Having trouble working? Download this free Ambient Soundscape Generator

Something that really helps me work is Vectormedia's Atmosphere (Ambient Soundscape Generator). Although it's extremely relaxing, it also keeps me focused. They have a free version that is actually rather awesome. The program allows you to turn your PC into a complete nature sound environment generator.

You can easily switch to and from themes such as: deep forest, rainy day, ocean night, thunderstorm, night stream, forest stream, dawn chorus, rainforest, and ocean's edge. You can even customize each setting with the sound of the rain on your roof, fountains, or various bird noises. You can also create relaxation CDs or sound affects for video or webpages.

Download it here.

Makes me want a cup of Mighty Leaf's tropical green tea...

Tales of a Blind Man

I have tried a lot of tea, and my favorite has stood the test of time: Mighty leaf.

What I like so much about this company is that their tea isn't some powdery dust you find in Lipton tea bags or similar off-the-shelf brands. Their teabags are made from these silk-like biodegradable pouches. (My favorite is called Tropical Green Tea)

This reminds me of a story.

When I was working as a lab instructor for the college, I met an old man from Pakistan named Manal. He was an amazing photographer and brought back all sorts of photos from his home country. I recall the elaborate weddings and jewelry the brides wore. Every year, when my birthday came around, he would pull a bracelet or anklet out of his pocket and present it to me as a gift. He was always full of surprises — especially when he finally admitted he was legally blind. He started wearing this mad scientist looking thing. His glasses had glasses.

Oh, right, back to the point.

Manal once told me that Lipton uses the "leftover" teas from India and that basically their tea was made strictly from the rejects. At this point, I had already snubbed my nose at Lipton, but I used to drink a ton of it as a child.

I hope there are no lingering side effects :)