Sunday, February 22, 2015

New Fetish: The 'Human Barbie Doll' Look

Depicted above is one of the many who have took part in this new crazed fetish. Valeria Lukyanova, also known as the "Human Barbie," went viral earlier this year after the images of this attractive 21-year-old blonde model entered the online kingdom. Many folks are wondering if she got plastic surgery or if most of these online photos are merely Photoshop, etc. If in doubt, go online and perform an image search for this type of stuff... Anyway, some people even say she isn't real, for example. Well, there is no doubt that she is a living, breathing human being. However, she does claim that she is all natural and possesses this type of Barbie Doll look by using an awesome make-up job and is more focused on her optimistic disposition and spiritual connection, going by what I've read.

This individual shown above is not the only one I have seen the last few years, that has really got into this new type of fetish. There was some guy on TV a while back, that was striving to look just like the Barbie Doll named Ken. Except this guy admitted to going through various types of expensive surgeries and whatnot. Even though I found that particular case to be totally ridiculous and a waste of money, it didn't cost me anything so whatever floats your boat, dude. Other popular models have somewhat tried to mock these childish figurines, but more times than not, the plastic surgery goes wrong somewhere down the line after trying to achieve this human Barbie Doll look. I must give Valerie some credit, though, as she did really well on this cosmetic aspect. Now, whether her boobs are real or if she had additional plastic surgery, is another story. Personally, I prefer the more all-terrain, big booty, sexy-but-tough look, sort of like the girls you often see in rap videos while "shaking what their momma gave 'em," as they say; ha!

Image Credit: www.mstarz.com/articles/6294/20121113/human-barbie-valeria-lukyanova-v-magazine-exclusive-interview-barbie-real-flattered-appear-unreal-critics-photos.htm (Link is no longer active)

---End of Post "New Fetish: The 'Human Barbie Doll' Look"

Seed Tape for Small Seeds

I was just looking at this semi-interesting gardening aid today, known as seed tape, and was thinking how it could be fairly useful for those pesky small seeds that almost seem invisible once they hit the dirt. You know, the really tiny seeds like beets, radishes, carrots, lettuce, spinach, turnips, etc. Most of the stuff I plant usually has medium to large seeds, but the seed tape could come in handy for the micro seeds, I suppose.

This is an extremely simple concept with environmentally friendly features. The paper and adhesive from this tape is biodegradable and compostable. It's an easy way to sow small seeds, no doubt. This gardening tape is pre-glued for your convenience. The printed increments on the tape makes the proper spacing of your seeds a cinch. You just dig out your spot/row, put the seeds on the biodegradable tape, place it in the trench/furrow and cover it up with the dirt and add some water.

Will I try this amazingly simple product this year? No, probably not. LOL! I'd rather spend my extra money on more plants and fertilizer, additional soil, and so on. However, I just thought I'd mention this in case some of y'all sow a lot of tiny seeds and have trouble getting your garden rows straight. Personally, I don't care if my plants come up in a zig-zag fashion, just as long as they come up, thrive, and produce; cheers!

Update: A few years after I posted this, I ended up trying this for some radishes and carrots.  These things work great! It is really convenient, for sure... The only thing, though, is I bought the kind that already has the seeds inside the tape. The product described on this post, you have to manually put your own seeds in there, but I doubt if that would be much more trouble. Plus, they sell both versions, etc.

The next part of this update doesn't really relate to the "seed tape for small seeds" title, but it does relate to growing food. Well, to make it short, I got tired of not being able to grow any type of food crops during the winter, so I got into Hydroponics for inside your home. I recently wrote a blog post about that, here: "Fastest Growing Plants for Indoor Mini Hydroponics."
---End of Update

Shopping (Affiliate) Link:  

"Click Here for 'Seed Tape' via Amazon"

Image Credit: Fair Use - Product Image - Amazon.com

---End of Post "Seed Tape for Small Seeds"

Long-Distance Wi-Fi Antenna

Yeah, when I say long distance, I mean like half a mile away! If this product does what it says it can, there will be a lot of people getting free Internet service with their laptops and computers. A while back, I wrote a post that was entitled "What can disrupt your Wi-Fi Network Adapter?" on another website.

Anyway, a lot of people seemed to think that other folks in the neighborhood were trying to tap off of my Internet connection, but since it was a secure connection between the house computers, I'm assuming that wasn't the case. It works better now, for whatever reason, and I think my network adapter may be the one to blame. You can flip the thing around or shake it some times, and it will start working fine for days. Then, you can barely bump it and the damn thing will go out.

Regardless of that other, I'm glad I have a secure connection or else everybody and their grandmother would be trying to tap off of me along with anybody else that pays for their Internet in this area that has unsecured home networks. If more and more people start buying these long-distance Wi-Fi antennas, like the one shown above, the air waves will be even busier than they already were (as if that really matters). However, this would be a good option for somebody that lives close to a hotspot in town that provides a public connection and whatnot. Now, if you are living way out in the sticks, this product won't serve any useful purpose.

The long-distance Wi-Fi antenna I looked at today, comes with a 25 foot USB cable and it's actually an indoor and outdoor antenna, which of course would mean that it is also water-resistant. The price range I've seen thus far is from 60 dollars all the way down to 40 bucks. Well, I thought I'd share this today since it seemed like a pretty good deal . . . that is, if it can really pick up strong signals from half a mile away; cheers!

Update: A few years after I originally posted this, I came back and checked the link below. Since the product line for this has changed so much over the years, I thought it would be best to just deactivate that particular shopping link. They still have similar products out there, but it would be better for the consumer to do their own searching, in this case. If anybody has found an excellent product under this genre and would like to share, feel free to drop a comment. ---End of Update

Shopping (Affiliate) Link: "Click Here for Long-Distance Wi-Fi Antenna via Amazon" (Link has been deactivated) 

Image Credit: Fair use - Product Image - Amazon.com

---End of Post "Long-Distance Wi-Fi Antenna"

Bionic Ear - Electronic Listening (Spy) Device


Now here is a childish spy gadget that many nosy adults would probably enjoy; ha! It is called the "Bionic Ear" and it's an electronic listening device that suppose to enhance your spying potential. What I find funny about this little contraption is that it's advertised as a kid's toy, but how many small children do you know of that would think about privately listening to conversations from 300 feet away? I don't know, maybe things are different now, but when I was in Elementary school I had better things to do outside as opposed to pointing some bionic ear at a distant neighbor so I could eavesdrop for my sick-twisted listening pleasure.

Anyway, the bionic ear consists of an extremely sensitive microphone that claims to be able to pick up soft whispers from a football field away! You just look through the targeting scope thingy and squeeze the trigger to amplify your desired target's sounds/chatter/conversation. Hell, if you combine this particular electronic device with the USB Hidden Spy Voice Recorder that I posted about earlier, you should be all set. LOL!

Update: I checked back on this device a couple years later and I see that it's still available. It looks like the price has dropped a little bit, so that's always nice.  I also noticed a new product for sale (after following the shopping link below) that's a 2-in-1 spying device described as the Spy X Micro Eyes & Ears - which not only functions as a bionic ear (although I doubt it has the same range as the previous product) by helping you hear from far away, but also helps you see in the dark via night vision or something like that. However, the product reviews looked much better for the original electronic listening I was talking about at the beginning of the post, so it's most likely an inferior model, etc. At any rate, I was just adding a few more words to this post regardless if it was just a bunch of senseless twaddle; ha! ---End of Update

Shopping (Affiliate) Link:

 "Click Here for the Bionic Ear - Electronic Listening (Spy) Device"

Image Credit: Fair Use - Product Image - Amazon.com

---End of Post "Bionic Ear - Electronic Listening (Spy) Device"

Related Post: http://mundane-blog.blogspot.com/2015/02/usb-hidden-spy-voice-recorder.html


Random Blog Post: "Lost Technology from German Scientists"

Book full of Crazy Inventions that Never Hit the Market

Now here is a fun book that is bound to be highly entertaining to the masses. It is called "The Klutz Book of Inventions," and it features over 160 crazy ideas for inventions that never hit the market. Some of these ideas are so insane, they might actually work in a world that isn't quite so mundane and confined to our common practicalities; ha! This book demonstrates what it looks like when creative geniuses meet insanity and utter lunacy. Hell, the guy pictured on the book looks like he is showing a product that functions as a helmet-based juicer that funnels the end-product directly to your mouth, for example. LOL!

I haven't read this book yet, but just by reading a few of the examples, it makes me curious and somewhat interested. Some of the ones on the book review mentioned a coin-return couch, a flip-up car sign so you'd never lose your car in the parking lot, a type of pants that redirects your farts (WTF?), a tricycle-lawnmower combo, and so much more. It is a hardcover-spiral book with 198 pages of entertaining material. Although none of these products are currently being sold on the market, some of them may trigger a cool idea for a practical invention. Who knows? Either way, I thought I'd share this today in case some of y'all are looking for a different type of medium that is full of crazy ideas that obviously went astray.
Shopping Link: "Click Here for The Klutz Book of Inventions" (Link has been deactivated)
I decided to disable that particular link. I figure it would be better for you to do you own book search since some may prefer paperback, hardcover, a different variation, etc. Plus, I have enough damn Amazon links on this blog right now, so I don't want to get labelled as a Spam site or something; ha!

Image Credit: Fair Use - Book Cover - Amazon.com - This image can be found on various websites & catalogs.

---End of Post "Book full of Crazy Inventions that Never Hit the Market"

USB Hidden Spy Voice Recorder

This is a nifty little device that could have many valuable uses. Whether you are using it to record lectures, random thoughts, etc., or to use as a hidden spy tactic, this USB voice recorder has a very low profile and is extremely easy to use. The one shown here holds up to 8GB of memory, which they claim that it equates to about 150 hours of recordings. It easily plugs into your computer's USB drive (while simultaneously charging it) so you can playback your recordings via .WAV files. I've seen a price range of just under 20 bucks all the way up to nearly 40 dollars, depending on the brand, size of the memory, etc.

The sound quality, going by one of the customer reviews, suppose to be about as good as the ancient portable cassette recorders of the past. Without the bulk of the old-style recorders, one could easily have this in a shirt pocket without anybody knowing about it. Personally, I've never needed a hidden spy voice recorder, but if I did, this is the type I would buy. Even if you dropped it in front of someone, most people wouldn't know what it was because it looks like a typical USB charging device. Anyway, I just thought I'd share this product today, in case any of y'all were needing to go undercover; ha-ha!


Update: I went back after a couple of years since I originally posted this to check on updated prices, products, etc. It seems that the cost for these little recorders haven't changed much.  After clicking on the link below, I did notice a lot more spy related gadgets on the market.  I must say, if I didn't go with this particular style, I would probably buy the ones that look like little pens, instead. I mean, a writing pen that performs similar sneaky tasks such as this one would be fairly stealthy, wouldn't you say? Plus, this product sort of looks like a flash drive, so if you had it laying around, some nosey person may go and try to stick it into their computer or laptop only to find out it's a recording device; ha!

Shopping (Affiliate) Link:

 "Click Here for the USB Hidden Spy Voice Recorder via Amazon"

Image Credit: Fair Use - Product Image - Amazon.com - This image is found on various websites & catalogs.

---End of Post "USB Hidden Spy Voice Recorder"

Star Trek: The Animated Series - DVDs

I know there are a lot of Trekkers out there, and Star Trek is one of the most popular science fiction shows around. Personally, I always liked the original series the best, but to each their own. The Next Generation seemed pretty good, too, but I only watched the first few seasons of that one and I have no idea about all the new ones out there now.

Anyway, for the ones that liked the original series, a lot of you may not realize that they made an animated series a few years after they quit making the regular episodes. The box says 1973 - 1974. Well, I received mine as a gift several years ago. At first, I was reluctant to watch them right away, because I thought that since they were animated, the quality must have been compensated and that the plots most likely sucked. Well, after watching a few of them, I was surprised. They were pretty good and it is a must-have for any original Star Trek collector.

The DVD set comes with all 22 episodes of the animated adventures of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek. I don't know how much it costs now, but mainly because I got mine free - since it was a gift; ha! At any sci-fi rate, I just thought I'd share that today; cheers!

Image Credit: My own photo of the product.

Shopping (Affiliate) Link: 

"Click Here for Star Trek: The Animated Series - DVDs"

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Television Series: Planet of the Apes

Some of you may be like "they had a television series?" If so, don't feel bad, as I first became aware of this a couple years ago. In fact, out of the five movies they made (shown in the 2nd image), I only watched the original flick. I have the other 4 movies on DVD, but they are just sitting there collecting dust for some strange reason.

Anyway, they made a Planet of the Apes television series in 1974. The complete TV series contains 14 episodes. Believe it or not, they were actually pretty good! I was surprised, especially after finding out they got cancelled after their first year. I've read and heard before that the reason they didn't make it, was because of two other highly competitive shows on NBC they were airing during that same time frame/television channel, etc. The two shows that supposedly put the Planet of the Apes' TV series out of business was: 1) Sanford and Son 2) Chico and the Man

Well, I just thought I'd share this today in case some of y'all wasn't aware of this particular series. It sort of reminds me of when I did a post about Star Trek: The Animated Series on another website before, since many of y'all were not aware of that one, as well.

Image Credit: My own photo

Shopping (Affiliate) Link: 

"Click Here for the Planet of the Apes Television Series"


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Who cares about planets that are hundreds of light years away?

Part 1:
How many times have you heard fantastical headlines about some bizarre alien planet that is "newly discovered" by so-called scientists, only to hear that it probably doesn't have a chance for being habitable and/or that it is hundreds of light years away? Well, here is a recent example...

Headline: 'Godzilla of Earths' Detected Around an Alien Sun

Intro: "Scientists have just discovered the "Godzilla of Earths" — a new type of huge and rocky alien world about 560 light-years from Earth."

They later went on to say that it is most likely impossible for it to harbor life, as if it would make a damn.

Garbage Source = www.nbcnews.com/science/space/godzilla-earths-detected-around-alien-sun-n120441

Verdict: Who cares!?

I mean, seriously, who in the hell cares that a group of people think that they found a giant rocky planet that wasn't gaseous within a 600 light-year radius? I'm not in the least bit a science & discovery hater or anything of the like, but my gawd! I'd rather read the cartoon section as opposed to pondering about the chemical composition of a planet that freakin' far away. As the old adage states: Let's be real!

In the mean time, we should probably ponder over how much money is wasted on studying planets that are hundreds of light years away.

---End of Post "Who cares about planets that are hundreds of light years away?"

The post above reminds me of another older post I wrote a while back.  Since I'm moving my posts around to other websites & blogs, I thought I'd just add it to this one, as well.

Part 2:  Giant Alien Planet Discovered

Great news, folks! Not! Ha-ha! They just found some giant, useless alien planet out in the Cosmos, that will not change one single aspect of your life. The only people this affected, were the ones that thought they had their planetary formation theories correct. First of all, this foreign/alien planet is suppose to be about 11 times bigger than Jupiter. Yeah, that's a big one!

What threw a monkey wrench into the picture, is that it orbits a star that is extremely far away. It is roughly 650 times farther away than the Earth is from its Sun and, to get a better understanding, the orbit of this newly discovered planet is 20 times farther away from its star than Neptune is from the Sun. Wow! No basking in the Sun from that planet! Anyway, going by their current formation "models," a planet of that size shouldn't have formed that far away from its star. Even if the planet was meant to be a star but lacked the mass to ultimately turn into one, it still doesn't add up for these researchers.

A couple quotes from the source page: "Every new directly detected planet pushes our understanding of how and where planets can form. Discoveries like HD 106906 b provide us with a deeper understanding of the diversity of other planetary systems." Read more about this discovery, here: www.nbcnews.com/science/enormous-alien-planet-discovered-most-distant-orbit-ever-seen-2D11703497

My day is much better now, after knowing that several researchers are even more confused than they already were. LOL!

Image Credit: In the Public Domain because it was solely created by NASA.

---End of Post "Giant Alien Planet Discovered"

Himalayan Salt Products, Lamps, Tea Light Candle Holders...

This will now be a 2-part post since I recently deleted an old website of mine and decided to first combine the related pages together before I start adding all the stand-alone articles amid multiple blogs and whatnot. Anyway, back to the subject at hand (or feet?) ...

Part 1: "Himalayan Salt Detox Patches Bogus?"

There is an obvious market out there that caters to our toxic world, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot of bogus products out there. While Himalayan salt products are well known for being a healthy alternative, these particular detox patches that you supposed to slap on your feet seem to be slightly, uh, scam-like. The concept behind this product is that the salt will draw out unwanted toxins through your feet. You suppose to wear these patches when you sleep, for 5 days in a row. They are usually sold as 10 patches (Two 5-day regimens).

By what I could tell, the main proponents of this product are the ones selling it. The other reviews I read, didn't sound so favorable, except for this one person that was amazed at how dirty their patch was after using it. Hmm... I mean seriously, if Himalayan salt is going to be used for your health, wouldn't it be better to just buy the bath salts or simply eat the freakin' salt? A good link that provides a detailed review, can be found here: doesitreallywork.org/himalayan-salt-detox-patches-review/

There are so many ways to assist your body with the detoxification process, albeit your kidneys and liver (if functioning halfway normal) supposed to do most of the work anyway. Simply monitoring what you eat, drink and breathe goes a long way, but who knows, maybe this product actually helps. I just posted this in case somebody knew for sure if this product was bogus or not.

If you'd rather check out some of the cool Himalayan Salt products that are actually worth buying, go here: http://perpendicularity.org/blog/2010/10/11/himalayan-salt/ [Link is no longer active, but it is now Part 2 of this post.]

Image Credit: Fair Use - Product Image. This picture can be found on various websites and catalogs.

---End of Part 1: "Himalayan Salt Detox Patches Bogus?"

Part 2: "Himalayan Salt Products, Lamps, Tea Light Candle Holders..."

Original Post Date: 10-11-2010

In a recent post, I spoke about bringing some flare & creativity to your home by adding Infinity Mirrors into the mix.  Well, not everybody has the money to spend on those creative-looking mirrors…  But, a more affordable (possibly healthier) alternative is Himalayan salt products, whether it is via lamps, tea light candle holders, globes, fire bowls, etc.  There is a large variety of products available, when it comes to all-natural Himalayan salt.

When I say, “possibly healthier,” I’m referring to the notion that the negative ions released from Himalayan, all-natural salt products, when warmed by candle or electricity, is believed by many to enhance your overall sense of well-being.  Negative ions found in nature, produce a calming, relaxing atmosphere – sort of like the atmosphere that is negative-ion rich when you are near a waterfall, in the middle of the woods, by pure mountain air, just after a thunderstorm, close to a seashore, and so on.  Hey, when thinking about the possible health benefits in addition to the glowing beauty from lit Himalayan salt products – along with the low costs – it is well worth the research…

This is what an illuminated ‘Salt Lamp Fire Bowl’ looks like:


The ‘salt lamp fire bowl’ is one of the more expensive products in this particular category, but you get what you pay for, in this case – which is a nifty, unique display of glowing bliss.  Personally, I’ve only purchased the candle holders and lamps, but I’m quite pleased with ’em, so I saved my money by not buying the blazing bowls, even though I’ll probably snag some up in the future.  By the way, these make for excellent gifts for the hard-to-shop-for individuals, whether it is Christmas time or Birthdays.

This is what the lit ‘tea light’ candle holders look like:


If you’re a big fan of lighting candles and are thinking about buying Himalayan salt crystals, then this is probably your best option.  They are very affordable and attractive.  I have these suckers all over the place in my home and, hey, they look great even without the lit candle.  They bring a very natural look to your living space, if nothing else. 

Well, there are several other types of products that relate to Himalayan salt, but I’ll let you search for your own self.  However, I will at least help you get started with an Amazon (affiliate) link, and you can go from there - if interested.


Image Credits: perpendicularity.org/blog/ [Link is no longer active, but it is Fair Use either way via Product images.]

---End of Part 2 "Himalayan Salt Products, Lamps, Tea Light Candle Holders..."

---End of Post

Make Homemade Doughnuts from Cheap Biscuits

This is a really simple, cheap alternative to making homemade doughnuts. Your main ingredients are a can of biscuits, the oil to fry them in, and whatever you use to glaze 'em with. There is no magical recipe here! If you can poke a doughnut hole in the dough, you should be good to go! LOL!

This is also one of those things that you will most likely master on your 2nd or 3rd batch. Frying 'em just right and finding the perfect glaze/topping, is the key. The few times I have did this, I have found that the basic cheap biscuits tend to be the best and easiest to fry. You don't want some fancy super-biscuit with multiple layers or artificial butter flavoring, either.

When it comes to the glaze, I've used chocolate syrup mixed with butter, sugar, etc. I think most doughnut glazes consist of sugar, butter, salt, milk, and vanilla extract. I'm not a glaze guru, so I'll let you figure out that part. I'm just posting this as an idea, in case you are one of those that was like me when I first heard of this: "Oh, cool... I've never really thought about using biscuit dough for doughnuts. This sounds so easy!" Yeah, it is. Now, would I rather have some freshly baked Krispy Kreme chocolate glaze doughnuts? Yeah, but this cheap recipe for homemade doughnuts comes in handy when, say, you have an extra can of biscuits that you didn't use for breakfast, for example. Cheers!

Image Credit: My own shoddy image using the MS Paint program.

---End of Post "Make Homemade Doughnuts from Cheap Biscuits"

Golden Cake-like Mexican Cornbread

I'm mainly jotting down this quick post for my own reference. One of the other good things about free-hosted websites/blogs, is that you can use 'em sort of like free data storage (except the ones that require hosting fees). At any rate, I'd like to take a moment and type out a perfect blend of ingredients that makes an awesome batch of golden, cake-like Mexican cornbread. ...Of course you can add and subtract to any recipe or get extra creative with your Mexican cornbread, but I wanted to write this down (for future reference) so I can remember what recently worked best for me.

You'll need 2 large eggs, 1 cup of milk, 1/4th cup of oil (whichever type you prefer) plus a small amount to grease the 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan, 1 1/2 cups of yellow corn meal, 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/4th cup of sugar, 2 large jalapenos, 1/2 can of corn, and the optional dried onion seasoning, fresh green onions, seasoned salt, hot sauce and black pepper.

I mix all of the ingredients listed above in a large bowl, then pour the batter into a greased 8 x 8 baking pan. I heat the oven to 450 degrees and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until it is golden brown.

I have made this twice recently, but both times it got devoured before I thought of taking a picture of this extremely delicious cake-like cornbread. So, I had to use a Wikipedia image of jalapenos, for a pictorial substitute.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons - Source = en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalape%C3%B1o

Related Post: http://mundane-blog.blogspot.com/2013/06/roaster-oven-recipes.html


---End of Post "Golden Cake-like Mexican Cornbread"

Metaphysical Selenite

Like I've said in the past, although I don't practice any of that boogy-boogy metaphysical healing stuff, I used to collect many of the stones and crystals that were affiliated with this woo-woo, simply for decorative purposes. However, out of my vast collection, selenite is the only one I ended up throwing away. Now, if you read about all of the metaphysical glory this junk has, you'd think one would surround their entire house with it. I've even read that selenite removes energy blockages from physical and etheric bodies. Read more about the "healing" properties, here: www.healingcrystals.com/Selenite_Articles_53.html

I also recall reading several years ago that if bad things start happening when you surround yourself with this stuff, get rid of it. Well, after having this selenite crap in my home for a couple years, I decided that it didn't do anything but bring bad luck, arguments, conflict, etc., for me, so I threw it all away. Yeah, it was supposed to open the gates of energy from my etheric body and whatnot, so evidently the energy blockages that I had before the selenite entered my home were a good thing after all; ha-ha!

Plus, selenite is a soft mineral, scratches easy, and smells funny when it's heated. One may ask, "why would you heat your selenite?" Well, a lot of the selenite that I purchased acted as candle holders, so when they would get hot, they emitted a weird smell to say the least. At any metaphysical rate, I just thought I'd share these tidbits today. The one shown on this post is from the actual company that I purchased a lot of stones, crystals, and Himalayan salt rocks from.

Related Post: http://mundane-blog.blogspot.com/2011/12/moldavite-mystery-crystals-from-another.html
Image Credit: Fair Use - Product Image - Source = pelhamgrayson.com

---End of Post "Metaphysical Selenite"