Return to the U.S.

With one more exam to go this term, my return to the U.S. is a mere 5 days away. I am excited to be returning after a 6 months absence from American soil.

At the moment, my family is currently residing in Las Vegas, or Sin City, as it were. I have only been there for a couple weeks in January when my family initially moved there. It is a city of grandeur, rampant with casinos, scantily-clad women, and an all-encompassing aroma of cigarettes. I rather enjoyed seeing the city for the first time. With that being said, after speaking with a large handful of people the general consensus is that the timeless city is better for taking a holiday as opposed to actually living there. I would think that the fast paced lifestyle and incessant superficiality takes a toll on a person after a few months. In general, I'd much rather prefer the slower paced, go-with-the-flow pace of life native to Europe.

Las Vegas aside, I have been craving Taco Bell for the past 6 months, and if I can't get any upon my return, there will be blood no doubt. England is severely lacking in Mexican restaurants, good cigars, and sunny weather--all of which can be instantly accessible at my fingertips when I return. Then again, 110 degrees Fahrenheit makes my sour cream skin tingle. Most importantly, I miss the easily accessible gym next to my residence. This term I have been slacking off and these next few weeks back home I am going to exhaust my body, without having to bother with coursework and assignments, and it will be wonderful.



Next stop....Vegas!

My Love

Her smile is a light greater than that of a thousand stars,

It warms the deep, icy caverns of my torn heart,

Her laugh is intoxicating,

I get drunk in love every time my earthly ears are graced

with its heavenly presence.


Her eyes are clairvoyant, haunting,

Cutting through my insides like a diamond saber.

She knows my biggest worries and fears,

And my longing for her love that matches my own,

Kiss for kiss, embrace for embrace.


When I look into her eyes time stops.

The rest of the world ceases to exist,

Like a little child in awe of a shiny coin,

I am entranced.


She is the missing piece in life's puzzle.

Got Caffeine?

Rockstar, Monster, Red bull, AMP, 5 hour energy, coffee--whichever your preference, odds are you drink some form of caffeine on a daily basis. Caffeine is a part of our everyday lives. To some extent one might even say its our human fuel. Over 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day--each day! Just think about that for a second. If every cup of coffee costs 3 USD, then that's over 6 billion dollars a day, just spent on coffee (and that's not even including energy drinks and other caffeine based beverages, so the total spent on caffeine daily is even more)! Personally I enjoy all caffeine based beverages, from coffee to Rockstar energy drinks. I drink coffee in all of its many forms and varieties--hot, iced cold, with cream and sugar, or normally just strong and black with nothing added. I'd even go so far as to say that I'm a caffeine addict. Just for fun though, let's consider a world where caffeine (pause for effect) doesn't exist.

How different would everyone be without their daily cup of happiness? How much more cranky and unpleasant would we be? It's rather frightening to think about, to say the least. I expect that we would find some other source of "liquid energy" of sorts to fill the void and complete their daily rituals. On the other hand, anything taken in excessive amounts can be deadly. When one considers the harmful effects of caffeine on the body, perhaps a world without the energizing substance would profit.

Caffeineinformer.com has said that a Mayo clinic partnered study has revealed that men who consume more than 4 8 fl oz. portions of coffee a day have a 21% increase in all-cause mortality. A more common danger of consuming caffeine is that it can raise your blood pressure (this is especially true for people who suffer from hypertension). Furthermore, women who consume 31 to 250 mg of caffeine a day have been 1.5 times more likely to contract fibrocystic breast disease, while women who drink more than 500 mg a day are 2.3 times more likely. It is also commonly known that caffeine in a person's system before bed can imitate the effects of insomnia. Consuming Caffeine can also increase anxiety and depression-like symptoms.

So while the world may suffer in some senses from the absence of caffeine, it is clear that it will conversely benefit. Regardless, much to our delight (or subconsciously our dismay) we live in a world where caffeine exists. It is apart of most of our everyday lives, and it is rather frightening to consider a world without it.