How do you know if you are a Hipster? Or not?

The picture you see above is me attempting to jump as high as this little blond girl. It was taken in Toronto, Canada and I don’t really think it relates to this post.  Well, maybe? This is a picture taken of me before I transformed myself into a nouveau-hipster.

It bites that I don’t even have a recent picture taken of me after my “hipster transformation,” but when I do have it: I will post it, ASAP!

For the past year, I was in complete denial that I was even a hipster. Yet, after doing some deep soul searching and feverish Googling, I can finally conclude that I am, kinda-sorta, a hipster-ish woman.  If you go to UrbanDictionary.com, and type in the word Hipster, you will see the exact definition:

Usually someone in college or fresh out of college until about their late twenties who enjoys indie music, a good cup of coffee or tea, grocery shopping at an organic store and vintage clothe shopping. also enjoys local acoustic band shows, and enjoys indie flicks or foreign films with subtitles. they are snobbish about their music and political affiliations, and enjoy reading books.they enjoy traveling and culture in general.

 

 I can’t deny this definition–even if I try. On my Pandora Station, I listen to nothing but Indie music: The Decemberists, Cold War kids, Peter Bjorn and John, The Kooks, Travis, Aqualung, etc. I watch Indie-flicks on Hulu.com when I get the chance, e.g., “Happy-go-Lucky”, “Arranged”,”Kabluey”, etc.

 

I am very particular about my coffee and prefer blends that are imported overseas from Columbia, parts of Western Africa and wherever else knows how to toast and meld special, aromatic beans. I even get picky about tea and savor anything exotic. I’m a fervent lover of coconut teas from Thailand and of authentic Darjeelings from India.

 

My favorite concerts tend to be acoustic, and once someone gets me started on what is good music and even on social issues ( not always politics), I get extremly passionate and try to immerse myself in deep conversation about it. Moreover, I feel like i’ve always been into vintage clothing, even before it  became a nation-wide trend.

 

I’ve also gone through the whole “thrift-store” route but have also favored garage sales, flea markets and stores like TJ Maxx, Ross and Marshalls for my current threads. Not to mention, i’m an adept bargain shopper who loves to rove around her local Tar-Jay.

Hipsters also love to read books. I try to read 1-2 books a month ( while balancing that with reading for school), and I am currently getting into 48 Rules of Power by Robert Greene.  Though I don’t agree with alot of these tactics, it’s a great read to learn how to ward yourself away from manipulative, cunniving, perfidious people ( it’s sad, but many tend to pervade internships, jobs, networking events and chill sessions with friends).  Generally, I just like to  read books that try to mature me into a better person.

Anyways, another way I am a hipster is by my counter-culture views. I am anti: Lady Gaga, Glee, American Idol, and anything too popular. I also don’t agree with beauty standards placed by the media since it distorts people’s minds and progresses racist tendencies concerning what “is” actual beauty. I also tend to stay afloat on current affairs by reading Huffington Post, CNN, NPR and by engaging in insightful conversation with good friends.

I also love to travel, frequent local coffee shops, try new activities/sports and read. Yeah, the last line borders between Hipster and just being a young- twenty-something that wants to cultivate herself.

After reaching that “A-HA” moment that I was indeed nouveau-hipster, I decided to physically transform myself. Recently, I got a new haircut resembling Christina Perri’s ( minus the blond streak), bought tighter jeans, striped shirts and dramatically altered the way I do makeup.

I bought an ample supply of Loreal themed eye-shadows, lipstick and liquid pencil black eyeliner to achieve this ornate look.

Lest not forget, my  toe and fingernails are going to be decked in dark OPI colors ( preferably caffeine-addict): To embellish this “I don’t really care” look.

I honestly think this “Hipster” phase will die down in a year and I will probably experiment in a new look. But for now, i’m having fun playing-up being a nouveau-hipster in the DMV area.

 So, I guess the big question to ask now is: How do you know if you are a hipster? or not?

If this blog entry reminds you of yourself than problem solved. However, if you still feel ambivalent about this entry than try to perform your own google search to find it if you are, indeed, a Hipster.

Once you finally reach that A-Ha moment, why not catch up with me at an Indie-rock show at 9:30 club or engage in a socially-oriented conversation with me at a trendy, chic coffee joint ( Hmmm Kramer Books by Dupont Circle?).  Us Hipsters ( or Nouveau-Hipsters) must stick together.

Addict Nation, An Intervention for America: Our exclusive interview with Jane Velez-Mitchell

My 2011 goal is to read atleast 1-2 books a month. I can honestly say that I not only accomplished this feat but have also expanded my horizons when it comes to learning more about addictions. I had no idea I had an addiction, until I read this book wholeheartedly..

Normally, I glean a book for pleasure and just cross my fingers that my brain some how picked up on a nugget of intellectual truth. Yet, I was so enthralled with this book that I had to reread almost every page just to feel certain that everything I was reading was really true.  I never really thought of myself as an addict since I don’t do drugs, don’t drink and follow the law.

Even though someone follows the laws and doesn’t abuse illegal drugs–doesn’t mean they don’t have an addiction.

I promise you, Addict Nation: An Intervention for America, written by award-winning, HLN host of Issues with Jane  Velez-Mitchell ( who replaced Glenn Beck on CNN) and Sandra Mohr, will enlighten you; not abash you for being unaware of latent dangers lurking ubiquitiously around the United States. I am almost certain that a majority of Americans aside from me are addicted to the following ( which are also addressed in Velez-Mitchell’s book):

1.) Make-up

2.) Crime

3.) The internet

4.) Food

5.)Movie Stars

6.) Prescription Drugs

7.) Materialism

8.)War

9.) Sex

Ofcourse there are more addictions addressed in the book but i’m sure this has apprised and even shocked you. Neither of the aforementioned items are illegal and some are kind of shocking to some. I mean, how is makeup addictive? Many of these addictions are inexorable due to the media, materialism and peer pressure taking precedence in most people’s lives.

If you don’t believe this assertion, read this excerpt from Velez-Mitchell’s book:

I headed for the refrigerator one evening when my 94-year old mother looked at me from across the kitchen. She sized me up and then quietly said, “Jane, you’re getting FAT.” Now, my mother doesn’t criticize me very often so this got my attention. Of course, I was irritated. Who wants to be told the truth about something like that! But, it was the kind of thing only somebody who loves you would dare to say. Call it a one sentence intervention. It did the trick. It was precisely what I needed to break through the logjam of my denial. It had been a while since my scale had died. I never replaced the battery. My fear of finding out how much I weighed was so ingrained in my psyche that I went to the store twice to buy a new battery for my scale and got the wrong size each time.

            What would Freud say?

Yes, I – like most Americans – I have food issues. I never did while I was drinking. So long as I had my chardonnay security blanket, I could nibble on a salad and be perfectly content. But, when that was taken away from me a decade and a half ago, suddenly food entered my life as a serious contender for my attention and my extremely addictive tendencies. It was my new route to escape!

At the age of 54 I found it ever more difficult to keep the weight off. The days when I could run 15 miles and take off five pounds in one afternoon of binge exercise were long gone. Although I do sweaty yoga, which I find extraordinarily strenuous, I seemed to be compensating for it afterwards with sweet treats I felt I had earned. Along with my food addiction I discovered there are sub-sets, including sugar addiction. I am a sugar addict. I also have a tendency to be a “night eater!” It appears, despite all my years of recovery and therapy, I still have some real emotional issues. I was eating to stuff down feelings and conflicts that used to disappear in the fog of alcohol.

Why do I tell you all this? Because you’re not going to listen to anything I have to say if I don’t first prove to you that I understand what food cravings feel like and how powerful they are. In recovery lingo it’s called “qualifying.” And, believe me, I qualify.

Millions of Americans can relate. We have been self-medicating ourselves with fat and sugar for so long it has become a standard of living. As a result, our country is suffering from a mind-blowing obesity crisis. Two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. It would be safe to say obesity is our nation’s biggest health issue and reports show this epidemic impacts every facet of our lives from health care to global warming. We’re fat! Our kids are fat! And, it’s making us miserable, sick, unattractive and costing us a fortune. So… what the F are we going to do about this problem of ours?

I’ve been in practice for 13 years and when I first started out I had mostly healthy weight kids with a few obese kids that I would see. Now the opposite seems to be true. I have mostly overweight and obese patients and a few that are normal weight patients.—Dr. Leslie Brown, Pediatrician.

Look, for a moment, at this behavior from the perspective of addiction. It’s easy to admit the obvious. We are a nation obsessed with food. In April 25th, 2010, in the New York Times Book Review section, MOST of the books on the Advice and How-To list were about food: Women, Food and God, Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood, Jamie’s Food Revolution, The Kind Diet, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Hungry Girl 1-2-3, Now Eat This!, Food Rules, The Belly Fat Cure, Cook This, Not That!, and The New Atkins For a New You and my personal favorite, Skinny Bitch.

            TV has also jumped on the food gravy train with an entire network devoted to food plus a slew of shows on various networks that form the new genre dubbed Fat TV. NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” A&E’s Kirstie Alley’s Big Life, Oxygen’s “Dance Your Ass Off,” and Fox’s “More to Love.”

            We’re talking and thinking and watching shows about food and fat and, as we do, eating more and getting fatter. Ain’t that the perfect portrait of addiction! By way of comparison, it reminds me of how I spoke incessantly about my alcohol problem for years with various shrinks and friends. Even as I castigated myself, I kept drinking through the whole process. I rationalized that I was “working on it.” Being an alcoholic, my drinking progressively got worse, despite my willingness to bore my friends with an endless litany of excuses and explanations that really should’ve been billable hours. 

Unfortunately, as I know now, the kind of talk in which I was engaged was rife with alcoholic thinking. I was essentially negotiating with my disease, and using my shrink and my friends as mediators. I was “bargaining” with my cravings, trying to come up with some deal that would allow me to have it both ways, get rid of my drinking problem while still drinking.  It was about as effective as the Mideast peace process. It was only when I finally hit bottom and admitted to myself and to another human being that I was totally powerless over alcohol –helpless against even a drop of it– that the huge shift occurred and I was able to walk away from the stuff. I had surrendered to the truth. Sobriety, no matter what substance we’re talking about – booze or food- demands, above all else, honesty and surrender!

Can we as a nation get honest about our relationship with food? Can we surrender to the truth and acknowledge we have become powerless over our cravings? Let’s admit it’s not about being big boned or having a slow metabolism or not having the time to cook. We’re overweight – despite all the negative ramifications to our health, our appearance and the environment – because we, as a nation, are culturally food addicted. Say it!

I am a food addict!

I am powerless over food! Tell it to a friend. And, if you’re living with somebody who’s overweight or obese… confront them about it, just as you would if they had a drinking or drug problem. Don’t dance around the big elephant in the room. Don’t act like a golf journalist at a Tiger Woods’ news conference! Lovingly say the words… “You’re fat! I’m worried about you.”…..

Velez-Mitchell, ( with some help from co-author Sandra Mohr) cleverly interposes her real life struggles with all sorts of addictions with concrete evidence, media and psychology.  Her extensive background in journalism ensures readers an easy read that won’t jumble reader’s brains with esoteric matter. Once you are addicted, it’s hard to proscribe oneself against these vices but by going to therapy, following through an extensive 12-step addict recovery program and by admitting you have a problem. Recovery is possible.

Sherryn Daniel’s Blog was fortunate to have an exclusive phone interview with Jane Velez-Mitchell, award-winning,  acclaimed host of Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell, and notable commentator of high-profile cases for E!, CNN and Trutv, who has good reason why www.sherryndaniel.com  readers should read  her book .

1.) Why does the book Addict-Nation:An Intervention for America affect readers of www.sherryndaniel.com?

This book affects readers because they are on the throes of culture and have almost agreed to have this highly addictive behavior. Materialism, crime, obesity affects everyone. The Average American is bombarded with messages that dictate that we’re incomplete and that WE NEED THESE PRODUCTS. We are brainwashed that we have freedom to have a strict diet yet everyone is coerced into eating unhealthy foods. We are easily funneled into making bad choices since we are brain washed into make poor choices by “The Pushers”, e.g., media, multinational conglomerates, government.

2.) When did you start seeing this dangerous trend between these addictions and our country?

I’ve been sober for 16 years and have noticed that my friends and neighbors were addictive things like overeating, shopping addictively, taking precription drugs, and etc. I held consumer anonymous  meetings and remember when people talked about overconsumption of goods to compensate for an insecurity in their lives. In short, we’re all suffering in the throes of addiction. Addiction never makes you happy and demoralizes you. Our culture is addictive and pushes you into that behavior. Just because everyone is doing addictive things, doesn’t make it okay. It’s good to follow your own drum and not be addicted.

3.) What is the best way to overcome many of these described addictions from your book?

The best way to overcome these addictions is to first admit you need help. The last chapter of the book ( ch. 12) goes into excruciating detail on ways to over addiction but addicts can also venture into a 12-step recovery program.  Some of the mentioned steps are: finding a moment of clarity, turning to a higher power, do an inventory of your behavior, make ammends, practice principles and spread the word. Recovery is really simple and not complicated. It’s all about avoiding the addiction and if you work these changes, you will see miraculous changes.

After having a delightful interview with Jane Velez-Mitchell, she left me with an axiom that I hope get’s across into people’s minds: It’s important that every choice people make is politically conscientious, environmental and moral choice.People don’t realize that their everyday decisions affects others.

Addiction, from afar, may seem to affect one person at a time. But in reality, it affects the addicts family, friends and even neighbors.

Interested in purchasing this book? Click here.

If you feel that you may or may not have addiction, feel free to share your thoughts below this page.

The Greatest Inspirations by Listiani Wijaya

It’s rare nowadays to find a book that everyone can find useful. Normally poetry books only divulge creative folk or English majors.

 But “The Greatest Inspirations” by Listiani Wijaya has found a home in the hearts of many:  accountants, consultants, attorneys, architects, auditors, architects, body builders, sport people, engineers, entrepreneurs, IT (Information Technology) people, bankers, teachers, lecturers, professors, students, readers, writers, business people, religious and non-religious people, poets, marketers, housewives, directors, managers, artists, financial advisors, financial analysts, business analysts, other analysts, journalists, and countless others.

Given these turbulent and changing times, her mellifolous sounding poetry speaks candidly about our humanity and is easy to ascertain. It’s simple, direct and clear, just the way a top-notch book ought to be.

This book is a hidden gem. Just reading a few pages alone, anyone could easily boast that  it has– in some way, shape or form–benefited, blessed, or inspired them to embark on life in a singular but honest way.

If my words don’t sway you towards Wijaya’s gift for colorful metaphors, allusions or lexicon than hopefully these other readers could change your mind:

“Great collections! I am very impressed. Wijaya’s book truly contains the greatest inspirations and thoughts that are really relevant to anyone in nearly any situation. I highly recommend this wonderful book to anyone.”

- Amrit Kayastha, Internetworking Engineer, Equant, Aurora, CO, U.S.A.

“Listi’s poetry is indicative of her natural qualities as a person; graceful, worldly, optimistic, inquisitive, and wise beyond her years. You can tell that her writings flow easy from her heart and soul, and are relevant to us all, no matter who we are. I have always learned much from Listi regarding how we should live life, and believe that her poetry can speak to us all during these changing and turbulent times. Poets like Listi are hidden gems that can speak to our humanity, when we find them.”

 Jack Buffington, Director of e-Business, COORS Brewery, Golden, CO, U.S.A.

“I have had the opportunity to know Listiani very well and I know that you will be as excited as I was to read her works. You will find her insights and writings to be very open, honest and refreshing, much like a young child who discovers the joy of walking alone for the very first time. As you read through her feelings you will be able to enjoy that pleasure in your life, not merely as a spectator, but as a participant in life once again.”

 Robert (Bob) Lowry, Allstate Insurance Company, Castle Rock, CO, U.S.A.

Interested in learning more about Wijaya’s newest book? Check out this link.

Book Review:How to Climb Mt. Blanc in a Skirt by Mick Conefrey

In the span of a few months, i’ve read more than 3 books in between doing school work and in between writing for 4-5 platforms.  Reading frequently not only enhances your memory but it enriches you with knowing more than you did before. No, this is not a service announcement but a fact.

Anyways, How to Climb Mr. Blanc in a Skirt by Mick Conefrey surpasses all my prior assumptions. When I first picked up this book, and slightly glanced at the cover and perused the pages. I misinterpreted this book to be a dry account on women’s history. Lucky for me, I read each chapter fully and can conclude that it has yielded a hardcore fan of female adventurers. Me.

This non-fiction account on women in history making and not making succesful voyages opened up my eyes to the trials and tribulations of women breaking into a man’s world, concerning traversing far and distant lands.

This historical travel guide was skillfully written by Mick Conefrey, an award winning film maker and acclaimed writer of The Adventurer’s Handbook.  It takes an empathetic man to write so candidly about the struggles women have encountered from the turning point of the 19th century and onwards. His humor, insight and accurate portrayel  of female explorers  flourish this pepto bismal- colored paper back.

The book, itself, is broken into five chapters: Who, Why and How?; Where?; People; Women Travel to Venus, Men Travel to Mars; and How to survive foreign travel. Each chapter has intricate sub-categories, etched with black n’ white illustrations of what the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and parts of South America were like in an era where exploration was a fresh new concept for Victorian women.

My favorite chapter, thus far, was ” Women Travel to Venus. Men Travel to Mars“.  It opens up with a frank quote from twentieth-century mountaineer, Annie Peck.

“One of the chief difficulties in a women’s undertaking an expedition of this nature is that every man believes he knows better what should be done than she”.   

After turning this page, the reader sees a creative illustration of former Olympic sailor Ella Mallart and of parliament member Peter Fleming enmeshed in sketchings of Chinese architecture, symbols and cameras.  The next page juxtaposes both explorers in  a neat, lineless chart and exposes the hardshipes female explorers, such as Mallart, face in comparison to male explorers. The rest of the chapter follows in that pattern and also gears into narratives of the explorer’s personal lives playing out in their voyages.

Romance, heartbreak, financial disturbances, prejudices and media-laced scandals trail several of these female explorers, poignantly embraced by Conefrey’s rambunctious imagination. It’s a must-read for fans of women’s rights, historical non-fiction and of fine-tuned literature.

Death and Marion Winik

Busboys and Poets, which is  located on 1440 V street in D.C, is the place for  DMV residents and transplants to sip chai, talk about social issues and to meet prominent writers who inspire, teach and philosophize.

BusBoys and Poets was inspired by Langston Hughes, a famouse African American poet, who worked in restaurants and concocted pieces of work such as “Life is Fine” and “I, Too, Sing, American”.

Acclaimed writer Marion Winik stopped by to give a short reading from her new book Glen Rock book of the Dead to an audience of forty coffee addicts.

 According to her reading, Death to her is a growth experience that not only numbs but goes into how it’s the little things in life– such as eating at the same restaurant every week– that will be sorrowfuly missed when one sleeps six feet underground.

Winik is not only known for being one of the godmothers of creative non-fiction but is a well known columnist for Ladies Home Journal, a professor at University of Baltimore, and has had one of her novels enlisted as a New York Times best seller.

It was a memorable night and her reading has definitely shaped my views on people, and the afterlife.