Pick Me Up

It's been kind of a bummer of a week around this blog, so I thought we could all use a little pick-me-up. I decided to comb the web (aka, use a search engine and read my email) to find some cool goodies on the interwebs that should be a nice change of pace.

For your week (drum roll, please)...

A New Twist on Starbucks. I don't hold very deep-seated opinions on Starbucks--love 'em or leave 'em, I say--because I'm not a die-hard coffee drinker. I don't drink coffee at all, actually, but I know there are people out there who would lay down their lives over the beans. That being said, I was kind of surprised and enjoyed reading this article, "In Defense of Starbucks," about how a Starbucks closing in Missoula, MT, was not a good thing. After you read the article you might think, "That's not a pick-me-up, that's down right depressing," and I'll admit that stores closing isn't an upper, but I think the twist he was taking was kind of novel. Worth a read. Stretching your mind and your way of thinking is like a natural little high.

The Internet is Awesome. If you don't think so, then you should check out the website for Julia Nunes who is an internet-made star now. She started out with a viral campaign via YouTube, uploaded videos of her cute little self in her dorm room, strumming her ukulele, doing covers of everyone from Kanye West to the Beatles. Now she's on tour with Ben Folds in England performing her original works. That's awesome, right? Who wants to watch a video of her? Well, here you go [If you're getting this via email, click the links to watch the videos]:

Doing a cover of "Build Me Up, Buttercup"


Performing an original song, "Into the Sunshine"


This awesomeness of the internet was brought to you Very Short List.

But wait..

Not So Fast. As this meta-search for "Social Media Crimes" shows, Craigslist.org can be a dangerous website to use. MSN.com writes, "The Oscar-winning songwriter of 'You Light Up My Life' was arrested on charges of rape this week. According to the Associated Press, he allegedly lured women to his apartment with the promise of a movie audition. How did he find the women? Reports say he placed an ad on Craigslist... People have been lured to their deaths by fake ads on Craigslist. Philip Markoff is on trial for killing a woman. And in 2007, a woman responding to an ad for a nanny was murdered. There's more: A woman allegedly tried to hire someone to kill her boyfriend's wife. And a husband has been accused of hiring someone to rape his wife." Sucks, huh? Not an upper, right? Well, it could be worse... it could be you that somebody was hired to kill.

You're not dead! Live it up this weekend! Make a video with a ukulele and drink an over-priced coffee because life is beautiful! (I do promise this was supposed to be a picker-upper post, but it came off as depressing, didn't it? I'm such a cynical person. Can I do a positive post? Maybe next week we'll try for all cool stuff.)