So Long

I think I like the digs at Wordpress better, so I'm going to start using that from now on. Everything has been migrated over there, holler at the link:

http://discoveriesoftheunemployed.wordpress.com/

If

Just came across this today while perusing one of my favorite sites, the Art of Manliness. They're currently running a good series called "30 Days to a Better Man" with advice/tasks for each day. The task for this particular day was memorizing "If," a poem by Ruyard Kipling that I'd never read before. Pretty good stuff:

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream–and not make dreams your master,
If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings–nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And–which is more–you’ll be a Man, my son!

Tooting my own horn

So while I've been unemployed, between job applications and searches, I've been taking a stab at writing. I didn't realize I was interested in writing or any good at it, but it's been something I've been able to do to stimulate my brain a little bit and meet new people. I'm going to use this post as a collection of links to all my different articles that are out there. Hope you enjoy and please comment on any you find interesting!

Lose Weight While Traveling: Three Fun & Cool Trips
Asics Are Classics
Mini Display Port to HDMI
BlackBerry App World

*Idea - Individual sized sunscreen

When heading out for my run today, I luckily had packed my hat and sunglasses, however in the blazing sun that is present in North Carolina during the summer, I found myself wishing I had some sunscreen.

Wouldn't it be great if there were individual sized sunscreen packages, much like a GU/gel pack where you can rip off the top, put your sunscreen on and toss the package? I know there are towelette's available that sort of meet my need, but I just don't trust something I don't visibly see rubbed into my skin.

New Mario!

So I don't think I'll ever leave my nerd side completely, and to show that, here's a video game post.

At the E3 Video game expo in Los Angeles, Nintendo announced four new Mario titles. My favorite is a new 2d version of Mario, since I'm too slow to keep up with 3d games (no lie). The three titles are Mario Galaxy 2, a Mario/Donkey Kong game, a Mario/Luigi or Bowser RPG (neeeeeerds) and the classic 2d game. The 2d game is updated to allow up to four players, you can choose between Mario, Luigi, Yellow or Blue Toad (real creative...).


Even more pictures and information

Rarrrr

Look out for the Barrel Monster, Raleigh folks! The Barrel Monster has been spotted on Hillsborough Street. Click the picture to read more about him and see some other creative vandalism...

Look Ma!

AdKiller

I got an article posted on The Bachelor Guy. Great site about....stuff guys need to know. My article is about my favorite shoes currently, the Asics Onitsuka Tiger. Check check, check it out.

Deargodalmighty

Seriously? I don't even know what to say about this? Did the creators get inspired by Alien or Spaceballs?

<3 Beer <3

I don't drink a lot, but I do appreciate a good frosty mug of quality beer. Not beer pong light, I'm talking the good stuff. About a month ago Liz and I went to a cookout and picked up a Sam Adam's sampler pack that had 2 of each - Black Lager, Blackberry Wietbier, Irish Red. Black Lager was my favorite, but Irish Red was pretty tasty (tasted a lot like Red Oak for you North Carolina people).

So knowing how much I like Sam Adam's, I went to check out their site and see what else I'm missing and I came across a treasure trove....

Sam Adam's World of Beer

My top 10 Sam Adam's Beers that I have had:
1. Boston Lager (original)
2. Light
3. White Ale
4. Summer Ale
5. Octoberfest
6. Winter Lager
7. Cherry Wheat
8. Black Lager
9. Irish Red
10. Hefeweizen

My top 10 of Sam Adam's Beers that I want to try:
1. Scotch Ale
2. Honey Porter
3. Cream Stout
4. Imperial White
5. Triple Bock
6. Utopias ($$$$$$$)
7. Chocolate Bock
8. Millennium
9. Hallertau 24
10. Imperial Stout

*Idea - Digital Calendar w/Google Synch

Maybe this exists....maybe it doesn't, but here's my idea:

Digital Calendar that synchs up with Google Calendar or Outlook through WiFi. Can put it on the wall where you would normally have a calendar, but it's available for everyone in the house to view and update. Can also choose the photos that will be displayed, add in reminders, integrate with Facebook to display Friend birthdays on a monthly basis...

Sound good?

Photo-realistic games in '10-15 years'

In news that will prevent future generations from engaging in meaningful human interaction, Epic has announced that games will be photo-realistic within 15 years.

Kobe and Lebron - Lil' Penny part 2

HA these are pretty funny, especially the first one (chalk).

Kobe and Lebron Puppet Commercial - Chalk

Kobe and Lebron Puppet Commercial - Rings

Show your Dad you love him by buying him stuff.

Father's Day is coming up on...one sec, ok got it - June 21st. Look at that, I'm giving you a freaking month to get a cool present. To even further help you, I am going to give you links to cool presents that you should get for your dad. If your dad hates you after this Father's Day, don't say I didn't try to help.

Present #1 - Leatherman Freestyle Tool
Holy crap, this thing is cool. Guys like knives, try to disagree. It's ok, you can't. Cool Material says it best "You never know when you're going to need to cut through a fence, climb a tree, un-hinge a vent cover, stab some guy and then go for a beer." Sounds like yesterday.




Present #2 - Grill Daddy Pro Grill Brush
What else do guys like to do? Grill. However, for the most part we hate to clean up the mess we made. At least normal men should hate to clean (like me). This brush makes it a lot easier to clean your grill, you fill the handle up with water and while the grill is still hot, the water will come out the brush end and help steam off the crud while brushing the grill. Plus, it has "daddy" in its name, coincidence? No.


Present #3 - Beer Making Starter Kit
Seriously, what else do guys love besides weapons and grilling? Oh, beer. Why do girls have such a hard time shopping for guys, this is child's play. If you opened up your dad's head right now you could probably get the following "beer, beer, beer, boobs, work, beer, boobsworkbeer, food."




Present #4 - Kettle Chips Create-a-Chip Kit
Like I just mentioned above, Dad's like food. If he has any taste in potato chips at all, he will already be a fan of Kettle Chips. The create-a-chip kit gives him the opportunity to make that flavor he's always wanted them to come out with (I swear spicy anchovy surprise will make it someday....). You get three bags of past winners, four bags of unseasoned chips, spices but obviously he's allowed to use his own. Can post your creation to their site and be an inspiration to the future of chip makers everywhere.



Present #5 - Golf Lesson
While your old man taught you many things in life, chances are he's still not an expert on the links (let's be honest, none of us are). Help your dad fix his slice and buy him a lesson with a PGA Professional. Use the link to find the closest one to him.

PGA.com Instruction

Present #6 - Custom-made Shirt
No matter what your dad does, a nice shirt is a must. Unless you're the perfect dimensions, a department store shirt just doesn't cut it in terms of fit. Check out the folks at Hamilton Shirts in Houston, TX and get your dad a custom-made shirt, tailored to his measurements (get mom to figure those out for you). With over 300 fabrics to choose from, you should be able to find the perfect shirt with no problem.

(Photos courtesy of Hamilton Shirts)

Present #7 - This Book Will Change Your Life
Is your dad a retiree with a lot of time on his hands and not much to do? Give him this book for Father's Day and he'll have at least one thing to do for every day of the next year. This book features fun, random suggestions and serious tasks to do each day. If nothing more, it's a fun book with crazy suggestions.

AdKiller

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Proclaiming

Please help me settle this debate with my gf. I will not give any clues to the right answer or the wrong answer, only know that if you pick the right answer you did a good job because that's what I picked as well.

We all know the song "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by the Proclaimers. Yesterday, while catching an old episode of 'How I Met Your Mother' on Lifetime (seriously), I caught the episode where Marshall and Ted are singing this beautiful song on repeat, as the cassette tape is stuck in the tape deck (anyone under 20 is going 'whaaaaaat?' right now).

I started singing it and then Liz joined in, but to my shock and horror, she started singing it differently. Our point of contention is the chorus at the 1:34 mark of this clip.

The main contention is whether or not there are three or four instances of whatever it is they're saying.

Here's where you come in. Let me know what you think they're saying:

Da da lat da (da da lat da)
Da da lat da (da da lat da)

- or -

Da da da (da da da)
Da da da (da da da)

Votes will be tallied at the end of the day.

Where's the popcorn :(

Since I'm a freelancer (read....unemployed) I have a lot of time to watch movies. To take a page from my friend Tommy Cary (read his blog too), here is my rundown of recent movies I've seen through Netflix or in theaters and what I've thought.

Netflix -

Weeds (Seasons 1-3) - Awesome show that follows a housewife who jumps into the drug trade to let her family continue living their cushy southern California life after the sudden death of her husband. Still waiting on Seasons 4 and 5 through Netflix... (9/10)

City of God - I like movies with subtitles, makes me feel like I'm reading a book at the same time, mom would be proud. Follows a young boy in Rio de Janeiro through the slum life on his journey to become a photographer. Subtitled in English, Portuguese is spoken throughout. (8/10)

There Will Be Blood - Eh, kind of boring. Everyone loves a "I drink your milkshake" reference though... (5/10)

WALL-E - Pixar can do no wrong. A robot love story. A warning to the ever-increasing sedentary lifestyle of people. Awesome movie. (10/10)

Theater -

X-Men Origins - Wolverine - Poo.

Secret location NOT marked by the X...promise...

Since I have been able to remember, Dan Quayle was the gold standard of Vice Presidential incompetence. Potato, Dan, Potato.

Joe Biden, however, would like to go down in history with a similar moniker it seems. Check out Joe's recent gaffe, oh nothing big, just letting everyone in the world know the location of a secret bunker that is supposed to hide the 2nd in command of the most powerful nation in the world.

Joe, Joe, Joe....

ATTN: Guys

If you are a male and have had to buy gifts for your girlfriend, mom, wife, whatever, you know that it's difficult and often time the standby is something boring like Bath & Bodyworks, candles or jewelry.

Treat your girl to something nice and creative next time around by checking out a website that I have frequented for gift ideas - Outblush

A sister site to another favorite of mine - Uncrate - Outblush keeps girls updated on the newest girl gadgets and provides ample gift ideas for us.

HDTV For Me

Recession Buster: HDTV For About $400

Sweet.

Mifi is so 3008, Wifi is so 2000 and late.

Tired of trying to find a Wifi hotspot or having to enter credit card info once you do find it? Want to go and sit in the park while playing on your computer? Check out this new offering from Verizon, the Mifi.

With the Mifi, you'll be combining your cable internet connection and router into one, and then taking it with you wherever you go. My only resistance so far is that the data plan has a cap on data and I have no idea how much I use in a month (giga-who?).

For futher reading, check out this full review at Media Burn.

*Update 5/14 - Sprint to also offer Mifi service

Amazon Kindle, part duex

Check out my buddy Dusty Overby's review of the Amazon Kindle over at Gear Patrol.

Don't want to take away the suspense, so for detailed reading follow the link, but here are the basics:

• 20% Faster Page Turns
• Now Holds Over 1500 Books (7x More Than v1)
• 25% Longer Battery Life (2+ Weeks Possible)
• Text-To-Speech Feature Added

Sounds...badass.

Linkage

Wi-Fi on zee plane

AirTran to offer Wi-Fi on all flights starting this summer.

Hopefully that creeper sitting next to you doesn't start looking at porn.

Linkydink.

3D Chessboard

Might as well get it out of the way that I'm a nerd and there will be lots of nerdy things posted here.

With that said, check out this 3D Chess Board from Ji Lee. It won't make you a better Chess player or feel any better when the bum at the park beats you, but at least you'll have a cooler chess set than him.

Credit goes to Cool Material for the find.