Need some relaxation

WOO HOO! New product in from #BirchboxMan today. I got an English Laundry 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I LOVED their cologne that I received in the Birchbox subscription box last month, so I have high expectations for this wash. 

This came on a great day since I needed a little bit of good news. On Tuesday, Feb 4, I celebrated my six year anniversary with my employer Rackspace. It's a neat company to work for as it's a place where you're rewarded for actually taking care of customers and not just stinging them along. A place where customer service is still an action and not a marketing ploy. We've gone through some major hurdles and now we're in competition with the likes of Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. 

Our CEO Lanham Napier guided us through thick and then. He defines charismatic. He is so motivating and influential to listen to, and I've told myself I'd follow Rackspace to the ends of the earth as long as he was at the healm. But today on our quarterly earnings call, he surprised us with his retirement announcement. To say the least, it was a shitty day. 

So now I'll relax with a new body wash (that I can already tell you smells fantastic since I spilled some on my iPad as I was writing this post), enjoy a good Belgian beer, and I'll post a review on the English Laundry in about a week or two. 

Super Bowl’s ‘Merica

I have to admit that I’m not a huge sports fanatic. I just wasn't raised around it.  And in my house the roles are reversed: my mom is the sports fan and shops for the big TVs while my dad is happy in the other room watching History Channel or SyFy.  Nevertheless we all gather for the big game every year with all the junk food you can eat.  This years game was one of the most uneventful I’ve ever seen.  Not even the commercials were great.

One of the top highlights of the whole game was a beautiful performances of our National Anthem by Renee Flemming.  Her rendition was classy, and her interpretation was so beautiful and simple that the pop divas who have sung our anthem in the past few years should take lessons.  Her performance set the stage for a very nationalistic feel for the next few hours.  

I think in lieu of great game high points, the internet went a buzz with the Coca-Cola commercial in which America the Beautiful was sung in multiple languages.  And of course Facebook went crazy with differing opinions on the subject.  Frankly, I think it was bad marketing by Coke and shows us our nation is still so far from acceptance of different cultures.  If you’ didn't see the commercial, you can view it here: http://bit.ly/1cPqcF6

If Coke marketing wanted to relay the message that many cultures make up our America, they failed… in my opinion at least.  The backdrops for all of the scenes were obscure and didn’t show off any of our recognizable landmarks.  As I was watching live, I asked why people from other countries wanted to sing OUR second National Anthem.  If they wanted to show different nationalities making up our America, I would have set it in front of obvious American landmarks.  

What’s the internet in America with a good controversy? Of course everyone with an opinion took to Twitter and Facebook.  The ones most angered by the commercial were those with the least education - based on spelling, grammar, and syntax of their posts.  Ignorance isn’t bliss when they’re posted to a public forum.  This ugliness against other cultures isn’t the national identity we want while walking into the Olympics.  I hope we’re can join as one over the next few weeks to root for the ideal America instead of the racist America we've seen online.