Rockin' Around the Computer Screen

It’s that time of the year again. It’s time to deck the halls, chug the egg nog, and start shopping for the recipients on your never ending list that seems to, well, never end.

The only problem? You’re family already has everything.

You could be really thoughtless and buy a couple dozen completely impersonal gift cards in the checkout line at Walgreens. Or you could go the ho-hum route and buy the tried and true yet again: a tie for dad, a CD player for the brother, gold clubs for Uncle Mark, cashmere sweater for Grandma (insert yawn here).

But if you really want to knock the stockings off your loved ones and show them that your truly care, put some thought into every gift and look no further than the internet.

Most everybody has either been the giver or receiver of a picture in a frame, capturing a special memory, from a friend or family member. But if you want to take the sentiment to the next level then make a photo mosaic (pictured) might be the answer. The crafty people on designmosaic.com make the whole process simple by allowing the creator to upload as many photos as they’d like and choose the main photo. Within one to two weeks a personalized mosaic made up of tiny thumbnails will be at your doorstep. The prices range from $19.99 to $49.99 depending on the size of the print and puts a clever twist on any picture.

For the environmentally-conscious in your life, look no further than inhabitat.com. Bike-chain picture frames, eco-friendly clothing, and solar-powered messenger bags are just a few of their specialty items. Any green-loving pal life is sure to be impressed and will proudly wear any of their organic clothing or accessories. The website has an assortment of such novel ideas as a necklace with a water faucet charm, reminding the wearer to save water. Their gifts are a little harsh on the wallet but definitely good for the Earth.

If you really want to get creative, cafepress.com can be a one-stop virtual shopping trip for any type of person on your list. Enabling just about anyone to feature their one-of-a-kind designs on clothing and other products, you might have to refrain from buying a few things for yourself (one for you, two for me?). For the family awaiting a soldier’s return, an entire category is devoted to t-shirts with sayings such as, “All I want for Christmas is my daddy to come home”. Funny slogans such as “My boyfriend can beat up yours” or political statements like “Defend marriage against what? Relevance?” can be found in any category on the website. Type any word or phrase into the search box and you’re sure to find a perfect present.

If you’ve ever heard someone repeat something so much that they might as well get it tattooed on their forehead, you can at least tattoo it on their clothing! Custom ink will print any saying or picture you desire onto an article of clothing of your choice (sweatshirts, T-Shirts, boxers, etc.). The only hard part is not laughing at loved one’s reactions when they see their signature phrase on their new shirt.

While these are only a few of the infinite gifting options on the web, you can be sure to start crossing names off after only a few clicks.

And who can forget the best part ?

You can shop in nothing but your Santa hat!

Text Nation

You just got done arguing with your boyfriend for the millionth time about whose turn it is to buy toilet paper. In tears and exhausted, you finally realize the relationship has expired. The only complication? Breaking the poor guy’s heart.

You could sit him down for a one on one and smash his heart into pieces, complete with awkward silences and trembling lips. Or you could shoot him a quick email, which he probably won’t check until Monday anyway. You ultimately decide that the most appealing option, however, is to spare both of you from being uncomfortable and send him a “breakup text”.

Wait a second…breakup with someone via text?

While this once seemed unfathomable and too coldhearted to actually follow through with, text messaging is quickly making small talk obsolete and becoming the substitute for face to face communication in even the most serious of situations.

Text messaging is giving reason for the shy, lazy, and way-too-busy to rejoice all at the same time.

Ending a long overdue relationship is only one way people are taking advantage of texting’s convenience. Timid employees everywhere are tapping away, sending their employers texts to let them know they’ll be late, that they’ll need vacation time in December, or that they won’t even be coming into the office at all. Those who can’t find the courage to make a direct phone call to the powers that be find comfort in the text message, which avoids stuttering excuses or faking niceties altogether.

Those who can’t seem to stay afloat in the dating pool find comfort in messaging as well. Bashful boys (and girls) who aren’t willing to take the chance of rejection find it easier to type out a quick, “what are you doing tonight?” then dialing someone’s number or (gasp!) asking them out in person. After all, not getting a return text is a lot easier on the ego than turning bright red after you’ve been turned down (and inevitably tripping after walking away).

The lazy have reason to celebrate our techno-advanced communication methods as well. When it comes down to it, who really has time to make 30 phone calls just to see what everyone’s weekend plans are? The “Send to all” button can be pretty convenient when you’re sitting at home wondering who’s plans are the most worthwhile of your acquaintances. Countless cell phones are blown up on the weekends with mass texts asking who will be at what bar. If they respond with a lame “nothing, I’m studying”? Delete! Wait for the next response.

However, it’s after the bars that text messaging can be dangerous. It’s quite possible that there is a market for cell phone breathalyzers, making it impossible to text if you’re over a .08. If you can’t drive, you probably shouldn’t be calling your ex to explain that you’ve never really gotten over him. Or telling your best friend her boyfriend cheated on her through a 2 am text. Drinking and texting can be an embarrassing combination, giving the offender not only liquid courage but also the semi-anonymity of the text.

While texting definitely isn’t a serious problem amidst important issues like war and poverty, it does have some important implications. The art of conversation is slowly going down the drain, with more and more people jumping on the text bandwagon everyday.

So what’s the solution? Next time you’re tempted to text your mom to see how her day is going, schedule a lunch date. And if you’re stuck in traffic for the 20th time and afraid to tell your boss you’ll be late yet again? Suck it up and pick up the phone!

The "Daisy" Touch....

Everything he touches turns to… alive? A unique twist on the Midas Touch fable, one of ABC’S latest hits, Pushing Daisies, leaves viewers oddly enraptured with a once-taboo subject; death.

Piemaker Ned (Lee Pace) learns of his “gift” as a young child. When he touches the dead, they come back to life. One more touch and they are deceased again. However, in a cruel twist he has exactly 60 seconds to return them to the dead before they are permanently brought back to life.

To make things even more complicated, anything he keeps alive will result in the death of something or someone in its place.

His gift turns out to be quite lucrative when Ned crosses paths with special investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride), who convinces him to join forces. Ned helps Emerson solve murder mysteries and rake in the dough by interrogating the morgue’s latest guests and solving cases.

Ned seems to have his secret contained until he is called to the latest victim of a mysterious murder, Charlotte “Chuck” Charles (Anna Friel). After discovering it is his childhood sweetheart sleeping in the mahogany box before him, he makes the decision to keep her alive…at the sacrifice of others. To combat the minor problem of not being able to touch her, Ned creatively finds ways to allow for contact. Saran wrap kisses and a beekeeper-uniform waltz leave viewers giggling at the silliness of their circumstances.

After her impromptu resurrection, Chuck becomes the third party in Ned and Emerson’s triumvirate of the dead. While hiding out from her mourning aunts Vivian and Lily (Ellen Greene and Swoosie Kurtz), she plays the perky sidekick to grumpy Emerson and constantly-stressed Ned.

This is much to the chagrin of Ned’s secret admirer, vivacious Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth), who plays the only employee in Ned’s pie shop. Her constant scheming to snag her love combined with her penchant for performing musicals (alone) in her low-cut uniforms perfectly complement the already-fanatical story lines.

Producer Bryan Fuller effectively turns a grim subject into a laugh-out-loud comedy. With off the wall plotlines and ironic elements, such as dandelion-powered cars and morbidly obese grave-robbers, Pushing Daisies is sure to keep viewers glued to their sofas every Wednesday in anticipation of the trio’s next adventure.

Generation Techno- Savvy

"The Paradox of our time in history is that...we have more degrees but less sense"
-George Carlin

Today’s typical college student can barely remember a time when the internet was non-existent. As the years continue, the number of students that rely on technology to aid their learning will continue to grow rapidly. It is officially the Golden Age of the computer, internet, and technological advancement.

The only problem? Schools haven’t exactly caught up…and are losing the attention of students with outdated course requirements and lesson plans.

A typical college syllabus contains multiple lecture sessions, a few multiple-choice exams and midterms, along with various reading assignments and busy work.

For classes that require attendance, most students drudgingly attend lecture sessions with their prized laptops in tow so as not to lose points for absences. What the professors can’t see, however, is that while many appear to be earnestly taking notes as they’re clicking away, most are actually shooting out emails or checking their MySpace accounts for new picture comments.

Instructors will assign endless chapter summary assignments to supplement lectures and ensure that students have actually completed the reading. Though they might be surprised to learn that a good chunk never even crack open the text and many don’t even purchase it in the first place! Wouldn’t it seem that it’s time for change when students can still pass a course with flying colors without even glancing at a “required” textbook?

Sprinkled throughout most courses are also multiple choice exams, filled out on Scantrons, which do more to kill trees than teach students. While once considered a tool to evaluate a student’s comprehension of the material taught , it is becoming a reality that rote memorization of useless information might not be the way to go. Just because a college student spends 4 hours the night before a midterm committing a study guide to his/her memory does not mean it’s actually been absorbed.

Instead of evaluating a professor’s success by how many A’s are earned in his course, it might be more accurate to track how many students go on to actually use the information they are “taught” in their everyday lives or how many college graduates obtain jobs where the material they’ve been taught is relevant. Isn’t the point of a college education to prepare students for the “real world” or the workforce?

Sadly, college students have stopped paying attention. In order to cope, many lug an arsenal of technology to school with them to keep themselves entertained: laptops, cell phones, iPods, etc.. Warm bodies fill classrooms but their minds are playing hooky.

So what’s the answer then? How can educators reel students back in and make their mounting debt worth the while?

While basic reading and writing skills are absolutely imperative to functioning as a competent adult, technology intervention is the answer. Slideshow presentations, email forums, web-enhanced courses, chat room discussions, and hands-on experiments are just some of the tools that many instructors are using to grab the attention of their many visual learners.

Assigning an essay on YouTube or keeping in contact with students via Facebook might seem foreign and even intimidating to many educators, but we live in a world where novel ideas are the most attractive and with so much stimuli attacking the brains of students on a daily basis (radio, TV, internet, magazines, music downloading, email, text messaging, etc.), it has become critical for professors to fight off the outside distractions and grab the focus of seemingly sidetracked pupils.

As technology continues to advance and multimedia becomes more accessible everyday, classrooms have a multitude of options at their fingertips.

College students are enrolled because they want to be… now is the time to take control of the educational institution before it falls through the cracks.

Crush 29....

Immediately upon entering Crush 29’s massive double doors, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to leave your troubles at the door. You might also be surprised to find how fun it is to watch the movers and shakers of Placer County at the trendy, upscale eatery.

Special touches like the complimentary valet service, the outdoor lounging couches, and even the fancy breadsticks served in glasses attempt at differentiating Crush from every other restaurant in town. However, one can’t help but wonder who really wants to sip their wine in a lounge area that overlooks not only a Chevron station but a busy intersection.

Once inside, it’s a different story. You’ll most likely find yourself gravitating towards the enormous circular bar, where you can enjoy their specialty martini, the “Crushtini”, which will leave your nose tickling from the dry ice cleverly placed in the bottom. Or, for the winos in the crowd, Crush features an impressive wine list of over 50 glasses.

If you absolutely love your selection, you can purchase from a selection of over 150 bottles at their in-house wine shop, where they also offer wine-tasting. In addition, each week a chef from a different winery visits to offer a special menu made to pair with a specialty wine.

The designers of the restaurant successfully created a lounge-like atmosphere that invites diners to stay as long as their glasses are filled. The overhead lighting bathes the venue in warm lighting and is set to dim when nighttime falls. The eclectic choice of jazz and house music adds to the hip ambiance, but makes it difficult to actually hear any sort of conversation you might be attempting to have.

Conversation seems irrelevant as soon as the waiter brings your orders to the table. Your taste buds will be rejoicing from the large selection Crush offers. Treat yourself to appetizers like Lamb Lollipops or Beef Butter Cups (thinly sliced beef tossed with cucumber and carrots in a to-die-for spicy sauce) and you will eagerly be anticipating the entrée. Portions are just enough to share and stave your hunger but still leave room for the next course.

The Jade Mountain Chicken is an unlikely pairing but will please an array of diners. Roasted chicken, covered in mozzarella, rests on a pile of rice laying in sun-dried tomato sauce. Or, if you’re up for something a little more traditional, the Margherita pizza never disappoints. The kitchen features a brick pizza oven, cooking the pies to perfection. All of the entrees come out of the kitchen looking more like art than food, which makes sense once you taste a bite of your masterpiece.

It’s smart to arrive at this particular eatery with an open wallet. The typical plate costs about a reasonable $12-$25, but the bar tabs can quickly add up. While it may not be reasonable to dine out on a weekly basis, the restaurant is perfect for special occasions.

The Alizadeh family is already planning an big brother to Crush, which will also be built in the Roseville area, just a street away. The restaurant will costs $10 million and will feature even more of an upscale experience, which will be hard to do but they promise to please.

Cheers!

Who needs a costume when you have skin?

Exotic zone ball, Mandango’s Halloween Bash, The “WICKED” costume party at MoMo Lounge, or your neighbor’s annual costume gala. What do all of these things have in common? Skin, skin, and yep… even more skin. Oh yeah, and about 300 look-alikes.

After partaking in several Halloween festivities this week and last, I feel like my eyeballs need to be washed out with Dial! Since when did the meaning of Halloween change from goblins and ghouls to sex and skin?

Since the meaning of the Fall holiday seems to have been hopelessly lost, here’s a little background information to fill you in.

Halloween first started with the Celts about 2,000 plus years back. They celebrated their new year on November 1st in a tradition called “Samhain“. Their belief was that the night before, on October 31st, the ghosts of the dead came to earth to wreak havoc on crops and help priests foresee the future. Fast forward to after the Romans conquered the Celts and they combined two of their festivals together with the Celts.

In late October the Romans celebrated Feralia (the passing of the dead) and the honoring of the Pomona, who was the goddess of fruit and trees. Have you ever bobbed apples at a Fall Festival? Now you know why.

After Christianity became influential, three celebrations became widespread: All Saints’ Day to celebrate the (you guessed it) saints, All-Hallowmas the night before, and All Souls’ day to celebrate the dead by dressing up as angels, devils, or saints. This is where the tradition of dressing in costumes came about. Combine all of the above and you have what we now know and love as Halloween.

Unfortunately, present day Halloween celebrations are looking less like a celebration of the dead and more like a celebration of the erotic. Take for example 100.5 the Zone’s Annual Exotic Zone Ball. Bragged to be the biggest Halloween party in all of California, it features a bondage stage where those who wish to can partake in some gold old fashioned torture, a lap dance area, and a human petting zone. Every year gets a little more risqué and a little less spooky.

Plus, Sacramentans seem to have lost any sense of originality. Every year, without fail, there seems to be an overload of naughty nurses, randy referees, sexy schoolgirls, frisky firefighters, and kinky cops. Word to the wise: just because you put “sexy” in front of a costume doesn’t make it cute. Spare partygoers eyes and cover yourself up!

Guys, you aren’t off the hook either. How many gangsters, jailbirds, and doctors can fit into one room?

To be fair, I think it’s only right to give props to the best (and surprisingly original) costumes around town so far this year, in no particular order:

1) Britney Spears (umbrella, half-shaved head, baby bottle with Diet Coke in it)
2) Borat with his neon mankini
3) Justin Timberlake’s “D*ck in a Box”
4) 80s Workout Girl

5) The Wendy’s orange-pigtailed guy
6) Lindsey Lohan/Nicole Richie/Paris Hilton jailbirds
7) Terrorist, complete with gas mask (although possibly politically incorrect)
8) Old farts (walkers, cardigans, mesh trucker hats)
9) The Walking Keg that actually had alcohol in it
10) Nip/Tuck’s Kimber (stitches on the mouth)

Next year around this time I challenge Sacramento to bring back the true meaning of Halloween: deck yourself out in the most original costume you can think of, construct a haunted house that will leave people’s vocal chords raw from screaming , and for goodness sake: keep your clothes on while you do it!

'Tis the season... and I just can't wait!

It’s almost here: the smell of gingerbread cookies and cinnamon candles will waft into my nostrils on a daily basis, storefronts will glimmer with silver tinsel and fake snow, and there will be a general feeling of goodwill and joyfulness penetrating the atmosphere. Ladies and Gentleman, Christmas is about to arrive!

I find a different reason to love the holiday every time December rolls around, but the warm feeling of holiday cheer infiltrates every inch of my body right on cue every year.

Perhaps the greatest joy of all is seeing the excitement in a child’s face in anticipation of the 25th. The youngest ones take pride in their handcrafted popsicle stick ornaments and picking out the “perfect” tree, even if it closely resembles Charlie Brown’s infamous Evergreen. Some little ones spend hours on their computers constructing wish lists of toys, complete with full descriptions and price comparisons, with enough pages to reach the moon and back. On the night of Christmas Eve, children can barely stop wriggling long enough to catch a wink of sleep, hoping to catch a glimpse of Saint Nick snacking on the Snackwells cookies they laid out.

Children and adults alike seem to be sprinkled with sugar and spice and everything nice, turning into regular saints around this time. Those who like to curse at the homeless men begging on Arden way the rest of the year are now compelled to donate cans to the hungry or buy a little girl a Barbie doll as part of the Wish Tree. The sounds of the Salvation Army’s bells fill the air and people are more than happy to unload their change. It’s unfortunate that this doesn’t go on the entire year, but you have to start somewhere right?

On a more shallow level, we can’t forget the all-consuming smells and tastes of the holiday season, which leave my senses in a state of month-long euphoria.

Fragrance and cosmetic companies jump on the chance to market special-edition peppermint lip glosses, cinnamon body scrubs, and vanilla sprays. Candle shops offer a plethora of Christmas-themed wax goodies, and almost every place you walk into smells like it’s been sprayed with a “Christmas” air freshener.

So your taste buds don’t feel left out, there’s a smorgasbord of holiday specials in every café and candy shop around town. Starbucks offers my favorite seasonal treat called the Cranberry Bliss Bar, a mixture of cranberries and vanilla frosting to go along with their peppermint mochas and gingerbread lattes. Holiday cheer can also be found in the form of cookies, cakes, and candy canes that are either for sale or offered up by friends and neighbors. Peppermint ice cream anyone? Yum!

Even better than material objects is the theme of family that becomes so widespread by the end of the year. The hustle and bustle of everyday life comes to a halt as relatives come together to share a hearty meal, a glass (or four) of eggnog, and catch up on the year’s happenings. While not everyone has the time to catch up with Aunt Martha on a weekly basis, Christmas is the perfect excuse to do just that. There aren’t many moments that bring more contentment than realizing how lucky you are to be cozy, well-fed, and surrounded by loved ones on a holiday.

Whether you celebrate Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, or none of the above, you’re sure to encounter (and enjoy) some of the many perks of the holiday season.

The only downside to the festivities? That they can’t last the whole year!