Category Archives: Entertainment

What’s the Big Deal with the Chewbacca Mom?

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly heard about the Chewbacca Mom this past week.

WHAT? You don’t know who she is? Seriously??

Fine. Click HERE to watch the original video.

OK. Are we all ready to move on? Good.

Chewbacca Mom - Candace Payne
Meet Candace Payne, the woman behind the Chewbacca mask who has taken the internet by storm! Last Thursday (May 19th), Candace broadcasted on Facebook Live while sitting in her car in a KOHL’S parking lot. This Star Wars mask made her smile and she wanted to share that moment with others.

 

And in less than a week, she has:

I mean, she’s a mother of two from Texas who never really did anything with social media before.

So WHY is she such a big deal?

That’s easy. She possesses one simple but very important trait that is unfortunately rare in the social media world lately.

POSITIVITY.

That’s it. Positivity. 

Although we still see the occasional cute kitten videos, many Facebook news feeds have transformed into battlegrounds filled with anger and hate. The seemingly never-ending tensions of the Presidential campaign have brought out such rage and divisiveness that it’s frankly making Facebook less enjoyable. So is it really any surprise that when this extraordinary woman practiced the most ordinary act of sharing JOY, we all jumped at the chance to experience it with her?

During the Good Morning America interview, Robin Roberts asked Candace.
“What’s been the best part of all of this?”

Her reply?
“In all honesty, the best part of all of this is being able to share joy with people…” 

Well said, Candace. Well said.

 

Chewbacca Mom

 

TODAY’S QUESTION:
Do you feel like you’re drowning in the negativity on Facebook? If so, what can you do right now to spread positivity?

SOUND OFF IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

 

ELECTION 2016: FOR THE LOVE OF FACEBOOK, MAKE IT STOP!

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I spent the first half of this week sick in bed with little physical or mental tolerance for well… anything. Between work and personal life, I normally spend a significant amount of time online on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. But this week? I barely touched it. At the most, I would pick up my phone and open the Facebook app immediately out of habit (Damn that muscle memory!) and quickly close it before I got sucked into the abyss.

I know what you’re thinking. I LOVE social media. It’s my life. How could I, of all people, want to avoid Facebook?

Seriously, people. I get that the future of our nation is important, but can we give it a rest? As of today there are 282 days left until Election Day. I don’t know about you, but I don’t relish the thought of 282 more days of anger, hatred, and pointless Facebook fights.

I mean, social media isn’t just a pastime. It’s my job.

So how am I going to survive this?

Facebook Unfollow

That’s right. If you didn’t already know, Facebook has this really great option called UNFOLLOW.

Don’t want to see anything from that weird cousin who LOVES Trump and his hateful comment of the day?
Unfollow.

Have you had your fill of that co-worker who posts ALL of Sarah Palin’s crazed ramblings?
Unfollow.

Are you even tired of that friend who shares far too many articles about your own political party?
Unfollow.

The point is, your Facebook News Feed is yours. No one else’s. It’s yours.

So if you are feeling overwhelmed by the posts of any friend, no matter how close you may be in real life, then why should you continue to put up with a barrage of posts that bring you stress? Just unfollow those friends.

No, you’re not unfriending them.

No, they won’t get a notification to let them know you have unfollowed them.

You are, however, choosing to take control of what you see when you log in to Facebook. I would venture to guess that none of us log in to Facebook hoping to get mad or frustrated. So why keep letting that happen?

Here’s how to UNFOLLOW from your phone:

FROM THE FRIEND’S PROFILE PAGE
If you are already following the friend (which you probably are), simply click the drop down arrow by FOLLOW and select UNFOLLOW.

FROM A SPECIFIC POST
Click the dropdown arrow in the top right corner of the post.
Select UNFOLLOW (FRIEND NAME). As the prompt says, you’ll stop seeing posts but stay friends.

In any case, you can still see their posts at any time by going directly to their profile and reading at your convenience. All you really do by unfollowing is remove their posts from your News Feed.

Again, your News Feed is yours. Isn’t it time you reclaimed it and made Facebook a happier experience again?

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go purge my News Feed of everything about Martin Shkreli. Ugh.

QUESTION:
Have you used UNFOLLOW on Facebook?
If YES, what made you do it?
If NO, why not?

SOUND OFF IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

How to Make Facebook a Happier Place in 60 Seconds

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Can you believe it? It’s almost Thanksgiving already!

Before you know it, our Facebook news feeds will be flooded with everyone stopping to reflect on things for which they are grateful in their lives. And let’s be honest… after surviving the increased political rantings of the elections earlier this month, won’t it be nice to have something positive to look at?

But don’t worry – it’s not long until Black Friday when all the thankfulness starts to fade away and the unadulterated rage and fury of holiday shopping will restore the anger to Facebook.

Because of the nature of my business, I spend a large portion of my day on various social media sites. And even though we all need to vent sometimes (inconsiderate people who don’t use their turn signals and slow people who clog up self-checkout lines are my biggest pet peeves), sometimes enough is enough! We’ve all got that friend on Facebook who does nothing but complain, right?

Unfriending them seems a bit harsh, especially if they are a good friend who just magically turns into a black hole of emotional need online… but did you know there is an option to still be friends but not see their posts?

It’s the UNFOLLOW feature.

 

Here’s how to unfollow someone in a few easy steps:

  • Go to the Facebook profile of the offending (or is it offensive?) party.
  • If you are viewing Facebook on the full site (desktop or laptop), look towards the bottom right corner of their cover photo on the top of the profile. There should be a box that says “Following” with a checkmark next to it. Click the dropdown arrow next to Friends. Click this box and the checkmark will go away.

 

  • If you are viewing Facebook on the mobile app, you will see a Friends icon under their profile picture. (insert screenshot) Click on that and then click Unfollow.

 

  • ENJOY LIFE!!!

And that’s it! You will still be friends with this negative time-suck on Facebook, but your NewsFeed will be purged of their draining ramblings.

Yeah. You’re welcome.

TODAY’S QUESTION: Have you Unfollowed someone on Facebook yet? If so, what made you do it. If not, what are you waiting for?

SOUND OFF IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

 

5 Life Lessons from the Theatre

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Um… remember me?

Yes, I admit it. I haven”t been here much lately, but I am so pleased to say that everything has been great! You already know how much I love social media, but lately I have been spending my evenings with one of my other great loves… the theatre! More specifically, I have been in rehearsal for SHREK THE MUSICAL with the Bridgeport Theatre Company where I will be playing the role of the Big Bad Wolf.

Becoming the Big Bad Wolf

It”s so much fun to play a fairytale character! And just like a good fairy tale, working in the theatre is full of valuable life lessons. Here are my favorites:

  • Great results come from hard work. I think mobile casino it”s safe to say that most people love a good shortcut. But if you want to achieve excellence, it does not come without hard work and dedication.
  • Organization is everything. You may have heard the quote “Failing to plan is planning to fail” and it”s true! Whether you are getting ready for opening night or to launch a big project, be sure that you have a plan in place to reach your goals.
  • Don”t be afraid to put yourself out there. It doesn”t necessarily have to be on the stage, but you will never get anywhere in life without taking some risks.
  • Do what you love. Whether it is professionally or personally, find a way to do something that you enjoy and care about. Life is too short. So enjoy it!
  • Spend quality time with your friends. OK. So this one is a shameless plug. What can I say? The show opens on Friday, and I would love to see you all there! Gather your friends, pack a picnic, and get your tickets now for performances from April 25 through May 11! I hope to see you there!

 

Rehearsal photo by Kevin McNair Photography

 

TODAY”S QUESTION: Do any of these lessons speak to you? What choice can you make today to tackle one of these in your life?

SOUND OFF IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

 

 

My Top 5 Favorite Moments from the 2014 Oscars

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What can I say?

I always LOVE live-tweeting an event, and the Oscars last night did NOT disappoint!

While all social media sites were on fire with commentary, Oscar Host Ellen Degeneres really brought Twitter to the forefront by posting pics and updates live from the stage and the audience.

There were so many wonderful moments, but these ones made my Top 5.

MOST. EPIC. SELFIE. EVER.
Ellen Degeneres made history with possibly the best selfie EVER! Why? Because this celeb-jampacked selfie included Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong, Jared Leto (well, part of him), and several others. Ellen hoped she would beat the record for the most retweets ever, and she succeeded! (Even if she did crash Twitter for a couple minutes…) Over 2,500,000 retweets and still going!

 

And yes, everyone online is getting in on the fun. Even yours truly.

 

AND NOW, INTRODUCING…
John Travolta was supposed to introduce Idina Menzel to sing “Let It Go” from Frozen. I say “supposed to” because he actually introduced her as “Adele Dazim”. Fortunately, though… Adele Dazim is on Twitter. (No… really… an account was created within minutes of the flub!)

 

POOR LEO
Last night marked the fourth time that Leonardo DiCaprio lost at the Oscars. And this time to Matthew McConaughey… (what? seriously?) While this is sad for Leo, the memes that have come out of this have been deliciously evil!

 

PIZZA ANYONE?
Ellen had pizza delivered to the Oscars. I swear! She mentioned that the stars must be hungry in one segment, and in the next she ushered in a delivery man from Big Mama’s & Papa’s Pizzeria. The delivery man was NOT an actor (lucky guy!), and the local pizza chain quickly jumped on Twitter to join in the fun.

 

INTERACTION
OK. So this one isn’t one you’ll see in the tabloids, but it’s just as important. The interaction of live-tweeting an event is EVERYTHING. Not only did I have lots of favorites, retweets, and some new followers. I had fun! And isn’t that what it’s all about? I always remind people that Social Media should always be SOCIAL! And it really was last night!

In fact, I can’t wait for the Tony Awards to do it all again!

 

So… what was your favorite moment from the 2014 Academy Awards?

SOUND OFF in the comments below!

 

 


3 Ways to Make A Snow Day Better

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IT”S SNOWING! Now what?

Yes. It”s snowing. In New England in the winter. I”m just as shocked as you are.

Since you”re reading this, there is a good chance that you are lucky enough to still have an Internet connection. But everyone on Facebook is complaining about bread, milk, eggs, and toilet paper. So what do you do?

Well, here are a few ideas to pass the time and make it better.

1. WRITE A BLOG
If you write a blog for your business, take advantage of the downtime to enjoy some casual and fun writing. Sure, the kids maybe home from school and the volume levels in the house may rival a small concert… but is it really any better in the office?

So what if you don”t blog for your business? If you have ever thought of writing a personal blog, why not go for it today? Blogging is a great way to express yourself, so head over to a site like www.blogger.com and start your own blog right now!

2. CLEAN YOUR FACEBOOK NEWS FEED
With so many people home from work and school today, Facebook is definitely going to be busy with all sorts of commentaries. On one hand, it is great that you may finally see some updates from a friend you haven”t connected with a while. On the other hand, we all have those friends who drip negativity and only post complaints. Or even worse… Vaguebookers!!! (I. Just. Can”t.)

Did you know you can filter what you see in your Facebook News Feed? If someone is overly negative and you don”t want to see it anymore, but you also don”t want to unfriend them, simply do the following;

Hover over the post and a drop-down arrow will appear in the top right corner of the post.

From the options that appear, click on Unfollow…

There. You”re still friends with them, but there will be no more of that person cluttering your day and bringing you down!

3. GO PLAY!
Remember when snow days were so exciting? Why did that have to stop?

So (after you comment on and share this blog, of course...) head outside and make a snowman! Make some snow angels!

Just be sure to post some pics to Instagram and maybe even some six-second videos to Vine. Leave your name in the comments and I”ll come check out your pics!

TODAY”S QUESTION
What else are you doing to pass the time and enjoy this snow day today?

SOUND OFF IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!

Forty, Fierce, and Fabulous!

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Last month, I celebrated my 40th birthday. I know… 40. It”s a big one, right?

So while some expected me to be depressed, nervous, or frightened, all I could think was:

“How can I enter my 40″s with a bang?”

I”ve never been one to stick to “normal” birthday traditions. I mean, cake and balloons are just fine, but I wanted to create something fun to remember! So…

My birthday party was actually a music video shoot, and my friends became the cast and crew. I realize that not everyone likes to be in front of the camera, but I love how everyone was living in the moment in creating something I will always treasure.

So what has 40 taught me?

Life is short. Embrace it and savor every moment. Love yourself, surround yourself with positivity and light, and share this love with others!

I laughed all through my party, and hopefully this will bring a smile to your face, too.

THIS is how you make memories, people… Enjoy the video below!

MONDAY MUSINGS: Stop it, Miley!

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I’ll admit it.

I didn’t watch the MTV Video Music Awards. Nope. No VMAs for me.

Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE music. And I love a good awards show. But in my opinion, it’s been a long time since MTV has delivered a “good awards show”.  So yeah… I’m pretty much at a point in my life where the VMAs just don”t warrant a timeslot in my schedule.

Of course I was curious to see Lady Gaga’s performance. And yes, I was maybe even a little curious to see the *NSYNC reunion. (Don’t judge me.) But not curious enough to tune in to what has become one of the biggest televised train wrecks in current history.

And THANK YOU, Miley Cyrus for reinforcing my decision not to watch.

Social Media exploded this morning with comments of shock and disgust at her performance. So against my better judgement, I watched the video of her performance and learned the following:

  • Duck Face is a horrible phenomenon, but Miley Tongue Face? So much worse.
  • Every young performer will go through a  period of rebellion where they try to declare their sexual independence. However, Madonna and (frighteningly) even Britney Spears did it much better.
  • Miley Cyrus’ stylist was either on vacation or should be fired immediately.
  • Her PR Agent obviously has forgotten about Social Media.

Yes, I know that “There is no such thing as bad publicity”, but wow… That was SO much bad publicity that it sort of burned my eyeballs a little to watch it.

Remember, we live in a world now where everyone is a news reporter. Just look at the sea of cell phones in the crowd.

The most important lesson from this is…

Remember to always be responsible for your actions. If you’re going to go a little crazy in the public eye, be ready for the backlash.

Your fans (if you have any left Miley) will be waiting for your statement. Let’s see how this plays out.

Oh wait… it’s Miley Cyrus we’re talking about. I just remember I have other things to do.

Like ANYTHING else.

Need to Smile? THIS is EVERYTHING!

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While the Wednesday workday is coming to an end, some of you still may need that extra little push to get through the rest of Hump Day. Lucky for you, I”ve got exactly what you need!

Photo Credit: Kevin McNair Photography

Meet seven-year old Charlotte Masi, part of the children’s ensemble from the Bridgeport Theatre Company‘s production of The Wedding Singer. Charlotte is always entertaining on stage, but check out what happens off stage when she shows us how to rock out to “Linda’s Note” from The Wedding Singer in the video below!

ENJOY!