Sunday, March 31, 2013

Nude Nuns with Big Guns

I don't think I could've streamed a more Easter-inappropriate movie.  This movie combines the cheese of a spaghetti western with the production value of a porno.  The dialogue sucks and the acting is terrible.  However, the movie is full of naked women shooting people so I'm alright with it.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Fitness update

I've mostly recovered from my Dr. Seuss Day food orgy, but I'm not quite on schedule.  I've been eating better lately, but still indulge in wheat, dairy and sugar.  I've been exercising fairly regularly, but not every day.  Given my level of nervous energy, I need to do something to induce sweat seven days a week.  The good news is the warming weather means I can get out and jog/run and I can get out on my bike.

The plots showing good downward trends:


My main goal is to get stronger every day, but I'd like to see the waist and body fat measurements start trending downward.

I bought a digital tape measurer so my body measurements should be more precise.

Fat stacks

Yesterday I had my 2012 performance review.  It went well which is not surprising considering I was promoted last October.  I'm getting my full bonus target which is quite substantial.  The question now is what to do with all that money?  "But Jeremy, you have a mortgage, a 401k loan, a personal loan, etc.?"  Uh...yeah, but I'm also stupid with money.

My new plan for extra money which also includes patent rewards and the extra two paychecks is a year is to firstly pay off all credit card debt.  I then split whatever is left over thusly: one-third for other debt (mentioned above), one-third for my emergency fund and one-third for something cool.

As for something cool, I've narrowed it down to a gun, an indoor rowing machine and a HD home theater receiver.  I think I'm too mentally unstable to own a gun and a new receiver would necessitate new speakers so I'll get an indoor rowing machine.  There is one at the club where I play squash, but it would be more convenient for me to have one at home to use whenever I want.  Rowing is a great fully body exercise and a really nice machine would be about a grand.  It would also hold value and I'm not sure if I'm going to renew my club membership.

The cool money will have some leftover to spend in Portland on new indoor basketball shoes, an adventure hat, bike pedals, bike shoes and a bike helmet.  As you can read, I spend most of my "free" money on health and sports which is not such a bad thing.

The end of Lent

Today marks the end of Lent.  While I'm not Catholic or even religious, I like to participate since I think it's good to sacrifice.  This year I gave up alcohol and social media.  I went seven years without drinking so giving up alcohol was no big deal.  Even when I do drink, it's rarely and lightly.

Giving up social media was not quite what I expected.  I was able to wean myself from lusting after the hotties on Fitocracy, but I did miss using Facebook and Twitter.  I'm only on Facebook to keep up with extended family, but I was surprised to learn I missed tweeting my random thoughts.  My brain is always running and lots of thoughts are swirling around so I guess Twitter is a good outlet for me.

I'm just going to use Fitocracy to track my activities/progress and will try to avoid spending time checking out pictures.  It's not good for me to lust after women who are neither available nor geographically convenient.  I'm trying to reduce the amount of wanting I do so I can be more satisfied with what I already have.

We'll see...

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Bowling

Last night, for the first time I can remember, I got a mark in every frame.  I ended up with a 182 which is pretty good, but could've been more if I had been able to get some strikes instead of a mess of spares.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Argo

I guess this movie won an Oscar, but I thought it was just slightly above average.  The movie was well acted, but there wasn't enough doubt in the ending to create any real drama or tension.  I didn't read up on the deviations from reality, but some scenes felt over the top.

I give this movie a neutral recommendation.

Amped by Douglas E Richards

I didn't really enjoy the first novel so I'm not sure why I wasted a Kindle lending library slot on the sequel.  I wasn't regretting my decision until about a third of the way through when the story went from fairly interesting to ridiculous.  There was a bit of redemption in the end, but not enough to convince me Richards has much talent.  He took an interesting scenario and beat it to death with cheese corniness.  He wasn't able to create depth in his relationships and his characters seemed one-dimensional.

I do not recommend this story.

Summer Knight by Jim Butcher

I'm starting to really like these Dresden Files novels by Butcher.  There is the right combination of violence, magic and smart assery.  Butcher is good at creating believable characters in a believable world.  He did a bit more recapping in this novel than in ones past, but the story doesn't suffer overly much.

I highly recommend this book and this series.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

The King's Blood by Daniel Abraham

Abraham's second Dagger and Coin novel is another solid effort with more than enough intrigue, plot twists and violence.  In Cithrin, he has created one of the more interesting characters of fantasy literature.  While Abraham doesn't have Abercrombie's gift for describing gritty violence, I think he captures the action well enough.

The world he has created has enough magic to be interesting, but not enough to cross over into the absurd.  Perhaps I'm too much of an engineer.

I highly recommend this book, this series and this author.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe

Other than a slow part towards the end about whales, this show is pretty damn funny.  I find Gaffigan about ten times funnier than Louis CK though the voice does get a bit old.

I highly recommend this comedy special.

A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

Well, the Wheel of Time series has finally ended for me as I finished the fourteenth and final volume this afternoon.  I only had two weeks to read it because it's a new library book, but I was able to polish it off in one with most of the damage done last weekend.  I probably read it too quickly since it's all mashed together in my head, but I can always reread the series later.

I found the ending satisfactory if a bit inconsistent with what Jordan had set up with the earlier books.  This book really felt more like Sanderson's interpretation of how Jordan wanted it to end than Sanderson completing a few chapters here and there.  The battles were better described, but some of the characters didn't feel right.

I recommend this book to anyone who has started the series.

Handball

I like to be able to do as many sports as possible so I bought some handball gloves and a ball last weekend.  I wasn't able to try it out after squash because of a handball tournament.  I gave it a go this morning and it's tough.  It looks pretty simple - use your hand to hit a bouncy ball towards a wall.  Well, I didn't know the bouncy ball has all the softness of a golf ball.  Even with a hot water rinse and gloves, my fingers are still swollen.

I practiced hitting the ball for about twenty minutes and got good enough where I could hit it a couple of times in a row.  I whiffed quite a bit and I expect my hand-eye coordination to improve immensely.  My hands are also going to be tough as well and that's always a good thing.

My goal is to practice for 20-30 minutes every time at the Court Club.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Unable to barbell squat

Today I did the LYTP bodyweight exercises as part of my warm up.  I approached the bar to squat and my shoulders started barkin' before I even touched it.  I wasn't able to get my hands in position to high-bar squat let alone low-bar.  I thought I'd try overhead squatting, but that position puts even more stress on the shoulders.

I ended up doing some bodyweight squats instead.  They're better than nothing, but not by much.  I'll keep up with the LYTP and see how it goes.  It my thoracic mobility does not improve, I'll find a physical therapist.

I'm definitely disappointed with and frustrated by this situation, but such is life.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Game of Thrones: Season 2

While this season was entertaining, I'm starting to think I need to evaluate this show on its own merits and not on how faithfully it follows the books.  Season 1 had some deviations and omissions, but Season 2 was only loosely based on the books.  While I appreciate all the titties and female nudity, the violence to nudity ratio was low.  Battles are hinted at and it smells more like cost-cutting than art.  The ones that are shown seem a bit off.

I still recommend this show, but not quite as much as I did during Season 1.


Minor setback

Today is a barbell lifting day which means squats.  I have tight shoulders so it's tough for me to get my arms into position with even high-bar (the bar resting on the traps) let alone low-bar.  I'll be damned if my lateral deltoids didn't start screaming when I tried to do just the bar (20kg).  I was able to plow through 45, 65 and 75lbs, but couldn't even unrack 95lbs.  It's frustrating because my legs and trunk are strong enough to do much, much more, but my shoulders are not flexible enough to hold the bar in position.  Fudge.

I'll check my ego and drop down to an empty bar until I strengthen my shoulders up.  It's disappointing for sure, but it is what it is.  Hopefully I can get them up to snuff within a couple of weeks.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Louis CK: Live at the Beacon Theater

I've heard Louis CK is one of the funnier dudes around, but I haven't heard his routine so I streamed it while I ate dinner.  His comedy is smart, but I didn't laugh as much as I thought I would.  I was thrown off a bit when he would laugh before a joke since I prefer more deadpan humor.  His accents are also a little ignoring.

I'll check out some of his other stuff, but I much prefer Chappelle.

The consequences of exercise

I've now completed five Stronglifts workouts and I feel pretty damn good.  I added shoulder dislocations twice a day to loosen up my shoulders so they don't bark as much during squats.  I've only been doing them for a couple of days now, but squatting was a little easier this morning.  I took a video of a squat to check bar placement and the bar's path.  I think I've got the bar in a good low-bar position, but I'm leaning a little too far forward.  I'm going to start using a tennis ball to keep my chin down which should help keep my chest up.  I will also focus on going deep, but the field of view wasn't enough for me to check depth.

I feel stronger and I'm starting to build some noticeable strength which is always appreciated.  The downside is all this testosterone has me wanting to fight and fuck.  I can take some boxing lessons to help with the first and maybe getting into better shape will help with the second.  It's hard to say.  I know there must be single women around here, but I haven't yet been able to put myself in a position to meet them.  I see some fit hotties at CrossFit when I'm at the court club, but I prefer to lift by myself on my own schedule.  I also like playing sports and can't afford two memberships.

Maybe one of these hotties will notice me watching and will come up to talk to me.  Heh.  More likely just to tell me not to be a creep, but there is usually an audience so I think I'm safe.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Body measurements

In the middle of every month, I measure various body parts to see how my exercise regime is changing my morphology.

The graph:
My main goals are to have my waist shrink along with the body fat percentage (dashed line).

Progress pictures can be found here.  I think I'm making progress because my back has more definition and my shoulders are larger.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Fuck this shit.

Fuck it all to hell.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher

I thoroughly enjoyed Butcher's third Harry Dresden novel for many of the same reasons as the first two - engaging plots, witty dialogue and background information teased out bit by bit.  I like how he refers to actions which happened before the books or between them without fully recapping them.  It feels like how you would get to know someone in real life.

This book had a couple of slow parts, but the ending fully compensated.  I highly recommend this book and the series in general.

Friday, March 8, 2013

What was I thinking?

Last weekend I ate a bunch of crap in honor of Dr. Seuss Day and because I felt like it.  I got cake, pop, cookies, lasagna, etc.  It all tasted great going down, but since then I've been farting, sharting and crapping up a storm.  The dairy and sugar have combined to give me sinus headaches and I feel depressed from all the wheat.

I had to hurry back home today from work because I felt like I was going to chunder all over my colleagues in a meeting this morning.  I took some travel medication which knocked me right the fook out.  I slept for maybe a couple of hours, but it was enough to calm my gut.

I know this story is anecdotal evidence at best, but it's definitely good reason why I shouldn't deviate from a Paleo lifestyle.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Suicide

I wonder how many people kill themselves because they don't think the world wants them versus how many people who do it because they don't want the world.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Looper

I didn't like anything about this movie except for the last minute.  It wasn't enough to make up for the other 117 minutes though.

I do not recommend this movie.

Humbling

Today marked my third barbell training session and my second legs day.  I was able to squat and deadlift a plate on Sunday, but struggled this morning since my shoulders are stiff from yesterday's overhead pressing.  My legs are strong enough to squat more than 200lbs, but my shoulders aren't flexible enough to hold my elbows up which is necessary for low-bar squatting and that's the only kind I want to do.

I can't remember why I limited my deadlifting this morning, but I have to remind myself I'm trying to get stronger and not just lift more weights since they aren't quite the same thing.  Proper weightlifting involves many muscle and connector groups and it's the connectors I need to strengthen.  I risk injury by adding too much weight too quickly, but it sucks to be lifting less than the petite women on Fitocracy.  I'll get stronger eventually, but need to be patient and humble since it's not a race.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

I popped two weightlifting cherries.

This morning marked the first time for barbell squatting and barbell deadlifting for me.  I've been reading Rippetoe's Starting Strength to learn how to do them properly.  I highly recommend this book because he goes into the mechanical reasons why you want to do the exercises his way.

I was able to do 135lbs x 5 for a few sets for each.  I could've gone heavier for sure, but I didn't want to overdo my first day because the proper technique recruits many muscles and some of mine are probably not strong enough.  I noticed I wasn't locking my wrists on the heavier squats which means some of the load bearing was done with the arms rather than with the back.  Not good.

The deadlift wasn't too bad, but I'm going to have to toughen up my shins so I can drag the bar completely vertically.

Both of these exercises work the legs, the hips and the back.  I'd say I'm the sorest in the groin and the upper back because was getting good depth on my squats (looked like beyond parallel) and was able to keep my chest up during the deadlifts.

There are women on Fitocracy who outlift me considerably, but I think I can catch up pretty quickly.  I just need to make sure every rep is done with good form.

Tomorrow I'll do bench press and overhead press.  Once I develop some more strength, I'll add in the power clean and then will fill out my workouts with planks, push ups, pull ups and chin ups.  Maybe some box jumps as well if I'm not too gassed from the squats.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Happy Dr. Seuss Day

I've been celebrating by eating all sorts of crap.  I didn't just fall off the Paleo bandwagon; I blew it up.  I've had a ton of wheat, dairy and sugar so far and will have lasagna, bread and soda for dinner, cake for dessert and a banana split for a second dessert.  Heh.  I figure it's all right to cheat now and then and, if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right.

I'll watch a Blazers game tonight and then call it a day.

Hulk vs Thor and Hulk vs Wolverine

I streamed this double feature while waiting for my lasagna to cook.  Both are animated and are fairly short.  The first featured the Hulk brought to and unleashed upon Asgard.  The second featured Weapon X trying to recruit the Hulk and Wolverine getting in the way.

The animation is decent, but the dialogue was a bit weak.  The Thor one had a decently clever way of explaining a Rage Incarnate Hulk, but the second one felt rushed.

If you're looking for something mindless to kill some time, give these a shot, but don't go out of your way.

Homeland: Season 1

My mom talked enough about this show that I thought I'd give it a try.  It's fookin' awesome.  I like detective/spy stories and I like violence and I like ass and titties and this show has it all.  The mom is bangably hot and Clare Danes is alright too.

The show has plenty of plot twists so you won't get bored and I'm ready for the second season to roll around.

I highly recommend this show.