Do you belong to the gold collar class? It has nothing to do with the ability to buy gold but has everything to do with entitlement. I see it in today’s youth all the time. They think they are entitled to anything and everything. Those who fit is this category are usually 18-25 working adults who feel that they are entitled to luxury goods, top line electronics and pricey cars. According to the Seattle Times:

The gold collar contingent, ages 18-25, is doing its part by downing $12 Kettle One vodka martinis and sporting the sleekest rims on their Lincoln Navigators. To sustain a lifestyle inspired by rap videos and pop-culture magazines such as Us, they spend a disproportionate amount of their disposable income on expensive brand-name products and services.

Another word I learned today from the Urban Dictionary is “fat activism.” This has nothing to do with publishing weight loss success stories, but instead has to do with accepting yourself at any size. From the Urban Dictionary site:

A movement based around the idea that people can be healthy and beautiful at any size. The movement is generally accepted as having started in 1969 with the founding of NAAFA by Bill Fabrey. Noteable groups in the movement’s history include the New Haven Fat Liberation Front and the Fat Underground in Los Angeles, both of which were active in the seventies. More recently, NOLOSE (formerly the National Organization for Lesbians of SizE), NAAFA and the Council on Size and Weight Discrimination have been in the vanguard of the fat activism movement. Some important figures in the history of the fat lib movement include Bill Fabrey, Karen Scott-Jones (now Karen Stimson), Aldebaran (now Sara Fishman) and Lynn McAfee. More recent figures in the movement include Marilyn Wann, author of the zine Fat!So?, Nomy Lamm, author of the zine I’m So F*ing Beautiful, and Stacy Bias, founder of FatGirl Speaks, a grassroots fat empowerment conference held in Portland every year.

If you haven’t discovered the Urban Dictionary, then you should give it a look. Today, there are so many new words and phrases, I just can’t keep track of them all. For example, did you know that a “stealth call” is when you return someone’s phone call, but you don’t really want to talk to them, so you call when you know they won’t be able to answer the call. This way you can just leave a voice mail. Hmmmmm, I think I stealth call all the time!

You either love them or you hate them – hand dryers. You got to love them because they are so much better for the environment, but when they fail to get your hands dry, not such a big fan.

The hand dryer was invented in 1948 by George Clemens to eliminate the use of paper towels. Many modifications have been made over the years including speed and no touch sensors.

I have heard many recent radio and tv advertisements trying to get parents to sign their children up for potential modeling or television show spots. There is no employment screening going on here. Most of these so-called “agencies” tell you that there is no fee, but after you meet with an agent, they convince you that you need expensive photos and classes. They claim that this will really give your child the edge and get them before “real” talent agents.

Don’t be fooled. If any agency asks for pricey photos or classes, I would suggest trying a different agency. Always check with the Better Business Bureau as well.

Even though photographers often use the term airbrushing to indicate that a photo has been retouched, the process is now down digitally. Famous celebrities, who may be going through, adult acne treatments, want their photos to look perfect. But, before digital technology, airbrushing was the only way to retouch the photo.

The first airbrush was patented by Francis Stanley in 1876 (he and his twin brother also invented the Stanley Steamer). The device was improved by Abner Peeler and included a hand-operated compressor. A modern airbrush was demonstrated at the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, invented by Charles Burdick.

In early photography, the device was used to touch up celebrities faces, but it was also used to eliminate people from photographs. Joseph Stalin often had photographs airbrushed to change history, eliminate people who had become his enemies from photographs that had been taken with him.

While the term airbrushing is still used, another term “photoshopping”, often takes its place.

It is amazing how many celebrities are pushing diet products these days. From food to diet pills, everyone seems to have their hands on the diet cash cow. Fortunately, there are many web sites that talk about the side effects of diet pills or the pros and cons of celebrity diets. If you are considering a new diet plan, use a search engine to search for reviews of various products before deciding to use them. And, as always, check with your doctor first.

There was a time in this country when there were a lot more babies born with neural tube defects (such as spina bifida). Now, pregnant mothers are encouraged to take prenatal vitamins that include the correct dose of folic acid.

Folic Acid is essential to numerous body functions. It helps to synthesize and repair DNA. It also helps produce healthy red blood cells which prevents anemia in children and adults. Plus, mothers who take folic acid decrease the chance that their babies will be born with neural tube defects.

Folic Acid appears naturally in leafy green vegetables. Today, cereals and breads are often fortified with folic acid.

My daughter needs to read The Great Gatsby for her English class this year. After heading over to the big bookstore to get a copy and waiting for 1/2 hour because somehow their barcode scanners were not working, I got a copy. I had read it a long time ago, but decided to read it again. Not one of my favorite books. I am not too concerned about the problems of the very wealthy. But I found this interesting. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s full name is Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald. He was named after his famous second cousin, three times removed.

Vintage is making its way back. I recently saw pictures from a couple of weddings and both brides decided to use vintage wedding accessories. One of them used this great cake topper that looked like it was right out of a 1940s wedding. I really do love the styles of the 40s! The detail on the roses is fantastic and I love the pale pink that was used.