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

Keep Your Kids from Stealing

My mother forwarded me a series of photographs which shows what one woman had her son do as a punishment for stealing. The mother wrote on a sign “Hi I'm 13 years old. I steal I want to go to prison to be with my Daddy!" The woman took a lawn chair and sat while her son stood on the street sharing his sin with the world. I know if my mom had me do something like that I wouldn't steal again! I shared the e-mail with several friends and everyone had very different opinions about the situation. Some people were horrified that a mother would make her son publically humiliate himself, others though his mom did something positive for him by embarrassing him openly. It's truly a case of tough love I think, I don't know if I would be able to make my child do that. I'm sure he didn't enjoy the experience; if it kept him from stealing in the future I think his mom did something good for him.

Why Should We All Have an Idea Blog?

In class we have gone over the reasons why each and every one of us should have an idea blog, but I found a real story which shows a practical reason for keeping a blog.
Student James Karl Buck helped free himself from an Egyptian jail with a one-word blog post from his cell phone. Buck was covering an anti-government protest in Egypt when he and his translator were arrested. Using his cell phone Bunk updated his status on his blog simply typing "arrested." Because of his blog Bunk was able to get out of jail with the help from his friends on the outside. Buck's translator unfortunately had no cell phone or blog to contact his family with. Buck tried to get help for his translator but the two were separated. The government is saying his translator was released from jail on the 13th of April; sadly his family has heard no word from him and believes he is still in jail somewhere.
It's a bitter sweet tale for Buck his blog saved him, but could not save his friend and translator. If this story does not show the creative reasons for keeping a blog I think it shows the practical.

Interesting Opinion

I just finished reading Mark Barden's new AdAge article "Be a 'David' and do More with Less" and it is interesting . The article says that economic uncertainty should make marketers challenge other products and brands. Here where some suggestions. Instead of cutting advertising costs try cheap new media forms, like method soap creating an ad on its product instead of elsewhere. Start a fight, like Miller did when it called Bud tasteless. Take advertising personally, by grabbing hold of peoples personal beliefs you can do a lot you can challenge people.
I thought this was interesting because with all the ad clutter and the recession it is harder to sell products. If you challenge someone (at least in America) they often pick up the challenge. If you tell an American they aren't doing something like Nike "just do it" they take the challenge and DO something. I had never thought of advertising as being challenging outside of comparative ads really, but it makes a lot of sense. These tactics may not work in other places in the world but Barden has a good point, at least in many categories. I mean even Kleenex kind of picked up this mentality by having people crying on couches being interviewed (you don't cry enough). Just and Interesting article that made me think a little.

Know How People Tell You To Get A Plant First....

Ever heard someone say you should be able to have a plant and keep it alive before you get a pet, relationship, do something drastic? I can't!
I have tried to keep multiple plants alive and it is impossible! It isn't that I forget to water them, or even that I water them too much. I have sun in my place, TONS of it. It's a stable temperature inside, and when it's warm enough I take the plants outside. My plants will live for about 6 weeks; they will seem in perfect shape. Then I will wake up one day and they will be dead. I have NO clue why this happens or how!
I am glad I have not taken the advice to heart I have two cats ages 1 and 2 and they have been alive and healthy the whole time I have owned them. Last summer I worked as a full time nanny for an infant and she is alive and well too. I think this saying makes sense for someone who forgets to brush their own teeth or can't get up on time maybe. But I am a put together person, and I can't keep plants alive!
I would be more likely to agree to watch someone’s baby for a month than water their plants for 2 weeks because I know I would kill the poor plant. It's funny how that works. Maybe I need more to do with something than just watering it and making sure it has proper light? Who knows I am just saying that phrase should probably be tossed out!

Dining in the Sky!

Above are two pictures of a new Austrian restaurant in the sky. You are strapped into your seat and a crane lifts you up to the sky where your meal is prepared by two world class chefs who then serve you as you look down on the city. This is no cheap meal the cost for a group to go up for 3 hours about $15,000.
I don’t know how I would feel up there eating it would be pretty cool, but then again kinda terrifying! I once you're up I don't think you have a chance to get down until dinner is over, make sure you potty before going up...

Keeping You Safe?

The Japanese have come out with yet another little device to keep you safe and healthy, nostril filters! The supposedly keep you from inhaling smog, allergens, dust, and other nasty stuff. The package costs about $15 for a pack of 8. They are the discreet alternative to wearing a facial mask. Although if you were sick in Japan it would be rude for you not to wear your mask. I have no idea how well they work, and would love a little more info about the, but I sadly cannot read Japanese. I would worry about one breaking off its little plastic stem and getting logged in my nose personally. I would imagine it would be quite embarrassing to have to explain that you got something stuck up your nose to a doctor once over the age of 6. If anyone out there is really paranoid about breathing in germs these may be the perfect solution for you!

Fibonacci Exercise

Here is a creative writing exercise I did using a Fibonacci Sequence. You arrive at the Fibonacci Sequence through a method of adding the previous two terms. Starting with 1, and adding the two previous terms to get each successive term, we end up with a sequence that looks like this: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55,... Each new part in the writing exercise has the number of sentences dictated by the sequence. Another twist is I had to use 6 random words throughout the words were ' trollop' 'dancing' 'lights fantastic' 'card' 'fatigue' and 'gaunt'

Why not sad trolop, your days are not through.
Keep dancing the way you always have. Though haggard from the years there is still more in store for you.
Your feet have not yet tired. Only a harlot could trip the lights fantastic the way you do. Your soles still shuffle as quickly as a deck of cards. Prance about from one man to the next, who can tell you it's not right?
Body worn and joints aching, you can still fool most. Though scraggly and gaunt the blush has not yet faded from your cheeks. Your step is that of a young bar-girl. A doctorate in the oldest profession is what you have my dear. You are still making money, and you know what that means.
You've still got it! You can still find a man who pays for the night. So why not smile and move your feet a little lighter as you wander the bar. Though fatigued by the years, no one has to know. Just keep dancing. A hustler to the end is what you are. Worry not the end is not near. So find a handsome Lance, one you're sure to please.
Wink at the man as he takes your hand. Remember to smile and flatter. Skip around a little bit before you give him what he's after. Take him upstairs and give him a dance only a professional could. Let him shuffle you for as long as he pays, then let him go. Be proud of yourself for your wonton work, and prepare for the next. Cruise the room, chat some more, have another drink. You still have years to go. Many more years of haggard dancing. Though your profession deemed the lowest, sigh not. For you sweet trollop do it well. So rejoice in work well done. And remember to keep dancing!

Balloon Clothing

These women were contestants in a balloon fashion competition recently. There garmets are made soley of balloons! There were over fifteen designers who entered the competition. Who knew there was a balloon clothing culture! I can't even imagine creating those dresses. Sitting down in one of those dresses would ruin it I'm sure! I suppose the clothing is light weight though. Some of the designs were quite out there...

All the designs have to be made on the model for fit and to prevent popping! I wonder how long it takes to have a balloon outfit fitted to your body, I guess going to the restroom isn't a possibility from the time you are fitted until the show is over!

Katrina the Popsicle Loving Cat

I have two cats Kingston and Katrina and they are two of the weirdest animals I have ever met. They both think they are dogs for some odd reason. Katrina featured in this video is an itty-bitty cat who believes she runs the world. She also LOVES popsicles; I mean she will attack you for one, which is what she is doing in this video. She doesn't like anything else frozen and is freaked out by ice cubes. I never gave her a popsicle as a kitten so I have no clue why she loves them so much. It just cracks me up that an animal, who isn't supposed to like something like a popsicle, will do anything for one. I guess I can't say she isn't insistent and she certainly seems passionate about getting it. I hope you find it as funny as I do!

The Post Office Is Helping You Recycle

The U.S. Post Office is providing free envelopes for sending away your old gadgets to a recycler – without having to pay for postage!Launched in 1,500 Post Offices in major cities the new “Mail Back” program sends your electronic junk to Clover Technologies Group, a company that recycles the bits into new bytes. If the electronic item or cartridges cannot be refurbished and resold, its component parts are reused, or the parts are broken down further and the materials are recycled. Clover has a “zero waste to landfill” policy doing everything it can to avoid contributing any materials to the nation’s landfills. Hey it's nice to know our Government is trying to actually help us recycle!

The Newest Rage

The shoes to the left are one of the newest rages in Japan these days, talk about the pain of fashion! They look like torture devises to me, why would anyone ever want to wear these shoes! The heels are so high and you are waking on your toes, I would think that would be dangerous. can't imagine how long it would take for someone to get used to walking in those things, days I am sure. I think if I were to wear those shoes I would fall over and meet my death. It's funny the lengths people will go to just to be fashionable. I wonder if anyone has been injured yet, I remember a few years ago a woman in I believe Japan fell off her super-high heels and died. I wonder if they will eventually make it illegal to sell shoes which are a risk to someone’s life, maybe it's not a bad idea I'm sure it would be nearly impossible to pass though.

Tech Support

Have you ever been on a call with a technician from outside the country, I know I have! Sometimes it can be quite annoying. I know the technicians are just doing their jobs, and speaking with an accent causes communication issues on both ends. This is a little joke for when you feel at your wits ends with one of those people...

Mujibar migrated back - and was trying to get a marketing call-centre job in - India ..

The Personnel Manager said, "Mujibar, you are passing all the tests, except one. Unless you are passing, you are not qualifying for this job."

Mujibar said, "Goodness gracious me, most beautious sahib, I am most humbly ready."

The manager said, "You must be making a sentence using the words Yellow, Pink and Green."

Mujibar thought for a few minutes and said, "Mister manager, sahib, I am most dutifully ready for passing this test."

The manager said, "Please be going ahead."
Mujibar said, "The telephone is going green-green, green-green, and I am pinking it up, and I am saying, 'Yellow, yellow', I am Mujibar speaking to you."
Mujibar now works as a senior technician at a large call center for computer problems.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter all! I thought this was a funny photo, using peeps to show a strip club very creative if I must say so myself. It may not go over with your friends from church though.

The Crow and Kitten

This video shows the unlikely friendship between a crow and a kitten, animals who are supposed to hate one another by nature. It's quite entertaining to watch, but it made me think more about human interactions. As humans we are programmed to like other humans interact and help one another. Despite the fact that we should be naturally inclined to get along we often do the opposite. We wage wars, lie, and intentionally hurt one another. It seems people often forget that we are one common species meant to get along in nature. Geography, culture, prejudices, and ignorance keep us from getting along as nature wanted us to. Maybe the crow and the kitten without the influences from other of their species should serve as an example to us, if different species can get we certainly should be able to too.

A Room With A View

I just returned from Spring Break in Florence. I was a lovely trip filled with walks, window shopping, art galleries, and fabulous dining! I took this picture from the window of my hotel room; it was a great view to say the least! My mother and had a great time it's so nice to get away for a while. We even made friends in Italy with two designers from a boutique; they are funny guys. One of the things that struck me while we were there is the huge population of American students studying abroad. Sadly I did not feel like they represented our country well at all. They were for the most part rude and extremely loud. No one was trying to speak Italian nor did they seem to have any interest in Italy. I overheard multiple conversations in restaurants that the students were having (partly because of how loud they were) and they were often spouting incorrect facts about history, art, and politics. It just seems strange to me that you would go to a foreign country disregard their culture and generally give a terrible reputation to American students it general.

Maennergarten

Here is an idea that has proven successful in Germany, I wonder how it would go over here in the U.S.?
"A German bar has come up with the perfect answer for women who like to shop in peace without the stress of moaning partners - a kindergarten for men.For a mere $11.80 a woman can dump her husband at the Noxbar in downtown Hamburg, while she can get on with her shopping.The woman can shop till she drops in the city's attractive boutiques, while her man is kept fully occupied and amused at the play pen for grown ups.The men are given a name badge and treated to a hot meal, two beers, televised football and games. Two trained 'nurses' are on hand to look after them. There are also plans in the pipeline to introduce miniature car racing.The 'Maennergarten' has proved a big hit in Hamburg and could be the start of a whole new movement across Germany and the rest of the world, to take the stress out of shopping for both sexes.Demand was very brisk in the first week of opening, no less than 27 women got rid of their partners there on Saturday. They are allowed leave the men there until 6 pm before collecting them to help carry the shopping home.The idea for the men's crèche came from a female customer who was too stressed shopping with her husband and wanted a way to shop in peace."
I guess I don't quite understand why the husband wouldn't just stay home while his wife shopped. It's actually a funny solution for women who don't want to deal with their husbands while shopping.

Fat Americans

Michelangelo's famous statue, David, returns to Italy this week after a successful 12 week, 20 city, US tour.

Why is it that America is the most health crazed county in the world and also the fattest? There is a disconnect between what we desire and what we see as desirable. It is as if we feel we can get away with cramming our faces with fast food as long as we occasionally buy a new diet book or organic fruits and vegetables when we are at the market. What will it take for Americans to live up to their goals and do something positive for themselves by actually being healthy? Our obesity rate is rising and more gym memberships are sold each year. As a nation we need to actually go to our gyms and stop visiting pizza hut our health is on the line!

September 11th Divorce

What I Think About When I'm Alone

Here is a short list of stuff I think about when I'm alone...
Brain wiring
If people really do see the world differently (litteraly that is)
What it's like to be color-blind
Why I don't care at all about music
What the values that we all learn by the age of ten were in my case, they are hard to see
What I really want to do
What other people are doing, at the exact same moment
What my cat is saying when he walks around crying
Why animals have such diferent personalities even when they were born and lived with one another their whole lives
What my twin would be like if I had one
How the world is actually going to end
Why is somewhat dislike everyone I meet
Why is water tasteless to us, and what would it taste like if we were from somewhere else
What it would be like to walk around on the moon
What my voice actually sounds like, not just on a recording but in real life
Different machines I could use to make my life easier
If I had a clone and could make it do anything I wanted so I wouldn't have to: would I want it to do stuff for me? What would I miss out on? How would I change as a person?
How magic tricks were actually invented, and why people get so crazy about them
A lot of other random stuff.....

Glow In The Dark Cats

South Korean Scinetists have bred two Turkish Angora cats which glow red under ultra-violet light! The cats were cloned from their mothers altered fluorescence protein genes. Scientests say that their work could help unravel mysteries of some 250 genetic diseases suffered by both humans and cats. The findings also could be used to clone endangered tigers, leopards, and other animals. It's unlikely that psychedelic-looking cats will come to pet stores anytime soon. Debates about the ethics and safety of cloned animals continue to rage. I don't understand how making a cat glow in the dark can help solve 250 genetic diseases suffered by humans, but if so that's good news. I guess finding your cat at night would be alot eaiser if it glowed in the dark.

Oh How Times Have Changed

Recently a 1943 article with advice on hiring women was republished. If this article was written today you can bet several people would sue. The tips are sexist to say the least but reading them today I can't help but laugh. Here are some of the highlights...
"General experience indicates that "husky" girls-those who are a little on the heavy side- are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters."
"Never ridicule a woman it breaks her spirit and ruins her efficiency."
"Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy."
"Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they'll keep busy without bothering management every few minutes."

If a company issued these tips about hiring women today they would be slapped with a lawsuit in a blink of an eye, oh how times have changed!

Cheap GPS Solution

If you don't have the money to afford a GPS system in your car, or find them too damn confusing to use there may be the perfect solution...PAPER GPS! All you have to do is good to Google Maps, or Map Quest type in where you want to go, write it down, and head straight to the car. I know you could do this with a regular piece of paper but this one works as an outline. You just circle left or right, you have a space to make sure you write down the phone number in case you get lost. If you do get lost you can always check off the box at the bottom to remind yourself to get new directions. I this day in age where new high tech tools have taken over, this may be the perfect way to go back to a simpler time where writing directions down on old-fashioned paper was the way to go.

Character Creation

Ever wondered how to create a character for a story? Here is one way, and it really does make you think in detail. Here is a photograph of a woman from a magazine. From looking at the photo I have decided who she is and imagined what she must be like.

Basics:
Miranda is a 32 year old heterosexual caucasion woman.
She is 5'4, 105 pounds, very thin/petite frame. Her eyes are blue, she has fair skin, her hair is chestnut with touches of red. Her voice is small and soft. She has small hands and is right handed. Her steps are small and light, when hurried she nearly leaps, her gate is graceful and smooth. Miranda stands very straight her posture is perfect, when she speaks you you she leans in slightly so her voice and be heard. She dresses simply yet keeps up with what is in fashion. When at home Miranda changes in to comfortable yoga clothing.

Family:
Miranda was born in a small town in Maine, she graduated college from Georgetown and still lives in D.C. Her fater Phil is a fisherman and has been his whole life, her mother Joan works as a dental hygenist. Miranda has two brothers william 30 and Elliot 27. Miranda is single without children. Her bestfriends names are Violet, 31 a friend from youth forward and Adam, 29 who is a dancer. As a child Miranda had always dreamed of living in the city thought it would be so exciting.

Work:
Miranda has an Accounting degree and dabbled in ballet. She works as an accountant in Washington and teaches a ballet class to a group of children on the weekends. She makes about 60,000 a year and pulls in some extra money from dance classes and the occasional preformance.

Leisure:In her free time Miranda joggs in the park, takes yoga classes, dances ballet, finds herself absorbed in crosswords, and she has a fondness for movies which make her cry. She is a healthy woman - she loves red meat but tries not to eat it because she percieves it as bad for her. Her absolute favorites are black coffee and blueberries. Miranda has had a reoccuring dream since she was a child of a unicorn wisking her away to the stars to take her dancing. Her musical preferences are jazz, classical. She loves old movies and Murder mysteries. When she is at home she usually has CN on even if she is not watching it.

Pleasure Dome

Above are pictures of Germany's Tropical Island Resort. The dome which was originally built as an airplane hangar has been transformed into a tropical paradise, what an idea! The artificial exotic island environment includes a rain forest, beaches, artificial sunlight, palm trees, and orchids. The resort is kept at 77 degrees with 50% humidity year round. The resort can comfortably hold up to 7,000 guests. There are seven bars and restaurants and numerous spas. Guests can camp on the artificial beaches overnight if they wish. Admission to paradise... only $23! When you put a tropical destination thirty miles outside of Berlin and allow people to come and go 365 days a year you are looking at a huge cash cow. It's a great idea I only wish I had thought of it first!

Everyone Freezes

As a prank of sorts 200+ New Yorkers made the commitment to all freeze in time at the exact same moment. I don't know what I would do if I were to walk off a train and see this. It is a pretty interesting idea. I know I wouldn't be able to stand there for several minutes, I shake too much! I am always asked if I am cold or nervous...I'm not I just shake. It would be kinda cool to be part of something like that though, I like that they truly do freeze with their mouths open or picking up papers. If a group of people did this on at a busy intersection you know things would get really crazy. It's worth watching to see everyone's reaction. I wonder how many people were actually worried or scared that they walked in to something out of the twilight zone?

Fixing an Earache

So late last week I began to develop a cold, I took some meds and extra vitamins and decided to go on with my day to day life. On Friday afternoon my ears kinda popped and my hearing was a little muffled, I didn't worry too much about it at the time.
Come Saturday afternoon both my ears are killing me. I forgot what having an earache as a kid was like and it isn't fun at all! Seeing that it was Saturday there was no Doctors office to visit and I was thinking the only thing that could help would to decongest a bit. I looked up symptoms and solutions online and found a few tips on making it better, as well as a comment that going to an emergency room was of little help. So at that point I realized there was something I must do to take some of the pressure off.
Tips online said to take a hot shower, put a warm compress on the ear, sleep with the ear down, and take a few aspirin. I tried the compress and it helped a little but not nearly enough. I got to thinking and for some reason really wanted to somehow put some sort of suction on my ear, maybe for the strange psychological reason I wanted to see if anything would come out.
I came up with an idea as I was in the kitchen re-warming my compress. I decided to put my compress in the bottom of a small drinking glass. Because the compress was at the bottom of the cup, it didn't touch my skin so it could be much hotter and steam. Then I figured I might as well take the advice of putting the ear that hurt the most at a downward angle and hold the rim of the glass against my ear. It worked! After a few minutes I really was in a lot less pain!
This is only a temporary solution though because as soon as I removed my ear from the cup within several minutes my ears would pop and hurt just as much as before. It was a long weekend with a pair of cups, paper towels, advil, and hot water. I finally got in to the doctor late yesterday afternoon to find that my congestion had indeed caused two ear infections (something I had never really thought about before this incident) so now I am on steroids, antibiotics, and decongestants. I am feeling better today but they still hurt. Good news is the cup trick seems to have a longer lasting affect than it did before. So if you ever get a bad earache and can't go to a doctor, maybe try a cup with a hot compress at the bottom.

A Reason To Like McDonalds...

Ok so for the most part I think McDonalds is gross and bad for you as far as how greasy it is, and arteries clogging, on and on. Tonight McDonalds managed to reposition themselves in my mind, so much as to write about it. For some reason I had a craving for the McNuggets I had as a kid. Being the extremely demanding and picky consumer I am I decided I only wanted them if they were REALLY hot and fresh. I looked up the closest McDonalds number and asked them when the last batch of nuggets were made. They told me they were rotated every twenty minutes, but didn’t know when the last batch was made. I was asked how many I wanted and how far away I lived. I drove to the McDonalds and walked in thinking I would have to wait or give up, yet they surprised me. They were pulling the nuggets out of the fryer at the moment in the exact quantity I had said I wanted. Not only did they respond to a question with an action they gave me the nuggets ON THE HOUSE and even offered to make it a value meal! I was surprised since I tend to think of McDonald’s as a non-service type of factory but they really went out of their way to satisfy me. I did a research project last semester on McDonalds consumers (mostly because I didn’t understand why people ate thee as regularly as they did) and learned how loyal they were. I never truly understood why. I still think of McDonalds as junk food but tonight they repositioned themselves in my mind. I now see them as a truly service company who has been smart enough to localize themselves in every market they enter with good service. I never thought I would be writing a great review for McDonalds but here I am, a little greasier but happy.

How Can People Be So Rude?

I do not understand how anyone could be so inconsiderate as to put something on their car that will annoy other people and potentially prevent them from hearing something important like a police siren. To believe you have the authority to wake people in the morning because "they should be making breakfast" is absurd! I guess I understand in some circles being loud and drawing as much attention to yourself as possible is cool, but I am not in that circle. These things should be made illegal.

Jewelry

For those of you who know me, it is a known fact that I love jewelry! I don't love it because it is expensive, or glamorous. I do love that it sparkles though! I love Jewelry because it is intricate and complex. It takes great skill to cut stones to specific sizes and work metal into beautiful settings. The ring above is one I really want and cannot have because my Mother has it. There are so many stones fit together perfectly to give the appearance the ring has. It takes imagination to come up with a ring design like that! Pieces of jewelry really are works of art. It takes creativity, skill, trial, and the occasional error to come up with a finished piece of jewelry. I also like to think of Jewelry as having a story. Many of the pieces of jewelry I own (or my mother owns) are antiques. My father says they have someone’s tears all over them (this is just a little joke of his). A piece of jewelry can outlive any human especially if it is well made and taken care of. When I wear old pieces of jewelry I sometimes think of who the previous owner might have been. What must their life have been like, how did they receive the piece that I now wear? By thinking about this I think I can honor them and keep them alive, even though I never knew them. Like the great paintings you see in museums which have hung on numerous walls in various places, old jewelry has had a long and interesting life as well. For example I have a pair of antique French earrings dating to about 1900. I look at them and think of the things those earrings must have been through the emotions those who owned them had about them. Maybe they were given to a secret mistress as a present. Maybe they were purchased to match a gown that was going to be worn to a ball. Maybe someone simply liked them and bought them. But the earrings have changed hands over time who knows for what reasons, hatred, need, love, an heirloom. But when I wear those earrings I know they are more than something pretty to look at they are a story or their own, and my owning them just gives them more of a story.

What I Wish Was on Every Menu

My Ideal Restaurant Menu

Fillet Mignon with a Cognac Cream Sauce, Grilled Asparagus and Country Potatoes
Three Grilled Cheese Sandwich with a Bowl of Fresh Tomato Soup
Browned Butter Linguini with Fried Sage or Rosemary
Chicken Medallions over a bed of Linguini with a Soft Dijon Rosemary Cream Sauce
Steak and Bowtie Noodles
Rack of Lamb with Spinach and Mashed Potatoes
Thanksgiving Dinner with all the fixings
Country Potato Soup with ParmCream
Beef Bourguignon
Grilled Chicken Breast over a bead of Fresh Steamed Veggies
Tandoori Chicken with Dahl and Nahhan
Country Beef Stew
Lamb Kabobs
Thin Crust Authentic Pizza
Fresh Veggie Plate
Berries a'la mode
Cheesecake
Chicken Quesadillas with a side of Guacamole and Sour Cream

And there are so many more….

A Frickin' Elephant

Jake is 5 and learning to read. He points at a picture in a zoo book and says, "Look Mama! It's a frickin' Elephant!" Deep breath .. "What did you call it?" "It's a frickin' elephant, Mama! It says so on the picture!" and so it does ...

"A f r i c a n Elephant "

Hooked on phonics strikes again

News To Me

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/01-21-2008/0004739662&EDATE ARTICLE

http://www.firebrand.com/?cid=fire_brand_commercial&paidsearch=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=fire%2Bbrand%2Bcommercial&utm_campaign=brand%2Bterms SITE AND INFO

http://www.firebrand.com/?cid=firebrand&paidsearch=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=firebrand&utm_campaign=brand%2Bterms AD I WATCHED


OK maybe I'm behind but what a what resource for ads esp. those who pay to advertise on this. There aren't too many ad campaigns I have heard of who support selling via web, I love it! I guess I'm just having a tech evening. A channel that shows and talks about ads all the time, sweet! I love that it's promoted on TV too, it's a fun ad I’m sorry it took me seeing it on VH1 to know about it!

Gimmie One!

So I have to say the Japanese have made me jealous once again with their tech advances, they have created robots who transmit what you say as well as give of your "presence" when speaking. They are the best next things to clones we have found! They can go to meetings for you, and talk to people you dislike, only catch is you have to transmit the information for them. This is where the line between robot and clone become blurred... it may be really creepy but I want one!

http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=853#more-853

Ever Wonder If Our Phones Will Be Too Advanced For Us?

Just a few days ago I had to buy a new phone. I was looking at phones that looked exactly the same just varied in price, when I asked what was really different between the phones I learned about MP3 players and even more advanced MP3 player phones. I really don't spend too much time on my cell but I have to admit I too feel that lost and longing feeling when I forget my phone at home for the evening. Being the first generation of true cell dependents I know the attachment that comes with owning a cell phone. I scares me a little bit that we a leaping so quickly technologically, pretty soon I won’t be able to function without a phone! This video is just a few highlights of the things we will be without when our cells get lost for the weekend.

The Facebook Rap

This is a litle rap my two friends and I came up with a little while ago, it is not meant to offend! I believe if my name was Lil Wyane I would have a hit with this one. More people should rap about facebook it really would be a hit!

Type in yo e-mail,
Let you password roll,
Check out that ho,
You just wanna know mo,

She shake it in yo ass,
all up on yo wall,
you let her see pictures,
buying bling up at the mall

So I see a hot pictir
and I click up on it,
oh oh baby and I’m lovin it
Can not wait to wack it!

You say she a nympho
Naw dawg checked out her info
Looks like she’s a nice gur
I wanna put it in her fo sho

She may not be my frien
But I still check out her info
Now I know where she go
So I gonna poke her fo sho

(Al Thugs)Poke Poke Poke Poke
(Bangin grill)I wanna Smoke smoke smoke smoke smoke

Face book! This be the gospel
Yo wanna live up here?
Gotta get on that face book

(All thugs)Poke poke poke poke
(Banging Grill)Cant wait to type yo name girl
(All thugs)Wanna smoke smoke smoke smoke smoke

Yo say yo fo real?
Gotta get on facebook,
Awww.. You aint got no grill?
Gotta get on facebook…..

Now touch yo self,
Touch yo self bitch,
Look me up on line and touch yo self bitch

My gleamin rims make you wet,
My kicks make you sweat,
Yo boy works at jimmy johns,
I hang out with Sean John

She pess that confirm button,
And then we hooked up,
Cuz girl I don’t care,
Last night you were a slut

Naw dog she was a slut?

Yeeeeeee….She was a slut
I skeezed on her face,
It was the shit,
All thanks to facebook,
I’m elbow deep in her shit.

(Girlz)Dog, yo so fly on facebook,
Come and touch my titties,
I be yo baby mamma,
Let you suck my clitty

(All thugs)Poke poke poke poke
Banging Grill)Fucked you in yo butt girl
(All thugs)Now we smoking coke coke coke coke coke
(Bangin Gill)Thas right, rollin’ in G’s

All hail to the new gospel,
Facebooks the reason,
I roll this high,
This should be a treason

(All thugs)Poke poke poke poke
(Banging Grill)Fucked you in yo butt girl
(All thugs)Now we smoking coke coke coke coke coke
(Bangin Gill)Thas right, rollin’ in G’s

What Is The World Coming To?

Diet water really? I'm sure someone believes it truly is "diet" wow....

CBS

There is a disease called Charles Bonnet Syndrome it causes people (who usually are older and have bad vision) to see things that aren't there. The things they see can stay there for as little as a few seconds or as long as a few hours. People see anything from ordinary objects like bottles to faces or dragons. The images they see are very crisp and detailed. The picture above is what someone with CBS might see. It isn't there it's all an illusion. No one quite knows what causes this rare disease but it has a higher incidence in those who are college educated and generally seen as creative. Who knows maybe that's what the future may hold for me...at least when your vision goes you still have something detailed and interesting to look at!

Psychopaths

"Do I feel bad when I hurt someone? Yeah, sometimes. But mostly it's just like… uh… (laughs). I mean, how did you feel the last time you squashed a fly?" –Unnamed rapist/kidnapper

I just read an article about Psychopaths, not just violent ones, the successful ones as well. I really is a very interesting article and there is a link to it below. They are generally characterized as people who have high iq's, lack empathy, are impulsive, and are superficially charming. Not all psychopaths want to cause harm; they just don't mind doing it. I can imagine being a person who just doesn't understand fear or care about anyone. They don’t hold themselves accountable for anything and deflect fault on to others. They are often who you would pick to run of political office, or to manage a company. They are often the most popular member of a social circle with both men and women. Only 20% of a prison is made up of psychopaths and they are seen as failed psychopaths because they failed and got caught. So although you don’t usually think of psychopaths holding 9 to 5 jobs they do, and they often succeed. If you think you or someone you know is a psychopath you can even take a small quiz in the article. So next time you admire someone from afar and are envious of their charm and popularity maybe think twice as having them for your best friend!

http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=936#more-936

Let's Not Put Another Idiot in the White House

"President Bush and his top aides publicly made 935 false statements about the security risk posed by Iraq in the two years following September 11, 2001, according to a study released Tuesday by two nonprofit journalism groups" (CNN).

We put this moron in office, he doesn't even know what he is talking about 90% of the time! 935 is a lot of misinformation. People Have died because Bush not knowing what he was doing sent them off to war.
This year we have the chance to pick someone new, hopefully someone who knows what they are doing and actually thinks before making major decisions. Let's pay attention to the candidates, get out and vote, and try to repair the damage done.

Here is the link to the whole story
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/23/bush.iraq/index.html

Better Watch What You Say

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2008/01/23/delacruz.snow.day.call.cnn

I just found out about this little piece of news. Apparently it was snowing and a student phoned the dean of the school on his listed home phone number. His wife was having a bad morning and yelled on the phone, probably the worst move Mrs. Tistadt has made in a long time. Now she is all over the net sounding nasty. Speaking harshly can certainly come back and bite you in the ass, I'm sure she's finding out just how hard! Check out the link above to hear the story and the message.

Poetry in Translation

For a creative writing class I took a while ago we were given an assignment where we looked at a poem in a foreign language and translated it to English. We were to look at the words and white what they reminded us of. The poem did not need to make sense at the end. I found the poem which was written in Italian and re-did the exercise this is what I came up with...

So often each spat not after stress
Sank each then blink under valor angst
Do know it's plots she weighed for mirror sends
Under my bleak mucle all then weighed
And mustn't sense
We do not want mere denotation, good luck at their last.

Think twice, you guest that drowns shed not
My circumstance I've selected their inputs
And guess not gold, under life so ends us!
And dine shunned, club your smarts
The wind splits fresh mitigation, die not her practicality
You ghost under guise, find night not house.

It's actually quite a fun little activity, well worth trying.

Tortilla Deity

This is a photo of a Christmas ornament I aquired right before break. It's Jesus on a tortilla, the night I got it a friend sat on it and it broke a little but I think I like it better that way. "Indeed Jesus appeared to me on a tortilla and I had taken a few bites before I realized he was there" that’s my story and I'm sticking to it. Jesus hangs peacfully on the wall above a small bookshelf reading thats what I will tell my friends. He reads Stienbeck, Shakespeare, Brautigan, Plath, and many recipes from my numerous cookbooks. He is actually quite a literate guy now. It's pretty cool to have Jesus hanging out in your office all day every day. I'm glad he came to visit me on my tortilla; I will be opening the doors to the public soon so they can visit.

Seriously I think Jesus has better things to do than appear on people's dinner!

Another Jan Terri Classic

Jan is at it again and I can't get enough! This time she dances in the video. Enjoy her talent and enthusiam! Plus if you miss Halloween this willl bring you back.

The way Cultures Clash

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/magazine/23wwln-syria-t.html?_r=1&emc=eta1&oref=slogin

As I was saying before every culture has it's own standards and practices and there really isn't anyone who should say something is ABSOLUTLY wrong, but this saddens me deeply. It's hard to believe this is the way some people in the world function! I still can't fathom how parents could do something like this to their child. This article shows the difference Americans and some in the Middle East feel about women even those who they have know since birth. It's such a shame that life can be worth so little in some places.

The Dictonary Game

This is a little game my mother and I used to play when I was younger, it's best to do it with others but doing it alone can work as well just don't peek. You get a dictionary and find words you don't know you make up a meaning for the word and then look at what it means in reality. The larger the dictionary the more options. I am not going to read the meaning until I am done if anyone wants to know what says have fun with your dictionary!

shtick- To tell it like it is even though it may be offensive
nihon- The newest type of Japanese hatchback
squamous- To spend too much money in one afternoon
scupper- A large sea creature who feeds on the bottom of the ocean
palfrey-Feeling disregarded
kirbati-A type of small fairy who causes mischief
brunei- A hat with a rounded top

Wow Maybe Miss Teen South Catolina was Right, US Americans DO Need Maps

It is amazing to know this is what the average American walking around on the street thinks, it's also embarrassing for the rest of us!

The Joy of Cooking

I love to cook I have for as long as I can remember. I made dinner for a few of my friends the other night, while we were eating one of my friends asked me why I like to cook. She does not cook at all the most she ever does in the kitchen is boil water, she seemed genuinely confused why I had spent several hours of time making a meal on a Tuesday night. It took me a while to come up with a good answer for her other than I just enjoy it. I realized I like to cook because it calms me, I have produced something in the end, it's experimental you will never have the exact same thing again. Cooking allows me to leave my head and think about flavors, to focus on chopping, and forces me to time things just right so everything is done at the same time. I suppose just like any hobby it isn't for everyone, but I was surprised when she seemed so confused. Playing with flavor, texture, and color allows me to be creative. Coking is a way of expressing myself without trying too hard, it just comes to me. Maybe next time I need to come up with a good idea I will try to cook, who knows maybe something will develop from it.

Philosophical Questions

Earlier this evening I took a little quiz called the philosophical health check, it showed some interesting results. The test asks moral and philosophical questions and then examines where your opinions are contradictory. The questions are in random order and you are to answer quickly with agree or disagree. I found that I agreed with two questions which don't match up. The first was "There are no objective moral standards; moral judgments are merely an expression of the values of particular cultures." As to my reasoning for agreeing I believe that you learn what is right and wrong from those around you, if you are told your whole life something is correct you get used to it and accept it. From culture to culture there are different rules and way of doing things this does not make one way anymore correct than the other. The only things we don't learn through culture are thinks of nature like being hungry, needing sleep, fight or flight responses and so on. The other question I agreed with was "Acts of genocide stand as a testament to man's ability to do great evil." This belief is supposed is something I developed culturally, but at the same time I think it's a natural question too. Killing mass numbers of human beings is something instinctively you know not to do and nature doesn't support. Genocide occurs when someone cannot allow others to live a way different from themselves.
The problem with agreeing with both of these statements is there is technically no evil only learned ways and opinions. It is strange how you can believe two things although they don't actually fit together. My opinion of genocide being evil is something that has been taught to me by culture, so how can I say another culture is wrong or evil when I accept right and wrong are not clearly defined by the universe? Just some food for thought.

I am not sure what these little creatures are, baby monkey's I think, all I know is if they sold them at a pet store I would probably want to get one. Great picture though I'm sure you could sell something with these little guys.

Some People Should NOT be Allowed to Have Kids

The world is full of people who are too dim or neglectful to be allowed children. The media is full of pictures of Britney Spears these days who is constantly doing dangerous stuff with her kids and then missing her court dates. Britney is not alone in being a bad parent there are many other children who are born to terrible parents. The link provided will take you to a news story of a couple in Indiana who gave their 11 month baby alcohol. Things like this are disgusting and should not happen. I was there was some sort of interview process that happened before you were allowed to have children. Some system which weeded out people like this,unfortunately it is all too simple to get pregnant.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/2008/01/22/sanchez.in.drunk.baby.wish

Pick Your Prez

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/page?id=3623346

It's a sad day in age when people no longer pay enough attention to what candidates stand for and the changes they purpose to make. For those of you who don't pay attention this little quiz may prove helpful. The quiz asks a few questions about what should be done about hot topics like the war and medical issues, it then matches you with your top three candidates. Have fun it's good to know what's going on around you.

On Opinions

" I have opinions of my own--strong opinions-- but I don't always agree with them."
-George W. Bush

This quote is an interesting thing to ponder... was it out of stupidity or did he actually mean this whole-heartedly? Having an opinion is something you believe and agree with generally speaking, yet Bush might be on to something. In this day in age where being p.c. is so important some of the things we believe may go against what we believe we should or shouldn't because of others. I think it's important we all embrace and believe the opinions we hold, not change or mask them for public consumption.

Might as well go for it

This video is of a little known artist from Chicago, Jan Terri. Jan is actually a limo driver but decided to put herself out there and perform. It is actually quite an interesting music video, well worth watching. If Jan can put herself on the internet without fear I suppose I can too. You go girl.