Sunday, January 25, 2009

Recycle that Cell Phone Bruh; Sip on South Africa's Wines; Foods & Moods and The Flipside Wallet



Recycle that Cell Phone Bruh
Purchasing a new cell phone is so easy isn’t it? So what about your old phone? Where is it? What have you done with it? If you’re like me it is probably in a box somewhere or being used as alarm clock. You don’t want to throw it away but you don’t want to hold on to it forever so what is a tech savvy person supposed to do? Recyle that bad boy.

While watching Current TV I saw a piece about recycling old cell phones and Samsung is heading the initiative. Honestly I didn’t even know you could recycle cell phones but in an age where everything is recycled {christmas gifts, vegetable oil and originality [see Fox Network]} why not have the option to recyle your old phones? Especially since it seems like cell phone lives are getting shorter and shorter anyway {I’m looking right at you Tmobile}.



Its estimated that there are 4 billion cell phones in use today and 25% of them are old or not being used. It doesn’t stop there either because today’s cell phones contain very harmful materials like lead, arsenic and mercury that could make our troubled environment a lot worse.

On Samsung's website where you can print off postage paid labels and mail in your old cell phone to them. They will break the phone down, I mean all the way down, and make sure the entire phone is recycled. In addition to recycling Samsung is launching a line of bio-plastic phones that are made with environmentally safe materials (e.g. corn products). And before you ask, no it doesn’t look, taste or smell like corn.

To find out more about Samsung’s recyclying genius go here.


Sip on South Africa’s Wines
This is my life in beverages: breast milk, cow’s milk, water, fruit juice, soda, kool-aid, fruit juice, hot chocolate, egg nog, beer, more beer, liquor, more liquor, beer again, more liquor then wine.



Ocassionally I still indulge in a dirty vodka martini with extra olives {my friends are probably chuckling right now} but for the most part I’ve been sticking to wine. For me it’s the all purpose alcoholic beverage that offers flavor, aroma and goes with meals as well as parties. Specifically when I think of south african wines I think of living in Brooklyn {Clinton Hill Baby!!!}, walking down to Olivino on Fulton Ave and picking up two bottles of Indaba wine- one bottle of shiraz and one cabernet.


I’m still a novice when it comes to wine but I like what I like and I have been gravitating more to South Africa’s wines. I love me some Indaba but a recent article in the NYT has opened my eyes to more wines from South African that have really put the country on the map.



South Africa has out done themselves with their cabarnets so don’t be surprised when you start to hear more about Stellenbosch’s family of cabernets and {the best value pick} Bon Cap Robinson Cabernet Sauvignon priced at $15 and described “Balanced, earthy and well structured with flavors of fruit and a touch of bacon” that’s right BACON!! Check out the NYT piece and keep an open mind next time you’re shopping for wine. You could be missing out on great flavors and a great bargain.


Foods and Moods
I was combing through About.com again and found something interesting about foods and their link to elevating your moods. Before you rush and say “duh” just hear me out.

Walnuts: “Walnuts have long been thought of as a "brain food" because of their wrinkled, bi-lobed (brain like) appearance. But now we know that walnuts are an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, a type of fat that's needed for brain cells and mood-lifting neurotransmitters to function properly and possible help some people with depression.”



Didn’t know that did you? Well I sure as hell didn’t. What about this?

Salmon: “In the past few years, research has suggested that vitamin D may increase the levels of serotonin, one of the key neurotransmitters influencing our mood, and that it may help to relieve mood disorders.” Guess what food is high in vitamin D? -- Yep salmon.


For the rest of the list as well as tips on how to incorporate more of these healthy and mood lifting foods check out the article.



The Flipside Wallet: Not Your Pop’s Wallet
Damn that Josh Spear. I’m not hating on him personally just his uncanny ability to make me want shit I didn’t even know existed. Check out the Flipside wallet.



It’s a slick, durable wallet that is just as tougher on protecting your assets as it is on design. The Flipside not only looks good but it prevents you from being a victim of the newest form of identity theft—RFID theft—which is a result of punk ass identity thieves using RFID readers to lift vital information from our credit cards {ding dang shame}. Check out more of the Flipside’s bi-fold functionality and new age appeal in the
demo.






Quote of the Day

"If you don't like your job, you don't strike! You just go in every day, and do it really half assed. That's the American way."



-Homer Simpson


Thursday, January 1, 2009

White Tube Socks: I'm Just Saying, Young, Black & Murdered & SIR spa


White Tube Socks? I’m Just Saying

Us men only have a few opportunities with our appearance to add some personality and flair. Now if personality and flair isn’t your thing then you can jump down but if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to add some more You to your wardrobe think about your socks. My favorite pair was a green and pink horizontal stripped pair with black Playboy bunnies on the sides. Fresh. {RIP my favorite socks}.

As men, I’ve noticed that we view socks from a functional point-of-view. This makes sense because I see countless dudes with run over shoes so it’s no surprise they settle for the honorable mention of socks: the dreaded white tube sock. Now don’t get me wrong; white tube socks have their time and place in a man’s wardrobe- just not every time and every damn place. And if you don’t believe me then check this out from Bob Strauss at eHow.

“Unless you’d like to relive your elementary school days, act like an adult and opt for nice, solid colors like blue or brown. Remember, sneaker socks should only be worn with sneakers. “




Bob knows what he’s talking about. Get the rest of the sock buying tips here and be opened minded. Bob graduated from the school of “match your socks with your shoes” but I didn’t. Remember that your socks show off your flavor and with that said I better not see any more white tube socks worn without sneakers. Let’s strive to really be fly from head-to-toe in ‘09. Shall we?

I'm just saying.


Young, Black and Murdered

It seems that the number of young black men and teenagers who committed murders or were murdered in shootings has increased since 2000. Criminologists at Northeastern University in Boston will release a
study that compares how national murders have leveled off but murders among young black men have increased dramatically by 40% since 2000.


While factors like low unemployment and poverty are constant all fingers point to the Bush administration’s lack of funding local police and juvenile crime prevention programs. To combat Bush’s mess Obama and Biden have promised to implement funds that will put 50,000 more police officers on the streets- we’ll see.


Cities like Houston, claiming to be the leader in national black youth murders, may not have time to wait. According to research Houston’s black youth homicide {14-27} is up 139% from 2001 to 2007.


SIR Spa

My dad always made sure my appearance was on point as a kid. I was probably the only boy who got a haircut every week {every two weeks is the norm}. I was going to the barbershop so much that the barber actually sent me away one day. Thanks to my dad I know that a real man takes care of his appearance. It has nothing to do with being a “metrosexual” which is one of the stupidest terms ever created. For those who still don’t know the difference between a metrosexual and real dude let me draw a comparison:

-A metrosexual shaves his chest, gets his eyebrows arched and has gloss added to his nails during a manicure.

-A real dude trims his chest hair, doesn’t touch his eyebrows and gets a manicure without gloss.

A real dude cares about his appearance but doesn’t go the extra mile to implement feminine techniques. Grooming is to maintain health not to be pretty. With that said I want to introduce you to SIR spa in Chicago.


A trip to SIR was my bday gift to myself and it was amazing. In the Andersonville neighborhood of Chitown SIR offers a range of services like massages, facials and hand/foot treatment in addition to products for hair, body and face.

You’d think a guy who was raised to take care of his appearance would’ve visited a spa a long time ago but yesterday was my first time- ever! The people at SIR spa {shout out to Dave, Emily and Tisha} were professional and remarkable. Thanks to them my hands and feet look presentable to the world, my face is radiant and my body is still relaxed from my massage {Dave you are the man!}. If you are in Chicago or visiting soon treat yourself to a trip to SIR spa. You won’t regret it.
Tell them The Genius Syndicate sent you and you’ll get a whopping 0% discount. Sorry, I don’t have that much juice to hand out discounts but I figured it'll be nice for the team at SIR to know they are doing a great job.


Quote of the Day

"I am learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma."

-Eartha Kitt