(500) Days of Summer- Chalkboard Wall

Friday night I watched (500) Days of Summer on E! because I didn't want to leave my house and it came on. It was really good. I can say that it is now one of my favorite movies of all time. Internet Movie Database (my mother's deciding factor in whether or not a movie's worth seeing on the silver screen, in the dollar theater, Red boxing after the movie's released, or never bothering) gave the movie a 7.9 out of 10 which is relativity high for their ratings. Because I watched it Friday night, that meant I had to skip Bride-day on TLC. (sadface) But it was well worth it. Joesph Gordon Levitt's character, Tom, has this amazing chalkboard wall behind his bed. That thing is awesome and I really want one. I've wanted either a chalkboard wall or a cork wall for a while, but haven't been able to paint one onto my wall because of my landlord's (a.k.a Parent's) oppressions. Someday, I will have one.

My Nightstand's Facelift

Before...

After!

I purchased this lovely nightstand sometime last summer at a garage sale. It cost something around $15, and with the paint added in, the total project stayed under $20. We (Pops and I) sanded it, spray painted the metal grid, pulleys and hinges silver, and painted the wood "Soft Teal." I still hadn't got the left door on in the after picture, but you can visualize the end result. I later added on a sheet of glass my dad found for 50 cents to protect the paint job, and I ended up with a nice little nightstand! I'm not sure what really belongs in a nightstand, but I've got this baby loaded down with old magazines, lotions, an awesome old fan- I suppose all that's probably typical. You'd be suprised at the potential some old furniture posseses. I have 3 more pieces waiting for attention in my garage: an old 1960's chair, an extra door from our rental house, and a beat up little foot stool.

Stay tuned for their transformations! 

HISTORY OF: January 28th

January 28th.  3 days until Febuary 1st. The 28th day of the New Year.But what's significant about it? The History Channel's summary of today includes:  

• The Challenger Exploded in 1986 on January 28th
• King Henry VIII died at 53 (1547)
• Congress created the Coast Guard (1915)
• U.S. involvement in Vietnam ended (1973)
• Also Google states today as being the 125th anniversary of the largest observed and recorded snowflake. It's recorded to have been 38cm across (15 in).

Good Songs - Weird Videos

So recently I came across two songs I really enjoy. There's just one problem: They're these new songs and I'm cheap. Solution? watch the weird videos on Youtube OVER and OVER and OVER again. Sadly, the videos are a bit strange... but what can ya do??

Lonely Boy - The Black Keys

So obviously this video is a bit strange. It's not that I don't like this guys dancing. Frankly, I think it's awesome. I just feel a bit weird when someone walks over and watches me watching this dude for the eighth time....

Somebody That I used to know - Gotye (Feat. Kimbra)

I think this video is... well.... interesting.. to say the slightest. This song is great but I feel weird watching painted naked people singing.... I do like the concept of it though. It's a really awesome idea. It's just makes me feel a bit odd.




Also, Kimbra is from New Zealand. Just thought Erin might want to know. :)

National Peanut Butter Day!!

National Peanut Butter Day- January 24, 2012

It’s National Peanut Butter Day! The average person consumes more than six pounds of peanut products each year. Women and children prefer creamy peanut butter, while most men go for the chunky variety. It takes 550 peanuts to make a 12 ounce jar of peanut butter. Peanuts are cholesterol free and an excellent source of protein. In fact, it’s the high protein content that causes peanut butter to stick to the roof of your mouth. A doctor in St. Louis created peanut butter in 1890 as a remedy for bad teeth. It became very popular with the doctor's patients, but the oil often separated from the grainy solids. In 1933, a California packer was able to homogenize the peanuts into a spreadable butter.

To celebrate National Peanut Butter Day, bake some peanut butter cupcakes like me, spread some tasty peanut butter on toast, or enjoy a spoonful right out of the jar!

Fun Peanut Buttery Facts!

• There are enough peanuts in one acre to make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.
• If your average peanut butter sandwich is 4 inches by 4 inches (16 square inches), then 16 in^2 x 30,000 = 480,000 in^2 ; 1 in^2 = 0.0006944444 ft^2 480,000 in^2 x .000944444 ft^2/1 in^2 = 333 1/3 ft^2  1 ft^2 = 2.29 x 10^-5 acres 333 1/3 ft^2 x 2.29 x 10^-5 acres = .00763 acres. One acre of peanuts can make enough peanut butter sandwiches to cover about 1/131st of an acre. 
• By law, any product labeled "peanut butter" in the United States must be at least 90 percent peanuts. 
• 89 percent Peanuts? Not in my town, varmint!
• Peanut butter was first introduced to the USA in 1904 at the Universal Exposition in St. Louis by C.H. Sumner, who sold $705.11 of the "new treat" at his concession stand.
• Adjusted for inflation, that's $17,627.75 2011 US dollars. That's enough to buy 9,848 King Size Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (4 peanut butter cups) at $1.79 per package*. If a person were to consume all of those peanut butter cups, he or she would have consumed a total of 98,480 grams of saturated fat.
• *sales tax not taken into calculation
• In 1884, Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Montreal, Quebec was the first person to patent peanut butter.
• Quebec, a province of Canada (a vast empire suspiciously looming over our contiguous United States) was settled by a French-speaking civilization in the late Mesozoic era*. Tall tales of maple-syrup filled baguettes and lumberjacks with pencil thin moustaches dominate this blogger's idea of the strange and foreign land.
• *citation needed
• Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, a physician wanting to help patients eat more plant-based protein, patented his procedure for making peanut butter in 1895.
• Kellogg like Tony the Tiger? GRRRRRRRRRRRRREAT!
• Americans were first introduced to the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in 1928.  
• I think the introduction may have been the other way around, unless the peanut butter cup is more polite and talkative than your normal snack food.
• Peanut butter was the secret behind "Mr. Ed," TV's talking horse.
• Wholesome comedy or animal cruelty? You decide.
• Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth.
• What has a roof but no floor?
• A mouth.
• The oldest operating manufacturer and seller of peanut butter has been selling peanut butter since 1908.
• If this company were a man, and he started his business at the age of 21 in 1908, that would make him about 124 years old by now. 
• The world's largest peanut butter factory churns out 250,000 jars of the tasty treat every day.
• Two peanut farmers have been elected president of the USA - Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.
• Coincidence? I think not. Peanuts are now confirmed to have mind-altering properties.
• Grand Saline, TX holds the title for the world's largest peanut butter and jelly sandwich weighing in at 1,342 pounds.
• If that peanut butter sandwich was a contestant on The Biggest Loser, ...you know what, I'm not even going to do the math on this one, the joke is already out there
• Astronaut Allen B. Sheppard brought a peanut with him to the moon.
• Why? Seriously, I kind of want to know.
• Tom Miller pushed a peanut to the top of Pike's Peak (14,100 feet) using his nose in 4 days, 23 hours, 47 minutes and 3 seconds.
• Um...what?
• Adrian Finch of Australia holds the Guinness World Record for peanut throwing, launching the lovable legume 111 feet and 10 inches in 1999 to claim the record.
• I stopped reading after "lovable legume". I have never laughed so hard at alliteration. 
• As early as 1500 B.C., the Incas of Peru used peanuts as sacrificial offerings and entombed them with their mummies to aid in the spirit life.
• Dead guys need protein too? Okay, I admit that was lame, I'm running out of material- thankfully, this list is over.

Oreo Eating Personality

I remember a little personality quiz the teachers had us take back in middle school. By naming your favorite way to eat an Oreo, one would gain insight to the person they are inside. It wasn't all that bad, because we got to eat Oreos, even though what we got was probably an off-brand cheapo kind. With some digging, I uncovered a copy of the quiz online, here. It's not scientifically backed and completely bogus, but still kind of fun, so go ahead and quiz yourself:

What is your favorite, or most used, method of eating Oreos?

1. Stuff the whole thing into your mouth
2. One bite at a time
3. Slow, methodical bites, examining the resulting cookie after each
4. In feverish little nibbles
5. Dunked
6. Twisted apart, eating first the cream and then the outside cookie part
7. Twisted, eating the cream and tossing the rest
8. Just the cookie, not the cream
9. Not eating, but instead just licking the Oreo.

**********scroll to end for your result!*********

What it means:

1. The whole thing: You consume life with abandon, you are fun to be with, exciting, carefree with some hint of recklessness. You are totally irresponsible. No one should trust you with their children.

2. One bite at a time: You are lucky to be one of the 5.4 billion other people who eat their Oreos this very same way. Just like them, you lack imagination- but that's okay- you're normal.

3. Slow and Methodical: You follow the rules. You're very tidy and orderly. You're very meticulous in every detail with every thing you do to the point of being irritating to others. Stay out of the fast lane if you're only going to go the speed limit.

4. Feverish Nibbles: Your boss likes you because you get your work done quickly. You always have a million things to do and never enough time to do them. Mental breakdowns may run in your family.

5. Dunked: You are always upbeat. You like to sugar coat unpleasant experiences and rationalize bad situations into good ones. You are in total denial about the shambles you call a life. You have a propensity towards narcotic addiction.

6. Twisted apart, the inside, and then the cookie: You have a highly curious nature. You take pleasure in breaking things apart to find out how they work, though not always able to put them back together, so you destroy all the evidence of your activities. You deny your involvement when things go wrong. You are a compulsive liar and exhibit deviant, if not criminal, behavior.

7. Twisted apart, the inside, and then toss the cookie: You are good at business and take risk that pay off. You take what you want and throw the rest away. You are greedy, selfish, mean, and lack feelings for others. You should be ashamed of yourself. But that's okay, you don't care, you got yours.

8. Just the cookie, not the inside: You enjoy pain.

9. I just like to lick them, not eat them: Stay away from small furry animals and seek professional medical help - immediately.

My personal method isn't listed here. My method is probably disgusting to most people. I suppose it may qualify as dunked, but that's not how I do it. I simply drop the cookie in my glass of milk and leave it to soak for a few minutes before retrieving it with a spoon once it's nice and soggy. Yummy!

*******************************************************************************
Please share your method in the comments, and partake in the poll below!

How do you eat your Oreos?
	Whole thing at once
	One bite at a time
	Methodical bites
	Feverish nibbles
	Dunked
	Twisted apart, cream first then cookie
	Only cream
	Only cookie
	Just licking
	Other
pollcode.com free polls

Skittles!

Nathan Barnatt is one cool dude. That and this video pretty much sums it up. So. WATCH IT. NOW.

BEST WORDS EVER

So, being the word fiend I am, I tracked down my favorite words of all time, their meanings AND what I think of them. I call it my BEST WORDS EVER list. Enjoy? :) (Now with rude interjections by Erin!)

BEST WORDS EVER

Omphaloskepsis  — contemplation of one's navel
Why on earth would someone feel the need to use this word? 
Milquetoast  — one who has a meek, timid, unassertive nature
Frankly, I like this word SOLELY because it's pronounced Milk Toast.
Aroof  — to fall flat on your face
I am in way too many situations where I could use this word...
Apersonation  — the delusion that one is a famous person
So you aren't impersonating someone. You just honestly believe you're that person? Hardcore.  
Oubliette  — a dungeon with a trapdoor in the ceiling as its only means of entrance or exit.
"Oh, yeah, Let me get that for you. I'll just need to go to the oubliette."     *Falls through floor*
Mungo  —  A dumpster diver – one who extracts valuable things from trash
One time I found a little mungo in my front yard. He got my moldy Arthur Learns the Alphabet book. VALUABLE...
Nihilarian  —  A person who deals with things lacking importance (pronounce the ‘h’ like a ‘k’).
"Amy- Research, Sarah- Materials and Observations, John- Visual Displays, Timmy- ughh... go conjugate verbs in the corner. Ready, break!"
Arabilious  — 1. melancholic; gloomy. 2. irritable; ill-natured; peevish
Apparently, a lot of people believe I'm very arabilious.
Cllipygian  — having beautifully proportioned buttocks. 
I didn't think there was such a word. WEEIIRRDDD
Meretricious  — Showily attractive but cheap or insincere. 
Haha, most of the student body.
Btryoidal  — shaped like a bunch of grapes
What's shaped like a bunch of grapes that isn't ALREADY a bunch of grapes??? (I got nothing.)
Pilgarlic  — a bald-headed man
I once saw a Pilgarlic buying a giant bottle of shampoo. 
Porphyrophobia  — fear of the color purple
That's just sad...
Pulchritudinous  — having great physical beauty or appeal
It sounds like something that is the opposite of what it means.
Bobdingnagian —  immense; enormous
Okay. This word had both BOB and DING in it. 
Parsimonious  — excessively sparing or frugal
Erin. Nuff' said. (>:()
Bumbledom  — 1. official pomposity and stupidity. 2. the dominion of an overbearing parish officer, the arrogance of parish authorities, the conceit of parish dignity
Haha, bumbledom. "Bumpadum Bumbledom" No one will ever know. 
Cockalorum  — 1. a little man with an unduly high opinion of himself. 2. boastful talk; braggadocio
SOOO MANY PEOPLE I KNOW.
Sesquipedalian  — 1. given to using long words. 2. (of a word) containing many syllables
Sesquipedalian is a sesquipedalian. 
Foppish  — of, relating to, or characteristic of a fop; dandified
Well what does fop mean?
Pronk  —  weak or foolish person
I have a feeling you would seem more foolish saying this word than having it said to you. I mean come on, PRONK!
Somnambulism  — sleepwalking
Are we trying to confuse the sleepwalkers?
Pulveratricious  — Covered with dust
"Aww, dang. I'm pulveratricious!" really? why. (The vacuum exploded!)
Corpulent   — excessively fat
Well that mixed with an excessively stupid person, and you have an insult!
Skullduggery  — crafty deception or trickery or an instance of it
I think I might have to trick someone for the sole purpose of being called a skullduggery.
Defenestrate  — to throw out of a window
I'm glad I can now confuse my victim before I kill them. "I'm going to defenestrate you!!!!" "Huhh?- AHHHH!!!!" fantastic. (?)
Obstreperous  — noisily defiant; aggressively boisterous.
The defining characteristic of the guy I sit by in Botany... uggghhh.
Scuppernong — 1. muscadine. 2. a cultivated variety of the muscadine grape with sweet yellowish fruit; a wine made from this grape
I understand why this word exists, but why did they make it so FUNNY!?!
Peregrinate  — to journey or travel from place to place, especially on foot
"What were you doing?" "Oh, nothing. Just peregrinating."  
Quatopygia  — the shaking of the buttocks while walking
Jersey Shore?
Sialic  — having or having the characteristics of saliva
How would one have the characteristics of saliva...?
Octogenarian  — a person between 80 and 90 years of age.
Not your average octogenarian! It's an old man... on a BIKE!!!
Dicephalous  — having two heads
Now I'm just imagining my cat with two heads... I'm gonna have nightmares.
Obloquy   — verbal abuse of a person or thing
I like how they clarify that its abuse of a person as well as a thing. How do you verbally abuse a thing? "You stupid mother-f***ing lamp!"
Doryphore  — one who draws attention to the minor errors made by others, esp. in a pestering manner; a pedantic gadfly
Okay, I'm not going to lie. This is the essence of my being.
Rhomboidal  — shaped like a rhomboid or rhombus
Why do we need this word? (The rhombus is Rhomboidal.)
Epicaricacy  — taking pleasure in other's misfortune; schadenfreude
That's definitely a characteristic of my Botany teacher. She has issues... ("My students should not be talking. Better yet, barely breathing." -The Botany teacher.)
Flapdoodle  — foolish talk; nonsense
That's a load of flapdoodle! (As are most of your posts. :P)
Wizen  — to shrivel up; wither.
My Grandma thinks she's wisening, but really she's just wizening.
Scalawag   — scamp; rascal; reprobate
Honestly, I just want to call someone this. I feel like a pirate!
Mustachioed  — having a mustache, esp. a luxuriant mustache.
My father is a mustachioed man. 
Fibbertigibbet  — a silly, scatterbrained, or garrulous person. 
Fibbertigibbet's natural habitat- Math Class
Scintillation  — 1. the act of scintillating; sparkling 2. a spark; flash; twinkling. 3. a brilliant display of wit. 4. the twinkling of the stars caused by turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere
Anyone else get the feeling this word was made for Edward Cullen? No? Just me?
Scrump  — British: to steal fruit from an orchard or garden
"So what are your plans for today?" "Oh, well I think I'll go scrumping. You?"
Fangipani — 1. any of various tropical American deciduous shrubs or trees of the genus plumeria, having milky sap and showy, fragrant, funnel-shaped, variously colored flowers. Also called temple tree. 
I wish I had some fangipani growing in my yard!
Phobophobia  — a morbid dread or fear of developing a phobia
Now THAT'S a problem.
Funambulism  — tightrope walking.
Learning the art of funambulism would surely be the end of me. 
Haberdashery  — 1. a haberdasher's shop. 2. the goods and wares sold by a haberdasher (a dealer in men's furnishings; a dealer in sewing notions and small wares)
I just like saying it. Haberdashery.
Tatterdemalion  — a ragamuffin
What good is a definition if you don't know what the main word in it means??????
Ragamuffin  — a ragged, disreputable person; tatterdemalion. A child in ragged, ill-fitting, dirty clothes.
Oh. I get it now. (Why would this word need a synonym?)
Virago  — A loud-voiced, ill-tempered, scolding woman
Our old principal, Mrs. Workman... yeah...
Hebetudinous   — dull-minded; mentally lethargic
82% of the United States population are extremely hebetudinous.
Nudiustertian  —  The day before yesterday
There's a word for that? Mind=Blown
Aotropaic  — intended to ward off evil
I wish I was Aotropaic.
Selcouth  —  Unfamiliar, rare, strange, marvelous, wonderful. 
Nothing in my life is selcouth. (But most of the words on this list are.)
Tyrotoxism  —  To be poisoned by cheese
Tyrotoxism would be how I would want to die.
Zabernism  —  The abuse of military power or authority.
In some cases, Zabernism is a good thing. How else would I get free cheese pizza? (What?)
Splendiferous  — splendid
This word is more common, but I still prefer it over its synonyms.
Fustigate  — 1. to beat with a club; cudgel. 2. to criticize harshly
Just a club? Or does it still make sense if I hit someone with a bat?
bombastic  — (of speech, writing, etc.) high-sounding; high-flown; inflated; pretentious.
Everyone in my Accelerated English class is very bombastic.
Struthious  — of, relating to, or resembling an ostrich or a related bird; ratite
I was in the mall this one time, and I saw a very struthious gentlemen.
Erinaceous  —  Like a hedgehog
Ummm.... what's like a hedgehog that isn't already a hedgehog?
Finnimbrun  —  A trinket or knick-knack
Saying Finnimbrun is WAY better than saying knick-knack.
Officious   — meddlesome; unnecessarily or obtrusively ready to offer advice or services
My father is insanely officious. "No don't worry! I think I can use the bathroom myself, thanks."
Floccinaucinihilipilification  —  Estimation that something is valueless. Proper pronunciation based on Latin roots: flockə-nowsə-nəkələ-pələ-fək-ation.
This word is way too valuable for its meaning.
Ayssopelagic — of, like or pertaining to the depths of the ocean
Woah. That's deep.. (Punny..)
Monophagous  — eating only one kind of food
Wouldn't that make you seriously ill?
Arestic  — 1. rural; rustic. 2. unpolished; awkward.
That's meeee!
Inaniloquent  —  Pertaining to idle talk
Talks with my father = Inaniloquent
Limerance  —  An attempt at a scientific study into the nature of romantic love.
Okay, if you're trying to scientifically study LOVE, you have your answer on why you haven't found it yet.
Mesonoxian  —  Pertaining to midnight
Weird, I thought you just said "Pertaining to midnight." Why must there be a word for it?
Triskaidekaphobia  — an abnormal fear of the number 13
I hear ya, man. 13 gives me the heebie jeebies...
Uxorious   — excessively fond or submissive to one's wife
A more intelligent way of saying 'whipped.' Nifty.
Verklempt  — overcome with emotion
"You win!!!" "I don't know what to say, I'm just so verklempt." "Excuse you!"

Well THAT was longer than intended.... 

Soooo that is the end of my 'Best Words Ever' list. If you have any additions, let me know! 

Rasputin: One Tough Dude..

So being as odd as I am, I am browsing through some key people in Russia's history. Why? I have no clue. So I decide to narrow my search to one person. Who better to learn about than Grigori Rasputin? So I'm reading some stuff about his life, but the most interesting part about him is his death! So his fellow Russians are trying to kill him. They've settled on poisoning him. They slip a dose of cyanide in his dinner lethal enough to kill five men, right? But it’s not doing anything, so they move on to Plan B: they pull out a revolver and shoot him in the back! This still doesn’t kill him. In fact, he has enough energy to strangle one of his attackers, so they decide to shoot him three more times! And he’s still trying to get up! So they beat the living crap out of him, wrap him in a sheet, and throw him into an icy river. But get this: During his autopsy, they discovered the actual cause of death was hypothermia from the river! The poisoning, the shooting, and the beating didn't even remotely kill him. It was Mother Nature. And not only that, but his arms were found frozen upright, as if he had tried to claw his way through the ice. And it gets better. When they're cremating his body, he sits up! This is probably because the guy who prepared his body forgot to cut the tendons, so they shrank up when he burned, causing is body to fold in, but still! Rasputin was a tough dude...

inudge

So I was on Stumble Upon the other day due to my utter boredom and found a fun website. On inudge you can create your own music using a tone matrix. It has eight different sound patterns to use. All you do is click on the squares of the tone matrix and try out different combinations. I spent hours on it. There are so many possibilities! 

Solar Powered Owl

I have a bit of a soft spot for cute, cartoony owls, and the other day I found this adorable little guy at geekalerts.com. He's solar powered, and capable of swiveling his little owl head. His sole purpose is to bring joy to those who come into contact with him, and he delivers. He's just a little office desk toy, purchasable here, at Neatoshop.com, for $10.95. His box reads "Sunny Outlook," a title that is supported by his wide eyes and brightly colored feathers.  I want one!

GOD I love Oatmeal.

I am exactly 55 seconds away(no more, no less) from heavenly perfection: Maple brown sugary, deliciousness with just a hint of cinnamon. Oatmeal makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.. It is my absolute favorite food in the entire universe. This fact makes me feel oddly like an old person... Oh well! What can ya do. :)


P.S. Erin's pink flowery fake nails I have refused to wear are utterly absurd, and quite frankly HIDEOUS. Sadly enough, after the contract is completed, I will probably be forced to have them... *sigh* 

Best Friend Contract



Inspiration Contract



A week or so ago, I wrote up a contract for Elliot who'll be posting on here as often as I will be. I printed off a copy for her to review and edit to fit her idea of what a friend should be. She just now told me she hasn't touched it. It was based the contract pictured on the left, found here. Now, without even reading it thoroughly, she claims that it is not sufficient, and needs to be pages longer. I, myself, thought it was quite excellent. Ah well. I will post a copy or pic of our final draft. Elliot refused wear some fake nails I bought her for her birthday. She told me if I could find a document that stated that it was okay for friends to force friends into wearing fake nails she would cave to my pleads. So I fabricated one. The whole incident brings up a few questions: Are fake nails really that bad? Is making a friend sign a "Friend Contract" a completely ridiculous and utterly pompous request? Real Housewives of Atlanta's Cynthia Bailey pulled out a friend contract back in 2010, and later said it was a joke, according to realitytea.com. Leave your thoughts in the comments!