Prejudices Suck!

Today I want to talk about the prejudices that I have to deal with on a daily basis and explain the reasons behind my decision to follow Sean "Diddy" Combs (@iamdiddy) and Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) on Twitter - two issues that are somewhat interrelated.

So, yes, I do have a passion for philanthropy and environmentalism, and yes, much of my life does revolve around those two passions - but does that mean I have to be like the stereotype: a religious, "Jesus sandals"-wearing know-it-all wallflower? That's not how I see myself.

I do find it utterly important that people help each other, try their best to do the right thing - this is common sense to me! However, I am also an open-minded agnostic, I do make many mistakes, sometimes I'm funny, sometimes I'm deadly serious but most of all I want to make people feel good and I do have some sense of fashion! ;)

In fact, I feel offended when people imply that atheists don't do charitable work like religious people. Probably I even adhere to the 10 Commandments more strictly than many believers of God - seriously, do you need someone to tell you that killing, stealing and cheating is wrong? My parents are Protestants (who go to church every Sunday); I also have friends who follow different religions - and I do respect their beliefs but I expect that they tolerate my viewpoint, too. I love diversity and dearly hope that one day people of different religions, races, cultures and sexual orientation can coexist in peace - if my friends and I are able to do that, you can do it, too!

Now that I've got this off my chest, I tell you why I (like thousands of other people!) decided to follow Sean "Diddy" Combs and Ashton Kutcher on Twitter even though some of my fellow philanthropists and environmentalists may think that this was an unwise move. Maybe they are right, but as much as I enjoy taking over leadership, I still want to be a follower because there's so much to learn from others.

So, what do these two nice gentlemen have in common? - Yes, both are famous and many will tell you they are also very handsome and talented - and I certainly won't dispute that; however, that is not what my decision to follow them was based on.

As for Sean "Diddy" Combs, my admiration for him goes back to the late 90s. His success story (from ambitious intern to millionaire within 18 months: check out the video below!) inspired me to never give up on my own dreams - because as Mr. Combs has demonstrated - with hard work, ambition and persistence they can come true eventually! And this is also what I like about his tweets: every day he reminds his followers that anything is possible and encourages them to be proactive - I think everyone needs a mental boost like that every once in a while...

With regards to Ashton Kutcher, I came to like him after I saw a VH1 special about him a few years ago. Two things he said there that stayed in my mind (I'm sorry I don't know the exact words as I saw it in German) were: 1. Always be happy, never be satisfied. 2. Aim for the moon, if you miss, you may hit a star (a Clement Stone quote). On a more superficial note, I think Punk'd is hilarious! ;) After reading an article headlined "Ashton Kutcher Twitters Against Sex Slavery", I decided to follow him.

In conclusion, both Sean "Diddy" Combs and Ashton Kutcher are the kind of 21st century leaders that we need right now. In my opinion it's worth following them!

Check out the Sean "Diddy" Combs interview with Carlos Watson below:

The One-Man-Living-Cartoon-Factory: Funny Medley!

Ennio Marchetto is the One-Man-Living-Cartoon-Factory! Check out this medley showing his hilarious impersonations of famous personalities ranging from Marilyn Monroe, Elvis and Stevie Wonder to Madonna, Whitney Houston and Tina Turner! For international tour dates visit Ennio's website.

No Cold Or Flu For Me This Winter - Here Is How I Do It!

There are basically three things that I would credit helping me to stay healthy this winter. But before I tell you what those things are I should mention that it's actually a miracle that I didn't get sick because from age 13 until spring 2008 I got a cold three times and the flu once a year. This year I didn't even get sick when my partner was lying in bed with a bad cold for a week which is usually a guarantee for me to get sick, too.

So, here are the 3 things I did differently this year (thanks to my grandparents who gave me the advice):

1. It may sound a bit unorthodox but I drink cider vinegar at least every second day in the morning before breakfast. I dilute 1 tsp honey and 1 tsp cider vinegar in a glass of warm (almost hot) water. As I suffer from acute chronic sinusitis, I wake up with a sore throat every morning since 1999 but I found that the cider vinegar clears my throat and stops the pain immediately. If you want to try this, make sure you don't use more than a tsp because it may burn your throat - I did that and it felt like I swallowed needles, so be careful! ;)

2. I use salt-water nasal spray at least once a day (but there is no harm in doing it 3 or 4 times a day as it is non-addictive). It's a good way to prevent a cold and even sinusitis (which is really one of the most annoying diseases there is). By the way, this helps my sinusitis-related blocked nose as well! :) 

3. There's nothing better than antibacterial hand gel - I love the Carex one, it's cheap, handy and lasts for 100 applications. I use it several times a day and it's ideal when you're out in public where it's easy to catch some kind of infection.

Health is our greatest wealth and maintaining it has never been easier - if you follow my blog you'll see that there are many quick, cheap, simple and natural ways to improve wellbeing which I test myself and share them here if they are working for me! If you have tips on how to avoid getting a cold or the flu and would like to share them, please leave a comment, email or tweet me! ;)

A Tribute To My "Little" Brother Who Turns 23 Today

Today I wanna give a quick shout-out to my little brother Manuel whom I wish all the best and much love for his 23rd birthday! So, happy birthday, bro! :)

My brother is pretty much one of the coolest, easygoing guys on this planet (and still single - just a little hint for all the sweet single ladies out there!) and one of my best friends.

Our brother-sister relationship has always been great, especially because we like the same things and never fight, ok except maybe for this one time where I bit him in the arm and he knocked my tooth out (no worries it was just a baby tooth)! ;)

I feel really blessed to have a brother like him and wouldn't exchange him for another. :p You know what also really fascinates me about him is he's a health miracle! It's a popular belief that dairy products make you fat, right? My brother (who by the way rarely eats vegetable or fruit ever) has been slim all his life and reached a height of 1.96 meters (about 6 ft 5 in) by basically living on nothing else than banana milk, yoghurt, cheese and meat!!!! Well, once again: happy birthday, bro! xoxo