Knock Knock Who's There?

Harry, Harry Who?, Harry Potter!

Yes, the final Harry Potter book has arrived. My little cousin got it shipped to the shore and I have just read the end - I read some spoilers online but couldn't really believe them. But now I have read the epilogue - the only part of a Harry Potter book I have read. So here is the end as I noticed in 5 minutes of skimming it - do not read this if you don't want to know the end of the book. Here is what I got of the ending: remember I didn't read the whole book just the end. Highlight below to see

Dumbledore is alive (or a ghost maybe?), Harry Potter lives and has married Ginny - they have 3 kids, Rn and Hermoine are alive, so is Draco Malfoy. The epilogue is what is occurring 19 years later, I assume Voltimore is dead - Harry's scar hasn't bothered him in 19 years.

The book - the ending at least - seemed a little disappointing. Surprisingly, I also didn't think it was that well written. I'll stick to the movies. Time for putt-putt in a bit - I will write more later.

Casinoland

So I know this post is suppose to be about Top Chef and food, however, I only have access to 1 tv which was taken over by my uncle and the Tour de France... I will hopefully get to catch up on Top Chef later tonight if they are rerunning it or sometime soon. Vacation rearranges everything... especially when you have 20 people in a house made for about 8 people.

Anyway, I just got back from my first ever trip to the casino!!! It was sorta like I expected, but I honestly thought I would like it more. I'm glad I didn't like it overall. I just felt bad the whole time when I thought about what was going on. All the money that was being spent all around me, the money being lost. How there are people starving in Africa and even right here in the US and how the money could help good causes instead of going into Donald Trump's pocket. I only played for about a half hour and didn't win - although I didn't lose much. It was just weird - all the flashing lights and complicated slot machines that I have no idea how old people figure out. I mean maybe if I sat there and read it all (my dad was there just explaining it to my boyfriend and I). It's funny how it's mostly just old people and they are probably the least likely to know what the hell is going on. They just push the button and wa la there goes the money - you just put it in once and then that's it - just push a button - so efficient for Paris Hilton and Don Trumpy. Crazyness really. I can see how people get all irrational. It's easy to lose track of what's going on. It's hard to even explain the whole experience - I don't think I have even fully comprehended my reaction to it.

I do know that I don't think I could never own a casino unless I gave all the money to charity that I made because it seems like such an immoral, strange experience. Just the whole Atlantic City scene - the places around the casinos that advertise - "we buy gold" for example. I know that people who lose the money are the ones to blame in one sense, but really the way it's all set up a part of me thinks there is more to it - like there are some people who have passed the realm of rationality. Oh well...


Lesson #15: Be careful and smart at the casino - read and if you don't understand what's going on that should tell you something - don't use any more of your money. People watch instead.

Notes from Vacationland

Well I am not in Maine the so called Vacationland as seen on their license plates, but I am on vacation (if the unemployed get vacations?) So there's lots to talk about so I'll try to be focused and brief now that I have the Internet - I will also try and keep up with my postings now even though I am away. I've been doing lots of people watching - funny babies at the beach and other interesting characters, young girls with weird eyes distracting lifeguards as people die (well not quite as dramatic, but still annoying).

The beach has been quite smelly this year, so much so that I may start calling all of New Jersey the armpit of America even though I thought I would never have to... I wonder where the EPA is and where the dead whale is or whatever it is smelling up the beaches.

Tonight, we played Cranium, a pretty good game, the more people the merrier like most games. I have been listening to some This American Life on the beach via iPod. Some interesting stuff about dream homes and saving lives. One story that sounded a lot like some of my ethics education. The scenario is: would you have someone pull a lever to stop a train that would otherwise kill 5 railroad workers if pulling the lever meant 1 person would die (but you would save the 5 workers). What if there were still 5 workers and a train coming but you were on a bridge and could push the fat man next to you - stopping the train and saving the 5 workers but killing the fat man that you pushed off the bridge? Well a man is currently doing a study at Princeton to try and figure out why 9 in 10 people think it would be ok to kill one person to pull the lever and save the 5 workers but that 9 in 10 people would say they wouldn't push the fat man? Same number of people involved each time but people wouldn't push fattie... My reason - seems like a lever has a little bit better of a chance of stopping the train than the fat guy. Also how many people could actually push the fat guy over the bridge at the right time? I don't know seems silly, but certainly is interesting.

Stay Tuned for Tomorrow's post about Top Chef and Food! Yum.

Lesson #14: Althought I am totally right on with my life lessons, I may have been a little off about lesson #3, NJ may fully smell funny...

Fatastic

Even though food looks like it is going to win for one of the next topics of my blog, I still thought it would be nice to talk about food today - and every so often because, well I love food - do I need a better reason than that? Heck no! Today I will try and focus about the more fatastic things about food these days. The following are some topics relating to the fatastic side of food consumption. Fatastic being fat and fantastic or fantastically fat. (This is the definition I just made up). The urban dictionary's definition is: "People (or animals) that are hilariously fat and are therefore extremely amusing." ex. That is one fatastic pig.

The picture above is the work of graffiti artist Banksy. Fatastic. I saw somewhere else artwork where someone was just referring to the road - the lanes people drive cars in - as the Fat Lane - presumably because people choose to drive even when they could perhaps walk...

Ice Cream - it's hot, it's summertime and that means - you scream, i scream, yes we all scream for ice cream. (My favorite - mint chocolate chip) But wait! You wonder how do ice cream men stay in business these days? Well here is one interesting possibility as to why we still see the ice cream man hanging around - ice cream trucks are a front for drug trafficking - talk about fat and fantastic - not to advocate drugs - just makes for a fantastically interesting story... see here - and for those of you in Scotland - see here.
(note: I'm sure there are some very respectable ice cream men these are merely exceptions). But you may want to think twice before you let your kids run to the ice cream man.

Personal anecdote - Today I went out to eat after running some errands and found that I should not be allowed to eat in public. For some reason, no matter how hard I try - I always seem to make some sort of mess that I didn't intend on making. Today my large, hard to eat turkey sandwich was almost too much to bear. I ended up with lettuce and mustard all over. Mustard on my cheeks, forehead, hands, arms... It was fatastic.

Lesson #13: It's probably better for things to be Phat than Fat, especially when it comes to people. Be healthy! Fatastic is a pretty fun word though.

Slap me in the face?

I recently came across an article on digg that makes me think twice about wanting people to slap me high five. This Article talks about a man in Queensland, Australia whose misplaced high five got him a beat down - broken jaw and all. Apparently, this man was gallivanting through a mall on New Year's Eve slapping passerbyers high fives when he accidentally slapped someone in the face! Oops. The man wasn't very pleased and well, the high fiver didn't fair too well.

Lesson #12: When attempting a high five, make sure you a. Haven't had too much to drink, b. Have enough natural coordination to do so and c. Can out run anyone if your high five goes array

Now of course giving me high fives on my posts is acceptable no matter your coordination, drunkenness or running abilities. High five away!

PS Someone break the tie in my poll (see sidebar)

Scary Potter

um Harry Potter that is...

So, I just so the new Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix and the movie did precisely what I thought it would - scare me. Yes, Harry Potter, a PG-13 movie scares me, a 21 year old. I'll probably have nightmares of Voldemort. I sit there in the movie theater holding on to my boyfriend and wonder how the little kids manage not to be scared - what happened to me? When did I become such a scaredy cat? I blame too many crime shows when I was little - too much Unsolved Mysteries for my little mind to handle.

I am not that bad (others may disagree), just merely a little frightened by the combination of darkness, loud noises, scary music, strange/ugly creatures and the threat of violence. I feel instead of getting less scared as I get older, I am somehow becoming more frightened? It's wierd... Now if a movie is rated R for violence I simply don't watch it, no matter what, with a few exceptions that still haunt me (ex. Gangs of NY, 28 Days Later and some others which I have tried to completely erase from memory).

So, I am glad that Harry Potter's PG-13 ratings suit me well. Without spoiling any of the movie for those who don't read the books like myself, I won't go into any detail about my Harry Potter experience today. I felt like in someways the movie reminded me of the book I am reading currently, Atlas Shrugged, but I could probably make a connection between anything I was reading, not to mention Atlas Shrugged is over 1000 pages long... I will say that I thought the movie was a bit slow at times, but overall very enjoyable with an exciting ending.

PS Atlas Shrugged may some day become a movie at some point! I think that would be great, however, it looks like it is indefinitely delayed - boo. The only cast member listed was Angelina Jolie as Dangy Taggart (the star). Perhaps one day...

Reminder: The poll for what topic I will post about this weekend is up soon so vote now or forever hold your peace on the issue. (Is that even the right saying?)

Life Lessons

A compilation of my first 10 lessons for life:
*each lesson links back to its corresponding post*

Lesson #1: When you think something may be a waste of time and you should be looking for a real job - trust your instincts... look for a real job

Lesson #2: Don't pirate. (Not trying to be Miss Morals, but in the end it's not worth it. I believe a lot of people don't think they would ever get caught - but it can happen, just ask the growing number of people who have been sent notices that they are to be prosecuted/fined) There are other good options out there.

Lesson #3: Northern New Jersey maybe the armpit of American, but Southern New Jersey - bliss.

Lesson #4: Patriotism may creep up without warning, at any time. For we were all taught some ounce of patriotism along the way - in our young impressionable days no doubt.

Lesson #5: Caffeine may give you a quick boost, but it's important to know the facts about anything you consume.

Lesson #6: Although, one may hate nature (nature and I do not always get along), one should try and be nice to the creatures we share this earth with. So when presented with the choice to squash - try to exert the effort to save and release outdoors. I am a frequent violator of save over squash, but it's a nice thought.

Lesson #7: I am sad and dismayed to announce wearing flip flops all day long may not be best for your precious soles. Will this new found information change my habits? Perhaps I'll just walk barefoot...everywhere... talk about dangers

Lesson #8: It's important to laugh. Laughing is not just enjoyable it's good for you! It can help boost your immune system, lower stress, improve brain function and foster relaxation - see here. So come on, laugh a little.

Lesson #9: Experiment in the kitchen. What's the worst that could happen? - a fire?, bad food? Just make sure you have a fire extinguisher and a phone book nearby (for ordering pizza). Try making different international foods, you may be surprised by how tasty and authentic you can make your favorite dishes.

Lesson #10: Our earth is precious. We should all do what we can to make our future brighter. Every little bit helps. Support a greener living environment.

Learn 'em and live 'em

I am off to see Harry Potter and The Order Of Phoenix, I will post later and review the movie.

Baby it Burns

Well since my last post not so long ago - I realized I managed to get burned at the "beach", not surprising as this usually happens when one does not take the proper time to lotion up. My punishment for not wanting to lotion up every inch of my bod... some rather peculiar looking sunburns. (I am certainly better off than the lady in the pic on wikipedia) I am more pink than red luckily, especially since I despise the color red! I don't know what I did, but the burns on my thighs look like a map of North and South America - red being land and white being bodies or water or mountains... how I managed to do this I do not know. I have learned my lesson for this summer though - take the time to lotion up properly and continuing putting on lotion throughout the day.

On another note - You may noticed I have recently added some things to my sidebar:

1. A poll for a future post - please vote (knowing myself I'll probably get around to all these topics at some point, but you input is nice)

2. Flowers - I recently got sent flowers via this new website where you can add them to your blog. I am required to "take care of them" by means of visiting them at the website (going to my "greenhouse" and watering them) Good way for someone to get traffic to their site, one cannot let flowers wilt, or should I? Perhaps my flowers fate will be the next poll.

3. This strange blogger's choice button thing - now I am going to open and honest with this one - did I nominate myself just to see what would happen - yes, yes I did, do I have high expectations - no not really, but figured I might as well join in the strangeness that is these so called blog awards - I came across the site at my last job which included looking for certain demographics/characteristics in blogs - yes there are probably companies watching us all... And I did not sign up for the sell you life to Corporate America (the same corporate america I want to be a part of) aka payperpost

Lesson #11: Use Sun Screen. Yes, "everyone is free to wear sunscreen"

"If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now."

A few more excerpts - edited by myself:

"Don't worry about the future.
Don't waste your time on jealousy.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life.
Enjoy your body. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Travel.
Don't expect anyone else to support you.
trust me on the sunscreen."

What A Beach!?

After the scorcher of a summer day that yesterday was, I figured I'd hit up the beach today for some reading (Atlas Shrugged), walking and people-watching. The closest "beach" is really man-made surrounding a lake. Dig too far into the sand(about 2 inches down) and you will find black stinky "sand". The lake is pretty yes, but the beach leaves much to be desired, which makes me ecstatic that I will be at the true beach - yes next to an ocean in just 3 short days (Friday!). So, I sat at the lake and thought of the real beach.

I never really go into natural bodies of water... I prefer pools (once again that whole nature vs. me thing) I did put my toes. For the 5 hours I was there I mostly looked like I was reading when I was actually people watching - probably one of the most underrated past times. I'm sure most people may not willing admit to large amounts of people watching, but how can you not pay a little attention when people yell at their children to behave or when adults act strangely like small children (splashing about or otherwise being immature). Highlights of the outing included:
1. Getting hit by a ball - luckily hit by a small girl so no serious injuries resulted
2. Getting free redbull (Thanks to my age no doubt and cool appearance of a trend setter - yes people probably want to be me (no probably not))
3. Seeing a "rescue" of a boat that was most likely tipped over by horseplay
4. Thinking of what would happen if I tossed this lady's cigarette's into the lake - her beach party was bigger than mine so I figured I'd let it go
5. And probably the best of the day: watching a small toddler flap about in the water half fish-like half beached whale - like - pricelessly entertaining and cute.

PS Springfield, VT has officially won the premier of the Simpson's Movie. And on another exciting movie note: the Harry Potter movie comes out tonight at midnight, am I dorky enough to try and get in to see it tonight? We shall see. I wanted to try and watch all of the ones before it (I don't read the books) but only managed to watch the first one over again.

Environmentally Friendly

After considering some current environmental issues and seeing part of the LiveEarth Concerts online, I have decided to post about our precious environment. Green has become a hot topic and for good reason, our environment is important. As I have mentioned before, I don't always get along with nature - I'm terribly afraid of bees and don't really like grass... but despite my issues with the environment, I still have a deep respect for it.

First of all, I thought it would be a good idea to check my ecological footprint. (Click this link to calculate your own footprint). This website can help you determine your environmental footprint by answering a short survey. The results are daunting, but make one think. For example, these are my results:

	CATEGORY ACRES FOOD 5.4 MOBILITY 0.7 SHELTER 9.4 GOODS/SERVICES 9.1 TOTAL FOOTPRINT 25
	IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 24 ACRES PER PERSON. WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 4.5 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE ACRES PER PERSON.
	IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 5.6 PLANETS.

5.6 earths that is scary and I don't consider myself to be particularly wasteful. Here is some info. from the same site on how to reduce your impact.

I took a class a few semesters back that required me to keep a journal about my environmental impact and to read books concerning environmental concerns. I learned a lot about how there are little things that can be done each day to help the environment. Everyone can make a difference - and any difference big or small is nice. Here are a few tips on how you can help the environment:

1. Recycle and Reuse. Taking the time to recycle is important - you can recycle cans, bottles, plastics, cardboard and paper (depending on where you live - not all options maybe available). Take back the plastic bags from the grocery store to be recycled or better yet don't use them at all. Share magazines with friends.

2. Don't leave on electrical appliances and lights if they are not needed. Make sure lights aren't left on unnecessarily.

3. Pay attention to watch you buy. Buy more efficient lightbulbs, stay away from goods that have a lot of packaging - such as individual wrapped snacks and drinks.

4. When you have to drive you car try and make one trip out - if you have a lot of errands on your to do list and get the done at as few places as possible or at least plot a course that helps save gas. Carpool if possible.

5. Try and stay away from water bottles - this topic was discussed on tonight's world news. See what the Mayor (and city of) of San Francisco is doing to help.

6. What is happening to the bees? I hate bees, but I still am curious as to where they are going. I figured they enjoyed torturing me and watching me run in fear - in public - embarrassing... Turns out scientists are struggling to find the reason why bees are disappearing. Is it cell phones, some chemical? Are they tired of scaring me? Whatever it is bees are important - they help pollinate crops and I do like to eat. So, as much as I may hate bees, I would like to know what's happening to them...

You may not think you can help the earth's current state, but every little bit helps. We have to start somewhere in the battle for our earth.

Lesson #10: Our earth is precious. We should all do what we can to make our future brighter. Every little bit helps. Support a greener living environment.

Sorry if this is too public service announcement like, but I really do think it is an interesting and important topic.

Stay Tuned...

It is super hot here - around 92 degrees out with outrageous humidity. I have decided to run some errands in cooler locations such as the mall. I will write later around the time of one of my favorite shows - Little People, Big World - I'm not entirely sure why I like this show, but I do. My next post will be in honor of our great planet, earth. I will discuss the environment - current issues such as why are all the bees dying (and why I am so happy about it? - jk I hate bees, but I do feel bad for them a bit), and what is my ecological footprint? How can I make a difference to make our earth a better place? I promise not to be too Al Goreish.

Til then - enjoy the day and stay coool.

Thairific

My cooking skills are pretty limit, but I thought trying to make something that seemed a little harder to make would be an interesting adventure. I am known for being able to make pancakes, toasted cheese, nachos and pasta... and that about does it for my specialties.

In college I just never really found the time or the will to make anything special. Considering I was the only one who was going to eat it, making a nice big meal wasn't too realistic. Now that I am even more on my own, I guess it is time to finally become more domestic. I cringe at the thought of cleaning, making dinner and maintaining a household - but it must be done (I'd rather suck it up and do it than be grimy and dirty I suppose). It's probably easier to get a job if I look presentable, but who knows perhaps I should try the grunge thing.

So, for the last few weeks, I have been doing the necessary domestic deeds and I must say it is not utter torture. Now, I also don't have much else to fill my days with, but I could see myself one day being a "domestic diva" of sorts. A non-criminal, Martha Stewart type. Not the trophy wife type, but the stay at home cool soccer mom type. Somewhere down the road perhaps. For now I will work on getting a job so maybe one day I can afford to have a family and all.

Anyway, turns out making Thai food wasn't really that hard after all. I love Pad Thai and have been thinking about trying to make it for some time. Today, was finally the day. I got a box with the noodles and the sauce, followed the simple directions on the back of the box and wa - la - chicken pad thai. My next adventure in international cooking - fried rice. (This recipe seemed like it may be manageable and cheap cooking sounds pretty good to me). If I can master these two delicious dishes - ooo baby - glory will be mine.

Lesson #9: Experiment in the kitchen. What's the worst that could happen? - a fire?, bad food? Just make sure you have a fire extinguisher and a phone book nearby (for ordering pizza). Try making different international foods, you may be surprised by how tasty and authentic you can make your favorite dishes.

Fun Tidbit: There are also "trophy husbands" now as well...

Silly Saturday

After finishing up my Popular Marathon, - I watched every episode of Popular I could find online - I found myself searching for other entertaining tidbits online. First of all, I was left unsatisfied by Popular as it ended strangely and got progressively worse with each episode I watched... yet I continued watching - just imagine how bad the last episode was.

So, Popular ended and I began my search for whatever silly, funny stuff I could find online. The following is a recount of the different stops along my online entertainment journey:

I enjoy stand - up comedy so I began looking for a few of my favorites on their own websites and on YouTube:

1. Lavell Crawford - My brother pointed him out to me a little while ago and there is a very funny skit available on YouTube. Chingle, Chingle Chingle. The graphic to the left was provoked by this skit. I was practicing my Photoshop skills. "Why you breathing so hard?" "So I can live". Hilarious

2. Jim Gaffigan - An actor and stand up comedian who I find funny most of the time. There are some skits of his available on YouTube as well. HotPocket.
In my search for funny Jim Gaffigan stuff, I found this interesting piece, Hogwarts does Jim Gaffigan, where someone must have spent a lot of time matching a Jim Gaffigan comedy routine to Harry Potter Clips - It's a bit long but good and funny. It's definitely worth taking a look at.

3. Lewis Black - I use to be more into Lewis Black, but he is still funny. I saw a special on tv about how he didn't become popular until he started acting angry.

4. Lastly, I watched an episode of This American Life. The first TV episode can be found on the Showtime site. 1st episode. This American Life is sort of a similar theme to my blog - all life is interesting and this show helps prove it. I only wish all the episodes were available online.

Hope these stops on my entertainment journey can provide others with some laughs. Have a good weekend!

Lesson #8: It's important to laugh. Laughing is not just enjoyable it's good for you! It can help boost your immune system, lower stress, improve brain function and foster relaxation - see here. So come on, laugh a little.

Fastbreak

In honor of the delicious candy bar I just consumed, I shall take a Fastbreak to post. The peanut-butter and chocolate combo is one of my favorite pairs to ever melt together. Give me a peanut butter cup, a reese's pieces or a fastbreak and we are sure to be fast friends. Give me most any candy and I'll take notice. Chocolate, sour, gummy, fruity, hard, chewy... candy candy candy.

I can understand why parents would want to regulate a child's candy intake. Of course, there's the sugar factor, but perhaps candy can also be addicting in a crave it, gotta have it kind of way. ah ha in comes candyaddict.com and according to them and scientific study - candy is addicting!

TGIF

Thank Goodness It's Friday! That's what many a working man or woman may be thinking today. My sad unemployed self however, does not get the luxury of appreciating TGIF. Now everyone with a job maybe thinking luxury?, my job isn't that great - what is c. molls smoking and how can I get some? Well, I'm not smoking anything and I think it would actually be pretty nice having a job - unemployment isn't all it's cracked up to be - perhaps if I was getting paid unemployment by the government this may change things a bit - but I doubt it. I would honestly like to be working. I went from going to college full-time and working about 20 hours a week to not working and not going to school - big difference.

I hope everyone who reads this has a job they enjoy. Finding a job that you can enjoy is an amazing accomplishment in my opinion. You should like something you do for 40 hours a week or more. A job you can smile at and be proud of is a luxury. That is the luxury I would like to have - and the TGIF feeling. Remember TGIF - Boy Meets World, Family Matters? Anyway, TGIF really is a feeling - it can be exciting, relaxing, or maybe a tad stressful - what am I going to wear out tonight? Is it warm enough to wear flip flops cause God knows I struggle in heels. Let me see that thooong (no not that kind) Flip flops are sweet.

But wait - is there any downside to wearing flip flops all day, everyday? I recently saw a "news" story on the local news that looked down right terrifying. The danger behind flip flops?! Not wanting to know what deadly disease I may have being a chronic flip flop offender, I changed the channel. But, now I am kind of curious and I haven't died yet, so let's investigate.

The Investigation unfolds... looking for some quick feedback on the flip flop issue I went to none other than Wikipedia. There I discovered a condition called pronation (From what I can gather this means your foot is rolling inward (more so than normal) when it hits the ground). Basically, flip flops provide little to no support for your feetsies - not a good thing. This information is quite devastating as I love flip flops. One article I found from Forbes goes so far to say Skip the flip flops! No not my flip flops. (Should be said like the ginger bread man in Shrek - "Not my gumdrop buttons") Skip them - I'll skip with them on! Oh well - at least I have educated myself on one of the dangers of flip flops (could be more dangers, but one is enough for me). Now how about the dangers of those other thongs?... no, I don't know and won't go there.

Trivia: What year did the Movie Thank God It's Friday (Yes, there is a TGIF movie) come out? - take a stab at it. Donna Summers was in it. Check out the Trivia part of the wikipedia article on TGIF

Lesson #7: I am sad and dismayed to announce wearing flip flops all day long may not be best for your precious soles. Will this new found information change my habits? Perhaps I'll just walk barefoot...everywhere... talk about dangers

Winding Down

It is now "late" and time for bed - depending on where in the world one is located. Since my last post was about getting energized, I thought I'd do a quick post on winding down at the end of the day. Alright well ironically, as I was thinking (and writing) about winding down, the appearance of a bug half a foot from my person has woken me up a bit. To squash or not to squash that is the question...

Anyway, back to trying to wind down. Personally, I find the Internet and sometimes tv to be too stimulating for winding down purposes. I feel reading and talking help ease my brain into sleep mode. Curling into the fetal position and closing my eyes will soon follow and if all goes well I'm asleep shortly after. In my hopes of finding a visual for the fetal position I came across this interesting (strange maybe a better fitting adjective) website.

As winding down can also refer to relaxing in general how do you relax or get ready for bed?

Lesson #6: Although, one may hate nature (nature and I do not always get along), one should try and be nice to the creatures we share this earth with. So when presented with the choice to squash - try to exert the effort to save and release outdoors. I am a frequent violator of save over squash, but it's a nice thought.

Does anyone know how to get a toilet to stop making noise - like a flushing sound? I think our toilet is possessed!? Someone help please!

High Energy

After "overdosing" on coffee yesterday, I figured I would write an entry on the different concoctions people use to jump start their day. By "overdosing", I am referring to the tummy ache and headache I received after adding a soda to the 2 large cups of coffee I had - bad choice considering I don't normally drink half that much caffeine a day. With the number of energy drinks, coffee products, sodas, teas and caffeinated crazy products on the rise in recent times, don't you want to know a bit more? I did.

Is having too much caffeine bad for you? What about mixing alcohol and caffeinated drinks - such as red bull and vodka? Should you drink caffeine while working out? And what sort of drinks are out there - what's in them, how do they taste? These are questions I found to be interesting, with some having myths attached. So, I did a little research.

Interesting and educational info. on energy drinks from Brown University. Tidbits from the source: energy drinks can contain as much caffeine as a cup of coffee - around 80 mg. compared to the 23mg in coca cola classic (Wikipedia puts the amount of caffeine in a serving of coca cola a bit higher - 34mg). Everyone will react differently to energy drinks. Some possible results from drinking up the ccps (caffeinated crazy products) include: increasing one's heart rate and blood pressure, dehydrating the body and preventing sleep. I'm not saying you shouldn't drink caffeine - just providing a little info.

A bit about caffeine myths. An article about caffeine myths from the Asian food information center.

Other quick facts: Mixing exercise with caffeine - not such a good idea - drinking water to rehydrate yourself is best. Mixing alcohol and energy drinks may seem like a good idea in theory - but in actuality can leave you in rough shape.

For some more exciting info. check out this list of energy drinks on Wikipedia to see more about your favorite energy drinks.

Fun Quiz I made - please take this I wasted more time than I should have on this - meaning it's actually worth taking: What energy drink are you?

Lesson #5: Caffeine may give you a quick boost, but it's important to know the facts about anything you consume.

P.S. How about the energy drink Cocaine? What were marketers thinking with this one? I got a lot on my plate today, let me grab some cocaine...

Independence Day

I figured in the spirit of Independence Day I would in someway discuss what the day means to me - corny? yes. Now I wouldn't normally take the 4th of July to be anything too out of the ordinary except last night around midnight a song suddenly popped into my head and not just any song. A patriotic tune from my past. I kept singing along with the lyrics going through my head - "should all the quantence be forgot, keep your eye on the grand ole flag" The actual lyrics (just the chorus) to this song are:

" You're a grand old flag,

You're a high flying flag

And forever in peace may you wave.

You're the emblem of

The land I love.

The Home of the Free and The Brave.

Ev'ry heart beats true

'neath the Red, White and Blue,

Where there's never a boast or brag.

But should auld acquaintance be forgot,

Keep your eye on the grand old flag."

- written by George M. Cohan

Underlined is the part which I didn't quite know. Anyway, I know I must have learned this song sometime in Elementary school and for some reason it popped into my head last night.

This lyric thing reminds me of the commercials I have seen for the new gameshow that will test contestants knowledge of song lyrics. An interesting idea, yet not something I will mark on my calendar to ensure my viewage.

Lesson #4: Patriotism may creep up without warning, at any time. For we were all taught some ounce of patriotism along the way - in our young impressionable days no doubt.

PS Most of us were most likely taught the pledge of allegiance in our early days - how many of us can remember it all now? How about the scene from Supersize Me where people standing in front of the White House try to recall the pledge of allegiance - turns out its easy to remember the big mac jingle - how American

The Art of Grilling

Summer is upon us and with the 4th of July right around the corner what could be more American than GRILLING! Grilling is fun and easy (really it's easy). This Independence Day break out the charcoal (or gas) and grill up some hotdogs, veggies, hamburgers, whatever your palate craves. I know I'll be out in the yard grilling up some dogs before the fireworks. If steak is your meat, may I suggest a A1 Chicago marinade and perhaps a Chicago steak rub if you prefer - or why not go all out and do both.

The weather has been great around here. After a hot streak a week ago, I'm now living in the 70s... now if I could just get a job to squash my guilt about living an almost carefree life. Although, if I could hold off getting a job til August that would be sweet, as I would then be able to live the great life at the shore with my family for the last 2 weeks of July. Perhaps my subconscious has secretly been denying me the full effort I could exert towards acquiring employment because, as my subconscious, it is watching out for me - ensuring that I get my well-deserved vacation! Hey, just like the saying inside of the Father's Day card I got my Dad this year - "I'm worth it".

Envisioning the shoreline, of in this case NJ (trust me for anyone who disses NJ, you have never been to the southern shoreline), I wish I were living near the ocean all year long. That would be the life - cross my fingers - someday this shall be the case. Being able to walk to the beach, lay out in the sun, take in the ocean breeze... mmm just picture it - beautiful.


Lesson #3: Northern New Jersey maybe the armpit of American, but Southern New Jersey - bliss.

Music of the Internet

I have recently been playing around with finetune.com, a site that let's you create playlists out a an amazing database of songs, the only catch is that you have to put together a playlist of at least 45 songs and only 3 can be of the same artist. So you cannot play the song you want all the time, just a song randomly selected on by the playlist. Really not a bad deal.

All this playing with music online got me thinking of the history of music on the Internet. My first thought - Napster - I can still remember my days of downloading songs off Napster - when it was "legal". I have curbed my copyrighting infringing habits now that there are other efficient options for my online music needs. Before I veer off on the interesting topic of pirating, I shall mention a few other music websites that I have made contact with over the years.

Pandora.com is a cool site which can help develop your music library by showing you songs you may like based on songs and artists you select. Like finetune, you cannot always play the song you want, but it is definitely worth checking out. Sites like Pandora and FineTunes are currently battling legislation brought on by the CRB (Copyright Royalty Board). I currently don't know a whole lot about this issue, so I won't comment too much, but making these companies pay outrages fees is wrong in my opinion. I think these services are preventing some people from resorting to illegally obtaining music and should be respected by the government, not destroyed.

Another interesting online music tool for those in large networks - such as on a college campus as yours truly was not so long ago.... mytunes redux. A tool that let you take songs other people have on their iTunes playlists and download them - questionably legal... actually probably very illegal - so I recommend not using this tool. Of course there is iTunes which I have only bought a few songs from. There are truly an unlimited number of music sites out there - music can be found all over the web - from people putting songs on their Myspace pages to parodies of songs on YouTube.

As pirating can be a complex issue, I will save it for another time.

Lesson #2: Don't pirate. (Not trying to be Miss Morals, but in the end it's not worth it. I believe a lot of people don't think they would ever get caught - but it can happen, just ask the growing number of people who have been sent notices that they are to be prosecuted/fined) There are other good options out there.

Time Wasted, Lesson Learned

So after wasting 2 hours on mechanical turk - a website that Amazon has where people can offer other people small sums of money for doing different tasks. These task range from writing a post for someone on their blog to trying to find upcs for different products. Now at first this website may appear to be a cool idea. However, spend some of your valuable time on this site and you will see that it is clearly evil. After spending about 2 hours on the site - which is now hard to admit - the most money I could make if all of my hit submissions are accepted - a whopping 30 cents. That's 30 cents well earned, yet 30 cents I wish I didn't bother to earn. I could have been looking for a real job instead - which would have made a lot more sense. But since I am in denial about getting a real job, this website managed to keep me occupied for 2 hours that I spent thinking I was making money and doing something with my life. Want to be task doer beware - DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON MECHANICAL TURK! Look at the website and admire (and be jealous) of those who are making real money off the tasks you are doing for mere pennies. When I think about it now it almost seems illegal working for this little money...

The one good thing that came out of my experience - I was able to vent some anger out on one of the people who pay people about 2 cents to write a blog entry for them. Is that guy smart - yes - because he is getting people to do his work for him while he reaps the benefits. People are brought to his website even if they don't choose to write for him - increasing his hits so he can then increase his ad revenue. And if one is stupid enough to write for this reject while then it merely keeps his blog going. Makes me angry because to me it seems so unethical and cruel - just my business ethics minor getting the better of me? Although, recognizing that this guy can pay people pennies literally while probably make a decent profit (considering he is doing nothing seems like he has to be profiting pretty well) makes me almost wish I were doing a the same thing. Key word - almost - I have a conscience and even though people may be willing to write for pennies - I'd rather see them doing it for free - getting paid pennies is kind of like a slap in the face in my opinion.


Lesson #1: When you think something may be a waste of time and you should be looking for a real job - trust your instincts...

P.S. Speaking of slaps, how about a high five?

Popular

Today, I decided to change the title of my blogs to something more original than Day 1, Day 2... I figured I might as well expend the effort.

I recently discovered a show I use to watch in high school on alluc.org. Popular, a one tree hill like teen show from 1999-2000, used to be on my TV watchlist. For the past 2 days I have been watching probably pirated episodes on YouTube. It's been addicting... The only think I could really remember was Mary Cherry - an interesting character. Although, I feel like I'm mostly just wasting my time watching the show, I wish there were other old shows available online - like the old Nickelodeon shows. Everyone who can remember the old Nick knows it has gone down the tubes. Remember Salute Your Shorts? How about Are You Afraid of the Dark? (This one happens to be available on alluc.org as well) This last one Are You Afraid of the Dark? still creeps me out. I maybe one scaredy cat of a 21 year old, but that show can still make me afraid of the dark. How about the non-nickelodeon show Ghostwriter! Another classic show (that also creeped me out once of twice) I used to prance around with a notepad and a pen hanging around my neck hoping some mystery would come about that I could solve.

A part of me even wants to see the new Nancy Drew movie. Reminiscing of the days when I use to read every Nancy Drew mystery book I could get my hands on. Mysteries were my anti-drug.