You're doing it wrong - Arm chair activists

I doubt there are many people left on the internet that haven't seen the Kony 2012 video - it has been viewed over 70 million times, and has jammed up Twitter and Facebook. I am not here to weigh in on that issue, I feel like most of the things that need to be said, have been said. I am, however, here to talk about this new trend of arm chair activism. We have all seen it, someone shares a link or a video, or updates their Facebook status to something foolish about the color of their bra, or cartoon characters. And then that person sits back feeling pretty damn good about themselves. The Kony video is just the latest in this trend, people keep remarking how powerful social media can be for affecting change or helping a cause. And yeah, this could be true, but let's not confuse sharing a link and actually taking action or making a donation. My friend Joel Kelly has a great post on this growing problem. 

Oh and before you say it, I know, I know, you sharing that video is helping to create awareness. Well done, look at you go. But here is the thing, most of time these issues don't need awareness, they need action or money. Clicking the like button, or retweeting something to your followers doesn't count as taking a stand or action. If you would like to make a difference here is what you need to do - 

Volunteer - that's right, this means you have to step away from Facebook and go outside

Make a donation - open up that wallet and dig deep, most of these organizations need financial support so they can keep doing their jobs

Take a look around your community there are so many organizations right here in Halifax that could use your support - so let's all ease up the like button and start making a contribution to the many organizations that need our help.

Dear America

I am going to talk politics today, yep, politics, so hold on to your hat.

Yesterday was Super Tuesday, which means our friends south of the border held a heck of a lot of primary elections yesterday, with each candidate hoping to get the most number of delegates. When all was said and done it looks like Mitt Romney came out ahead. Should we get excited about this, is he the lesser of the evils that are currently trying to make a run at the White House? I'll be honest, I can't be anything but terrified. Have you taken a look at the old dinosaurs that are in the race for the Republican nomination? We have good old Mitt, Newt Gingrich, any my personal fav Rick Santorum. And you thought Sarah Plain was something to fear (don't get my wrong, she is a train wreck and a great example of what's wrong with the world today) but this new crop of candidates is even more troubling. Let's start with my pal Rick, he is against birth control and same sex marriage. Good stuff, we are off to a great start. Oh and he thinks climate change is silly stuff that someone made up. But he is in favor of war.


Then we have Newt, that old guy is on Twitter these days and he has some gems - "Andrew Breitbart was the most innovative pioneer in conservative activist social media in America. He had great courage and creativity." Now for those of you who don't know, Andrew was quite the guys, big supporter of the Tea Party, not so big on gays or other races. 


Listen, I am not a political expert and I don't claim to be but it is very troubling the our closest neighbor could soon be controlled by one of these out of touch, old clowns. I am really starting to worry about things down there, last week we had Rush Limbaugh calling smart, young women sluts and our old pal Kirk Cameron announcing that being gay was unnatural. Come on now folks, let's smarten up and get these clowns off the air and we should not let them anywhere near 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Jon Stewart hits the nail on the head, as usual.

Challenge accepted and completed

Cowboy boots are kind of a big deal in Nashville

I have been awful at posting lately, I don't meant to make lame excuses but I have been traveling the past few weeks for work and it has kept me from posting.

Let me share with you my travel tales to make up for my slacking.

The South - I had the chance to visit Nashville and South Carolina this month and I can't say enough good things about the South. The weather is amazing (makes me wonder why we struggle through months and months of cold weather), the people were so friendly and polite, and there is a lot of great food in America and I ate all of it.

I learned the hard way that a lot of BBQ joints in SC are only open Friday and Saturday. This caused a lot of heartache. But likely the Smoking Pig was open on Thursday and I was able to enjoy so BBQ and sweet tea.

I also got to see first hand the school spirit that lives at American University. Makes me wish I had gone to a US school.

I am in NYC this week, and gosh darn it I love this city.

And finally, I finished my 30 day challenge!! Despite a hectic travel schedule, I was able to cram 30 yoga classes into 22 days. I would like to thank everyone for the support and in particular my pal @MarthaGallagher for taking this on with me.

Dining at the Dwarf House Chik-fil-a in Atlanta

Hollywood is a mess

I am not here to report on celebrity news/gossip, I think that niche is more then covered. But I would like to talk about a few things that have got me bothered.

Chris Brown is performing at the Grammys, and before I say anything else, this should matter to you. I am not suggesting that people do not deserve a second chance, I believe the opposite, but that second chance only comes after it has been shown that this person actually deserves a second chance. And I have had to ask what did Chris Brown do to deserve a second chance? Is it because he keeps showing signs of rage and anger management issues? Or is he just getting another chance based on record sales? This post on HelloGiggles sums up the issue perfectly.

Celebrities are not regular people, we all get that, we see that they are not held to the same rules. Chris Brown is just one of many celebrities that has been forgiven for "good behaviour". Look at my old pal Michael Vick, he played a great season and suddenly I start seeing assholes walking around wearing a Vick jersey. I guess they forgot about the dogs that he killed and tortured, the funny thing is those dogs still haven't forgotten.

I believe in second chances, I believe that people can change, but I don't believe that playing a great season of football or releasing a new album is grounds to forgive or forget.

One final note, I am a child of the 80s and owned a number of Whitney Houston albums in my day and it made me very sad to hear that she has passed away. It also makes me sad to think about all the talented actors and musicians that have died so young, and all because they lived or are living a lifestyle of total excess. Because no one ever says "no", because for many of them (ie Ms Lohan) their fame whoring parents are in large part to blame. I hope that Whitney's passing will be a wake up a call but sadly that likely won't be the case.

Friday musings - live tweeting, the superbowl and a few other things

I have been super slack this week and I am sorry. I know that I dropped the ball and missed the chance to talk about how one of those awful girls on the Bachelor was running around Panama with her tits out. And we didn't even have a chance to talk about all the exciting Superbowl ads that are being shared, for the record I like the VW ad and the Budwiser Canadian Hockey ad is gold, try to show that to a Canadian and not have them swell/weep with national pride.

I just wanted to send out a friendly reminder on two topics, first and foremost, people need to stop making those "shit ___ says" videos, they are no longe funny or relevant. Please stop making them, stop sharing them and stop acting like you just need to share one more, you dont.
Second with Superbowl Sunday almost upon us I would like to talk about the concept of live tweeting, I hate it. I find it annoying and pointless, though it has been suggested that sharing sports updates is helpful and can be useful to some. Sure, I can make my peace with that, but do you know who is going to have a handle on sharing updates from the Superbowl? All of these people - @nfl, @nflnetwork, @Patriots and @Giants, so why don't we try this, if you want to make witty and clever comments about the game, halftime show or ads, go nuts. If you get the urge to live tweet the game, just don't.

Yoga update - just so you guys know, I have attended 6 classes in 4 days, I am on fire. I am determined to make this happen, despite my travel schedule. On that note, I will be in Nashville aka Dollywood next week so I will try and share some interesting Nashville highlights.

Yoga - 30 days is a long time

I have done the occasional yoga class over the past three years but was never a regular, until a few months ago. I started attending classes at least five times a week and I have just signed up for my first 30 day challenge. But before we get into that, let's back up. I assume at this point many of you are wondering, "isn't this chick too mean for yoga?" That is a great question and the answer is yes, I am, but all that aside I am actually really enjoying yoga and I think that is some small way it might be helping to reduce my rage. Don't get me wrong, I am not going to start drinking wheat grass and hugging everyone, but I am happy that I have found something I enjoy and if it cuts my rage blackouts from six a week to five then everyone is a winner.

Monday is the first day of my 30 day challenge, I predict it will not be easy. I also have the additional challenge of trying to make up the six classes I will miss due to work travel, so some days I will have to attend two classes. I will keep you posted on my progress, I also just found out that there are going to be prizes throughout the challenge, so once again in true non yogi fashion, I am driven by greed.

See, I am already getting so limber

30 Second Rant - The Boston Bruins visit the White House

In what sounds like the makings of a bad school trip, the Boston Bruins went to the White House with the Stanley Cup. This could have gone bad for some many reason, our hometown hero Marchand could have confused the Oval Office for a bathroom, or he could have used his sweet Ninja Turtle moves and knocked over the First Lady. It was however, Tim Thomas who acted like a clown and refused to attend in what can only be described as a sad and pathetic cry for attention. What's wrong Timmy, you wanted so desperately to share your savvy political insights with the world that you were forced to take your toys and stay home? Let's get serious for a second Tim, you don't like Obama, you aren't supporting him this election? No one actually gives a shit, quit acting like a child and attend the event with your team.

Proud Parents - The IWK and Capital Health say It Gets Better

I have been a huge fan of the It Gets Better project since its early days and I couldn't be happier to see the wonderful people at IWK and Capital Health adding their voice to this very important issue.

Check out their video and if you want to learn more about this project or how you can help visit The Trevor Project. 

You're doing it wrong - The ladies of the Bachelor

Hey Ladies

This is one for the family photo album

Enjoying your time on the Bachelor? Feeling good about skiing down the streets of San Fran in your bikinis? Still think that finding love on a reality show is a legitimate life choice? Let's chat for a second.

I understand that this show is really just an opportunity for many of you to launch some sort of "modelling" and or "acting" career, I realize that 75% of you don't actually think you are going to fall in love. I understand that after season 2 or 3, we all got the memo that reality tv dating shows rarely end well. But I have to ask, do you think that this is really putting your best foot forward? Do you on any level feel uncomfortable that your parents, family, friends, boss and co-workers (and millions of strangers) are sitting at home watching you act catty, and overly aggressive as you fight for "your man"? You are not at all put off by the number of times you are required to appear in a bathing suit on the show? OK, good, just wanted to make sure that when you are 45 and a parent, you feel good about your children watching clips of mommy on the Bachelor.
PS - And Ben, Mr Bachelor, don't worry, you're next on my list of people who are doing it wrong.

30 Second Rant - The Golden Globes

I find it annoying and bothersome when my Twitter feed is filled with red carpet commentary from people who have less fashion sense than Don Cherry. Don't get me wrong, make your voice heard but maybe consider either making your voice heard on topics you can actually speak to with some level of experience or knowledge, or stop condemning the dresses and the person wearing as "awful", without citing a legitimate design flaw. I suspect that will thin the herd.

You're doing it wrong and proud parents

It is time for a new feature, actually two new features. Today will mark my first rant, which will be part of the larger series, "You're doing it wrong". This will be followed up with, "Proud Parents", which as the title suggest, the actions, issues or people discussed are doing something that would make their parents proud. I believe in the power of publicly drawing attention to issues both good and bad (there is nothing as powerful as a good public shaming, but I also like to give credit where credit is due), so don't let me hear you say that I never talk about anything positive on here.

Drawing by @joelkelly

But for today, we will focus on those poor clowns that are doing it wrong, their offence, the misuse of Twitter. I really enjoy Twitter, I think it is a fantastic example of what is really great about our society, this generation and technology. It is also an example of everything that is wrong with society and this generation.

Let's discuss some common misuses of Twitter -
1. Re tweeting Oprah - I do not believe this requires any further discussion.
2. Bragging about how fit you are, ie "I ran 300 miles in 45 minutes", or "gosh, I am running too many marathons"...give me a break, I encourage and support a healthy life style but constantly patting yourself on the back gets old and fast.
3. Self pity - Tweeting sad, oh poor me themed tweets is a great way to confirm my suspicions that you are lame, thank you for making it so easy to confirm.
4. I'm sooooo busy- The classic, "I have been at work since 3am and I so busy, I will have to keep working for another 36 hours straight, without bathroom breaks or food, because I am the most important person in the whole company and I have to keep things going." I would be more inclined to buy how busy you were if you didn't update us on the situation every 3 minutes, unless you are a news outlet or the weather network, then these updates are expected.
5. First world problems - I think this sums it up

If you are guilty of these offences you are doing it wrong, let's try a little harder to make Twitter a tiny bit more interesting, and if you don't have anything clever to say, it's OK to say nothing at all.

A resolution I can get behind

It's that time of year, when my Twitter feed is jammed with unrealistic and nauseating tweets about how people are going to make 2012 the best year yet, how they are going to get fit, quit all their awful habits and travel to the edges of the earth. Let's be serious, we all know that in a week or two most of these will be forgotten and people will be back to their usual ways.

That's why this year I am suggesting a resolution that I think we can all get behind - stop the sexy time photos on your social media pages, that includes all of them, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, all of them. You know what is not ok, photos of you in your underwear on Facebook, I don't care if you are a model, an aspiring model, or training for a swimsuit competition, or that the photos were "done professionally". There is no excuse that is going to make this ok with me. Stop taking your profile photo from above so your cleavage is the first and only thing anyone sees. Finally, just because the photo is done in black and white, or altered with a finish from Instagram, does not make it classy.

I get it, you are fit, and or hot, that's fantastic for you, and let's not misunderstand my objection to these photos, go ahead and take all the photos you want, take millions of these photos, hell frame them and put them up in your house. But you do not need to post them on the world wide web. I think that some of these sexy time offenders must have siblings or other family members on their Facebook, and I can tell you with certainty I know my family sure as heck doesn't want to see me filling their news feed with photos of me in my underwear, or me laying seductively in the waves on my most recent trip.

Let's make 2012 the year we regain our common sense. Let's all work together to ensure those photos stay private or at the very least they don't make their way to your Facebook page.

To ensure we are all on the same page - Photo A is a-ok, Photo B is not ok

Photo A -

Photo B - (for the record, I do not know this girl, but this photo is widely available on the internet, again proving the point that if you put those photos out there, people can and will see them)

First things first

Ok, so I know what you are thinking, it's a new year and here is another clown with a new blog. A few words in my defense, I have been blogging for a while, but I was doing it over here. I had been thinking about starting a new solo blog for sometime, and figured no time like the present.

Here is what you should expect from me and this blog;
- Strong opinions
- Sarcasm
- Guest posts from my friends (they are funny and clever, you will like them)
- 30 second rants
- The occasional spelling or grammar mistake, I promise to keep them to a minimum
- I'll talk about pop culture, travel, the internet, things I find funny, things your cat or cats did, and my life in general (but only the interesting bits)

You are probably wondering who I am, so here is the crucial parts -
I live in Halifax, NS, that is in Canada for anyone not well versed in geography. I work in the wonderful world of PR/marketing/communications. Likes include travel, good food, reading, yoga, really good advertisements and funny videos on the internet. I love my family, friends, my scottish terrier, and the ocean. You can find me on Twitter - @sarahcarver12

I promise to keep this interesting, and I am always open to comments, suggestions or feedback so feel free to share. And to give you an idea, I think this is funny.