tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29996860862021228782024-03-13T23:03:37.236-07:00The Honest CharlatanJohn Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-25915451524802464472011-04-21T07:55:00.000-07:002011-04-21T08:05:45.499-07:00Mild lulz<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ibo7dEAAbK8/TbBFznPMmrI/AAAAAAAAAAw/ddAAFS5MbBQ/s1600/stanford%2Bnorthwestern.jpg"><img title="Mark your calendars; Stanford will host Northwestern in the year 2022. Imagine how much smarter these schools will be then. Can you say bionic players?" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 315px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ibo7dEAAbK8/TbBFznPMmrI/AAAAAAAAAAw/ddAAFS5MbBQ/s400/stanford%2Bnorthwestern.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598051089829894834" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:75%;">Click to enlarge.</span></div><p>I have a feeling it's the same guy using three usernames. Funny, nonetheless.</p><hr>John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-35646221494093824992011-04-07T19:07:00.000-07:002011-04-07T19:15:38.054-07:00Don't pay no mo'!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/ef/befa0dda8017814e7fc0815c93dfcaf7.jpeg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 621px; height: 300px;" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/b/ef/befa0dda8017814e7fc0815c93dfcaf7.jpeg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20110406/ts_yblog_technews/upgrade-your-life-amazing-free-software">Five things</a> that you don't have to pay for:<br /><ol><li>Antivirus software</li><li>Internet mass storage space</li><li>Microsoft office</li><li>Microsoft OneNote</li><li>Kindle reading</li></ol>Click the link above for the free alternatives!<br /><br />Peace!<br />--JohnJohn Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-67159196342724685362011-03-03T12:39:00.000-08:002011-03-03T16:37:06.234-08:00Aventus by Creed: First Impression<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2XRcjmfxt9Y/TXA0LX1q2SI/AAAAAAAAAAo/5HIH63HlYJ8/s1600/aventus.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2XRcjmfxt9Y/TXA0LX1q2SI/AAAAAAAAAAo/5HIH63HlYJ8/s400/aventus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580017308294371618" border="0" /></a><br />I mentioned that I will be using this blog to review different men's fragrances. While Creed's Aventus will not end up being my first review, I wanted to mention that I got to sample it today, as well as some others from the line. Aventus was the only one I decided to wear home.<br /><br />Creed designs high-end fragrances that some say take an acquired taste (er, smell) to appreciate. Also, I am probably not wrong to assume for various reasons (such as price and limited exposure) that their target customers are adults ~30 years old and up. With that in mind, I'm not surprised that they weren't really my style.<br /><br />I sprayed Aventus 4 times on my forearm. For a good couple of hours I could definitely smell the pineapple. There is a very slight flower smell, possibly attributed to the jasmine. But what I got the most from this is a powerful, manly base. I'm not sure if it's the musk or the ambergris — or both. But this smells very, very manly. I definitely feel too young to wear this. However, it does NOT smell like one of those dark, leathery, cedar-drawer-and-mothballs old man fragrances. If I had to categorize this, I'd call it a "fresh" fragrance. It is subtly sweet; the pineapple is a perfect complement to the rest of it, but it maintains its sweetness even after the pineapple disappears.<br /><br />I'm intrigued by this... I don't <span style="font-style: italic;">love </span>it... but at the same time it smells sophisticated, seductive and above all NATURAL. I tried some other non-Creed fragrance/cologne on my way out, and it seemed like nothing else even held a candle to this.<br /><br />The skinny: I would not buy this but might re-sample in the future. I would not recommend this to anybody younger than 28. Aventus is a sweet and fresh fragrance that has a dark side; it would be very appropriate for summer yet wearing it will make you feel undoubtedly, unabashedly like a MAN.<br /><br />P.S. ― I went out to dinner with my mom. She caught a whiff, said it smelled really nice but something that an older guy or a 'guido' would wear. Ha!John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-26667002031748720422011-02-21T20:12:00.000-08:002011-02-21T20:57:07.809-08:00I bought new socks and underwear recently.Apparently, this means the recession is <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/112150/signs-economy-is-on-the-upswing">over</a>???<br /><br />Really?? I can't speak for everybody, but if I don't have any underwear it's a top priority -- recession or not. I was expecting to see something like jewelery or vacationing on that list. But boxers, plastic surgery, divorce rates? Come on. Those are as good of predictors as the groundhog for predicting weather.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MXf8egYS7aw/TUlzCkwLVII/AAAAAAAAAIg/14W2xsjNJts/s1600/history-of-groundhog-day_s600x600.jpg"><img title="Giving credit where credit is due, the groundhog is almost just as good as the meteorologists." style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 425px; height: 282px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_MXf8egYS7aw/TUlzCkwLVII/AAAAAAAAAIg/14W2xsjNJts/s1600/history-of-groundhog-day_s600x600.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />For the past couple of years, the dwindling economy worried a lot of my coworkers at Seabrook Park. They stopped racing the greyhound dogs there because of lack of business. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.lowrollerspoker.com/XPT/Photos/Seabrook/images/XPT_Seabrook085.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: right; cursor: pointer; width: 312px; height: 208px;" src="http://www.lowrollerspoker.com/XPT/Photos/Seabrook/images/XPT_Seabrook085.jpg" alt="" align="right" border="0" /></a>And this was even with greyhound racing about to be made illegal in Massachusetts, which would have meant more business for them across the border in New Hampshire. I was working in the poker room there, and clientele for the poker room was down also. Like that article mentions, the gambling business is a pretty good indicator (as much or more so than malls) of people's willingness to spend money and their confidence in their job security.John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-15159423218749843022011-02-20T18:11:00.000-08:002011-02-20T18:35:39.610-08:00Where are they now? Pumpkins album cover girl<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/amplifier__4/amplifier-807875227-1298054727.jpg?ymHJFlEDiFGksoeU"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 425px; height: 212px;" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/amplifier__4/amplifier-807875227-1298054727.jpg?ymHJFlEDiFGksoeU" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The Smashing Pumpkins <a href="http://stereogum.com/5858/pumpkins_looking_for_siamese_dreamers/news/">had been wondering</a> where and who the (supposedly) conjoined twins of their album cover are. The album was the 1993 classic, Siamese Dream.<br /><br />This of course interests me as a lifelong Smashing Pumpkins fan. I guess more important is the question Where are the Pumpkins now?<br /><br />Anyway, they found one of the girls, and she plays in a popular band! Click 'see the rest' to find out which band...<a name='more'></a><br /><br />...<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">One of those girls is the <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/is-the-new-smashing-pumpkins-bassist-on-the-cover-of-siamese-dream-20110218">now bassist</a> of </span><span style="font-size:180%;">THE SMASHING PUMPKINS!!!</span><br /><br />Billy Corgan had no idea at the time he brought her into band. She supposedly kept it a secret in fear of it affecting how they viewed her as a musician. That makes sense, but also seems fishy.<br /><br />Anyway, the full Rolling Stone article is <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/is-the-new-smashing-pumpkins-bassist-on-the-cover-of-siamese-dream-20110218">here</a>. Now I'm going to check out the <i><b>Teargarden by Kaleidyscope</b></i><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>songs!John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-65802654778612346582011-02-19T22:25:00.000-08:002011-02-19T22:39:08.921-08:00Vain Republicans all over the country ……have just changed their ideologies.<br /><br />According to <a href="http://health.yahoo.net/experts/skintype/new-research-sheds-light-root-cause-hair-loss">this article</a>, "[t]he lack of a certain type of mature stem cell causes hair follicles to shrink…." This is in reference to male pattern baldness.<br /><br />Hmmmmn. I'm not sure if this has been proven or not (I'm too lazy to check the sources) but it is interesting, especially as a 24 year old who has already started to worry about this. Am I paranoid? Maybe. But prevention is the best medicine! Gimme dem stem cells!John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-4592650179697213642011-02-18T18:32:00.000-08:002011-02-18T19:01:59.760-08:00Mini DessertsI was at the 99 with a friend recently when we both got surprised with free desserts. But there was a catch — it had to be from their <a href="http://www.99restaurants.com/menus/desserts/petite-treats.php">Petite Treat menu</a>. That was fine, seeing as we weren't expecting anything to begin with. I got the Jungle Rumble Pie: "creamy banana custard with a rich chocolate crust, drizzled with caramel and chocolate curls." According to the waitress, I was the first person under 60 to ever order that. I'll take that as a compliment!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.99restaurants.com/resources/images/petitejung_sm_box.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 290px; height: 160px;" src="http://www.99restaurants.com/resources/images/petitejung_sm_box.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">The 99's Jungle Rumble</span></div><br />I wasn't annoyed at its mini-ness. It was actually pretty good.<br /><br />I was just looking through the P.F. Chang's <a href="http://www.pfchangs.com/menu/">menu</a>. I have never been there. I noticed that they as well have petite/mini dessert section. A mini tiramisu? Hell yeah! I checked out the <a href="http://www.pfchangs.com/menu/NutritionalInfo.aspx">nutrition info</a>:<br />Mini Tiramisu | Calories 100 | Fat 11g | Sodium 50mg | Carbs 10g | Protein 2g<br /><br />I like this idea. I wouldn't be surprised if even more restaurants have picked this up. With awareness on health and problems such as obesity and diabetes growing, less people are concerned with getting huge portions at restaurants. That "we're paying a lot of money I want to be full" attitude doesn't exist much anymore. Also, restaurants could make more money with people ordering smaller dishes. Instead of paying $25 for a gut-busting entree, a person may instead opt for a smaller entree and thus have room for a three course meal that would come to $30 or more. More money for the restaurant. More money for the servers, and more satisfaction from the patron. A win-win-win.John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-49025232145349298802011-02-18T18:22:00.000-08:002011-02-18T18:27:44.119-08:00Wow. #49.I hate to bring such a dismal topic to my blog. Last week I was watching a TV show called Who the Bleep did I Marry? And <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110218/ap_on_re_us/us_green_river_killer">this guy</a>'s wife was on it. I guess the saga still isn't over yet.<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ArfWyIuRXU0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-88027368302755991222011-02-17T14:20:00.000-08:002011-02-19T19:47:56.913-08:00Fragrance Reviews<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cKHxlkV8ldo/TV2z2YnnlQI/AAAAAAAAAAg/tYExf0CDSw0/s1600/mensfragrances.jpg"><img title="I've smelled all of these fragrances except for Tobacco Vanille (a classic) and whatever is underneath it. Reaction and Voyage (bottom-right) are good ones if you like watermelon." style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 253px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cKHxlkV8ldo/TV2z2YnnlQI/AAAAAAAAAAg/tYExf0CDSw0/s400/mensfragrances.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574809660657472770" border="0" /></a><br />I may be reviewing some designer scents in the near future; the method for rating them might seem unconventional but I hope more accurate than other systems fragrance reviewers use. Read the rest for an explanation.<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><hr /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:125%;">A</span>S IN MANY</span> facets of life, I assiduously research my options and take obsessive amounts of time in coming to a decision. Some choices have been harder and more in-depth than others. As painful as this may sound, some decisions are enjoyable to the point that they are — or can be considered — a hobby. It might seem silly to argue that cologne is a hobby. After all, most people do not have the money, resources, or patience to create their own fragrances, and creation is the central aspect to any hobby. However, choosing a fragrance(s) to wear is a complicated task for those who are as picky and indecisive as I am.<br /><br />The internet has given birth to a community of "scentophiles" that share their experience and knowledge. Many people find the online fragrance community and plethora of fragrance reviews to be frivolous; the variation between people's noses makes each person's experience as different and irrelevant as the misleading (and often way too abstract) descriptions that reviewers provide.<br /><br />That being said, just because you can't smell fragrances over the internet doesn't mean it can't help you make a decision. I have learned quite a bit by reading about them so far. It really is an art. Reading the reviews </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >can </span><span style="font-size:85%;">help point you in the right direction. In the end you may find more that you like, or take less time to find that perfect, "holy grail" fragrance (haha). I am going to try my hand at reviewing some men's cologne. My goal is to write a more accurate description of what specific fragrances smell like, as well as adding some general emotions that they may create as well as anecdotes from their use. I do not have much experience in the breakdowns of fragrances (base-, middle-, top-notes etc), nor have I sampled a big amount. But maybe they will help somebody. </span><br /><br /><hr /><br />Along with qualitative descriptions, I will be using the following scale to give fragrances a (hopefully honest and accurate) quantitative grade:<br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">Longevity</span>: scale: 1–10. How long will the fragrance last? I'd say that quarter-life (when the scent reaches about 25% of initial power) is what I will mean when I say "this scent lasts X hours"<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Projection/Sillage</span>: scale: 1–10. How close you need to be to the source in order to smell it. (Sometimes, you want a low projection so only those closest to the wearer can smell it. This factor will be ignored. The more a fragrance can project, the higher the score). Sillage is a slightly different concept than projection, but for my intents and purposes part of the same criterion.<br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 153, 51);">Uniqueness</span>: scale: 2–10. This will be a combination of how original the fragrance is (1–5 points) and its inverse-popularity (1–5 points).</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Quality</span>: scale: 1–20. My subjective opinion <span style="font-style: italic;">may </span>come into play here, but I will try to save that for my "extra credit" (see below) and keep this rating as objective as possible. If a scent is of high quality, I will aim to give it a high score even if I don't enjoy it.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Versatility</span>: scale: 0–3 extra credit. A truly great fragrance should not get points taken away if it is not versatile, especially if it was designed for a specific season/occasion. But a scent that is very versatile should get some credit, and therefore may receive up to 5 points extra credit.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 102, 204);">Personal favorite</span>: scale: 0-3 extra credit. Statistics will tell you that even if only ONE person smells a fragrance and that person likes it, that fragrance is <span style="font-style: italic;">more likely</span> to be widely enjoyed and of good quality than one that that same person did not enjoy. Therefore, personal enjoyment can be inimical to an honest review, so I will probably give 2 or 3 extra credit points to the ones I wear/enjoy.<br /></li></ul>John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-40774583873141397822011-02-16T15:18:00.000-08:002011-02-17T10:21:41.254-08:00Quote of the Week<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.lessig.org/content/books/freeculture.gif"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 156px;" src="http://www.lessig.org/content/books/freeculture.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>About 6 years ago I came across an interesting book at Borders and decided to buy it. It was <a href="http://www.free-culture.cc/">Free Culture</a> by <a href="http://www.lessig.org/">Lawrence Lessig</a>. You can find <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Lessig">more info about him on Wikipedia</a>.<br /><br />This passage is important because 5 years ago <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/07/AR2006060702108.html">Lessig was at the forefront of the net neutrality debate</a>:<br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">At the center of the debate is the most important public policy you've probably never heard of: "network neutrality." Net neutrality means simply that all like Internet content must be treated alike and move at the same speed over the network. The owners of the Internet's wires cannot discriminate. This is the simple but brilliant "end-to-end" design of the Internet that has made it such a powerful force for economic and social good: All of the intelligence and control is held by producers and users, not the networks that connect them.</blockquote>If you're not familiar with current events of the net neutrality battle, I suggest <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_neutrality_in_the_United_States">reading about it</a>. In a few years, your ISP could block your favorite website. Your blog could take minutes to load. It <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.lessig.org/content/books/code2.gif"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 151px;" src="http://www.lessig.org/content/books/code2.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>could take an hour to send a file to a friend, or days to download a 90-minute softcore porn. But don't worry; <a href="http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/12/22/1881959/fcc-adopts-web-rules.html">we are safe for now</a>.John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-87664513282250147362011-02-16T13:44:00.000-08:002011-02-16T16:29:11.571-08:00Bracket February 16th<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mhpk5LyeiJg/TVxqRW4DsxI/AAAAAAAAAAY/4d3AbWHY_rw/s1600/lighty1taylor1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 343px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mhpk5LyeiJg/TVxqRW4DsxI/AAAAAAAAAAY/4d3AbWHY_rw/s400/lighty1taylor1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574447285208855314" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">David Lighty was still a Sophomore when he and the Buckeyes beat my Minutemen at Madison Square Garden for the NIT championship. The Buck's are looking for a different championship this year; recently, Wisconsin proved themselves as contenders and that Ohio State can be beaten.<p /></span></div><table><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td width="25%">Texas</td><td width="25%">Pittsburgh</td><td width="25%">Ohio State</td><td width="25%">Kansas</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Wisconsin</td><td>San Diego St.</td><td>Brigham Young<br /></td><td>Duke</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Notre Dame</td><td>Georgetown</td><td>UConn</td><td>Purdue</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Syracuse</td><td>North Carolina</td><td>Louisville</td><td>Villanova</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Florida</td><td>Vanderbilt</td><td>Arizona</td><td>Kentucky</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Washington</td><td>Texas A&M</td><td>Missouri</td><td>West Virginia</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Saint Mary's</td><td>Temple</td><td>Illinois</td><td>Saint John's<br /></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Florida State</td><td>Minnesota</td><td>Tennessee</td><td>Xavier</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Cincinnati</td><td>George Mason</td><td>Marquette</td><td>UNLV</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Old Dominion<br /></td><td>UCLA<br /></td><td>Utah State</td><td>Kansas State</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>UTEP</td><td> Michigan State</td><td>Virginia Tech</td><td>Georgia / Gonzaga<br /></td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Richmond<br /></td><td>Baylor</td><td>Memphis / Duquesne<br /></td><td>Wichita State</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>Butler</td><td>Harvard</td><td>Belmont</td><td>Oakland</td><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Buffalo</td><td>Charleston</td><td>Vermont</td><td>Coastal Carolina</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Fairfield</td><td>Montana</td><td>Florida Atlantic</td><td>Bucknell<br /></td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Long Island /<br />Hampton</td><td>McNeese St. /<br />TX Southern</td><td>Murray State<br /></td><td>Long Beach St.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />First four out: Alabama, UAB, Washington State, Colorado State<br />Next four out: Boston College, Clemson, New Mexico, NebraskaJohn Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-54509226879635787192011-02-12T22:29:00.000-08:002011-02-13T00:00:15.846-08:00Valentine's Candy for Every PersonalityQuality chocolate is a no-brainer, but not original. If you know your valentine well, candy can be very personal, creative and gratifying.<br /><br /><strong>For the morning person / early bird</strong>: Chocolate-covered espresso beans<br /><br />A personal favorite of mine. Right as the sugar buzz tapers, the coffee buzz kicks in. However, I am in no way a morning person. It's for anybody that likes coffee.<br /><a href="http://www.chocolate.com/dimages/product_images/5421-chocolate-covered-espresso-beans-5lbs_290x290.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 290px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 290px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" title="These cute beans may seem innocent, but will give you one heck of a buzz." src="http://www.chocolate.com/dimages/product_images/5421-chocolate-covered-espresso-beans-5lbs_290x290.jpg" /></a><strong>For the health freak</strong>: Fruit strips (a.k.a. fruit leather)<br /><br />I just discovered fruit leather (they sell it at starbucks). Picture a Fruit Roll Up that tastes better and is made with 100% fruit. It's pretty good.<a name='more'></a><br />Another option could be taking some strawberry/fruit and lightly drizzling with syrup.<br /><br /><strong>For the obsessive-compulsive</strong>: Jelly Beans... custom assorted<br /><br />Many people who like jelly beans are particular about their flavors. Go to a candy shop that sells Jelly Belly beans separately, and leave out the flavors she/he dislikes. Your valentine will be impressed that you actually listen to their flavor nitpicking.<br /><br /><strong>For the wine-o</strong>: Liquor-filled chocolates<br /><br />Someone once asked me, while stuffing her face, "Mmmm is there anything better than chocolate filled with caramel?" to which I promptly replied "Yes. Chocolate filled with booze."<br /><br /><strong>For the diabetic</strong>: Cannoli, cheesecake (low-sugar)<br /><br />Okay, diabteic isn't a personality, and cheesecake isn't a candy. But this is my list and I can do what I want.<br /><br /><strong>For the adventurous / free spirit</strong>: Marzipan<br /><br />Once again, this almost crosses the line between candy and pastry. You can get mass-produced marzipan in most good candy stores (it's fairly popular). To get fresh made marzipan, you might have to track down an Italian bakery. Marzipan is a soft candy made from almond paste with a texture similar to a brownie. It's sweet (think DiSaronno Amaretto) and to me has a slight cherry flavor to it. A good gift for those with an aversion to the ordinary.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.gingerbread-house-heaven.com/image-files/marzipan-fruit.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 284px; height: 423px;" title="Don't ask me why, but marzipan usually comes shaped as fruit. They all taste the same though." src="http://www.gingerbread-house-heaven.com/image-files/marzipan-fruit.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><strong>For the nostalgic man- or woman-child</strong>: RETRO candy<br /><br />Every once in a while I see a candy form my childhood and get giddy and have to buy it. Now imagine someone stuck in the 1990s or '80s (or before!) -- multiply that feeling by 10. You might have to order it online or go to a specialty store to get it, but it could make their day.<br /><br /><strong>The stoner</strong>: Hemp candy<br /><br />Yes, they make lollipops, gummy bears, and various other things that taste like cannabis. I don't see how cannsbis would make a desirable food. But to each his own.<br /><br /><strong>For the chocolate lover</strong>: Fudge<br /><br />This may seem obvious, but I wouldn't be suprised if I asked 100 people what to get a chocolate lover and less than half said fudge. And it's not just everywhere you see hand-made fudge shops. The chocolate lover's tolerance is pretty high, so it would take something decadent like a gourmet candy to get them excited. A fudge shop is also usually a mecca for other creative chocolate concoctions. Fudge FTW.John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-9633473286606191882011-02-11T23:50:00.001-08:002011-02-11T23:55:53.717-08:00Consumer Ignorance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://xkcd.com/732/"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 389px; height: 337px;" src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/hdtv.png" title="We're also stuck with blurry, juddery, slow-panning 24fps movies forever because (thanks to 60fps home video) people associate high framerates with camcorders and cheap sitcoms, and thus think good framerates look 'fake'." alt="" border="0" /></a>John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-22214119393678443152011-02-09T14:18:00.000-08:002011-02-09T15:11:26.203-08:00The NBA all-star game... are they really doing this?Rumor is, the all stars will be wearing an odd choice of outfits for the East vs West game. Some people might like it, some may not.<br /><br />Is it:<br />a. skin-tight spandex<br />b. rainbow colors<br />c. short-shorts (70's style)<br />or<br />d. costumes<br />?<br /><a name='more'></a><br />It's actually the least appealing (in my opinion) of those. Apparently, players will have the option of <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/NBA-to-allow-skin-tight-uniforms-for-All-Star-Ga?urn=nba-315403">wearing skin-tight jersey</a> tops. Yeah, I know. Strange. I have created a list of the top players most likely to take up this offer. And the top players I will never give an all-star vote for, in fear of seeing them in it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ju-ncmJx5K4/TVMWNWFjKPI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/cO9fWKUf1-o/s1600/rosebulls.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 193px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ju-ncmJx5K4/TVMWNWFjKPI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/cO9fWKUf1-o/s320/rosebulls.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571821582510401778" border="0" /></a><br />I would not be surprised if the whole east starting line up ends up wearing the spandex, with Chris Bosh the awkward sixth wheel. The players from the Hawks and Celtics, man I hope not for respect's sake. The next most likely: Kobe Bryant, the borderline narcissist. And finally, Blake Griffin has the body for it, and would probably still even look slightly manly. It would probably be a smart way for him to make himself stick out. He has a great image going and his publicist should be all over that as a fairly safe way to keep it up.<br /><br />Who would I not want to see in spandex? To start off, Shaq would probably be at the top of everybody's list. Jason Kidd would just look outright creepy, and probably bring up a few allusions to his past. Brandon Jennings -- I know he's a point guard, but he's just too skinny. I could name a few other bony guys but he came to mind. Last but not least...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cbswbz.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/sportshubscalabrine166.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 650px; height: 432px;" src="http://cbswbz.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/sportshubscalabrine166.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Could you imagine?John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-49325618356570923922011-02-07T19:44:00.000-08:002011-02-09T15:23:04.160-08:00The Thanksgiving Hat PuzzleYou are hosting a Secret Santa, and everybody shows up for the drawing except one person. What if everybody wants to maintain the surprise? Your guests want <span style="font-weight: bold;">no</span> idea who their Santa is and <span style="font-weight: bold;">no</span> idea who anybody has. They want it purely, completely a surprise, also meaning <span style="font-weight: bold;">no idea</span> if somebody has better odds of getting a certain person. So that's it! how would you do that???<br /><ul><li>You only have pen/pencil, scrap paper, and hat! (no computer, phone, etc.)</li><li>Nobody else is around to help!</li><li>Everything must be random!</li><li>no time limit or anything like that<br /></li></ul><br />For an example on how my family's wasn't random(click full post for background story), I was the 3rd person to draw from my Nana's hat. I drew my own name, so I had to pick another and toss my name back. At that point, I knew that the two people who drew before me could not have picked my name. Bad. Also, Carolyn peeked to make sure Bob (who was absent) did not pick himself. So she knew his person. Bad.<br /><br />Actually you don't need those materials exactly. You could put the pieces of paper in something like Easter eggs if that would make you more certain there is no way to tell. As long as it stays random and use simple/common items.<br /><br />Click "See The Rest" for my solution.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The background story:</span><br /><br />My family has relatively new tradition of doing a Secret Santa for Christmas. After a hefty Thanksgiving dessert, my grandmother (more affectionately, Nana Ann) brings an upside down hat into the dining room. Even after a few years this still confuses me when I first see it. "What the f*** Nana doing?" Turns out it is that silly hat full of names for the Secret Santa drawing.<br /><br />This past Thanksgiving, Bob (my uncle) left either before or shortly after dessert. He wasn't there for the drawing. So Carolyn, my aunt, made sure Bob did not pick himself. Then we went around the table drawing names, throwing it back into the hat if we picked our own name. For such a simple task, it takes us a rather inordinate amount of time. Minutes later, most of us know who has who; for some reason my brother doesn't really like to keep his Santa a secret, my mother has a horrible poker face, and Christopher (cousin) couldn't care much less. Nana and I manage to stay mum.<br /><br />I had this annoyed kind of feeling. But not because my family disclosed their Santas. For a moment, I knew how someone with long fingernails felt scratching a chalkboard, how an obsessive-compulsive felt stepping on a sidewalk crack. Our method of drawing … was not random! Grr!<br /><hr /><br />If you found a solution to that, now try it with TWO people missing from the drawing. Once again, each person should have the same probability of drawing any other name with simple stuff like scratch paper, a pen/pencil, and a hat.<br /><br /><hr /><br />The solutions are in between the following horizontal bars in white text. Highlight for the answer.<br /><br /><hr /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">It's pretty simple. Make name slips for everybody except for the absent guest. Randomly select a slip from the hat, and set it aside. Now, add a slip with that person's name into the hat. Once everybody has selected a name, if nobody has their own name, perfect. But if somebody did draw themselves, just start back from the VERY BEGINNING starting with the absent guest again.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">With two guests missing it's a little more complicated. I'm using Easter eggs to make it easier to understand, but you could pull it off without them as long as everybody knows what they're doing. First, I would draw for "Sally" (the first absent guest) by putting everyone's name in a bunch of eggs except for her. The second guest, "Jason," now has Sally's egg placed in the hat. But now we do something different. This could be done as a solution to the first problem, but now we HAVE to do it this way with two missing guests. Now we know that Jason could potentially pick himself, because Jason's egg was in Sally's drawing. There's no way to avoid it; Jason could draw his own name. We need to do something that would let us know if Jason picked his own name, but otherwise not provide any information. So take something small and light (such as a cotton ball, or another slip of paper) and make sure form the beginning that Jason's egg has that object in it. After you draw an egg for Jason, check to see if it has the cotton ball in it. If it does, that means Jason drew his own name and we must start over. If it doesn't, we only know that it isn't Jason's egg (the slip with the name is still folded up inside the egg) and the show goes on. Once again, if somebody draws their own egg, start over from the very beginning.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">If you still don't feel challenged, try comping up with a way for doing it with 3+ absent guests. I'm pretty sure there isn't a way to do that though. I could be wrong.</span>John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-59414461423509315192011-02-06T17:36:00.000-08:002011-02-08T13:17:04.645-08:00Brrrracket — Super Bowl SundayThis bracket is kind of bland. The lowest seed I can see making the elite eight is maybe Wisconsin, lowest final four... maybe UConn.<br /><br />There aren't many intriguing matchups, either. If George Mason beats Saint Mary's, so what? If Richmond or New Mexico were to beat Arizona, so what? They'll get pummeled by an underrated Syracuse team. Purdue–Harvard? Snore. Minnesota–Georgia? Snore. Potential upsets? I could see Duquesne getting by Vandy, and Vermont winning if UConn brings one of its Hyde performances could be fun. Would Coastal over Georgetown even be much of an upset?<br /><br />All in all, I just don't see much excitement. I hope that's not how it really ends up.<br /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td width="25%">Ohio State</td><td width="25%">Kansas</td><td width="25%">Texas</td><td width="25%">Pittsburgh</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>San Diego St.</td><td>Brigham Young</td><td>Villanova<br /></td><td>Duke</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>UConn</td><td>Notre Dame</td><td>Kentucky</td><td>Georgetown</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Louisville</td><td>Purdue</td><td>Syracuse</td><td>Wisconsin</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Missouri</td><td>Florida</td><td>Arizona</td><td>Vanderbilt<br /></td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>North Carolina</td><td>Texas A&M</td><td>West Virginia</td><td>Washington</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Minnesota</td><td>Cincinnati</td><td>Saint Mary's</td><td>Marquette<br /></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Tennessee</td><td>Utah State</td><td>Illinois</td><td>UNLV</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Xavier</td><td>Saint John's</td><td>Florida State</td><td>Kansas State</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Georgia</td><td>Temple</td><td>George Mason</td><td>Baylor</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>UTEP</td><td>Gonzaga</td><td>Wichita St.</td><td> Michigan State</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Washington St. /<br />Boston College<br /></td><td>Virginia Tech</td><td>Richmond /<br />New Mexico<br /></td><td>Duquesne<br /></td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>Butler</td><td>Harvard</td><td>Belmont</td><td>Oakland</td><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Vermont<br /></td><td>Charleston</td><td>Buffalo</td><td>Coastal Carolina</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Fairfield</td><td>Florida Atlantic</td><td>Montana</td><td>Bucknell<br /></td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Long Island /<br />Hampton</td><td>McNeese St. /<br />TX Southern</td><td>Murray State<br /></td><td>Long Beach St.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />First four out: UCLA, Memphis, Old Dominion, Alabama<br />Next four out: Oklahoma State, VCU, Maryland, UABJohn Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-16603600687844566902011-01-31T17:43:00.000-08:002011-02-09T15:13:25.935-08:00Health care for all [of the citizens of the 23 states that want it]!Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming — whew, what a list — are all <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110131/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_overhaul">declaring Obama's universal health care laws unconstitutional</a>.<br /><br />Judge Roger Vinson relates the new laws on regulating health care to (hypothetically) regulating food: <blockquote>"Congress could require that people buy and consume broccoli at regular intervals, not only because the required purchases will positively impact interstate commerce, but also because people who eat healthier tend to be healthier, and are thus more productive and put less of a strain on the health care system."</blockquote>That is kind of an amusing analogy. But what about certain states (such as Massachusetts) requiring their automobile drivers to buy insurance? Isn't that the same thing?<br /><br />I guess that's kind of different. After all, roads are property of the public, and thus the government in a sense. And as a judge told me once, driving is a privilege, not a right. However, how we choose to live within our own homes and how we manage our health is not.<br /><br />How about instead of requiring all citizens to buy their own health care, why not just make all public-sector employers buy their employees health care? That way Joe Schmo who lives on his home farm or owns his own business doesn't have to get health care if he doesn't want to. But at the same time the government can feel fulfilled that all of its employees (direct or indirect) are taken care of.<br /><br />I'm not big into law or politics, but I want to stir up the pot and get people thinking and commenting. Please do!John Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-63873112835073936862011-01-30T21:41:00.000-08:002011-02-09T15:24:44.923-08:00The Bracket: 1/31For those as obsessed as I can be, here is my take on what the March Madness bracket could look like if the season ended now/soon.<br /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td width="25%">Kansas</td><td width="25%">Ohio State</td><td width="25%">Pittsburgh</td><td>Texas</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>San Diego St.</td><td>UConn</td><td>Brigham Young<br /></td><td>Duke</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Villanova</td><td>Kentucky</td><td>Missouri</td><td>Syracuse</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Notre Dame</td><td>Louisville</td><td>Washington</td><td>Georgetown</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Purdue<br /></td><td>Texas A&M<br /></td><td>Illinois</td><td>Vanderbilt<br /></td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Arizona</td><td>Minnesota</td><td>West Virginia</td><td>Wisconsin<br /></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Michigan State</td><td>North Carolina</td><td>Florida</td><td>Saint Mary's<br /></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Kansas State</td><td>Cincinnati</td><td>Tennessee</td><td>Marquette</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Georgia</td><td>UNLV</td><td>Saint John's</td><td>Xavier</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Virginia Tech</td><td>Temple</td><td>Florida State</td><td>Utah State</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Washington St.<br /></td><td>Baylor</td><td>Duquesne</td><td>Wichita ST</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Boston College /<br />Memphis<br /></td><td>Gonzaga /<br />VCU<br /></td><td>UTEP</td><td>George Mason<br /></td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>Butler</td><td>Harvard</td><td>Belmont</td><td>Oakland</td><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Charleston</td><td>Buffalo</td><td>Fairfield</td><td>Maine<br /></td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Montana</td><td>Coastal Carolina</td><td>Bucknell</td><td>Florida Atlantic<br /></td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Long Island /<br />Hampton</td><td>McNeese St. /<br />TX Southern</td><td>Murray State<br /></td><td>Long Beach St.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />At-Large Bubble:<br />Last four in: Gonzaga, Boston College, Memphis, VCU<br />First four out: Missouri State, Old Dominion, Richmond, UCLA<br />Next four out: Cleveland State, UAB, New Mexico, NebraskaJohn Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-37524933123785503992011-01-27T11:27:00.000-08:002011-01-27T11:59:21.239-08:00A little more grown up now…At least, I'd like to think so.<br /><br />The previous blog that I wrote was rather jejune and sometimes superficial. My goals for this blog are to (1) express ideas and communicate information that my friends and family might actually care about, (2) relate topics that might otherwise seem disparate, and (3) do so without sounding too subjective or pretentious. I'm now old enough to realize that there is little point in doing something if you're not going to put much effort into it. Therefore, I hope to update this blog often enough to give people a reason to view it on a regular basis.<br /><br />I may post sports anecdotes, news stories, product reviews, fascinating puzzles. Or, I may just tell you what I ate for lunch. But let's hope not.<br /><br />Cheers,<br /><br />JohnJohn Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999686086202122878.post-39698014699547353332011-01-25T20:35:00.000-08:002011-01-26T10:13:12.117-08:00The Bracket 10/26The Missouri-Louisville matchup already happened... but it would be too annoying to rearrange...<br /><br />I'd take Harvard and Duquesne as most likely upsets.<br /><br />For the elite eight, Texas over Pitt, Duke over Washington, Kansas over BYU, Tennessee over SDSU for their first final four in wacky fashion!<br /><br /><table><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>Ohio State</td><td>Kansas</td><td>Duke</td><td>Pittsburgh</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>San Diego State</td><td>Villanova</td><td>UConn</td><td>Texas</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Syracuse</td><td>Brigham Young</td><td>Washington</td><td>Kentucky</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Texas A&M</td><td>Purdue</td><td>Missouri</td><td>Wisconsin<br /></td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Louisville</td><td>Notre Dame</td><td>Illinois</td><td>West Virginia<br /></td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Arizona</td><td>Minnesota</td><td>Vanderbilt</td><td>Michigan State<br /></td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Georgetown</td><td>Kansas State</td><td>Temple</td><td>Saint Mary's<br /></td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Tennessee</td><td>Florida</td><td>Cincinnati</td><td>North Carolina<br /></td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Florida State</td><td>Saint John's</td><td>UNLV</td><td>Georgia<br /></td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Virginia Tech</td><td>Xavier</td><td>Gonzaga</td><td>Marquette<br /></td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>Baylor</td><td>Butler</td><td>Utah State</td><td>Virginia Commonwealth<br /></td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Duquesne</td><td>Boston College / Wichita ST</td><td>Missouri State</td><td>Memphis</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>UTEP / George Mason</td><td>Belmont</td><td>Oakland</td><td>Harvard</td><td><br /></td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Charleston</td><td>Buffalo</td><td>Iona</td><td>Maine<br /></td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Montana</td><td>Coastal Carolina</td><td>Bucknell</td><td>Murray State<br /></td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>Long Island / Hampton</td><td>McNeese St / TX Southern</td><td>North Texas</td><td>UC Santa Barbara<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />At-Large Bubble:<br />Last 4 in (opening round games): Boston College, George Mason, UTEP, Wichita State<br />First four out: Richmond, Oklahoma State, Old Dominion, UCLA<br />Next four out: Central Florida, Washington State, Cleveland State, UABJohn Ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06241997207850716769noreply@blogger.com0