Far too often, people tend to not read the instructions of many items. Instead, they go through thinking that they know how to operate the item they just purchased. Little did they know, that it's a bit more complicated than they thought it would be.
Well, you dummy, if you would have read the instructions to begin with. This doesn't apply to just photography, in fact, it applies to everything you do. Admittedly, some things are easier to work with than others.
Yet, you see it everyday. Humankind's stupidity takes charge and goes, oh, I can do this. Yet time after time, they do the same thing, and end up with the same result. A contraption that they have no clue on how to operate it. Rather, this is stubbornness more so than stupidity, but it's basically the same thing.
Many people are more stubborn than the want to admit. We all have certain things that we just believe. We know it to be true and nothing you can say or do will tell us otherwise. And then we have to go and learn that's not how it works the hard way. Often, with complete utter failure.
We can save us a lot of utter failure if we'd just read the manual. Digital cameras, aren't what they used to be. Even the so called, simple Point and Click cameras aren't that simple. Even they have settings on there that most people never even use. Sometimes, we need to see things at a different angle to really truly appreciate the arts.
So, instead of wasting time, read the manual and learn a thing or two about your camera. You'll be glad you did. On top of that, you're photography skills will increase with the amount of features you've just learned how to use, but don't just learn how to use them. Actually use them. That way you know for sure which settings are your favorite, for certain things.
Now, if only Life came with a manual.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The Fear Is No More
The Fear Is No More
The world is dark and now I'm out.
The eyes adjust as I stand and stare
The stars shine bright and help light the night.
The air is fresh and has a cool feel.
The ground is soft as my feet rest on grass.
The senses take over as a smell drifts by.
The mind can't tell, from whence it came.
The ears hear a sound towards the rear.
The hairs stand on end, unknowing of what it is.
The body turns and the eyes see.
The dog stands and stares, not sure what to do.
The eyes meet and we stare.
The moment passes and the dog turns away.
The fear is no more.
Written by:
Roger Hoyt
Copyright July 2011
The world is dark and now I'm out.
The eyes adjust as I stand and stare
The stars shine bright and help light the night.
The air is fresh and has a cool feel.
The ground is soft as my feet rest on grass.
The senses take over as a smell drifts by.
The mind can't tell, from whence it came.
The ears hear a sound towards the rear.
The hairs stand on end, unknowing of what it is.
The body turns and the eyes see.
The dog stands and stares, not sure what to do.
The eyes meet and we stare.
The moment passes and the dog turns away.
The fear is no more.
Written by:
Roger Hoyt
Copyright July 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
This Tiny World in a Massive Universe
The world as we know it is very small. Sure, it may appear large to many people living here, but compare it to the rest of the Universe. Did you know that you could fit 1300 Earths inside the planet Jupiter? Jupiter is in fact the largest planet in our solar system. But wait, there is a bigger planet than Jupiter.
In 2006, another planet was discovered in a far away Solar System in the constellation of Hercules. It's actually 1.7 times bigger than Jupiter. Impressive right? How on Earth can a planet even amass that amount of size? That's actually 70% larger than Jupiter.
As if that wasn't enough, Scientist believe they may have actually found a Ninth planet in out solar system. This planet, currently dubbed Tyche, is in the outer reaches of the Ort Cloud that is in our own Solar system. If the data is correct, this planet would dwarf even Jupiter. Tyche, is said to be 4 times larger than Jupiter itself. Still think this is a big planet you're on? Ok, guess I need to do some more convencing.
It's estimated that there are about 2500 stars visible at any given time. On top of that, 5800 - 8000 is the total number of visible stars. If that's not impressive, Science estimates that there are about 200 billion - 400 billion total stars in out very own Milky Way Galaxy. Continue? Okay.
Recent studies have found that about 30 percent of stars actually have planets. A lot more than the previous 7 percent. This increases our odds of finding Earth Like planets. Some solar systems may even contain multiple Earth Like planets.
The Hubble Space Telescope took a picture one day. NASA, decided to zoom in on a spot out in space. They held it there for ten days, letting the light come to them. The end result? An image that capture the light from almost 3000 Galaxies. That's right. Almost 3000. In one little tiny spot in the sky. So, what does this equal out to in ratio number? How about a whopping 1/28,000,000. For those of you that still have your minds spinning, that's about 1 out of 28 million spots in the sky to choose from. Now, take that previous number of 3000 and multiply that by 28 million and you have a huge number. On top of that, that's not catching every inch of space. There are sections in between that would be missed. Not to mention the sections beyond that.
Let's put that in retrospective. If you took that 28 million and multiplied that by 3000, you'd come up with a grand total of 84 billion Galaxies. That are in our current Universe. Which means, if we took that 84 billion Galaxies and multiplied that by an average of 300 billion stars. For those of you who want me to continue with the math, that's 25.2 sextillion stars. In case you don't know what that is, it goes a little something like this, million, billion, trillion, quadrillion, quintillion, sextillion. That's a lot of stars. And 30 percent of those, have planets? That 30 percent equals out to about 7.56 sextillion stars that have planets. And people think we are alone in the Universe. Haha, good luck with that one.
Now, let me ask you a question. If there is life on this planet. Out of those unknown proportions of planets, what makes us think that there isn't life on other planets? Some people refuse to acknowledge the possibility, but the evidence is over whelming. To deny the fact that there might actually be life on other planets, is just stupid. Plain stupid. No other word to describe it. Now, do you still feel that Earth is a big planet?
In 2006, another planet was discovered in a far away Solar System in the constellation of Hercules. It's actually 1.7 times bigger than Jupiter. Impressive right? How on Earth can a planet even amass that amount of size? That's actually 70% larger than Jupiter.
As if that wasn't enough, Scientist believe they may have actually found a Ninth planet in out solar system. This planet, currently dubbed Tyche, is in the outer reaches of the Ort Cloud that is in our own Solar system. If the data is correct, this planet would dwarf even Jupiter. Tyche, is said to be 4 times larger than Jupiter itself. Still think this is a big planet you're on? Ok, guess I need to do some more convencing.
It's estimated that there are about 2500 stars visible at any given time. On top of that, 5800 - 8000 is the total number of visible stars. If that's not impressive, Science estimates that there are about 200 billion - 400 billion total stars in out very own Milky Way Galaxy. Continue? Okay.
Recent studies have found that about 30 percent of stars actually have planets. A lot more than the previous 7 percent. This increases our odds of finding Earth Like planets. Some solar systems may even contain multiple Earth Like planets.
The Hubble Space Telescope took a picture one day. NASA, decided to zoom in on a spot out in space. They held it there for ten days, letting the light come to them. The end result? An image that capture the light from almost 3000 Galaxies. That's right. Almost 3000. In one little tiny spot in the sky. So, what does this equal out to in ratio number? How about a whopping 1/28,000,000. For those of you that still have your minds spinning, that's about 1 out of 28 million spots in the sky to choose from. Now, take that previous number of 3000 and multiply that by 28 million and you have a huge number. On top of that, that's not catching every inch of space. There are sections in between that would be missed. Not to mention the sections beyond that.
Let's put that in retrospective. If you took that 28 million and multiplied that by 3000, you'd come up with a grand total of 84 billion Galaxies. That are in our current Universe. Which means, if we took that 84 billion Galaxies and multiplied that by an average of 300 billion stars. For those of you who want me to continue with the math, that's 25.2 sextillion stars. In case you don't know what that is, it goes a little something like this, million, billion, trillion, quadrillion, quintillion, sextillion. That's a lot of stars. And 30 percent of those, have planets? That 30 percent equals out to about 7.56 sextillion stars that have planets. And people think we are alone in the Universe. Haha, good luck with that one.
Now, let me ask you a question. If there is life on this planet. Out of those unknown proportions of planets, what makes us think that there isn't life on other planets? Some people refuse to acknowledge the possibility, but the evidence is over whelming. To deny the fact that there might actually be life on other planets, is just stupid. Plain stupid. No other word to describe it. Now, do you still feel that Earth is a big planet?
Empire Avenue. Second Look.
Empire Avenue, I've written on this before, but my thoughts on this have changed. First off, for those of you who are reading this for the first time, might want to know what Empire Avenue is. Empire Avenue is a Social Network driven stock market game. Wait...What? Socially driven stock market game? Yep, that's right, in other words, you're activity on your other social networks, is reflected in your stock price. Not a very active Social Networker? You can expect your stock to drop a bit and for people to sell your stock. You're stock price is also affected by how many people sell you versus how many people buy you. The more people that buy than sell, the higher the stock price. Dividends are given to your stock holders. That's also calculated based on your Social Network activity and how much people interact with you. There you have it. The basics of Empire Avenue.
Now, some of you might wonder why exactly, am I writing another post about it? Well, some times, after a while of playing something, we have to step back and look at things from a different angle. Is the game really living up to our perspectives. Yes, many people consider Empire Avenue a game that merely connects your Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Flickr, LinkedIn, Facebook Fan Page, and Blogs.
So, what exactly do I think about Empire Avenue now? Well, first off, I should probably point out that, regardless of what I say here, I'll probably still end up playing Empire Avenue.
Empire Avenue to me has really taken a hit. There are a lot of legitimate people out there playing this, but there are also a lot of content farmers. I've noticed something lately, that the people that are really high up there on Empire Avenue, are people that are on it all day basically. Well, most of them. Not all of them. Also, many of those people tend to have 15-25 blog post or more a day. Just to produce good dividends. Though, luckily Empire Avenue only counts 20 blog post for the day as the limit. These people are also on twitter a lot. They tweet often. Not so regularly that you get sick of it, like spammy, but they do tweet often. Their Facebook pages, get a lot of likes. How? I don't know.
It make seem like I'm complaining about this, but I'm only complaining that it takes so much effort to even make yourself a top stock. It's ridiculous. On top of all those Facebook Post and Twitter Tweets, a lot of these guys upload at least 2 videos a day to Youtube. The system isn't really that fair for a lot of the smaller people. Especially people who aren't used to posting 10 blog post a day. You know how hard it is some times to find something to write about?
Well, I think you get the idea, the game is pretty much suited to people who are really active. Also, if you miss one day, it's not that bad, but if you miss two days on inactivity......your stock takes a hit. How is that even fair? Ok, I've done enough rambling. That said. I'm still probably going to play Empire Avenue. I'm still going to be producing content and writing articles. It may however slow down a bit over time. This can be quite a time consumer.
Now, some of you might wonder why exactly, am I writing another post about it? Well, some times, after a while of playing something, we have to step back and look at things from a different angle. Is the game really living up to our perspectives. Yes, many people consider Empire Avenue a game that merely connects your Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Flickr, LinkedIn, Facebook Fan Page, and Blogs.
So, what exactly do I think about Empire Avenue now? Well, first off, I should probably point out that, regardless of what I say here, I'll probably still end up playing Empire Avenue.
Empire Avenue to me has really taken a hit. There are a lot of legitimate people out there playing this, but there are also a lot of content farmers. I've noticed something lately, that the people that are really high up there on Empire Avenue, are people that are on it all day basically. Well, most of them. Not all of them. Also, many of those people tend to have 15-25 blog post or more a day. Just to produce good dividends. Though, luckily Empire Avenue only counts 20 blog post for the day as the limit. These people are also on twitter a lot. They tweet often. Not so regularly that you get sick of it, like spammy, but they do tweet often. Their Facebook pages, get a lot of likes. How? I don't know.
It make seem like I'm complaining about this, but I'm only complaining that it takes so much effort to even make yourself a top stock. It's ridiculous. On top of all those Facebook Post and Twitter Tweets, a lot of these guys upload at least 2 videos a day to Youtube. The system isn't really that fair for a lot of the smaller people. Especially people who aren't used to posting 10 blog post a day. You know how hard it is some times to find something to write about?
Well, I think you get the idea, the game is pretty much suited to people who are really active. Also, if you miss one day, it's not that bad, but if you miss two days on inactivity......your stock takes a hit. How is that even fair? Ok, I've done enough rambling. That said. I'm still probably going to play Empire Avenue. I'm still going to be producing content and writing articles. It may however slow down a bit over time. This can be quite a time consumer.
Minecraft - Second Opinion
Minecraft, the epic game of epic proportion. Ok, to a small handful of people, it's of epic proportion. Myself, being one of them. I've been playing this game for about a month now, give or take. My first impression, of seeing the game was, "hmm, might have to give that a try." My first impression of actually playing the game, "Wow, this is awesome."
Now, it's time to give a second opinion. I think I started playing while the game was in 1.5 beta. It's still in beta, but now, it's moved into 1.7.3 beta. A few patches have been made sense then. Among those, perhaps the most interesting and fun patch to date. The Piston Mod. Mods are well, mods that other players have made to add cool features to the game. The player that created the Piston Mod, submitted his creation to Notch, the created of the game and next thing you know, we have Pistons in Minecraft. A few people complained though, that Notch nerved them. You're always going to have you're complainers.
Adventure/Survival mode. When you start off in the game, you start off in what many people call Adventure or Survival mode. The whole object of the game when you start out, is a race against time to survive the first night. You have about 10 minutes of day time and 10 minutes of night time. So, that means, we have about 10 minutes to gather and craft what's needed to survive the first night. Why are we in a race against time? Well, at night bad things come out and try to kill you. If you had weapons, you could go out and hunt them. Granted you can find your way back to safety. What's out there? Nothing but Skeleton Archers, Zombies, and Creepers, "Oh My!"
Many people fear Creepers. Why? When they get close enough to you or you hit them with something, they tend to get angry and make a hissing type sound. Why is this bad? Simple, if you ignore the problem, They blow up. That's right, they do a lot of damage too and depending on how close you are, how much health you have, and how much armor you have, they just might kill you. So, why don't I fear them? Well, I've figured out that if I can get an Iron Sword or better, they die pretty quickly. Three quick swings, is plenty to take down a creeper before it blows up in your face.
What do I fear? Skeleton Archers. It's bad enough that they have Skeletons in the game, rather, they make them into Skeleton Archers....ugh.....sigh. That means that they can hit you from a distance. Better move in quick if you're going to take them down. Not that they take a lot of health, just that they can take a lot of health if you aren't quick about it. Skeleton Archers have a reputation that far proceeds Creepers. At least in my opinion.
Zombies are easy peasy mode. They aren't that tough and go down with a couple of swings of just about any sword. Oh, and then their are Spiders. Dark Black Spiders that jump around and try to kill you. These aren't really as tough as most people think. It's all in the aim. I've been able to keep Creepers, Zombies, and Spiders at bay pretty well. Now, get two or more Creepers, and I pull my hit and run strategy. What? Think I'm crazy?
Ah, building, the true attraction of the game. There is good news for those who don't want to fight and kill stuff. You can always build. "But, won't monsters attack me at night?" Multiple No's. Peaceful Mode, it's a builders best friend. Once you hit that button to change it to Peaceful Mode, no mobs will ever spawn. Except for the friendly ones. Pigs, Cows, Chickens, etc. If you are in adventure mode and you sleep in a bed at night, it will change to day. thus giving you time to build. Unless you're in a dungeon. Better light that bad boy up.
On a side note, it's worth noting that Spiders, aren't aggressive during the day time. They are however aggressive down in a cave where it's dark.
One can actually create a Private Minecraft server if they choose to do so. You can make it public, or private for you and your friends/family. Notch gives you the server software necessary to do so. Perfectly legal. Also, if you have a public server, Notch himself might actually come for a visit.
Note: Notch's name appears in Gold. If it's someone that has a White name, it's probably not Notch.
That said, I'd say my favorite strategy for surviving my first night, is to find a hill side and dig into it. Once I have enough wood that is. About 15-20 pieces of wood will do. After you have that done, it shouldn't take you but about 5 minutes, then you can hunt down either some coal, or some stone. Nowadays you can use a Wood Plank as a fire source in a Furnace and a chunk of wood to burn, and that creates Charcoal. Which can be used to make torches instead of coal. The stone you gathered is to make the Furnace with. There you have it. Minecraft in a nutshell.
Now, it's time to give a second opinion. I think I started playing while the game was in 1.5 beta. It's still in beta, but now, it's moved into 1.7.3 beta. A few patches have been made sense then. Among those, perhaps the most interesting and fun patch to date. The Piston Mod. Mods are well, mods that other players have made to add cool features to the game. The player that created the Piston Mod, submitted his creation to Notch, the created of the game and next thing you know, we have Pistons in Minecraft. A few people complained though, that Notch nerved them. You're always going to have you're complainers.
Adventure/Survival mode. When you start off in the game, you start off in what many people call Adventure or Survival mode. The whole object of the game when you start out, is a race against time to survive the first night. You have about 10 minutes of day time and 10 minutes of night time. So, that means, we have about 10 minutes to gather and craft what's needed to survive the first night. Why are we in a race against time? Well, at night bad things come out and try to kill you. If you had weapons, you could go out and hunt them. Granted you can find your way back to safety. What's out there? Nothing but Skeleton Archers, Zombies, and Creepers, "Oh My!"
Many people fear Creepers. Why? When they get close enough to you or you hit them with something, they tend to get angry and make a hissing type sound. Why is this bad? Simple, if you ignore the problem, They blow up. That's right, they do a lot of damage too and depending on how close you are, how much health you have, and how much armor you have, they just might kill you. So, why don't I fear them? Well, I've figured out that if I can get an Iron Sword or better, they die pretty quickly. Three quick swings, is plenty to take down a creeper before it blows up in your face.
What do I fear? Skeleton Archers. It's bad enough that they have Skeletons in the game, rather, they make them into Skeleton Archers....ugh.....sigh. That means that they can hit you from a distance. Better move in quick if you're going to take them down. Not that they take a lot of health, just that they can take a lot of health if you aren't quick about it. Skeleton Archers have a reputation that far proceeds Creepers. At least in my opinion.
Zombies are easy peasy mode. They aren't that tough and go down with a couple of swings of just about any sword. Oh, and then their are Spiders. Dark Black Spiders that jump around and try to kill you. These aren't really as tough as most people think. It's all in the aim. I've been able to keep Creepers, Zombies, and Spiders at bay pretty well. Now, get two or more Creepers, and I pull my hit and run strategy. What? Think I'm crazy?
Ah, building, the true attraction of the game. There is good news for those who don't want to fight and kill stuff. You can always build. "But, won't monsters attack me at night?" Multiple No's. Peaceful Mode, it's a builders best friend. Once you hit that button to change it to Peaceful Mode, no mobs will ever spawn. Except for the friendly ones. Pigs, Cows, Chickens, etc. If you are in adventure mode and you sleep in a bed at night, it will change to day. thus giving you time to build. Unless you're in a dungeon. Better light that bad boy up.
On a side note, it's worth noting that Spiders, aren't aggressive during the day time. They are however aggressive down in a cave where it's dark.
One can actually create a Private Minecraft server if they choose to do so. You can make it public, or private for you and your friends/family. Notch gives you the server software necessary to do so. Perfectly legal. Also, if you have a public server, Notch himself might actually come for a visit.
Note: Notch's name appears in Gold. If it's someone that has a White name, it's probably not Notch.
That said, I'd say my favorite strategy for surviving my first night, is to find a hill side and dig into it. Once I have enough wood that is. About 15-20 pieces of wood will do. After you have that done, it shouldn't take you but about 5 minutes, then you can hunt down either some coal, or some stone. Nowadays you can use a Wood Plank as a fire source in a Furnace and a chunk of wood to burn, and that creates Charcoal. Which can be used to make torches instead of coal. The stone you gathered is to make the Furnace with. There you have it. Minecraft in a nutshell.
Otter Chases KId - Quite Comical Actually
Have you seen that video of the kid running around and the otter chasing after the kid? It's kind of funny really. If you haven't seen it yet, then you're missing out. At first, I was like, WTF? Then Half way through I was like, LoL. So, here's the video for you. Have a good laugh.
Otter Playing Tag With Toddler - Watch more Funny Videos
Otter Playing Tag With Toddler - Watch more Funny Videos
Sharks - Why Stupid People Don't Last Long
So, I saw this video of people that actually felt strongly that they had a connection with a Great White Shark. lol, Talk about hilarious. In the video, the woman exclaims, "I feel like there is a connection. That the shark and I had an understanding. Had circumstances been different, I felt like I could have swam with the shark while feeding it." And this is why stupid people don't last long. Here is the original video. If I can find the original full length video, I'd watch it, just for laughs. lol
The Shark Whisperer - Watch more Funny Videos
The Shark Whisperer - Watch more Funny Videos
Friday, July 15, 2011
Why Parents Get Grey Hair
I found this joke and decided to share it. This is just wrong. Just wrong. lol
Why Parents get Gray Hair
The boss of a big company needed to call one of his employees about an
urgent problem with one of the main computers. He dialed the
employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whispered,
"Hello?"
Feeling put out at the inconvenience of having to talk to a youngster
the boss asked, "Is your Daddy home?"
"Yes", whispered the small voice.
"May I talk with him?" the man asked.
To the surprise of the boss, the small voice whispered, "No."
Wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, "Is your Mommy there?"
"Yes", came the answer. "May I talk with her?"
Again the small voice whispered, "No".
Knowing that it was not likely that a young child would be left home
alone, the boss decided he would just leave a message with the person
who should be there watching over the child. "Is there anyone there
besides you?", the boss asked the child.
"Yes" whispered the child, "A policeman."
Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss
asked, "May I speak with the policeman"?
"No, he's busy", whispered the child.
"Busy doing what?, asked the boss.
"Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman," came the whispered
answer.
Growing concerned and even worried as he heard what sounded like a
helicopter through the ear piece on the phone the boss asked, "What is
that noise?"
"A hello-copper", answered the whispering voice.
"What is going on there?", asked the boss, now alarmed.
In an awed whispering voice the child answered, "The search team just
landed the hello-copper."
Alarmed, concerned and more than just a little frustrated the boss
asked, "Why are they there"?
Still whispering, the young voice replied along with a muffled giggle,
"They're looking for me!"
1981 - The Year I Was Born
I ran across this neat little website. It tells us what happened in the year we were born. What Happened The Year I Was Born.
In 1981, the world was a different place.
There was no Google yet. Or Yahoo. Or Stumbleupon, for that matter.
In 1981, the year of your birth, the top selling movie was Raiders of the Lost Ark. People buying the popcorn in the cinema lobby had glazing eyes when looking at the poster.
Remember, that was before there were DVDs. People were indeed watching movies in the cinema, and not downloading them online. Imagine the packed seats, the laughter, the excitement, the novelty. And mostly all of that without 3D computer effects.
Do you know who won the Oscars that year? The academy award for the best movie went to Chariots of Fire. The Oscar for best foreign movie that year went to Mephisto. The top actor was Henry Fonda for his role as Norman Thayer in On Golden Pond. The top actress was Katharine Hepburn for her role as Ethel Thayer in On Golden Pond. The best director? Warren Beatty for Reds.
In the year 1981, the time when you arrived on this planet, books were still popularly read on paper, not on digital devices. Trees were felled to get the word out. The number one US bestseller of the time was Noble House by James Clavell. Oh, that's many years ago. Have you read that book? Have you heard of it? Look at the cover!
In 1981... The subterranean Sarawak chamber is discovered in Borneo. Margaret Thatcher carries out a Cabinet reshuffle, sacking Norman St. John-Stevas. The first De Lorean DMC-12 automobile, a stainless steel sports car with gull-wing doors, rolls off the production line in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. Ronald Reagan succeeds Jimmy Carter, as the 40th President of the United States. Minutes later, Iran releases the 52 Americans held for 444 days, ending the Iran hostage crisis. Australia withdraws recognition of the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia. In Italy the Propaganda Due Masonic Lodge is discovered. IRA hunger-striker Bobby Sands wins the Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election. Daylight saving time is introduced in the USSR. The Israeli Air Force destroys Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor. The 1981 Springbok Tour commences in New Zealand, amid controversy over the support of apartheid. A Minor League Baseball game between the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, becomes the longest professional baseball game in history: 8 hours and 25 minutes, 33 innings. Walter Cronkite retires from journalism. France abolishes capital punishment. The Church of England General Synod votes to admit women to holy orders. The thrash metal band Metallica forms in Los Angeles. The video game of the day was Frogger.
That was the world you were born into. Since then, you and others have changed it.
The Nobel prize for Literature that year went to Elias Canetti. The Nobel Peace prize went to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The Nobel prize for physics went to Nicolaas Bloembergen and Arthur Leonard Schawlow from the United States for their contribution to the development of laser spectroscopy. The sensation this created was big. But it didn't stop the planets from spinning, on and on, year by year. Years in which you would grow bigger, older, smarter, and, if you were lucky, sometimes wiser. Years in which you also lost some things. Possessions got misplaced. Memories faded. Friends parted ways. The best friends, you tried to hold on. This is what counts in life, isn't it?
The 1980s were indeed a special decade. The Soviet-Afghan war goes on. Eastern Europe sees the collapse of communism. Policies like Perestroika and Glasnost in the Soviet Union lead to a wave of reforms. Protests are crushed down on Tiananmen Square in China. Ethiopa witnesses widespread famine. Nicolae Ceausescu is overthrown. The AIDS pandemic begins. The role of women in the workplace increased greatly. MTV is launched in the US. There is opposition against Apartheid in South Africa as well as worldwide. Heavy Metal and Hard Rock bands are extremely popular. The rise of Techno music begins. Originally primarily played on campus radio stations, College Rock enters the scene with bands like the Pixies, REM and Sonic Youth. The Hip Hop scene continues to evolve. Teletext is introduced. Gay rights become more widely accepted in the world. Opposition to nuclear power plants grows. The A-Team and Seinfeld are popular on TV. US basketball player Michael Jordan bursts on the scene. Super Mario Bros, Zelda's Link, and Pac-Man gain fame in video games. People wear leggings, shoulder pads and Ray-Ban sunglasses.
Do you know what was on the cover of Life that year?
Do you remember the movie that was all the rage when you were 15? Mission: Impossible. Do you still remember the songs playing on the radio when you were 15? Maybe it was Tha Crossroads by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Were you in love? Who were you in love with, do you remember?
In 1981, 15 years earlier, a long time ago, the year when you were born, the song Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes topped the US charts. Do you know the lyrics? Do you know the tune? Sing along.
Her hair is Harlow gold, her lips sweet surprise
Her hands are never cold, she's got Bette Davis eyes
She'll turn the music on you, you won't have to think twice
She's pure as New York snow, she got Bette Davis eyes
...
There's a kid outside, shouting, playing. It doesn't care about time. It doesn't know about time. It shouts and it plays and thinks time is forever. You were once that kid.
When you were 9, the movie Edward Scissorhands was playing. When you were 8, there was Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. When you were 7, there was a Disney movie out called The Little Mermaid. Does this ring a bell?
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... it's 1981. There's TV noise coming from the second floor. Someone turned up the volume way too high. The sun is burning from above. These were different times. The show playing on TV is Hill Street Blues. The sun goes down. Someone switches channels. There's The Smurfs on now. That's the world you were born in.
Progress, year after year. Do you wonder where the world is heading towards? The technology available today would have blown your mind in 1981. Do you know what was invented in the year you were born? The WIMP Graphical User Interface. The Handheld Electronic Camera. The Scanning Tunneling Microscope.
Doomsday, doomsday's coming 1981
But until things blow
I'm gonna have some fun
The bubble's going to explode
I probably never live to get old
...
That's from the song All the Way by The Ramones.
In 1981, a new character entered the world of comic books: Elektra. Bang! Boom! But that's just fiction, right? In the real world, in 1981, Alicia Keys was born. And Paris Hilton. Hayden Christensen, too. And you, of course. Everyone an individual. Everyone special. Everyone taking a different path through life.
It's 2011.
The world is a different place.
What path have you taken?
In 1981, the world was a different place.
There was no Google yet. Or Yahoo. Or Stumbleupon, for that matter.
In 1981, the year of your birth, the top selling movie was Raiders of the Lost Ark. People buying the popcorn in the cinema lobby had glazing eyes when looking at the poster.
Remember, that was before there were DVDs. People were indeed watching movies in the cinema, and not downloading them online. Imagine the packed seats, the laughter, the excitement, the novelty. And mostly all of that without 3D computer effects.
Do you know who won the Oscars that year? The academy award for the best movie went to Chariots of Fire. The Oscar for best foreign movie that year went to Mephisto. The top actor was Henry Fonda for his role as Norman Thayer in On Golden Pond. The top actress was Katharine Hepburn for her role as Ethel Thayer in On Golden Pond. The best director? Warren Beatty for Reds.
In the year 1981, the time when you arrived on this planet, books were still popularly read on paper, not on digital devices. Trees were felled to get the word out. The number one US bestseller of the time was Noble House by James Clavell. Oh, that's many years ago. Have you read that book? Have you heard of it? Look at the cover!
In 1981... The subterranean Sarawak chamber is discovered in Borneo. Margaret Thatcher carries out a Cabinet reshuffle, sacking Norman St. John-Stevas. The first De Lorean DMC-12 automobile, a stainless steel sports car with gull-wing doors, rolls off the production line in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. Ronald Reagan succeeds Jimmy Carter, as the 40th President of the United States. Minutes later, Iran releases the 52 Americans held for 444 days, ending the Iran hostage crisis. Australia withdraws recognition of the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia. In Italy the Propaganda Due Masonic Lodge is discovered. IRA hunger-striker Bobby Sands wins the Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election. Daylight saving time is introduced in the USSR. The Israeli Air Force destroys Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor. The 1981 Springbok Tour commences in New Zealand, amid controversy over the support of apartheid. A Minor League Baseball game between the Rochester Red Wings and the Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, becomes the longest professional baseball game in history: 8 hours and 25 minutes, 33 innings. Walter Cronkite retires from journalism. France abolishes capital punishment. The Church of England General Synod votes to admit women to holy orders. The thrash metal band Metallica forms in Los Angeles. The video game of the day was Frogger.
That was the world you were born into. Since then, you and others have changed it.
The Nobel prize for Literature that year went to Elias Canetti. The Nobel Peace prize went to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The Nobel prize for physics went to Nicolaas Bloembergen and Arthur Leonard Schawlow from the United States for their contribution to the development of laser spectroscopy. The sensation this created was big. But it didn't stop the planets from spinning, on and on, year by year. Years in which you would grow bigger, older, smarter, and, if you were lucky, sometimes wiser. Years in which you also lost some things. Possessions got misplaced. Memories faded. Friends parted ways. The best friends, you tried to hold on. This is what counts in life, isn't it?
The 1980s were indeed a special decade. The Soviet-Afghan war goes on. Eastern Europe sees the collapse of communism. Policies like Perestroika and Glasnost in the Soviet Union lead to a wave of reforms. Protests are crushed down on Tiananmen Square in China. Ethiopa witnesses widespread famine. Nicolae Ceausescu is overthrown. The AIDS pandemic begins. The role of women in the workplace increased greatly. MTV is launched in the US. There is opposition against Apartheid in South Africa as well as worldwide. Heavy Metal and Hard Rock bands are extremely popular. The rise of Techno music begins. Originally primarily played on campus radio stations, College Rock enters the scene with bands like the Pixies, REM and Sonic Youth. The Hip Hop scene continues to evolve. Teletext is introduced. Gay rights become more widely accepted in the world. Opposition to nuclear power plants grows. The A-Team and Seinfeld are popular on TV. US basketball player Michael Jordan bursts on the scene. Super Mario Bros, Zelda's Link, and Pac-Man gain fame in video games. People wear leggings, shoulder pads and Ray-Ban sunglasses.
Do you know what was on the cover of Life that year?
Do you remember the movie that was all the rage when you were 15? Mission: Impossible. Do you still remember the songs playing on the radio when you were 15? Maybe it was Tha Crossroads by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Were you in love? Who were you in love with, do you remember?
In 1981, 15 years earlier, a long time ago, the year when you were born, the song Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes topped the US charts. Do you know the lyrics? Do you know the tune? Sing along.
Her hair is Harlow gold, her lips sweet surprise
Her hands are never cold, she's got Bette Davis eyes
She'll turn the music on you, you won't have to think twice
She's pure as New York snow, she got Bette Davis eyes
...
There's a kid outside, shouting, playing. It doesn't care about time. It doesn't know about time. It shouts and it plays and thinks time is forever. You were once that kid.
When you were 9, the movie Edward Scissorhands was playing. When you were 8, there was Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. When you were 7, there was a Disney movie out called The Little Mermaid. Does this ring a bell?
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... it's 1981. There's TV noise coming from the second floor. Someone turned up the volume way too high. The sun is burning from above. These were different times. The show playing on TV is Hill Street Blues. The sun goes down. Someone switches channels. There's The Smurfs on now. That's the world you were born in.
Progress, year after year. Do you wonder where the world is heading towards? The technology available today would have blown your mind in 1981. Do you know what was invented in the year you were born? The WIMP Graphical User Interface. The Handheld Electronic Camera. The Scanning Tunneling Microscope.
Doomsday, doomsday's coming 1981
But until things blow
I'm gonna have some fun
The bubble's going to explode
I probably never live to get old
...
That's from the song All the Way by The Ramones.
In 1981, a new character entered the world of comic books: Elektra. Bang! Boom! But that's just fiction, right? In the real world, in 1981, Alicia Keys was born. And Paris Hilton. Hayden Christensen, too. And you, of course. Everyone an individual. Everyone special. Everyone taking a different path through life.
It's 2011.
The world is a different place.
What path have you taken?
Thursday, July 14, 2011
We Are The Future
It's come to my attention that we need to step up to the plate. People often say that, "The world is for the younger generation and we should take care of it." That is true. There is another way to put it.
We are the future. Whether we like it or not, we're here to stay. At least until we die. If we don't take care of this planet now, our children won't have a future. So, in a way, WE ARE THE FUTURE. Without us, the world won't stand a chance. That is if we keep going at the same rate we are nowadays. We have to slow down, think about what we're doing.
Ask yourself a question. Where do you want to go in life? What do you want to be in life? Do you want to be known as the person who killed the planet? Do you want to be known as a bad parent? Do you want to be known as a failure? If you answered no to the any or all of the last three questions, then listen up. I hope I got your attention.
This planet needs OUR help. Our children shouldn't have to fix our problems and issues we have caused. We need to start thinking before we act. We need to start living a BETTER life. We need to start making good choices, such as: living a green life, recycling, planting healthy forest, planting our own food, or buying organic, etc.
There are lots of choices we can do to make a difference. One of those things is to become less dependent on oil. That's right. Americans are consuming oil, like kids in a candy store. The problem? OIL ISN'T RENEWABLE. Renewable resources is where the future lies. If we don't start recycling and using renewable resources such as plastics made from corn instead of oil, then I have some bad news for you. This great country as we know it, will be history. Sweden is already ahead of the game as far as becoming less dependent on Oil. If they can do it, we can do it. We can't let big companies stand in our way. They have no choice but to produce what ever the people want. If we don't want oil anymore. There is no need for them to charge insane amounts for it.
I hope that at least a few of your are going to start making changes. It's important for us to do so. You can see why. The danger of America falling as we know it, is real. We can't let this happen. Keep it strong, keep the patriotism alive.
We are the future. Whether we like it or not, we're here to stay. At least until we die. If we don't take care of this planet now, our children won't have a future. So, in a way, WE ARE THE FUTURE. Without us, the world won't stand a chance. That is if we keep going at the same rate we are nowadays. We have to slow down, think about what we're doing.
Ask yourself a question. Where do you want to go in life? What do you want to be in life? Do you want to be known as the person who killed the planet? Do you want to be known as a bad parent? Do you want to be known as a failure? If you answered no to the any or all of the last three questions, then listen up. I hope I got your attention.
This planet needs OUR help. Our children shouldn't have to fix our problems and issues we have caused. We need to start thinking before we act. We need to start living a BETTER life. We need to start making good choices, such as: living a green life, recycling, planting healthy forest, planting our own food, or buying organic, etc.
There are lots of choices we can do to make a difference. One of those things is to become less dependent on oil. That's right. Americans are consuming oil, like kids in a candy store. The problem? OIL ISN'T RENEWABLE. Renewable resources is where the future lies. If we don't start recycling and using renewable resources such as plastics made from corn instead of oil, then I have some bad news for you. This great country as we know it, will be history. Sweden is already ahead of the game as far as becoming less dependent on Oil. If they can do it, we can do it. We can't let big companies stand in our way. They have no choice but to produce what ever the people want. If we don't want oil anymore. There is no need for them to charge insane amounts for it.
I hope that at least a few of your are going to start making changes. It's important for us to do so. You can see why. The danger of America falling as we know it, is real. We can't let this happen. Keep it strong, keep the patriotism alive.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Extent of Human Radio Broadcast
Have you ever wondered how far out into space, we're actually reaching? Well, truth be known, it's not that far really. Only about 200 light years, give or take of course. This photo depicts the area in our Milky Way galaxy, that we are broadcasting radio waves out into space. That blue dot, is us. Keep in mind, that our solar system, is just a small dot in this vast Milky Way. On top of that, there are tons and tons of other Galaxies out there. The numbers are endless, really. If this doesn't make you feel small and insignificant, then I don't know what will.
City Limits Time Lapse Video
Timelapse - The City Limits from Dominic on Vimeo.
I"m not sure if any of you like Time Lapse video or not, but I thought I'd share this one with you guys. This is beautiful. I love these kind of videos. Just goes to show you the true beauty of the world.
Fried Dr. Pepper Ribs
Fried Dr. Pepper Ribs? Who wouldn't want to try them? I mean, seriously, Dr. Pepper and Ribs. What's to lose? This actually sounds really good to me. I'm going to have to try this some time.
Website for this recipe and more. Chili Cheese Fries
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place the ribs on a wire rack in a roasting pan then pour a can of Dr Pepper into the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil and cook for 1 1/2 hours. At this point check to see if the meat easily pulls away from the bone. You will most likely need to cook them for about another 30 minutes but this all depends on your oven. Just make sure to get them nice and tender.
3. Meanwhile let’s make the sauce. Reduce the 2 remaining cans of Dr Pepper in a medium saucepan over high heat to about 1/2 cup. It will be just a bit syrupy. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining sauce ingredients.
4. When the ribs are done and somewhat cooled, cut into individual ribs and transfer them to a large bowl. Add about 1/3 of the sauce mixture and gently toss the ribs to coat them with the sauce. I say gently because if you were successful at getting them super tender, they will break apart if you are too aggressive with them now. Heat the peanut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Just hot enough to gently fry the ribs to crisp them up a bit. Fry each rib separately because they crisp up very quickly. About 5 – 6 seconds per side then transfer to paper towels to drain. Next return the fired ribs to the bowl and add another 1/3 of the sauce and gently toss again. Serve warm along with the remaining sauce for dipping.
Serves 2 – 4
Heat Factor
Website for this recipe and more. Chili Cheese Fries
INGREDIENTS:
For the ribs and rub- 2 full racks pork spare or baby back ribs, silverskin removed
- 4 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon herbs de provance
- 2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (substitute brown sugar)
- 1 can of Dr Pepper
- 2 cups peanut oil
- 2 cans Dr Pepper
- 1/2 cup sweet chili sauce (found in the Asian sections in most super markets)
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 3 – 4 drops Sriracha sauce
PREPARATION:
1. Mix the dry rub ingredients together and rub into the racks of ribs on both sides. Marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or preferably, over night.2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place the ribs on a wire rack in a roasting pan then pour a can of Dr Pepper into the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil and cook for 1 1/2 hours. At this point check to see if the meat easily pulls away from the bone. You will most likely need to cook them for about another 30 minutes but this all depends on your oven. Just make sure to get them nice and tender.
3. Meanwhile let’s make the sauce. Reduce the 2 remaining cans of Dr Pepper in a medium saucepan over high heat to about 1/2 cup. It will be just a bit syrupy. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining sauce ingredients.
4. When the ribs are done and somewhat cooled, cut into individual ribs and transfer them to a large bowl. Add about 1/3 of the sauce mixture and gently toss the ribs to coat them with the sauce. I say gently because if you were successful at getting them super tender, they will break apart if you are too aggressive with them now. Heat the peanut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Just hot enough to gently fry the ribs to crisp them up a bit. Fry each rib separately because they crisp up very quickly. About 5 – 6 seconds per side then transfer to paper towels to drain. Next return the fired ribs to the bowl and add another 1/3 of the sauce and gently toss again. Serve warm along with the remaining sauce for dipping.
Serves 2 – 4
Heat Factor
Molohia (Egypt) adapted from A Taste of Africa
There is a website, that contains a bunch of recipes from around the world. This I love, because it's the closes thing I can get to another country without having to leave my own. Though, I'll eventually leave my own for various reasons, food being one of them, this is the next best thing for those who can't.
Molohia (Egypt) adapted from A Taste of Africa
If you like this recipe and would like to check out more recipes similar to this and different as well. Click the link below.
Circle of International Cooking
Molohia (Egypt) adapted from A Taste of Africa
| Ingredients |
| |
| Directions | 1. Combine meat, salt, pepper, onion, water and boil. 2. Smmer until meat is tender. 3. Add spinach, boil 5 minutes. 4. Saute garlic & coriander in butter in another pan, 1 minutes. 5. Combine. 6. When ready to serve rice stir in the vinegar. 7. Serve mixture in pitas, with rice as accompaniment. | |
| Serves | 4 | |
| Time to Make | 0:00 | |
Circle of International Cooking
Hershey's Recipes - Ultimate Chocolate Lovers Dream
Hershey's Chocolate
I don't know about you, but I don't think there is a person in the world who doesn't like Chocolate. It's such an amazing thing to eat. There are many people who crave it. When you're craving Chocolate, just click the link above for some awesome Chocolate recipes.
You can find these recipes and more, just by clicking the link(s) provided. Hershey's
I don't know about you, but I don't think there is a person in the world who doesn't like Chocolate. It's such an amazing thing to eat. There are many people who crave it. When you're craving Chocolate, just click the link above for some awesome Chocolate recipes.
Black Magic Cake
All-Chocolate Boston Cream Pie
Ultimate Chocolate Brownies
Hershey's Special Dark Truffle Brownie Cheesecake
You can find these recipes and more, just by clicking the link(s) provided. Hershey's
Monday, July 11, 2011
Watermelon On Tap
I love to share things with people, that might not otherwise get to see them. This is a cool design using a watermelon and water facet.
I know what you're thinking: "What if I attached a faucet to a watermelon and filled it with spiked watermelon juice so party guests could serve themselves right from the melon?" Well, my husband finally turned that dream into a reality.
After testing three different types of faucets and spending the entire afternoon of our housewarming party creating his masterpiece — only to have it clog just hours before guests arrived, resulting in a mad dash to Home Depot and the supermarket so he could do it all over again — he's now perfected the model so all you have to do is build it. Want to impress guests with a DIY watermelon keg of your own?
Read on to find out how...
drunken watermelon on tap
After testing three different types of faucets and spending the entire afternoon of our housewarming party creating his masterpiece — only to have it clog just hours before guests arrived, resulting in a mad dash to Home Depot and the supermarket so he could do it all over again — he's now perfected the model so all you have to do is build it. Want to impress guests with a DIY watermelon keg of your own?
Read on to find out how...
What you'll need:
• 10-pound seedless watermelon
• Sharp knife
• Big spoon
• Big bowl
• Drill with a 1/2-inch drill bit
• 3/4-inch ball-valve faucet with a handle that's easy to turn with one hand
• PVC-to-faucet adapter that will screw into the back of the faucet
• Rubber O-ring that fits the back of the faucet
• Blender
• Sieve
• Pitcher
• 1 1/2 cups rum
• 4 limes
• About 90 minutes of your time
1. If your watermelon is wobbly when standing on one end, use a knife to trim off the stem end of your watermelon rind just enough that the melon sits flat. Then decide which side of your melon looks best — that'll be your front. Cut the top jack-o'-lantern style, big enough to fit your hand through, but center the cut more toward the back of the melon so you can't see the seam from the front.
2. Use a big spoon to scoop out the fruit into a large bowl. Eat some of the watermelon as you're scooping it out to make sure it doesn't poison your guests. Pour any juice in the bottom of the melon into your pitcher.
3. Drill a hole a few inches from the bottom of the melon for your faucet. Then use a knife to slightly widen the hole till it's just a little smaller than the diameter of the back of the faucet.
4. Gently screw the faucet into the hole, putting your other hand inside the melon for leverage. Don't jam it in or you'll bruise the outside of the rind and compromise your seal. Inside the melon, carve away a little more fruit from around the back of the faucet (don't go through the rind) to make room for screwing on the adapter.
5. Slide the O-ring onto the back of the faucet, then screw on the adapter. To test for leaks, fill the melon halfway with water, then turn on the faucet. Once you've confirmed that your watermelon is indeed operational, pour out the water through the top.
6. Reserve some watermelon to eat tomorrow for breakfast, then throw the rest into a blender and puree. Use the back of a spoon to push the puree through a sieve placed over your pitcher so you're left with just juice. Discard any solids. You should have about 6 cups of juice. Mix the juice with 1 1/2 cups of rum and 1/2 cup of fresh lime juice (about four limes' worth).
7. Pour the mixture back into the watermelon. Put the top back on the melon and set it on the edge of a counter or table to serve.
• 10-pound seedless watermelon
• Sharp knife
• Big spoon
• Big bowl
• Drill with a 1/2-inch drill bit
• 3/4-inch ball-valve faucet with a handle that's easy to turn with one hand
• PVC-to-faucet adapter that will screw into the back of the faucet
• Rubber O-ring that fits the back of the faucet
• Blender
• Sieve
• Pitcher
• 1 1/2 cups rum
• 4 limes
• About 90 minutes of your time
1. If your watermelon is wobbly when standing on one end, use a knife to trim off the stem end of your watermelon rind just enough that the melon sits flat. Then decide which side of your melon looks best — that'll be your front. Cut the top jack-o'-lantern style, big enough to fit your hand through, but center the cut more toward the back of the melon so you can't see the seam from the front.
2. Use a big spoon to scoop out the fruit into a large bowl. Eat some of the watermelon as you're scooping it out to make sure it doesn't poison your guests. Pour any juice in the bottom of the melon into your pitcher.
3. Drill a hole a few inches from the bottom of the melon for your faucet. Then use a knife to slightly widen the hole till it's just a little smaller than the diameter of the back of the faucet.
4. Gently screw the faucet into the hole, putting your other hand inside the melon for leverage. Don't jam it in or you'll bruise the outside of the rind and compromise your seal. Inside the melon, carve away a little more fruit from around the back of the faucet (don't go through the rind) to make room for screwing on the adapter.
5. Slide the O-ring onto the back of the faucet, then screw on the adapter. To test for leaks, fill the melon halfway with water, then turn on the faucet. Once you've confirmed that your watermelon is indeed operational, pour out the water through the top.
6. Reserve some watermelon to eat tomorrow for breakfast, then throw the rest into a blender and puree. Use the back of a spoon to push the puree through a sieve placed over your pitcher so you're left with just juice. Discard any solids. You should have about 6 cups of juice. Mix the juice with 1 1/2 cups of rum and 1/2 cup of fresh lime juice (about four limes' worth).
7. Pour the mixture back into the watermelon. Put the top back on the melon and set it on the edge of a counter or table to serve.
To find this article and more, head on over to this website. Evite
Is the Glass half full or half empty?
There are multiple ways to answer this question. One of them being, we can't tell if the glass is half empty or half full, because we didn't see who poured or emptied the glass. I like this answer better.
Random Useless Facts
Ok, maybe these aren't quite so useless, but hey, there is a ton of facts here. Enjoy.
Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles or snakes.
An eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it.
In the Caribbean there are oysters that can climb trees.
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.
When George Lucas was mixing the American Graffiti soundtrack, he numbered the reels of film starting with an R and numbered the dialog starting with a D. Sound designer Walter Murch asked George for Reel 2, Dialog 2 by saying "R2D2". George liked the way that sounded so much he integrated that into another project he was working on.
The youngest pope was 11 years old.
Mark Twain didn't graduate from elementary school.
Proportional to their weight, men are stronger than horses.
Pilgrims ate popcorn at the first Thanksgiving dinner.
They have square watermelons in Japan - they stack better.
Iceland consumes more Coca-Cola per capita than any other nation.
Heinz Catsup leaving the bottle travels at 25 miles per year.
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.
Armadillos can be housebroken.
The first Fords had engines made by Dodge.
A mole can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in just one night.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite.
Ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone.
A hippo can open its mouth wide enough to fit a 4 foot tall child inside.
A quarter has 119 grooves on its edge, a dime has one less groove.
A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.
Until 1796, there was a state in the United States called Franklin. Today it is known as Tennessee.
The flashing warning light on the cylindrical Capitol Records tower spells out HOLLYWOOD in Morse code.
Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie.
The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year.
One in every 4 Americans has appeared on television.
The average American will eat about 11.9 pounds of cereal per year.
Over 1,000 birds a year die from smashing into windows.
The State of Florida is bigger than England.
Ants stretch when they wake up in the morning.
Thomas Edison, light bulb inventor, was afraid of the dark.
During your lifetime, you'll eat about 60,000 pounds of food. That's the weight of about 6 elephants.
Some ribbon worms will eat themselves if they can't find any food.
The world's oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old.
In space, astronauts cannot cry, because there is no gravity, so the tears can't flow.
About 3000 years ago, most Egyptians died by the time they were 30.
More people use blue toothbrushes than red ones.
Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, every time you breathe.
In the White House, there are 13,092 knives, forks and spoons.
Slugs have 4 noses.
Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to watch TV for 3 hours.
Lightning strikes about 6,000 times per minute on this planet.
Owls are the only birds who can see the color blue.
The average American drinks about 600 sodas a year.
It's against the law to slam your car door in Switzerland.
There wasn't a single pony in the Pony Express, just horses.
Honeybees have hair on their eyes.
A jellyfish is 95 percent water.
In Bangladesh, kids as young as 15 can be jailed for cheating on their finals.
A company in Taiwan makes dinnerware out of wheat, so you can eat your plate.
The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump.
The most common name in the world is Mohammed.
Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of any of the United States.
America once issued a 5-cent bill.
You'll eat about 35,000 cookies in your lifetime.
Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under his cap to keep him cool. He changed it every 2 innings.
Fortune cookies were actually invented in America, in 1918, by Charles Jung.
A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue.
Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
The pitches that Babe Ruth hit for his last-ever home run and that Joe DiMaggio hit for his first-ever home run where thrown by the same man.
Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.
The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its head.
In Tokyo, they sell toupees for dogs.
There are over 52.6 million dogs in the U.S.
Dogs and cats consume almost $7 billion worth of pet food a year.
Baby robins eat 14 feet of earthworms every day.
The Pentagon has twice as many restrooms as necessary. When it was built, segregation was still in place in Virginia, so separate restrooms for blacks and whites were required by law.
In England, in the 1880's, "Pants" was considered a dirty word.
Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.
In 2003, there were 86 days of below-freezing weather in Hell, Michigan.
Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles or snakes.
An eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it.
In the Caribbean there are oysters that can climb trees.
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.
When George Lucas was mixing the American Graffiti soundtrack, he numbered the reels of film starting with an R and numbered the dialog starting with a D. Sound designer Walter Murch asked George for Reel 2, Dialog 2 by saying "R2D2". George liked the way that sounded so much he integrated that into another project he was working on.
The youngest pope was 11 years old.
Mark Twain didn't graduate from elementary school.
Proportional to their weight, men are stronger than horses.
Pilgrims ate popcorn at the first Thanksgiving dinner.
They have square watermelons in Japan - they stack better.
Iceland consumes more Coca-Cola per capita than any other nation.
Heinz Catsup leaving the bottle travels at 25 miles per year.
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.
Armadillos can be housebroken.
The first Fords had engines made by Dodge.
A mole can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in just one night.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite.
Ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone.
A hippo can open its mouth wide enough to fit a 4 foot tall child inside.
A quarter has 119 grooves on its edge, a dime has one less groove.
A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.
Until 1796, there was a state in the United States called Franklin. Today it is known as Tennessee.
The flashing warning light on the cylindrical Capitol Records tower spells out HOLLYWOOD in Morse code.
Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie.
The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year.
One in every 4 Americans has appeared on television.
The average American will eat about 11.9 pounds of cereal per year.
Over 1,000 birds a year die from smashing into windows.
The State of Florida is bigger than England.
Ants stretch when they wake up in the morning.
Thomas Edison, light bulb inventor, was afraid of the dark.
During your lifetime, you'll eat about 60,000 pounds of food. That's the weight of about 6 elephants.
Some ribbon worms will eat themselves if they can't find any food.
The world's oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old.
In space, astronauts cannot cry, because there is no gravity, so the tears can't flow.
About 3000 years ago, most Egyptians died by the time they were 30.
More people use blue toothbrushes than red ones.
Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, every time you breathe.
In the White House, there are 13,092 knives, forks and spoons.
Slugs have 4 noses.
Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to watch TV for 3 hours.
Lightning strikes about 6,000 times per minute on this planet.
Owls are the only birds who can see the color blue.
The average American drinks about 600 sodas a year.
It's against the law to slam your car door in Switzerland.
There wasn't a single pony in the Pony Express, just horses.
Honeybees have hair on their eyes.
A jellyfish is 95 percent water.
In Bangladesh, kids as young as 15 can be jailed for cheating on their finals.
A company in Taiwan makes dinnerware out of wheat, so you can eat your plate.
The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump.
The most common name in the world is Mohammed.
Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of any of the United States.
America once issued a 5-cent bill.
You'll eat about 35,000 cookies in your lifetime.
Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under his cap to keep him cool. He changed it every 2 innings.
Fortune cookies were actually invented in America, in 1918, by Charles Jung.
A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue.
Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
The pitches that Babe Ruth hit for his last-ever home run and that Joe DiMaggio hit for his first-ever home run where thrown by the same man.
Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.
The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its head.
In Tokyo, they sell toupees for dogs.
There are over 52.6 million dogs in the U.S.
Dogs and cats consume almost $7 billion worth of pet food a year.
Baby robins eat 14 feet of earthworms every day.
The Pentagon has twice as many restrooms as necessary. When it was built, segregation was still in place in Virginia, so separate restrooms for blacks and whites were required by law.
In England, in the 1880's, "Pants" was considered a dirty word.
Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.
In 2003, there were 86 days of below-freezing weather in Hell, Michigan.
How To Tick People Off
HOW TO TICK PEOPLE OFF
- Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 99 copies.
- In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sexual favors."
- Specify that your drive-through order is "TO-GO."
- If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.
- Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.
- Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."
- Reply to everything someone says with "that's what you think."
- Practice making fax and modem noises.
- Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc" them to your boss.
- Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.
- Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with prophesy."
- Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears and grimacing.
- Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the ink cartridge across the room.
- Holler random numbers while someone is counting.
- Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."
- Staple pages in the middle of the page.
- Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a croaking noise.
- Honk and wave to strangers.
- Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints at the cash register.
- TYPE IN UPPERCASE.
- type only in lowercase.
- dont use any punctuation either
- Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.
- Repeat the following conversation a dozen times.
"DO YOU HEAR THAT?"
"What?"
"Never mind, it's gone now." - As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
- Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. When nearly done, announce "No, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.
- Ask people what gender they are.
- While making presentations, occasionally bob your head like a parakeet.
- Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
- Sing along at the opera.
- Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.
- Ask your co-workers mysterious questions and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something about "psychological profiles."
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Easy, Simple, Dip
I've found an awesome Dip that I want to share with people. This dip is really great. Very tasty. Not something you'd want to eat a lot of while on a Diet. You'll definitely want to eat this with moderation highly in mind. One other thing, it's easy to make. Here's what you'll need.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground mild beef. Jimmy Dean or your preferred brand.
1 can of Rotel tomatoes. Or any can of diced tomatoes you'd like to use.
2 packages of Cream Cheese. 8oz. You can use 1 package of 16oz if you wish.
Directions are rather easy too. Here's what to do.
Directions:
1 - Brown 1 pound of Ground Beef.
2 - While the pan is hot, add the Cream Cheese, then cook it into the ground beef.
3 - Add the can of Tomatoes, then turn off heat. Done.
4 - Serve.
I find that this is best served heated. Great reheated too.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground mild beef. Jimmy Dean or your preferred brand.
1 can of Rotel tomatoes. Or any can of diced tomatoes you'd like to use.
2 packages of Cream Cheese. 8oz. You can use 1 package of 16oz if you wish.
Directions are rather easy too. Here's what to do.
Directions:
1 - Brown 1 pound of Ground Beef.
2 - While the pan is hot, add the Cream Cheese, then cook it into the ground beef.
3 - Add the can of Tomatoes, then turn off heat. Done.
4 - Serve.
I find that this is best served heated. Great reheated too.
To Do, Or Not To Do, The Age Old Question Answered.
To do, or not to do. We've all heard that question. Oh wait......that was to be, or not to be. Same difference really. To do, or to be. If we're doing something, we're being something, right? Here's a simple method on how to answer that question. First things first. Ask yourself a question.
If you want to do something, one of the first things we have to do, is ask ourselves, "Will this hurt me?" Chances are if their is a good probability that it will hurt you, don't do it. That simple. If it's not going to hurt you, do it. It's our life, we deserve to be happy right?
That brings us to the second question. "Will this make me happy?" Do you get an adrenaline rush from doing something? Does that adrenaline rush make you happy? What really does make you happy? Does slowing down and enjoying the moment make you happy? If so, chances are, you should do it.
Sometimes, we just have to be brave. Yep, every so often, being brave and doing something we've never done, is exhilarating. We have to step outside our boundaries to grow. Growing is what life is all about. So, as Nike would say, "Just Do It." Have some fun in life, but don't do anything stupid that would cause you to injure yourself.
If you want to do something, one of the first things we have to do, is ask ourselves, "Will this hurt me?" Chances are if their is a good probability that it will hurt you, don't do it. That simple. If it's not going to hurt you, do it. It's our life, we deserve to be happy right?
That brings us to the second question. "Will this make me happy?" Do you get an adrenaline rush from doing something? Does that adrenaline rush make you happy? What really does make you happy? Does slowing down and enjoying the moment make you happy? If so, chances are, you should do it.
Sometimes, we just have to be brave. Yep, every so often, being brave and doing something we've never done, is exhilarating. We have to step outside our boundaries to grow. Growing is what life is all about. So, as Nike would say, "Just Do It." Have some fun in life, but don't do anything stupid that would cause you to injure yourself.
Why You Should Check Out Grooveshark
Grooveshark was shared to me by a friend of mine. What is Grooveshark? Grooveshark is a place you can go to listen to music. "Wait, can't I do that at lastfm?" Sure, you can do that at lastfm, but you might find a reason here to use Grooveshark instead.
I instantly fell in love with Grooveshark the moment I found I can get 8bit music on there. "8big? Seriously dude?" Yep, seriously. I'm a gamer. I grew up on Games. My first system was a Nintendo Entertainment System (aka - NES). I've always been a Nintendo Fan Boy. I'm a fan of Playstation as well. That seems to be Sony's expertise. Don't let them touch an MMO. (Massive Multiplayer Online game).
The great thing about Grooveshark? It's easy to find artist that you know. The search is easy to find. In fact, the search should be one of the first things you see when you enter the website. Just type in an Artist and you're good to go.
Did I mention you can create your own playlist? Yep, on top of the like and dislike system that Yahoo Radio and LastFM have, Grooveshark has a playlist option. Like a song? Create a playlist and add it. That simple.
Is this the way internet radio should be? Well, personally, in my opinion, I'd combine features of all the internet radio. The greatest things often borrow ideas from other websites. Look at Facebook. It wasn't even the first Social Networking site. Now it's huge.
Do I recommend Grooveshark? Certainly. I say give it a go. The only complain one might have right now, is that it's not fully supported by the Iphone. Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think.
I instantly fell in love with Grooveshark the moment I found I can get 8bit music on there. "8big? Seriously dude?" Yep, seriously. I'm a gamer. I grew up on Games. My first system was a Nintendo Entertainment System (aka - NES). I've always been a Nintendo Fan Boy. I'm a fan of Playstation as well. That seems to be Sony's expertise. Don't let them touch an MMO. (Massive Multiplayer Online game).
The great thing about Grooveshark? It's easy to find artist that you know. The search is easy to find. In fact, the search should be one of the first things you see when you enter the website. Just type in an Artist and you're good to go.
Did I mention you can create your own playlist? Yep, on top of the like and dislike system that Yahoo Radio and LastFM have, Grooveshark has a playlist option. Like a song? Create a playlist and add it. That simple.
Is this the way internet radio should be? Well, personally, in my opinion, I'd combine features of all the internet radio. The greatest things often borrow ideas from other websites. Look at Facebook. It wasn't even the first Social Networking site. Now it's huge.
Do I recommend Grooveshark? Certainly. I say give it a go. The only complain one might have right now, is that it's not fully supported by the Iphone. Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
What's One Thing You've Always Wanted - Technology
Ok, the question for the day is, what is one thing you've always wanted that is concerned with Technology. How might you go about getting it?
Lately, I've been wanting a Tesla Roadster. This car is awesome, a true weekend warrior car. It's a sports car, that is 100% electric. That's right. It gets good miles on the charge as well. Only problem? It cost about $100k. So, how am I going to get this beast?
I think the only way I'll be able to get it is to work smarter and not harder. I'm going to have to formulate a plan to put every dollar I get to work for me. I'm going to have to work out an investing strategy. Be it stocks, or turn key investments. Heck, I might even be able to start my own business.
I'm also going to have to take charge of the way I handle my money. No more wasteful spending. I'm going to have to keep a tight fist on that money. I can't just go out and spend it like I normally do.
Now, that I know what I have to do, it's time to start setting goals.
Lately, I've been wanting a Tesla Roadster. This car is awesome, a true weekend warrior car. It's a sports car, that is 100% electric. That's right. It gets good miles on the charge as well. Only problem? It cost about $100k. So, how am I going to get this beast?
I think the only way I'll be able to get it is to work smarter and not harder. I'm going to have to formulate a plan to put every dollar I get to work for me. I'm going to have to work out an investing strategy. Be it stocks, or turn key investments. Heck, I might even be able to start my own business.
I'm also going to have to take charge of the way I handle my money. No more wasteful spending. I'm going to have to keep a tight fist on that money. I can't just go out and spend it like I normally do.
Now, that I know what I have to do, it's time to start setting goals.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
The PC vs Mac Issue
Some times, we need a little light shed on the whole argument. Some times, people argue about stupid stuff. This is no different. Which one is better? PC vs Mac? Well, to tell you the truth, it's really a matter of preference.
There is nothing you can't do on a PC that you can't do on a Mac. Just some times, it's easier on one than the other. The majority of the games are made for PC, but Macs weren't really built for gaming in mind in the first place. With that in mind, you can still play any PC game on a Mac with a certain program.
I've heard it all before. This reason vs that reason. Well, I've got news for you. News Flash. People will find something to complain about, even if it's a free item or service. What's the worst argument I've heard so far? Well, for starters, someone told me that they hated Microsoft because of the Proprietary Drivers. Yeah, Proprietary Drivers is what's driving them away from Microsoft. Seriously. Nearly every hardware for PC has Proprietary Drivers, yet at the same time, Mac has.....Gasp.....Proprietary Parts.
I'd have to say if one was worse than the other, I"d have to say Proprietary Parts. Why? Because, if a company, like Apple, creates a part and they patent it, they can charge what ever they want for the part. Thus, the reason why Macs are over priced. I can get twice as much ram and better ram for that matter, a faster processor, and a better video card in a PC Laptop vs a Mac Book Pro that's maxed out.
So, all you people that have these silly little arguments about why one is better than the other, are wasting your time. So far, no one has convinced me that a Mac is better than a PC. Now, if you want to send me a Mac Book Pro to test. I'll glad test it and you can convince me otherwise. I'll probably end up buying one, but first things first. Power over Price. I'm getting a Laptop first, then a Mac Book Pro later when I can better afford one.
There is nothing you can't do on a PC that you can't do on a Mac. Just some times, it's easier on one than the other. The majority of the games are made for PC, but Macs weren't really built for gaming in mind in the first place. With that in mind, you can still play any PC game on a Mac with a certain program.
I've heard it all before. This reason vs that reason. Well, I've got news for you. News Flash. People will find something to complain about, even if it's a free item or service. What's the worst argument I've heard so far? Well, for starters, someone told me that they hated Microsoft because of the Proprietary Drivers. Yeah, Proprietary Drivers is what's driving them away from Microsoft. Seriously. Nearly every hardware for PC has Proprietary Drivers, yet at the same time, Mac has.....Gasp.....Proprietary Parts.
I'd have to say if one was worse than the other, I"d have to say Proprietary Parts. Why? Because, if a company, like Apple, creates a part and they patent it, they can charge what ever they want for the part. Thus, the reason why Macs are over priced. I can get twice as much ram and better ram for that matter, a faster processor, and a better video card in a PC Laptop vs a Mac Book Pro that's maxed out.
So, all you people that have these silly little arguments about why one is better than the other, are wasting your time. So far, no one has convinced me that a Mac is better than a PC. Now, if you want to send me a Mac Book Pro to test. I'll glad test it and you can convince me otherwise. I'll probably end up buying one, but first things first. Power over Price. I'm getting a Laptop first, then a Mac Book Pro later when I can better afford one.
How To Stay On Top of Tech News
Tech News. We all seem to have this craving for the next best thing. What's new and hot. We all want in on it. So, how do we keep up with it? That's easier said than done. Some people make it a hobby. Some people make it a career. Though, it's not as hard as some people make it out to be.
Living life on the edge. The edge of Tech that is. Technology is ever expanding and we have to keep up if we want to do anything with our lives. The reason it's easier than it appears, is that there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of sources.
Bloggers from blogs, such as this one, always seem to be on top of things. The reason they blog is because of people like you, the readers. They like to share what they've learned with the rest of the world.
News sources are another place to learn about technology. Often the press has coveted access to the hot spots and tend to get up close and personal with people their interested in.
Youtube, is a great place to learn about all kinds of tech, from hardware to software. There are many channels on Youtube, with How To Tips and Giveaways as well.
The world is filled with information. Facebook alone is sending Billions of post every month. Youtube has millions of people watching it on a daily basis. I don't think there is one person who doesn't know about Facebook or Youtube. Ok, that's metaphorically speaking of course.
Let me ask my readers, what would you like to see on this blog? Would you like to see more tech stuff? Maybe turn this into a tech blog? Or would you like me to share more videos? Such as recipes and music that I enjoy, etc? I'll leave that up to you guys. Personally, I think a tech blog would be fun.
Living life on the edge. The edge of Tech that is. Technology is ever expanding and we have to keep up if we want to do anything with our lives. The reason it's easier than it appears, is that there are literally hundreds upon hundreds of sources.
Bloggers from blogs, such as this one, always seem to be on top of things. The reason they blog is because of people like you, the readers. They like to share what they've learned with the rest of the world.
News sources are another place to learn about technology. Often the press has coveted access to the hot spots and tend to get up close and personal with people their interested in.
Youtube, is a great place to learn about all kinds of tech, from hardware to software. There are many channels on Youtube, with How To Tips and Giveaways as well.
The world is filled with information. Facebook alone is sending Billions of post every month. Youtube has millions of people watching it on a daily basis. I don't think there is one person who doesn't know about Facebook or Youtube. Ok, that's metaphorically speaking of course.
Let me ask my readers, what would you like to see on this blog? Would you like to see more tech stuff? Maybe turn this into a tech blog? Or would you like me to share more videos? Such as recipes and music that I enjoy, etc? I'll leave that up to you guys. Personally, I think a tech blog would be fun.
Facebook + Skype + Microsoft = Disaster?
So, Facebook just got done announcing a so called Major announcement. They have been hard at work adding new features to Facebook over the past 6 months. What new features are they adding? So far they've only told us about three. Group Chat, Chat Redesign, and drum roll.....Video Chat.
So, what about Group chat? What's it like? Basically, group chat is going to be added to groups so people can communicate easier. Much of Facebook's traffic right now is in the chat system, so why not allow groups to chat? Simple concept right?
Facebook has gone and done it again. They are in the redesign mode. Are they trying to be like MySpace? In my personal opinion, MySpace is dead. They've changed the layout so much, it wasn't funny. They've changed so much and added so many features that the system couldn't handle it. The pages had ridiculously long loading times, etc, etc. So, why is Facebook doing all this redesign? Epic fail if you ask me. Seriously. Supposedly, the new design will allow for your friends to be easier to chat with if you have a wide enough screen. If you have that wide enough screen, the chat bar that shows all your online/offline friends, will appear automatically to the right. Wow, what a make over. Seriously?
Video chat to Facebook? While many people think it's a good idea to have video chat to Facebook, I think it's just another way to slow down Facebook. I don't know about you, but I'm not the only one that has had issues using Facebook and it lagging. All this money, and they can't upgrade their equipment to support the users and the traffic. Facebook currently has 4 Billion things being shared each month. That's right, 4 Billion things. I'm afraid that with all the changes to the layouts, and what not, that Facebook is only going to slow itself down with the Video chat. On top of that, they are partnered with Skype?
My issue with Skype. So, Skype apparently is in the process of being sold to Microsoft. Gasp....That's right. Microsoft. Many of you have had experiences with Microsoft. It seems that anything Microsoft touches, they destroy. Heck, even their own Operating systems. Vista was a Fail and unless you have at least 4 gig of ram, don't get 7. It's almost as though Microsoft doesn't care about it's product. Seriously.
So, what do I think about all this hype and updates coming to Facebook? Personally, I think that it's a bunch of B.S. I think I'll wait for Google Plus. Google has the money and seems to know what people want way before Facebook. On top of that, I've heard nothing but good things about Google +. With that said, don't take my word for it. Form your own opinion.
So, what about Group chat? What's it like? Basically, group chat is going to be added to groups so people can communicate easier. Much of Facebook's traffic right now is in the chat system, so why not allow groups to chat? Simple concept right?
Facebook has gone and done it again. They are in the redesign mode. Are they trying to be like MySpace? In my personal opinion, MySpace is dead. They've changed the layout so much, it wasn't funny. They've changed so much and added so many features that the system couldn't handle it. The pages had ridiculously long loading times, etc, etc. So, why is Facebook doing all this redesign? Epic fail if you ask me. Seriously. Supposedly, the new design will allow for your friends to be easier to chat with if you have a wide enough screen. If you have that wide enough screen, the chat bar that shows all your online/offline friends, will appear automatically to the right. Wow, what a make over. Seriously?
Video chat to Facebook? While many people think it's a good idea to have video chat to Facebook, I think it's just another way to slow down Facebook. I don't know about you, but I'm not the only one that has had issues using Facebook and it lagging. All this money, and they can't upgrade their equipment to support the users and the traffic. Facebook currently has 4 Billion things being shared each month. That's right, 4 Billion things. I'm afraid that with all the changes to the layouts, and what not, that Facebook is only going to slow itself down with the Video chat. On top of that, they are partnered with Skype?
My issue with Skype. So, Skype apparently is in the process of being sold to Microsoft. Gasp....That's right. Microsoft. Many of you have had experiences with Microsoft. It seems that anything Microsoft touches, they destroy. Heck, even their own Operating systems. Vista was a Fail and unless you have at least 4 gig of ram, don't get 7. It's almost as though Microsoft doesn't care about it's product. Seriously.
So, what do I think about all this hype and updates coming to Facebook? Personally, I think that it's a bunch of B.S. I think I'll wait for Google Plus. Google has the money and seems to know what people want way before Facebook. On top of that, I've heard nothing but good things about Google +. With that said, don't take my word for it. Form your own opinion.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
The Problem With Paid Programming
Many people like to watch TV. I'm a big fan of it myself, although I haven't been watching much of it lately. Why? Most of the stuff I have access to is garbage. Right now, I have only digital TV. Not Cable, not Satellite, non of those. Just plain old TV. Seriously, what's worth watching on plain old TV? On top of that, the reception is absolutely horrible. "Oh, it's better than just having an antenna," they said. That's a load of Bull, when every so often the picture fades in and out or loses connection completely.
This new Digital TV is the worst thing ever. Seriously, if you're thinking about saving money by switching to Free TV, don't do it. If you can safely afford to that is. Although, this post isn't really about Digital TV now is it? Oh, yes, that's right, gotta stay on track here. Getting carried away with my rambling. Paid Programming? Why does it suck? What can I do about?
For years now, Cable and Satellite TV have been at war. Cable has been known as the money pig and Satellite has been known to have less of a Reception. But, why should I pay for it? They won't let me choose what programs I want to pick. Over half the stuff on TV, I don't want to watch. So, why bother?
Well, there was a company that offered a Pick Your Own Channels package. I'm going to have to do a bit more research into this. Although. Direct TV is become a bit more to my liking. I might have to check out Cable as well. What are your thoughts? What TV service do you use? Are you happy with it? Yay, or Nay?
This new Digital TV is the worst thing ever. Seriously, if you're thinking about saving money by switching to Free TV, don't do it. If you can safely afford to that is. Although, this post isn't really about Digital TV now is it? Oh, yes, that's right, gotta stay on track here. Getting carried away with my rambling. Paid Programming? Why does it suck? What can I do about?
For years now, Cable and Satellite TV have been at war. Cable has been known as the money pig and Satellite has been known to have less of a Reception. But, why should I pay for it? They won't let me choose what programs I want to pick. Over half the stuff on TV, I don't want to watch. So, why bother?
Well, there was a company that offered a Pick Your Own Channels package. I'm going to have to do a bit more research into this. Although. Direct TV is become a bit more to my liking. I might have to check out Cable as well. What are your thoughts? What TV service do you use? Are you happy with it? Yay, or Nay?
My Take On Thinking Outside The Box
We have that Age Old question. How does one thing outside the box? This question isn't always able to be answered. I think, that for everyone, it's a different process that we have to discover. I'll share with you my thoughts on the matter though.
Thinking outside the box, requires one thing and one thing only, Knowledge. That's right, we have to constantly be learning to be able to think outside the box. We have to be comfortable enough with ourselves that we can accept change. What kind of change? Change within. This change within, is going to give us a brighter view on the Universe itself and how things work the way the do.
How do we go about this change? Well, I think the absolute best way to go about this change, is to go out and experience the world. If you can't travel the world, travel your own country at least. It's always easier to travel within your own country than it is to travel the world. So, what is there to gain by all this travel?
Knowledge and Experience. These two things combine, will allow us to look at our inner selves and see things in a different way. Think about how your first experience was with a foreigner. Ok, got that experience? Many people's first experience with a foreigner in America is often with Chinese people in a Chinese buffet. If you're Chinese or Oriental for that matter, that's often a different story.
This knowledge and experience we gain over time, will shape who we become. It will change the way we think, unless of course you're a stubborn fool that is set in your own ways. I believe that the best way to grow, is to experience. The experience of different cultures and the way they see things and do things for that matter, changes us all. Whether we like it or not. This perspective allows us to broaden our minds, thus giving us a brighter picture.
If you can't travel the world, you can get the same experience from traveling in your own country. While not to the extent of traveling the world, it does have it's benefits. The more people you interact with, the more you'll learn. We have to make it a point, to learn and grow. If we stop learning, then what are we? You might have made straight A's in school, but unless you apply that knowledge and grow, you're a nobody. Do we really want to be a nobody? I know I sure don't.
Thinking outside the box, requires one thing and one thing only, Knowledge. That's right, we have to constantly be learning to be able to think outside the box. We have to be comfortable enough with ourselves that we can accept change. What kind of change? Change within. This change within, is going to give us a brighter view on the Universe itself and how things work the way the do.
How do we go about this change? Well, I think the absolute best way to go about this change, is to go out and experience the world. If you can't travel the world, travel your own country at least. It's always easier to travel within your own country than it is to travel the world. So, what is there to gain by all this travel?
Knowledge and Experience. These two things combine, will allow us to look at our inner selves and see things in a different way. Think about how your first experience was with a foreigner. Ok, got that experience? Many people's first experience with a foreigner in America is often with Chinese people in a Chinese buffet. If you're Chinese or Oriental for that matter, that's often a different story.
This knowledge and experience we gain over time, will shape who we become. It will change the way we think, unless of course you're a stubborn fool that is set in your own ways. I believe that the best way to grow, is to experience. The experience of different cultures and the way they see things and do things for that matter, changes us all. Whether we like it or not. This perspective allows us to broaden our minds, thus giving us a brighter picture.
If you can't travel the world, you can get the same experience from traveling in your own country. While not to the extent of traveling the world, it does have it's benefits. The more people you interact with, the more you'll learn. We have to make it a point, to learn and grow. If we stop learning, then what are we? You might have made straight A's in school, but unless you apply that knowledge and grow, you're a nobody. Do we really want to be a nobody? I know I sure don't.
Stupid Things People Do - Family
There are lots of stupid things people do. One of them is something far too many people do during the Holidays. Not only do people eat way too much during the Holidays, as though it's an excuse to indulge, People are often too lazy.
That's right, People sit around doing much of nothing on the Holidays. Instead of sitting down on your butt, why not for a change get up and play games with the kids or something.
I was spending time with my Second Cousins and someone just had to say something. Good thing I didn't hear them say anything. Something about me spending too much time with them. Bah, that's a bunch of B.S. if you ask me. Tell me something, what's wrong with people spending time with their family? What's wrong with people actually playing with the younger generation? Remember when we were kids? We used to run around the yard like there was no tomorrow.
And this is why people will always be fat. Too fricken lazy to get off their butt's. Instead, they'd rather sit around and socialize. Yeah, like that's really productive? When you're trying to lead an active lifestyle, sometimes, the best way to do that, is getting out their with the kids in your family.
This is the exact reason why some families split apart and they don't even talk to each other. Because people don't spend enough time with them when they are little. This is the kind of ignorance we need to shy away from. Many Christians believe there will come a time when the Blind will lead the Youth. I think that time is now. It's happening right in our own families. People are so stupid, so blind, so self centered, that they'll quickly point out something that THEY, don't think is quite right.
Is this a Society of Ignorant, Baffling Fools that we live in? I don't know about you, but I'd say half of my family is about Brain Dead. What say you?
That's right, People sit around doing much of nothing on the Holidays. Instead of sitting down on your butt, why not for a change get up and play games with the kids or something.
I was spending time with my Second Cousins and someone just had to say something. Good thing I didn't hear them say anything. Something about me spending too much time with them. Bah, that's a bunch of B.S. if you ask me. Tell me something, what's wrong with people spending time with their family? What's wrong with people actually playing with the younger generation? Remember when we were kids? We used to run around the yard like there was no tomorrow.
And this is why people will always be fat. Too fricken lazy to get off their butt's. Instead, they'd rather sit around and socialize. Yeah, like that's really productive? When you're trying to lead an active lifestyle, sometimes, the best way to do that, is getting out their with the kids in your family.
This is the exact reason why some families split apart and they don't even talk to each other. Because people don't spend enough time with them when they are little. This is the kind of ignorance we need to shy away from. Many Christians believe there will come a time when the Blind will lead the Youth. I think that time is now. It's happening right in our own families. People are so stupid, so blind, so self centered, that they'll quickly point out something that THEY, don't think is quite right.
Is this a Society of Ignorant, Baffling Fools that we live in? I don't know about you, but I'd say half of my family is about Brain Dead. What say you?
What's Your Favorite Thing To Put On The Grill?
I think this post will be a question more so than a post. Just this past weekend was the 4th of July weekend. It's a reason to celebrate. Cookouts, Food, Family, Friends, did I mention Food? Ah, the classic American excuse to break out the grill.
So, my question for you today is this -
What's your favorite thing to put on the grill?
I'd have to say that mine would be a good Hamburger. I love a good Hamburger. Throw on some Cheese, Lettuce or Baby Spinach, Tomato, and Pickles and you have yourself one mean burger. Now, from time to time I don't mind a good Onion on there, but I'm not much of an Onion fan. That is, when it comes to raw Onions. When they are cooked, sauteed is the best, I'm all for it.
Hope your week is good and prosperous.
So, my question for you today is this -
What's your favorite thing to put on the grill?
I'd have to say that mine would be a good Hamburger. I love a good Hamburger. Throw on some Cheese, Lettuce or Baby Spinach, Tomato, and Pickles and you have yourself one mean burger. Now, from time to time I don't mind a good Onion on there, but I'm not much of an Onion fan. That is, when it comes to raw Onions. When they are cooked, sauteed is the best, I'm all for it.
Hope your week is good and prosperous.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy 4th of July
This is a short post today just to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July. Have fun and stay safe. Go out and spend your time with your family. Watch the fireworks, go for a walk, ride bikes, swim, have a BBQ, or all or some of the above.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Things I Can't Stand. Pet Peeves.
There are things in life that we can't stand. I'm going to go through a list of things I can't stand and tell you why.
- Religion. I have to say this up front. While I do believe in a higher power, not everyone believes in the same God you do. Not everyone has the same belief system you do. Much of it has to do with the knowledge we posses. My belief, Religion SHOULD NOT BE TAUGHT, it should be LEARNED. With that said, Religious folk are often the first to point the finger when someone gets into trouble. What ever happened to love thy neighbor, love thy enemy. Pointing the finger and cursing them isn't doing that. Often times people point the finger because they are just as guilty of something equally bad. When people learned to walk the walk, I'll follow a religion.
- Women that think they can change a man. Women often times try to make a man do something he doesn't want to do. For example, if you tried to make me quit playing video games, I'd get pissed off and probably ditch you for another girl. There are just some things you just don't do. If you are in love, you're in love with all of them, not parts of them. Get used to it. They aren't the person you fell in love with if you change them.
- Women that get pissed off when a guy looks at another woman. Yep, that pisses me off too. Truth be known, women look at other men too. When you're out with your friends on the beach checking out the guy with the six pack abs, keep that in mind. People are going to look at other people, and it pisses me off when women get upset about, especially when they do the exact same thing.
- Men that only care about one thing. Getting in a girls pants. Yes men aren't excluded from this list. If all you really care about is getting into a girls pants and not settling down, maybe you should go jump off a cliff. You are a disgrace to humanity. You give men a bad name. Come on guys, be a little realistic here.
- People who don't recycle. This pisses me off too. We're running out of Oil and have plenty of renewable resources, yet, we aren't even making an effort to reduce the amount of those renewable resources we need. Try recycling for a change, it would to the world good. The Germans are way ahead of you on that one. If you went to Germany and through away a can that could be recycled, someone would probably get onto you about that. The Germans are big on recycling.
- Idiotic Thinking. Yeah, I'm guilty of this, but at least I admit when I'm wrong. Contrary to popular belief, you're not always right. Truth be known, we're probably wrong more often than we're right. If we were right more often than wrong, the world wouldn't be as messed up as it is. It's time to get off our one track mind way of thinking and start using our brains a little. This is one reason why I want to travel the world and experience different cultures. Seeing how others think is a great way to grow and experience life the way it was meant to be.
- Haters. I can't stand people that have nothing to do than to hate on other people. It's quite common on Youtube. I see it all the time, such comments like: "You should go kill yourself," "You should jump off a cliff," "This is so f*d up." You get the idea. I've go some news for all those haters. If you're hating on a video, you're only increasing the comment count. If you don't like a particular band, then why do you keep watching the videos just so you can comment on them? If I don't like a band, I simply don't listen to them. That's the best way to get your message across. Don't like something? Stop using the product. Letters and comments have very little effect, contrary to popular belief.
Well, you know a little bit about what annoys me. How do people manage to deal with these pet peeves? I honestly believe that we don't really get over them. We learn to be more tolerable of them. If weren't that tolerable, Science wouldn't have come as far as it has. We wouldn't be where we're at today, but is that a bad thing?
- Religion. I have to say this up front. While I do believe in a higher power, not everyone believes in the same God you do. Not everyone has the same belief system you do. Much of it has to do with the knowledge we posses. My belief, Religion SHOULD NOT BE TAUGHT, it should be LEARNED. With that said, Religious folk are often the first to point the finger when someone gets into trouble. What ever happened to love thy neighbor, love thy enemy. Pointing the finger and cursing them isn't doing that. Often times people point the finger because they are just as guilty of something equally bad. When people learned to walk the walk, I'll follow a religion.
- Women that think they can change a man. Women often times try to make a man do something he doesn't want to do. For example, if you tried to make me quit playing video games, I'd get pissed off and probably ditch you for another girl. There are just some things you just don't do. If you are in love, you're in love with all of them, not parts of them. Get used to it. They aren't the person you fell in love with if you change them.
- Women that get pissed off when a guy looks at another woman. Yep, that pisses me off too. Truth be known, women look at other men too. When you're out with your friends on the beach checking out the guy with the six pack abs, keep that in mind. People are going to look at other people, and it pisses me off when women get upset about, especially when they do the exact same thing.
- Men that only care about one thing. Getting in a girls pants. Yes men aren't excluded from this list. If all you really care about is getting into a girls pants and not settling down, maybe you should go jump off a cliff. You are a disgrace to humanity. You give men a bad name. Come on guys, be a little realistic here.
- People who don't recycle. This pisses me off too. We're running out of Oil and have plenty of renewable resources, yet, we aren't even making an effort to reduce the amount of those renewable resources we need. Try recycling for a change, it would to the world good. The Germans are way ahead of you on that one. If you went to Germany and through away a can that could be recycled, someone would probably get onto you about that. The Germans are big on recycling.
- Idiotic Thinking. Yeah, I'm guilty of this, but at least I admit when I'm wrong. Contrary to popular belief, you're not always right. Truth be known, we're probably wrong more often than we're right. If we were right more often than wrong, the world wouldn't be as messed up as it is. It's time to get off our one track mind way of thinking and start using our brains a little. This is one reason why I want to travel the world and experience different cultures. Seeing how others think is a great way to grow and experience life the way it was meant to be.
- Haters. I can't stand people that have nothing to do than to hate on other people. It's quite common on Youtube. I see it all the time, such comments like: "You should go kill yourself," "You should jump off a cliff," "This is so f*d up." You get the idea. I've go some news for all those haters. If you're hating on a video, you're only increasing the comment count. If you don't like a particular band, then why do you keep watching the videos just so you can comment on them? If I don't like a band, I simply don't listen to them. That's the best way to get your message across. Don't like something? Stop using the product. Letters and comments have very little effect, contrary to popular belief.
Well, you know a little bit about what annoys me. How do people manage to deal with these pet peeves? I honestly believe that we don't really get over them. We learn to be more tolerable of them. If weren't that tolerable, Science wouldn't have come as far as it has. We wouldn't be where we're at today, but is that a bad thing?
Will America Fall?
It's come to my attention that America is behind the times. How? Simply put, America is still majorly dependent on oil. While Americans are highly addicted to oil, the Swedish are trying to become the first country to be completely free of the need for oil.
So, what's America's problem? Why are so many Americans still concerned with oil?
American's aren't even trying to reduce the gasoline that they use. Next time you are driving on a Major Highway, or Interstate, look around you at the people in the vehicles. How many four door Pickup Trucks do you see driving the roads with only one person in them? How many people do you see driving and they are the only person in the vehicle to begin with? This is a major problem. More and more people should be car pooling. Car Pooling would drastically reduce the amount of cars on the road and the amount of oil we use. If every car on the road had four people in it instead of only one, we could easily reduce the consumption of oi and the amount of cars by half. Possibly by two thirds.
The Problem?
America, rather The World has a problem. Oil is drastically reducing in the amount available, yet what are we doing to make ourselves less dependent on it? How many trucks out there are using Oil to transport our goods? Every major highways has tons of trucks on it. These big trucks use a lot of oil and gas. This is a very inefficient way to produce food and products.
The Solution?
Did you know that we can now produce plastic from corn? Corn is a renewable resource. Renewable resources are the key here. Not only that, how much paper do we throw away? How much plastic do we throw away? What about metals? So much gets throw away or thrown on the sides of the road, it's not even funny. If everyone in America recycled what they could, we'd have less need to cut down trees, mine metals, and use oil to create plastic. The more and more people that use a certain product, the cheaper it becomes to make.
What about cars? How are we supposed to get to work?
Start investing in Hybrids, better yet, ditch the Hybrids all together and go electric. Electric cars aren't the greatest in the world, but they have come a long way. With a bit of shopping around, you can find an electric car that gets a decent amount of miles on it before you have to recharge it. If that fails you, move closer to town. In fact, move in town and buy local organic foods. It's a lot healthier for you and without a car to worry about, you'll be able to afford that Organic food. Not to mention, you'll be getting exercise, which is also good for you.
If you own a business and both you and your spouse drive, consider taking the same vehicle. At least that will cut down on emissions and use of gas/oil.
Will America Fall?
That's up to the American people. Are you going to continue to be dependent on Oil? Are you going to continue to let your government be dependent on Oil? This dependency on Oil is a major disaster waiting to happen. Sweden is way ahead of the game. What are we going to do? Wait until America falls and our currency is useless? You know how hard it's going to be to get that technology we need from Sweden then? Difficult to say the least. Sweden's goal is 2020 to become and entirely oil free country. Will they make it? They've got not even nine more years. We'll have to wait and see.
So, what's America's problem? Why are so many Americans still concerned with oil?
American's aren't even trying to reduce the gasoline that they use. Next time you are driving on a Major Highway, or Interstate, look around you at the people in the vehicles. How many four door Pickup Trucks do you see driving the roads with only one person in them? How many people do you see driving and they are the only person in the vehicle to begin with? This is a major problem. More and more people should be car pooling. Car Pooling would drastically reduce the amount of cars on the road and the amount of oil we use. If every car on the road had four people in it instead of only one, we could easily reduce the consumption of oi and the amount of cars by half. Possibly by two thirds.
The Problem?
America, rather The World has a problem. Oil is drastically reducing in the amount available, yet what are we doing to make ourselves less dependent on it? How many trucks out there are using Oil to transport our goods? Every major highways has tons of trucks on it. These big trucks use a lot of oil and gas. This is a very inefficient way to produce food and products.
The Solution?
Did you know that we can now produce plastic from corn? Corn is a renewable resource. Renewable resources are the key here. Not only that, how much paper do we throw away? How much plastic do we throw away? What about metals? So much gets throw away or thrown on the sides of the road, it's not even funny. If everyone in America recycled what they could, we'd have less need to cut down trees, mine metals, and use oil to create plastic. The more and more people that use a certain product, the cheaper it becomes to make.
What about cars? How are we supposed to get to work?
Start investing in Hybrids, better yet, ditch the Hybrids all together and go electric. Electric cars aren't the greatest in the world, but they have come a long way. With a bit of shopping around, you can find an electric car that gets a decent amount of miles on it before you have to recharge it. If that fails you, move closer to town. In fact, move in town and buy local organic foods. It's a lot healthier for you and without a car to worry about, you'll be able to afford that Organic food. Not to mention, you'll be getting exercise, which is also good for you.
If you own a business and both you and your spouse drive, consider taking the same vehicle. At least that will cut down on emissions and use of gas/oil.
Will America Fall?
That's up to the American people. Are you going to continue to be dependent on Oil? Are you going to continue to let your government be dependent on Oil? This dependency on Oil is a major disaster waiting to happen. Sweden is way ahead of the game. What are we going to do? Wait until America falls and our currency is useless? You know how hard it's going to be to get that technology we need from Sweden then? Difficult to say the least. Sweden's goal is 2020 to become and entirely oil free country. Will they make it? They've got not even nine more years. We'll have to wait and see.
The Stupidity of People - B.C.E. vs B.C.
Here we go again. It's stupidity at it's finest. Can you believe that people are still arguing over whether or not we should use B.C.E. which is now commonly excepted, or B.C. which is fading out?
Here's the deal. Christians are arguing that B.C. should be used instead of B.C.E. What is their argument though? I've seen very little evidence even supporting a good reason why we should. The thing is, Christians think that they are the right religion. The chosen religion. When Jesus himself specifically stated that God will choose from the twelve tribes. Or something like that. I can't even remember who said it, but it's in there.
What are the twelve tribes? Many people argue that they are the twelve tribes of Jesus. The twelve disciples that have set up their own churches. But, if you remember correctly, Judas betrayed Jesus. Can we really count someone who betrayed Jesus as having a church? If I'm not mistaken, the churches were started after Jesus died. Therefor, we can't count the original twelve disciples as the twelve tribes. Bit of a contradiction there isn't it? But, this post isn't about the bible, or Jesus for that matter. It's more about the closed mindedness of the Christian people.
Why all the fuss over a simple terminology? Personally, if you ask me, Christians don't rule the world, contrary to popular belief. Christians don't have the right religion. If they did, then everyone would see eye to eye.
In my personal opinion, I think that we should be using B.C.E. instead of B.C. simply because of the fact that we aren't all Christians. The thing is, they still basically mean the same thing. It's a time period before Christ. B.C.E. merely means, Before the Common Era.
Some people act like the word Era is a bad thing. All Era means is a fixed point in which a series of years is beckoned. For example, all through out history, people often use the word to describe a part of history. The Napoleonic Era is a period in the History of France and Europe. It is generally classified as the fourth stage of the French Revolution. (Taken from Wikipedia.)
So, instead of arguing over whether or not, we should use a this word instead of this word. Would that energy be better spent being more productive? Life is too short to not be productive. We could be spending that energy towards becoming less and less dependent on Oil for example.
Here's the deal. Christians are arguing that B.C. should be used instead of B.C.E. What is their argument though? I've seen very little evidence even supporting a good reason why we should. The thing is, Christians think that they are the right religion. The chosen religion. When Jesus himself specifically stated that God will choose from the twelve tribes. Or something like that. I can't even remember who said it, but it's in there.
What are the twelve tribes? Many people argue that they are the twelve tribes of Jesus. The twelve disciples that have set up their own churches. But, if you remember correctly, Judas betrayed Jesus. Can we really count someone who betrayed Jesus as having a church? If I'm not mistaken, the churches were started after Jesus died. Therefor, we can't count the original twelve disciples as the twelve tribes. Bit of a contradiction there isn't it? But, this post isn't about the bible, or Jesus for that matter. It's more about the closed mindedness of the Christian people.
Why all the fuss over a simple terminology? Personally, if you ask me, Christians don't rule the world, contrary to popular belief. Christians don't have the right religion. If they did, then everyone would see eye to eye.
In my personal opinion, I think that we should be using B.C.E. instead of B.C. simply because of the fact that we aren't all Christians. The thing is, they still basically mean the same thing. It's a time period before Christ. B.C.E. merely means, Before the Common Era.
Some people act like the word Era is a bad thing. All Era means is a fixed point in which a series of years is beckoned. For example, all through out history, people often use the word to describe a part of history. The Napoleonic Era is a period in the History of France and Europe. It is generally classified as the fourth stage of the French Revolution. (Taken from Wikipedia.)
So, instead of arguing over whether or not, we should use a this word instead of this word. Would that energy be better spent being more productive? Life is too short to not be productive. We could be spending that energy towards becoming less and less dependent on Oil for example.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Things You Must Do Before Traveling To A Foreign Country
People love to travel. Especially Americans. Americans put so much money into travel, but there are a few things that you need to do before you leave the country. This applies to anyone really.
- Get a Passport. This should be a no brainer. Should be the first thing you do. Months ahead of time.
- Pick up a phrase book or language program. Far too many Americans travel to a foreign country and expect them to be able to speak English. Contrary to popular belief, English is not a Universal language. At least learn enough of the language that you can get around, order food, tell time, count currency, and ask for directions. You'll be glad you did.
- Don't pack to heavy. You're not moving there, so don't pack the suitcase full of stuff you don't need. Want to take books? I've heard of people taking a Kindle with them on their travels to lesson the load of books. You don't need a weeks worth of clothing either. If you need more clothing, buy it when you get there. Only pack one bag and one carry on. You'll thank me later.
- Buy a map before you go. You'll be surprised how much time having the right map will save.
- When you finally get there. Don't be a typical tourist. The gems of the country are often found where the locals go. Want a good spot to eat? Ask a few of the locals.
Follow these few tips and your next trip will be much lighter and a lot more fun.
- Get a Passport. This should be a no brainer. Should be the first thing you do. Months ahead of time.
- Pick up a phrase book or language program. Far too many Americans travel to a foreign country and expect them to be able to speak English. Contrary to popular belief, English is not a Universal language. At least learn enough of the language that you can get around, order food, tell time, count currency, and ask for directions. You'll be glad you did.
- Don't pack to heavy. You're not moving there, so don't pack the suitcase full of stuff you don't need. Want to take books? I've heard of people taking a Kindle with them on their travels to lesson the load of books. You don't need a weeks worth of clothing either. If you need more clothing, buy it when you get there. Only pack one bag and one carry on. You'll thank me later.
- Buy a map before you go. You'll be surprised how much time having the right map will save.
- When you finally get there. Don't be a typical tourist. The gems of the country are often found where the locals go. Want a good spot to eat? Ask a few of the locals.
Follow these few tips and your next trip will be much lighter and a lot more fun.
Penne Arrabbiata - Original Italian Recipe.
This is why I love Italy. Such elegant dishes and easy to prepare. Yummy. Don't you just love Pasta?
This is not my recipe, but it's a good one. I love to share recipes.
This is not my recipe, but it's a good one. I love to share recipes.
Why I Want To Travel To The Maldives
The Sun, the surf, the beach, the crystal clear water. Nope, I'm not talking about the Bahamas. I'm talking about the Maldives. The Maldives is a series of Islands that makes up a small country in the middle of the ocean. Here are a few reasons taken from Wikipedia.
The Maldives consists of approximately 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls, along the north-south direction, spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometres, making this one of the most dispersed countries in the world. It lies between latitudes 1°S and 8°N, and longitudes 72° and 74°E. The atolls are composed of live coral reefs and sand bars, situated atop a submarine ridge 960 kilometres long that rises abruptly from the depths of the Indian Ocean and runs from north to south. Only near the southern end of this natural coral barricade do two open passages permit safe ship navigation from one side of the Indian Ocean to the other through the territorial waters of Maldives. For administrative purposes the Maldivian government organized these atolls into twenty one administrative divisions. The largest island of Maldives is Gan, which belongs to Laamu Atoll or Hahdhummathi Maldives. In Addu Atoll the westernmost islands are connected by roads over the reef and the total length of the road is 14 km (9 mi).
A layer of humus 15 centimetres (6 in) thick forms the top layer of soil on the islands. Below the humus layer are 60 centimetres (2 ft) of sandstone, followed by sand and then fresh water. Due to high levels of salt in the soil near the beach, vegetation is limited there to a few plants such as shrubs, flowering plants, and small hedges. In the interior of the island, more vegetation such as mangrove and banyan grow. Coconut palms, the national tree, are able to grow almost everywhere on the islands and are integral to the lifestyle of the population.
The limited vegetation and land wildlife is supplemented by the abundance of marine life. The waters around the Maldives are abundant in rare species of biological and commercial value, with tuna fisheries being traditionally one of the main commercial resources of the country. The Maldives have an amazing diversity of sea life, with corals and over 2,000 species of fish, ranging from reef fish to reef sharks, moray eels, and a wide variety of rays: Manta rays; Stingray; and Eagle ray. The Maldivian waters are also home for the whale shark.
And if that's not enough. Just check out the climate.
The weather in the Maldives is affected by the large landmass of South Asia to the north. The presence of this landmass causes differential heating of land and water. These factors set off a rush of moisture-rich air from the Indian Ocean over South Asia, resulting in the southwest monsoon. Two seasons dominate Maldives' weather: the dry season associated with the winter northeastern monsoon and the rainy season which brings strong winds and storms. The shift from the moist southwest monsoon to the dry northeast monsoon occurs during April and May. During this period, the northeast winds contribute to the formation of the northeast monsoon, which reaches Maldives in the beginning of June and lasts until the end of August. However, the weather patterns of Maldives do not always conform to the monsoon patterns of South Asia. The annual rainfall averages 2,540 millimetres in the north and 3,810 millimetres in the south.
There are multiple reasons for wanting to travel to the Maldives. Here are a few more.
The Maldives consists of approximately 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls, along the north-south direction, spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometres, making this one of the most dispersed countries in the world. It lies between latitudes 1°S and 8°N, and longitudes 72° and 74°E. The atolls are composed of live coral reefs and sand bars, situated atop a submarine ridge 960 kilometres long that rises abruptly from the depths of the Indian Ocean and runs from north to south. Only near the southern end of this natural coral barricade do two open passages permit safe ship navigation from one side of the Indian Ocean to the other through the territorial waters of Maldives. For administrative purposes the Maldivian government organized these atolls into twenty one administrative divisions. The largest island of Maldives is Gan, which belongs to Laamu Atoll or Hahdhummathi Maldives. In Addu Atoll the westernmost islands are connected by roads over the reef and the total length of the road is 14 km (9 mi).
The Maldives is the lowest country in the world, with a maximum natural ground level of only 2.3 metres (7 ft 7 in), with the average being only 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, although in areas where construction exists, this has been increased to several metres. More than 80 per cent of the country's land, composed of coral islands scattered over an area about 850 km across the equator, is less than one metre above sea level.[18]
The reef is composed of coral debris and living coral. This acts as a natural barrier against the sea, forming lagoons. Other islands, set at a distance and parallel to the reef, have their own protective fringe of reef. An opening in the surrounding coral barrier allows access to the calmer lagoon waters. The barrier reefs of the islands protect them from the storms and high waves of the Indian Ocean.
The limited vegetation and land wildlife is supplemented by the abundance of marine life. The waters around the Maldives are abundant in rare species of biological and commercial value, with tuna fisheries being traditionally one of the main commercial resources of the country. The Maldives have an amazing diversity of sea life, with corals and over 2,000 species of fish, ranging from reef fish to reef sharks, moray eels, and a wide variety of rays: Manta rays; Stingray; and Eagle ray. The Maldivian waters are also home for the whale shark.
And if that's not enough. Just check out the climate.
Climate
The Indian Ocean has a great effect on the climate of the country by acting as a heat buffer, absorbing, storing, and slowly releasing the tropical heat. The temperature of Maldives ranges between 24 °C (75 °F) and 33 °C (91 °F) throughout the year. Although the humidity is relatively high, the constant cool sea breezes keep the air moving and the heat mitigated.
There are multiple reasons for wanting to travel to the Maldives. Here are a few more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)