, as this means everyone must play a role, and work together, to ensure that our future (the children) carry on a legacy better than our own.

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/index.cfm
http://www.trutv.com/index.html

Customer Service: The Good & The Bad

In the world of customer service, one must have tremendous patience, understanding and more patience, all while remaining cordial and doing it in a nice monotone voice. Dealing with customers can be quite exhausting. It’s one thing to go hours in a work day just getting through the normal routine of answering questions and concerns, but it can be quite a task when dealing with distraught, irate and impatient callers. The phone rep’s position is something like that of a journalist. Regardless of how emotional the news story might make the average human being feel, the journalist must remain neutral and deliver the story without illustrating personal feelings. The same goes for a phone operator. Regardless of how loud, obnoxious and rude the consumer may be, the phone rep. must remain cordial and maintain control. Such a task is very difficult to maintain day in and day out, for even the rep. has feelings. This is where emotional detachment comes into play.

Most companies that require customer service reps implement standards into their policies and have expectations on the standards being met and maintained, via some employee handbook. The fundamentals are generally the same. Speak calmly, be polite and adhere to the complaint of the caller, all while trying to assess their query and find a resolution. On paper, this seems like an easy and even pleasant task. However, while in the moment, the task can present itself to be much more challenging. For instance, if a person calls with a complaint and is very loud and distraught, all while “telling you off” and even uses profanity, how can this situation become rectified while remaining cordial and understanding?
In my personal experience as a customer service rep, I had to answer phones for a restaurant for food deliveries. My personal frustrations weren’t so much the irate customers with complaints about their food or service, but instead it was repetitious dialog amongst consumers that seemed to irritate me more than anything. My initial statement upon answering a call for delivery would consist of retrieving demographic information, then proceeding with the customer’s order. “Thank you for calling….would this be for carry-out or delivery? Can I have a phone number? What is your address please? ” These questions are designed to be very straight forward to get you through the conversation swiftly and keep business flowing at a comfortable pace. However, again, it is always easier said than done. Often customers would go off tangent and disrupt the designed protocol by immediately stating what they wanted to order. Redirection to the demographic information would have to be used then and then back to what the order was for. This wouldn’t have been so bad if it wasn’t for the repetitiveness. To become furthermore annoying, retrieving such basic information such as name, telephone number and address would prove a difficult task when customers would delay the conversation to inquire on such information from someone else, who were usually in the background. (delivery service) “Can I have your address please?” “Uhhhhhhh! Hey! What’s my phone number?…” “Can I have your address please?” “Hey! what’s the address here?” “Can I have the apt. num.?” “Hey! What’s the apartment number?….What’s the zip code?……What do you want to order?…” Often I’ve had the urge to make statements like (in a very animated voice) “Why don’t you put the mother-F-er in the background on the phone since they know everything” However, that would have been my job of course. Sometimes, after acquiring the basic information and finally getting to the actual order, the customer would then announce: “Alright I’m gonna call you back when I’m ready to order.” Now why couldn’t the person have called when they were actually ready to place an order?

It seems that no matter how structured the routine of obtaining basic information may be, there will always be people and situations where the routine is broken. Besides emotional detachment, there is also a need for another plan. Not only should there be another course of action, but this plan should be practiced through role-playing and scenarios, to prep the rep. for such situations. A combination of this emotional detachment plus always being ready for the unexpected is perhaps the best way to combat and even prevent annoying, frustrating situations. Not to mention, one of the key ingredients not covered, but perhaps the most obvious-good communication.



Ciroc vs. Rozay

 

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In the entertainment world, there are many secular things that play into the lifestyle of the entertainer. While most of these things may seem frivolous to many, it is a necessity to others. Particularly the entertainer whom has the disposable income to afford it. For example, the latest Channel bag may be a must for people like Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian, or the fastest car for some athletes. The thing about this is, these people can afford it. The general public however tries to keep up with the Joneses and constantly deplete their bank accounts in the process. Media outlets like Fashion magazines and reality television are the main advertisers for these high-end products, and they bring big business to many of the businesses that cater to these celebrities. Knowing this, these companies will often partner with these celebs to promote their products, for a cut in the profits.

One particular realm of entertainment necessity that is going strong is the world of alcohol. Entertainers are often seen endorsing their favorite brand and choice of drink often, whether they are being compensated for it or not. In the hip-hop world, the choice of drink is just as important as getting a regular check-up at the doctor’s office. Hip-Hop artists are often seen and heard glorifying their favorite type of alcoholic beverage in many of their lyrics. Some are even smart enough to get paid for it. Right now, there seems to be a war going on between two popular choices of alcohol. Vodka over Champaign! This competition of choice of drink is also affecting the general public, as they attempt to keep up accordingly. Ciroc vs.Rozay has formulated groups of people together in support of their particular choice and has gone as far as to even start small clubs, if you will, of non-paid supporters. It may be safe to assume that the makers of these beverages are pleased with the free advertisements. To understand this competition further, we must first explore the two choices a little more in-depth. Just what is Ciroc exactly? What is Rozay?

Ciroc:

Ciroc is a type vodka that is much different from other traditional types of vodka. While most vodkas are typically made from starch based ingredients like rye, wheat or potatoes. Ciroc is derived from grapes that are distilled several times over to give it its unique smooth taste. Famous producer and hip-hop artist Sean “Diddy” Combs is the spokesperson for Ciroc, as he uses references like “…..all I drink is my s***, Ciroc by the caseload…” in the lyrics from the “Oh, Let’s Do It (remix)” by rap artist Wacka-Flocka. However, a little known fact is that Diddy is Only the spokesperson for the new brand of vodka. The actual owner and manufacturer of the alcoholic drink is a London-based alcoholic beverage company by the name of Diageo plc. Perhaps a lesser known fact is that while Diddy is the top spokesperson for the alcoholic drink, he isn’t the first. Actually, a well-known football athlete by the name of Earl Little was the original endorser of the beverage.

Because Ciroc is derived from grapes rather than starches, and distilled several times over, it is claimed to have a much richer and smoother taste. The general public may seem to agree as the alcoholic beverage has climbed up the rank quickly in top shelf liquors at many pubs and bars across the nation. Even groups of individuals have formed together as “Ciroc girls” and “Ciroc boys”, in support of the drink, along with other famous slogans such as “Ciroc-Stars”.

Rozay

Rap artists also promote the smooth and easy-going taste of an alcoholic beverage called Rozay. However, what exactly is Rozay? Many people have googled this name with all types of spellings, Rosay, Rosey, Rozey, Rozay, Rosàand so forth and so on. Only to find a dead-end. That’s because “Rozay” is not an actual brand of alcohol. It is simply a reference to any type of Champaign or wine that happens to be the color red, which is the same color as the traditional rose. Hence the title “Rozay”. Famous hip-hop artist Rick-Ross makes repeated references about Rozay in many of his songs like the BMF song, with lyrics like, “… Rosà that’s my nick name, cocaine running in my big veins…” The only difference here is that Rick-Ross is not a formal endorser of any wine beverages and therefore is not getting paid for his references of these types of alcoholic drinks which are making manufactures very rich.

Rozay is claimed to also have a smooth taste that can be very tolerable for many alcohol drinkers. It can also get one very intoxicated as the smooth taste overshadows blood/alcohol level at first. It’s only after already downing several drinks that on realizes they are more that tipsy. Wine and Champaign is also a drink that is most often enjoyed over a nice dinner. However, entertainers like Rick-Ross and others are bringing in to the forefront of mainstream hip-hop with their many references.

So with this brief assessment of two of the most famous brands, styles and choices of alcoholic beverages in the entertainment world, which one prevails? What is your particular choice of alcoholic drink?