Life is full of ups and downs and everyone goes through emotional highs and lows. Ultimately, everyone should be striving to achieve happiness in their lives. Why do we pursue happiness? Simple. It is in our human nature to do so. On the hierarchy of goals, happiness is the highest goal - "it is the end toward which all other ends lead". Trying to achieve wealth, fame, admiration, and any other goals are all placed below happiness - these are means toward one end: happiness. Happiness is a little bit harder than you think to define because it varies from individual to individual. Albert Camus said "You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life." Live your life and happiness will find you.
Fun fact: the word happiness is derived from an Icelandic word happ which means luck or chance. If you think of it, happiness is somewhat based on luck or chance - thinking you will be happy by achieving a result depends on how you perform (you have a chance to do well or do poorly, but you can boost your chances by practicing and working).
This is probably my favourite song right now and this video is sooo trippy. I just love anything that deals with pursuing happiness because everyone needs to strive for that. I just like the fact that Cudi says that he's striving to achieve happiness and knows that once it comes, everything will be alright.
The message I get from this song is pretty clear. Each day is a brand new day and you are free to go out and seek your own happiness. Being nice to people makes others happy and this can, in turn, make you happy. Knowing that people love you and are there for you makes it much easier to achieve happiness and when you're happy, there is no need to frown.
The following site lists 21 traits of happy people. Happy people appreciate life, surround themselves with happy, positive people, accept people for who they are, do what they love, are self-confident, have the ability to forgive, are optimistic, and enjoy life.
I am currently reading a book entitled "Happier" by Tal Ben-Shahar, a Harvard professor who teaches the most popular university course called Happiness. In the book, he aims to raise awareness of the general principles underlying a happy and fulfilled life. One important aspect he defines is the happiness-success relationship, in which, happiness is a means towards success, but at the same time, happiness is the ultimate end and consequently, success leads to happiness. He also talks about how for the most part, happy people tend to have better relationships, are more likely to do well at work, and also live better and longer. It is definitely a great read, but what makes it so great is that it's not just about reading. Ben-Shahar gets the reader to think deeper to reflect on their life and truly envision happiness.
I watched this video of a lecture by Matthieu Ricard, who is often termed as the "happiest man in the world", where he discusses the habits of happiness. He talks about how happiness is so hard to define and how to use your own experiences to feel happiness. It's 20 minutes but may be worth your time if you want to hear some philosophies on happiness.
One video that really altered the way I think and helped me when I was feeling a little bit depressed was "The Secret" which is also a best-selling book that was featured on Oprah. The Secret basically taught me something I already knew subconsciously but never really thought of and that is the "law of attraction". If you think of things you want and really focus on them, you can definitely achieve them. People have a tendency to think of things or situations that they do not want and that is exactly what they get. I've included the first 20 minutes of the movie (it's about an hour long) and it really helped me change the way I perceive life. If you get a chance to watch the entire thing, it really is worthwhile.
Ok - so i stumbled upon this article listing the 12 different types of beer pong players out there - it's sooooo true. Let me know which type of player you think you are! I'm going to put a note on facebook with who I think is each type of player. I basically just copied and pasted the description from the site but you can read it here
1. Supreme Ruler aka The Commish aka Tommy Technical This rule Nazi knows his sh*t and isn’t afraid to call you out on the most minor of infractions. His dedication to the game is unparalleled and his fierce attention to detail makes the most anal of people mutter, “Chillaxify, dude.” Remember that scene in Big Lebowski where Walter flips his wig over Smokey going over the line at the bowling alley? You best believe that if Supreme Ruler had a piece like Mr. Sobchack’s it’d be out in a heartbeat if your elbow went beyond the table’s edge. Shut the F&*% up, Donnie!
2. Admiral Awesome Boobage This chick has got titanic tater tots and isn’t afraid to use them. Pushing them together, pulling her shirt down, letting her partner squeeze, lick, and/or suck them, letting them hang, swinging to and fro – little does this chick know that she’ll be the subject of a heavy J.O. session later that night. Problem with this type of player is that so few of them actually have a rocking rack. Most times, the mams are too droops or too small or belong to your pregnant sister.
Two really sweet upsides to playing this type of player? A) Banking your shot off her bombs when she bends over into the cup to end the game and B) Having her show her nude boobs when your bet of making the shot off her headlights pays off. Good times.
3. Petey Postures aka Danny Delay-of-game Seriously, it’s beer pong, guy – all the f**king gyrating and posturing and methodically measuring your shot royally chaps everyone’s collective ass. Rolling your wrist, training your arm, the slow bounce, standing sideways or on one foot, the Jason Kidd-like mini-prayer, even kids with OCD can’t stand all the meaningless motions. My favorite Petey Postures moment? When he plays against a kid who shoots the ball the SECOND it hits his flesh and nails every single cup.
4. Stranger Who Talks Intense Amounts of Sh*t Way Too Early WTF is up with this dude? I just met you, you’re here because a friend of a friend of a friend felt bad for you, and people only laugh at your blatantly lame jokes because you either hook them up with choice pot/coke or have a hot girlfriend who brings hot friends.
These guys are the classic case of being able to dish it out but can’t take it. Make one little comment about his popped collar, aviator shades, or dynamite matching wristband/headband set and the game enters a stage of unbearable tension that makes Michael Jackson’s marriage to Lisa Marie Presley look like Rocco Does Jenna. Outdated references? F*ck you, guy! The act that puts him over the edge and will most likely result in a table flip and screaming chicks? Mimicking his celebrations.
5. Larry Lasers Hey, Roger Clemens – chillax! Hope you remembered to wear your cup ‘cuz this anger management case study absolutely loves to HOSE the ball at your cups. This guys sucks because he ultimately wastes a significant amount of beer by knocking the cups over instead of the more graceful and elegant no touch swish splash. Broham almost wastes more beer than the lightweight chick with herpes who takes a sip and then claims she’s too drunk or can’t chug and leaves about 18 wounded soldiers lying about. Thanks, I’ll just be dumping those in the hazardous waste bin now, let me get the rubber gloves.
6. Max Exxposure I don’t want to see your dick or balls. EVER. Straight female nymphos don’t want to see your junk. What makes his indecent exposure even worse is if I hit the cup while his sh*t is out, does that make me gay? I once played against a guy whose girlfriend crouched down and licked his balls during my shot. Even Kobe would brick that attempt.
7. Lights Out I’m not talking about Shawne Merriman – he’d fall under the #4 category. I’m talking about professionals. Guys who flat out don’t miss. They make the game totally suck! It’s so boring/embarrassing. No one wants to see the Pats murder the 49ers, they want them to exchange touchdowns until a kick in double overtime from 54 yards out sends the crowd into a riot. A sexy riot that might end in morning after pills.
8. Black Out Barry If you’ve seen Beerfest, you know that Barry Badrinath plays better when he’s drunk. I, myself, get the first round jitters, so a couple brewdoggers help settle my nerves. Then, there’s the guy who is Lights Out (see above) ONLY when he’s semi-blacked out. This is the dude playing the dude disguised as another dude, in that he has no idea where he is, who he is, or what’s he doing, but he’s absolutely mowing down cups. He doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t look anywhere except at the next cup, he doesn’t even move his stance or positioning. It’s an out of body experience that keeps him in the zone.
Congratulate him the next day over an Egg McMuffin and he’ll look at you like you told him won a 5k marathon the night before. Black Out’s run begins as an unbelievable feat and gains an audience that is amazed he can stand let alone shut the other team out. I’ve been there once…I think.
9. Crazy Shot Carl I’ve literally punched a glass pane window because of this type of player. Sky hooks, behind the backs, off the wall, through the legs, non-dominant hand, head butts, flicks, basketball free throws – these guys live for absurd shooting styles. They love to break it out right when the game is at its most crucial moment. And you won’t get a bigger crowd reaction then when it hits. Are they really that bored or are they just thrill seekers? These are the dudes who produce videos like this…
10. Silent Assassins The complete oppo of the Stranger(s) Who Talk Sh*t Way Too Early. These guys don’t…say…a…single…word. It’s all nods mixed in with an occasional grunt. They shake hands when the game’s over. They quietly celebrate internally. They are the Barry Sanders of beer pong. And as much as the Stranger Who Talks Sh*t takes it too far, these guys are a little too modest for my tastes. Truth is this isn’t the NFL, you don’t have to act like you’ve been there before. Beer pong’s based on pinache and flair. You can let loose once in a while – just make sure you keep it comical. You taking notes, Stranger?
11. Freddy Got Fingered/Bro That Blows Tom Green’s Oscar nominated film box office barfer proves one thing – dudes should not be fingering other dudes. And that can be extended to cups. Think about it – what separates the men from the boys and the boys from the chicks in a game of beer pong? 1. Ability to distract based on looks alone and 2. handicaps.
Chicks are allowed to have handicaps like fingering and blowing; however, beer pong founders and organizers are smart enough to encourage girls to blow because it’s ten times hotter. “Can fellas finger?” Don’t be gay, dude. “Can females finger?” Notice no one says, “No,” outright. We always say, “You can blow.” HA! If you’re a guy that blows, you’re sending up a flare that reads, “I enjoy the company of a man’s balls on my face.”
12. Larry Leanjob aka Matt Lean-art aka McLean Sandwich Just as chicks are allowed to blow/finger (remember don’t mention they can finger!), they’re also allowed to lean. Face it, their arms are shorter and not as strong so they need that extra foot or so to remain competitive. It’s like the Ladies tee at golf courses. The worst is when you have the 6′7” monstrosity across the table and he basically leans over and phi slamma jammas it into the cup like a pissed off Shaq.
You tell him the shot will count but from now on, take a couple steps back. what does he do? he take three strides back and still leans to the halfway point of the table. Someone tell this guy to take a knee or something! If a dude leans and misses all the time, that’s okay. That’s like a first time golfer or an 8 year old boy lining up from the ladies tee, you know he won’t do any damage. What I hate is the guy who leans even after you called him out on it and continues to bang down cups. You’re not good, you’re Rafael Palmeiro.
Isn't it funny seeing grannies play beer pong? Ok... maybe it's just AWESOME!!! Check out these 25 grannies playing pong! They look like such naturals. Grannies Ponging it
K normally I won't do this but this forum is self explanatory. Brobible, one of the new sites I've started visiting, put out this question asking for the most bro words. People have listed bro terms that are super mint (mint is still my fav bro term, maybe not for long). Check it out and have a good laugh
Ok. We all know getting dumped by your loved one is one of the worst experiences you can have in your lifetime. How much worse would it be to know that your partner paid someone $10 to dump you over the phone, record it, and allow thousands of people to watch it over the internet. Welcome to idump4u.com. Bradley, from idump4u.com, will call your boyfriend or girlfriend and explain to him the reasons why you dumped them and guide them through their next few steps.
Now, it is kind of funny listening to these people's lives getting ruined, but at the same time, you have to feel for them. That is probably one of the most insulting things someone can do is have someone else end a relationship for them.
Check out idump4u.com to see some of these phone calls.
Wow! Taking things a wee bit too far I think. This German company developed a scent that smells like vagina and called it "Vulva Original". The head of the company Guido Lenssen (mega props on that first name), said that to make the scent they combined urine, sweat, and female arousal from women of all ages. The marketing campaign is even more effed! Talk about being a friggin creeper! Now creepy dudes don't have to sniff where a girl just sat - instead they can just take a few whiffs of Vulva Original! Check out how creepy this is.
Probably one of my biggest passions right now is beer pong or beirut. I just get excited thinking about it – sinking that winning shot, going on a huge winning streak, carrying my partner on my back, having my partner carry me through games, ending other people’s winning streaks – I love it all and wish it were my job. There are a lot of controversies with the game and a lot of people are against it, but the fact of the matter is, it is by far one of the more fun drinking games around for people of all ages and its popularity is rising rapidly.
What is Beer Pong and how was it invented?
In a nutshell, the game has two teams on opposite sides of a table and each team has a certain amount of cups. The whole idea of the game is to sink ping pong balls into your opponent’s cups before they sink the balls in your cups. Whoever sinks all the cups first is declared the winner. Most people knew that. If you didn’t, well now you know. What I didn’t know is where they got the name from or how the game got started. There are so many different groups of people that claim to have invented the game but the one I’d like to believe is the story about the Theta Delta Chi fraternity from Lehigh University. In 1983, members of the frat began playing beer pong with ping pong paddles (2 cups) but broke all of their paddles. Afterwards, the frat brothers began lobbing the balls from one end of the table to the other trying to sink the balls in cups. Several cups were added, everyone enjoyed the game and tournaments were organized and it began spreading to other campuses.
The name “Beirut” stems from the capital city in Lebanon. The members of the frat were interested in foreign-policy and Hezbollah had committed a suicide bombing that killed 241 Americans in Beirut. Balls flying across the table in “Beirut” and landing on the opposition’s side and making a splash in the cup was seen as the US bombing Beirut in retaliation for the casualties.
Beer Pong Today
Today, beer pong is played on college campuses and in bars, and is most popular in North America. Five years ago, something called the World Series of Beer Pong (WSOBP) was created and held at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Originally 80 teams competed and the top prize was $10,000 and the title of best beer pong team in the world. Today, in year 5, the top prize is now $50,000 and there are over 800 participants. Here is the trailer for the 2010 WSOBP.
The game is gaining such popularity that it is being featured in magazines such as Time and Maxim, as well as on mega network broadcasting stations such as CNN, ESPN, NBC, and FOX. Jay Leno put a team in the WSOBP V tournament this year in Vegas and since then, he has been doing a weekly segment he calls “The Beer Pong Shot of the Week.”
Jimmy Fallon also does a segment on beer pong in his show “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” where he challenges other celebrities to a game of beer pong on the show. The video below is of him playing beer pong verse Betty White (sorry I couldn’t find the Anna Kournikova video).
This video below was a feature on Time’s website and there was an article published in August of 2008 talking about the growing popularity of the game. In this video, the two time defending WSOBP champs give their thoughts on the game and whether or not they think beer pong is a sport.
My favorite part is that “the people that excel in this sport are all athletes.” Don’t be discouraged if you are not an athlete though! The game is so much fun and the best part is if you don’t win the game, you still win because you get to drink! This blurb was in Time Magazine: ”For some beer pongers, the appeal is the thrill of competition. "I like to beat people," says Chris Clark, 22, who plays on Team Premier, a group of the six best players at the Hangout. "When I come here, I win pretty much 75% of the time, and it's 100 bucks in my pocket." For others, beer pong is a social tool. "You can go into a party where you don't know anyone and just jump into a game, and by the end of it, you know everyone," says student Kristin Catlin, 22. In college, beer pong's acculturative role makes it just like any other team sport, says Gaines: "It is kind of the same thing as swimming." Except, you know, for the hangovers.”
I remember in like the early 2000’s when poker began taking off and people began to quit their jobs to just play poker! We are starting to see that with beer pong! These people make an average of $15,000 a month! Playing a drinking game! CNBC wrote an article talking about how people can in fact quit their jobs and play beer pong due to the amount of money tournaments offer the winners. The great thing I’ve learned about the beer pong tournaments is that “At the World Series, you have your typical frat guy, but you also have accountants, you have lawyers, you have people who don’t know what they want to do with their lives yet.” The game is for everyone and it grows by the day. This video below shows that you don’t have to be in your 20s to play beer pong.
Look at the excitement on her face!
Because of the growing popularity, people are trying so hard to be the best at this game and just like in basketball there is the NBA and And1 or street ball, in beer pong there is also the WSOBP and trick pong. Check out this vid of trick pong! Pretty sick!
The New Beer Pong Industry
Since beer pong has taken off so much in the past few years, people are making a living off of the game – not necessarily playing it – but creating products related to the game. Spencer Gifts is one of the most notable shops to get WSOBP merchandise including official tables, balls, cups, and shirts. BPONG.com is the official store to buy pong products from. Bing Bong Inc is the most notable company that sells customized beer tables that are very unique. Even though all these sites sell beer pong tables, that doesn’t mean that people can’t be creative and make their own tables. Many people have ventured out and have made some really awesome and unique tables that will blow your mind! Here is a site showing some of the most bad ass beer pong tables!
Students at Northwestern University hated having to clean up spilled beer all over their floor and table from cups spilling everywhere so they invented a triangular rubber mat that keeps cups in place so they don't spill over. Their products are now being sold at www.drinkingstuff.com.
Probably the best exposure for beer pong is the two recent movies that have come out regarding the game: "Road Trip 2: Beer Pong" and a documentary titled "The Last Cup" that was seen at many international film festivals in 2009. The documentary follows four competitors in the first WSOBP around as they compete for $20,000 and the title of WSOBP champion. Here is the trailer for the movie.
I am actually really intrigued and really, really want to see this movie!
I still cannot believe how much this game is growing and this video completely blew my mind! They are now making a beer pong video game for the Nintendo Wii! The game is part of something called “Frat Party Games” and the way it’s set up allows you to pick where you play (either someone’s basement or a bar, most likely places to play pong) and it’s really realistic in the sense that there are posters on the walls in the basement, and people watching. You get to pick the table and the player (which are totally people who would be playing beer pong). Only problem is it got a lot of bad reviews and it is unrealistic (besides the drinking part). The game was featured in Time Magazine in August 2008.
Variations of the Game
Slam Pong- this game could get you drunk quick. Each team has two cups placed far apart from each other. You need ping pong paddles. You combine ping pong and volleyball. If you hit your opponent’s cup, you get one point. If you sink it in their cup, you get two points. If you slam the ball down and knock over your opponent’s cup you get five points. Games are usually to 5 points. Drink each time the ball hits a cup.
Assassin Pong- same rules as basic beer pong except you need to call each shot. So if you are aiming for the front cup and hit a back cup, nothing happens.
Civil War Pong- this game has the same objective as beer pong except there are three players on each team. Each person has six cups in front of them. When one of your cups get sunk, you have to drink it. Each team doesn’t take turns shooting. It is a mad scramble. So if a team shoots, they can run and get the ball quickly and come back and shoot again. If an individual’s six cups are done, they cannot shoot any more but they can pass the balls to their teammates. Once all 18 cups on one side are gone, the other team is declared the winner.
Flip Pong- a mix of flip cup and beer pong. Teams of two lineup on opposite sides of a table and set up four cups in a straight line. Each team has one ball. First person shoots at their partner’s cups. If they sink it, the partner has to drink the cup and flip it. The partner then shoots and the teammates go back and forth. Once one partner has sunk all the cups, the other partner must keep shooting until all of the teammate’s cups are sunk and the last cup is flipped. First team with all cups flipped is the winner.
Negatives of Beer Pong
Because people are sharing cups, beer pong has been linked to the spread of the flu, mononucelosis, and herpes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) actually got involved and did a study on the problems with beer pong and found that herpes was up 230% in 2008 over 2007 among 17-21 year olds! (as if they did that study!) A really funny spoof of the study can be found here.
Discard cups after every use, reusing cups can compromise their protective integrity.
Get tested regularly.
Stacking cups can spread the risk of transmission of HSV.
Beirut is not a safer alternative to beer pong.
Remember! Alcohol may impair the ability to practice pong safely!
Tournaments
Beer pong tournaments are the highlights of my weekend (besides chaying)! I love the excitement from drinking and playing a competitive game or sport. I have run some amazing tournaments in the past and want to share tips on how to make them run smoothly.
1)Best to get kegs – each keg has the equivalent to 168 beers in it. Each beer pong game requires 4 beers (2 per team) which means you can get 42 games out of each keg (assuming no side drinking). If you know you are going to have more people, figure out the approximate number of games you are going to have to determine the number of kegs you need.
2)Round robin or elimination? – it is very easy to do elimination tournaments but people may complain that they don’t get enough playing time. If you have time to preplan a tournament, get teams to register and you can create a round robin before the tournament starts.
3)Have a wingman or wingwoman helping you during the tournament – being a tournament coordinator can get tough so it’s always good to have someone helping you.
4)Define the house rules before you start playing – gather everyone up and explain the rules of the game so there are less controversies. Drunk people are going to want to argue but as the organizer you need to prevent this as much as possible to ensure everyone has a good time.
Pong Pictures
Check out these pics from past pong tourneys!
I love this game so much and want to play it all the time! The game is such a growing phenomenon and the scary part is that it is going to continue to grow for years to come! The truth is, beer pong is a sport. It just happens to involve alcohol.
