TAO Entry 2

Reality shows are a guilty pleasure.

This past Monday night, as my brain was going numb from doing one of Sylvia’s many homework assignments, I turned on the TV for the first time in what felt like months. My brain was fried and I was tired of thinking. I needed to let my mind melt into a state of complete relaxation. I’ve always had a secret liking towards the shows The Bachelor and Bachelorette because who doesn’t like a dramatic cheesy romance story? Well, the Bachelorette finale happened last Monday, so now a new series is beginning – The Bachelor Pad. This show has got to be the most raunchy drama-filled reality show on TV. It lack any means of educational value, and I would even go so far to say that it is a disgrace to our culture. Producers have reached an all time low with the Bachelor Pad where contestants from previous Bachelor/Bachelorette seasons live under in the same house, to either find love or ditch your loved one to take the ultimate prize, quarter million dollars.  It’s so bad, but yet soooo good. I have a serious guilty pleasure in watching this show and I am not afraid to admit it. But I also believe that everyone has his/her secret love for a reality show. For example, my mom has every So You Think You Can Dance show recorded and saved on DVR. My dad gets caught up watching hours of Pawn Stars and Hillbilly Fishing. My roommate actually bought season DVDs of the Real Housewives. And my boyfriend’s favorite happens to be Millionaire Matchmaker. Hmmmm...

Just in case you were wondering, The Bachelor Pad comes on Monday nights at 8 pm on ABC. 

Eating out causes you to eat more. 

Do you know what a serving size is? Ever ate a Lean Cuisine? It’s a measly four (maybe five) bites of pasta that you scarf down in less than two minutes. Then you catch yourself actually licking the sauce off the bottom of the tray and wondering if microwaving a second will blow your days diet. Unfortunately this is an accurate portion. Restaurants like Outback, Chiles, Ryans etc. have trained America to eat unreasonable mass quantities.

An anomaly and ultimately a trend to this observation are the ever-popular petite dishes called tapas. This centuries-old Spanish tradition of offering small portions of food that feature a big, flavorful experience has recently experienced a revival in America.  More than an appetizer – but not quite a meal, tapas have become increasingly popular, even in our super-sized meal culture. Generally, the tapas are served on small 8 to 10 inch dishes. Its seems as if restaurants across the nation are customizing their small-plate cuisine for an in-style addition to the standard three course meal.

In this recession, people are also saving a lot of money by packing breakfasts and lunches. Not only are they saving money, but also their waistlines are diminishing! My typography teacher brought this phenomenon to my attention in class on Monday. She said she initially started packing her lunch in her efforts to save $20 everyday in some shape or fashion. She now makes a sandwich, maybe even a cookie, and has a whole 45 minutes to simply sit and enjoy her lunch without frantically driving the Atlanta streets to sit in a 10 minute drive-thru line, only to return to work by one. After just one week, she lost 4 lbs and saved 7x$20=$140!!!! Wow. I think everyone should do himself/herself a favor and give this a shot for at least one week.

As a result from this, design lunch boxes are now a trend. Sure, the tin vintage lunch boxes have always been “cool”, but when have you really seen someone bring their lunch in one? Design companies such as the Dan Black and Martin Plum are revolutionizing the lunch box. My roommate last year was adamant about bringing her lunch to school. I came across this trendy lunchbox and just had to get it for her. She loved it.

Another trend I noticed this week is Atlanta drivers are most often ruthless jerks.

Driving in Atlanta is miserable. Traffic will be at a standstill for no apparent reason, and then like magic, cars are going back to 70 mph. Seriously aggravating. I wish I knew the reason this happens. It’s probably a combination of a lot of factors. It would be accurate to say that it happens most around big exits. BUT SERIOUSLY drivers, get your shit together. Plan ahead, begin to switch lanes ahead of time, and don’t be an ass if someone needs to get in your lane and is holding up traffic because you won’t let them. I commute to school everyday and must take 85 north to the GA-13 Spring Buford exit, and then quickly onto the Monroe Dr exit toward Piedmont Rd. This all happens so fast and I must change lanes pretty quickly. One day this week I was off in space in deep thought about my next Creative Thinking homework assignment. At the last second I realize I needed to switch lanes or I would miss the exit. Normally this would have been impossible because Atlanta drivers are rude and refuse to let a car in. Thankfully, this day, there was an anomaly.  An angel driver kindly waved me in, and I made it to class on time.