Phlem Hampster

Washington State has come up with a new anti-smoking campaign targeted at teens and young adults. The one above is their "phlem hampster" spot. I think it is rather odd to say the least, I get the point but it's a little too silly for me, but then again I am not in high school so it may not be targeted at me exactly. I guess it has some truth to it though, and having it set a the prom photo both is fairly interesting. Check it out.

Megan's Coming!

My best friend from home is coming to visit pretty soon and take in on Graduation celebrations, I am so excited! Megan is Canadian and went back to Canada for college. We see eachother once a year or so but she has never come to Texas. I am really curious as to what she will think when she gets here. She has never met any of my friends and I must my friends here are quite different from my friends at home. Megan has remarked I see different to her than I used to, but I wonder what she will think when she gets here.
I know when I started at SMU I HATED it was miserable. I decided to stick it out and I am glad I did, but I too think I have changed a lot from when I began. I am from Boulder Colorado which is a pretty small relaxed somewhat hippie town. Dallas is well somewhat pretentious and quite a lot bigger with quite different politics. SMU is its own world completely!
I have had a lot of fun over the past few years but there are some things I never have gotten used to. I still don't understand the whole trend of weighing 100 pounds dying your hair blonde and loading yourself down with designer accessories. But at the same time you can't live somewhere and not pick a little of it up.
I have always tried to remain myself, but it is hard especially in these years of change growing into adulthood. I think I still have my head on my shoulders but at the same time I don't think I even know who I really am.
This summer I am going to India, something I thought about pulling out from. I have decided to go and try to discover myself a little bit. I am fairly introverted and don't make new friends too easily. I have always been a little annoyed by most people and have never truly had the k knack for striking up conversations and sharing myself with others. I am planning to go on this trip and in my spare time find me. I want to take some time to see what really makes me tick. What I honestly like and enjoy versus what I think I like. It should be quite a trip.
Megan coming is quite exciting, but a little odd to me. To have someone come into your environment and experience it when you aren't even that sure of what is up is odd to say the least. I hope she enjoys herself. I can't wait for her to come.

Saving Money in Moments?

So this is pretty cool! By slowing down airplanes just a little bit and adding one to three minutes to a flight airlines can save a ton of gas!
"On one Northwest Airlines flight from Paris to Minneapolis earlier this week alone, flying slower saved 162 gallons of fuel, saving the airline $535. It added eight minutes to the flight, extending it to eight hours, 58 minutes."
Saving fuel isn't just good for the pocketbook of the airline, it's good for the environment (well as much as flying can be in the first place) it saves the sky of some pollution. I guess JetBule began slowing down flights by just two minutes two years ago and estimates they have saved $13.6 million. What's also good is if fuel charges go down, ticket prices go down too! And it works in your car too, if you just slow down a little bit you will save yourself a few gallons and have a litle extra money to celebrate with!

Preference Activity

So I was just looking for new writing activities online and I found this really simple one. Write down your favorite three books, movies, and music (well I am not really musical so I will pick a new topic) beverages.
Movies: Being There, Emma, and Defending Your Life
Books: Weiland, Choke, and East of Eden
Beverages: water, cranberry juice, and lattes
So I am doing this activity as I type so the next step is to try to find similarities in the genres.
I like books that follow one individual's life closely and in detail. The books themselves are realistic funny and sad at the same time. My movie choices are character studies as well with the exception of Defending Your Life which examines what may happen after death in a humorous and different way. My favorite drinks are all natural I guess, real maybe? When I look at my choices it appears I like wholesome, natural, and realistic things. I suppose it comes down to the fact that I wonder about life in real time terms, I’m not much of a fantasy person nor adventure really. My interests seem to point to more of an interest in psychology and how things work, why and not so much about what maybe, could be, or isn't.
What does someone else see? It's a fun exercise if nothing else try it on yourself!

Throwing Babies Off Roofs For Luck?

You have got to see this video... it's strange how different cultures function and how their values and beliefs differ from place to place!

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/05/01/india.baby.toss.cnn

In a ritual that would terrify most mothers, Indian villagers have cheered as screaming babies were dropped from a 50-foot temple tower. For 500 years, worshippers at a Muslim shrine in western India have continued the tradition -- a rite considered to bring good health and good luck to the children. The infants land and bounce on a bed-sheet held taut by men 50 feet below, and are quickly passed through the crowd to their mothers.

Cool Shirt

Here is a new shirt, it was originally designed to keep Racers cool, but I suppose it would work for anyone. The shirt pumps 40 degree water through 50 feet of tubing to keep the wearer cool. I would think it would be heavy, 50 feet of tubing with water! I may well be worth getting one though. I am going to India this summer where it is over 120 degrees so it may be worth trying to get one. I have no idea how much the shirt costs, but the price of comfort is often pretty high! I don't understand how the water keeps that cool of the size of the pump you have to hook it up to but it would probably making walking around a little difficult, maybe it would be warm from working an defeat the purpose of the shirt, who knows. Cool creative idea though!

Yet Another Case of People Who Should Not Be Allowed To Have Kids

Meet Josef Fritzl who admits to raping his daughter and fathering her seven children, sounds like a stand up guy right?
Mr. Fritzl forced his daughter under the influence of drugs and handcuffed into their cellar, where he kept her for over twenty years. He claimed she ran away from home although she was hidden in the basement all the time.
Some of the children he allowed to stay with her in basement to watch their mother tortured and repeatedly raped. Others he would leave on his front doorstep for him and his wife to later adopt.
When one of the children on the brink of death was taken to the hospital recently, Fritzl's misdeeds were finally uncovered.

I cannot even believe how sick and twisted this is. Not only was he unfit to have one kid and should have been stopped-- he had seven more! His wife who lived with him the whole time never seemed to notice. Tenants in the house thought his behavior was odd and heard noises from the basement but never contacted the authorities. I know this man has serious mental problems, but those close to him should have taken note and tried to take some action! It's awful to hear about how cruel humans can be to one another, especially to their own children.

To read more go to: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/05/01/austria.inquest/index.html