Comic Corner

Enjoy the sun, but don't forget your sunscreen!  The higher the SPF the higher the protection!

Philosophy Gem

You never truly appreciate something until you have lost it, and then it is usually too late. It is those rare gifts that we are given a second chance with that we can fully value; that is not something to take advantage of.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

     Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides follows Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) on his journey to the fountain of youth.  Along the way he stumbles upon Angelica (Penelope Cruz), the old flame who got away.  As luck would have it, she too is on her way to the fountain; her and her father, the dreaded Captain Blackbeard (Ian McShane) that is.  The whole time Jack cannot tell if Angelica is just using him to get to the fountain, or if there is something more to their relationship.

     Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) has traded in his pirate hat for a powdered wig as he left the “losing” side for the king’s navy.  Although he looks less like a pirate in that respect, he gained the iconic wooden leg after losing his own, making him more of a pirate than ever.  The Black Pearl has once again been taken hostage, this time by Blackbeard.  

     The pirates-led by Blackbeard, race the Spanish, and the navy to the fountain of youth.  There is a few switches in alliances and some voodoo weaved into the story, but what would a Pirates movie be like otherwise?  Will Jack find the fountain, gaining eternal life, or will he find eternal love along the way?

     I give this movie a 48 out of 10.  I LOVED it!  This movie, although it is the fourth in the series, stands by itself.  Critics say that the movies have run their course and do not have Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightly, therefore it should not have been made.  Those people do not understand the Pirates saga.  Those characters’ story lines have ended, and what the movies are about now are different pirate legends. 

     What I cannot stand about critics, is that it is one thing to praise someone’s work or to say that you did not care for it, but to criticize and degrade someone else’s hard work is disgusting.  What makes some 30-year-old guy living in his mother’s basement qualified to say what was wrong with something such as a movie?  You can give your opinions all you want, and people can take them or leave them.  But when you have the audacity to say that a movie should not have been made, was a waste of film, that the actors are doing it just for the money, or that the writers have no talent, then you are being ridiculous.  EVERY movie (no matter how boring some people may find it) takes a great deal of time, effort, and talent to make.  Unless you yourself can physically do what you are critiquing BETTER, then you have no right to do so.  Build people up whenever possible, but be cautious when tearing others down.

     Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is rated PG-13 and runs 2 hours and 17 minutes.  It was filmed in 3D on location (the first movie to EVER do so), and is playing in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D in theaters everywhere.

Tip: Fight the Hoarder in You!

     Are you a hoarder?  Do you keep pieces of paper in your house you have not seen in years?  If you have ANY object you do not see within the span of a year, chances are you have a bit of the “hoarder” gene (if there is such a thing).  I think there is a little bit of it in all of us, just some people are worse off than others.

     Keeping SOME things as mementoes is not a bad thing, but if you kept the first Mentos your child ever threw into a bottle of Diet Coke, you might be a hoarder.

     If you yourself are a hoarder (no matter how severe), try this to prevent your living space from getting any worse:

   1) DO NOT PRINT OFF THIS BLOG POST!!!  It will indubitably remain in your living quarters until the day you die and your family has to get a bulldozer to empty the place, or there is some other catastrophic event.

   2) Limit the amount of useless “garbage” you bring into your space.  If you are somewhere where they are handing out free samples or goodies, do not take them JUST BECAUSE they are free.  If you NEED them and were thinking of buying them anyway, knock yourself out (that actually is another way to prevent excess items from entering your house; if you are unconscious more often, less stuff will make its way home with you). Otherwise, DO NOT take them!  Why would you need a package of diapers if you are a woman in your 90s with no children or grandchildren?  That ship has sailed my friend!  Let it go!

   3) This is probably the most difficult one of them all: start getting rid of what you already own.  I know, if you are a true hoarder, it is as if I just asked you to jump off of a bridge, and for some that might be easier, but you need to do this.  If you live with anyone else, your way of life is, or soon could be affecting anyone else who is close to you.  If your living quarters are uninhabitable, think about if you have children or parents who cannot use the space you share to their liking.  If you are alone, how the heck are you ever going to keep anyone you bring home to that?  Only a limited number of “let’s go to your place tonight” will fly. 

Here is what your do:

     Start with baby steps.  Make a goal that each day you are going to get rid of a net total of x number of items (ten is a good number to start with).  That means if you bring 3 home, you have to get rid of at least 13 to make up for it.  As you start to clean more and more and get more comfortable with the idea, you can change your goal as you see fit. 

     Having something to stick to is a good place to start.  If you say “I want this clean by December,” then January comes with no change, you give up.  If you have a flexible goal, you are more likely to stick to it. 

Here are some hints while cleaning:

   1) Look into recycling in your area (I am sure you have not used this much if you are saving every glass bottle that ever walked through your door).  Usually your local area will except paper, glass, tin, plastic, and corrugated cardboard.  Almost nothing gets thrown out, and that makes it easy to get rid of many things cluttering your house (especially if it is old school work, newspapers, or magazines). 

   2) Go through your clothes, and whatever does not fit, donate or find a consignment shop that will take them.  If you have not worn them in over a year, chances are you will not miss them.  Find someone who needs them. 

   3) Those random other items can either be sold on the internet if they are of value, tag saled, or donated to an organization that excepts those types of things.  Stuffed animals in good condition are always in need, as well as other toys and furniture.

   4) Books can be sold online, to some book stores, or donated to places such as libraries.

     If you yourself are not the hoarder but live with one, may the force be with you. 

     Confronting the person about their problem is not always the best way to go about it.  They like the way they are, and do not want to clean (or they would never have allowed their house to get to this point).  You can try making cleaning into a game if they are young.  Instead of threatening them, just say “I want to redesign this area of the house; can you help me?”  Or say for x number of minutes, we are going to organize.  And help them.  Time goes faster and they are more willing to do it if someone is helping them, (but if that does not work, you can leave them alone and check in on them).  Or try “you can keep as many toys as you donate” (if they are really resistant, you may have to bribe them with a NEW toy, which is counterproductive, but effective if they have wanted a certain toy for awhile.  In that case, get more than 50% donation out of them).  Put two boxes out, and they have to fill the donation one first before getting a second “keep” box. 

     If none of this works, you can be sneaky, and take the toys you child no longer plays with.  To be safe, you might want to hold on to them for awhile, just to make sure you do not donate an irreplaceable playmate.  Depending on your house, if you keep them for a year and the child has not asked about them, donate them.

     If you are working on the other side of the spectrum, you can try the steps above, but chances are they like their “nests,” and do not want to get rid of ANYTHING.  I say recycle/donate at will.  If there are areas of the house that person does not see, start there.  “Organize,” by eliminating the excess excess.  Attics, garages, and basements are great places to start.  Then when you clean another room of the house, you can say that you moved the items up/out/down there.  Just make sure they can never go and check, and that they do not see you moving or cleaning.  As long as they do not watch you, you can get rid of the items, while telling them if they ask about something later, that you moved it.  When you start with a cluttered, unvisited room, chances are that that person does not remember exactly what is in it.  Keeping the important stuff and eliminating the excess will reduce your stress (especially if you are not a hoarder).  If you do not refresh their memory by SHOWING them what was in the room, chances are that they will not miss it.

     WARNING: If you are not smart about this, you are bound to throw out/donate something of value, either to the person or of monetary value.  Make sure you know the person you are “organizing” for well.

     You have to look around, but very few items (unless ruined), are trash-worthy.  If you cannot use it, chances are that someone else can.

     Now get off of the internet and START CLEANING!!!

Tip: Have that Dessert

     If you want to lose a few pounds, but dessert is your weak point, just eat it!  Sometimes denying yourself makes it more difficult to stick to your plan.  If you treat yourself when you are craving that piece of cheesecake, you can eat it and get over it (just don’t rack yourself with guilt afterwards; actually move on).

     Try eating half the amount you normally would.  If you would eat an entire Hershey Chocolate bar as a snack, try two or three Hershey Kisses instead (the normal sized ones, not the giant ones they sell at Valentine’s Day).

     If you wanted that piece of cheesecake, take a small one (or cut it in half—and save the other half for tomorrow) instead of downing half of the cake.

     There is nothing wrong with treating yourself every once in a while (or everyday), if you are smart about it.  I never went without, and I was able to lose 45 pounds.  If you eat healthy and exercise (which we could all stand to do a little more of), you can eat the same desserts now and again (but chances are that there are leaner recipes of the same dishes you can find online; look it up and give it a try!).

      Eating better is a way of life; there is no easy-fix “diet.”  Shouldn’t you enjoy yourself?  After all, you only get one life, and no one guaranteed you a tomorrow.  Enjoy today wisely.

A One Question Test I Hope You Fail

PSYCHOPATH TEST

     Read this question and come up with an answer before scrolling down to the bottom for the correct answer. This is NOT a trick question.

It is as it reads. No one I know has gotten it right. Few people do, however.  Just answer the question, but don't hurt yourself.




Situation:
     A woman, while at her mother's funeral, met a guy whom she did not know. She thought this guy was amazing. She believed him to be her dream guy so much so that she fell in love with him right there, but never asked for his name or number and could not find him. A few days later she killed her sister.


Question: What was her motive for killing her sister?



[Give this some thought before you answer, and then see the answer below]

ANSWER:


     She was hoping the guy would appear at her sister's funeral since he had shown up at her mother's.

     If you answered this correctly, you think like a psychopath! This was a test done by a famous American psychologist used to determine if one has the same mentality as a killer.  Many arrested serial killers took part in the test and answered the question correctly. If you didn't answer the question correctly, good for you!

     If you got the answer correct, please let me know so I can block your crazy ass from my blog! (Just kidding...but not really...)

Bit of Wisdom

     In America at a stoplight you stop on red and drive on green.  When it turns green, you do not necessarilly have the right to go.  If you are turning right, you can go, but when turning left you have to wait for the people in the opposite direction to be clear of the intersection. 
     I personally think it is stupid to give a green light to someone if they are not allowed to turn.  If you get into an accident while turning left on green, it is then your fault. 
     How do you remember if it is your turn or not?

When the light turns green, it is your right to turn right.  Only if you are the only one left can you turn left.

You're welcome world!  I know this was just eating away at you!  =D

Archie Bunker on Equal pay

Oh Archie!

Although this is funny, people still think like this, (which is VERY tragic).  It is sad that we are not too much further than back then.  Gives you something to think about that women are still making less than 80 cents on the dollar to men for doing the SAME jobs!!! (And usually doing a better job of it too!)  When will it be enough?

Kermit Cam from the Black Carpet

     This is AMAZING! Enjoy this Kermit Cam direct from the Black Carpet of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides World Premiere. I sincerely hope Johnny was kidding; I'd like to think he knew who Kermit the Frog is. I love Kermit's costume and think he is adorable! Hope Piggy went easy on him after kissing all those women! I am so green with envy that he got to go to this!

Kermit at Disneyland

"That's a talking Frog!"

Kermit the Frog attended the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides World Premiere to cover the Black Carpet.  I thought his costume was too precious to not share.  Johnny Depp looked very nice as well.

Cinco de Mayo

     Happy Cinco de Mayo!  May 5^th.  Where is 2011 going?  In two days Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will be premiering in Anaheim, CA.  It seems as if only yesterday the third movie was coming out, (back in May of 2007), and now it is four years later.
     The premiere will have a 3,000 foot long Black Carpet, (instead of the traditional red), and the movie will be shown outside in 3D over The Rivers of America.  The screen, (about 9 stories wide and 6 stories high), is built on Tom Sawyer Island.
     The park will be open from 7 am-5 pm, and anyone there when they close is welcome to stay to watch the carpet (who would not want to?).  Expect around 20,000-22,000 other fans (as well as Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz of course).

     If you will not be going to the premiere, you can catch it in theaters starting on May 20^th. 

Philosophy Gem

Change is a natural part of life. That doesn’t mean it should hurt any less each time we have to say “good-bye.”