New Years Resolutions That Are Worth Keeping

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The arrival of a new year always means the start of proposed resolutions with a reputation to sizzle out and die by the time Valentine's Day rolls around. But that's because usual resolutions are not maintainable nor fun, more chore-like. Here are five resolutions that are worthy of your time and effort and don't undeniably suck.

1. Flossing Every Day

Wow sounds really lame, right? But flossing is actually extremely important to your overall health. Flossing helps make your smile whiter because it gets rid of food that would rot and yellow in between your teeth. Flossing sounds a hell of a lot cheaper than fancy teeth whitening products. Also, because floss will get rid of the rotten food in your mouth, it will help maintain better breath. You will also live longer if you floss regularly. It helps reduce your chance of heart disease, which is the number one leading cause of death in America. If only someone told you how important flossing was beforehand! Oh, right, your dentist. 

2. Call Your Mom (at least) Once A Week

You only have one mom. She probably misses you a lot more than you miss her, so calling her once a week will make her smile until you call her next. It doesn't have to be a super long phone call, just check in with her to tell her about your life (she might actually give you some good advice, considering she's been around longer than you have) and ask her about her life. Deep down I think all kids just want to make their moms proud and happy, and deep down moms just want to continue being included and relevant in their kids lives as they grow up. A simple weekly phone call kills two birds with one stone. 

3. Mix Up Your Makeup 

For the new year shake up your beauty routine and throw in something new. Personally, I want to make eyeliner a staple in my everyday makeup routine, which at the moment only consists of mascara and eyebrow pencil. I feel more badass and put together when I have eyeliner on. Make 2014 the year of lipstick or colored mascara, whatever floats your makeup boat. 

4. Bedtime

Set a reasonable adult bedtime like 10 or 10:30 and stick with it. Staying up until 4am and sleeping into 1pm will only suffice for so long. Getting more sleep and having a regular sleep schedule will improve your health, body weight and skin. Staying up super late and hating yourself when you wake up has absolutely no benefits. 

5. Self-Love

2014 is a great year to fall in love with yourself (actually any year and any time is good, but whatever). Stop being so self-conscious and start doing what you love. Don't worry about what you're not or what you haven't done yet. Think of how amazing you are right now. Think of all the amazing qualities and features that are personally yours. Don't beat yourself up if you didn't make it to the gym today, or yesterday, or for a whole month. Love who you are and everything that makes you, you. Loving yourself is a daily pursuit that may last longer than a year, it might take your whole life. But loving yourself and being free from the bounds of self-consciousness is amazing and a positive goal to attempt to achieve. 

Happy New Year!

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By: Sarah Weingarten

Friday's Music Day,

But my mind is more frazzled than it has ever been, so here are a bunch of talented people playing candid versions of some very bangin' songs on a Wednesday.

I hope everyone's having a nice week :)

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By: Marlena Scott

TV Shows That Have More To Do With My Sense of Humor Than I Realize...

This was my favorite part of my favorite Nickelodeon hit The Amanda Show, Moody's Point. It's what I remember most and they're probably my favorite YouTube videos to revisit when I'm feeling nostalgic. Here's my most quoted interaction. 

If it's ever caught by anyone and not mistaken for my own youthful angst, that is a recipe for immediate friendship:

I wonder if shows like these, as well as the other child-sized Saturday Night Live sketch comedy shows (i.e. All-That and Kenan & Kel) have more of an influence on my sense of humor as well as the rest of my peers than we can control. We all seem to be into ironic humor that I find in the revisiting of these shows. Of course it can get loud, repetitive and terribly annoying in a way that only a child could enjoy, but if you skip around there's some real gold to be found.

The same may be said for some moral lessons found in cartoons I would watch, Hey Arnold! being an especially loaded one upon revisitation.  Not to say there wasn't great comic value in those, too.

This may explain the apparent "gap" in the understanding of humor from generation to generation. Just thinking aloud.

Anyway, please enjoy some Moody's Point and my very first brooding, mysterious crush, Sternum.

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By: Marlena Scott

Real Life Chastity Belt

An advertisement for undergarments that will protect ladies from being raped is making it's rounds on social media. Yes, it it anti-rape wear. A real life chastity belt that AR Wear created for females to wear underneath their clothes.  Watch the ad below.

ARWEAR from ARWEAR on Vimeo.

Many feelings arise after viewing this ad, both negative and positive.

First the negative. This product encourages the idea that women need be taught how to not get raped, instead of teaching men not to rape. It also shows the girl in the ad wearing party clothes with her anti-rape wear. This provides a subliminal message that girls only get raped when they go out, drink, and wear revealing clothes. Also, why isn't there a male version? Men get raped too. This is just scratching the surface. Getting into the nitty gritty negative aspects of this product and advertising would be exhausting. But the concept behind them, as a whole, is genius. These chastiy shorts were made to prevent rape. They will save some females from it and help lower rape rates.

In the end, if there is a product that will help women not get raped then society should be behind it. AR Wear just needs to reevaluate how their product is presented

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By: Sarah Weingarten

Something about this photoset,

I found these on VICE, and I adore them.

I love film, I love bodies, I love bikinis, and I don't know shit about photography but these make me feel good. These are all by Tamara Lichtenstein. See more dreamy, muted photos of beautiful people in relatively mundane places here.

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By: Marlena Scott