I remember the first time I ever saw the Nintendo Entertainment System.

My friend Jonathan and I were playing in a field when a young boy ran up to us.

"Sebastian got a Nintendo! Sebastian got a Nintendo!"

Sebastian was a friend of ours who had cerebral palsy so he didn't play around and explore the neighborhood with us.

We would go over to his house on occasion though to play and read comics or go swimming.

He would stand in the water by the edge of the pool but not actually swim very much.

On this particular occasion Jonathan and I were hitting a tree with a stick in order to make the little Cicada shells come off.

You know........ the shells that they leave behind after they molt or whatever it is that they do. Well we used to collect those shells. I still think they're cool.

Of course I barely knew what a Nintendo was at the time. I had heard rumors but we lived in a completely different world.

There was no internet and the only way to find out information like this was to experience it firsthand.

Despite this, we looked at each other after hearing the news with excited expressions and we ran towards Sebastian's house as fast as we could.

Knocking on the door we frantically asked if Sebastian could play.

His mom let us in and we went into his room. He was sitting on the floor playing a game we had never seen before.

It was Super Mario Brothers and it was the most glorious thing I'd ever looked at.

You see, growing up I had an Atari 2600 and I used to play it everyday.

Most of the boys and some of the girls in the neighborhood would come over and we would have competitions playing the Atari 2600.

After that we would go run around and play tag and other children's games.

I had never laid my eyes on anything like this though.

The graphics were like something straight out of the arcade.

The music didn't sound like it came from a little plastic box either.

It also sounded like it came straight out of the arcade.

We played for hours and hours and even though we got to Sebastian's house around 4 in the afternoon it must have been after 8:30 when we left because it was dark outside.

In those days you knew it was time to come home when you heard your mom yell your name and it echoed through the neighborhood.

Since we were inside we couldn't hear our parents yelling and they were not to happy with us when we got home.

I'll never forget that first day playing Super Mario Brothers.

I'm sure part of the experience was the game system itself and most of it was being a young child and seeing the world through a young child's eyes.

It was an experience I'll never forget.

Read More »

9 ways to feel the summer in a unique way

Summer is the travel season. Summer is the season of adventures. Summer is the season of dreams. Summer is the season of flirting. Summer is the season of love. Summer is what we do!
Here are ten modest suggestions to feel the summer in a unique way:

Barefoot on the sand

"We go two barefoot, I and You, on the sand so hot we go Cold lemonade wearing you and looking for my eyes The sea brings love, brings a little sadness I want to see you on the shore I want to catch you by the hand "- so D2 sing in" Me and you "and we will agree with them because walking barefoot on the sand is a trademark of the summer.
Walking on the sand also has many health benefits because there are points on the stairs that are connected to almost all internal organs. The healing effect of walking barefoot on the sand is explained by the fact that hot sand causes blood flow and expansion of the peripheral blood vessels and capillaries, thereby improving circulation around the body.

Glimming

The latest stream in the campsite offers us to feel the summer really in a unique way.
You rest under an open sky, enjoying the soft bed and the comfort of the white sheets.
Charming Forrest tents have a large double bedroom or twin beds.

Tattoo with henna

If you want to make a tattoo, but you are not sure that you would wear it all your life, the temporary henna tattoo is right for you, and summer is the best season for making it because everyone will be able to see it.
You can experiment with a tattoo that covers your entire hands or your entire back, without worrying that you will no longer like it in time. You can also do so for a specific occasion - for example, the departure of the sea, then simply remove it.

Decoration with mussels and pans

You can keep the summer in your home all year long by decorating yourself with mussels, rope, and pebbles you found on the seashore. It takes only a little diligence and a lot of imagination.
Ideas for decoration are countless: pan, shells, shells, shells in shells or shells, decoration in a glass vessel; Frame for a picture or voluminous letters of mussels, a decorative wreath or a garland of mussels and shells, "Wind Music", funny figures, a chest of jewelry ...

Tomato, comet bread and lump of cheese

Pick up (pink) tomato from the grandmother's garden ( or bio store ), which is still warm from the sun. To tear the edge of the bread. Sip your whisper of cheese.
And to eat all this with your hands, returning to childhood and time when there were no Brussels, Himalayan salt or pesto, but the food was real and incomparably delicious.

Shallow, growth, extravagant hairstyles ...

Summer is also the best season for "experiments" with the appearance, not for any other reason, but mostly for the freedom that this season has to offer. If we want to go beyond the clichés, now is his time!
Many of the bosses are also more willing to accept a different kind of employees in the summer, so go ahead.
This appeal also applies to the strong sex, who is no longer afraid of trying different things, such as making the so-called " Male coke.

Froze

The real connoisseurs of rose can consume a pleasant drink at any time of the year - both on hot summer days and in colder weather, for example at the fireplace.
In recent years, so-called. Froze (from frozen and rosé), which can be done in different ways. One is mandatory - there must be frozen cubes rosé.
We offer you a tasty idea for a similar drink you can do at home and have a drink or treat your guests. You will be fascinated.
Necessary products:

• 1 bottle of dry rosé
• 2 glasses of strawberries cut in half
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 100 ml of vodka
• 100 ml of grenadine

The method of preparation:

1. Pour the wine into ice molds and leave it in the freezer to freeze.
2. In the blender, put the chopped strawberries and sugar and mix with a long spoon. Then add vodka, grenadine, and frozen rosewood cubes.
3. Blend, pour the drink into rosemary cups and serve. Decorate with strawberry.

Picnic in the woods

The mountain in summer is the coolest place, ideal for lazy staying under the thick shade of a century-old tree.
Or a picnic with delicious food, drinks cooled in the nearby stream and a good company. Or the cost to the nearest hut or natural landmark. Or search for healing herbs, berries or delicious mushrooms.

Do something crazy

Jumping with bungee, rafting, diving ... There are so many extreme activities that we dream of, but it still does not cling to us. What do you think if you do not do it in the summer, when?
And if you want to go even further, disable your Facebook account, at least while you're on vacation. Real life is always offline!

Read More »

There's a stray dog that's been visiting us at work.

This Saturday morning while I was at work I noticed a small dog cowering by the front porch of my restaurant.

I think he was afraid because there were several work men going around with very noisy leaf blowers blowing leaves away from the front of our restaurant.

I tried to go out and comfort him but he was wary of strangers as any stray dog probably would be.

He did not have a collar on and he was pretty dirty so my guess is that he was probably someone's dog that escaped and hasn't been home in quite some time.

This is not him.

I tried to take a picture of him but he was too quick for me.

He's definitely a Chihuahua that has been mixed with a beagle or some other small dog.

He's got a white coat but he has tan colorization all over him as well.

He's really nice looking dog.

He's come to work every day since Saturday but no one has been able to get very close to him.

He usually sits underneath the bush which is about 50 feet from the entrance to the restaurant and watches the staff as we come and go through the window.

I think he really wants a friend but he's scared.

I love dogs but I'm not sure if I can handle another one.

Nevertheless I'm going to hope he is there again tomorrow and see if I can work something out with him.

I once found a stray Chihuahua that ended up being a great dog.

If I did take him home I'm sure he would get along with my Boston Terrier because he is amazing and good natured.

I just hope he's okay and he doesn't get into any trouble out there in the wide world without anyone caring for him.

There's a stray dog that's been visiting us at work.

I'm gonna try to talk to him.

Read More »

The kind you put in strawberry lemonade.

Every day we take several containers of fresh strawberries and put them in our blender.

We blend them up to make several different types of drinks all beginning with our Strawberry Puree.

It's really just blended fresh strawberries so you can imagine that it would taste really good in any sort of tropical drink.

We make a couple of different types of lemonade that people really enjoy.

We can also make different desserts involving ice cream, brownies, and several different delectable treats using this strawberry blend.

We also have several different flavors of lemonade and drinks that we use...... but none of them use fresh fruit.

Most of them actually use a kind of syrup which I think is kind of gross, but that is just me. Lots of people like it.

I think even if you don't enjoy eating fruit you probably would enjoy the taste of blended strawberries.

It's really good, and at first taste of our strawberry lemonade everybody immediately wants a second glass.

Do you like strawberries? I bet you would like ours.

Read More »

The Sahara Desert may have been triggered by humans

Although today it looks like a sand mound, the Sahara desert, about 10,000 years ago, was a land rich in vegetables and covered with lakes. New research says that humans could influence and accelerate that transition to its current state.

 The article, by scientists at the National University of Seoul in South Korea and published in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science, has analyzed since African Neolithic communities experimented with agriculture near the Nile River about 8,000 years ago, A technique that slowly began to flow westward. As communities spread, they increasingly introduced livestock and removed an increasing amount of vegetation to graze and house them.

This exploitation of vegetation reduced the grasses to scrublands, without being able to protect the soil from the rays of the sun, thus increasing the amount of sunlight reflected on the surface of the Earth instead of absorbing it. This influenced the atmospheric conditions, causing a reduction of the monsoon rains that led to a greater desertification and loss of vegetation. This vicious circle spread and transformed a gigantic area into an infernal desert.

The findings of this study challenge most previous studies, suggesting that this transition was caused by changes in the Earth's orbit or natural changes in vegetation. The activity of Neolithic humans, however, has been known to drive ecological change in parts of Europe, East Asia and the Americas. For example, some speculate that Madagascar was shaped by humans through extensive man-made forest fires about 1,000 years ago.

However, the researchers say they have to keep working to confirm this theory at 100%. Experts hope to return to the Sahara to build new research based on this speculation.

Read More »

Win Your Way Through Laughter

“A cheerful heart brings good healing, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
‭‭- Proverbs‬ ‭17:22‬

They say laughter is the best medicine. Both the Bible and the doctors agree with this. Some try to be cheerful despite of their problems which I believe is a good thing. Having this kind of attitude does bring good healing. But you need to have a firm reason as to why you should be cheerful. Some are just trying to be happy but feels the opposite deep inside. I don't think faking your cheerfulness gives perfect health. I saw a lot of comedians who seems so joyful but still end up sick and some died young. They might not be truly happy deep inside cause if they do, they would have lived a healthy and long life. The Bible says that at laughter a heart may still ache. You can be depressed but pretend to be happy. True cheerfulness is from the inside out.

Today, I want to tackle the life story of Abraham and his wife Sarah. How at their old age they were still able to have a son and how this is related to the area of cheerfulness.

Abraham has three contenders for his inheritance. Here are their names and their corresponding meanings in the Hebrew language:

Eliezer - God will help.
Ishmael - God will hear.
Isaac - Laughter.
Guess who received the inheritance of Abraham? As we all know, it is Isaac, Abraham's son with Sarah. He is the one who received all of Abraham's possessions. Have you noticed that the meaning of Isaac's name is laughter? We can say that "laughter" received Abrahams's abundance.

Long before Isaac was born, Abraham's first choice as his heir was Eliezer. He even had a conversation with God where he wants him to acknowledge Eliezer as his possessor, for he had lost all hope of having a child because of his and his wife's old age. Eliezer means God will help. We can see that Abraham's recommendation of Eliezer as his heir to God was his way of saying "God! Help Me!" Yet, God did not select Eliezer as his heir.

When Ishmael was born, the same scenario happened again between God and Abraham. This time he wants him to acknowledge Ishmael as his heir. Ishmael means God will hear. This time, Abraham is trying to say to God, "Oh God hear me please!" or "God, do you hear my prayers? But once again, God did not approved Abraham's plea.

Then, when Abraham was 99 years old, God visited him and told him that the following year his wife Sarah would bear a child. Abraham's response to God was "LOL!" If there were emojis at that time Abraham might have used the most hilarious one. Sarah also responded in this manner when she heard about this news.

Now, some see their response as unbelief to what God has promised them. For after laughing, both Abraham and Sarah said "How can this happen when we are so old and Sarah's womb is already dead? Some say that they actually believed God and their laughter was a sign of rejoicing. Both sides do have their point, but it actually doesn't matter whether they believed God or not.

God's very goal at that time is to make them see in their minds that they would still be able to have a child. I believe God accomplished his goal perfectly. For Abraham and Sarah wouldn't laugh so hard if they have not pictured it on their minds. They clearly saw themselves having a child and they find it so funny making them burst into laughter. They maybe imagined Sarah as having a baby lump or breastfeeding a child though being very old.

Then, as they were laughing the joy that they felt that time provided the healing for Sarah's womb as well as rejuvenation of youthfulness for the both of them. God made them laugh in order to heal their infirmities. And so they were still able to produce a son naming him Isaac, which means laughter. For he was conceived out of laughter.

Now, when we approach God desiring to receive something from him, we should approach him with joy in our hearts. Some approach him the "Eliezer style," begging and pleading God for help. Some do the "Ishmael method," praying so loud and desperate for God to hear and answer them. But we must approach him the "Isaac way," filled with joy, thanksgiving and rejoicing.

How can we approach God with joy in our hearts? Like Abraham and Sarah, you need to see yourself receiving what God has promised. You need to see that your every need has already been provided by God through the finished work of Christ. See that every wounds that Jesus' received provided the healing for your sickness. See that Jesus became poor for you to become rich. See that you are already righteous in God's sight because Jesus bore all of your sins. As you see yourself the way God sees you, joy will fill your heart. And you will receive the healing that you need whether physically, emotionally or financially.

Read More »

Nine Things I Learned From Reading A Lot Of Books

1. Empathy is one of humanity’s greatest assets. The reason that we’re able to enjoy stories is because we can easily slip into the thoughts, motivations, and lives of other humans. The origin of the word “empathy” comes from an ancient Greek word, empatheia, which means passion or physical affection. Our understanding of other people inspires passion in us, emotion. Social animals like dogs are much more intelligent than solitary animals like cats, because they have to be built to understand others. Our empathy is partially what makes us intelligent, and allows us to build society in the first place, because we can actually see other people. When you read a book, you’re empathizing, feeling passion for the characters. You’re strengthening your ability to understand others, and thus, improving the human race.

2. We filter our view of the world through our subjective experience. Nobody gets the same experience reading the same book, even though the words remain the same. Although reality itself does not change, our perception of it can. We fuse words and experiences with the flavor of our opinions and memories. That means we can change how we view reality based on new input data. That may sound simple, but it’s an extraordinary power that we as humans possess. Maybe you hate a particular character because they remind you of a cousin who used to bully you. However, later in the book their backstory is revealed which brings that character into a new light - maybe their mother died of cancer, or their father bullied them and that’s all they know. Your perception of this character then changes, even though the character hasn’t, because new information has been brought to life. In turn, this changes the way you see your hated cousin. Your cousin may still a bully, but your perception of their behavior has changed.

3. We all have inner worlds. Private inner worlds that nobody else can ever see or touch, except indirectly. Rich inner worlds full of exploding starstuff, dreams, nightmares, wishes, desires, fantasies, shadows of people we used to know or may never know. We build elaborate Our brains are only about three pounds in weight, but they contain. And because of the way our brains work, these worlds are endless. Like the infinity of the universe, we can forever build new scenarios and sensations. These are the inner worlds that fuel the books that human write. And so we’ll never run out of books to read.

4. Many of those inner worlds are full of fucked up shit, but that doesn’t make that person depraved. I think people who don’t read or write sometimes have a difficult time understanding that most of humanity has evil thoughts. Neurons fire off in the basal ganglia and we oftentimes can’t control what we think. Many of us think about impulsively jumping off of bridges or stabbing a co-worker who chews too loudly. Books are a way to explore dark urges and thoughts, and even see the humor in the depths of our inbuilt depravities. And the more you read, the more you realize that these inner depths give us an intrinsic ability to act horribly, but is rarely expressed.

5. The depth and richness of human experience is the ultimate entertainment device. Humans are navel-gazing creatures, but that isn’t really a bad thing. It’s how we learn about our species, and continue our survival. We are entertained by ourselves, and by others who are like ourselves. The definition of a story cannot exist without a character. And the character, except for rare instances, is human or anthropomorphized. Even when the story is from the perspective of a dog or rabbit, we’re entertained by the things that animal does that we can relate to. We read books to see ourselves, and understand ourselves, and be entertained by the strange thing that we are. That’s why there are no successful fiction stories about inert rocks, or a sunrise. It’s not us, and there’s no action we can relate to, so it’s boring to us.

6. What you consume shapes who you become. Reading doesn’t make you smart or knowledgeable. Reading smart books makes you smart. If you want to have a greater breadth of knowledge, you need to read in a varied way. Book snobbery can limit your scope of perspective, and fear of reading something too challenging can make you a literary anemic if you avoid certain books. And it’s not just what you read, but how you read it, that shapes you. If you read passively, without questioning the text in front of you, it won’t enable you to form your own passions and opinions. But if you read voraciously, with a curiosity and a skepticism (You can also learn how to read like this by reading books about this topic), then it will teach you about what interests and ignites you, and what you should outright reject.

7. Reading books teaches you patience, and gives you power. I know this has said before a million times, but when you read you have to actively work to imagine what is going on. And it can take several hours or days to read a book, which requires you to learn how to sustain attention. This takes a patience, but also a willful deliberation to turn away from distraction, plug into the book, and feed your brain words that you must transform into images. And after enough practice, this inner strength and resolve improves over time, and carries over into other areas that require focus.

8. I never have to be bored. When I was a child I’d carry a book around with me wherever I went, often several books with me, for it was almost unbearable to be bored. I’d read when I was eating dinner or in the bathtub, much to the chagrin of anyone trying to get my attention. As I got older and it became less socially acceptable to read books all the time, I stopped, but I still kept up the habit of having one near by at all times. Now thanks to ebooks and the Internet I hardly ever have to worry about running out of things to read. I’ve found things now that entertain me outside of books, but it was books that made me realize I am the arbiter of my own entertainment. It’s my responsibility to find fun and enjoyment in things, not the world’s to provide it for me. And when I plug into a book,and begin to ride the wave of the story, I realize just how much depth and richness I can find inside interior spaces.

9. Objects aren’t important, it’s your thoughts and memories that are important. I lost most of my books when I was younger, and that’s happened to me several times over my adult life. I know there are many readers who cherish the physicality of books - their smell and their weight - and keep them as collections. But losing all my books made me realize it wasn’t the books themselves that were important, but what they gave me, and what I still keep, inside my head. Now, most of my books are in digital format, but I’m not losing much when I lose the physical object. (At least, if I’ve already read the book.)

Read More »

Top 3 points of contention between roommates.

Living with roommates is hard although it's a great way to save money.

I have listed here the top three points of contention that I personally experience with my two roommates.

1. The Air Conditioning.

I bet this one is a surprise to you.

I have to admit I find it surprising, but not everyone likes their air to be at the same temperature.

You would assume that everyone likes a nice cool breeze in their house that makes you feel comfortable.

Not too cold and not too hot.

On the other hand you don't want to run the bill up because we all pay in on it.

Our house is comfortable and cool at 78 degrees and that is the temperature I always set it at when I get home from work.

The other roommate comes home for a few minutes before he leaves to go work on his other business.

Before he leaves he will sneakily change it to 82 degrees. I tend to notice it's very hot and then realized what happened and become mildly agitated.

I think he wants to save money.

The third roommate will come home late from his job downtown and set the temperature very low at like 60 degrees.

I'm usually in bed and so is the second roommate so we wake up in the middle of the night absolutely freezing.

The second roommate then gets up at 6 in the morning freezing and sets the temperature at 84 degrees before he leaves.

As you can see it's a complete mess.

2. Noise

This one is obvious and I suspect everyone has to deal with it.

Human beings make noise and there is no way to avoid that.

Especially when you have three men living together and each of them works all the time.

No one wants to come home and have to keep quiet after working for someone else all day.

To be honest we all do respect each other most of the time.

None of us listen to loud music very often and since we all work in the morning we all go to bed at a reasonable hour.

However, once in a blue moon I will wake up to a very loud movie that is caught on the repeating title screen.

It's incredibly annoying but you can't really avoid something like the topic of noise when dealing with other people.

3. The Kitchen.

I suspect that the kitchen is probably the number one point of contention between most roommates.

For us it's not that big of a deal but it's also not perfect.

I love food and I cook every single night.

My mother taught me how to cook when I was little and I love experimenting with different cuisines.

It's also much cheaper to cook food then it is to buy fast food or go out to eat.

The second roommate doesn't cook.

Since he's usually on the go he picks up a rotisserie chicken and makes a sandwich.

He does this pretty much every day.

The third roomate, however, makes a huge mess every night.

If I hang a trash bag on the door the next day it will be full of disgusting food trash.

If I buy a fresh soap dispenser the next day the soap is half gone.

I must say though that I have had worse roommates.

Sometimes you just have get along.

These are the three points of contention that we face.

Read More »

Why do some people absolutely drench themselves in perfume or cologne?

Have you ever stood next to somebody that was so completely soaked in fragrance that you actually smell like that same fragrance simply by being near them?

Something like this happened to me today so I thought it would be a good thing to post about.

Standing in the meat section of the grocery store, I slowly walk by attractive young woman who smells quite strongly of berries and flowers.

As she walks off I noticed that I can still smell the berries and flowers quite strongly a few minutes later.

Getting into my car I realize I am absolutely covered in the that flowery scent.

Perhaps she put perfume on just before I walked by........ I suppose that is possible.

Here's another example.

I used to work with a guy named Kenny.

Every morning he would walk into work smelling like a bottle of cologne.

It was good cologne too........ not the cheap stuff, and he had about a dozen different bottles.

He told me he felt like it was a waste to just put on a squirt and then not have everyone smelling him.

I guess he did not understand that cologne is supposed to be subtle.

We don't really live in a subtle world these days though, and subtle can sometimes mean understated and unheard.

I think Kenny was wanting to make sure that his presence was known by wearing so much cologne that people would look at him and say

"Wow...... that guys wearing cologne."

I honestly think that's why people wear so much........ because they want to turn heads.

They must not realize that they are turning heads for all the wrong reasons.

Do you know anyone that drenches themselves in perfume or cologne thinking that they smell good and not realizing that they smell like a giant bottle of stench?

Well I think I came up with a good phrase for it.

Nose pollution.

I bet you know someone like this.

Why not upvote this post and then tell me all about it?

Why do some people absolutely drench themselves in perfume or cologne?

Read More »

We drink a lot of sweet tea in Texas.

Sweet tea definitely turns the volume down on this heat.

I think sweet tea is a southern thing.

I don't know if people in the north tend to drink it much or not.

Down here though, if you're not drinking water, coffee, beer, or soda then you're probably drinking sweet tea.

At my restaurant we have a variety of sodas available in the fountain.

We also have caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and iced tea and sweet tea.

Guess which one gets drank the most?

In the morning when we make the sweet tea we use an absolute boat load of sugar.

That's all sweet tea is......... regular iced tea that's got a ton of sugar in it.

The funny thing is half the people that order it add even more sugar to it.

If you taste it right after it's been made you will immediately grimace at how absolutely sickeningly sweet it is.

Yet there are people that will add 5 and 6 packets of sugar to it everyday.

It's not just that my restaurant either......... pretty much everywhere you go around here you can order a glass of sweet tea.

That includes fast food places like Wendy's and McDonald's.

I try to watch my health so I don't drink much sweet personally although I do find it absolutely delicious.

Where you're from do they drink a lot of sweet tea?

Read More »

A Jeezzle Movie Review: The Forbidden Kingdom.

If you're looking for a good family friendly martial arts adventure then The Forbidden Kingdom is for you.

I am a huge fan of kung fu flicks, especially the older stuff by The Shaw Brothers.

I also love ninjas, samurai, and all different kinds of martial arts.

The Forbidden Kingdom is something really unique because it is a family friendly martial arts adventure starring two very well known martial artists.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li have both been in a bunch of movies and they have very different fighting styles.

While Jet Li focuses on precise acting and precision moves Jackie Chan tends to focus more on comedy although he is a great fighter as well.

It's really cool to see Jackie Chan and Jet Li fight together even though they're on the same side because you can compare and contrast their fighting styles.

Jet Li uses his typical somber but powerful techniques while Jackie Chan uses a Drunken Master Style.

What's the plot?
A young boy named Jason is a huge fan of kung fu style Chinese movies.

He is constantly visiting an old Chinese man that rents or sells these movies.

One day the old man is attacked by some thugs and somehow Jason is transported to a mystical world while holding a golden staff.

It turns out that the golden staff once belonged to The Monkey King and he was turned to stone by the Jade Emperor.

The staff will revive The Monkey King because he is immortal but the seeker needs to bring it to him.

Jason is the seeker.

An adventure team is formed and they set off to save The Monkey King.

This is a great adventure movie that is completely family friendly except for a few splotches of red blood but it is really barely there at all.

This movie is done in the Wuxia style which basically means people can jump up and fly a little bit and do all kinds of mystical and magical stuff.

It's fun to watch.

How long is it?
The movie itself is 1 hour and 44 minutes long.

It goes by really fast though and there are not really any slow parts to it.

If you watch it with the family you shouldn't have anyone fidgeting or being uncomfortable because there are constant action scenes to keep everyone happy.

It should be noted as well that there are several nice looking women in this movie but no one takes their clothes off so that is not an issue either.

How does this movie compare to other martial arts movies?
Well this movie is a mystical adventure in which a young boy is transported to a magical land where he has to save The Monkey King.

So it's not really your typical martial arts movie for a couple of reasons.

Actually it's more like an adventure movie that has a lot of great martial arts in it and also it's a movie that allows us to compare Jackie Chan's and Jet Li's fighting styles.

It has a lot of lush scenery and it is a really pretty movie.

I stated earlier that I really like the early Shaw Brothers Kung Fu flicks.

This is really nothing like those because this is a grand adventure and not really completely focused on the fighting but more on the story of finding The Monkey King.

Everyone knows that Jackie Chan tends to keep things family friendly and I really got the feeling that because of him they went really light on things like blood and stabbings.

That's a good thing because it makes it accessible for everyone.

If you're looking for a good family friendly martial arts adventure you can't do much better than The Forbidden Kingdom.

Read More »

Do you drink tap water or bottled water?

Everyone that I know drinks bottled water

I drink bottled water myself because I think it tastes a lot cleaner than the water that comes out of the tap at my house.

Now I've been to a few people's houses that had tap water that tasted nice and clean.

The water in my house tastes a little bit chalky and I notice that I tend to get an irritated throat when I drink it.

The water at my mom's house tastes fine though and they always drink it from the tap.

There's obviously been a great trend in people drinking more bottled water and you see a lot of people that say that tap water is just as good.

I think it probably has something to do with how clean your pipes are.

The water from this house just doesn't taste good but it tastes fine at my mom's house and at my job.

At least it always used to taste fine at my job until this week.

Lately at work the water has been tasting very much like dirt.

It's one of those things where you want to ignore the problem and hope that it goes away but it probably won't.

Starting a few days ago some of our customers decided that they didn't like the taste of our tea anymore.

Others started complaining that the water had a noticeable dank taste to it.

I can taste that in the water myself but I feel like over time that taste is actually going away.

It's possible there was something that has been cleared up now.

No one got sick so it doesn't seem to be anything to worry about and I think most people were probably just over complainers, but it does give a lot of room to think about bottled water.

Bottled water sometimes tastes like plastic but it rarely ever tastes like dirt.

It can be expensive though especially if you drink a lot of water like I do.

Do you drink tap water or bottled water?

Read More »

How much sleep is enough?

You've probably been told that 7 to 8 hours sleep a night is the ideal amount.

Not everyone can afford to sleep that much.

Sometimes it's not about finding the right amount of sleep but instead just enough sleep to actually get by on.

Whether you sleep alone or have a partner falling asleep can be difficult.

Just because you get in bed at midnight doesn't mean you will fall asleep at midnight.
Even if you do fall asleep right away a variety of things can keep waking you up and prevent you from falling back asleep.

For example, last night I got in bed at midnight but then realized at about 12:30 that I had to use the restroom.

At 1:00 my roommate then decided to go get some food. The front door of the house is right by my room.

He then came back at 2:00.

I slept from 2:30 to 6:00 until my other roommate woke up and let the dog out.

He showered and left at 6:30, putting the cat gate up so she would be trapped upstairs. Our cat is a very active Bengal cat and is always looking to knock stuff over.

So of course she knocked over the cat gate and it comes crashing down the stairs and bangs into the front door of my room at 7:00.

At 7:45 the other roommate goes upstairs to use the restroom and replaces the cat gate.

At 8:00 the cat knocks over the cat gate again and so I wake up for work.

I think I probably got about 5 hours of sleep total and it has really affected me today.

For me, 5 hours was not enough.

My concentration is off and I might not be as quick with a smile or a quick reply as I usually am. I just feel like the world's a bit blurry.

I once knew a girl named Rene though that always got 5 hours a night and she functioned just fine with that amount. She was a paralegal at a law firm I used to work at.

Everyday she would come into work chipper as a bird and be friendly and happy with everyone.

Since she was extremely attractive most of the guys found a few minutes to chat with her.

I once made the mistake of having lunch with her and I never heard the end of it from my girlfriend at the time.

Rene told me she usually got about 5 hours of sleep every night but she could function on 4 hours.

Her entire family was like that......... they just didn't need much sleep.

On the other hand I once lived with a guy that couldn't even get through the day unless he had between 10 to 12 hours of sleep every night.

When he would get home from work he would watch TV for about an hour and go right to bed.

He would sleep almost right up to the time that I had to be at work.

I felt like he was always sleeping even though he didn't seem like a depressed guy.

He was actually very friendly and had a lot of luck with the ladies.

He told me one day that he just had always needed a lot of sleep.

I guess everyone is different.

So how much sleep do you think is enough?

Read More »