The Question to Define Our Generation.

Does "friends with benefits" work?

Told you...

Back in October, I posted a little video. I thought the song was pretty cool, and really enjoyed the video. For the last couple of days I've been hearing it on the radio, and now...it's even available for free download over at Channel 92.3. Not saying I'm some super genius when it comes to music, but I'm just telling you, these guys ARE going to be the next big thing. They've got another single out that is also of the ass-kicking vibe, and lucky for you, it's right here:



I honestly can't wait for these guys to come out with a full album. Until then, my Amazon.com downloads are gonna have to suffice. The video is a little trippy, so be warned on that front. Otherwise, enjoy.

Healthier, Slimmer, and Sexier...

Since a lot of you out there believe in making fitness and health resolutions every New Year, I thought I'd share some of my "secrets" that I am often asked about when it comes to working out and staying fit & healthy.

Fact is, there are no secrets. Truth be told, I've been working out intensely and consistently since I was about 13 years old - or, read another way, more than 50% of my life to date. Over the years I've learned a few things, most of which have come from trial and error, but a lot of which have come from reading up on the subject and taking the time to ask questions and seeking out advice and recommendations from experts in the field.

For a relatively concise list of what I consider to be some of the best information out there for beginners and experienced folks alike, check out Leo Babauta's list of the Top 42 Exercise Hacks. These are all coming from his personal experiences, mind you - and no, I don't agree with them all down to the letter. Some of the most important, in my opinion:

- Forget about weight loss. Yeah, many of us would like to lose some weight. But if you’re motivated solely by weight loss, exercise will be a tough proposition. The reason is that you might not lose weight right away. Oh, it’ll come, if you can keep it up over time, but in the beginning you might be disappointed (especially if you haven’t changed your eating habits). Just get into the habit of exercise, and worry about the weight later. First things first.

- First thing after work. None of those options work for you? Not a problem, my friend. Make it a daily appointment to work out as soon as you get off work. This will also motivate you to finish your work on time so you can get out on time for your workout. It’s great to stop somewhere to do your workout before you even get home, because once you get home you’ll probably want to relax on the couch, fall asleep at the kitchen table, or rush to the computer..

- Just lace up. Yeah, you’re dreading the upcoming workout. But don’t even think about it. Just lace up and head out the door. That’s all. After that, let nature take its course. Just relax and do what comes naturally. Which is exercise.

- Go for the long haul. Most of all, don’t think that you will become fit and healthy and sexy in one month. Think of exercise as a life-long habit, and your
goals will come to you eventually.

While these are nowhere near the entire list of things you can do to ensure you get back into/continue to live a physically active lifestyle, they are often some of the most overlooked aspects involved in starting a workout routine and maintaining a consistent schedule.

In our day and age, people have become accustomed to the expectation of instant gratification - be it our high speed Internet, TiVo, fast food, or our carpool/FasTrak lanes. The fact is, staying in shape and living a physically active life is hard. The odds are against us. But we have to MAKE time. We all have 24 hours in a day. To say that you don't have time (for anything) is to act as though your co-worker who gets up 2 hours earlier than you to work out, has more hours than you do in any given day - which simply isn't the case. You choose how you allocate your time. Think about the time you've already spent reading this post...or the amount of hours you spend scrolling through Facebook updates every week. No time, eh? My ass.

It's easy to want to or need to lose weight, but the effort to actually go out and do it is an entirely different beast - this isn't something that's going to come to you like that Grande Mocha you order at Starbucks every morning.

Been catching a lot of these...

So I thought I'd post a little video:



The music is a little too epic, but nonetheless, time lapse photography is rad.

3/26/2011 - Mark It On Your Calendars

No I'm not getting married, or having a baby...or predicting the apocalypse.

It happened one night back in early November 2010 while I was out enjoying a bunch of free wine (only if it's free) at an art show and received a text from a buddy asking what I was doing on 3/26/2011. Being of the mid-20s range and having friends dropping like flies to marriages and engagements alike - I naturally feared the worst.

Thankfully, he was just asking me to sign on to do something where I could very well perish if I don't keep my game tight - and naturally, with a wine buzz that could only be helped by a street vended grilled cheese sandwich in the Lower Haight, I agreed.

This is the day Scott, some of his Colorado buddies, and I are taking on the AXS (Adventure Xstream Series) Moab 50 miler. Consisting of kayaking, mountain biking, trekking, rappelling, and navigation - not necessarily in that order, nor in equal distances. Check out the video:



Being as we are nearly halfway through the first month of 2011, the training has kicked into a fairly serious stage. So, I guess what I'm really trying to say is...a lot of my posts might be training/workout related. Hint: I may be in the market for a cheap Craigslist kayak to practice in, so I'm sure there'll be plenty of ridiculousness surrounding that thing.

So be braced. I hope to still make some random/stupid/pointless posts here and there, so don't write me off completely until April.

A Plea for Sanity and Hope

From Time.com
The article is actually pretty good, so go ahead and do yourself a favor - read it.

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San Francisco: The Smartest City?

It has been long debated that San Francisco has (per capita) the most educated population of any city in the country - as measured by most college degrees. Well, if that's the case, we need to get these people to take a class called "Costco 101". I mean, seriously? I walk into the Costco on 10th St. in SoMa, and all of a sudden it's like people have been smacked with a stupid stick.

Granted, half the people are there just to hammer down 30 samples of See's Candy, mixed nuts, Crystal Geysers and random chunks of meat - but still. Proper citizenship (and standard shopping protocol) dictates that you don't ditch your cart in the middle of the walkway and run towards the food like a lemming to the ocean. You have eaten before, haven't you? The samples are FREE, and guess what...THEY AREN'T GOING TO RUN OUT!!! The people standing there are paid by the hour, not by the sample. Relax. Fuck.

You know what my dream shopping experience would be? Costco. Supermarket Sweep style. With a cart that has FOUR SMOOTH WHEELS. Wait a minute... I'd kill a third world infant just to have a smooth rolling cart on a normal, packed Costco shopping experience. I don't get it. Are the people so hungry for samples that they are chewing on the wheels to hold themselves over?

Plus side? You can order food at the checkoout line and walk right up and grab it without waiting in that ridiculous line. Large pizza? No worries. You want that chicken bake? Done. One of them swirl "fro-yos". You got it. The best deal in the world? Straight ahead. The workers and powers that be have their shit together. The customers? Not so much.

For sanity sake, let's not even get into the parking situation.

If You Don't Dance I Feel Sorry For You.

I mean, you hear this song come on, and all of a sudden you can't help but start sliding a foot, bobbing your head, twitchin' your hands...

Look at the lyrics to the first two verses:

I used to go out to parties, and stand around
'Cause I was too nervous, to really get down
But my body yearned to be free
I got up on the floor, somebody could choose me

No more standin' there beside the walls
Finally got myself together, baby, and I'm havin' a ball
Long as you're groovin', there's always a chance
Somebody watchin' might wanna make romance

Marvin knew he was fuckin' up for awhile trying to be the "cool guy" - waiting for everyone to come to him. Check it: It don't work. You're the last one noticed standing on the wall. Get out there and let loose. Lord knows you spend WAY too much time being stiff and uptight as it is.

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If you guys really want to get down, check out 'Deep's site. He's the guy who puts on pop-up Flashdances around The City providing music with his audio-outfitted trike. He isn't looking to have one for another couple of months, but if you hop on his mailing list, he'll be sure to hit you up and let you know all the details.

Direct Quotes From the Transportation Security Administration

Middle aged TSA Agent checking IDs and boarding passes; as said to the guy in front of me in line, heading home from Denver:

Agent: "Back to Florida, eh?"
Passenger: "Yup, a whole lot warmer down that w..."
Agent: "Yeah, but I can out drink you."
Passenger: "..."
Agent: "I went and visited my friends down there, drank 'em ALL under the table, AND drove us all home."
Passenger: "..."
Agent: "Have a good flight!"

--------------------------------

Real life. Beats fiction. Everytime.

Crank it up to '11. Colorado style.

Oh Boy, Oberto! What an awesome New Year's Weekend.

Flying into Denver, I was greeted with a brisk temperature of about 14 degrees. Easily some of the coldest weather I had ever experienced up until that point, I was treated to a weekend low of about -3 degrees, before wind chill - something that simply can't be described until you experience it for yourself by shoveling a driveway

or playing a little beer pong in it.

Not the best idea, no. But it's certainly something to say that I (was dumb enough and actually) played a round of beer pong in sub-zero weather. I mean, it's goin' right under that whole Master's degree thing on my resume. Plus, it's always fun to try and tempt hypothermia and a trip to the hospital, right? Right?

Luckily, the crew and I were able to keep fairly warm the entire weekend by visiting breweries

and trying our hand at a deadly round of punchbowl roulette (okay, maybe two)

The chips weren't an actual ingredient in the punch (a delicious side, no doubt), but everything else you see there was combined to make a punch that absolutely worked - Sailor Jerry's Rum, Mount Gay Rum, Orange Mango Juice, Sparkling Raspberry, Midori, Bulleit Bourbon, Southern Comfort, Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey (read: moonshine out of a jar), a bag of white wine, some lemon-lime concentrate, plus a couple of Keystones and some other stuff I'm sure I forgot. Oh yeah, like that 5 hour energy shot. Since there were five of us, we figured we'd be good with an hour of energy a piece...makes total sense. Washed down with a game of "roos is roos" it was a pretty unbeatable combination - especially since this was New Year's DAY. The night after the actual party. Which let's me know that I'm getting ahead of myself...

For New Year's Eve, we actually decided to class it up a bit - as much as my friends and I are actually capable. We ended up buying tickets for an event called the White Rose Gala, which was something my buddy recommended, and seemed like a decent party we'd be able to turn out. And, as a matter of fact, it was.

We were definitely holding that dance floor hostage. Even with the fire dancers and weird stilt people they had, I'm pretty sure we were the most watched group - by guests and security alike.

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Being that we aren't completely moronic 20-somethings, we made sure to get rooms reserved for the night - not only for the convenience of not having to drive, get a cab, or other form of transportation, but also for the proximity to the party. Ensuring that we'd be able to slip off easily to replenish our drinks on the cheap, was a must. Although the party downstairs kept it goin', and as fun as it was gettin' nutty to an 80s cover band with a bunch of middle-aged folks, some of the best parts of the night seemed to go down in/around the room - at least that's what the photos tell me:

I have no idea what's going on here, but I like it. There were honestly so many ridiculous moments throughout the night (and weekend), it'd take another 30 photos and a case of carpal tunnel for me to get it all on the blog.

All in all, the entire weekend was an absolute blast. From meeting awesome new people in the airports and on my flights, to creating amazing new memories with some of my oldest (and newest) friends, I can't think of a better way to have rung in the New Year - when this group of us gets together, there is little else we need.

Well, except for maybe this guy:

No, he's not pointing to the roof. What we realized much later on, was that he had single handedly knocked our socks off with what will live on for the coming year as a symbol for 2011. Get it? Yeah, it took us a minute too. If you see me this year (and wanna make my week), shoot me one of these. I guarantee I'll shoot you a smile in return.

Happy 2011 everyone. Live it up. If the Mayans were right, we've only got 2 years left. Make 'em count.