Visit the following link at Zazzle to get a sneak peek at some of the fundraising designs like the following Iphone case which retails for $39.99 : Japan Relief At Zazzle

As in the case of this Iphone case, all royalties go to Japan Relief.

Take a moment and contemplate how many times you type in your core password(s). If you typed in your dream 20 times a day, 5 times a week, over time, don’t you think this might have a positive spin on your personal outlook? The investment of time is relatively insignificant to implement, and the long terms benefits could, well, inspire you to be what you might have been.

NBC can take a hike. Up with Conan

Conan rips NBC (press arrow to play):

****Conan says Hasta NBC (click on link…embedding code has been disabled)

***Conan’s last Late Night With Conan O’Brien show (click link to view show hosted elsewhere…NBC can’t touch this one)

Why we love Conan:

(video clips are only viewable at www.Miscelaney.com, if you are viewing elsewhere please click through to view on the site)

It’s bound to happen to all of us at some point

1) Plenty of Rest–no magic pill here, you’ve got to calm it down for a few weeks. And really, you are not going to have the energy, but save yourself from having to cancel on people…just don’t schedule anything you don’t have to for at least 14 days from time of your first fever spike. Sadly, this means your workout routine will go in the toilet for the time being.

2) Liquids, Liquids, Liquids–You’ll find that’s really all you are craving at first…particulalry the sugary, fruit drinks. If you can, mix up your hydration efforts with low calorie vitamin-enhanced drinks or add hydration tablets to your water.

Sickie’s TIP: Consider Coconut water. It will provide a needed boost in potassium and is a better choice than the sugar-laden alternatives.

3 ) Mama was Right–Take a page from those who know and opt for light, frequent meals in the beginning. Warm, nourishing soups like ye ‘old Chicken Noodle will be your best friend. Light fruits and vegetables are also a good choice as they are more easily digested than heavy, large meals. 

Sickie’s TIP: Buy classic canned Chicken Noodle soup and add fresh rotisserie chicken, fresh spinach and a bit more chicken broth with additional water to make this feel a little more home-made without all the effort (c’mon, you are SICK, you should be resting!)

4 ) Steaming–Try breathing “a steam” of 100% Eucalyptus oil (can be found in any health food store.) Eucalyptus has antibacterial qualities. (Use a few drops of oil, steam water in pot over stove, ”tent” your head with a towel, breathe deeply)

5 ) Gargling– A simple solution of hot water with salt gargle relieves a sore throat  (note: Celtic Sea Salt is your best choice due to more minerals).

6 ) If All Else Fails…Two words: Thera Flu (the type you drink in a mug)–I know this is a sell-out for better living through chemistry,  but if your head is splitting, body is aching and you are close to tears because you feel soooo bad yet have to pull it together to be somewhere, this is your best bet in my humble opinion. Chances are you will be a little “jacked up” on the decongestant part, so don’t plan on being totally lucid while you are taking it.

Yeah, nothing you didn’t already really know, right? Sadly, you’ve just got to let your body fight it on it’s own. So do yourself a favor and if you do contract it, be kind to yourself and your immune system so it can kick it sooner rather than later.

1 ) Eat Bacon–Seriously. The proteins and fats are absolutely a good thing.

2 ) Replenish those fluids!–With a sensitive tummy, this can be a tad bit trickier, so try Gatorade or Propel or Vitamin Water…whatever your system will tolerate. Something chock full of electrolytes is a far better idea than 7-Up.

3 ) Rescue Remedy–Vitamins are the key. Take the following supplements: Evening Primrose Oil (improves circulations, helps regulate inflammation and relieves pain) and Vitamin B6 and C (may be depleted during drinking and may help with detoxification).

4 ) Hair of the Dog–depending on how you are doing the next day, this could (if tolerable) be your salvation in terms of pain, but not in terms of your liver (your body is still fastidiously working on assimilating the alcohol from the night before. You can figure out the ramifications from there…).

Other than that…well, your guess is as good as mine. Tylenol, Ibuprofen, LOTS of fluids, chicken noodle something and a little love. Good luck but hopefully it was worth it!!

xoxo. See you on the other side.

Miscelaney

I have to admit (starry-eyed as it is) I feel a special connection with Gary. During his first year of Wine Library TV, I was managing a boutique winery in Woodinville, and Gary reviewed our wines. I instantly became a fan of his playful style and utter lack of pomp and circumstance. While I enjoyed his shows, I eventually lost track of Gary’s continuing success because I had other (non-wine related and non-social media) fish to fry. I’ve recently caught back up with Gary’s ever-growing endeavors over the past several months and was thrilled to have the opportunity to see him in person. While he was signing my book I mentioned to him he had reviewed our wines way back when…he looked thoughtful for a moment and made my jaw drop when he replied that he did remember and even made reference to the winery. Are you kidding me? Impressive.

To look at Gary now, one might think what a Cinderella story. While maybe on one hand it is, it’s not by luck nor chance Gary has risen to the great heights he finds himself at now. Gary’s a visionary with a staggering work ethic and an enviable, never-ending well of self-confidence. He looked his future square in the eye at a very young age and made a deal to never, never, never give up on his dreams. And it’s worked.

If you are looking for inspiration on following your dreams, making a living out of your true passion, or learning more about the power Social Media has in the business world, I’d highly recommend you familiarize yourself with the book post haste. It’s a quick read which offers real-life information and tools you can immediately put to use. I’d also strongly recommend you get to know Gary (follow him in Twitter, watch his wine reviews on Wine Library TV, become a fan on Facebook). He’s as real as they get and we can all learn something from such a passionate, inspired and fearless individual as Gary Vay*ner*chuk.

Visit Wine Library TV to wath Gary’s wine reviews or find out more information on Crush It! here.

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Photo Credit: PR Photos / Janet Mayer

Who doesn’t need a little Sex [and the City] in our everyday? An occasional dose of fah-bu-lous can be just what the doctor ordered. So does this mean we have to go spend $500 on a pair of shoes that we can’t afford or sleep with a stranger because he held the elevator open for us? Of course not. But we can all take a page from these four stiley-riley She Yorkers who exemplify life, love and true friendship.

I feel very fortunate to have an ongoing tradition with three of my closest friends that would make Carrie Bradshaw and the girls proud. For every birthday, we all take each other out to dinner. Which means our four cute selves doll up big-city-style and hit different eateries/wine bars/restaurants across Seattle four times a year (give or take). While there isn’t a designated Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, or Samantha (thank God), there is an Erika, Raynu, Ria and Victoria. While we all bring a certain somethin somethin to the table, we undoubtedly take away a new certain somethin somethin from each other.

The tradition has evolved over time. In robust years, we go all out. Appetizers and cocktails, entrees with appropriately paired wines, and dessert(s) with champagne/port or similar. It’s these particular nights, depending where we were dining, the restaurant owners would pledge their undying love to us. In leaner times, like this year, we’ve dialed down our venue choices and reined in our “one of those, two of these” ordering styles. The true essence of the evening is just getting the four of us all together, which really only seems to work out these four times year (a bonus showing at New Year’s or similar would be the exception).

Occasionally we have the SATC open forum where one of us has the floor and the other three listen intently, chiming in with support, snappy remarks, or the appropriate amount of oh-so-sage advice. But more often, we are just so happy to see each other, we talk as fast as we can and have round robin, two-on-two conversations. Always fun and quite entertaining, both for us and anyone around.

Obviously our conversations aren’t near as juicy or shocking as the SATC girls, particularly as only two of the four are single, however all four of us always seem to manage to bring a good story or three to the table. Topics range from relationships to careers to family to fashion to food to whatever else is on our mind. And let us just say there is never a loss of words with this group.

While most girls out on da’ town evenings are filled with levity and festivity, sometimes they take a turn on the serious side. But that’s life. We are there when it’s easy and when it’s hard. And while we might not always have the right words, we do have each other. To quote Carrie Bradshaw: “When real people fall down in life, they get right back up and keep walking.” And thank god for the friends who dust you off , bring you an ice pack for your bumped knee and a martini for your bruised spirit. And if there is a hint of fabulous in the mix, all the better.

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As I sat there looking at his current advertisement for the upcoming season of Californication, I was startled (nay, floored) by the realization we have parallels in our lives. Not in the same man-whore, absurdly clever, fantastically irresponsible, let-everyone-down-all-of-the-time sorta way, but more that we are of similar age, in the deep end of the pool without floaties, chronically irreverent, brilliantly self-defeating and (consciously or otherwise) searching for the holy grail of life with an outdated map. We are soiled, yet pure. We dream, yet are utter realists. We are in our 40′s but lie to ourselves. We have lost, but have everything.

Hank (aka David) Moody’s draw seems to be that he is a total enigma. He is utterly authentic while simultaneously totally despicable. His self-loathing inevitably cancels out his earnestness as he succumbs to his various vices. He’s quite bright yet chronically uses bad judgement. He uses his lack of willpower as if it were an extremely waterproof raincoat shielding his good self from the harsh yet apparently temporary elements of his ever-storming bad self. While his talent isn’t in question, Hank Moody seems to do everything in his power to self-sabotage his writing career. Yet, through serendipity or stupidity, his livelihood continues to evolve. Hank has become an utter cliche now that he lives in Los Angeles. He’s sold out, he’s become the epitome of self-indulgence and yet ironically he’s the number one hater of his Hollywood lifestyle…which fans the flame towards his already burning tongue.

In short, he’s faking it right now, afraid to let his vulnerable, soft side be exposed too long…because if he does, he might just get what he wants. But still, he keeps us coming back. Hoping he’ll do right, yet secretly relishing when he does wrong.

Will season 3 of Californication bring Hank the clarity he’s searching for? Will he gain stability in his personal life? Maybe, maybe not (most likely not cuz who wants to watch him if he gets all happy ‘n stuff?). I’m certain I’m not the only one who can draw some similarities to such a self-destructive, malcontent, multi-layered character as Hank Moody (aka David Duchovny), but it’s certainly a surprise when you realize you actually can.

Californication, premiering Sunday, Sept 27th at 10PM on Showtime.

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photo credit: PR Photos / Albert L. Ortega

I’m a Twilight fan. I’m old, proud, and definitely not alone. On a recent trip to Arizona I was reading Breaking Dawn. Interestingly, my seat mate was reading New Moon. On my return trip (still reading Breaking Dawn….hey, it’s a thick book) my new seat mate was reading New Moon, in Spanish. If that doesn’t say something about the popularity of this vampire frenzy, I don’t know what does.

Feeling rather under the weather last week (and after finishing Breaking Dawn), I had license to lay around all day and do nothing.  I felt it was a happy coincidence I could order Twilight the movie On Demand. I was a little hesitant that seeing the movie might soil my flawlessly resplendent, phantasmically self-designed vampire microcosm, however after watching the trailer to New Moon over and over, I had the confidence the movie(s) would be true enough to the book(s) and was prepared to bring someone else’s visuals, and Hollywood,  into my unspoiled mental fabrication of the beautiful undead.

I have to admit, I watched it twice, back-to-back. Not because I loved it so so much (although I definitely seemed to thirst for it..still do), but felt the first time around I was straining too hard to compare book to movie and studying Edward’s performance. Felt maybe I didn’t view the movie as a fluid whole and perhaps missed too much. While I thought Bella (Kristin Stewart) was absolute perfection and completely and utterly captivating, I wanted more from Edward (Rob Pattinson)…although I was strangely drawn to (and forgiving of) his occasionally over-controlled (acted?) performance of a character who was penned to be the pinnacle of perfection at all times. But he’s beautiful to look at and his character is a tortured teenage vampire after all, so I suppose he needed to work the constant angst through out the movie.

There are some beautiful, beautiful moments in the movie (cinematography, set design, visual effects, soundtrack), and the director really brought the audience in emotionally close with the teen angst and first love thing. But I think if you haven’t read the book(s), I can imagine this movie seems a bit…hard to sink your teeth into. But then again, considering the throngs and throngs of loyal readers who have been aching for this movie, what do they care? I’d cater to this already sold-out crowd myself.

I hear they brought in a new director for New Moon. I imagine this will shift the underlying focus of this next movie towards more special effects and won’t bathe so much in the up close, raw emotion of forbidden love and teenage life. Either way I think the movie franchise is air tight and I’ll freely admit I can’t wait until November 20 (which seems like forever). I look forward to seeing Edward (Rob Pattinson) own this role in entirety this time. He definitely has the attitude, and the unique look, he just needed the overwhelming confidence (ie. practice) to play perfection from start to finish.

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