I used to be fat and MTV

I used to be fat. By my previous standards, I am fat again (but can at least blame this minor weight gain on having a baby). I was never particularly happy with my body but I never had a problem with who I am. I do, however, have a problem with the messages that are being sent by MTV.

MTV has a new show called "I used to be fat" which features recent high school graduates who want to lose weight and essentially try to become someone else before they start college. This sounds awful to me. I am all for self improvement and I feel strongly about being and living healthy but perpetuating the idea that if you are overweight you can not be happy is a serious bad move. We have a lot of issues with our American society but it really bothers me that there is no positive support for overweight, healthy people. I loved the movie "Real Women Have Curves" with America Ferrera but guess what-even she lost weight once she became a well known actress as did many other overweight actors and actresses. They all suggest that you will be left behind if you stay fat.

I understand wanting to lose weight and to look and feel good; I lost 49 pounds six years ago. The reason, however, had nothing to do with men, feeling or being attractive, or fitting in. I no longer felt comfortable, seeing as I had become shaped like a child's play block. Losing 49 pounds meant that I got down to a size 10, a size that is still considered to be too big for many women but I felt too small. Some friends commented that I looked odd and I felt odd. I gained a few pounds back over the year and started to look better. Most women would go into a downward spiral at that point. No one wants to address this obsession with size and fitting in. No one wants to address that men care less about how women look than most women are willing to admit. I had no shortage of male attention at any point in my life because I was happy, even when I was wearing overalls and I was shaped like a brick.

I feel that MTV is playing a huge part in the deterioration of self esteem in young people, even men. Is this new show supposed to give young overweight children hope that hey can lose weight? Maybe. It seems to me, though, to send the message that to be happy and successful you can't be fat. The show's tag-line blatantly says that they can "change who they are"- but why? Isn't college the time that you find out who you are, and why does who you are have to be tied to your body?

There is only one thing that I can support about this show but MTV does not mention this at all: the amount of fat cells that you have by the age of 21 is the amount you will have for the rest of your life. Here's one important thing to know about losing weight: you don't lose all those fat cells, you just shrink most of them. So losing a large amount of weight at a young age means there is a greater chance of keeping a lot of it off later in life with a minimal amount of effort.

Americans need to improve their health. Americans need to lose weight. Americans needs a better economy, need to stop blaming others and need to learn what true happiness is. However, at every turn there is someone with great influence ruining any true progress. I am going to watch the show and judge MTV and these poor kids in silence, and feel some sadness that these young people were never encouraged to find happiness within their normal and oversized bodies.

Random post partum junk

Non-cohesive. Just stuff. Make good use of it.

I rag on Louisiana because we've earned it. This isn't news anymore but just in case anyone missed it or thought that it wasn't important, HERE IT IS: Louisiana reneges on millions promised to school systems. Because Jindal wants to ensure that Louisiana stays stupid.

Do you like Death Cab for Cutie? I do. And Ben Gibbard is proud of his band's new album.

People drive and park like shit. Here's a site with printable cards you can leave those annoying offenders: You park like an Asshole. I would like to add a few other things to those cards, too...

In the ongoing war with snmartphones, here's a look at how users view each other.

Also, a really cool bluetooth keyboard for the iPhone 4. I hate typing on touch screens so this is awesome.

For those of us who can't find respectable jobs [because we live in Louisiana which sucks], there's a new theory about the economy and what our education ISN'T doing for us; some suspect that, with degrees, internships are now the new entry level position. I didn't want to hear any of this a year ago but now I understand that this is now the way to get a foot in the door for a job.

Think about this: Children in lesbian families may be emotionally better off than their peers.

I shall end with a gif of Lightsaber Woman!

It's the end of October and it's 87 degrees

The heat is making me delirious so the links are sporadic.

Let's save the planet! Scott toilet paper now comes without cardboard holders. I don't use Scott but I can appreciate what they're doing.

Know your politics! While some of this is a bit vague, the points are still true.

Meanwhile, let's examine how Americans don't grasp the large scale numbers in the country's budget and deficit. This is a helpful visualization and, before and Repubs start high fiving it, this also applies to the amount of money Obama is spending on healthcare. Mere pennies in comparison.

Target hates creative people, poor people, black people, and smart people. Ok, they really just want to sell their products but this is an interesting article about one of their Halloween ads.

I've always been grossed out by pumpkins, but these amazing carved pumpkins just makes it worse.

And in all seriousness, we can't get rid of Antoine Dodson. Now you can have his Bed Intruder App.


Now, I'm done, gimme some love!

Saints Sunday links

I've been told that I never say anything nice about the Saints and that's not true. I'm just a realistic fan. There's a real chance that they might do something stupid.

Helpful:

The people have spoken: NO MORE PHONE BOOKS!! Most people don't use them, and in my case, I can get as many as four of them. Now you can opt of out receiving them.

Need to find out where an image came from? Tin Eye reverse image lookup. There are some really cool search options popping up out there.

Some facts about sleep and a podcast showing, yet again, that
later school times lead to better performance

I've blogged about this before, so maybe this will be more helpful. When to use the word "literally". Thank you, The Oatmeal.

Fun:

Again, thanks to The Oatmeal for these things you do in e-mail that make me hate you.

The internet makes me regret a lot of things, but here's the best of Regretsy. Absurd creations.

The funniest news about a band: FORMER Weezer fans offer money for the band to call it quits.A LOT of money.

Bastard Thursday links

Whatever I give you is what you will take. I am so tired.

I'm tired of it, too. Three dimensional viewing is not fancy to me anymore. It's been around since I was a child and frankly, I'm tired of really dumb films coming out in 3D. It's actually, for me, harder to focus on and enjoy the film when it's in 3D (I kept taking my glasses off during "Avatar"). There are, however, apparently some things that are sacred, since Star Wars fans are unhappy about 3D plans. Good for them. Now, if we could only stop making BAD Star Wars films, we'd be set.

Pretentious non-grammarians like to correct the average speaker when on things such as "I feel bad" (a la Donald Trump, right) when that is correct. It's kind of funny that Americans like to try to appear intelligent by attempting to speak properly when they just sound silly when they don't follow proper grammar rules.I've got a great podcast from the Grammar Girl on flat adverbs, or rather, adverbs with no "ly". Read it so that you won't look like a jerk the next time you are tempted to correct someone.

First it was dolphins, now it's monkeys that have shown a capacity for self awareness. This should bring up some interesting conversations soon. There are also some interesting links at the end of the article. (Don't worry, chimps are just as idiotic as humans I mean ever (thanks for sharing)

Anderson Cooper apparently IS gay. Ok he's not, but he's in the works for a daytime talk show. Close enough.(Will he be the new Oprah?)

Scientists have found what should be a truly habitable planet. Don't go thinking that YAY we can keep trashing this planet. Because we can't.

Labor Day weekend links

I was saving a lot of these for a special occasion, which would be now.

I haven't had cable since February and now that I have it back, I have discovered a great VH1 countown called Undateable. It's a top 100 countdown of things a man could do to be labeled undateable. I LOVE that VH1 is as cynical as I am. They also keep me entertained on days when there's too much sun to go outside.

Fun links:

I hate stupid names but I am not the only one.

Douching isn't even good for you, and only nasty girls do it. So suggesting that if you want a raise, you have to douche, is taking it to the next level.

List of the Day: Fourteen inventions you could have thought of. Totally. Some, I wouldn't even call inventions. Then another Seven stupid products created by brands. People ought to be ashamed.

Important story suggests that standardized tests are biased against kids who don't give a shit.

Cracked: Six really creepy things slipped into kid's cartoons. REALLY creepy and inappropriate. Thanks to Netflix, I can stream them and watch them.

Nerd links:

Video of a fire tornado in Hawaii. ARMAGEDDON!!!!

How something feels affects thought.

Thinking about adding to the family? There may be no need. "Only child" syndrome may be a myth.

Everything else:

Paste Magazine is shutting down. How sad. They tried to keep things going but couldn't do it. I appreciated getting my new music every month and hope to continue to support them on their site.

We know you're lying, and so are we. The top 13 books people lie about having read. Some of us have been forced to read Cantebury Tales, but even a lit major hasn't read these.

Being a realist

I've got too many things to update and too little time before I have to leave to go to Florida. I can not organize links as I should, but here they be:

Grammar Hall Monitors take to the streets: a guy and his buddy go across the country correcting errors on signs. He's my hero.

Cut the optimism; you're being duped. Many companies resort to toying with your emotions to make more money.

They also think that you're too stupid toknow science fact from science fiction. And even while the average person wouldn't know much about some of these things, they shouldn't take advantage of that, either.

Who's going to protect you? A young girl's school used her as rape bait. Seriously.

Candidate for governor of George is crazy. Why's it always gotta be the South??

I had this link for tips on using Google Search but after some recent information about Google's deal with Verizon on Net Neutrality, I no longer feel a strong urge to support Google like I once did (and I am typing this from Firefox v3.5.11 instead of Chrome!) but the information is there.

Now, must prepare to hopefully make it to sunny Florida!

I HATE THE DRs

I do not mean my general practitioner or any other real doctor in my life. I mean the show "The Drs".I do take the word of my GP with a grain of salt; he is known to give free drug samples more than write prescriptions and at the beginning of my bronchitis, I was told to take Mucinex since I couldn't stay for my appointment to see the doctor (after having waited two hours). I advise every person to ask questions and to research things on their own time. Doctors are not infallible and there are often ulterior motives involved in the information they give you.

This show, The Doctors, is a panel of four good looking (in the opinion of some) doctors that spend an hour on TV promoting products and playing devil's advocate on topics that deserve serious attention.

I am not comfortable looking at "doctors" that are heavily made up (one of them looks like a less attractive George Hamilton) and are loud extroverts that say fake sounding things like "I love this show- I learn something new every day!". I hate you, Doctors.

Another issue that I have with the show is how they use the reality show dramatic cliffhanger by saying things like "a disease that can blind you AND YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE IT" before going to a commercial.
People are stupid. People are led into these traps very easily and are more than willing to be led. This show takes advantage of that in the worst way. They devote no more than about two minutes to each topic and a handful of them are important things to know- however, this segment about the a, u, and g spot was about two minutes long and the conclusion to that segment was "but it's most important to get to know your partner, not anatomy". Then what was the point in talking about it if you go on to explain that this will not work for every woman?

The organization of the show is set up to draw ignorant women in and then leave them knowing little more than when they began. That is not helpful, especially since these women are not likely to seek out further information. That is not the nature of our people, as has been proven through people's willingness to attach to conspiracy theories (Obama's not American, Billy Cosby is dead, etc). In a nation where people want to be spoon fed everything, people will take what they're given at face value. People trust doctors, a little more than they should, and these people are exploiting that trust. The only way for a person to not be exploited is to have knowledge.

Can we please get this show off the air? Next, Dr. Oz. Stop scaring people with shows like "The Rising Plague" and do something to actually improve the health of Americans.

ETA: This is the guy that America is taking health advice from:


Why is a doctor promoting diet instead of nutrition adjustments?

The cynism sinks in

While this is old news (I am just not keeping up with posting like I should), it still amused me tremendously: BP is bad at photoshop. A few days later, it was rumored that they'd struck again but that was a hoax. This, however, is real.

And, in staying with Slashdot and Louisiana news, schoolboard members act to make Intelligent Design a part of Science curriculum. Because Louisianians don't already have an ass-backward way of thinking. (By the way, without discussing my or anyone's beliefs, intelligent design does not have a place in science class. Making it have a place is a way to push the curriculum into public schools where otherwise it would be restricted to private and Catholic schools.)
To think, this is the focus, when Jefferson Parish schools are failing. School board members give themselves raises while laying off more than 200 hundred teachers. Good call!
This is, of course, due to the fact that Louisianians are the most sedentary people in the country.

Microsoft knows they suck. Microsoft is extending their free downgrade to Windows XP. I have considered this as I did not like Vista, but I have learned to deal. Windows 7, however, is my arch nemesis.

Hate Facebook as much as I do? Here's a video tutorial as to how to block games and apps.

People spend a lot of money to go to college and get marketing or design degrees only to end up making logos like this that just FAIL. Way to go!



Cool and nerdy and not cynical: An 18th century ship was found at WTC site

Unload!

Gotta make room!

I'm going to first start by mentioning the the scariest sound in the solar system (I would like to say 'universe' but I'm sure there are scarier sounds beyond our limits). Scientists have recorded the sounds of solar coronal loops- the giant magnetic flares that come from the sun's coronal atmosphere. They call it "music" but I call it "sounds of impending death".

To the ladies: Are your friends lying to you? Of course they are. Because you want them to. Quite a good article about how women handle relationships and the general decision to not hear the truth from those loved ones who should be the first to be able to tell it.

If you've become complacent with using PCs and Microsoft programs, you may need to pay attention. Apple is rising while Microsoft is slowly declining. It may be time to start learning to use other programs.Trust in Google :)

And finally, why I'll never be an adult. I was so surprised to find that this is exactly how my life goes. Then I was sad.

Then this made me happy. One of the best auto tune edits that I've heard. It's so worth it.

While this call isn't new, it's enjoying some new attention: Jimmy Dean complaint call. We all know that 12 oz of sausage just isn't enough. Even better? ultimately, they won. The 16 oz is back! I admit that watching those videos TOTALLY makes me want some JD sausage (without the T-bone, that is).

Yet more junk

Can I stop collecting it? No. But as long as I'm amused (or shocked!) I will keep posting it!

For instance, I am thoroughly shocked and appalled that there really is a sequel to Titanic in the making.
And apparently there will be severe earthquakes in Califonia and British Colombia, Canada. There may be something off with the guy and I'd feel really bad if there was, but it's still funny to listen to.
This is what is being called the The BP Fail Whale
At this very moment, I should be doing something important, but I'm not. And you're not, either. I love Pearls before Swine.
I am a sucker for teh cute. Kids and dogs make me happy.
Speaking of dogs, here are some fun life lessons we should learn from a dog. I wonder what life lessons from a cat would be like?
I really enjoy all of the Justin Bieber is a girl jokes.
This may be my new favorite way to jank people on Facebook: Openbook. You can keyword search and see people's updates using those words. YES. Now I know for sure that Facebook is stalkerific.

UNLOAD LINKS!

I have too much stuff that I need to unload. I have seriously slacked on the intellectual information but I will return with good stuff soon!

Bad cocaine can rot your flesh. Drugs 'r' bad, mmkay??

High cagefighter rips amigo's heart out. 'Cause DRUGS ARE BAD. Was this guy practicing for the real life Mortal Kombat?!

Probably not anything people haven't already discussed or written about, but I like that they share videos for their 20 best Seinfeld moments

My favorite local bartender shared these 86 rules for being a good bar patron. EVERY man under the age of 30 should know these.

I know that English is the hardest language to learn but Engrish is still funny. Really funny. I will adopt some of these 32 Engrish subtitle mistakes into my regular lexicon. "You ugly you look like your twelve year old turtle". Because you do.

Stuff that makes you and me cooler than everyone else:

Time lapse video of the Iceland volcano. It is really beautiful and amazing to see, especially now that it's over.

A fun optical illusion. Sometimes I don't lose all faith in the future of mankind.

Some facts about bacteria. It's good to know what's trying to kill you (the viruses will be the ones to succeed in killing you)

LISTEN UP! These are some really important FACTS ABOUT PETA that EVERYONE should know. The organization isn't this all good-serving, animal-loving peace-keeping company.

We are so fortunate but we mostly complain that we don't have more. Let's get a little perspective.

This hipster bullcrap needs to stop! A graphjam on Che Guevara shirts. If you don't know what he did, click that link. And if you're wearing skinny jeans when you do it, I hope you burst into flames.

Late and slow

My computer is being very slow so I can't get through my reader updates. Instead, I will share some of these more ridiculous links:

I am a HUGE fan of the recent Old Spice commercials (and an even bigger fan of the actor Isiah that is in one of them), so this cake amused me endlessly. I want to put my face in it.

Bret Michaels has endured many trials recently so in honor of him and his accomplishments, he has been honored. This amuses me endlessly.

List of the Day has some clips of a very funny site called My Ex Wife's Wedding Dress. 101 new uses for it.

I don't care much for Flash but Photoshop is still the best.

If you don't believe me, look at these user photos on Amazon. They amused me endlessly. Heh heh.

Thanks to my tech buddy for sharing this with me. Now all heterosexual men and homosexual women can properly learn CPR. This aroused me endlessly.

The site that could be most useful next to Google: What's that called. Want to know the name of that song on a commercial? Find it here! TV show? They can help! Now you don't have to be aggravated that your local Wal Mart sales associate can't help you pinpoint that song that's been stuck in your head all day.

Ten things that everyone should know about penis. This amuses me until about five inches. ;)

Get a laugh

New fun! http://shitmykidsruined.com/This site gives some of the best reasons for birth control...or just funny stuff that kids ruin

Do you like mash ups?Sometimes I do.

What some might call The Worst Wedding DJ, I'd call the most ballsy and insane.

What might be the funniest argument caught on tape

People make fun of you when you use incorrect English and grammar. I sure do.

NBC hates everyone. Not only are they cutting a bunch of shows (the details of which will be released on Monday), but THEY ARE GETTING RID OF HEROES. I can't stay the show was award winning but damnit I am tired of getting invested in a show and then it not making it to an ending.

In the latest round of "Why I hate Facebook", I have more articles about the privacy issues and the creator supposedly, well, looking down on his users

Black businesses fail to expand

A friend of mine linked me to an article about Black Dominican salons taking over the black hair salon industry.
I take such great issue with this that I am ranting. I am disappointed that the Black community has spent many years trying to get ahead by standing on someone else's shoulders. Countless people lower the standard for Blacks simply because we are Black. If anyone watched "Black Hair", there is evidence of countless salon owners who think that it is unfair for businesses run by other races to excel. That is the root of running a business. You have to compete and do better than everyone else. Here, yet again, the Black community is crying foul because the Black Dominicans do hair cheaper and seemingly better. That is truth. I refuse to pay hundreds of dollars to have my hair done in a kitchen, but that "stylist" sees nothing wrong with asking such high prices. Capitalism says that you lower your prices or lose your customers. Well, people, you're losing your customers.

I used to work with a Dominican girl who told me about this method of hair strengthening and I was excited and stupefied. She has hair just like mine, but it is healthy, long, and full of body. While the interviewed salon owners claim that the Dominican method of straightening does more damage to the hair than the standard chemical relaxer, I must say that my experience is that the Dominican hair I've seen is not nearly in the bad shape as all of the bald headed women who over process their hair.

People, straighten up! No one, in reality, owes a single other person on Earth a favor. I am waiting to see Black people step up and play on the same field as everyone else. It is maddening to know that because my standards are higher I'm a traitor and not supportive of Black people. I could rant on about "supporting Black businesses" and how people want all Blacks to buy from other Black small businesses exclusively (or as much as possible) and I refuse. Much like buying American cars, I'll buy your product when you show me its improved quality. Until then, it's time to figure out why everyone else's business is doing better.

Random Library

I have found a site that I am totally enamored with, yet it was a site that was not designed for me! The Library of Random Man Knowledge- Number 159: Communication with anyone, but especially your spouse or girlfriend requires not just listening, but interacting with what’s being said. Let your lady know you are putting yourself in their shoes and at are at least trying to contextualize their feelings. They will love you forever if you do this and you will have a better and more intimate relationship.
There are a ton of quotes and bits of advice all designed to revive the art of manliness. Which I think many of our guys today need help with. Ooh, like number 171. Cool things!

A few quick links

Nothing too serious this time. Reader has been overflowing but I can't face reading the articles just yet...

April Motivational Picture Roundup. All of those fantastic posters in one post.

Parents of teens are more oblivious than previously thought. Sex is NOT for other people's kids. Who do you think YOUR kids are doin' it with?!

Interview with the creator of the show 'Community'. I like it.

Engrish roundup. I bet they can find a lot of Asian errors here,too!

Random links

I was tempted to post some articles about the Stephanie Grace e-mail debacle, but it is so multi-layered and drama tinged that I decided against it.

Relationship advice-you should learn to ignore it.Funny stuff, but it's true. Rarely is the advice great, unless coming from a professional or someone who has nothing to gain from giving it. While I still read The Relationship Journal (for your sake, not my own HAHAHAHHA), I question whether or not the answers are in depth enough to really be of any help.

Facebook screws your privacy...YET AGAIN. This will most likely be fixed by the time anyone sees it, but I do still need to make my point that Facebook is awful, it sucks, and people are being screwed by it on a daily basis.

The most disgusting fair foods in America. Or possibly THE WORLD.

My last warning that tanning is bad. Maybe you'll listen to Cracked, but I have been trying to tell my fairer friends that darkening your ass isn't worth it. And also why it's just a phony money maker. Check out this reprinted history of WHY it's fashionable to be "tan". Now, if I can find a nice little article about why it used to be fashionable to be curvy...

10 things you didn't know Google Maps could do. Very helpful and makes me love Google even more.

To all of the people that think fat kids are cute, please reconsider: America's youth too fat to fight. In the military, that is. Maybe all of those disgusting fair foods are to blame.

Nerd stuff? I think so! 20 things you didn't know about viruses. I hope this also clears up some things for people who think that getting a flu shot means you won't get the flu.

The next X-Man will be directed by who? The dude that made "Kick Ass". Which is apparently an awesome movie.

Scammers -Festiva, FAMINU and Viniva

I have had many dealings in the online community in the last few years, be it from social communications, job searches and housing searches. That means that I have also had my share of experiences with scammers, even the Nigerians. This newest one, however, is going to hit and hurt a lot of people who, in this job market, are desperate for a job.
I applied for a position that was listed on Craigslist and received a reply e-mail within ten minutes, at 10:45pm. It was sent from a Blackberry which suggested to me that they had not even read my resume, but they were inviting me to interview the next morning. This came from FESTIVA RESORTS (http://www.festiva.travel/). I found this article during my skeptical search and was not interested in them even if there was a job. They are ripping people off with fake timeshares and I sure couldn't be a part of it.

The second company, or two companies, are a bit more serious. I sent another resume out from Craigslist and received a reply the next day, saying this:
Hello A*******,



Thank you for submitting your resume for our receptionist position.



We have been getting a lot of applications for this opening, but I am happy to let you know that I have reviewed your resume and it looks good.



Before I can set you up with the final interview, you need to complete a short personality screening, which can be found at our web site.


Your resume has been assigned with a personal application code which is: XXXXX



Please go to http://faminu.com/jobs/receptionist/ enter your code and complete the personality screening, so we can progress with the application process.



Thank you in advance and have a great day!



Best regards,

Jeremy Timmons

Faminu

I clicked the link and saw that it asked for a copy of my credit score and if I didn't have a copy to upload, I could click another link where I could obtain one (I don't know what happens when you click the link to get your credit score. It may have been spam or virus, who knows. I didn't click it).
I started searching again and found their site (http://faminu.com/), which offers no information, and I found the much more telling information on Whois. If you don't know Whois, you should. Unless you're an actual creepy stalker, so I won't tell you any more. But Whois gave this info. Basically the company is in the Bahamas, has been moved around the net and had been on several servers over a short amount of time. Without the Whois information, it would have been harder to get info on Faminu because they are a coverup for another company called Viniva, which has been targeted for scamming before. People were sent the exact e-mail that I got, but from Viniva.

Also, for those in New Orleans area, there are often posts on Craigslist warning about job offers from Bruno Inc, a real estate company. He has been scamming home buyers and even companies- at some point he sold an apartment complex in Metairie that he didn't own. He operates under a few other company names, but they're usually listed together. So I would also suggest being cautious about renting from him/his company as well as any job offers he has.

I advise that everyone be cautious when using online resources and pay close attention to the information you receive from smoeone. If you feel like something's wrong, chances are, it is.

Funny stuff

People are stupid. People are funny. Here are some examples:

Which performance are we worried about him enhancing? FAIL.
Marina Abramovic made me cry. If you even know who that is, yay for you. But this is one of the weirdest things that other people seem to think is normal.
Awesome Chatroulette screencaps. I thoroughly enjoyed.
Sometimes SNL has some random gems and something funny pops up,like this video for "Single Ladies".
Funny GIF animations. I think they're all real, and they're worth a chuckle.

Important in the news

Let's get shocking!

Bring your gun to church day!Proposed bill will allow concealed guns at church, but of course at the discretion of the minister. Yeah.

California takes the fun out of fast food. I think it's great that California tries to be progressive, but if you want to talk about losing freedoms or governments taking over (that goes out to all those folks that like to say Obama is a Socialist), California is leading the race. They are now banning fast food places from giving toys with kids meals that are over 485 calories, in an attempt to curb fat kids' desire to eat fat kids food. Because that is the REAL problem. */sarcasm*

NASA image of the oil slick off the coast of Louisiana. It is being proposed that they just set the slick on fire.

Ok, a little less shocking:

A book I'd recommend:Fifty Dangerous things You Should Let Your Kids Do. I agree that parents have become over-protective worry warts that don't allow their children to be free to scrape their knees or get Chicken Pox. Let your kid stick his finger in a fan-the blades will stop, it won't cut his finger off. I know a guy who electrocuted himself three times before the age of ten, ate dog food and stuck red beans in his ears and he is quite the normal adult. Here's a PDF of item 46.

Instructional diagrams for socially inept people. I wish they'd picked more. There are so many more lessons for people to learn.

New Fall shows that might not suck

Is this a Dutch movie?

I don't have cable anymore and find myself watching World programming. And sometimes reading articles.

Phil Collins makes Motown covers album. Let's talk about this, please? Have a healthy discussion about why this can't happen? Several other artists have attempted this and it ends badly. The kind of voice that Collins has is just SURE to make this album a mess.

Review of Theresa Andersson's live DVD. She's a New Orleans favorite and I must say that I respect her and her creativity tremendously. Everyone should giver her a listen, just once.

F.Scott Fitzgerald is a hit. A movie adaptation of Tender is the Night will feature Matt Damon and Keira....that chick.

Six ways for teens to lose distractions. I think this would be more suited for parents of teens who can "remove" these distractions for them, more than asking a teenager to give them up willingly.

20 things you didn't know about digestion and sugar.

Car commercials suck

AKA Why I Love My Yaris

I have been deeply annoyed recently with the new Ford commercials that prod people to "swap their ride" or whatever the promotion is. They ask a HONDA driver to get behind the wheel of a Ford and expect ME, as a viewer, to believe that she really loved that POS Ford more than her HONDA. HONDA is one of the three top car companies. Hondas are so good that I couldn't find a used Accord or Civic last year when I was car shopping. Nowhere in Southeast Louisiana. People don't get rid of Hondas because HONDAS NEVER DIE. My sister is still driving her manual Accord coupe from 1999 (although she also has a nice Lexus to troll the city in). My Dad has a 2004 Accord that he bought a companion 2010 Accord for as his retirement car. I don't think anyone who has owned a Honda is going to be swayed by a bluetooth phone system or parallel parking system. As a note to anyone looking to buy a car- the more bells and whistles a standard quality car has (like bluetooth), the less reliable and lower quality the car is. They want to distract you from the shit falling off the car.

Toyota is another one of those top three car companies. This was a huge factor in why I bought one. I couldn't afford a Prius, but I'd rather the lower end of a high performing car company than anything from a low performing company (CHEVY CAN SUCK IT!!!) Last week I was shown just how trusty my tiny Toyota is (who is nicknamed "Pip the Pirate" because he's a YARRRRis):


I was rear-ended by a Toyota Landcruiser which is so big that I could fit my Yaris inside of it. Toyota;built Ford tough. He had not even a scratch. I was told by the adjuster that most cars would buckle in the middle behind the front and back doors, which would cause serious structural damage. My trunk crumpled like an aluminum can but there was no damage to anything but it and the bumper. I could have been screwed with a totaled out car but instead I am driving a CHEVY COBALT while my car is being repaired. Ford, Chevy, you can all eat dirt while me and my Toyota keep cruising with my super awesome gas mileage. I've had the Cobalt for less than a week, have been nowhere but to school on Wednesday and to work on Thursday and I have already used half a tank. Oh, Chevy, you can suck it. Make better cars and you wouldn't have to lie to try to sell yours.

Shortcut info for healthcare and thensome

I have been linked to two good sites that have the healthcare reform broken down into easy to understand terms. Many sites aren't easy to grasp, and are STILL skewed away from certain facts that have already been clarified. So I'll share these two:

Reuters offers info in a year by year breakdown so that it is easy to see what changes will come and when.

PoliticFact Top 10 things you should know about these changes.

Also, for those that still like to use words like "socialist" and "unconstitutional", I'd like to provide THIS.

Keeping with my previous hippie post, I also wanted to include the video for The Story of STUFF. It is 20 minutes long but goes much more in dept than the others and is really important for consumers to understand just how they have been puppetted in the last sixty years. So the next time my friends come over and make fun of my tube TV or old laptops, printers and stuff, they'll shut the hell up because they will now know why I haven't fallen for the banana in the tailpipe with being a greedy consumer.

A few things to know about bottled water

This is a very well done video that warns people of becoming obsessed with the bottled water movement. I hate the bottled water movement, and have been drinking tap water all of my life (save occasions where I need water and a fountain is not available and buying a bottle is about my only option). There are a lot of other things that could be included in the video but then it would be a two-hour long Michael Moore movie.

http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/

Give it a quick look, and maybe take a second to consider what you might able to do differently.

My birthday and things I love

So today is my birthday and one of my gifts to myself has been to chronicle one of my favorite things: The Todd's high fives from "Scrubs". There are eight seasons (I do not count this new season of "Scrubs: Med School" as anything other than garbage) and a lot of quotes. At some other time when I'm bored and I still don't have cable I may do a collection of all the girl's names that Dr. Cox calls JD. But for now, I will share this that I have collected.

Season 1

No real "High fives"

Season 2

Ep 21: “My Drama Queen”- “Air Five”

Ep 22: “My Dream Job”- “Self Five”

Season 3

Ep 2 : “My Journey”- “Mental Five”

Ep 4: “My Lucky Night”- “Sterile high five”

Season 4

Ep 11: “My Best Moment”- “Miracle Five”

Ep 12 : “My Ocardial Infarction”- “Face Five”

Ep 21 : “My Lips Are Sealed” –“Fist Five”

Ep 24: “My Drive By” –“Assisted Five”

Ep 25: “My Changing Ways”- “Make it Stop Five”

Season 5

Ep 1: “My First Day”-“Euphemism Five”

Ep 2: “My Rite of Passage” –“Betrayal Five”

Ep 16: “My Bright Idea” -“Breast stroke five”

Season 6

Ep 9 : “My Perspective” - “Cyber Five” / “Duct Tape Five”

Ep 10: “My Therapeutic Month” - “Weenie Roast Five”

Ep 13: “My Scrubs” – “Somethin’ Might Be Wrong Five”

Ep 14: “My No Good Reason” – “Skeptical Air Five”

Ep 17: “Their Story” -“Unfair Five” / “Internal ‘uh oh’ Five”

Ep 19: “My Cold Shower” – “It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all Five”

Season 7

Ep 8: “My Manhood”- “Entire Coffeebucks Five”

Ep 10: “My Waste of Time” – “Ice Fishing Five”

Ep 11: “My Princess”- “Fairy Five” / “Still Can High Five? Five”

Season 8

Ep 4: “My Happy Place”- “I can feel little JD five”

Ep 5 : “My ABC’s”- “Grover Five” / "I just pulled down your pants Five"

Ep 7: “My New Role” -“Disrespecting Nurses Five”

Ep 12: “Their Story II” - “Welcome to the Team Five” / “Quiet Down Five”

Ep 13: “My Full Moon” - “Are We Clear Five” / “I’m sorry Five” (Turk)

Ep 14: “My Soul on Fire Pt 1” – “Cardboard Five”

Ep 15: “My Soul on Fire Pt 2” – “High Tide Five”

Ep 19: “My Finale Pt 2” – “Goodbye Five”

I advise everyone to get to know and love Scrubs. Everything that you ever need to know about life is on this show.

The sexiest musicians I've ever seen

I was driving home tonight and a particular song made me think of the first time I saw that band, and just how exciting the show was. I thought I'd write about the sexiest artists, local/unsigned and national/famous,that I've ever seen live.




Aaron Marsh of Copeland: He first made me sweat when I saw him at The Parish last year. The band had been bestowed upon me by Jeffery because my snobbery prevented me from listening to them when I first caught wind of the name years ago. Aaron's voice may not be for some, but I like it, and seeing him, doubly hot on stage in a green sweater, made the back of my knees sweat. He's a very passionate musician and lyricist and I can't dare scoff at that.






Thom Yorke of Radiohead: There are a million things to say about the miniature, lazy-eyed lover boy, but one thing many people might not say is that he is sexy. I had the pleasure of seeing Radiohead at the UNO Lakefront Arena in October 2003. I wouldn't say that prior to this show I would have described Thom Yorke as sexy, but as another passionate musician and one who glides across the stage, he just did it for me. "Hail to the Theif" then had a whole new meaning.



Me'shell Ndegeocello: I had a hard time even picking a picture of her, as she is just beautiful while standing still. But this tiny bass playing dynamo already had my heart in 1993 with "If that's your boyfriend", but it wasn't until I saw her at HOB in December 2001 that I fell in love all over again. She doesn't play bass for most songs when she's touring, but the woman exudes soul, passion and sensuality with every breath. Even when she was being vulgar (noting that she is bisexual and sometimes just needs some dick), she was just hot. It's a shame that I cried when I met her after the show.






Travis Shuler of The Public: One of my favorite local bands, I've been captivated by The Public for more years than I can recount. Dear Travis stands out in a crowded room full of hipsters with his black suits and piercing blue eyes. Yet, he is a tremendously nice guy. His brooding lyrics fit the front man persona just so, and I am not embarrassed to say that watching him on stage makes me go all little girl wobbly.





















Mark Mullins of Bonerama: New Orleans is well known for its Brass bands, but my all time favorite is Bonerama. They aren't just a classic Brass band, but take trombones, a guitar and a drumset and rock you with funk, jazz, soul and sex. Mark is the lead trombonist, singer and writer, and he gyrates on stage in a way that a man with a trombone just shouldn't.
















Honorable mention goes to Brandon Boyd of Incubus, whom I first saw at State Palace in 2001. That one's obvious.

Least sexy goes to Scott Weiland, post drug addiction. I saw STP at State Palace in 2000 or 2001, when he was fresh out of rehab. The rehab diet isn't sexy on anyone, I think.

I must note that somehow, most of these people are short. I guess they just look larger than life on a stage.

Silly links and pet peeves

What's my pet peeve? It isn't so much a grammar lesson as it is a common sense lesson. Or two.
First, using the word "literally" correctly. We know what it means, right? The Merriam Webster definition of 'literal': adhering to fact or to the ordinary construction or primary meaning of a term or expression/ ACTUAL/ free from exaggeration or embellishment (though the definition of "literally" states that the misuse I'm going address is a form of hyperbole-yet the misuers are not aware of this supposed meaning)
Yet, despite this, the definition is lost when people use such phrases as "After the workout with Bob, where he literally killed me, I realize that I can do every single thing that I didn't think I can...". So, is the author writing from the dead? No, of course not. It peeves my pet to hear people say and write such things. They don't realize that they're doing it, either.
It is possible to exaggerate without misusing such a word. Can we start doing this, please?

My second pet peeve is incorrectly saying "I could care less". In a short explanation, this is wrong because the speaker implies that they must care a little, because there is less caring that they could do. The correct phrase would be "I couldn't care less" because if you truly do not care at all, there is no less caring you could do.

And then there were links:

Passive aggressive kids notes of the day. Ah, from the minds of youth.

Things everyone should know about the female orgasm. This is a great addendum to the video presentation in my last links post.

Let's walk the cat. As funny as this is, I'm glad my cat actually walks on a harness.

Ice T WIN. Thanks, Failblog.

How to travel for less. This isn't necessarily how I like to travel, but it might be suitable for some.

Proof that The Learning Channel isn't teaching anyone anything anymore. Thanks, Cracked.

The Color of Love

On 2/17/10, I read and responded to an article on The Relationship Journal because I think people really should address this because it is a real issue in dating in America.

Mikko,
Hey, I'm a long time reader and have kept up with a lot of the helpful articles that you have written. I'd like to ad my opinion of the topic of interracial/intercultural dating. I think that race should be removed from the equation; here's why: race does not at all determine what kind of relationship you will have with a person. Aside from stereotypes, there is no need to believe it. Now, if a man has a preference for blondes, does that mean that all blondes will be self centered in relationships? No. Nor does it mean that any individual of a race or culture will act stereotypically. We should ALWAYS be understanding and respectful of other's cultures, regardless of dating. In this, we should only ever consider race.
There is rarely a focus on meeting the right type of person; people just aren't asking themselves and being true to what they want in a relationship. Do they want someone who will be a responsible mother or father? Do they want someone is financially responsible? Someone who is laid back, free spirited, Type A...these are all types of things that affect how a relationship works, and all people, regardless of race, carry these characteristics. When you remove race and culture from the equation, you add thousands more eligible singles to your dating pool.
We are individuals, and I personally want to be addressed as one, and would not want any potential mate to decide the fate of our future based on a physical characteristic or cultural differences. Should a guy from Michigan who's never eaten grits not date a girl from Georgia because she has? That's about how silly it all sounds to me.

Mikko had a great reply (which you can read at the link above), but I wanted to further inquire about people's perspectives on interracial dating and also to further clarify what my point is.

Well, what is my point?
I don't like the idea that we have to be OVER sensitive to other races and cultures; that actually leads to opposite stereotyping and misconceptions. But general race issues aren't what I'm addressing. I am addressing how we view other people from other races as different, when we really are the same. Our cultures may lead to subtle differences to large ones (say, if a white man marries and traditional Hindi woman), yet those aren't where issues actually come from. The idea that we simple CAN'T date other races because they are too different is the problem.
We aren't all that different. There are white people, black, asian and hispanic people that can all find similar interests and personality types. And THAT'S what we're supposed to be looking for in a relationship, right? So why is it so impossible to expand those options to include other races if they are still sharing interest and have compatible personality types? That is where the emphasis should be in all relationships anyway.
It really won't matter if your black girlfriend doesn't want to go into the pool if she is a caring and supporting partner. See what I mean?
Opening up your options by expanding your social circle can make a big difference. I should know.

Getting down to business with some links.

I hoard links and save them for later. I don't have a ton, but I need to unload these from my browser before it crashes.

The coolest presentation you'll ever see: 10 things you didn't know about orgasm. The presenter is just as entertaining as the slideshow.

20 funniest figure skating faces. Of course, in honor of the Olympics.Number 2 just does it to me.

Take this test!Commonly misused words. There is an answer key here with some great explanations, too.

the best diet information you'll ever read with a side order of Six of your favorite things that will make you fat It's amazing how many people know so little about...everything.
Like this:
New ways to make people lamer, dumber, and more lame. Some butt-wipe of a pediatrician wants to make HOT DOGS LESS DANGEROUS. FOR CHILDREN. See, adults and children alike are at risk of involuntary suicide because of their high levels of stupidity. The article explains that only 17% of choking incidents are even caused by hot dogs...so WHY should we change a delicious and awesomely phallic food for 17% of people? My favorite quote from the article is this: "No parents can watch all of their kids 100% of the time," Smith says. "The best way to protect kids is to design these risks out of existence.". That's right, dumb the world down its lowest common denominator. Rather than, you know, be a responsible parent. Or halfway intelligent human being.
In honor of this, my friend also linked to Stupid Warning Labels and other idiotic warnings.
I'm a cynic, I'm a realist, and I don't think ANYTHING should come with a warning. You should be tough and figure it out yourself and if you die, then hello natural selection.

But I do like this video and song which may have been ripped off by this other band I kinda like. Very different types of music, similar video. I think I like them both.

Short and sweet!

Just a couple of cool sites to bookmark:

A very long list of commonly misused English words. Read it. You'll find something on there that you need.

(I am not shirking my responsibility as the Grammar Hall Monitor, as my sister so lovingly called me; I will return to my grammar tips soon)

Astronomy picture of the day!. As shared to me by Angie, you can look at NASA's archive of amazing photos.

How to connect your laptop to your hi-def TV. Now, if you're still in the stone ages like me and have a tube TV set (don't laugh, I like it and I've had it for 16 years or something), this won't help you. I have been searching for the right cables to hook a hi-def laptop to a standard TV/entertainment center. Any suggestions?

Cracked

I can't stop. I can't help it! Cracked.com feeds into two of the biggest parts of my personality: my twisted sense of humor and my love of nerdy knowledge. So I am sharing some of my favorite, most recent Cracked articles. Keep in mind, this is all truth (some of which I've already read about on SciAm or Discovery Mag), and take in all of this glorious knowledge.

Six ways your brain love to screw with you

Six logical fallacies that can ruin you

What can you do about this, you may ask?

Five ways to hack your brain into awesomeness

And yes, Kramer DID do that in an episode of "Seinfeld".

As an addendum to #1 on "How to hack your brain", the reason that this is possible for you to even do to yourself is because memories are maleable. We think of memories as being solid facts in our brain and, once they are stored, they often are-until you recall them. They become pliable once you recall them (say, for instance, remembering something someone wore at a big event). There is a split second in memory recollection where it is subject to changes and you can even forget it forever. So if you tried to remember if the hot waiter at your best friend's wedding was wearing a blue tie or a black one, the moment you introduce uncertainty, your brain starts to re-write the event. You can no longer remember the true fact the next time you think of it, or you may all together believe it was black when it was really blue, simply because you changed the data the last time you recalled the memory. Reality is not 100% perception...

Grammar Correction of the Day

LOSE vs. LOOSE

It's quite the common and understandable error to make, especially while typing, but it stumps me that I never see anyone mistake "desert" and "dessert". We take our after dinner snacks seriously, I suppose.
The difference between "lose" and "loose" is that "to lose" is a verb, while "loose" is an adjective. To lose an item means that is cannot be found, is misplaced, or out of sight. And item can be loose when it is over-sized, ill-fitting and not tight. One way to remember the difference is the extra "o" in loose; think of it as being too much, like too much fabric in a loose fitting shirt.
It would be a good idea to get fit, but don't lose too much weight or your clothes will be too loose!

Slagathor

Is Indie dead?. I hope so, and I hope that they take the skinny jeans with 'em.

Want to know more about your favorite artists? New file format will include more information than just songs.

Does a lack of control in your life make you more paranoid?. Studies say YES.

Wanna read a good book? Read the first chapter of Hear no Evil by Mark Paul Turner (and you can buy the book here)

Set the ray to Jerry

My love for actors named Zac runs so deep: he's the best one yet.

How good is your processed food? A short video on how the processed foods are costing us more, and not in the pocketbook.

Conversely, big business wants you to stay away from healthy. Oranic coffee growers are being forced out of business.

Yes, the sarcasm font is in production. If you were like me and thought it was a rumor, then you were wrong.

Is Facebook selling your privacy?. Facebook founder says that people view privacy differently than they used to, and Facebook is adapting to those changes. This article will help you protect your privacy.

In the vein of Tupac, Jimi Hendrix is set to release a new album

Director of '500 days of summer', Marc Webb, is signed on to direct the next Spider Man movie. While '500 Days' was great, this non-Tobey Spiderman world is at high risk...

Funny animal photobombs. Make sure to watch the video at the end.

Yes, we met online. There seems to be an explosion of online dating as more adults feel the pressure to mate up.

Girls are NOT math incapable. Teachers may be influencing young girls to believe that they are gender biased to be bad at math when they are not. Article includes a link to a podcast study that shows that girls are just as good at math as boys are.

Being bilingual can help make better problem solvers

Pregnancy brain is real. Men, take note. Your girlfriends and wives aren't crazy; their brains have rewired to make them the best mothers and protectors that they can be.

This ain't no BoyzIIMen covers album. It could be the best covers album we'll ever hear.

Ain't it cool? Ten songs inspired by Virgina Woolf.

Grammar Correction of the Day

APOSTROPHES.

Somewhere our brains lost track of not only the grammar rules but what looks correct. People have a tendency to throw apostrophes all over the place but the rules of useage are not hard.
Apostrophes are NEVER used to pluralize words; only, in fact, to replace a letter that has been omitted, as in a contraction like "doesn't", which omits the "o" in "not", or to show possession as in "Mary's dog", which expresses that they dog belongs to Mary. If you're not sure, figure out if you are talking about more than one thing or relating that object to something else. "The other CHAIRS are in the garage, but this CHAIR'S cushions need to be cleaned!"

There are some great tips that I refer to here at the Grammar Girl's website, and quite the funny picture description here: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apostrophe

Welcome to the New Year-How to keep your resolutions

New Year, new decade, new you. Most people approach a new year as a chance to make changes in themselves and their lives, which is a great way to make change. However, the notion of making resolutions often leaves a loophole and a way to leaving those aspirations behind. I believe that resetting goals is the real way to see change, but for those that have decided on their New Year's resolutions, here is an article to help stick to those new year/new decade resolutions.

Zen Habits:sticking to your resolutions. These are all really great steps to turn a resolution into an achievable goal.

Welcome to the new year!