by Tiff -

“The Real Thing” by Gwen

I own this Gwen Stefani tour DVD and watch it whenever I’m drinking martinis. It’s from her “Harajuku Lovers” tour, and it rocks. Gail Ann Dorsey (the sexy, bald bassist you’ll see in the vid) was also the bassist for David Bowie’s “Reality” tour, plus a couple other of his tours too, I believe. Anyways, Gail’s great. Gwen’s great. And this song, “The Real Thing,” is tear-inducingly beautiful.

You’ll be amazed at how well Gwen sounds live too (she’s not lip-synching). She sounds great because she’s not dancing around feverishly the way Janet and Britney do, and running out of breath. Gwen knows who she is. She comes from a ska background. She’s far from being a talented hip-hop dancer, so she doesn’t even try. Being the hottie she is, she doesn’t need to dance. All she has to do is show up on stage wearing a pair of killer heels and a sexy outfit, and she’ll please the audience for days.

Enjoy, my friends. This song makes me happy for days.

– Tiff

by Tiff -

Give Your Face a Mint Julep

Your face deserves a Happy Hour too, peoples.

With that thought, you should go and buy a tube of Queen Helene’s AMAZING Mint Julep Mask. Here. For $4.29, your face will get to experience on multiple occasions the magical properties of this intense light green clay-based mask.

It’s an oldie, but a goodie. Women for decades (and me the past 5 years) have been using this mask to clear up pimples, acne, blackheads, and other unsavory skin issues.

Plus, it smells like you’re boozing it up with plantation owners from the 1800’s. Obviously, this scenario would only be cool if it ended with you freeing the slaves, then giving them your Mint Juleps.

– Tiff 

by Tiff -

It’s Friday…Time to Dance!

And what’s better for a Friday danceathon, than “Everything She Wants” by Wham!?

*spins around her chair as she plays the 6 minute long track, making sure not to run into her wall*

God I love George Micheal. And this is one of his best songs ever. I used to be a much better dancer before snapping my neck, but I don’t care. When the music takes you, you must follow.

*goes and laughs at the “Now you tell me that you’re having my baby” part*

– Tiff

by Tiff -

The Perfect Quote for This Blog

I’m not really a big “quote” person. They can be tired, trite, and well I’ll just say it – lame.

But! (but, but, but), I just discovered a phenomenal quote thanks to a mass email sent to us freelancers from my editor. It encompasses my entire life post-injury, what I strive to do everyday, and most importantly – what I hope to further through my articles, podcasts, and blogs. The quote comes from the recently passed disability rights activist and lawyer, Harriet McBryde Johnson.

“Living our lives openly and without shame is a revolutionary act.”

This is one of the most perfectly worded expressions I’ve ever read. What I do, and what I want women with disabilities to do everywhere, is to live their lives as if they weren’t disabled; to NOT let society’s expectations of who they *should* be to mold their lives.

Some people just can’t handle it when we’re “out in the public eye” being sexual beings, getting married, having babies, looking hawt (omgz the horror!), and basically relishing the woman inside of us. They think our disability should somehow make us not want to or not be able to do these things anymore. But, we live in the 21st century. The time for a revolution has come! We are the last minority to get treated equally in regards to the whole “Hey, we’re human too!” situation, and that needs to change.

When will the time come when people no longer come up to me and congragulate me for being out when I’m buying a burrito at Chipotle? When will they stop patronizing me/being shocked for living my life like a “normal” 28 year old? Just because I’m sitting down does not make me that vastly different, nor does it somehow magically siphon away my hormones.

I should really get this quote tattooed across my face. I’d probably piss people off, and that’d be awesome.

– Tiff

by Tiff -

Watch, or Die

If you care at all about the awesomeness that is the birth of the United States of America, then you should really watch HBO’s John Adams miniseries. First off, the series was cast impeccably.

Paul Giamatti plays John Adams, the 2nd President of the USA, father of the 6th President of the USA – John Quincy Adams, Laura Linney plays his devoted wife, Abigail Adams, and Tom Wilkinson plays the quirky/bizarre, Ben Franklin. And the dude they got to play Thomas Jefferson is a dead ringer (I’d IMDB him, but hell, I got work to do people). 

The series starts out on the eve of the Boston Massacre – Adams’ hometown -and then goes headfirst into the revolution. It’s more than engaging. With the “real,” bumpy way it’s shot, it feels like you’re there. You feel like you’re sweating along with John Adams as he bemoans South Carolina’s royalist nature, and as he nearly dies in Amsterdam while petitioning the government for a 5 million dollar loan (which they were hesitant to do. The USA obviously had no international credit; then).

I would’ve posted this blog on or before the 4th, but I was busy getting my drunk on with inebriated Star Trek nerds at a comic book convention over the weekend. Geeks, believe it or not, party like rockstars.

– Tiff

by Tiff -

Body of War

Tomas Young is 28 years old, sexy, well-spoken, from Kansas City, MO, and unfortunately, a T4 paraplegic. 

In 2003, he was shot and paralyzed by enemy fire (“Instantly dropping my AK 47,” he describes, after getting shot) after only 5 days in Iraq. Body of War is an amazing documentary that EVERYONE should see. Co-directed by the legendary Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, this film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March and is currently touring the country.

To learn more about this anti-war film, visit the it’s site, BodyofWar.com. Make sure to watch the trailer and to peruse it’s screening schedule; it may be coming to a city near you. I’m hoping that SOON it’ll be available on Netflix (I have the 3-disc unlimited plan), and I REALLY need to see this film in it’s entirety, instead of through dozens of various YouTube clips.

I almost had the opportunity to see it the first weekend of June here in Minneapolis at the National Free Press Conference, but due to PCA scheduling issues and my own damn fault, I couldn’t see the screening (or go to the awesome Q&A session afterwards with Phil Donahue). I’m still kicking myself over that.

ANYWAYS, Eddie Vedder (lead singer of Pearl Jam) wrote/performed a song for the film called, “No More.” It’s beautiful, poignant, and it makes me very happy to see such a high-profile musician affiliated with such an important film.

But yes, this film is great. It shows how brutal life with a SCI really is, how the VA has let Tomas down in re: to proper benefits to fully rehabilitate a paraplegic. and more importantly, how Iraq was a terrible mistake.

– Tiff

by Tiff -

Britain’s Missing Top Model

Stylish, sassy, chic … disabled?

Britain is airing a brand new model search reality show in July, specifically looking for models with disabilities. On a awful creative note, it’ll be called Britain’s Missing Top Model. They get no w00t from me for that lame show name.

Here’s the show’s tagline:

Eight young disabled women discover what it takes to be a model – but which of them will win a photo shoot and appear in a top fashion magazine?

Is this a marketing ploy? Is it a serious competition? My Brit friends will have to share their opinion with me after it airs, because unfortunately it’s damn near impossible to get BBC Three in Minnesota, unless you’e Stanley Hubbard.

Oh, and there’s one American on the show too. Her name is Jenny and she’s 22!

– Tiff

PS. I do give the show props for shedding light on the disparity of able-bodied vs. disabled models in the media though. Ok, that deserves a w00t…..”w00t.”