REMEMBER 2 SMILE

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Review: Vitamin Water Zero DRIVE


          As per request (DCO, you know who you are), this is a tribute to the greatest Vitaminwater flavor to date: blood orange-mixed berry.  Appropriately named, Drive immediately jumps out to the average Vitaminwater connoisseur because unlike most of its counterparts, the delicious beverage's color does not match that of its blue label.  Following a thorough inspection of said label, I was very intrigued.  Zero calories; always a win.  A plethora of vitamins, electrolytes, and natural flavors; "delish" (as the the kids now say).  Then it hit me.  The only thing that could seemingly make this drink better ... caffeine!  The nectar of the gods keeps this flavor party raging on until the last drop hits your lips.  The naturally-derived caffeine from yerba mate and coffee beans is the crowning achievement of the Drive variety.  Now I've always been a fan of any orange, and no amount of randomly-mixed berries could screw this up, could it?    
          I'll admit, I was still a tad bit skeptical before my first sip, but then my taste buds were slathered in happiness for the next ten minutes while they indulged themselves in the concoction.  I'd like to think the previously-mentioned flavor party played out something like this:

"Ayo, Miss Berry, can I have this dance?  Can I have it?!"
-Orange, please.  NO.
"Ahh come on now, my boy DJ Caffeine has this place in a tizzy right now!"
-DJ Caff?!  The one who's down with the yerba and the beans?!  LEGGGO!!!

Resuming seriousness now: buy this stuff, and enjoy it.  Best stuff on earth, eh Snapple?  You're not even close.  Even Fifty recommends Vitaminwater ...


I'm Back!!!


"Love, Save the Empty" by: Erin McCarley

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Extended Java Break

I'll be away from the blog for the rest of the week, so enjoy this:
-The board at Preston St. Sunergos one day

"The Golden Age" by: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
-You might recognize this song from the most recent Heineken commercial


Terry Tate: Office Linebacker
-Classic


Monday, July 25, 2011

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Life Lessons: Slap Shot (1977)

It took this avid hockey fan way too long to finally see this movie ... don't make the same mistake.  Here's some of the great things you will learn:
(Don't let the picture fool you; it's a comedy.)

1.  It may be "their rink, their ice, and their *expletive* town," but if you got your fans with you, you can never go wrong.  Paul said it best: let 'em know you're there.

2.  "Two minutes, by yourself, and, you know, you feel shame, you know. And then you get free."  This too shall pass.

3.  Never interrupt the national anthem:

4.  If Ned Braden taught us anything in this movie, it's that good things happen when you party naked.

5.  Just never cross Paul Newman.  He'll always get the best of you.  If you haven't already done so, immediately watch The Sting (1973) and Cool Hand Luke (1967).  

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Anonymous (2011)

If you're like me, this movie trailer won't make you want to go back to high school English class and re-read all of Shakespeare's famous works.  Nonetheless, I am looking forward to the October 28th release date:


Who is Aloe Blacc?

"I Need a Dollar" by: Aloe Blacc


Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Empty Sky

These were taken by a man in Magee, MS, before Katrina hit.  Magee is 150 miles north of Waveland, MS, where the hurricane made landfall.





"Empty Sky" by: Bruce Springsteen

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

A Great Career

Chris Osgood recently announced he will retire and continuing working in the Red Wings organization.  I'd take 401 wins and three Stanley Cups in my net any day.  You'll be missed, Chris.

Buddy Jesus

Monday, July 18, 2011

Caffeinated Popcorn

Yes, you did read that correctly.  Ever have trouble staying awake through a movie?  Need a little boost but hate coffee?  Solution:
Taste-wise, Biofuel teeters between salty and sweet, a la Kettle corn, while packing a 150 to 200mg wallop of caffeine per bag (roughly two energy drinks worth of jitter juice). That makes each of the bag’s 4.5 suggested servings basically equivalent to a cup of coffee. Wolfing down the entire bag, on the other hand, is closer to downing a fistful of methamphetamine or 1/4th of a can of Four Loko.

Morning Coffee 7


"Where I Stood" by: Missy Higgins

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Epic Morning

"If you focus on the problem, you can't see the solution."

Got a problem?  This just might help you out.  Skip to 1:10 for good stuff:




"Littlething" by: Jimmy Eat World

Friday, July 15, 2011

Interesting ...

Photos by Linda McCartney:

Paul McCartney

Jimi Hendrix

Johnny Depp and Kate Moss

The Grateful Dead

Brian Jones and Mick Jagger

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Morning Coffee 6

One of my new-found favorite quotes:
Thanks, ZMC.


This is probably one of the greatest, live performances of a song I have ever seen.  The song is cool on it's own.  The rain makes this video epic.  "Iris" by: Goo Goo Dolls


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Sherlock Holmes ... Round Two

A Game of Shadows (December 2011):
I absolutely loved the first one, and this can't come out soon enough.  ACH.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Coffee Joulies: GAME CHANGER

This might just be the end of the coffee world as we know it ...

Coffee Joulies from Coffee Joulies on Vimeo.

First, they absorb energy from your coffee when it is too hot, cooling it down to a drinkable temperature three times faster.  Next, they release that stored energy back into your coffee keeping it in the right temperature range twice as long.  Check them out here!  Thanks, JJC.  


Morning Coffee 5


"Real Good Looking Boy" by: The Who

Friday, July 8, 2011

Procrastination Fodder: Hamster

Makes You Think ...

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answered the Mexican.

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs. I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. 

"When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the Mexican.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Night Cap 2


"The Good Life Remix" by: OneRepublic Ft. B.O.B.

Cardboard Bedroom Suite

I cannot tell a lie:
For a steal, at only $328, you can own this lavish furniture set.  The Karton Group uses heavy-duty cardboard to build their products.  According to the website, the Australian company was born after leaving “a stack of cardboard sheets alone in a room with some of Europe’s brightest engineers.”  The result of this design-by-imprisonment approach is an entire line of furniture that’s affordable, easily foldable/portable, and definitely unique.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Prison Friends: A Tribute to Shawshank Redemption

"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." 



"I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged.  Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice.  But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone.  I guess I just miss my friend."




Sorry to Burst Your Bubble

Sunday, July 3, 2011

College, Simplified

CEP Running Compression Socks

A $60 price tag on these socks might seem pretty steep, but just wait until you try them.  Compression wear is helpful to runners for many reasons.  These socks apply continuous graduated pressure to the muscles and veins. This increases blood circulation, which in turn provides muscles with more oxygen. Oxygenated muscles have a higher level of endurance and are much less prone to cramping.  Additionally, increased oxygen supply reduces post-exercise soreness, while quickening the recovery period.  Compression wear also facilitates lactic acid removal; increased stabilization of muscles in the lower leg; and reduced blood pooling and swelling.

Runner's World voted these the best compression socks for "keeping legs peppy".  They also stated, "While wearing them, one tester felt she could push herself hard without worrying about risking injury. Overall, testers found the socks weren't too tight and offered an ideal amount of compression. 'They felt snug but never made me feel like my calves were suffocating,' said one marathoner."

No Excuses

6:00 AM.  Four miles.  Fun run?  Yeah, right.  6:03 AM.  Out of bed.  Ugh.  Breakfast.  Coffee.  Sportscenter.  7:00 AM.  Still not feeling it.  Dress.  Stretch.  Deadmau5.  Go.  Cue endorphins.  At mile 1.2, crack a wry smile.  Great run.  


Sometimes there is no next time.  No second chance.  No timeout.  Sometimes it's now or never.  
DO IT NOW.  



Morning Fun Run

"Ghosts N Stuff" by: Deadmau5

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Night Cap

My top 3 songs of all-time:

1.  "Mr. Jones" by: Counting Crows
"It's really a song about my friend Marty and I. We went out one night to watch his dad play, his dad was a Flamenco guitar player who lived in Spain, and he was in San Francisco in the mission playing with his old Flamenco troupe. And after the gig we all went to this bar called the New Amsterdam in San Francisco on Columbus and we got completely drunk. And Marty and I sat at the bar staring at these two girls, wishing there was some way we could go talk to them, but we were too shy. We kept joking with each other that if we were big rock stars instead of such loser, low-budget musicians, this would be easy. I went home that night and I wrote a song about it." -Adam Duritz


2.  "Born to Run" by: Bruce Springsteen
The Boss.  'Nuff Said.


3.  "Be Yourself" by: Audioslave
Just be yourself.  It really is the one thing everyone is good at. 

Poland's Crooked Forest

In a tiny corner of western Poland a forest of about 400 pine trees grow with a 90 degree bend at the base of their trunks - all bent northward. Surrounded by a larger forest of straight growing pine trees this collection of curved trees, or "Crooked Forest," is a mystery.

Tick Tock

A short film by Ien Chi:
What would you do if you had only five minutes to live? Trace a young man's few minutes of trying to fulfill his life's highest potential.