Friday, August 27, 2010

Fun Fact Friday #22: Random Facts

Saw this awesome prompt on a friends blog and figured why not for this weeks F3!

Recent picture of You and 15 Interesting Facts about Yourself



1: I was the basketball bookkeeper for my high school basketball team.
2: I prefer horror movies than romantic comedies.
3: I will not eat asparagus or spinach unless feta cheese is on it to mask their flavour.
4: If I do not get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, I have a terrible headache all day.
5: Vanilla Chai Lattes and Lemonade are my favorite drinks, but not together obviously.
6: I am not a fan of horror movie remakes as they are perfect to begin with.
7: I broke my left ankle when I was 16 and had three reconstructive surgeries on it.
8: I have had over 200 stitches in my body.
9: One of my goals is to visit every state in the United States and I do not mean just going to the airport.
10: One of my favorite things to do is sit in Union Square park in New York City and people watch.
11: My favorite authors include Neil Gaiman, Chuck Palahniuk, Bret Easton Ellis, and Joyce Carol Oates.
12: I write a goals list for the year on New Years Day. I have done this since 2006.
13: I became a fan of professional wrestling at the tender age of 6 years old. Blame my older brother.
14: I survived the 110 degree heatwave of 2003 in Paris, France that killed over 10,000 people without air conditioning.
15: Baby corn is my snack of choice.

I will be on vacation from today (August 27th) to August 31st, will be home for a day on September 1st, then back out on September 2nd to September 5th. I am going to Chicago, Illinois and Atlanta, Georgia. Hope you do not miss me!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Things I Love Thursday--8/26 Edition


So many happy thoughts...so much love....

--CHICAGO IN ONE DAY! David and I have planned this trip since FEBRUARY! Three baseball games (Two White Sox/One Cubs), one Chicago Bears preseason football game, Sears Tower, John Hancock Observatory, Navy Pier, swimming, relaxing, and just all in all FUN! It has been a hot minute since I traveled with my phenomenal so definitely looking forward to it. We will be back on Tuesday August 31st, have a one day reprieve then back out to...

--ATLANTA!! Originally we were not going to Atlanta because of the Phoenix trip in March but due to my foot injury, I had to pull out of the trip. David felt so bad that he said back in May "You are going to Atlanta during Labor Day Weekend." I nearly screamed my head off. Major reason for going is Dragon Con.

--Trying the Never Ending Pasta Bowl at Olive Garden but stopping at two bowls! The salad and bread sticks did me in...so nummy.

--Laughter through texts. My friends and phenomenal definitely know how to make me smile.

--Finally seeing that I have lost weight and feel healthy! My body now tells me "too many carbs...you get headache now."

--Comfy pillows to sleep on at night.

--Autumn like weather in August. Yesterday I wore my "Crude, Lewd, and Tattooed" tunic sweatshirt with my ripped leggings and stockings and I think I found my fall staple wear.

--My new Comcast digital converter in my bedroom. I now have G4, AMC, Lifetime Movie Network, and the Hallmark Channel in my room and I love it!

What are you so in love with this week?

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Happy and Grateful Tuesday #3: 8/24 Edition


I am so happy and grateful for early morning texts from David saying "hope your day is nice." and "I love you."

What are you so happy and grateful for today?

Monday, August 23, 2010

Kayfabe Monday: August 23rd Edition

Last week, I wrote about the demise of professional wrestling known as the SMART MARK. Do not get me wrong, I love the banter and conversations I have between fellow wrestling fans, but when you try to prove that you know more and are better than an actual wrestler, that is where I draw the line.

Another line that I think a lot of people should not cross is the wrestling writing/interview/journalist line. Case in point, watch this video courtesy of NoDQ.com:



This video was taped last Friday August 20th in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY. This guy asks the stupidest questions, tries to goat Tommy Dreamer into an argument while he is trying to earn some money for himself and a great cause, brings up events that did not affect Tommy Dreamer at all, takes time away from Tommy trying to meet fans, did not do any research in any of his questions, and really tries Tommys patience but he remains professional throughout the whole thing, which I have the utmost respect for.

Do not get me wrong, I love YouTube. I love that I can take a video, edit it, and share it with my friends and the world around me. But, if you want to appear as a genuine wrestling reporter and not just another annoying smart mark fan, there should be some rules established for interviews with wrestlers.

1)Do not do it while the wrestler is trying to make money, either for himself or for a charity. You will not get an answer that you are trying to get, plus the wrestlers mind is not focused on the interview; he or she is focused on making money. Try and get in touch with the wrestler before the show, introduce yourself and ask if it could be possible for an interview either before the show or after the show. A lot of wrestlers use Facebook/Twitter and are very accomodating as long as you appear professional.

2)Do your research. A lot of wrestlers do not like to talk about events/people that they might not have dealt with or have dealt with and there is bad blood for example Mick Foley and Ric Flair.

3)After you ask the question, let the wrestler ANSWER! Do not jump from one thing to another. If you have to make a comment, wait until the wrestler is done speaking and then comment. It is just common courtesy between two people having a conversation.

Take a look at this video. This is how a wrestling interview SHOULD be done:

Thank you to Canadian Mike from the Fox Sports Network for this video.

I do not mean to sound like a know it all, but for a person who has had a wrestling column in her college newspaper to taking photographs ringside for various wrestling promotions to now writing this blog, I might know a thing or two. A lot of fans should stay just that--FANS. There are a lot of copy and paste dirt sheet writers out there, as we learn from Eric Bischoff if you read his Twitter or Facebook page. The wrestling community does not need any more copy and paste writers and needs more fans who just love to cheer and boo.

As always, I believe in Kayfabe,
JoiseyDani

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Things I Love Thursday--8/19 Edition


Lots of drama going on this week, but there are some things that I am incredibly happy and in love with....

--Getting a big fluffy unicorn from my best friend Michael in Texas! Its a Pillow Pet and is just perfect.

--Going to see Rihanna and Ke$ha in concert with David

--Catching up with old friends on the telephone or through text.

--The veggie rice at Dirty Bird To Go in NYC

--Laughter with my friends.

--Having late night hockey jersey fashion shows with my best friend Michael. I had a big argument with David on Tuesday and Michael stayed up with me until 5am trying on all of his jerseys and making me smile. Granted David is my best friend too as well as my fiance' but Michael really stepped it up.

--Finding old photos of various events in your life and talking about the memories of them.


What are you you in love with this week?

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Happy and Grateful Tuesday #2: August 17th Edition


I am so happy and grateful for perfectly ripe plums and apples in my refrigerator for me to eat.

What are you so happy and grateful for this week?

Monday, August 16, 2010

Kayfabe Monday: August 16th Edition

Last Thursday, August 12th to be exact, Eric Bischoff decided to wage a war on his Facebook with various status updates attacking another wrestling promotion known as Ring of Honor. Here are the status updates just in case you did not see them:

Eric Bischoff, Controversy: From a fan that ACTUALLY watches the show: Sean Boncato Eric, the WWE fans who complain about TNA and "older guys" aren't even watching the product. If they did, they'd realize that the top 10 is mostly made of TNA guys (Angle is the only real "older" guy). And the old guys, like Flair, have been putting over the young guys, something that, if they watched the show, they'd see that

Eric Bischoff, Controversy: Can anyone name "new, young" talent that has drawn money (thats the real barometer in the business of the wrestling business") over the last 10 years?

Eric Bischoff, Controversy: Interesting resonses. Clearly the majority of people here have NO IDEA what drawing money is. ROH is not making money on TV, PPV or arena shows. Its a backyard vanity project for marks. No disrespect to the talent who are working hard, but NUMBERS DONT LIE, THEY DONT HAVE OPINIONS AND THEY DON'T HAVE AGENDAS.

Eric Bischoff, Controversy: Talent that "draws money" sell out major arenas, they set PPV records that they main event in, they sell millions of dollars of merchandise and migrate into mainstream media. It takes time. No top talent that has ACTUALLY DRAWN MONEY has been in the biz for less than 8 years with only two exceptions.

Source: Eric Bischoff, Controversy on Facebook as well as Eric's twitter page.

Now before I begin, let me first mention that I was a Ring of Honor fan first and became a TNA Wrestling Fan due to my fiance' David. I was around Ring of Honor since the beginning with Rob Feinstein and Doug Gentry (RIP) all the way through the RF Scandal then to the Gabe Sapolsky scandal and even now. I will admit I have not been to a Ring of Honor show in a long time, I want to say 2 or 3 years, but still read up on the events and results.

Why was I a ROH fan? Simple: THE WRESTLING. Ring of Honor at that time revolutionized independent wrestling; showcasing talents that deserved to be showcased--from Christopher Daniels to Bryan Danielson to Doug Williams to CM Punk and everything inbetween. Rob Feinstein due to his involvement in ECW had an eye for talent and storylines and knew how to make it work. He listened to the fans; even to the point that the fans looked forward to their next event. When the RF Scandal happened, in my opinion, it started to go downhill.

There is one thing that eventually sours a lot of wrestling fans from independent promotions, especially Ring of Honor, and that is the smart mark, also known as a smark. What is a smark you say? Here is the definition:

Smark (or Smart Mark): a phrase coined by Internet wrestling fans to describe a fan who enjoys pro wrestling despite or because they know that it is staged, as well as generally knowing the "ins-and-outs" of the company and knowing many things about the industry or wrestlers collected by sources and are posted online. "Smarks" are generally looked down on by wrestlers as well as other wrestling fans for supposed inability to suspend their disbelief. Smarks may also be criticized for believing they know more than they do in reality about the workings of the wrestling industry.

I HATE THESE FANS. Want to know why? They have no problem bitching and complaining online about wrestling, but kiss the ass of various wrestlers and promotions/promoters. They act like they know more then the promotion/promoter/wrestler itself. If that is the case, why not start your own promotion, book your own shows, and train to be a wrestler if you think you know more?

What is my point of this blog for this week? Easy--lets stop the bickering with various internet sheets and talk to the right people if you feel that your favorite promotion is not entertaining you to the point that you like. As you can see Eric Bischoff is very accessible via Facebook and Twitter. Dixie Carter is also very accessible on Facebook or Twitter. They might even respond to you.

As always, I believe in Kayfabe,
JoiseyDani

Friday, August 13, 2010

Fun Fact Friday #21: Money Making Opportunities

While listening to Gala Darling's Love and Sequins #2: The Smart Girls Guide to Business, she posed this statement: Make a list of all the things you love or enjoy or think you could spin into money-making opportunities. Well for this weeks F3, I will do just that!

What do I enjoy that I can turn into a money making opportunity?

Well lets see, I enjoy:

--Drawing on my computer using various inspirational photos of my favorite actors or Davids favorite actors.

--Writing my Kayfabe Monday blog every week which deals with professional wrestling.

--Writing my Things I Love Thursday blog every week.

--Shoot, writing in general!

--Taking photographs of things I love.

--Professional wrestling

--Reading various genres of books.

What do you enjoy that you can turn in a money making opportunity?

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Things I Love Thursday--August 12th Edition


My heart is pounding with love and squeedom...but what is making my heart do this activity this week?

--Finalizing plans for Chicago and Atlanta adventures.

--Finalizing plans for Daytona Beach adventures, even though I am not a beach person.

--Visiting Chelsea Market with David and trying various cheeses, a Oatmeal Raisin and Coconut ice cream sandwich, and a wicked hot chocolate from JACQUE TORRES! It was a nummy night.

--Pretty Little Liars marathon on ABC Family! Glad I finally caught on to this show.

--Sleeping til 12pm most of the week.

--Catching up on my reading goal of 50 books a year.

--Having no peeling stage from my sunburn I got at Brighton Beach. I went from red to tan in a matter of two days. It was glorious!

--Reading various news stories and going "Really?"

--Thinking of various outfits for Chicago and Atlanta

What are you so in love with this week?

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Happy and Grateful Tuesday #1: August 10th Edition


Here is the first in the series of Happy and Grateful Tuesday! I hope you will join me on this great pleasure ride!

I am so happy and grateful that I am in a fun, loving, exciting, relationship that is filled with lots of trust and care.

What are you so happy and grateful for?

Friday, August 6, 2010

Fun Fact Friday #20: More Questions

Again this week I use Gala Darling's questions for the F3.

1. What is your style direction for the upcoming season?
I am a school teacher so I have to stay pretty professional but I always try to include some rock and roll style or Gossip Girl headbands into the mix. I would have to say my style is Corporate Upper East Side Rock.

2. What is your favourite song right now?

My favorite song right now would have to be Popular from the Veronicas.

3. What’s your best love advice?
My best love advice would be to always always always communicate with your partner when you have a level head. David and I had a really big fight on 23rd Street in New York City and looking back on it, it was very petty and foolish. Also, always support your partner/help them out with their interests, whether you like them or not.

4. Who is the most exciting person you’ve met recently?
Most exciting person I have met recently would be Kate Mulgrew from Star Trek Voyager. I met her at the off Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore and she only stopped for me because I mentioned Star Trek. She is amazing on stage.

5. Are you doing anything wonderful this week? What is it?
This week I am doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING and it feels GREAT! Last week was just crazy--from two off Broadway plays, to a NJ Jets event, to a baby shower I needed time to sleep and relax.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Auto Repair: Help!

Now one of the topics I know the LEAST about is auto repair, which is kind of funny since my dad has always worked on cars throughout his life; even to the point that he tried to teach me how but my brain just did not want to work in that order.

So a friend of mine recently got a new car, which was the Ford F 150 and something went wrong. Apparently his check engline light came on and he didn't know what to He took it to his his local auto shop and then the dealership but it just did not seem right. "Danielle--can you help me?" he comes and then bam! I remember receiving an email from Repair Pal that dealt with finding the best price for auto repair and maintenance estimates. At the time, I thought this was not for me but then I quickly thought of my friend and directed him to the site.

This website is fairly easy to use as well as stores your information on your car so you do not have to constantly input in the particulars. It is a search engine for auto repair that is tailored to your needs. I highly recommend it, and this is coming from someone who is not a automobile owner as well as looking into getting a automobile!

Starting A New Blog Feature: Happy and Grateful Tuesday


While listening to Gala Darling's Love and Sequins #9: Manifesting and Magic Making, she makes a suggestion of writing down what you want to make your magic happen.

Now throughout the week I do three features: Kayfabe Mondays which deals with professional wrestling, Things I Love Thursday where I write down what has made me happy the past week, and finally Fun Fact Friday where I tell you a little bit about myself. I did have a feature of Tootsie Tuesday where I wrote about my foot injury from March to May 2010 but I am better now so I let that feature go to the waste side. So now I have a new feature I like to call HAPPY AND GRATEFUL TUESDAY!

I want to invite you to do this exercise with me. All you need to do is write down ONE thing that you are happy and grateful for. THATS IT. How do you start? The sentence starts "I am so happy and grateful..." and then you fill in the blank! Sounds easy, right? Well it is!

This feature will start next Tuesday August 10, 2010 at 12pm SHARP. I can not wait to read your responses!

XOXO,
Danielle

Things I Love Thursday--August 5th Edition


Love, love, love. This is the emotion that should be driving our world. I know that I try and let it drive mine. Anyway, what am I so much in love with this week?

--Seeing great off Broadway plays at very affordable prices.

--The chocolate marzipan bar at Think Coffee

--Seeing old friends at a baby shower and having lots to talk about.

--Exercising every day, whether it is the walking DVD I got or swimming. It feels so good.

--Wishing for time to slow down...really do not want to go back to work yet.

--Having days to just chill out. Last week was really crazy.

--New clean sheets on my bed.

--Searching for big fluffy unicorns with my best friend in Texas.

--Egg Whites with salsa and cucumbers for breakfast. Gave me so much energy!

--Feeling inspired to make money at things that I enjoy.

--Finding books to add to my wishlist with my best friend in Texas.

--Finally putting a dent into the books I have yet to read pile.

What are you so much in love with this week?