Thursday, December 31, 2009
Change the way you read online
With this tool : lab.arc90.com/experiments/readability
I like to plug things that I have found really useful. This is one of the coolest things I've found all year. Follow the instructions online, and read uninhibited.
Best,
Vanish
P.S. Enjoy New Years Eve!! Be safe tonight.
Monday, December 28, 2009
What I've Learned: 2009
Hey. So I was going to do a "best of the decade" type post here, but I decided to do a "What I've Learned" segment covering the whole year in the Esquire model (example). Here goes nothing.
I realized that I was only 12 when the decade started. Plus I have terrible memory, so any "best of" would be terrible. Thats the real reason for this post.
This post was going to be really morbid. Like, deep and stuff. Thats the mood I was in after I read this . I think stuff like that has its place. But not on a 21 year old's blog.
I try not to put my phone on vibrate anymore. For a while I just left it on vibrate because of class and stuff, but last semester I was working all the time and nobody cared so I put it on this awesome techno ringtone. When my phone was on vibrate, I could tell it was in pocket. Now that its on ringtone mode I can't ever find it. I feel old.
Being injured doesn't get chicks. Trust me.
Yoga was the best decision I've made all year. I took yoga as a gym class with some of my friends this semester, and I can almost touch my toes now. I'm better at breathing too, if thats a skill you can boast.
Although our yoga teacher scared us. She said you can actually become less flexible than you were before the yoga if you stopped practicing it. I'm not sure if thats her way of getting us to sign up for the class again next semester, but I'm not falling for it.
People appreciate it when you remember their names. Too bad I have terrible memory. I read somewhere that you need to give someone an emotional hug when you meet them. Thats how you make friends. I'm not sure how I feel about that.
I went to a lot of concerts this year. I barely remember any of them. They were all fantastic though.
Sleep is underrated. So is exercise. And so is patience.
Traditions were a big theme for me this year. I maintain that they are really important.
Resolutions are in that gray area between getting things done and being a cop-out. Its a great way of becoming goal oriented, but you push it off until the new year.
I am really proud of the other blog that I participate in, catchysongoftheday. We're spreading around good music. Although I tried making a twitter for it, nobody follows it. It sucks
On Esquire, they always end these things really abruptly with a deep or witty quote. My favorite quote, from Inherit the Wind is "An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral." It really is my favorite quote. Its on my facebook!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Bottom Locker family (really its just me)!
-Vanish
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The Situation
Alright, obligatory "Jersey Shore" blog post (The New York Times had the same obligation to its readers). I won't bore you by talking about how hilarious the show is or about how it truly reflects on some of the ideals that our youth has these days or about how ridiculous some of the characters are (apparently Ronnie is only 5-6? what the heck?). I do want to make the case that Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is a genius.
First of all, "The Situation" might be the most fascinating character on TV that I have ever seen. This includes Turk, House MD, and the guy from Dexter when he is playing the gay guy in "Six Feet Under" (I know, its weird that its the same guy). His nickname has instantly turned into the mating call for millions of 20 something bros. The Situation is the only reason that people aren't more upset with Tiger Woods (I should really do an obligatory Tiger Woods post).
Anyway, the reason he is a genius is because he just made himself a brand. Outside of The Situation, we are going to forget about every character on the show (except for maybe Snooki). He (his abs) is going to be a guest on talk shows for a long time now. Believe me, this guy is not going away. Instant celeb - Just add tanning lotion.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Catchy Albums of the Year
Check out our top 10 catchy albums of the year here (By our I mean the other two guys on the blog)
-Vanish
Monday, December 21, 2009
Traditions
I was thinking long and hard about my traditions, and I realized that I don't have many. My family does the whole turkey on thanksgiving and christmas morning present unwrapping thing, but outside of that I only have: thanksgiving football game, "Black Friday" pizza hut buffet (possibly my favorite: my friends from back home go to the pizza hut buffet and see who can eat the most slices on the day after thanksgiving. Unfortunately, we've only done it two or three times, and lately its degraded into us raiding the breadsticks and not eating any of the slices. When did we become old?), and Football Sundays (not really a tradition, I just like watching football on Sundays). Its pathetic! I think I also have "micro-traditions." This is like singing little chants and pacing when the Mets are down late in the game, but I may have "micro-traditions" confused with "Obsessive Compulsive Disorder" or "panic attacks."
I've been trying to start traditions with both my friends at school and my friends back home. Its tough with my friends back home because life starts getting in the way. While at school, movie night lasted about 2 weeks, we get a smattering of people on football sunday (though its usually me and J, and J is usually passed out on the couch for 3-5 hours), Dawson's December (a couple of us have been watching Dawson's creek episodes, I may explain in another post but otherwise, please don't ask) has only lasted 4 episodes, and videogames. Video games is less of a tradition and more of an obsession with some of my friends, so I really don't have a choice but to play.
I think that traditions are a cool way to get people to stay in touch. I think we will need them as we start getting older and life starts getting in the way. Its reassuring to know that while you're in rushhour traffic to your post college job to know that "theres always ____to look forward to."
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Top Clips: SNL
And a new Bottomlocker tradition is born. I am going to post my five current favorite video clips of anything online. This time it'll be Saturday Night Live clips available on Hulu.
I'm not going to use the classics (On a boat, Jizz in my pants, Mother Lover) because you should already know of them (and if you don't, now you do). With no further adieu
5. Extreme Challenges: Andy Samberg and Kristin Wiig tangle in an extreme activities competition.
4. Shy Ronnie: Rihanna features as part of a fire and ice rapping duo
3. Megan's Roomate: There is more than meets the eyes with Megan Fox's roomate
2. The Mirror: Ellen Page awakes from a terrible nightmare
1. On the Ground: Andy Samberg's unique form of resisting the system meets the ground
-Vanish
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thoughts on Discipline and a 15 Minute Sleep Schedule
I write this blog post from the kitchen of my college house while I slightly procrastinate on something that I have been procrastinating for a while (why start today what you won't do tomorrow?). I have been thinking about the idea of discipline for a while. This is finals week and so without a schedule, we are expected to study non-stop for end of year exams and presentations. A problem that I have had is hunkering down now that I don't have class. Because I don't have class, I find myself wasting away on the couch watching TV sometimes (a practice generally saved for football Sundays). I think that it takes a great deal of discipline to be a college student in charge of his grades. It is really hard to have a strong work ethic when you don't have a set a schedule, and really hard to control your spending when you have no idea how to build a budget (or cook).
Also, I have a really bad sleep schedule. Now that I don't have class, I find myself falling to bed a ridiculously late hours when I have meetings early the next morning. This leads me to waking up early, then hitting snooze on my alarm clock. Unfortunately, my options are a 5 minute snooze, 15 minute snooze and an hour snooze. The 5 minute snooze and hour snooze are clearly both on the wrong scale (I'll usually skip breakfast - a bad practice - and sleep in an extra half hour), so I use the 15 minute snooze. This leads to me having little 15 minute micro-naps in which I have absurd dreams.
And with that, I should go do some work
-Vanish
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Whats the funniest state in the United States?
Hahawaii.
The following is an abridged text message conversation I had with my friend, Josh. This might be the best text message conversation I've ever had. It spanned the course of a full day and continued through several of my classes. You may think its lame but I thought it was hilarious. These responses were pretty immediate (no more than 2 minutes between most texts).
Me: What's the funniest state in the United States? Lolorado
Josh: I thought it was roflorida
Me: Flolida. Lmaouisian
Josh: Hahawaii
Me: Arkharharsansas
Josh: Rahaha hode island
Me: Just lmaouisian-ed in class
Josh: Hahahhaaaa same here the prof is starin at me hard core
Me: Lol stop using your human hands to text, use ur dog arkanspaws
Josh: Hahaha i was using my idahooves
Me: Haha take off your mittschigans before you type
Josh: New hahahampshire i'm going to enter a sword fight and going to put on my michigauntlets
Me: Hahalaska, fine ur on. 4 pm, dealaware?
Josh: South Dealkota... just to warn you i trained in the wyomingh dynasty
Me: That was impressive... but I hope that when I destroy you at super smash bros you don't take it to heartizona
Josh: Just got out of classifornia
Me: Just saw Mattachusetts (our friend matt)... he says hidaho
Josh: Delawell playedsylvania
Me: Impressissipi yourself amigohio
Josh: Thats a bit of a stretchina (ed. note: I bolded china because this one was a stretch and I didn't get it until he explained it to me later)
Me: I don't know how feeladelphia about stretchina
Josh: Hahahaha I'm feeladelphiaing transitionigeria (You can see here that Josh is just losing it... FYI we were both running on about 2 hours of sleep this whole day)
Me: I don't get it what dotroit you meanssylvania
Josh: This is getting worsechester and worst virginia
Me: I like it, I haev to use my br(m)aine (This is where I started losing it) to come up with new wordschester sauces (really losing it). Its a talent, this is something you can't learnmont.
Josh: Haha I can't even top thatennessee
Me: Shut your mouth dakota. This is too muchigan
Me: Dude I can nontreal stop! There are tooronto many of them!
Me: I'm laughing too much my classmates are starting to ask quebicstions (I really started losing it)
Josh: Hahaha you have yo edmontone it down
Me: What new haven I gotten myself intoronto I think i'm englansane. Francy that.
Me: We have it down so pattistan what isreal the goaland of doing it? I don't feel the rushia anymore (viet)man.
Josh: Hahahahah your ridiculou.s.a. (Then Josh made a comment about a girl we know)
Me: I agree, she is georgiaous. Why did you.s.s.r. make that commentreal?
Josh: Lol I have no eye deer
Me: Okay we're donemark.
Josh: I'm so tired...
Me: Don't go to sleep! Who amsterdam I going to text? Okay that was the last one, hon(w)est. (virginia)
Then I just kept sending him ridiculous ones for the rest of the day while he responded to zero of them. Anyway I know that its lame but... I thought it was hilarious. Anyway heres to the rest of the day being devoted to laying on the couch watching football.
Cheers,
Vanish
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