What I've Been Watching on Netflix.

Obviously, instead of getting anything productive done, I've been watching a ton of shows on Netflix. Usually while playing my new favorite game - Ruzzle.

And yeah, this is a second television post in a week. My life is incredibly boring lately. What are you gonna do?

Here are some of the things I've been watching lately:

Whisker Wars

When I first found this show on Netflix, I immediately thought, "This is like porn for ladies that love beards!"

It's about the world of competitive bearding. And, it's actually so much more interesting than that.

I haven't finished it. There are only 7 episodes in the first season and I'm pacing myself because I really enjoy this show. It's on IFC and there is another season, but I don't get IFC here. Bummer.

My Strange Addiction

I marathoned this show the other day. I was obsessed to the point that my family threatened to put me on the show for being addicted to it.

This show is not for the faint of heart or for anyone with a weak stomach because you watch people eat some fucked up stuff. Some highlights: Pottery, cigarette ashes, COMET CLEANER, and of course, her husband's ashes.

If that doesn't intrigue you, I don't know what will.

Strange Sex

I haven't watched every episode and I don't necessarily think I will, but wow.

There are some episodes about sexual habits and I don't care about that - I think it's kind of demeaning to call what happens in a consensual setting as "strange," but that's besides the point.

There was an episode about a woman with two vaginas - and that was super interesting. She had no idea until she went to her first gynecological exam!

 The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret

This shit.
Ugh.

So, last year I started watching it because I assumed I'd like it. David Cross and Will Arnett are hilarious and I thought the show would be hilarious. That's a no. I watched a few episodes and quickly gave up because it's just not funny. They try so hard to be edgy and it just falls short.

I saw it had a second season recently and I gave it another go. And I actually watched it all. It didn't get any better.

The best part is Jon Hamm. But, isn't he the best part of any show?


Do you have any suggestions for things I should watch on Netflix? Because I'm definitely back to watching Futurama episodes while I write my blog posts again. Let me know what you've been watching in the comments!

RECENTLY READ: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz.

I read This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz a while ago and I knew I had to read his novel. And much like his collection of short stories, this book was amazing.

It took me longer to read than usual because I had to keep stopping to look up the translations for some of the Spanish used. The slang is what gets me. That and I've definitely never taken a serious Spanish class (I'm the girl that took Latin as her foreign language). 

I love how seamlessly he transitions from different points of view throughout the book. It doesn't seem contrived. I complain a lot about how authors try to write from different perspectives, but it always sounds like the same voice. Diaz's voice is clear and distinct and even when he is writing from the perspective of a character, he is not afraid to interject to give you some perspective on what's happening.

It felt like this story was something that had to be told and he was just doing its work by putting it to paper. If that makes any sense.

I'm glad I read This is How You Lose Her first. It was a good introduction to Diaz's voice and writing style.

23 for 23 - Goal #3 - 12/50

The Terrible Shows My Mother Hooked Me On.

I made the mistake of getting my mom an iPad Mini for Christmas. And now, our time together consists of me laying at the foot of her bed watching shows she put on while she ignores everything and plays Ruzzle or Angry Birds. Thanks Mom.

I yell at the television over how ridiculous these shows are, but I keep watching.

1) Amish Mafia.
Now, at first, I thought it was really stupid and it didn't make sense to me - Amish people are not supposed to be involved in technology and they're certainly not allowed to be on camera. And then after watching a few more episodes, I've justified it.

The people involved in the show are not technically Amish because they were not baptized. So, there's that.

Amish people are known to be very hands off. So, it kind of makes sense that they would want people to take care of things for them - like the woman hanging her undergarments up outside.

And, that's about all the justifications I can make. And those don't make the show better.

2) Storage Wars
"YEPPPPP" drives me crazy.

I'm really interested in some of the stuff that these guys find in these storage units though. Who would keep some of that stuff in there and then just not pay the bill? Our storage unit would be a huge disappointment to these guys - all Christmas ornaments and some Barbies.

Usually though, if this is on, I'll watch it. I don't know why.

3) Hardcore Pawn
I think what attracted me at first to this show was how similar it sounds to "Hardcore Porn."

This show seems incredibly fake. The way these people act - seriously? It's incredibly over the top and I am amazed at what these people think they deserve for their items. I think it's a way better Pawn Shop show than Pawn Stars, but that's not saying much.

4) Pawn Stars
Chumley.

Enough said.

Weekly Round-Up // 4.

- Sucked into a vortex of beards. Whoops.

- I'm super into beards because I've been watching Whisker Wars on Netflix.

- I definitely want this in my life.

 

- Should I be embarrassed by how many times I've listened to this song? Probably. But it's been playing non-stop in my life for the past week.

- And when I'm not slamming it, I'm listening to the new Justin Timberlake song:

Why Kanye West is the Greatest Human Alive.

Anyone that knows me is aware of my Kanye-obsession.

Sometimes, I just randomly blurt out, "Kanye West is a lyrical genius" or "Kanye West is the greatest human being ever."

No, seriously, I say these things on a regular basis, much to the chagrin of people around me.

I just wanted to round up some of Kanye's best lyrics to prove my point - that Kanye West is a lyrical genius and thus the greatest human alive.

1) "Got staples on my dick. Why? Fuckin' centerfolds." - Illest Motherfucker Alive

GET IT? GET IT?

2) "Have you ever had sex with a pharoh? I put the pussy in a sarcophagus. Now she claiming that I bruise her esophagus." - Monster

He just used sarcophagus in a rap song. And made a reference to him having a huge penis. GENIUS.

3) "Hey Mona Lisa. Come home - you know you can't Rome without Casear." - Flashing Lights

I was listening to this song with someone and he got angry at this lyric and he yelled at the stereo, "YES YOU CAN! YOU CAN ROME WITHOUT CAESAR."
But there's a double meaning. Rome/Roam. Get it? GET IT?

But, the best part about Kanye is that he knows he's the best though.

source.

Zero Dark Thirty

The second I heard about this movie, I was determined to see it. Military movies are typically not my forte, but I knew this would be the talked about movie of the year. And when it finally hit wide release, I managed to get a few of my friends to see it with me.

It's definitely not a strictly "shoot 'em up" style movie. Yes, and be prepared for spoilers, the last thirty minutes of the movie is like that. But the first two hours are like a detective movie. You follow this woman's chase. And yes, there are things that get blown up in the first two hours so it's not a total waste for everyone expecting an action-filled adventure.

Aside from feeling a rush of American pride after this movie, I also felt empowered as a woman. This was a movie directed by a lady - Kathryn Bigelow. And, the main character is a woman. But, she doesn't find Osama bin Laden by being a woman. Her gender is not a plot point. And I really respected that.

As for the torture, those scenes were incredibly hard to watch. I don't think that Bigelow was a "torture apologist" or that was the point of the movie. I think the message was, "Hey, this happened. This is how they got information." The agents in the movie complain that they were no longer able to torture. However, one of the men responsible for the hardest to watch torture scenes states in a meeting that he knows how the information is obtained and he gives it at 60% chance of being true. Which, to me, seemed like a condemnation of the methods used to obtain the information.

Zero Dark Thirty was incredibly well directed. It didn't feel like a long movie. And I bet you anything that it was better than The Hobbit. Sorry, Bilbo.

COLLEGE TIP: Rent Your Textbooks.

I complain a lot about how I'm still trying to sell back my textbooks from college and those books that I paid $100 for -- I'm only getting $4 back. I learned a little too late in the game about renting textbooks and when I did, it changed my life. I was paying way less for a book and I didn't have to worry about selling it back - which can be a huge hassel.

Campus Book Rentals is a great site for finding textbooks to rent for the semester. You don't have to pay for shipping either way and you can still highlight the textbook - just like it's your own. But, you're saving 40%-90%!

And for everyone else that still has a ton of textbooks you can't get rid of, Campus Book Rentals has a great program where you can rent out your own textbook called RentBack. Do that for a few semesters and you'll be able to make 2 to 4 times more than if you just sold it back.

Want to learn more about it? Check out this video:


College books are expensive and I cannot recommend enough that you rent those books to keep your costs down.

Project 365 / Week 3

January 13 - Ready for bed before 7 pm and watching Veep on my free trial of HBO.



January 14 - All bundled up. WHY IS IT SO COLD? / Those are furry slipper boots, btw.


January 15 - FOOTAGE MISSING. / In reality, I had a terrible day and then I met up with a friend for drinks, came home, and slept.


January 16 - Took a break from playing Ruzzle, post family time.


January 17 - I look beautiful while I write my blog posts for the week, don't I?


January 18 - Sippy cups necessary. 


January 19 - Post night-out.

Last week was cold, so I spent a lot of time bundled up inside. Our lows were in the 20's and I don't care where you live - that's cold. Especially here in Arizona.

Weekly Round Up / 3

- This is the greatest thing I've ever seen. Sorry to everything I've previously given that title to. This is the topper.

- Go ahead and judge a book by its cover.

- Uhm. Don't want. NEED.

- Get your own Jack Lew signature. Here's mine:

A Collection of Google Search History. (Don't Judge Me.)

I got a little bored the other day and went through my history of Google searches. Here are some that I thought were particularly funny.

- "Amanda Bynes twotter crazy" - 12/30/12 - 5:30 pm

I really missed Amanda Bynes that day. Does anyone else remember her insane tweets? I also learned from that search that she does not have a publicist. But, I already knew that.

- "why isnt there tiny tower for kindle fire?" - 12/20/12 - 4:20 pm

This quickly turned into a mad search on "How to root Kindle Fire." For the record, I did not root my Kindle Fire and I am still upset about Tiny Tower.

- "alvin gentry looks like a bass" - 11/30/10 - 12:03 am

I don't even know?

- "Joe Scarborough" - 3/12/11 - 11:50 am

This was the time I met Joe Scarborough and I googled him to confirm that it was indeed him standing across the room.

- "dress up as dumbledore" - 7/6/11 - 10:17 pm

I like that I had to google this.

- "penis to put in friend's mouth in picture" - 9/17/11 - 9:22 pm

I know exactly what I was looking for. An image of a penis to photoshop onto pictures of my friends. I think I was mad at someone. I thought it would be hilarious. And it would have.

- "olive hands" - 11/9/11 - 12:23 pm

I don't even want to explain this because I think it's self-explanatory. 

Recently Purchased and a Saga of iPhones.

Before anyone reminds me that I am on a Spending Diet, I'd like to preface this by saying, I got Amazon giftcards for Christmas. So, I feel justified in my spending.

I have a history of smashing iPhones.
Halloween 2011. I was a little intoxicated and I didn't have any pockets in my costume (And yes, this was the year I dressed up as Frank from It's Always Sunny and I had a coke can of wine). And I dropped my iPhone. My brand new iPhone 4S. Totally shattered. I got the back replaced for $30 and I swore I'd be more careful.

Flash cut to February 2012. I got really drunk at a wedding (in my defense, it had been a rough day) and during a very important drunk text, I dropped my phone and cracked the screen.

I've been living with the cracked screen because I know it's going to cost an arm and a leg. Well, I dropped my phone again and the metal was coming up and as I told my brother, "It was biting me."

So, I switched to my old iPhone 4. No more Siri.
But, it was suggested to me that maybe I should get a case for my iPhone.

And I got three.

Bamboo Case.

Sparkles!

BEAR.

Here's hoping I can keep this phone in one piece until I'm up for my upgrade/can afford a new phone.

Book Tuesday - The Age of Innocence

I've been trying to have a book review ready to go every Tuesday. It's helping with my goal of reading 50 books before I turn 24. Last week, I didn't have one ready and I just thought, "Oh well." Because seriously - oh well.

The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton

I joined a book club through GoodReads (My profile is here) and The Age of Innocence was this month's selection.

Let's get real here. If you hate Downton Abbey and you have a short attention span, you will hate this book. It's full of descriptions and it's about a time in American history full of particular rituals that seem mundane to the rest of us. Also, if you're of the belief that if you have to struggle to get to the good part of a book then the book isn't worth it, this book isn't for you.

The first half sets up the story and introduces the characters. And, it's a little tedious to get through. But once you power through, then the "action," if you can call it that, begins. And it's interesting.

It's a good look at 19th century society. It's a good look at relationships. It's a good look at the power struggle between men and women. 

I really enjoyed reading it. It just took me a while to read. 

23 for 23 - 12/50 - Goal #3.

MUSCLES, MONEY AND MIND / 2.

MUSCLES:
I'll just come out and say it: I was really bad this week. I ran every other day like I have intended, but on those other days, I definitely didn't walk.
I definitely didn't meet my goal of 12 miles this week. It was really like 4.8 miles this week.

But, I did restart Couch to 5K so I can get a better mile time.

Goal for Upcoming Week: Run 8 miles and walk at least 2 days.

MONEY:
Having friends is expensive.

I've been on a self-imposed exile from my friends and I recently ended it. So, catching up with everyone is putting a dent in my budget. And, I bought tickets for my brother and I to go to a Suns game.

Whoops!

Goal: Don't pull out that debt card again. 

MIND:
I'm feeling great. I'm super tired from going out and working, but I think that's a good price to pay. And, as a recent text to a friend said, "I think I'm people again." I had a really good week and I hope to keep it up.

Goal: Keep it up.

I know it's not possible to be happy all the time, but I just want to be happier than I have been. Struggling with depression sucks, but I do so much better when I have things to look forward to (Suns game with my brother, friend's birthday coming up, etc.) and when I'm keeping myself busy. Running has definitely helped with that. And, this blog has helped me too. It gives me a set schedule and helps me to recognize all the positives I have in my life. If someone asked me how last week was, I probably would have shrugged and said, "Eh. It was alright." But looking at my post from yesterday, I see what an awesome week I had. It was full of friends and family. And I'm thankful for both for keeping me sane.

Project 365 / Week 2

January 6 - I had a day off from running so I obviously ate pizza.


January 7 - No picture of me, but I had my Peanut over and let's face it - he's way cuter than I am.



January 8 - Sitting around in my favorite Suns sweatshirt / I finally threw away my favorite cup today. :( RIP.


January 9 - Post run and post shower. Trying to be comfy.


January 10 - Went out for drinks with some friends.

January 11 - Digging my outfit / Pre-movie WINE.


January 12 - All bundled up for dinner with my friend.

Looking back, I've had a really good week. Lots of good food, seeing my friends, my nephew. I wish I was better about taking pictures everyday though. 

Weekly Round-Up - 2.

- 25 Ways To Make Your Life Better. What a great list. Why can't I make lists like this?

- I'm pretty sure that I've uttered this sentence too, Rep. Pelosi.

- You don't have to Google this now: The Mandingo fighting in Django Unchained wasn't real.

- I love this. I don't need it, but I love it. (hattip to fleur de moi)

source. 

- Alright. I found my new favorite tumblr.

Texting Etiquette: The Group Message.

Group Texts are great for making plans. Or discussing a big event with a few friends in the middle of the work day.

Anddddd......

That's about it. What else do you need Group messaging for?

Well, apparently baby pictures. This is when things start to get messy. This kind of mass text goes out to everyone - Aunts, friends, whatever. And the people included often don't know each other. So, when one person makes that fatal mistake of responding, you suddenly have a text message from a number you don't know. Don't do that.

I learned my lesson after my Uncle had a baby. He sent us a picture with the weight and length and time. And, considering I was a little intoxicated, I just replied right back and said, "What a cute baby! Congrats!"

As soon as I sent that, I got a response from a random number - this was to the entire group - that said, "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"

Whoops.

So, unless you know everyone included on the Group Message - do not respond. You can create a new text to the sender and let them know.

This post was brought to you by the stupid amount of New Years Eve texts I got.

Online Organization: A How-To.

1) Inbox Victory.

Inbox Victory is when you finally get your Inbox empty. Yes, it is just as ridiculous as it sounds, but it's such a relieving feeling.
You know the saying, "A place for everything and everything in its place." Well, this is it's email equivalent.

Essentially, the idea is to create Folders via Gmail to place all emails in. I like to leave things I need to reply to or take care of in my inbox and put everything else in its folders.

I currently have...

- Accounts. This is my folder for all my online account information. Whenever I get a confirmation email about an account or anything like that, I put it in this folder so its easily searchable incase I need to remember my username or if I have an account.

- Blog. All things to do with my blog go into this folder, including things I'd like to post about later.

- Funny. All funny emails go here in case of a pick-me-up later down the road. 

- Personal. Pretty self-explanatory, huh? I have some cute exchanges between my ex and I. A few happy emails from friends. That kind of thing. 

And as I previously mentioned, all emails that require any kind of action - they stay in the inbox until they're handled. This ensures that they will not get lost in the shuffle.

2) Just Unsubscribe.
Everyday, the bulk of my email comes from online stores offering me "Great Deals!" It's definitely one of the hardest things to see while I'm trying to be good and continue my Spending Diet. So, at the beginning of the year, I decided that instead of sending all these emails straight to the Trash - I would take the time and unsubscribe. I don't use them. They're just annoying.

Just find the link at the end of the email and click it. It's usually that simple.

3) Dropbox.
When I was in school, my saving grace was Dropbox. This is a free service that allows you to use their Cloud and save documents, pictures, etc. and you can access them from any computer. Simple, huh? I used to leave my MacBook at home and just carry my Netbook to school and with Dropbox, I had access to all the same files on each device. It was especially helpful with the iPhone App because I could access my files on the go with my iPhone.

4) Create an Email Draft for Recipe Ideas.
I've been doing this for years. When I find a recipe I'm interested in making, I add it to an email draft with all the ingredients there. That way, when I'm at the store, I can easily see what I need to make specific recipes.

And, as a draft, I can easily add and remove different recipes.
This isn't the best way, but so far, it's been the best way for me because what's the one thing I'm always going to have with me? My phone.


Do you have any organizational tips for easier online living? Do you have a way to finally get my Bookmarks simplified? Or a way to reduce the number of tabs I have up (I'm currently at 20)? Let me know in the comments!

Muscles, Money and Mind - 1

One of the things I really want to do with my blog is talk about how I'm trying to ~better myself~ or whatever that means. So, I want to include weekly updates on how I'm doing with that - exercising, maintaining my budget, and all other things I deem necessary.

MUSCLES:
I started using Runkeeper to keep track of my running. My profile is here. Right now, my weekly plan is walk one day and run the next.
Total Miles (Last Week): 10.1

Not bad. This week, I hope to get at least 12 and I want to be running at least 1.5 miles each day I run. I also want to go hiking this week.

I also managed to take some "Before" pictures of my stomach. That was depressing.

$MONEY$:
I made some extra money this week. I sold back textbooks, like I've suggested to everyone else. And, I've been really good about my spending. I won't get the money for a while, but at least I know it's coming. I have some checks and some Amazon giftcards coming.

The car went in for an oil change, but that was necessary.


MIND:
I'm trying to get into some new habits. And, mostly trying to start running again. I'm feeling hopeful and excited for everything I'm doing to make myself better or at least get my shit under control so I'm not a frazzled mess anymore.

I've been really good about running, but I need to start studying for my GRE's again.

Project 365 / Week 1

This year, I'm going to be vain and my 365 Project will be all about me. It's hard to take a picture of other things everyday because most of my days are boring. But, I'm trying.
Deal with it.

January 1st - Overhung. // Walking on the canal.

January 2nd - Post run.

January 3rd // Best burger ever.

January 4th - Freshly showered. // Saltine bark. We made it Christmas night, but this time we used actual butter and it came out correctly.


January 5th - My hair wasn't being cooperative. 

Weekly Round-Up #1.

- An economic case for paper towels instead of air dryers.

- Books to read before they're adapted to movies. What a great list.

- 23 ways to Make 2013 better. I feel like I need to take all of these to heart. Especially deleting numbers from my phone. Even though the number may be gone, I still leave it in my call log and that's bad for everyone.

-Well, this is a bummer. People intentionally running over turtles.

- Organization tips for a better 2013.

- This looks amazing, but $69.99?

- Best photobomb. EVER.

source. 

 

From My Wish-List...

I'd like to think that anyone that knows me is aware of my insanely long Amazon wish-list. It's mostly books that I'm interested in reading. And it just keeps growing. I can't make a dent on that.

I'm going to highlight some books from there and if you're read them, let me know if it's even worth it for me to try or if I should just abandon the notion of ever reading that book.

1)
 The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success - Kevin Dutton.

I don't remember where I found a recommendation for a book. I think on a blog somewhere, but the specifics escape me. The reviews are good. And the bad reviews on Amazon miss the point of the book - at least, from what I understand. I love a good non-fiction book, but $13 for the Kindle edition? Hmmm...

2)
Act of Creation: The Founding of the United Nations - Stephen C. Schlesinger

I found this book on my own. Someone asked me what I thought about the United Nations and I kind of blankly stared at them and had to admit, "I know an incredibly small amount about the UN, so I don't have any kind of nuanced opinion." And then they sent me to the Wikipedia page of Criticisms of the UN. I wanted to find a good beginning book to the UN. I know about Woodrow Wilson and the League of Nations. But, what else? There's so much more to it than that.
It is $10 for the Kindle edition. And, once again, I love non-fiction. But, are there any better books on the United Nations?

3)
Some Girls: My Life in a Harem - Jillian Lauren

This looks so interesting. I saw this posted in a "What Are You Currently Reading?" discussion and immediately added it to my Wish List. It looks like it would be a fast read. The only reason I haven't bitten the bullet and bought it yet is because I have so many other books to read and the reviews are mixed. Some people are praising the book while many others are complaining about the lack of detail - which I've found to be a problem in some memoirs/autobiographies.

4)
Planet Taco: A Global History of Mexican Food - Jeffrey M. Pilcher

I feel like Tyler Cowen recommended this. Maybe? Who remembers? Living in Arizona immediately makes someone a Mexican food expert. Everyone out here has a place that is "the best." And every December, when everyone comes back home, all they want to do is eat Mexican food. So, of course I'm interested in this book. It looks academic - which is totally okay with me. I love reading about food and culture, especially a food that is so near and dear to my heart.

Have any recommendations for me to put on my wish list? Or have you read any of these books?  Let me know in the comments?

Book #11: This Is How You Lose Her

This is How You Lose Her - Junot Diaz.

Wow.
Everyone kept saying that I had to read this book and holy shit. I had to.

It's a collection of short stories about love and loss and being an immigrant and family and they're all amazing. My only complaint was that I had to keep asking my brother what some Spanish words were and there were a few that he said, "Those are slang and I have no idea." Thank God for context clues.

This book was amazing. The last story hit close to home - not that I've cheated on someone with 50 different girls, but how he handled the break up. And the writing just flowed. It was like listening to a friend rant.

I've been recommending this book since I finished and I won't stop. It was that great.

Goal #3 - 23 for 23 - 11/50