Christmas time should be an enjoyable one. A time where we reflect on the true meaning of Christmas and the gift we were given on that special day many many years ago. Our culture has transformed the holiday into a profitable commercial time, which in its entirety, is not necessarily a bad thing. The gift giving has become the most profound and nostalgic part of the Christmas season. It is not the gift that is the important part, it is the motive and intention behind it. The act of exchanging gifts promotes a selfless nature, espescially when it is done without the thought of what you will receive in return. Therefore, I say enjoy the gifts you give, enjoy the reactions of those you bought the gifts for, and find joy in putting a smile on someone else’s face.
Shopping for presents can sometimes be the most stressful part as you try to find the perfect gift that fits within your budget. The mall can be an absolute nightmare with crowded stores, long lines, and that awful awful sea of asphalt lying outside. Be smart, buy a truck so you can park on the grass cause there is nothing more blood boiling than trying to find the one spot that suits your spouse’s liking. Due to these annoyances, a lot of people have been turning to online shopping.
One great place I like to shop online is Etsy. For those of you unfamiliar with the site, it is basically a virtual marketplace that brings together the collaborative creativity of countless artists, moms, shop owners, and everyday people. Anyone can list their products on the site in their own “store.” The site itself is an ingenious idea and it is enabling normal people to share their ideas and creations with others. For Christmas shopping, this site has it all. The best part is that you will be able to find a unique product that isn’t necessarily in the Sunday newspaper. You can find something for everyone on your list; whether it is framed art for your Aunt, custom jewelry for your sister, a handmade guitar pick for your husband, or a handcrafted purse for your Mom. They even have stuff available for your pets like my personal favorite…Kitten Mittens for Jinxie Cat!
“Does Your Cat Make Too Much Noise?”
(check out the following link for an unsponsored advertisement for Kitten Mittens)
Anyway, if you are still in the market for some more presents, head on over to Etsy and find that gift for that special someone. Make this the year you are more excited to watch your big brother open the gift you got him than you are to open your own. Merry Christmas!
A Belgium-Australian artist by the stage name of Gotye has flown under the radar lately…except on youtube where his single “Somebody That I Used to Know” has racked up over 21 million views. His real name is Wouter de Backer and he is an indie-pop artist that has really come up with a fantastic single. This song features Kimbra, a singer/songwriter from New Zealand who currently resides in Melbourne, Australia. Her style has got a fantasic jazz/soul feel to it and she really adds a complimentary contrast to the style of Gotye.
This collaboration has obviously drawn the attraction of a lot of listeners and hopefully more people will be exposed to their sound. To go along with this fantastic track is a very unique and creative music video. The two are musical artists by trade but in the video they become part of a canvas as they tell the story behind the song.
Christmas time comes once a year, so enjoy it and do what you can to spread that Christmas cheer! The Christmas season is in full bloom and you can see the signs as you pass all the lights in your neighborhood, the manger scenes at the local church, or the decked out North Pole at the mall. Christmas Trees are being sold at gas stations, pool parking lots, firehouses, and hardware stores (Home Depot – $29.95). People are being a little bit nicer, they are opening up their hearts, and the Christmas Spirit is gaining momentum.
We dont have to leave that joyful spirit in our cars when we pull into the parking lot on Monday morning. It doesn’t just have to feel like Christmas when you get home and watch TV by the tree & presents with a nice glass of Egg Nog. I would be one to argue that there is no better place to extend the Christmas Spirit than the workplace. Think about it, the Christmas Spirit is described by words like Peace, Love, Joy, and selflessness. YES, YES. I want more of that Monday-Friday instead of the typical crap: Stress, Gossip, Greed, Rudeness, and Disrespect.
Here are a couple of simple ways you can help spread that Christmas Spirit to the scrooges and grinches of your office.
Do like the Who’s in Whooville do and decorate everything! Ok, maybe not everything, but spruce up your office a bit. Buy a mini Christmas tree and slap some ornamentos on it. Put up a wreath on your door or string some garland up. Some Christmas decorations will quickly be noticed by your co-workers.
Offer some Holiday Treats. Everybody likes treats. Maybe some delicious gingerbread cookies. Maybe some of those York Peppermint Patties wrapped in Christmas wrapping. Peppermint Hot Chocolate?? Christmas M&M’s? The possibilities are endless.
Give the gift that keeps on giving. A Christmas Card. The more random the better. Maybe Flava Flav dressed up like Santa. Or…you dressed up like Flava Flav dressed like Santa.
Do something out of the ordinary. Like bring in a dozen donuts and some coffee for your department. Might cost you $10 but it will brighten somebody’s day up.
Last but not least…Just be nice. This holiday is all about selflessness and sacrifice. Its about a joyous occasion. It is a time of year to celebrate. Take that with you as you go through your work weeks. A little positivity can go along way and if you have that joyful spirit, trust me, it will rub off and brighten up your office space.
We all have some of these people at our own offices. The ones that put in the overtime, the ones that “love their job”, the ones that actually care, or the ones that just dont have anything better to do. In our minds, we all have a somewhat clear definition of a “workaholic.” When you turn on Comedy Central, Wednesday @ 10:30, leave that definition at the door, because it most certainly will not apply to anything on this show. On the other hand, you will laugh and learn very valuable information about real life office situations.
You will learn how a ninja star and Die Hard can help you pass a drug test at work.
You will learn how to score basketball tickets from that guy you never talk to.
You will learn how to ride in an Escalade, because most of us will never drive one.
You will learn how the Boy Scout Rule of D’s.
You will learn why you should not do drugs at work.
You will learn the best way to spend your $350 paycheck.
Most importantly, you will learn the poop dollar prank.
If that isnt enough to get you to at least give it a try, then just stick with the new Swamp People show and learn nothing!
These 3 guys share a cubicle, a home, and a valuable friendship. They will make you laugh. Enjoy.
Rashard Mendenhall is an idiot who needs to tweet a wittle wess. Every father with a teenage daughter within the metropolitan area has instructed their baby girl with the correct way to use a tazer on any man that resembles Ben Roethlisberger. I pledge that the role models of Steel City should not be the ones that wear the black and yellow but those who rep the black and yellow. Two young rappers instead of two moronic football players. You already know one of them, The Wiz Kid himself, Mr. Khalifa. But, do you know the other, Mac Miller? Chances are slim, but that’s why I do what I do.
Earlier I mentioned that he would be a good role model…that is not entirely true. While he doesn’t believe any conspiracy theories about 9/11 and he does know the meaning of the word, “no”, he really loves to smoke weed. But the thing I like about him is he is real. He’s young, his flow is sick, and he doesn’t have nice cars…so he doesn’t rent one for a music video so he can rap about them. All of his videos involve him, reppin his city, chillin with his boys, living the blue collar dream, and (smoking weed).
Check out the video. Enjoy. (If you like the video, check out the other songs below)
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A swedish ballet dancer turned music star, Nanna Oland Fabricius is a Danish singer who resides in the borough of New York known as Brooklyn. On her new album, this singer on the rise worked with infamous producers such as Pharell and Dan Carey. Her latest single, “Sun of a Gun” already has over 8 million hits on youtube and she has been a featured “Lift” artist on VEVO. So far, she has performed on Jimmy Kimmel and David Letterman.
Look for her to be everywhere soon. This girl has a talented voice and a style that reminds me of Lykke Li.
Cool video too. Her Ballet experience definitely shows as she mixes a graceful dance style with some more shock and awe movements. Love the lights too…very creative.
Above & Beyond is definitely my favorite trance artist. They almost have their own genre among trance, one that reaches almost any music fan, regardless of your taste. Their tracks tell a story all on their own, whether it has lyrics associated with it or not. Their reach is almost endless as their music is enjoyed all over the world.
The first song of theirs that I fell in love with was “On a Good Day.” Their was just something about it that helped you realize the beauty of life. No matter what you are going through or what is going on in your life, every day can be a good day. It is what you make of it.
This particular song, “Sun and Moon” is amazing. It is off their latest album, Group Therapy. A track that delves into the beauty of love and the heartache that can come with it. For me, this song helps you realize what your life might be like without that special someone that you care so deeply for. A trance beat complemented with fantastical lyrics. Love the lyric, “You can never know the odds, if you don’t play, you’ll never win.”
Beat Connection is a band from a city where the indie scene is off the charts as it continues to give birth to fantastic new and insanely creative groups. This musical mecca is Seattle. Beat Connection is a band on the rise, trying to follow in the footsteps of various predecessors such as Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, Sir Mix-A-Lot, and Pearl Jam.
I first heard Silver Screen on an awesome music blog, thecolorawesome.com. I had previously never heard of Beat Connection, but I immediately fell in love with the song. It is just one of those songs that can make everything better. A beat that makes you want to dance, yet can completely relax you. The beautiful thing about a song like this is that it can put a genuine smile on your face as you bob your head. The vocals have a soothing effect while the pyschadelic notes pumping in the background eleviate your mood.
I love identifying certain songs for certain times of the day. The XX or The National are great bands to listen to when you are on a long night drive. Linkin Park is perfect for a nice intense workout. A little Kid Cudi before heading out for the night or how about some Tim McGraw on a perfect and sunny day. This song though, just fits any scenario. I could listen to it in the dark before I went to sleep, it could wake me up on my way to work, or it would even fit the tropical feel of a beach.
