Day 12: Bullet Your Whole Day

So this is what my day looks like in Bullet form:

• Wake up a little before 7:00 AM
• Make Keurig coffee (Marylou's Mocha Mint)
• Drink coffee while checking e-mail and internet crap
• Get dressed
• Put in contacts
• Leave for work around 7:30 AM
• Sit in traffic listening to a podcast
• Get to work around 8 AM
• Work for 2 hours
• Go to McDonald's and get a $1 coffee
• Go back to work for 2.5 hours listening to podcasts
• At 12:30, go to lunch
• Ate lunch while checking phone and Twitter
• Went back to work for 3.5 hours
• Drove home
• Video-recorded a huge ass Acura fire on Rte. 128
• Went to Panera, ordered the Steak and Cheddar panini with Tomato soup with a coffee
• Drove to my parents house and watched the most recent episode of Mad Men on the DVR.
• Came back home, got comfortable, which means take off everything but mu underwear and socks
• Blogging and listening to some podcasts
• Go to gym
• Take shower
• Have a snack
• Watch some Netflix or Hulu
• Go to bed

Day 11: First 10 songs on iPod Shuffle and Explain

Okay here it goes.  I won't leave anything out, even if it's embarrassing.

1. Step by Step theme song
This song is the theme song from a TV show I used to watch from ABC's TGIF lineup.  This show was on after Family Matters.  Usually has a nice stream of orchestra instruments.  Plus who doesn't love the idea of a family at an amusement park?

2. Loverboy - Almost Paradise (Ann Wilson & Mike Reno)
This song is a 1980's slow-love duet that seems to only work when there is a lot of heartache and an empty car.  When I hear this song I think of some movie.  I googled it, and apparently it's from Footloose.  Go figure.

3. Elton John - Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues
I first remember buying the Elton John Greatest Hits double album and listening to this song a lot when I worked at the gas station during high school.  Classic rock songs about heart ache seemed to dominate those years more than anything.  It's a very nice song, with a nice harmonica breakdown that compliments the piano very well.

4. Gene McDaniels - Master Puppeteer
I don't think I've ever heard this song completely.  But I do like Gene McDaniels' songs.  They have a nice "keep happy while your doing laundry" vibe to them.  There is nothing like this out there currently.  But then again, most musicians don't have any big bands work with a singer nowadays.  No video could be found of this song.

5. Buckethead - Wishing Well
I like Buckethead.  Most people don't bother giving him a listen after seeing what he dresses like.  But his guitar riffs are just soothing to listen to while doing nothing at all.  Most of his solo stuff would be great soundtrack songs for a movie about two former lovers away from each other trying to cope with loneliness.  This particular song I haven't listened to in a while, might make me tune into Buckethead while working on my blogging or other writing projects.

6. Lynyrd Skynyrd - That Smell
I was in college when I first heard this song.  I might've been in high school but I never tied it to the makers of Sweet Home Alabama before college.  Clearly this song is about some crazy 70's partying that went overlooked.  I don't know what the exact "smell" is, other than the stench of being a redneck with a ton of drugs.  Most of which is probably heroin or whatever people in the 70's used to inject in their arms.

7. CunninLynguists - Brain Cell
I first learned about the CunninLynguists sometime around 2007 when I was listening to Immortal Technique and underground hip-hop.  They rap about growing up in projects and trying to make something out of a ghetto lifestyle.  This song has a nice trumpet wailing in the background, along with the repeated line "living in the world no different from a cell" which is off of a different song of their's.  This sounds a little depressing, but most of their songs do.  It's an acquired taste.

8. Eminem - Amityville
Wow.  Haven't heard this song in quite a while.  This is off of Eminem's second album "The Marshall Mather's LP".  This song was part of the album that not only put Eminem into the limelight, but also propelled him into controversy about rapping about homophobia, murder, wife-beating, rape and all that stuff.  This song usually goes unnoticed since the rest of the album is so good and is full of hits.  I remember listening to this song during my middle school years when lots of stories about hate crimes in middle schools were happening.

9. Rage Against the Machine - Microphone Fiend
Oh hell yes!  This song is probably one of my favorite Rage jams.  Tom Morello just kills it on the guitar riffs, De La Roche has the lyrical presence of a journeyman rapper, while the bassist and drummer both provide excellent rhythm.  All of Rage's endings to their songs are such a great part.  Anyone who is either bobbing their head or going all out moshing to this song is a friend of mine.  I can see myself listening to this song while bulletting down Rte. 140 in my old SHO to school.  Still gets me in the mood after all these years.

10. The Talking Heads - Life During Wartime
This song either reminds me of a 1980's basement party where there's one person dancing like it's Disco.  It has a very Disco sound, so that statement makes sense.  It also feels like it belongs in a Tarantino movie about someone planning a weird heist.  I can't understand a word, but I like the harmonica in it.  The world needs more harmonica.

Day 10: Guilty Pleasures

Hard to come up with this one.  Usually my guilty pleasures are of TV shows, movies, and books that I'm embarrassed to say I watch, or foods I don't think people will appreciate.  Aside from those, I'm trying to think about habits I would consider a guilty pleasure.  So here is a list of movies, TV shows, books, and Food that I am guilty of getting pleasure from.

Guilty Pleasure Movies:

Mean Girls

Easy A

Pitch Perfect

Sleepless in Seattle

Purple Rain

Guilty Pleasure TV:

Bob's Burgers

Whitney

White Collar

Kitchen Nightmare's

Guilty Pleasure Podcasts:
The Adam Carolla Podcast - Just something to turn my brain off to.
NPR's Planet Money - Smart podcast and have been grabbing several money/economy headlines for over a year now.
Tiesto's Clublife Podcast - I get to hear new and trendy club music for a whole hour.
Dyro's Daftastic Podcast - Same explanation from Tiesto's podcast
Real Time w/ Bill Maher - Just great political talk.

Guilty Pleasure Books:
Neal Stephenson's "Snowcrash" - It's a nerdy sci-fi novel that first used the term "Avatar".
Mindy Kaling's "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" - One of the many instances of proof that WOMEN ARE FUNNY.
Shaq and Jackie MacMullen's "Shaq: Uncut" - Just a great look at basketball's most game changing player.

Guilty Pleasure Foods:
Pretty much anything from Taco Bell - it was a drunken staple during college.
Almond Butter - Best substitution for peanut butter out there.
The 7-11 Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Pizza Combo's

I tried to think of music to put on here, but there is just way too many things that come under Guilty Pleasures, I don't think I could go through my entire iPod.  But I will just list a couple: Primus, Prince, Black Sabbbath, Buckethead, Lots of, mostly black, Jazz Musicians, KISS, Limp Bizkit, Michael Jackson, System of a Down, Lots of TV/Movie theme songs, Van Halen.

I'll be back again tomorrow with another blog.  I will also try to blog about my recent trip to a local health food store that changed somethings around.  I'm still doing my crunches for this month's physical challenge.  Plus I tried some new foods and substituted them into my diet and took some others out.

Day 9: Any Job in the World, What would it be...

I certainly know the answer to this one.  I wish I was any one of the following:

• Hollywood Executive with Green-lighting power

• Movie Director/Producer

• Screenwriter

• TV Writer

• SNL writer/contributor

• Stand-up comedian

As you can see, I want to work in the movie making/entertainment industry.  I don't have any particular background in the field or the location, but I still want to work in it somehow.  I wouldn't want to be anything else really.  I love movies.  I love TV.  I love them so much that I would very much like to be a part of them. I like the idea of talking about the premise of a film and having it being made.  I like looking through the pages on Kickstarter and IndieGoGo looking for people that want to make films but don't have the resources to actually do it.  I also just like thinking about which movies should be remade and which actors should play which roles and so on.

I try to envision myself living in Los Angeles or New York and being part of a writing team and making something work for television.  I don't know what it takes but I think up too many ideas and too many jokes to have my life not lead to working in some sort of media creation.

I just googled some Dave Chappelle quotes from his Inside The Actor's Studio appearance.  The ones that stick out most are "If I can make a teacher's salary doing comedy, I think that's better than being a teacher", and "My father told me, 'Name Your Price in the beginning'. If it ever gets more expensive than the price you name, get out of there", and finally "One of the things that happens when people make the leap from a certain amount of money to tens of millions of dollars is that people around you change dramatically".

The second quote sticks with me because while trying to think about these steps, I'm thinking about naming my price.  I don't know how far I'd want to go or what I would sink to before I knew how to get out.  Deep thoughts going on.

I'll keep blogging until I decide.

Day 8: Most Satisfying Moment in Life Thus Far

This one is going to be a doozy.

Now I have to look back on my life and think about the things that have been satisfying for me.  I've graduated from high school, college.  I've gotten a job on my own.  I purchased a car at 17 and invested in a Roth IRA.

I've never been in an accident, which isn't really a moment to be satisfied about.  I've driven far distances.  I went to New York City alone when I went to Rock the Bells in 2007.

I also flew to California alone in high school to visit my sister.  I went to the Kohoutek Festival which was fun.

I think the most satisfying moment in my life would have to be when I moved out my parent's house.  Even though I moved into the apartment that my grandmother owned, I still think that moving out of my house has given me some sanity.  If I still lived in my parents house now I don't think I would've met some of the people I know now among other things.

But I think doing this blog has served as a reminder that I should take notice of the things that I find satisfying in life.

Supplemental Blog to Day 7 Childhoor Toys

How cool is some of this clothing related to Transformers?  I mean I didn't dig too deep, but these are awesome if you are a hardcore Transformers fan.

Day 7: Favorite Childhood Toys

I loved toys growing up.  In fact I still love toys.  When I think back to the toys I had, they are many in numbers and when I see them in some collectible form, I get a huge wave of nostalgia.  Now before I get into these, my favorite movie as a child was The Transformers animated movie.  I think I watched that every day when I woke up.  My favorite Transformer was Optimus Prime.  My second favorite was Hot Rod.  (google them for fun).

I loved playing with Transformers.  Every where I went with my mom, I always tried to get a transformer out of it.  The one I remember most is the one in the picture above.  It's the one dead in the center, but the head was different and wasn't as big.  I also had the one that was front row, second to last one on the left.  They were so cool to play with as a kid.

My childhood friend Anthony and I, would play Transformers and Power Rangers and all other cool things.  It was so much fun.  When my older brother Joe went to college, he had ordered the entire series of Transformers on VHS.  I did a similar thing but with DVD's and it was also a DVD-9 which meant it was mostly in Japanese.  But you could figure out a way to play it in English.  By the way, I'm pretty sure that my older brother has said DVD's in his condo at this moment.

Owning a Soundwave toy was troubling because you couldn't fit the tape inside of Soundwave at the same time.  I know talking about this at age 20 years after I did this I am getting so close to going out and buying these over again.  But I think there is a different time and place for that kind of acting out.

Day 6: Zodiac Talk - What it Means and What it Feels like

Being born in August means something.  It means I'm a Leo.  Being a Leo usually means that a person is the king of their domain, much like how a Lion is the King of the Jungle.  I'm going to include a large segment of the information from Astrology.com:

These folks are impossible to miss, since they love being center stage. Making an impression is Job One for Leos, and when you consider their personal magnetism, you see the job is quite easy. Leos are an ambitious lot, and their strength of purpose allows them to accomplish a great deal. The fact that these folks are also creative makes their endeavors fun for them and everyone else. It's quite common to see a Leo on stage or in Hollywood, since these folks never shy away from the limelight. They are also supremely talented and have a flair for the dramatic.  They may ruffle a few feathers along the way, however, since they can also be overbearing and somewhat autocratic. This may be in keeping with the Fixed Quality assigned to this sign -- Lions are indeed opinionated and set in their ways. That said, they are well organized, idealistic and have a knack for inspiring others.  The element associated with Leo is Fire. Everything about the Lion's personality is hot, hot, hot. Those born under this sign are fearless and strong, which may be why Lions plunge in headfirst and let the chips fall where they may. Thankfully, Leos are dignified enough not to commit too many pratfalls(Had to Google this to find out it's falling down on your ass). It's the Lion's unswerving courage that wins so many folks over. If you need someone to lead the charge, call a Leo -- and the bigger the project, the better, since these folks love an expansive stage (and the audience that comes with it). While some would take to calling Lions status-conscious, these folks are truly warmhearted and want everyone to be happy. Hey, it's their kingdom, and happy campers make for a perfect peace. Further, it's the great gift of the Leo-born to be dynamic, forward-thinking and self-confident.  Come play time, Leos are at their best. Lions are also a natural at the gym, where they can show their stuff to a crowd. When the lights are low, the essential Lion comes to the fore, since this beast is 90 percent fun and 100 percent romantic. The Leo lover is devoted, creative and almost too hot to handle!(Yeah We are!) Since Leo rules the heart and back, however, overzealous Lions may have to take a deep breath and slow down a bit. The great strengths of the Leo-born are their creativity, idealism and leadership. Lions don't lack for ambition, either, so they're likely to accomplish a lot -- and have fun while they're at it. 

Now, I can agree with some of this.  For me personally, I don't necessarily think about the idea of making a great first impression, I just hope that the first impression isn't a bad one.  I do feel very creative, but I just don't know in what ways I can express my creativity through the job market.  The jobs that my degree ask for usually are boring as hell and have no real creative nature.

I can definitely relate to being a leader.  When my friends and I go out, they usually wait on my (and my other Leo friends) opinion as to where to go to hang out.  I do believe that I can be ambitious and headstrong.  I just find myself sometimes being a little shy sometimes.   I don't know if being a Leo conflicts with being a sometimes emotionally exhausted middle child.  It might explain a lot and knowing that might help me strive to feel more like a Leo than middle child.

Fearlessness and inspiring are kind of iffy.  I don't know exactly when or at what times I've been inspiring of others, but I can remember some times when I was fearless.  I have been known to offer ideas to many people who ask for help, but some of my friends seldom ask for such things.  It's not enough to a problem solver, I guess you have to time and time again offer to help people more than they realize that you are helping them.

Self-confident, forward thinking, and dynamic.  I would say Yes to the latter two, and iffy on the first one.  I try to find more self-confidence in my life, but I sometimes feel helpless, which is very uncharacteristic of me. I tend to be more of a homebody when it comes to self-confidence.  I am forward-thinking, which makes me think about what I'm about to do when I'm trying to feel self-confident with women.  Dynamic is an absolute feeling I have.  I am always thinking critically about things and trying to accomplish more and more.  I don't always feel that some of my

I do think that there is some truth to being a passionate lover.  It says we are "hot, hot, hot".  I don't think I need to comment on that, but we Leo's are a passionate type.  The overzealous part can pop up every now and then and we can feel the need to shift gears in relationships.  It's not always pleasing with both parties, but we are what we are.

Lastly, I don't think I would want to be a different sign under the Zodiac.  Leo's are very much the kings of their domain, and I wouldn't want to be anything else.

This image below is the star constellation of Leo.  I find things like this very interesting.  Our ancestors what made the zodiac were so observant and seemed much smarter than I think we feel today.

I will be posting again today since I missed out on yesterday's post and I'm running a bit late.  The ab crunch 30 day challenge is coming along swimmingly.  Today is Day 7 for me and I need to do 50 crunches.  Let's hope all these crunches render some slicker abs.

Day 5: Favorite Comfort Foods and Why

This is going to be picturesque.  I love food.  Being a fat guy and all.  So with this being a blog based around a Fat Guy (me).  I'm going to include some of the foods that I love, that may or may not have had a hand in making me fat.  So here goes some of my comfort foods:

Homemade Meatloaf w/ Heinz Ketchup

This is probably one of my favorite meals that I love to have whenever I go home during the fall-winter months.  I despise store-bought meatloaf and I also despise Hunt's ketchup.  The homemade meatloaf needs to fall apart when my fork slices through it.  Heinz ketchup is the best of the best.  I've once tried a sauce that my father once made with a meatloaf and I immediately went back to ketchup.

I like meatloaf because just the texture and the taste are perfect for a cold autumn night.  Meatloaf, mashed potatos, and maybe some green beans.  Plus if there are leftover's you can make meatloaf sandwiches, or just heat it up again.  But the ketchup is perfect for meatloaf.  Perfect taste and perfect texture.

Chicken Wings

I absolutely love chicken wings.  I love them covered in BBQ sauce.  I love them Chinese style.  I love them breaded.  I love them in Buffalo sauce.  I have actually been caught by a friend eating chicken wings in a hotel bed, getting the last bit of meat from the wings in my underwear.  It was a hilarious sight.  It was also in Vegas.  Now, I think the perfect chicken wing is the "forearm" part of the chicken wing; the wing with one bone and not two.  It offers you to dunk the wing in sauce and also allows for a free hand to grab your drink/beer.

My mom usually makes the best Chinese-style and Breaded chicken wings.  The hoisin/plum sauce on the chicken wings gives a good sticky taste.  The breaded kind you can mix in with any sauce you want.  Whenever I go home to this meal, I usually eat between 12-15.  Just because they are so easy to eat.  

BBQ Ribs (Dry and Wet)

Riiiiiibbbs.  Probably one of my first favorite comfort foods.  I remember on one of my early birthdays that my mom offered to make me ribs for the first time.  I love thinking about the sauces and the rubs that go on ribs.  I went to a place in Memphis called Charles Vergo's Rendezvous Charcoal Ribs, but is mostly known by Rendezvous.  It's a back alley rib joint that probably seats about 400 people.  They specialize in dry rub and they hit the flavor right out of the park.  I loved the dipping sauce, but that rib rub stays with me.  I got a little shaker of their rub and I might order more if the Internet allows...(checking website)...and it does.

Tomato Soup

Before Zooey Deschanel was ordering this dish via Siri for a rainy day while she danced around her house, I claimed it as the perfect soup for dipping sandwiches in.  It goes well with anything.  In this picture, it's a grilled cheese.  I would never have it delivered.  Although making it via Campbell's can isn't the best either.  It has to have some sort of tomato chunks in it and must also be creamy.  I always get it whenever I go to Panera.  I prefer the tomato soup over the "cheese soup" because I feel like there is a bigger difference between the Tomato soup and Ketchup than there is between Cheese soup and Nacho cheese.  Besides, most things with Cheese aren't that healthy anyways.

Pie

I love pie.  I love pie so much that when the pizza place named Easy Pie opened up near me, I thought it was an every kind of pie place.  They do make dessert pies, but they are also a pizza place.  I figured they would open in the morning serving Quiche and coffee.  Then lunch would be desserts, Shepherds pie, and some other kind of pie.  I know there is a place out there, but I can't think of any mainstream pie that would make a good dinner, unless it's deep dish pizza.  But dessert pies just keep getting more creative.  But I enjoy a nice blueberry, a nice apple, a nice key lime, and of course a nice chocolate pie.  I do eat cheesecake, but it's not the same and I think it's too rich sometimes.  If there is extra pie in a party, I will offer to take it off of someone's hands.  

Day 4: Religious Beliefs (HA!)

If you didn't catch my previous post on top 5 pet peeves, it is located here.

Now for a summation of my religious beliefs.

What one may or may not know about me is that I am usually into a routine.  Lewis Black once explained that he does not have a religion, so he started doing a routine since he couldn't get anything out of Judaism or Catholicism.

Now I was raised Catholic.  Not by choice.  I don't know if I would pick a religion if I had to choose one, they all pretty much suck.  I'm a very secular person.  I usually believe what science tells me.  I don't think that there is a single entity that can be blamed for everything.  I don't think that there is a good or bad place one's spirit goes when they die.  I figure, you live your life, and then one day, you won't be able to.  You go in the ground or in an urn and the people that cared about you say some things.  There isn't much else to it.  We can leave behind things of importance or things that will make someone else happy.  But we have a limited time on this earth and then we leave it to the person who is next.

Being raise catholic comes with this little asterisk of a life achievement: you need to become an "adult" in the church before you can be married in a church.  To me, it's kind of annoying.  I hated going to CCD (which is an abbreviation that I do not know what for) and don't think I got anything out of it.  I rarely go to church since I am mostly sleeping in or nursing a hangover on Sunday mornings.

When I was younger, I didn't really have any attraction to God or church.  I used to sit and color in the church pamphlet that you would get in the front door.  My mom dragged me church and I didn't soak in anything.  Singing in church never appealed to me and neither did reading.  I know my parents don't approve of that, but I don't approve of giving too much to churches that defend pedophiles.  I don't necessarily know how people do this.  I would probably help a person do something rather than give someone a bunch of money and hope they use it correctly.  According to a car ride home once, my parents used to give the church about $100 a week.  Do the math: that's $5200 dollars out the door and into the hands of people you don't really know but only hope they do something good with it.

My beliefs are this: we live, we die, we maybe make children if we meet someone, and if we do fall into a simple routine, we might live longer than we hoped.  The end.

Also, an update: I'm only doing the blog and crunch challenges for this 30 days.  Crunches are coming good but I can't do jumping jacks in my room without hitting something and getting in the way of something else.

Day 3 - Top 5 Pet Peeves

Sorry for the late post, but I've been busy.

So in this third edition of the 30 day blog post challenge: I am to blog about my top 5 pet peeves.  This is assuming I can cut my list down from infinity to 5.  I have many problems with many things.  I don't know exactly which ones I would rank near the top.  Although, I'm guessing that a Pet Peeve is a just a small problem that goes from a bug-bite to an infestation of hives over time, while never being really cured.  I won't put these in any order, but I will try to list 5.

One thing that continuously irritates me is when a company or brand comes out and releases something that they think is so fresh and so new, but when it's brought out to the public, it's a piece of crap idea.  Netflix's Qwikster idea comes to mind.  So does Google Glass and Google Driver.  My friend and I figured out that if no one has to drive a car for a person, that person can go drive around with both hands free.  Meaning that if a pedophile wanted to stay within the speed limits of a school zone and just masturbate in a car while the car drives itself, we've created a bigger problem than needed.  The Google Glass problem is that now we get to see what it's like for a person to see what they are doing.  Now imagine if a porn star got a hold of Google Glass and decided to have a guy finish on said glasses.  Congrats on making a new POV-style of porn Google.  Oh and Google Driver?  Thank you for creating a way for pedophiles to enjoy school zones and for creating a new idea for movie: when two computer driven cars collide, killing everyone.

My second pet peeve is when a parent or an elder hears your warning about something, and is totally shocked when that thing actually happens.  I don't know if this just happens to me, but I get it a lot.  A parent will HEAR you warn about something, and when that thing actually happens, it's a total shock to them.  Maybe it means that my parents don't listen to me.  But I know that it happens with other people too.

My third pet peeve is when women get the false notion that guys want something other than what we've always wanted.  Ladies, when a guy looks at you, he's not looking at your nails, or your earrings, or your bracelets, or anything else that you've burned calories thinking about.  There was a time when a lot of girls dyed their blonde hair jet black and caked on the bronzer.  You know, to look like Kim Kardashian.  Well Kim K is really known for having a huge ass first and foremost.  We do not like her because she has tanned skin and black hair.  We like her because of her giant round tanned ass.

My fourth pet peeve is when you go out to a friend's and if there isn't music blaring all the time, then there is something wrong with the scene.  I enjoy conversations and also enjoy when there is that moment when everyone stops talking simultaneously.  This next part can go in 4-b: when one person is hell-bent on controlling the ipod or music throughout the whole party.  Whoever's house it is you are at, should control the music.  If they have an ipod dock, figure out who has the best playlists and let that person and ONLY that person control the music.  I can't stand when I see 8 ipods near one iDock and everyone jumps in to play one or two songs leading to discussions like "Your music sucks" "No you suck" "F*** you" "Eat sh**", etc.

My fifth and final pet peeve, which will probably be a crime in the future first world: when a person working at a coffee place gets a coffee order wrong.  The way I see it, when a coffee person, who may or may not have full citizenship in the USA, gets a coffee order wrong, it creates a ripple effect for at least one person.  Now, since I live in Mass., Dunkin Donuts has this thing on lockdown in terms of drive-thru and whatnot.  Most people around here get Dunkin Donuts and McDonald's coffee.  Which is funny when you look at it; you might have trouble figuring out whose breakfast sandwiches are more disgusting.  Now it doesn't take a genius to realize that the person working the drive-thru or in the back at a Dunkin Donuts might be from a different country and may not get the order exactly how you wanted it.  Usually when this happens, it makes a person's morning difficult and they get upset for the whole day.  In the future, when productivity is so important for a person's job, the culprit for most slumps and firings will be blamed on breakfasts and coffee orders.  What a day that would be.

Day 2 of 30 Day Challenge - Where I'd like to be in 10 years

This is quite a conundrum.  Usually I stay away from such topics because I never know what the future holds and I either get upset or I struggle to find out what I really want in life.  Most of my goals are things like a 30 day challenge, not a 10 year goal.  I know that when I was 16, I didn't think I would be here.

So, let's work backwards.  Ten years ago, when I was 16, I didn't have much on my plate other than working weekends at a gas station and playing on the JV Basketball team.  I earned $8 an hour and was driving around my parents spare car (96 Mercury Sable if memory serves correct), which was named Blue Bird.  I remember that being a sophomore in high school, I was definitely not into schoolwork.  I zoned out all the time, I listened to a lot of Black Sabbath and other rock-n-roll bands, all while doing my homework.  In fact, the desk I'm sitting at is the same one that I did all of that homework on.  I'd listen to Pink Floyd albums and never get sick of them.  My goals at the time were pretty much to finish my homework, go to basketball practices, and then figure out my social life after that was finished.  I think since I was good at math, I had the idea that I'd want to be accountant.  I do remember, I was very much into cars.  I did have model cars, and at one point, I was so full of teenage angst that I carved/drew into a cork board the words "I WANT TO WORK ON CARS AND THAT"S ALL".  My mom still brings it up when we talk about my future.

Now, at the age of 36.  Here's a quick list of things that I would absolutely want to have or have done:

• done at least one open-mic comedy session
• finish one of the many scripts/screenplays/stories that I've started and put aside
• a very well-paying full time job that I would not regret starting or getting into
• an attractive wife or a steady-girlfriend
• be debt-free for at least one year
• regularly driving a car that is from the 21st century (i still have yet to do this)
• been on an unforgettable vacation (been on 3, but I like vacations)
• I guess I would want a kid at this age, mainly because I'm great with kids and I'd like to someday have kids
• have driven en exotic car, maybe once
• have at least joined an Improv group or some sort of acting group
• still have a consistent Internet presence
• live in a city instead of a suburb
• still be in contact with my college friends
• be a Mr. T (meaning a jack of all trades and a master of 1)
• still have the ability to cook the way I do now
• lived in one other state than Mass.
• Either be my own boss or have a boss that I really like to work for
• not working for Bank of America
• not having a drinking problem
• pretty much in good health
• having my job for me and not the other way around
• be a best-man
• I pretty much want to be a successful comedian

That last one is the real way I feel about my future.  I want to be the guy that you see in the credits of a funny TV show or a funny movie that makes someone else be a comedian or writer.  I'd love to be an SNL writer but I just don't have the background and don't have the gusto to pick up my life and take a giant risk of moving to NYC without any real help.  My mom is a teacher.  My dad is an electrician.  I don't know anyone in show business and knowing that gets me down.  So with this blog post, I will just list my wanted achievements for the next 10 years and strive for what I think I can do.

See you tomorrow!

30 day challenge - Day 1: Relationship status

This is the first day of one of the new 30 day challenges.  I'll exercise my crunches and jumping jacks after this.  The day 1 exercise is to blog about my relationship status, which is single.  Being single has almost become a solidified way of life for me.  I haven't really had an everyday girlfriend.  I've had dates.  I've been involved with girls for more than one weekend.  But I don't think I've been able to put the tag "girlfriend" on a relationship of mine.  It sounds depressing when you think about it.

In high school, I didn't have a girlfriend of any kind.  I took a really sweet girl to Prom, but we didn't really stay together afterwards.  We had some real fun together, but we just didn't click and stay together.  

In college, there were some casual hookups, but same thing.  No one really connected with me.  I don't know if it was the persona that I gave off or what.  I did make a lot of great friends.  And many of them were girls.  Just not a girlfriend.  

Post college pretty much turned into a lonely-fest.  Not seeing the same people you saw every day for 4 years is a real struggle.  I managed to go 4 years in college without really making a single friend that I could get either extra "friendly", romantic or emotional with (however you want to characterize it).  I forget how long ago, but I got a subscription to a dating website, and it initially didn't pan out so well.  I felt more alone.  I put myself out there and I kept getting responses from people I didn't think I wanted to meet.  

Further along the online dating life, I got on a couple of dates, mostly just meals and whatnot.  I go out on one date with this really sweet girl who went to school down south.  We went out on a couple more and I think we connected pretty well.  I think I dropped the ball on staying connected and keeping in touch, but we still talk even though we aren't an item.  

As of now, I'm pretty skeptical of the women I meet.  Being 26 and turning 27 in 4 months, means people my age have already started to pair off and have kids and build lives.  I still feel I don't even know what I want to do, let alone who I want to be with, so I'm guessing I can hold off for now.  And I know that my choices aren't forever.  The things I realize now, being older and little smarter are that if I meet a girl through online dating; there has to be something wrong with them.  I know this because they wouldn't be using online dating in the first place.  I don't really have the kind of friends that set people up with their friends.  Maybe I do, but maybe I'm not the type of person that they would set a person up with.  I think about all these things and try to figure out ways to improve myself.  

I've had a lot of stress into figuring out what is wrong with me, but either I can't get answers from someone or I am just seeing things in a different way.  I know something is wrong with me, but I'm guessing I just need to see someone before I can figure out being in a relationship.  But I need to do this BEFORE I get into a relationship.  

So that concludes day 1.  Pretty rough writing all of that.  But that's what it takes.

NEW 30 DAY CHALLENGE(S) DECIDED ON!!

So since I had a riveting ZERO messages about what kind of challenge I should do.  I decided to do 3.  The first one is going to be a 30 day challenge of Crunches.  Yes, those things you do on the floor with your abs. I'm hoping that I won't pull any muscles or only work on one section of my abs since it would look pretty damn weird.  The scheduling is the same as before: work 3 days, rest 1, for 30 days.

The second challenge I'm doing is Jumping Jacks.  This one looks ridiculous, because I don't think I've ever even thought of doing more than 100 jumping jacks.  This is will be pretty interesting.  I think I might have to do them outside or somewhere I can jump a lot and not disturb any neighbors.

The third challenge I'm doing is blog related.  I'm going to write for 30 consecutive days about 30 topics that I found on a list on tumblr.  I know that sounds weird, but it looked interesting and it was something that I think would help with my habit of writing more often.  I know that I have been on and off a lot in my life with blogging/writing as well as other habits, but I think if I put my mind to it, I can do it.  The list is below.  I don't know why it's 2 different colors.  See you all tomorrow!

FINISHED MY 30 DAY CHALLENGE!!! Onto the Next one!

I finally did it!  I completed 30 days of ridiculous squats!  So proud of myself!  It just goes to show that with enough ambition and little strength, you can accomplish any goal you put your mind to!  Now go do it!    Today's final goal of 250 squats was enduring.  Especially since I've been under a lot of stress since the Boston Marathon bombings happened.  My legs are sore from it, but so what.  There are people who had sore legs yesterday and ended up having them amputated because of something terrible.  Anyways, I'm going to the gym, because I am on a mission to do more 30 day challenges and get shredded for the summer.

Any suggestions for a second 30 day challenge are welcome.  I still need some ideas.

Famous Fat Guy in Cinema: John Candy

When I talked earlier about Hollywood's perception of Fat Guys, I mentioned how larger men were shrinking down for more serious roles.  The first time I saw John Candy was in Uncle Buck.  I think I remember seeing it first on TBS, probably around the time I was 8-9 years old or so.  The infamous "unbreakable plate" was my first laugh at his genius.  The more I think about Uncle Buck, the more I laugh.  The drill scene at the party (shown above).  His car that explodes out of the tailpipe.  His quick one-liners are what really stayed with me.  "What's tweedle-dinks name?...Bug...Bug?...First or last?...First....What's his last name spray?"  Classic.

This scene, when Uncle Buck has to go to the Vice Principal's office to talk about Molly.  Probably the funniest scene that to this day hasn't really been duplicated in another movie.

Now I don't want to stick with one movie to commemorate a man.  He got a role as the Wally World security guard in Vacation, when Clark Griswold and the family show up and the park is closed.  His role as Ox in the hilarious movie Stripes was great, too.  He was a member of Second City, which is to this day, a popular Improv society for up and coming comedians and actors (Candy was part of Second City Toronto- along with Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short).

Candy's movie career exploded during the 1980's.  He was among the comedic titans - Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Short, John Belushi, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase.  Candy is the one who was only seemed to be able to deliver a serious speech while being a leading man in a comedy.  It's hard to compare his presence to another performer's.  Dan Aykroyd was in serious roles, but his comedy roles seemed a bit over the top.

Candy's last couple of roles are still some of the best family appropriate comedies: Cool Runnings, Rookie of the Year, and Canadian Bacon.  His last film: Canadian Bacon, is one of those movies that you can laugh at whenever you want to remember some of the absurdity that was part of the Cold War.  Directed by, and I'm not kidding, Michael Moore (yes, that Michael Moore),this movie makes me think of what Moore's career would've been had he made comedies over documentaries.

In Candy's final years, he had tried to keep his weight a private subject.  He weighed in excess of 300 lbs, and had a family history of heart attacks.  Trying to quit smoking, along with losing weight, Candy suffered a heart attack that was fatal.  It was a sad end to a truly great comedian and actor.

Having a family history of illness and health defects is a hard truth to escape.  Heart attacks, high blood pressure, and even addiction, are really hard to overcome when growing up and finding out your place in the world.  It's hard to imagine John Candy living in a movie making world filled with body image issues and unbreakable habits.  I can't see him having a social media account, instagramming his dinner, or slimming down with some trendy diet system.  John Candy was and will always be a jolly funnyman who provided so much comedy and memories in cinema that are lacking nowadays.  If you don't agree, you can take a dime, and go downtown and have a rat gnaw that thing of your face!  Good day to you Madam! (Uncle Buck quote...I couldn't help)

Know Your Enemy: Soy

So I'm starting this segment called "Know Your Enemy".  Yes, it's inspired by the song from Rage Against the Machine, but it's also derived from the practice of recognizing the evils around you that aren't exactly as advertised.  This week's enemy of Know Your Enemy: Soy.

Why soy you asked?  Well, good question.  Sure we are lead to believe that Soy is a very valuable source of nutrition and can be used in many different dishes.  It is a mainstay for lots of Asian cuisine dishes and is the Vegetarian/Vegan's number one go-to food for a source of Protein.  But there are also many drawbacks from Soy.  Things not included when you're about to scarf down that Thai Dish, or drink that glass of Soy Milk, or even finish off that McDonald's hamburger.  McDonald's Hamburger?

That's right.  There isn't much on the McDonald's menu that doesn't contain soy.  The buns, the oil, the dressings, the sauces, mostly all contain Soy.  If you are given half an hour to eat lunch during the workweek, then always, always, ALWAYS, try to bring your lunch.  I'm sure that your food will lose it's taste and get boring, but it will seem a tad bit healthier.  

Now, many vegetarians and vegans praise Soy as being the savior to the answer to their question of what can I eat if I don't like meat.  They say it's the best food because it tastes like whatever you put it with.  I'll repeat that - Soy is a cubed, tasteless, food.  It's highly processed -which is one of the main things you hear Vegans/Veggies say about most meats, but never their own food.  But the reason they love Soy is because Soy plants don't cry when it's been fermented, smashed, and cubed into trays.  The day that "90% of all Soy in U.S. is a GMO" makes it onto Oprah and most of the dinner-makers in the country put two-and-two together is the day that Soy-lovers go running back to the beef/chicken/fish section of the supermarket.

Another reason to avoid Soy is a phyiscal one: manboobs.  Soy contains several Estrogen-like substances that will affect your appearance and mood.  Estrogen, which is more useful for the female than the male-in my opinion at least, can create some health problems in a male if consumed at a daily rate.  Sexual infertility, swollen prostates, hair loss are just the tip of the spear for men with estrogen dominance.  Testosterone levels can lower due to these effects, thus causing lack of sex drive, lower sperm count, your red blood cell count, and the amount of fat around your waist and stomach.  Further research suggests that Alzheimer's disease may be linked to Soy intake.  A study among Japanese men aged 40-60 living in Hawaii who consumed tofu twice a day showed more signs of dementia than those who didn't consume tofu.

Ever listen to a doctor tell you that you should have a steady diet and make sure to get plenty of Calcium, Iron, and Zinc?  Well, Phytin, which is found in Soy, inhibits the absorption of those vitamins.  Soy is literally blocking all the things your body needs from getting to your bloodstream.  

Well, why do Asians eat so much soy?  They all look healthy and they consume lots of soy!  Asian farmers, who started soy farming in 1100 BC, didn't actually start eating soybeans until they fermented them (Miso, tempeh, etc).  However, food producing companies, want Americans to consume more Soy than Asians actually consume, which is not necessarily healthy for you.  

Let's sum up some of the things we know about Soy: it's Asian born, highly processed, mixed into most fast foods, bad for men, and can cause long term health effects in everyone.  I highly recommend staying away from McDonald's even if you have nothing else to get for lunch in a half hour.  I highly recommend switching from Soy Milk to Almond Milk if you don't drink regular cow Milk.  I also recommend reading labels and watching out for anything that has the word SOY in it.  Afterall, even Charlton Heston figured out that Soy was bad for you:

Losing Weight Just By Showering Properly

When I initially embarked on my weight loss journey (which consisted of finding determination and picking up the 4 Hour Body), I didn't think about how my body actually loses the fat and other bad stuff that I pick up while eating gross, yet delicious food.  I read an article about a NASA scientist who studied Michael Phelps' training and diet and figured out that something was amiss with his claim about consuming 13,000 calories to stay in top shape.  I saw a similar reading in 4HB.  The key to the body losing some extra weight, and cutting the fat, literally, was by taking a cold shower or an ice bath.

Now I know what you're thinking: there's no way in hell I'm coming from home from the gym and getting into a cold shower.  To help boost your confidence about getting into a cold shower, start slow.  Don't immediately jump into a cold shower prompting you to shriek and possibly fall down naked.  Only bad things can happen from there on.  Ease the water toward cold when your already in the shower and you'll build a little more of a tolerance.  Now Ferris recommends a 10 minute cold shower.  I usually stuck with a 5 minute shower only because I don't waste too much time.  The feeling afterwards is so refreshing.  Usually I would feel like I was sweating a little bit after a hot shower.  But with the cold shower: I feel dry, cool, and your body temperature will become elevated since it now thinks you need to regulate it from being in the cold (hence how you lose those extra pounds over time)

The ice bath, which requires a tub, is a little more time consuming and pricier if you need to get bags of ice just to take a bath.  I recommend doing an ice bath as a weekend thing.  Filling extra tupperware with water and freezing it will help with the ice part.  I stayed in my ice baths for about 10-15 minutes or whenever the ice melted.  Don't stick your head in ice cold water!  But try to keep most of your body below the water for the majority of the time.  After you're done, the same feeling of refreshment will overtake your body.

Here is a video of Tim Ferris on the View:

Aside from the ice baths and cold showers, I've found the using less shampoo has actually made my hair better.  I only shampoo my hair maybe once every 4-5 showers and sometimes less.  Now I picked up this technique after reading about how shampoo was used decades ago and how it's used now.  If you think back to the 1960's and 1950's, you can remember a time in a movie or TV show when a girl would refuse to go out with a boy she didn't like because "she had to wash her hair" (womp womp, poor Eddie Haskell).  I think I saw this on TV Land or Nick at Nite, but it got me wondering "where did this excuse come from and where is it now?".  Well lo and behold I did some research and found that people used to only use shampoo when they felt their hair was getting really out of hand and felt grimey.  I know that Loreal, Pert, Herbal Essences and whatever you put in your hair in the morning makes you feel like your hair is doing so much better than everyone else's, but that's what the marketers of these products want you to think.  Cutting back on shampoo has made my hair, thicker, fuller, and healthier.  I can't explain the science behind it, but it works.  Try cutting back on shampoo and I bet you will see healthier hair that won't end up in the drain.

My Squat Schedule (That's really crushing my legs and ass)

This is my Squat schedule.  The days that have check marks on them are the days that I have been done.  I'm officially half way done with this.  I haven't decided what 30 day routine I want to do next, but you can bet it will be either arms or abs.  Maybe a little something in between.  Now, let me tell you I didn't think I would make it past day 7, and now I'm moving to day 16.  I didn't start on the first of the month, but I don't think I would've done it at all if I waited until then.  There is no time like the present and I think it's about time that we all take a page out of this ambition post and get to work on ourselves.  Sure, the "pain" in my legs and ass is a little hard to get through, but you know what, I think it's going to be worth it.  So eat healthy, get on a workout regimen, and figure out your 30 day challenge.

Ma halo.