Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July!

I do realize that I am a day behind on posting this but I also know that usually celebrating the Fourth of July lasts the whole weekend!

What's interesting to me about America is how we're able to eat “American” food, but we also, on these days, have food inspired by multiple other countries. It almost proves that America is a big melting pot. Taking politics out of the equation, I can absolutely say that I am proud to live in a country that is still free. We all are able to recognize that this freedom does not come free and we have to continue to keep freedom alive, throughout generations and generations. Even though this isn't Veterans Day, we must remember that we would not be celebrating the Fourth of July without the men and women who fought for the beautiful America that we live in today. Let's not forget why we're able to enjoy our cookouts, fireworks and pools!

This is one of my favorite, unscripted speeches from a World War II veteran, Bill Shields. His message is so touching and so important.

Please take a moment to listen to what he has to say and share it. You will not regret it:

Watch On YouTube

Now we get to continue to celebrate and have fun with friends, family and fabulous fireworks! We were lucky enough to have fireworks all around us last night and we got invited to a friend's house again this year (she keeps asking us back, it's a surprise, I know) to watch some more!

Tell me, how did you celebrating this Fourth of July? Share your traditions below!

How To Disable the 'Seen' Option on Facebook

Believe it or not, this is not an ad nor am I getting paid to talk about these apps. I am totally behind on talking about these apps as they've been developed for quite a while but for those of you that have not discovered them and value your privacy -- these apps are for you!

These simple applications and extensions will allow you to send and receive messages without the other participant knowing when you have 'read' or in some cases, clicked on this message. The only down fall of them? Because Facebook decides you've only read your messages if their read recipient plug-in says so, the messages will be marked as 'unread' until you reply or disable the extension or app. I promise you that it's totally worth it. I am sure that there are other websites that offer "free", "safe" applications or extensions that offer more options or the same but these ones come directly from the Chrome Web Store and the Mozilla Featured Extensions list of the best add-ons so they are guaranteed to be safe. Please be sure to only download the extensions from there -- I do not have enough money to pay for your computer if you say that I directed you to another link. 

Below I have complied a list of the most commonly used, highest rated and most liked extensions (or in some cases, applications) that can all be accessed by the hyperlinks posted below the extension's description. 

Google Chrome Extensions

1) Facebook Unseen: In the right hand corner of your browser, you will see a circle with two chat boxes inside. When it is blue it is enabled, when it is not, it is disabled. Simple, right? This is the one I am most fond of. It also works for both the chat and inbox version of Facebook messaging. The other issue with this extension is it automatically says you've read your group messages even if you haven't read them.

Click here to add the "Facebook Unseen" extension to your Google Chrome browser.

2) Messenger Unseen: This extension is very similar to Facebook Unseen, the same features and everything. It will show up in your right hand corner as well and is a blue box, the blue box is outlined in red when enabled and the outline disappears when it is enabled. 

Click here to add the "Messenger Unseen" extension to your Chrome Browser.

3) Facebook Chat Privacy: This extension is similar to the others, but has a feature that the other do not, or do not state that they have: it also does not show the other participant when you are typing. This extension shows up as two people in your search bar when you are on Facebook. You can only tell if you have enabled or disabled it by clicking on it and looking at the drop down menu. 

Click here to add the "Facebook Chat Privacy" extension to your Google Chrome Browser.

There are many more options for Chrome but those were the ones I used the most.

However, there aren't many FireFox extensions that are linked from their add-on site. FireFox's read recipient extensions seem to be rated moderately and have mixed reviews. I will only direct you to the two that I tried that worked well for me. I will admit, Chrome's extensions are much, much better! 

FireFox Extensions

1) Unseen: This extension will only leave the message unread, or unseen, if you do not open it in the inbox. However, as long as you don't plan to do that, you can read the messages without the other participant knowing. 

Add the "Unseen" extension to your Firefox browser here.

2) Seen Block: This extension works for both the chat version, and the inbox version. The only bad thing about this extension is that it is no longer maintained for FireFox and will only work on certain versions of FireFox browsers. If you have recently updated your FireFox browser, this extension may not work.

Add the "Seen Block" extension to your browser here.

Enabling/Disabling FireFox Extensions: In order to enable or disable your FireFox extensions, you will need to go to the left-hand corner, click on the orange "FireFox" button until you see a drop down menu. From there you will go directly to "add-ons" and you will be able to see which extensions are enabled or disable. Admittedly, it's a bit of a hassle but if you want the extensions, that's just the way love goes, babe.

What are your favorite apps or extensions?

Bloglovin!

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You can now follow me on Bloglovin! There will soon be a widget to take you directly to the site somewhere on the blog... until then, use the link posted above to follow me and your other favorite blogs!

Random Questions About Me Answered

Yesterday, my OCD mind drove me insane by planting the idea in my head that I misspelled a word in one post and I published it. I decided to ease my mind by checking through my most recent posts to check for spelling errors one last time. While doing this, I noticed that I introduced my blog, but I never really introduced myself. I don't want to reveal too much about myself yet, as I am finding my way again in the blogging world but I figured I'd answer a few random, fun questions about myself.

Just in case you ever wondered. Here are some answered questions about yours truly:

Before you started this survey, what were you doing?
Thinking about blogging...

With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

Divorce Wars. This is only because I turned on my television to a random channel so I could listen to background noise. If I had it my way, I'd be watching Will and Grace.

When did you last step outside? What were you doing?

Hmm... I think I last stepped outside this morning. I can't remember what I was doing.

What is on the walls of the room you are in?

Various pictures, a clock and a shelf.

Seen anything weird lately?

I have internet... Of course I have!

Reveal one thing about you that most people don't know...

This is a hard one considering that I am a pretty open person. One thing that most people don't know about me is that I only currently own two pairs of jeans and that they are skinny jeans.

Do you like to dance?

I really do not. I cannot dance... I took dance classes when I was younger but the lessons clearly did not pay off. I'm just not comfortable enough to dance in front of people! However, on my own, "dancing" consists of jumping around while singing my favorite 2000 - 2001 hits.

Would you ever consider living abroad?

Absolutely! I would not want to live abroad for a long period of time but I would for sure consider living abroad for a few months - a year at a time.

Does your name make any interesting anagrams?

Nope. It just looks like a word from Harry Potter.

If you could change something about your home, without worry about expense or mess, what would you do?

Expand! Expand! Expand! I can never have enough space. I am greedy, I understand.

What was the last thing you bought?

A pair of pants.

Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?

I'll try anything once, especially if there is a risk involved!

Have you ever been in a beauty pageant?

I have. That was a mistake -- but I won!

Is the glass half empty or half full?

The glass is always half full! Things could always be worse.

Have you ever won a trophy?

Yes, at a pageant once. There were a few other ribbons in between though.

Are you a good cook?

I cook. People seem to enjoy my cuisines and no one dies sooo... I'll let you be the judge of that.

What do you do most when you are bored?

Write something.

If you could have any job, what would you want to do/be?

A detective! Hopefully, when the time is right, I will be working towards that goal.

Which came first the chicken or the egg?

IS A TOMATO A FRUIT OR VEGETABLE?

What kind of books do you like to read?

Anything that seems interesting. I don't usually fall into reading trends, but most recently, I have wanted to read "Flowers in The Attic" from the 1970's. The series inspired a Lifetime movie that has turned into three sequels. It's rather interesting story.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Night owl, for sure!

Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

Despite me trying multiple times, no. Only if I push my nose... down towards my... tongue?

Can you close your eyes and raise your eyebrows?

Oh yes! I cannot control my eyebrows. They seem to move on their own.

What is most important in life?

The most important in life is the love that you give and receive. You almost always get what you project out, and I hope that I give as much love and I receive. The people close to you are more important than any job, materialistic item, etc.

What inspires you?

Many things inspire me. I would say people inspire me more often than anything else. What's cooler than people and the things they say or do? I am fascinated with why we do the things we do. Finding out someone's motive for doing what they've done can be inspiring. 

When You and Your Mother Clash

Let's face it, the woman who raised you isn't always the person you want to be exactly like. You may love that woman to death but sometimes, or in some cases - most of the time, you two are arguing over every little detail. My mother and I have a relationship is often a hit or miss. One minute we're talking about our lives and sharing stories... and the next minute we're arguing over the correct pronunciation of someone's name. I am the first to admit that I love my mother, we're both equally insane and we do have some things in common but when you gravitate towards one parent more than the other, it can be difficult to establish a healthy relationship with that other parent. My mother and I just don't share the same sense of humor, the same likes, or really the same most things! Just because you've grown up with someone does not mean that you are into the same things. You are still two different individuals and you may not always click. But guess what? She's your mother. You're not going to be able to take her into Walmart and exchange her -- nor do you want to, well maybe sometimes. You have to make the best of the relationship that you do have.

Here are a few of my tips for dealing with... making your mother's life easier:

Stop trying to be right!
You both aren't going to agree. You're not going to get her to see the other side -- even if it happens to be a fact, like the spelling of a name, if the proof isn't right in front of you. It's easier to say "We're not going to agree on this. Let's just drop it." than it is to continuously argue over the same thing on your way to Nordstrom. If your mother keeps pushing, as hard as it is, don't reply. Start changing the subject. Talk about something she likes to talk about, even if it's about that snobby cashier at Kmart. It takes the pressure off of you and you can both agree that teenagers pretty much suck. 

"It's not what you said, it's the way you said it!"
I am a very expressive person, I don't mean to raise my voice or give you an 'attitude' but it seems to happen. My mother tends to get very offended by this, just as I get offended with her sighs of annoyance. Take a moment before you answer her, answer with caution. 

Don't take it personally! 
My mother and I are both guilty of making jokes but not being able to take them. I am usually a very, very thick skinned person -- but I realized that my mother is more sensitive than my father is. I cannot say the same things to her... and usually, when she's making a joke, because we don't share the same sense of humor, I take it offensively. You just have to let it go! Smile, bite your tongue, laugh it off and move the freak on!

 Remember that we're all hypocritical at one point.
I know that when I did something, and my mother commented on it, I threw whatever similar thing she'd done back at her. I learned through making my own mistakes and being put in a similar situation, she wasn't actually judging me. The reality is, she's probably only upset with you because she now understands the repercussions and the effect that this decision will have on your life... This brings me to my next point.

Stop making assumptions.
Stop assuming that every sigh, or comment that she makes is meant for YOU. Sometimes we generalize a statement, this doesn't necessarily mean she's talking about you directly. Sometimes she sighs because, well, that's how she chooses to breathe! Before you assume that she is making a comment about something you've said or done, think about it.

Listen to her advice, even if you don't really want it.
Mothers are good for giving us unsolicited and unwanted advice. Even though you KNOW that you're probably not going to listen -- after all, we must make our own mistakes and learn from them ourselves -- take it anyway. Whatever you're dealing with, your mother has probably already dealt with it, or at least gone through a similar thing. Besides, she's going to give you that advice anyway! Why not actually listen? Which again reminds me of another huge, and similar tip.

Take everything into consideration.
Most mothers are critical of their children, especially their daughters. Keep in mind that she is most likely not doing this to make you upset or angry -- just as you have your way of doing things, she has hers. She's your mom. She knows how you grew up and would probably prefer you to do things her way. Take it into consideration... Is it the most efficient way? Is it the safest way? Does it make more sense? Tell her thanks for the tip and offer her a drink!

Establish clear boundaries and stick to them.
Just like you don't want Mom walking in your house at random times uninvited, she's probably at a place in her life now where she doesn't want you to do the same. Create boundaries. You need to establish a healthy set of boundaries to keep your sanity... This means have a plan before you barge into each other's house, that could mean something as simple as calling first. Know what you want to tell her -- if you and your mother have a relationship where you can tell her everything about your life, that is absolutely wonderful. If you don't, know your limits. 

Let go of the past.
This may be the hardest of all. Like I said, my mother and I have not had the best relationship and there are things that she did in the past that caused some major turmoil, and there are things that I did as a result of that, that did NOT help our relationship at all! The blame lies on both of us. No one is perfect. If you have kids, or plan to have kids, you will soon learn that you, too will make mistakes. You will not be right 100% of the time. You have to cut your mother a break or you're simply not going to have a relationship with her. You must forgive her for her wrong doings. It's SO difficult, but worth it in the end. Everyone wants to be able to say that they had a great relationship with their mother. If you two can get to a place where you can do that, you're absolutely on the right track!

Look at things from another perspective: She probably didn't mean to do it.
Coincidentally, while I was pondering writing this post, a fabulous fellow blogger, Jenn C. of My Daily Jenn-ism, wrote a "must read" post about gossip that made me mention my mother in the comments. This made me think of another tip. Once, my mother accidentally gave some information to someone she wasn't supposed to. She had no idea and assumed that these women were my friends. I was very close to not talking to her but then I realized that from her point of view, it looked like these people were genuinely concerned. You have to be able to look at the situation from her perspective. If you didn't know the information that you know, what would you assume?

She needs to know her place in your life. She is important, tell her.
Even though you and your mother may clash, and you may want to lose your mind, there is some love there. People who have the worst relationships with their mother's usually still have feelings for them -- sometimes that can be love, hate, anger, sadness, etc. You only have feelings for someone if you once loved them. She needs to know that you love her, she needs to know that she's important and needed. You need to know that too. Sometimes, moms tend to look for things that are wrong so that they'll be asked to assist when you decide to "fix" these "problems" or "issues". They only want to feel needed... and sometimes you do really need to learn how to properly do your laundry. 

This, of course, is not a professional list of "tips", but just a few things that have helped me and my mother. Our relationship is far from the ideal mother-daughter relationship (by ideal I mean the relationship I've created in my own head) but by doing some of these things, we've been able to avoid a lot of unnecessary bickering. This is a process, you cannot become best friends overnight and every situation is different. My mother and I have gone through extensive therapy that also has helped tremendously so I encourage you to work through some other issues first before assuming that any blog post, list of tips, personal opinions, etc. will be an automatic fix. 

Good luck,

PS: I stole the above photo from the internet one day, forgot the source and then pretended that it was mine to write all over. If you own this image, sorry. The contact button is on the main page and blah, blah, blah. I'll do whatever you want, just don't sue me.

LOL: The Internet AKA Rainbow Cake Comment Apocalypse.

I have learned from years of experience from everything from writing blogs to managing fan pages that the people of the internet can quickly become very offended... for no real reason at all. One person makes one comment and it blows up into this huge thing, yet the first comment posted is nothing worth fighting about.

This Rainbow-Cake Recipe Comment Apocalypse is a prime example of that. While these are absolutely hilarious, you will automatically search for the appropriate and oh-so-famous "Well, that escalated quickly" meme seen below:

In case you are wondering if the link is worth clicking on, let me show you a preview: 

Now, let me show you one of the first comments that somehow created this apocalypse...

And the best part? The comments about the comments:

A Pimp Named DaveRAlbert Burneko

Wednesday 2:52pm

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We need to make this a thing, people.

Hitler: [invades Poland]

Poland: [suffers huge casualties, surrenders, does not regain its full freedom and independence until the 90s]

Jeanette Daniels Benziger: "Poland is lovely in the fall."

1408Reply

Albert Burneko

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Albert BurnekoA Pimp Named DaveR

Wednesday 4:25pm

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Hindenburg: [explodes]

Dozens: [die]

Jeanette Daniels Benziger: "I admire this airship and will recommend it to my uncle."

1101Reply

C.A. Pinkham

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C.A. PinkhamAlbert Burneko

Wednesday 11:28pm

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Challenger: [explodes]

Nation: [mourns]

Jeannette Daniels Benziger: "I found those odd mid-day fireworks to be quite lovely."

49Reply

ebonyandiverson

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ebonyandiversonA Pimp Named DaveR

Thursday 8:28am

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Andrew Jackson: "Hey, Indians... GTFO."

Native Americans: [trek from their ancestral home to Oklahoma, many die, get smallpox blankets]

Jeanette Daniels Benziger: "I do love a nice walk. I will recommend this trail to my sister-in-law."

Oh Internet, you win every time!

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Screen-cap photo credits: www.theconcourse.deadspin.com (See the hyperlink above for the link to the direct post).

If you would like a photo, comment, etc. removed from this blog post, please contact me here. Follow the instructions and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

I Curse. A lot.

WARNING: This post is completely irreverent, a rambling and probably a waste of your time. Read at your own risk. (I mean, read it, of course. Just make sure you have nothing important to do beforehand. I mean, make sure your kids are alive first.) 

Ramblers, I have come to the realization that I like curse words. Even when I am not saying a curse word aloud, I am certainly saying it inside of my head. I stub my toe? I curse. I drop something? I curse. I curse because, well, I can! This was brought to my attention recently when I got on my parents (I am looking at you, mother!) for cursing so much. I threatened them with sticker charts and the dreaded curse jar. Before I even had the opportunity to finish my sentence, my father piped up from the corner,"You should just put your $100 in now." Me, curse? What? F--- YOU! Oh, wait. I do curse a lot. 

Seeee... this is an accurate impression of me reading certain Facebook posts.

I have decided to become abstinent. THOU SHALT NOT CURSE(ith?). I am going to say I will not curse for a month but the chances of that happening are slim to none. I am hoping I can make it until tomorrow morning at this point... Wish me luck, ramblers! Practicing good habits and stuff is hard. 

Three Year Old Asked to Leave?

Over the weekend, a story has made it's way across the internet and started trending on various social media sites including Facebook and Twitter, but that's not what made me want to write about it... 

Victoria Wilcher, 3.

This sweet little girl, Victoria, was enjoying a day out with her family at a KFC restaurant in Jacksonville, Mississippi. A few weeks prior, she was attacked by three pitbulls at her Grandfather's house. As a result of this attack, Victoria has lost her right eye and the ability to move the right side of her face. She has been through reconstructive surgery to repair her bottom jaw and now has a feeding tube. Because of her injuries, we can imagine that she sees the doctor and her therapists often, so it's no surprise that her  Grandmother, Kelly, took her out to eat after a doctor's appointment. After they sat down and ordered their food, Kelly claimed that a KFC employee asked them to leave, that Victoria's injuries were "disrupting" to other customers. Please keep in mind that because I do not know the person's name, I have to generalize and call this ONE person a "KFC employee". I would like to point out that KFC's management did not make this decisions and certainly did not support it and have offered the family $30,000 towards Victoria's medical bills.

This is how Victoria's Grandmother, Kelly Mullins, recalls the incident:

 "I ordered a large sweet tea and her some mashed potatoes and gravy because she was hungry. She was on a feeding tube at the time, but I figured she could just swallow [the potatoes]. They said, ‘We have to ask you to leave because her face is disrupting our customers.' [Victoria] understood exactly what they said."

Kelly goes on to say that Victoria cried all the way home and now refuses to look in a mirror. She says that her granddaughter is embarrassed and won't even go in to a public place where others could potentially see her.

Are you upset yet? I sure am. This is exactly what is wrong with society. Why is it okay to tell someone, especially a three year old, that they are not welcome in a PUBLIC place because there is something different about them? IT'S NOT OKAY! This is absolutely unacceptable and must stop! This girl did not do one thing wrong. We have to become more accepting of people... We have to accept the way people look, their beliefs, their opinions, etc. You know, we've come a long way since 2000 and we've come an even longer way since before that, in terms of technology, medicine, etc. but I think in terms of bullying and discrimination... we have gotten worse. We've become more aware, but we aren't fixing the problem! Although many, many people have been very supportive towards Victoria and her family, many others have left awful comments on various social media sites because they're secure behind their computer screen. I can guarantee you that these people would NEVER say this in public or to this sweet girl's face. We have GOT TO STOP! How hard is it to accept someone? Don't YOU want to be accepted? Think about it.

Good luck, sweet Victoria! You are beautiful in every way!

Please check out Victoria's Facebook support page: Victoria's Victories!
Also, if you'd like to give a donation to help with Victoria's care, check out her Go Fund Me page: Victoria's Victories (Go Fund Me)

99 Problems and my Internet is 1-98.

WHY? I love the internet but why does it usually never work for me? I will admit that part of the problem is I apparently live in Narnia, which is in between Oz and Metropolis in case you didn't already know, so I am even lucky to have internet service but that doesn't make this okay. I am on various sites, I run various pages, I run various sites myself and yet my internet does not seem to understand this! That bitch is so inconsiderate! Yes, I am referring to my internet as a female because only a female would constantly change her mind. Sometimes she works, sometimes she doesn't. Sometime's she's ready to work out, sometime's she can't be bothered. Sometimes she's just a straight up bitch from Bitchville... Sigh.

Fun Fact: I am using a retro-Opera browser. That's because SOMEONE doesn't allow me to use Google these days. Or FireFox. I had a choice between Internet Explorer and Opera -- what can I say? I would rip off my arm before using Internet Explorer. No I wouldn't. That's a lie. 

To all of my fellow Opera users, I know we are becoming extinct, but don't worry...

One question, internet:

When feeling alone, Google a meme.

 P.S. If you think I am crazy, wait until you see my next posts, or to get a better idea of just how crazy I am, you could just call my mother and ask her. She'd be happy to tell you.