myspace thanksgiving comments

Remember to give thanks this holiday
By Kim Smith
As I was leaving a comment for my daughter on her MySpace, I noticed a little section she had added that listed things in her life that she wouldn't trade for anything.

She had things like racing horses down the beach with her best friends, ACS (Methodist Youth Conference) and Thanksgiving with her whole family. I smiled as I read the list of moments in her life that she wouldn't trade for anything.

Those moments in our lives are what Thanksgiving is about. It's not about whether the turkey is perfect or if the pie is right. Usually at our house, the turkey is done when the smoke alarm goes off.

It's about the moments in time that we share with the people we love.

For the past week it's been hard for me to focus on the things in my life for which I am thankful. I'm a very human example of how some weeks just suck the life right out you, but then I saw her list. It made me think about those moments in my own life that I would not trade for anything.

I wouldn't trade the births of either of my girls. Even though one of them was not particularly pleasant, and to this day I cannot watch a Duke-Carolina basketball game as a result. I wouldn't trade that feeling when you look in the eyes of your child for the first time for anything.

There was one day in the summer of 1981 that I wouldn't trade for anything. A perfect beach day with friends that didn't end until the sun set, and we were right there to see it go down. It was one of those days that you just want to capture in a bottle and keep forever.

For many people their wedding day is a day they wouldn't trade, but honestly the day itself was stressful.

But I wouldn't trade the day after when we were lounging in chairs on the deck of a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. Nobody was around and all we could see was ocean on all sides. We could look up and see the captain and blue skies. Life was perfect in that moment - much better than the stress of the actual wedding day.

I'll never trade the moment when one of my girls came running in the house crying and screaming. Her sister and I ran out of our rooms to meet her in the hallway to see if we could help. The three of us sat huddled in the hallway as she told us what had caused the trauma - her first kiss.

"It was awful," she cried. And, she went on to give us animated details of what it was like for her. I looked at her sister, she looked back at me, and we held back the laughter as long as we could. That moment could never be traded.

I could go on and on and I'm sure you all could as well.

This Thanksgiving, take time to celebrate those moments in your lives that you wouldn't trade for anything. Make a list and post it somewhere, so that when you have weeks that suck the life out of you, the list will remind you and help to focus you again on what is really important.

Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.

Kim Smith is a member of the Craven County Board of Education and the mother of two daughters. Her column appears each week in the Havelock News.

investigator to pass some of the scrutiny on to ex-husband Kevin Federline, according to TMZ. But Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, doesn't seem to be worried about Brit's new hire. "I think that if that is what they need to do, or have to do, to have at it," Kaplan told UsMagazine.com. "I don't think it will, in any way, be a good expenditure of funds. But I can't stop that from happening." Kaplan also told the site that he doesn't think a P.I. would have much success following K-Fed around. "I don't think he would be concerned about it, and I don't think he has to change anything he is doing in order to address that," Kaplan said. ...

Kanye West might not feel like he's had the best year, but GQ is trying to cheer the rapper up by naming him one of the magazine's honorees for Men of the Year. West graces one of three separate covers for the mag, which also selected a former president (Bill Clinton) and James Bond himself (Daniel Craig) to keep the rapper company ― not that he needs it. "I'm the number-one artist in the world right now. I'm the number-one human being in music," Kanye tells the mag. "That means any person who's living or breathing is number two. You are in the presence of a champion." Kanye also admits in his cover story that his feud with 50 Cent was his idea and a "complete publicity stunt." Also joining West, Clinton and Craig as honorees for the magazine's 12th annual list, which hits newsstands November 27 and can be found at the magazine's Web site, are Casey Affleck, Judd Apatow (along with his "comedy mafia" of Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill and Michael Cera), Simon Cowell, Daft Punk, Tom Hanks, Emile Hirsch, Lil Wayne, Robin Thicke and Rihanna. (Check out pictures from the magazine here.) ...

Timbaland and his fiancee, Monique Idlett, have given birth to a baby girl named Reign, a source close to the couple confirms to MTV News. Reign was born a few days ago, weighing in at nine pounds. ... Amy Winehouse talked to V magazine for the new issue, addressing everything from her embattled husband ("I love Blake so much ― I'm a very lucky girl") to her beehive ("I haven't seen one person with one"). She also got back to the music, insisting that album number three won't be about the pressures of fame: "Who wants to listen to an album about having the [tabloids] camped outside your house?" ... Jessica Sierra, a 2005 "American Idol" finalist, pleaded no contest to felony charges of battery and cocaine possession in Tampa, Florida, according to People. She was sentenced to 12 months of probation. The 22-year-old was arrested April 29 after throwing a cocktail glass at a bar patron's head and was taken to jail, where cocaine was found in her purse. She has been undergoing drug and alcohol rehabilitation in California as part of a VH1 celebrity rehab reality show set to air next year. ...

Hey, guess who else didn't pay a dime for the new Radiohead album? Frontman Thom Yorke admitted to paying nothing for a download of In Rainbows during an interview with BBC 6. "There wasn't any point," he explained. "I just move some money from one pocket to the other." The release of the album online was a hard secret to keep, according to guitarist Ed O'Brien. "We had to literally tell no one," he said on BBC 6. "I didn't tell my wife we were going to release it like this." Yorke added that to avoid any early leaks, no one in the band or their camp was allowed to have a master recording of the album. ... The twisty saga of the wrongful-death lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department by the family of the Notorious B.I.G. has taken yet another turn. A judge ruled Friday that the lawsuit can add several new defendants because of newly discovered evidence, The Associated Press reports. Among the potential new defendants are former Death Row Records boss Marion "Suge" Knight, former police officer Rafael Perez and some other current and former LAPD officers. ...

On Tuesday (November 20), Nine Inch Nails released their Y34RZ3R0R3M1X3D set, the last NIN album released by Interscope Records (fulfilling the band's contractual commitments to the label). In conjunction with the release, Trent Reznor was to launch the Web site Remix.NIN.com so fans could use the DVD-ROM contained within the LP ― boasting all the source material in multi-track format ― to do their own remixes of the songs, with Reznor's blessing. But when visitors reach the site, they'll find an image of an old man wearing glasses with $20 bills tucked behind each lens. In an essay on the site titled "Copyright Fun," Reznor explains the situation. He claims he was contacted over the weekend by Interscope, which owns the band's master files, and told the site wouldn't be happening. "Universal feels that if they host our remix site, they will be opening themselves up to the accusation that they are sponsoring the same technical violation of copyright they are suing companies [like YouTube and MySpace] for. Their premise is that if any fan decides to remix one of my masters with material Universal doesn't own ― a 'mash-up,' a sample, whatever ― and upload it to the site, they will be doing exactly what MySpace and YouTube are doing." The label said it would not host the remix site, insisting that the band host it, shifting the liability to Reznor. "We are challenged at the last second to find a way of bringing this idea to life without getting splashed by the urine as these media companies piss all over each other's feet," Reznor wrote. "We have a cool and innovative site ready to launch but we're currently scratching our heads as to how to proceed." ...

Fergie explains her infamous onstage pants-wetting episode in the December issue of Allure: She didn't want to disappoint her fans by being late. "I just did not stop on the way to go to the bathroom," she tells the mag, on newsstands November 27. "But yeah, I won't live that down. It won't happen again, though. Peeing is one of my rituals before going onstage." Fergie also tells the magazine that she's concerned about certain starlets' privacy when they're trying to kick a habit. "The thing that appalls me is that when you get these stories from inside rehab. That's supposed to be your sanctuary," said the singer, who fought a crystal meth addiction herself. "I know we live in a voyeuristic world right now, but how are you supposed to get better when people are constantly leaking stories about you when you're in rehab? It's not conducive to healing." ...

Mary J. Blige is the latest music superstar to get Apple's silhouette treatment in the latest iPod + iTunes commercial, featured on the iTunes product page. ... In other Apple news, in what may be proof that that the iTunes/Beatles embargo is finally ending, the first-ever Apple-sponsored Beatles podcast has launched on iTunes. The podcast, called "Help! Is on the Way," is a retrospective of the music from the film "Help!" ... Carrie Underwood, Ashley Tisdale, Natasha Bedingfield, Celine Dion, Sean Kingston and more artists will help light the tree during NBC's 10th annual "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" on November 28 at 8 p.m. ET. ...

Ozzy Osbourne's San Diego gig this evening has been postponed, due to a stomach virus ― whose virus, it wasn't made clear. The concert will be rescheduled for December 2 and tickets for the original show will be honored. ... Though Tommy Lee isn't on the list, the lineup for the upcoming celebrity edition of "The Apprentice" is a motley crew indeed. The stars on tap are: "Sopranos" actor Vincent Pastore, former "Apprentice" castmember Omarosa, Kiss bassist Gene Simmons, actor Stephen Baldwin, "Taxi" star Marilu Henner, boxer Lennox Lewis, '80s supermodel Carol Alt, country singer Trace Adkins, gymnast Nadia Comaneci, a former Playboy Playmate, a former Olympic women's softball pitcher and UFC champ Tito Ortiz. The "celebrities" will not be competing for a job with Trump but to raise money for their favorite charities. ...

Former Iced Earth guitarist Ernie Carletti was convicted Monday of kidnapping and rape, stemming from his abduction of a University of Delaware student back in 2003. According to AP, a Superior Court jury in Wilmington, Delaware, found the 32-year-old musician guilty on two counts of first-degree rape and one count of first-degree kidnapping; he was acquitted on a related weapons charge. Carletti admitted to abducting the student, shackling her arms and legs, and then hog-tying her at his Maryland home until she began crying. During the trial, he testified that he did not have a gun and did not rape the woman. "Maybe I wasn't thinking clearly," he said. "It was just part of the effect. I didn't say she wanted it, but she did not deny it." The victim testified last week that she was waiting for a ride in nearby Newark, Delaware, when a stranger forced her into his car at gunpoint. She was handcuffed, shackled and blindfolded, then was driven to the man's home. After she was raped, she was driven back to Newark and left tied and blindfolded on West Main Street. Carletti's fingerprints were discovered on duct tape used to bind the woman; he faces separate charges in an alleged sexual assault that occurred while he was in high school. He faces up to two life prison terms. His sentencing date has not been announced.

11.19.07

The Cyrus family might need to get an extra seat ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Last week, Billy Ray Cyrus, father to Miley (a.k.a. Hannah Montana), offered Britney Spears a nice home-cooked meal for the holiday, and, according to TMZ, the embattled pop star told the paparazzi she's in! "We would love to be there for you and we care about you," Billy Ray told In Touch magazine. "Miley is a big fan and she wants to reach out too." Given Brit's track record of being at the right place at the right time, however, the Cyruses might not want to hold their breath. TMZ has also reported that Spears will celebrate Thanksgiving with her children on Wednesday, while ex-husband Kevin Federline will have the boys on Thursday. ...

Something appears to have gone down between R. Kelly and his publicist of 14 years, Regina Daniels, but since she seems to have quit, we may never know what it was. Daniels released a statement over the weekend that read, "I have prided myself on loyalty, respect and professionalism. It saddens me that I was not always shown those same courtesies during my 14-year tenure as Mr. Kelly's publicist. ... There are some lines that should never be crossed professionally or personally. Mr. Kelly crossed a line that forever altered the scope of our relationship. For this reason I made the decision to resign." Kelly, who is awaiting trial on 14 counts of child pornography, is currently on tour. A spokesperson for Kelly's label could not be reached for comment at press time. ...

Dr. Jan Adams, the plastic surgeon who operated on Kanye West's mom, Donda West, before she died, will appear on Tuesday's "Larry King Live," according to CNN. It will be the doctor's first on-camera interview since Donda's death November 10. ... Amy Winehouse has enough turmoil in her life with her husband's recent arrest, but now she's under fire from the United Nations' drug chief too. Antonio Maria Costa, the head of the U.N. Drugs and Crime Office, has launched a public attack on alleged celebrity cocaine users, and he's included Kate Moss and Winehouse on his list. "Rock stars, like Amy Winehouse, become popular by singing 'I ain't going to rehab' even though she badly needed, and eventually sought, treatment," Costa said. He singled out the two Brits for glamorizing a global drug trade that threatens to devastate parts of Africa. ...

Ashley Tisdale told "Extra" after the American Music Awards that she's about to start up on "High School Musical 3"; production on the sequel starts in March. "We actually rehearse in February and then we start in March," she said. ... Christina Aguilera is feeling blue these days ― at least as far as her decorating scheme for her nursery is concerned. Her pal Christina Milian, who attended Aguilera's baby shower November 10, revealed its blue theme to Us Weekly. "Her son is going to be pretty lucky," Milian told the magazine. "She is going to be a cool mom. I got her a bunch of baby bath stuff, a whole little bathrobe and everything." ...

Never made it to one of Mariah Carey's concerts last year? Don't worry, because she's bringing the show to your living room, starting December 4, courtesy of her live DVD, "The Adventures of Mimi." The disc includes behind-the-scenes footage, a karaoke feature and Spike Lee's mini-movie "Lovers & Haters," which spoofs a day in the life of Mariah. The musical performances, shot in high-definition, feature such hits as "We Belong Together," "Vision of Love," "Always Be My Baby," "Make It Happen" and "It's Like That." Boyz II Men make a guest appearance on the duet "One Sweet Day." Carey said in a statement she was "very excited" to finally release the DVD, through an exclusive deal with Best Buy, since "this particular show had some really special moments that my real fans will truly enjoy." ... Strangely enough, Carey's "Glitter" didn't make Spin magazine's list of the worst movies made by musicians, although that might have been because the competition was so stiff. In the mag's December issue, the Beatles vie against KISS, Paul Simon, Neil Young, Prince, Perry Farrell, Bob Dylan and Daft Punk for top honors. The Fab Four's "Magical Mystery Tour" is described as "mercifully short," Farrell's "Gift" is "cringe-inducing" and Daft Punk's "Electroma" may disappoint anyone "who came of age after 1916" since "this movie is not a 'talkie.' " ...

Ashlee Simpson, currently on the cover of CosmoGirl!, told the magazine as an aside that she wanted to one day start a clothing line. So when MTV News hit CosmoGirl!'s Born to Lead Awards last week in New York, we asked the youngest Simpson what she had in mind and how her line compared to the clothing brands started by her older sister Jessica. "Mine might be a little darker," she said. "I'm all about a good black dress. Every girl needs a good black dress, and good sweaters ― the good comfy stuff." Ashlee said starting a clothing brand was still in the planning stages, and she was in no rush. "Timing is everything," she said. "For me, I want to have the right line. There's definitely ideas I would like to express, and it would be something fun to explore. Nothing's set in stone yet." ... Sean Kingston, however, is feeling a little more pressure when it comes to starting his clothing line, he tells MTV Base, because it's not his older sister he's in competition with; it's other rappers. His goal is to be a "young Puffy Combs." "I'm trying to have my own record label, I'm trying to sign artists, develop artists, and I'm trying to come out with my own clothing line and watch line," he said. He's already commemorated his label, Time Is Money Entertainment, as a tattoo on his right hand as well as a watch. "It has a lot of colored diamonds in it," he said. ...
as do many, have a page on MySpace. I've found it to be a pretty neat deal: my contacts are people from my hometown, high school friends, relatives, college buddies, Army buddies, current friends or past and present coworkers. It has been great for keeping up with many people from whom I would not otherwise hear.

Recently I got a friend-request from a girl, actually she's a woman now, who was a few years behind me in high school. To tell the truth: I didn't recognize her, but seeing that she was from my school and that we had some friends in common, I accepted her invitation, which allows her to see my details and me to see hers. I sent a message to a friend that is on both our pages asking " Who is she?" When I heard her last name I remembered it, but being that it has been 20+ years since I've seen her, I was a bit vague on the details.

A few days later she sent me a couple of comments. One was on a picture of my son: " He looks just like you did!" The other was a more personal comment. Basically she told me that I had made a very strong impression on her when we were in school together.

I felt terrible. I could barely remember this lady, Christy, and I had made an impression on her. I was ashamed, a bit, to not really know who she is.

To the meat of the matter: that got me to thinking. How many people have influenced me favorably or left positive impressions on me that I never acknowledged?

So ... this Thanksgiving, I want to let some of them know; to give thanks to them for what they have given me. It's time you knew.

To my parents: for giving me space to make my own decisions (knowing that you didn't like some of them) and for not judging me on or by those decisions. Thank you.

To my sister: for believing in me when few else did. Thank you.

To my son: for giving me unconditional love, endless joy and a reason to face all of the tomorrows to come. Thank you.

To my best-good-friend, Troy: for helping me hold things together and for helping me regather and assemble the pieces when I fall apart. Thank you.

To my ex-wife: for not standing between me and our son. Thank you.

To my teachers (both from school and from life):for making sure I got the point, not just the facts of the lessons. Thank you.

To Bill: for letting me bring up the subject knowing that you already knew (and for a million other things). Thank you.

To Uncle D & Aunt M / Uncle J and Aunt L:for dropping by to see me when you've been through town. Thank you.

To Joe, Melodie, Dominic, Rick, Dan, Guy, Bill, Mike, JP, Stacy, John, Mark, Luke, Kent, Darren, Ken, ... and anyone that I haven't listed due to constraints of time and space: for keeping me inspired and growing (and occasionally holding my head out of the toilet). Thank you.

And finally ... To Christy: for letting me know and inspiring me to thank all of these people and more. Thank you.

In the coming week I am writing notes to many of the people on my list, telling them, more or less, what I have shared with you.

In this Season of Thanks I challenge all of you to really give thanks to all of the people that you never have. Who haven't you thanked? It's time they knew.