'SCUSE ME, DOCTA SAY WHAT?

This morning while I was doing my ritual "Scroll Through Twitter Before Getting Out of Bed", I came across a link to a video that floored me (I posted it below). CNN's Piers Morgan interviewed this doctor in New York who is offering pro-bono (free) plastic surgeries to victims of bullying. He says that while obviously nobody wants bullying in schools, it is naive and stupid to think that we can stop it by stopping the bullies. He says there will always be bullies and that the solution is to take away the things the victim is being bullied for.

Uhhhh, am I the only one that has a huge issue with this?! It's disgusting on so many levels! This is telling the victim that THEY are the problem, THEY are faulty and broken, THEY need to be fixed. That is just the wrong message to be sending. The problem is with the parenting. These bullies are going to mimic the behavior and aggression they see their parents displaying because they think that is what is acceptable.

A while ago, I saw a bumper sticker that said, "My kid beat up your honor student". And we wonder why kids are committing suicide in record numbers. When are people going to wake up and realize this stuff isn't a joke? These kids are in such a fragile stage. Middle school and high school SUCK. (speaking from my own shitty experience).

Kids are mean and vicious. They don't realize the immense power behind their words. They are constantly being told from peers and the media that they aren't pretty enough or smart enough or cool enough or GOOD enough. And this jackass comes in and solidifies that thought to these kids. What we need to be doing is solving the issue, not just camouflaging it with effing plastic surgery on 14 year olds. It starts at home. And if it doesn't start at home, it needs to be stopped at school. Teachers need to be given the power and the tools to provide a safe place for these bullied kids. The cyber bullying excuse ("Well it didn't happen on school grounds, so technically we can't do anything about it") is utter bullshit. These students cannot be terrified to walk into their classroom. Legislation needs to catch up with the internet. Because these kids need to know that they are far more than "good enough".

L FOR LOOOOVE

Happy Valentines Day to you peeps! What a strange day this is. It puts pressure on people in relationships and it makes single people feel shitty. And shouldn't you show the people you love that you love them every other day, too? Except I have a confession: I secretly love Valentine's Day. Before David, I never really had anyone exceptional to spend Valentine's Day with. Other than that one time sophomore year of high school when a boy presented me with flowers and asked me to be his official, actual "girlfriend". Giggle. But there's something about the palpable love in the air that just gets me. People are happy, guys are walking down the street with flowers and chocolates, there is just so much possibility. I should probably just admit to myself that I'm a hopeless romantic, but I still feel like I'm above that. I'm in the closet.

That being said, David is probably the least romantic man on the planet. And I'm SO okay with that. It would drive me nuts if he was cheesy. And it makes it even more special when he says or does nice things. So I wasn't expecting much for this Valentine's Day and I really was okay with that. But sure enough, I opened my front door to a David with a dozen roses behind his back. I definitely wasn't mad about that.

His dad called a little later just to check in and say hi. After expressing David's hatred for this unofficial holiday, his dad summed the day up in the most perfect way. "It's just a day to show appreciation for that person who puts up with all of your weird, annoying quirks and loves you despite of them".

Let me tell you, David has a lot of quirks. Weird, annoying quirks. But at the end of the day, most of those things are reasons I love him. And he makes every day and moment better, happier, and complete. What else could I possibly ask for? He makes my life full and way more fun.

So even if you don't have a lovah, Valentine's Day is a day to show appreciation to the people you care about. Share the warm fuzzies and make em feel special.

And if all else fails, follow Leslie Knope's lead.

JUST A 4x3 RECTANGLE

NEW ADDICTION ALERT. Game of Thrones. Please do me (and yourself) the favor and just leave well enough alone. It sucks you in and then rips your heart out and stomps on it. The blood, the guts, the sex, the swords. What's not to love? After resisting the G.O.T peer pressure from everyone around me for months, I finally gave in. I've zoomed through the first two season because I just can't stop. God, this entire description sounds like a really unhealthy relationship. Also, an obscene amount of people die. Even the likable main characters you think are safe. I'm learning to not get attached to anyone.



If you've never seen an episode, there's something you have to know before I continue. It's incredibly complex. I don't know if it's the medieval language, the storyline, the enormous amount of characters (WHO ALL LOOK ALIKE?!), or what. But I need to be completely devoted for the entire hour to fully grasp what's going on. If I look down to respond to a text, next thing I know, someone gets axed or is having sex with his sister and I am just totally lost (couldn't make that up if I tried).

As I've started watching this show, I have become uncomfortably aware of how attached I am to my cellphone. Obviously I know how connected my generation in particular is. As a Public Relations chick, I study it and I capitalize on it. As a 20 year old chick, I live it. I wasn't a stranger to the fact. But not being able to look at my phone for that 57 minutes killed me at first. I was very uncomfortable just sitting there and watching something. I wasn't looking at my texts, scrolling through Instagram or Twitter, or refreshing my Facebook page every 4 minutes hoping something exciting would be happening (spoiler alert: nothing exciting ever happens on Facebook). I wouldn't go so far as to say I was twitching, but it was close enough to make me aware I have an addiction issue.



Our phones are such a strange thing. EVERYTHING is right at our fingertips. We are constantly accessible. Whether that's a good thing or bad thing, jury's still out. Even if you decide to leave your phone at home, you are expected to be able to get a hold of. If I need someone, text them, and they don't respond within 20 minutes, I get agitated. "I know they have their phone." But think about it. Rewind 10 years, and we weren't dependent on this stupid 4x3 concoction of plastic and temper-glass. And now it's our lifeline.

I have made a pact with myself. Two hours a day, step AWAY from the phone. Leave it at home when I go out for dinner, put it in my room when my roommate and I are both home together, whatever it is. I don't like the idea of being so dependent on this thing. So phone, let's work on this relationship. It's not you, it's me. Actually, it might be a little bit you.

P.S, at least I'm not as weird as this lady...