One of the Best Halftime Shows Ever!

This is hilarious!



Go Village People (I mean person...)

Merry Christmas!!

Best wishes to you and yours on this special Christmas day!

I hope you are able to enjoy it!

Thanks!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Late Night Awesomeness

I listened to this song a lot when I was really young - it was something we got from Columbia House or something... Good times!

Skydiving Anyone?

I thought this was quite funny:



One of the YouTube comments, "Did they die when they hit the ground?"

Yet another reason I need a good projector!

(via LikeCool)

On Stranger Tides!

Pirates of the Caribbean 4 Official trailer is up - and it looks great!



I'm excited!
Scheduled to be released May 20th, 2011

There are way too many gems today...

My pre-New Years Resolution...

Know this choreography by the end of next week!
(ps - I really don't do Resolutions...)

A Game I Can Play

Angry birds is fun, and this game is obviously trying to cache in on that wave (although really, angry birds really wasn't the first of that game type either, just the best executed)

But come on! This is astronomically more cool!



PIRATES vs NINJAS vs ZOMBIES vs PANDAS!!!

Crazy Random Weird Music Video(s) of the Day

(via likecool)

**UPDATE**
I had to add another...
I actually really like Ratatat, but WOW their videos are psycho.

Like this:



(via my yoga instructor at work who plays this band sometimes during yoga so I asked her about it and have now discovered their waaaaacky videos)

BMX Dream (Not Mine!)

This is pretty amazing bike stunt in the Ukraine - he's good, but I gotta say I'd like to see somebody like Danny MacAskill on this!

(Although to be really fair, it's only a minute long so it's not like he was given a ton of time!)

At the beginning he says in Russian "That, is the dream of every BMXer. A perfect (ideal) quarter pipe at a height of 100 meters!"



Very nice.

(via LikeCool)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

I'm very thankful for MANY things in my life. Thanks for reading, thanks for living.

Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, take a moment to remember and be grateful for the things you have in your life.

Thanks!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Were we meant to have Bosses?

No video in this post! Amazing!

VERY interesting article called "You Weren't Meant to Have a Boss"

A lot of this really rings true to me. I really don't have a problem 'having a boss' per se, but the greater implications of that boss having a boss having a boss and that top boss representing me in ways that aren't really relevant bugs me.
Good quote summing up the actual feeling

"The drawbacks will only become apparent later, and then only in a vague sense of malaise."

So it's not the problem of the job, the pay, etc etc, it's an almost indefinable feeling of discontent.

Good article.

(via Hunter-Gatherer.com)

Videos seem to be the theme this Month

Which is really fine by me!

I've seen this before, but for some reason I thought I had posted it here. Strange.

Oh well! After the MacAskill videos, we need some non-bicycle parkour too!



(there is some language at the end... that guy wasn't very smart! Plan ahead if you're going to do this!)

MORE Danny MacAskill

Yeah it hasn't even been a week but there is another awesome Danny MacAskill video...



Sheesh. That guy is talented! Inspirational!

(via Epic Win FTW)

Source Code

This looks like it could be a really interesting movie.


(via Super Punch)

I've always liked Jake Gyllenhaal, even more since he did (I thought) a GREAT job in Prince of Persia.

Then the other night he was on Letterman and gave a great interview with discussion of Barefoot running:

Sharp Miata Sharpie!

Or is it Sharp Sharpie Miata? Either way this is a pretty sweetly designed car - 22 days and $100 worth of Sharpies... That's actually pretty cheap for a custom paint job right?

I guess that actually depends on how much you value your time.

Still, considering my drawerings, (which I haven't been doing enough of lately) I love this kind of stuff.

I'll bet this would look really cool on my silver Mitsubishi Galant...

It's probably worth nothing right now, maybe it'd actually increase the value.


(Via Dude Craft)

More from Danny MacAskill

Way back in April of '09 I posted an awesome Bike Vid from Danny MacAskill

This is a bit long but it's pretty amazing:



Honestly the bike riding on some of those places made me shudder a bit just because of their age - but I'm sure they've been through worse!

I also love the "Cyclists Dismount" part!

(via Conditioning Research)

Classical Dancing

Other than the clothing, really there isn't a lot that separates the beauty of a 'classical' form of dance from the 'street' forms, just people's taste in music.

The dance can still be breathtakingly beautiful.

(via Geeksaresexy)

Things I Like More Than Many Other People Do

In my life I've realized that I am quite a geek in many aspects.

I decided to list a few of things I like a lot.

Granted, there are those people that like some of these things even more than I do - and man, those people are WEIRD, just like I'm strange to people who don't understand why I like these things as much as I do.

Some of these shouldn't come as a surprise. So here it is:

1. Pirates - Seriously, I am obsessed with Pirates lately! If I see a skull and crossbones or other form of Jolly Roger type thing - I want it. It used to be that Pirates was one of the many things I liked (more will be included further down) but it didn't stand out over others. Over the years though, after many Halloweens and Relay races - I've realized that I like some things MORE than pirates, but it's a group of things. Separate those into individual parts and Pirates win. Crazy.
2. Fantasy Novels/Movies/Games/Role-Playing Games - This is one I've loved all my life, but amazingly I've never actually played a table-top RPG like Dungeons and Dragons. Probably because I didn't have friends that did such things. Put me in front of a good Fantasy book, video game, or movie and you'll probably lose me for a while. I used to think I was a gamer, and I do enjoy video games in general, but really, I like Fantasy RPGs a lot, everything else is just ok.
3. Pull ups (Pushups too, although to a lesser extent the past few years) - I read blogs like the Bar-Barians and Al Kavadlo pretty much entirely because of the pull ups. I'm not the best at pull ups - I still can't do a muscle up - but I'm getting there. These guys are inspirational (Al's kinda quirky, but he's working out!)
4. Castles - Someday I want to own a castle. Even better of course would having that castle be on a private Island with my very own Pirate ship... so we'll work on that. Occasionally I'll go over to www.castles-for-sale.com and see what ridiculously awesome castles there are available throughout the world.
5. Root Beer - Today being one of my IF days, talking about stuff like this is always hard because it makes me want it - but I love Root Beer. It is my favorite drink. Lately when the choice between Root Beer and Mt. Dew is put in front of me, I choose the Mt. Dew, but that's because it's Mt. Dew or Barq's (which I don't care for too much) or one of the other high-volume-produced Root Beers, that aren't as appealing to me (A&W (my favorite of the bunch), Dads, Mug, etc) IBC is my traditional favorite, but more and more I'm realizing High Fructose Corn Syrup is NOT as good as real sugar. I had a root beer at my brother's house that was SO good. Didn't get a lot so it doesn't beat IBC yet, but I think there might be a winner out there somewhere, so the search begins. (or it will when I have a way to get more!)

Well I guess five is enough for now. I may add more lately. There are definitely more... And again there are DEFINITELY people who like these more than me as well. If you'd like to share with me some things you think you like an inordinate amount - let me know I'd love to hear 'em!

Failure

This is a hard thing to teach my kids... it's also a hard thing to teach myself! If we fear failure, we won't try, if we don't try, we definitely won't succeed, so that's a failure too! If you DO fail, you tried, and you probably learned something.

So TRY.

You can do it.

Halloween is in TWO DAYS!!

It has been a busy couple of weeks here - I ran another Ragnar down in Vegas, I grew a beard for Halloween (and the Ragnar) and now Halloween is upon us!

So in honor of this momentous occasion, here is "The Skeleton Dance"



Amazing old "Silly Symphony" from Disney. Very strange and fascinating at the same time!

Hopefully I'll post more about the Ragnar Las Vegas, my beard, and other fun stuff in the next couple of days!

18 Days!!

We are in the finals weeks 'til Halloween!

So enjoy some Muppet Ghost hunting!







(via Dave Lowe)

Halloween is Coming!!

And you have less than 24 days to prepare!

Go buy some Snickers! :)



(grr I hate my allergies - I'm somewhat allergic to peanuts and I love Snickers)

My Biggest Problem

Procrastination.

Something I've laughed about or made light of all my life while it really has affected me (and not only me!) seriously. School papers, work projects, discussions that need to happen with colleagues or friends - everything is affected. The important things we should be doing are overshadowed by other things. A big contributor is lack of confidence - something I know I've been lacking the past few years.
javascript:void(0)
I've talked about 'Structured Procrastination' before, but that's a somewhat silly (yet serious) way of justifying procrastination - and definitely a useful tool for controlling it to do something better in a way...

The New Yorker has a new article that is very interesting, talking about the hows, the whys, etc:

Philosophers are interested in procrastination for another reason. It’s a powerful example of what the Greeks called akrasia—doing something against one’s own better judgment. Piers Steel defines procrastination as willingly deferring something even though you expect the delay to make you worse off. In other words, if you’re simply saying “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die,” you’re not really procrastinating. Knowingly delaying because you think that’s the most efficient use of your time doesn’t count, either. The essence of procrastination lies in not doing what you think you should be doing, a mental contortion that surely accounts for the great psychic toll the habit takes on people. This is the perplexing thing about procrastination: although it seems to involve avoiding unpleasant tasks, indulging in it generally doesn’t make people happy. In one study, sixty-five per cent of students surveyed before they started working on a term paper said they would like to avoid procrastinating: they knew both that they wouldn’t do the work on time and that the delay would make them unhappy.

Read James Surowiecki's full article here.

I also like the snippet Kottke quotes:

A similar phenomenon is at work in an experiment run by a group including the economist George Loewenstein, in which people were asked to pick one movie to watch that night and one to watch at a later date. Not surprisingly, for the movie they wanted to watch immediately, people tended to pick lowbrow comedies and blockbusters, but when asked what movie they wanted to watch later they were more likely to pick serious, important films. The problem, of course, is that when the time comes to watch the serious movie, another frothy one will often seem more appealing. This is why Netflix queues are filled with movies that never get watched: our responsible selves put “Hotel Rwanda” and “The Seventh Seal” in our queue, but when the time comes we end up in front of a rerun of “The Hangover.”

Partially just because the Netflix movie we actually received a few days ago and have procrastinated watching a bit is "Hotel Rwanda".


(via Kottke)

“Procrastination most often arises from a sense that there is too much to do, and hence no single aspect of the to-do worth doing. . . . Underneath this rather antic form of action-as-inaction is the much more unsettling question whether anything is worth doing at all.”

- Mark Kingwell

The Bucket List

Since I've talked about how I both do and don't like goals, I decided I needed to put down some of the things I want to do and some of the places I'd like to visit in my life, along with some of the big things I've accomplished.

I've finally decided I need to create my own Bucket List

I'm also including some lifetime desires that I always wanted and have already achieved! Finally there are a few items that are very very vague or general type things to remember or do. Stuff that is kind of hard to actually complete, but it's important to me.

So here is the very long list that will continue to grow and develop I'm sure:
See the full list!

Names

Do you ever hear a name that immediately fills your head with a song or a movie or something?

I was walking down the hall at work when I heard "I just talked to Fernando about..."

And immediately this fills my head:



I can only imagine what life would be like if your name were one of many other names... At least in my mind!

Lil Elvis and his Bad Hair

I gotta say - this is a very clever and fun little series of drawings by Bob Scott:


Lil Elvis and his Bad Hair

I look forward to seeing how this 'story' develops :)

(via Super Punch)

Hopefully I'll get a 'REAL' post up here about my HFCS tests soon.

AXE COP!!! Axe Cop!!!

Definitely.
Awesome.

I need to start asking my five year old for stories.
You can bet his would include quite a few black holes.



Make sure to watch the further adventures as well. (Axe Cop)

I personally didn't get enough Pirates on ITLAPD

At least not this year!

So enjoy Jolly Roger Day!

I'm really not sure...

What it is about Ukeleles that's so fascinating...

But this is part of it:


(via Shellhawk's Nest - a great Halloween blog)

Tradition!!!

Ok Go has come out with yet another fun video!

This one probably isn't my favorite but it's VERY well done!



(via  LikeCool)

International Talk Like A Pirate Day 2010!!!

Avast ye lily-livered lubbers!

Today be one of t' greatest days of the year!

Tha's Right! And look lively there while ye attempt to speak like a real MAN o' the sea!

Iff'n ye don't I've a mind to tie ye to the yardarm!!

Awesome Parkour Practitioner Documentary

If you are at all interested in Parkour/Free Running, take the time to watch all 4 clips, it's great!



Great thoughts from these guys on challenges and the value in life growth. Inspiring.

It's been a crazy couple of weeks - Went to Canada for the first time even!

Time to get crackin on my goals and training! Running a Relay Marathon in 2 weeks, and the Vegas Ragnar in just under 2 months, and I am definitely not ready! (you can tell by my lack of posts on The Fitness blog, eh?)

(from RossTraining)

Random Video of the Week

Okay so this isn't a full time feature or anything, although it certainly could be, but here's a random video I thought was great!



Amazing how that can be done on a 3 stringed instrument!
(via Tokyomango)

Allergy Testing and Diagnosis Complete

As I sit here dealing with a STILL itchy forearm from the last allergy test (see below), I think maybe it would be a good idea if I just became a bubble boy!!

Yeah that'd be GREAT!

Basically I'm allergic to EVERYTHING outside (weeds, grasses, trees, rainbows) but surprisingly I'm not allergic to many foods. I am sensitive to nuts (not Almonds or Sunflower seeds thankfully!), gourds (watermelons, squash, etc) carrots, and some milk products (milk protein, but since I've never really had any problems with cheese, I'll try to cut back but not eliminate it.). Good stuff to keep an eye on, but I really shouldn't have to worry too much. Nuts was my highest reactant in Foods, so I should try to be aware of that, but I don't think it will stop me from occasionally enjoying a Snickers bar!

So on to my 4th skin test:

Right Arm

See that big bump on the inside of my right arm? That is "Tree Mix B". I should find out WHICH trees those are... but as of right now I have no idea.

The "flare" (redness) was huge and the "wheal" was bigger than any other reaction I've had. This is what still itches. Yesterday the whole part that had flared had puffed up a bit and itch like crazy. It has gone down a little today, but still itches a lot. It's very difficult to not scratch it like crazy.

I have the results of the 2nd under the skin tests at home, I'll take a picture and put 'em up here, as they are somewhat interesting.

So what does all of this mean now that I know?

Option A is that I enter a bubble like I mentioned before. At the moment I can't think of many reasons that this appeals to me.

Option B is allergy shots, carrying an epipen with me as often as possible, and avoiding mowing the lawn (amongst other things)

So after the rest of this crazy summer is done and we figure out our finances, I'll most likely be going with option B. On top of that I'm very excited to try out this pre-exercise inhaler I've got now. For years I've felt totally fine while running, but at the same time I was always ridiculously out of breath. I thought "Huh, I guess I need to work on my cardio more!" but after all of this testing (and feeling the same feeling when not exercising due to the wear and tear on my body) I'm very interested in seeing if it helps.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Second and Third Allergy Tests

So I don't know if anybody really cares about all this stuff - but I figured it'd be good for me to document it, and if it DOES help somebody with their allergy problems, then great!

But before that - I thought I'd discuss something near and dear to my heart:

BADMINTON!



There wasn't that nice?

Now for the allergies:
First here are my arms after my 2nd skin test:

Right Arm after Foods

Left Arm after Foods

I thought for sure that I would have some more reaction to the foods tests, but I'm really not allergic to much there!

I was able to get a picture of the Allergy Prick test today - here are the full results:

Today's test was a few things to pinpoint problems, like Horses, House dust, Cockroaches, Aspergillus (a mold), Histamine (control) and a few others (I'll have to get the full list tomorrow when I go AGAIN) but instead of pricks they inject a little bit just under the skin. Looks like this:

Left

Right

So tomorrow I get to do more of the same.

My wife did some research considering that I have pretty strong reactions to most common forms of grass. She thinks it is highly possible that rather than something I ate - it was camping in Idaho amongst the sage and trees up there followed by playing in my Aunt's backyard a bit with the kids, and then playing more (and doing other things Dad's normally do) with the kids who had been more exposed to grass along with the high amount of exercise I've been doing. Interesting to think about.

I guess I need to stop doing yardwork!!

First Allergy Test

Yesterday I had the first of 4 Allergy tests... A little bit of mis-communication during scheduling because I thought that I would be done with all the allergy testing today.

Nope.

Today's fun and excitement was in the form of 48 pricks of various allergens usually inhalants.

Dogs, Cats, Weeds, Grasses, stuff like that.

Here's what my forearms looked like right after the test. (Strange picture alert!!)

Left Arm

Right Arm

As you can see, the left arm wasn't as bad, although the picture (taken on my phone) doesn't really show the 3 or 4 strong reactions. The testing went up onto my biceps, 24 scratches/pricks on each arm.

My right arm, had LOTS of reactions. Apparently I'm allergic to pretty much everything weedy outside. Ragweed and Sagebrush were SUPER high, which explains the crazy allergies I had up in Island Park Idaho at our cabin surrounded by sagebrush. Not a fun time to be on vacation with flu-like allergies!


I didn't get a comprehensive list this time, although I want one, but I was able to read off the charts what was being written.
I am definitely allergic to cats and dogs, but I'm NOT allergic to horses.
Random but interesting as well, my level of allergy is the same for both cats and dogs, but I swear I have stronger reactions with cats. Probably because I don't like them as much!

Monday I get to go back and get the Foods portion of testing done, then after that there are some finer testing to find the stuff they might have missed.

I really hope I find out the most possible trigger to this anaphylaxis during the food portion so I don't have to worry so much about it anymore.

If I can manage other allergy symptoms, that'd be great too!

Awesome Moves and Allergy Updates

This video is just awesome - "Turfing"



And some crazy Ladder Parkour... makes human possibilities seem a bit endless in Urban environments.



(both via Kottke)

And finally, in Allergy news... It's definitely Anaphylaxis, now I need to find out WHAT the trigger is.

In some ways I feel like the response or reaction to this allergy (Pump some epinephrine into yourself and call 911 or go to the Emergency Room) is a bit extreme... At the same time I REALLY don't think now would be a good time to leave my wife and kids without a father. That's probably one of my biggest fears is losing one of them, or them losing me. So it's an interesting situation. I am getting prick tests for Foods and Inhalants today. SO much fun I'm sure.

Allergies

Last night I had a fairly severe allergic reaction to something. No idea what caused it.

This is the 5th or 6th time this has happened to me, and it has always been the same (although thankfully the symptoms seem to be a bit less each time) - a bout of diarrhea followed by feeling very itchy all over and hives appearing, anxiety, slight shortness of breath (but no major airway obstruction), partial feelings of impending doom (that one is really annoying), and various other random discomforts.

Today as I'm reading up a bit on Anaphylaxis I'm starting to think it might be a good idea to go get allergy testing again, as this COULD be fatal, and avoidance is probably the best plan.

I just don't know what to avoid!

While the chances of dying are small, they are actually a lot higher than anything else in my life! So I think it's worth figuring out, right?

If anybody has any thoughts or experiences with Anaphylaxis and prevention that they would like to share with me I'd appreciate it!

Thanks.

Muppets Bork Bork MEEP!

And because I missed a post on the 4th of July...

Too Awesome - and Sad too.

I really am amazed how long they kept this campaign going!

Old Spice Ninjas and Pirates

Today the Old Spice guy has given me all sorts of problems.

Problems being unable to stop laughing that is!!

This video seems to fit this blog very well...



Thank you Old Spice!

New Fitness Blog

Usually I think one blog is plenty for anybody to deal with.

Lately I've been feeling the need to get motivated to focus more on fitness, so I decided I'd try a 2nd blog to be my Fitness record/thoughts/motivation.

The Fitness Adventures of Warlord Blade

This blog will still focus on all the other random things I usually blog about.

Thoughts, advice, suggestions, desires are all welcome. Thanks!

Final Quote of the Week - 50

"We don’t rise to the level of our expectations – we fall to the level of our training."

- Archilochus

- This ends (at least for a while) the Quote of the Week section of my blog. I love quotes so I may bring it back sometime. It remains to be seen. Hopefully somebody has enjoyed it! - WLB

Muppets are Awesome!

So is the Swedish Chef.

Thanks to my wonderful friend Nadia for pointing me to this one!



Looks tasty!

Muppets are kind of tradition on here too now, eh?

Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay

Two weekends ago I participated in the Ragnar Relay's Utah race, The Wasatch Back with my awesome team.
"We Arrrrr Pirates Out Chasin' Booty!"

The course runs 188.2 miles from Logan, Utah down through the mountains and lakes of Northern Utah ending in Park City. Teams of 12 runners switch off running 3 legs each for an average of about 15 miles per runner.

(Read on after the break)

Teeth!

My teeth are horrible. They don't do very well and they don't like to keep their fillings either. (One just popped out for the THIRD time this year!!)

So I'm quite interested in seeing how a new Tooth Regeneration Gel turns out!

This could be awesome for me. I currently hate my teeth.

Quote of the Week - 49

"Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you."

- Lao Tzu

WOW things can sure get Crazy!

Last week went by in a blur - it was SO busy!

I really wanted to get a post up about the Ragnar Relay I took part in, but work and home life was so busy I never got the chance!

So expect that post (hopefully) soon.

"The Bucket List" post is going to be a while - 123 items on a list is a LOT. I might have to lower the number.

Things are looking good though - although it was crazy, a lot got done this last week.

Passport applications are processing, kids are amusement-parked for the year, my wife's stress level is lowering about certain things, our house was painted, and we are slowly but steadily getting ready to sell our house!

Life is good.

Quote of the Week - 48

"The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has."

- Will Rogers

It's Like Tradition Now Really...

Ok Go - End Love - (2010)

From Adland again. Crazy. Ok Go is fun.

What Drives Us? Motivation

Wow.
Awesome.

(via Adland.tv)

Quote of the Week - 47

"Life must be lived and curiosity kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Awesome, but Scary!

I think this would freak me out a bit...



Underwater climbing would be AWESOME though.

(via Kottke)

Post Sickness Workout

Like I mentioned yesterday, the Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back race is one week from tomorrow, and being sick was majorly cutting into my training.

So even though I didn't think I was feeling 100% physically (although mentally keeping that positivity!) I made myself run (in my VFF Sprints today - still not quite used to 'em yet):



Ran up through my old neighborhood and talked to the parents of one of my childhood friends. With a rainstorm approaching it was really a VERY nice run. I was also trying out a knee strap to see if it helps my knee. It did help, but didn't completely remove the problem. So today I'm going to try a more traditional knee brace sleeve.

I felt REALLY good, a bit tired at times, but I was able to keep a *MUCH* better pace than even before I was sick. I think a big reason is that finally I've been able to REST more than I have been, closer to the amount of rest I should be getting.

As I was cooling down so I didn't need a shower after my shower, I decided I should do some pull ups, so I did 15 wide handed pull ups, 15 close handed chin ups, 10 parallel pull ups, and 10 more close handed pull ups for a total of 50! I was pretty happy with that!

So I guess the moral of the story is - make sure you get enough rest. It'll improve your overall energy, your MOOD will majorly improve, your stress will go down, and life will be GREAT.

Now if I can just take that advice myself for the next week! Maybe I'll have to implement a bedtime for the next few days!

Positive

I've been quite sick lately WAY too often. In preparing for a relay race next Friday (!) this isn't very useful.

However - as a result of how crappy I have been feeling, and only feeling a little better today, I have decided that it is really time to increase my positivity in my life. I have SO many great blessings in my life, I need to remember that. Wife, Family, Friends, LIFE!

I am working on a 'bucket list' - 123 things I want to do before I die. I honestly won't beat myself up too much if some of them don't happen, but at least it'll give me something to work towards. I'm not even a quarter of the way through, so this will take a while!

We are working on getting our house ready to be put up for sale. Our hope is to get completely out of debt and from there - STAYING that way. We have enjoyed owning a home, and I do think it is generally a smarter option than renting. However, being tied down with no options makes it hard to stay positive. We are looking forward to some FREEDOM!

This is the start.

Quote of the Week - 46

"Shut out all of your past except that which will help you weather your tomorrows."

- Sir William Osler

Some Thursday Morning Relaxation

Ahh... Just what we needed this morning right?
A Dancing Stormtrooper!
(via Shoebox)

Movie List - Summer 2010

There are a LOT of movies I would like to see this summer. Some new, some old, some are already out on DVD but honestly the biggest reason I do this is to keep track of it for myself so a few months down the road I hear about something and don't go - dang, I totally missed that!

So here we go, in no particular order until a bit later when it actually is (mostly) in release order:

• Prince of Persia
• The Last Airbender
• The Karate Kid
• Sherlock Holmes
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
• Iron Man 2
• The Good, The Bad and the Weird
• Alice in Wonderland
• Avatar
• Clash of the Titans - I've got to see this one just because of the Original
• The A-Team
• The Sorceror's Apprentice
• The Other Guys
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
• The Expendables
• Adjustment Bureau
• Eagle of the Ninth - don't know much about this one, but sounds good!

And that gets us through most of September too sheesh. Big list! I could add more to that list, and maybe I will, but for now it's plenty!

Quote of the Week - 45

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work."

- Aristotle

It's been a while, Fedor

Давай, давай!!

The Terrible Two S's

In my attempt at physical perfection (hahaha), I have been fairly successful, but I still have a long way to go.

There are two major obstacles to achieving my ideal - and that's what I call "The Two S's"

SUGAR and SLEEP

Too much of one, not enough of the other.

Amazingly this week I have been able to keep myself from Soda and candy, but it is really hard. Right now I am really wanting some Mt. Dew or Skittles.

I have been meaning to write this post for quite some time - and I think I'm finally doing it now because I need it to HELP me stay strong!

I plan on researching more on Sleep and Sugar and putting what I find here. If you have any tips on how to stop snacking I would appreciate it. Honestly what's the point in replacing one with more snack type food even if it is healthy?

Our society has made it seem like we need to be eating or snacking constantly! I don't think that's a good thing.

Quote of the Week - 44

"When you reach for the stars you may not quite get one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either."

- Leo Burnett

Grab Life By the Lips!

And YANK!!!

Some inspirational videos from one of the best films ever:







Remember - YOU don't have to take it anymore either!

Quote of the Week - 43

"We succeed only as we identify in life, or in war, or in anything else, a single overriding objective, and make all other considerations bend to that one objective."

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

42 Lessons Learned from Your Mom's Moldy Chicken Salad

I read a lot of blogs.

There are many people who read more than me and that is just fine, this isn't a boast, this isn't a request for comparisons. Although if you really want to share I would be interested in your blog reading habits... so I guess it could be for comparison! There are no winners and losers here. Except me. I'm a winner.

According to my Google Reader trends info "From your 289 subscriptions, over the last 30 days you read 6,860 items".  I've actually been trying to trim out the ones that aren't that useful to me, and it is definitely a work in progress. I think that I have too many subscriptions! One thing that definitely inflates the total and doesn't take much time are the art blogs I follow. I love art and illustration - those blogs don't usually take a lot of reading. Still - I am always on the lookout for a) New Blogs to add, and b) Old Blogs to get rid of. :)

I've noticed that there has ALWAYS been a trend among blogs - many of them very very good blogs with great content - to have TOO many posts similar to the title of this post.

Sometimes lists of lessons learned or tips and tricks are great - but not all the time! Overuse of this type of post just seems to be a gimmick to get more blog posts, page views, ad-sense revenue etc., or  trying to be a 'pro-blogger' who makes a living from their blogging. There really isn't anything wrong with any of those goals - but I think there are better ways of accomplishing your goal than to post nothing but a set list of , and an occasional list of 'X number of things you can do to save your cat from unwanted hairballs' or 'X things you can discover about your toenails through psychic dreaming' can add some valuable content to your blog. Even a once a week List would be fine, as long as that isn't your only posting!

Please don't ONLY post lists people! I would appreciate it.

Just for fun - I wanted to share a few of the lists I've encountered. Now I actually think these are all REALLY good lists, but after a while I think I'm just getting a bit of list-fatigue!! (again, these are actually great posts, and have very useful info - it's just to show you what I'm talking about!)

• 12 Health Lessons You Can Learn from the Matrix
• 10 Tips to Let Go of the Past So It Won’t Anchor You Down
• 26 Life Lessons I’ve Learned in 26 Years of Living

I like lists. I love making lists of things I want (LOVE Wishlists!)

Just remember lists of lessons learned and/or tips are powerful tools, but if overused, they definitely loses their edge!

Quote of the Week - 42

"Life is too important to be taken seriously."

- Oscar Wilde

Speak With Authority

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

Real Posts forthcoming...

Summer Trailers

Well done mix of trailers!

There really are quite a few really interesting movies coming out this summer! Another one coming out this month that they forgot is the Prince of Persia movie. I'm quite excited for that one!

Great Parkour/Acrobatics Video

Amazing!

Quote of the Week - 41

"Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and prejudices and the acceptance of love back in our hearts. To experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life. Meaning does not lie in things. Meaning lies in us." 

- Marianne Williamson

Quote of the Week - 40

"No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide."

 

- Chuck Palahniuk

Power, Grace, Control

As I get older (yesterday, or just an hour ago, was my 31st Birthday) I feel like I'm not able to move as well as I used to.

However, at the same time, in some ways, I am stronger and able to move in ways that I never could 10 years ago! So I need to remember that I am actually better now than I was then.

This video is an amazing display of a Ukrainian handstand artist. Powerful. Graceful, Such control! It makes me want to be stronger and in better control of my body.

Quote of the Week - 39

"Strive for excellence, not perfection."

 

- H. Jackson Brown Jr.

PULL UPS!!!

I love pull ups.

In some ways I'm good at them, but that's just BASIC pull ups. No bells, whistles, oohs or ahhs.

I may have mentioned this blog before - but there is an interesting blog pretty much dedicated to pullups. Bar-barians

They just posted these two videos that show some things/pull-up moves I definitely am striving for.

AWESOME.





Sorry I am posting so many videos lately and not having many other posts... It's been pretty busy lately!

Of these moves my first goal is definitely the 'Muscle Up' - It's HARD!

Spam Comments

It's amazing to me that people actually go to random blogs, get through the manual word verification to comment, & enter in a spam comment in a foreign alphabet with links to horrendous websites!

Hopefully nobody clicked on any of the links (I didn't) and I have turned on some comment moderation for the time being.

Have a wonderful day, and remember that life is WAY to serious to be taken so seriously!

:)

Time for more Parkour Video

It has been a while since I posted a parkour video... or it feels like it anyway! Today in my feed reader I got a sweet video from Jereme Sanders that is worth taking a look at:




Some very nice moves!

Quote of the Week - 38

"The truth is that there is nothing noble in being superior to somebody else. The only real nobility is in being superior to your former self."

 

- Whitney Young

Must...Have....Wolverine Suit

Yeah... I NEED one of these as soon as possible. I think this is definitely cooler than the Batman one (which is still awesome and I would love to have).

Thanks!


(Wired)

Quote of the Week - 37

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”  

- Lao Tzu

Grammar Lessons

From a very important person.



And another:



Please keep this in mind.

The Pirates Life?

Four fine young rapscallions are dropping everything and setting off on a piratical adventure. From their, um, mission statement:

Here be the tale of four mateys that left it all behind for The Pirate's Life. A tale of how they broke free from the everyday chains we all face - no longer to remain the prisoners and servants to the doldrums of life. Listen and ye will hear how they became masters to no one but themselves and and slaves to none but the wind. Bound by one thing. No rope or chain. Not a man or a job. Not by morals and not by ideologies. Only by the bond of friendship among four brothers and the promise to "Sail or Die".... To live The Pirate's Life.

After showing this site to my wife she said to me, "You'd do that if you didn't have a family tying you down huh?"

Boy, if I had myself a very strong crew, I'd head straight off to the Grand Line and find the greatest treasure in the world and become the PIRATE KING!!! Yeah... Sorry... I've been watching a little too much One Piece lately...

Honestly, it would be a lot of fun to do something like that - but I do enjoy my life with my family more.

This looks to be a lot of fun for these guys and I wish them the best in their (hopefully many) adventures!

A New A-Team Trailer

Yay for trailers that make it even more exciting!

The Good, The Bad, The Weird

There is a trailer up for this new movie on Apple... and it looks awesome!

I guess the South Korean movie came out a few years ago (2008)... still it looks like fun!

Quote of the Week - 36

"The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him."
 

- Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

Update

Being sick is not fun.

Sorry for the lack of posting.

I hope to do more than silly videos soon! Although unfortunately for you I won't STOP the silly videos either! Mwahahahaaa!

I need to draw more - my art has been sadly un-updated recently. That's not good.

Panda!!

Today I felt like posting a random PANDA video!



He's so angry!!

Quote of the Week - 35

"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience."

 

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Quote of the Week - 34

"It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis."

 

- Margaret Bonanno

Trolololol 2

Well... because I posted the first Trololololol on here, I've got to post this more recent video of Eduard Khil reacting to some of the parodies:

A Mile in Shoes

You often hear the adage "Walk a mile in his shoes" - as a means to understanding.

I ran a pretty quick mile (for me!) in my new shoes last night and I definitely don't understand them yet!

They are very light and quite lower profile than even my Nike Free's I've been wearing for too long.

I wonder how long it will take before I'm loving these shoes? I don't dislike them now, it's just taking a while to get used to them.

Final Fit Test

I finally got off my lazy butt and completed the final Insanity Fit Test - only 3 days later than I was supposed to do it - but gimme a break, had a newborn and a sick two year old I was dealing with (more the two year old!)

So here are the results:

• Switch Kicks - 129 - 130 - 140 - 156 - 157
• Power Jacks - 63 - 68 - 67 - 79 - 80
• Power Knees - 106 - 113 - 122 - 118 - 125
• Power Jumps - 65 - 65 - 75 - 79 - 85
• Globe Jumps - 11 - 12 - 14 - 14 - 15
• Suicide Jumps - 20 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 28
• Push-up Jacks - 44 - 44 - 47 - 50 - 58
• Low Plank Obliques - 92 - 100 - 107 - 110 - 124

 Not bad if I say so myself.

*HOWEVER*

I must admit that I think the biggest improvement is actually in the INTENSITY at which I push myself to do these workouts. Beating your previous 'score' is a pretty good motivator to 'improve'. Still, I am glad that I consistently improved in these areas. It was definitely tough!

When my wife does it in a month or so I don't think I'll do the FULL program but I'll definitely do a LOT of it. I'm not sure there is much point in my doing the fit tests with her every time.

We'll see!

Awesome Workout

I really like that workout... That type of workout is very intriguing to me. Hopefully I can use interesting surroundings to get a good workout as well!

I found this on Mark's Daily Apple, which I've mentioned before. I just found out the other day he was the guy who formulated the P90X supplements and is on the videos after some of the workouts. I guess he's not affiliated with Beachbody anymore (as a side note I'm not currently affiliated with anybody and never have been if you've wondered! No benefits to blogging for me!) but I thought he looked somewhat familiar.

We Need a Third Video Today...

Trololololol!
Lol!

Tron Legacy Trailer

To make up for that exciting video before - here's a much better trailer for what looks to be a pretty cool show actually!



I enjoyed the original Tron, even though I literally somehow missed seeing it until about 4 years ago!

NOW THIS is some real FUN!!

And what I am currently preparing a presentation for...



Vegas here I come!

Well as long as I can finish this presentation by midnight tonight! :)

Quote of the Week - 33

"So act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world."

 

- Immanuel Kant

New Iron Man 2 Trailer

I love when a new trailer comes out and it looks good!

The END of INSANITY!

Such a good movie.

The 60 days of Insanity are DONE. Almost. All I have left is the final fit test which I might do tomorrow, but I might wait until Monday.

Insanity is a great program - I really enjoyed getting my butt kicked every day of these past 60 days, and it's a bit daunting to me that it is done and I don't have a program to follow again. Going forward I think I will concentrate on some quick runs (3 Miles or Less), pull ups, and Workouts of the Day from American Parkour and others. When my wife recovers a bit more from having a baby less than a WEEK ago (!!! My girls are SO amazing and adorable !!!) she is planning on doing Insanity - I am going to do it with her, but possibly not 100% of the program. I have the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay in June I'm preparing for, so I want to mix stuff up a LOT. Another round of Insanity definitely wouldn't hurt though. :)

So on to the scary part now.

After Pictures! I attempted to make a before-mid-after collage, and I'll get 'em eventually, but for now... Here are the after-pictures!!

((WARNING)))

((SCARY!!!))

SEE - Don't say I didn't warn you!

There really was a significant change in my mind - so I am quite happy with the results of Insanity. I'm not completely satisfied with MY progress yet though, so I gotta keep going!!