The Life of Reidy

The Mint Credit Card

2007-02-21T14:30:00.000-08:00

Seeing as how I'm graduating college soon, I've been thinking about getting a credit card to start building some credit for myself. I get so many offers in the mail on a daily basis, is isn't even funny. With all the different offers and pitches out there, I think I enjoy the credit card that MINT has to offer the best. Not only is it a funky little design that was first introduced in 2003, but with this card you save and save again with 0% on purchases and balance transfers until December, typical 16.9% APR, no annual fees and 24 hour customer service. I heard about it when I got the MINT gift card for Christmas, which is another great little thing they have to offer. The gift card is different from the credit card because whoever gets it for you sets the balance for you to spend anywhere that you can pay with a credit card. These guys in MINT just keep getting better, so now is just as good a time as any to check them out for yourself @ http://www.mint-online.co.uk/

Poor Vista

2007-02-21T14:23:00.000-08:00

We've all seen the fancy new adds for Vista on TV now, it's becoming more and more a household name which is what Microsoft intends to make it become over the next year. However, it is still doing dismal in sales compared to XP. People are still satisfied, or just not ready to upgrade to the new OS apparently. I know I was all about making Windows more like the Mac interface, but I certainly don't feel the rush to upgrade either. It brings in the debate when I go purchase a new laptop in the near future, do I want it to have Vista so I'm ready and prepared or do I want to wait until they work out the bugs? Or do we just screw it all and go to Mac's again? Who knows. I certainly don't!

Widget!

2007-02-21T12:07:00.000-08:00

Back when I was more in control of web design, I always felt the best way to attract people to your site was customization: fancy little media playing all over the page and catching peoples eyes and ears. The Box.net Widget is a wonderful little flash application that can do just that for your website. With unlimited bandwidth and 1 gb of free hosting, you can turn any boring old website into a wonderful little spot with your streaming images, music, movies, and whatever other kinds of files you might want to use. The possibilities are limitless! My friends band likes to use to to stream their new tracks off of their website, and my film buddy John wants to start streaming his webcasts through it. Here's a quick little example below, but you should totally go to box.net and check it out for yourself, too!

Get your own Box.net widget and share anywhere!

Under Pressure

2007-02-21T12:04:00.000-08:00

I recently got chosen to direct a Peter Zachari original scene for my directing mid term. It's difficult to know exactly what to do with the scene when the man who holds my grade is also the man who writes my scene. I'll just have to give it my go and hope for the best. I'm also worried because I have been asked to be in three other peoples scenes, on top of performing in "Action" and "What the Butler Saw." Now I ask you, in a world where we should take all of the opportunities to advance our careers, what does one do when there are too many? The problem is we try to please everyone, and make everyone else happy before we do ourselves.

Oh well. I'm going to treat myself this weekend, a nice little trip to Hartford. Time to get back to work!

Big, Fast Signs

2007-02-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

I remember last summer for my community service project we had a hard time getting people to notice that we were actually holding a car wash, and it was frustrating because all we had were these dinky little signs to catch peoples attention. I think if we are going to repeat the fundraiser and stick to advertisement through strictly Yard Signs, it would be to our benefit if we went through BuildASign.com and let them do the work for us. I just stumbled onto the site today and I gotta tell you, it's amazing how anyone can go there and design and buy their own custom sign within five minutes! Their templates are professional and their quality is top notch. You can use your own graphics and texts, and now they offer neat little bumper stickers that you can also make in minutes and get delivered to you fast! I will definitely keep this site in mind for any future events that I need to advertise out on the streets for.

Generating Web Traffic

2007-02-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

I read a great little article today about how to increase the traffic on your website without the use of search engines. This is beneficial because not everyone can afford the costs of the higher end search engines and it might take a while for them to get approved. Using these methods you can skip all of that and gain your own sense of popularity. Here's a general over look:

1. Blogging.

2. Podcasting.

3. Link buying.

4. TV Buys.

5. Web Directories.

6. Ad Networks.

7. Online Forums.

8. Social Media.

9. Email List Rentals.

10. Webinars/Video.

11. Online Press Releases.

12. PR Firm.

13. Event Media Sponsorships.

14. Sponsored Reviews.

15. Syndicate Your Content.

16. Streaking.

Some of these are a bit trickier then others, but theres definitely lots of good advice out there. To see the whole article, check out this link and be on your way to higher internet popularity.

Hilarious eCards

2007-02-12T10:54:00.000-08:00

Looking for something a little different in your valentines greetings this year? I know I for one am sick of the old stuff, and I'm always looking for new greetings that don't take things too seriously. I finally found that at eGreetings.com with their great assortment of online greeting cards. Some have great jokes, some are a bit scandalous, but all are in good humor and will surely brighten anyones day. Even if it isn't for that valentine of yours theres lots of birthday greetings, and just little notes to let people know you were thinking about them! One of the funnier examples of the Valentines Day one they had was the Cupid pickup lines eCard, and I've posted a few more below just to give you some examples of the style at eGreetings.com. I should mention that if you plan on using this site there is a free 30-day trial membership to send unlimited eCards, and then a yearly subscription is only $13.99 but it reminds you of upcoming dates and always sends your cards right on time! Worth the investment if you are into this sort of thing, and making your friends and family feel good. Check them out!

The Grammys

2007-02-12T10:43:00.000-08:00

The Grammys last night were fairly interesting, but didn't hold my attention the entire time. I loved watching the Police back in action, and it was fun seeing the Chili Peppers close out the evening. There were also some great performances in memoriam to those who have passed on in the past year, most specifically James Brown. Other then that, it was just a rather awkward evening... I didn't even know the Dixie Chicks were still around and they cleaned up with 3 of the 4 major awards. Oh well, heres hoping the academy awards will be a bit more interesting.

Shopping For Love

2007-02-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

If you need to get some last minute shopping done for that special Valentine for everyones favorite Hallmark holiday, I recommend saving yourself a lot of worry and doing some shopping online through my favorite coupon website at couponchief.com. Theres lots of great offers posted each day, I know I personally will be making use of the Target Coupons because they offer a wide variety of gifts, and I'll definately be able to find more on the website then I could through the store anyway. And the coupons help out with things like free shipping and 10% discounts, so you've got nothing to loose. Of course, that is only one of the many vendors they offer. Check them out!

Beyond Guitar Hero

2007-02-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

It seems that Red Octane is already planning to blow their very own Guitar Hero success story out of the water. Marcus (the headmaster behind this killer app) says that this next project will make use of strings and frets, and dare to go where no video game has gone before. Not only will it teach you how to play the guitar, but it will also let you make your own songs and share them over the magic of the internet. It makes me wonder however, if this makes the magic of playing guitar all to accessible to the world. Will this put guitar instructors and practiced professional musicians out of a job if anyone on the planet can easily develop guitar mastery this way? I guess we can worry about that when we see just how impressive this new app really is.

Post Production Help

2007-02-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

Ever get a really cool idea for a video, or maybe you need a little something to help support your product? With sites like YouTube the video medium is becoming more and more of a popular way to get yourself out on the web, and sometimes even a well made video clip is all you need to impress people. If you aren't so talented in the field of video editing, the Post Production Studio at mdflims.net can help you out. If you look at their portfolio, they have quite an impressive style that looks quite professional, and you can even get a quote directly from their site about how much your video might cost. Whether it be a quick blip, a conceptual music video, or a innovative short film, these guys know what they are doing and will work together with you until your vision is realized. Check them out, but make sure you've got Flash 8 so you can view their pretty site.

ACTF

2007-02-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

I'm back in the office, and the festival was lots of fun! Met lots of people, made lots of connections. Didn't advance very far but it was good because I got to have a relaxing week of partying and workshops and supporting everyone else. Congrats to my dearest Katie who made it to finals, and also congrats to my dearest Bryce who went to semifinals. G3L also rocked their very last show with the Bryce Read, and it was quite a successful one. Lots of great feedback from students and professionals alike, everyone enjoyed it and found it quite memorable. So basically, I want to go back to last week...minus being sick with the flu for about six hours. That part I can do without.

Funny Stuff for a Mental Break

2007-01-29T10:04:00.000-08:00

While I'm gone this week, I recommend that you guys take a look at some of the funny videos that jokeroo.com has to offer. They've got all kinds of hilarious videos that you can kill time with enjoying, people wiping out trying to do crazy stunts, funny sports bloopers, internet games, and plenty of great animated flash movies that you can send as e-cards as well! I feel confident that this site will keep you amused enough to fill the void in my absence this week. Ciao!

My fellow bloggers...

2007-01-29T10:02:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't been too consistent with the blogs, I've had a lot of responsibility prepping up for the Region One Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, for which I leave tomorrow. So sadly, I don't know how often I will be able to grab a computer this week either. But I'm feeling pretty confident, my partner and I have some great scenes from "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot" and "Burial Customs," and if I'm fortunate enough to move to the final round I'll get to perform a piece from "Ten November." So knock on wood for me, I'll be back soon!

Podcasting

2007-01-29T09:56:00.000-08:00

A very effective, yet underused technology, is the power of the Podcast. People all over the world are becoming famous simply by talking about what they know best for about an hour a week, and other people download their podcasts to hear what they have to say. There is still so much more room for potential I feel, I want to try to get my improv troop to start putting our comedy sketches out on the web too. Who knows how many untapped ideas have yet to be utilized through this system? If you've got a great podcast idea you should jump into the game and get a Free Podcast hosted through mypodcast.com because they are not only free but they have some great bandwidth offers for when your podcast really starts to take off. Check 'em out!

HD-DVD vs Blu-Ray

2007-01-29T09:51:00.000-08:00

This is a debate that has been puzzling me all weekend, and I saw a couple of side by side comparisons of the two formats that will supposedly take over DVD. The HD-DVD has a leg up because people will think of it because it has "DVD" in the title, and yet it's pretty much a Microsoft deal so you have to either buy an HD-DVD player or spend an extra $200 to upgrade your X-Box 360. The Blu-Ray format holds about 5 times as much as a normal DVD as opposed to HD-DVD (only three times as much) and you either again have to get the specific player or simply buy a PS3 at normal price. So in the end, both even out in price, and while HD-DVD may have the name association and more X-Boxes in American homes than PS3's, the Blu-Ray clearly holds much more and therefore is more useful.

Either way, my DVD collection is still so young, I'm not ready to start replacing it yet. Especially with TV shows on DVD becoming so popular, it will be a while before we really have to start converting to the super-sized formats.

Changing Lives One Card at a Time!

2007-01-22T15:23:00.000-08:00

Most or my readers know that I make a nice little extra cash with PayPerPost, but I found a new offer today that has earned people a living wage, so much that they have quit their day job for a few hours of sitting home at the computer a day! Send Out Cards is a great service where you simply click the cards you want, and they get sent out to any contacts for any occasion. And we're not talking about e-cards here, these are legit high quality cards that get sent to people through the mail. For more info on their service, how it can help you and how you can help them, check out their website at secrethomebusiness.com to learn all about the exciting opportunities to be had from Send Out Cards!

YouTube Break-Through!

2007-01-22T15:13:00.000-08:00

Looks like through the power of Youtube and the investment of an $8 website, someone was able to sell their indie film to MGM. There's more info about it here, but basically "A Dog's Breakfast" is going to now be considered for a pilot, all thanks to some clever writing, some long nights of editing, and the power of the information super-highway. It's stories like this that make me wonder how many other Celebrities will be spawned through YouTube, and how many brilliant ideas of the future can come from the average Internet Browser. Anyone can get their name out there, and pretty soon it will be my turn!

Soap Scoop

2007-01-22T15:05:00.000-08:00

This ones for all of you daytime TV junkies out there. If you can't get enough of your favorite Soap Opera you should check into soaps.com, its a handy little database that has been on the web for about half of a year now but it's very informative. Since it is so early, it could still use some improvements however, I wish it had more direct links to the soaps from the main page and that it also wasn't swarming with adds. Also, it could definitely benefit from having histories of the shows so you can see how they've turned over the years. Also, being an actor myself, I would be interested to learn more about the careers from the specific people on the shows, but I suppose that would be a massive undertaking for these folks to pursue. Still though, what they have to offer is good enough to get your daily dose of soaps, so check it out if you missed an episode or two!

Relaxing Game

2007-01-21T12:39:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when the office work gets a little slow, it helps to have some flash games that are simple and uncomplicated to kill those boring stretches of time. One of my favorite places to go is Ebaums World, I used to love that Ninja game but even that required a lot of platforming and tricky keyboard action, which was distracting to my coworkers. So now I'm kind of hooked on this game they have called Squares which is really simple: just collect the black squares and dodge the red ones! Give it a try to see how high of a score you can get.

Unfortunatly there was also sad news in the world of gaming today, because an inside rep at Nintendo claimed that the new Mario Galaxy game will be delayed until Christmas, making those die hard Nintendo fans wait even longer for the potential Mario 64 predecessor. But it's been my experience that everytime something gets delayed, it will only be that much better once it is released.

Cell Phone Deals

2007-01-21T12:30:00.000-08:00

Having a cell phone is one of the greatest modern conviniences in my opinion, it's always handy to be able to contact anyone, anywhere, or anytime I need to. Sometimes it can be a bit of a privacy nuisance in that sense, but it's also not a very inexpensive service. But if you want to get some sweet deals on cell phone, Wirefly.com is a great place for Verizon cell phone deals. They have a huge selection of cell phones that can cater to everyones personal needs, and they offer a wide array of deals for each type of phone, deals that you can't even beat in the stores! Definatly worth checking out because not only do they offer phones that aren't listed on the carrier sites anymore, but they offer free shipping which is always a plus. If you need a new cell phone, I say don't even bother fiddling around the mall and just head straight to Wirefly.com for the better deals.

Old Lady In The Ground

2007-01-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

Apparently through the magic of Google Earth, someone discovered some natural terrain in Canada which when viewed from space resembles the face of a woman. It's a pretty interesting geological find, and something more we can look forward too now that the Old Man on the Mountian in New Hampshire has fallen apart. To check it out for yourself, click this link!

It also makes me wonder what kind of future the man made structures like Mount Rushmore have. Will we see more giant faces among the terrains of the earth in the future? Who demerits such an honor? Who knows.

Dress for Success!

2007-01-17T13:47:00.000-08:00

I'm always posting about software and products that help us out in the real world and getting the job done, but here's a very important topic that I do not touch upon entirely enough: fashion. I may babble a lot of business, but I also spend a good amount of time getting ready in the morning and it's not only for my own personal preference, I just like to do a good job and look good at what I'm doing. It always helps to convey a sense of professionalism. If you're stuck and looking for a bit of advice on how you can clean up your act too, Belisi's Sharp by Design Blog is a great place to turn to for help. It's a great blog for those who may not a lot or very little about fashion. Not only does he make awesome recommendation on brands and styles that can send a strong message and show that you mean business but he also posts about the little things that everyone should know, like how to tie your tie or tailor your suit. Every male striving to be successful should take a look at this blog, because its the sad truth that people will create a perception of you from the instant you walk in the door, so you might as well make a good impression!

iTunes Still Taking Over

2007-01-17T13:34:00.000-08:00

Looks like iTunes may have finally snagged their holy grail and sealed the deal to get the rights to distribute the songs of the Beatles through their service. If Apple does acheive the most well-known band ever, this will mean a huge boost for them in a market where they are already dominating.

What else does this mean? Will the metalheads finally see some Led Zeppelin, some AC/DC, or some of the many other bands that have since been holding a tight grip on their music from the downloadable music scene? Who knows, but I suppose it's only a matter of time until nothing is sacred.

Downloading MP3s is good and all, but nothing beats the thrill of owning a great album, having the disc in your hand and ready to go at your hearts disposal. Something still feels cheap to me about downloading an album and burning it. I don't know, maybe I'm just old fashinoned in that sense and don't want to let go of my record collection. Oh well, guess I'll go back to browsing for Vinyls on eBay.

Time For More Time

2007-01-17T13:25:00.000-08:00

Most of my co-workers who read my blog usually love the software I find through PPP and Digg and post up about, and now I've got another great one to rave about. This one is a personal time management software from Effexis Software. If you are slightly obsessive compulsive like I am, and you always need to have an organized scheduele, this software is absolutly right up your alley. I usually bang out some schedueles on Microsoft Spreadsheet, but that always is a tedious process to get all of my events, classes, meetings, shows and work schedueles in order. But now Achieve Planner does is all quick and easy for you, at a low price that is pretty worth the value if you have to constantly keep updating your planner. With this software you can get organized with to-do list outlines, priority features, and of course map out your scheduele to figure out what you have to do and when you have to do it. It will help you relieve so much stress to have everything laid out in front of you and save you so much time from wondering what you had to do. Plus there is a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee, so you've got nothing to lose if you dont like it, but I can't see why you wouldn't!

Adobe Photoshop

2007-01-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

I love using Adobe Photoshop, it is easily one of the greatest image editing softwares on the market today. There are so many options and features that one could easily spend hours, nay I say days sifting through to edit their images. The filters are amazing tools to give your images the kind of pizazz you need, and it's perfect for making often advertisments, which I often have to do here in my office work. People don't take advantage of it enough, theres even books and classes teaching you how to use the software because it is such a definative image editing system. Not to mention flash and illustrator as awesome sub-programs that adobe has to offer. Check out my latest photoshop goof-off while I had some downtime:

Aint easy being Spider-man!

Employee Review

2007-01-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

My last post was a bit on the troubles I have at work, and maybe now I will finally have a solution to increasing the quality of work in my co-workers. Performance Appraisal from managerassistant.com would be a great way to manage the reviews of each of my coworkers, as well as simplify things for my supervisors new replacement who doesnt quite know how the job works yet. We'll be able to help her out and she could be able to make her new job a little bit easier on herself. If you think your job could benefit from a little employee management software then you should definatly consider checking into managerassistant.com as well!

**paid post**

Back to Work

2007-01-15T12:09:00.000-08:00

Holiday breaks over, time to get back to the ol' rat races. This semester I kind of have to juggle an awkward class scheduele as well as my usual office hours, it should be a bit tricky. It's also very discouraging to find out that over the break half of my staff quit, and my supervisor herself is leaving at the end of the week. Not only does this mean that I will have more responsibility for an office job I don't really like, but I will also have to be teaching my boss's replacement all of the ropes to her job. Hopefully they will hire a few more hands sooner then later, I've got way too much work to get done to worry myself over others responsibilites.

Has something like this ever happened to you? With a job you want to quit in the first place, and then everyone else quits, what do you do? Do you stick it out and show what a great employee you are by sticking with it despite your preference, or do you join them and really leave your employment high and dry? It's a stick situation.

Business Buddies

2007-01-11T20:26:00.000-08:00

Let's be honest here, everyone hates the pressure of being reviewed on their work performance, both employees and employers alike. Personally, I got all worked up over my perfomance review even though I'm not intimidated by my boss at all, but just the pressure got to me. In the end I did pretty fine, but I still which there were a better way of getting through the grueling process. Luckily now theres a better way through the magic of the internet when your business can get 360 performance reviews from Appraisal360. Basically this is a great tool where you and your coworkers can get connected and review each other honestly and anonymously, to avoid that awkward confrontation and help improve the quality and work ethic around the office. It uses a series of carefully constructed questions to keep the opinions productive and confidential. If this sounds like something you could benefit from, then totally check it out through the link above!

Children of Men

2007-01-11T20:22:00.000-08:00

I got to catch Children of Men last night with my buddy Nugget, and it was pretty awesome. It gave that same impact and rush of action like Saving Private Ryan, except it hasn't even happened yet. The plot pits former activist Clive Owen in the not too distant future where women have been infertile for about 18 years and all of humanity is going insane as the end grows near. Right from the very beginning, the movie is a rush of energy as the camera follows Clive Owen around, almost as if we were experiencing everything with him. It really makes this science fiction seem that much more real and gritty, and makes the action and violence so much more intense. Especially with some amazing camera work and direction from Cuaron, including amazing 9 minute long takes to keep things interesting. Definatly worth the price of admission, and if this movie does not get recognized at the oscars this year then something is terribly wrong.

Independant Musicians

2007-01-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

For all you unknown bands and musicians out there, a new web site was launched less than a week ago that is perfect for you. Unsigned.com is a brand new site that is looking for Unsigned Artists to register and be discovered. Not only can they put up their own profile to get their music heard, but anyone can browse the site and search for new unknown artists that might tickle their musical fancies. Theres also lots of cool featues you get for registering onto the site, you can use their page builder to make your page and their media player to organize your favorite artists, make playlists and even burn cds of what you hear from the site! It's still in the beta stages, but of course it will only get bigger when more people start signing up, so sign up now and open your ears top something new!

Happy Late New Year

2007-01-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

Well it's been 2007 for about 10 days now and all I've got is nothing but unseasonably warm weather here in New England. I didnt come up with any good resolutions this year, because I think I will be too busy finishing cool and starting up a professional career. The debate on what I'm going to do after graduation keeps constantly pressing on me. I want to get out to LA but I don't have enough funds to make that a reality, but I really don't want to have to move back home. Hopefully everything will work out. It's a big world, and I've got a good feeling about 2007.

MORE Degress Of Seperation

2007-01-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

My school just put on Six Degrees of Seperation the other month, and ever since then its been all I've hearing lately. Everyone is obsessed with how they know other people through the people that they already know, and it was especially apparent at the big holiday party this weekend when total strangers were finding their relationships connect. Well now there is a new online program that shows a lot of promise for people who can't get enough degrees of Kevin Bacon, and even though it's in the beta stages it shows a lot of promise. ZOOOF, The Family Network lets you create a flash family tree that connects people from the past and the present, and you leave it online and watch it grow everyday as more and more people login. It's facinating to see how small our world really is and how many connections we actually have through a few different friends and relatives. If you are interested, be sure to login before February 14th because it will be free until then since it is in the beta versions. You've got nothing to loose and only connections to make!

Strange Coincidence

2007-01-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

The other night I was watching my Animaniacs set that I got for Christmas and towards the end of the second disc there was an episode where all of the different Animaniacs were mixed up and in the wrong cartoons. Brain was with Mindy, Runt was with Pesto, but most significant was the final episode where Yakko, Wakko, and their sister Slappy wound up in a place that they thought was the Bagdhad Cafe. It was actually the palace of "Saddam H-insane" just moments before he was about to bomb the shit out of 3rd world countries and take over the world. Luckily, those wacky Warners managed to stop him in the nick of time...totally by accident. It amazes me how progressive this show was for its time, and how much stuff blew over my head when I was a kid.

And today the headline tells me that Saddam Hussien was finally executed. Strange, strange coincidence.

"Sproose" Up Your Internet

2006-12-29T11:32:00.000-08:00

Now here's an interesting new service that is still in it's early stages, but in terms of customizing and maximizing one's personal experience I like the steps it is taking and I think it shows a lot of promise. Sproose is a sweet little beta search engine where users can log in and vote for the websites that they visit from the search engine, letting all of the other users know if it is a worthy hit or not. It's faily simple to use too, all you need to do is register at the Sproose home page and you can get in on the action in no time. I love it because now instead of sifting through thousands of hits and finding most of them useless, I can see what other users found beneficial based upon a rating of 1-5 stars and cut out all that useless clicking, making sure I get the best results out of my personal browsing every single time. Of course it is a reciprical service, so if you are going to use it be sure you are ranking sites as well. Check it out!

R.I.P. James Brown

2006-12-29T11:23:00.000-08:00

Most of us have already heard this, but I still wanted to make the mention for those who may not have. The legendary grandfather of soul, James Brown, passed away on Christmas at the age of 73. For those who don't know who he is, I suggest you go pick up one of his records or grab The Blues Brothers of Rocky 3. You can see for yourself just how influential his music stylings have been to the world of funk and soul all of these years. If you don't recognize any of the songs, riffs, or even hooks...then you must have been living under a rock these years.

Godspeed, James Brown.

PPP Invades Chicago

2006-12-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

The Postie Patrol was at it again! That's an amusing little video that you should watch if you get the chance too, it's basically what I feel like PPP makes me do sometimes with the blatant advertisement written on my body and stuff. This video is a bit more extreme, the PPP guys and HP teamed up and sent this Robyn girl on a mission to aquire random pictures, videos, and objects all around Chicago for a chance at some sweet HP prizes that will be perfect for her Digital Photo Printing. It's a good time to watch her waddle around the streets and make strange requests from complete strangers, I especially enjoy the off beat Christmas Carol from the random fellow who just walked right up to her! Gotta love teamwork. This post is sponsored by HP.

The Good Shephard

2006-12-29T11:07:00.000-08:00

My friends and I got to catch a showing of "The Good Shephard" the other night and I wasn't as impressed as I had hoped. There was a lot of talent behind this movie, and it was about very interesting stuff. Overall, it was just a little too drawn out, needlessly long scenes that could have easily been shortened. Some scenes seemed practically unnecessary, as if they did not even establish anything, but maybe repreated viewings will prove me wrong. Still, I don't think I will sit through this film again for a while. There were plenty of well done moments, expecially towards the end, but it just wasn't enough to do it for me. Oh well, better luck next time, DeNiro.

Music Videos, Anyone?

2006-12-27T12:18:00.000-08:00

Having the taste in music that I do, I get into lots of different musical conversations with people all about this band and that. One thing that always drops down my music IQ is the fact that I don't turn on the TV ever so I never see these new music videos that come out and therefore I have nothing good to say about them. Luckily I just found www.PopViral.com which can let me in one what I'm missing out, it's one of the best places on the web that updates music videos daily from all over the world for me and the rest of us to enjoy. Check it out, they've got some most excellent videos at great streaming qualities!

Trauma Center: Second Opinion

2006-12-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

So I got to play this Trauma Center game for the Wii that is apparently the third best game for it (under Zelda and Madden, of course) and I will say it's quite different from anything I have ever played before. You are put in the position of a surgeon in a very Japanimation operating room and required to use your Wii controller to slice open bodies and fix peoples problems. I don't know if I would pay a full $50 for the game, but it was certainly interesting. Some of the procedures struck a little close to home (I had to mend a rock-stars broken vocal chords) and as long as you remember the order you are supposed to do things in you'll be a fine doctor. I guess as the game progresses the surgeries become more fatal and the pressure is on, so the game is very good at recreating that atmosphere. Maybe I should rethink my Theater Major and go into nursing...or maybe not.

Post-Holiday Shopping

2006-12-27T11:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come and gone, and I can't complain about the gifts I recieved, people seem to key into my tastes. However, I did score some extra gift cards and I plan on using them in combination with some of the most excellent promotion codes that Couponchief.com has to offer. I always get the best for my buck because I use the gift card I would typically spend at a store, an example being Best Buy, and I then would go online to Couponchief.com and take a look at the Best Buy coupons they have to offer. They have a ton of other great offers from those big name stores too, and they update daily with more coupons so I highly recommend it if Santa didn't bring you everything you wanted this year.

Rocky Balboa

2006-12-24T14:59:00.000-08:00

I got to catch an early show of Rocky Balboa with my bestest buddy on opening day, and despite the totally awful trailer and daunting premise it was actually one my favorite movies that has come out all year. The story picks up our old loveable hero Rocky in a modern day world with a growing generation he doesn't quite understand, and how he deals with the loss of Adrian, being a good father, and basically never losing his huge heart. There were some extremely touchy moments, and the movie flowed much more smoothly and well paced then some of the other Rocky movies in my opinion. There was very little I did not like about this film, though it seemed ridiculous for them to even try to make it at first. Stallone proved me dead wrong with one of the best performances of his whole damn career, and I'm not just saying that. Very nicely done, check it out soon and save yourself the grief of the usual Holiday blockbuster garbage.

From Mock Star to Rock Star?

2006-12-24T14:51:00.000-08:00

If you are anything like me, you're always looking for that quick little exposure to get your name out there. For all of you aspiring musicians out there, there is a little competition being held through the Razz Player which could assure you your glory. All you have to do is create a quick recording using the Razz Player, which looks like this:

Once that is all set and done, you submit it under the categories you can find on their website at razz.com and cross your fingers for your chance to score from a small prize of $25 to a quick grand prize of $250. Not only will you make some sweet cash, but your recording will glorify you throughout the growing Razz community and beyond! Instand celebrity, what more could you ask for? Give it a try, and maybe...just maybe...You could be the next RAZZ Idol!

Crazy Holiday Time

2006-12-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

My apologies for the lack of posting lately, things have just been very crazy with Christmas right around the friggin' corner. I had to leave my housing so I was kind of jumping from home to home, couch to couch, and floor to floor to stick around and get do the things I needed and/or wanted to do. Last night I had a very interesting reunion with some people I haven't seen since high school, and it is interesting to find out how little some people change. My good friend Laura, for instance, she moved out to Chicago within the past year and has been pursuing a career in comedy. Needless to say, I am very proud of her. She was always one of the funniest people to me back in high school and it was very refreshing to see that she's happy and that she is doing what she loves and that she still remembers all of the lame inside jokes we used to have. There were a couple of other interesting interactions, but it is Christmas Eve, so I don't wanna waste all of my night at this computer.

Local Loans

2006-12-24T14:38:00.000-08:00

It's the holiday season, and I know that after all of my shopping my money situation is going to be tight for a bit. Especially when it's right at the end of the month, and the bills will be due right around the corner. Loans can always seem like an intimidating thing to invest in, but PayDayCashAdvanceLoans.biz makes life easier for people like me with their faxless cash advance. It's now very easy to apply and get the loans you need online, and they also have a most excellent directory of all of the places you can apply for a loan as well. Since I work out of both Salem and Worcester in Massachuesets, all I had to do was click on the state and the provided me with plenty of resources in my local areas. Given these are more popular cities, but I think they do their best to accomidate as many areas as they can. It gave me the answers I needed, so maybe they can help you out too.

Slow Days

2006-12-19T11:14:00.000-08:00

These days are driving me crazy. I'm ridiculously antsy because I need to find material for ACTF. I'm overwhelmed because I've done zero christmas shopping. And I'm generally going crazy because I'm still stuck in my stupid dorm room when I could just as easily go home. Why am I so stupid?

Cell Phone Fun

2006-12-18T13:57:00.000-08:00

For all of you folks out there who can't get enough of personally customizing every little thing about your cell phone, U-DOO was made for you. It's a great little program where you can build personal ringtones for all of those special people in your life, and also create a personal avatar for whenever they call. The possibilities are endless: you can make a hot little avatar with a matching funk-riff for when your lover calls, or make a devil with some sort of evil Darth Vader-esque fanfare for when your mean ol' boss calls you. Not only is it really fun to use, but the first 60 days of service are free! Unbelievable, right? Well then check it out here if you don't believe me!

UMD Death

2006-12-18T13:52:00.000-08:00

I guess according to Sony today, they are going to start talks with places like Amazon.com to get a movie download service up and running for the PSP, which means that when the PSP 2 rolls around it will have much more memory so people can download their movies and take them on the go. And what else does this mean? It means that the most pointless format of film ever will also be seeing a tragic death. But lets face it, who really wants to buy the same movie again just so they can watch it specifically on their PSP? I'm not even sure you should hook the PSP up to a larger moniter. There never really was any point for the format to exist in the first place, with no added bonuses or initiative to purchasing these mini-movies the format was destined for doom ever since it started. Kind of like those Nicktoons cartoons that you could watch on the Game Boy. Whatever happened to those, huh? It just goes to show that people would rather use their tiny screens to play games and not to watch flicks.

Remedy!

2006-12-18T13:44:00.000-08:00

Usually this time of year, around the holidays where we eat all sorts of random food made by all sorts of random family members, it can be handy to have some sort of product to rely on for that heartburn or acid relux. I know I have a problem with starving myself all day and then chowing down on the big meals without even thinking about the reprocussions my body might suffer later. Luckily there's a great product out there called AcidCalm which could not be more appropriatly named. It's an all natural product that has been proven to be 99% effective and if it is used over the span of 2-5 months it can actually help reduce the functions in your body that cause you to have such reflux in the first place! My grandfather started using it for his heartburn, and he has barely had any problems and has certainly had no side-effects from using it either. I say it's a sure bet, so you should totally check it out for yourself.

More Christmas Joy

2006-12-18T13:39:00.000-08:00

My co-workers and I recently decided to do up some Christmas cards this year for our porfessional staff, and rather then spending the money to go see Santa we got a little more creative. Here's some highlights from our Christmas card photo shoot in I-Party, enjoy!

Happy Holidays, Ya'll!!!

Rockstartup.com

2006-12-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

I think I posted an episode from Rockstartup.com before, but I don't think I actually explained what it is! Basically it's for people like me who can't get enough PayPerPost. It's a pretty kick-ass reality tv spin off that chronicles the events of the goings-on behind the scenes of PayPerPost, and a lot of it is pretty much what they update for you in their most excellent blog anyway. But what the heck is the point of that when you can actually watch their misadventures unfold before your very eyes in all of it's embeded glory? I especially enjoy it because it follows Ted Murphey and his creative little team, who are much more interesting to watch then a bunch of boring ol' internet executive losers. These guys know how to keep their consumers interested with creative video posts, and now it's like I get to see it all condensed together into one great little episodic documentary. If you haven't bothered to read the blogs or do anything PPP related yet, defiantly check out what is going on behind the scenes at Rockstartup.com right now!

Post-Finals Boredom

2006-12-18T13:24:00.000-08:00

Life after finals is kind of overbearing at times. I'm supposed to be finding material for ACTF that I can perform, but I spend hours in Borders and Barnes & Noble and come bakc with nothing. I can't really find any good material that speaks to me, nothing is actually jumping out and letting me know that this IS the piece I must perform. But then again, I'm beginning to think those pieces may never come, and perhaps I should just pick shit and stick with it. Because after all, I do just want to go, and is winning really everything? Who knows. So if anyone knows of any good scenes for two simular looking males, let me know.

More Refinancing Troubles?!?!?

2006-12-17T12:42:00.000-08:00

I already posted a bit today about refinancing your car, but unfortuantely that place can't help you out with mortgage refinance quite yet. So until then, there is PersonalHomeLoanMortgages.com to help out all of those people who unfortunately had to take out mortages to pay for their homes. I guess it's nothing to be ashamed of, my Uncle had to do the same thing, and I recommended this site to him because I found it browsing the ol' PPP and these guys are determined to getting you the best possible deal. After you go to their website it's just a matter of a quick online survey to see what you can qualify for, and you can be rest assured that you are getting the best possible deal because of all of the raving editorials about the quality and intelligence they use when selecting loaners all across the country. Everyone has trouble with money sometimes, it's nothing to be ashamed of. So check out PersonalHomeLoanMortgages.com before you even think twice about it.

Go, Firefox, Go!

2006-12-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

Good news for Mozilla, according to these recent web stats Firefox now dominates 25% of the market share, meaning that every one in four internet users browse with my favorite application, Firefox. I know it might not seem like a lot, but in a world where Microsoft dominates with 85% of all computer users using XP, it's nice to see such a quality product giving them their come-up-ins. I know the new Vistas is going to integrate more MAC-like operating system features to make Windows a bit more contemporary, but if they really want to stay in the game they need to use some of Firefoxes features in the started Windows IE. Firefox just offers better features like a tighter security and firewall, a more proficient pop-up blocker, tabbing, and tons of plugins so that you can customize your internet browsing to your liking. So if you haven't switched to Firefox by now, then do it!

Data Security

2006-12-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

Down here at the office it can be a bit overbearing with so many people running in and out on the same network. It's almost impossible to keep my work secure and private from all of the other users, so much to the point that I feel like eventually I'm going to have to Erase Hard Drive every single time I complete my work. I surfed the net for some solutions and came back to you, my dear bloggers, with the answer. Pinionsoftware.com offers some great software that allows all of your data files to be managed so that you can control who sees what files. Not only does this promote a safer network but it also keeps all of the confidential information classified, like it should be. If your gossipy office could benefit from this software too, definately check out Pinionsoftware.com today, I highly recommend it!

Ford F150

2006-12-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

My father has been driving around a Ford F150 for at least six years now and he loves it. The thing is absolutley massive, and I'm not sure if that is reall my style. The F250's and F350's get even huger, and I have enough trouble driving my father's truck as it is. I'm a small guy, so I think if I were to invest in a truck I would make it something like those Toyota Tacoma's which are more compact and still give you all of the benefits of having a truck. But then again, the littler trucks do seem a bit queer. Okay, so if I were to buy a truck, I would defiantly go with something like this from Chevy:

Haha, no? Too old school? I'm all about the massive tires though. I can't wait to pop some on my jeep so that I can go offroading. Till then, sorry Dad. Your truck is too awkward for me.

Refinancing Troubles

2006-12-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

I am not the most amazing mathematician, so when it comes to crunching numnbers for my Jeep things can get a bit overwhelming. Luckily, theres an awesome little site called Rategenious.com which is pretty much designed for all of the math deficiants like me who just weren't blessed with the number gene. Things like Car Refinance and intrest rates won't be a problem anymore because rategenious.com moves quickly to find a new, better loan offer for your car within a matter of 48 hours at no cost to you. This is a most excellent offer that can help you save those precious dollars you need, especially at this time of year with all of the ridiculous holiday shopping that we do. Check out rategenious.com today and see how you can start saving on your car expenses too!

Guitar Hero takes another soul!

2006-12-16T10:34:00.000-08:00

Haha, this is pretty sweet! This is quoted directly from Yahoo! Sports today:

Dec 14 - The Detroit Free Press' Jon Paul Morosi reports the Detroit Tigers concluded "Guitar Hero", a Play Station 2 video game that uses a guitar to recreate popular songs, may have been responsible for the injury suffered by RP Joel Zumaya (wrist/forearm).

Guitar Hero takes another soul into the world of...fake guitaring!

Hotel Reservations

2006-12-14T12:53:00.000-08:00

We all know how fun and exicitng traveling can be, but it's not always so fun when you do not have a room over your head. Hotel Reservations are a necessity in this day and age, everything in your trip needs to be planned out in advance in order for you to go, it almost seems like too much work to bother even going on vacation. Well, luckily hotelreservations.com is a great place to book a hotel room. It's easy to navigate and they have a great rebate offer of up to $100 on any hotel reservations that you make through their website. Pretty sweet deal actually, and the rebate always comes in handy for that extra traveling cash.

Didn't get the point across?

There we go.

Finals

2006-12-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

Today was a taxing day of finals. I had my dramatic theory and criticism final at 8 in the morning and I actually think I did fairly well on it. Not so much for the Spanish final and the Modern American Drama final, to which each had their own extent of suckiness. Now I just have to bullshit a paper on "School Of Rock" and nail a few multiple choice questions and I'll be as good as gold to get the hell out of here! Don't hold your breath until then...

Episode 3

2006-12-12T16:58:00.000-08:00

Rockstartup.com just added a hilarious new episode in the reality tv-esque adventures of starting the 2.0 version of PayPerPost. This episode chronicles the more amusing hardships of moving into a new office, which looks trickier than it sounds. Especially when you are an internet based company moving in and you don't even have the internet running in your work space. I don't want to ruin the entire episode, so check it out because I bothered to embed it for you so you don't even have to go looking for it! Whoever thought that behind the scenes of such a random internet business could be so entertaining?

Who Knows? The Shadow Knows...

2006-12-12T16:55:00.000-08:00

Looks like Sam Raimi just can't get enough comic book action. After adapting three brilliant (well, we can assume) Spider-man movies he will then move to resurrect "The Shadow" comics based on the 1930 radio drama. Of course, I haven't forgotten that this feat was alraedy achieved by acclaimed actor Alec Baldwin back in the 90's, but I'm sure the Evil-Dead director will think of some crazy way to twist it to his own liking. Look out for it.

Pet Diabetes

2006-12-12T16:48:00.000-08:00

We all love our adorable little pets, and it can really be disheartening when we don't know how to help them all of the time. I know personally from having two cats it can be scary if they catch an illness or a disease of some sort and since they aren't actually people it can be tough to help them yourself. Luckily now there is a great new treament for pet diabetes called Diaxol. This excellent product helped out my kitties in a mere matter of days. It got their blood sugar levels pack to normal, and Diaxol is a product that can promise to reduce the damage done by diabetes to our dear little pets over the long run of time. Our furry little friends are definatly worth the care and treatments this product has to offer, check it out for more information at http://www.petfriendlyhealth.com/diaxol.html

Finally Done!

2006-12-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

I finally had my last class of the semester, and it feels like such a relief. Well, almost. I still have to take three final exams on Thursday, and then for Friday I need to bullshit one more paper and take one last final. BUT THEN I'll be all done for the vacation. Except for the fact that I will be working on finding ACTF material throughout the entire weeks leading up to New Years. Sigh, an actors work is never done.

Plain old sweater, or brilliant gift idea?

2006-12-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

We've all had the embarassing story about someone buying you that really lame article of clothing for Christmas that you would never wear, but you wear it anyway for fear of not being greatful of such a thoughtful gift. Well now you can get grandma's butt in front of the computer and have her check out some neat Holiday sweater options. www.MyHolidaySweater.com is a great place on the web to really put some heart and thought into some spiffy looking Holiday sweaters, because you can customize them and personalize one for everyone on your shopping list. It's another one of the great links that OfficeMax decided to throw up this holiday season, so check them out for even more great options!

This brought to you on behalf of OfficeMax.

Windows Vista and the Laptop Debate.

2006-12-11T11:35:00.000-08:00

I've been hearing good things about Windows Vista and all the upgrades they are doing to make Windows have the more easy interface that attracts people to Macs. I was thinking about investing in a new laptop this holiday season too, but I think I will hold off until Vista is out and see what they can do for me in terms of advancing my career aspirations. Macs are becoming more and mroe popular, so once this new Windows comes out I will see how the two compare before I make my investment. While having a desktop is fine and all, I miss the trill of taking my latptop everywhere I go and being able to do my work wiithout being chained to the desk. Do your worst, Bill Gates!

Holiday Coupons

2006-12-11T11:18:00.000-08:00

If there's one thing I do not enjoy about the Holiday season, it is how crazy shopping in crowded malls can be, and I know I'm not alone in this decision. When I am shopping, I like to take my time and really pick out a thoughtful present for everyone on my list. So this year, I think I will be doing most of my shopping online at Amazon.com. It's one of my favorite online stores because they really do have everything, new and used products at all sorts of discounted prices, and I can reap even more benefits through Amazon.com Coupons that are now avaiable online. How did I find such sweet coupons, you might ask? All thanks to the awesome deals that www.couponchief.com has to offer this holiday season. Not only do they offer sweet discounts that can get you things like 60% Mattel Toys and Free shipping from Amazon, but they offer all sorts of deals from plenty of other big name online stores. Definatly worth checking out if you want to do your shopping online this year too.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance

2006-12-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

I recently got to play a good chunk of Activision's new cross-platfrom action-rpg, and while it has stepped up the calibur from X-Men Legends I still feel it isn't a perfected comic book experience. They have everything any comic nut could dream of in this game: locales from all eras and comics, oodles of playable characters, and plenty of nifty moves to attack the plethora of villians with. It's a bit more straightforward than the X-Men Legends games, which is also a plus too. That's not to say I didn't enjoy these games, because I did. I just feel that the fighting can become quite repetative, I find with these games that I'm constantly taking a break because it gets so exhausting using the same four moves on enemies. Of course you can level characters up and make their moves cooler, but with so many characters it's almost as if you have to pick early on who you want to level up, because later in the game the characters who arent just become useless. The game is definatly worth playing, but in my opinion it's still not a fully captivating experience with games like Zelda and GTA where you want to keep going. Oh well. Maybe they should try to make a Civil War game, that would be sweet.

Poker, Savvy?

2006-12-11T11:05:00.000-08:00

I usually do most of my gaming on consoles, something I enjoy much more about sitting in front of a tv with a controller just does it for me more then gaming on the computer where I do most of my work. However, I do enjoy a couple of online or computer games that are quick and easy to get into and it never hurts to know where to look. If you're also in the market for some Free Poker by means of the internet, pokersavvy.com is a great place to start. They offer all sorts of information about poker, especially Hold'em, but then again what else to people play these days? Theres lots of reliable reviews for several online casinos and plenty of links for great discounts on these casinos. If you're in the market for a new online addiction, definaltly give poker a try, savvy?

Mickey and the Depression

2006-12-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

Last night I was chillin with some lady friends watching ol' video tapes of Christmas specials from 1987, and some of them were so bad and terrible that we simply fast forwarded the program to get to the much more exciting commercials. There was one program that did peak my curiousity however, in the middle of a "Disney Channel Christmas Special" which aired on CBS in December of 1987. This particular Mickey Mouse cartoon was one I remembered as a child: Mickey is playing carols on the street with his cello and Pluto howls close by in hopes that someone will toss them some money so they can buy a nice Christmas meal. As a child, I didn't pick up on all the less than subtlties. Mickey and Pluto are homeless, begging on the streets in a depression ridden winter, while the snotty upperclass child gets everything he wants in his nice warm house with his two butlers. The butlers try to purchase Pluto to make the boy happy, but Mickey and Pluto run, only to accidently break his cello and lose all hope for having a nice dinner. But wait! Mickey then stumbles on someone worse than he: an unidentified mother in a broken down home with at least 15 kids snugged in bed and a daddy in prison. For Mickey's "good deed" he decides to sell Pluto, give him a good home with the snotty rich kid, and use the money to buy this family toys (not food, or something more useful). And as karma would have it, Pluto ends up being kicked out of the rich house, the snotty kid gets his come-upins, and Mickey and Pluto, still homeless, feast on a turkey which haphazardly became tied to Plutos tail somehow.

Long story short, why don't we see any more of our beloved cartoon characters stricken with poverty on Christmas?

PPP Affiliates

2006-12-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

I have ranted before abuot how much I enjoy paid posting through PayPerPost and all the financial benefits I have been reaping for the past couple of months. So I ask you this, fellow blogger, why the hell haven't you signed up yet?!?!? There is now a new affiliate program where you can earn even more cash by simply referring your friends to sign up and start utilizing the services. You can easily earn up to 15 dollars per user who signs up for PayPerPost through your specific referal. I origionally signed up for the good old PayPerPost through the referral of my friend Nugget, and he was very eager to thank me for the quick cash that he got just for signing ME up. Anyone who wants to sign up, drop me a line and we'll do business. It will be well worth your time, I assure you.

A little overboard?

2006-12-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

Wii Sports was recently proclaimed by Time Magazine as "The Greatest Videogame Of All Time." For those not in the know, Wii Sports is the free disk that comes prepackaged with your new Nintendo Wii, and it features fully interactive versions of Tennis, Golf, Bowling, Baseball, and Boxing for you to swing your Wii remote at and go crazy. While this statement might be overdoing it a little bit, I can see where they are coming from. It's probably the first videogame in history where you can figure out what you are doing even if you have never played a videogame before. It recreates the feel and atmosphere of playing these games, so anyone who has ever swung a racket or rolled a bowling ball will be able to figure out the mechanics and have a load of fun. Some of the more harcore gamers of course, can see the potential and are itching for more developed games for these specific sports, but it will all be in due time, I am sure.

PPP Blogs

2006-12-10T13:55:00.000-08:00

You readers of mine all know I utilize the services of PayPerPost for my blogging, and today I'm going to touch on a subject I have neglected to rave about before. The PPP blogs are some of my favorite blogs to hit up anywhere on the net. Not only do they keep me up-to-date with whats happening at PayPerPost, but they also keep me posted with important updates I should be aware about and give me some tips about some of the more exciting opportunites out there to take advantage of. Also, these guys put up some crazy, hilarious videos all the time and I for one am always up for a quick little amusing video on the internet. The blogs are always personal and sprinkled with a bit of humor to encourage those new readers to join up with PayPerPost, and it certainly is fun doing business with some enjoyable people over the web. Check out the blogs at: http://blog.payperpost.com

Charles Dickens

2006-12-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

I caught my ten year old brother in a cute little show last night. It's a new one-act musical very much in the style of "Finding Neverland" in that it told the story behind the writing of the story of "Peter Pan." Well this one act musical took the author Charles Dickens and kind of recreated on stage what it must have been like to write his famously over-parodied "Christmas Carol." Not the most amazing theatrical experience ever, but certainly a charming little holiday endevour. And I wish I could remember what the name of the play actually was. Oh well.

Eclipse has done it again

2006-12-06T11:30:00.000-08:00

Last time I posted a bit about the advantages of the Eclipse plugin, and now I've got to let you guys know about their great new offers for your Business Broadband. Out in the UK they are offering a pretty sweet 20% discount off of their usual, ridiculously cheap broadband price. But if that isn't necessarily your fortay, you should check out the site anyway because they have plenty more to offer for people looking to do business with the web. I personally am very interesting in their offers for free domain name registraion and all of the web hosting services they also offer at a low price. So I say don't bother with the large corporate names, because theres plenty of great offers from the little guys at Eclipse.

Harry Potter!

2006-12-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

Everyone these days seems to love Harry Potter. Kids can get into the books because they are easy to read and fun to understand and the adults can even find plenty of pleasure in the stories that J.K. Rowling writes. I myself have never read the books, but I have seen all of the movies and I'm familier enough with whats going on because it is all some people ever talk about. For people like me who are too lazy to read, SimplyAudiobooks.com has a great variety of audiobooks to rent, especially Harry Potter Autiobooks to be specific. I feel that it would be more beneficial to rent them then to buy them because the stories are so massive and expensive to own, plus theres no reason not to since the SimplyAudiobooks.com system works just as easily as the wonderful Netflix.com system does for movies. Of course they have hundreds of different Audiobooks to choose from, but I recommend starting with the Harry Potter stories so we can catch up with the rest of society a little bit!

Attention Trivia Buffs

2006-12-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

There are some people out there who are just born with a natural, inexplicable ability to retain the most usless facts ever. Well now there's a great chance to take all of that trivia and try to fin some sweet prixes online at t9.com through their flash game, which I have conviniently posted below for you, my fellow bloggers, because I love you. The game is simple enough once you get the gimmick: you have to answer the questions as if you were sending a text message on your cell phone. So once you've decided on the answer, you have to actually select the numerical code as if you were dialing the answer in the form of numbers on your phone. It's easier then it sounds, and it's a great opportunity to try to win some sweet prizes for the holidays right around the corner, such as iPods, Best Buy gift certificates, and brand-spankin new Sony Erikson cellphones. Put your otherwise usless entertainment trivia to the test below, and give it a try!

Finals Stress

2006-12-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

So I found out that on the very first day of finals next week I am going to have to take three exams, one at 8AM, one at 11AM, and one at 2PM. This is rather unsual because the final exam days usually do a good job of spreading peoples finals out throughout the whole week. But thankfully, the super stress day will pay off because I will be able to get out of school an entire week early. I welcome this, it has been one hell of a semster for me. So a long story short, this week into next will be a bit crazy for me, but I'll be back to my usual action soon enough!

Strictly Jewish Fun!

2006-12-06T10:55:00.000-08:00

I thought that video was pretty great, and it's all in the name of the world's first Jewish Dating network. Koolanoo.net offers a global-wide online networking system for Jewish people all over the world to meet up, send messages, create profiles, and connect with other Jewish folks. And of course, it's free! Rock on, brohiem!

Grandma's 3rd Leg!!!

2006-12-06T10:51:00.000-08:00

For all of those loyal followers of G3L who will be in Salem tonight, we will be rocking out Veteran's Hall in the Campus Center of Salem State tonight for one last show of the semester. Sadly, this is also the last Salem State appearance for Bryce Read, who will be graduating as of this semester. So if you're in the Northshore area tonight, this will be an event that is equivelant to the second coming of Christ so you do not want to miss it. And oh, did I mention that is friggin' FREE?!?!?! So financially, you have no excuse.

BrainCast!

2006-12-05T14:07:00.000-08:00

In such a quick, on the go society, it's good to have a reliable system that our important messages can reach us on. Yes, of course there is a reason I brought this up! BrainCast Beta is this brand new system of organization that can help you get your life a little more in order. It's absolutely free to sign up, the only thing you actually have to give up is your email address, and it is totally worth it for all of the benefits it can offer you. It utilizes both the internet and your cellular phone to create an easy to use message recorder system. It can also help organize any reminders and things you may need to remember, which is handy because you'll want to be checking up on your messages every day now that BrainCast can make it so easy. And don't worry, it's compatible with every cellphone and regular telephone network within the United States. Even though it's only in it's beta version, BrainCast is a very exciting new system that will truly catch on and can only get better.

Mafia

2006-12-05T14:03:00.000-08:00

For those who don't know, Mafia is a brilliant game thats good for destroying friendships and wasting countless hours on any college campus. Basically, you get a whole group of people together and have a host assign some "Mafia" members, a "Cop", a "Doctor" and a "Whore" without anyone else knowing who they are. Each round the host makes everyone close their eyes, and in this time they take each character one at a time to do their certain task. The "mafia" has to pick one person to kill. The "sheriff" has to guess who the "mafia" is. The "doctor" can pick one person to gain immunity from being killed by the "mafia," and the "whore" has sex with someone. Once everyone opens their eyes again, the host announces what happened and the "townspeople" have to guess who the "mafia" is. Whoever is left standing at the end is the winner!

It's easier done than said...

Stupid Mike

2006-12-04T17:14:00.000-08:00

Mike Arrington recently posted a pretty lame review of PayPerPost's new podcast station rockstartup.com and pretty much bashed it and ripped the thing a new one. Now we all know how much I love PayPerPost, so I will stick by these guys to the bitter end. And this is not the first time Mike has bashed the world of PayPerPost either, because he's written some invaforable entries before and this one to me kinda takes the cake because it seems like he is just outright attacking them. But of course, I know and have experience in dealing with people of Mike Arrington's callibur. He's one of those guys who takes a good thing and tries to give it a bad name just to give himself a bit more exposure and start up unnecessary controversy on the internet. After all, how can one really complain about PayPerPost and all the benefits bloggers gain from it especially when it pays more and it much more professional then other paid blogging services. Mike Arrington is simply just wasting his time, in my opinion.

Merry Christmas?

2006-12-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

My friend Paul and I walked into Walmart the other day, and we were warmly greeted by the employee at the door with "Merry Christmas! How are you?" We both responded politely and thought nothing of it for a second until I realized that this lady had been saying "Merry Christmas" to everyone that was walking into the door, regardless of what religion they might practice or which holiday they might be celebrating. This came as a shock to me, growing up in a society where we are supposed to be saying "Happy Holidays" to stay politically correct. But then Paul told me that apparently it was declared "okay" to say "Merry Christmas" in public this year.

Who determines that? Is theres some magical diety that lives in the United Nations that comes out once a year and bestows upon the world what he or she feels is politically correct to be saying? I'm not really bothered by this change, so much as I am just a bit confused and curious as to what might have made this come about.

So until then....MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!!

Storage, NOT Moving!

2006-12-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

Many of my readers know by now that I am pretty sick of moving. I've moved from one place to the next in the past couple of months, and I'm finally going to make my life easier and check into some sort of storage facility place through Moving.bz to get all my stuff off of the streets and into a nice, organized area. This site is great because you can see all of the choices and options you have for storage units in your local area, basically wherever you need your stuff to be. From the comfort of your seat online someone can compare all of the different storage quotes from the different services in the area, and Moving.bz is a sure thing because they only offer you results from businesses that are insured and liscensed properly to hold whatever you need. Whether you're in the market for a poratable facility or a climate controlled room, Moving.bz is the only place on the web that I would go to to find a self storage unit, because of its ease of use and creditable reliability. Check them out!

Incubus is Back

2006-12-04T11:57:00.000-08:00

I gave the new album, "Light Grenades" a listen, and it sounds to me like Incubus is still evolving into a new sound, taking a few more steps from what "A Crow Left Of The Murder." Usually it takes me a few listens to really get into an album anyway, but this new album didn't really catch my attention right away. There were some tracks that definatly caught my ear, but over all the tone was drowned out and Brandon Boyd still sounds like he's trying to be way too pretty. Luckily theres always some amazing instrumental arrangements going on beyond his crooning, which have always made Incubus one of the abnds I enjoy listening to. I still wish they would go back to the olden days with the amazing fury they found in their "Enjoy Incubus" and "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." days, but listening to where this band is going we probably won't be de-evolving just yet. Oh well. Any die-hard Incubus fan will love the new album. Other casual listeners should probably just give it a quick check.

Online Reputation

2006-12-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

Joan Jett may not have given a damn about her bad reputation, but it was probably because they didn't have things like MySpace in the 1980's. Luckily for her and for the rest of us there is now a great little service known as Repvine where you can keep your online reputation as cleamn as a whistle. It's a great tool that can help you manage what other people will see when they do a search for you online, and it gives people all of the imporatnt information that they need know about when they search for you, so you can more easily market yourself as the stunning individual that you are. Also, it will help you avoid awkward situations like this one:

If you need to clean up your act a bit, I highly recommend Repvine.com and all they can do for you!

Oh Danny DeVito

2006-12-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

Apparently Danny DeVito made a guest apprerance on the View the other day, promoting his new holiday movie "Deck the Halls" starring him and Matthew Broderick. But this was no normal guest appearance friends, because the acclaimed director of "Death To Smootchy" was pretty drunk when he walked onto the set of The View. And of course, YouTube saves the day for anyone who might have missed it. You can see for yourself just how he feels about "President Numb-Nuts":

PayPerPost Forums

2006-12-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

Most of my readers know that half the reason I blog so consistantly is all thanks to my favorite new service, PayPerPost. Well not only do they keep me blogging, but they also have an excellent web forum site where their users can hit up and comment, complain, and basically chat it up with other paid posters. They are great to boost your PayPerPost experience because they keep you up to date one whats going on with the Beta versions, what new updates you should know, and whats going on when the system has errors or other such problems. Theres even plenty of topics that give posters great tips on how to spiff up their blog and tips on how to get the most from their paid opportunities. And the best part is that after you read the tips and updates, you can add in your own two cents, and see what other users like you have to say. If you aren't PayPerPosting yet, you should be. And once you are, I guess I'll see you on the forums!

Unethical

2006-12-01T11:54:00.000-08:00

I find it kind of ridiculous that my school keeps up their demographic spectrum by giving kid's free rides so that they'll stay in school and be given a "second chance." I'm sure there have been a few success stories, but for the most part the only results I have seen have been that the kids don't want to be here in the first place, and so they don't go to class and just party and blast music all of the time. It doesnt promote the greatest enviroment, especailly when the people who are paying to go to school and have worked hard like everyone else have to deal with their issues.

I'm avoiding details intentionally, but I just need to vent once in a while.

Online Dating

2006-12-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

Everything is online these days, including places where you can meet hundreds of people and find friends or dates that you would be compatible with without actually ever leaving your computer. But since they don't offer age restictions or demographics, people come sometimes get overwhelmed with the hundreds of people that they simply aren't compatible with. For most of you young, up and coming professionals who read this blog there's a great place for you and all the Dating Tips and Online Dating you need. Urban Prestige perfectly caters to our modern generation, offering an interface that is easy to get into with lots of successful results. It's a great place to start some online social networking with people in similar professions as you from all over the country, and people who match your generation and maybe even people who will match your dating styles. Theres also lots of articles on how to develop your personal growth, and even strongly reviewed blogs posting on future trends, health issues, philosophy, and fashion. Check it out now, I highly recommend it!

Thank You For Smoking

2006-11-29T12:09:00.000-08:00

I was able to catch "Thank You For Smoking" over the break on the On Demand option, which was pretty cool and convinient because I didn't have to go out and rent it and it was actually cheaper to buy it On Demand for a night rather as opposed to renting it. Anyway, I thought it was a great little film. There wasn't any action at all, it was pretty much just an hour and a half of talking but it worked because the acting was top notch with some great performances from very random stars of all different status. But even if they got different actors, I think the credit goes to a great script based off of a well thought out novel. The story explores the world of advertising and American's views on smoking, and mroe specifically how these advertisers can get away with marketing a product that is so dangerous to ones health. Filled with great quotes and excellent satirical timing, "Thank You For Smoking" is a very insightful film that will be sure to warm the heart of anyone who has hacked on secondhand smoke.

Fantasy Football

2006-11-28T14:43:00.000-08:00

If you're the type who is into those Fantasy Football simulations, you should check out the AFFL.com, or the American Fantasy Football League, respectively. It's this awesome site where bunches of people have already won up to 40,000 dollars, simply by picking their dream draft! If this sounds a little too good to be true, you should check out their free demo on their site, which is linked right off of their homepage. Check them out!

David Blaine!

2006-11-28T14:39:00.000-08:00

Kind of out of date, but I thought this was hilarious:

Rodeo Time

2006-11-28T14:26:00.000-08:00

It's a damn shame that a lot of the sports of the past have died out over the years, but thankfully the art of Bull Riding has survived all these years and it is still considered a legit, professional activity that you can go and experience for yourself. You might think it sounds a bit crazy, but I would totally love to check out the Professional Bull Riding World Finals events that are being held during the Houston Rodeo in Las Vegas this year. In my opinion, it's a feat that requires a lot of bravery and maybe a bit of insanity to hop into a pit with an animal that you can't really ever fully control and try to stay on top of it while it unpredictable flails about it's massive body as you try to stay on top. My friends went down last time and they said it was amazing because it was the World Finals, so these are the best bull riders on the entire planet and they're doing this crazy feat and setting ridiculous records right before your very eyes! Hopefully I can snad some good PBR Tickets that will get me right front and center with the action. Anyone want to come with me?

Aye Carumba

2006-11-28T14:16:00.000-08:00

This has probably been the most difficult assignment I have ever had to do here at school, which sucks because it sounds so damn simple and the semester is so damn close to being over. Basically, I have to find an editorial or an opinion article from a newspaper written by someone from a Spanish speaking country, so obviously the article itself must be in Spanish too. Then I have to find a simular editorial or opinion article from over here in the states and compare the two in a 5 minute oral presentation that must be spoken in the Spanish language. Writing the speech hasnt even been the difficult part, searching for an article in Spanish that I can even understand or at least care enough about the subject matter has been a challenge enough. Ive literally been searching for the past 2 weeks, and it was due today.

I need to get out of here.

Fun with Photography

2006-11-27T13:01:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that I have been getting into the whole digital photography kick lately. My junky old Canon PowerShot and I have been traveling from the streets of San Francisco to the gritty hills of Worcester and I'm totally developing a great eye for neat photography. The problem being of course, that I am still using a junky old Canon. I would love to make an investment or somehow get my hands on one of those nifty HP digital cameras, and even the photo printer to go along with it. 3.2 megapixels just doesn't do it for me anymore, I need the power of at least 6 mighty megapixels to get all of the crazy, seemingly pointless details in my photography. Not only would I be able to instantly print out my shots to distribute to my portfolios, but the HP cameras are pretty sleek and conventional in their designs and would be much easier to cart around with me than my junky old Canon. Of course not all photography has to be my nerdy hobby either, and with one of those sweet HPs I would feel way more badass about sneaking it into concerts and snapping shots of some big bands or taking it to parties and humilitaing my friends and professors, like they have done to me so often! Yes, I realize such a tool should not be used for revenge, but things like that always seem so much funner when you can ensure that your photos will be top notch.

This post was brought to you by HP.

The MPAA Took My Baby Away

2006-11-27T12:53:00.000-08:00

The MPAA is always up to some squandering for extra money, but who can blame them I suppose. They get sued to no end if films arent' properly rated, and people just aren't going out to the thaters as much as they used to. And why would they, with such a rising popularity in home theater and HD-DVD quality films that you can purchase and watch anytime from the comfort of your own couch?

It's this kind of comfort that the MPAA is now switching it's targets towards. The MPAA is lobbying with congress to push for a new bill that would make any "unauthorized" home theaters illegal. These guys think that all theaters should be sanctioned, whether they be commercial settings or at home. This is kind of pretentious, because people buy their home theaters in pieces from many different stores, so it will be rather interesting to see how they would regulate such an act if this bill is actually passed. Good luck, home theater goers.

Sweet Loans

2006-11-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

Money is always a tricky situation. To quote Adam Sandler from the Wedding Singer: "I have no experience but I'm a big fan of money. I like it, I use it, I have a little. I keep it in a jar on top of my refrigerator. I'd like to put more in that jar. That's where you come in." Sometimes I feel like I can really relate to that, and it always helps to have a bit of cash advances when those bills start to pile up and the paychecks are looking rather slim. There's some great offers to be had for people like me, and possibly you too at Nationalpayday.com. National Payday provides payday loans and cash advances both quickly and securely at competitive rates. Their service is willing to help anyone who is in need for some quick payday loans that they can rely on getting and not have to worry too much about. No matter what your financial situation may be or what you might need the quick loan for, National Pay Day helps you out by giving you that bit of cash to help get you back onto your feet until that next paycheck rolls in. And since their services are online, you can be assured that the transations will be safe and secure over those virtual accounts, and they are open over the magic of the internet 24 hours a day. Check them out!

Wii Action

2006-11-27T12:32:00.000-08:00

I got to play some of the Wii over the weekend, and while it's certainly not the most technologically amazing thing ever created, it sure was a heck of a lot of fun to play. The sports demo disc that came with the system alone was enough to keep my friends and I satisfied for quite some time. I really enjoyed the Tennis and Baseball simulators the most, even though my friends and I almost destroied some furniture from swinging the controllers around. I wasn't so impressed with the Boxing simulation, it seemed rather unresponsive to me, but maybe that's just how the mechanics of the game worked. It certianly showed crazy amounts of potential for the future of video gaming, and that is a promise I am willing to bank on.

I was instantly sold when I played the Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess for about ten minutes. It was amazing how much control I now had over Link and his actions, I could be equipping one item while swinging the Master Sword all in one, beatuifully swift motion. I can't wait to buckle down and actually play out the whole game to see what kind of entry into the world of Hyrule that Nintendo has to offer this time.