Ode to Coffee

My love affair with coffee began one fateful evening in Minnesota while attending a small concert/talent show at a coffee house. I had been up all night driving, and being the young adventurous 17yr old that I was, I did not want to miss out on the night's activities, so I did what anyone in my place would have done, and downed a cup of that bitter, brown liquid, and enjoyed my night!

Nearly 6 years and approx. 4,500+ cups of coffee later, not only do I drink coffee religiously (addiction.....?), but I've worked at Starbucks, and am a regular advocate of its benefits.

Where did it come from? Coffee was discovered nearly 1200 years ago when (according to legend) Ethiopian shepherds noticed that when their goats ate the berries of a certain plant, they started jumping around madly, with increased levels of energy. So of course one thing led to the other and coffee is now one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world.


Why do I enjoy coffee? Well if you're a fan of zombie movies like I am, you're familiar with the behavior and mannerisms of the walking dead. Plainly stated, that is me in the morning. Communication is limited to Frankensteinian grunts and my level of motivation would be frowned upon by even the laziest of sloths. So needless to say, a strong cup of joe is required to give me that kick-start into consciousness and raise my self-awaredness to the minimum level required to distinguish humans from animals.

Other benefits of coffee? Oh sure they exist, but I doubt there is anyone that actually lists them for any other reason than to excuse their addiction. The health benefits of coffee seem to fluctuate according to whatever study is currently popular, but it is generally accepted that regularly consuming coffee (well, caffeine) helps prevent Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and Gout (my favorite!). It also contains antioxidants that help prevent free radicals from causing cell damage.

Dis benefits of coffee? There are none! Okay, maybe a few. But we prefer not to speak of them, it's bad luck. Except for yellow teeth, bad breath, and possible withdrawal symptoms, and maybe some heart burn, the down side of regular, moderate consumption of coffee is pretty low.

So that's it. That's why I love coffee and you should too! It gives me the energy to enjoy life, pass exams, and it gives me an excuse to hang out at coffee shops (where I'm currently writing this).

DC's Tyrannical Gun Ban over!

I don't have much to say, I'm just happy this 30yr old unconstitutional law has been overturned by the Supreme Court (doesn't go much higher than that), if you are a crazy tree hugging hippie and disagree with me, please see my previous post Guns Make America Safe before leaving angry comments.

full story

New I-Phone 2.0..... is Stupid

It's funny, (almost) every Tuesday at lunch I sit at my computer and search the net for some great Stupid Video to share, and without fail, I never have to look very long.... There's so much stupid stuff online, it's great!

Today's video is about a guy getting a pre-release of the new IPhone 2.0 that's supposed to come out this summer.

Enjoy!

Odd, Funny, Strange Presidential Candidates

Here are some 2008 Presidential Candidates that haven't been getting nearly as much press coverage as the three I refuse to mention (you know, those three whose names rhyme with Killary, Osama, and McBain, that's right, Simpsons reference)


1. Jackson Kirk Grimes

Platform:
"abolishing Christianity and replacing it with classical Roman Paganism fused with the political system of Fascist Italy.

Things of Note:

• Director and CEO of the United Fascist Union
• Mussolini and Saddam Hussein are his political heroes
  
• Three time U.S. Presidential Candidate (he surprisingly didn't get elected the first two times, but there's still hope in Nov...)
  

Most Endearing Feature:
That warm feeling he gives you, reminiscent of listening to your grandfather tell stories next to the fireplace, when he's sitting at his desk, in a nazi military uniform, wearing black leather gloves, with an inverted pentagram on the wall behind him... (here's a video of him, I'm not just making this up).


2. Frank Moore

Platform:

He actually has a serious platform, it leans more toward socialism, with a 10% tax on anyone making under $1 mil, and 75% tax on people over $1 mil, everything else is a little extreme, but nothing I haven't heard before.



Things of Note:
If you haven't figured it out yet, Frank Moore is a satirist/performing artist, but unfortunately not a very funny one, at least not with this campaign. And the video isn't really an act, he has cerebral palsy, which doesn't allow him to walk or talk, so maybe the offer to speak at events, which he announces on his website is part of the joke?

Most Endearing Feature:
Despite his disability he "has written books; has directed plays; has directed, acted in, and edited films; regularly gives poetry readings; plays piano; sings in ensemble music jams; and continues to lead bands in hardcore punk clubs up and down the west coast."


3. Gene Amondson

Platform:
Prohibition Party's Nominee, so he's against the liquor industry, (he sure isn't going to get the Cubs Fans vote....). That's it, his whole platform, apparently stopping liquor sales will solve all of our domestic issues, and will write our foreign policy, healthcare, protect us from terrorists, and end our dependence on foreign oil....

Most Endearing Feature:
He likes to impersonate Billy Sunday, a famous preacher who fought the liquor industry, but it gets better, he also likes to dress up as the Grim Reaper and hold demonstrations..... once again, I just couldn't even start to make this stuff up.

Gene Amondson as 'Death'

4. John Taylor Bowles

Platform:
Bowles states that he is "the white people's candidate," also he wants "the orderly deportation of all non-whites to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. White American soldiers would be recalled from overseas duty and be placed on the Southern border so they can stop the invasion of illegal aliens from Mexico.

Most Endearing Feature:
Just look how cute he is sitting there crossing his arms, he's like a little baby Hitler! I just want to go pinch his cheeks!

Random Firefox Shortcut

Use Firefox? Have a widescreen monitor and sometimes want some more viewing area? Try hitting the F11 key (for PC's anyways, don't know about you mac owners). I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Pandora Internet Radio Review

I had been listening to my custom station on Slacker (internet) Radio for nearly a year now, but they recently started to play ads in between songs, so of course they had to go. I don't mind visual ads around the player, but if I want commercials I'll listen to old fashioned radio.

My buddy at Nigzich Nutrition and Fitness recommended Pandora internet radio, and I must admit I like it, a lot.

First let me state what I like about Slacker over Pandora, and then I'll rant about Pandora.
Slacker Pros:

• Ban artist feature
• Adjust how many artists are recommended
• The ability to make exclusive stations
• Can add comedians
  

Cons:

• Ads
• Poor variety
  
• Radio times out when left inactive
• Slacker portable is just lame
• Premium features are constantly dangled in front of you, why don't you understand that not wanting to pay for radio doesn't make me cheap!

Now on to Pandora

Pros:

• No audio ads
• Simple intuitive navigation
• Station sharing with friends and messaging (I know it's a marketing ploy, I don't care)
• Approval and disapproval of songs
• Snooze option allows you to disable a song for a month, I really like this feature
• The Human Music Genome Project really does learn what you like and ends up playing some great music as a result
• The ability to purchase songs or albums on iTunes or Amazon
  

Cons:

• Can't ban artists, only songs
• Can't build exclusive stations that ONLY play a limited number of artists
• Also times out after a span of inactivity

I'm very pleased with it, there have been several times where it plays a song and my reaction is, "I LOVE this song, and I totally forgot that it existed!"