Grocio – Find Cheap Groceries

When I go grocery shopping I know the things that are cheaper at one store and those that I wait to pick up at another for better prices.  I always thought it would be nice to know what the sales were before I headed out, and which store would give me the cheapest price overall so I didn’t have to go jumping from place to place.  Grocio is a new web service that has given us that option.

The site has a simple and quick registration, where you put in a user name and your zip code.  Then you will be able to compare prices at stores all around your area without having to leave home.  You can choose which stores you want to compare, then type in your grocery list.  Grocio then will give you the cost of buying those items at each store you selected and let you know what your total would be at each place.  They also match coupons to your purchases which you can print out and bring to the store with you to save extra money.

Grocio is a completely free service which is launching this week in Arizona and will soon be all over the country.  You can register now and they will let you know when it is available in your area.

Click here to visit the site: Grocio

Click Read More to see a quick instructional video on how the site works.
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Star Jones Launches Blog: Positively Star

Star Jones celebrated her 47th birthday today by launching a blog, Positively Star.  I had to check it out, just to see what Star Jones could possibly have to share that is so important.  Well, go figure, it’s one of those female empowerment, love life, live in the moment, celebrate yourself blogs that makes me want to do everything opposite of what it says just to find a source of anger in these overly optimistic people.

For example, Star has dubbed Wednesday as “Wonderful Wednesday,” saying, “What is wonderful in your life?  Why are you happy?  What gives you joy?  Who makes you happy?  This is the place and time to cheer our lives and loves!”  I got my hopes up when I saw “Tell it Like it Is Thursday,” thinking there would at least be one day a week to vent and complain, but no.  She describes it as “What issues matter to you?  What can we do to be better? How can we elevate our own game?  Let’s challenge each other to take it to the next level.  Joyous Praise and Gentle Criticism…all in an effort to grow.”

Okay, it’s really not a bad thing to be positive.  It might not be my personal way of life, but I appreciate those who are genuinely happy.  But actually blocking out anything that isn’t happy and sunshine isn’t the way to go.  When Star got a few negative comments on her blog what did she do?  Admit that life isn’t always perfect?  No.  She compared those people to the KKK!  She put up a picture of a Klan member and said, “all of you anonymous stone throwers  might as well be wearing a white sheet…(and I don’t care what color your skin is under it)…because you’re a  bunch of cowards.”  So apparently Star really can’t handle criticism.  And anyone who doesn’t agree with her must in a racist group.  Be careful if you decide to comment on that blog.  You might get grouped in with the KKK.

If you want to see Star’s prozac enhanced words for yourself, check it out here: Positvely Star

The Outbreak – Interactive Movie

When you watch a movie, do you yell at the characters?  Get frustrated when they make the wrong choice?  Scream at them for going down a dark hallway alone when a killer is on the loose?  With the new interactive online film, The Outbreak, you have a say in every major decision the characters make.  You watch about 2 minutes of the movie, then you are presented with a screen with two choices.  What you pick will decide the fates of the characters and change the outcome of the movie.

The Outbreak begins with a group of people running into a house from a zombie attack.  One man is bleeding and they have to decide if they should kill him or not — did the zombies infect him?  Is he going to turn?  It’s up to you; your first choice is to let him live or die.  From that decision the movie can go different ways, and you will be presented with more choices as you go on.  It’s a lot like those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books that used to be popular.  I loved those as a kid, and this is the future of that idea.

Would you survive a zombie attack?  Are you really smarter than the characters you yell at in the movies?  Click here to play the movie and find out: The Outbreak

Click Read More if you want to check out the trailer for the film.
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Veritocracy: Don’t Let Anyone Else’s Opinions Get in Your Way

A new web tool, Veritocracy, allows you to customize the internet to fit your own beliefs.  If you are sick of seeing headlines about Octomom, click the Veritocracy button that says you don’t like those stories, and you will no longer be inundated with information about the mom and her eight babies.  If you can’t get enough Obama, click that you like those articles, and Veritocracy will deliver more to your search.

In a culture that is so divided about opinions, politically and socially, are programs like Veritocracy going to help us or hurt us?  It seems as though it just gives people another excuse to ignore other opinons and stay closed minded.  We already have such a lack of respect for other views and cultures, will it really help to shut out anything that we don’t feel completely comfortable with?

http://www.veri.com/

Guido Daniele’s Painted Hands

Guido Daniele is an Italian artist of many mediums, his most recent being painted hands.  The realism he creates on such an odd canvas is amazing, and they each take hours to create.  His idea has sparked international interest, with pictures of the painted hands being sent through E-mail chains and posted on blogs from around the world.  Daniele has also worked on complete body painting events along with his work as an illustrator, photographer, and advertising campaigns.

All of his work embodies his unique style and is worth checking out.  Click here to visit his website and see his collection of work across the multiple art disciplines: Guido Daniele

Click Read More to see a few more of my favorite examples of the painted hands.
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Simon’s Cat

For cat lovers, these are some of the most accurate interpretations of feline characteristics I’ve ever seen.  Simon Tofield’s animation series, Simon’s Cat, perfectly captures the little quirks of a cat, exaggerated just enough so that you know exactly what he’s referring to.  Tofield’s newest animation is called “Simon’s Sister’s Dog,” so if you’re a dog lover you might like that one.  The animation posted above is his first Simon’s Cat animation, and if you go to his YouTube site, you can watch the others he has done: Simon’s Cat YouTube

You can also visit the official website here: Simon’s Cat

SkullAndTree: The Art of Nathan Lavertue

I wrote a review of Nathan Lavertue’s intriguing art pieces for the online magazine Lintcoat.  Click the link to check it out: Lintcoat Nathan Lavertue Article

And click here to see Nathan Lavertue’s website with samples of his art and a store where you can buy prints: SkullAndTree

Hammy the Hamster Has the Best Day Ever!

Is organic food really more delicious?  Well CooksDen decided to ask a hungry hamster to help them decide.  Hammy the Hamster was an eager volunteer, choosing between organic and conventional foods all day to see which ones she chose more frequently.  The results seem rather inconclusive.  She did choose the organic option in about 60% of the trials, but I think Hammy really just ate whichever one she could manage to waddle over to first.

Check out the CooksDen article about the test for more information and some Hammy outtakes: http://www.cooksden.com/hamster/

Straight Line Designs’ Fun Furniture

Straight Line Designs makes the furniture “from your dreams.”  They custom design furniture – anything that you can dream up – and also come up with a few projects of their own.  The picture above is one of my favorite items, called “Bad Table.”  Although their furniture might not always be the most functional, they sure manage to keep it interesting.  Some pieces are more practical than others; the “Mermaid Bed” and “Train Bed” from their site would definitely be popular items for a lucky child’s room (check them out in the “furniture” section of the site).

Straight Line Designs has also designed entire areas for airports, shopping malls, hospitals, and universities.  They pride themselves on working very closely with their clients and making sure that every piece is “whimsical and unusual.”  Enjoy some of their other creations by clicking Read More below, and check out their site for some more: Straight Line Designs
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What’s All The Twitter About?

Twitter seems to be taking over the web and people’s lives these days, with everyone from celebrities to car salesmen having accounts.  In case you have somehow completely missed out on this trend, Twitter is a social networking site where you update people on your life or news throughout the day in 140 character or less “tweets.”  “(Your name) is (whatever you are doing)” or “(Your name) feels (angry, sad, hungry, annoyed).”  You can update from the internet or your cell phone, and you can say whatever is on your mind.  Your “followers” on Twitter will be updated whenever you change your status, making sure that no one has any privacy anymore, just the way we like it.

The Twitter drama makes news every day: from celebrity accounts being hacked with odd messages, to blogger Perez Hilton’s ongoing Twitter fight with singer Lily Allen, to Congress members getting in trouble for updating their accounts during Obama’s speech.  Democrats cheered Obama on via their Twitter pages, while Republicans questioned his plans and gave their own opinions for their Twitter followers to see.  Maybe it’s just me, but I think Congress should have more important things to worry about than creating a clever quip for their online followers during a Presidential address.

I still don’t really understand why Twitter has consumed so many lives, but it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.  Is it people’s fascination with other people’s lives, or just a self centered public display for attention?  In some cases Twitter has been useful, such as when companies start an account to keep their customers updated on their status and events, or for the little people who want to get their name out there.  Or sometimes just to convince your friend to get a stupid tattoo (click here for that story).

In any case, I too have finally broken down and gotten a Twitter account, which I can use to update followers on CulturePopped stories and new articles.  So if you are curious about the wonders of Twitter, or just want to stay updated on this site, find me here: http://twitter.com/culturepopped