Support Local Restaurants

Now, I know that I love a good double cheeseburger now and again from McDonalds. But many times, I try to eat at a local restaurant to get that good, down home feeling that I know no one else can get unless they live in my city. That makes it all the more special.

I’m sure that you know of which shops to head to around Memphis, but just in case you don’t:

1. The Beauty Shop (yeah, I know it sounds like a salon, but the food is GREAT trust me!)
2. Muddy’s Bake Shop (you’ve GOT to try the Shady Wake pecan pie!)
3. Corky’s (Great B-B-Q)
4. And Huey’s to name a few.

The food is great and the service is greater. Who better to dine with than those who reside in your own backyard? Head out to these restaurants today!

What local restaurants do you frequent?

Road Rage

In my opinion, the best way to conquer road rage is to stay off of the road. It’s honestly very hard to not yell at a driver or call them a name for cutting you off, almost sideswiping you, or driving 25 miles per hour on a 65 mph highway. And that’s some of the nicer things that you can do. What’s the greatest contributor to road rage? That’s easy: rush hour traffic.

Not matter where you are, the period between 5 pm and 6:30 pm is the WORST. There is no where you can go to avoid traffic, because it’s almost guaranteed that 40 people in front of you thought of the same route.

I have a friend who should be the poster child for road rage. If someone in front of her is going too slow, she speeds up until she’s right on their bumper to get them to speed up. If someone behind her is following too closely behind her, she purposely slows down, just to irritate them. Many times, it works, because the person will pass and make some very rude gestures. I guess they need to find a conquering road rage 101 class too, huh?

Road rage in not an admirable thing to have, and I don’t necessarily have it. Impatient drivers turn into reckless drivers, which in turn bring about accidents, and that’s what we don’t want. So, I found a website that lists certain things that one could do in order to get their road rage under control.

Some of the things that they list are things like: getting enough sleep (driving on a lack of sleep can make people cranky, and further induce ones dormant road rage. Or their not so dormant road rage. ), plan your tip ahead and give yourself a little extra time to leave in order to avoid some of the traffic that your normally encounter, and don’t listen to aggressive music or any music that will get you riled up. Some people listen to music that automatically makes them react in a way that’s not really conducive to driving, let alone their eardrums.

Will these techniques work for me? Who knows? We’ll just have to see.

Do you have road rage? How do you handle it?

No Funeral for my Smartphone Battery??

I think that my Android phone and the Energizer Bunny need to have a little chat. If that pink, fuzzy, shades wearing mammal can hook my phone up and help to keep my phone alive for potentially more than a day, I’ll be forever grateful.

I’m sure I’m not the only one, who is ever increasingly frustrated about the lack of battery life of my Smartphone. I love the fact that I can surf the internet, text, and talk all at the same time, while keeping up on my feed subscriptions, checking game scores, and weather reports. Yes, I enjoy all of these luxuries, but they KILL the battery. By 8 pm, if I’m nowhere near a charger, it’s a wrap.

So, no surprise, I need help. I found an article that claims that it can help to give your lithium-ion battery more stamina. They actually list some very good tips:

Their first tip is to reconsider your network. The C.D.M.A. mobile standard used by Verizon takes more power than the G.S.M. used by AT&T and T-Mobile. For those who use their phones constantly, you may consider switching your network provider if they provide the coverage you need. For a T-Mobile user like myself, this looks promising. :

Another tip is to dim your LCD screen. The brighter the screen, the more juice you lose. So if you’re in a dimly lit room, dim the screen as well. Or, if your phone comes with an auto-dimmer be sure to use it.

You can also disconnect your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth searching tools when not in use.

The article lists a good bit more that will save you from the slow singing and flower bringing for your battery. Being as desperate as I am, I’m going to try these techniques right now! Let me know if you do!

Do you know of any other ways to save your battery life from an unflattering fate?

Alice in Wonderland in Theaters Tomorrow!

Coming to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D™ on March 5, 2010, ALICE IN WONDERLAND is an epic 3D fantasy adventure starring JOHNNY DEPP as the Mad Hatter and MIA WASIKOWSKA as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. (Courtesy of Disney)

I’m always excited to see anything that Johnny Depp is in! He never ceases to amaze me (well his make-up crew never ceases to amaze me) with the elaborate measures that they take to transform him into whatever character the director deems necessary. Yet again, Mr. Depp is thrown in the fabulously uncanny world of Tim Burton.  I can’t wait to see the film!

Are you going to see it?

The Hummer’s Last Ride

That’s all folks. The Hummer, one of America’s most symbiotic cars of machoism, is finally riding off into the sunset.

General Motors last week announced the likely end of the Hummer after a deal with a Chinese automaker fell through.

For those who opposed the huge vehicle, they’re ecstatic about the news. But for Hummer owners, they have mixed feelings. Many are just happy that the cars wouldn’t be outsourced to China.

Owners are hoping for a last-minute buyer to emerge before the Hummer joins the maligned Pinto in the scrapyard. GM has said it is trying to salvage the Hummer, setting May 1 as a deadline for other possible deals to be made.

I don’t know how I feel about GM no longer making Hummers. I’ve always felt that they were tough on gas, especially in this economy, but for those who could afford it, to each their own. Just because they are no longer making it, doesn’t mean that the ones already on the roadway are taking a permanent seat in the garage. I’m also pretty sure that the military will still be using them until they find something bigger and better.

How do you feel about the soon disappearance of the Hummer?

Frostbitten February

This February was the 12th-coldest in Memphis history and December to February was the 14th-coldest in the city’s history, according to the National Weather Service.

For the period of December to February, Memphis averaged 38.5 degrees; the coldest on record was 35.4 in 1917-18.

This is all the more reason for the Spring season to hurry up and make it’s presence known! Sure the snow was pretty, and snuggling up to a warm fire with some hot cocoa is fun, but enough is enough! I need WARM sunshine, clear blue skies, the fresh scent of the newest spring buds, and being able to grill again! (Which is a personal favorite of mine. )

Spring officially starts on March 20th. I’m counting down the days!

What about you? Do you love or hate cold weather? Or do you fall somewhere in between?

A Madonna iPhone App?

So, exactly what does one have to do to get their own iPhone app? Everyone seems to be getting them nowadays. From Diddy, to Britney Spears, it’s like getting your own iPhone app is the new celebrity ‘it’ thing. It’s no wonder Madonna would want to add herself to the ranks.

The Madonna app will keep fans up-to-date with nearly everything Madonna-related. There’s a tab for news, her music videos, track downloads, photos and even what her fans are saying about her on the fan page. I guess that’s great if you’re a hardcore Madonna fan.  Hey, it’s better than the Britney app that blurts out expletives when you shake it.

Would you download the Madonna app? Have you downloaded a celebrity’s app before?

Booksigning by Michael San Giacomo

Today at 6:30 pm at the Summer Drive-in on Summer Avenue, Michael San Giacomo will be signing copies of his latest graphic novel, Tales of the Starlight Drive-in.

The book will feature twenty-six illustrated stories and six text stories, taking place over half a century, that tell the story of American drive-ins from their mid-20th-century heyday to near-extinction. Each story will stand alone, but all will have a connecting arc. Also, each story will be related in some way to whatever movie is showing at the time.

I’ve always thought that it was cool when you have a chance to meet an author of a book that you love. It’s even better when you get their autograph because one, you get to put a face with the brilliant mind that thinks of such great stories, and two, it’s always cool to have a celebrity’s autograph.

Have you read the book? Will you go to the signing?

Resident Poll: What Food Would You Let Go?

Hey Arbors River Oaks! If given a choice, what food that you normally consume would you (or could you) give up? Not just for Lent (for those who recognize), but in general?

Can You Read My Mind?

Hey Arbors River Oaks! Psychic Sylvia Browne is coming to Memphis on Saturday with a show at the Orpheum Theater. The psychic and spiritual teacher, 73, has spent years peering into the future for people across the country.

During her Orpheum appearance, Browne plans to discuss how you can heal yourself and what’s at the root of sickness. Audience members whose names are picked from a raffle will be invited to ask Browne for predictions.

I’ve never been one to believe in psychics, mainly because I’m sure that if there were more psychics in the world, there’d be a lot more rich people! This seems like it’d be an entertaining show, however. Tickets are $25, $45, $55 and $95. That’s a pretty little penny to probe into your mind.

What about you? Do you believe that psychics can really predict the future?

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