Monday, January 31, 2011

Dnt Txt N Drv


Alex Brown
Today's blog is dedicated to remembering Alex Brown. Alex Brown was a Texas teenager who was full of life. While texting and driving she lost the control of her truck in a single car accident and flipped - ejecting her. Alex and her wrecked truck were found along side a road by her mother. Alex died from her injuries.
Normally I do not use my blog to promote other causes - only because there are so many of them that would love to get me to lend my name I just can't say yes to everyone and everything. Right or wrong, I have it in my little Greek noggin that I can be far more effective helping a few charities and doing as much as I can for them, rather than spreading myself so thin over lots of different causes where my efforts would not be nearly as effective.
But the Remember Alex Brown Foundation is one new cause to me that I feel deserves my attention and support. The Foundation was started by Alex's parents after her death to bring awareness and educate others about the dangers of texting while driving.
To honor Alex's memory her parents  formed The Remember Alex Brown Foundation (RAB).  You can access their website here.
After hearing Alex's story I have signed the pledge to never text and drive. You can download a copy of the pledge here.
I have my other causes that I also support:
The Progeria Research Foundation is very important to me.  I am very passionate about spreading awareness about this disease.  These kids are simply amazing angels.  Click here to learn about the research they are doing to  make the lives of these children better and to find a cure for this heartbreaking disease.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation  is making the lives of young people with diabetes better.  Click here to learn how you can be a part of the work they are doing.
The ASPCA does amazing work helping animals all over the United States.  Click here to learn about these true heroes and how you too can help animals in need.
Please check all of them out and help me support these very worth causes.

Blessings,
Ava
xox

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Bad Day


So my manager Mr. Bricks asked me what my blog was going to be about today.  I told him the title was "Bad Day."  Mr. Bricks then asked me - "Bad Day? So what is it going to be about?" I know why he was asking. Mr. Bricks is very worried I am going to go all negative in my blog posting. No worries.  Not happening.
This week I posted a couple of positive quotes on my Facebook page from one of my all-time favorite books, "When God Winks"  by  SQuire Rushnell.
‎"Shoot for the moon, and the worst that can happen, you'll land among the stars". Tony Orlando

‎"Destiny is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not something to be waited for. It is a thing to be achieved". William Jennings Bryan

I always try to find the positive in everything I do. However, I am no Blonde Greek Pollyanna. That's an oxymoron. All Greeks have opinions and we need to express them - good or bad. I feel that you don't have to ruin someone else's day just because you are having a bad day. Like wise, you can't let someone else ruin your day either. You alone have the power to make it a good day or bad day.
Remember that song "Bad Day" a few years ago from Daniel Powter?

I love some of the lyrics to that song! Like the title of my blog today,  "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter sounds negative, but really it's not. It's all about turning things around. Yes, we all have days we'd rather forget. But there is nothing going to be gained by having a pity party. In those tough times you need to find a reason to buck up, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, or however you want to say it.
Some times those so-called bad days will be days you can laugh about later. Case in point, my initial meeting with my manager Mr. Bricks. We met at Felidia Ristorante on East 58th Street in the city. It's a nice italian place with great food. (of course, because they have a woman head chef - just sayin') Anyways, I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous meeting Mr. Bricks, because we had spoken on the phone a few times before and I could tell we would work well together. I wanted the meeting to go well.
When Mr. Bricks showed up the first thing I noticed was he had forgotten to mention on the phone that he had one lazy eye. - Ok, I am not a judgmental person - I can deal with a manager with a bum eye.  I also remembered he was wearing black jeans and the whitest shirt I had ever seen.
Well, as you can imagine I had to sit on my hands and just try to not talk, talk talk and dominate the conversation. I'm very good at doing that! I also didn't want something silly coming out of my noggin. Silence was going to be my approach.
Mr. Bricks was talking and eating and somewhere along the line a glob of marinara sauce, about the size of a 50-cent piece landed on his shirt - and he did not notice.
Now in a split second decision I had to decide do I tell him and risk embarrassing him? Or do I just shut my pie hole and pretend I don't see it? I know, I know I do normally pride myself on always trying to do the right thing, which would have been to tell him so he could have possible treated the stain immediately. But that time I chose to keep my yapper shut. I didn't tell him. Truth be told, I think even Stevie Wonder could have even seen it! It was a giant red glob of marinara on a crisp white starched shirt - I was dying inside. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, I chose neither.
After lunch was over we talked for a little bit longer. My eyes were torn. I did not know what to look at. I did not feel comfortable staring at his lazy eye. I did not want to look at the marinara experiment now growing on his shirt -- so I concentrated my gaze just above his right shoulder. It gives the illusion I was looking at him, but I wasn't really for the two reasons I just stated... it's a trick I learned in acting class!!
Later that night Mr. Bricks called me. He said, "Well I have bad news Ava. It's not a good day for me." I thought for sure he was going to then say, after thinking it over I decided not to represent you. But instead he said, "It's not a good day because I just ruined my favorite white Claiborne shirt - but good day for you, I would love to represent you!" Woot Woot score one for the Greek Blonde Girl!!
I truly believe other managers would have handled it differently. I think they might have been embarrassed when they finally realized they just sat through an entire meeting with a new client with a side of spaghetti clinging to their shirt. Then they would have just passed along their bad day on me by saying they did not want to represent me - even though it had nothing to do with me - but was all about their bruised ego, sloppy eating habits and ruined shirt.
Having a bad day is all about how you handle it. How would have you handled it if you were in my sneakers at that first meeting with Mr. Bricks and the now infamous marinara sauce incident had happened?
I like the way Mr. Bricks handled it. Oh and now I  just make sure I ask for a bib for him whenever we eat at Italian restaurants.
Blessings,
Ava
xox

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Tough Questions




Happy snowy Saturday from me to you!!   I hope you enjoy a little fun as I ask my manager Mr. Bricks some very tough questions in today's cartoon. Enjoy.
Blessings,
Ava
xox

Friday, January 28, 2011

Pernicious

Have you ever heard a word somewhere and you we're too clueless and/or embarrassed to say that you don't know what it means? But when you heard the word for the first time it had a magical effect on your coconut! It's like that time in 3rd grade when your eyes lock in on that special person that makes you totally forget about everything else. Just seeing this special person makes you want to give up your graham crackers and milk. It's a weird warm feeling like when you were little and peed your pants and you didn't know why your insides felt like cold spaghetti, but they did. That's exactly what hearing a new cool word does to me, minus the peeing the pants part.
Your new BWF (best word forever) is so cool sounding that you just want to run home and fill your noggin with everything about it so you can start using your new BWF to seem semi-intelligent in your next conversation.  Hey fake it until you make it. That's how I roll - just sayin'. I shouldn't be letting you in on all of my Greek Blonde secrets.
Here is my newest BWF that I recently heard at a dinner party.
per·ni·cious
–adjective
1. causing insidious harm or ruin; ruinous; injurious; hurtful:pernicious teachings; a pernicious lie.
2. deadly; fatal: a pernicious disease.
3. Obsolete . evil; wicked.

I love this new word. Seriously. Not as much as I love coffee or sneakers, but I do have a very strong "word crush" on it.  After I looked up the word pernicious and finally had a grasp of what it meant, I was ready to unleash my newest BWF  on unsuspecting family and friends. Shortly there after I received a phone call from my manager Mr. Bricks. He was too easy.
Me: So Mr. Bricks, are you going to have one of those Pernicious McRib's for lunch?
Mr. Bricks: Whatchyoutakingaboutwillis?
Me: You know Mr. Bricks with all of that fake processed pork in the McRib you are liable to contract some sort of pernicious disease.
Mr. Bricks: Pern-i - what?  Hey Ava are you talking Greek again?
Me: Are you kidding me? You mean you don't know what the word pernicious means?  You need to expand your vocabulary Mr. Bricks.
And then Mr. Bricks' lazy eye started wandering again.
Blessings,
Ava
xox

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Watch Your Back Mr. Groundhog


Bill Murray in "Ground Hog Day"
I am sick of winter. It started snowing yesterday at about 8:00AM and it never stopped. I've been a Miss Greek Grumpy Pants since then because I am so over winter this year. And it's only late January.
"I do not like it when it snows. I do not like my frozen toes. I do not like when cold wind blows, I do not like that my house pipes froze." Ava Aston - Winter 2011
That white crap outside that is falling from the sky put a big damper on all of the things I had planned:
  • I can not just hop in my car and get a cup of Dunkin Donuts Coffee
  • I can not go for a nice 5  mile run with my iPod and sneakers
  • I can not go shopping at the outlets at the Woodbury Commons
  • I can not spend the Kohls' cash that is burning a hole in my pocket
  • I can not just let my dogs just outside to pee
I would love to be somewhere tropical right now. Somewhere with 85º where I can be in shorts, flips flops and a t-shirt. But no, I'm rolling in New York looking like a wooly mammoth all bundled up in a hat, scarf, my fluffy blanket coat and mittens. That is so messed up. Here are 5 things I can think of that you can do in this weather:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
That's right nothing. Nadda, zip, zero!
Greek Girl Trivia: The first official Groundhog Day was celebrated on February 2, 1886 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Mr. Bricks say it was a very festive celebration, but he doesn't remember a whole lot since he was just a kid way back then.
I'm hoping that next Monday February 2nd Punxsutawney Phil doesn't see his nappy ass shadow, because if he does, I'll be the Blonde Greek Girl who will hunt down the fat little rodent with my daddy's rifle - he will be in my crosshairs - just sayin'
Blessings,
Ava
xox

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Vogue 2011 Spring Collection


That darn Paparazzi!
Ok, I wonder how that rumor started that I was going to be in Vogue Magazine? I had a few emails and a couple of people asked me about it on Facebook the other day. Hmmm, what's going on?
I want to set the record straight. I am not going to be a part of the Vogue 2011 Spring Collection. Not my nifty red jacket, not my cool multi-colored scarf and certainly not my sneakers.  This is how I roll and I don't think there is anything Vogue about it. I'm not a trendy up town girl. This is my own Greek style. I'm really a jeans, t-shirt and sneakers type of girl. I love to add a little swag, like belts, bracelets and vests to dress it up.
My manager Mr. Bricks even had a phone call asking if some publication could get any unpublished photos of me from the Vogue 2011 Spring Collection photo shoot.  Ummm,  I never did a photo shoot like that. Besides the girls in Vogue are gorgeous, not the more simple and plain type of rocker chick like me. I think I might be pretty, but I'm no model.
If I ever did design my own fashion collection I think I would do a line of jeans. Maybe I would also do a line of printed T's. It would be fun to design a whole collection of work out clothes, because when you are working out you feel good, so you will want to also look good. And of course, the world is waiting for the line of Ava Aston sneakers.
But nope, not to my knowledge, I never did a photo shoot for Vogue....well, not yet anyways!
Blessings,
Ava
xox

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

State Of The Union

For two hundred plus years we have had to listen to Presidents stand up and tell us the state of the union. They go on national television and all you hear is Blah blah, blah, blah and then 73 minutes later they say..In conclusion..
That's crap. Since when does a president have any idea what is really going on in this country? How can anyone describe the state of the union unless they are actually living the life that the majority of Americans are living? Just a hunch, if the President has a hankering for a slice of pizza at 3 Am he doesn't have to worry about the freaks who are hanging around the 24-hour pizza joints. All he has to do is push a room service button on his phone and someone brings him a slice.  It's like the old saying..."If you want to really get to know a person, walk a mile in their sneakers."
I may be just a rocker chick and not the President of the United States. But since I don't have to rely on the secret service to make sure the Presidential Seal doesn't fall off of the podium again. I don't have to wait for a bunch of high-priced politicians to agree on ways to screw the American public, so I can deliver my State of The Union address way before the ink dries on the cue cards for President Obama's State of The Union address. You know what they say...the early bird gets the worm. (That saying kinda creeps me out)
So here is The Greek Blonde Girl's State of The Union address for 2011.
Mister Speaker, President Obama, Vice President Biden, Members of Congress, distinguished readers of my blog and all other fellow Americans and oh I guess my manager Mr. Bricks:
Things are messed up and I am making some sweeping changes to get people back to work and to find ways to better stimulate the economy.  So that is why I am happy to announce here today that all shopping malls in America will now be required to stay open 24 hours a day. This new requirement for each store will force them to hire more people to increase their staff to be able to be open 24 hours a day as required. Ok, I just added about One Million jobs, how hard was that?
The housing crisis in America has lingered on way too long. This is why I have decided to put a stop on all home mortgage foreclosures. We will go back to the way this country was founded and give squatter rights to each and every homeowner in the country as long as they are occupying their own home. However, if you have rental property and do not occupy it, then that now becomes the property of the current renters occupying the dwelling. This will be a great equalizer of all home prices. Since no one is now in jeopardy of losing their home, I just solved the housing crisis, how hard was that? Now some of you will be screaming that is a redistribution of wealth and maybe it is. But so what. If you don't like it, write your own State of the Union address.
As a girl and as a proud Greek American I have noticed we have become a nation divided. As much as we would like to think all Americans are the same, we are not. We must begin to address our differences. I have found a way to unite us. So, no matter what internet service provider you use, whether you use a Mac or a PC, if you are hard-wired or wireless, we all must find ways to get along.  We need to set aside our differences and welcome Google users into the homes of Bing or Yahoo search engine users and they too must welcome a Google user into their home. Is is only through our differences that we will be able to find our similarities. Now I know that last sentence didn't make any sense at all, but it sounded really cool. Ok, the Greek Blonde Girl just solved the diversity issue, how hard was that?
Taxes are way too stinking high. The current thought is that we need taxes to pay for all of the social service programs. You are right, therefore we are discontinuing all freebies and government handouts. The one program that will continue is social security. You get out what you put in. Ok, I just balanced the budget and ended the deficit.
My dad came to this country from Greece with $20 in his pocket. He actually had more but was robbed when he stepped off of the airplane at the at the airport. OK, wait that whole getting robbed part isn't true,  I just wanted to say, if you want something in life work for it. If you come from another country great! That's how we were founded. But you no longer get free food, free education, free housing, free transportation, free Laker Tickets... Wait a minute. Oh what are you saying? You mean this country doesn't look so enticing any more? Good. Ok, I just solved our illegal immigration problem.
In conclusion, we still live in a great country, but we need to stand up, speak out and take our country back...hey I feel a song coming on here....
Good day my fellow Americans.
Blessings,
Ava
xox
You can check out my song "We The People" on YouTube by clicking here.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Jack LaLanne - The Godfather of Fitness

More than 40 years before there was Jillian Michaels and a Biggest Loser TV show helping overweight people get their lives under control, there was The Jack LaLanne Show.
The fitness world and the world-at-large has just lost a great man, Jack LaLanne died yesterday at the age 96. Frequently, before he became ill with pneumonia, but right up until his death he was still lifting weights. Did you hear that Mr. Bricks? No McRibs, no hot wings and no potato skins for this man. He was the real deal. A true nutritional guru who walked the walk, talked the talked, and swam in freezing water towing tug boats full of people - while in handcuffs. He was truly a man of steel.
Jack had a 10 point fitness plan that was pretty simple really. It went something like this:
  1. Exercise
  2. Better nutrition. Eat good just 1 week and you will feel better. You will have more energy.
  3. Create and make good habits. (Start by choosing 5 good habits to do for 1 week)
  4. Positive thinking. Appreciate what you have...
  5. Grooming. Make yourself look better all week so you can get good feedback from your spouse. Listen to their suggestions.
  6. Smile.
  7. Help others.
  8. Faith.
  9. Relaxation.
  10. Posture.
Jack also had a great sense of humor. He had a few quotes about the simple rules of nutrition that he said everyone should live by:
1. "If man made it, don't eat it"
2. "If it tastes good, spit it out."
and he often had funny quips:
"I cannot afford to die, it will ruin my image."
And Jack LaLanne has left behind an amazing legacy:
(As reported on Jack LaLanne's web site)
  • 1954 (age 40): swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, underwater, with 140 pounds (64 kg; 10 st) of equipment, including two air tanks. A world record.
  • 1955 (age 41): swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco while handcuffed. When interviewed afterwards he was quoted as saying that the worst thing about the ordeal was being handcuffed.
  • 1956 (age 42): set a world record of 1,033 push-ups in 23 minutes on You Asked For It, a television program with Art Baker.
  • 1957 (age 43): swam the Golden Gate channel while towing a 2,500-pound (1,100 kg; 180 st) cabin cruiser. The swift ocean currents turned this one-mile (1.6 km) swim into a swimming distance of 6.5 miles (10.5 km).
  • 1958 (age 44): maneuvered a paddleboard nonstop from Farallon Island to the San Francisco shore. The 30-mile (48 km) trip took 9.5 hours.
  • 1959 (age 45): did 1,000 star jumps and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hour, 22 minutes and The Jack LaLanne Show went nationwide.
  • 1974 (age 60): For the second time, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf. Again, he was handcuffed, but this time he was also shackled and towed a 1,000-pound (450 kg; 71 st) boat.
  • 1975 (age 61): Repeating his performance of 21 years earlier, he again swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge, underwater and handcuffed, but this time he was shackled and towed a 1,000-pound (450 kg; 71 st) boat.
  • 1976 (age 62): To commemorate the "Spirit of '76", United States Bicentennial, he swam one mile (1.6 km) in Long Beach Harbor. He was handcuffed and shackled, and he towed 13 boats (representing the 13 original colonies) containing 76 people.
  • 1979 (age 65): towed 65 boats in Lake Ashinoko, near Tokyo, Japan. He was handcuffed and shackled, and the boats were filled with 6,500 pounds (2,900 kg; 460 st) of Louisiana Pacific wood pulp.
  • 1980 (age 66): towed 10 boats in North Miami, Florida. The boats carried 77 people, and he towed them for over one mile (1.6 km) in less than one hour.
  • 1994 (age 80): Once again handcuffed and shackled, he fought strong winds and currents as he swam 1.5 miles (2.4 km) while towing 80 boats with 80 people from the Queensway Bay Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary.
He was so passionate about living a healthy life style, I can only imagine what thoughts were rolling around in his coconut whenever he drove past a McDonald's or a Burger King. He was talking about nutrition, before talking about nutrition was cool. He was working out and lifting weights before working out and lifting weights were cool.  And most importantly, he was wearing sneakers, before wearing sneakers were cool - just sayin' he did it all.
Jack LaLanne, you will be truly missed.
Blessings,
Ava
xox

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Do You Like Skins?




Potato Skins = Mr. Bricks' favorite appetizer
Recently my manager Mr. Bricks convinced me to meet him in Times Square at the TGI Friday's for what he called a "meeting." As it turns out it was just another excuse for Mr. Bricks to get me to buy him lunch. And since Mr. Bricks travels between Los Angeles and New York a great deal I usually try to let him pick the places he wants to meet for lunch when he is in the city.
I am not a fan of Times Square nor a fan of TGI Friday's - but at least TGIF is a type of restaurant that if you want to eat healthy like I always do, you can usually find something on the menu that doesn't have massive amounts of sodium. I had the Santa Fe Chicken Salad and water with lemon.
Mr. Bricks had the Barbecue Jack Chicken, french fries, a house salad and a mudslide for his meal. (I think I actually heard his arteries hardening as he was ordering) But for an appetizer Mr. Bricks also ordered the Potato Skins - fully loaded. It turns out that, that was what our entire meeting was all about. Potato Skins. Hang on. Follow the Greek Blonde girl on this one.
When Mr. Bricks ordered the Potato Skins he had a huge smile on his face. His lazy eye was relatively steady. Something was definitely up. So I asked.
Me: "What's up Mr. Bricks?"
Mr. Bricks: "Aren't you proud of me?"
Me: "For What?"
Mr. Bricks: "I ordered Potato Skins"
Me: "and???" (using my arms gesturing WTH in my best Greek sign language move)
Mr. Bricks: "We'll isn't that one of your so-called super foods?"
Me: " Not exactly"
I never should have said that because that woke up the lazy eye.
In my best Jillian Michaels' voice I tried to explain to Mr. Bricks that when you take the so-called super food of a nice Idaho Potato and then scoop out the guts and deep-fry it until it is a crispy brownish golden color you kinda lose the "super" from the phrase "super food".  Furthermore, when you then take the deep-fried potato carcass and fill it to the rim with thick cut maple flavored smoked bacon and add more melty cheddar cheese than you would put on a family sized pizza you are now bordering on a federal crime.
Personally, if I knew who ever invented the potato skin-cheddar cheese-bacon bits-sour cream concoction as an appetizer I  think I would bop them upside their noggin. What were they thinking?
Anyway, back to the corner table upstairs at TGI Friday's overlooking Times Square I spent the next 2 hours explaining the entire super food concept to Mr. Bricks over and over. I think I lost him at the first mention of thick cut bacon. That's when the eye started twitching so bad I had to look away.
Now I know with the Super Bowl coming up next month many Super Bowl parties will feature so much unhealthy foods like Potato Skins that Mr. Bricks will be mad he can't attend them all. But I just hope after our "business meeting" and my explanation of the unhealthy aspects of eating Potato Skins that it will no longer be business as usual for Mr. Bricks' eating habits.
A Greek girl can dream can't she?
Blessings,
Ava
xox

Friday, January 21, 2011

Dude Looks Like A Lady

So Steven Tyler is one of the new judges for American Idol.  I like him and his band Aerosmith, but that still isn't enough to get me to watch the show. Sorry Mr. Head of Programming at Fox.
It might surprise you that The Greek Blonde girl is not a fan of American Idol. Yah, who knew? Just because I am a singer and recording artist doesn't mean I must like a show about singers that creates manufactured careers. In my Greek noggin, the only real American Idol has been Kelly Clarkson...oh, wait I also think Daughtry is a really talented singer as well as Kelly.
The problem I have with the show American Idol is that it gives false hopes to so many people. This is a hard business. But now thanks to that reality series so many people think that if they get on TV it will make them a great singer. What it actually does, is it reinforces that lose screw in their coconut that makes them think they are a good singer.  Hold the phone William Hung can you hear me now? We all really know that just because you are on TV doesn't mean you are a good singer, or that you can even sing for that matter. We had that nonsense and muckery with Larry Platt and his song, Pant's On The Ground to prove that.
I have great respect for myself as a singer and for all of those who have also trained to perfect their craft like I have. However, I don't have a great deal of respect for marginal Karaoke singers who have a really great back story and get lots of exposure on National TV.
Now before you go off asking me if this Greek Girl wants a little whine with her cheese, let me say, this is not about sour grapes. I am happy when anyone has something wonderful happen to them. And clearly anyone who is on American Idol is in for an incredible ride with some really great opportunities in store for them. But just because they were on American Idol doesn't mean they are  a fantastic singer.
Note: Please scroll up and re-read paragraph 3 - just sayin'
Blessings,
Ava
xox

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Batman

I was never much of a comic book nerd...oops did I just say that out loud? I mean, I was never really into comic books. While other kids were either playing with toys, dolls or reading comic books, I was the little girl with sneakers on sitting in a tree writing songs.
But the concept that makes up the fodder for most comic books of good and evil forces colliding was not entirely absent from my life. Some of my early songwriting was similar to that of the drama from a Batman comic book. Girl meets boy. Boy treats girl nice for a week, then becomes a jerk. Girl calls friend who lives in a cave who has really neat black car that spits fire out the back to come beat up mean boy. Boy with nice car and girl go off into the sunset.
As I got older I met more people, experienced life a little  more and my life became a little more complexed. My song lyrics then started reflecting the new complexity of my life and relationships. However this time,  it was more reality not fantasy. I was writing about real relationships that went bad.  And now there  was no Batman to call on the Bat Phone to come rescue me.
In the funny pages, in addition to the usual suspects (Catwoman, Riddler, The Joker and Penguin) Batman always had a bevy of new characters to deal with that made the story lines become darker and darker. Over time with all of the muckery in my life, I have noticed that my songwriting has also become darker than what it once was.  I look at this as a good thing. It means I am writing what is true to me and that I am growing as a person.
I still love writing about love, don't get me wrong.  And Batman is still a bit of a romancer when he is his alter ego Bruce Wayne. He really knows how to charm the pantaloons off of the ladies. Of all of the actors who have played Batman over the years, Christian Bale is my absolute favorite. I love him as Batman. Just thought you would want to know.
One last parallel between Batman and The Greek Blonde girl is I live in New York City and Batman's residence was Gotham City. "Gotham" has been a nickname for New York City originating way back to 1807. Writers of Batman switched it from New York to the fictional city of Gotham in 1940 in episode 4 of the DC comic book. They did not want anyone to identify with it and say, hey I live in New York and that was me they were making fun of. The names of towns are frequently fictionalized in movies and TV shows for that reason.
So there you have it. Who needs Kevin Bacon? I was able to connect myself to Batman with only 2 degrees of separation.
Blessings,
Ava
xox

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Good China


A threat to US security?
I've been not feeling well and in a NyQuil fog for the last couple of days, so I haven't exactly seen why there is all of this fuss about China.
Besides, I'm not much of a news watcher on TV as of late because it seems that most of the stations want to live up to the TV news motto, "If it bleeds, It leads" They are looking for negative grisly stories to report, far  more than they are looking for positive, uplifting, feel good stories.  So I just got into the habit of  not watching the news. I get my news from a variety of online sources, where it is more reliable and because everything on the superweb is true.  Besides, I can read the stories that I want to hear about, not what some news director wants me to hear about.
I keep seeing everywhere, including on Twitter that China is a trending topic. Why? How boring.  I'd rather hear about The Real Housewives of New Jersey...wait, no I wouldn't.  I take that back.
One online news source had a headline that said "China Bad for US Economy" and yet another one said "China a threat to US Security?" So why is China all the sudden such a big topic?
I know China seems a little antiquated. Its seems like I  heard more about China when I was younger. I always think about old ladies when I hear the word China.  My Grandmother could talk for hours about China.  Of course she is Greek, so no big surprise there. My Grandmother told me that some day she would give me China. I'm still waiting. But then again, if it's such a national security threat, I think I should tell my Grandmother no can do on the China.
Another online news site reported that President Obama might appoint a Czar to China. That just seems silly to me, but I suppose whom ever became that Czar would be busy and could claim to have a full plate -- just sayin'.
Maybe I am totally missing something here. If China is such a National Security risk to our country why then is The President having an elaborate State dinner at the White House with China. I know that is true  because I checked it out on Snopes.com and here is a photo:


Obama State Dinner With China!
Well, what ever the fuss is about China, this Greek Girl is unimpressed. I was bored when my Grandmother talked about China and I'm bored about China now. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Blessings,
Ava
xox