Archive for July, 2009

HALFTIME – play the drunk guy game

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Picture 2Okay, this is really goofy, but a friend showed me this site and I found myself getting hooked.  The object of the game is to keep this drunk guy from falling flat on his face by moving your mouse from side to side as he walks forward.  Not exactly rocket science, but not exactly easy to do either!  I played about 15 times in a row just now and got up to 42 meters.  Let me know how you do…click here for the drunk guy game.

HALFTIME is in honor of my high school biology teacher, Mr. Williams, who gave us a break every day in the middle of class by telling a cool story, or doing something funny like cramming 6 golf balls into his mouth.  Not everything has to be all serious all the time.

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Cigarettes are so good for you

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That’s basically what they used to say….check out these OUTLANDISH vintage cigarette ads.  Things have changed since then and looks like they are about to change again.  President Obama is supporting a new bill which would let the Food and Drug Administration regulate tobacco for the first time, which would also affect cigarette advertising, a $13 billion-a-year business.  Holy geez, these old ads are messed up to say the least.  Click here to see more ads.

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Mandela Day – this Saturday!

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Picture 1Do you have 67 minutes to spare?  Nelson Mandela has spent 67 years making the world a better place.  In an effort to celebrate the legacy of South Africa’s former President Nelson Mandela, 46664 and the Nelson Mandela Foundation are urging people all over the world to join them in a bid to create an official Mandela Day, which would be held on Mr Mandela’s birthday each year, July 18.  All you need to do is pledge 67 minutes of your time.  That’s not so bad is it?  What can you do to make a small difference in someone else’s life?  Go to www.mandeladay.com to get ideas on how you can give back.  I will coincidentally be in New York City this weekend, where the Mandela Day Concert is being held at Radio City Music Hall.  When I am not speaking, I spend my time as an agent for celebrity photographers, and my good friend and photographer Scott McDermott had the honor of shooting the print campaign for Mandela Day.  Click here to see some of the portraits. I am so excited that I get to volunteer my time at this amazing event!!  But when I get back to LA, I want to find a way that I can contribute back to my community all year round…I would love to hear what you plan to do to make your imprint!

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ER series finale – how many drinks to die?

Jul 07, 2009

Recently, the final episode of ER ran.  Not being a regular fan of the show, I wasn’t planning to watch it, but I heard that it would feature a storyline inspired by the true story of a young girl who died from a drinking game gone wrong.  The executive producer of ER, John Wells, lost his niece, Shelby Lyn Allen, last December when she was only 17 years old.  She was at a slumber party with her friends and they were playing “I Never” with vodka shots.  She ended the night vomiting in the bathroom, and tragically died even after she had been texting her friends that she was vomiting.

Do you know how many drinks it takes to die?  Watch this clip where John Stamos explains to his teenage daughter how many drinks it would take to kill her.  Also, click here to learn about the dangers of taking 21 shots on your 21st birthday.

Something from Shelby’s site really stood out to me, and it’s the same point I am trying to drive home with my presentation.  Even if you’re not 100% certain that you should call 911, just do it, it’s not worth the consequences if you don’t.  Trust your instincts.  Here is what her parents wrote on Shelbysules.com:  “The right time to ask for help is the minute the thought crosses your mind, “Should I ask for help?”  The answer is always yes, be brave, ask for help and the rest of us will do our jobs to make sure that help comes when it’s needed.”

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texting worse than drinking?

Jul 01, 2009

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Many of us are guilty of sneaking peeks at our cell phones while driving.  I will be the first to admit it.  I can’t ever seem to keep my hands off my phone, even if it’s just to make sure it’s still alive.  (Just checked right now – vital signs: a few bars, plenty of battery, okay great, someone should call soon!)  But maybe we need better control.  Remember some of these texting while driving (TWD) accidents in the headlines?  Worst domestic train accident in 15 years killing 25 people. Bus driver caught on film texting while smashing into car in front of him on the freeway. In this Today Show video, we learn about 17 year old Amanda Martin, who lost her life to TWD in 2007.   So then maybe it doesn’t come as such a surprise that TWD can be more dangerous than drinking and driving.  Car and Driver found that it takes significantly longer for a sober person texting to react than a legally drunk person (see image below).  With 66% of 18-24 year olds TWD and thousands of accidents caused by this each year, it’s no wonder more and more states are banning TWD – 14 states total as of last week.  Check here to get the full list of states.  The next time I see myself reaching for my phone while driving, I am going to say to myself (out loud if I have to) “leave your phone alone!”  It’s short, it rhymes, and it will help save a life.

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