Post 96: No, I do NOT like pancakes.

Before I begin, I am actually going to interrupt myself. Three updates on the blog: One) both Quotables and Story Cubes are going to be series. Quotables will probably not be a long series. Two) some of the posts will be taken down periodically for editing and re-vision. They will all come back up again, in time. Some will be down for only a few minutes, others might be down for days. Three) I am actually going to transition the Reviews and Views posts to this blog. Maybe then I won't forget about it, and it will open up the URL for someone else. They won't be counted, (i.e. 'Post 96', 'Post 97'). So, hopefully, the merge doesn't throw anything off. 

Moving on...

Weird title, but it is based on a weird jingle. Some people may not need anymore information to understand what is running through my head. For those who do not...click here.

Now why am I talking about this? Because I cannot understand how no one has bought this to use for advertisements or commercials! Seriously, it is one of the most annoyingly catchy songs ever. I haven't listened to it in years and yet I still remember it. Pair this catchy tune with some flashy images of pancakes next to a bottle of maple syrup, with kids dancing while holding maple syrup, or with dancing maple syrup and you have a memorable maple syrup commercial.

There are so many jingles paired with commercials that are dull or unmemorable. Or just totally irrelevant. Like, some of Pepsi's (We Will Rock You with Beyonce, P!nk and Britney). It worked for Pepsi though because it was a good song, it had big name singers in the commercial and singing, plus there was a huge production value. I mean, they were actually in an arena. (Not a real one, but it looked like they were in one.)

It doesn't always work.

This weird catchy jingle would work.

It would be nauseating, but people would remember it.

Just like the Bologna song. Don't remember that either...click here.
Or the Oscar Meyer song. Don't know it....click here. By the way, notice how the song was tied to the brand in 1965. I mean, it has lasted years. Grandparents to grand-kids will recognize the song. Even if they don't like the brand, or hot dogs in general.

Same with the pancake song. I don't like pancakes. Not really a huge maple syrup fan either.

However, I still remember the song.

You might wonder now, if you don't like pancakes then what do you care anyway?

Well, I do like waffles and french toast. But! That isn't the only reason.

Sometimes, we have to buy things we don't like. Maybe if we have guests, maybe in the future when we have kids, maybe someone asked to pick something up as a favor.

If I don't like pancakes or maple syrup I won't know what brands are good. But if I remember the song, I will remember the brand. If I remember the brand, it is what I will most likely buy.

Unless there is a sale on something else.

So, I think commercials should go back to catchy tunes instead of spending all their money on effects. Like the car commercial that looks like a trailer for a super hero movie. I don't know what the brand is. I don't even remember if it was actually a car or a van or truck or the bat-mobile.

So, yes, the commercial was memorable, but what good is that if the product and brand weren't?

But I remember the bologna song. I remember that brand. It taught me to spell bologna.

I remember the Oscar Meyer song, so do my parents.

And I remember the pancake song.

Post 95: How To: Talk to Strangers

I figured it was about time that I posted something new, and it seemed like a fitting topic considering where I am. Where am I, you ask? I am sitting in a Biology 100 class, that I am not register in, surrounded almost entirely by strangers. Not that I will be talking to any of the at this point. I look like I am taking notes right now, so I am not distracting anyone. Talking to anyone would mostly likely cause a distraction.

However, it helped inspire this topic.

Talking to strangers is easy, in theory. But, there are a lot of things that are easy in theory. Like cooking. Or straightening your hair.  Or driving a car.  Or riding a bike.

But the number of bicycle accidents per year alone should tell you that nothing is ever as easy as it seems, except breathing. Although, Biology students might disagree (if you want to get technical about it). 

So, how do you talk to strangers? Or rather, how do you start up a conversation? 

Find a common interest, sounds easy enough, but how do you out get to this point?

There are lots of ways to get there but the easiest way requires you to be observant. 

What is the person wearing? Do they have a shirt with a band name or tv show on it? Do they have really cute boots on? Are they carrying an umbrella?

Make note of these things. 

If they are wearing a band shirt and you like the band, there you go. You have something to talk about. So, you might want to start with,  "are you a _______ fan?" This would also work if their shirt or backpack is paraphernalia for a TV show. 

If they are not advertising anything in particular, find something they are wearing that you like. (This might be an easier tip for women to use, as far as I know. I am not a guy, so I can't be sure.) 

Then once you find something, tell them that you like it. They might mumble a simple 'thanks'. But, sometimes, this is really all it will take because they will start telling you more about it and where they got it. If they don't, feel free to ask. 

Ask them where they got it. If you've been to the store, say so. The point is to find something in common. Once you find something in common, it becomes easier to keep the conversation going.

If you are in classes with them or know that they are a student, ask them about their classes. Inevitably they will have something to say. You can ask what year they are in, what their major is, what they want to be once they graduate. 

It is important to note that these people may not want to talk. So, if you are asking questions and they are not really eager to answer, are giving short answers, and/or aren't asking questions back they could be trying to let you know that they don't really feel like talking, at least not with you. 

So that's it. That is how you talk to strangers. I mean, once you get past any awkwardness or feeling of anxiety. I am sort of an extrovert, so I can't claim to fully understand how an introvert feels in these situations. But, I think, that this will work for both the outgoing person and shy person alike.  

Candy Crush: iPhone App

I have joined the madness. I used to hear people talking about this game all the time and, eventually, I just had to find out what it is. It is a game. An annoying, frustrating, fun, repulsive, entertaining, addictive game.

It doesn't even seem like it would be that complicated either. You are just trying to line up three colors in a row. That's it. That is all you have to do. Except you have to get a certain number. And you only have so many moves. And there are time limits for some. And there are score minimums for some. And if you connect with Facebook you're competing with your friends. Not to mention the jellies and weird shaped boards.

It reminds me of Candyland. That is what the board looks like to me, at least. Except, I don't remember Candyland ever making me want to throw my phone out the window. This game has made me feel like that. Honestly, I feel like it should have a horror theme. The candy down plays the menacing nature that is held with in the games coding. It makes you lower your guard. You assume it is harmless. But it isn't.

I've never played flappy bird or angry bird, because I've always worried that I would be really stressed one day and one 'game over' too many would lead to a broken phone or a busted window.

But, I think if I can handle this game, I can handle those.

I like that the game involves some strategy, but a lot of it is luck. It is like cards. Yes, you need to have some strategy and you have to know the game, but all the card prowess in the world won't guarantee a win if you are running low on luck.

I like that there isn't a time limit on a lot of the levels. You can be in the middle of a level, but then just put your phone away if you need to without worrying about dying or losing your place.

Also, the games are short. They don't usually take more than minute so they are good for waiting for the bus or waiting while the tea is steeping (which were the times I intended to play before the intense desire to beat the game and the annoyingly perky person saying I failed to compete the level again took over).

So, I would recommend it to those who like short games that aren't so enthralling you won't automatically be sucked in just by playing. But, warn those that get easily frustrated to stay away.

Post 94: Story Cubes: Rolls 1 & 2

'Rory's Story Cubes: let your imagination roll wild!'

So, today for my blog I am going to show off a product I bought for those times when I run into a wall made up of writers'-blocks.  What it is, is a bag. A bag filled with 9 dice, with random illustrations on each side. I am going to roll them once or twice and try to come up with a story synopsis that encompasses, most if not all of them. 

Here we go:

Roll 1:

A dragon, a key, a moon, a scale, a castle, a smiling face, a key hole, a light bulb, and a hand.

The easiest way to do this will be to pair them up and make them connect to each other. 

The dragon and castle can be tied together to make fantasy story. The key and the keyhole can be put together as a quest, maybe the main character has inherited a key and must find what it goes to. The smiling face and light bulb can be put together with the scales as a way of symbolizing a bigger picture: a battle between good and evil that ends with the a brilliant idea that leads to good winning. The moon and hand could be put together as a way of having a supernatural, "creature of the night" kind of being that lends the main character a helping hand. 

If we put that all together:

Mathia was a country girl and an orphan. Her father was a knight, killed by a dragon when she was young, leaving her nothing but an obscure map and a key. Fifteen years later a knight who fought by her father's side shows up to pull her from her safe life in the country and back to the castle to help prevent an overthrow of the King. Along the way she learns about the creatures in the woods, the struggles of the people, and she begins to question whether the overthrow isn't in the best interest of the people. 

Roll 2:

An eye, arrows pointing in all directions, a cane, a dialogue bubble, a die, a magic wand, a plane, an L in a box, and a question mark. 

Starting the way we did before, by breaking it into pairs (and a trio):

The question mark, eye and arrows can be put together as a mystery that requires the main character to search in different places to find the answer. The cane and magic wand can be put together to make the main character or the antagonist a magician or other type of performer. The dialogue bubble and L in a box could be put together to be the antagonist's name starting with L and being interrogated in a jail cell or interrogation room. The die and the plane could be a trip to Las Vegas. 

If we put that all together:

Las Vegas has many performers, but there is only one Great Lovinski. He is a magician, and a talented one at that, but he finds himself in a lot of trouble when someone steals his signature disappearing act and uses it in a bank heist. He must now team up with a serious, magic-hating police officer on a trip across the country to track down his past assistants in hopes of finding out who sold out his act and who might be framing him. 

The dice are kind of obscure but, as you can see, they can create stories or, at least, get the creative gears turning. And I can take one or two, four or nine, any number of dice could work. 

Post 93: Quotables

This will be a strange post, because it will be a miss-matched collection of quotes that I love and have been patiently waiting to use in conversation one day. Though, I will put a cap on it - only one quote per TV show or movie. Otherwise, it might never end. The ones I like (or the part of the quote I like) will be in red, the others (if there are) are to put them into context.

White Collar: 
Season 2, Ep. 4 - 'By the Book'

P: "What exactly is the nature of your relationship with Gina?"
M: "Intellectual, literal, ongoing."
P: "Is he stalking her?"
N: "I would have to look up the legal definition."

Wild Child:

Movie (2009)

K: "Who's there?"

P: [bursts into the room, annoyed] "Jesus Christ!"

K: "Oh, we were always led to believe you had a beard and sandals. Now we'll have to change the stained glass window in our chapel."

Elementary

Season 2, Ep. 24 - 'The Grand Experiment'

S: "When MI6 asked you to join them, did they tell you that you'd be an asset or just an ass?"

Witches of East End

Season 1, Ep. 1 - 'Pilot'

F: "I bring joy and drunkenness to people in need."

Suits

Season 4, Ep. 2 - 'Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner'

L: "Unless you have Photoshopped my head onto a dragon, do not interrupt me while I am perfecting my pitch."

Sherlock

Season 1, Ep. 1 - 'A Study in Pink'

S: “Anderson, don’t talk out loud. You lower the IQ of the whole street.”

West Wing
Season 6, Ep. 13 - 'King Corn'

M: "I don't care if it's three Bosnians, an Armenian, and a bus full of party clowns!"

Stargate SG-1

Season 2, Ep. 7 - 'Message in a Bottle'

T: "Undomesticated equines could not drag me away."

Sleepy Hollow

Season 1, Ep. 1 - 'Pilot'

I: "Are you quite finished? Because most of what you say is unintelligible gibberish to me. It's like watching a chicken cluck."

Rizzoli and Isles

Season 5, Ep. 12 - 'Burden of Proof'

J: "It looks like Hello Kitty threw up on My Little Pony."

Psych
Season 3, Ep. 6 - 'There Might be Blood'

S: "Gus, don't be a myopic chihuahua. I have a foolproof plan that solves the case and gives the Chief all the credit."

The Musketeers

Season 1, Ep. 4 - 'The Good Soldier'

C: “Now, with the greatest of respect to your exquisite delicacy of feeling, may we please return to the real issue here.”

There are many that could be added, but I have things to do and a short attention span, so I am ending it here. Hope you enjoyed them half as much as I do. 

Post 92: WYCLF - SpongeBob Squarepants

Profound wisdom can be found anywhere, even in SpongeBob. Okay, maybe profound is too strong a word. But, it does have some things that are good to keep in mind as you go through your life. The most important one - "Love your job, love your life." I guess it could also be summarized as "it's all about attitude." But, I think that the one most relevant to me right now is the first.

So, where did this lesson come from? The sponge himself, obviously. If you've never caught an episode of the show, I can't say you are missing much. You will still be able to understand what I am talking about, though. So, stick around.

If you have seen the show, you will already know that one of the main character's strongest traits is his insanely high sense of optimism. And he really loves his job. 

I don't know why. I'm sure anyone who watches the show probably wonders why as well. He is underpaid and mistreated by his boss. His entire job is making burgers and that is really it. 

Yet, he loves it anyway. 

Because he loves it, he wakes up in the morning and is not only happy to wake up but thrilled to go to work. Even when I liked my co-workers, even when I liked to go to work - I never felt so much excitement so early in the morning as he does on a standard day. 

His entire life seems like it is better because he loves his job. He doesn't mind working late. He doesn't mind getting paid next to nothing because he is doing something that he loves.

Now, I don't want to end up making as little as he did. I mean, I really don't. In real-life Mr. Krabs would be in jail or Sponge Bob would be receiving government cheese.

However, I want a job that I love as much as he does. I want a job that makes me happy to get out of bed, even if I have to get up before 8am. I want a job that makes me feel energized, not depleted. 

This is my goal. I just don't know what I am going to do, yet. So, maybe I haven't found it yet. Maybe it will even take a few years. Who knows. But, I have my fingers crossed that I will find it soon. 

I don't know who is reading this or where you are in your life, but if you can, you might want to think about your job and whether or not is something you love. I'm sure some people are okay doing jobs that they have next to no passion for, but I am not wired that way. 

A lot of a person's time is dedicated to their career if they don't love it, or even just like it, it doesn't seem to me like a fulfilling activity. It takes too much from a person if they don't really enjoy it. 

So, while I'm not saying forget about money and location or anything else, I think that the number one factor in picking a job is how much it makes you happy.