Friday feature - World of Warcraft

With the release of World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, this weeks posts have been all about World of Warcraft.

My posts

Finding your character in Warcraft.
Meet my panda.
Elemental Shaman leveling rotation levels 1 through 30.

Websites

World of Warcraft - Official Website
Wowhead - Is an extremely helpful site when looking up quests, gear or other useful items and information. I use it all the time and even when I find myself at WoWWiki, it more often than not links be back to Wowhead.
Tankspot - Is a great site to use when running/raiding instances. Complete with video walkthroughs!
WoW Insider - Is a wonderful community site featuring news, guides and more!

Videos

My favorite World of Warcraft machinima.


Whether you've played World of Warcraft from classic vanilla or one of the previous expansions wowcrendor's warcraft in a minute series is hilarious!







What are some of your favorite World of Warcraft websites, videos and so on?

World of Warcraft - elemental shaman leveling rotation 1 - 30

Welcome fledgling shamans!

If you are a fan of visual guides then you’ve come to the right place. Here you will find visual aids of elemental rotations by level using the current icons for those abilities. Whether you are aiming to raid or prefer to experience all PvE content has to offer (this is not a guide for PvP), it’s best to start good habits early!

Keep in mind there may be some abilities not shown here that are circumstantial, but important. Spells like these are not used in an average rotation so we will cover them at a later time. In the meantime, read the description of each new spell you receive and apply it when needed. If you have any specific elemental questions let me know! I am here to help!

Elemental Shaman rotations levels 1 through 30 (See bottom of the post for other levels).

At level 1 your first and only spell is Lightning Bolt. Spam Lightning Bolt until your enemies are down.

At level 3 you receive Primal Strike. This is not an elemental spell, but until you reach level 10 why not use it? At low levels, take all of the damage dealing spells you can use. Spam Lightning Bolt until the target reaches you, if it is still alive, use Primal Strike to finish them off.

At level 6 you will receive the Earth Shock ability. Spam lightning bolt until the target reaches you then Earth Shock, follow with Primal Strike if needed.

Circumstantial! At level 7 you will receive Healing Surge. Cast it to heal yourself when needed!

At level 8 you will receive Lightning Shield. Buff yourself with Lightning Shield and make sure it is always active. At level 20 you will receive a passive ability that creates charges on your shield, and at level 30 your receive another passive ability that allows you to use earth shock to consume these charges, dealing damage to your opponent.

At level 10 you will choose your specialization; Elemental, Enchancement or Healing. These posts will be focusing on the Elemental specialization. Once you choose elemental you get a number of passive buffs that don’t require activation to use. Two active spells added to your arsenal will be Flametongue Weapon and Thunderstorm. Buff your weapon with Flametongue and make sure it is always active.

Circumstantial! Thunderstorm replenishes your mana by 15% and deals damage to surrounding enemies. Warning! The enemy will be knocked back 20 yards, be careful not to aggro more enemies by sending the originals into a group of new ones! There is a glyph that allows you to remove the knock-back from Thunderstorm, we'll talk about that later.

At level 12 you will receive Flame Shock. Alter your rotation. After checking that your buffs are active, open with Flame Shock and spam Lightning Bolt until the target is down. Earth Shock if you need that extra pop of damage (if the enemy tries to run away) or to cause a "weakened blows" affect, which will reduce the enemies' damage.

Circumstantial! At level 14 you'll receive Ancestral Spirit which you can use to resurrect party members (or non party members).

Circumstantial! At level 15, Ghost Wolf changes you into a wolf that travels 30% faster. This is useable indoors and outdoors.

At level 16 you'll receive your first totem! Alter your rotation. After buffs, place Searing Totem. Flame Shock the target, then spam Lightning Bolt until the target is down.

Circumstantial! Wind Shear can be used to interrupt spellcasters. Taking away their ability to cast a spell in that school of magic for 3 seconds.

Circumstantial! At level 18 you'll receive Cleanse Spirit. Remove any curses that are placed upon you or friends.

Circumstantial! At level 28 you'll receive Chain Lightning. Use Chain Lightning in situations with more than one mob. We'll talk more about multi-target casting at a later time.

At level 30 you'll receive a few good spells. First, there is the circumstantial Totemic Recall. Use this ability if you find yourself moving often and must replace your totems.

Fulmination is a passive ability but it allows you to use the charge build up on your lightning shield with earth shock to consume and do damage. Alter your rotation. After checking your buffs place Searing Totem, Flame Shock, spam Lightning Bolt. Earth Shock when there are 7 charges on Lightning Shield.

Click here to view the level 31-60 Elemental Shaman Rotation Guide.

Autumn begins

And so begins Autumn; my favorite season of the year. I can hardly wait to experience all this time of year has to offer, but reluctant too, as it seems to fly by too fast and then I’ll have to wait another full year to experience it all again.

I love autumn for the warmth it generates inside your home and soul. Where I live, September and October are still rather warm on some days, turning wet and cold as the months progress toward Winter. I cannot get enough of the rain this time of year. The cold, wet weather begins to take over outside, driving us all inside to be together and warm. There’s nothing like cuddling up with people you love, reading a good book, watching a movie or playing a video game while the weather misbehaves outside.

Some of the best holidays are found in these “ber” months. Christmas is my personal favorite, but Halloween and Thanksgiving are definitely not to be ignored. Who wouldn’t like playing dress up or cooking, eating and spending time with family and friends?

I intend on fully enjoying myself this season and invite you to join me. I will be doing a lot of cooking, crafting, book reading and game playing; among other things. Follow along and try some of these activities for yourself, this is a time we should all enjoy!

I intend on:
Creating a Halloween movie list for Cameron and I to enjoy watching.
Carving pumpkins.
Decorating our apartment for Halloween.
Roasting pumpkin seeds.
Making caramel apples.
Assembling a costume for Halloween.
Cooking a dish for Thanksgiving.
Visiting Christmas Disneyland.
Buying and decorating our first Christmas tree together.
Decorating our apartment for Christmas.
Hand-making presents.
Creating a Christmas movie list for Cameron and I to enjoy watching.
Baking Christmas Cookies.

There will be other activities I do, but these are the core basics I've set up for myself.

Meet my panda

Meet Rainershine, my new Pandaren shaman in World of Warcraft! Her gear isn't too cool yet, but keep in mind she's only lvl 23 and has not run any instances yet!

She resides on Khaz’goroth, so feel free to look me up if you’re ever on that server and we’ll have a little chit chat! Rainershine is loyal to the alliance and thus can only speak to alliance characters. Sorry hordies,my heart belongs to the lion.

If you’ve followed my prior blogs, you’ll know I created an elemental shaman this expansion for a few reasons. First, I feel that (for awhile anyway) the population will be very melee heavy due to the introduction of the monk class and while I will still be playing my rogue, I feel she will not be as popular or needed.

Secondly, I have been eyeing the shaman class for awhile now but never got around to making one of my own. This seems as good a time as any.

I am a fan of visual guides so I will be creating some visual leveling guides to help out first time shamans. For example, visual aids of rotations by level using the current icons for those abilities.

Sleep is a priority

When we are able to get a good night’s sleep, we wake up feeling refreshed and alert for our daily activities. Sleep affects how we look, feel and perform on a daily basis, and can have a major impact on our overall quality of life.

To get the most out of our sleep, both quantity and quality are important. Most adults need at least 7 to 9 hours a night of uninterrupted sleep to leave the body and mind rejuvenated for the next day. When we don't get adequate sleep, we accumulate a “sleep debt” that can be difficult to pay back if it becomes too big. The resulting sleep deprivation has been linked to health problems such as obesity and high blood pressure, negative mood and behavior, decreased productivity, and safety issues in the home, on the job, and on the road. If sleep is cut short, the body doesn’t have time to complete all of the phases needed for muscle repair, memory consolidation and release of hormones regulating growth and appetite. Then we wake up less prepared to concentrate, make decisions, or engage fully in school and social activities.

Make sleep a priority. Instead of falling asleep after you’ve gotten everything else done, make an effort to stop doing other activities at a certain time and get the sleep you need.

If you are having trouble sleeping, try following one or more of the tips below...

• Establish consistent sleep and wake schedules, even on weekends.
• Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool.
• Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
• Adopt a regular, relaxing bedtime routine (starting an hour or more before the time you expect to fall asleep) such as soaking in a hot bath or listening to soothing music.
• Use your bedroom only for sleep (avoid watching TV or using a computer in bed).
• Finish eating at least 2 to 3 hours before your regular bedtime
• Exercise regularly during the day or at least a few hours before bedtime.
• Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol products close to bedtime.

This blog is doing wonders for me as I hope it is doing wonders for you, my readers. I am learning so much. After researching sleep for this blog, I have decided to start going to bed one hour earlier at night to improve my daily moods and performance. Of course this means going to bed at 9pm since I wake up at 5am every day, but I will do what I must!

Friday feature - Malukah

Malukah is a singer/composer located in Monterrey, Mexico. One of my subscriber's tuned me in to her phenomenal cover of "The Dragonborn Comes" from the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and has been praised by Bethesda and Jeremy Soule. I've read that Malu is also a World of Warcraft fan and is working on a cover, I eagerly await each new cover she posts!

Her main website.

Download her covers for free.

Visit her YouTube and subscribe!






If Soundcloud is not working for you I recommend visiting Malukah's YouTube page to listen to her songs!

How to read nutrition labels

Food labels have always been confusing to me, in fact, researching for this post was as educational to me as I hope it is for you. Before this, I would always look at the calories per serving and serving size with a casual glance down to the sodium. The amount of fats listed boggled me, both to what they actually are and to how much I was allowed. I will go more in depth about what fats are in the near future, but for now I’ve assembled some information on how much you are allowed.

The following information is courtesy of the American Heart Association.

Start here. Note the size of a single serving and how many servings are in the package.

Check total calories per serving. Look at the serving size and how many servings you’re really consuming. If you double the servings you eat, you double the calories and nutrients, including the Percent Daily Value (% DV). If you cut the servings down by a percentage you cut down the calories and nutrients, including the Percent Daily Value (% DV), by that percentage.

Limit these nutrients. These numbers are based on someone who eats between 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day, if you need more or less you will need to adjust your intake value. For the people with 2,000 calorie intakes, you need to limit your total fat to no more than 56–78 grams a day — including no more than 16 grams of saturated fat, less than two grams of trans fat, and less than 300 mg cholesterol. For total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, your daily value goal is to reach 100% of each.

Get enough of these nutrients. Make sure you get 100 percent of the fiber, vitamins and other nutrients you need every day.

Quick guide to % DV. The % DV section tells you the percent of each nutrient in a single serving, in terms of the daily recommended amount. As a guide, if you want to consume less of a nutrient (such as saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium), choose foods with a lower % DV — 5 percent or less is low. If you want to consume more of a nutrient (such as fiber), seek foods with a higher % DV — 20 percent or more is high.

Here are more tips for getting as much health information as possible from the Nutrition Facts label:

• Remember that the information shown in these panels is based on 2,000 calories a day. You may need to consume less or more than 2,000 calories depending upon your age, gender, activity level, and whether you’re trying to lose, gain or maintain your weight. Find out your personal daily limits on My Fats Translator.
• Here’s a tip: rather than fill in the weight you are, fill in the weight you want to be so you know the amount of intake you can have each day to reach your goal. For example, I want to be 120 lbs. so I placed that in the weight area instead so I know I need to eat that amount or lower to start losing weight until I reach that point, then it will be maintenance.
• In general, as you think about the amount of calories in a food per serving, remember that for a 2,000-calorie diet:
• 40 calories per serving is considered low;
• 100 calories per serving is considered moderate; and
• 400 calories or more per serving is considered high.
• There is no % DV shown for trans fat on the panel because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not have enough scientific information to set this value. We recommend eating less than 20 calories or (less than two grams of trans fat) a day – that’s less than 1 percent of your total daily calories (for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet).
• When the Nutrition Facts panel says the food contains “0 g” of trans fat, it means the food contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving.
• When the Nutrition Facts label says a food contains “0 g” of trans fat, but includes “partially hydrogenated oil” in the ingredient list, it means the food contains trans fat, but less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. So, if you eat more than one serving, you could quickly reach your daily limit of trans fat.

September trip to Disneyland

Disneyland was a success! Or as successful as it can be in 108 degree weather, I’m not kidding, it was hotter in Anaheim than it was in Las Vegas on Thursday and Friday. Surprisingly I did rather well in the heat. I kept my water close at hand and filled it up consistently at water fountains found throughout the park.

Heat and sweating aside, the parks were fun! I loved every moment and was pretty impressed by Buena Vista Street and Cars Land. I didn’t carry my DSLR camera around with me too much, but below are some of the photos I added to my collection on Flickr.


Walt and Mickey Statue


Ariel and Flounder in Ariel's Undersea Adventure


Ariel dancing in Ariel's Undersea Adventure


Ursula spying on Ariel and Eric in Ariel's Undersea Adventure


Kiss the girl in Ariel's Undersea Adventure


Scuttle in Ariel's Undersea Adventure


Stanley's Oasis waiting in line for Radiator Springs Racers


Radiator Springs Racers


Tinkerbell Pumpkin for Halloween


Minnie Mouse Pumpkin for Halloween

Portal 2 review

Portal 2 is an excellent sequel to a fantastic original game. To me, a good sequel takes a classic story and continues or develops the theme without belittling the original work and Portal 2 does an amazing job at advancing the Aperture universe.

Like its predecessor, Portal 2 is a first person puzzle-platform game, released by Valve. The player must navigate your way through a series of puzzles using a teleportation device that allows you to control two portals. The portals may be used to move the player and simple objects from location to location within a confined testing space.

Portal felt like it was over within the blink of an eye compared to the content of the sequel. When you enjoy yourself as much as I do playing the Portal series, you don’t look forward to the end game. And, although there is more content, I still find myself wanting more! Once you’ve finished the campaign you can challenge yourself with advanced test chambers or try your hand at a variety of achievements. The Portal 2 puzzles can also be solved with the help of your friends in the new co-op system.


Within the single-player campaign, the player returns as the human protagonist Chell, having awakened from stasis after many years. Chell must navigate the now-dilapidated Aperture Science Enrichment Center with the portal gun while the facility is rebuilt by the reactivated GLaDOS.

As much as I love GLaDOS and her malicious intentions, it gets a little tough to listen to her catty commentary constantly without the relief of other characters and their different styles of humor. The cute and deadly turrets from Portal are back for round two, but are this time joined by a humorous cast of defective turrets and one special turret you can save from an untimely death. One of the most accessible AI additions is Wheatley, a personality core that is very entertaining to listen to, although a bit scatterbrained.



Without giving too much away, another notable addition is Cave Johnson, the tenacious founder of Aperture science voiced by actor J.K. Simmons (I love him!). Although you don’t physically meet Cave, his voice guides your passage through portions of the testing area.

But that’s not all! Liquids that create portal surfaces, bounce you into the air, and speed you up; Excursion funnels that pull you or push you across space; Hard light bridges that you can use as shields or, well, bridges; Lasers that you can deflect or redirect using new cubes; And launch pads that fling you over great distances are some of the new mechanics to keep the testing areas interactive and fresh.

Portal and Portal 2 are both great games that are unique to their content and presentation. These games force you to focus and think about your next move, like a game of chess. It is refreshing to play games that challenge a player’s intellect and problem-solving skills. There are multiple ways to complete most maps, some longer, some shorter, but they all get the job done. The amount of satisfaction gained from succeeding make it all worth the while.

I picked up Portal 2 during the Steam Summer Sale for under $5.00 which was a total bargain for the quality of game you get! I highly suggest picking it up next time Steam has a sale, you won’t regret it!


Check out "The First 60 Minutes of Portal 2"


Check out my playthrough of Portal 2 here.
Check out my playthrough of Portal here.
Check out my review of Portal here.

Grocery shopping tips

Firstly, and most importantly, never shop on an empty stomach. Your stomach will lead you to impulse buy those forbidden foods it craves. It helps to plan your meals ahead of time and make a list. A list keeps you much more focused on the task at hand rather than dallying down each aisle choosing what you think might make a nice meal.

When you arrive at the grocery store, shop the perimeter of the grocery store first. The perimeter is where the fresh foods like fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and fish are usually located. Avoid the aisles in the center where many of the junk foods lurk.

Choose “real” foods, such as 100% fruit juice or 100% whole-grain items with as little processing and as few additives as possible. If you want more salt or sugar, add it yourself. Avoid foods that contain more than five ingredients, artificial ingredients or ingredients you can’t pronounce. The first two items on the ingredients list are the most prominent, so make sure those ingredients are something healthy or relatively so.

Fill your shopping cart with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, lean meats, fish, poultry, beans and nuts.

• Produce – Spend the most time in the produce section. This is the first area you will encounter in most grocery stores. Choose a large selection of produce that you feel comfortable with, but don’t be afraid to try something new.
• Breads, Cereals and Pasta – Choose the least processed foods that are made from whole grains. Choose brown rice and whole-wheat breads and pastas. To help transition yourself into using whole grains, you can start with whole-wheat blends and slowly transition to 100% whole-wheat.When choosing whole-grain cereals aim for at least 4 grams of fiber per serving, and the less sugar, the better. Cereals, even those with added sugar, make great vehicles for milk, yogurt, and/or fruit. Granolas tend to have more fat and sugar than other cereals.
• Meat, Fish and Poultry – The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fish a week. I recommend tilapia because it’s pretty tasty and widely available, affordable, not too fishy, and a good source of omega-3 acids. In regards to other meats be sure to choose lean cuts (like round, top sirloin and tenderloin), opt for skinless poultry and always remember to watch your portion sizes.
• Dairy – Dairy foods are an excellent source of bone-building calcium and vitamin D. There are plenty of low-fat and nonfat options to help you get three servings a day. If you enjoy higher-fat cheeses, keep your portions small.
• Frozen Foods – Frozen fruits and vegetables (without sauce) are a convenient way to help fill in the produce gap, especially in winter.
• Canned and Dried Foods – Pick up a variety of canned vegetables, fruits and beans on hand to toss into soups, salads, pasta, or rice dishes. Whenever possible choose vegetables without added salt and fruit packed in juice. Tuna packed in water, low-fat soups, olive and canola oils and assorted vinegars are healthy additions to any pantry.

Kinect Disneyland Adventures review

Kinect Disneyland Adventures was one of my main reasons for buying an Xbox360 Kinect sensor. My family and I are avid Disneylanders visiting Disneyland at least once a year every year of my life, and then some. Fortunately, we only live about 3 hours away and save to buy annual passes so we can visit the park about 3 times a year or more. For some people, getting to the happiest place on earth isn't that simple. I highly recommend this game to people who love Disney and Disneyland, but cannot get there as often as they would like. It's also a pretty great work out believe it or not.

The next best thing to actually visiting Disneyland, this game takes place in nearly an impressively accurate replica of the Disneyland Park in California as it stands today, with noticeably less physical discomforts such as crowds or lines and way more interaction with your favorite characters.

You play as a child, free to roam the park to your heart's content without the need to wait in any long lines, wade through heavy crowds or stick close to virtual parents. After choosing an appearance for your in-game avatar, you're greeted by a talking golden ticket who becomes your guiding companion in the park. He encourages you to introduce yourself to Mickey Mouse, who stands nearby. When you walk up to Mickey and wave, you're given the first of many quests the Disney characters have for you. Meet and greet your favorite Disney characters; dance with them, hug them, ask for their autograph or even pose for a photograph. Some characters offer quests to find missing items, among other tasks, that lead you into the attractions and different areas of the park.

The attractions themselves are extremely fun and good exercise. Many of the popular rides have been transformed into fun multi level adventures that are immersive and a work out without you even realizing it. Each attraction is composed of a different levels, that get you moving in different ways. For example, on the Matterhorn (which is the first attraction the game leads you into) you ride in a bobsled for part one, leaning from side to side to steer. In part two, Goofy is kidnapped by Yeti’s and you must snowball fight (making real throwing motions to throw) in order to knock the yeti’s out and get him back. Escape the Yeti’s in part three as you and goofy are on skis; leaning from side to side to steer, jumping or ducking to avoid objects and pumping your arms to go faster. I found myself smiling and laughing often. Some of the attractions that were not made into these adventures are available for you to sit in and ride as you normally would at Disneyland.

I am planning on having a Kinect Disneyland Adventure night. My friends and I will enjoy churros, popcorn, frozen lemonade and more as we travel around virtual Disneyland and play.

Disneyland cardio

Tomorrow and Friday we are going to Disneyland and California Adventure. My family is very into Disneyland. We’ve gone at least once a year, every year, since the year I was born.

I will be using this trip to my advantage. We all know walking is in large supply at Disneyland. You are on your feet and moving almost all day long, sans standing in line or sitting on a ride. I have purchased a pedometer and I plan to see how many steps I take. I imagine it will be quite a lot since we usually walk to and from the parks and our hotel. I’ve read other peoples pedometer readings from Disneyland online and they seem to average around 10 to 14 miles per day. I will take my readings and let you know!

A few years ago Disneyland kicked my butt. I wasn’t exercising every day and I would find myself extremely sore after each visit. I started walking almost every day and now the last few times we’ve gone, I haven’t felt sore after going except for some minor foot ache from being on them so much. I’ve been considering purchasing a pedometer since I watched Supersize me the first time, but never gotten around to buying one until now.

What is kinect?

I bought a Kinect as a present to myself and I’m definitely not regretting it, I love it! I only wish I had more room to play with friends, but all in due time. What appealed to me was the fact I didn’t have to hold onto a controller while I played. I was also curious to see if it really gave me enough of a work out to count. Surprisingly after the first day of playing Disneyland Kinect Adventure…yes Disneyland, I was so sore I couldn’t fully extend my arms for two days.

What is a Kinect? For those of you who may not know, let’s take a look!

Kinect for Xbox 360 is a motion sensing input device by Microsoft that brings games and entertainment to life with no controller required. Competing with the Playstation Move and the Wii Remote Plus, Kinect removes the gadgets and gizmos from your hands, removing the last barrier between you and the experiences you love.

To use, step in front of the sensor and Kinect recognizes you and responds to your gestures and voice. See a ball? Kick it. Want to watch a movie? Say “Xbox, play.” With Kinect, friends and family get off the couch to dance, dodge, leap and kick using the whole body and voice to play and socialize.

Here’s a quick look at how the technology works.

• Kinect sensor. Kinect combines an RGB camera, depth sensor and multi-array microphone running proprietary software that brings Kinect experiences to every Xbox 360 console. The Kinect sensor tracks full-body movement and individual voices, turning you into the controller for social entertainment available only on Xbox 360.
• RGB camera. Kinect has a video camera that delivers the three basic color components. As part of the Kinect sensor, the RGB camera helps enable facial recognition and more.
• Depth sensor. An infrared projector combined with a monochrome CMOS sensor allows Kinect to see the room in 3-D (as opposed to inferring the room from a 2-D image) under any lighting conditions.
• Multiarray microphone. Kinect has a microphone that will be able to locate voices by sound and extract ambient noise. The multiarray microphone will enable headset-free Xbox LIVE party chat and more.
• Microsoft software. A proprietary software layer makes the magic of Kinect possible. This layer differentiates Kinect from any other technology on the market through its ability to enable human body recognition and extract other visual noise.

Fast food vs. me

Some of the scariest things you can eat come from the drive-through window. I’ll admit I am a big offender when it comes to fast food. I fall into the line of thought that fast food is fast. When I get home from work and I’m exhausted, I don’t want to spend an hour or two preparing and cooking my own dinner, I’m hungry NOW! At one point my ratio of fast food meals far exceeded my home meals per week. In an effort to eat healthier I now only allow myself fast food once or twice a week as a treat. Eventually I would like to cut down to once every two weeks, then only on occasion. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself because let’s face it, fast food is addicting.

Sometimes it helps to have a little shock therapy to inspire change. I highly recommend watching Supersize Me or reading Fast Food Nation. I also recommend looking at the nutritional information for your favorite fast food items to realize how bad for you they really are.

Below is a list of some of my favorite foods from fast food restaurants and how the calories add up. If I could look at this every time I’m craving out food I’m sure I’d feel a lot different.

In and Out Burger
Cheeseburger (480) + Animal Style Fries (660) + Dr. Pepper (200) = 1340 calories
Cheeseburger (480) + Fries (395) + Dr. Pepper (200) = 1075 calories

Carls Jr.
Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger (1000) + Small fry (310) + Dr. Pepper (150) = 1460 calories
Western Bacon Cheeseburger (740) + Small fry (310) + Dr. Pepper (150) = 1200 calories
Superstar w/Cheese (940) + Small fry (310) + Dr. Pepper (150 ) = 1400 calories

Famous Star w/Cheese (680) + Small fry (310) + Dr. Pepper (150) = 1140 calories

Taco Bell
3 Taco Supremes (690) + Nachos (330) + Dr. Pepper (380) = 1400 calories

Panda Express
Steamed Rice (330) + Broccoli Beef (160) + 3 Cream Cheese Rangoons (190) + Dr. Pepper (380) = 1060 calories

McDonald's
Big n’ Tasty (510) + Large French Fry (500) + Dr. Pepper (310) = 1320 calories
Quarter Pounder w/Cheese Meal (510) + Large French Fry (500) + Dr. Pepper (310) = 1320 calories

Friday feature - Disneyland

My family and I are going to Disneyland next week and I feel the need to get excited and spread the love!

Disneyland's official website.

There are many unofficial Disneyland websites, but I love this one for the photographs.


Disneybound is a great source of outfits inspired by Disney characters and Disneyland rides and attractions.
Just another Disney nerd is a great source of visual Disney related content.


My collection of photographs from Disneyland

Call me crazy, but I feel a strong desire to get a pair of these. See them in action below.

Honey mask

“No honey before honey, Honey” – Winnie the Pooh

1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Add the ground nutmeg and cinnamon to a small bowl. Then add the honey last so your measurement spoon does not get sticky. Thoroughly mix the ingredients. I’ve noticed that this isn’t quite enough honey to get the mask to the consistency I want, so I add very small amounts of water until the mixture looks like image above. The goal is to keep it thick so it will not run or drip.
Apply the mask to your face for 30 minutes and rinse.

This mask is a great natural way of reducing acne and smoothing out your skin. When I was younger I had a bad encounter with acne that left me less than perfect skin. I started using this mask and already I can tell the difference. Also, I love how the smell reminds me of Christmas, my favorite time of year!

Let’s check out the benefits…

Nutmeg - is an anti-inflammatory used for skin problems such as rosacea and eczema.

Honey - Honey is a natural anti-oxidant and anti-microbial which can help protect the skin from damage & helps rejuvenate damaged skin. Honey absorbs impurities from the pores, which makes it a great cleansing facemask. Honey is also an amazing moisturizer & helps keep moisture locked into your skin.

Cinnamon (optional) - Cinnamon is an exfoliant and can stimulate the pores, which helps the nutmeg & honey to work better on the skin. Cinnamon is/was used as an antiseptic, astringent and anti-fungal remedy among other things.

Do what you love, love what you do

Do you know what you’re passionate about? Have you ever really stopped to think what grabs your attention and makes you excited? What you spend your free time thinking about, researching and/or doing? What makes you genuinely happy?

So many people out there just survive. Day in and day out they perform what needs to be done, collapse in exhaustion, rinse and repeat without ever taking the time to really do what they are passionate about. Can they say they really enjoy life without doing what they love?

A friend said to me “find what you’re passionate about, what you love to do every day and then find a way to make a living doing what you’re passionate about.” This resonated strongly with me. Such a direct and clear form of thought and yet I had never really considered it before. I had just been surviving.

When I reflected on what I am most passionate about (activity wise) it dawned on me that I think about video games the majority of my time. I think about what I’m playing, what I want to play, what I’ve played in the past. I research how to be better and what products are better. I’ve played video games since I was three or four years old and I have never grown tired or bored with the concept of gaming.

This blog, my YouTube, my whole presence on the Internet is to share my passion for gaming with you and make a living doing what I love.

Try something for me. Sit down with a paper and start writing down what you’re passionate about. What do you really love doing that you could do every day without fail? Let me know if you had any revelations and if you feel you could ever act on them.