Monday, April 30, 2007

Person.com - webcams, chat, personals

Looking to meet sexy singles for some spicy one night hookups? Or are you looking for your life partner; someone you can get to know and maybe even end up getting married to one day? Or maybe you're just looking for a long lasting good friendship and someone to talk to when you get lonely. Either way, Person.com has more than enough fish in your sea. Person.comis a social networking site where you may sign up for a free personal profile, and possibly interact with friends you already know on the site, or search for new people to chat with.

Heard enough? Check it out here.

http://person.com/

Person.com is unlike many popular social networking site's such as MySpace.com or Facebook.com, because unlike those two, you are given the opportunity to broadcast yourself to the public; or just your friend's, via webcam. This feature is only avaliable, obvisously only if you have a webcam.

I have created my own account to give the site a test drive, and I immediately got friend requests and messages from people who wanted to meet/talk to me. I also stopped in a few webcam chats, and met some interesting people in the chatroom. Of course, if you're not comfortable with broadcasting yourself via webcam or talking to someone, you definately don't have to accept their friend request or say a word to them ever, if you do not wish to. Person.com respects your wish's and personal privacy.

Person.com also features many ways of communciation, such as private messages, public messages, forum posts, blogs, and live chatting. They also have unique contest's, that you may participate in, in order to help you meet new people. One of which include's the "Play and Flirt" game.

Person.com is completely free of charge. Sign up today!

Person.com - webcams, chat, personals



Disclosure Policy:
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This post is sponsored by PayPerPost.com. For questions about this blog, please contact: PayPerPost.com.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

NIN Year Zero: A Post-Iran War

Best-selling industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails' latest album, Year Zero, delves into new ground. For the first time, the group's front man and primary writer, Trent Reznor, focuses mainly on politics. He seems to be jumping headfirst into a game of politics with the resistance party.



The video to the first single-- Survivalism-- featuring a dystopic world viewed through invasive and completely pervasive CCTV cameras.

It seems that in this world-- projected 15 years into the future, in 2022-- the USA has turned into Nazi Germany and privacy is a thing of the past.

Friday, April 27, 2007

CouponChief.com

Are you looking to buy something online? Do you do most of your shopping online? Well I found a website that can save you a few bucks here and there where you need it the most. CouponChief.com provides you with free online coupons and coupon codes to purchase merchandise on many store websites. Some of the many CouponChief.com includes are BestBuy.com, Overstock.com, Target.com, and even Staples.com.

Simply go to CouponChief.com, find the store you are purchasing from online, select which coupon you would like to apply to your purchase. Once you have done so, continue to the official store website, add your items you wish to purchase to your check-out cart, and continue to check-out. You should see the coupon take effect on your final purchase.

My personal favorite store to shop online with coupon codes has to be BestBuy.com. I’d have to say that my favorite coupon available for Bestbuy.com would be the “Save $10 when you buy 2 video games 39.99 and up.” This coupon is helpful, because I tend to order a lot of Xbox 360 games online, and in the end of all my purchases, I really do end up saving a bundle.

CouponChief.com

Best Buy Coupon Codes

Disclosure Policy:
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This post is sponsored by PayPerPost.com. For questions about this blog, please contact: PayPerPost.com.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

PayPerPost Review My Post

What's better than getting paid money for your opinion on blogs? Just when I thought PayPerPost couldn't get any better, I discover another feature...review my post. This feature is a great thing to have if you want to possibly double your money income. To use this feature, all you have to do is post a sponsored blog on an available opportunity and get it approved. Just copy any of the possible banners avaliable with the code here and post them at the end of your post. If someone happens to click it, they are given the opportunity to be paid to review your post. As soon as their review gets approved, you; the original blog poster, earn some green. What a great interactive feature. Being a PayPerPost blogger is the greatest online free time be-your-own-boss job.

https://payperpost.com/affiliates/reviewmypost

https://payperpost.com/

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Head Games Online

Ladies, have you been looking for that one special hat that you’ve always just wanted to have sitting atop your head on that nice relaxing trip to the beach on a hot summer day? Well, you’re in luck.

Head Games is an innovative retailer that has just about any type of hat or accessory that women are either searching everywhere for, or wearing for a fashion statement or just because it’s a comfortable hat.

Head Games has a variety of hats for many different seasons and occasions, including many comfortable, good looking Cotton Hats for the spring time. Head Games also includes Spring time hat’s such as Eric Javits, Helen Kaminski, and even Cowboy Hats, or should I say Cowgirl?

As far as Fall hat’s, Head Games has you covered. They have hat’s such as Helen Kaminski, and even the popular Cabbie/Newsboy Hats.

At HeadGamesOnline.com, you may create an account and shop online. Or you may call and order by phone.

Nationwide Toll-Free Telephone: 888-214-8688

Questions? Comments? Concerns? HeadGamesOnline.com’s helpful customer service is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

Head Games accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express with credit card purchases.

As a bonus to you. Head Games gives you FREE shipping on all domestic order’s that exceed $75.

Call or order online today!

Disclosure Policy:
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This post is sponsored by PayPerPost.com. For questions about this blog, please contact: PayPerPost.com.

Best Buy Either Voided Your XBOX Warranty Or Sold You A Used Unit

http://consumerist.com/consumer/best-buy/best-buy-either-voided-your-xbox-warranty-or-sold-you-a-used-unit-255292.php

Wow. That Best Buy in his town is run by downright dirty scumbags. His story is full-proof, but they just won't replace his Xbox. Chance's are, they did sell him a used Xbox or even tampered with it when they took it to the back room. I'm glad the Best Buy in my town is nice enough to just skip questions and replace malfunctioning electronics. I remember when I got Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for PS2. I played it constantly, and I couldn't beat this one mission, and I got so mad I hit the PS2, which damaged the game disk. I was like "Oh shit..." Luckily I took it to Best Buy and claimed that it came like this, they replaced it without any further question. W00t.

Stone Hawk Drug Rehabilitation Center

Nestled in a quiet semi-residential area located 5 miles away from downtown Battle Creek, Michigan is Stone Hawk Drug Rehabilitation Center; a very successful drug rehab center. With 13.5 acres of land currently owned by the center; and over 350 feet of water frontage on Private St. Mary’s Lake, they hope to offer a new life, free from addiction to those who suffer from drug abuse and alcoholism.

Stone Hawk Drug Rehabilitation Center

Stone Hawk Drug Rehabilitation Center does not force their own morals or code onto any of it's patient's. Instead, they let patient's discover and plan out their own lifestyle that fits their desire’s and need’s without the use of drugs or alcohol. Seems pretty fishy? Not at all, the Stone Hawk Drug Rehabilitation Center boasts having over a 76% success rate when it comes to helping abusers overcome their addiction and live a better live.

Stone Hawk Drug Rehabilitation Center provides the webpage’s readers with facts about the center and even questions that they should know to ask when choosing the right rehab center for their loved one. Feel free to take a free descriptive detailed tour on the website or even call today to speak to an actual human being.

Call Toll free 24/7.

Worldwide Telephone: 1-888-227-9193

Local Telephone: 269-963-2827

Disclosure Policy:
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This post is sponsored by PayPerPost.com. For questions about this blog, please contact: PayPerPost.com.

Monday, April 23, 2007

GameSpot Pokemon Diamond/Pearl Review

http://www.gamespot.com/ds/rpg/pokemonpearl/review.html

I, personally have been waiting and eagerly looking forward to playing this game. I always assumed that the story and plot would be the same, since it never changes. The review is pretty helpful as far as the new features for Diamond/Pearl go. Even though the story and goal of the game are repetitive compared to Pokemon's previous releases, it still never gets old. And I hope to play it soon.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Mortgage Lenders & Home Loan Mortgages

Are you in need of a mortgage, but can’t seem to find the right loan for you? There is a website that can help. PersonalHomeLoanMortgages.com is a very useful resource tool to help you learn more about mortgage rates and to assist you in finding the more suitable loan option for you. PersonalHomeLoanMortgages.com gives you a very in-depth definition and example of many important terms that are very useful to know, when dealing with mortgages. Can’t figure out the differences, positives, or negatives between types of mortgages? No problem. PersonalHomeLoanMortgages.com also shows you comparisons of different types of mortgages, so you are as well informed as the next guy.

To go to PersonalHomeLoanMortgages.com click...Home loan mortgage

PersonalHomeLoanMortgages.com even provides you with daily local and national interest rates for a wide range of mortgage financing needs. PersonalHomeLoanMortgages.com gives you free access to its advanced mortgage calculator. Using this calculator you may calculate monthly payments with interest, or even find out your debt consolidation savings. PersonalHomeLoanMortgages.com will help you save!

I have personally browsed through many different states on PersonalHomeLoanMortgages.com to find statistical housing differences between Connecticut and New Jersey. The following information (taken directly from the site) was found to very accurate and reliable.

Connecticut
Total Housing: 1,385,975
Total Urban: 1,218,624
Total Rural: 167,351
Occupied: 1,301,670
Vacant: 84,305
Owner Occupied: 869,729
Renter Occupied: 431,941
Vacant for Rent: 25,575
Vacant for Sale: 9,305


New Jersey
Total Housing: 3,310,275
Total Urban: 3,133,701
Total Rural: 176,574
Occupied: 3,064,645
Vacant: 245,630
Owner Occupied: 2,011,473
Renter Occupied: 1,053,172
Vacant for Rent: 49,858
Vacant for Sale: 24,546

In my opinion, PersonalHomeLoanMortgages.com is the best site out there to find out all you need to know about mortgages, as well as to find out your rates. Call today for free rate quotes! 1-877-771-8174

Mortgage lender

Connecticut Mortgages

New Jersey Mortgages

Disclosure Policy:
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This post is sponsored by PayPerPost.com. For questions about this blog, please contact: PayPerPost.com.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Two More Pokemon Diamond/Pearl Videos

http://www.mariotalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=276#276

Ahhh. The graphic's in Diamond/Pearl look like they've received an amazing enhancement. I cannot wait for this game to be converted successfully into a ROM so I can play it on a Nintendo DS emulator. The new pokemon are really lame, but the graphics and new adventure should provide me with entertainment throughout the game nonetheless.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Cancer Treatment Awareness

A brain tumor is any intra cranial tumor created by abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, normally either found in the brain itself, lymphatic tissue, blood vessels, in the cranial nerves, in the brain envelopes, skull, pituitary and pineal gland, or spread from cancers primarily located in other organs. Primary brain tumors are commonly located in the posterior cranial fossa in children and in the anterior two-thirds of the cerebral hemispheres in adults, although they can affect any part of the brain.

Brain tumors are deadly and are the cause of 2.4% of all cancer related deaths in the United States. Not only is treatment very expensive, but the chances of success in removal of the brain tumor are less than 50%.

However, there is one option left that could save your life. Introducing, the Gamma Knife. The Gamma Knife is stereo tactic radio surgery tool approved for treating brain tumors.

For more information on brain tumor treatment, click...brain tumor treatment

The Gamma Knife has guaranteed precision that will benefit both you and the physician by boosting his confidence and increasing your safety.

The Gamma Knife is designed to focus all radiation to a single point within the brain. The shielding of the machine protects the rest of your brain from excess radiation exposure, putting your safety first.

The primary brain surgery which involves taking X-ray's every two minutes to insure the target brain tumor hasn't moved. Before using the Gamma Knife, a patient goes through a single MRI. There are no harmful X-ray's involved!

The Gamma Knife has been used to treat over half a million people and treatments have been documented in over 2,000 peer-reviewed clinical papers. These reviews track time over a 15 year period.

Most importantly, the Gamma Knife uses neurosurgeons to perform brain surgery without having to cut into a patient. Your head will never be harmed!

If a brain tumor ever shows up within a friend, family member, or even yourself, be sure to ask your doctor about this safe procedure.



Disclosure Policy:
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This post is sponsored by PayPerPost.com. For questions about this blog, please contact: PayPerPost.com.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Learn to Fly Here!

http://www.scribd.com/doc/36828/Learn-to-Fly-Here

Hahahaha. I love how the plane randomly crashes into the tree. And not to mention the sign right next to the crash site stating "Learn To Fly Here!" I don't think I'm going to be learning how to fly there anytime soon, haha.

HotelReservations.com

Are you interested in taking a nice relaxing vacation, but can’t seem to find the right hotel or place to stay in the area? Well HotelReservations.com can help you find just what you’re looking for. HotelReservations.com runs identical websites in the languages English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian.

Need no more information? Click...Hotel Reservations.com to start planning your vacation today! Otherwise, continue reading.

HotelReservations.com can help you find the perfect hotel for you and your family or friends. You can use their unique search engine to find the best place to stay on your vacation based on the city location you’re looking for, your check-in date, your check-out date, adults per room, and the numbers of room you’re looking for. Looking for a smaller place? You’re in luck. HotelReservations.com also can help you find the perfect motel for you.

Once your search has completed, you can browse through the pages of your search results. Is your search too general? No problem. Just use HotelReservation.com’s advanced search to narrow down your results. From here on, you may search by city, zip code, street address, check-in and check-out dates, number of rooms and guests, and number of children ages 0-17. You may also search for hotels with certain extended options such as a hotel with a swimming pool, fitness center, kitchen, restaurant, children activities, or even one that is wheelchair accessible.

Not only can you search for the perfect place to stay, but you can also search for a rental car to use on your vacation. All you have to do is choose the specific car model you desire to rent and the pick-up and drop-off date by dates that you set.

Another luxurious feature HotelReservations.com offers you is the ability to search for airplane tickets as well. Simply fill out the following information: departure city, arrival city, departure date, arrival date, round trip or one way, preferred airline, airline class, and even aircraft type. As far as passengers, you simply select how many adults, senior citizens, infants and children are accompanying you. Fill in the ages of the children, and if the infant requires a seat or not to see if you are eligible for discounts and the like.

To help protect your credit card from fraudulent activity, HotelReservations.com takes extra time to verify passenger information. Therefore, reservations must be made at least 48 hours prior to departure.

Need to speak to an actual person? No problem. You may book your flight or car rental online or call a HotelReservations.com reservation agent, toll-free at 1-800-893-4086. For booking of hotels on the phone, call 1-800-447-4136.

Do you have more questions that aren’t answered on the website? Simply read HotelReservations.com’s easy to follow FAQ. Is your question still not answered? Just call for round-the-clock help, at 1-(866)-270-5932. For international calls, contact 001 (702)-939-2596. Worldwide phone: (1) 817-333-5105. HotelReservations.com’s employees are trained to answer all of the questions and concerns that you may have.

HotelReservations.com accepts MasterCard, Visa, and American Express cards. Don’t forget to book with HotelReservations.com next time you’re going on vacation!



Disclosure Policy:
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This post is sponsored by PayPerPost.com. For questions about this blog, please contact: PayPerPost.com.

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Human Brain Map

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/interactives/organs/brainmap/

This brain map is pretty useful for learning which parts of your brain allow you to perform certain tasks.

Just click on the structure button to explore the different parts of your brain.

Then click on the function button to discover which parts of your brain allow you to move, speak, and feel emotion.

This unique flash shows us where certain functions and thoughts arise from within the brain itself.

Kansas Board of Education Bans Pokémon

http://gamewad.com/kansas-board-of-education-bans-pok-mon-3096-p.html

Wow. That's REALLY harsh and stupid at the same time. Seriously, how stupid do you have to be to actually go as far as burning a harmless Japaneses anime product? I can't believe they would do so much as expel young children for bringing an innocent video game to school. This school must be run by worthless rednecks, haha.

Alcoholic Drinks that Help Lessen your Hangover

http://www.calwineries.com/learn/wine-and-health/hangover/alcoholic-drinks

Finally. We can drink without having to suffer from horrible hangovers!

Whoever said that the only way to deal with hangovers is by waiting, was wrong. These drinks with B6 and B12 will dramatically reduce the risks of getting a hangover.

As well as the clear alcoholic drinks with water based mixers, which contain less hangover causing Congeners.

10 Horrible Deep Sea Creatures

http://www.oddweek.com/item_79915.aspx

Viper fish: That thing is scary as hell. It's like a sea snake since it can open its mouth really wide to swallow prey much larger than itself. It also has a light organ that apparently is powered by a chemical process called bioluminescence.

Fangtooth: This fish looks like a big chunk of meat, with an over sized mouth. Doesn't seem like much of a threat, considering it's somewhat small in size.

Dragonfish: This fish seems like another small but dangerous predator of the sea. Just like the Viper fish it also has a light organ called the photophore. It lures other fish into it's mouth and then devours them.

Angler: This one looks like another fat piece of meat. Very grotesque looking. This fish also has a photophore on it. It catches it's prey just like the Dragonfish.

Gulper Eel: Very bizarre looking. It's jaw is loosely hinged so that it can swallow prey much larger than itself.

Giant Squid: Also known as the Architeuthis dux. Can reach lengths up to 60 feet, and it's the world's largest known invertebrate in the world. No one has ever seen one alive, but It would definately suck to be the first one to, haha.

Vampire squid: This is the most creepiest one yet. I've never seen or heard anything like it. It has a very odd structure, and can swim extremely fast.

The Daylight Saving change: no savings, no point

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070403-the-daylight-savings-change-no-savings-no-point.html

I completely agree. The change in Daylight Savings time was completely pointless. In fact, the time servers my computer is connected to did not update to accept Daylight Savings time as early as it came this year. In which case, it kept setting my computer clock back another hour. The whole thing was really annoying.

Stolen Xbox 360

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=289406

Interesting story. It really sucks to be him. But good thing the thieves didn't take the more valuable things. Thieves these days are really pathetic and stupid. Nothing, but smash and grab. I hope these low life's get caught.

Apple stokes iPhone anticipation with e-mail teaser

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=2629

That phone looks really cool. I'm really excited to read about it's other features.

I've always wanted a device like this. It has basically everything you need in one phone.

Mp3 player, clock, internet, text messaging and of course the phone, itself; with amazing features.

Top Figures.

http://www.vivalagames.com/play/topfigures/

This is an interesting game to test your mind against the laws of physics. Somewhat like an advanced puzzle, it should keep some people busy and thinking for maybe a half hour or so. Maybe not so long for others, as they may find it boring and non-thrilling. No matter that, it's still incredible how the laws of physics are able to be accurately experienced in video and flash games, these days. Programming is mind-blowing.

Skyfarming

http://nymag.com/news/features/30020/

This is a brilliant idea. Imagine the possibilities!

Not only would touring a 30 story tower full of farms and gardens be fun, but the sight of it all would be beautiful.

The whole process would definately help reduce carbon dioxide and improve Earth's atmosphere.

Just the fact that it could feed the entire city of New York is outstanding. And stacking all these farms and gardens would save so much land mass for other uses.

I hope this whole thing turns into more than just an idea.

Gears of War Update To Include Respawning

http://www.gamestooge.com/2007/04/03/gears-of-war-update-to-include-respawning/

Sounds pretty neat. I've always hated the "one death and you're out" style of GoW game play online. It should be a lot more fun with the instant to 10 second respawn rather than waiting for the last player standing. This is a big reason why I prefer Halo 2 online than Gears.

Confessions Of A Game Store Clerk

Videogame store employees. They have to have the easiest job on the planet, right? Play videogames, sell videogames, buy videogames, organize videogames, stand around and talk about videogames. They spend their entire day goofing off and hanging around the very things they love. Seriously, how hard can it be?

With gaming bigger than ever, and the attraction to gaming related careers stronger than ever, we decided to uncover the truths behind the assumptions. Is this really the slacker's dream profession? Is it really as fun and laidback as it seems? If so, why do these lucky workers so often come across as rude and indifferent?

To find out, we gathered eight current or former game store employees and began a massive, exhausting interrogation. The discussion ranged from ridiculous rules to dorky coworkers to heartless management to... you. Yes, you, the customer, dreaded and despised above all others. Wait and see if you think that description's unjust after you've read their stories.

I used to want to work at a Video Game shop too. Maybe not anymore...

RIAA Goes After NINE INCH NAILS Fans Over Deliberate Leak

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=69841

Ugh, I really hate the RIAA. Damn internet police need to lay off. Some songs were leaked for a reason on purpose by Trent Reznor, himself. I really can't see anyway to reduce or stop illegal internet music downloads at all. Even if one person gets caught, there are still millions more doing it and counting. Also, the others will always think "I'll never get caught." and they're probably right. People would be surprised at how many different types of people (age, race, sex, religion) actually download music themselves.

Ten Things Your Restaurant Will Not Tell You

1. "It's more about the sizzle than the steak."

Business is good for the restaurant industry. Americans now spend roughly half their food budget dining out, and restaurants expect revenue of more than $537 billion in 2007. That's a 67% increase since 1997. But it's not just our collective avoidance of the kitchen that's pumping profits: Restaurants work every angle these days, using marketing psychology to get you to spend more.

At legendary Aureole Las Vegas, spandex-clad "wine angels" retrieve bottles from a 42-foot-tall spirits tower. The thinking behind the spectacle: "Anything that gets patrons' attention will get them to spend," says restaurant designer Mark Stech-Novak. Fast-food outlets use a high-stim environment to maximize the source of their profit: "It encourages faster turnover," says Stephani Robson, senior lecturer at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. "Specifically, the use of bright light, bright colors, upbeat music and seating that does not encourage lolling."

Even menus are rigged. "We list the item that makes the most profit first so it catches your eye," says restaurant consultant Linda Lipsky, "and bury the highest-cost item in the middle."

2. "Eating here could make you sick."

The 2006 E. coli outbreak that started at a New Jersey Taco Bell and sickened more than 60 people was traced to green onions. But food-borne illness isn't the only cause for concern: In a separate December incident, 373 people in Indianapolis got sick after eating at an Olive Garden where three employees tested positive for the highly contagious norovirus. (Olive Garden says that the source of the outbreak has yet to be determined.)

"You don't call out [sick] unless you're on your deathbed," says freelance chef Leah Grossman. Indeed, according to a recent study, 58% of salaried New York City restaurant workers reported going to work when sick; the number is even higher for those without benefits. "A lot of poor, transient people work in restaurants," says Peter Francis, coauthor of industry exposé How to Burn Down the House. "They're not giving up the $100 they'd make in a shift because they're sick."

How can you protect yourself? Check inspection results, which are often posted online by local departments of public health. Or just visit the restroom; it "tells you everything you need to know about a restaurant," Francis says.

3. "Our markups are ridiculous."

It's no secret that restaurants enjoy huge markups on certain items: Coffee, tea and sodas, for example, typically cost restaurants 15 to 20 cents per serving, and pasta, which costs pennies, can be dressed up with more expensive fare and sold for $25 a dish or more. At a fine-dining restaurant, the average cost of food is 38 to 42% of the menu price, says Kevin Moll, CEO and president of National Food Service Advisors. In other words, most restaurants are making roughly 60% on anything they serve.

It's not all gravy though. Restaurants keep only four cents of every dollar spent by a customer, says Hudson Riehle, vice president of research and information services at the National Restaurant Association. The remainder of the money, he says, is divided between food and beverage purchases, payroll, occupancy and other overhead costs.

Given the slim profit margin, many restaurants rely on savvy pricing to create the illusion of value. Putting a chicken dish on the menu for $21 will make a $15 pasta dish, where the restaurant is making a big profit, seem like a bargain, says Gregg Rapp, owner of consulting firm MenuTechnologies.net.

4. "Big Brother is watching you...eat."

No one likes having their every move scrutinized, but that may be just what's happening at your favorite restaurant. Cameras are popping up everywhere, from four-star eateries to the place where you grab your lunchtime sandwich. At historic Randy's Steakhouse in Frisco, Texas, where checks average $45 to $50, co-owner Don Burks has installed 12 cameras around the premises. Of those, two pick up activity in the dining rooms, and two are aimed at the bar. "We've had customers stand on chairs to try to take out a camera," Burks says. "But the cameras aren't even pointed at them; they're pointed at the wine rack." Their primary purpose: deterring employee theft.

At some restaurants, however, the cameras are indeed trained on the tables. At New York City's four-star Daniel, for example, four closed-circuit cameras monitor the dining rooms, offering a bird's-eye view of every plate. "It's about maintaining a quality of service," says Daniel spokesperson Georgette Farkas. "With the cameras the chef can tell when each course needs to be plated and served." So much for that romantic dinner for two.

5. "There's something fishy about our seafood."

Even when you pay top dollar for a seafood dish, you might not get what you're expecting. About 70% of the time, for example, those Maryland crab cakes on the menu weren't made using crabs from the Chesapeake Bay, says James Anderson, chairman of the Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics at the University of Rhode Island. Because of high demand, crabs are often from other eastern states or imported from Thailand and Vietnam. (Look closely at the menu: "Maryland-style" crab is the giveaway.)

There's also the problem of outright substitution — inexpensive fish, such as pollack, getting passed off as something pricier, like cod. How widespread is the problem? In 2006 the Daytona Beach News-Journal sent fish samples to a lab to prove that four out of 10 local restaurants were pawning a cheaper fish as grouper. The same lab also checked seafood from 24 U.S. cities and found that, overall, consumers have less than a 50/50 shot at being served the fish they ordered.

What can you do? Ask where the fish comes from. "If they're not sure if the fish is from Alaska or Asia, I order the beef," Anderson says.

6. "Reservation? What reservation?"

When Timothy Dillon, 34, showed up at new Chicago trattoria Terragusto for his friend's birthday, he wasn't expecting a wait. He'd made a reservation for four, then called the day of to confirm and add one more. The restaurant told him no problem, but when the party showed up, they were met with a long wait. "After almost an hour of standing by the bar being ignored, we ended up leaving for another restaurant," Dillon says. Terragusto says it was its first week open: "We were probably working out a lot of glitches," says a spokesperson.

As Dillon discovered, a reservation isn't a guarantee. "Overbooking is almost a necessary evil," says John Fischer, associate professor of table service at the Culinary Institute of America. Restaurants calculate their average no-show percentage for any given night, then overbook the restaurant by that much, hoping it will come out even. How to avoid Dillon's fate? It's considered poor taste to offer a tip before you're seated, Fischer says, so if it's your first time, inquire politely after 15 minutes. But go ahead and slip the manager or maître d' $10 or $20 on the way out; it should ensure you're seated promptly next time.

7. "Our specials are anything but."

"I'm very careful about ordering my food," says Rick Manson, owner of Chef Rick's restaurant in Santa Maria, Calif. If he orders oysters, Manson says, he'll offer multiple dishes on the menu that use oysters, "to make sure I use every one of them." Nonetheless, countless variables can leave surplus ingredients at the end of the day — which often become tomorrow's special. "It could be the chef legitimately wants to try out something new," says Stephen Zagor, founder of consulting firm Hospitality & Culinary Resources. "But it could also be something nearing the end of its shelf life that needs to get out of the kitchen."

How can you tell a good special from a bad one? Watch out for "an expensive item used in a way that's minimizing its flavor," Zagor says, such as a lamb chop that's been cut, braised and put into a dish where it's a supporting player. Pastas, stews and soups containing expensive meats are also suspect. "There's an old saying in the restaurant industry," says David A. Holmes, VP and director of Out East Restaurant Consultants. "'Sauce and gravy cover up a lot of mistakes.'"

8. "There's no such thing as too much butter."

Think that salmon fillet you ordered for dinner is good for you? Think again. Restaurants load even their healthiest fare with butter and other calorie-heavy add-ons. Restaurant meals average 1,000 to 1,500 calories, says Milton Stokes, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. That's roughly two-thirds of the daily average calories recommended by the USDA. And according to a recent study, women who eat out five times a week consume an average of 290 additional calories per day.

While most Americans assume that fast food is the worst offender, similar fare at casual sit-down restaurants can be even more caloric. The classic burger at Ruby Tuesday, for example, has a whopping 1,013 calories and 71 grams of fat. The McDonald's Big Mac, with its 540 calories and 29 grams of fat, seems downright diet-worthy by comparison. "We butter our hamburger buns," says Julie Reid, vice president of culinary for Ruby Tuesday, "so we tell people if they're looking to cut calories, they shouldn't eat the bun." If that sounds less than appetizing, try splitting an entrée with someone, or order an appetizer instead of a main dish.

9. "Nice tip — too bad your waiter won't get it."

Just because you tip your waitress 10 bucks, it doesn't mean she's going home with that money. More than likely, she'll have to pass on some of it to the people who helped her serve you: The bartender might get $2, and the busboy $3 to $5. It's called a tip pool, and it's becoming standard practice in many restaurants. "It happens often that if someone leaves a voluntary tip [for their server], a significant portion of that money is going to other people," Zagor says.

According to federal law, only employees who customarily receive tips — waitstaff, hosts, bartenders and bussers — can participate in the tip pool. But sometimes management takes a cut. In 2006, waitstaff from the Hilltop Steak House in Saugus, Mass., won $2.5 million in damages after complaining that managers dipped into their tips.

Mandatory gratuities are also divvied up. At high-end restaurants such as New York City's Per Se and Napa Valley's French Laundry, both owned by chef Thomas Keller, the practice is called service compris. "The 20% service charge is clearly stated on the menu, and it's equally divided among the staff," says a spokesperson for both restaurants. While the tip pool is designed to foster a team environment among staff, for customers it means something else entirely — that your gratuity isn't specifically rewarding the waiter or sommelier who provided you with exemplary service.

10. "Never go out to eat on a Monday."

If you think that Monday, when restaurants tend not to be crowded, is a great time to eat out, think again. "You're being served all of the weekend's leftovers," says Francis, coauthor of "How to Burn Down the House." Kitchens prepare food on a first-in, first-out basis, meaning whatever is oldest gets served first. It's a way to ensure that everything on the menu is as fresh as possible.

The system works great most days, but it can run into a little glitch over the weekend. Distributors typically take Sunday off and make their last deliveries Saturday morning — which means that by Monday any food not used over the weekend is at least three to four days old. And it will be served before the same ingredients arriving in Monday's delivery.

What to do if you wish to dine out on a Monday? Ignore your instincts and go to a place that's perpetually crowded. "If you are open 24/7 and busy all the time," says New York-based chef Lucia Calvete, "all your ingredients are fresh all the time."

Old Nintendo Games Online

http://nintendo8.com/toplist/

1. Super Mario Brothers
2. Super Mario Brothers 3
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
4. Tetris
5. Legend Of Zelda
6. 1942
7. Double Dragon
8. Super Mario Brothers 2
9. Bubble Bobble
10. Bomberman

Ahhh, brings back so many old memories from my old school Nintendo system. I'll never forgot the first time I played Duck hunt. It was the best game in the world. It was so entertaining, it's just a shame that I couldn't shoot the dog. Heh. >_>

Egg Stacker

http://thirdeyedumb.com/2007/04/egg_stacker.html

Damn. That must have taken a long long time to do.

I wonder what gave him the inspiration to start creating this?

Whatever it was, it definately inspired him from start to finish.

Pretty neat aerial view. I'd like to know the date of both start and finish of this project. It must have taken a few months or maybe even a year.

The Memory Hacker

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/0e54d952c97b1110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

Crazy shit right there.

But it definately seems like it will benefit mankind.

If you could only replace a piece of your brain with a computer chip, we wouldn't have anyone deaf, blind, or handicapped. Knowing that these kind of procedures are in the works definately makes you feel a lot more secure. But we should still take care, and not put ourself at risk, nonetheless.

Top 10 Most Gruesome/Bizarre Injuries

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/si_blogs/scorecard/jimmys_blog/2007/02/most-gruesomebizarre-injuries.html

Ouch.

I'd hate to have that happen to me.

Injuries suck.

Good thing we have youtube to watch all of these sport events throughout history.

Some of these are so old, yet it's great that we are still able to look up the past ever once in a while.

Good thing for YouTube! ^_^

A House That Fixes Itself.

http://arstechnica.com/journals/science.ars/2007/04/03/ahome-owners-dream-a-house-that-fixes-itself

A house that fixes itself...

Strange...but definately attention-grabbing.

I wonder how much money they will cost in US dollars? It's only listed in Euro's, I think.

I'd really like to get more information about this project. Seems like such a big luxury and help to own one.

I'll definately look this up in a few years or so. I'd like to see one in action, possibly a video? Or even pictures would be good enough.

Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero

http://yearzero.nin.com/

Listen to the entire new NIN album here.

Pretty sweet. I love Nine Inch Nails, they've always been a big influence to me.

God Vs. Satan: Who Killed More People In The Bible?



LMFAO!!

Exactly the reason why Christianity is so full of ignorance. And exactly the reason why I'm an Atheist. :)

Ah, Atheism, the world's largest non-profit organization, haha.