Kermit & Miss Piggy Are Finally Getting Married (Would You Wait 40 Years?)

Hold up.  Wait.  Stop the press.  It just got real.... 

The adorable, sweet, soft-spoken Kermit the Frog and the one & only, the O.D. (Original Diva), the fearless and always fabulous Miss Piggy are FINALLY getting married! 

After a 40-year courtship, Miss Piggy has apparently snagged her longtime boo.  Word on the street is their wedding will take place in the new movie, "Muppets Most Wanted."  I haven't seen the movie yet, so I can't confirm it.  The gossip folks say Miss Piggy reached out to Vivienne Westwood recently and asked the designer to create a wedding gown for her.  Hmmm.... Sounds like somebody's walking down the aisle to me!

Listen.  If it IS true, I'll be the first to congratulate them.  Because duh, I love love!   

But, if I can be honest for a sec....  *sips tea*  I love Miss Piggy and all, but I don't know if I would have waited 40 years to marry the love of my life.  I mean, the first thought that comes to my mind is,'What took so damn long?'  But hey, I'm a Virgo and I'm impatient, so there's that.  

I understand people wanting to make sure they're ready for marriage.  But, 40 years?  Geez.  

In reality, there's no blueprint that outlines the appropriate time to date someone before you become engaged and then enter into a marriage.  There's no right or wrong answer.  It's a personal decision based on a lot of factors.  I get it.

Miss Piggy and Kermit's love clearly has no expiration date.  But, let's be real.  They're muppets.  They could have waited another 20 years and no big deal!    

But, would you wait 40 years for love?  Would you wait 3 months? Two years?  Indefinitely?  

Love is amazing, weird and beautiful.  It's one hell of a drug.  And yes, it will make you do some crazy things.  #neversaynever

Kids Have a Right To Go To School & NOT Be Bullied

I've gone on record many times about my thoughts on bullying.  It's no secret how I feel.  But just in case you don't know....I don't just hate bullies, I despise them. 

A few days ago, nine year-old Grayson Bruce of North Carolina was bullied by his classmates because of his My Little Pony backpack.  And by bullied, I mean punching, kicking, pushing and calling this kid names.  School officials eventually got involved and their solution?  Zero punishment for the bullies.  Instead, they told Grayson: "Stop bringing your backpack to school. It's making you a target for bullying."  *slow blinking*

Huh?  What kind of warped, twisted ass logic is that? 

I'll tell you what it is, it's wrong on sooooooo many levels.  Not only is it terribly wrong, it sends a dangerous message to kids who think it's OK to bully people.  It sends an even more damaging message to children who are being bully.  Side Note: It really ticks me off that adults made this decision.  Adults!  Incredibly irresponsible.   

Grayson Bruce and his mother.

Kids have a right to go to school and not be bullied.  As parents, school officials, teachers, aunts, uncles, godparents, friends, etc., we all have a responsibility to protect children from bullies.  We should all do our part to let bullies know that their behavior will not be tolerated or accepted.  And kids need to know there will be harsh repercussions if they choose to participate in any kind of bully behavior.  

See...I could never, ever be on a panel about bullying.  Nah.  No.  Nope.  I have a very unconventional way to deal with bullies.  I won't share it with because you'll judge me.  But, just know this... Bullies are cowards.  They operate on intimidation.  They're weak (never as tough as they seem). They're behavior is rooted in ignorance (any fool can be a bully).  

Once you really understand these things, you see bullies in a totally different light.  Your entire attitude and perspective will shift and...you will act accordingly.  Trust me.  

* steps down off of my soapbox *


FYI....Grayson's mother withdrew him from that school and he is now being homeschooled. He has received an outpouring of support and launched a Facebook page (Support For Grayson) that campaigns against bullying. 

Say No to Yes People.....

You can totally tell when a celebrity has a team of "yes" people working for/with them.  I'm not calling anybody out, but you've seen these celebs go bat crazy in media interviews, right?  You've watched their performances at awards shows and thought..."What the !$@% was that?!"  And you've raised an eyebrow at some of their questionable career choices.  

It's natural to want people around you who are supportive and positive.  I get that.  Trust me, I get it!  However--and this is a big however, if your squad consists of a bunch of "yes" people, be careful.  "Yes" people will try to convince you that average is good enough. They'll have you believing that mediocrity is the norm.  They're uncomfortable with telling you the truth.  "Yes" people will have you out here looking...foolish. 

Having supportive and positive folks in your circle is a must!  Make sure you have genuine people who have your best interest at heart also.  People who will tell you the brutal, honest truth when everyone else is stroking your ego.  People who aren't afraid to tell you flat out, "Dude, you're f***king up."  People who will look you square in your eyes and say, "I disagree with you and here's why...."

I recently finished a major project and shared it with a close friend/mentor for feedback. This friend is wickedly talented and very successful.  I respect his opinion and I know he cares about me.  After reviewing my work, he gave it a 7.5 out of 10.  Ugh!  My heart sank.  It was tough to hear, but you know what?  He was right.  

I carefully reviewed his feedback, examined my work and made some adjustments.  And now?  My project is much better and scheduled to launch this summer (Yes!).   

Anywho...the moral of the story is this: Be cautious of folks who only tell you what you want to hear ("Yes" people).  Be open to constructive criticism.  Be 'OK' with being wrong sometimes and make changes if necessary.  And always surround yourself with people who will push you to be your best.  

Pic of The Week (The Color Pink!)

Look at singer Kelis in all of this pink fabulousness.  I give this an overwhelming...YEEESSS! 

Social Media 101: Beware Of Twitter Bullies

I'm a news junkie, so I love Twitter.  It gives me a variety of up-to-date information at lightening speeds.  I get tidbits of national news, local politics, business tips and pop culture in a matter of seconds.  If you're in PR and you're not using Twitter as a resource?  *side eye* 

Anywho... I enjoy Twitter.  But like everything, it's not perfect.  Case in point: A lot of people use Twitter to bully, degrade and harass folks.  They sit behind their computer (lurking, I imagine), spewing out mean and hateful comments whenever they want.  Twitter bullies.  *sigh*  Unfortunately, most them do this on a daily basis.  And what's more troubling is, a lot of Twitter bullies have a large number of followers, which essentially fuels their twisted egos.   

They think it's cool to make fun of celebrities, laugh at children's shortcomings and tell people they're ugly, fat and unwanted.  I personally don't know what's going on with your spirit that allows you to put someone else down on a regular basis.  You've got to be a sad bucket of broken dreams to do that, and enjoy it.  

In 2012, a study showed that there were 15,000 bully-related tweets posted every day. That's more than 100,000 tweets that pollute Twitter each week.  Terrible.  But there are things we can do to stop this Twitter bully nonsense: 

• Don't engage with them or acknowledge them (Ignore them)
  
  
• Block them (Prevents a person from following you or seeing your timeline)
  
  
• Reporter them to Twitter (Twitter has a strict policy about bullying, abuse & harassment)

Most important, always focus on the positive.  Twitter is not a bad thing.  Don't let others ruin it for you.