Fall wishlist #1

I have realized I have almost no Fall dresses so I have decided to dedicate my first Fall wishlist to all the dresses I am lusting over right now. Some may be very simple and some more complex but all on this list are dresses that for one reason or another I am dying to have.

1. Topshop, 2. Paul & Joe Sister, 3. Black Halo, 4. Tahari, 5. BB Dakota, 6. 3.1 Phillip Lim, 7. Alexander McQueen, 8. Eliza J

xoxo Rebecca

Feel good playist

As of late I have been feeling really down and depressed. With everything going on in my life I feel like I just needed some "happy" in my life. I haven't put out a playlist in some time so I thought I would do just that. So here is what I have made up to be my feel good playlist full of music to empower you as well as to make you feel good about yourself.

xoxo Rebecca

Ebola crisis

If you have ever played the online game called "Pandemic" which also happens to be a board game than you will understand what is going on with the Ebola outbreak and what happens. In the game Pandemic which has two sequels Pandemic 2 and Pandemic 3 you are given a country at random which is to be ground zero for your virus. The goal of the game is to infect the entire planet with a virus which you can create and enhance as you advance and infect more countries. Once the entire world is infected and there are no survivors or a cure you win the game.

This time however the outbreak isn't a made up virus and it's not a game. In January of 2014 unknown to the worlds population the Ebola virus which was first discovered in 1976 infects it's first victim supposedly in Guinea Africa which is where the outbreak began. February 2014 the first case surfaces in Guinea Africa but it's not until March that the government officially reports it after officially deeming it an outbreak. The virus then quickly spreads to Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. 

Over the months that followed the virus racked up an estimated infection count of over 2,100 people. Of that number as of this week the estimated death toll is at just over 1,140 victims and that's just the reported cases.

All flights to and from Africa to the US and a host of other countries have been stopped effectively shutting down all physical contact with the virus outbreak. To this date there have only been two reported cases in America related to the outbreak. The infected contracted the virus while in Africa helping patients in Liberia and are now in isolation in an Atlanta, GA hospital where they seem to be recovering.

Ebola is a virus that rarely comes around but when it does it usually has a high death toll and infection rate especially when the outbreak begins in a third world country like Africa. Ebola often takes close to a month to develop and start to show symptoms. Early symptoms can range from sudden fever, headaches all the way to a sore throat and muscle pain. Later stage symptoms include vomiting and impaired kidney and liver functionality.

As of this past week the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially deemed this a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This designation has only been used twice in recorded history. Once for the 2007 outbreak of H1N1 or Swine Flu and a second time for outbreak of Polio earlier this year. The WHO has also publicly stated that it believes the number of infected people could reach over 20,000 before containment efforts finally catch up and stop the outbreak.

As for me I'm perfectly happy here safe in NH although I fear the WHO's numbers are possibly underestimated and that this might not be as safe a place as I'd like to think. That being because This is the East Coast which is the closest part of America to Africa but I won't jump to conclusions just yet. There's still a lot of time between now and the WHO's projected numbers being reached and I have the utmost confidence that with the UN's new Ebola relief effort everything will be just dandy (can you feel the sarcasm?).

You see I just can't see an outbreak this large that materialized from a virus with no known cure that also originated in a third world country where might I add sanitation is lacking. At least if your going by sanitation guidelines set in place by first world countries like the US and Canada. Now I'm not saying Africa isn't a clean place but a very good portion of the continent is not. This makes for a larger breeding ground for the virus as well as easier spreadability.

Previous outbreaks show us that nothing of this scale and magnitude have hit in a long time. The last outbreak was in 2013 with the number of infected reaching only six and of that six only three of them 50% died. The CDC actually has a great timeline detailing the worlds Ebola outbreaks from the date of discovery to present date which can be found here. The timeline details the origin of the outbreak as well as the number of infected and the percent of the infected that died as a result of the virus.

I would love to hear your opinion on and sadly your predictions for the future spread of the virus as well as the UN, CDC and WHO's efforts at containment and a possible cure which as I mentioned does not exist to date.

You can tweet me @prepidemic using the #TPcoffeetalk.

xoxo Rebecca

Coffee talk

On August nineteenth American reporter James Foley who worked for Global Post was beheaded by ISIS an Islamic group that stretches from Syria to Iraq.. Foley was kidnapped back in 2012 while reporting in Syria where he reportedly went missing. Video of the beheading can be found online but I find it too gruesome to show here.

The timeline of events is simple, James Foley was kidnapped in in 2012 and never heard from again. Obama decided as of late to start taking military action against Iraq due to the uprising of ISIS which caused the resurfacing of Foley. ISIS decided to behead Foley live in front of his family on camera for Obama to watch so he can understand how serious they are.

If you remember back to the Bush administration there were many beheadings of American journalists over seas. It was so bad I feel like most journalists didn't even want to report overseas for fear of getting kidnapped and possibly beheaded.

If you also remember a few years ago Obama made an attempt at bringing back kidnapped journalists. When the operation went sour he seemingly gave up. Now that Foley has been beheaded we already have boots on the ground. This comes after we were supposedly supposed to have all troops pulled out of Iraq. Seriously though, we all know that was never true. some of us might even know a troop or two who is still deployed in Iraq. I fear that our military presence will never end over there.

With a newly reestablished military presence in Iraq we will surly see a rise in the death toll of American soldiers and a new wave of jingoism here in America. For me personally I am not happy to hear any of this especially with Obama publicly stating that we officially have "boots on the ground" again.

What's really at play here is Obama not doing enough prior to save Foley and the other journalists overseas that have been kidnapped. Foley is just the tip of the ice berg in a war that most of the US at this point doesn't want to get involved in. Now I'm all for patriotism (although I'd rather live in Canada) but this is insane. We were supposed to be out of Iraq but Obama can't help but stick his fingers where they don't belong. I'm not saying here that we shouldn't do something about this but I don't think another war is the right answer.

With all of this going down this is just one more thing that our generation is going to have to clean up from our parents (not blaming our parents) generation. They seem to gravitate toward violence while we flock to social media and tell the real story.

Speaking of social media I want you all to tell me your thoughts by tweeting me @prepidemic with the #TPcoffeetalk.

xoxo Rebecca

Confessions of a news junkie

If your anything like me your news stand on your iPad is chalk full of magazine subscriptions and your front door littered with newspapers every morning. You probably percolate a pot of black coffee on the stove or go and get a tall blonde roast from Starbucks and sit down and start processing all the new information you have just been handed. You might even be inclined to write a tweet or take an Instagram photo or two.

Every morning I wake up and make myself either a pot of coffee or a pot of tea it depends on my mood. I take out my iPad and start from top to bottom flipping through every News app from CNN to the Guardian to The BBC. It usually takes me a little over an hour to go through my news apps alone not to mention all the related content linked within over half of the articles. Don't even get me started on days when a new issue of Time or News Week comes out.

Sometimes though when I'm especially desperate to read a newspaper I can be found driving around to just about every local place that has free papers bumming a copy of everything I can find. Most of the time I don't even order anything I just sit down and read the paper or even worse just grab one and go. I even have a list of places and what papers they carry like for instance a popular Italian sandwich shop down the street carries a small time paper called "The Coffee Times".

Even when I'm at work I'm scrolling my Twitter feed searching for new articles posted by the New York Times magazine or CNN. It's crazy how much I absorb myself in popular culture and the amount of news I read. I feel as though I don't have anyone that I can sit down with a nice cup of tea and talk current events.

I confess that a lot of my friends are getting really tired of me saying "hey, wanna hear something interesting?" or "You should check out this article I just read" or even worse "I wanted to get your opinion on (long story)." I've always made the joke that I would make a good news anchor because I could ramble on for hours about crap no one seems to care about and get paid for it.

In the end when it comes to hard news I feel like every story no matter how personal has a price. These days It seems like everything is for sale in America and everyone wants to get a slice of the delicious pie called capitalism. I feel like I'm just another player in the game hungry to read it all and that's exactly what I do.

What's your opinion towards news and the media?

xoxo Rebecca

What your probably missing from your college packing list

As many of us gear up to go back to school we can't help but think to ourselves "did I forget something?". We go over our list again and again making sure we have it all and give ourselves a pat on the back for not forgetting anything this time around (or the first time). It's not until we arrive on campus only to get the dreaded call from mom saying you left your clothes in the dryer or I have your phone charger.

I remember my freshman year, I was so eager to get to college and move in. I had so many ideas for decorating my dorm room. I even requested to move in early so I could get the better side of the room. After all your going to be living there for the next two semesters right? Alas as the first week came to a close I already had a pretty big list of things I either forgot or needed to go out and get. In hopes that you won't befall the same fate as me here are my top ten items that you don't want to forget when packing for college.

Power strip- Dorm rooms are notorious for not having enough outlets. It's a good bet that the room your moving into doesn't either so you should pack a long power strip. Your going to want to be able to plug in your laptop, cell phone, alarm clock and just about everything else in your bag not to mention curling iron for when your going out so the longer the strip the better.

 Ethernet cable- Not all dorms come with wifi and almost all campuses don't allow students to have their own especially if it's not offered. If you don't have a long enough Ethernet cable to reach that plug that just so happens to be on your roommates side of the room your going to have a hard time doing work let alone arranging your dorm room to accommodate your short cord.

Advil- I can't tell you how many times I woke up on a Sunday morning with a headache so bad all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. What's worse is that most of those times I didn't even have Advil to stop the pain. It's a good idea to bring the largest bottle of asprin you can find. I prefer the Advil liquid gels because of hoe fast acting they are.

Box fan- Most colleges don't offer air conditioning to their students in their rooms so It's a really good idea to bring one of these. The smaller fans are alright but a box fan can go in your window and trust me it makes all the difference when it's 98 degrees outside and you're stuck in your dorm room writing a paper.

Command strips- These seem to be the standard wall hanger in all college dorms. They go on easy and come off even easier (sometimes). I love using these because I can literally stick them anywhere and hang just about anything even my collection of bags. If your looking for a cheap way to hang things on the wall without having to worry about it falling off every 5 minutes because your tape isn't strong enough then invest in a bunch of these.

External hard drive- You never know when technology is going to fail on you, it's a smart idea to keep your files backed up. Your going to be thankful that you did when you spill that mixer all over your laptop and seemingly lose the term paper you've been working so hard on the past few weeks. I can't tell you how many of my friends broke their computers or had a hard drive crash and didn't back up their files before hand.

Umbrella- Rain can strike at any time even when it feels like the most beautiful day of the year the weather can change in an instant. My freshman year it rained so hard my dorm actually flooded once and I was so unprepared. Your going to regret it when you just finish doing your hair and you look out your window to see a big storm cloud pouring down rain so hard you wished class was canceled. 

Febreze- I may not have a great sense of smell but let me tell you when you wake up on a Sunday morning and your sheets smell like you threw up a whole handle of tequila you'll be happy to know you can at least make your dorm room smell like Spring flowers even when you don't. Or when your roommate decides to go all natural and not shower for a week your going to rest easy knowing you can febreze the crap out of their side of the room when their gone.

Shower sandals- College dorm bathrooms are disgusting (yes even the girls bathrooms are gross). After the girl living in the room next to you tries to make it to the toilet to boot but barely makes it through the door it'll be nice to have something to wear that isn't one of your nice pairs of shoes. It's a good idea to buy cheap sandals like the Old Navy rubber sandals. Their great for the shower because they don't retain any water and are easy to slip on and off.

Band-Aids- I'm a bit accident prone, I go through almost a box of band aids every couple of weeks. When I was in college it seemed as if I didn't have a band-Aid on something was wrong. Bring a few boxes in varying sizes and styles. Like clear ones for when your going out or water proof ones for when your getting in the shower. Try to avoid the tough strips though because they leave a sticky residue that's near impossible to get off without feeling like your scrubbing your skin away trying to do so.

What's on you essential packing list?

xoxo Rebecca

Coffee talk

If you haven't been watching the news in the past week then you might want to drop by your favorite social media outlet and look up Michael Brown.

Here's a quick recap/timeline of events.

On Sunday August 9th at about a hair past noon a call came into the Ferguson Missouri police department dispatch from another officer saying a young black male had been shot. The officer claimed it was a self defense shooting ie. he reached for the officers gun and the officer shot him.

What had happened is that a call was made about a robbery. The store clerk gave the dispatcher directions as to where the suspect was heading. Police later found eighteen year old Michael Brown walking in an area near where the supposed suspect was to be located. The officer stopped Brown and that's where the whole thing gets fuzzy.

The story quickly escalates as word spreads from eye witnesses that the officer blatantly shot Brown who was unarmed and cooperating with the officer because he was black.

Later that night a candlelight vigil was held in honor of Brown which soon turned violent as officers try to break it up. As a result over a dozen businesses are looted in protest.

Monday August 11th school is canceled as a safety precaution to walking students. Later that day hundreds of people gather in front of the Ferguson PD to protest Browns death. Police arrest at least seven of the protesters. Later that day the NCAAP holds a meeting to pray for Brown and an end to the violence. That night protesters in Ferguson are tear gassed for not protesting peacefully.

Tuesday August 12th the Ferguson police announce they have arrested fifteen people in connection to the protests.

Wednesday August 13th Ferguson police lock down the city blocking all media from entering and covering the story. They also detain two reporters from the Huffington Post and Washington post.

Saturday August 16th Governor Nixon issues a state of emergency and imposes a curfew in the Ferguson area.


What I think....

The reason this escalated so quickly and is picking up international concern so quickly is because this isn't just about a police officer shooting a man. This is about the police being bias toward blacks, it's about freedom and justice.

Michael Brown was an unarmed black civilian and the police shot and killed him in cold blood. That right there ladies and gentlemen is what this is all about. Peaceful protesters getting shot at with tear gas and rubber/wooden bullets because their protesting the shooting of an innocent black man.

Throughout the history of the US the justice department has favored white people to some degree. There are countless cases to use as a precedent to back that statement up and this shooting just creates another one. As a believer of libertarianism myself I am all about justice and freedom of speech. I believe that as Americans we all have equal rights as is stated in the constitution plain and simple. The fact that every time a black person is shot by a police officer just adds to the stigma that the police don't care about the rights of African Americans in this country which makes this is just as relevant now as it was back in 1963.

What also bugs me about all this is that so many people are still so ignorant towards what's going on. Creating hash tags like "iftheygunnedmedown". So many people are using that now to post pictures of themselves in a good situation and then a bad situation and making a joke of which picture the police would use if they got shot. The problem here is they are inadvertently making fun of blacks by posting these pictures because this is an actual issue with black people. The media always finds a way to use the worst possible photo of a black person when portraying them. Every time someone black ends up in the news there's always a photo of them drinking, smoking, looking thuggish etc to accompany it and it bothers me that people still don't get it.

Media is always out to create a commotion and to stir the pot. They always find a way to negatively portray a situation. As Abraham Lincoln once said “If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will.” All you need to do is look at someones Facebook or read some of their tweets and that's all you'll need. Social media makes it so easy now-a-days to twist a story from "Boy scout saves cat in the street" to drunken teen gets hit by car while walking in the middle of the road". Remember, media is NOT always your friend. Don't always trust what you hear on tv or read in the paper.

As the whole situation has yet to resolve itself I would love to hear what you have to say. Tell me your thoughts and opinions by tweeting me @prepidemic with the #TPcoffeetalk.

xoxo Rebecca