Crowded. Too Crowded.

College has lately been sucking the life out of me. You know when you see those posts on the internet about having a social life, enough sleep and good grades and you can only have 2 of the 3, well, it's true. During the week I barely get enough sleep to finish all the work I have, professors act like we have no other subjects. I take 5 courses of which I have to do 4 projects and that's besides my bachelor thesis paper.


I simply can't fathom how on earth any normal healthy human being can function under these circumstances, I mean sure I'm not expecting everything to be served to me on a silver platter but sometimes the amount of work is just inhumane.


Between studying and getting my apartment ready, I barely have enough time for a proper social life. Even seeing my best friends has become a strenuous task. 


I just have to manage, that's all that can be done. 

The Best Waffles

Let's talk waffles! Almost all of us just looove waffles for breakfast (I know I do!). And we love them even more if they're made perfectly. Making the perfect waffle batter can be quite challenging so here are a few tips by Mr. Breakfast to help make those delicious fluffy waffles!

1. Respect Your Waffle Maker. Be sure to read the instruction manual for your unit thoroughly. Different waffle makers are designed to cook waffles differently. Some people may tell you to coat your waffle maker with cooking spray. There's a good chance your manual will have different advice. If you bought your waffle maker in the last 5 years, chances are you should not use cooking spray.
   
2. "Non-Stick" Is In The Batter. The amount of oil or butter in your batter will determine whether or not your waffles will stick to your waffle maker. If you are consistently making waffles that stick, try increasing the oil or butter.
   
3. Separate The Egg Whites From The Yolks. If a light and fluffy waffle interior is important to you, separate your eggs. Add the beaten yolks to the wet ingredients of your batter. Then, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the eggs whites gently into the final batter using a spatula.
   
4. Avoid Violent-Mixing. Waffle batter is a tricky character. It should be smooth enough to flow freely through the dimples of the waffle plate, but it should never be over-mixed (over-mixing turns the flour into gluten which produces a chewier, less-fluffy texture). The solution is gentle patience. Using a rubber spatula (or a spoon if you don have one), mix the wet ingredients of your batter into the dry ingredients as if the batter had tiny, breakable items in it that you don't want to break. Using a gentle motion and a couple extra minutes, mix the batter until smooth.
   
5. No Buttermilk / No Problem. A lot of the more interesting waffle recipes you'll find ask for buttermilk. The problem is most people don't keep buttermilk around. Regular milk can always be used in place of buttermilk. The difference in the texture of the completed waffle is negligible. If your dying for that extra bit of tanginess that buttermilk adds, you can make an easy buttermilk substitute by adding a Tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk. The acidic ingredient will cause the milk to curdle. Let it stand 15 minutes and there you go. Some people will probably even prefer the kiss of freshness that lemon juice can add.
   
6. Don't Lift The Lid Too Early. As a general rule you should always wait until your waffle maker says it's okay, by way of its indicator light or beeping mechanism. If you have a waffle that's sticking to the plates (see tip #2 to avoid), lifting the lid too soon could cause your waffle to rip, leaving one poor half of a waffle stuck to the top and the other half sadly adhered to the bottom.
   
7. Steam: A Waffle's Natural Kitchen Timer. If your waffle maker doesn't have a doneness indicator, watch the steam coming out of the unit as you cook. When the steam stops, lift the lid. The waffle should be done. Chances are that it will be well-done. On our test waffle maker, complete steamlessness matched a setting of 8 out of 10 on the doneness dial.
   
8. Everybody Dig In (At The Same Time). If you're cooking for more than one person, you'll probably want everyone to eat at the same time. But your waffle maker only makes one waffle at a time. Is all lost? Is all hope gone? No way. Set your oven to 250 degrees at the same time that you pre-heat your waffle maker. As you pull completed waffles from the maker, transfer them to the oven. A short time in the oven can actually improve the crispness of a waffle. Think of it as giving your waffles a light toasting right after you make them.
   
9. Don't Waste Waffles. Only wild, wacky women with weird ways and wide wallets waste wonderful waffles. If you make too many waffles, just place them in a freezer bag after they've cooled. Place wax paper between multiple waffles and squeeze as much air from the bag as possible. When you're ready to eat them, set out the preferred number of waffles and let them defrost for about 10 minutes. Then, heat the waffles in your oven at 300 degrees for about 5 minutes. If the waffles fit comfortably in your toaster, go for it. Just defrost them and toast at a medium-low setting. Note: If you're purposely making waffles for later use, cook them at a setting slightly lower than you'd ordinarily use. Then, they'll be just the way you like them when they're hit with more heat.
   
10. No Mess / No Regrets. If you clean your waffle maker shortly after it's cooled, you'll guarantee your machine's future waffle success and it will be much easier to clean than if you waited. 

Maru

It's because of this particular cat, I'm seriously considering getting one. He's just too adorable!

The Power of Airbrushing

Almost everything now we see now is airbrushed whether it's photos or videos, online or magazines. Most people don't even recognize what's airbrushed anymore or they assume everything's just fake because it's been airbrushed. Truth is, almost everything is airbrushed now.

People sometimes don't realize that with excellent make up and Photoshop skills, you can look like an A-list celebrity. Guys say we girls get jealous when they comment on someone being hot but in all honesty, because we are girls ourselves, most of us can tell what's fake and what's not. We can tell if a woman genuinely looks beautiful or if it's the make up making her look good. We can tell if something is Photoshopped or not (most guys can too). I know some girls are just jealous though lol.

There's nothing wrong with airbrushing photos. Even some well known bloggers admit to doing it. No one wants that nasty pimple to show up in photos now, do they? The problem is that because everything is airbrushed and lots of make up  is used, both men and women have lost sight to what natural beauty is. Women have a twisted perception of what "beauty" is and sometimes it's because of men (not saying all men are like that though) or are tricked by the media. And some men are tricked by the media (the best of 2 worlds!)

Like I said, there's nothing wrong with a little retouching but some people just go overboard and the end result is nothing what you started out with. Personally, I don't think the problem is with Photoshop or make up or any of these things. The problem is: the people. People are so weak and easily influenced by the media and the industry of "beauty".

What do you guys think? What is to blame, the tools, the people, or the industry?

The Re-Stoned

It's reasons like these that I still check my Facebook everyday. Today I got introduced to The Re-Stoned by a friend of mine. Here's a little sample.

Now this is what I call music! I'm looking forward to looking up more of there stuff.I definitely recommend them!

Music Lover

Hey everyone! If you're a music lover (like me) then check out my 8tracks profile here to view all my playlist and my music Tumblr which is updated daily with new tracks! I've added a Twitter widget so any new links will be there.

It Was a Lie!

So you know how all those Disney stories are just happy remakes of really old not-so-happy fairy tales. There's one more story you can add to that dreadful list (my childhood! *cries*) Pocahontas. You read right. You're probably wondering now how did they screw this one up?

Alright, so I came across this interesting article that claimed that the Pocahontas story is totally bogus (can't believe I  used that word but oh well) and it's not even historically accurate. It's supposedly based on a true story and Roy Disney claimed that it's "responsible, accurate and respectful". The Powhatan nation begs to differ.

First off, she wasn't even named Pocahontas (which apparently means the naughty one or spoiled child wth!), her real name was Matoaka. We all know the story right, how she saved John Smith from being beaten to death by her father in 1607 which have made her 10 or 11 by the way. 

The truth is that John Smith never talked about the rescue except 17 years after it happened! Yes he did stay with the Powhatan people but he never mentioned that incident. Scholars say it's highly unlikely that the incident ever happened because it would have been a reason to rage war on the Powhatan people. 

Disney even changed "Pocahontas" from a little girl into a young woman. 

The true story has a sad ending. You can read the article with more detail here, it's not long so I do recommend it. What do you guys think? 

Temple of Thought by Poets of the Fall Review

I have been waiting for this new album for a while now and I was so excited when it finally got released. I have been a Poets of the Fall fan for a long time and they have never failed to disappoint me.

Who are Poets of the Fall you ask? Well, they're a rock band from Finland (they're really giving us awesome bands huh?) the homeland of other very well known bands like The Rasmus and Apocalyptica. The band mainly consists of Marko Saaresto (vocals), Olli Tukiainen (lead guitar), Markus "Captain" Kaarlonen (keyboards, production). And of course other members who accompany them on tour. 


Poets of the Fall has sold over 100,000 records in Finland alone (wow impressive!).


Also, if you think they sound familiar that's probably because their music has been used in various other media such as video games (Max Payne 2 and Alan Wake) and TV shows (Heroes). 

After major hits like War and Carnival of Rust one would think how on Earth are they going to top those? The answer would be: what the hell are you talking about? We're Poets of the Fall! We top everything! And they sure did!

I listened to the album a few times and every single time it just keeps getting better and better. The first song I listened to was The Temple of Thought and I kept playing it over and over thinking how can the rest of the album be any better than this? But it is. Each song was better than the one before and I find myself replaying a song 5 times before I move on to the next.

To me, what makes Poets of the Fall so unique than other bands is their song writing and arrangement of music. They don't just stick to guitar, bass and drums but they also tend to incorporate other instruments like violins and synthesizers. I can tell straight away if a song is playing somewhere that it's them.

There are noticeable differences between Temple of Thought and other Poets of the Fall albums song writing wise. Almost all of the songs are written in prose form, as if they're stories being told. This for me just made all the songs more special and gave the lyrics a lot more meaning.

One song that really stands out in this album is The Happy Song that's used in the video game Alan Wake's American Nightmare. I think it's a nice twist to have something so different. :)

The album ranges from calm melodic love songs like Cradled in Love  to fast paced tracks like Running Out of Time.

When you listen to a song like Temple of Thought you can't help but feel emotional, you feel like you want someone to tell you these words.

So when you’re restless, I will calm the ocean for you.

In your sorrow, I will dry your tears.

When you need me, I will be the love beside you.

I’ll take away all your fears. I’ll take away all your fears.

So you can let go all your fears.

Just beautiful. Marko's voice really stands out in this song and you can hear the beautiful acoustic guitar. The lyrics for this specific song really move me and for me, it just shows how talented Marko is with expressing himself and making us listeners feel the words and not just hear them. 

Another great track is The Ballad of Jeremiah Peacekeeper. Now there are many different views on this song and what it conveys. The song has an old Western feel like from an old movie, you feel the song is talking about the life of a hero and he's struggling through his life for love and peace. "He takes on the world all in a stride. And your wounds will be scars." 

 Now I don't want to go into all of the songs, I'd rather let you listen to the album yourself and just be...amazed. All in all, this is an amazing album and it's totally worth buying. Poets of the Fall managed again to entrance us with beautiful lyrics and music. Here are 2 songs you can listen to and tell me what you guys think. :)