Holiday Hack - Hallower Part II + Diet Tips

This post is a follow up to yesterday's post, which offered three resources to use when planning an extra special halloween. Here are just a few hacks covering some different aspects of the same general topic:

• Pumpkin Carving 101 - This is a great site containing any information you'd ever want about pumpkin carving. Not only does it include information on actually cutting the pumpkin, but it also explains the activity's history, gives neat tricks and ideas to use, and has a photo archive of some stunning works.
• Halloween Tips - This links to halloween jokes to use wherever you may go to night. These are a great way to spur conversation or humour at a party.
• Fearful Films - Here's a list of horror flicks perfect for tonight. The movies are categorized by specialty and you can choose from your favorite.
• My Great Kid - This blog includes a number of links to hacks not mentioned here. This is a great place to look for fresh ideas.
  
• Halloween-Website - This links to seven recipes for fake blood for those deadset on looking gruesome tonight.

Of course, candy and sweets are an important part of the holiday. The most important thing to remember when eating is simply to use moderation and eat to content. Still, here are a few tips to keep diet slips to a minimum:

• Set a candy limit and stick to it
• Pace yourself - You could even set rules such as one small piece per hour.
• Eat calorically sparse foods earlier in the day - A good way to do this would be to focus on lean protein and vegetables.

Finally, control yourself but enjoy the night. Have a good Halloween.

Post-Script: Did you end up using any of these hacks?

Holiday Hack - Halloween Part 1

There are a number of different areas to consider in order to make one's Halloween better, spookier, wilder, even healthier. Costumes, candy, jack-o-lanterns, and more are should all be taken into account when planning for a great day. Here are just a few useful tricks and tips to use tomorrow, with more to come tomorrow in part two:

How 2 Heroes - This website videos and narrates the process of carving of pumpkin pictured above. The carver offers insight and personal anecdotes on the experience.

Lifehacker - The reader's of the well-known site share various costumes they've created, describing the different steps in detail. You can also check out the post's backlinks which offer hacks I won't get into mentioning. Here is just one of many spook-tacular costumes:

• Instructables - This resource reveals how to create "realistic facial prosthesis," picturing and explaining each step of the process. The article specifically references this prosthesis:

Tomorrow, I'll conclude this post with part two, filled with more hacks and also dietary tips for the day. Moreover, after the election, I'll continue and regularly update my "Health Hack" series.

Post-Script: So what are you doing for Halloween?

Political Hack - Obama Relations/TV Special

I realize my posts have been getting a tad repetitive, even monotonous. Keep in mind though that I'm writing with the intent to keep you completely informed. Being over prepared for a decision which will dictate your country's course for the next four years - not including probably repercussions of government actions - is hardly a predicament. Nonetheless, this post is going to be less about a "political hack" and more so on the topic of Barack Obama's genealogy and television special.

One unexploited way in which John McCain could further distance himself from George Bush, would be to state the obvious in that he is not of blood relations to the president - unlike Obama. As strange as it may sound, the Senator from Chicago is a distant relative of both the former and current Bush presidents. More startling is the fact that Obama's "connections" don't end there. A study by the New England Historic Genealogical Society revealed the presidential candidate "can call six US presidents his cousins: both Bushes, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Johnson, Harry Truman and James Madison. The society, a non-profit organisation, found he is also related to Churchill"(Source). Brad Pitt and Madonna are also among Obama’s connections, altogether trumping McCain’s family. In fact, McCain cannot claim relations to even one former president. For further reading on the genealogy of the two candidates, check:

• Political Vlogz
• Guardian
• LA Times Blog

As many of you may have heard or even watched, the Obama campaign aired a television special tonight, renting out several major networks, such as NBC, CBS, and Fox. “Barack Obama: American Stories,” culminated with Senator Obama delivering a final argument for his candidacy, while also giving him a platform to address certain political issues. Here, you can watch as much of the 27 minute video as you desire.

Tomorrow, I’m going to be posting the first article in a series of “Holiday Hacks.” It will concern tricks, tips, and entertaining ideas for this Halloween including directions for carving jack-o-lanterns and making spooky costumes. Don’t be spooked if Friday is on the same topic. Then as final run for this election, Saturday through Tuesday I’ll be discussing a few more “political hacks” and voting tips.

Here's a preview for tomorrow: "Obam-a-Lantern"

Post-Scripts: What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

Political Hack - Choosing Your President

As mentioned in the last several posts, there is still a disconcerting number of undecided voters, now with just seven days until the election. To add to this fact, Newsweek declared in this week's magazine that there are some 75 million uninformed voters who can be easily swayed by the media or the propaganda they encounter. Whether you are undecided, unsure, or even deadset on your choice for president, Scott Ber Kun details the crucial steps of the process in his post "How to Pick a President." Kun begins the article with a brief overview of election history and important facts that his reader should ascertain. There are several gems in the article, as well as overlooked, but nonetheless important aspects to consider such as:

• Voting Mistakes - For instance, Kun points out the faults in "voting for self-interest" and giving to much "weight to superficial things."
• Decoding Political Coverage - This offers insight on analyzing the often biased media we encounted on daily basis and more.
• The Decisiong-Making Process - Kun describes the necessary steps to finish with a worthy, fulfilling choice.

Kun closes with an invaluable action to consider before voting, but I'll let you discover that yourselves.

Post-Script: All followers say "I".

Political Hack - Three Resources for the Undecided

Tomorrow starts the one week countdown until the election and Obama is ahead in the polls with a sizeable lead. Still, the majority of political analysts argue that McCain has a chance on November 4th. Due to reasons ranging from a large number of undecided voters to the Tom Bradley effect, the current polls mean very little. 

In the case that you are one of these undecided voters, here are a few links to helpful and interesting voting hacks, along with an informative article on the topic of the health care plans of each candidate.

• Google US Voter Info: Using this special application of google maps, you can check the voting sites nearest you. It shows not only their locations, but each site's distance from your home or work address. Finally, after choosing your polling station, you can easily search and print step by step directions.
• Political Streams: Apparently, the ATF just uncovered an assassination plot which targeted Barack Obama, as well as several other african-american political figures. Shocking and sickening, I only uncovered this information because of a site called Poltical Streams. The service is made available by Microsoft Live Labs, keeping tabs on breaking political news in four major categories. It tracks news, blogs, people, and places attention, delivering them in an easy to read interface and with nifty markers indicating popularity and "freshness".
• Health Care Comparison: An increasingly important topic in this election - which was scantly covered in the televised debates - is that of healthcare. It is ultimately a government sector which will have large, lasting reprocutions on all US citizens. Therefore, take the initiative and become educated on the promised health plans of each candidate. 

Remember to check the previous political hacks as well, as they will help in you decision making process.

Post-Script: How are you voting? Absentee? Early? Standard? Etc...

Political Hack – Discover and Compare Presidential Candidates

The election is a mere nine days away now, yet there are still a plethora of undecided voters. Many voters will not finalize their choice until the day of the election when they are forced to make a decision. The reasons for holding out on a verdict are wide-ranging and plentiful. Appallingly, some simply do not take the time or effort to research their options. Being informed of the policies and promises of the potential presidents is key in making an educated and satisfying vote. If you are one of the many who have not committed to a particular candidate (or to not vote), consider using two useful resources to learn about and compare your choicse.

Google runs its own comparison website called In Quotes. The site archives thousands of quotes of Barack Obama and John McCain and lets users search their database, sorting the information into select categories. Such a website is very useful when comparing the opinions of the two candidates. It is especially valuable in that it has quotes not just from this election year, but since 2003. Therefore, a person can look at how a candidate’s stance on an issue has changed in time, and more importantly, in response to the election. If you’re not a US citizen, you can also benefit from the site by using it for elections in other countries such as Canada or India.

Another different but nonetheless useful website is that of Select Smart. The resource not only documents the opinions, history, and voting records of the presidential candidates on a broad range of issues, but also does the same for non-presidential figures. The list includes political leaders such as Senator Clinton, Mayor Bloomberg (New York), and Libertarian Bob Barr. You are also given the option to put two policymakers head to head and analyze the histories of each.

These are just two of a number of political resources and hacks available for this election. There will be several more “political hacks” before the election and post-election articles regarding the subject when helpful.

Post-Script: Who are you voting for and why? 

Political Hack - Get Paid (Or Time Off) to Vote

It's almost frightening to think that roughly half of all eligible voters in the United States didn't vote in the last two presidential elections (Source #1). 48.7% and 44.7% of the group neglected a chance to influence their government, and in turn, their own lives, in the 2000 and 2004 elections, respectively.  In actuality, many ignore this opportunity for good reason. In one-sided states such as California, there simply are better things to do than take the time to vote. School, work, and even fun take precedent over the voting process. Statistically, just less than 50% of non-voters disregarded the privilege due to conflicts or believing that their vote would not matter in the November 1998 elections (Source #2). Additionally, there are those who dislike the selected candidates and therefore withhold their ballot. If you are going to vote or are looking for a reason to, you'd benefit from checking your states "employee voting rights." 

Many states are required to provide compensation to workers (time, money, or both) if they do, in fact, choose to vote. The laws vary between states, with benefits ranging from time off, to paid time off, to both. Moreover, the time is precise at somewhere in between one and four hours or is vague, labeled as “sufficient time to vote.” Unfortunately, a few states do not have any laws in place regarding voting and employee rights. Nonetheless, in most cases the laws are advantageous to employees. For instance, in my home state of California, voters are allowed two hours of paid leave to cast their ballot at the polls. The only requirement is that the person notifies his superior at least two days prior to the election. Wily voters could even vote absentee and either go into work late or leave early on November 4^th. It is important that you research you’re states rules though, before planning a shortened day.

For a full posting of your states' laws, you can check here.

Post-Script: Who are you voting for and why?