Category Archives: Life

What day is it?

31 Thursday Oct 2013

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I know, I know, it’s Thursday…just play along…I needed a break from all the garbage out there.

We all know about the crazy camel who makes his way through the office asking “what day is it?”  The marketing genius behind that ad is incredible but do you actually know what the commercial is about?  Or do you just remember the camel?  It’s a GEICO commercial….no little green gecko this time around.  But this story isn’t about the camel, whose name, by the way,  is Caleb..

I think we all need a little levity, to be able to laugh throughout our day, even at simple things.  And it doesn’t get much simpler than this.   I’m writing this based on all the Hump Day statuses, hence the reference to the camel, in my newsfeed yesterday and frankly, every Wednesday!  I include myself in these posts.   Not long ago, I asked my friends if they thought Facebook didn’t mine their data.  This was after a Tuesday status update regarding “Hump Day” aka Wednesday <yes. Some people actually don’t know>.

The status went something like this “If tomorrow is Hump Day, does that mean today is Foreplay Day?”

Even RotteneCards got in on it.

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I was immediately hit with dozens of emails promoting male enhancement drugs.  It appears that Facebook is really not gender specific and doesn’t know that I am a female.  I guess they’re looking at it as a chance for me to pass the information on to my male partner, but why would I?  We all know men don’t like to be told they need more staying power.  I could pick better arguments than this.  You should also know that setting filters in your email to send these little ditties to spam doesn’t work because every “from” and “subject” contains one small change.

I thought I’d share some of the email subject lines with you and hope that you get a laugh out of them, as I did.

* Become a female mag sex fantasy * Enlargement pils Sample * Promo Men’s Supplement * Hitting her G-spot everytime * Free Trial for Stronger Testosterone Levels * Penis Growth Promo * Just Two Pills for Instant Satisfaction *

Do people really take the time to open these emails??  I figure if I continue to get them, and pass them on, several men could make it around the world many times and at least twice to the moon.  With the way things are today, especially these past few weeks, with the healthcare mess, among others, we all need to step back, breathe and just laugh. And laugh I have.  I thank those who have nothing better to do than fill my email with delusions of grandeur 😉

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dorindaduclos.com

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Halloween – Yesterday & Today

29 Tuesday Oct 2013

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It’s almost that time, where the goblins and ghouls come out to wreak havoc on unsuspecting trick or treaters.   This brings me back to the better days.  The days when your parents helped you get dressed in your costume, gave you a sack, a bucket, whatever vessel it was, to hold your candy, and off you went.  You met up with friends and took the neighborhood by storm.  A time when Mom & Dad didn’t have to worry where you were after sunset.  You knew what time you had to be in or in my case; my Dad’s two-finger whistle alerted the whole neighborhood it was time to come home.  We all flocked to Mrs. S’s house because she had caramel apples and no one ever thought about a razor blade inside.  Try that today…

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Times have changed so drastically.  We are in post 9/11 mode on a constant daily basis.  We think twice before the children go out to play.  Where are they going?  Are the other parents home?  Have we gone over the “rules” enough that they remember?  Today, play dates & house parties are the norm.  Children are dropped off at a friend’s, with a specific time to be picked up.  Less worry for concerned parents.

Halloween used to be one of my favorite holidays.  Used to be.  No longer can we trust that our children’s safety is not at risk.  No longer can we allow our children to eat their candy without first checking the packaging.   This takes away from the fun of going door to door and passing the word about  who has the best candy.  From hearing all the other adults ooh and ahh over the little three year old dressed like Cinderella. From being a kid.

Sadly, we’re lucky if we get two dozen trick or treaters at our house.  Years ago, we had hundreds.

So, remember, on this Halloween, please drive safely.  Watch out for little ones, whose parents took the time to take them out and give them the experience we all had and yes, even the teenagers who are roaming the streets after dark.

Have a Safe & Happy Halloween.

Copyright 2013

dorindaduclos.com

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Original photo via www.thedestinlog.com

The Cult of (Multiple) Personalities

28 Monday Oct 2013

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Welcome to Facebook, the land of followers.  Where else can you get 50 or more of your friends to follow your lead all at once? I’ve been watching as people change their profile pictures to giraffes because they lost at figuring out a riddle.  I have to say that the pictures people are using are very amusing.  I’m looking at it as an escape from reality, although why you’d all want to be an animal that makes no noise is beyond me.  And imagine the cost of a turtleneck sweater!

Here is one of the riddles making its way through the newsfeed:

It’s 3:00am, the doorbell rings and you wake up. It’s your parents and they are here for breakfast – you have strawberry jam, honey, wine, bread and cheese. What is the first thing you open?

The answer is obvious…right?  Based on the amount of giraffes in my feed, I’m guessing the answer is no.  It almost reminds me of the game “Telephone”.  You have to wonder how many have changed just a little bit of it as it makes the rounds.  I have learned that this particular riddle has a few versions and the answer changes based on the way the question is worded.  Have you figured it out?  If not, this little critter could be in your future!

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Then there’s the bitstrips app.  Everyone has now become a cartoon character.  This could actually be a great marketing tool if deployed properly.  Right now it’s just another silly app.  As someone told me, “it’s a way to show your feelings without actually saying them.”  In a funny way, I guess that’s exactly what it is.  Humor always makes things a lot lighter than would normally be.  We could all use more  laughter in our day to day.

I know you’re all thinking I rag on social media on a consistent basis but truth is, I have met a lot of incredible people BECAUSE of social media tools like Facebook & Twitter.  If I allow myself to think back, my life could quite possibly be much different than it is today.  People make strong impacts on you, whether personally or professionally.  Sometimes, both.  For this, I thank Mark Zuckerberg,  Evan Williams, Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone, for giving us a means to expand our lives through business associates, but most importantly, friends.

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And That’s A Wrap!

27 Sunday Oct 2013

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Dear friends & colleagues,

After almost 16 years in the wedding and event industry, it’s time for me to say goodbye.  As of November 1, 2013, Favors by Dorinda will cover its last candy bar. Thank you, to everyone, who has supported me over these years.  I am so grateful for the business relationships that turned into amazing friendships and for the opportunities this industry has offered me.  But my party isn’t over.  On the contrary, it’s just beginning.

I may be leaving the retail part of the business but I will still be around.  I decided it was time for me to pursue another passion in my life…writing.  I’ll be putting it all out there, so you can bet if it’s affecting the industry, and/or the world, I’ll have something to say about it.  Mostly, it’s my heartfelt words about things that affect us all.  Eventually, there will be a novel, some of which I will share from time to time on my website, just to tease you, but it won’t be about the industry <everyone can breathe now>.

Join me on my journey  ~ My World, My Thoughts, My Words at www.dorindaduclos.com

**Please note that anything connected to my business; website, Facebook page, etc, will come down as of November 1, 2013.

ImageAgain, thank you for making my time in the event industry an incredible part of my life.  I look forward to sharing with all of you in the years ahead.

You can find me here:

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Three Days After – The Nevada School Shooting

25 Friday Oct 2013

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It’s only been three days but officials in Sparks, Nevada have been slow to release any further information about what may have been the motive behind the October 22nd shootings, siting the ongoing investigation.  Major publications have submitted formal public record requests for the release of the shooters name, saying this information could possibly aid in the understanding of why this 12 year old opened fire on his classmates, a teacher and then took his own life.

“Under Nevada law, it is illegal to allow anyone under 18 to handle a gun without supervision. The offense rises to a felony if there was substantial risk the child would use the firearm to commit a violent act. However, the law doesn’t apply if the gun was stored securely or if the child obtained the weapon unlawfully.”  via The Associated Press.

Police have said they are looking into the parents, other adults & how the boy managed to obtain the gun unnoticed.  No word as to whether or not his parents could be charged.  District Attorney Richard Gammick said he is waiting for the police to present their case to him before deciding if charges will be filed and against whom.

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I’m having a lot of trouble with this.  While I understand that it takes time to determine exactly what happened, and let’s be honest, we may never know unless the boy left behind a note, I still don’t understand where the parents are in all of this.  If your child is acting in an out of the norm way, why didn’t you notice?  I’ve said this before, it’s not a phase.  And I’ll tell you why.

Some sources, mainly other students, are claiming this boy was bullied.  And that an anti-bullying  video shown to these 12 year old’s depicts a child retaliating by bringing a gun to school.  Don’t get me started!!  Why would anyone show this video, or even make this video, in light of all the school shootings, especially to impressionable teens? As the mother of a child who was bullied in middle school, I can address this issue.  Trust me, if you are active in your child’s life, and I don’t mean social life, I mean their LIFE, you notice!!  Their demeanor completely changes.  They become withdrawn, they lash out at you & other siblings, they struggle to tell someone because the conflict inside is so great due to peer pressure.  “Do I tell Mom & Dad?”, “Do I tell a teacher about the kids?”, Will they target me even further if I rat them out?”  A 12 year old cannot figure out these facts for himself.  In my case, aside from the fact that the kids in question made a huge mistake by actually calling my daughter specific names, from the bus window, while she was in the car…with me, she was being cyber-bullied.  The flood gates opened and I immediately contacted school officials.  We met with the Resource Officer ( a policeman assigned to the school) & the principal and WE ratted out those kids.  Their parents were called in and the bullying stopped.  Don’t be afraid to take a stand.  And show your children the right way to stand up for themselves.  There should never be a time where a child needs to take a weapon to prove a point….and then take his or her own life to solidify that point.  To say that I am heartbroken over all of this would be the understatement of the year.

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original photo lanas20something.blogspot.com