Happy Friday: A Toast to Soccer Referees

Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end to Summer and growing up playing soccer, I spent this weekend at a tournament. Well this year I will take part in that tradition once again, but instead of playing on the field, I will be the beloved referee that many will yell at! So, in honor of all soccer referees, and a way to celebrate Friday, here is a hilarious video to put a smile on your face:

Don’t Get Screwed Lebowski Style

I am currently going through a small dispute with my former landlord and although I am aware of my rights as a tenant, I am shocked at home many people are not. If you are reading this right now, you have the power of the internet at your hands. It’s as easy as typing a query into a search text box and pressing enter. This solution has been my recent motto – “wiki it” or “Google it.” Unfortunately the moving season just ended, so for many of you this is a little late, but here are a few lessons I have learned with my most recent move out:

• Upon moving in, make sure you have read over the entire lease agreement, and clarify anything that you have questions about, no matter how elementary the question might be. Everyone has their own interpretation on things, including the law, and you want to ensure that you have an understanding of the requirements.
• On the initial inventory report, document EVERY blemish, and if possible take pictures of them too. You never know if your landlord is a stickler or not.
• Take pictures or even videos if you can! Do this when you move in, when you move out, and of any other problems you encounter that require service, such as leaks or of appliance issues. If you don’t have a camera, invest in one now because you will find the value in it when you come to a dispute.
• Make all requests via email as opposed to phone. This way you have written proof of your request and your landlord cannot deny anything. Of course you need to save all emails until you have moved out and receive a satisfactory deposit refund.
• Know your rights! Go right now and search your states laws regarding landlord-tenant relationships. You’ll be surprised at how much power you actually have as a tenant.

What suggestions do you have? Do you have any horror stories? Share them in the comments.

Victim of Generation Y

Are you restless at night? Do you desire instant gratification, and get frustrated when things take time? Do you need some distraction on, like the television or music, while you do your work? If you experience these symptoms you might suffer from Generation Y. Being a computer programmer, I noticed I was a victim of Generation Y when I continuously got bored after days of doing nothing but research. I want to see results! I want to write code! It is a trait that Americans have grown to value, but we are failing to teach our kids the value of time and they are quickly evolving into impatient people. The evidence of Generation Y’s effect include instant messenger, email, text messaging, and lighting speed internet connections. The list goes on, and all it proves is that we are forgetting how to disconnect from the world. So, if you suffer from Generation Y, try to schedule a time to check your email, turn your cell phone off for a period of time, or just get away and leave all electronics behind. How do you escape the fast paced world?

What Makes You Smile?

If you live in Austin and listen to 101X in the morning, you might be aware of the part of the show called “What can’t Jason complain about.”  I am sure many of you will agree, it is simple to turn anything bad, but I assure you that given the right detailed scenario, even Jason couldn’t complain.  So, today I challenge you to post your perfect scenario in hopes of helping me stump Jason.

Your Two Cents

Last week there was a comic strip that made the headlines on Digg.com and it demonstrated the stupidity and ignorance that I believe exists among many commenters in the online community. You are practically the white trash of the internet and the comment section is your Jerry Springer. I just don’t understand why people feel the urge to post worthless comments; isn’t that why it is called “your two cents.”

In addition to stupid comments, let me go ahead and explain how worthless it is to debate religion in the comment section of an article. Religion is one of the topics I enjoy reading about, obviously to gain an understanding of the world around me, and I recently read the article on the discovery about Mother Theresa’s struggle with her faith. The article was very interesting, but as usual the comments are quickly taken off topic to preach each individual’s own opinions. For some reason, I highly doubt anyone will actively seek these comments as a source for changing their beliefs. So, debating evolution versus creation and all the other crap that people preach in these comments are essentially worthless to everyone but you, who feels the need to express your opinions. Save yourself the embarrassment of being classified with the white trash of the internet and keep your worthless comments to yourself.

“That’s the thing with opinions. You don’t have to know anything to have one.” - Andre Agassi

“…those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts.” - Bethenia McKenstry

“The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.” – Elbert Hubbard

Get Yourself Lost

Microsoft’s Virtual Earth is a really amazing tool. Not only can you view maps in satellite view, you can actually travel through the map in 3D. It is comparable to the Street view in Google Maps, but in my opinion, it is much easier to navigate. It’s as simple as switching the view to 3D, and then click and drag your way around, as opposed to Google, which you navigate around a 2D map, then click on a location to see it in 3D. If you are one of those people that rely on landmarks for directions, then this is your map. I have also suggested this tool to someone who was moving to a new city and wanted to get an idea of what certain areas of town look like. As of right now, the 3D view is not available everywhere, but it appears to be ahead of Google’s Street view, and it is a little out of date seeing that some buildings here in Austin are still under construction, although they have been complete for a few months. Regardless, it is a very useful tool to add to your online tool belt.

Curiosity Addiction

The tag line to my blog is “journey to know a little about a lot,” which was originally said to by my brother who claims that this motto is the best way to a great conversation. Part of the reason that I started my blog was to share my thoughts, and get feedback on them, hopefully gaining a greater perspective on the many topics in life. Thus, you could consider me addicted to curiosity; always wondering about the world around me. Since learning never ends, I am always seeking ways to learn something new. Reading blogs and news articles have been a predominant source in the past, but one blog article I read notified me of a few more ways to learn something new everyday. Two of my favorites from the list are Wikipedia’s “Featured Article” and the Free Dictionary’s homepage.

Check out more from Lifehack.org

It Gives You Wings!

Red Bull Flugtag came to Austin, TX this past weekend and Texas lived up to its reputation for going big. With 85,000 in attendance, Austin set the record for the largest Fulgtag audience to date. The event was also the first Flugtag to extend past sunset, setting another record. Despite the blazing heat and a few lame entries, the event filled the night with all sorts of excitement and several lost children. If anything, I now aspire to earn a spot in Flugtag someday. Anyway, be on the lookout for pictures on my Flickr page of the event!

Is The Golden Rule Dead?

“Treat others as you would like to be treated,” is probably one of the most world wide accepted practices. Despite religion, race, or gender we all want to be treated in the same way you treat others. In other words, lead by example for how believe others should act. This rule can be applied in everything we do, and today I experienced a fine example of this. During my lunch break I returned to the kitchen to clean up my lunch plate and to my surprise there was an empty paper towel roll sitting in the holder. Is it that difficult to grab the empty one, toss it in the recycle bin, and replace it with a new one. All of this can be done without even pivoting your feet! Not that having an empty roll of paper towels is that big of a deal, but it is simply an annoyance, and I am sure many of you would agree, and if you were on the receiving side, as was I today, you would like the previous person to have been so kind to replace the paper towel roll. The same courtesy goes with the coffee pot. If you take the last cup, refill the damn thing! I hope next time you are in this position you remember this post and decide to take the time to do your part in the circle of life. And, if you ever catch me failing to act accordingly, you are welcome to point a nasty finger at me.

Texas Fight!

T-minus 8 days and counting until the Longhorns’ first game home game! That means only 8 days until we get to display our Texas traditions. Being a recent graduate, I hope to start some of my own traditions. The morning shot of whiskey is a thing of the past, now I hope to get my feet wet with one of the greatest traditions, tailgating. Unfortunately my aspirations are a bit deeper than my wallet, so I won’t be able to get that prime real estate, with a flat screen television and a huge smoker, but I refuse to settle for much less. I intend for this season to be a learning experience and that over time my tailgate will equate to my dream. Be on the lookout for updates, tips, and tricks!

On another thought, I haven’t been on campus since the end of last season, and I have no clue hwo the construction is going on the North end zone, but in my search for answers I came across a model of what DKR Memorial Stadium will look like once ALL the construction is done. Oh, the site is absolutely breathtaking, almost orgasmic! All this preseason excitement has got me feeling like a little kid on Christmas.