Thursday, July 28, 2011

Child Stars - Where Are They Now

It's funny how a person can be the biggest thing in Hollywood than absolutely fall off the face of the Earth a couple of years later.  It seems that childhood actors, compared to adult / teenage actors, are more typecast making it difficult to find a job later on in life. Don't get me wrong, there are many childhood actors who went on to do great things such as Drew Barrymore and Leonardo Dicaprio, but these people seem to be the exception to the rule. For this post, I've decided to focus on 10 popular childhood stars (or at least popular in my eyes) who seemingly fell off the face of the Earth and take a look at where they are now.

Who? Andrea Barber
Best Known For: Kimmy Gibbler on Full House.
Then and Now Pics:
 

What are they up to?  If anyone was going to end up being a meth addict (Jodie Sweetin) or porn star (Judy from Family Matters) you would think it would be the one who got the shit end of the stick on these shows. Well, Andrea Barber, best known as Kimmy from Full House, is neither and is doing great! Well, maybe not great, but she's doing okay. She has decided to retire from acting after Full House and move to the UK with her husband where she had two children. Now, she lives in So. Cal with her family and doesn't seem to be doing much of anything these days (this made for an EXCITING first "Where Are They Now" update...). At least the one we expected to be fucked up in the head is the most normal.


Who? Jaleel White
Best Known For: Steve Urkel from Family Matters:
Then and Now Pics:


What are they up to? The nerdy Urkel (and to a lesser extent, the studly Stephan) has grown up and is no longer playing neglected nerdy teenagers who have an unhealthy obsession with cheese and average looking next door neighbors. Believe it or not, he's still acting and acting fairly regularly. The reason why you might not have seen him is that most of his roles are very minor (i.e. appearing in a TV show here and there). Jaleel seems to be forever stuck in these one off roles (with the exception of a few very unknown short films and series).


Who? Dustin Diamond
Best Known For: Screech on Saved by the Bell
Then and Now Pics:














What are they up to? Screech was one of the biggest nerds of the 90s (with the exception of the aforementioned Urkel) but managed to be friends with the "cool group" at Saved by the Bell. What gives? Anyway, Dustin Diamond is now..well..kind of a douche bag. If you watched Celebrity Fit Club (and who hasn't) he was on it in 2007 and was the least liked person on the show by far. Never tried, always had an attitude, etc.  Besides this appearance, Dustin Diamond has been starring in Oscar worthy roles such as playing "Man in Outhouse" in the riveting "Big Money Rustlas" in 2010. He also had one of the least known roles in the 2009 unknown American Pie flick "American Pie Presents: The Book of Love" as "alumnus guy #1". His career is treading on thin ice, but he's still acting.  I also found this fact from IMDB pretty telling "Trying to sell 30,000 T-shirts at $15-$20 each, by the end of June 2006, in order to save his $250,000 Wisconsin home, that he purchased on contract". I'm sure most of you also heard that he filmed an amateur porn of himself.


Who? Danny Tamberelli
Best Known For: Little Pete on Pete and Pete
Then and Now Pics:



What are they up to? The Adventures of Pete and Pete was not only one of the weirdest Nickelodeon shows of all time, but one of the best. I always found it odd that nobody forced Little Pete to remove his tattoo considering he was in elementary school. I guess they had more things to worry about like a creepy pedophile named Artie who pretended to be a super hero. If you watched Nickelodeon post Pete and Pete you already know that Danny Tamberelli was on All That and Figure Out quite regularly. Besides doing nothing, he's now a bassist and vocalist for the rock band Jounce that is so well known that they don't have a Wikipedia page.


Who? Danny Lloyd
Best Known For: Danny (the little kid) in The Shining
Then and Now Pics:



What are they up to? The Shining is my favorite movie of all time so figured it would be appropriate to do it for Danny Lloyd. Danny Lloyd appeared in only one other role after The Shining in a made for TV movie. He is now a teacher of sciences in Missouri which many students will attest to being "just as scary as The Shining". It's actually quite surprising he wasn't in anything else considering how great his performance was.


Who? Tia Mowry
Best Known For: Tia in the show "Sister, Sister"
Then and Now Pics:


Where are they now? Since obviously no one gives a shit about Tamara Mowry, we will just focus on Tia. Tia Mowry is best known for her brilliant role as a chameleon witch thingy in an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark and secondary as the star of Sister Sister. She was in the move "The Hot Chicks" back in 2002 and most recently produced and starred in a movie in 2010 called Double Wedding (it's a Lifetime movie so I"m sure it sucked) and is in the TV show "The Game" (which should be, but is not about 50 cent).


Who? Danielle Fishel
Best Known For: Topanga on Boy Meets World
Then and Now Pics:


Where are they now? Besides discovering the existence of donuts and then discovering that you can vomit them up after eating to lose weight, Danielle Fishel is still acting with recent roles as a TV host for the show "The Dish" and appearances on the show Parenthood.  She was quoted as saying "I don't smoke, I don't drink, I don't do drugs, I shop okay?" and then proceeded to get arrested for drunk driving in 2007. She also claimed actor Devon Sawa abused her during their relationship. While she didn't flat out say it, she said an "actor who she dated for almost 10 years physically abused her"..which can only be Devon Sawa. She also dated the now gay Lance Bass and the soon to be gay Ben Savage.


Who? Harvey Stephens
Best Known For: Damien in the 1976 flick "The Omen"
Then and Now Pic:



What are they up to? The Omen was one of the scariest movies of the 1970s which means that if it were to be shown in theaters today it would be compared to Big Momma's House for its horrorness (although Martin Lawrence in a fat suit is kind of scary). These days, Harvey isn't acting and is instead focusing on his career of staying employed. He was a futures trader in the London stock market and now a property developer in Kent, England.


Who? Jason Zimbler
Best Known For: Ferguson in Clarissa Explains it All
Then and Now Pics:


Where are they now? Everyone's 7th favorite fire crotch is obviously none other than Ferg face from Clarissa Explains it all. He was annoying, lacked a soul, and had more freckles than..a person with a lot of freckles. Since 2007, Jason Zimbler has founded and been directing shows from The Re-Theatre Instrument in Portland. This was pretty obvious once I saw a pic of his "look at me I'm all artsy" hat as shown below.



Who? Ross Hull
Best Known For: Gary (founder of the midnight society) from Are You Afraid of the Dark
Then and Now Pics:
 

Where are they now? Where were the adults on this show? Honestly, what parents allow their kids to gather in the woods at midnight (and if they didn't know, how could they never tell that they were gone). Gary was the leader of the Midnight Society, a group of socially awkward kids who told surprisingly scary stories around a campfire. Ross has held various weather anchor jobs in Canada with his most recent one being the weather anchor for CTV Southwestern Ontario as of last month. Apparently if you do a Google search for "Ross Hull" the first suggested search phrase is "Ross Hull gay" so we're officially saying he is now gay. According to a Livejournal comment by user Jeph21 (which is the most credible source out there), and I quote "I used to see Ross Hull in gay clubs all the time when I was in school (3 or 4 years ago), he was the creepy old man perving on college guys from the corner". And there you have it.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Best Fantasy Baseball Pickups

The All Star game has come and gone and now fantasy baseball teams are scrambling to reformat their lineup to strengthen their teams. I find one of the keys to winning fantasy baseball is picking up the "under the radar" players who weren't drafted, but have been putting up solid numbers. I've listed below great pick ups for each position that are on 60% or less of fantasy baseball teams (according to ESPN) along with their season and last 30 day stats. Please note that we're excluding catchers because either you have an okay - good catcher at this point or you're shit out of lck

First Basemen

1. Derrek Lee (34.6% own)
Season: BA: .239 HR: 10 RBI: 34 Runs: 35 SB: 2
Last 30: BA: .232 HR: 6 RBI: 16 Runs: 22 SB: 0
Why? It's tough to imagine Derrek Lee ever being less than 100% in every league, but here we are. Don't let the BA discourage you from picking him up. He's been hitting well as of his last 15 (including 3 home runs in that time) and has had a hit in his last 5 games. 


2. Edwin Encarnacion (53.4% own)

Season: BA: .268 HR: 7 RBI: 24 Runs: 37 SB: 4
Last 30: BA: .300 HR: RBI: 12 Runs: 19 SB: 3
Why? Most of Edwin Encarnacion's numbers have been put up the last 30 days, especially the last 15 when he's been hitting over .430(!). Encarnacion is also eligible for 3B and DH which is highly beneficial considering the lack of 3B who have been putting up good numbers this year. 

Second Basemen

1. Gordon Beckham (54.8% own)
Season: BA: .252 HR: 7 RBI: 30 Runs: 37 SB: 3
Last 30: BA: .316 HR: RBI: Runs: 7 SB: 1
Why? If nothing else, Gordon Beckham should be able to help increase your team's overall BA and has potential to hit for power on occasion. As with 3B, 2B suffers from a lack of good players this year making Gordon Beckham one of the better pick ups over other 2B free agents.

2. Jemile Weeks (32.3% own)
Season: BA: .308 HR: 0 RBI: 11 Runs: 17 SB: 10
Last 30: BA: .281 HR: 0 RBI: 5 Runs: 7 SB: 6
Why? He has been on absolute fire the past few days (including a 2 for 4, 5 for 9, and 2 for 3 games consecutively that included 3 stolen bases). Jemile could be a key pickup if you're looking for an extra boost at .BA and SB.


Third Basemen


1. Alberto Callaspo (23.0% own)
Season: BA: .289 HR: 3 RBI: 33 Runs: 32 SB: 4
Last 30: BA: .314 HR: 0 RBI: 5 Runs: 10 SB: 2
Why? Players that have experienced good seasons in the past are always worth looking at once they heat up and Alberto Callaspo is no exception. He's been dominating in .BA since 7/10 and hitting .406 in his last 15 games. 

2. Danny Valencia (54.7% own)
Season: BA: .232 HR: 11 RBI: 51 Runs: 35 SB: 2
Last 30: BA: .260 HR: RBI: 18 Runs: 12 SB: 0
Why? Not the greatest pickup, but again the 3B position is a little difficult to fill this year with quality players and Danny Valencia might be able to provide with the extra bit of power you need to win for the week. Plus, his .BA has improved over the past few weeks.

Shortstop


1. Jason Bartlett (8.2% own)
Season: BA: .251 HR: 1 RBI: 23 Runs: 40 SB: 21
Last 30: BA: .235 HR: 0 RBI: 4 Runs: 13 SB: 9
Why? Jason Bartlett has been a big bust for fantasy owners, but can still provide a lot of value for Stolen Bases. Considering only 8% own him, chances are he's free in your league. He also has 3 multi-hit games in a row that include 3 stolen bases. Obviously won't be the case for the rest of the season, but there's not reason to suspect that he can't finish the season strong.

2. Alexi Casilla (30.5% own)

Season: BA: .259 HR: 2 RBI: 20 Runs: 49 SB: 13
Last 30: BA: .242 HR: RBI: Runs: 18 SB: 3
Why? Alexi Casilla is eligible for both SS and 2B which already increases his fantasy value over just SS players. Casilla's value primarily lies on providing additional runs for your team although he can easily swipe a couple of bags in any given week. 

Outfield



1. Cameron Maybin (29.4% own)
Season: BA: .277 HR: 5 RBI: 24 Runs: 46 SB: 19
Last 30: BA: .344 HR: 0 RBI: 8 Runs: 18 SB: 11
Why? One of the better kept secrets in fantasy is Cameron Maybin. He's a solid player when it comes to both .BA and stolen bases and has been fairly solid all season. He's been on a hot streak as of late which is only expected to continue.

2. Nyjer Morgan (26.6% own)
Season: BA: .333 HR: 3 RBI: 22 Runs: 31 SB: 13
Last 30: BA: .329 HR: RBI: 11 Runs: 11 SB: 3
Why? Another solid player all season in terms of .BA. One of the reasons fantasy owners stay clear of him is his lack of anticipated playing time, but with Carlos Gomez's struggles all year and Morgan's dominant .BA he will likely get playing time on an almost every day basis.

3. Alex Presley (27.8% own)
Season: BA: .351 HR: 1 RBI: 9 Runs: 12 SB: 4
Last 30: BA: .351 HR: RBI: Runs: 12 SB: 4
Why? Alex Presley is currently replacing Jose Tabata who is injured, but when Tabata returns it is highly likely that Presley will continue to start. Not a power hitter, but dominant in .BA and has proven he can steal bases well. 

Starting Pitching

1. Cory Luebke (59.3% own)
Season: ERA: 2.57 WHIP: 0.87 K: 69 W-L: 3-3
Last 30: ERA: 1.50 WHIP: 0.67 K: 26 W-L: 2-2
Why? Since taking over starting pitching duties, Cory Luebke has been dominant allowing 4 ER in 4 starts along with a K / BB of 26 / 4. Wow. There's no reason not to pick him up to see how long he can keep this hot streak up.

2. Jonathon Niese (22.7% own)
Season: ERA: 3.76 WHIP: 1.32 K: 105 W-L: 9-8
Last 30: ERA: 3.94 WHIP: 1.25 K: 33 W-L: 3-2
Why? If you're looking to increase your strikeout total, Niese is a solid choice. I prefer him over other high strikeout pitchers with a low % own like say Dempster because he also has a fairly low ERA and a decent win - loss record.

3. Matt Harrison (52.7% own)
Season: ERA: 2.91 WHIP: 1.25 K: 70 W-L: 8-7
Last 30: ERA: 2.36 WHIP: 1.19 K: 22 W-L: 3-1
Why? Matt Harrison has been a solid pitcher all year and continues to improve with his .ERA and WHIP. With the exception of strikeouts, Matt Harrison usually delivers on all major categories when it comes to starting pitching.

Closers

1. Javy Guerra (47.1% own)
Season: ERA: 2.18 WHIP: 1.35 K / BB: 15/6 SV: 6
Last 30: ERA: 1.23 WHIP: 1.09 K / BB: 8/2 SV: 4
Why? For now, Javy Guerra seems to be the Dodgers closer and has been performing well in his new role converting all 4 of his last save opportunities. It will be important to watch him to see if he remains a closer for the Dodgers.

2. Jason Isringhausen (35.9%)
Season: ERA: 2.76 WHIP: 1.16 K / BB: 27/15 SV: 1
Last 30: ERA: 1.93 WHIP: 1.29 K / BB: 7/5 SV: 1
Why? I never thought that Jason Isringhausen would A) be still playing baseball at this point B) Be on the Mets C) Part of my best pickup list for fantasy baseball. Here we are though. With K-Rod going to the Brewers. Isringhausen will likely be closing out games for the Mets. 





Thursday, July 21, 2011

Top 10 Restaurants in Nassau County

Being that my favorite thing to do is going out and trying new restaurants I figured t was appropriate to create a top 10 list that was specific to dining out. I grew up in Plainview, NY and currently live in Hicksville, NY which is in Nassau County (about 10 minutes from Suffolk). I've been to plenty of Suffolk restaurants, but feel that I haven't been to enough to do a "top 10 restaurants in Long Island" post so keeping it to Nassau County. Yes, I'm sure the random dive joint down the street from your apartment makes fantastic buffalo wings and I'm sure I've never been there, but I think I've been to enough places in Nassau County to make a decent list. Click on any of the restaurants to view their website and feel free to offer your suggestions below. Please note that a place must have waiter service to qualify which means that fantastic food places such as All American Burger unfortunately do not qualify.

10. Minado - I cannot get enough of Minado. Minado is a Japanese buffet located in Carle Place. The word "buffet" usually indicates a skeevy, low class place with subpar food, but Minado completely kills this stereotype. Fresh sushi (unique types of rolls too), hot and cold Japanese selections, crab legs, and crepes makes this one of the more unique buffet options on Long Island. Food is always great and the sushi chefs will make whatever you'd like if it isn't there. Recommended Food Item: Rock' N Roll Sushi Roll

9. Mim's - A lot of people will say this place is overrated, but cannot see why. I've been here five times, all GREAT experiences (only the Syosset location, never been to the Roslyn one). I like how the menu has so much variety, but not too many menu items (like a Cheesecake Factory) which can get overwhelming. I try something new every time I come here (appetizer and entree) and everything I've tasted has been excellent. If you're a lobster bisque fan, definitely get it here. Recommended Food Item: Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna

8. Lemonleaf Grill - I LOVE Thai food, but always have difficulty finding a place that makes really good Thai cuisine. Lemonleaf is one of the few Thai places that does Thai food extremely well. Everything I've had here is good. Lemonleaf is the only Thai place I will go to on Long Island. Recommend Food Item: Pineapple Coconut Fried Rice

7. Opa Grille - Opa Grille is a Greek restaurant located by the Bethpage train station. I've been to a few Greek places in Long Island and this is easily my favorite (although Wild Fig is the only place that can compete). I'm a sucker for their spanakopita and their grilled octopus. Recommended Food Item: Grilled Octopus (appetizer)

6. Zim Zari - Not the fanciest joint by any means whatsoever, but hard to find better tacos in Nassau County. Zim Zari's offers filet mignon tacos and other unique (and delicious) taco choices. Even better, they offer all their tacos for $2 each on Tuesdays. Fantastic. Recommended Food Item: Surf and Turf Tacos

5. Butera's - I've only been to the Woodbury location, but Butera's is also located in Smithtown, Sayville, and Seaford. Butera's offers delicious Italian American cuisine (especially their salads and seafoods). Recommended Food Item: Linguine Seafood

4. Tesoro Ristorante - Italian places more than any other cuisine in my opinion tend to differ when it comes to people choosing their favorites. Mine happens to be Tesoro's in Westbury. The owners and staff are extremely friendly and treat you like their best customer each and every time. I'm a big veal guy and they have the best veal dish I've ever tried: Veal Castagna. The brown sauce on it is RIDICULOUS. All other dishes I've had here were excellent too. Everything is fresh, delicious, and reasonably priced. Recommended Food Item: Veal Castagna

3. Rein at the Garden City Hotel - One of Long Island's most upscale hotels has one of the best restaurants in Nassau County. Rein is known for their Sunday Brunch (which is the best brunch I've been to), but also has great menu items for lunch and dinner. Not for the restaurant goer on the budget although they have a few deals floating around online. The Sunday Brunch has lobster, crab, sushi, a chocolate fountain, and a LOT more (along with unlimited mimosas and bloody mary's.  Recommended Food Item: All of Sunday Brunch

2. Smokin' Als -Can't speak on behalf of the Bayshore location, but I've been to the Massapequa one a few times and it's ridiculously good. Not as good as your top BBQ places in the south, but the best place in Long Island to get BBQ. The meat and sauces are incredible and the brisket nachos are out of this world. Every meal, appetizer, and side I've had here was nothing short of fantastic and the price isn't that bad either. Recommend Food Item: Brisket Nachos (appetizer)

1. Waterzooi  - I wouldn't consider myself to be a mussel person by any means, but Waterzooi has turned me. Located in Garden City, NY Waterzooi is without a doubt the best place in Long Island (and probably farther away) to get mussels. The place has a variety of unique broths (my favorite being the thai) and come with a ridiculously awesome frites an garlic mayo. The mayo is probably one of the best things I've ever eaten.  I've had 5 different types of mussels here and all are among one of the best food items I've eaten. Their other food is fantastic as well (including the lobster fondue). Not only do they have amazing food, but they have a HUGE selection of Belgian beers. If you're on a budget, Waterzooi offers a three course meal of a choice of one of two apps, mussels with frites, and belgian chocolate cake for dessert for only $20 (you'll likely have plenty of leftovers too). Recommend Food Item: Thai Mussels

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

How to Win at Words With Friends

Words With Friends is arguably the most addictive multiplayer mobile application in existence. I say multiplayer since Angry Birds is nearly impossible to catch with its addictiveness. Chances are if you got an iPhone in the recent months someone probably recommended you download Words with Friends and play with them. For those of you without an iPhone or a Droid, Words With Friends is pretty much identical to Scrabble except for maybe one or two minor tweaks. While extremely addictive, the game can be frustrating when you're continually on the losing side of the spectrum. I used to find myself losing regularly and then I figured out how to truly play the game and now I rarely every lose at all. For those of you who can't seem to figure out how to beat your opponent I've listed 10 tips on how to win at Words with Friends. Before I list them, apparently there is an application that you can download that chooses words for you (basically a cheating app) which I will NOT include here because I think it completely takes the fun out of the game.

1. Realize that it's a game of MATH not VOCABULARY: You got an 800 on the English part of your SATs? Great, but doesn't mean shit with Words with Friends. I hear all the time "I have a great vocabulary so I'll win all the time at this". Words with Friends tells you that a "word is not acceptable" if you try to play it and it's not actually a word. If you can try and maximize the amount of points you get every time by putting possible words together until something sticks you'll do okay. I learned that Qi and Za are words this way and  both have helped me to win plenty of games.

2. A strong defense can be your best offense: Some of the people I play with have a bad habit of putting down a word right near a triple word tile. I beat these people every single time. Unless you have a really really kickass word, do not put a word down where your opponent can possibly get a triple word score. Triple words make and break games so don't blow it by allowing your opponent to get a triple word so easily.

3. Bridge two words together with an S: Often times you'll see that a horizontal word and a vertical word are separated by one letter. Most words can be added to by simply pluralizing it with an s. Why not obtain points from both of these words by simply putting an s and pluralizing both. This works great especially if the s  is on a triple letter tile.

4. If you have the opportunity go first: I don't care what anyone says, going first is an advantage. If you go first you have the chance to both put points on the board first AND close out the game. This isn't an option if you go second. The extra few points you can get by closing out a game (where it minuses points from tiles they have over and add it to you score) can be the difference in a win.

5. If you see an opportunity to use a triple letter twice in one turn for a Q, J, X, or Z DO IT: This could apply to five or four point letters to, but especially for your Q, J, X, and Zs. You know that ax and ox is a word right? If you put an x on a triple letter and form both words you get 8x3x2 plus the 2 points from the a and the o is 50 points right there. And this is basically a minimum since you might play wax and ox, or box and ax, etc. It might not seem significant before you play it since it's two words, but some times this can be more valuable than a triple world.

6. Don't waste your Qs, Js, Xs, or Zs: Similar to the triple letter suggestion on tip 5, do not waste your good letters. If you get a Q at the beginning of the game, don't play Qi for 11 points, play Qi when you can for 31. If you get these later on in the game you might need to dump them to avoid negative points, but don't waste them right off the bat. I generally do not use these letters unless I"m getting 30 points or higher for the round.

7. Don't swap letters unless you have to: Swapping is better than passing if you have shitty letters, but generally you do not want to swap. If you can get rid of 3 letters on the board and only get 7 points out of it, it's still better than swapping for 4 letters and taking a risk (and you might get the letters you're looking for anyway). Take advantage of any opportunity you have to get points on the board.

8. Take advantage of opportunities to play a letter on multiple words: I'm always surprised by how some people don't realize that if you play a letter on more than one word you get points for both words. Essentially the letter is as good as a double letter tile, but better since you're getting points also from both words.

9. If you can get a guaranteed win by ending the game do it: If you see an opportunity to use 6 letters, end the game, win, but only getting 7 points it's a lot better than playing 2 letters for 40 points and risking that your opponent pulls an awesome word out of their ass. End the game if you can guarantee a win.

10. Take your time: A simple, but important rule in winning. Don't get pressured into rushing your turn so your opponent can go. Take time to find the word that will get you the most amount of points each and every time.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

10 Ways to Quit Smoking - Cold Turkey

Quitting smoking is one of the toughest things to do. As a past smoker I can tell you it takes a LOT of effort, time, and you need to really want to quit. Fortunately there has been many advances over the past years to aid smokers in quitting from the patch to gum to even electronic cigarettes. What about those of us though who don't want to chew shitty gum or let the entire world see we are struggling to get rid of our addiction? For those of us who do not want to use any outside method in quitting, there's the "cold turkey" approach.  Quitting without any aids is extremely difficult, but can be done. Here are to 10 ways to help you quit smoking, cold turkey style.

1. Decrease Your Cigarette Intake Slowly - This is the method that ultimately helped me quit. I smoked (almost consistently) a pack per day. What I did was remove one cigarette from my daily routine. Once I felt completely okay for a couple of days I removed another, and another until I was down to 2 cigarettes and was able to just walk away. Took me 3 months, but it worked.

2. Eat, Eat, Eat!! - Along with decreasing my daily cigarette intake, I ate...a lot. I was stuffing my face with every food known to man when I felt a craving coming on. I ended up gaining a lot of weight in one month, but switched to celery sticks and other healthy foods and lost it quickly. If you can afford to pack on some pounds this is a great method. If not, then just be conscious of what you eat. Some people say they've been ale to stop completely right away from smoking and fill the nicotine void with food, sucking candies, gum, etc.

3. Stay Busy - Might sound stupid, but often times I found myself smoking because I was bored. Take on extra projects at work, go out every night of the week, etc. If you stay focused on something chances are you'll think less about your cigarette craving.

4. Avoid Alcohol - Quitting cold turkey might make you want to drink more, but getting drunk will only make you crave cigarettes more. Think about how many extra cigarettes you smoke when you're out drinking. If you're serious about quitting smoking, lay off the booze for a while.

5. Look at Pictures of Lung Cancer Patients - This is a very weird approach to quitting cold turkey, but does help others. We all know the dangers of smoking, but a visual example of how fucked up lung cancer can be might be the deciding factor of you sucking up your nicotine withdrawals.

6. Stay Away From Other Smokers - The smell of a smoker or seeing someone else smoke will only make you want to smoke. Avoid other smokers at all costs.

7. Identify Triggers and Avoid Them - Think about your daily routine. When do you reach for a cigarette? After a meal? While watching TV? What factors make you smoke more? Stress? Alcohol? Find what often makes you want to smoke and avoid them.

8. Buy Something Else with Your Cigarette Money - For those of you on a budget, use the money that you normally use for cigarettes towards something else. Anything else. If you don't have the money to buy cigarettes, it will significantly decrease your chances of smoking.

9. Take Up a Healthy Activity - It might sound weird, but if you start playing a sport, running, or do anything that requires more activity you'll find yourself wanting to smoke less and less.

10. Chew Toothpicks - As with eating, having something in your mouth (mind out of the gutters) when you're craving a cigarette will help to curb it.