Random Bad #19 - Nothing on the Radio

Considering how bad popular music is nowadays, this tends to happen more often than it used to. You're driving in your car, jamming out to a decent song, then a dreaded radio commercial pops up after it. Simple, right? You switch to another station. Poker Face is playing for the trillionth time and you don't want to hear it again. Flip to the next station and what do you find? Nickelback. You throw up in your mouth a little bit, and hope for something listenable on the last station on your presets. What do you get? More commercials. Frustrated, you settle on Poker Face because it doesn't completely make you want to shoot yourself.

Now, I know a lot of you think that you're immune because you choose to not listen to the radio. You think you get some sort of street cred by saying, "Oh, I stopped listening to the radio years ago." Well, you're not that cool. This still happens to you when your iPod is on shuffle and you go through 20 songs before you find one that you actually want to listen to.

Random Good #19 - The Smell of Bacon

The smell of bacon awakens every sense in me. I can immediately taste the bacon in my mouth, visualize the bacon on a plate, hear the sizzle of the bacon, and imagine chewing the rubbery texture. Whenever I smell bacon, I stop in my tracks, take a big whiff, and immediately seek out the source.

What's not to like? Bacon smells great and tastes great on everything. Bacon Cheeseburgers, Bacon Sandwiches, Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon, Bacon Bits on a Salad, Bacon Salt, Bacon, Bacon, Bacon. This might be an uninspired post, but who cares? Bacon rules.

Random Bad #18 - Bad Handshakes

As you become older, introductions become more and more frequent. From job interviews, to work related introductions, to socializing with new people, almost all the time, the introduction begins with a handshake. Once in a while, though, there's the botched handshake. These come in different forms. These include:

• The flimsy handshake: Where the other person fails to firmly grasp your hand, leading to an awkward shake.
• The mis-lock: Where you go in for the hand shake, but you end up grabbing only the ends of their fingers, and shaking those.
• The sweaty palm: Where one of the handshakers has a sweaty palm, and the sweat is exchanged during the handshake, and both people feel awkward.
• The Lingerer: When one of the persons involved shakes for too long.
• The combo: When two or more of the previously mentioned shakes occurs in the same instance, leading to an even worse handshake.

The bad handshake leads to a bad first impression. Just make sure to lock in correctly, grasp firmly, and end the shake in a timely fashion.

Random Good #18 - Getting Somewhere in the Nick of Time

In today's world, we always seem to be in a rush. There's always some place that we have to be, and it always has to be in a timely fashion. You almost always end up late for something because there just never seems to be enough time for anything. Sometimes, though, it just happens to work out. You get to your destination right in the nick of time.

The most common examples, for me, include:

• Catching an Elevator.
• Barely beating the Red light.
• Getting to a store right before it closes.
• Making a flight/train before it departs.
• Getting to McDonalds right before breakfast ends.

When it happens, it just gives you a good feeling, and that's what random goods are all about (corny).

Random Bad #17 - Getting Rained On

Rain is a necessary evil. We need it to keep our crops alive, our thirst quenched, and our Earth...wet. The rain isn't really that bad, as long as you can stay dry. If you're smart, you're prepared with an umbrella and things end up okay. If you're dumb, like me, you push your luck and journey out and try to spite Mother Nature. She then sees you and says, "Eat this." Torrential rains begin 5 minutes after you start walking outside, and you start running for cover as she laughs at your misfortune.

It's not over yet. Getting rained on has a longer effect than most random bads. For the next hour, you're stuck in wet clothes, wet shoes, and wet socks. Your body is drenched and you look like a fool. Usually, you're a good distance from home base, so you deal with it for a while. You get home, and it's a bitch to remove the wet clothes from your person, you have to take a shower, and it just ends up taking a long amount of time in your day.

What's the lesson? Bring an umbrella, idiot.

Random Good #17 - Good High Fives

The high five is probably one of the most enjoyable celebrations in our culture. It's impulsive, succinct, and generally, a good time. I'd say probably about 75% of the time, though, the high five isn't performed perfectly. Hand position is usually off and the sound of the clap isn't as loud or as meaningful as it could be. The perfect high five comes without thought. It's a spur of the moment thing, usually in celebration of a good sports play. The good high five completes this brilliant moment like a period ends a sentence.

Random Bad #16 - Getting Water on your Sleeves when Washing your Hands

Face it, people, we're a bunch of lazy slobs who will try to avoid any form of inconvenience, even if it costs us even more problems. In this instance, say you're wearing a long sleeve shirt and you've just finished using the restroom facilities. Now, you know you're in danger of getting your sleeves wet, but it's kind of a hassle to roll up your sleeves, especially if it's a button down shirt.

You try to wash your hands carefully and get enough water to clean them, but at the same time you avoid the areas near your sleeves. Nonetheless, water and soap usually find their way to the edges of you sleeves. You now feel like a fool and a lazy bum, but every time you still do the same thing. It's an easily avoidable annoyance, but it still happens to the best of us.

For you people out there who always roll up your sleeves, though, kudos to you. You are a more patient person than most of us.

*props to my cousin for this Random Bad.

Random Good #16 - Fast Food Restaurants Not Found in your Area

Fast food restaurants are a dime a dozen all over America. Most of them are very similar and offer the usual menu choices of burgers, fries, and drinks. Sure, it should all seem the same, but it's not. You always want to try the fast food restaurants that you've never heard of, just to see what they taste like. There's always a little variation in flavor, menu choices, and other items.

My favorite example of this is In-N-Out Burger on the West Coast. Being from the Chicago Area, we don't get to eat In-N-Out that often, but whenever I step off the plane, In-N-Out is the first place I go. They've got a basic menu and normal choices, but their food is incredibly fresh and tasty. Other examples include Chik Fil'a, Jack in the Box, Portillos, and Del Taco.

Random Bad #15 - Food that isn't Warm Enough after you Microwave it

Life without the microwave would be a terrible thing. Leftovers would need to be reheated over the stove, popcorn would be incredibly inconvenient, and the instant food/microwave dinner industries would never exist. We all love the microwave, but sometimes, it can just piss you off. To elaborate, the microwave, when warming up some leftovers, is a crapshoot. Based on the size of the portion, you make an adequate guess at how long the food should be warmed. It's not so bad when you warm the food too long, because it can just cool off.

Now, imagine that you're really hungry for dinner. You prepare the food, warm it up in the microwave, sit down, and take the first bite. Usually, the first bite of your dinner is one of the most satisfying parts of your day, but in this case, you underestimated the warming time, and the inside portion of your meal is lukewarm or even cold. Horrible. Now that first bite feeling is ruined, you have to get up, warm the food, wait for the microwave to beep, and do it all over again. Sometimes, you even have to rewarm the food a second time, just to get the right temperature. It kills the flow and makes the meal a little bit unpleasant.

But who are we to complain, the microwave makes life easier for college students and lazy people all over the world. A couple minutes of inconvenience is completely worth the greatness that comes from the microwave.

Random Good #15 - Blockbuster Trades

Being a sports fan can be tough, especially when your team is a whole lot of mediocre. You watch all the games, hoping for the best, but when you're a mediocre team, you win half and you lose half. That just means that half of the time, you're pissed off. Now, once in a blue (and orange) moon, a franchise-type player gets put on the trading block, but you never believe that your team has a shot at acquiring him. Your team is either too cheap, too conservative, or just too blindly stupid to realize that they need him.

Now, you've got that mindset, right? Imagine that, despite all of the previously mentioned factors, your team of choice actually lands the player in some kind of trade. HALLELUJAH! Your mood brightens, your email/facebook/IM accounts explode with talk, and you get a spring in your step. It's an amazing feeling. Your fanhood is rejuvenated and you realize that it really is good to be a sports (Chicago Bears) fan.

Random Bad #14 - Having to Unpack after a Trip

Vacations are great. They relax you, recharge you, and are just an overall good time. Most of the time, it's stress free and the biggest worry you have is what kind of drink you want while relaxing. Sadly, the vacation comes to an end, and it's time to go home. You know it's inevitable. Real life slaps you in the face as soon as you get home, you have to unpack.

Unpacking is just one of those things that no one ever wants to do. The trip home is usually tiring enough, but no, you have to organize your belongings, throw dirty clothes in the wash, and put the suitcases away. Nothing like instant chores to welcome you back to the real world.

Random Good #14 - Going out on a Weeknight

The weekends are always a great time to go out. You don't have anything to do, you're not stressed out, and the city is alive. However, personally, I enjoy going out on weeknights. The bars aren't crowded, everything is much more relaxed and drinks are usually cheaper. Sure, you have to go to work the next morning, but the night rarely ends really late anyways. There's just a different, more mellow feel to it.

Random Bad #13 - Delayed Transportation

I’m a commuter, and 95% of the time, everything works out perfectly. The train is on time, the ride is the same amount of time, and you get home the same time. It’s part of the daily routine. Now, 5% of the time, my train gets delayed due to some type of mechanical failure, and I end up losing a chunk of my day on the train. It all just feels like a complete waste of time and your day gets thrown off track (pun intended).

The same can be said for other forms of transportation. When your ride is late, it’s a bit annoying. When flights are delayed, you end up being a sitting duck. It’s all a bit annoying. At the same time, though, we need to be tolerant of these types of things. Life goes on. Take a breath and don’t let the stupid things get to you.

Random Good #13 - When Your Team Makes the Postseason

Die hard sports fans watch countless hours and games of their favorite teams. It takes a lot of effort to truly follow a sports team. You deal with the ups and downs of a long season. You gamble your emotions and hope for the best. For these die hards, there is one true goal, a Championship. You want to see your team win a Championship. The problem is that only one team a year, per respective sport, can claim this championship. To the common person, it might seem that all the emotion put into following your team goes to waste when they usually do not win this championship, right?

False. Making the playoffs and having the chance to truly compete for the championship is a great feeling. The season feels like an accomplishment and you get to watch and cheer for your team in the postseason. Even though they'll probably lose, making the postseason still is a very good thing. Your fanhood paid off and it feels great. With that said, GO ILLINOIS and GO CHICAGO BULLS.

Random Bad #12 - Locking your Keys in your Car

Everyone's had this happen to them before. It usually happens when you finish driving, but your after-car-shutoff routine gets sidetracked by something such as a phone call. You forget to grab the keys but continue on with the rest of the routine. You open the door, hit the unlock button, step outside, and *WHAM* shut the door.

Almost immediately, you know something is wrong. You reach inside your pockets to see if you have everything and a feeling of dread hits, you locked your keys inside the car. Now you're helpless and stranded. Hopefully you have a spare key at your house. On the other hand, now you have to call someone to bring you your keys, effectively displaying your ineptitude. After it's all over, everyone's wasted a bunch of time and you feel stupid. You promise yourself that you'll be careful from now on, but it's only a matter of time before it happens again...

Random Good #12 - Catching Something Right as it Falls

Once in a while a situation occurs where you are doing something routine, such as eating dinner or reaching for an item at a store. Everything's going fine until you knock the item over, and it falls over, usually to the floor.

This often ends up in disaster and cleanup, but sometimes, you flex your catlike reflexes and you quickly snatch the object out of the air before anything bad happens. You beam with pride for a few seconds and marvel at your quickness. You averted a minor crisis while also proving to yourself that you are pretty coordinated. This situation brings a feeling of accomplishment, happiness, and satisfaction. For a few moments, you feel almost, superhuman...

Of course, you return to normal life and realize you're slow and you suck, but that moment is still fun.

Random Bad #11 - Receiving Your Change and the Receipt at the Cash Register

Now this is definitely one of my all time favorite (is that possible?) random bads. You go to the store to pick something up and you go to pay cash for it. Say the total is $2.12 and all you have is a $20.00. You pay for the item and the cashier hands you cluttered handful of stuff in return. Inside the handful is the receipt, a bunch of paper bills, and a bunch of coins. You struggle with this because you have to hurry to put away the cash, store the coins separately, and find a place for the receipt. You feel rushed because people are behind you waiting, and the cashier is now trying to hand you your item.

This exact situation was one of the original inspirations for this blog. It's such a simple situation that comes up, but it causes a certain feeling of annoyance. Thankfully the birth of the credit/debit card has minimized this situation.

Random Good #11 - Getting Through Writer's Block

Picture yourself slaving away at a report, paper, or (ahem) blog post. You're chugging through, putting together some good material. However, out of nowhere, you hit a snag. Writer's block. You struggle for minutes/hours trying to think of new material, but it just doesn't come to you. You look for inspiration or anything to stimulate your brain, and usually, from the most random place, you think of something and you're back on track.

I know this can be considered a random bad, but I prefer the feeling of getting over the block. It's a sense of relief and accomplishment that comes from exercising your mind. For me, it would always happen before an concluding paragraph to an essay. I always have trouble putting together a summary of a report into a paragraph, without sounding redundant. However, once I got through concluding paragraph writer's block, I was home free, and my work was usually complete. It was always a very satisfying feeling.

Random Bad #10 - Broken Internet Connection

In this day and age, the internet is a tool that most of us can't live without. We use it for work, communication, and leisure. We often take a good internet connection for granted. When the connection is working fine, we don't appreciate it. When the internet fails, we freak out and scream obscenities about how much we hate technology.

We all know the process. You start by restarting your computer. If that doesn't work, you restart the router. When that fails, you restart the modem. If that still doesn't work, unplug everything for 3 minutes, and then try again. If none of that works, it's either going to be a big pain in the ass to get things up and running again, or it's a problem that you have no power over.

In any case, broken internet is very frustrating, but when it happens, you should look at it as a short break from technology. Go for a walk, read a book, exercise. We all remember life without the internet. When did we get so dependent on it?

Random Good #10 - Snow Days

The snow day is undoubtedly one of the greatest things known to man. Everything shuts down and it is a day of absolutely no stress. Due dates are pushed back, classes are canceled, work is non-existent, and all there is to do is go outside and enjoy the snow. Everyone gets to enjoy themselves with a guilt-free day off. Everyone gets a day to stop and smell th...err... throw a snowball.

Personally, I went through my college's first snow days in decades. Now, grade school and high school snow days were pretty common, but no one expected a college snow day. The streets were snowed in, the quad was knee deep, and students everywhere were enjoying themselves. The funny thing was that it seemed that a lot of students woke up earlier and with more energy than usual, all because we wanted to enjoy this once in a lifetime event.

Random Bad #9 - Ripping Open a Bag of Chips and it Explodes

This seems like an obscure bad, but this has happened to me many, many times. You get a bag of chips or any type of junk food. You want to open it and eat up the snacks, but the tear down slits aren't working for you, and for some reason, it's really hard to open the bag vertically. You can barely get a grip due to the size of the bag, but eventually you do. You put tons of force into ripping it open, and alas, it explodes. Chips fly everywhere and, if you follow the 5 second rule, a large percentage of your favorite snack is ruined. Why does this happen so much? Why can't the snack companies just use a lighter adhesive or use better "tear here" technology?

Personally, this always happened to me with bags of peanuts. This made it even worse because the peanuts roll everywhere, making them even more difficult to clean up. What have I learned about this, though? Be patient, careful, and cautious. Wise words that can be applied to life, but I only apply them to opening bags of chips.

Random Good #9 - The Moment when Work/Class is Out

People of all ages can attest to this Random Good. It all started in the early years of school. You eagerly awaited the end of your school day so you could go home and have your after school snack while watching cartoons. It continued in High SIn College, your last class of the day would end, and you could enjoy the rest of the day relaxing at your dorm or apartment.

In the working world, the day is done, usually, the moment the clock hits 5:00 PM (or any other shift ending time, for you non 9-5ers). It's at this time that the mental/physical burden of work should clear from your head, and you can go home and relax. No more emails, reports, excel, or supervisors.

When work/school gets out, the obligation of the day is usually done. You are now free to do whatever you want. This gives you a daily feeling of euphoria, even if it lasts only 5 minutes. Sure, you may have home obligations, but they're usually better than work or school.

Random Bad #8 - Getting Food Stuck in your Teeth

(Disclaimer, that is not a picture of my teeth.)

It's 7PM, and you find yourself having a very hearty meal of steak and potatoes. Brilliant. The food just tastes absolutely awesome and you've been waiting all day to have a good dinner. Now, about halfway into your steak, you get a big chunk stuck between your molars, and you have to stop your great meal, and remove the inconvenience. Sometimes, it's so bad, you have to get up, go to the bathroom, and use a toothpick, floss, or your toothbrush. This kills all the momentum of the meal.

Sadly, this seems to happen with all types of enjoyable foods. It always happens to me when eating steak, popcorn, fried chicken, and corn on the cob. The funny thing is that you can't just continue eating, you have to get it out of your teeth. It messes with your eating mojo. As much as I complain about it, though, it's a good problem to have. It's good to have food on your plate.

Random Good #8 - Delayed Due Dates

Due dates are a necessary evil in our lives. We've been drilled with them from grade school all the way up to our working lives. We learn to deal with them, and unfortunately, learn the art of procrastination. We end up stalling and not doing work until we deem it absolutely necessary. This sometimes leads to disaster, but usually, it works out okay.

Now, once in a blue moon, due dates get surprisingly delayed. This happens due to sickness of the superior, weather conditions, or just any other random delay. The feeling you get from these delays is unlike any other. You get a sense of relief and you get extra time to complete your work. We really shouldn't get this relief, because work should be done in advance, but who are we kidding? We all procrastinate.

Random Bad #7 - Getting Shocked by Static Electricity

There are a lot of things that I hate about winter. These include walking in slush, below-freezing temperatures, and blistering winds. Another thing that winter does is make the air incredibly dry. How does that affect you? In the summer, there's humid air and the water vapor helps remove the charge from your body. In the Winter, however, the only thing that will remove the charge is motherf***in doorknobs.

The most annoying part of getting shocked is the fact that it comes unexpectedly and startles you just enough to be unpleasant. At the same time, straight out of Office Space, shocks can happen in the same place every time. For me, there's a specific door handle at work that always gives me the shock. I always hope I don't get shocked, but it always happens.

Luckily, shocks are good for one thing. Once the shocks decrease in frequency, then you know summer is just around the corner...

Random Good #7 - Great Parking Spots

Parking your car is one of those frequent tasks that we don't put much thought into anymore. You roam the parking lot, looking for an acceptable place to park. The funny thing is, you could easily park at a further spot, but you don't want to walk the extra minute. Rather, we spend an extra 5 minutes searching for the perfect parking spot. Rather inefficient, don't you think?

However, once every blue moon, you stumble upon an easily found, acceptably close, parking spot. For some reason, this gives us a jolt of elation, even though it only saves us a couple minutes. The close parking spot gives you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, all in a short span. This, my friends, is probably one of the best examples of a "Random Good". It's something that happens randomly in your day, and immediately gives you a good feeling.

Random Bad #6 - When Something's on the "Tip of your Tongue"

We all get this feeling once in a while. You're having a conversation with someone and you have to recall a certain word. It often comes when you have to remember a proper noun such as the name of a person, place, or thing. Often times you can think of the first letter and you say, "oh it starts with a.....". These situations bring a very specific feeling of frustration.

Sadly, after doing a little digging, it seems that these instances come more often with age. What can we do to try and stop this? I don't really know, but maybe some brain exercising videogames, crossword puzzles, and sudokus can help keep your mind sharp.

Random Bad #5 - The Airport Security Process

Traveling is a very fun thing to do. You get to get out of your element, take a break from your normal life, and live in a totally different style than normal. Many times, when traveling, you end up having to take an airplane to your destination. This experience can be hit or miss. While the planes are okay, the whole process of boarding a plane is a bit of a hassle. To me, though, the most annoying part is the metal detector.

You shuffle through a long, long line and finally get to the part where you place your things through the x-ray scanner. You have to remove your shoes, put all of your bags through, empty your pockets, and if you have a laptop, you have to put that through separately as well. This process would not be so bad if not for the huge line behind you and the attendants urging you to go forward. You feel rushed and under pressure. You now have to step through the metal detector and hope nothing rings you up, causing you to hold up the line even longer. Now, once you're through there, you have to gather all of those previous belongings in a very timely manner, and clear out so the next person can get through. You have to put your shoes on, replace your belongings in your pockets, and gather all of your bags. It's all really annoying, and it's probably the only thing I hate about traveling.

Sidenote: I traveled through Japan this past summer, and I found that they were really good about this process. They collect your belongings for you, place them in the bins, and do everything efficiently, but slow enough that you're comfortable. All the attendants were really nice and polite. After you go through the detector, they let you take your time and give your bags to you. It was a much better process.

Random Good #6 - Come from Behind Wins

http://www.nba.com/video/games/bulls/2009/02/10/nba_det_chi_0020800769_recap.nba/

I went a bit out of order, but Come From Behind Wins are one of the most enjoyable things to experience as a sports fan. Tonight, my beloved Chicago Bulls came back from a double digit deficit to defeat their old rivals, the Detroit Pistons.

The come from behind win takes mental toughness, perseverance, and hard work. Victory from adversity is one of the great storylines of mankind. David beat Goliath, the Colonists defeated the British, and the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees after being down 3 games to 0. In our own lives, we see come from behind wins every day. People lose jobs, but end up okay. People lose loved ones, but learn to become stronger. Adversity is ever present, yet we succeed. The "Come From Behind Win" embodies all of these struggles in 48 Minutes.

Random Good #5 - Receiving Something in the Mail

Between the ages of 0-16, pieces of mail were hard to come by. Usually, everything that came in the mail was for your parents or older siblings. Eventually, though, when College Applications began, you started to get more and more mail. Then came junk mail, credit card applications, and bank statements. The mail became less special.

While general junk mail is pretty annoying, getting meaningful pieces of mail is a whole different story. There's just something about the moment of getting a specifically tailored piece of mail. This can range from a greeting card, to a long awaited item you bought online. The anticipation, surprise, and satisfaction of getting this type of mail is one of the better moments in a normally monotonous day. Whenever an actual letter or package comes, especially if you've been eagerly awaiting said piece of mail, there's a slight feeling of completeness and satisfaction. That feeling usually comes out of nowhere, because earlier in the day you're preoccupied with other things. You get a small moment of contentment, all due to the postal service.

Random Bad #4 - Stubbing Your Toe

The stubbed toe is probably one of the most annoying, yet most common, random occurrences. You usually stub your toe on door frames, bedposts, table legs, chairs, or other things that jut out. It's hard to imagine that things that are so harmless can cause so much pain.

The worst part about the whole situation is that it's not the item that causes the stub, but your own carelessness. You could easily just tread carefully, and watch where you're going, but in this day and age, speed and efficiency are key. We need to get from place to place as quickly as possible, even if it's just over to the next room.

So, what's the lesson here? Stubbed toes should teach us to slow down. The problem is that we're too involved in our own lives to realize that we should stop and smell the roses once in a while.

Random Good #4 - 3 Day Weekends

The three day weekend is unlike any other type of work stoppage. If you take a vacation, you have to worry about who's covering for you, what work you'll have to do when you get back, and if anything important is happening.

Regular weekends are too short, so they're not that special. Usually, the regular weekend passes so quickly, that it's not even that relaxing. You try so hard to have fun with the whole weekend, that you end up rushing through it, and not getting stress free time.

The three day weekend usually comes on a business-type holiday where you and most of the working world has the day off. It is a free pass to take time and just relax. You don't have to worry about work not getting done, and you don't have to worry about things going bad while you're out. If you think about it, not much can go wrong in one normal day off anyways.

With all of this in mind, the 3 day weekend transforms the days around it into better days. If the day off is a Monday, the previous Friday is usually easier to get through because you know there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Saturday is still your "get errands done/go out" day. Sunday, though, transforms into a complete recreation day. Usually Sundays are your recharge day, but in this case, you are done with errands, so you can relax AND go out and have fun. Sundays turn into the best day of the weekend. The Monday is then your new recharge day. The rest of the following week is also better because Tuesday changes into Monday, Wednesday changes into Tuesday, hump day gets eliminated, then Thursday is Thursday, and Friday is back to awesome.

In the end, 3 day weekends are a great stress reliever. They recharge your life, yet don't disrupt anything.

Random Bad #3 - Dropping Something and it Disappears

First off, I chose the image of a pen because whenever this would happen to me, it was always with a pen while sitting at a desk. You're reading something or just doing something on your computer and you happen to shove an object off you desk. You look directly down to pick up the object, and, like magic, the thing disappeared.

In your mind you know it ricocheted in some random direction. You twist and turn in your chair looking all around, but you can't seem to find it. Now, you have to exert extra effort, stand up, and actively search for the item. The item always ends up in some random place that you would never think to look. Often times, you couldn't see it because it was in some blind spot from your seated positon. In the end, there is annoyance, wasted time, and wasted effort.

Random Good #3 - Receiving a Phone Call from the Person You Were About to Call

In this day and age, we use phones more than ever. Thanks to the cell phone, we can be contacted by countless people at any given time of the day. In addition to this, we also have the option of calling one of the many people on your contacts list.

However, once in a blue moon, a coincidental occurrence happens. In this moment, of all thoughts to be thought, you choose to call up a friend. At the very same time, of the countless other things that could happen, this same friend looks to call you at the same time. You pick up your phone, but it starts ringing right before you choose them on your contacts. You see their name pop up on the caller ID, and you say to them, "Dude, I just was about to call you!"

The occurrence happens, you laugh about it a bit, then you forget about it. However, every time this happens it's a bit cool.

Random Bad #2 - Misplacing Things You Just Had

This situation is probably one of the most annoying instances that happens during the course of a day. It happens to me constantly with remote controls, my keys, my wallet, and my phone. You are holding the item, you place it down, do something for a little bit, then you can't seem to find the damn item. It always ends up somewhere random, and you have to retrace your steps to retrieve the item. Not only this, but this sort of incident usually happens when you're in a hurry. You end up wasting twice as much time looking for the item, and then become more flustered. I do admit, though, that when you do find the item, you are instantly relieved and realize that if you just took your time and relaxed, you would have found it quicker.

Random Good #2 - Movie Trailers

Going to the movies can be a hit or miss experience. Sometimes you get a worthwhile film with a decent crowd. On the other hand, and seemingly more often nowadays, you get cell phone rings, bright cell phone rings, rude patrons, and horrible movies such as "Epic Movie", "My Bloody Valentine 3D", and "Balls of Fury." One thing, though, hasn't changed about the movie going experience, movie trailers.

What exactly makes these trailers so great? Trailers have a built-in limit of poor quality. If a trailer is bad, it is usually so bad that it warrants a laugh and small comments between friends ("Man, that was horrible!"). The trailer isn't long enough to make you feel like you wasted time/money, so you get a dose of laughter.

On the other hand, a good movie trailer can produce epic highs and anticipation. A good trailer produces a feeling of effortless enjoyment. In a matter of minutes, the viewer feels anticipation, excitement, and intrigue, all at no cost.

In the end, a trailer can only be so bad, but they can be so very, very good.

For Example:

Random Bad #1 - Putting Bedsheets on Your Bed

Imagine the following scenario. You have just completed a long day of work/partying/physical activity. You're ready for the relief known as sleep. You're the perfect amount of tired and you know you'll fall asleep almost immediately after you lay down on your bed. However, stepping into your room, you get a severe sense of dread. Something has happened, and it's going to disrupt this sleepy feeling of euphoria. You just washed your sheets, and you haven't applied them to your bed yet.

You have to go through the whole annoying process of lifting your heavy mattress and maneuvering with the sheets. The corners are a bitch, and you just want to get it all over with. You eventually get to replacing your pillowcases. Finally, it's all set, and you're ready to sleep. Only one thing is wrong, the physical activity and mental exercise involving replacing your bedsheets has now left you wide awake. Your perfect sleep is ruined, and it's all thanks to bedsheets.

Random Good #1 - Fire Drills

When you were a young student, the Fire Drill was one of the most enjoyable things that could happen to you. The feeling of getting to ditch out of a boring class was one of the best feelings in the world. It was a reprieve from monotony that came once in a blue moon. You got to walk around, socialize a bit, and just get your mind off the boring stuff you were learning.

Even now, as working folk, we are again faced with boredom. Fire Drills are more scarce, but just as enjoyable. Luckily, working comes with (hopefully) more freedom than the rigors of grade school. We can take personal "fire drills" once in a while.