Steve Jobs and Apple 2

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Steve Jobs is back! Many people were waiting for iPad2 to come out. However, people also were waiting for Steve Jobs to come back. In this regard, today's iPad2 release event was very meaningful. It is a symbol of his comeback. I'm a big Apple fan. I love their products, but more importantly, I like Jobs' presentation style. Simple and sleek just like their products. If you haven't seen his presentation, now it's time to experience it.

I’ve been eating SAND?!

OK. So I was watching some T.V. and a commercial comes on for tacobell in response to some controversy of late over the percentage of meat in their tacos. The comercial stated that they use 88% USDA certified beef, and that to see what the other 12% is, visit tacobell.com. So of course I have to look it up right then. Most of it seemed pretty reasonable, spices, seasonings, pretty good explanations of other ingredients used for texture, whatever. One thing caught my eye though:

“I heard a rumor there's sand in your taco meat.
This is completely false. The truth is, what has been referred to as "sand", is silicon dioxide. Silicon dioxide:
 Is a safe, common food ingredient often used in spices, seasonings, and many restaurant and packaged foods;
 Is primarily used in food to prevent dry ingredients (like seasonings) from sticking together;
 Is a naturally occurring mineral, often found in water, leafy green and root vegetables, cooked dried beans, whole grains, cereals, and fruits;
 Can be found in many kitchen pantries across America, in mashed potato and rice mixes, coffee, soups, and many spices and seasonings;
 Is approved for use in food by the Food and Drug Administration here;
Like many in the food business, we use silicon dioxide in the seasonings and spices of our taco meat. When cooked, our beef contains about .0005% (or five ten-thousandths of one percent) of this ingredient—far less than the 2% FDA limit. Furthermore, we use certified organic silicon dioxide. It is not artificial and is not a preservative.”

Now, I have a problem with this. I don’t doubt that SIO2 is found naturally in plant life, but the fact remains that Silicon dioxide is quartz and while it is found in other places, it IS sand! In addition to that they claim to use “certified organic silicon dioxide”. While I understand the usage to mean that it comes from a living source, by definition an organic compound means that it contains carbon, so it is somewhat of a misnomer. But that’s a rant for another day. Still I can’t believe that I’ve been eating “sand”. I ran to the kitchen to read the ingredients on the Old El Paso Taco kit we purchased earlier this evening, and sure enough silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent). I had no idea.

Dan Gulino #4 Police Brutality

Although this video is a few months old, I still feel it deserves some attention on this blog. A few months back I posted this video on facebook and it received nearly one hundred responses/comments. Naturally, I want to hear the opinion of this blog after so many voiced opinions on my own personal facebook.
Is this officer justified in his actions? I personally say yes, due to the physical move the woman makes toward the officer while he is attempting to carry out an arrest (even though it may not be a logical/fair arrest). However, some people feel that the immediate punch to the face can surely be categorized as police brutality. Thoughts?
-GulinoGander

War

An outcome of a dispute that no one wants to happen. Really the risks and aftermath is it really worth settling some of the disputes with? Wars lead to economic crisis and inflations. Many families lose love ones and many soldiers pray everyday in hope to see their families. In the act of taking down one leader it leads to the sacrifices of many innocent civilians. Soldiers aren't just killed from gunfires or during battle. They die from diseases they catch from other countries, commit suicide or die from hunger. In the midst of war, one can only hope that we aren't involved in these battles or hit by a terrorist attack from an opposing nation. Really is it worth spending your lives everyday feeling scared and insecure about your own safety? Though settlement of disputes in peace are almost impossible. Opposing leads should look back and account if these losses for their future ideals are really worth it.

Disrespecting your parents.

Guilty. I spent a better part of my life doing everything mom and dad disapproved of, just for the hell of it. I started drinking and smoking at 15. I’ve been dying my hair since I was 11, which innocently started off with red streaks or a nice shade of brown, but quickly turned into “let’s see how many times Saori can dye her hair without killing it”… I always slept over a friend’s house on the weekends to get away from spending more time than needed with the parents. It was mostly Mom that I didn’t get along with. Dad didn’t talk much, so it was easy to get along with him. Mom, on the other hand, spent countless hours everyday bickering with me. She always had a problem with who I was hanging out with, where I was going, etc. It was mostly due to the fact 90% of my friends were always guys. If I had mentioned to mom that my stomach was hurting, her initial thought would be, “you’re pregnant, aren’t you?”. I mean, true, I lost my virginity at a young age… (too young, I won't even say how old I was. I am not proud of that). Also only two months after I started dating that guy. So yes, I rebelled, a lot. Everything my parents would disapprove, I did it. I got a fake ID when I was 17. Used it to get a tattoo spontaneously. I’ve taken mom’s car for joy rides, driven upstate with it without their consent or acknowledgement. I started experimenting with drugs when I was 17, freshman in college. I went on a road trip to Florida, only calling my parents when I was already in the car and hit Jersey, so there was no turning back. I started living with my at-the-time boyfriend when I was 18, keeping that a secret from the parents for over two and half years, until our recent breakup in October.

I will continue to do things my way, because that’s how I am. I refuse to let my parents’ beliefs and way of life stop me from living how I want to live. In the past, yes, I’ve disrespected my parents, countless times. I’ve had a bad relationship with them for years. Lately we’ve been getting along, mostly because they’re not on my case anymore. I’m not a bad kid. I just enjoy experiencing life. I drink, I smoke, I've experimented with other things, I’m getting a second tat in 20 days (which they’re against), I’ve slept around, etc. But, I do get good grades, I have an internship, I have a job, I’ve gotten promotions, I eat healthy, I work out, I’m not in debt… Yes, I do things my parents are against. And enjoy doing it. But their strict morals and old beliefs did help me with keeping my life straight, and not become a total fuck up.

Photoshop Family

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tc8795/ here's the link to what I've done so far

That time of year

Yes, its that time of year again. Its the Super Bowl. The two teams this year; the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. I can't really say that I'm a fan of either of these two teams. As a New Yorker my whole life, I've been rooting for the Giants (needless to say this year wasn't a good year for us). But since its the Super Bowl and you have to root for someone, I am going to root for the Packers. The reason for this is because the Steelers have such a large fan base. Every other person out there from New York, if they arent a Giant or Jets fan is a Steelers fan. So I'm basically playing devils advocate.

Every year, my uncle has a huge Super Bowl party. It's always a lot of fun. Tons of people come, and there's unlimited amount of food. Its just an overall good time and atmosphere. I'm definitely looking forward to that tomorrow. Not to mention the 100" TV that he has in his living room that makes the viewing all that much better. It's a great time of year to be a football fan.