I wrote my second comment for Nick’s blog (watercoolerchat) on his blog following his final project because his wouldn’t let us comment on his original for some reason? But anyway, thank you so much… had a blast being apart of your class as well as with everyone else!! :)

-meg barnes

I agree that media displays things that shouldn’t necessarily be shown to the public. Tiger and Elin’s relationship is very shallow, and I didn’t even know that they had made a settlement so that she wouldn’t divorce him. If I was her, I would take my chances and still divorce him - while hoping for half of everything… I would not want to be tied down to a cheating husband, what’s to say he won’t do it again? No amount of money would make me happy to stay with that man - period. That said, I have never been in their situation so who’s to say what I would actually do.. tough question. To be honest, I have bigger worries in my life than to actually give a crap about their relationship.. it’s just good dinner conversation haha :)

So who doesn’t like their weekly dose of juicy Hollywood drama, right? It can be very entertaining and shallow, can make you crave that lifestyle of the rich and the famous, or it can make you say wow, I’m really glad that I am not that celebrity right about now.

Recently, some speculation about Tiger Woods and his latest activities has been making headline news in the best of the trashiest tabloid magazines. I occasionally like to glance through these while waiting in line at Walmart, or in the waiting room at my hair place… But lately I have also been highly entertained by Perez Hilton’s blog site and his take on life, since he is SUCH a different personality than the people that we come into contact with in Marshall, MN. Hell, sometimes shallowness can be taken in small doses right? (Stimulates the mind? … hmm, no maybe not - but whatever. Human nature tempts us to read it anyway.)

Back to my point, basically Tiger Woods can usually do a good job of avoiding the media, and paparazzi - but with his latest scandal where he cheated on his wife Elin Nordegren, now even ESPN can’t seem to stop talking about what a lying, cheating, bastard that he is. Perez posted a blog about Tiger which contained many personal and explicit messages between him and his temptress Jaimee Grubbs. It seems as if “sexting” isn’t just for desperate teenagers anymore - but it also comes in handy for married, middle-aged men as well.

Here’s just a brief conversation between the two of them to give you a taste of just how intimate their texting can be:

Sept. 27, 6:38 p.m.
Jaimee: miss u
Tiger: now that’s hot so who is your new boy toy
Jaimee: no new boy toy … still running dry… been on 2 real dates in the pat 2 months 
Tiger: I need you
Jaimee: then get your tight ass over here and visit me! I need u
Tiger: I will wear you out soon
Jaimee: how soon? I got a new piercing
Tiger: really. Where
Jaimee: I just sent u a pic of it … is on my cheek below my eye … implanted a little diamond
Tiger: send it again. I didn’t pick up on that
Tiger: you just need some attention from me
Tiger: do you have a boy friend (8:45 p.m.)
Jaimee: I don’t even have someone I am dating … no … u can be my boyfriend 
Tiger: then I am
Jaimee: I wish
Tiger: quiet and secretively we will always be together
Tiger: when was the last time you got laid

Hmmm, role model for young athletes and little kids, not to mention teenagers and adults across the world? .. SWEET. It’s great to see what some people do with their power and privilege that they have in their lives.

If that’s not enough to make you sick to your stomach here’s some more at a later date:

Sept. 30, 3:38 p.m.
Jaimee: if we hang out on a Sundway we can watch desperate houswives again haha
Tiger: oh god
Jaimee: take a break from watching boring old golf
Jaimee: I mean the amazing sport of golf 
Jaimee: [more than an hour later] babe I was kidding
Tiger: I know sexy

Read More: Celebrity gossip juicy celebrity rumors Hollywood gossip blog from Perez Hilton http://perezhilton.com/page/2/#ixzz0ZJakKyFW

This whole issue - while in the typical couple would be kept to themselves - (after all marriage problems really aren’t much of the public’s business)… is one of the most scandolous since Clinton and Monica. And since Tiger Woods is one of the most popular and now infamous golfers/athletes from The United States, there is no way that something like this could be hushed up.

It makes me feel so bad for his wife, Elin. She seems like a very private person, and to be her would really be heart-breaking and not very much fun right about now.

As far as I’m concerned, I think that this whole issue has knocked Tiger Woods, who I once thought to be a classy and well deserving man - down to the very bottom notch. This whole issue also proves that no matter how much you have, and how good you look to those around you.. nobody is perfect, and there is usually something under the surface that is messed up.

Anyway… that’s enough “gossip” (is that the right word choice?) to last me about 2 months. Time to spend time on deeper intellectual conversations, and finals… Comments are desired. Let me know what you think! xoxo.

-Meg

So finals are next week, and I am for sure feeling the crunch and pressure to get that coveted A+ on my final exams. I thought it might be helpful to post just a few short tips, that you may or may not have heard before (especially for those freshman out there who haven’t had a college final before), and to just give you that extra boost of motivation and head down the right track. So here we go, “How to ACE a final…”

1.) DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE NIGHT BEFORE THE EXAM TO STUDY. This point is imperative and a key to success!! It’s a good way to build brain cells too :)

2.) Start out by reading your notes, and highlighting key terms that you know are going to be on the test.. it’s especially nice if your professor has a review sheet because then you know exactly what to study for.

3.) Make flash cards and have someone test you… make sure you can explain the information to them, because when you do this - it sticks in your head and is easier to remember when the time of the final comes.

4.) Never, ever pull an “All-Nighter” on the night before an exam. This is a “freshman trick,” meaning that good students learn very quickly that it is futile. You will feel like a piecea shit the next day, and it will be very hard for your brain to focus and bring to the table the type of information you need to.

5.) Write down just a few key points that you for sure NEED to remember and look those over the night before the exam, and also just before the exam.

Alright, I think that’s all I got.. good luck with finals everybody! Don’t party too hard after they are done. Comments are welcome xoxo

I don’t know about you, but shopping for the holidays is one of my least favorite, yet necessary things to do. Not only is it an added stress - but lots of the time you end up getting somebody something that they don’t really need, or will never use. This morning I experienced Black Friday for the first time in my entire life - let’s just say it was an experience that I could never have again and be perfectly fine with. Not only did it seem as if the WHOLE town of Alexandria showed up but, every psychotic and determined lady over the age of 40 was out and about this morning as well. Target’s parking lot was overflowed and cars were lined all the way a half mile away, Menard’s lines were about 40 minute wait, and in the mall to get from one end of Herbergers to the other took an average of 20 minutes of shuffling and bumping into people. As I was trying to squeeze past a slightly obese woman to grab the last black snuggie I thought to myself - hmmm sure would have loved to have some tips right now so that I could avoid this inconvenience… This is what I came up with, How to survive holiday shopping:

1.) Most important tip… Waking up at 5 am is NOT necessary!!!! haha this was my mistake, My bestie Eve and I stayed up watching Twilight until 1:30 and then woke up by 4:45 am. At the stores they are pretty well stocked and by 9 am they still have the same stuff available (unless you are looking for a big electronic purchase, then you will need to get there on time).

2.) Don’t bring with a jacket or to you girls a purse, because you literally have a tiny pathway available.

3.) Look for coupons and map out what you want in each store, because this will avoid wandering around aimlessly and allow you to get in line ASAP.

4.) Leave your attitude at the door… Too many times I got bumped and cut off and it was just plain rude because the person didn’t apologize! Terrible…

5.) All I’m gonna say is good luck hahah - I’m not doin Black Friday again, there are too many other times that you can buy Christmas presents hell I’m tempted to just make all of my gifts.

That’s it guys, share stories and comments!! xoxo

So I have been in bed sick since fri afternoon with a fever and just not feeling well and unable to get outta bed :( and this week I am gonna write down just a few things that have made me feel better… So here we go, how to recover from being sick:

1.) REST. I know it’s hard to just sit back and relax when you have a million different things that you need to get done: papers to write, tests to take, laundry to do… the list goes on and on…  but the body’s only way to fix what’s wrong with it is to get some z’s.

2.) Take Vitamins Daily!! These really do make a difference, and since your immune system is very weak… it’s nice to give your body that little boost of what it needs to help make it better again.

3.) Since you have so much down time, turn off the tv and facebook, open up a word document and map out what needs to get done that you can do while sitting in bed… maybe it’s that book for Novel class that you need to read, (not to mention that paper for Rhetoric that is due in just a short period of time). Turn off anything that is going to distract you and make sure you have a quite environment to work with.

4.) Chicken soup made from scratch is sooooo good. Nuff said.

5.) Finally, think positively. When you do turn on the TV, find a movie that makes you laugh, smile, giggle - whatever it is that boosts your mood. Happy people = healthy people =)

That’s it for today. Check back on Sunday! Comments are welcome xoxo

It’s the latest craze, it’s a fad that everyone is talking about, and it has become the “cool” thing to do to keep our world a cleaner and better place. All kinds of businesses, celebrities, etc are sporting their support for this cause and I think it’s wonderful that keeping our earth beautiful isn’t just known as something that a “tree hugging hippie” care about.

Here we go, here are some tips on how to go green in small ways:

1.) Most obviously, here are some of the ones we have all heard before - turn off the lights when you aren’t using them, don’t leave the water running when you’re brushing your teeth, and recycle EVERYTHING possible at all times - whether it’s water bottles/plastic, newspapers, cardboard - i don’t care, just recycle it!!

2.) Shorten your shower, every minute you cut from your shower saves roughly 5 gallons of water.

3.) Walk or ride a bike when you can, do you really need to drive your car three blocks down the road when walking there will take 5 minutes? It’s better on the environment, and healthier for you.

4.) Skip the bottled water (this is my biggest flaw) - instead get a brita water filter, which purifies tap water and makes it taste better.

5.) Stop idling your car, 10 seconds of idling uses more gas than it takes to start your car!

6.) Turn off your computer when you’re not using it. Overall this will save about 90 bucks a year in energy costs and it will preserve your hardware.

7.) Wash your laundry in cold water.

8.) Car pool as often as possible.

9.) Use both sides of paper when writing notes or printing off papers.

10.) Thrift stores, I love these!!

There you have it folks, use these very easy tips and you yourself will help reduce your carbon footprint on the planet. Comments are awesome! xo

Have you ever had a spiritual moment either at a church camp retreat where Amazing Grace gives you the goosebumps and you feel a type of spiritual high, at a concert where everybody is singing to the music together, and the instruments cut out and as you sing acapella and you feel united as one, or maybe it’s by yourself with the windows down in your chevy impala, driving barefoot in the middle of summer listening to “honey i love your love the most” by eric church while cruising down the highway. These moments are so amazing, and taking your time to sit back and enjoy them will increase the quality of living. Music enhances your creativity, can be a persuasive tool, or it can make you feel emotion that you never knew existed. Here are some great artists that you need to check out in order to experience all different genres of music, and is the way of “How to Appreciate Music”…

1.) Kate Nash - I fell in love with British singers after I experienced this girl’s witty and relatable music.. very fun to sing along to and cheers me up when i’m in a bad mood.

2.) Lady GaGA - This is the type of music that you want to dance to, great for working out too cause it’s makes you feel like you control the world and can do anything your mind sets out to do.

3.) Shwayze - Very chill music, nice to listen to when you are in a calm mood

4.) Atmosphere - Rap group, started out in Minneapolis but are now getting their name out there and rock the stage.

5.) Michael Jackson - Will always be a musical genius and his music is what started it all.. Particularly like the stuff from the Jackson 5, it’s hard NOT to sing along cause the music is so good

6.) Santogold - Check her out, she is pretty new but is starting to increase in popularity because people find out about her and love her. Her music is kind of a reggae, electronica techno feel to it. Absolutely love her.

7.) Regina Spektor - Ultimately my favorite female artist. Sings pretty exotic lyrics but very original and wonderful.

8.) Beyonce - LOVE HER MUSIC. She is fierce and I love that about her.

9.) Dashboard Confessional - My first love. Very good to listen to when you want to think deep thoughts, or when you are with someone that you love.

10.) Shout out to country!!  - Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Lady Antebelum, T-swift, Dierks Bentley, Kenny Chesney, the list goes on. I have never really heard a country song that didn’t grow on me.

If you have any songs or artists that you think the rest of us should check out.. make a comment! I love experiencing all types of new music. Whether it’s screamo, tribal, reggae, pop, punk, rap, classical.. I don’t care. Type it out. Xoxo!

I just recently finalized plans that I am moving to Naples, Florida to work for my broski as a CA aka Chiropractic Assistant next semester. I will be working there and going to school part-time for a semester, and after that if i want to come back to southwest, then I will… if I like it there too much, then I will stay there. When I tell people this, their eyes widen and they look at me like - “oh wow, you are crazy girl!”. But this weeks blog isn’t about playing it safe and settling for what you can get and what those ‘critics’ think you should do with your life… it’s about putting what you’ve got out there and saying to the world - either take it or leave it! It’s about taking that chance, and making yourself go out of that safe little bubble that you are confined in, and enabling yourself grow and mature as a person…

Here we go folks, this week’s blog “How to pursue your dreams”…

1.) Always remember that all of those little obstacles and brick walls are put there for a reason: to keep the people that want it apart from the people that don’t really give a crap. If it really was THAT easy, everyone could do it… and that’s just not life! So if there is something tough that you need to overcome to get what you want, then work your hiney off to get it! And remember that you may need to wait for God’s timing to get something or be able to do something. Brick walls are there so that we can show our dedication to what we are passionate about.

2.) Find out what it is that you LOVE to do, and do it. Enough said. Don’t just pick out a major because it’s what your parents want you to do.. or because somebody said that that is what you are good at and you should just stick with it. Don’t let them set the bar for you! That is your job! Just because someone tries to limit your abilities doesn’t mean that you should let them get in your head and settle. If you want to be a musician and that is what you love to do, and could see yourself doing for the rest of your life… then by all means - DO IT! It’s all about what you value the most, some people put money before the family aspect, some want to live in a more rural setting rather than an urban one. That’s what is so sweet about this world, there are so many different things to do and so many different people to meet.

3.) Cut out the people in your life that are holding you back from your dreams. Whether they are the party crowd, the over-controling significant other, or the friend that cuts you down and tells you that you really aren’t good enough and wants you to always be there to build them up. These people are not worth your time. Yeahhh, who doesn’t like to go have a few beers every once in awhile and hit up the occasional party. But when this becomes all that you care about, and college is just one big party and living in the moment - that is when you know you are out of control and something’s not quite right. Also, boyfriend/girlfriend.. how old are most of us? 19,20,21? What may FEEL like love, could just turn out to be hormones and emotions that the world is trying to tell us that we have. Wouldn’t you rather get 5 years down the road, have matured as a person, do what you love to do, and be more whole as a person - than to settle with something when you haven’t even experienced life to the fullest yet?! I know that I sure hope I won’t be in that position.

Anyway… these are just thoughts that have been on my mind lately. Feel free to answer some of my questions and thoughts that I stated (: I would love to know what you think. xo!

HAHAHA okay, so this one’s gonna be a little cheesy but I was for loss at what to write about and typed in at ask.com “how to…” and this was the number one hit spot. Hmm, seems as if this may be the ‘source’ to where most boys learn the tricks of the trade! These are quite funny and some are very accurate so feel free to say your best pick up lines, or let’s see how smooth you actually are with the ladies. Have fun with it, I’m not posting this to actually be serious, being that this blog is strictly for entertainment purposes… These are some of my favorites found on wikiHow, and I will try my best to add a girl’s perspective and be as insightful as possible. Here we go:

 How to kiss a gurrrl perfectly…

First thing you gotta know is, get the timing wrong, and things will turn awkward. Get it right, and well… you’ll know.

1.) “Make her comfortable by making a joke, but not too much - humor is statistically the most attractive quality. For instance, it’s probably not a good time to kiss that girl when you’re watching a movie where someone is being killed. Use a nice, romantic spot. Who doesn’t like a sunset, an empty grassy meadow under the stars, a deck on a lake at night,on the beach, a paddle boat at a friends pond at night, a private camp fire… you like her. Caution though, she will like it. But if she doesn’t seem to like it, resume what you were” (wikiHow). - I agree with this, because the mood of the environment definitely sets the tempo for the night, guys - don’t take her to meet your loud, obnoxiously rude roommates/friends right away… THIS WILL BE A TURN OFF, save that setting for about the second or third date when things are getting a little more serious. First dates are key, and if you really like the girl you will do anything to impress her - and not just to get in her pants either - it will be because she is what you are looking for.

2.) “Stare into her eyes and casually look down at her lips, and then look back up again. Move gently closer to her. Better to not ask a girl to kiss you, because that ruins the moment and you might lose your kissing chance. A kiss, especially the first, is about the risk. It’s about taking the chance with the girl and, hopefully, she will respond in a positive manner. If she doesn’t want to kiss you, you should be able to figure it out through body language” (wikiHow). Oooh baby, yes, this will most likely work - epecially if you are feeling the chemistry between the two of you. Get some balls and just go for it - the worst that can happen is that she gets totally creeped out and never wants to talk to you again… but hey, if that’s the case, it’s her loss right!? Ps. I’m preeetty old fashioned in the rules of the dating game so I don’t recommend girls going in for the first kiss - make him chase you! If he can’t summon the courage to make this first move he may need a little bit of encouragement - try flirting some more - or he may not be interested. Trust me, if a guy wants you, he will do anything to make sure he gets you - even if he has to carry your huge pink purse home from appys, while swinging your white stilletos on the other hand… (my boyfriend had to do this on his birthday when we first started dating ha).

3.) “Put your hand on her cheek” (wikiHow). - pretty self-explanatory

4.) “Go for it! Lean in for the kiss. Try a peck for your first kiss, then move on to longer, more passionate kisses when you’re both ready” (wikiHow). - Pecks are the key word here, girls, the biggest turn on to a guy is not being to easy or available. They love it, period.

5.) “Use the other hand to stroke her hair or neck” (wikiHow).

6.) “Pull away. Look deep in her eyes. You want the romantic way: “Thank You.” You want the funny way: “… cool.” (but not in a snobby way). This is up to you” (wikiHow). - this is a key point to the kiss, you want things to remain cool, not awkward cause this will make her feel uncomfortable.

7.) “Find what you were talking about before and keep going if you’re not kissing anymore” (wikiHow). - Agreed, very important, because it shows that you actually care what she has to say.

8.) “Remain normal after the kiss. You don’t want to leave any sort of bad impression” (wikiHow). -Again, by not acting normal, this will be a HUGE turn off to any girl… So keep your asthma attacks at bay haha ;)

Again, I thought this was funny and with this blog- feel free to start up some interesting conversation, make sure we keep it PG though please. Comments welcome! xoxo