Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.
Why do we use it?
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Where does it come from?
Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of “de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum” (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..”, comes from a line in section 1.10.32.
The standard chunk of Lorem Ipsum used since the 1500s is reproduced below for those interested. Sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 from “de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum” by Cicero are also reproduced in their exact original form, accompanied by English versions from the 1914 translation by H. Rackham.
Where can I get some?
There are many variations of passages of Lorem Ipsum available, but the majority have suffered alteration in some form, by injected humour, or randomised words which don’t look even slightly believable. If you are going to use a passage of Lorem Ipsum, you need to be sure there isn’t anything embarrassing hidden in the middle of text. All the Lorem Ipsum generators on the Internet tend to repeat predefined chunks as necessary, making this the first true generator on the Internet. It uses a dictionary of over 200 Latin words, combined with a handful of model sentence structures, to generate Lorem Ipsum which looks reasonable. The generated Lorem Ipsum is therefore always free from repetition, injected humour, or non-characteristic words etc.
No doubt you have seen the news over the past few days regarding my father’s arrest during a horse rescue operation in Kentucky. I’ve been totally overwhelmed by the support we have received. I won’t dive too much into the details here but I want you all to take a look at this video. I think it will clear up any questions you may have.
For those of you that have asked (or just wondered) about my recent arrest, I wanted to share this video. As you may know, the story of my arrest was carried by Fox, AP, CBS, and numerous local media outlets. If you are willing to share the rest of the story with others, I would appreciate your help. Thanks to the many who have expressed their support, prayers, and trust.
Posted by Curtis Bostic on Saturday, January 7, 2017
Well there you have it. Hopefully my marginal recording abilities don’t detract too much from the actual situation you can see in this video. The scenario is really quite heartbreaking. Regardless of if you’re an “animal person” or not, there is something tragic about seeing such majestic animals being turned loose to fend for themselves in the winter. It was really surprising to me just how friendly these creatures were. One horse in particular followed me around while I was filming, wanting nothing more than some affection. We’ve decided we may have to bring her home.
Our new friend!
Sadly, the national media has largely ignored the ending of this story. While the Associated Press deemed it worthy to speak of the arrest, they have ignored the fact that this entire situation has been worked together for good. Myself and many others are now aware of the plight of these animals and we are working to do something about it. The power of social media continues to blow my mind. In such a short period of time, the video has accumulated 250,000 views from all over the world and over 5,000 shares. This is a good reminder that the media does not control us, and it is up to each one of us to spread the truth using every tool available to us.
While (like any father and son) dad and I do not agree on everything, I continue to be immensely proud of him and amazed at his sacrificial spirit. The media has no doubt damaged his reputation, but we know the truth and are thankful he is a man of character.
I’ve been in politics on both a volunteer and professional level since I was 16 and I’ve never seen anything like this. Here I sit, a full four days after the election and it hasn’t quite set in that Donald J. Trump will become the 45th President of The United States. It’s odd. I have found myself going about my daily life, fulfilling the mundane responsibilities of being an adult, and then it hits me like a train…
“Donald J. Trump is about to become the 45th President of the United States of America.”
I don’t think I need to recap any of the dumpster-fire that the American political process has been over the last two years. It’s caused us all enough pain, frustration, and bewilderment. To be frank, I think most of us can agree that most of these emotions have come from or been a direct result of the actions and words of our new president-elect. It’s hard to overstate the significance of what has happened in our world recently. Even more so, it’s challenging to accept how this has affected so many people on a personal level. While I was not a supporter of either of our candidates, it’s no secret that I fought Trump with a vengeance. I have been more critical of him than I have ever been of any other leader, and that’s saying something. I’ve fought him on the basis that he lacks the character of a president and I’ve openly criticized many of his policies as preposterous, unconstitutional, and downright dangerous.
Furthermore, the simple truth is that he has insulted most of America with his rhetoric. I have seen my friends and people I respect belittled both directly and indirectly. I have witnessed him degrade people made in the image of God because they don’t share his lifestyle, skin color, gender, or worldview. I saw him insult my candidate of choice because he didn’t feel that she was attractive enough to become president. Perhaps most disheartening of all, I saw people I respect throw aside their faith and openly support him with the excuse that it was more important to manipulate the political levers of democracy than to stand up for principal.
For a while it seemed there was no end in sight. Regularly, I would open my social media feeds to see Trump supporters sending me threats or insults. Myself and others I know were called every derogatory term, racial slur, and foul word in the book. After a tweet critical of Trump I would find password-reset notifications hitting my inbox as these individuals attempted to hack my accounts. I kept reminding myself that in a short period of time it wouldn’t matter. He would lose spectacularly and life would march forward.
Well the American electorate had different plans and so it’s time to move on.
I mean that quite literally. It’s time to MOVE on. Our country is more important than nasty tweets, political attack ads, and insults. Our country is more important than Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Our country is more important than any political party. Our country is about us and we the people must force ourselves to be more than what the past two years exemplified. As challenging as this is, we must learn to put our differences aside, and fight together for the future.
What does this actually look like? Glad you asked.
To those who are Trump fans: Congratulations, you won. You fought hard, defied the science of politics, and you’ve captured the world’s attention. I ask now that you begin to realize the weight of where you have put us. Please realize that the time for divisive insults and rhetoric has passed. I beg of you, learn to listen. Understand that the majority of our republic does not share your views. This is a huge adjustment for all of us. Finally, begin to demand more from our new president. Accept nothing less than leadership and the behavior becoming of the leader of the free world. You were the driving force to put him in office. He will listen to you. Use that to our country’s advantage.
To #NeverTrump and people on the other side of the isle: We lost. We need to acknowledge it and accept reality. Rioting in the streets, burning Trump posters in effigy, and lashing out online won’t solve anything. Yeah, the whole situation is depressing, confusing, painful, and infuriating. Trust me, I know. But it’s time for us to start over and model the spirit we want to see in our political process.
On Wednesday, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both gave gracious and optimistic speeches conceding defeat to Mr. Trump. While I am certainly no fan of either politician, they deserve credit for handling a crushing situation with such class. If they can do it, then so can we. We have no excuse.
For me, this means I am going to do my best to respect Trump with the dignity his new title deserves. I will commit to pray for him, his team, and our country like never before. Does this mean I agree with all of his policies and the ways in which he may conduct himself? Absolutely not. But in spite of my feelings it’s time I give him a chance. I will be the first to applaud his successes, for they are our country’s successes. Likewise, I will also be the first to call him out when he conducts himself in any way that is not presidential. I have done the same for Barack Obama and I would do the same if Hillary Clinton were president. It’s not about a political philosophy or ideology, it’s about demanding leadership.
Finally, we must all work to combat the hate that has been rampant in society. Please understand that stepping up doesn’t just involve sharing a Facebook status, posting a tweet, or marching with a band of protesters. To repair the damage done, we must do the opposite of what we have heard. Reach out people who are different than you are and spend time with them. Look past race, gender, and worldview to see the real person. I don’t care if you disagree with them. Just learn to respect them as humans. Our differences are what makes America such a wonderful place and no one can take that away from us. We must all make a conscious effort to engage with one another in a civil manner, even when staring down hate.
Citizens it is time. MOVE on.
Demand leadership from our elected officials. If you don’t like the landscape then fight to change it. Get involved in politics more than once every four years. Stop letting the media tell you who to vote for or how to think. Research. Donate to organizations that fight for your viewpoints. Meet your representatives and make an effort to challenge them to stand for principal.
Most important of all, respect others and love those around you like the future of our nation depends on it, because it does.
~ Daniel
PS. I personally don’t completely agree with the hashtag #MakeAmericaGreatAgain because I believe that America has always been great. But compromise starts with me, so I’ll use the hashtag.
Just a quick song to get your weekend started. I LOVE Echosmith. They have such a clean sound and no matter how stressed I am, they can put me in a good mood.
“This is a short race, this is a short life Let’s run, not walk, through this beautiful life This is a good day, this is a good sign You’ve got green eyes and I’ve got sunrise
We’re falling sideways, big lights freeways Heart beats through me, through this beautiful life”
Oh boy, are we all are all in the thick of Valentine’s Day marketing or what? I was at the gym just today and I noticed an advertisement on the TV for a 9 FOOT TALL Teddy Bear. Um. Ok. That’s not even cute. That’s downright creepy. What would you even do with that? I’m not sure my ceiling is even that tall. Anyway, upon completing my workout, I hopped in my car and the satellite radio started blaring that I have been given the rare opportunity to purchase a 24k Gold-Dipped Rose to show my undying love to my non-existent girlfriend. Ok, I guess that’s pretty cute. Well in only 2 short days, the big day will be here. Those of us who are single have a choice. Are we gonna mope around or take matters into our own hands? Without further ado, here are a handful of suggestions I have for any single person to make the best of this holiday.
First of all, Valentines Day should not be solely about romantic love but rather a chance to spend time with those you love. If you’re looking for something to do, consider texting/calling a couple of old friends you haven’t seen in a while. Life has a way of pulling people apart, so try and make plans with them ASAP. It can be as simple as going to see a movie or having them over for dinner. Chances are, at least one of your old friends is still as single as you are, and this could be a great way to re-kindle that friendship.
Next, consider how you can show love to those around you that you may not ordinarily have any contact with. It’s really easy to get wrapped up in ourselves this time of year when there are so many people out there that are hurting. So consider volunteering your evening or going shopping for a local soup kitchen or women’s shelter. A quick Google search will turn up places nearby that could use your help. Even better, invite a single friend to go with you! Working together to achieve something meaningful is a surefire way to wisely use your Valentines Day.
Finally, if you are truly looking for romance on Valentines Day, do not just sit around and wait for that person to come to you. My friends over at Christian Mingle recently re-vamped their website and, I have to say, it looks awesome! Thanks to the gift of the Internet, there are now more ways than ever to meet people who share your beliefs. Christian Mingle works incredibly hard to connect it’s users with other quality people of faith. Don’t just take my word for it: Christian Mingle has helped to create more lasting relationships than any other dating site on the net.
In fact, they care so deeply about building meaningful relationships that they are hosting a contest entitled “#MeetMeOnMingle”. Users will submit a photo for a chance to win $1,000 and be the face of a major brand! You owe it to yourself to see what they offer. You may well discover that awesome person you’ve been looking for. Give it a shot, you won’t be disappointed!
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by my friends over at Christian Mingle. They had no editorial control over this post. All thoughts and offensive grammar mistakes are my own.
Did you know that every single day 21 Americans Die while waiting for an organ donor? Furthermore, there are some 120,000 people waiting to receive a vital organ.
My friends at Organizeare doing something about this crisis. It’s so easy to register to be an organ donor, it costs you nothing, and it ensures that your legacy continues on after you’re gone.
This Valentine’s Day, do something that really matters. Register to be an organ donor. It takes about 30 seconds and can even be done via Tweet! (You read that right)
If you follow politics you will notice that last night, ABC announced the candidate lineup for the only New Hampshire debate ahead of Tuesday’s primary.
As you can see there was one glaring omission. Carly Fiorina, the woman who started out as a secretary and became the CEO of the world’s largest technology company, HP, was excluded from the debate on Saturday.
Originally, the debates were split in two because it would be absolute chaos to have 16 candidates sharing a single stage. However now that many candidates have dropped out, there will be no undercard debate. Here’s the thing, Carly is beating two other contenders that DID make the cut. Fiorina bested both NJ Gov. Chris Christie and former OH Gov. John Kasich in Iowa. She even earned a delegate!
In the race for the White House she is tied with former FL Governor Jeb Bush who spent some $14,900,000 in Iowa alone!
So what excuse does ABC have for keeping a legitimate contender for President off of the debate stage?
Polls.
Well sort of.
ABC picked the polls that they wanted to pick.
Some polls after Iowa actually show Fiorina’s campaign surging.
Credit: WBUR
Even then, there’s no reason to exclude contenders from the debate. The field has been winnowed and only the most serious candidates remain. Certainly ABC can find one more podium to add to the stage. It costs them nothing.
Many high-profile people have agreed with this sentiment.
Hey @ABC: put @CarlyFiorina on the debate stage! She got more Iowa votes than John and Chris. Don't exclude only woman.
This debacle really speaks to a much larger issue in American politics. The media has cleverly invented a way to make themselves the gatekeepers of democracy, and party leadership on both sides goes along with it.
It is time for that to stop.
You don’t need to be a Republican or even to like Carly to understand that giving the power of democracy to anyone but the citizens is dangerous. It’s time that we, the voters, the ones who actually decide elections, stop allowing ourselves to be led along by reporters who tell us that this is a three man race. Finally, the RNC should be ashamed that it continues to allow the media to deprive voters of their right to hear every candidate. What they are doing is antithetical to what our founding fathers fought so hard for.
So tomorrow evening I will not be watching the ABC “debate”. Instead, I can use my time and God-given brain to do meaningful research about what candidates are out there and what they believe. I will use this information to make an intelligent decision about who to vote for.
Please join me.
UPDATE: WOW! The traffic to the site has been insane. Thanks so much for all the support..
UPDATE: Multiple sources are now claiming that not only has ABC censored what candidates are allowed on the stage, they are refusing to sell air time to them. I didn’t believe it either. Note that it was RT’d by Sarah Isgur Flores, Deputy Campaign Manager for Fiorina.
Breaking: Not only has ABC barred #Carly#Fiorina from tonights NH GOP debate, its now refusing to sell her ad time then. #Rigged
Things have changed a little bit since then. The girl is long gone, but I can honestly say that Twitter has in many ways changed my life. I have made new friends entirely off Twitter, had news stories written about what I’ve said or who I’ve fought with (seriously, be careful), I have booked projects solely from valued contacts on the site, and I now have around 168,000 followers. This social experiment has provided me with an incredible way to connect to people all over the world.
It’s impossible to address all aspects of Twitter in one article but for now, we will focus on 3 key areas to supercharge your Twitter game.
Have a Strong Profile
It’s easy to skimp on social media profiles. The fact is, we live in 2015. For better or worse, people will frequently base their initial impression of you on what your little self-written blurb says. For starters – keep it brief and use only the highlights. Don’t try and cram every single achievement in your bio. If your bio reads like this then you may have a problem:
“Famous on Social Media, Over 45k Instagram Followers, Award Winning Blogger Published once on Huffington Post, I own a Maserati”
OK, they aren’t USUALLY that bad, but seriously, be humble and keep it brief. You want to leave people with the desire to learn more about what you have to say. Nothing is more unattractive than arrogance.
Political tweeter/power player @Ali has an example of a great profile.
Take notice – he says what he does, what organizations he is associated with, and isn’t afraid to use humor and poke fun at himself. His profile gives him credibility but doesn’t come off as arrogant.
Engage Strangers
Too many people assume Twitter is Facebookok with shorter posts and fewer FarmVille invites. This is partially true, but Twitter is designed around meeting people and getting their take on life. Don’t be afraid follow and interact with complete strangers! It may be deemed “creepy” on other platforms, but if someone has a public Twitter account I consider it an open door to communicate. Example: If you’re into cooking – run a quick search for cooking, scroll through the articles, and if you find a fabulous recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu then let the author know you loved it and give them a follow! Another example: if you get a new follower, shoot them a message (preferably publicly) and say thanks. As your account grows it will become harder to keep up with each one, but it is important to realize that Twitter is a two-way street. Above all, do not fake interest. Automatic DM services are the worst. They say, “I don’t really care that much about us making a connection, but I want to pretend like I do.” They’re a nuisance, fodder for hackers, and they do not help you form relationships in any way. Reaching out with authenticity is how you build connections, learn new ideas, and form new friendships.
Inject Yourself into the Conversation
People often ask me something along the lines of “How can I get more followers?” While there isn’t an easy answer to that question, there is one surefire way to connect with a larger audience. Go with the Trending Topic flow. Notice a magnifying glass in the upper left-hand corner of your app? Hit it. This is a list about what Twitter is talking about and it can sometimes be a fairly reliable indicator of what is buzzing in the digital world. Use trending topics to your advantage. You shouldn’t tweet about every single topic, but if you have an opinion on something that you are interested in, use the appropriate hashtag and speak up!
In the instance below the American Music Awards were trending and the internet was consumed with what celebrities were wearing, who arrived with who, and the winners reactions. In this instance, I didn’t even watch the AMAs but I did tie in my love of all things Adele to what was happening. Live-tweeting current events and trending topics is a great way to establish yourself on Twitter. You will find that many people who like what you have to say will follow you, like your posts, and re-tweet you.
Everyone had to get their #AMAs awards this year because next year Adele is going to take them all ???
It is important to remember that you should only comment on a current news topic if it is something you are interested in or have an opinion on. The key to this is authenticity.
Well that’s all for now. I hope this helps! Please feel free to hit me up with any questions, comments, critiques, or gas station gift cards.
Ah #BlackFriday that sensational day where not 12 hours after giving thanks, people will do anything to get more stuff and save some cash. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the video below. (Believe me there’s plenty more where this one came from)
“The Patriot’s blood is the seed of freedom’s tree.” – Thomas Campbell
Need I say more? Sure, this isn’t norm, but let’s contrast this with the other piece of breaking news that hit the interwebz today. At Arlington National Cemetary, over 30,000 graves will not have Christmas wreaths placed on them this year. Why? Because the organization Wreathes Across America has failed to receive enough donations to honor the men and women that have died for our right to live in a free society. Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with getting a good deal. In fact, I intend to use this blog to share some of my favorite deals and maybe even some exclusive sales.
All I’m saying is this: wouldn’t it be a beautiful thing if, on the day when everyone is focused on what they can get, Americans could come together and donate a couple of those dollars they saved to honor a soldier who gave their all for us?
Seriously, it’s only $15 and it would show the world that our priorities are in the right place. So who’s with me?
Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines the word niche with the following:
Noun: a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted <finally found her niche>
Photo credit: www.kellysauer.com
This idea is why I’ve never been a consistent blogger. Over the past couple of years, most well-meaning people have told me the same thing: “You need to find your niche!” You see, therein lies the problem, my life is anything but specific. Trying to make myself fit in one box is about as productive as trying to guess what will come out of Donald Trump’s mouth next. It simply cannot and will not happen. My life is a glorious mess of the many things I am passionate about: faith, fashion, politics, modeling, friends, pop-culture, technology, acting, and relationships. The problem is this: society tells me that I am not allowed to be involved in all of these areas at the same time.
I need to pick just one passion and be content.
I need to find my niche.
Take the following examples, all of which have been loudly proclaimed to be in one form or another:
“You cannot be publicly opinionated in politics when you’re in entertainment! You might offend the next casting director who is considering you for a role! Tone it down. “
“Isn’t being a Christian about being humble? Being a model and getting paid to let people plaster your face everywhere is anything but Christian!”
“People who are passionate about technology often are introverted and struggle with forming meaningful relationships, right?”
I could go on. The point is that I really frustrate a lot of people because my life doesn’t make sense to them, it doesn’t fit in their box.
But I’ve finally arrived at the conclusion that I will no longer try to fit into those singular boxes. I will be sharing what God is teaching me, what He has given me. I will push the boundaries. And this blog will serve as a place where I can share my ideas, what I’m learning, and the things that I love with the world . . . be it a political endorsement, a movie review or photo shoot, or just a post about how much the people in my life mean to me. And if I find something else that I love, I’ll post about that too. Because this is my life, crazy as it may seem.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m horrible with grammar (sorry Mrs. Thompson), I don’t consider myself a great writer, and I’m totally scatterbrained.
Here’s the thing, though: I’m so excited about God’s gift of life to us. I just want to explore every possible avenue and share my experiences with the world. Will it be a complete train-wreck? Maybe, but I refuse to spend my life chasing the elusive “niche”.
