Monday, September 9, 2013

What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0049

2401.  Apparently, a tangerine is an acceptable substitute for an engagement ring;
2402.  Surprisingly, “Instant Power Hair Clog Remover” works really well;
2403.  How do know someone has bad BO (i.e., body odor)?  The answer is: When you can smell him (when you’re) walking ten feet behind him;
2404.  The secret to cooling down a bottle of wine is to submerge it in ice water.  The temperature will drop faster than if you placed it in the refrigerator or even the freezer.  If you can bring the water temperature below 32 degrees, that’s even better.  The secret, long practiced by restaurants, is to salt the water and periodically spin the submerged bottle.  The wine should be cold in less than twenty minutes. . . . A gel sleeve placed around the bottle in the freezer also works;
2405.  StubHub! sales end two hours before the event;
2406.  Blue lipstick is not a good look on anyone . . . unless you’re a clown;
2407.  Pasilla is a type of (chili) pepper;
2408.  Apparently, Kristin’s idea of dinner is a beer and a doughnut;
2409.  Luisa is a klepto(maniac) for big German beer mugs (particularly the Hofbräu München ones);
2410.  Apparently, Stan (of Stan’s Restaurant in D.C.) is dead;
2411.  If you like electronic dance music, you’ll probably like iHeartEvolution.com;
2412.  Max Collins (the lead singer and bassist for “Eve 6”) is Stephen Collin’s (the actor’s) nephew;
2413.  Life’s a game made for everyone and love is the prize;
2414.  Our “mental construction” – the way we conceive of ourselves – has a direct influence upon the physical aging process;
2415.  Our external “reality” is far more malleable than many of us think, and far more dependent on the eyes through which we view it.  With the right mindset, our power to dictate this reality – and in turn the results of our actions – increases exponentially;
2416.  What feels like the blink of an eye to some can feel like an eternity to others.  Depending on their mindset, each person experiences the objective reality of time differently;
2417.  Psychology has shown that mindset doesn’t just change how we feel about an experience – it actually changes the objective results of that experience;
2418.  Placebos are about 55 percent to 60 percent as effective as most active medications like aspirin and codeine for controlling pain.  The simple change in mindset – i.e., a belief that they are taking an actual drug – is powerful enough to make the objective symptom actually disappear;
2419.  The brain is organized to act on what we predict will happen next, something psychologists call “Expectant Theory.”  Dr. Marcel Kinsbourne, a neuroscientist at the New School for Social Research in New York, explains that our expectations create brain patterns that can be just as real as those created by events in the real world;
2420.  The expectation of an event causes the same complex set of neurons to fire as though the event were actually taking place, triggering a cascade of events in the nervous system that leads to a whole host of real physical consequences;
2421.  The mental construction of our daily activities, more than the activity itself, defines our reality;
2422.  When we reconnect ourselves with the pleasure of the “means,” as opposed to only focusing on the “ends,” we adopt a mindset more conducive not only to enjoyment, but to better results;
2423.  The oxtail “vaccinara” at Palena in D.C. is really good.  Ask for some bread to sop up the leftover sauce;
2424.  There’s not a lot to see at the zoo (specifically the Smithsonian National Zoo) an hour before it closes;
2425.  Don’t be someone else, but do be the best version of yourself;
2426.  On Thursday nights during football season from 4 o’clock until close, Flat Iron Steak & Saloon (FlatIronKingStreet.com) in (Old Town) Alexandria has “mug” night.  For $6.00, you get a plastic mug (that you can keep) and a draft beer.  Refills are $3.00 after that.  At the next “mug” night, you can bring back your mug and you don’t have to buy another one;
2427.  Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy;
2428.  Luisa’s an Audrey Hepburn fan;
2429.  Hannibal (i.e., George Peppard from “The A-Team”) is in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s;”
2430.  Luisa has a (serious) sweet tooth;
2431.  Ted’s Bulletin (TedsBulletin.com) in D.C. isn’t a bad place for dessert;
2432.  Apparently, Kristin only likes sweet drinks;
2433.  If you’re a vegetarian/vegan, you might want to visit VegDC.com.  It lists vegetarian/vegan restaurants, groceries and bakeries in the D.C. area;
2434.  Elena Delle Donne (of the Chicago Sky) is rather attractive. . . . She’s also a pretty good basketball player;
2435.  Casey Phillips (the digital correspondent for the Monumental Network) is rather attractive. . . . She looks great in a dress;
2436.  The WNBA has (actually) been around sixteen years. . . . Who knew?
2437.  Karl Alzner (of the Washington Capitals) hasn’t made his wife, Mandy, paint the house yet (so he says);
2438.  Apparently, congressmen eat at Bobby Van’s Grill (BobbyVans.com/NY-Ave.html) in D.C.;
2439.  A “Pittsburgh-style” steak is a steak that’s been heated to a very high temperature very quickly, so it’s charred on the outside, but still rare (or raw) on the inside;
2440.  People will rarely remember what you tell them, but they will always remember how you made them feel;
2441.  Weak people prey on weak people;
2442.  There are times when people must stand their ground.  Pick your battles wisely, but don’t initiate any unwarranted hate;
2443.  “Success” is a voyage, not an “x” on a map;
2444.  You can’t teach happiness, per se, but you can teach perspective and let her/him see that the situation s/he is born into is unique and the things s/he is accustomed to are not everyone’s reality;
2445.  Matt(hew) Shultz (the lead singer of “Cage the Elephant”) on stage kind of reminds me of Mick Jagger;
2446.  When I’m at a Muse concert, I feel like I’m some sort of resistance fighter in a crucial attack against “Big Brother” in some not too distant Orwellian future;
2447.  Aged tequila kind of tastes like Scotch/whisky;
2448.  Change her mood, not her mind.  You will never seduce a woman with facts and logic;
2449.  Luisa “loves” sushi;
2450.  Don’t clap with a (nearly) full beer in your hand (especially if you’re sitting down);

No comments:

Post a Comment