My ISP

Lack of posts are due to a home connection that has been up/down the past two weeks. More on the details of me raising Hades to get compensation at a later date....I would rather not have a tv then be w/o a net connection. :(

3 Present Obsessions....

1. Zante Currants--->Sheesh, these things are freakin' excellent. I never intentionally avoided currants in the past, but also never would typically seek them out in my dried fruit purchases. Well, a few weeks ago, I just thought, "Currants need me and I need them." I bought some and they are my newest staple. Great fiber, great taste and basically you could cut the average raisin in thirds and you have the size of currants, but with a more intense flavor. I throw them in plain yogurt, cereal, oatmeal and even pancakes. You should upgrade your dried fruit consumption to include these badboys.

2. Podcasts---> I have been aware of podcasts since they came out, but since I was not an extremely early adopter of the ipod, they were not a practical situation for me although you do NOT need an ipod to enjoy them, but the past 2yrs have been a good experience with podcasts and I. I really got into them when we got our treadmill and I have never looked back. I subscribe to over 30. The great thing is that these are FREE because I would never pay for any and they are excellent in terms of legit content. Some of the my subscribtions range from several National Geographic, NPR, various health/science/food shows and several others I enjoy. Get on this train before the FREE ride is over!

3. Sunday Newspaper---> I don't know. Maybe it's the feel of the paper or the ink or slightly raised type. With so much time spent getting news online or the occasional TV outlet, in the past and present, I would not really dedicate that much time and money to reading the local Sunday newspaper. Well, the past few months, I have purchased one on Sunday and it just feels like a retro trip, I suppose. Growing up, my family was never really a "newspaper family" and if I were anywhere that a paper was, I would typically hit the sports section and possibly the front page. Now, I still read sports, but it's not a knee jerk reaction since I definitely do the bulk of my sports reading online. I like front page stuff, but I focus on the nation/world section, features, home/food sections and down the line. Plus, the cost (99cents) for the paper is easily paid for by the numerous grocery coupons that are in it. It’s a win/win situation in my eyes.

Free Coffee Day @Starbucks

Well, well....today was Starbucks Coffee Break Day and for the uninitiated or those too lazy to click the link, that means they gave a free (that is FREE) 12oz coffee to anyone who asked between 10am and 12pm. A coworker was out in the vicinity of a Starbucks and I asked her to stop and grab me a cup if the line was not too long or if it were no trouble. Well, she did and all I can tell you is I have NO IDEA how people can live on coffee all day. I don't drink coffee at work...EVER. #1 I just don't require it to wake me up. #2 Maxwell House is not even coffee to me. #3 Unless I brew it right then and there and begin to sip, the taste is sub par at best. So, anyway, she brings me this coffee. I'm thinking to myself, "Self, how is it that a 12 oz seems like such a small cup when I see other people on a daily basis bring in Starbucks, Panera, Coffee Beanery, 7-11, Dunkin Doughnuts, etc. in cups or mugs 3X as large as what I had. Man, are these people sick? And, I was just drinking a pretty benign Breakfast Blend of Starbucks. These other people rock several espresso shots and other hardcore creations. Amazing.

Honestly, if I was able to get Starbucks free everyday, I would take a sip or two and toss the rest. I only go there if I have a gift card or someone decides they want to make a run and feels like paying. I think the company is the definition of hypocrisy, but that's another post. I sipped about 3oz of that free coffee today and it found it's home in my trash can.....

Disgusting Product-O-The Day

What do you get when you cross a hot dog with a pizza? A sausage-crust pizza.

[Click image for more detail]

Only in Japan, baby!

Abercrombie and Disposable Income....

I try to keep an eye on fashion trends so I am not a walking time warp for the 90s. I certainly don't jump at every new trend for the sake of it being "trendy", but I would be lying if I said I don't peep catalogs and my inbox does not occasionally get occupied with fashion news, future trends and industry tid bits. Well, today I was checking out this email from A&F. Call me crazy, but why is the demographic for that clothing plunging to the teen set? Really. The models are mostly in their teens and the styles are pretty overly casual. I know, I know, AF does use that stupid tag line of "Casual Luxury". Lame! What teen has the disposable income to drop $69 on a button up shirt, or $59 on a pair of "distressed" shorts or a polo. That is crazy. I would certainly not consider myself an AF person since I like to mix up my wardrobe and can usually find at least one piece from any store I go to or site I visit although I have a shirt or two from AF I got on clearance and notice at least the two I have to be of slightly higher quality than your average brand...SLIGHTLY. Certainly not enough to drop $69 on it several weeks before it hit clearance.
Back to my point of this post. Since it does seem AF's target audience is younger than I and many college students, how do these teen kids afford this crap? Man, I could go broke trying to get all the latest clothes from this place. I know the vibe in the store is like we are supposed to be transferred to the 90210 zip code and flossin' like we were in Bev. Hills, but come on... I guess daddy's credit cards keep these kids looking good and you can catch me at the clearance rack if you need me... :p

Local news can be tragic...

I am sure you have heard about the story of the guy who strangled his wife and dismembered her in MI. Truly horrific, sad, numbing and any other adjective to describe a reality that seems stranger than fiction. The children (4 and 6) are the beneficiaries of a future without both parents due to an unparalleled selfishness on the part of the twisted actions of their father who committed this terrible crime to his family. There are so many details in this story that make a person sick and with the constant stream of media attention given to tragedies across the world, this story upsets me greatly. Is it because it happened locally? Is it because I have a child and could not imagine her being without her parents? Is it because you never REALLY know what happens within the four walls of people's homes? Does this do anything to confirm my distrust of human beings? Let me think about that....Uh, yes.

Say a prayer for these two kids because they have a rough future ahead of them. :(