My Wristwatch.

I've been thinking lately, and have realized that many people have foregone the years-old tradition of actually wearing a watch to tell the time, and have instead turned to the cell phone to give them the time.
And though I realize that there is some convenience in the fact that the phone can tell you the weather and the time and probably whatever else you want it to, there is a simplicity to the watch that can never be matched by anything else.
Here are the reasons I have for wearing a watch and not depending on a cell phone for the time.

1) Convenience. Isn't it annoying to fish out your phone to tell the time, as opposed to a simple quick glance to your wrist for the time? And if your cell phone is off, well, you just have to wait about 5 seconds for the thing to turn on!

2) Permissibility in school. I've seen many people get their cell phones confiscated by the teacher because they were checking the time. First of all, if you can't see the clock in the room it's not that big a deal; by observing the behavior of those around you (packing up, etc.) you can easily tell when class will end. And besides, you're technically not supposed to have your phone with you in class. (Whether I agree with this rule or not is a discussion for another post.)

3) Style. When you have an analog watch on your wrist, it gives others a sense that you are distinctive, classy. A digital watch signifies an active lifestyle, and is all the more stylish when it matches your outfit. I know this is not really important to many people, but for those who do care a lot about style, check out your local Swatch catalog for cool designs. (My favorite Swatch series are the Core Collection--simple, distinctive designs. But I don't have a watch budget to get these, though.)

4) Affordability. For those of you who are put off from getting a watch because of the price, there are places to go to get watches for pretty cheap. I don't think I've ever spent more than 20 bucks on a watch; there's a store called Time Factory in Gurnee Mills where I get mine. And for those of you not around Chicago, Amazon sells awesome watches for under $30 (like the Casio Calculator Watch). Look around; you do not have to spend $60+ to get a decent name brand like Timex or Swatch.

In any case, if you do wear a watch, more power to you. And to those who don't, just keep this in mind whenever you pull out your cell phone or have to ask someone with a watch what time it is because your phone died.

V

Sriracha sauce-simply the best. No Joke.

Just a short ode to my new favorite condiment. Sriracha sauce, available wherever food is sold (for about $3), is probably the most versatile and best-tasting hot sauce you will ever eat.
Let's start with the taste; the very sweet, yet sharp and spicy flavor is something that has to be experienced at least once. Fortunately, you can eat this sauce on almost anything (within reason, of course). Some of the foods that this wonderful sauce makes even more exquisite are:
-Pizza (thin crust)
-Pasta (try it at Noodles & Co.)
-Sub sandwiches
-Hummus wraps (like a burrito, but with hummus, red bell peppers, and shredded cucumbers inside)

So basically you get the idea. This is one great sauce, and of course there is a lot of sugar in it to make it have that sweet flavor. But the selling point for me is this: it is a pleasant taste without being overpowering, so it is very forgiving (compared to other hot sauces) if you put too much in your food. It will be a little more spicy than usual if you accidentally put in too much, but it doesn't stay with you and burn your mouth for eternity like some other sauces (like Tabasco Chipotle smoked) do.

V

Final Exams...

So I know that many of my colleagues are stressing out about final exams. Here's just a short post for those of you who wonder sometimes about the usefulness and the purpose of final exams.

Let's get the boring stuff out of the way. We all hear the standard stuff about how they test what you know, and what you have learned throughout the semester. Sure, that's all fine and dandy, but what do they actually have to do with my actual life? Will I ever need to be able to handle something like final exams again?

And the answer is yes, though you may not want to hear it. Finals, though they may seem like pointless drudgery, are great for a few not-so-obvious reasons.
-Adaptation to a new style: In the workplace, you'll come across this all the time. Let's say your boss gets fired and you have to do a ton of work to prepare for the coming of your new boss. Or maybe you have to go find a new job because you got fired. Skill=cramming and trying to learn as much as you can about a new field of work.

-Thinking and recalling stuff quickly, anything you may have learned: Sure, this is pretty important in all of your areas of life, but especially in college and afterwards. Let's say you are assigned in your job to help out a team or be the leader. You'll need everything you know about the job to help others, and though they may be able to look stuff up themselves, there are some things that just are better taught in person. If you know how to recall this information, you'll be invaluable.

-Physical endurance testing: By the last final on the last day, your brain will be completely melted if you are human. So, it's a good endurance test for you, especially considering there are longer and more difficult tests out there (ACT for some, MCAT for others). In any case, finals'll teach you how to train your mind and be able to switch gears quickly from class to class.

-Overall mental agility: We all know that one person in our class who can rattle off facts about nearly everything under the sun. Where do they get that power? Well, it's all about recall. How much of what you have learned can you access on the spot? And this is most important in person-to-person contact, face to face, especially in something like an interview. You've got to be able to tell the interviewer why you want what you came in to get, why you want it, and why they should choose you rather than someone else. My favorite line is from "Pursuit of Happyness" :

"If someone came in here without a shirt and he got the job, what would your reaction be?"
"He must have been wearing some really nice pants."

But if you just skipped to the bottom of the page, the bottom line is this _________________
Nah just kidding. Finals are important, and while they may not seem like it, they do a lot more for you than just bring your grade down.

V

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 camera.

First post! Hello and welcome to "Cool Stuff." I just go by Vikram but you can call me V for short.
Anyway on to the first item.

The DSC-HX1 is a camera that needs to be experienced to be believed. Now I am an upgrader from a normal point and shoot, the Sony DSC W120 7.1 MP. This one is 9.1 MP and it's nothing short of great.
For anything requiring speed and accuracy, look no further. Sure, you can go for a $600+ Sony alpha or Canon EOS Rebel DSLR, but this one offers spectacular performance at this price point ($400). I took some shots at a basketball game and the pictures truly froze the action. Here are the vital specs and info:

From 1-7-2011 Basketball game v. GBS

Price: $400. Steep for a point and shoot, but taking into account the speed, features, and options that make it so much closer to an SLR than anything else, it's woth every penny.
Features: fold out screen (see pictures), Sweep Panoramic picture mode, fully manual exposure mode, shutter speed and aperture priority modes, and a bunch of scene modes; 20X zoom for superzoom, inherent to this type of camera
Memory: MS Pro Duo (no, there's no SD card slot), stores in JPEG format only, as opposed to many cameras by Canon and Nikon offering RAW format. Small price to pay for all the in camera editing features.
Battery: NP-FH50 Infolithium H-type. Offers over 300min per charge-best battery life in its class of bridge cameras.

From Cool Stuff

Overall, this is a great camera, and if you can live with its flaws (which include high noise levels visible at ISO 800 and above and the size and heft) it is a heck of an investment that will definitely satisfy the amateur photographer in you.

From Cool Stuff

From Cool Stuff

V