puff's Mancouch

Monthly Eating Experiments

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:23:54 GMT

I've been reading a book called, "The Best Food Writing of 2008" and it's basically a compilation of many different writers talking about the topic of food. There are all kinds of thoughts there and some of which were some suggestions on what to eat and how to eat. I came upon one story where the writer tried to only eat food that was produced within 150 miles from where he was for a month. Sounds easy right? Unfortunately, a lot of herbs and spices aren't produced where he is and he wound up eating everything with salt.

I've decided to try different things for a month. I haven't really decided all the ideas yet but I will start with Atkins. I am not really overweight but I love meat. Since February is a short month, I figure I'm going to try out Atkins for this entire month and try to stay as focused as possible without straying. It should be interesting.

For March, I am going to try to eat only fresh foods--basically nothing that is packaged or processed.

For April, the unthinkable--I'm going to try and go vegetarian.

For May, if April goes, well, then I'm going to take the next step and go vegan.

I don't know if I can really go through with this and who knows how my body is going to respond. Nonetheless, it's going to be an interesting experience.

Any other suggestions or ideas?

Most guys like them young

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 02:23:55 GMT

A friend of mine was telling me he wished he had it in him to go after young girls. I was sort of confused as to what he meant by "young girls" and he said a little bit older than legal. My friend isn't that old--mid 20's, but that didn't make me feel a little sick.

"Really? Like 18 year olds?"

"Yeah... more like between 17-20" he clarified.

"What do you mean you wished you had it in you?"

"I feel bad because they are so young and they don't understand shit."

Apparently, many guys are interested in getting with younger girls because everyone within earshot suddenly began participating in this conversation and it progressed into everyone somehow explaining why they prefer girls so young. It all came down to four main reasons:

They are better looking and have softer/nicer skin.
They are likely to be "cleaner" than their older counterparts.
They are easy.
They are easy to maintain and even easier to get rid of.

Sometimes I wonder why I am even surprised by what guys really think. These reasons they had were so straight forward, simple and made so much sense.

I was curious of course and asked them if they if they had been with any such girls recently. I mean, these were some of my closest guy friends who I talked to pretty often. We grew up together but sort of went out separate ways in college. Everyone looked at this one guy and started laughing. He was probably the only person in the group who I never liked since I always thought he was always shady. He's thirty and sleeping around with girls who are around 20. All he does is go around meeting these girls, flirt with them and hook up. He keeps them around for no more than a couple of weeks and then just tells them it's over.

I don't really think what he does is really that messed up because it takes two to tango. At least pertaining to the topic, age isn't really an issue because he can get older girls too. He just prefers them young for the reasons stated above--mostly reason #3. It makes sense because when you are already working, you already have the financial resources to boost up whatever lack confidence you have. Young girls don't want the money--they want the attention. Buying them drinks, flowers, or things like that is inexpensive. It makes them feel good because they crave that kind of attention, especially from an older guy. Older girls are a lot harder because these tricks don't work on them. They can buy their own drinks.

"Young girls have so much more to offer without all the shit that comes along in a relationship. You don't have to buy them anything expensive and they will still be all over you." The guy's an asshole, but don't let just let his track record tell you that. I guess the only bright side is that he doesn't go after the girls who aren't legal yet.

Three things you need to know how to do in life

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 04:15:55 GMT

I remember my pops telling me as a kid that I had to know how to ride a bike, swim and drive a car because "you never know when you'll need it." As a kid, I always thought it was kind of stupid because you can apply that reasoning to literally anything. I guess it was different for him because he grew up poor and having a bicycle was the only form of transportation he had. Because of that, my pops made sure that I learned how to swim, ride a bike and eventually drive a car.

I never thought about how useful knowing how to swim was. All you had to do was be careful and not fall into water right? One time I was on a boat and a bunch of kids were running around. I was sitting there reading or sometihng but I had to stop and watch them. I looked around for their parents but they were nowhere to be seen. I must've looked like a pedophile on the prowl or something. Anyway, I put my phone and other things in my bag so just in case they fell overboard, I could jump into the water at a moment's notice. I'm not a good swimmer. In fact, I'm a terrible swimmer so I had to see where the nearest live saver and life vests were and put it into my plan. Luckily no one fell over and I didn't have to ruin my nice suit.

Situations like this happen and it's not always about you. I would hate to see my friend drown to death because I didn't take the time to learn how to swim. I'd hate to see my friends die in my arms because I didn't know how to drive and couldn't get them to a hospital. And you never know when you need to ride a bike to get away from something. When zombies attack and the nearest car isn't available, knowing how to ride a bike would totally save your life.

I think all guys should need to know how to do these things. Bare minimum. What don't you know?

ASUS Eee PC 1000HA -- Review

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:26:04 GMT

I recently purchased the Asus Eee PC 1000HA in Ebony black. My previous laptop sort of broke and it was either dish out a couple of hundred dollars to fix it or spend double that and get a new one. I obviously decided on the latter and why not? I was still running on last millenium's Pentium 3 and the 512mb of ram could hardly give me enough power to play Youtube videos. I've been trying to save money, but with the economy the way it is today, I felt that I should contribute to it as much as I can--hence dumping approximately $445 for this laptop.

My Dell was small, light and compact--12" screen and weighing in at a little more than 3lbs. It was exactly what I wanted in a laptop; something I could carry with me on the many trips I make every year and use around my apartment. I wanted to keep my next laptop small and light. Someone suggested the Asus to me and I began reading up on it. I decided on the Asus 1000HA because of a couple of things:

10" screen instead of the smaller 8.9" the other netbooks have.
Pentium Atom 1.6ghz processor with up to 2GB of memory.
Windows XP
160gb Hard drive space.
Up to 7 hours of battery life.

I bought this laptop on eBay and paid $415 shipped. I could've gotten it for less had I bought it earlier with Microsoft Live, but I wasn't really sure back then when they had 30% off. I paid another $30 for a 2gb ram since the laptop only has 1 slot for memory and it comes with 1gb standard.

Design and Build--

The Asus measures 10.5" x 7.5" x 1.0" and weighs a little more than 3lbs. The bigger battery adds to the weight a bit, but there isn't much of a weight difference between 3lbs and 3.2lbs. It's the difference of two slices of bacon so it's not really an issue. It has 3 USB slots, VGA out, Ethernet, headphone and microphone jacks. It was a good design for them to not put all the USB slots all on the same side.

It's so glossy that you can see the reflections on it.

The Ebony Black is really glossy and looks really nice when you take it out of the package. Unfortunately, that also means it's a magnet for fingerprints and always needs to be wiped down. As you can see from the pictures below, it's really glossy and reflective. I especially like that the hinge for this laptop is really sturdy versus the previous Dell I had that had a much flimsier hinge and eventually broke.

Keyboard and Touchpad--

The keys big and wide enough that it doesn't feel like a huge difference in size as compared to a conventional laptop keyboard. The keys feel very "plasticky" and sort of cheap, but it's not really a problem for me since I don't care for such things. Some people complained about the feedback, but I have no issues with that either since mine didn't have the "clicking" sound that they had.

The touchpad is very big. It's supposed to be one of the biggest and for a laptop of this size. I'm glad that they didn't try to make it smaller. Anyone who uses laptops know how annoying it is if it took more than one stroke to get the mouse pointer from one side of the screen to the other. You can move around the entire screen without lifting your finger.

Most reviews I read had some major complaints about the design. The one major complaint was the right Shift key. Somehow, the designers thought that it would be best to put it to the right of the Up-arrow cursor key. Since they wanted to make the keyboard slightly bigger than the smaller netbooks, it seemed to make sense to arrange it that way. However, for people who use the right Shift key very often, they will often press the Up-arrow instead. I didn't think it would've been an issue since I thought I rarely used that Shift key, but apparently, I type a lot of question and quotation marks and I keep on hitting the Up-arrow. I'm still getting used to it now, but it is a bit annoying.

Misplaced Shift Key

Another negative review is the touch pad left/right click. Virtually every review said it was hard to press down on but there was ONE review that pointed out the reason. The touchpad was designed for a more natural feel and your thumb naturally rests to the edge of the notebook versus on top of the notebook when you use the touchpad. If you press down on the right/left click on the keyboard, it will be stiff. But if you rest your thumb naturally on the edge, it clicks normally. In fact, after using this touchpad, I thought about how stupid all the previous designs were.

vs.
Thumb on top versus thumb on the edge. Latter is more comfortable.

Display and Sound--

The resolution is 1024 x 600. In order for it to fit on the screen, the desktop space actually splits into two parts. Moving up and down with the mouse pointer will bring you to the part of the screen that you need. I thought it would be annoying to always do that, but after a couple of hours, I didn't even notice it at all. To keep it all on the same screen, you can change the resolution with just a push of a button conveniently placed at the top of the keyboard. You can switch it to 1024 x 768 or 800 x 600, whichever you prefer.

Not too shabby for screen size.

The sound comes from under the laptop, unlike to the side or around where your palms would be like some other laptops. Since it is slightly elevated, the sound comes out unmuffled unless it's resting on your lap. I never expect much from the laptop speakers but surprisingly, it's pretty solid and loud. As I am typing this now, "Life Goes On" is booming from the speakers. I think everyone in my apartment hears it pretty clearly.

At the top of the screen is a 1.3 mega-pixel webcam. I haven't used it yet so no review on it. I doubt I would ever use it, but it's definitely convenient for those who would such a feature.

Performance, Storage, Battery Life--

This laptop sports an Intel Atom 1.6ghz processor as mentioned earlier, which means that it has enough power to run things pretty smoothly. The 1gb of ram it came with was more than sufficient and in hindsight, probably didn't need to get an extra gb of memory since I would probably not run so many programs on this. Even with all the programs on at the same time, everything loaded smoothly and there was no lag.

Something interesting about the laptop is that there is a button that allows you to overclock or underclockthe CPU power. You can bring it down to 1.2ghz or up to 1.8ghz if you need more power. I haven't noticed a difference in power, but like I said, I'm not running an heavy-duty programs that need that much power/memory.

The 160gb of hard drive space came standard on this model (the original comes with 80gb), partitioned into two 80gb drives. I loved that it came partitioned because having your drive split into two means that you can backup all your stuff into the second drive. If you ever needed to reformat for whatever reasons, you won't lose anything important except windows. It definitely saved me the time of partitioning it myself, which would mean wiping out the pre-installed Windows (XP with SP3), and putting my own version in since the laptop doesn't come with a Windows CD.

Running at 54,000 rpms, it's not the fastest you would get, but it's more than adequate for normal day-to-day use. I didn't experience any lag transfering things over or loading up any large files.

The battery life is excellent. With WiFi on at the lowest setting (1.2ghz), it is said to be able to run a little over 5 hours, but with WiFi off (like when you're on a plane), it can last up to 7 hours. That's more than enough time for any trip around the US on a plane. I've been on the computer for over 4 hours now with the music on and there seems to be another hour left. Pretty damn good if you ask me.

Other notes--

The 1000H and the 1000HA models are different. I think the 1000H model comes with a smaller hard drive (80gb). It also has wireless N and Bluetooth. I thought it was more important to have more hard drive space. I wouldn't use the N since my wireless router would need N as well and Bluetooth is overrated. Altogether, I believe the HA is about $50 cheaper than the H so it worked out to my advantage.

Conclusion--

I love this laptop for all the pros. It looks nice, small and light enough to carry around, large enough so that my hands don't get cramps from typing, performs well with no lags and has strong battery life. If your preference is for those exact same things as me, I would highly suggest that you go to the nearest Electronics store and see it for yourself. Ordering it online saves you a lot more money. Even the prices on Amazon are very good.

As for all the cons like the misplaced right Shift key, it would be something I have to learn how to deal with myself. It does get a bit annoying and getting used to, but it's a small speed bump. Other complaints like the left/right click buttons being stiff are just because they didn't use it correctly. Like in my pictures, if you place your thumb on the edge, it works great. It's also refreshingly natural and comfortable.

Verdict--buy this if you are looking for something affordable, portable and to be used for day-to-day things like surfing the web, basic office needs, watching videos, listening to music and all that jazz, this would be something you might want to look into. If you are looking for something to game or run heavy-duty programs, this would definitely not be for you.

America's Best Dance Crew - Good Show, Crappy Judges

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:17:49 GMT

So I'm watching this show with my friends and like everyone else in America who is watching, comment about the looks, style and performance. In the second bracket, three groups came out--Quest, a bunch of Asians from LA with a dude who speaks in an Australian accent; Fly Khicks, a bunch of dancers from the Miami Heat; and RingMasterz, a group from Brooklyn.

Quest was freaking awesome. They came out with some sick ass moves that spelled awesome. Fly Khicks looked like any group of dancers at a basketball game and RingMasterz was a freak show that made us cringe.

The worst part of the show has got to the crappy comments from the judges. Shane never says anything bad. I can't stand the guy at all since he doesn't understand what "constructive criticism" means. The worst he could say to you is, "ya need to bring it, but ya definitely did great and I know ya gonna do better next time." WTF is that?

Lil Mama--who the hell is she? She doesn't really know what she is talking about, especially when she criticized the girl in Boxcuttahz. I think we all thought she carried herself well and was pretty tight. But the worst of all has got to be when she broke down out of nowhere when she was talking to the RingMasterz, just because they came from Brooklyn. Are you foreal?

Kid Rainen who is from the Jabbawockeez is actually a new fresh voice. I think he keeps it real and has a lot of personality. I wonder if that's how he really talks, but his opinion is honest. At first, I thought whatever negative thing he could say would make him sound like a hater, but he really brought a perspective of understanding that the average Joe can relate to. Too bad JC is coming back.

Anyway, after this week, I think Quest is pretty damn awesome and they are a favorite to take it all.

The Importance of January 14th

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 03:30:50 GMT

To many, January 14th is just another day. Only certain people know this to be an important date--and not surprisingly, most of these people are guys. To take it a step further, this day is important to specifically guys who are in relationships, living in big cities. You must be wondering... what is so important about this date? Today is the day you would try to book a Valentine's Day reservation for dinner at a restaurant that only takes reservations 30 days in advance.

At 9:58am, I started dialing the number for Babbo, the famed Italian restaurant of Mario Batali, attempting to make a reservation for two. I even worked out a system with my fingers... if it's busy, I hang up with my ring finger by hitting the button and then with my thumb, quickly hitting redial button. Each attempt from pressing redial to hearing the busy signal and then to hanging up took about 3 seconds. I was able to make about 20 calls per min. I caught a damn cramp on my hand just trying to do this. I had to switch between the ring finger and middle finger because it was so damn tiring!

Perseverance and determination wasn't good enough for success this time. All the way till 10:30, I was still dialing, unable to get through. I kept at it for another couple of mins and decided to stop. It didn't help that I had A LOT of work to do and my manager sits right next to me. Throughout the next two hours or so hours, I sporadically would attempt for 5 straight mins before giving up temporarily. By the time 1pm came around, I knew there was no chance of making that reservation.

In NYC, there is never a shortage of good food, but to get the best on Valentine's Day, you have to fight with others who share the same mentality as you. Sure there are other great restaurants, but Babbo is one of the hardest to snag even on a normal day. Phones open at 10am and it's always busy. Give it a try one day. See if you get through. Taking your significant other there would prove the kind of sincerity that only a two-plus carat diamond engagement ring would top.

Tomorrow is January 15th. If you haven't booked your reservation yet, chances are, you can only going to get a second-tier restaurant. It's still great, but to any woman who is in the know about fine-dining, you didn't try hard enough. Sorry buddy. There's always next year.

Fight Club

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 02:23:21 GMT

Fight Club is by far one of the most awesomest movies ever made. Whenever people say, "the book is ALWAYS better than the movie," I say, "Not true. Fight Club the movie is better than the book. Trust me." I've seen it many times and have read the book twice. Trust me when I say that the movie is MUCH better.

One of thing I have always wanted to do was start up my own fight club. I'm not a violent person and I avoid fights at all costs, yet the thought of fighting dances around my mind pretty often. This might sound really crazy but I think about fighting more than sex. Let me repeat, I'm not a violent person.

There is something about fighting it out with someone. Whenever I fight someone one-on-one, whether it's because of beef of sparring with friends, I somehow develop a certain kind of respect for that person. It's exactly why I don't like to fight people I don't respect. I don't want them to gain my respect that way.

Fight Club would be perfect for me. I fight with people that have mutual respect for fighting. It's not about winning, but about kicking the living crap out of the other person and trying to make sure the same isn't done to you. It's not about danger or the adrenaline, but about the making someone give up or knocking them out. Either way, there is a certain kind of satisfaction that comes out of trying.

I've been in many fights in my life. Even though I work in corporate America in a suit and tie, I don't mind walking into the office with a busted up face. You know that scene in Fight Club where Ed Norton walks into work with his face busted up? I watched that scene thinking, "I think I could do that."

We should start something up. What would Tyler Durden do?

Guy friends: "Don't get married!"

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:59:46 GMT

I always thought that getting married was a part of life, sort of something that you had to do in order for it to be complete. I'm not married yet, but it seems like not getting married is the advice I'm getting from my married friends. Surprisingly, they're all guys!

Whenever the conversation of marriage comes up, the married men would sigh and then tell me to stay away from marriage at all costs. I would always ask why and without explanation, they say, "Trust me!". It's almost like they aren't allowed to talk about it. I think it's more about not being able to explain things.

Whatever the reason is, staying away from marriage seems to be the best advice you can get from a married man. It's also the kind of advice that you should take purely on the amount of people giving it, but curiosity takes over. Besides, who the hell wants to be alone for the rest of their life? Not me.

Can any married men please shed some light on this matter? Help a brother out! An example or two would be great. Tell me why I should avoid marriage like the plague (or the exact opposite and get married).

Ringing in the New Year with a Kiss

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:06:23 GMT

I don't know about guys, but I know that every other girl I talk to wants to have someone to kiss when the clock strikes midnight. Supposedly, it's some magical moment that they look forward to each year and knowing that they won't be kissing someone bothers them--as if they feel like that's the only way to start the new year! Some of them have even admitted to me that they've made out with strangers and for a handful, were the first acts that blossomed into a relationship!

Guys. Can you imagine seeing a girl at a party who seemed to have no significant other with her and at the stroke of midnight, you grab her and kiss her? Cause that's exactly what some of these guys did and apparently, the worst they got was being pushed away! And get this--most of the time, the girls didn't resist. Only a couple of my friends resisted because they were surprised but eventually kissed back. Women, what strange creatures.

So guys, if you are single tonight and you see a girl by herself during the countdown, you have a very high chance of taking her breathe away without her being pissed at you. In fact, you are probably doing her a favor. What's really funny is that all girls say they wouldn't want a stranger grabbing them and kissing them, but of the many stories I've heard, very few didn't enjoy it. Seize the moment guys and have a happy new year!

Thundercats Trailer

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:55:36 GMT

Grew up in the 80's watching cartoons? How cool is this trailer?

Unfortunately, this isn't the real trailer. People took bits and pieces of various movies and photoshop'd them together. It gets 10 on the awesome factor because it's just so freakin' awesome! Rumor on the streets say that there will be a Thundercats movie Summer 2010. Can't wait!