A Glimpse Of The 4-Hour Workweek

I admit, I stole the title of my post from Timothy Ferriss, the author of the book The 4-Hour Workweek. 

"ESCAPE 9-5, LIVE ANYWHERE, AND JOIN THE NEW RICH."  

Sounds like something that has been on many minds lately.  The question seems to be... is it possible?  Well the only way you're going to know... is if you read the book.  I just picked it up today, after passing it by many times before at various bookstores and listening to friends rave about it.

The idea is tremendously revolutionary and the information can be extremely powerful if put into action.  Although I haven't started the book just yet, the information about the author on the inside flap says it all.  Timothy Ferriss is described as the "ultravagabond" and speaks 6 different languages.  He runs a multinational firm from different locations around the globe and is a national champion in Chinese kickboxing along with a world record holder in tango.  What A baller indeed. 

If you haven't already heard of this book, chances are you are a political prisoner locked up in some foreign cellar feeding on rats.  Unless, you think reading a book is the worst investment of your time.  In that case, don't think of it as just a book, think of it as your lifeline.

Please add your 2 cents or let me know what I'll be expecting...

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The Shortest Bucket List of Extreme Adventures

Sometimes our lives are so ordinary, its just not normal.  I know that doesn't make too much sense.  But just think about it for a second.  Life is supposed to be spontaneous and crazy.  Well it kinda sucks right now.  So I'm just thinkin' out loud here...

Wouldn't it be cool to...

1. Skydive

 

-Yeah I know its overrated. But its really not, people just say stuff like "Yeah, uh, I'm going skydiving next weekend... you should come... its like jumping on a trampoline but just higher, and you don't jump, you just fall"  Yeah you fall 15,000 feet at a speed of 120 mph. And if it is your first time, your instructor basically humps you from behind, while you get to sample as many species of insects as you can catch between your teeth. Quite exhilarating indeed.

2. Trek Through A Safari In Tanzania

-There's just something about the word Safari that is just so cool.  Don't you just want to say it out loud because its such a great combination of sexy syllables.  Its as if your having a wild orgy in your vocal cords and no one knows.  You would never get bored on a Safari because you could just act like Bear Grylls and jump into the nearest sandtrap to show everyone that you can get out.  And just like that, boredom vanished.  Then you realize that you're not Bear Grylls and you haven't had Navy Seal Training and you die.  But at least everyone around you is entertained.  That is, until a stampede of wildebeest trample everyone in sight.  I still think a Safari in Tanzania would be cool.

3. Dive The Great Barrier Reef

- It would be pretty gnarly yo see what might be the last of the world's coral reefs.  There are about 1500 species of fish and loggerhead turtles.  The only thing that would suck is if its turtle mating season.  I'm unaware of the migration patterns for turtles, but what if they just started mating right there under sea.  Thousands of turtles floating around you, humping each other.  Don't be surprised if you have one on your leg.

4. Surf the Banzai Pipeline

- This is the most dangerous, yet awesomely bodacious surfing spot in the world.  The waves are steep and powerful and the shallow water and coral shelf are unforgiving.  Even the pros have a hard time avoiding injury in the form of broken bones and lacerations.  The reason its called "The Pipeline" is because the combination of the shallow water and coral shelf allow for tubular-shaped waves that resemble pipes.  Okay so maybe it would be better if I learned how to boogie-board before I try to claim my name to fame on some of the most awesome waves on the map.  In fact, I might just lay on a hammock somewhere on the North Shore while sipping girly drinks and just tell everyone that I surfed the Banzai Pipeline.  Works for me.

5. Base Jump In A Wingsuit Off The Mountains In France

- If you really want to fly like Peter Pan... you can.  Being in a wingsuit is like being a fighter jet.  Wingsuit flying is one of the most radical of extreme sports and can be pretty dangerous.  Even the slightest of winds can set off turbulence and has a very likely chance of killing you.  You fly at over 100 mph and "catch air" while basically hovering down the slope of the mountain.  It would be pretty awesome to essentially fly down a mountain, but only the really skilled and prepared can accomplish it flawlessly.  I would love to someday be one with the birds.

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How to Live Healthy When Its Most Important

Staying Healthy Through Your Teenage and College Years

• First off, college definitely doesn’t help.  The drinking, the freedom, the classes… they all contradict staying healthy through the heart of your growth period.  Let me outline it for you…
  

Freedom (to eat whatever you want)

- Forget Mom’s home-cooked meals.  You got Fast-Food joints on every corner, not to mention local restaurants, and did I mention Taco Bell? … that place is not Fast-Food.  It’s Divine (cheap, filling, and conveniently located everywhere).

-“Freshman 15” is not even a valid college-myth… well at least in my case… it was more like Freshman 24.  I weighed 150 lbs coming in as a freshman and now I weigh an artery-clotting 174 lbs.  

Drinking

 -Beer (need I say more)

Classes

-Am I the only one who eats in-between study breaks?  In fact, I feel like I’m a hamster on a treadmill with a big piece of crunch-wrap supreme dangling in front of my nocturnal eyes. 

 -Crack/Cocaine is addictive and so is Food.  And at 3 o’clock in the morning when you’re “studying” for that exam the next morning, all you need is a fix to keep you going… along with a 5-hour energy shot of course.

So now that I’ve outlined “How Everything Possible Can Go Wrong and Work Against Your Slim Waist-Line or At Least Averagely Chubby Waist-Line,” I think I’ll address the title.

Okay, so maybe everything didn’t go according to plan.  There’s still hope yet…

Damage Control 

-        Buy or Borrow a book.  Do not buy a book about Diets.  Diets may help you lose weight, but they will not help you live a healthy lifestyle.  If you want to lose weight and then gain it all back in a matter of months, a Diet would be great for you.  Instead, pick up a book concerning Healthy Eating, Exercise, or Healthy Living in general.  This will help you make better decisions on a daily basis. Even if you think reading causes you to lose valuable brain cells, carrying around a reminder that you’re fat will only help you to stay on task.

-        Cut down on fast-food and try cooking for yourself and others.  Getting other people involved in your transformation will only give you the support to continue on your path.  This could be as simple as eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast and cooking pasta for dinner. 

-        Stop drinking soda, artificial fruit juices, and anything else that has “high fructose corn syrup” on the Ingredients Label.  You will see results immediately if you replace water with beverages high in sugar.

 Now that we’ve assessed damage control, its finally time to think long-term…

Exercise

-    Cardio: Running, Swimming, Rollerblading, Skateboarding, Walking Vigorously, Playing Sports, and anything else that requires you to get your heart pumping for at least 20-30 minutes will keep your calorie count in check.

-        Weightlifting: People who use the excuse “my metabolism is slow” to justify their love handles and baggage of lard, most likely eat more than they should and don’t exercise on a consistent basis.  Having a slow metabolic rate is very rare and most times is a serious medical condition that has to do with an enlarged Thyroid.  In fact, if you’re fat or “big-boned” as others like to call it, that might mean you have a faster metabolism because your body has to work more than the average individual to carry out daily activities.  Weightlifting helps generate more muscle mass, which in turn burns more fat. 

-        Fat doesn’t turn into muscle.  When you lift weights, you generate more muscle fibers, which help you increase your metabolism.  So while you’re gaining muscle mass, you’re also burning fat tissue even when your body is at rest. It gives the illusion that your fat is turning into muscle.  Indirectly yes, but it’s a bit more complicated.

      *Therefore, a consistent workout that includes a combination of both weightlifting and cardiovascular exercise is the optimal way to start shedding those calories.  Remember consistency is key.  20 minutes of weightlifting and 20 minutes of cardio will go a long way if you keep at it.

Note:

*This is only for the strong-willed.  If you're a sissy, you won't be able to keep up.  This will be a long journey and you may not see drastic improvements right away.  Being consistent and keeping a strong regimen will help.

*You will learn that living healthy is just a system of checks and balances between consistent exercise, healthy eating, and a sharp state of mind.

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No Hope for the Human Race

At times I am at awe of the lack of determination in the human race. Here are some observations...



1) Student at College Library notices the computer he's working on is not level with his eyes. Student decides to raise the computer to a more comfortable level by using the adjustable mount made just for these circumstances. Computer does not adjust right away and slides back into midget-pose. Student gives up.




2) Hungry Individual at Cafe goes to buy a bagel. Comes back with a Chipotle Grilled Chicken Salad and a Cinnamon Raisin Bagel. Hungry Individual eats the salad and decides to save the bagel for later. Hungry Individual notices hot girl observing his every move. In the attempt to look like "a man with a plan," Hungry Individual forgets to pick up a plastic knife to ready his bagel for consumption at a later time. 2 hours later, Hungry Individual eats a dry bagel. Hungry Individual failed to recognize that his finger could have been used as a spreading utensil.




3) Fat Professor takes a crap in university bathroom stall. After relieving himself of pounds of brown shit, Fat Professor realizes there is no toilet paper left for his steaming ass. F.P. acknowledges that he is too fat and shy to ask the person in the adjacent stall for some desperately needed double-pleated toilet paper. 6 hours later, F.P. has taught two classes, proctored a test, and taken the bus home all with leftover turd in his ass.




4) Lonely Soccer Mom is waiting in oversized minivan, while kids Jerry, Harry, and Barry are playing junior soccer in a tournament. Lonely Soccer Mom has a long 2 hours ahead of her before her kids will be done playing. Realizing this, L.S.M. takes a sleeping pill to induce a nap to pass the time. 5 hours later L.S.M. wakes up in a panic to find that her kids are safe at home. L.S.M.'s friend dropped off the kids at the request of Tired Office Dad. L.S.M still drowzy from the effects of the sleeping pill, spends the night passed out, now in a fetal position in the backseat.
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