How to Tell if You Are a Supertaster

What's a supertaster you ask? More or less, it's just someone with a heck of a lot more taste-buds than the average person. All these extra taste-buds tend to make supertasters hyper sensitive to tastes, due to the increased intensity of any given taste they are detecting. Researchers estimate the supertasters experience flavors about three times stronger than the average taster.

MATERIALS NEEDED:
*Piece of thick paper such as 3x5 note card or construction paper
*Blue food coloring
*Mirror
*Magnifying glass
*Cotton swab (optional)
*Hole punch (optional)

STEP 1:
Poke a hole in the paper approximately the size of a standard paper hole punch hole (should be 7mm or .27 inches in diameter; most hole punches range between 8mm and 8mm).

STEP 2:
Now rub some of the food coloring onto your tongue with a cotton swab or your finger. You will notice under the magnifying glass that the food coloring will tend to show up on your  tongue, but the papillae will stay pink-ish, looking like little pink bumps on your tongue.

STEP 3:
Place the hole on the paper over part of your tongue that has the food coloring and press gently, so as not to move the paper while you are counting.

STEP 4:
Use the magnifying glass and a mirror to count how many papillae you see on your tongue through the hole in the paper. The papillae should appear like tiny pink dots surrounded by blue food coloring.


That's it. If you counted close to 35-ish or more, you are a supertaster. If you counted beeetween 15 or more up to around 35-ish, you are a medium taster. If you counted less than 15, you are a non-taster. Obviously there are ranges within each group, but that's generally how the three groups are classified. But beyond labels like "supertaster", the more papillae you counted, the stronger you taste things.

Easily Sharpen Scissors

The two easiest methods involve using sand paper or aluminum foil:

With the sandpaper: use a relatively fine 150 or 200 grit sandpaper, cut with the rought side down.

With the aluminum foil: take a nice sized sheet of aluminum foil and fold it a few times to get it nice and thick. Now cut thin strips of the aluminum foil with the scissors. Simple.

Stain Removal Guide

RED WINE STAIN:
Put white wine on top of stain or blot with club soda.

SWEAT/DEODORANT STAIN:
Mix equal parts H2O  + lemon juice, and hang garment in sun for several hours.

GRASS STAIN:
Rub white vinegar + baking soda into stain, let it sit for a while.

COFFEE STAIN:
Rub with paste made up of cold H2O, powdered laundry detergent, + white vinegar.

INK STAIN:
Place stainer area on top of clean towel.
Use rubbing alcohol/nail polish remover to transfer ink from shirt to towel.

TOMATO SAUCE STAIN:
Blot with water, add ammonia (for stronger stains try hydrogen peroxide).

Dressing Properly

THE ESSENTIALS

A good pair or two of dark jeans. A cheap entry point would be Levis- 511s are a good, somewhat skinny fit. 514s are the best for weight lifters and slightly heavier people. 510s are skinnier than 511s, and ideal for the super-thin. Levis is not a perfect brand, but a place to start, and incredibly affordable for most.

Oxfords, black or brown. Plain toe, cap toe, or wingtip. No square toes period. The slimmer the better. Preferrably black, but thrown works as well.

A few button-down shirts. At least one white. As slim as they can fit without looking overly stretched. These can be paired with anything.

A pair or two of slim trousers. Pinstriped, windowpane, or anything you like, so long as it is relatively conservative, goes with th above shirts, and fits well.

Good socks, underwear, and T-shirts. Get nice black socks. Do not wear white socks with your oxfords, ever. Boxer-briefs are the best choice, underwear-wise. Get a few good v-neck t-shirts that fir you well, but do not wear them excessively. Also, if you have a sweat issue, purchase good undershirts.

A good wool coat. Leather is okay, but usually too pricey. Peacoats, though slightly played out, are an option.

A good suit. Two button, slim cut, preferrably in a dark gray or black. The slimmer and more fitting, the better. Brand is largely irrelevant (at this point) so long as it fits well.

A slim Tie. In black or another conservative color. No odd patterns, If you're massive, stick with a normal sized tie.

A leather belt. Preferrably reversible, always wear it with your jeans or pants, never with the suit.

Weather-appropriate clothing. Sweaters (including cardigans), rain coats, gloves, etc. Whatever you need to function correctly in the weather.

Low-key accessories. A scarf or two. A nice, bifold, slim leather wallet. A pocket square.


THE RULES

Everything must be tailored. Fit is everything. You can have the most expensive, coolest clothing in the world and still look like a tool. NO matter what- no matter the price, the article, the style, whatever- get it tailored, buy it to fit, or do not wear it.

As a caveat to the above, Dress to your size, not to what others tell you.
Super skinny pants look good on super skinny people only. This does not make them more fashionable than you can be. Those who obsess over being a thin as an attempt to be fashionable are misguied and insecure.

Nothing "Graphic", Ever.
No graphic tees, no graphic designs on your pants, nothing. Ever.

Dress like a proper human being.
Do not derive fashion ideas from movies, video games, music or any other form of media. No matter how much you may like whatever it is you like, it likely is not a good idea. Trying to incorporate something you saw in video games, is a really bad idea.

Stick to simple colors and earth tones until you build up to a good wardrobe.

Do not feel scared to dress well.
There is no negative to looking good. People who make fun of you should be ignored, they are trying to accomodate for their own securities.

Create your own style.
Listen to everything anyone says with a grain of salt. Create your own style. Your ability to mimic what you saw on some webpage is not the judge of fashion in the real world.


WHERE TO SHOP

Nowhere is off limits. Shop everywhere. Try everything on. If you buy online, ensure they have a return policy. Never buy from Korean/Chinese Ebay retailers. Vintage shop and check out your local salvation army. No matter where you shop, never expect a perfect fit: Befriend a good tailor.

What to Remember When Going to Sleep

Your mattress should be quite hard - not sagging in the middle. If it is, use a board underneath, or better - get a new one.

CORRECT
Side posture with flexed knees, which decreases the low back curve. The pillow should support the neck.




If a cushion is placed under the knees in this position, the low back curve is corrected.




To change the habit of sleeping face down, raise the foot of the bed as shown below.





Arrange your pillows correctly for reading and resting on the bed.




WRONG
This position accentuates the low back curve, if the mattress is too hard.




A pillow which is too high overstretches the neck, arms and shoulders.




Facing downwards tires the neck and shoulder muscles.





Even if you bend the knee and hip, the lumbar curve is still accentuated when face down.

Telling The Difference Between Asian Languages

It's Korean if there are lots of circles and ovals. There are lots of straight lines. It looks like the symbols are making faces at you.

I'ts Japanese if it has squiggly cute symbols. It has very plain-looking, spaced out symbols.

It's Chinese if the symbols are all big and scary

Healthy Eating Plate

HEALTHY OILS
Use healthy oils (like olie and canola oil) for cooking, on salad, and at the table. Limit butter. Avoid trans fat

VEGETABLES
The more veggies - and the greater the variety - the better. Potatoes and french fries don't count.

FRUITS
Eat plenty of fruits off all colors.

WATER
Drink water, tea, or coffee (with little or no sugar). Limit milk/dairy 1-2 servings/day and juice (1 small glass/day). Avoid sugary drinks.

WHOLE GRAINS
Eat whole grains (like brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and whole-grain pasta). Limit refined grains (like white rice and white bread).

HEALTHY PROTEIN
Choose fish, poultry, beans, and nuts; limit red meat; avoid bacon, cold cuts, and  other processed meats.

Transform Your Hoodie Into a Laptop Bag

If you bought a laptop for yourself and still havent bought a proper bag for it then transforming a hoodie to a laptop bag isn't that hard. Just follow these given steps and you're ready to go in no time.

Donnie Darko

Lynchian? Perhaps this is the only way in which a summary of Donnie Darko can be compressed into just one word. This film is an absolute mish-mash of varying styles and genres, but has the added bonus of succeeded in its amalgamation of styles which quite frankly makes it one of the great films of not only the 21st Century but perhaps in cinematic history. Am I over-hyping this film? Perhaps not nearly enough.

A surreal blend of dark humour, science fiction, teen drama and high school angst, Donnie Darko is a mind tripping, thought out journey through the life of one adolescent as he comes to terms not only with the arduous task that is puberty, parents, school and friends, but that his perceived delusions and eccentricities will make him the only one that can save the universe from complete destruction. This may sound like a garbled mess but it works wonderfully due to the way that the director, Richard Kelly, manages to tell convincingly all aspects of this story in a way where nothing feels, forced, nerdish or out of place.

Guiding Donnie through the time ridden paradox that is this film is be-musingly a six foot tall bunny rabbit named Frank. While Franks identity may become somewhat clearer throughout the course of the film, his presence works on several levels (as indeed does the film). Not only is he a mental figmentation but he is also a manifestation of the teenage angst that raged (or will rage, depending) inside all of us. The need to rebel and break free of rules, moulds and confines to cope with the fear that comes with having to grow up. On top of this there are many referential notes to make with Frank, that first and foremost of "Watership Down", which itself is present in the film make reference to how Donnie and Frank mirror their rabbit counterparts fiver and the spectre that haunts him with tales of the worlds demise.

There are more obvious analogies, the simplest of which is Alice In Wonderland and how the White Rabbit provides the means for the hero to return to where they are supposed to be. Unfortunately, it's far too difficult to go into too much detail without having to ingrain a spoiler at the top, because many of the films key notations are inward and secular, as they constantly repeat themselves in varying formats, but by the same token provide a film which can be interpreted by all viewers in different and personal ways.

Donnie Darko succeeds because it gets the small things right. The made for cinema cut is slightly more Lynchian than the directors cut due to the absence of some notable moments and thereby lacking the continuity, and so I'd have to recommend the Directors Cut due to it being somewhat more coherent (although that's not essential) and providing a deeper explanation as to the events which transpire. Moments where Donnie is playing on an Arcade machine, and the importance of placebo's are key plot moments but are lost on the viewer without the Directors Cut. But whichever version the subtleties of plot and character developments keep the viewer hooked. The interesting twists and turns of the story whether it be human drama or science fiction are exceptionally well written and perfectly acted. Suffice to say this film works on more levels than one, and will leave a deeply profound affect on all those that want it to.

Donnie Darko was credited (if all the critical acclaim and general love by all fans of cinema wasn't enough) as being in the top ten of fifty films you must see before you die, and to be honest I couldn't have phrased it better myself. There is little to say without spoiling the film for those that haven't seen it and there is little I can say which hasn't already been said about this film. It is for want of a better phrase a modern day masterpiece, an exercise in cinematic achievement highlighting an ability to tell stories which many thought was all but lost. Few films are worthy of pedestals, and while the amount by which tens are brandished around on IMDb, few films are worthy of a ten. Donnie Darko deserves it all. Maximum.

Wet Shaving

WHAT IS WET SHAVING

"Proper shaving has become a lost art. Today's average male has no clue about the fine art of the traditional wet shave that their grandfathers and some of their fathers used to take part in. Instead, they're only accustomed to the cheap and disposable shaving products that companies market. I'm not sure when or why it happened, but the tradition of passing down the secrets of a clean shave abruptly stopped. Thankfully, this glorious male ritual is making a comeback."

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Look at that badass piece of steel. This ain't no girly piece of plastic with 20 blades and a moisturizing lotion strip, this is pure, unadulterated manliness. Would you rather shave with a piece of machinery or a happy meal toy?







This thing will slice you right open if you're not careful. Its off the chain sharposity also gives you a closer shave than those pieces of poo they advertise on TV.








"A brush? What does a man need a brush for?", you might be asking yourself. I'll tell you what for - to give yourself a soapy lather right before engaging in a holocaust against your face hairs. Because you deserve it.




THE BENEFITS

1. It's Cheaper

2. Enviromentally Friendly
Instead of filling the landfills up woth billions of bits of plastic (both product and packaging), as well as aerosol shaving cream cans, wet shaving produces very little waste, other than the bits of paper surrounding the blades and the blades themselves.

3. More Fun
This was the clincher for me: shaving went from a tedious, boring, hateful chore to a real pleasure, something I look forward to each morning and truly enjoy. It makes a significant psychological difference to begin the day with taking care of yourself while doing something you enjoy rather than hurrying through something you hate.

4. Better Shaves
"Most men today walk around not knowing they have horrible shaves. Electric razors and the latest 5 blade contraceptions irritate the skin more than needed, leaving razor burn, ingrown hairs, and redness. Shaving with a safety razor will eliminate the skin irritation and give your face a clean healthy look because you're just using one blade instead of several that chew up your face in order to cut your whiskers."