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Cursing Culture

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fuck cuss

I am very professional when I am in a work environment or situation. However, I will admit that I have been known to let some colorful language loose when I am at home or with friends. If I let myself indulge, I can be a bit of a potty mouth, but I don’t want you to think that I walk around all the time like that! I make sure to refrain from using profanity around certain groups of people. I will even omit more benign words like damn when I am around people who would be easily offended by such language.

My natural inclination if I do something like stub my toe is to mutter a cuss word out loud, and it is a total reflex action. It is somehow linked to the pain and makes it dissipate somewhat, especially if I continue with guttural intonations which are peppered with a number of forbidden cuss words. Does that make me a bad person? Not at all.

People are much more aware of how silly the censorship laws are in the United States. If you watch a show and hear certain words bleeped out, you can still figure out what swear word was uttered, especially since you hear the context in the framework of the dialog. That’s why cable TV and Sirius/XM satellite radio became so successful, because they cut through the bullshit and let the cuss words fly. The so-called “bad words” which have been demonized in our culture are just WORDS. They don’t hurt people unless they are used in a malicious fashion to insult others.

I stumbled upon this post recently and thought it was hilarious. It defends those of us who cuss in a rather amusing way, so I just had to share it. The original post can be found at:

http://elitedaily.com/life/culture/curse-best-friends/993819/


People Who F*cking Curse More Actually Make The Best F*cking Friends

By Lauren Martin

It f*cking feels f*cking good to swear. I don’t f*cking know where or when we f*cking started, but it f*cking happened. We’ve gentrified the F word, and we can’t f*cking stop.

Swearing is one of those things we can’t really figure out. We all do it, yet so many condemn it. We know it’s bad, yet we can’t help ourselves. We f*cking love it, but have no idea why.

Where did we learn it? When did we start? Why does it feel so damn good?

Timothy Jay and Kristin Janschewitz sought to answer these questions in their report “The Science of Swearing.”

In the report, they argued swearing’s negative stigmas stem from our court’s association with speech cases of discrimination and sexual harassment.

Their work, however, suggests swearing does not promote or produce negative consequences.

Their results come from studying 10,000 cases of public swearing. From those cases, there were no incidents of public swearing that led to direct violence or harm.

Another case against swearing is it corrupts children. Sociologists suggest there is no scientific or sociological proof a single word can cause harm.

They also found most public uses of swear words are not out of anger, but to produce positive effects, mainly humor.

Research does prove, however, swearing can lower physical pain. It has a cathartic effect that enables us to react and live through pain better.

It’s also used for stress management, storytelling, social cues and, most importantly, a replacement for physical violence.

Because does “f*ck” really cause more damage than a punch to the face? Does hearing your child curse hurt more than watching him hurt himself?

According to Jay and Janschewitz, while the everyday English speaker swears in 0.5 percent of his daily words, swearing occurs most in Type A personalities. Those classified as extroverted are known to swear the most.

Interestingly enough, women dominate in the most recent frequency count of public swearing. This does not mean women have become cruder; there’s just more of us. More of us watching TV, engaging in social activities and refusing to give a damn.

So after all this, what can you really say about your friend who swears all the time or your kid who can’t keep “f*ck” out of a sentence? You can say they’re good f*cking people.


They give it to you damn straight

Who wants things sugarcoated when you can have them on fire? There’s nothing better than hearing something straight up and full of emotion, as opposed to hearing it passive aggressively in pieces over the next month.

The best kind of friends are ones who aren’t going to hold back, but always show you their true selves.


They don’t water sh*t down

How is it the spice of life if you’re always watering it down? What’s the point in getting excited about something if you can’t adequately express it?

Friends who are always willing to beef things up, proclaim their excitement in profanity and off rooftops, make the world a damn better place to live. Why not be outlandish and brash? Why not be f*cking excited about stuff?


They’re cool with being the assh*le

If they’re cursing a lot, chances are they’re caring even less. People who introduce F-bombs into the fiber of their very being are usually people who have excluded public opinion from it as well.

They are spontaneous, wild and don’t give a damn. They are OK taking a few hits and have armor as thick as their vocabulary.


They don’t take things too f*cking seriously

There’s nothing that eases the tension more than a good curse. I mean, if they’re f*cking pissed, at least they’re f*cking something.

Things just seem less serious when there’s emotion added to it, less stale when there are a few profanities involved.

If you’re going to get yelled at, you want it to be by someone who can add some color to his or her emotion.

Besides, if they’re f*cking pissed, it’s probably nothing that can’t be alleviated by a good f*ck.


They’ll defend you against any d*ck or c*nt

If you want someone on your side, you want someone with a strong mouth.

What good are friends backing you up if they don’t know how to do it properly? They’re always ready with a sharp response and an even sharper tongue.


They know how to tell a damn good story

A story is never a good one without a few curses. I mean, what good is a punch line without f*ck? Why call it making love when you could call it f*cking? What’s the point in a story if you’re not going to go there?

Good storytellers are also natural cursers. They understand the power of a good F-bomb as much as the extremity of an evil c*nt or a huge d*ck. They know how to place things, where to put them, and they will always f*cking go there.


They’re f*cking open

Chances are if they aren’t afraid to drop an F-bomb, they’re also not afraid of other people dropping them.

They’re desensitized to language as well as most things this world will throw at them. They’ve got an open heart, mind and mouth.

Competing And Self-Worth

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Team U 35+ top 5

I had an amazing time competing as an NPC Bikini competitor, and also had fun competing as an IFBB Bikini Pro, despite the fact that I didn’t place well as a Pro. However, I don’t miss the maddening prep which precedes each competition, nor the constant self-scrutiny which always surfaces during prep. Though I always want to win, I am not going to have a nervous breakdown over the fact that my placings as a Pro have been underwhelming. I don’t feel pressured to step onstage, and I honestly wouldn’t have a problem with retiring completely from competing if that is what I decide to do. Yet I still get that question, “When’s your next show?”

A number of people have mentioned that the stakes have been raised lately, due to the more muscle-bound, newer Bikini Pros. They have told me this as if I wasn’t already aware of that fact! I am well aware of who is competing in the Pro ranks, and what the ladies are bringing onstage these days. Here’s the truth: I am tired of trying to balance a very busy schedule with two-a-day cardio sessions and double training in order to prep for a contest. My attitude is that I already won. My singular goal with competing was to attain IFBB Pro status, which I did. So should I feel that my value has somehow diminished because I am not one of the handful of IFBB Bikini Pros who have decided to continue competing in the Pro ranks? If you think about it, the majority of Pros do NOT compete. There are over 400 Bikini Pros now, but only a small percentage of them choose to keep hitting the stage.

What happens when a Pro chooses to continue with competing? The stakes are raised in the Pro ranks, with stiff competition from other Pros, and a more stringent judging panel which is necessary when assessing the best physiques in the world. It can be quite intimidating, which I think is a major factor for Pros who avoid the stage the minute they go Pro. It can be rather disappointing to achieve the crowning victory of Pro status, then get slapped down because you aren’t one of the best Pros. Basically, you go from being at the top of one heap, to being at the bottom of another one.

Since life is about balance, many Pros shift their focus to career, family, and other interests. The idea of returning to the stage can be downright repellent to some Pros who finally realize what they were missing when they were in the throes of competing during their amateur days. I have heard people in the industry talk smack about Pros who “let themselves go”, which in many cases is code speak for situations in which a Pro began to finally live like a normal person. In the world of bodybuilding, being “normal” is often regarded in a negative light.

For those of you who are IFBB Pros and are feeling some remorse over not stepping on stage as a Pro, you need to stop beating yourself up about it! As long as you represent the IFBB in a classy manner, and continue to inspire and motivate through your fitness lifestyle and whatever other respectable endeavors you are involved in, you don’t have to compete. You are still a Pro, always amazing, and one of the top athletes in the bodybuilding world!

My Experience With Banishing Gluten

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gluten

Yesterday I posted a piece which was written by a woman who has suffered from celiac disease for many years. While I don’t have celiac sprue, I have gluten intolerance which was verified last January with an ALCAT blood test. When I eat gluten, I become irritable and emotional, I get headaches, my belly aches, and I don’t sleep well. Of course I didn’t know that this was the case until I did an elimination diet and gradually began feeling better, then tried eating gluten after many months of avoiding it. Every time I ingest gluten containing foods, I notice symptoms which can be mild or severe depending on the food and the quantity eaten. Pizza is VERY dangerous for me now, so if I am faced with the prospect of eating the cheesy, gluten filled meal, I have to take a Glutagest (which breaks down gluten in the food eaten) if I want to avoid the ugly consequences of allowing gluten to enter my body.

I agree that the whole gluten-free trend has gotten a little out of hand, but I also strongly believe that there are many people walking around with gluten intolerance who have no idea that the glutinous foods they are consuming are affecting their health and well-being. Gluten-free foods have become trendy these days, and people are quite willing to pay extra for gluten-free foods which are frequently tasteless and odd in texture, even if they have no health issues with gluten. One great feature about the new trendiness of gluten is that there have been great improvements in the taste and texture of these foods without having to throw in a ton of fat and flavorings, so even those who aren’t suffering from gluten intolerance or celiac are happy to consume gluten-free dishes.

Going gluten-free is definitely not a guarantee to weight loss or any other magic cure, but it can certainly help those who suffer from celiac disease or gluten intolerance. I have personally benefitted from going gluten free in the past year, with more luminous skin, better digestion, better overall mood and energy, and much better sleep. If you suspect you have gluten intolerance, try an elimination diet in which you avoid any foods containing gluten for a period of time (I recommend at least 4 weeks). You may notice a difference in how you feel, in which case you may want to continue avoiding gluten. If you prefer objective data, you can ask your doctor about getting tested for gluten and other types of food intolerance.

Great Piece By A Celiac Sufferer

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I love this piece, written by a celiac sufferer who laments the current gluten-free bandwagon which many people are adopting. Tomorrow’s piece will be a contribution by me on my personal experience with going gluten-free.

Original post can be found at:

http://jezebel.com/5991724/will-everyone-please-eat-gluten–please-because-you-are-literally-killing-me-kind-of

Will Everyone Please Eat Gluten? Please? Because You Are Literally Killing Me, Kind Of

Written by Elissa Strauss

A new study by the NPD group shows that 29% of Americans are now trying to cut gluten out of their diets, most of them just cause. Every time another person makes this foolish decision, my life gets harder.

I’ve been a Celiac for 14 years. My mom was diagnosed back in 1993. I am here to tell you first-hand that going gluten-free is not a almond flour paved path to the GOOP holy trifecta of increased energy, a dewy complexion and perfectly fitting skinny jeans. It is just a diet that is medically necessary for some of us and no better and probably even a bit worse for the rest of you. (If you suspect you are one of those for whom it might be medically necessary, I wholly endorse you giving it a shot, but, please, take it seriously and see a doctor.)

When my mom first got diagnosed 20 years ago our family would take long Sunday drives to the other side of the San Fernando Valley for a loaf of bread that was only slightly better than vile and weighed more than my biology textbook. Lost and vulnerable, she ate a lot of Lay’s potato chips that year. By the time I was diagnosed in 1999 things were a little better. This was about the time when Whole Foods markets began popping up all over America and most of them would dedicate a few shelves to palatable gluten free goods.

So when gluten-free started trending a few years ago and I could finally understand what this red velvet cupcake phenomenon was all about, I was thrilled. Pizza delivery! Deli sandwiches! Whoopie pies! Chicken nuggets! Suddenly gluten-free was everywhere. But this was when things took also took a turn for the worst.

You see, when something that is medically necessary for some of us becomes something cool and trendy for the rest of the world, shit gets messed up. Waiters, thinking I am just another ankle-boot wearing Gwyneth wannabe, no longer take me seriously. It is actually harder for me to eat out now than it was a few years ago because a little dusting of flour on a piece of flounder equals a few days in bed for me.

And those red velvet cupcakes? They are now often stuffed alongside their gluten-containing counterparts in bakery displays. Considering even a few splashes of soy sauce, in which wheat is a minor ingredient, can trigger my celiac, a few crumbs of something not gluten-free is just not an option for me. Now I am nostalgic for the days when we were a fringe movement instead of a Miley Cyrus-endorsed lifestyle.

Though here I am, going on and on explaining why you should stop eating gluten-free food just to protect people like me, when you should really stop eating it to protect yourself.

As I mentioned already, gluten-free is not the answer to your dieting needs. Remember when we all went gaga for fat-free diets in the late 90s and guiltlessly swallowed entire packages of Snackwells devils food cookies and then couldn’t figure out why we weren’t losing weight? Exactly. I have met many a celiac over the years, and I promise we wouldn’t all pass your supermarket tabloids “bikini body” test. Considering that many gluten-free goods are higher in fat to substitute for the missing gluten — which literally holds baked goods together — a gluten-free diet can actually leave us worse off, weight-wise.

For those of you who swear off gluten not because you want to lose weight, but just because you think it will make you healthier: please stick with the whole wheat. Fiber is one of the most important things you can eat for health’s sake and it is extremely difficult (and pricey, see below) to get your hands on when you are strictly gluten-free. Also, for people with no sensitivity to gluten, a slice of whole wheat bread is by no means worse for you than a slice of teff, garbanzo bean and brown rice fiber bread. And the whole wheat bread will be, at least, one million times more delicious.

Also, this life is expensive! Literally, on average, 242% more expensive, according to researchers from the Dalhousie Medical School in Canada. Let me break this down for you: pretzels can run $5-$6 a bag, individual sized pizzas around $15-$20 at restaurants and even $11 for crappy tasting ones from the market, and cupcakes and muffins are in the $4 range. I just spent $12 on a whole-grain gluten-free loaf the other day and didn’t think twice about it, because this is just my life. But it doesn’t have to be yours.

Trends and Outrageous Prices

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lash extensions

I am not the kind of person who is easily lured by trendy items and services, nor am I fooled by the grossly inflated price tags which accompany them. It is astonishing how some businesses will take full advantage of newly encountered popularity by jacking up the prices so much that they end up turning away those of us who aren’t fooled by their greed. I recently checked into a certain beauty service which is incredibly popular, and is considered one of the hottest beauty trends. When I checked into the prices in my area, I was stunned. What I encountered was that the new-fangled service cost 5 to 6 times more than the comparable but more old-school service. Come on, really? There is no way in hell that I am willing to fork over a king’s ransom just so that I can try a new service. It’s not that I am cheap, but I am frugal, and I don’t think money should be thrown away like that.

When an item or service is hot and is accompanied by ridiculous prices, I always sit back and wait for the trend to die down. Once the hype has subsided, and the prices plummet, I begin to entertain the idea of making a purchase. If the item is destined for permanent price inflation, I completely and permanently abandon the idea of getting it. After all, it’s just stuff, and I can’t justify spending my hard-earned money on a THING which may quickly go out of style. You will never see me getting the hottest and latest Nike shoe design (the Nike Air Max 2016 is a great example, at $190!), just because everyone else is losing their minds about getting it. I mean, seriously, WHY do I need to spend almost $200 on an athletic shoe? That’s just stupid.

Nike Air Max 2016

However, I may consider purchasing a trendy service if it still interests me. A good example of a service which is hot right now, and one which I have been considering, is lash extensions. Though I have great hair and skin, I wasn’t blessed in the eyelash department, as my wimpy, sparse lashes can attest to. The problem is that if I go to the best lash extension artist in L.A., I had better be prepared to shell out a considerable amount of money for the service. The question I have been asking myself is, should I pay significantly more for the best, especially since I would continue the touch-ups on a regular basis? I haven’t rushed myself on making a decision, and have decided to take all the time I need to research lash extensions before taking the plunge. I am even considering going through a course so that I can offer the service to my own patients and clients. You can bet that I won’t gouge my patients and clients for the service either. Inflated prices do not necessarily equate with the best service or product!

My Hair Care Routine

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Corrected Stacey bikini LHGFX

I get a lot of questions about my hair, so I am using this post to provide information about my hair and how I take care of it.

Q: Is that ALL your hair?
A: Yes, every bit of it. I have NO extensions. There was only one time I ever had extensions in my hair, and it was for a video and photo shoot I did in the summer of 2014:
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Q: Is your hair more Japanese in texture, or more Caucasian?
A: I have mutt hair, with some blonde strands, but the overall texture of my hair pulls more to my Japanese heritage, a darker brown, thick, and relatively shiny. I have very little hair loss when I brush my hair, and am very thankful for that! My hair is even thicker in my forties than it was when I was younger, a trait which I attribute to a high protein diet and biotin supplements.

Q: I see some red highlights in your hair. Are those natural?
A: I naturally have a lot of red in my hair, but I try to tone it down because when I go out in the sun too much, the natural reds in my hair begin to look very brassy. I really don’t like that look at all. When I was a kid, my hair was very red, and I almost looked like a carrot-top!

Q: Do you have grey hairs?
A: I definitely have some grey hair, and started getting them when I was 33 years old. So I have to cover them with root touch-up every couple of weeks. I am a long way from being completely grey, but I am fighting every last grey hair kicking and screaming!

Q: How often do you wash your hair?
A: I wash my hair twice a week, using shampoo and conditioner by Pureology. I towel dry my hair, then let it air dry. I spent about a year blow drying and flat ironing it because my hair suddenly got very wavy, and I really couldn’t stand it! However, the texture once again is changing, and has almost completely reverted back to its natural straight state, so I pretty much just leave it alone. Once my hair is almost completely dry, I apply about a quarter-sized dollop of hair oil to the ends and distribute.

Q: Do you use any special hair treatments?
A: If time allows, I will do a ten minute hair mask once a week or so.

Static Trapeze

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static trapeze

I recently started taking flying trapeze classes and have enjoyed them immensely. However, I began to analyze the reasons why I enjoyed the flying trapeze, and realized that the acrobatic moves were the most intriguing to me. Though I love the whole idea of swinging 20 feet up in the air and doing catches with the catcher, the timing is critical. When you’re trying to think about your trick, setting up your trick with proper timing, and paying attention to the calls from the catcher, all while swinging up in the air, you can get a bit rattled.

I thought that if I removed the flying variable from the trapeze, perhaps I would be able to concentrate more on the tricks. Because of this notion, I am looking into taking static trapeze classes as well. I took gymnastics for several years when I was a kid, and since my best event was the uneven bars, I thought a great progression from childhood gymnastics would be the static trapeze. I like the fact that trapeze isn’t the first thing people think of when considering athletic pursuits, and I also like the fact that trapeze is vastly different from weightlifting. Hopefully my creaking joints and reduced flexibility will dissipate as I venture more deeply into the trapeze arts.

Once I take static trapeze, I will post an update on the experience.

That Doesn’t Look Like Me!

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headshot gallery
How do you react when you see images, or film or video footage of yourself, in which you don’t look like yourself? I have had this happen to me, and it rattles me every time. Most of the time it can be attributed to bad lighting or camera angles, while at other times, the makeup and hair are so off-kilter that you end up looking incredibly strange or unattractive as a result.

The most recent situation I found myself in was with headshots I had taken two weeks ago. I trusted the process and didn’t think of questioning the photographer’s abilities or asking to see the viewfinder. I wish I had. If I had seen what was being captured, I would have cut the shoot short and left graciously. Instead, I went through the entire shoot, gathered my things, and headed over to a CVS to look at the images and print out some proofs.

The instant I saw the first image, I was stunned. Who was that wide-nosed, unattractive woman staring back at me? It honestly didn’t even look like me. My face looked FAT, there were wrinkles on my face in weird places, and I just did NOT look good at all. The lighting was terrible, the backdrops looked cheap and bad, and even the poses which I was put in looked awkward. The images were so awful that I didn’t even keep the proofs or the disk. Why would I, when the images almost made my stomach turn? Yes, they really were that awful.

So what do you do if you see images which you don’t like? Well, if the images were shot for a paid assignment, or if you did TFCD, then you can’t really do anything. As a matter of fact, you should never second guess the makeup artist, wardrobe stylist, or photographer/videographer unless you see something glaringly wrong with the setup. I have shot commercials and photos which I absolutely HATE, but I can’t do a darned thing about them because I signed away any rights to the images.

However, for headshots, there is never an obligation to use any images you don’t like, especially if they are unflattering and do not portray you the way you really look. You are paying for a service in which the images are supposed to present you in the best way possible. Would you really want to use headshots you hate and which make you look like someone else?

Thankfully, I was able to shoot more headshots three days later with another photographer who got some incredible images. The image below is the main image which I will use from that particular shoot, but there were so many outstanding images from that shoot that it was difficult narrowing down our top choices. That’s a good problem to have!

Maroon Small (819x1024)

Stuck in A Workout Rut? Try Pyramid Training – REPOST

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heavy_weight_liffting_image_title_rpy1c

I figured that this article which I wrote a while back deserved a repost. I hope you enjoy!

If you have hit a training plateau or are just bored with your current training regimen, you might want to mix it up by incorporating pyramid training into your routine. Pyramid training is an extremely effective way of increasing strength and muscle mass and is easy to incorporate. There are different types of pyramid training designs which exist, but the ascending type is the best for individuals who are relatively new to weight training, as it provides a warm-up for the body before the weight used increases.

Types of Pyramid Training:
ASCENDING: You will start out with a light weight and perform 12 to 20 repetitions in the first set, then increase the weight used while decreasing the number of repetitions in subsequent sets.
1st set – 15 to 20 repetitions with a light weight
2nd set – 12 to 15 repetitions with a light to moderate weight
3rd set – 10 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight
4th set – 8 to 10 repetitions with a moderate to heavy weight
5th set – 6 to 8 repetitions with a heavy weight

DESCENDING: You will start out with a heavy weight and perform 6 to 8 repetitions in the first set, then decrease the weight used while increasing the number of repetitions in subsequent sets.
1st set – 6 to 8 repetitions with a heavy weight
2nd set – 8 to 10 repetitions with a moderate to heavy weight
3rd set – 10 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight
4th set – 12 to 15 repetitions with a light to moderate weight
5th set – 15 to 20 repetitions with a light weight

DOUBLE PYRAMID: You will start out with a heavy weight and perform 12 to 20 repetitions in the first set, then increase the weight used while decreasing the number of repetitions in subsequent sets. On your fifth set, you will decrease the weight used while increasing the rep range. When you are on the descending portion of this pyramid, you will not be able to perform as many repetitions due to the muscle fibers being closer to failure.
1st set – 15 to 20 repetitions with a light weight
2nd set – 12 to 15 repetitions with a light to moderate weight
3rd set – 10 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight
4th set – 8 to 10 repetitions with a moderate to heavy weight
5th set – 10 to 12 repetitions with a moderate weight
6th set – 12 repetitions with a light to moderate weight
7th set – 15 repetitions with a light weight