Johnaberdeen's Blog

I think something that is very underrated these days is a good book.  We live in a society where we need quick, powerful, constant stimulation.  This being so, many people choose to watch movies and television over reading.  I can definitely understand the benefits of watching a movie.  Movies can be seen, heard and sometimes even felt if you have surround sound.  Movies stimulate more senses.  In addition, movies are much faster.  You can spend two hours watching a movie when it takes you a week to read the same book.

With all this being said, I still think a good book is far better than a good movie.  If more people gave reading a chance, I think they would agree with me!  Next time you are planning to buy cheap DVDs online , buy new books instead.  If you don't trust me, here are my 3 reasons why I like books more than movies.

1.  I feel a stronger bond between a good book than a good movie.

When you finish a book, you have a certain sense of accomplishment.  There is no accomplishment after you finish watching a movie.  This can be attributed to a few things.  First off, reading a book is much more difficult than watching a movie.  Finishing a long book is definitely an accomplishment.  Secondly, reading a book is rarer than watching a movie.  There are many more people who have seen the Harry Potter and Lord Of The Rings movies than have read the corresponding books.

2.  Books force you to use your imagination.

Like I said earlier, movies stimulate practically every sense besides smell.  Movies hold your hand through the story, complimenting events and pivotal points with nifty camerawork and music.  Books leave everything to the imagination.  Being able to form a story and watch it unfold in your head after reading something so black and white can be an invigorating experience.  I am a very artistic, creative, imaginative person, which allows me to become submerged in a good book.  Reading is essentially an exercise in imagination.  No two people have exactly the same take on a book.

3.  Reading a good book is more relaxing than watching a movie.

Movies are kind of annoying to me.  In order to watch a movie, you have to set your television and DVD player up, insert the disc, and control the movie.  You are forced to sit in front of the TV and watch the entire movie.  I think books are more versatile and relaxing than movies.  There are no electronics involved in reading...just the book and your eyes.  You can put a book down and restart it at a later date much easier than stopping and restarting a movie.  You do not have to be in a set place to read a book like you do when you are watching a movie.  You can take a book with you on the bus, in the car etc.  I find this to be much more relaxing and much less demanding than watching movies.

I went to the local video rental store to see if I could find the X-Men trilogy. I wanted to see all of them before I saw “X-Men Origins – Wolverine” this weekend. After renting all three of them for about $10, a friend of mind asked me why I rented them. I told him that I wanted to see all 4 in a short period of time so I knew the full story. He said I should have just bought the DVDs, ordered them on my television or used Netflix to rent them.

I've heard of Netflix before, but I have never used it. I have friends who absolutely swear by it and will never step foot back in the video rental store again. I can see the selling point there...not having to go to Blockbuster every time you want to rent a movie can be very convenient. I imagine if you rent a good amount of movies per month, Netflix can be a very good option.

I usually don't do the math, but buying DVDs are cheaper than ever right now. There are dozens of websites where you can buy cheap DVDs online. I never stopped to wonder why I don't just buy the movies instead of renting them. It costed me $10 just to rent 3 movies for a week. I could have probably bought all of them for $20 bucks. I know there are some websites that are selling “X-Men” and “X-2” for $5 or $6 each. In addition, there are even sites that sell cheap new DVDs like the third installment for around $10.

As far as ordering movies through your cable provider, I'll be honest with you...I just never think if it. Yesterday, I went through some of the movies they had on there for free or a few bucks, and it was quite the selection. This would definitely be a viable option for the future. Talk about convenient...push one button and the movie is on the TV!

With this being said, I have to wonder about the future of video rental stores. It looks like Blockbuster's days are numbered. There are going to be more people going to Netflix, their cable provider and cheap DVD stores. Renting videos look to be a thing of the past. I wouldn't want to own a video rental store right now!

I don't know if you've notices, but tattoos are pretty popular right now.  When I was growing up, the only people that had tattoos were gang members, members of the military and bikers.  I am a very artistic minded person, so I thoroughly enjoy tattoos.  I like the creative side of the art of tattooing, and I have great respect for anyone who does it for a profession.  Everyone I know who has a tattoo is very proud of it, especially if it is meaningful.  I just hope that people put the proper thought into a tattoo before they get it.

One thing I wanted to ask the tblogosphere is what they prefer in a tattoo parlor.  I don't know about other areas here in the states and outside of America, but there are tattoo shops popping up all over where I live.  This can be good and bad, depending on how you look at it.  It gives the consumer more options, which is always a good thing for any good or service.  However, I sometimes worry about the tattoo industry becoming watered down.  When you have a large explosion in popularity, you usually get second tier workers to meet the demand.  In simple terms, the more tattoo parlors there are, the more artists they need.

In my area, there are two types of tattoo shops.  There are smaller, independent shops and tattoo chains/franchises.  My experience shows that people looking to get their first tattoo usually go to the large tattoo franchise shops because it is more comfortable.  These tattoo chains usually do the most advertising and are the most well known.  However, an interesting trend that I have seen is people who are going to get their third or fourth tatto generally go to a smaller, independent parlor.  I'm not sure if its the "big corporation" mentality that has people avoiding the Wal Marts of the world, or if the artists in these smaller parlors are better.  From what I've heard, the smaller the shop the better the artist.

I want to hear what the tattoo enthusiasts on tBlog have to say about this.  Do you get a better tattoo at tattoo franchises or smaller, independent parlors?  How much of your purchasing decision is based on the size of the tattoo parlor?  Let me know!

Over the past year, I've tried to really stay on top of my nutrition. I've gained some weight over the past couple years and I haven't been happy about it. At the beginning, I blamed the weight gain on “getting old” and “not being a kid anymore”. These are nothing more than excuses. My weight gain had more to do with me drinking too much beer and eating too many chicken wings and pizza! Luckily, I've straightened my nutrition out and have seen quite a difference.

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I love food. That was the hardest part...I love eating and I could eat all day without batting an eye. Unfortunately, loving food too much can take a couple of years or more off of your life. Life is too short to go through it overweight and unhealthy! I have 4 pieces of advice for anyone looking to eat better. These 4 things have been learned the old fashioned way, through mistakes and implementation.

1. “When” you eat is as important as “what” you eat.

I was never aware that you are supposed to eat certain things at certain times. I'm sure the years I spent eating pasta right before bed did me no favors. I made an appointment with a dietitian and my whole world changed. I was always under the impression that dinner was supposed to be the biggest meal. She told me breakfast and lunch should be your biggest meals because they give you energy throughout the day. She also told me to take it easy on carbohydrates late in the day because you don't need energy to sleep. This advice made things a lot easier.

2. Fat and carbohydrates aren't the enemy.

People who are on the Atkins diet and people who try to avoid all fat aren't doing it right. There is a place in everyone's diet for carbs and fat. Good fats like nuts, peanut butter and fish are very necessary in maintaining good health. Carbohydrates give us energy. Complex carbohydrates like brown rice and whole grains make us feel fuller longer and provide energy. As long as you aren't eating too much of these, they should be in every diet!

3. The more protein and fiber, the better.

Fiber acts as a natural body detox. Fiber is one of the best colon cleansers there are, and my diet was very fiber deficient! Now that I've upped my fiber intake, my digestive system is working a lot better and I have a lot more energy. When it comes to protein, I was totally wrong. A normal dinner would consist of a small piece of chicken and a huge side of pasta. Now that I know better, I've changed it to either 2 pieces of chicken and a small side of pasta or 1 piece and a small side. The more protein the better...eat protein at every meal!

4. Eat smaller, more frequent portions.

Whoever said “eat three meals a day” was wrong. Eating three meals a day gave me bad metabolism and horrible “food timing”. You should eat 6 meals per day: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. Keep the portions small and eat frequently. This makes you less hungry and boosts your metabolism.