In my second music review of this week ,  I review Michael Buble’s new album Crazy Love .  One2OneNetwork provided me the CD to listen to and comment.   I was new to  Micheal Buble  before sitting down to listen to this new release.  All I knew prior to listening was that he was from Canada.  I was expecting to hear smooth melodies and vocals and I was not disappointed.    I had thought perhaps they would all be old standards with no original songs at all.    I was pleasantly surprised that out of his thirteen tracks there were new songs like “Haven’t Met You Yet” included on the album.  The album has  standards like “Georgia on My Mind” and “Stardust.”  ”Stardust”  is sung and arranged especially well as it is done a capella with the accompaniment of Naturally 7. Several notable covers like “Cry Me a River” and “Crazy Love” are included and while familiar are done with a newness.   Michael Buble’s voice hits all the right notes on this album and delivers to this new listener.  His voice is smooth and silky with emotion bubbling up to the top.  I will definitely put Michael Buble on my music radar after listening to this CD.  It also doesn’t hurt ladies that he is easy on the eyes either…  Michael Buble can croon to me anytime!

I was lucky enough to get a preview copy from One2One Network of Brandi Carlile ’s newest release,” Give Up the Ghost.”   I say lucky because that is exactly what I felt when I heard this  singer/songwriter sing.    Carlile’s latest release was my first time hearing her voice and experience her songwriting.  She brings together folk and rock on this release.  Her voice has a sincerity in it that shows through on all ten of the  tracks.  Her vocals combined with her band consisting of twin guitarists/bassists, a drummer, and a cellist hits the right notes.  In songs like “Caroline”   Carlile delivers a big sound with the help of none other than Sir Elton John…  ”Looking Out” is a song showcasing some of the album’s best lyrics such as “I know the darkness pulls on you, but it’s just a point of view  When you’re outside looking in, you belong to someone.”    My favorite on the album happens to be “That Year” which she  tells of the suicide of a high-school  friend.  Her crystal clear voice along with the raw lyrics can’t help but leave an impression on your mind.    Carlile throughout this album does not dissapoint this listener.

As many of you know I am not a music critic but I hope that I have piqued your interest in Brandi Carlile.  If you like artists like the Indigo Girls,  David Gray, Norah Jones, or Ingrid Michaelson,  give  Brandi Carlile  a chance with  ”Give Up the Ghost.”       Her enticing clear voice and the well-thought lyrics was  ”Music for my ears.”

Like many of you, I’m guilty of over-using  words or phrases in my daily life.  CNN.com did a recent story of overused and annoying words from a panel of reporters,  and it prompted me to think of the words I love and hate.    There’s a  great story at Askmen.com which lists 10 words they felt needed to be “put out to pasture.”  So many popped into mind as I sat down to compile this llist, and my pals on Twitter had some suggestions too.   Here then  I give you  the words or phrases,  Showing Off My Ass-ets considers irritating or tired. On the other side I provide a list of ones I love to throw in conversation for color.

First, let’s talk about irregardless. Some people mistakenly use irregardless when they mean “regardless.” Regardless means “regard less,” “without regard,” or despite something. For example, Squiggly will eat chocolate regardless of the consequences.  The prefix ir- (i-r) is a negative prefix, so if you add the prefix ir to a word that’s already negative like regardless, you’re making a double-negative word that literally means “without without regard.”

For me these three are  so overused and played that I wonder if they will ever retain their orginal meaning.  There are so many more that I could come up with but I think you get the point.

As for my list of words I like to sprinkle in which are overlooked:

• Frothy: I love to use this word which means “light in content.”  I use it to describe magazine articles I might read or a television show I might watch.  An example might be ”  That show was a refreshing and frothy comedy.”  Try it out in conversation.
• Cheeky: I’m not from England but I love this word a whole lot…  Being cheeky to me means being bold and I love using this word to describe myself at times.
• Belligerent: This means to want to wage war or inclined to aggresiveness.  Example of this word usage is ” He became belligerent when I told him to clean his room.”

I hope this inspires you to get out there and substitute some new words in place of the ones you may (over) use  in your daily discussions with others.  Come up with more that drive you crazy and comment for me below.  I love getting comments and feedback.  This cheeky one is signing off for now…

Bliss Dubrovna is my avatar and she is a hottie.  I admit it, I am a bit addicted at times with Second Life.  Second Life is that game where many people from all over the world decide to create avatars and have adventures in a second life.  While my first life indeed rocks, my second life does too.  Bliss has learned some lessons while “in world” ( the name for when you are in the world of Second Life playing)  Second Life is a MMORG which stands for :

(Massively Multiuser Online Role Playing Game) A role playing game on the computer played by many people. An MMORPG differs from a regular computer role playing game because its environment is perpetual. People log in, join the game, take on their role and leave whenever they wish, but the game continues

My avatar Bliss

So what if anythings has Bliss taught me in the RL (Real life)?

• There are a ton of interesting people in this world who I might not have met had it not been for this blog, Second Life, Twitter, etc.  These kind of things help you meet those folks.
• Bliss takes risks and does things out of wanting to have an experience and I have learned that is the way to live my life too
• Bliss and I both dig HOT guys.  Enough said…
• I am sorry but if you have problems with written communication then neither Bliss or myself will be that into you.   I love words and so does my Bliss.
• Take a chance. Bliss walks up to people all over the place while in Second Life and meets people.  Some she really likes and others “not so much.”
• Creeps are creeps!  They are out there.  Bliss has met the guy on Second Life who gives you a shot of his penis and makes you very uncomfortable.  In RL (real life) there are those kinds too.  Stay far away from them.
• Bliss has taught me that I love writing. Whether I write in my blog, online in the game, or in conversation I appreciate the written language far more than I ever thought.
• Bliss and I are hotties in both worlds.  Just deal with it, I am the brains behind Bliss and as you know I am just that cool.
• Life is short. Live it and love it. Take it like Bliss does, when the game gets boring or upsetting you can turn it off and start over again later.  We can too. The next day is a chance to start off anew with all kinds of possibilities.

There are my simple life lessons that Bliss has taught me.   If you set up anaccount (which is free ) at Secondlife.com look me up as Bliss Dubrovna.  See ya in world I hope soon.

As a side note I have to include this clip of a video from the actors of the web series called The Guild called “Do You  Wanna Date My Avatar?” is hysterical.  Watch it for a chuckle…

I need to be Daniel Radcliffe’s cougar.   Radcliffe is the actor most notably known for Harry Potter role.  I admit i dig Harry Potter.   Here is the definition of a cougar and I think  I meet these guidelines.

A woman in her sexual prime who prefers to hunt rather than be hunted. A cougar’s victims are usually under 25, as cougars prefer to mate with men who still have hair.

• You might wonder why I totally dig Daniel Radcliffe… so here is a few of his hot traits and why I totally think he needs to be my lover.At age 19, he is young and virile.   For me that is a major plus.  No “I am too tired for sex.”
• Here is a quote in  Details Magazine which he says it all:

the button fly on his jeans bore the designer label “Absolute Joy” because  (according to Radcliffe)”that’s what lurks beneath”.

I think I could just end the post here and be happy with what he says and the reasons he totally wants to be with  someone older and more mature like myself.

• At 37 I am the perfect age to enjoy the delights that Radcliffe would bring me.
• Here is a picture of him in his “glory” for Equus: Tell me what is not to love about that body?  I can almost see his magic wand. *wink*

In all his glory...

• I became a big fan of Daniel after an interview on Inside the Actor’s Studio.  His responses and demeanor gave me the biggest turn on  and showed me that the combnation of wit and smarts made me weak in the knees…  See what you think.

With the new movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince coming out today I tell you that  Daniel Radcliffe may play a boy in the movie but for me he’s all man!  The name of my movie would be Harry Potter and a Night with a Cougar.  Signing off for now… RAWR.

What does rest in peace really mean?   Rest in peace goes back to Latin origins of  a three word prayer when someone had died and was buried. In Latin it was “Requiescat in pace” which meant “may he/she rest in peace”.   Down through the ages into our modern English, the term “RIP” has remained consistent with that translation.

Steve McNair was a NFL quarterback who spent most of his career with the Tennessee Titans, the football team of my adopted hometown of  Nashville, TN.    He tragically died on July 4, 2009 from multiple gunshot wounds.  Details remain fuzzy, but it is safe to say that the Steve McNair we thought we knew had character flaws just like the rest of us.

I am not here to judge, but would like to bring to light the fact that “Rest In Peace” can mean many things to different people.  It should mean that we need to celebrate the good deeds and positive attributes of the person who has died.  We give them the honor in death that we hope they received in life, although all too often, this is not the case.  At this time we make a special effort to focus on the footprint the deceased person left in the lives of people he met.  It does not mean we forget the negative aspects or personal flaws about the deceased, but for that short amount of time we refrain from voicing our opinions about it.  Steve McNair, 36, was found to be involved with Sahel Kazemi, 20, whom he had met six months earlier when she was a waitress at a local Nashville establishment.  McNair was married and had 2 children who he leaves behind.  Ms. Kazemi was found shot to death as well with McNair.  The whole story is not known at this time but it appears that this part of McNair’s life was kept hidden from his family.

McNair’s death has recieved the local and national media attention that one would expect following the death of a celebrity and sports star who dies at a young age.  Admirably, the facts have been placed out there without judgments made or assumptions jumped to.  People have been quick to tell all the things he did in the community, on the football field, as a friend, business owner, and as an ambassador of sorts for Nashville.    The fact remains that he did have an extra-marital affair and I am sure that his wife feels betrayed by him even in death.  Unfortunately, people are often unfaithful.  They have been, and will continue to be for all time.  This is not something that people want to hear at a funeral, and don’t usually bring up in discussing the dead person’s life during this difficult time.

Our media and in some ways our society feels the need to air all the dirty laundry ever known about a person. Micheal Jackson recently died as well and he, as a pop-music icon known around the world, has been under scrutiny even in death.  People don’t earn a free pass for us not to  acknowledge any misdeeds, but bringing it up all of the time is in bad taste.   I look at the term “Rest In Peace” in a way which means that we allow the family and loved ones of the deceased a chance to celebrate that person’s life, and grieve their loss.  We let them rest, knowing that their loved one, famous or not, is acknowledged for living a good life.  The mistakes are not highlighted, and the flaws remain, but they are only the small part of the total picture.  In my faith, the deceased person remains aware, even in death, that they had people who loved them and who gathered to celebrate a life lived.  The deceased enjoys knowing that their journey of life here is over and the after-life begins with peace.  The family and friends are given permission and encouragement to be at peace with the person who has died.

It may not bother you that places like TMZ.com and Perez Hilton make money and gain fame off the deaths of what are ultimately just another human being who was loved by others.  I think it in poor taste that we as consumers of this information seek to know more of the seedy facts about the dead person than finding out how the person helped others.  Here is an example of what Steve McNair did in terms of helping others:

As I read this, I wondered how many times this has been acknowledged in the media.  Steve McNair made some choices in his personal life, of which we should not judge.   Let’s weigh it all and come up with an accurate picture of this man.  ”Rest In Peace” is what we need to remember and I pray that Steve McNair, his family, and friends can find peace at this most difficult time.  I have tried to show proper respect here, and hope that you will too when you next hear of the death of a famous person.

R.I.P. Steve McNair.

Steve McNair

Over the last several months I suffered  with on-going bouts of clinical depression and lost my spark of life for a bit.  Thank goodness they added another medicine that seems to be working well (knock on wood).  For a few weeks prior to today I was looking at life in the most negative way possible.  I know that sometimes things just suck.  You know it, I know it. The” less than happy days”  are followed eventually with a day that pulls you out of it and gives you something to smile about.  This depression is nothing new and will be  a part of my life forever.  I just was again struck at how much depression really just makes you so tired of sticking with it, etc.  That does not have to mean suicide, it can mean lack of motivation, disinterest, or fatigue.  However that is to you, one thing remains true.  The spark that lights your fire inside is indeed almost snuffed out and some days you wonder if it is lit at all.  It feels like you might never get it back or that you are on the edge of the flame just blowing out quietly or perhaps with a big flash of light.

It is the Independence Day celebration here in the United States where we celebrate the fact that we defeated the English and gained our freedom to become our own free nation.  I am happy to say that for me I remain ready to show off my assets to anyone who will look and that depression may bring this chick down but it sure as hell won’t take me out!! I am like the firecracker and am sometimes loud when lit.  (very true after chocolate martinis) I am the sparkler who burns hot for all to see… For this 4th of July I am happy to say I  see the spark which I feared was growing dim.  Take a lesson from me and enjoy all of your moments over this holiday.  Let everyone see your true colors.

Tweet with me!

I have shared my love of  twitter and I was way ahead of Oprah on this one. Oh why do I love thee?  For some of you people who don’t know Twitter, it is a social media site designed to answer the simple question of  “What are you doing?”  In 140 characters or less, the tweeter (person who writes the tweet) gets to answer this question in a way that is individual to them.  Starting out with Twitter was a suggestion from a friend online who just mentioned it in passing.  I knew Facebook and Myspace already and decided I would check Twitter out.  I don’t think  I could have predicted the influence and the benefits from it.   I think that it has made me more aware of my community both online and inmy everyday life.  Alright so you might be thinking, “Well that is just super that you like it, but what the hell does it offer me?” I am going to give you a few reasons and uses for Twitter that you may or may not have considered.  The viewpoint is all mine and the reasons are hardly new.

1. There are just some really cool people out in the world who you might not have the pleasure of running into.  I live in Tennessee and some super cool “tweep” I chat with might live in California.
2. Twitter can be anything you want it to be.   It can mean a lot to you and provide you a network of people all over the world to interact with or it can get an idea,website,blog, or product to a larger audience.
3. Twitter makes our world feel smaller and helps to get people in the same place who enjoy the same things.   I mean searching for people who like to talk about clothes, sports, celebs, or in my case sex ( just occasionally of course) can be done locally but it takes time.   For mothers it offers simply a way to connect to other moms  easily and quickly.  Twitter is just a click away and you get the chance to find any of these  people with ease.
4. People drive Twitter and it has become a community for people like me to connect in meaningful ways that are far from trivial.  We can say we feel connected but as I have been dealing with depression recently, there have many people who have written me supportive notes to tell me that they deal with it or give me supportive words.  I don’t take that lightly and value this part of the interactions.
5. Guess what? Not everyone thinks like you and that my dears is okay.  Twitter allows you a chance to maybe look at someone else’s point of view.  If you are uncomfortable with that, you can also have a network of people who think like you do.
6. Sexy people… I said it.  Twitter has made me smile more days than not.  I provide a sexy tweet here and there and my tweeps will run with it.  You can harmlessly flirt and have a good time all within a few minutes and 140 characters.
7. You know people where you go.  You automatically get reviews on restaurants and things to do from people who live there or have been there.  People lots of times meet up and hang out as well.  How cool is that?
8. Those  artists or actors who you have a sweet spot for may end up tweeting with you.  How awesome is it that Steven Page from Barenaked Ladies tweets with me on occassion?  It makes me want to spend more money on whoever the person of interest is and I feel personally connected.  For the trolls however don’t screw it up for the rest of us by using it as a platform to spew nastiness…
9. Tweet-ups are events where people in the same community who use twitter actually meet face-to-face and you find that these people for the most part are just as cool in real life as online.
10. Where else can you make up a new vocabulary that starts with “tw-”  like tweeps, twitterverse, or twittersphere?

There is in a nutshell some of the reasons I totally dig twitter and let me tell you there are many cool people out there just waiting to be found.  Do yourself a favor and try it.  It might be just what you have hoped for or even better.  @showingmyassets is my twitter name.  Look me up and tweet with me today!

P.S.  I want to know your go to Twitter peeps… Add the name of that person in the comments here that you just love to read their tweets or look forward to reading.  I love adding more interesting people to my list.  Of course you know that @showingmyassets is the best one of course…

There are these opportunities  called fantasy camps that allow adults to  indulge in and  live out their desire to be a rock star, hockey player, etc.   There is a whole website called GrownUpCamps.com that is designed for the adult who just wants to live out their dream of being something else other than what they are in their normal life  for a week.  In daydreaming thinking about it,   I was imagining what the Showing Off My Assets  (SOMA)  Fantasy Camp might look like.  Take a trip with me to a different kind of camp filled with some of the  ideas you have come to expect from me…  I would offer the camp at someplace that would give off a sexy vibe,  but  also out of the way so that our campers could feel free to be whatever they wanted to be.  Antigua came to mind and I think the sand between the toes lends itself to our fantasy camp.

Camp SOMA

We now have the location pinned down.   What would be offered at this SOMA fantasy camp? Here are a few of the classes offered throughout the week :

• Stripping 101:  Learn How to Take It Off
• Learn How to Work the Pole
• Creative Juices Flowing :   A class designed to help you get in touch with putting those hot fantasies on paper
• The Art of Seduction:   Learn the Ways to Seduce Anyone
• Kama Sutra Explained
• What Not to Wear when Seducing:   Our version includes a “makeover” turning one of our campers from “oh no no” to “ooh la la”
• Use of Sex Toys, Bondage, and Kink:    with free toys provided from Eden’s Fantasy
• Writing a Sexy Blog:  Taught by yours truly
• Self Confidence: Learning to feel good in the body and mind you were given

These classes would be informative and free with plenty of time left to take care of yourself or your partner after each class.  This camp would focus on taking a fantasy of yours and preparing for a end of camp “performance.”  At the rock -n-roll fantasy camps they always have a final gig showing the week’s worth of learning.  Our campers would come up with a fantasy at the beginning of camp and come up with a way to express themselves in a fun party at the end of the week.  An example might be a fantasy of being a stripper on stage and performing a small striptease on stage.  Of course with our campers libations would be served at all classes and activities if desired.  Parties and mixers would be nightly allowing our campers to “get to know each other” in any ways the campers might like.  The most important fact of this camp is that there would be no judgments placed on anyone.   We would want our campers to feel comfortable in whatever they wanted to do while at camp and learn the art of self-confidence comes from within.

A Class Offered

I am proud to announce that Showing Off My Ass-ets has a new advertiser to announce today.  Eden’s Fantasy is is a company which offers a large assortment of adult products from sex toys, lingerie, and anything you might need to “get your groove on.”  The most exciting thing is however that they have a new and awesome reference called  SeXis which is an online magazine which I  use  for reference and inspiration all of the time.  It is a place with great articles, discussions, and forums on all things related to sexuality.  It fills a need that our society has for sex education, tips, and discussion.

It would make sense then if as in my fantasy I was able to have a fantasy camp like the one I have described that it would of course be sponsored by a company like Eden’s Fantasy.  So anyone want to sign up for a non-traditional fantasy camp where you have fun and engage in your fantasies?  I am thinking if it takes off and I can swing it, my readers could get a discount on it.  (Laughs)  It is summer and kids can’t be the only ones who get to go to camp and have fun.   Get out there and stay sexy!



It is my birthday soon and while it is not like one of those “milestone” ones, it gives me a time to reflect on who I am, where I’ve been, and where I want to go. (no I did not get that off a greeting card or self-help book)  Gonna say one thing right now,   my life has been crazy.   I have missed posting and  am so glad to be back baby… Back to the subject at hand:  me (or moi as the French like to say) and the many reasons why I am just that cool.   For your reading pleasure I present to you the Top Ten Reasons I Rock:

1. I bring it when it comes to personality.   I am bold yet tactful, simple yet complex, and  compassionate yet firm.  You might find some other peeps who are cool but I genuinely would totally hang out with myself if I was someone else.
2. I have a several things I live by in my life and this phrase describes how I feel:   No man is a failure who is enjoying life. William Feather
3. In a society that often does not appreciate being genuine, I feel like I am almost at all times genuine.  That means that if I am sad you see it or if I am happy you know it.   I don’t live life pushing things down and not showing others how I feel.
4. I appreciate the special unique traits of people.  I simply think that everyone of us has traits to share with the world.  Instead of looking at the annoying ones, I try hard to look at those interesting traits.   I have learned a lot from others by living like this. ( not all good but more often it has been the good things)
5. I know how to have an intoxicating attitude.  I also am even more fun while intoxicated with this attitude. *wink* Just ask a few people who have seen me after a few chocolate martinis.    For your information here is the definition of intoxicating in the sense I am describing :” to excite or elate to the point of enthusiasm or frenzy.”
   
6. I recognize and embrace the shortcomings I have and work with them.  Let’s be real, I am really cool but I have some (very few mind you) things that I keep in mind.  I am a procrastinator and put things off until the last minute.   I used to be a neat freak and now I have gone to the “dark side.”  I can be at times a bit of an “attention whore” (gasp).  Other than those few things I am perfect… she says laughing to herself.
7. I like sex and I can say it loud and proud.   I like it,  need it, want it, and love talking about it.  Quite simply  my mind is a gutter and seems like most people (especially the fellas) seem to enjoy my incessant need to banter about it.    I can be crude but favor being a verbal temptress who prefers to be provocative  on-line and in person.  I don’t know why but it seems like there just aren’t enough chicks like me.
   
8. I can express my emotions and thoughts in both written and verbal forms.  As a trained clinical social worker,  I am able to get the “stuff” out on the table and deal with it.  I deal with what is going on and move on.  I think that is cool because we have too many people who carry suitcases and suitcases of anger around with them.
   
9. I am a kick-ass wife most of the time with the exception of housework.  If you ask hubs, I make it up in other ways!!  I love fully and completely with the kids and am the kind of mother I want to be most of the time.   I’m not perfect (although close)  but keep  my eye on what I want to be remembered for.
   
10. Finally I am fun… I can hang with all different kinds of people and enjoy it.    I am open-minded and although we may not look like we have much in common, I am going to find a way to have fun with you if I can.  There are a few hard nuts to crack sometimes and I know when to quit too.

There you have it.  Pass it on to others. Tell them that I am just that cool. Have them read my blog or twitter me to show them (@showingmyassets) why they need to be reading my blog and making a personal connection to me.  I may not be your cup of tea, but then again you have to take a sip of me to find out! I love all my readers and hope that the next year I can rock it just as hard as I rocked it this year…