I Left my Heart in Paris...again

My Trip to the Middle East

I Wonder- Nose-Picking

I woke up this morning, and the first thought in my head was: "I wonder if there is some rule that everyone's fingers have to be the same width or circumference as their nostrils," because if you think about it, if not, inevitable nose-picking would be really dangerous. The first thing I'm sure you're thinking is, WTF? but, yes, I do have really odd thoughts that often pop up in my head, thus, my overwhelming curiosity.

This was kind of difficult to find the answer (doesn't mean I'm not still trying), but I came across some other interesting facts in the meantime about our bodies, courtesy of the MSN health and fitness section. Here are a few good ones:

Watching yourself run in a mirror can make a treadmill workout go faster and feel easier.

Third-hand smoke- the particles that cling to smokers' hair and clothing and linger in a room long after they've left- is a cancer risk to young children and pets.

Baking soda can whiten teeth, garlic can help treat athlete's foot, and honey can soothe a hangover.

Dogs can smell cancer and low blood sugar.

You're more likely to have a heart attack on a Monday, or up to three days after you've been diagnosed with the flu or a respiratory tract infection.

I'm Lovin' It

Two of my favorite things, Pharrell Williams, music producer, singer/songwriter, rapper, and McDonald's. The French are not so easy to convince, even if you are a celebrity, especially early in the morning, as you can see:

Sights and Sounds of Summer, Part 1

My official summer listening and reading list to keep me occupied on endless hours of plane rides to and from Syria and France. 

Recommendations for Part 2 will be greatly appreciated!

What's on your iPod?

I have often found myself wondering about this question time and time again, and I mostly wonder if I'm the only person on earth that actually thinks this or even cares enough in the first place to ask it.  The great philosopher Aristotle once said, that humans by nature, have the desire to know, so this question I ask: have you ever seen somebody, or several people, whit an iPod or some mp3 player plugged into their heads and wondered what was playing?

Nearly every time I see a person with earphones on, I try to take a stab and guess what is on.  The muscle men at the gym might be playing, "Stronger" by Kanye West, or maybe polka, who knows? Would it be out of place to approach somebody and ask what they are listening to just out of mere curiosity?  It might look like a come on, or small talk, but I really just want to know.  This isn't something I can just look up on the internet or find in a magazine or book.  Being a person that is really into music, I am always interested, not nosy, curious if you will, but interested, whether it be classic rock or Latin hip hop.

I wonder if people wonder what I listen to be it at the gym or walking around campus.  Do I come off as a hard rock or tween pop kind of person?  I guess I'm kind of an everything person, just one look at my iPod/iPhone library would tell you.  Sometimes I feel like pop-punk, other times I feel like Latin rock.  Anything from Kenny G to Rage Against the Machine.  But I try to stay away from love songs, they make my ears bleed almost as much as country music. 

The point is, music is the universal language.  Everyone listens to music, granted very different genres, but the common thread is the emotion the music evokes.  Happiness, sadness, excitement, depression, love, hate.  Music also carries memories and association.  There's nothing like sitting in traffic for over 3 hours on the way to San Diego, but when it finally let up, we rolled down the windows and blasted Hellogoodbye, "Call n' Return," which magically made everything all better.  I will never forget that, it was amazing.  Friends and music. I remember that moment every time I hear that song, but this is just one of many examples.  I know this blog is going everywhere, but that's what music does to me, it takes me everywhere.  You can tell a lot about a person by what kind of music they listen to.  What kind of person are you?

Famous Words to Live By

Andy Warhol