How Do You Avoid Making Good On Your Promise Of Free Dr. Pepper?

Simple really.

If you're Dr. Pepper, you simply make sure your website cannot handle the traffic and is basically inaccessible during the 24 hour promotion. Pretty clever actually.

Fail Blog / Engrish Funny

So I have to share my 2 new favorite sites.

Fail Blog

Engrish Funny

You're welcome.

I Think I Have A Disorder

After my panic attack, or whatever the heck it was, I began doing a lot of reading up on similar and related psychological disorders.
I can say that since the panic attack I have become obsessed with thinking something worse is wrong with me. When I'm distracted on work or talking to someone or watching TV, etc. I feel just fine, but when I'm alone with just myself and my hyperactive mind, I become obsessed with checking my heart rate, checking my pulse, breathing deeply and/or coughing to see if anything feels different, checking my temperature and on and on and on. The process of doing this does cause me to stress out, and my heart rate increases from normal (around 80 to 100) when I start checking all this junk to about 120 (slightly above normal resting). Once the obsessive behavior diminishes and my stress level lowers, it goes back to normal. I have actually made my pectoral muscle quite sore over the last week from constantly feeling my heartbeat.
The thing I realized in finally consciously observing this behavior in myself is that this is not an isolated incident. I have frequently self-diagnosed myself with all kinds of issues and then obsessed over them when they were in fact non existent to begin with based off of a simply muscle ache, an upset stomach, a twitch, and on and on.
I was first thinking generalized anxiety disorder seemed to cover most of my behavior, but I think hypochondriasis seems to be the top contender. I guess it might be a combination of both. Heck, for all I know that self diagnosis could be me doing the same exact thing I was describing above.
I can say however that discovering these patterns and behaviors in myself and reading up on these disorders and reading the symptoms and causes has made me breathe a huge sigh of relief that its something that can actually be identified. Reading about them kind of gave me a light bulb moment about myself.

The New Enterprise

Here it is:(Click to enlarge)

After months, nay, years of anticipation, JJ Abrams finally released a picture of the new NCC-1701 as re imagined in his new take on Trek. I personally think this new design is beautiful. Classic Trek purists and canon cops the world over are shitting themselves and frothing savagely at the mouth at this 'abomination' which has "raped their childhood" (actual quote) which I am finding quite amusing. For people who have embraced the essence of Star Trek, one large part of which is open mindedness, acceptance of change and evolution, they sure are screaming from their mom's basement about how angry this change makes them and already writing the new film off as garbage.
To me, the thing doesn't really even look all that different! The lower half has been streamlined and given a more modern look, but overall, I think most non fans, which in large part is the target audience of this new movie (fresh blood), will see it as simply the Enterprise, but not like the old one which looks like it was made from paper plates, spray-painted paper towel and toilet paper cardboard tubes and popsicle sticks.This version is what the purists want on the screen. I think if they did that, the entire movie would be a laughing stock. That design is from the 60's, and I don't see how anyone living in 2008 can think a design from 45 years ago can be a true and current vision of our future.
Heck, even the designers of that tube-and-saucer concoction changed it up as soon as they were able to get a movie budget which would allow it.

Panic Attacks: Like Death But Without The Death

So early last week I had my first real clinical panic attack. Not like a 'OMG Panic attack! LOLZ!' but more like 'Holy Shit I think I'm having a heart attack and I'm going to die!'

To be honest, I at first thought that it was some kind of heart attack, and I remember thinking how sad it would be for that to happen at only 27. After it passed, I got online and pretty much every symptom of a panic attack that one can exhibit, I had experienced.
Heart feels like it stopped, then heart was racing, flush, then burning up, sweating, can barely move, everything feels like a dream and in slow motion, electricity shooting all through my body, tingling all over.
I even had a nagging involuntarily spasming eyelid muscle 2 days prior, which apparently is a precursor.

While the initial attack was brought on seemingly at random, I found out in research that the first attack can set up a kind of positive feedback loop where one gets so worried about having another panic attack that they work themselves up into having another one. I can indeed agree with this, as anytime afterwards that I've had the slightest tingling in my extremities, felt flush, had an elevated heart rate ( even when warranted, like from physical activity) or felt kind of out of it, I freak out and think I might be starting to have another one.

The truth is, I would prefer to go to the doctor to make sure for a fact that that's all I experienced, even if just for peace of mind, but being broke and health insurance-less kind of makes that cost prohibitive.
Even if it was only a panic attack, it served as a sort of wake up call that I need to start taking better care of myself. I've been trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, stay away from junk and fast food, take a multi vitamin and get more sleep.
I do know that both my mother and at least one sister have dealt with panic attacks that felt just like I described mine. My mom was even rushed to the hospital the first time thinking she was having a heart attack.

Here's to hoping it was just a one time thing.

Yes We Can

And Yes We Did.

I have to say, I found both Senator McCain's concession speech and President-Elect Obama's acceptance speech both very touching.
I think McCain seemed more like the McCain that many Republicans said they felt was missing throughout his campaign. I think if he had been as eloquent, kind and insightful throughout his campaign, things might have turned out differently for him. I am saddened by the behavior of his supporters at his gathering however, as I think it showed a tremendous amount of disrespect for Senator McCain that his speech was marred with boos and angry words at the mention of Barack Obama, and I think you could tell it was irritating and saddening McCain that his supporters were setting a bad example for his party.

Obama's speech was very touching, and seemed to have a bit of a somber note. Whether that was from the realization that he is now in charge of grabbing the wheel of this nation as it sloppily hugs a proverbial cliff in many regards, or because of dealing with the loss of his grandmother before she saw this momentous occasion I'm not sure, but it was a very well prepared speech. I think he conveyed a sense of community by saying this was our win, this was our nation.
In contrast to McCain's supporters, the attendees at the Obama celebration conveyed a sense of respect for McCain and his campaign when they were mentioned during his speech.

At the end of the day, I was proud to have both participated in and witnessed a truly historic day for our great nation.