#dodd13

                                             Has anyone ever been in a public restroom and watched someone leave without washing their hands? Gross. That is my biggest pet peeve. I make sure that is a part of my routine as I leave the restroom *wash hands and kick open door with my foot*. Watching that lady leave the second stall at Barnes and Noble and then proceed to go look and check out books, erks my nerves. It’s disgusting. Just a little education in sanitation 101, germs spread everywhere. That book you just touched, that desk you’re sitting at…you might as well have just stuck your hands in the toilet. People unknowingly touch their face all day, some even have bad habits of putting their hands in or near their mouths.

Wash your hands! It is the simplest and cheapest way to avoid getting sick. Like preventing the common cold, MRSA, and even the swine flu! According to an article on cbsnews.com 95 percent of people are improperly washing their hand. “Men were much worse than women, the researchers observed. Fifteen percent of men didn't wash at all, compared with 7 percent of women. When they did wash, 50 percent of men used soap, compared to 79 percent of women.” Says reporter, Ryan Jaslow. Of the 3,700 people they observed using public restrooms, ten percent of them skipped the hand washing process all together. Moral of the story is to wash your hands frequently to avoid getting yourself or others sick and to stop annoying me. 

As the end of 2013 is fast approaching us I find myself reflecting on this year more and more. I have come along way growing not only physically but mentally as well. Being senior at the University of Central Florida now is something that I am very proud of but with real life fast approaching me it is time to look at life in a more broad spectrum.

2013 was a great year I had many ups and down that everyone goes through but it is time to reflect on the positives. I received employment from the Orlando Magic while soon after being promoted to a year round position. I also turned 21 years old over the summer, it was great to finally feel that sense of entitlement as a adult now. One of the hardest transitions for any young man or young women is how to make the transition to an adult. I believe I am well on my way and headed in the right direction.

Looking forward I plan to continue to actively pursue getting a scholarship to Seton Hall's Sports Management graduate program. I have already put in a lot of hard work to try to achieve this goal and 2014 will play a huge role on where my future is headed.

As I plan to graduate in 2014 and possibly move to New Jersey for graduate school I am very excited as well as anxious for what my future has in store for me. Thank you for all the great memories 2013!

It's a magical time of year! Who can deny they love they cooler weather and the anticipation of so many great times with friends and family? It's the holiday season, and if you are clueless as to what to wear this time around, fear not! Here are some awesome trends to keep in mind when shopping for your festive outfits.

1. All That Glitters Doesn't Have to be Gold, But It's Preferred.

gold by rebecca-alexandra-castro featuring Ecote

This is probably my number one favorite trend, especially for Christmas. All gold everything! From embellishment, to metallic patterns, to chunky jewelry, gold is the perfect way to set yourself apart from everyone else at the party!

2. Oh My Velvet!

velvet by rebecca-alexandra-castro featuring red crop tops

Velvet was pretty huge for fall; in fact I’m still so into it that I’d love to wear it into spring. A velvet dress in a light shade, a pink or gray, is reminiscent of a soft blanket of snow and who doesn’t love fresh powder?

3. Tulletide.

tulle by rebecca-alexandra-castro featuring a vintage pink dress

It’s the most girly trend of the year! Tulle is perfect for the holidays. Whether you wear it in ballerina pink, a la Nutcracker Ballet or you prefer a darker hue like I do, a tulle skirt says you’ve come to be the belle of the ball.

4. Sheer is Here!

sheer by rebecca-alexandra-castro featuring a sheer cami

The harder a fashion trend is to execute, the more I’m a fan of it. I love a challenge! Sheer might seem complicated and a little bare for the winter, but the key is to layer. A winter white slip dress is completed gracefully with a gold-tinged tunic on top. Also, a jewel-toned bodycon dress looks dreamy under a sheer dark lace dress.

5. Deck Your Heads.

head by rebecca-alexandra-castro featuring a bow hairband

This Holiday season, be adventurous with your headwear! Whether it’s an embellished turban, a fluffy, wide headband, or a goddess-like headwrap, a little something special belongs on your head. Think of it as your personal ornament!

"Give me a break, give me a break, break me off a piece of that KitKat bar!"

Everyone has sung those lyrics over and over again. KitKat is a brand known for producing pretty amazing marketing material. Although it's be awhile since they've created something as catchy as the well known jingle their new partnership has brought something even sweeter along.

KitKat is partnering with Android to bring users the newest software, KitKat 4.4. Android has evolved a lot over the past few years and they seem to always keep their fans guessing what they'll create next. 

Anyone who looks at the lawn of the Android office can really see the theme of desserts they use to name their operating system. Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean are the KitKat predecessors.

Every Android forum you read up until the release of 4.4 would tell you that Key Lime Pie was the next name, but then Android surprised everyone by forming a partnership with KitKat.

Released on every candy companies favorite holiday, Halloween, KitKat took the Android world by storm. The new features provide users with a smoother interface and more battery life, that everyone will love.

As far as the details of this new partnership, they're very basic. KitKat promotes Android on their wrappers and Android promotes KitKat by using the brand name as their operating system. No money was exchanged in their partnership, it's simply just a promotional union.

Marketing and promotions are evolving and the Android/KitKat partnering really displays that. To think a operating system and a candy bar could be connected would have been absolutely nuts a few years back, but now it's formed something that everyone benefits from. Plus the more KitKat's you eat, the more you can enter to win Google Play credits and a Nexus 7. A win-win in my eyes!

On October 12, 2013, I married my best friend. Two days ago I dropped him off for boot camp. He is in the Army and his MOS is Nodal Systems Repairer. I've overcame a lot that life has thrown at me, but dropping him off was by far one of the hardest blows life's ever hit me with. I cried for days before he left and then the day he left I kept randomly crying throughout the day.... I'm a tough cookie but my husband and I are inseparable; we're always glued to one another and do EVERYTHING together. The worst part so far is not being able to come home and talk about our day while we curl up and watch Netflix. Our dogs are super confused on why he's not here and they look for him and wait by the door a lot. At night they don't know if they should sleep in the bed or if he'll be home soon to curl up next to me and they definitely don't like me crying. Boot camp is about 3 months long but luckily his timing to leave was perfect--he gets to come home for Christmas. I can't wait to see the dogs' reactions and to spend some time with him. I know people do this every day but it really is tough. My brother is a marine and I remember when he left. Having a husband in the military while you're stuck in a city away from your family, have very few friends, and rarely go anywhere because you're alone is just horrible. I wish I had more friends and I wish I could go see my family more but with college and work, it's hard. I'm excited for our new adventure but I hope this first part flies by. I'm interested in finding out where we get stationed--kind of hoping for another country but anywhere is fine as long as I'm with him. I'm so proud of his decision to enlist and thankful to have such a wonderful husband. I just can't wait till my Christmas present comes home. Next time you see a soldier, please thank them for what they do. It's a huge sacrifice as a whole and the ones who give their lives for this country deserve serious gratitude. This is the home of the free because of the brave.

Now for your enjoyment, Soldiers reuniting with their furbabies<3

With the release of the PlayStation 4 this week and the Xbox one to follow, there may be no better time to talk more about video games and how they are marketed. First of all, let us mention that the PS4 sold over a million units in the first day of release, the PS3 only selling 200,000 in the first two weeks. An absolute record that proves that the gaming industry is at an all time high and PlayStation did something right in order to make that happen. Whether it was all the hype at E3 (Electronics Entertainment Expo) or just how they presented themselves to the public, PlayStation's sales are no joke to competitor Microsoft and the Xbox.

When the initial battle began between the two, there was a lot of debate about which console was more powerful, what features each would come with, digital rights management, and price points. All of the specifics aside, people enjoyed that PlayStation would be more cost effective, DRM free, and focused more on gamers instead of people that are using their consoles for media entertainment such as Television or Netflix. The first marketing video PS4 released was one that featured a man walking and speaking about how greatness awaits with the new PlayStation. It really offers a creative viewpoint on the gamer and makes them feel good about themselves. It focuses completely on what an impact games can have on someone, to make them feel empowered and creative.

PlayStation soon partnered with Taco Bell to increase their reach to the target demographic they were aiming for. It is well known that the stereotypical gamer enjoys fast food and for some reason, especially Taco Bell. So this match made in Heaven gave gamers an opportunity to win an PS4 for just the price of a 5 buck box. It was even an opportunity to get a PS4 early and "Play the Future First". Every 15 minutes from September 26th to November 10th, a winner was selected for a free PS4 prize pack. Rival Microsoft soon partnered with equally stereotypical gamer food brands, Doritos and Mountain Dew. And lets be honest here Doritos is the real winner due to the fact that Taco Bell also sells Doritos locos tacos. Microsoft's system was a little different however and people began to abuse it. To win an Xbox one you could collect points from the codes and win it in an auction. However, if you bought just about 280 dollars worth of mountain dew and Doritos at the store and then redeemed all the codes at once for a single auction, you could handily win an auction for the 500 dollar Xbox one. 

Growing up, we are often told about drug users as if they are horribly under-developed villains in bad films and books. They are simply "bad" and rarely do people get the chance to understand the humanity behind addiction; the backgrounds of addicts and their mindsets. The Heroin Diaries provides that bridge from a former drug user and the world.

  The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star is the novelization of a year's worth of diary entries by Motley Crue bassist, leader, and main songwriter, Nikki Sixx. The diary entries are lifted verbatim from the personal diary he maintained throughout 1987. During this time, Motley Crue writes, records, and tours their Girls, Girls, Girls album. However the main conflict lies within Sixx as his struggles with substance abuse, and in particular heroin, come to a head.

  Given the main content of the book, the vocabulary and writing abilities reflect the humanity of the story. This is not a narrative. This is a day-to-day venture into the hell of a drug-addled individual. We are met with harsh language and thoughts that were initially intended as a private memoir, not a novel aimed to appeal to others. From the relationships with family, women, and bandmates to personal moments of paranoia locked up in his own closet, The Heroin Diaries is as powerful of a memoir as they come. Throughout, there are moments of reflection by Sixx and those that are being talked about in the diary entries. This provides the reader with various views on many events and to see the changes in these people over the past twenty-plus years.

  A soundtrack was recorded by Nikki Sixx's side project, Sixx: A.M, featuring vocalist James Michael and Guns n' Roses guitarist DJ Ashba. Titled "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack", the album features both spoken word tracks, lifted straight from the book and read by Sixx. All of the other songs surround the events in the book and after reading the book, it is easy to imagine what each song is about.

    A link to purchase the book

  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heroin-diaries-nikki-sixx/1100333525?ean=9781416511946

    The lead single for The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack, "Life is Beautiful"