Sunday, January 27, 2008

The UFC from a Woman’s Point of View

by Celia Gomes

If you missed the last pay-per-view of The Ultimate Fighting Championship from January 19th, then you missed out on one of the best Main Event fights in my opinion. If you have no idea what I am talking about, then you really need to read on.

The UFC started back in 1993 and the goal was to find “the Ultimate Fighting Champion”. Skilled athletes in various disciplines of martial arts including jiu-jitsu, grappling, wrestling, karate, boxing, kickboxing, and other combat sports compete to be crowned the ultimate champion. Known as a “no rules” competition in which there were no weight classes, the UFC drew its share of controversy and was banned in a number of American states. In response, the UFC cooperated with state athletic commissions and redesigned its rules and introduced weight classes.

After a long battle and on the brink of bankruptcy, the UFC was purchased by Station Casinos executives Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta and boxing promoter Dana White in January of 2001 for 2 million and Zuffa, LLC was created as the entity which controls the UFC.

The UFC has been growing in popularity since then. A reality television show “The Ultimate Fighter” has emerged in which up-and-coming MMA fighters compete to win a contract with the UFC. It was also announced that an agreement had been reached in which the Fertitta brothers would be purchasing the PRIDE Fighting Championships. UFC has graced the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine and many of its fighters have lucrative endorsement and promotional deals.

Now that you know a little bit of UFC history and what it’s about you may ask yourself, “How does a girl get interested in the UFC?” Well, for me it started out with my husband channel surfing one Saturday night 5 years ago and we happened to catch one of the UFC events. I was intrigued by what was going on. These men weren’t just boxing, they were wrestling, karate, kickboxing and what I later learned was grappling. As my husband patiently explained about the Gracie Family and their jiu-jitsu legacy, I found myself curious to learn more. These MMA fighters had not only knock out power but submission moves also. After watching some more of these events and getting to know the arm bar, the guillotine and the kamura (all submission moves), it became apparent to me that there is absolutely no shame in tapping out. After all, the fighters’ health and safety are the number one priority in this sport.

I think one of the best parts about watching the UFC for me is that there are so many talented fighters involved and as I get to know the fighters and their different styles I have found myself having a few favorites. I love the fact that these men come from different backgrounds and countries, the wide range of ages and their different personalities. Let’s just face it – I love everything about the UFC and I look forward to watching their events. The fact that these fighters are in the best shape and don’t look so bad in their shorts doesn’t hurt either... (hey, this is from a woman’s point of view).

Now as for the last pay-per-view… Let’s just say that B.J. Penn proved once again that he is a force to be reckoned with in the Octagon when he beat Joe “Daddy” Stevenson to become the Lightweight Champion. Penn has the most amazing flexibility that I have ever seen and he joins “Randy Couture as the only two men in UFC history to win titles in two different weight classes”.

The next live event will be on February 2nd and Frank Mir will be taking on Brock Lesnar in the main event (you may remember that name from the WWE). Should be interesting to see Lesner’s MMA skills and what he brings into the Octagon.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Pats in, Pack out

by Christopher Reardon

Well the Patriots continued to tear the turf up in today's game, stretching their record uh... record to 18-0. Mercury Morris has nothing to say now. Phillip Rivers has no more trash talk left. All that's left is to beat the Giants in the big show, and while Eli and his crew put up a good show during the regular season, it still went down as a notch in the Pat's win column and there's nothing to make me think that it won't happen again, particularly in a playoff setting.

Speaking of the Giants, they surprised a lot of people on their way to the Superbowl, upsetting Brett Favre and the Packers in an edge-of-your-seat overtime showing. Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes, after missing his previous two attempts from shorter yardage, managed to nail a 47-yard field goal and also to nail the lid on Green Bay's season.

So February third will be Brady versus Manning (Eli, that is). Belichick versus Coughlin. Patriots versus Giants. Not quite the show stopper everyone was hoping for in a Green Bay/ New England standoff. Let's face it: whomever the Patriots would have played would likely have turned out the loser. It just would have been much more satisfying for us New England fans still stung by New England's loss to Green Bay back in '97. It would even have been more satisfying for Favre and his fans, who have been looking to see a Superbowl berth since the 1998 loss to the Broncos.

But I guess this game will be okay. It'll still be nice to see the Pats win for the fourth time in seven years. Parity has been the name of the game since the NFL went with a salary cap, but the Patriots have overcome that and become the only modern dynasty in the league due to their great coaching, fantastic scouting, and that golden arm attached to Tom Brady. It'll also be nice to see the Pats go 19-0, a feat never accomplished by any team, ever. Holy cow, the Patriots HAVE NOT LOST THIS ENTIRE SEASON! That's unreal. I hope, nay, I KNOW that they will finish it all. They've come too far to fall now to Archie Manning's lesser son.

Image provided by Boston.com

Monday, January 14, 2008

Fame Isn't All it's Cracked Up to Be

by Scott Spillane

There have been endless accounts of over zealous people with cameras aka “paparazzi” harassing and invading famous people’s personal space.

A famous person can’t fart without a paparazzi smelling and reporting it.

I still can’t believe peoples reactions to famous people exploding on these paparazzi. How would you like 50 people flashing cameras in your face? I mean they are right in their faces!

I don’t care how much money they make, they are still human beings with feelings and emotions.

Take Britney Spears: is she a good mother? Hell no! She clearly has issues and what do these people do? They continue to harass her. She can’t even get in her car and drive somewhere, and then they get mad at her when she runs their feet over. I say if you don’t move, you are road pizza.

On occasion a celebrity fights back. Woody Harrelson, Alec Baldwin and Sean Pen have all fought back. I say kudos to them.

I’m sure many of you that are reading this are saying “they make millions of dollars so tough petunias for them” well I leave you with this;

On Sunday, August 31st 1997 Princess Diana was killed while being chased by the paparazzi. All she wanted was some privacy with her boyfriend.

So I guess using the logic above its ok she died because she had a lot of money.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Green Dots on Quarterback Helmets?

by Christopher Reardon

I've been watching a lot of football with other contributors to NORMAL this season, and one question has come up a lot: What's with those big green dots on the backs of all the quarterbacks' helmets? A number of theories arose, like it was a way for the cameras to track the player or that it was somehow involved in the radio system the quarterback shares with the sideline (given that only the quarterback has the green dot on his head, this seemed the more likely scenario). The real answer, as provided by EMQB.com, is a bit more complicated:

"It signifies that the player has a radio helmet and the NFL will put the stickers on the helmets themselves each week. Only a QB can have a radio, and only one green dot can be on the field at a time. So, if a 2nd string QB comes in for a trick play, he has to have a different helmet to wear."

Good answer! Thanks EMQB.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Recipe: Italian Pasta Salad

by Christopher Reardon

In these wintry months I start to long for some of my favorite summer foods: grilled hot dogs, ice cream, and of course pasta salad. This is an incredibly easy and delicious dish that is a great accompaniment to any meal, even in these shivery times. The dish is based on yet another of my inventions at work, which is a traditional tossed salad topped with Italian cold cuts and balsamic vinaigrette. Here's a hint: if you don't want to buy separate packages of meat and cheese, just go to your local sub shop and order a couple Italian subs with provolone cheese. Just keep in mind that every restaurant uses a different combination of cold cuts in their sandwiches. I hope you enjoy!

You'll need:

2 boxes penne pasta, prepared al dente according to box instructions
6 slices mortadella
6 slices capicola ham
6 slices genoa salami
6 slices pepperoni
8 slices provolone cheese
1/2 cup julienned green bell pepper
1/2 cup julienned red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup sliced olives (green or black - your preference)
1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 or 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
1 cup balsamic vinaigrette (see below)
salt and pepper to taste

This is really simple. Just cut all the cold cuts and the cheese up into roughly half-inch pieces, throw all the ingredients into a big bowl and gently stir it all together until everything is evenly coated with the vinaigrette. If you can stand it, let the salad sit in the fridge or at room temperature for a couple hours before eating it. This way all the flavors will meld very nicely and the dish will be that much better for it.

Note: Balsamic vinaigrette is readily available bottled in the grocery store, but in case you're a traditionalist and you want to make you're own, I got this recipe for you from FoodNetwork.com:

"1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, optional*
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil...

...Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings...

If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, whisking or shaking again before use.

*If using a good quality balsamic vinegar you should not need the sugar, but if using a lesser quality you might want the sugar to round out the dressing."

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Thinking About Life While Touching Myself

by Christopher Reardon

Ah, a man's special place. Somewhere he can be alone and take care of all his most private, ahem, functions in peace and serenity. Where touching oneself becomes not only acceptable, but absolutely necessary. No, I'm not talking about that jerk-off dungeon you've got hidden in the crawlspace. I'm talking, of course, about the bathroom.

Perpetuated by manly men like Al Bundy and Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor, the bathroom (and specifically, the toilet) is meant to be the heart of a man's kingdom. After all, men are not to be ashamed of the various fluids that come out of their bodies, while a real lady would never discuss such things. The toilet is a man's throne, but it's not exactly the best place to get any real thinking done.

And why is that? These days the toilet has become an extension of the living room. Look within arm's reach of most American toilets and you are sure to find a stack of magazines or other reading material. Some people even have television sets in their bathrooms. I myself reach for my cell phone when doing the deed (you can ask my friends, I'm not ashamed of dropping a deuce while chatting).

The shower, on the other hand, is one place where books and phones simply can't go. If you're looking for entertainment while in the shower, your best bet is a radio. I'll admit I do listen to some tunes in the shower now and then, but most of the time I prefer to go au natural. That is, only the sound of the water and my own thoughts.

That's why I get most of my best thinking done in the shower. My cleaning routine has become so automatic over the years that it requires zero thought process, so I need something to keep my mind occupied. Half the stories I write for NORMAL were conceived in the shower. When I was in college I could write an entire five page paper while I was in the shower. In fact, if ever I was having a bit of writer's block I would throw on my robe and high tail it to the bathrooms to see what I could work out. Most of the time it worked wonders.

The shower is a great environment for getting some hard core thinking done. Not only is it mostly free of outside stimuli, but I find the warm flowing water very relaxing for the body (which frees me of the physical worries most of us face on a day to day basis) but also stimulating in its own way for the mind. You might have a pile of bills, an angry wife, or a shitty job but none of that can be changed while you are bathing yourself. The shower becomes an escape from all that is stressing me out, so I can focus on what I really care about.

You shouldn't take such a zen place for granted. Your shower loves you, so you should love it back! Keep it clean for God's sake, and tone down on all those bottles and cloths all over it. If your shower is clean and tidy, you'll find it a much more conducive environment for putting all those crazy pieces of ideas in your head into complete thoughts. You'll be surprised what you can come up with!

I'm Double the Man I Used to Be

by Scott Spillane

I was born September 3rd of 1971, I weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces. I was an average sized kid up until the summer before high school.

I’ve gone back and forth from being fat to being skinny. Every time I lose the weight it comes back and then some.


My problem is that when I do something I do it to the extreme and demand immediate results. I can lose 40 pounds in a month, but to do that I eat nothing but tuna, turkey breast and ham.


5 Years ago I was 175 pounds, going to the gym 3 hours per day, 7 days per week. I was a regular Rock of Gibraltar.


Now I struggle to put shirts on and button my pants. I get winded walking up the stairs. I’m in pain for 2 days after doing the simplest chores around the house.


My QA Manager at work organized a friendly “weigh in” The person that loses the most weight in 8 weeks wins $125. I wanted to be a part of it just for the fun of participating in a group thing at work. My problem was that I was too ashamed to step on the scale. Not because I don’t want them all to know what I weigh, but because I’m the one that is afraid to know.


I don’t understand what is so tough about a normal diet? All I have to do is stop stuffing bad food into my fat mouth!


It’s a little late for a New Year’s resolution but I’m starting a diet on Monday January 8th.


I don’t want to have a heart attack and die, I don’t want to continue to buy bigger clothes, but most of all I don’t want to be ashamed of myself.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Why British is Better

by Christopher Reardon

I gotta tell ya, I just love British people. The accent, the sense of humor, and the lack of George Bush as president are all very appealing to me. Gosh I wish I could move to London, but given as I'm a poor New England boy I have to get my fix elsewhere; namely, British movies. Watching movies from across the pond is really special for me because I love deciphering the exact meaning of the dialect and because I find that ten British movies lined up in a row will be better than ten American movies lined up in a row almost any day. In fact, let's do just that. Here's a list of ten fabulous British movies and their ten American counterparts that don't quite stand up to the competition. If you have a favorite British movie, let us know in the comments!

Hot Fuzz vs. Bad Boys
Writers Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright offer a movie that was marketed as a comedy, but is a legitimate action movie through and through and manages to improve upon its own inspiration. Now bring the noise!

Shaun of the Dead vs. Dawn of the Dead
Pegg and Wright return and manage to again best the very movie they parody by providing a useful combination of horror and comedy, and not failing at either. Better than a dart to the head any day.

Beautiful Thing vs. Brokeback Mountain
Never mind all the great Mama Cass music, for one thing Beautiful Thing came out ten years before the “ground breaking” Brokeback. For another, it offers a sweet and sincere story with some of the angst but none of the heartache of Brokeback.

Trainspotting vs. Requiem for a Dream
Requiem is a classic, but no movie moved and scared me away from drug use more than Trainspotting ever will, yet it still manages to not be as preachy as Requiem. I see that baby crawling across the ceiling in my nightmares even now.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail vs. Spaceballs
I’ll choose Monty Python over Mel Brooks any day, if only because I love me a British accent. Both movies are rife with camp, but Holy Grail manages to achieve legendary status with its one-liners, vicious bunnies and lack of John Candy (God bless him).

The Full Monty vs. Showgirls
No contest here. The Full Monty is a thoughtful and genuinely funny movie, while Showgirls is an excuse to see the chick from Saved by the Bell naked. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose (insert masturbatory punchline here).

A Clockwork Orange vs. Fight Club
Both are great movies with a bit of the ol’ ultra violence, but the very puzzle of A Clockwork Orange will keep me coming back years after I’ve tired of Fight Club (if that ever happens).

Human Traffic vs. Dazed and Confused
Now we’ve reached the hour of Spliff Politics. Human Traffic manages to be more realistic and funnier than Dazed and Confused, despite the latter’s legendary status. If you haven’t seen this gem I suggest you do so as soon as possible.

28 Days Later vs. Resident Evil
I know, two (actually four!) zombie movies in one list, but I’m really a sucker for the sub-genre . And hey, fast zombies are way scarier than slow-ass zombies any day. In fact, I’ve never been more scared of a humanoid creature than when I saw 28 Days Later, and the ever-present danger of infection was fulfilled more frighteningly than any other movie I’ve seen in my life.

Millions vs. Blank Check
Had to get at least one kids movie in here. Blank Check was the sh*t when I was a kid, but is intolerable now. Millions still manages to be watchable (and far more financially realistic) as an adult and actually offers a compelling and sweet story.

Recipe: Dartmouth Street Chicken Sandwich

by Christopher Reardon

I've invented a few sandwiches during my stay at the sub shop, and the Dartmouth Street Chicken Sandwich is probably my specialty. I got the idea after a trip to the Outback Steak House (a fine eatery if ever there was one) and enjoying their Alice Springs Chicken. If you've ever eaten that dish, you'll find some of the flavors in this sandwich familiar.

You'll need:
1 chicken breast fillet (pre-cooked)
2 slices bacon
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons honey mustard sauce (see below)
2 slices swiss cheese
1 bulky roll

Start by frying your bacon up in a regular skillet or a griddle pan. When it's nice and crispy, drain most of the fat from the pan and begin cooking the onions in the remainder of the fat (this will add a lot of flavor to your sandwich). When the onions begin to caramelize (that is, to brown), add your chicken and mushrooms. Cook chicken for a couple minutes, flip, then top the chicken with the cooked bacon, onions, and mushrooms. Pour the honey mustard over the whole thing and top with the cheese. Now cover the pan and let the cheese melt and all those flavors meld together. All you have to do now is put all those ingredients into your roll and enjoy!

Note: If you don't have any honey mustard sauce lying around, just mix together three parts honey with three parts mustard and one part heavy mayonnaise. You'll be surprised at how much like the store-bought stuff it is, maybe even better. Also, you don't have to use a bulky roll. Any kind of bread will do, or even a nice tortilla wrap. Finally, you can easily find precooked chicken in the grocery store these days, but if you must use raw I suggest you use a separate pan and make sure it is cooked all the way through before eating.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Shriveled Meat, Asterisks and Needles, Oh My!

by Scott Spillane

What do these names have in common: Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi and Ken Caminiti? All were in The Mitchell Report, big surprise huh?

The surprise to me was the absence of Ivan Rodriguez and Sammy Sosa.

After millions of dollars spent what did it accomplish? It confirmed that people “cheated” to become better, or to keep pace with the younger players.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the book store, here comes Joes Canseco with a follow up to his first book entitled “Juiced” where he claims that Alex Rodriguez is not who he appears to be.

Everyone wants to talk about asterisk going next to these players’ accomplishments. I say who cares?!? Can you prove that Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays or Frank Robinson didn’t use something to enhance their performance? Do you really think Babe Ruth being drunk and grossly overweight didn’t use something to pick himself up? C’mon, the guy was a mess.

If the athletes don’t mind doing permanent damage to their insides, their meat shriveled and pimples so big you can read braille on them then I don’t mind. I don’t know about you but I loved tuning in every night to watch Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa going back and forth hitting 70 home-runs. I even loved watching the biggest a-hole on two feet breaking the record. I for one love watching these guys smash the ball out of the park. Would you rather watch Barry Bonds at the dish or Steve Urkel?

In closing I ask one question, why do you care what they are doing to hit that ball? I wouldn’t give back the last 10 years of baseball for anything.

Image provided by TheSportsFlow

Clemens to Appear on 60 Minutes Re: PED Use

by Christopher Reardon

Make sure you check out this Sunday's edition of 60 Minutes if you're at all interested in the ever-growing performance-enhancing drug scandal in major league baseball. Legendary pitcher Roger Clemens will finally address accusations made in Senator George Mitchell's report to the commissioner's office regarding the scandal. The Mitchell report named around eighty current and former major leaguers who have been involved in performance-enhancing drug use, but perhaps no name dropped had as much impact as Clemens'. Sure, Barry Bonds took up a good chunk of the report, but no one really doubted his use of PEDs over the past seven years. The fact that the Rocket was called out as a user means that the two best players in the last twenty years (and possibly of all time) gained much of their success artificially.

On 60 Minutes Clemens will say that while he did allow trainer Brian McNamee to inject him with substances, these were simply painkillers (lidocaine) and B-12 which, he claims, were for his joints. Skip Bayliss on ESPN's First Take this morning brought up a good point: If these injections really were for Clemens' joints, then why would they have been injected into the Rocket's buttocks, as the Mitchell report claims, and not directly in the joints themselves?

Regardless of how you feel about Clemens' and PEDs in baseball, 60 Minutes should be a good watch. Check it out Sunday, Jan. 6 at 7pm.

Image provided by cbsnews.com

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Balance in My Life

by Matthew Reardon

Since I can remember I have had a difficult time balancing my life. I've always been all out for something; doing something to the extreme or not even doing it at all in fear of over doing it.

I've never had a few drinks for a social occasion. It's always been all out till the sun comes up type shit, sleep till an hour before work(second shift), be sick all night at work and then by the time my eight hour shift was nearing the end, do it all again. Well that all landed me into some legal and financial trouble along with a few other extra curricular activities.

So its time to cut that shit out. So I go two two and half years with nothing. I think the most I drank was a sip of some home made beer my friend's dad brewed up to see how the taste was. So there lacked some balance.

But it doesn't stop there. Its in the amount of love I show someone or the lack there of, the time I spend with my friends or not at all.

Knowing when to walk away in an argument or taking it to the next level and possibly making myself look like a complete a-hole whether I was right or wrong.

Balance in relationships is the hardest for me. I either treat someone like a queen and bow to them when called upon, or I could just give a shit if they where happy or not.

That is why I feel more often than not I remain subject to the fear of being walked all over or just not caring at all...

Now work, there are times I would be at work as much as they needed me there, if they asked me to stay twenty four hours I probably would and then other months I could just give a shit if they let me go or not...

The gym same thing, I used to go the gym religiously and if I missed a day or two, I'd give up all together.

So maybe I'm gonna live my whole life this way or maybe I'm gonna recognize it when it happens and balance it out.

Announcement: We Need a Logo!

So I have yet to find my art director, which I know will be a lofty goal. In the meantime, I really need a logo to represent NORMAL, which will be used on the main page, the Myspace page, flyers, postcards, business cards, and pretty much everything else NORMAL related. The logo will need to incorporate some kind of symbol that will represent men, but not specifically any facet of NORMAL Blogazine (I don't want the symbol to be a football, or a car, or a computer for instance). My first thought was that symbol you see on Men's room doors, kind of a stick figure man but this may be a bit cheesy. This is really important for the improvement of NORMAL Blogazine, so I really need a graphic designer to come up with something killer for me. You will retain full credit, and I am willing to discuss financial compensation. In return, I have full veto power! If I don't feel the logo properly represents NORMAL Blogazine, I will not use it. Feel free to email me at normalmagazine@gmail.com with any ideas. Meetings in person can be arranged if necessary.

Thank you!
-Christopher Reardon
Editor-in-Cheif

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Top Firefox Extensions

by Christopher Reardon

If you don't already know it, Firefox is the best internet browser out there - whether you're using a pc or a mac. Why is Firefox so great? The browser is very simple at it's core, but offers a level of customization that is unprecedented among its competition. Themes are great, if you really care about what your back and forward buttons look like, but I find they are very memory intensive and fairly useless. The real meat of Firefox customization comes in the extensions. Extensions can be pretty much anything - a widget that shows a small but of information or a program that runs in the background to boost performance. And there are literally thousands of extensions out there. That's why I've compiled this list of the top extensions within Firefox, in the hopes that you will be able to improve your browser experience without the headache of deciding which extensions are worthwhile and which are not. So here are my top ten Firefox extensions, in no particular order.

1. FoxyTunes




If you're like me you get frustrated when you have to switch between windows in order to perform a simple function, like pausing a song or increasing the volume. That's why I like Foxytunes so much. It puts a simple media player controller into your Firefox status bar which allows you to do all the normal functions of your media player without actually opening the player window. Foxytunes also comes with a pop-up window that will show you song information and link you to a site for more information about the music you're listening to. The player does take up about a third of your status bar, but happily it is collapsible if necessary.

2. Wizz RSS News Reader

Most people would just use Google reader or Yahoo or some other full-sized feed reader to get all their news for the day, but I really like Wizz because it's small, easily accessible, and I can have the reader open while looking at the source page or even other pages (useful for when your feed contains a link you want to look at). Wizz comes with a tool bar button that will open a sidebar containing a navigation menu (similar to a windows folder) which will open all your feeds! It sounds kind of frumpy when I put it to words, but really it is awesome!

3. Screengrab!

The print screen button is a hassle. All that copy-pasting is a pain in the ass, and then you have to crop the image to get exactly what you want out of it. This is where Screengrab! comes in. The extension, when activated, turns your browser into a selection screen, where in you can choose exactly what it is you want saved, be it a picture, a piece of flash, some text, or anything displayed in Firefox. Very very handy.

4. WeatherBug




WeatherBug is a small widget that you can put wherever you want in your browser window. I put mine in the upper-right corner of my menu-bar; easily accessible but not at all intrusive. In that little space I can see the current temperature (damn it's only fifteen degrees out!) and a simple two-day forecast. If there is an extreme weather alert being put out by WeatherBug the widget flashes until you notice and find out what's going on. It also comes with a pop-up window that gives you more detailed weather info including wind speeds, Doppler Radar, live camera feeds, and links to even more detailed weather. How convenient!

5. MeasureIt

No, this is not a tool for measuring your latest erection. This is really a super-simple extension which allows you to measure any object in your browser in pixels. Perfect for designers that need their media to fit into a certain amount of space. I use this extension nearly everyday.

6. Smart Bookmarks Bar




I love this extensions. The bookmarks bar is supremely useful, but with Firefox's default setup, it can hold maybe ten sites and folders before you have to start using the little "more" arrows. If your bookmarks are websites that you actually go to often (if they're not, then why are they bookmarked?) then you will probably recognize the icon that appears in the left-hand side of the url bar and the tap that the site is in. Smart Bookmarks Bar uses those icons to represent your bookmarks instead of the icon plus all that text. Now my bookmarks bar holds more than forty easily recognizable icons.

7. Tab Mix Plus
Tab browsing is one of the main draws of Firefox, and Tab Mix Plus gives you a ton of options for customizing your tab browsing experience. From duplicating tabs, undoing closed tabs, customizing the look of your tabs and the behavior of mouse gestures, there is really no better option out there for all your tab needs.

8. Linkification
All that copy and paste business is overrated. If there's a text url or an email address on some web page that normally would not be clickable, Linkification makes it so. Again, it's really simple, but so are some of the best things in life.

9. Save Image in Folder
Another super-simple extension that I use almost everyday. It puts an option in your context menu (that's what pops up when you right click folks!) that allows you to save an image from Firefox directly into a folder of your choosing. The menu is customizable so you can put the pics wherever you want without having to open that annoying windows dialog box.

10. Download Statusbar
Ask 100 Firefox aficionados about their favorite extensions, and at least ninety of them will tell you about Download Statusbar. This simple extension adds a pop-up status bar (that only comes up when you are downloading something) that takes the place of the annoying Firefox download window. Combined with #9, I almost never have to deal with another window opening and interrupting my browsing experience. Download status bar shows you the status of your download, but does not intrude on your browsing experience if you don't particularly care about the download status.

Contributor Profile: Michael Weisburg

Hi, my name is Michael and I am 23 years old. I am exactly what your parents never wanted you to bring home to the dinner table. You know the one you used to stare at walking down the halls in school. I am pretty much your average male. I like sports, and beer, and I definitely like women. Just not their bitchiness. I am the type of guy who could give you advice on your relationship, yet I can't figure out my own. I listen to alt rock, punk, metal and emo music. It helps me think about what I am doing wrong.

-Michael Weisburg
Check out my personal Myspace page!

Cigarette Smokers: Endangered Species?

by Christopher Reardon
(excerpted and revised from the original, published in the Daily Collegian on 2/15/2006)

Surgeon’s (Not-So) General Warning: Quitting smoking, while beneficial to your physical health, may cause extreme irritability, sleeplessness, and the ability to smell things that you would have preferred not to.

Smoke up while you can people, because the “golden days” of Big Tobacco are gone, and before you know it lighting up on your cigarette break will be as taboo as mentioning Abu Ghraib in the Oval Office. Where once Americans considered themselves lucky to win a carton of smokes on “I’ve Got a Secret,” now we consider ourselves lucky to avoid a “Truth” ad during Adult Swim. Whether they’re aware of it or not, the human species is steadily phasing smokers out of the equation.

Let’s look at evolution. Until we experience another massive global environmental change (an ice age, for instance), it can be assumed that, for now, human physical evolution is at its peak. Mental evolution, though, doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. As a result, technology is advancing at a rapid pace, and humans are learning things about the universe and about their own bodies that scientists 100 years ago would have scoffed at. At the same time, the earth’s population is steadily increasing, with villages and towns increasingly making way for cities and megalopolises (the entire northern half of the east coast, for instance).

Fields are being paved for streets and buildings are becoming taller and closer together. That alone spells doom for the lowly cigarette smoker. I’m sure you’ve noticed the imposing signs that read “No Smoking Within 20 Feet of the Building.” It started slowly, but before you knew it half the buildings in Boston maintained this policy, and soon you can be sure that every building in the state will follow suit. Add that to the fact that thirty states (including Massachusetts) have enacted legislation restricting smoking in public buildings, and it can only be a matter of time before the Patriot Act renewal includes a “no smoking inside ANY building, period” rider.

So we can’t smoke indoors, and we can’t smoke within twenty feet of any building; what happens when you walk twenty feet away from your office and bump into a Macdonald’s, three Starbuck’s, and a Wal-Mart? Where do you go to smoke then? Are humans doomed to taking a lovely Sunday drive to the country just so they can puff a Marb Red?

Well, without sugar coating it, yes they are; and eventually even that solution will be implausible. The fact that I can remember ashtrays being offered in fast-food restaurants is a testament to the speed with which smoking is being eradicated in the state. I wouldn’t be surprised if in a handful of lifetimes smoking was unilaterally banned throughout the planet. Humans in the twenty-third century will learn about the curious tradition of inhaling tar and nicotine into our lungs and risking fifty different kinds of cancer with every drag, thinking to themselves how stupid and self-destructive people in our time were. Well I, for one, laugh at the (alleged) ignorance of my great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren, for they will never know the sweet, calming truth: through numbed tongues, hacking coughs, and smelly fingers, every single puff I’ve ever taken in my life was absolutely worth it.

I’m a rare breed; a true casual smoker. I tried that whole addiction nonsense, but it was too expensive and once in a great while I like to be able to smell my food before I eat it. Now I try to reserve smoking for times when a) I really want a cigarette, or b) I really need a cigarette. Therefore, each and every cigarette I smoke is a little slice of Heaven, and the idea of that being taken away from me concerns me more than some Irag War ever could (just kidding!).

Of course, as I said my theory that smoking will one day be completely abolished from society will take a few lifetimes to come to pass. And, although this change in human behavior may affect my children’s children…well, I’ll be dead by then so I won’t give two craps. But let us, in the meantime, reflect on all the experiences that past smokers took for granted, but are no longer available to present-day smokers.

It’s a little sad, isn’t it? Wouldn’t you love to sit in your favorite bar, with your favorite drink, and your favorite brand of cigarette hanging sexily from your lips? How many of wish we could have had such a bonding experience with our fathers as sitting on the dock by a lake at the age of fourteen, fishing rod in hand, smoking a cigarette?

Well, maybe I’m the only one. But it’s okay, because I’m a smoker, and proud of it.

Don't Judge Me

by Scott Spillane

I grew up an Irish Catholic. I was baptized, had ten years of CCD and was confirmed at age 15. Through all those years I felt like a fraud. I didn’t believe, yet I was forced by my religious mother to attend church and CCD.

I shouldn’t blame my mother though; she was just trying to teach me what her parents shoved down her throat.

I always felt uncomfortable saying “I am an Atheist” Why should I feel uncomfortable? That’s not fair! I’d like you to try an experiment and tell a religious person you are an atheist. You suddenly are treated like you are the scum of the earth or you have to listen to all the myths in an effort to “bring you back from the dark side”.

It’s bad enough that religion is shoved down everyone’s throat, then someone dares to exercise their right not to believe and they are dubbed “the devil”. Guess what? I don’t believe in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny either.I am a good man. I don’t kill people, I don’t bang my neighbor’s wife, I don’t kick the crap out of my kids and I don’t cheat on my wife.

I have the right to not believe and you have the right to believe. All I ask is don’t try shoving your beliefs down my throat and I won’t laugh at the fact that you pray to a cloud.

Image courtesy of theage.com

Contributor Profile: Scott Spillane

Hi! My name is Scott Spillane and I live in Providence, Rhode Island. I am married to the lovely Melissa and have two children. Bobby is my stepson and Krysia is my beautiful daughter. I am originally from Lynn the city of sin Massachusetts. I lived a pretty wild life in Lynn; I used to party like a rock star and rock out with my cock out! Since getting married and moving to Rhode Island I’ve grown up and became a man. I like to think I’m pretty normal and live the normal American life.

-Scott Spillane
Check out my personal Myspace page!

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

How To: Make a Heating Vent Where There is No Heat Source

by Christopher Reardon (all handiwork done by Matthew Jupin)

As you may remember from Jupin's December 30 article, the first-time Daddy is currently working on little Connor's bedroom. The room was previously a sun-porch, which had little insulation and no heating source. Directly underneath the room is the downstairs half-bathroom, which is very well heated. Of course you can't let a baby sleep in a poorly-heated room, so Jupin had to come up with some way of keeping the room warm without breaking the bank. His solution: to build a vent in between the bathroom and the bedroom that will allow heat (and hopefully not too much odor!) into the nursery.

He started by installing a vent grate into a ceiling panel in the downstairs bathroom. A small mistake was made in purchasing a rectangular grate to couple with the round vent, but as you'll soon see, such problems are easily solved with the handy-man's greatest tool: duct tape.

Next he used said duct tape to attach the duct (as phallically displayed here by Jupin) to the underside of the panel and grate, which would then be fed up through the bathroom and into the bedroom.


The next step was to insulate the vent. This was probably the most difficult step, as the insulation sheets had to wrap around the vent, and there wasn't that much room between the floor and the ceiling with which to work. This video might give you an idea of just how tough it was. As Jupin said "It's a lot different from Home Again with Bob Vila."


Finally, the fan was attached to the duct in the interest of sucking heat up from the warm bathroom downstairs. The fan is electrically powered (obviously) and can be turned on and off via the power switch which was left exposed after the second grate (pictured behind the opened vent), allowing for simple control over the heat in the room. All-in-all, this is a simple solution for heating a room on a budget, but as Jupin says it's probably not the best way. But if duct tape is good enough for NASCAR, it's good enough for him.

Contributor Profile: Matthew Reardon

Hi, my name is Matthew Reardon and I'd like to share a little bit about myself. The founding father of this blogazine is my younger creative brother. I'm a twenty six year old single white male, with a lot of tattoos and wild and crazy hair at times, but im a pretty normal guy who wants normal things.

Oh wait this isn't the online personals...

I'm a CNC machinist for an up and coming medical company based in Stoughton, Ma. I'm also in the process of trying to start a respectable buisness. I will be attending a trade school in a week, and I'm pretty nervous as I haven't been in school since I graduated high school. I figure the more I know in life, the more valuable I will be as an employee but most of all as a man.

I hope I entertain you with my articles. Crazy things always seem to happen with me, so stay tuned!

-Matthew Reardon
Check out my personal Myspace page!

New Poll: Pats Superbowl Win a Must?

by Christopher Reardon

It's been a long seventeen weeks, but when all was said and done the Patriots proved to not only be in Mercury Morris' neighborhood, but they're eating dinner with his wife and kids after winning their sixteenth game on Sunday and becoming the first team since Morris' 1972 Dolphins to go undefeated in the regular season. Of course, those 'Phins only had to play a fourteen game schedule, but then again they did win the Superbowl that year. The Patriots have a fine history in the playoffs this decade, but they haven't done anything yet in this post-season. Many sports personalities think that if the Patriots don't manage a Superbowl win this year, their undefeated season will mean nothing.

That said, we want to know what you think. Will the 2007 Patriots be remembered as one of the best teams in history if they don't manage a Superbowl win? Or will they be seen as a failure if they don't go all the way. Let us know! You can find the poll to your right directly underneath our "Contributors Wanted" section. Click away!

Giving My Liver a Chance

by Scott Spillane

I am 36 years old, and I’ve been a big drinker since I was 18 years old. Going out twice a week with my friends and drinking at home. I'm not quite sure why I was drinking so much or what is was I was trying to drown. As I got older the drinking became “normal”, no matter how many times I would blackout it didn’t matter, I would continue to drink. It got to a point at which I would have to apologize for doing or saying something that I didn’t know I did or said.

You see I grew up watching my father drink Miller High Life morning, noon and night. I’m a father now and I don’t want my daughter remembering me as the drunken guy on the couch. So on President’s day this past February I said to myself “self, knock off the fucking shit!” My daughter Krysia is the most beautiful person in the world and I want her to grow up in a happy home and be proud that I am her father.

Now I will tell you how I quit drinking cold turkey after nearly 18 years of debauchery.One word – O’Doul’s. I found out that having the taste without the blackouts and shame was all I needed. My life and my daughter are far more important than feeling numb and empty.

So I would like to thank Anheuser Bush for making something responsible and my wife for giving birth to my little girl.To all of you out there that don’t think you can quit, I’m here to tell you that you can do it!