This video makes me want some tea really bad

This video makes me want some tea really bad!  

A friend of mine threw this series my way.  Its just awesome.  Hilarity aside, its got me craving tea again.  I'll be honest, i've been drinking WAY to much coffee.  However I can get it.  I've mentioned in past posts about my affinity for Calico and Great Northwest Coffee.  I even have my own mini tea press that I use for fresh ground beans from Calico and Great Northwest Coffee.  My department even has an espresso maker at the ready to go equipped with a milk steamer.

This video, has inspired me to get back on the tea bandwagon.  My go to tea is green and chai.  Green when i'm feeling a bit unhealthy, and the Chai tea when I feel a bit fancy and tired of coffee.

Starting tomorrow, i'll be starting a tea regiment.  

Interesting Tea Fact:  It is the second most consumed liquid in the world - water being the first.

I've heard House of Tea is a great place to go.  I will make sure to take a visit there and post a quick blurb on my findings.

Any suggestions for tea types?  Preparing?

Love Living In Thunder Bay, Love Eating In Thunder Bay

Its by no means breaking news, but Thunder Bay has some damn fine dining establishments.  The Bay and Algoma district especially.  (Say it again - Bay and Algoma District).  There are more great places to eat in this block than any where else in the city.  (this bodes well for my previous suggestion of closing off bay street to create a piazza -  Bay St Piazza)

When i find something I like, the norm for me is to be addicted.  Chipolte unrwrap with Tofu with a side of WheatGrass.  The mix of roasted red peppers, bean sprouts, tofu and the vinaigrette is amazing.   And satiating. I am full when i eat this dish.  And with mostly greens, that's hard to accomplish.

Growing Season is very popular.  So if you're in a rush - avoid the lunch crowd.  If you've been before, you know it can get a bit crowded very quickly.  Regardless - its worth the wait.

I haven't had a 'juice' yet but noticed a lot or patrons with colourful beverage  in hand.  Can anyone make me a recommendation for my next visit?

Motivation to write music

Really inspired today.  Read Deadmau5 " united we fail" blog and he really pushed my 'creativity' button. 

He read a short story and was motivated to write a soundtrack to express what he was feeling.

To take it a step further, he posted his creation on soundcloud and allowed others to contribute lyrics and melodies. These were not A list celebrity singers, but pure musically inclined artists that created something for the sake of creating.

DeadMau5 was blown away when he heard a submission which comprised of 2 verses.

The guy read the description of what the track was about. He read the story to get inspiration and then wrote some melody and lyrics.  Pure music creativity.  No influence of perception, money, ego, motive.  Just pure creativity.

Here's the entire article: http://deadmau5.tumblr.com/post/19570452553/collaborations-songwritting-and-the-like

Fix Windows7 Boot Issue by changing BIOS

Re-imaging a Windows 7 installation and couldn't get it to boot.

Kept getting the option to attempt to boot to Windows 7 or run a repair.

Neither fixes issue.

Fix:  Change your BIOS setting for the SATA from AHCI to IDE mode.

Done!

Here's the specific driver it didn't like in AHCI mode:

Error: PCI\VEIN_8086&DEV_38B22&SUBSYS.306017AA&REV.06 not found

My Arsenal to Combat the Flu

Well it finally got me.  I started coming down with 'something' yesterday around lunch time.  I went into lock down and assessed my situation.  Devised a plan of attack. Prepared for the worst.

• Water. Lots of it. Thankfully my office has filtered water fountains. That would get me through the afternoon until i headed home
• Diner.  Healthy. Turkey meatloaf and lots of veggies.
• Post diner - green tea.  I drank a whole pot.
• Staying awake - no napping before bed.  From experience, the more tired i am before bed, the more likely i will actually sleep.   
• NeoCitran - Drink this right before i crawl into bed. Nothing worse for the psyche than waking up at 3AM congested an unable to sleep, lying awake for hours. NeoCitran + exhaustion = solid 5 hours of sleep. Undisturbed sleep really helps heal the body.  No medical evidence to back this up. It just works for me
• Morning shower - hot. Get the steam to loosen everything up in the nasal cavities.  Get the aches out of the muscles and bones
• Breakfast - water, vitamins, food. Whatever you can eat to get you through the next few hours
• Get out of the house - whether or not your calling in sick - just get out and about.  Get your mind off being sick.  Fresh air helps.  Especially if its winter.  Cold crisp air.
• Fisherman's friend to keep the de-congestion going
• Gage you status around lunch.  

I made it to 12Noon today and so far so good.  Still feeling it, but it's 'not that bad'.

Wheat Grass and Hear Say

Today i was feeling a bit punchy, a bit tired and a bit down.  Something was a bit 'off'.  I usually feel this way before getting sick, or achieving some form of intense cold.  By chance I was at Organic Cafe for lunch today and over heard that there was  fresh batch of juice available.  I couldn't wait to finish my meal just so i could slam an ounce of wheat grass juice.

Within moments of slurping down the viscous green  liquid i instantly felt better.  Yes i know it could be attributed to placebo.  The mind is in fact the best healer.  But it was a story my friend told me after wards that added to my overall improvement in disposition.

A co-worker of his was feeling sick for over a week. Nothing was working.  When given the advice of wheat grass juice, he was almost 100%  by the next morning after ingesting the green stuff.

Now i know there's many that dispel the claims that are made of wheat grass juice.  Just because they aren't all true or valid, doesn't make the remaining claims invalid.  When i hear stories of people getting over the flu, or better yet, people who don't get the flu because they drink wheat grass juice, it just makes me believe in the 'healing' properties that much more.

Don't listen to the naysayers.  If just by drinking a bit of the green helps meet your daily requirement of vitamins, nutrients and minerals, than that alone is getting you closer to you not coming down with the flu because your body has what it needs to fight it properly.

And besides, there isn't much to choose from with regards to beverages.

I hate that my OJ has all the juice extracted from the orange only to manipulated so it can be stored long term in giant tanks and then be chemically re-flavoured by the time it hits the shelf.  I'm sure the same can be said with any 'juice' now a days.

Pop i rarely drink and you don't drink pop for health reasons, or attempting to provide your body with the essentials.

Milk, i drink in my coffee.

Water.

So what's a guy to do?   Wheat grass juice.

Say it with me!  WHEAT GRASS JUICE!



Here is a list of some of the health claims.  Believe what you will.

• One Shot of Wheatgrass Juice
• One ounce contains 103 vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
• One ounce of wheatgrass juice represents as much nutritional value as approximately 2.5 pounds of fresh green vegetables.
• Wheatgrass juice is high in chlorophyll.
• It is very high in vitamins A, B-Complex, C, E and K.
• Wheatgrass juice is a natural source of laetrile (B-17).
• It contains beta-carotene, which is found in red, green and yellow pigmented fruits and vegetables.  Beta-carotene acts as a scavenger against harmful molecules flowing naturally through the body or through toxins inhaled from cigarette smoke, air pollution and other damaging sources.
• Wheatgrass cleanses, purifies and feeds the body by activating the white blood cells, which boost the body's immune system.
• Wheatgrass juice is also beneficial for people who need to lose weight or cleanse their bodies.

(taken from http://www.greenhealthcanada.com/Benefits_of_Wheatgrass.html)

Dear NHL, 2 On Ice Referees Isn't Working

Too many referees on the ice still making bad calls.

Dear NHL,
I'm writing this letter in response to some of the questionable calls and non calls your referees made and did not make.

Please take the 2nd official off the ice and put him behind a tv so he can watch the same game the rest of us are watching.  Equip him with a headset and microphone.  Give the other ref the other headset.  No one else needs to hear what they're saying.  The 'tv ref' can than assist the on ice ref by telling him what's 'really' happening.

Examples are and not limited to:

"The puck is still clear.  The puck is in the net. A player behind you that you don't see just speared another player and the other player is now chasing him down.  There was no goalie contact.  There was goalie contact.  There was goalie contact but its not his fault - the dman cross checked him into the goalie.  That wasn't tripping.  That's a dive."  Etc Etc Etc.

This would easily clear up the animosity of fans vs refs.  If coaching staff are connected to assistants up in the box seats with headsets why can't the refs be?  I'm optimistic that the refs could get up to speed within a week.  Sure you'll need to make some rules and adjustments.

We take "TV Timeouts" for commercials on Tv, i don't think taking 30 seconds to review a play isn't too much to ask if its going to make and break the game.

Please get with the times.

Thank you.