Uh-oh: Drink Calculator

No one really likes someone else to tell them how much they are messing up. The bearers of bad news in history have been executed or excommunicated. But, regardless of how pleasurable the news may be, it is sometimes necessary. The Drink Calculator puts one of the most common habits among college student in a(n unfortunate) reality.

The site is pretty simple: it's a flash-based little site that calculates how much you spend per year on alcohol after you enter in the amount you typically pay per week. If you drink 6 beers per week at reasonable L.A. prices ($4), you would end up spending $1248 per year on alcohol.

Maybe I'll take up cycling instead...

Click through to figure out how much money you're spending on your favorite addiction: Drink Calculator

Party-Saver: iPod -> Folder

Oh no(es)! It's 15 minutes before that gut-busting party you were planning on throwing and you realized you don't have enough/the right kind of/funk music! Well, you do, except it's spread out across your closest friends' (and auxilary hosts) iPods.

iPod -> Folder to the rescue!

While it has a clunky and awkward name, "iPod -> Folder" could potentially save any music-needing situation from the bowels of "cool" "retro" 90's hits. It copies all of the music from an iPod onto a computer simply and easily, thus opening doors of crunktastic mixes and hyphy beats.

So dance to the latest musics from around the world without pulling your hair out while trying to use myTunes or OurTunes.

Save your next dank, dorm room party: iPod -> Folder

Secret to College: Think of It as a Subscription

Tuition isn't cheap. For the money that you could spend during four years at a prestigious private school (now approaching $200,000) could easily jumpstart a decent small business. And a small business wouldn't leave you in debt for 20 years of your life.

Confronted with such a revelation, I've started to think of college as a subscription that I choose to pay for. While this outlook is--of course--not entirely realistic, it forces me to get the most out of my education. At LMU classes run about $2 per minute. If I didn't have to pay for a one hour class I could probably eat for a month.

By viewing my classes as something I choose to pay for, I am much more aggressive when it comes to wasted time. I talk to my professors after class, visit their office hours, and milk every academic outlet for all that it's worth. After all, I am paying a pretty penny for it.

This view also holds myself to a higher standard. Grades are not something that a professor assigns to me, but rather whatever I assign to myself. I'm paying for my education therefore I should decide my education. Unfortunately, not all professors will see eye to eye on this, but many seem to identify the students sincerely serious (hey-o) about their education.

So the next time you think about skipping class, ask yourself, "Is it realy worth the x dollars that I already spent for this class?" If a class is boring (and you're at a smaller school) pester your professor to raise the the bar and engage the students. Professors that refuse to comply are the types that probably don't get tenure.

Forward march.

PocketMod - Get Organized Easily Without Buying a Dayplanner

Upon arriving at college, I decided to put my nose to the grindstone and get organized. The nerdly side of me decided to get a dayplanner from www.daytimer.com.

That was great and all, it worked out well for the year that I bought it, but it was quite pricey (somewhere above $50, yikes). It kept me organized and gave me a place to jot down thoughts when I needed to. But alas, come this time of year again, I don't feel like shelling out another $40 for a refill of the sheets. Thank God for PocketMod.

PocketMod provides the equivalent of a dayplanner for a cent or two. All you need is a printer.

While PocketMod is still in "beta," (what isn't these days?) it is still quite functional. I've started using one myself. A student can simply customize the dayplanner they want then print it out on a piece of paper. After the planner has been printed out, you just have to staple and fold it and voila. You can even throw in some storyboards. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Check it out and get organized: PocketMod

Beer: Outdoorsman Technique

At any fraternity party or quincinera, one always wonders the most impressive and efficient method of transporting fermented hops and barley into one's stomach.

Following the link promises a free instructional video with a simple follow-along 5 step process. I'll be trying something new on Friday evening, and it probably won't be a new dish at the local Thai restaurant. Zang.

Chug on: The Outdoorsmen: Blood, Sweat, and Beers

Keeping Clothes Clean - Removing Ink Stains

Students don't have much money, and clothes cost money. Although ink stains are classy, we'd all like to keep them off of our best blouses and trousers.

Here's a quick article on removing ink stains: Removing Ink Stains

Sweet, Mother-of-Jesus Mary: MusicMap

While I've tooled around with several music recommendation services (like last.fm and pandora.com, none of them hold my interest for very long. It's hard to get excited about artists in a cloud view.

MusicMap allows you to start with one album. I picked on of my favorites: Arcade Fire's "Funeral." A little bubble with the album art popped up, I moused over, and clicked "Expand." Schwam. Five albums flew out, four of which I already own. So far so good. I start expanding more of the bubbles until I have a nice web going. Things start to get interesting when you start to get towards the edges of your web. In a minute or two, you'll have a suprisingly comprehensive map of your music.

MusicMap isn't the be-all-end-all of music recommendation services. As far as I can tell, its using Amazon.com's music recommendation system, which is pretty accurate, but not "nuts on."

Also, when you expand an album, it only gives you five recommendations. It'd be nice to be able to toggle this number somehow.

Criticisms aside, the tool is exactly what I've been looking for. I've already discovered a few new bands I like. There's something so much more intuitive about visualizing similar albums that makes discovering new ones fun.

Check it out: MusicMap

Sweet, Mother-of-Jesus Mary: vNES

There are points in my life where I am certain the existence of God. There are also points in my life where I question I will graduate college on-time. This time happens to both of those points.

While browsing around Lifehacker, my heart skipped a beat. Being the money-grubbing college student that I am, I don't have the spare change to eBay an old NES. That's where vNES comes in: online flash-based emulation of hundreds of classic games.

While vNES won't get you the street cred that a physical NES promises, it will allow you to relive the memories of childhood. I quickly checked for my personal favorites: the old TMNT games. They were right there, as promised. I started kicking ass immediately.

It's probably safe to assume that, because of vNES, college students aroung the country will be spending an extra quarter/semester or two in school. But who wouldn't?

Check it out and take some names in your favorite game: vNES.