BAWLS

I decided to venture from my normal energy drink, Full Throttle Fury, in the spirit of trying new things and avoiding unneeded sugar. The first can I grabbed was BAWLS Guarana Exxtra. It’s advertised as a sugar free soda with 50% more caffeine. So what does that equate to?

BAWLS Exxtra basically tasted like a sugar free Sprite or for those that may remember, a Fresca. So the taste wasn’t bad. It’s made with more guarana than the rest of the BAWLS product line and boasts having as much caffeine as 2 strong cups of coffee - 150 mg. per 16 oz serving.

Unlike the traditional energy drinks, BAWLS ingredients list is short: carbonated water, citric acid, natural guarana flavor, sodium benzoate, and caffeine. No high fructose corn syrup? Crazy!

The result was a good pick-me-up that lasted an hour or two, but it was followed by a pretty hard crash. After the crash cames some heartburn that lasted the rest of the day. Granted, the heart burn might not have been related, but I haven't experiences it in quite some time, which leads me to blame the drink.

Despite the decent taste and ‘not horrific’ list of ingredients, I don’t think I’ll be going back for more. Going up is no fun when you have to come right back down.

I Love TV

A couple of weeks ago I purchased this 42” Samsung Plasma TV for $600. Upgrade! It was a great price on a decent TV. I’ve already noticed a crisper HD picture compared to my LCD. Not to mention standard def looks better too. Add on smoother video game graphics and a swivel stand, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

Sure, I could have spent three times as much on a Sony, but for the money, I am completely satisfied with my purchase.

Brew Me Some

I was going to get my wife a Keurig Coffee maker for Christmas, but she decided that she didn’t want one. Of course one week after Christmas she informed me that the single cup brewer was a must have. She simply didn’t want one for Christmas. And just like that, a Keurig arrived in the mail 7-10 days later.

These coffee makers are a little pricey but make a great cup of coffee. You can keep a variety of flavors on hand, including teas, and you only brew as much as you drink. But at just under a dollar a cup, it gets expensive when you have family and friends over.

They also sell a brewing insert, so you don’t have to buy the expensive single servings. Instead, you can dump in your Folgers and experience the best part of waking up.

A Penny For Your Thoughts

In honor of Honest Abe's 200th birthday, the U.S. Treasury redesigned the penny. It's a nice thought but doesn't make a lot of "cents." Whatever. It was a good attempt for a lame play on words.
Americans hardly use the penny anymore. Many people think it should be removed from our currency. Instead we through money at it through a redesign. Not my idea of a good use of government money.

You know the economy is bad when instead of being bummed because you didn't get a yearly raise, you're happy that you didn't get laid off. See, there is a brighter side. We all now have lowered expectations regarding success.

Why Heath Ledger will win the Oscar.

When you look at all of the supporting roles up for the Oscar, you can legitimately see Heath Ledger playing each role. When you look at all of the other actors who got a nod for a supporting role, it’s very difficult to believe any of them could have pulled off the Joker in the same fashion as Heath Ledger.

Man On Wire

This is as documentary about a French dude that snuck into the World Trade Centers at night, strung a tight rope between the two towers, and walked across it a total of eight times back in 1974.

With actual home footage of his early years and pictures of this daring stunt, “Man On Wire” blew my mind a little. And if your disregarding the stunt’s difficulty, take a second and really think about walking across a wire with no safety net at over 1300-feet in the air. If that doesn’t freak you out a little, you’re lying to yourself. And nobody likes a liar.

If you like documentaries, definitely check this one out. The subject matter isn’t too heavy, but the natural tension still permeates throughout.

Why Were We Angry Again?

According to the New York Times, pro pot organizations are ripping Kellogs for not resigning Phelps to a new contract and organizing petitions and boycotts against Kellogs’ products.

Do potheads really have that much motivation?

SHAM WOW!

As a revolt against the Snuggie, I bought the Sham Wow this last weekend. Okay, it might not actually be the brand name Sham Wow, but it’s the same thing. This one is sold on QVC and uses identical methods of demonstration for selling the product.

I was at a local trade show when I got sucked into one of these booth demonstrations, and I have to admit that I was impressed. I don’t consider myself much of a sucker. I know there are a lot of ways to imply perfection on infomercials, but it’s harder to give me the old slight of hand in person. Granted, I’m yet to use my miracle cloth, but I’ve seen the magic with my own eyes.

So far, the only reason it might be a waste is because I don’t think to use it. Time will tell though.

Grammys, Miley, and my headache

I only watched about an hour of the Grammys last night. I love music, but for some reason the Grammys never really catch my interest. I did see Miley Cyrus present an award though. Before reading the winner, she pointed to herself and mouthed "me." As if saying she should be the winner - she wasn't even nominated. I know she was joking, but why is this little girl such a d-bag. She loaded, but she needs to start filtering some of her antics. I'm not impressed.

It's like the damn Jonas Brothers. They need to quite believing all of the hype too. They may have had energy on stage, but they looked like complete tools trying to out perform Stevie Wonder. I get it, 12-year-olds love you. Everyone else doesn't care. Maybe in 10 years you can go on a reunion tour with Hanson and relive the good old days before you actually turn 30.

Oh yeah, and I'm sick. I have a headache and that blows.

Tiger Woods on the Wii

I finally broke down and devoted three hours of my life to playing Tiger Woods Golf on the Nintendo Wii. I've been a long time advocate of the Tiger Woods on other platforms, but since becoming an actual adult, I haven't been able to invest much of my energy into games. However, this weekend my dad and brother were in town, and while the weather wasn't adequate for golfing outdoors, the temps were great inside.

Tiger on the Wii is awesome, and here's why. Playing Tiger on the Playstation 2, I became too accustomed to scoring in the low 40s per 18 holes. You can simply control too much. Added power, the perfect spin, and an adjusted hitting angle prompted birdie after birdie. But with the Wii, it's a little bit more of a guessing game. This not only makes it more competitive for everyone involved, but it also adds some realism to the game. I do recommend buying a golf club controller holder at Ross for 5 bucks though. It heightens the experience twofold.

Plus, you're constantly standing up and sitting down to make your swings. I wouldn't say you're getting a work out. But you're doing more than just sitting on your ass.

New Yorkenomics

A recent report released by the Center for an Urban Future found that a person living in New York City would have to make $124,000 a year to have the same standard of living as someone living in Houston. They would have to bring home $60K to mirror the same lifestyle of someone in Atlanta. And with the average monthly cost of rent exceeding $2,800 and the average monthly cost of daycare reaching $2,000, it’s easy to see why more and more middle class families are leaving the Big Apple.

And that is the main reason my wife and I packed our bags and headed back to the west coast.

94.7 fm

94.7 fm in Portland, Ore. is single handily ruining 90s music and indie rock. That's the station we listen to in our office, and it has become painfully obvious that they play the same song list everyday. At least when the top 40 gets ruined by the radio, you expect it. I'm now sick of half the bands that a lot of mainstream listeners don't even have on their radar.

Not to mention, there love of the "Rock Band" lineup. I should be able to play almost every song on the game "Rock Band" due to the frequency they fill the waves on 94.7. Then they have the audacity to run promo spots claiming how cool they are for playing only underground indie rock. News flash! Just because it's underground, doesn't mean you still can't play it into the ground.

You’ve Been Learned

New York City was first referred to as Gotham in 1807 by Washington Irving in the satirical piece the “Salmagundi Papers.” However, it was originally a nickname for Nottinghamshire, England, whose clever peasants pretended to be stupid in order to dissuade King John from taking residence there. Or so the story goes.

Apparently, the current residents of Gotham now “pretend” to be abrasive and rude so that most socially conscious people won’t want to live there. Unless of course, you’re loaded, and you can afford to live high above all the feigning city dwellers.

Is this life imitating art, or art imitating life? Man, I hate that line. It ranks high on the list of movie clichés. I guess it merely explains man’s inhumanity towards man. Damn, there I go again.

Streak for the Cash

I'm now taking part in ESPN's Streak for the Cash game. For those of you who don't know, it allows you to join a group (similar to fantasy sports) and try to pick the winner of key match-ups throughout the day. If you get 27 right in a row, you have the chance at winning some coin.

I've learned two things from this game already. (1) I don't check it often enough to really compete. (2) I should never go to Vegas. I've tried my hand at 14 different events over the last 3 weeks, and I've only gotten 3 right. Yet, I keep trying. 

Christian Bale Goes Crazy!

Bale lost his cool while filming Terminator Salvation. A lighting guy walked on set while he was shooting a scene prompting Bale to erupt in anger and expletives for 4 minutes. The dude went nuts. 

I tell you what, he's a damn good actor, but he can't seem to separate his real life from the land of make believe. I know actors have to put themselves into character and all that mumbo jumbo, but Bale has repeatedly gone bat-sh*t-crazy on set. This combined with his over-the-top Batman voice is starting to push me away. 

Come back to us Christian. Go to your happy place, so I can continue to enjoy your mostly awesome movies.

Rest In Peace Rock 'n Roll

50 years ago today, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper all died in a plane crash after one of their shows. They chartered a plane, so they wouldn't have to travel the 400 miles to the next venue in a tour bus that had no heat in it during a snow storm. This has long since been considered "the day the music died."

Don Gets a Cyber High-Five!

There's nothing more annoying that those who proclaim their embarrassment to be American while enjoying a higher education, driving around new cars, sipping lattes, and going to bed without the fear of their house being bombed over night.

I actually heard someone say that they would rather die than have another Republican president... and they were serious! Really? I know things haven't been the best in our country lately, but read a National Geographic once and awhile. If you want to see hardship, it's out there. If having a Republican president and a couple of years of a down economy is the worst thing that happens to the American people, than thank God. At least we're not experiencing civil war, widespread famine, or having to live in 4-foot by 4-foot tin huts.

I love the new found patriotism our country is exhibiting, but I've also never seen such a full political ban-wagon in my life. I'm all about change and making this country the best it can be, but we need to start putting things in to perspective.

Super Bowl Ads

I was definitely let down by the Super Bowl ads this year. I don't expect the best advertising of the year. I don't even expect to be rolling in laughter in 30-second intervals. But I do expect that for the amount of money being shelled out for each spot, they should at least write a script that makes sense and has a payoff.

Take the SOBE dancing lizard/football player train wreck. Can someone please tell me what the hell that was about. The ad made no sense, it wasn't funny, and there was no payoff in the end. And to think they paid millions of dollars for that spot.

The Doritos ads were funny, but inconsistent. The crystal ball Doritos ad started out great, but the second half where the dude hits his boss in the balls, and then that weird guys screams in his face just got creepy. Their other ad where the dude bites a chip to make magical things happen had no payoff what-so-ever. He gets hit by a bus. Really? That's all you got. At least give me a rhyme or reason for the magical chips.

The majority just seemed like they were half baked and half-assed. Miller's 1-second ad had the strongest storyline of the bunch, and it was only 1-second long - the story line being that they didn't want to shell out the cash and get lost in the shuffle, which has created great buzz for pennies on the dollar.

Maybe advertisers are putting too much pressure on themselves, or maybe they are relying too heavily on consumer contests for their ideas. Great ideas can come from random places, but if you're going to have an average Joe write your ad, you should at least give it a once-over for clarity.

News Flash

I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t realize the motorcycle manufacturer “Orange County Choppers” is located in Orange County, New York instead of California. I suppose I never really paid attention to the show that much, but still, those dudes are definitely from New York. Not to mention the fact that I used to work for a motorcycle magazine back when the show was gaining traction. Whatever. Now I know. And knowing is half the battle.