Fackin Truth Blog

New Year's Resolutions: What the Heck are You Trying to Resolve?

From Merriam-Webster Online:
res-o-lu-tion 3a: something that is resolved (made a resolution to mend my ways)
re-solve 4a: to deal with successfully : clear up (resolve doubts) (resolve a dispute) b: to find an answer to c: to make clear or understandable

If we had a moment of
Radical Honesty while stumbling through our list of Resolutions, we'd crumble under the weight of our own bull-shnit. Why? Because a real "resolution" requires a total deconstruction of the original fluff. Take these typical resolutions, which appear on the Top Ten New Year's Resolutions:

Work Out/Lose Weight
As far as New Year's Resolutions go, this is probably the King of the Hill. Although it sounds great on paper, what does it "resolve?" A true resolution with weight loss in mind would deconstruct the problem into smaller and meaningful bits.

Why do you weigh a metric ton? What excuses did you make all year (and all ten years prior) to avoid losing weight? Was it hamburgers or the stress of a lousy marriage? What are you willing to do about those things to make exercise and weight loss work for you?

Spend More Time with the Family
Well why can't you be found within 10 square miles of them now? Why do you run from them like The Fugutive? Do you work too much? If so, why are you a workaholic? Is it fear of being poor or you can't stand the noise associated with family time? What are you willing to do about those things  to make family time work? 

Quit Smoking
Why do you always look like your head's on fire? Are you stressed or self medicating another issue? What are you willing to do about those things  to help you quit smoking?

I think you get the point.

So this year, my New Year's Resolutions come in the form of a categorized 5-Year plan, broken into annual chunks, that deconstruct my goals through meaningful analysis - much like the Frugal Zeitgeist shares here. And I just love Frugal Z for giving me one word to keep my goals on track: S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-constrained).

To add some meat to this exercise, I want to complete one of the best deconstruction exercises I've seen in a while: The Great Assessment courtesy of Ladylee. So what that she stole it from somebody else. At least they're friends, and she gave some throwback credits in her post.

Anyway, The Great Assessment is really a batch of simple questions that don't have simple answers. In fact, some may take days to answer - either because you're not ready to be honest or because you never considered the issues. If you avoid the answers that "sound good" or "reflect who you want to be as opposed to who you really are," I conclude that some r-e-a-l resolutions are coming your way.

I may share my answers on this blog to make myself accountable for the hard work of deconstructing issues with honesty. I suspect some will be too private for y'alls virgin eyes. Without further ado, here is the list of questions:

:: Who are you?

:: Do you like who you are?

:: Who do you want to be, what is it that you must change?

:: What do you stand for?

:: What is your passion?

:: Who are the people that you love?
:: Why?

:: Do the people you love, love you?
:: Why/why not?

:: When people know you, do they really know you?

:: Is the place that you rest your head, your “home”?
:: If not where is “home” and do you want to be there?
:: If so, why are you not there?

:: When you wake up, do you go to the job that you really want to do?
:: If not, what are you doing to change that?

:: Is your family close to your heart?
:: If not why?

:: Who do you love?

:: Can you love them better?

:: If you can love them better, why don’t you?

:: Do they love you?

:: Can they love you better?

:: What do you want?

:: How will you get it?

:: What is important to you?

:: Who do you fight with?
:: Why do you fight with them?

:: What do you need?
:: What do you want?
:: Why don't you have it?

:: Are you happy or are you sad?
:: Why?

:: Are you smiling or are you crying?
:: Why?

:: What will make you better tomorrow than you are today?

I wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a
Productive and Prosperous New Year, complete with real resolutions that guide you along the way.

The Name Game

I stole this idea from La Bella Noire since I'm at a loss for a new post today. There are too many things going on on politics for me to pick just one, so I'm on Blog Post Choice Overload. Here goes my Name Game fun:

1.Your rock star name (first pet, current car):
Buttons Odyssey

2.Your gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe):
Egg Nog Strappy Heels
Something like Chocolate Timberland would have sounded soooooo much better here. 

3.Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal):
Black Dog

4.Your soap opera name (your middle name, city where you were born):
Keita Atlantic

5.Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name):
Bonha

6.Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink):
Blue Water

7.NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers):
Buck Russell
Hehe. I like that one.

8.Dancer name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy):
Miracle Milk Chocolate
Dang. I bet there's a dancer jumping off a pole somewhere ready to grit on me for stealing her name.

9.TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter):
Previtti Philadelphia

10.Spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower):
Christmas Sunflower (or Spring Rose)

11.Cartoon name (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now):
Apple Sweat Suit or Strawberry Hoodie

12.Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree):
Air Sandwich Willow

13.Movie star name (first pet, first street where you lived):
Buttons Hamilton

And The Award Goes To...

... ME!... Snitchez!

Nikki and Blu gave me a nod as Certified Honest Blogger. And for that, I name them Blog Friends Monsters of the Week for forcing me to reveal 10 things about myself that may lead to public ridicule, finger pointing, and snickering.

Now I know that an award with "Honest" in the title looks great on the mantle of a blog called "Fackin Truth." But dangit, I have so much more fun telling the facking truth about other folks' mess. In fact, if it wasn't for McCain and Palin, I just might have been bored beyond measure for the past month... or not wasting perfectly good blog space... but who knows for sure?

Take a look at the Certified Honest Blogger Rules before you get all nosy and read my list:

Certified Honest Blogger Rules:

# When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back.

# Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or more) that you find brilliant in their content or design.

# Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Honest Weblog.’

# Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional).

# List [if you can and or dare] at least ten honest things about yourself.

# And then, pass it on.

And now, 10 Honest Things About Hawa
That She May Be Sorry She Posted on the Dang INTERNET:

1. I didn’t lose my virginity until I went to college (University of Pittsburgh). My high school sweetheart, then a sophomore at Howard University, came to visit one weekend. I wasn’t impressed by the overall experience, but I eventually got over that in grand fashion.

2. Speaking of virginity, my mom forced me to go condom shopping before I left for college. I was an embarrassed virgin standing in the drug store wishing I could shrink into the shelf of Bengay. She asked for a salesperson in the condom section loud enough for me to actually melt into the shelf of Bengay.

3. Speaking of condoms, later in life I wish my mother had sent me to college with an expectation of remaining a virgin. Her opinion meant a lot to me, and I wanted to maintain. But once the opportunity arose, I looked at that box of condoms, shrugged my shoulders at the implied expectation and started down a road that too many folks drive too soon.

4. Speaking of driving down fertility road, I had my first son when I was 21.

5. Speaking of kids at 21, I had to leave college but transferred and finished at the age 25.

6. Speaking of graduating college, I started my career a month later. I’ve been in this career for just over 12 years.

7. Speaking of careers, I am the most senior employee at my job. My 10-year anniversary was August 10, 2008.

8. Speaking of anniversaries, my ex-husband left me just 5 days before our 4th wedding anniversary. That traumatic experience was unfortunately 3 years and 8 months too late. hehe

9. Speaking of trauma, I once received 2nd degree burns to my right wrist ala boiling soup. After removing the huge patch of blistered skin, the doctors feared I would heal with a scar or with a permanently bent wrist. God is good. There’s no evidence of that burn left.

10. Speaking of burning, my fiance and I have merciless fart battles. I'm talking send the kids to grandma 'cause it's getting treacherous in here. I became the champion on one particular evening after a well-timed meal of perfect composition. The green cloud hovered like a smoke bomb. He fanned and fanned but just couldn't escape. Cough. Dry heaves. Running to the porcelain throne. "Who's the champion? I asked. Gurgle...YOU ARE." Poor thing. "My job is done here. You betta recognize."

BONUS ITEM:

11. Speaking of fiancé, he’s the finest example that love can really have happy endings.

And now I nominate:

1. the field negro
2. Sagacious Hillbilly
3. Dirty Red
4. Brotha Buck
5. Porscha Carey
6. Ms. Confessions
7. Deacon Blue

Get it poppin!

Mosaic Meme

(Kinda) tagged by elle, phd.

I just returned from a vacation in Baltimore, Maryland. I'm working like a dog to catch-up on my blog reading, and doggone elle, phd catches my eye with a Mosaic Meme.

Before I provide the rules and start calling you out to do one... here's the mosaic about me:

Now I bet you're wondering how Morris Chestnut and his beautiful chocolaty goodness ended-up in my mosaic. As you build your own mosaic using the instructions below, Question #5 will explain everything:

Mosaic Rules

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.

b. Using only the first page, pick an image.

c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

1. What is your first name?

2. What is your favorite food?

3. What high school did you go to?

4. What is your favorite color?

5. Who is your celebrity crush?

6. Favorite drink?

7. Dream vacation?

8. Favorite dessert?

9. What you want to be when you grow up?

10. What do you love most in life?

11. One Word to describe you. 

12. Your flickr name.

And since I'm freshly rested from a fun vacation, I won't stress you by calling you out and tagging you for this meme. I'll leave the decision up to you. Just remember, if you do a mosaic, leave a note in the comments.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Credits to the original photographers of each of the 12 pictures in my mosaic:

1. Hawa Mahal, 2. Spicy Lemon Pepper Pasta with Broccoli, 3. EHT Graduates, 4. Black & White, 5. Morris Chestnut - Rules, 6. water droplets in the shower - o.k. bokeh, 7. jamaica beach, 8. strawberry shortcake, 9. Seeing a Sunrise Makes a Girl Healthy, Wealthy, & Wise, 10. FRIENDS HOME FAMILY, 11. Friendly, 12. James Bond Aston Martin DBS