This is LOOP

go GOOP yourself

Have any of you heard of GOOP?

It’s a blog produced by the beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow and details aspects of her glamourous life, from the food she serves her equally glamourous friends, the exercises she does on her glamourous butt, the glam places she visits, you get the point.

Though this glimpse into life is far from anything this recessionista could ever afford, and although I’ve often found Gwyneth slightly on the dull side, I have warmed to her blog.

She is a displaced North American living in London after all, so perhaps I can relate to her on some level.

When I first heard of Paltrow’s lifestyle site and checked it out, my first reaction was… why is she trying to be Oprah? I wasn’t convinced and felt like Paltrow was trying to put on this Mother Teresa persona to shed any preconceived notions she was a dull, prudish, shrew.

Ouch. Pretty harsh huh?

Anyway, I found myself checking out her site weekly and now I do take it back. We all enjoy the finer things in life. So why not get some advice from someone who has a pretty fine life?

Check out this entry. I dare you to try the exercises. I did and I think I’ve crippled myself: http://goop.com/newsletter/16

On a related note, check out this play on GOOP:

www.mtv.ca/doop

I have a very large crush on Dan Levy. Adorable, funny Canadian who wears bow ties and hangs with redheads. What more do you want in a man? Good blogger too.

x

Tags: General Lori-ness by lori
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giddy up!

I’m watching a man wearing light brown suede chaps read In Touch magazine right now.

must… install… camera phone….

Tags: General Lori-ness by lori
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When life hands you lemons… make out

Lemons

Today I’ve been examining different things that make me happy when I’m down.

Making out is probably at the top of the list, but also baking muffins, having long conversations with my dog, drinking tea with my friends, daydreaming about happy months ahead, smelling flowers, after-exercise glow, new shoes,… the list goes on.

Today I did a few things on the list, although sadly not numero uno. My dog wasn’t into it.

I made apple bran muffins, which turned out pretty darn good if I do say so. My friend will be here in an hour for tea, I never stop daydreaming and I’m sitting next to roses I bought for my mother’s birthday.

I also just read an article in today’s Toronto Star about a woman who jumped on the subway with all her belongings. Like anyone would do, she put her coat, bag and laptop computer filled with all her research for her thesis on it down on the seat next to her.

Normal.

She came to her stop, gathered her belongings and began to make her way home. That’s when she realized she was missing one important thing. Her computer.

Ah, it’s not that bad. She only had EIGHT years of work on it, without any back-up at all.

I’m sure she felt the same way someone would feel if they left their eight-year-old child on the train.

She spent the weekend sobbing. The thesis was due in two days. The computer never showed up.

She asked for an extension and received it, but the computer was gone for good. No happy ending.

Surprisingly the article was upbeat. The woman, although devastated by losing her life’s work, was able to pick herself up and finish her thesis in time.

Still, she’s got to be feeling shitty.

Well lady, I don’t know what I can tell you to make you feel better.

Wanna make out?

Tags: General Lori-ness by lori
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Don’t cry over spilled ink

Your eyes do not deceive you. It’s me again, I promise. An unknown crazy person has not hijacked this lovely blog. I’m B A C K. Me. Known crazy person. Yahoo!

Feels good, doesn’t it? I know.

It’s my new season resolution (because I forgot to make a yearly one in January). Write more for me and my adoring fans (thanks, mom) and write less for money-hungry media suits. Call me selfish.

The second half of that resolution is, at the moment, beyond my control. The newspaper industry is bleeding and my budding career was nipped when more focus was placed on dollars and cents rather than common sense.

So, it’s been a couple weeks since the guillotine came down on nearly a third of the editorial department at my old workplace, and I’m ready to take my freshly severed sexy head down a new, sunnier path.

Gosh, bleeding industry, chopped heads? I swear this experience has not made me a violent sociopath.

Time to get up, brush myself off, put some fake eyelashes on and dance a merry jig with my pen and notebook in hand. Today, I work for myself. And, I write for you.

I think this ‘recession’ business deserves a little room on this cozy bloggy space.

What is with all this knee-jerk reaction to cut cut cut by laying off loyal employees because the dollars aren’t rolling in like they used to? I’m talking specifically about the media sector here. Although I truly feel for all those manufacturing industry types whose careers were destroyed faster than george w. bush’s reputation.

Quite frankly, I’m worried about the newspaper industry and I’m shaking in my stilettos over the future of my career. I’m not the kind of person whose professional endeavors are going straight to DVD. I’m a breakout blockbuster, bitch.

At the expense of sounding naive - since when are journalists considered expensive frills for newspapers or magazines?

“You guys cost the company money,” casually said one friend as we discussed my recent beheading from the masthead. “Of course they’re going to cut you first.”

Huh?

I’m appalled at the idea that any self-respecting newspaper owners would cut good journalists before sales people or *shock* their own ‘comfortable’ salaries.

No offense to all you fabulous sales people. One love. I just think publishers should treat us all fairly, make decisions based on what is best for a publication AND a community, cut evenly, if you must and for goodness sake, stop rewarding sales people every second with company jollies and give your reporters fresh pens once in a while, would you?

L x

Tags: General Lori-ness by lori
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Oooh Obama

Whoa, maybe spoke too soon?

Looks like Obama took his eye off the bowling ball on this one.

Today he is being criticized for a crack he made about his bowling skills while appearing on the Tonight Show.
When asked if he’s been practicing his skills in the White House bowling alley, Obama said:
“I scored a 129… I know, it sounds like the Special Olympics.”
Although Obama has since publicly apologized for the comment, the right-wing pundits are already having a party with this one.
I didn’t even notice the comment when I watched. I was too mesmerized by that toothy smile of his.
Oooh Obama.

Tags: News & Gossip by lori
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Solid as Barack

Did anyone else find themselves grinning ear to ear while watching President Barack Obama’s recent appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno?

In a monumental move by a world leader, Obama agreed to join Leno on his nightly talk show - the first time a sitting American president has done so in history.
HUGE coo for Leno and fascinating television for the rest of us.
The media was going wild days before his appearance. Sure, Obama can hold his own during a press conference but how would he make out fielding questions from a comedian? There’s no telling what a comedian will say, right?
What would Obama say about the recent AIG crisis? Is he still the calm, cool, collected man’s-man we saw on the trail? What would he wear? Where is this new puppy? Speculation run amuck!
I thought Obama’s appearance was flawless, mostly because he came across as a truly genuine, smart individual who can explain complicated situations so everyone can understand them. I truly believe that a mark of an intelligent person is someone who is able to take a complex problem and simplify it so even a child can understand. Obama does this with ease.
How many average citizens understand what the AIG does and why the bonuses are unjust? How many average citizens really understand why the United States and the economy-at-large is experiencing the worst recession since the Depression?
Obama was able to explain the situation and offer solutions. Granted, his solutions were pretty vague. I’m sure he’s not even positive what can and should be done to fix this mess. It’s uncharted territory on a very new world leader. But he offers hope and quite frankly, I bought it.
I’m glad Leno didn’t shy away from tough questions, like asking Obama about the criticism his treasury secretary Timothy Geithner has recently faced over the U.S bailout package and his slow reaction to stop AIG from paying out $165 million in bonuses to employees (many of whom are responsible for bringing the American economy to their knees).
Though Obama stayed fairly neutral throughout the mild grilling, he did say that as president, he will not pass the blame onto any one individual. He said he is working towards a strict checks and balance system on large U.S. financial institutions, which could avoid “holding America hostage”, such as AIG has successfully done.
Great! But what happens when the president is not as nice as you Barack? A repeat of George W. in office could spell trouble with these new policies.
Regardless, I really enjoyed the segment. I felt like I was watching my long-lost, trustworthy uncle. An uncle whom, although working incredibly hard and rising above the odds, still couldn’t believe how successful he had become.
It’s that genuine quality that makes Obama such a crowd pleaser, and why I was glued to the screen last evening.
For those who missed it:
http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_leno/video/clips/president-obama-319/1067541/

Tags: News & Gossip by lori
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