Parker.TV Episode 3

J-Lo's Loose Lips

Click on this link to read a honest, no press purposeful interview Jennifer Lopez gave to Kevin Sessums. The interview was originally done for a major fashion magazine, however, Lopez regretted some of her comments and asked that the story not be published. Thanks to technology the article was realized online. I like her honesty, I wish she stood behind the comments she made. What do you think?

Living...and Reliving A Dream

This past week me and a couple of girlfriends trekked into Washington, DC on a chilly Thursday evening to see the New Kids On The Block concert. It was a spontaneous purchase in which flashbacks of my childhood flooded my mind – dancing in front of my rabbit eared TV watching the NKOTB pay-per-view concert wearing hot pink spandex, a side pony tail with an oversized sweatshirt my Dad constantly reminded me not to put my knees in and stretch! My brother had his girlfriend over who was too old to enjoy the childhood lusting of Joey and Donnie, but oh boy, while he stole my stuffed animals to give to her as presents, my heart went thump, thump, boom – puberty was in full effect! At eleven years old I would have given anything to have attended a NKOTB concert (extra chores, no allowance, no sleepovers – you name it). But my parents like most in the late eighties, early nineties, didn’t have spare change that allowed for a $80 concert ticket multiplied by 2 for parental monitoring. So when I received the news months back that the NKOTB were reuniting my answer was a quick “Yes, of course I’ll attend”. My childhood dream was about to come true.

And as the months went by I easily forget about the NKOTB except for the occasional play of their new, not-so-popular, kind-of-hit Summertime. Oh gosh, remind me again, why did I purchase a ticket to their concert? I am grown now! I work long days and wondered if I’d gather the energy to act excited and remind myself if the allure of this spontaneous purchase would be worthwhile. Here goes nothing…

I should have had more faith in my first love boy band. Once we took our seats and the stage lit up with smoke, florescent lights, and familiar beats started to drum – a smile came across my face and I was a child again…a child who could afford the ticket on her own (upper level of course)!
The NKOTB delivered an entertaining, non-lip synching show that covered many of their earlier successful singles while mixing in a few new hopeful hits here and there. I recognized countless dance moves and adored the swinging side-to-side MC Hammer like steps that no other modern boy band would dare to add to their choreography. The slide shows that played to the side memorialized their past and the passing of celebrities and loved ones – small touches that reminded you why the NKOTB left such an impact. Tardiness, disrespect, drunken nights, and drug use were never associated with this group as is common with current pop tarts. Wholesome entertainment with lyrics about first and second loves left young girls everywhere wanting more…even fifteen years later.

Memory trunks were unpacked with denim and oversized buttons displayed throughout the crowded arena filled with mostly twenty and thirty-year-old something females still screaming, “Joey, I love you”! A karaoke scroll with sing-a-long words was not needed as we easily remembered the Hanging Tough, Step-By-Step, and I’ll Be Loving You lyrics better than we could recall the first boy we ever French kissed.

And the most poignant scene, a moment still resonating with me days later, occurred when Donnie Wahlberg took center stage. One arm extended towards the fans and the other bended inwards towards his face to wipe the swelling tears in his eyes. Arms swayed above heads side-to-side with countless screams of “New Kids, New Kids” echoing off the stadium walls. Seconds passed before he could speak in shock of the loyalty displayed and in awe of his groups revival. It was probably at this moment that he was ever so grateful for what he once had and for what he would have just a little bit longer.

SHWAYZE

I am home alone folding laundry, changing sheets, picking up clothes that have been lingering on the floor for too many days. I am dancing in every corner my feet take me. I throw my arms above my head leaving space for my brain to bounce up and down, left and right. My hips rock side-to-side in extreme white girl form. Where have my moves gone?

It is when I am alone that the cloudiness of my brain clears and life seems less complicated. The nosiness of the constant negativity is silenced and I am at peace. Through my own dark days and the dark days of others I am able to see the purpose in our struggles. I have slowly learned that many avoid this approach to living and instead appeal to the doom-and-gloom of their circumstances continually making excuses for their present existence.

I AM THANKFUL FOR WHAT I HAVE.

Maybe The Unreal World of The Hills Is Becoming Real?

HELLO, do you see Audrina's body in the picture below? Can we say amazing! Oh, and that is her little sister Casey who apparently just had a baby. I need their family genes ASAP!

So the drama on The Hills is becoming too quick for even the cameras to catch. Audrina moving out was captured by the paps and reported by the gossip mags probably weeks before we will ever see the footage on MTV. And today's leaking gossip is the worst of the worst for the even tempered, appears-to-be-normal Audrina! Rumors have it that LC hooked up with Justin Bobby - Audrina's on-again, off-again boyfriend who makes regular appearances on The Hills. Don't I recall LC speaking poorly about Justin and always persuading Audrina to want more for herself? Hmmmm. Manipulation?
I hope the rumor is TRUE forcing LC to repent for her own sins, her own forgiveness, and realize people do make mistakes. Forgiveness is part of reality.

Oh, and if you are wondering what Audrina thinks about all the most recent rumor mill - she post on her official myspace page the following: "I woke up this morning and it seems like just about every gossip magazine or blog has a story about Lauren hooking up with Justin. I'm not sure what to believe. Though Justin and I have not been exclusive for quite some time, these rumors are very confusing and hurtful. I can't comment on whether they are true or false."

Health Tip 105 From a Non-Health Fanatic

Buy a scale and if you already own one – use it! How are you supposed to lose weight if you are not able to track your success by some legitimate measurement? How comfortable your pants fit today is NOT an accurate way to determine if you are overweight or on track!

Most of us avoid the scale to avoid the truth – yes you are 10, 20, 30, 40 pounds overweight! The scale can not ease its tone, hold your hand, or tell you things will get better. The scale shows it like it is. Go ahead, step off and step back on – the numbers are the same. Let your toes hang over the edge, maybe it will take off one pound (darn, you have fat toes). Strip – take off those jeans, eliminate the wallet, no shoes of course (everyone knows that rule). Make that scale go down! Typically it doesn’t so people simply ignore it. They hide the scale, throw it away, or even sell it at a garage sale!

If you are going to get serious about losing weight you need to know how much you currently weigh and how much you want to weigh (there is obviously a difference for most of us). The scale is not the enemy, in fact, many of days it is my best friend showing me the results of hard work while also showing me a weekend of poor eating and wine drinking doesn’t amount to a 5 pound gain (Halleluiah)! The scale keeps your butt in line – it is a simple device that says “good” or “bad” by the numbers it displays. If you're up you know to get back on track, work out slightly more. If you are down, kiss the scale and hope that it is not broken! HA, HA just kidding.

The point is simple. You can’t be serious about weight loss unless you know what you weigh as hurtful as that number may appear (think Biggest Loser national TV the whole world knows how fat you are). This is not that bad!

My approach: While trying to actively lose weight I used the scale every single morning (before I had 3 meals)! I knew whether I was up or down and that dictated what I ate and how much I worked out that day. While trying to maintain my weight loss I use the scale twice a week – once in the beginning (Sunday or Monday) and once towards the end. This allows me to quickly catch a mishap and reverse a gain always giving me control of my weight and more importantly my self confidence.