Be thoroughly entertained, support three amazing causes AND hear me use several four-letter words while talking about vaginas!

Tribal Truth Presents: The Vagina Monologues!: Birch North Park Theatre, San Diego, CA on April 7th, 2011.

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“Empower women who have overcome adversity to be leaders in their lives, their families, and their communities.

Through her vision & the Women’s Leadership Institute, Dana Bristol-Smith changed my life (so much so, that I’ve recently been offered -- and accepted -- a position on its Advisory Council).   We are currently in the running at the Pepsi Refresh Project to make it possible for more women to experience the same!

YOU can help us win a
$50,000 grant to
Expand the Women’s Leadership Institute throughout California

The top ten highest vote-getters in our category will be funded,
so please vote daily and encourage your friends to do the same!

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_PnaWrM_Xk

It’s time for me to stop hiding my true self.

I love “The Hills” and still like seeing what Spencer & friends are up to.

Judge all you want -- I’m very secure in my pop culture tastes (or lack thereof!)

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The two words my friend used to describe this video when she shared it on Facebook (I agree!):

Pure Joy

Hat tip: Janna Barkin

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Let’s kick this weekend off with two of my favorite things combined! IKEA and cats!

(Actually, make that THREE of my favorite things -you can get ice cream at IKEA too!)

The familiar scenario: Walking through IKEA,  giddy from the winding orchestrated showcase rooms, yet unable to shake off the melancholy caused by the tangible absence of cats.

Where some people see problems, others see “opportunities” -- in this particular case, an opportunity to let 100 cats loose in a UK IKEA and capture it on film.

Which gives me a fabulous idea for my 40th birthday (next July -- mark your calendar!).  I wonder if the San Diego IKEA would let me do something similar?  If so, I just have a couple of small requests:

• Balloons scattered throughout the store to enhance the festive party vibe
• Waiters circulating with hor d’oeuvres (meatballs, natch) and cocktails (so the guests don’t have to navigate through the IKEA maze in order to get a drink)
• To simplify things, I ‘d prefer to select the aforementioned waiters to be selected from the following pool of  pre-screened candidates: Eric Dane*, David Beckham*, Gael Garcia Bernal, Josh Holloway*, Jude Law, Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell*, Bradley Cooper* and Johnny Depp (names with asterisks (*) denote those who should check their shirts at the door)
• Disco ball and bubble machine in the warehouse (Bonus: get Party Ben to DJ)
• Ball pit emptied (and sanitized) then refilled with pom-poms, cat nip and kittens.
• Working entertainment systems in each of the living room showcases playing cute/funny animal videos (with a special emphasis on an inter-species buddy theme). Side tables should hold bowls of pretzels, M&M’s and ChexMix
• Birthday cake in each dining room showcase
• A champagne birthday toast in the bed and mattress display area, followed by a brief performance by Justin Timberlake.
• Birthday hats on all of the cats (I am fine with them choosing to bring a favorite from home or to make their own)

On another note: If you don’t want to watch the “making of” or can’t wait to see the final resulting IKEA commercial, here it is:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7vXP3tHzhA

via Laughing Squid via Doobybrain
hat cat tip: Billy King

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But the final stunt is when Momoko gets in the speedboat . . . and Lilly waterskis behind.

I love the internet!

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A tale of a bulldog babysitter and a lonely primate.

There’s not much more one can say about that.

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Danny & Annie from StoryCorps on Vimeo.

This post is dedicated to Danny and Annie.  And to finding our own Danny or Annie in each of our lives.

Be warned: This will probably make you cry. Or at least have your eyes well up!

Hat tip (and a big hug):  Ahmed Naguib

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Maybe it’s my meds. Maybe it’s the heat. Maybe I’m just scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life, the way I feel when I’m with you - ooops! That’s Baby in Dirty Dancing, not me! Got a bit carried away there!

Whatever the reason  (I’m sure if I spent another couple of minutes, I could list at least five more), I’m cranky and I’m irritated and am not about to take it out on my cats – and certainly not on you. (I love you! You know that! Right? OK – we’ll talk more bout that later – remind me!)

I’d say it’s possible I got up on the wrong side of the bed – only I still don’t have a friggin  bed to sleep in, thanks to a combination of careless movers, poor timing, ADHD-procrastinated paperwork, and just overall shoddy customer service from Priority Moving.

So, I’m in the mood to vent. I’m wanting  to share some of the frustration that the random dingbats and doody-heads (you heard me right!) are bringing into my life.

Still, I don’t want to turn my blog into a ranting bitch-fest.

What’s a girl to do?

If that girl is me, she creates another blog to house all her complaints and disappointments. (Or some of them, at least!)

She even convinces herself this is a positive thing – rather than sit and stew, she can get it all out there, off that DDD chest that already weighs her down.  Plus,  perhaps by publishing these atrocities,  I (yeah, switching back to 1st person – I’m crazy that way) can contribute to the googlesphere – so that others don’t repeat the same mistakes.

If I can prevent one tourist from choosing the Mission Valley “Resort”, then it’s all worth it.

Well, not really – it still sucked.

But it does feel a bit therapeutic to publicly declare to each
Truly Nolan, Priority Moving, and  The Mission Valley Resort:

I think you stink!!!

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One of the most vital lessons I’ve learned this past year is the importance of reaching out for help.

The Speak for Success Women’s Leadership Institute is accepting nominations for its “Women Changing the World” Award.

As I’ve expressed in my most recent blog posts, the Women’s Leadership Institute was a life-changing experience for me. Over the past decade or so I’ve participated in my share of leadership trainings, goal-setting workshops and motivational seminars at some world-class organizations. Hands down, I gained more during my 10 weeks with Speak for Success than I have from all of my other experiences combined.

What does this have to do with asking for help?
(Be patient, grasshopper, I am getting there!)

I’ve yet to figure out how to succinctly articulate the impact the Women’s Leadership Institute has already made in my life – as well as in the lives of my classmates. (The words that come to mind just sound cliche and don’t embody the spirit of the organization quite well enough to do it justice.) Equally difficult has been finding a way to adequately express my gratitude to Dana and the other women who gave me this opportunity.

One way I am able to demonstrate my gratitude is to lend my voice – and my community – to  spread the information about Speak for Success and its events to as many people as I can reach.

Will you help me? By giving just two minutes of your time, you can help give countless women back their lives.

To make it simple, below are 10 ways help Speak for Success change other women’s lives as it changed mine (most of these can be completed in 2 minutes or less):

1. Tweet a link to this post
2. Share this post on Facebook
3. Share this post on LinkedIn
4. Email a link to this post to your friends
5. Link to this post on your blog
6. Write about the “Women Changing the World” Award nominations on your blog. (copy & paste this to make it easy)
7. Nominate a woman who is changing the world (details below)
8. Are you a woman changing the world? If so, encourage others to nominate you!
9. Consider sponsoring (or asking your employer/company to sponsor) the event
10. Have another idea to help get the word out? Please share it in the comments below!
11. (bonus!) Connect with Speak for Success on Facebook
12. (another bonus!) Follow @Speak4Success on Twitter

Thank you for helping me!

Note: Although the awards event is in San Diego, I’ve confirmed that nominations are open to any women – regardless of location – as long as they can be in San Diego to attend the awards ceremony

Nominations for the 2010 “Women Changing the World” Award are now open. Entering its second year, this program recognizes San Diego area women leaders who have made significant contributions encouraging, supporting, and empowering women and families in their organizations and communities.

The “Women Changing the World” Award is sponsored by the Speak for Success Women’s Leadership Institute, an extraordinary program that provides an enriching empowerment and leadership program to women overcoming serious adversities including domestic violence, homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. Graduates of the Women’s Leadership Institute go on to become inspirational leaders in the community, helping others as they help themselves succeed.

This year’s winners will represent some of the finest examples of leadership, inspiration and community service. The Call for Nominations plays an integral role in that process. We encourage your participation, and invite you to join us in celebrating the contributions made by these extraordinary women who are your colleagues, peers, mentors, friends and family. Nominations across the diverse sectors and industries of San Diego are welcome. Examples include but are not limited to community, government, business, nonprofit services, science, medicine, law, arts, media, academia, philanthropy, family, and so on.

Previous recipients including Karny Stefan, CEO, Walden Family Services; Mary Marcdante, author and motivational speaker; Dr. Carolle Jean Murat, physician and medical director of the Wellness and Retreat Center, San Diego; Helice Bridges, Founder & President of Difference Makers International; and Gael Strack, JD, Co-Founder and CEO, National Family Justice Center Alliance.

DEADLINE FOR ENTRY IS Friday, August 27. Nominations may be submitted as an attachment via email or completed online. No exceptions to the deadline, please.

The Selection Committee is looking for nominees who meet the following criteria:

• Is available to attend the September 25, 2010 awards event from 6:00 – 9:30 p.m. in person to receive her recognition.
• Has achieved personal and career goals.
• Has overcome adversity in her life.
• Is an inspiring role model.
• Is a leader in the community and/or her organization.
• Empowers other women to reach their full potential.
• Gives back to the community in a significant way.

Please click here for the 2010 Nomination Form. Complete your form online, or email a copy of your completed nomination to womenleaders@speakforsuccess.com

For 2010 Women Changing the World Sponsor Information, click here or email dana@speakforsuccess.com

For additional information regarding nominations call Debbie Lousberg: 760-941-5166 or email: womenleaders@speakforsuccess.com

Visit: www.SpeakForSuccessWomenLeaders.org

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