Movie Review: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

I've written about Miyazaki before, here Link.
I have not seen this classic animated film until last Sunday. I was drinking imitation Trudy's Mexican Martinis and laying on the couch. This film was awesome. Here is the wiki. Studio Ghibli is Miyazaki's animation company. I highly recommend this film. One of my favorite aspects of Miyazaki's stories is that the heroes are girls most of the time. The drawing and character design is both classic and original. The dialogue is complex without being too heavy. The story is engaging, and the voice acting is spot on. There are a ton of famous actors in Nausicaa such as Cameron Diaz and Shia Lebouf. My only regret is not seeing the film sooner. Watch this, you won't regret it!

Leptin- I will balance you

My best friend is a personal trainer and massage therapist. She looks great, so she has to have the answers. I've been complaining about my overeating and general malaise and she told me about this book. Here's a tidbit about Leptin:

The Five Rules of Mastering Leptin

1. Never eat after dinner. Never go to bed on a full stomach. Leave a gap of 11-12 hours between dinner and breakfast as the best fat burn zone occurs 8 and 12 hours after eating. If you snack before bedtime, the leptin tells your brain that no energy is required and therefore no fat burning will occur during the night.

2. Eat 3 meals per day. Allow 5-6 hours between meals with no snacks inbetween. Snacks would only stimulate the relase of insulin and while that happens, the body is not burning fat. If you find it difficult to eat only 3 meals per day, start with 4 per day. In time, with regular exercise, it will be easier and easier for you to leave 5 hours between meals.

3. Do not eat large meals. If you provide your body with more fuel than it needs, leptin and insulin resistance can result. You can learn to reduce meal sizes by eating slowly and chewing properly, also by putting the fork down from time to time. This will give your appetite the chance to catch up with your food intake.

4. Eat a high-protein breakfast. This supports blood sugar levels throughout the day and will minimize afternoon energy crashes. These energy crashes in the afternoon are often due to eating a breakfast with too many carbohydrates and too little protein. People who eat a high carbohydrate breakfast and who are leptin resistant are more likely to overeat.

5. Reduce the amount and glycemic index of carbohydrates eaten. This doesn’t mean that you can only eat very low or very restricted carbohydrates, but that you should match the amount of starchy carbohydrates with the same portion of proteins. You may eat fibrous vegetables in abundance. There’s an easy way to find out if you are eating too many carbohydrates. Weigh yourself in the morning and at bedtime. If your bedtime weight is more than 2 pounds over your morning weight and if you followed rules 1-4 during the day, then you consumed too many carbohydrates that day.

The authors developed these five rules after making an in-depth stuy of all the leptin research studies so far (approximately 9000) and combined this with experiences with clients. The aim of these rules is to restore the body’s sensitivity to leptin and by that re-establish the body’s ability to efficiently produce energy from food which will lead to weight loss and better health.

Giggle Giggle

And now a picture of someone's ass smoking:
that's all

Being Thankful

From for jrg

One of my weekly rituals is to visit Free Will Astrology. Here's Aries for the week of January 29th "Don't tell me you have nothing to be thankful for, Aries. Your parents could have named you "Hooligan" or "Lightsaber" or "Flu," and they didn't. There are no photos floating around the Internet that show you riding a pig in the nude. No one has ever broken up with you via text message. Now please keep going in the direction I've pointed you. Count your blessings up to at least 101. Create an ongoing list of all the things in your life that work pretty well and make you feel at home in the world. Why do this now? Because it's Massive Explosions of Gratitude Week for you -- a time when you can attract even more good fortune into your life by aggressively identifying the good fortune you already enjoy. "
This week gave me some advice to be thankful for what I have. I don't do that as much as I should so here goes.
Things I am thankful for:
1. J, beanbag
2. I am healthy
3. My dad and stepmom
4. My Mom
5. My Brother
6. Lindsay
7. Michelle
8. Manny
9. Jana
10. Pazuzu
11. Leela
14. The rest of my friends and family that It would take forever to list here
15. I have a home
16. I have food to eat
17. I have an education
18. My dogs
19. My car - it'll be paid off this month!
20. My sense of humor
21. I am employed
22. I live in the United States - it is flawed but we have it better then most.
23. My eysight
24. My computer
25. Teh Interwebs
26. Birth control
27. love
28. showers
29. my bed
30. sillyness
31. fun
32. Videogames!
33. Pizza
34. Hot wings
35. Music
36. Rock Band
37. David Sedaris
38. Ghost Stories
39. Laughter
40. Intervention - the show
41. Muppets
42. Coffee
43. Cigarettes - disgusting, I know
44. Epicurious.com
45. Cuteoverload.com
46. boingboing.net
47. Vodka
48. Radiohead
49. The Sea and Cake
50. The Shins
51. Elliot Smith
52. Rufus Wainwright
53. Shoes
54. Cheese
55. Alamo Drafthouse
56. Adobe products (photoshop, dreamweaver, illustrator, and indesign)
57. My guardian angel, grandma Freida
58. Pandora. com
59. gmail
60. microwaves
61. my garden
62. art
63. Over the counter medicines... tylenol
64. the discovery of antibiotics
65. Electricity
66. email
67. bread
68. science
69. sex
70. Beck
71. Anthony Bourdain
72. Freedom of speech
73. Understanding
74. compassion
75. Hugs
76. Anger, yes anger is motivational for me
77. President Obama
78. Hope
79. Sarcasm
80. Ben Folds
81. Cartoons
82. cucumbers
83. french fries
84. zombies... not actual zombies just the fake kind you can shoot in video games
85. Honesty
86. Truth
87. Jelly Belly jelly beans
88. Puppies!
89. baby animals of all kinds
90. Jolly Rancher gummies
91. Jokes
92. Parties
93. water
94. refrigerators
95. air conditioning
96. naps
97. good books
98. Green eyes
99. learning from past mistakes
100. optimism
101. the end of the workday

Seahorses are cool!

Some friends of mine showed this to me over the weekend. It's hilarious! If ever a reason to do drugs, it's to bring out this delicious kind of funny. No way, No way :)

Free Makeup, One Week, While Supplies Last!

Hey Ladies! and some men out there. There's a class action lawsuit the entitles you to free makeup.

As part of a class action settlement, $175 million worth of free cosmetics products will be distributed to members of the class (see below to determine whether you are a member of the class) for a maximum of seven days, while supplies last, on a first come, first served basis, beginning on January 20, 2009. No rainchecks will be issued. The products will be distributed at stores owned by the Retailer Defendants (see list immediately below).

The stores owned by the Retailer Defendants that will be participating in the settlement product distribution are the following:

• Bergdorf Goodman
  
  
• Bergner’s
  
  
• Bloomingdale’s
  
  
• Boston Store
  
  
• Carson Pirie Scott
  
  
• Dillard’s
  
  
• Gottschalks
  
  
• Herberger’s
  
  
• Macy’s
  
  
• Neiman Marcus
  
  
• Nordstrom
  
  
• Parisian
  
  
• Saks Fifth Avenue
  
  
• Younkers

A class member will be eligible to receive, while supplies last, a maximum of ONE free cosmetics product from one of the Manufacturer Defendants from which he or she purchased Department Store Cosmetics¹ during the class period, May 29, 1994 through July 16, 2003, from the list of products below. If a class member has only purchased products, during the class period, from one of the Manufacturer Defendants listed below, then that class member is only entitled to receive a free product from that Manufacturer Defendant. If a class member has purchased products, during the class period, from multiple Manufacturer Defendants, then that class member must choose the ONE free product he or she wishes to claim from one of those Manufacturer Defendants. Again, these products are only available while supplies last, and no rainchecks will be issued. If your store has run out of settlement products from the Manufacturer Defendant(s) from which you have previously purchased Department Store Cosmetics during the class period, then you may claim a product (again, while supplies last) from another Manufacturer Defendant.Link

Rules of Thumb

Here's a cool site: Rulesofthumb.org
It's a great reference site for any kind of rule of thumb that exists.
Some examples:
WORK RATING
You can have it cheap, fast, or good. Pick any two.

MARKETING TO THE ELDERLY
For marketing purposes, elderly consumers think they are 15 years younger than they actually are.

BUYING AN APPLIANCE
Any gadget that does many things will do none of them as well as a single-purpose device.

It's Yours for $32,500,000

I frequent itslovelyilltakeit. This blog is all about the horrible pictures of realty listings people take to "sell" their properties. This listing is out of New York. I just could not understand why you would live in this place. The patterns and decorations are just awful. It's like someone gave grandma a ton of money and let her loose in Tuesday Morning.

The Meat Sweats

Have you ever had "the meat sweats"? Last night was the second time I have had the experience. I partake in eating meat whenever possible. It's almost always a good thing - bacon, cheeseburgers, steak, brisket, sausage ... you get the picture. Before Christmas I went to visit some relatives in Dallas and they kindly introduced me to Fogo de Chão. Dinner was delicious and expensive. I couldn't help feeling guilty about eating an insane amount of animals while other people in the world are starving. I'm glad for the experience but I will probably never go again. I encountered the meat sweats that night. For those of you unfamiliar, here is how the urban dictionary defines "the meat sweats"-
A condition experienced during sleep characterized by significant discomfort, sweating, and delusional dreams that is triggered by the consumption of large amounts of cured or smoked meats. Condition is related to the high levels of nitrates and salts in the cured meat.
That worries me a little. What do nitrates do to a person when consumed in quantities? I'm not sure yet, but I'm guessing it's not good. Last night my parents were in town and they took James and I out to dinner to Rudy's Barbeque. It was glorious, but again the meat sweats. The conclusion is that I really just need to not eat so much but I can't help myself. It's MEAT!

Art Cars

artcar.blogspot.com
is a collection of artcars from all over the world. This is one of my favorites because of the reflective stickers.

Million Dollar Idea: Fluffy Puffy Puppy Kitty Baby Bunny Little Baby Deer Land

I'm a big fan of all things cute. Here's the plan. Create a petting zoo with a modern twist. Bingo! Instant profit. Think cute overload in the flesh.

Local Austin Jewelry Designer

I like stuff. Do you like stuff? Here's a link to a friend's jewelry design website. I have a pacman necklace made by her. It's good to support local people trying to make it. So buy this stuff!
Ilovefatcats.com

People R dum!

The site Not Always Right is a collection of people that are dumb. Customers who need LOTS of help.
The most relevant example for my life so far:

Because Insurance Is Such A Scream

Graphic Design | Las Vegas, NV

Me: “So, let me get this straight. You want your insurance website to look like the Walt Disney World site?”

Client: “Yes, because [the Walt Disney World site] seems so happy and fun. When people visit our site, they should feel like buying insurance is fun!”

Me: “Um, okay …… so is there anything else you’d like?”

(client thinks for a few moments)

Client: “Rollercoasters! I like rollercoasters!”

*face palm*

Funny stuff.

Jack Skellington a la Lego

Artist: Cooksey - Talbott

This artist studied under Ansel Adams. I love the natural landscape in this format. Here is his website. This work is similar to Japanese ink on silk paintings - which I am huge fan of.

How to: Build A Mobile Bar a.k.a. BAR2D2

This is necessary - oh so necessary! I had posted before about a mobile bar, but now I can build one! Instructables has provided humankind a great service by giving us step by step instructions to create this wonderful behemoth. Link

For The New Year...

I should learn to f'ing relax. For reals. Some meditation advice from Motherearth.com:

How to Meditate

To elicit the relaxation response via meditation:

• Find a quiet place with a comfortable chair.
• Sit with eyes closed.
• Select a word or phrase — one, peace, ice cream — whatever. That’s your “mantra.”
• Silently repeat your mantra. Begin with a minute or two. Work up to 20 minutes once or twice a day.
• While meditating, try to empty your mind of other thoughts. Assume a passive, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude. When distracting thoughts intrude — they’re inevitable — notice them, accept them, then dismiss them as you refocus on your mantra.

In another type of meditation, breath meditation, there is no mantra. Practitioners focus on their breath. The other steps remain the same.

There's Probably No God So Stop Worrying About It.

I often feel shame for the way I believe. It's a natural response of humans to shun those who do not look, act or believe the same as themselves. That does not make it right. Many christians feel threatened or pity me if I speak of god not existing. It automatically makes me a devil worshiper. Quite the contrary. I have more compassion and understanding than most of the people who claim to be children of god. I have my moments and I'm not perfect, but Christians as a whole project more hate then most other groups I come across. Here's a cause I can believe. I am now a humanist.

The Urge To Win, Why Men Get More Reward From Video Games Then Women

I noticed a difference between the way I play video games and how my male friends play. When I play the same game as my male counterparts, it seems they want to win every time on the first try. It doesn't bother me to get a lower score or lose every once in a while. I'm in it for the experience. Finally, someone chose to investigate the matter.Here is an article from the Telegraph in which scientists explain male drive to conquer as triggering a reward center in the brain.

"Playing on computer consoles activates parts of the male brain which are linked to rewarding feelings and addiction, scans have shown. The more opponents they vanquish and points they score, the more stimulated this region becomes.

In contrast, these parts of women's brains are much less likely to be triggered by sessions on the Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii or Xbox.

Professor Allan Reiss of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research at Stanford University, California, who led the research, said that women understood computer games just as well as men but did not have the same neurological drive to win." Link

Monkey Bread

My mom used to make this when I was little except with garlic and butter. I can't wait to try it and add the bacon and cheesy goodness. Here is the link from Ridiculous Food Society of Upstate New York.