apreci8_1337hax0r's Xanga

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:10:43 GMT

Weekly Random: Week #128

Welcome to another wonderful Wednesday at therandomblog! Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, or links on the entry right below this one. As of May 2007, previous Wednesday blogs can be read again thanks to one reader's donation of a premium subscription to this site. If you'd like to be removed from the list, please send me an e-mail!

Today's Random Fact
The average household in the United States receives 6 credit card offers every month in the mail!

Strange News of the Moment
Man Robs Girl's Lemonade Stand
Not many would risk going to jail for $17.50. This guy just did.

Strange Ebay Auction of the Week

Empty Cheetos Bag

Current Price: $74.99!

Random Pictures of the Week

Waiting for the birds to cross

The infamous blue screen of death

The perfect prank!

Weekly Adverts
For a full list of every single advert that has ever been included on these blogs, click here.

The Worst Jobs in History
Think your job is so bad? It most likely pales in comparison to these.

Daily Writing Tips
A website for those of you who want to improve your writing skills.

1000 Places To See Before You Die
Can't think of a place to go this summer? Check out some of these pictures!

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Wed, 28 May 2008 23:35:57 GMT

Weekly Random: Week #125

Today's Random Fact
The largest popcorn ball in the world weighed 3,100 pounds!

Strange News of the Moment
4th Right Foot Found in Canada
Where did the left feet go?

Strange Ebay Auction of the Week

Haunted Cane

Current Price: $9.99!

Random Pictures of the Week

The basket building in Ohio

Let's hope that truck is getting towed away

A monster car!

Weekly Adverts
For a full list of every single advert that has ever been included on these blogs, click here.

Men Who Look Like Kenny Rogers
It turns out there are many Kenny Rogers look-alikes.

Eye Movement and Lying
A very interesting read.

Basic Instructions
Hilarious comics on how to do various things.

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 12:06:01 GMT

Clever Ways to Cheat - with your friends!

If you've ever tried to cheat on a test before, chances are good that you had to act alone and make sure that nobody in the class knew what you were doing. Both the smartest and the dumbest students are susceptible to cheating on tests, and cheating isn't the easiest thing in the world to do when you have to do all the cheating by yourself. For obvious reasons, the process of cheating is significantly easier when you have friends in the class who are willing to collaborate with you. But even though most people rarely feel guilty about cheating together with their friends on a homework assignment, it seems that few are willing to take the risk of cheating on a test together. Still, important skills can be developed when friends are able to master the various methods of cheating on a test cooperatively!

Cheating on a test can teach friends to cooperate!

It's not too surprising that most people hold the view that cheating is immoral or unethical. Although the act of cheating on a test is rarely seen in a positive light, the arguments that are often made against cheating are rather easy to dispute. Many people argue that cheating on a test promotes dishonesty and can destroy trust; however, it certainly doesn't have to be that way if you and your friends are cheating together. Cheating together with your friends can actually strengthen your relationships with each other because everyone will realize that they can count on each other. The test then becomes a completely different kind of test - a test for you and your friends to measure the effectiveness of your cooperative skills. That, and we all know that teamwork is often cited as a very important skill to have in the workplace, so cheating together on a test is one way to improve it.

Another argument is that the act of cheating deters a person from learning the material, but tests for which cheating is actually effective are usually based on the ability to get the correct answers by memorizing definitions and formulas that aren't likely to be memorized again after the test is over. In other words, good test-taking skills are emphasized over having any retainable knowledge of the subject. Lastly, cheating together with your friends on a test can foster competition with the other students in the class. It will cause them to look into alternative methods of test preparation, which may include studying harder, if they wish to compete with you and your friends for the highest scores.

Putting your cheating skills to the test

The Ruler Trick. This method of cheating works most effectively for tests that are largely based on multiple choice. Just about every student has a ruler, but if you don't have one, chances are good that you can buy a ruler for less than half the price of what's being served in your school cafeteria. During the test, scribble down the answers on a ruler and pass the ruler to your friends. If you still aren't able to get your hands on a ruler for some reason, substitute the ruler with the largest eraser that you can find.

Using Napkins. Try to feign a sneeze and have a friend pass you a napkin with the answers to some of the questions on the test. This napkin strategy is a slightly modified version of another cheating trick that involves jotting down answers on a napkin before a test and then using that napkin to blow your nose as soon as you are suspected of cheating.

Even more clever ways to cheat

As stated before on some of the older blogs on this site, a water bottle can be used to help you cheat on a test. On the day before the test, prepare a cheat sheet and tape it to the back of the bottle label. On the day of the test, look through the bottle to get the answers and pass the bottle to your friends after you are finished with the test.

If you have a lot of money at your disposal, you can bribe a smart person to take the SAT for you.

One major drawback to these cheating methods is that they're difficult, if not impossible, to utilize if you happen to be in college. Another drawback is that they aren't likely to work in a classroom where anti-cheating policies are actually enforced; such classes, of course, are few and far between in many high schools.

Have you ever cheated on a test before?

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 10:23:17 GMT

Orange Has Your Back

Quite literally. Be sure to slouch in class today because sitting up straight may cause you to have back problems someday!

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 13:46:27 GMT

Eating Pancakes

Made out of ingredients such as eggs and wheat flour, pancakes are eaten every morning for breakfast by millions of people from all around the world. They seem to taste great regardless of how they're served - they can be eaten hot or cold, and a variety of unique toppings can be placed over them. Some people enjoy eating pancakes so much that they eat them in stacks! And because pancakes only have about 100 calories, they can be seen as an alternative breakfast option for anyone who has ran out of cereal. Best of all, pancakes happen to be fairly nutritious - they're usually a nice source of calcium and iron. Those who eat pancakes on a regular basis can probably attest that it's more than worth the time that it takes to get up every morning to make them.

A variety of pancake toppings

One of the best things about pancakes is how they can be served in so many different ways. Although many people are delighted by the taste of a pancake that's been lightly coated with a generous helping of syrup and butter, a wide variety of other toppings are also often placed over pancakes. Some people prefer to put jam or whipped cream over their pancakes while some enjoy putting unusual ingredients, such as cheese, on their pancakes! Others elect to eat pancakes without any toppings since the toppings often have more calories than the pancakes themselves. Still others don't even have the time to put toppings on their pancakes due to always being in a rush to finish eating their breakfast. In any case, pancakes should probably be served with blueberry jam for best results - blueberries are low in calories and have been known to be a good source of fiber and vitamin C.

An IHOP restaurant

Many of us have eaten at IHOP before, a restaurant that specializes in serving many different types of pancakes as well as other delicious foods such as funnel cakes. More than 800 million pancakes are served in IHOP restaurants every year, and as many as 1.5 million gallons of syrup are poured over these pancakes! Those of you who enjoy eating at IHOP may want to mark your calendars for February 20th - because the owners of IHOP are so generous, they always offer to give out free pancakes to people on National Pancake Day, which is being held on February 20 this year. And since more than 1,200 of these restaurants exist in the world, it shouldn't be too hard to find one that's close to where you live.

Even more random facts about pancakes

Cooked more than 10 years ago, the largest pancake ever made in the world weighed more than 3 tons and contained as many as 2 million calories. Imagine having a pancake like that for breakfast!

The world record for tossing a pancake in two minutes is 416 times.

Believe it or not, but scientists have established a formula to calculate the flipping speed that's necessary to flip a pancake correctly.

How often do you eat pancakes?

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 23:33:29 GMT

Premium Expired

I just want to let everyone to know that my premium subscription has expired, and rather than being a jerk by choosing 743 users to delete from the protected list, I've decided that Wednesday blogs can only be read on the same day that they're written from now on. If you miss a blog, send a message to me and I'll find some way to e-mail it to you.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 13:50:33 GMT

The benefits of drinking water!

Even though people aren't likely to find themselves to be thirsty during this time of year, millions of people in the United States are drinking a glass of water at this very moment and rightly so. Understandably, water isn't seen as an attractive or exciting beverage by many and there are always people who prefer to drink soda or a bottle of Gatorade instead. Still, drinking water is important and severe problems can be in store for those who aren't drinking enough of it. Since a majority of our bodies are made up of water, we obviously need to drink water to survive. In fact, drinking water is considerably more important than eating; we can survive without food for months but can't survive without water for more than a few days! The good news, however, is that while most people probably don't drink the recommended amount of 8 glasses of water every day, people still realize the importance of drinking water as evidenced by the fact that more than $10 billion is spent on bottled water every year.

The benefits of drinking water

Those who drink at least several glasses of water every day will be glad to know about the enormous benefits that are associated with drinking water. One of the most important benefits that water offers is how it allows our bodies to stay hydrated, which is probably overlooked often when you consider that as many as 80% of people in the United States are chronically dehydrated. Few seem to realize that feeling just a little dehydrated can cause significant problems when it comes to completing basic tasks; dehydration is usually the reason why so many people are feeling tired all the time and even brain cells can be lost when people are in a state of dehydration! Of course, those who are able to stay hydrated by drinking water will feel more energetic and should be able to do things mentally and physically better. Another benefit that's offered by water is how it doesn't contain any calories, which means that there's hardly any chance of weight gain when you drink water. In fact, drinking water can actually help you lose weight since calories are burnt at a faster rate when the body is hydrated. Among other things, drinking water can also reduce the risk of contracting certain types of cancers, eliminate wastes from the body, and cure joint pain. And, of course, drinking a glass of hot water on a cold day can produce euphoric feelings.

Problems with drinking water

As with many things in life, having too much of something that's supposed to be good for us isn't always a good thing. In fact, drinking too much water can produce disastrous results for the body - just a few days ago, a 28-year old woman died of water intoxication after drinking too much water. In addition, drinking very cold water on a regular basis has been known to cause kidney problems for some people. Those who rely on bottled water for their water consumption may not be aware that bacteria can grow inside the bottle and contaminate the water if the bottle has been open for more than a couple weeks. And, of course, you'll have to make frequent trips to the bathroom if you drink too much water, which is always annoying if you're in an area where access to a bathroom is limited.

Even more useless facts

National Drinking Water Week is always celebrated on the 2nd week of May.

As many as 7 million people in the United States alone become sick every year from drinking tap water.

75% of our brains are made up of water.

A person who drinks a can of soda will have to drink about 32 glasses of water to eliminate the acids from the soda.

Water bottles are always great to have for the purpose of cheating on tests.

How many glasses of water do you usually drink every day?

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Sun, 14 Jan 2007 14:00:03 GMT

Being able to live forever!

By now, almost everyone knows that they won't be able to live forever. With this in mind, some people try to make the most out of their lives while others, knowing that they'll die regardless of what they achieve in life, don't care about doing anything at all. Although the idea of being able to live forever is often considered to be nothing more than wishful thinking, it might actually be possible for people to live forever during our lifetime. Not only has the average life span of humans been increasing for the past hundred or so years, but drastic improvements are always being made in the realm of science. As of now, there's a good chance that we'll eventually develop technology that can either change the rate of aging or stop the process altogether. No longer will people have to mourn over the deaths of their loved ones if this is ever achieved!

The possibility of living forever

Having a good healthcare plan may allow you to live a reasonably secure life, but it certainly won't allow you to live forever. Then again, there's a chance that you don't even have a healthcare plan - more than 40 million people in the United States alone aren't covered by health insurance! Still, there's immense hope for anyone who wishes to be able to live forever. Genes that can drastically slow down the process of aging have already been discovered and they've been tested to work on various animals. And even though President Bush certainly doesn't approve of it, plenty of research is being put into stem cells right now, which are cells that may have the potential to repair damaged body parts. It's not out of the realm of possibility that there may be a day when humans can live forever!

Preserving a dead body

The practice of cryonics really isn't something that's restricted to science fiction shows or fantasy novels - at this very moment, there are scientists out there who are trying to find affordable ways to preserve the bodies of dead people by encasing them into icy chambers! Widely seen as futuristic and even impractical, the practice is based on the idea that the dead person will wake up at a time in the distant future when the technology that's necessary to revive the person will exist. Unfortunately, the procedure is ridiculously expensive - it costs well over $100,000! Still, hundreds of dead bodies are already being preserved in these icy chambers and they may be revived eventually.

The consequences of living forever

Then again, being able to live forever might not be such a great thing after all. For instance, life would be pretty miserable for anyone who is constantly being plagued by health problems. Health problems may not even be the least of your worries - if cars still exist, it may be anything but possible to find parking space. If the prices of items continue to inflate every year, people may eventually have to pay hundreds of dollars for items such as movie tickets. Worst of all, the age of retirement will most likely be raised, which is terrible news for those who hate their jobs. Also, anyone who is wealthy enough to have their bodies preserved through cryonics may end up struggling to survive in the future when they find themselves at a disadvantage for not having the features necessary to survive in the new environment. Advancements in technology have always carried the potential to produce frightening results and perhaps it's best if we don't gain the ability to live forever after all!

Even more random facts

The oldest person who ever lived in the world was 122 years old when she died 10 years ago.

The average woman lives about 5 years longer than the average man does.

In the United States alone, there are more than 50,000 people who are at least 100 years old.

Believe it or not, but getting too much sleep can actually lower your life span!

Do you want to live forever?

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Sat, 06 Jan 2007 12:56:33 GMT

The benefits of having the cold!

Many people are getting the common cold during this time of year, and in the United States alone, people suffer through more than 1 billion colds every year. It's one of the most common illnesses in the world and it couldn't have a more fitting name considering that there are more than 200 different viruses that can trigger this illness. At this very moment, there are hundreds of millions of people around the world who are suffering from the annoying effects of the illness, which usually include sore throats, headaches, sneezing, runny noses, or difficulty breathing. And not to be mistakened for the flu, which is far more severe than the common cold, a cold can last for as long as several weeks!

Catching the cold

The common cold is probably one of the most annoying illnesses to have since it's so easy to catch. The illness can be transmitted by doing arbitrary things such as touching doorknobs or shaking the hand of a person who has a cold. It can also be transmitted by simply walking outside and inhaling pockets of infected air. Worst of all, catching the cold is almost inevitable when you're around people who never bother to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze. And if someone in your family already has a cold, the illness can spread rather easily.

Cure for the common cold

Although there isn't actually a cure for the common cold, there are many known ways of relieving the symptoms. The most common way is to just visit a doctor and ask for an antibiotic shot, but this obviously isn't an option for anyone who is afraid of needles. Those of us who don't want to pay $20 for a shot or for over-the-counter medications can simply drink a glass of orange juice every day. Drinking more than one glass of orange juice, of course, isn't likely to work since you'll become even more sick when you overload yourself with Vitamin C. Avoiding products with dairy and sugar in them is also thought to be a good way of relieving the symptoms of a cold. And when it's time for you to go to sleep, it may be helpful to wear a pair of warm socks, gloves, and a knit hat. Since a majority of our body heat escapes through our heads and hands, wearing these clothes should cause you to sweat more and you'll feel better as a result of it. If none of the above methods seem to be working, sleeping with two pillows just might work.

The benefits of having a cold

Believe it or not, but there actually are some benefits associated with having a cold. Some people are happy whenever they get a cold because it gives them a legitimate reason to not go outside. Since not much is expected from them, they can stay inside all day and play video games or watch television. They also won't have to exercise and will most likely be excused from having to do any physical activity. And, of course, having the cold gives people a good excuse for not showing up to school or work, and everyone will thank you for it. Since the cold is such a contagious illness, people are always encouraged to stay home whenever they have a cold. On the other hand, you can show up to school or work regardless and cause an epidemic by eventually infecting everyone.

When was the last time that you caught the cold?

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Sat, 30 Dec 2006 13:17:10 GMT

Memorable Events of 2006

Tomorrow will be the last day of 2006, and in two days, a new year will begin for those of us who live in the West. Although many people had started this year with a set of resolutions, which may or may not have been broken by now, many of us are ready for the year to be over and are eager to have a fresh start for 2007. There's no doubt that everyone's lives have been filled with many great and terrible experiences alike throughout the course of the year, but hopefully these experiences will better prepare us for the new challenges that we will face in the coming year. Major events are sure to happen in 2007 and there will be times when we find ourselves in situations in which we have no choice but to accept the fact that there are things in life that are out of our control. Of course, it's moments like these that make life worth living to some people.

Although many noticeable events occured in 2006, here are just some of the events that many of us have observed:

Vicious Animal Attacks Against Humans

It seems that an unprecedented amount of animal attacks have been committed against people throughout this year. For instance, we all know about the death of Steve Irwin, who was killed by a stingray back in early September. Stingray attacks against humans were virtually unknown before his death, and quite surprisingly, another person was stung in the chest by a stingray just weeks after Steve Irwin died. There were also numerous alligator attacks that took place in various states; in one case, a cocaine addict had to be rescued from the jaws of a nearly 12-foot long alligator. We also can't forget about the people who have been attacked by polar bears for wandering too closely to their habitat. And last but certainly not least, yet another few million people were killed by house flies and mosquitoes this year. Are animals becoming more aggressive against humans, or are they simply getting angry over the idea that global warming is actually becoming a reality? Even though robots are expected to demand for equal rights in the near future, it's quite possible that we won't live long enough to worry about the possibility of having a feud with robots after all.

James Blunt's Unexpected Rise to Stardom

Most of us are all too familiar with James Blunt, the person who sang the often overplayed song You're Beautiful. Unless you never listen to mainstream radio, it's almost impossible to not have heard this song before. Prior to his music career, James Blunt was a military captain and hardly anyone here in the United States knew who he was. But today, he's a millionaire who can afford to not care about the numerous people who continue to mock him for his high voice. In addition to receiving several musical awards this year, millions of copies of his latest album, which was released earlier this year, have been sold throughout the world. Whether you're a fan of his music or are just sick and tired of having to hear his songs on your favorite radio station, chances are good that we'll be hearing even more from his likes in 2007.

Unlikely Objects Save Human Lives

Some of us have heard amazing stories about how human lives have been saved by strange and unusual objects throughout this year. Unfortunately, such stories rarely receive the amount of media attention that they truly deserve. In one case, a penny jar was the unlikely hero by deterring a bullet that could've killed somebody. Perhaps keeping a penny jar isn't such a bad idea after all. In another case, a leather recliner saves the life of a man by absorbing the damage from a bullet! Even though couch potatoes are traditionally viewed in a negative way, this story shows that being a couch potato might actually pay off. Be sure to keep these unusual stories in mind and immediately disregard anyone who either fails to see the point of keeping a penny jar or accuses you of sitting on the couch too much. As far as anyone knows, these seemingly insignificant commodities might actually save our lives someday.

2006, like any other year, has been filled with many unique events and is worth remembering for this reason. For those of us who have resisted the urge to completely leave xanga for myspace, it's apparent that we wouldn't have remained here for another year if we didn't at least realize the importance of writing or keeping a journal. Sadly, I've decided that I will not renew my premium subscription for 2007, but I hope to continue writing every Saturday.

Do you have any plans for New Years?