My two-cents worth and then some. An online journal by LP Brown.

Browsing Category Lifestyle and Culture

General news topics.

Exposing the Faces on Facebook

by on ·Lifestyle and Culture, Opinion, Social Media

Like and UnLike Thumbs -31207040When I joined Facebook a couple of years ago, it was for a one year research project on which I was collaborating with another writer friend. Nearly three years later, I am still on FB – because I am hooked – in spite of the fact that our study somewhat validates what my anti-Facebook friend often says, “Overall, FB is a platform for narcissists and cowards.”

The premise of our project was to determine whether FB feeds the ego of narcissists and mean-spirited people. Although I documented various examples of subtle disrespect and innuendos among (ahem!) friends, my data reveals that there is much more positive information being shared on that site than negative. However, despite its usefulness in providing a medium for worthwhile information, Facebook does appear to be, figuratively speaking, an online Jumbotron for narcissists – who post pictures of themselves, weekly and sometimes daily; and lessor for killjoys, who enjoy putting others down. Both have an insatiable hunger for attention.

What some FB users fail to realize is that many FB lovers post information

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Busting Loose – Shh! For Women Only

by on ·Lifestyle and Culture, Opinion

Is your bra killing you? The husband and wife research team, Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer, reveal in their book, Dressed to Kill, that women who wear tight-fitting bras are more likely to have breast cancer than women who do not wear bras at all. Their theory is that tight bras inhibit the proper functioning of the lymph system. On the contrary, the National Cancer Institute does not list bras among breast cancer risk factors. The issue is still open to debate. 

Having shared that food for thought, I’m switching from a serious issue to a lighter side of — the bra. 

According to NOBRA (the North American Boobs Rescue Association) women are not wed to their bras. In fact, if we were, many of us would divorce them. From Germaine Greer, bestselling author of The Female Eunuch who wrote that “Bras are a ludicrous invention,” to Whoppi Goldberg who, a few months ago, admitted on The View that she has not worn a bra in 45 years, women are busting loose and letting it all hang out. By the way, you say you never heard of NOBRA?  Neither has anyone else. I made that up. But if it were a real organization, I believe it would be on the Forbes List of top 100 companies.

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Revisiting Olympic Moments — Present and Past

by on ·General, Lifestyle and Culture
Peter Norman, Tommie Smith and John Carlos. Photo by Photobucket.

She/he was pretty in pink — stuntman, Gary Connery that is. When he parachuted from a helicopter into London’s Olympic stadium last Friday evening, disguised as 86 year old Queen Elizabeth II, Connery created quite an impressive opening for the 2012 Olympics.

Unless you’ve been living under a molehill during the past few days, then you know it’s that time again. It happens quadrennially. Millions of people worldwide eagerly watch and talk about the Olympic games. Not me. I’m no sports enthusiast and I’m not watching.  Occasionally, I’ll root for my home team during football season or, if the Williams sisters are playing in the tennis matches I’ll tune-in, but that’s the limit of my tolerance for sports. As far as I am concerned, a full week of 24/7 sporting events is overkill.   

I made it a point, however,  to watch this year’s Olympics opening, because after hearing about the excitement surrounding the opening in Beijing, four years ago, and later seeing some spectacular highlights on the news, I felt like I really missed an unprecedented event.  

Some events are impressive, but — in the larger scheme of things — they’re insignificant; others are unforgettable.

Rewind to the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Black athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos won gold and bronze metals. When The Star Spangled Banner played, the two bowed their heads and raised their arm in a black gloved, clinched fist, Black Power salute. That action catapulted them into controversial history.

Smith and Carlos considered their gesture a show of support for human rights, but their deed stunned the stadium crowd and drew boos. And while the courageous duo were scorned by many in the U.S., they also garnered the praise of countless supporters, including the silver medalist, Australian Peter Norman, who supported Smith and Carlos while in Mexico, in their heroric strike against civil injustices.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Avery Brundage was neither empathetic, nor forgiving. He considered the salute by the two Black athletes to be an inappropriate, political statement. Smith and Carlos were stripped of their medals, suspended from the U.S. team, and banned from the Olympic Village.

Back in America Smith and Carlos and their families faced death threats, lost jobs, and suffered various retaliatory actions that sent their life into a downward spiral that included the suicide of Carlos’ wife.

Time may heal all wounds, but it sometimes leaves deep scars. And, 0ccasionally, it brings restitution.

 In 2005, San Jose State University honored former students Smith and Carlos with a 22-foot high statue of their protest.

Peter Nelson, who had been a strong supporter of Smith and Carlos died in 2006 and his Black “brothers” served as his pall bearers. 

On July 30, 2012, a documentary, SALUTE, produced by Peter’s son, Matt, was released in honor of Smith, Carlos, and Norton. I enjoyed the 92 minute film and found it to be a touching, timely, and a well deserved tribute. It is available on DVD, some cable stations, and Amazon Instant Video.

 

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Until Divorce Do Us Part

by on ·Entertainment, Lifestyle and Culture, Opinion

“In Hollywood a marriage is a success if it outlasts milk.” ~Rita Rudner

Am I missing something?  Why all of the hoopla over the Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes divorce? Ever since People magazine reported the story two weeks ago, the Cruise-Holmes divorce has received more press than sharply creased pants.

First, we learn about the couple’s divorce. Days later, we hear how quickly and amicably they settled. Meanwhile, we are fed other issues about the possibility that Cruise’s Scientology religion factored in the divorce; that Holmes had lunch with Cruise’s ex-wife, Nicole Kidman; and other relevant – or irrelevant — details of the breakup, depending on your viewpoint. Am I the only one asking myself what’s the big deal? And does anyone really care?

Many celebrity marriages don’t last long enough for the ink to dry on the pre-nuptial agreement. Look at Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock – married for 5 months; or Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries – 72 days, or Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman – 9 Days.

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