It's good to be back. I've been through a lot of changes the last couple of months (i.e. moving, new job, etc.), so in honor of my new set of circumstances I present a little bit of audio joy. A mashup of the music from the Legend of Zelda and legendary hip hop artists (some legendary in their own mind) from Team Teamwork called The Ocarina of Rhyme. It brings back back lot of memories of exploring the world of Hyrule but now with more favor. My favorites are Lost Woods and Great Fairy Mountain. Enjoy! (Warning: Explicit Lyrics! Not for the kiddies)
04/12/2009
12/01/2008
The Zen of Cooking /The Joy of Euthusiasm
It's funny. As a child I've always enjoyed helping my mother cook and bake, yet when I became older that love was hidden by the demands of daily life. It became easier to warm up TV dinner, microwave a MRE (meal ready to eat), or make a PB& J sandwich. However, this past holiday I have rediscovered my love for cooking and baking.
It's weird. The love has been here the entire time. But in the necessity of the hour (helping my family prepare for Thanksgiving) the love resurfaced and slowly enveloped me. Now I won't let it go. The power of creating a meal, experimenting with ingredients, and filling it with love is too intoxicating to let go. I zone out...but in a good way :-).
There's a nice article called The Zen of Cooking that explains it better than me.
Don't get it twisted, though. I'm no gourmet chef. I dabble. I equate myself with a causal jogger while the real chefs run the marathons. TriniGourmet.com is an excellent site for both dabbler and chef alike. It helped me get back to that hidden love. I just enjoy the process and the feeling of accomplishment. The enthusiasm I feel for cooking is addicting, so I hope I can keep the fire of enthusiasm burning.
I realize that I chase after "enthusiasm" in my life. It gives me a reason to get up in the morning. According to Wikipedia, Enthusiasm comes from the Ancient Greek originally meant inspiration or possession by a divine afflatus or by the presence of God.
After reading that definition, it explained why I chase after the Goddess of Enthusiasm. It brings me closer to the divine.
I shared my new "project". What gives you that natural "high"? What brings enthusiasm to your life?
04/30/2008
The Ice Cream Man Cometh
It's 5:00pm. I'm winding down at the couch after working out and that's when I hear it...
The sugary sweet electronic piped song from a loud speaker. The song is familiar but ultimately irrelevant. It sounds like the Ice Cream Man!
I run over to the window to take a look. I can't see the truck. The leaves from the trees have thickened out, blocking my view. However, I still hear that sweet music, playing in a loop. There's no doubt. It is the Ice Cream Man!
Mentally, I'm checking to see if I have any change. Nope. Only 45 cents. Not enough. Ice cream is expensive nowadays. Is there any change in the couch?
Then, I stop myself. Wait a minute. Why am I sweating this? I'm reacting like I did when I was eight, when I was rushing to get money to buy a Bigfoot Popsicle. I feel I little foolish and a little nostalgic at the same time.
"I can buy a whole box of Popsicles or Push-Ups for the price the Ice Cream man would charge for two", I whimper to myself (still wishing I had enough pocket change).
Is the magnetic pull of the Ice Cream man song that powerful? Or is it just the memories of a simpler time?
04/26/2008
The virtue of Fearlessness
To be free of fear would be a wonderful thing.
Getting sick and tired of being "sick & tired"? Fear is at the center of that feeling.
I've noticed how much fear follows me and surrounds me daily. I've also noticed how much I allow fear to control me and how it makes me weak.
There's a nice short article by Dr. Lisa Love about fearlessness and the need for true courage. Link
In essence, its a nice reminder about how much we allow fear in our lives.
Its not gonna be easy to shake the habit of fear but I feel the reward of freedom will be worth it.
Have you noticed the stench of "fear" in your life?
04/16/2008
Afro-Samurai the Video Game?
Say What?! I love me some anime. I love me some games and I love me some black folks. Three great things that taste great together. Combine all three together into a video game?
I am so there!
When Afro-Samurai initially aired on SPIKE TV I missed it. Once I heard about it later and about Samuel L. Jackson's involvement I was intrigued. When I found out that it was an animated film with manga roots plus a leading character of African descent, I was sold.
I bought the series as soon as it was released on DVD.. Verdict: Not bad. It was a solid flick.
If the developers at Namco don't screw this up, either in concept or execution, this might turn out to be a great game.
Please Lawd, let it be a good game.
Gamespot UK has a nice preview here. Link.
04/05/2008
If you wanna be fit on a budget...
I was never a fan of weight training. I wasn't really a fan of exercise (period!). I realize that after I left the military, it might be a good idea to stay in shape if I wanted to stay healthy.
Over the years, I've incorporated jogging into my daily routine. As a result, I lost weight. I added Tae-Bo AMPED! to the program. I lost a lot more! It was great. However, I was still missing solid muscle tone and definition.
Until.... I discovered the Get RIPPED!™series by Jari Love.
Now I'm stronger than I have ever been! I would looked even better if I didn't have this layer of fat over my ripped abs! I recently added Get Ripped! and Chiseled to my routine last month and it has kick my tail up and down the house (but in a good way!).
I highly recommend her DVDs (for both men and women). Amazon has the best prices, so go check it out. I recommend reading the user reviews on the site as well to see how others have fared with her system.
Note: Please watch your diet. I slipped on my dietary program so my results could have been even more dramatic. Avoid sugary foods, bread and dairy products to see that six-pack. I had to learn the hard way.
10/28/2007
03/18/2007
..and the verdict, please...
I really enjoyed this movie. My wife and I saw "300" last night to a packed auditorium at our local AMC theaters. My wife even liked it. The audience seemed to filled with mostly 20-30 something men and their mates. Judging from the reactions after the movie (some people actually applauded), it seems that this movie has hit on their hands (over $80 million so far). Most of the reactions I observed were very positive, even during the more violent battle scenes. I think this is a great comic book movie. It was exciting, eye-pleasing and at times very humorous. The movie played up the themes of honor, glory and freedom ("Freedom isn't free!"). All these themes resonated with me at a very core level. However, the movie did have some short-comings. The movie tended to "demonizing" the Persian enemies as blood thirsty, effeminate monsters, and the digital effects were very obvious in some parts. Nevertheless, the movie could be easily forgiven in the light of its comic-book like presentation. Overall, I recommend it.
If you want to compare the events of the movie with what history actually records, click here: 300 vs. History.
If you want to compare the events of the movie with what history actually records, click here: 300 vs. History.
03/17/2007
The Ghost of Sparta Returns
I bought and played God of War II for the PS2 yesterday. Let me just say...it's Awesome! Almost as awesome as the first game but not quite as awesome as sharks with laser beams (Can anything really top that?). The story line is top-notch and has Kratos, as the former god of War, battling the gods of Olympus (specifically Zeus). I'm only on Chapter 2, but I haven't played my Playstation 2 this much in a long time (8 hours).
This must be the year for all things Spartan. First the movie 300 gets released in theaters and now the game based on a psychotic Spartan is released. If the movie is half as good as the game...it just might be Sparta's Best Week Ever!
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