Paula Dean... Diabetic?

There is something that many Americans and others around the world can forget: Celebrities are indeed human.  They get sick, they sleep they have parents and believe it or not, they do not usually look that good.  However, when a celebrity is diagnosed with sicknesses such as cancer or heart disease, they can become a strong activist for awareness of their illness and can use their celebrity influence to help to find a cure.  Now, this seems very positive right? Who doesn't love a credible and eye catching spokesperson for their cause?  However, there is one celebrity whose recent health revelation has placed her in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

Earlier this year, Southern Cooking Queen Paula Deen revealed she has Type 2 Diabetes.  

Known for her excessive use of butter and disregard for calories, Paula Deen became famous for her Southern style comfort food recipes on TV.  Deen has been receiving bad reviews for the health of her cooking for years, but has chosen to ignore the critics, continuing to cook and eat in the same way.  Unfortunately,  this has led to her type 2 diabetes.  Now, the cooking queen is stuck eating her words.  How would you think this announcement will effect Paula Deen's image in the cooking world?  Do you think she will change the way she cooks and reinvent her image as a successful cook living with Diabetes?  Do you think Paula will continue cooking the same way she does, giving recipes to an already obese USA, which can lead to diabetes?

London Goes Green

There is no doubt that around the world various countries are trying to cut emissions and "go green."  The United States has been making efforts to encourage recycling and inspires people to take public transportation instead of driving everywhere.  These efforts have sparked a considerable amount of change in consumer markets.  Products have been popping up with more eco-friendly characteristics, like water bottles that use less plastic and cleaning products that are natural to help save the environment.     However, the United States still has an incredible carbon footprint, second only to china making up 18.11% of the annual pollution. This past week I went to London and was very surprised by the green efforts abroad!  I had been under the impression that the United States had been leading the global reform for emission cuts but I found London was doing a much better job of involving the public in their efforts.  The market for cars in London seems to be completely different than that of the United States.  SUVs are extremely rare, and I could not find a pick up truck anywhere!  Instead, the streets were clogged with tiny cars such as the fiat and the smart car.  Taxi cabs proudly boasted of their newly improved cars that were more fuel efficient and many cars even had bumper stickers promoting the green efforts.  Many more people rode bikes in the city and were equally accommodated for with bike paths and many rentable bikes on many corners.  Television commercials also encouraged the public to be green, often showing commercials on how to be more green and explaining the many changes the country is making to cut emissions.  2012 is a big year for England!  There is the summer Olympics this year, as well as the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrating 60 years on the throne.  Such big events really seem to boost nationalism and the country is definitely capitalizing on this fervor to inspire those to help to save the environment of the country they love so much.  Do you think the US has a strong campaign for the environment?  Does European culture contribute more to the success of such campaigns?  What do you think of the reform efforts?

A totally "Green" Car! the compact size is rare in the United States... Some of the brands are not even available in the US

A McDonnald's.  They are promoting the use of local foods to help save the environment by helping the economy and needing less gas to ship the goods. 

A typical car in England.  I have never seen this brand before in the US! It is really interesting how these cars are marketed heavily in the UK but nowhere in the US!

Note the bumper sticker promoting "The Tube", London's underground public transportation system

Product Placement is Everywhere!

Okay, so I this all began when I needed socks.  As many people know... The SMC washing machines eat socks.  So after trying to make due with my mismatched socks, I decided to wander into Kohls and buy a pair.  Found the socks and then decided to look around since I have never shopped at a Kohls before and wanted to know what kind of clothes they sold.  So... long story short, I found the "LC by Lauren Conrad" collection and Rock & Republic jeans and walked out two hours later with a new wardrobe.  The customer service there was excellent! The store was very neat and clean and the cashiers were very helpful.  My cashier was very friendly and even gave me a 20% discount!  With all the sales and discounts going on I ended up saving over $150! I left Kohls without guilt and very satisfied with my experience.  After I got home I decided to look up this "Lauren Conrad" collection.  I love to read fashion blogs and read up on the latest styles and Lauren Conrad has been credited as a definite "it girl" in the fashion world today.  So I found her website and it was full of fashion tips! I was in heaven.  It was interesting to see, many of the outfits she put together for her readers were made from her two collections.... the "LC by Lauren Conrad" collection featured at Kohl's and "Paper Crown"which is sold in high-end boutiques and department stores.  I really liked the outfits... but I thought it was sort of cheesy that every outfit she made had clothes from her own lines... I suppose thats expected... but it is some form of product placement as well!