Advertising

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Nostalgia

Greetings Gnafia,

Today I'm here to blog about nostalgia. What brings up this pseudo-random topic? Well, itself of course! I spent the entire lunch hour today discussing LEGO's of all things with a co-worker. I have some very fond memories of LEGOs when I was a child, and other not-so-fond memories where I'd like to go back and punch myself in the face and tell myself to stop being such an idiot. So, as part of this tribute I'd like to thank my parents and my siblings especially for putting up with me as a younger child. I'm sure my antics weren't appreciated, but I greatly appreciate you all putting up with me and helping me get to where I am today.

There is definately a place in a Man Cave for a work bench. I almost feel that any person who has a Man Cave and played with LEGOs as a child ought to have a healthy nostalgia for those little building bricks and of course include them in their holiest of shrines to all things manly. Of course, there shouldn't be anything wrong with going over to a friend's house and bringing a 6-pack of Leinenkugel's and engineering some sort of LEGO contraption. But there is that precept that you're playing with children's toys. To that I say, "I believe the box says '14+', and I am postive I fall into the '+' category!"

Now, if you have something you are particularily nostalgic about, I encourage you to leave a comment. It can be from your childhood, your children's childhood, or something that happened this morning, because I'm nostalgic about my dog whenever I'm not at home with her and my wife. Speaking of dog's, we had a dog as a kid named Cisco. Cisco was a great dog. Hooray for nostalgia!

Keep it in the family!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Swag Bucks Monday

Hey hey Gnafia!

I know it's been about a week since I've last posted. I was on leave last week, hence the lack of posting. But we're back in full force!

I'd like to revisit one of my first posts about Swag Bucks, the site where you can get FREE Amazon Gift Cards and other sweet stuff (including cash) for doing everything you normally do on the web (surfing, voting in polls, clicking links, etc.). If you sign up today by clicking on the Swidget (on the righthand side) or by clicking HERE to sign up you can enter a code for a BONUS 20 Swag Bucks on top of the regular 50 for signing up. You'll be well on your way to the 450 required for a $5 Amazon Gift Card.

As a status update on Swag Bucks, I've earned about $50 in Amazon Gift Cards so far in the ~3 months I've used it so far. It takes about 5 minutes a day and I've been making bank (in my opinion, at least). Make sure to do your dailies: 1) Voting in the daily poll 2) Clicking on 'Trust Surveys' 3) Clicking through the NOSO and 4) Searching for Swag Bucks in the morning and evening.

Easy, easy day. To get your Swag Code, click on the Swidget and select the button at the bottom that says 'Swag Code' and then 'Check to see if there is a code'. Enter that code and you'll end up with some free Swag Bucks! AWESOME!

Thats it for now, Gnafia.

Keep it in the family.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Hello gnafia!

I know, I was slacking last Friday. It happens. But to make up for it, I have your freebies for you today. That means this week will be DOUBLY AWESOME because you'll have Freebie Monday and Freebie Friday. That's pretty sweet, eh?

Honorable Mention: BORBA crystalline drink mix
They seem to want to put everything in drink form these days. Hopefully soon I can get my Big Mac in a tube so I don't have to chew it, too. These are apparently good for your skin and you get two of their four flavors. Not bad! Click here to get your free sample of BORBA drink mix!

Runner-up: Glad OdorShield Trash Bags
I didn't realize you really needed to sample trash bags. At any rate, you can score a free trash bag or two. If you're in charge of taking out the trash like I am, you'll be able to go an extra day or two without having to go, "Dang, we're out of trash bags." Click here to get your free sample of Glad OdorShield Trash Bags!

Winner: Ester-C Gummies!
Who doesn't love gummies? I bet they taste nothing like gummi bears, but at least they're good for you. Cold season is just around the corner, and maybe this is just what you need to avoid a nasty cold! Click here to get your free sample of Ester-C Gummies!

Just For Fun: Natural Nibbles Dog Treats
I heart my puppy, and you should heart your puppy too! Get them some Natural Nibbles Dog Treats! I guess they're natural, and nibbleable, so that's always a plus. Click here to get your free Natural Nibbles Dog Treats!

That's it for today. I need to go cancel a picnic that I was organizing. Bummer.

Keep it in the family.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Ahhh, sweet, sweet sleep... or insomnia...

Guten tag, Gnafia!

I was Facebook chatting with my mother, of all people, today and she asked how my blog was coming. I said I was looking for inspiration for today's post, and I think she mentioned meatloaf. Or I may be thinking of a different conversation had around the same time. Well, meatloaf isn't very inspiring most of the time. But seeing as how I'm frequently battling sleep in one way or another, I'd share some of my personal favorites for either helping you get to sleep, or helping you avoid sleep!

Tips To Sleep:

1. Go to bed at the same time every day, and consequently wake up at a similar time every day. It becomes a routine, and your body likes a routine. It's similar as to how some people are able to retune their bodies to fall directly into REM sleep and only sleep a few hours a day.

2. Get a little exercise every day. Even if it's a 15-30 minute walk, or two hours of vigorous raquetball, exercise is a very good way to promote healthy sleep. Plus, most of us don't get enough exercise as it is. Just try and avoid going for a run right before bed. You'll be hyped up on endorphins. Unless you're crazy tired, then it might work.

3. Get rid of blue lights! Blue light (which is included in white light, mind you) tells your brain to be awake. Don't do it! Turn off the lights and make things very dark for yourself when you want to sleep. Oh, and computer screens and LCD TV's emit a LOT of blue light. I'm personally a fan of red lights, but that's probably because I spent too much time on the bridge on late watches. Ahhh ha ha ha ha.

4. Progressive relaxation. Look it up. It is awesome.

5. Your bed is for sleep and sex. Keep it that way. Avoid playing video games or computer games or facebooking or anything that isn't sleep or sex in your bed. By limiting your bed to those two activities, you'll develop muscle memory so when you lay down your body will say, "Hey, it's time to sleep!" Guys, here's your best excuse for falling asleep before/during/after sex - "But honey, it's muscle memory!"

Tips for Inducing Insomnia:

1. Be cold. Air conditioning, cold water, being naked... all of these things where it might be a little chilly will help you stay awake. Ever noticed how hard it is to stay awake in a room that is really warm and humid? And how many times have you fallen asleep in your freezer? I rest my case.

2. Exercise, exercise, exercise. I recommend light exercise, like a few push ups or some squats. Bear crawls also work. Even a brisk walk. Nothing too vigorous, just enough to get the blood pumping.

3. Let there be light! Turn on the lights, it's harder to fall asleep. Do eeet!

4. Play video games. Not only do you get lots of light, but there is a reason why World of Warcraft geeks and Halo fanatics don't sleep -- these games don't allow them to!

5. Eat fruit. Blueberries, apples, strawberries... these little delicious morsels will give you a little kick of energy.

6. Drink lots and lots of water. Hydration is always good, and getting up to go to the head every 30 minutes will also make sure you're awake. Also, cold water. Remember how cold helps you stay awake? Double trouble!

7. Pull down on your earlobes. Trust me on this one. It's awesome.

There you have it, Gnafia. Now you are well equipped to adjust your level of sleep to suit your schedule and work needs. Time for an all nighter? No problem. Can't sleep on the weekend because you studied so hard this last week? Also no problem. I do, however, not promote insomnia. You will be tired and want to sleep. Trust me.

Keep it in the family.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Freakin' Freebies for Friday - 24 September, 2010

Yes, Gnafia, it is that time again as we find Friday upon us for yet another consecutive week!

What would Friday be without Freebies, am I right? I had a brilliant idea for this week's freebies, and that was to target my specific freebies for a particular person instead of haphazard randomness as I have in the past. If I can continue to do so, I'll keep it up, otherwise back to haphazard randomness next week.

This week our featured guest is an Olympian. So Ms. Olympian, these freebies are for you. Sort of. You won't hurt my feelings if you go, "Um, thanks but no thanks." Also, these products are in no way shape or form endorsed or supported by any Olympian, ever. I'm just trying to find free stuff that fits with my pre-concieved notions of Olympians.

Honorable Mention: Nature's Path Granola Bar

I figured granola is a great source of... nutrition. Plus, it's called Nature's Path, so it's got to be at least someone rooted in nature and organicness, both of which are favorites of Ms. Olympian. So we can all snack like an Olympian. Is that similar to walking like an Egyptian? Olympians in Egypt? Now I just digress. Click here to claim your free sample of Nature's Path granola bars!

Runner-Up: My IsoMass Iced Coffee

Clearly we all need to bulk up. Protein, according to Superman, is of vital importance to building a strong set of muscles. Olympians need muscle. I have no idea if they utilize the various protein supplements on the market, but once again free is free. Is it safe for human consumption? I have no idea. Was it tested on animals? Well, didn't you see that Looney Toons episode where Bugs Bunny was all muscly and pumping iron? Duh. Use at your own risk! Click here to claim your free sample of My IsoMass Iced Coffee supplement!

Winner: olympicmom.com

OK, this is really just a shameless plug for the second best blog in the tubes known as the Internet. But, you can follow it for free, and join their forums for free, so it's a free way to connect with other Olympic supporters and follow your favorite Olympian. So it really kind of is a freebie, isn't it? Oh, and staying in touch with friends and family while abroad -- big, big thumbs up. Trust me. Click here to check it out!

Pseudo-Oddity: Nectavida

Yeah, I'm not entirely sure what this is. It's up there with the IsoMass as a 'use at your own risk' but it's some sort of supper supplement. Sounds dangerous. Right up my alley. Click here to check it out and request your own free sample!

I hope you've enjoyed this week's edition of the Friday Freebies. Three cheers for Friday, and maybe a cheer and a half for Freebies. It better not be the 'Aussie, Aussie, Aussie; Oiy, Oiy, Oiy!' cheer, either. This isn't Australia. Though Australia is nice. It's time for a relaxing weekend filled with fun frivolities and puppy folleys for this gnome!

Keep it in the family!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Ub3r Gam3rs

Hello hello!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, especially here in San Diego. The weather is fine, the work is plentiful, and I can't wait to get some of it done! But there is a subject that I encountered last night that I would like to share with you all.

As my wife and dog can attest, I was playing Halo: Reach last night in Matchmaking mode on XBox Live. During one match, the opponents taunted the map choice by saying, "OMG, didn't you play Beta? This map is like shooting fish in a barrel as the Spartans. I guess if you just want to get killed a lot by me, I'll ride you all game long."

Now, if you have to say "OMG, didn't you play Beta?" right there you can deduce a few things about your fellow gamer. First off, they're hopelessly addicted to the game. To the point that probably the sole derivation of pleasure and satisfaction out of life is playing this game. Since practice makes perfect, they are also exceptionally tweaked out in their reflexes and knowledge of the game. Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. We all have to be good at something. However, there gets to be a point where an addiction becomes unhealthy. If you are able to time the exact point that your opponent is going to spawn, and the precise location so they can be blown up by a grenade a fraction of a second later, and repeat the process... you probably play Halo a little too much.

Please don't interpret this as whining or me being envious of their 'skill'. Because I'm not. If I devoted my entire life to playing Halo, I'm sure I could match their level of talent. But some of us choose to have a job, and a family, and other activities in our lives besides one video game. To each their own. Afterall, someone needs to work at McDonalds to serve me a hamburger. As long as they are happy with their life, who am I to criticize their actions? A good thrashing every now and then in a game is a solid reminder and excellent motivation to continue playing and get better. Not to be better than them, but to be able to stand up against them and occasionally prevail. Because it's extremely satisfying to kill cocky people like that, even if the end score is 2-8. Because 20% of the time they weren't better than you, and it bothers them more to have only prevailed 80% of the time. I'll take my 20%, especially if it involves a triple kill from blowing up a Warthog or Falcon with grenades or a Spartan laser or something equivalent. Mmmm, triple kill...

But enough Halo banter. Today is a wonderful day because I'm going to go home after work and clean the house. And then it will be Friday and all will be well with the world. If you have any thoughts as to what the wife and I ought to do with our weekend, feel free to leave a comment. I'm thinking mini golfing. I love mini golfing!

Keep it in the family!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

You know what we need? Altruizine

Salutations Gnafia,

I figured it was time for a book review. One of my favorites that doesn't get a lot of publicity is a recently deceased fellow named Stanislaw Lem. I won't go into details of who is was, because you can use Wikipedia if you're genuinely interested. I will, however, discuss a little about one of his publications -- The Cyberiad.

The Cyberiad is a series of short stories that all tie into one another following two creators, who are basically omnipotent robotic engineers. There are humerous interactions much akin to the humour that Douglas Adams uses. That's really all you need to know about it to want to go out and read it, for sure. But there is a specific story that I would like to entertain you with. In an attempt to make one world a better place, a hermit robot invents a substance called Altruizine. It enables humans to share every feeling with those around them. One person shared the birth pains of a cow, for example. An entire village flocks to the home of a newlywed couple to share their first night together. These kinds of awkward yet humrous scenarios are detailed in full, and I recommend you check a copy out of your local library and give it a whirl. If you hate it, you hate it. Return it and feel good knowing you've done your civic duty and patronized your public library.

I think some altruizine would be useful for one of my most recent acquisitions -- Halo: Reach. Imagine if everyone who killed me had to share how I feel being so horribly awful at the game. I think some hilarity might ensue there. Or better yet, give some altruizine to mental health providers so they can perfectly diagnose their patients. That alone would make altruizine worth researching, I feel. It would have to be a controlled substance, so it would probably be best to not develop it. Afterall, look how well cocaine is doing as a controlled substance. It'll just be another way for Mexico to make lots of money and kill a lot of innocent people. Which reminds me, Mexico's drug problems are bad, incase you didn't know.

Do I have all the answers? I wish. I can't even answer some very basic questions about myself most of the time, let alone about other people and other things. I live in a muddled mental state. I think sleep would help resolve the confusion. I should work on getting more of that. Sleep, that is.

Keep it in the family.