BONUS: Click the links for even more fun…well…some are funny at least.

Maybe it’s the 4 conference calls I had today…maybe it’s the fact that my back has now been hurting for two weeks…but whatever it is, I’m feeling angry and bitter today so…

This post is dedicated to those who just need to shut-up, those who need to stop pretending and just be who they are, and those who need to branch out and become better.

Shut-up:

The Twilight series is not great literature.  I’m sure they’re enjoyable books, and that’s great.  Enjoyable and popular do not equal classic.  We should all have learned that in High School.  Same thing goes for most movies being produced lately.  To put it nicely, they’re not timeless classics.  Saying you liked, or even loved a pop culture book or movie is fine, but don’t compare them to real classics.  Don’t break down the themes and try to say that vampires, for example, are a metaphor for adulthood and that the story is really about how the adult world is simultaneously attractive, scary, and repulsive.  I promise you the screenwriters and even the author never had those thoughts.

Corporate leaders who say things like “leverage our strengths” and “next-gen appeal” usually don’t know what the hell they’re talking about.  If one more out of touch corporate exec tries to tell me how to relate to this next generation of law students my head will explode.  Twitter is NOT the answer.  Facebook is NOT the answer.  They might be part of the answer, but really, both are old news.  This generation is not swayed by traditional marketing tactics.  You just can’t reach them that way.  I don’t care how many PowerPoint slides you have.  By the way, even your use of PowerPoint tells me you’re out of touch.

Those predicting the end of the world or the coming revolution.  I spent some time on a long drive this week listening to two different political podcasts.  One was extreme right-wing conservative, the other was openly communist.  Here’s what I found interesting: both podcasts were saying the revolution is coming soon, and both were aimed at the disenfranchised middle and lower middle class in America.  Here is what I know to be fact: one group or another has been claiming the end is near or the revolution is imminent for centuries and that they’ve very rarely been even close to right.  It’s called manipulation.  We know it as using fear to persuade others.  Those guilty include the media, politicians, religious leaders, and many others.  Shut-up.  Real, lasting leadership doesn’t come from fear or guilt.  It comes from being someone people want to follow.  By the way, the communist podcast had much better music.

Stop Pretending and Just Be Who You Are:

I’m a wine lover.  I’m also a beer lover.  I make both.  I drink both.  I know both pretty well.  But I’m not a wine snob or a beer snob.  I’m just as likely to buy a bottle of 3 buck chuck or a 6 pack of Bud as I am to pick up a nice Pinot Noir or a microbrew.  Moreover, just because I usually choose to drink beer doesn’t mean people who prefer wine are somehow better or smarter than me.  If you’re going to critique wine for everyone at the table – know what the hell you’re talking about, because someone else at the table probably does (and it just might be the guy drinking the Bud from the bottle).  You can spot a fake by their tendency to cling to the vocabulary used by wine books and people on television who are tasting wine and trying to sound fancy.  Words like “nose” and “essence” are dead giveaways.  Another good hint is a person who will swirl the wine in the glass and then not smell it.  Folks, that’s WHY you swirl it.  It breaks the surface tension and allows the aromas to be released from the wine.  One more — someone who holds a white wine up to the light and gives it a discerning look and then says something inane like “beautiful color.”  It’s true that wine experts will hold wines up to the light – but it’s usually not to judge the color…and when they do judge the color, they’re not looking for beauty – they’re assessing whether the color fits the varietal of wine…a chardonnay, for example should be a deep golden color…not a pale yellow.  Usually, when they hold it up to the light, they’re looking for the presence of tannins on the surface…it’s a brownish tint to the very edge of the wine’s surface and it tells them things about the wine’s composition and its age.  Funny thing is – it only works for RED wines.  If you’re doing it with white wines, you’re probably faking it.  Oh and if one more puke at a company dinner tells me that the Chardonnay has a “buttery finish with hints of vanilla and pear” I WILL lose my shit.  It’s CHARDONNAY!  Of course it has a buttery finish and vanilla and pear undertones.  That’s like saying “this car has seats and a steering wheel…and maybe just a hint of an engine.”  People who know wine will tell it like they experience it.  Their descriptive vocabulary is limited only by their actual vocabulary, they are not confined to buzzwords.

Arm-chair survivalists and preppers.  Too many people spend time memorizing military terminology so they can sound hardcore.  If one more beer gutted, non-veteran blogger uses the term OPSEC in reference to the secrecy surrounding their preps I will scream.  E&E…same thing.  What, pray tell, are you planning to escape and evade from?  Folks, ask a vet and with few exceptions they will tell you that the military taught them VERY little about survival and what they did learn was usually limited to combat survival – which is a different animal than most other brands.  If you want to know survival and preparedness, watching an idiot eat bear shit on a TV show will not get you there.  You need to read.  You need to study.  But mostly, you need to DO.  I’m somewhat knowledgeable with survival and bushcraft and I’m a downright novice when it comes to disaster preparation – this despite the fact that I’ve been reading, studying, and do-ing for several years now.  I learn new stuff literally every day and I’ve long since realized that I will never stop learning.

Branch Out and Be Better:

If you’re a vegetarian, that’s fine.  Good for you.  You’ll probably live longer than I will and I would never ask you to defend your choice.  In fact, as a good host, if you’re a guest in my house for dinner I will make sure you have something to eat besides the side-dishes.  But for God’s sake – branch out a bit beyond pasta and cheese.  If you only knew how many vegetarians I’ve eaten with that don’t even know their vegetables!  It’s infuriating.  I’m a die-hard carnivore and know my veggies and shrooms.  I also know how to prepare them and which meats they taste good with.  I had lunch with a vegetarian not long ago and she complained about this “stuff” in her salad.  It was frisee.  Frisee is a kind of lettuce you can get at pretty much every grocery store.  It can be a bit better and usually gets paired with some sort of fruity vinaigrette as a result, but it’s not exactly exotic fare.  Branch out.  While I’m at it – why do some vegetarians buy meat substitutes?  If meat is so bad, why do you eat the pretend version?  You’re a vegetarian, eat VEGETABLES.

Political advocates – I don’t care what your political leaning is – independent, liberal, conservative, communist, facist, libertarian, socialist or anarchist.  You have a right to believe what you believe, I’ll fight for that right, and you are welcome to read this blog.  But whatever you are, make sure you know how you got to be that way AND why you choose to stay that way.  Learn the philosophy behind your political beliefs.  Experience life in other parts of the country or world.  Listen to viewpoints from outside your sphere of comfort.  Approach problems with an open mind.  Formulate your own opinions before you find out what your party’s line is.  Don’t believe something just because your parents did.  Gather information and make up your own mind.  That’s why you have one.  Some may not like that I say this, but if you don’t know the issues or anything about the candidates running – for God’s sake, DON’T VOTE.  Some say it’s your civic duty to vote.  I disagree.  It’s your civic duty to cast a vote you believe in and you shouldn’t be believing in things you don’t personally understand.  If you’re one of the people that votes straight party line in every election without even taking a minute to read about the issues, I’m talking to you.  One of the biggest tragedies of the U.S. Presidential electoral system is also one of its most redeeming qualities.  In the U.S. Presidential election, the popular vote means nothing.  The electoral college is what counts.  While it’s true that a system that negates the popular vote is subject to abuse, we must also realize that the system is designed the way it is to protect us from voters who don’t know the issues but vote anyway.  The mindless masses.  The sheeple.  And yes…the angry mob too.  For better or worse, there is no such mechanism to protect us on local or state issues – so either know the issues or don’t fucking vote.

This is as close to a Mayberry style rant as I get folks.  Hope you enjoyed it!

It seems like lately whenever I meet someone new, they always end up telling me “you remind me of someone I know” or “you look like [insert name here]”. I can’t decide if this is a good thing. What if I remind them of the kid they hated in middle school or their uncle with the hairy back? Or maybe I remind them of the funny, good-lookin’ guy who they used to work with. Usually I just get the obligatory “you remind me of this guy I went high school with” or, my personal favorite, “you look like my friend Mark”. Really? Who the hell is Mark? I never really know how to respond to these assessments. Do I say thanks? Do I act offended? Do I tell them they’re wrong? I always wonder if they are secretly mocking me or if they are just trying to be nice. What if Mark is a huge gomer? What if the guy they went to high school with is a burnout? I usually just smile and think to myself that Mark is the coolest guy they’ve ever met because I don’t know how else to take it. I know I probably shouldn’t care or even spend time thinking about these things. But I can’t help it. I have a tendency to analyze things that probably shouldn’t be analyzed.

Anyway, last Sunday night I was told by the in-laws that I vaguely resemble Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo. Well that’s good, I think. It’s better than the fat guy from Austin Powers. But I’ve decided to have some fun with this new look-a-like game.

Okay, granted it’s not Pitt or McConaughey, but, hey, I’ll take it. Let’s see here: Rich? Check. NFL baller? Check. Smart enough to get rid of Jessica Simpson and her crazy dad? Check. I’m going to go ahead and say this one falls into the compliment category.

So, I was in the Atlanta airport at Burger King ordering a couple Whopper Jr.’s and the lady working the counter told me I looked like the guy from Extreme Home Makeover, Ty Pennington. Even though this guy’s show makes my wife cry more often than I do, I’ll take it as a compliment.

A couple weeks ago I got a text from a buddy who was at a Jack’s Mannequin concert out in California, and he claimed that I look like the lead singer Andrew McMahon. I’ve got to admit I’m not sure I see it. I actually think that Andrew McMahon kind of looks like my next door neighbor Kevin. But, hey, the dude fronts a band, so I’ll take it. 

Then, on Saturday night, the wife and I went out to eat with our friends Amanda and Jason. About halfway through dinner, Jason told me I kind of look like the Man vs. Wild guy Bear Grylls. I had to admit that I’d never seen the show, so I had no clue who the hell Bear Grylls was. I Googled him on Sunday, and I really hope I don’t look that old. But, hey, this guy wrestles bears for a living and eats large snakes for fun, so, whatever, Bears Grylls it is.

Okay, I think I can do better than that.

I think these comparisons are starting to get worse. A couple summers ago I buzzed my head for the first time in my life. I was digging my new look until the first words out of my buddy Justin’s mouth were “hey K-Fed, what’s up?” I’m pretty sure I don’t look anything like the ex-dancer that knocked up Britney Spears. But this guy gets to sit at home every day and collect $20,000 a month just for having been Britney’s boy toy. You know what? He might be fat now, but for $20,000 a month, one could do worse.

I’m sure you’ve heard of it, but there is an application on Facebook called My Heritage. The program allows you to upload a picture of your face and, based on your hair and facial features, gives you a small list of celebrities that you most closely resemble. When I first tried this I thought it was going to be pretty fun. I thought I could finally end the look-a-like debate. I was hoping for somebody really good looking like David Beckham or Matt Damon. Or maybe somebody cool like Johnny Depp or Eddie Vedder. I definitely wasn’t banking on being the gay guy off Will and Grace. Mr. Sean Hayes! You know what? I think I’m just going to be myself.

Each day is filled with choices for us to take…

Ask yourself what choices are you making and where are they taking you? You might not be free falling through the sky into a survival show, but you are needing  skills of observation, choices and action! See how he does it…

Cheers!

Coach A.

www.LifeTrekkingCoach.com

Day 10 of NaNoWriMo is here. I am slightly behind the average numbers of words per day. Now, this is a thrilling moment and a frustrating one. This is a fantastic and thrilling moment because this is the most I have written so quickly and on one story. (I do not have word count ability on my two screenplays!!!) Not only is it the most I have written but so far there is plenty left to write. The outline I created and the brief points I wanted to cover all are included in each chapter. What makes it even more enjoyable is that things happen in the chapter I never expected. Well, I should rephrase that slightly. The beginning and end I have mapped out for each chapter. The main body seems to fill itself out through the characters and their actions. I am okay with this. Some writers might shy away. I still question my sanity when a character does something I never knew they could do. Who knew an angel could sense a soul / presence?

The frustrating part is that I am behind in word count. I am currently behind about 1,000 words. Now I did miss a day and half of writing…so, by those calculations I am ahead. But to keep my ego in check I also remind myself that 50,000 is due by the end of the month, not the day after. So, weekdays are for getting the average of 1,667 and weekends are for shooting past that. I just need to plan ahead a little better knowing that when certain events happen that require me to be there, like my fiancee’s performances!

Yes, all of that is really boring and pointless unless you are actually trying to reach the milestone of 50,000.

Back to the title of this post. While outlining and dealing with creatures of the night, zombies and vampires, on a regualr basis now for 10 days I have come across something interesting that never is explained. Vampires never eat food or drink something other than blood. I am alright with this piece of information. My brain does not require a biological explanation.

But zombies eat flesh and ,if they are lucky, also some brains. (I consider brains a delicacy for zombies, not their primary source of food.)Now to anyone that looks at the problem logically, if all a zombie dos is eat human flesh, why aren’t zombies incredibly portly creatures that roll everywhere? Their bodies are dead which means that stomach acid no longer works to break down anything ingested. This also means that all flesh consumed would just sit within the stomach cavity rotting away. So, here’s the quandry: Does a zombie take a shit? If, yes, then I am cool with zombies being known for eating machines. If, no, then here’s the next question. Does a zombie get full?

I think the reason my brain is having trouble with these questions is because no books or movies ever cover zombies shitting, getting full, or eating other zombies. We, as the audience, only know them as human eaters. They are the Terminator of the gluttony family. They never sleep and they will never stop eating until the last human is dead.

I think to put my mind at ease as I write about the zombie apocalypse and vampires protecting humans for food, zombies do shit. They do it in their panties, boxers, briefs, swim trunks, jeans, khakis, and panty hose. (I exclude thongs because it would just go past them.) They do it while they are eating and walking. And as I write this it dawns on me what a great way to track and kill zombies…follow their trails of shit. Maybe I should ask Bear Grylls to do a nice Halloween episode next year and have Max Brooks tag along.

Alright, off to my NaNoWriMo 50,000 milestone. And Happy Shitting!!!

EvilB Theme Song

People always comment on my theme song, I can’t take all the credit…although I did come up with the original concept, my Italian cousin Marco, completely out of the blue, took it upon himself to do his own remix.

The original version was just me and an acoustic guitar, have a listen here:
(Right Click / Save As):
EvilB Theme Acoustic Original (.mp3)

The version Marco created for me took my simple idea and took it to another level using his vocals:
(Right Click / Save As):
EvilB Theme Remix (.mp3)

Here’s an extended Intro/Outro video featuring the theme song using Trapcode Form in Adobe After Effects:

It’s Featured in Full in this Mashup Youtube video:

Check out my current youtube channel here:
EvilBproductions

Origin of EvilB

When you instal windows on a pc, it always asks you to give your computer a name. I always called by computer ‘EVILBRAIN’ because it was a cold calculating machine…so products of the ‘EVILBRAIN’ became – ‘evilbrainproductions’.
So when I first joined youtube back in 2006 i chose the name evilbrainproductions, I was a gamer, obsessed with playing Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield Vietnam online multiplaying games, uploading videos on to www.youtube.com/evilbrainproductions of me and my ‘REDUX CLAN‘ mates.

Back then I was known as ‘Cream-Dream REDUX’ and I was joint leader of the REDUX CLAN.
This was the first video I ever edited and the first to go up on my suspended youtube channel ‘evilbrainproductions’:

Then after a year or so in 2007  I started uploading videos of myself experimenting with special effects, of me playing guitar, vlogging and responding to the online community and making friends on youtube. So on 29 February 2008 I created another youtube channel to seperate my gaming videos, from my music and special effects videos by creating a channel dedicated to the clan: youtube.com/reduxclan

Here’s a few more examples of my early clan videos:

Although i’ve left the clan, I’m still mates with a few of them, and i still edit videos for them.
These I made a year ago:

This one features a song I made for the video:

This one is just a bit of a laugh:

I helped to make this video six months ago:

At some point, responding to the youtube community as ‘evilbrainproductions’, someone in the comments section of an AngryAussie video called me ‘EvilB’ and it kinda stuck…I liked it ;[)

So I started getting more into youtube, as it’s a perfect creative outlet for combining music, poetry, comedy and video editing all in one like this:

Or maybe play one of your favorite songs in the world like this:

Or short horror movies on Halloween:

Or share your travels like this:

Or a parody series of Bear Grylls:

Or messing around with Special Effects:

Or Time lapse videos:

Or Baazar and strange videos even you don’t understand why the hell you made them:

Three months ago I was suspended from youtube after i was false flagged by religious nutjobs.
I tried to get my channel back, but to no avail…
So on 31 July 2009 I started again, with my new channel EvilBproductions … so far so good…
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel Here:
youtube.com/evilbproductions

Peace…

EvilB

HOLY CRAP Drago just knocked out Apollo. He’s not looking good after that. -ThereIsNoGodZilla

I agree with the widow Creed and blame Rocky, he should have thrown in the towel.  No matter how proud Apollo was.

Would you take $10,000 to Teabag a hibernating bear? -TinHearted

I’m pretty sure he’d fucking tear you to pieces before you unbuttoned your pants.  So, no thanks.

Watching Bored To Death? -NineInchMark

Yeah, last Sundays was particularly funny, with the Craigslist girl. But the show is okay. More interesting than it is funny.  I don’t like that he never loses a case. It would make the show more appealing if you weren’t sure it was gonna work out in the end. I suppose they could be setting up for something.

FACT: Les Stroud > Bear Grylls -wool21

Les takes himself too seriously and is over-dramatic. We don’t need to see him bored in the wilderness to prove that he’s there.  They should merge the shows and drop one in one spot one week, and the other in the same spot the next week and see who has the best ideas and easiest time. Now, we’re talking.

“Taking Ecstasy is Safer Than Riding A Horse” -British Drug Czar David Nutt.  Reply? -BBSS8833

What a coincidence, Ecstasy is less exciting than riding a horse, also.

Rachel Scotts Dad came to talk to us at school today.  Shes the girl killed in the Columbine attacks that had all these premonitions of the attack and her death and stuff.   Very moving and eerie.  Have you heard of this? -everpack17

Have you heard the theory that she was in on the attack?  Apparently, there’s concern that she wanted to die, but didn’t want to commit suicide.  I’ve even read that the three of them had sex because no one wants to die a virgin, and then she did a bunch of things to look like she knew it was going to happen, because she did.  She even “somehow” saved her brother, who had a gun to his head at one point from several accounts.  I don’t subscribe to anyones version of the situation, because I wasn’t there and I really don’t care.  But when given the basic choices of “Knowing Co-conspirator” or “Teenager with mystical powers”, I’m going to invariably go with the one that’s more likely.

You’re from Boston.  Ever been to Salem on Halloween?  I just went, shit gets crazy there, It’s like being in the North Pole for Christmas, it just feels right. -EricaLamb

I prefer not to support the site of one of the most retarded government-sanctioned murder sprees in the countries history.   But thanks for asking, though.

I am part Japanese, and I don’t consider the word “jap” to be offensive.  -DaGr1lla

I don’t see how anyone could.  It’s like “Jew” or “Brit”.  But some Japanese people do get offended. So, I’ll still avoid the word to not chance bringing someone negativity because I’m not so lazy that I need to shorten a three syllable word.

PS3 fans are loving that party chat was removed from the XBox, but they never had it at all!  How does it feel, fanboy? -5Mt1.

Great, knowing that all my online games have been legitimate, and not open to rampant cheating exposed on the XBox. It’s like someone who has beaten cancer asking someone else “Hows it feel not having Cancer?”  It’s great, and you look retarded for asking such a retarded question.

Would you have to be really bored or have nothing better to do in order to take revenge on someone?  Let’s say someone you love gets killed. You have a 4.0 GPA and have a lot on your plate, maybe even an athletic scholarship. Could you be bothered to seek revenge? Would your decision depend on your itinerary? If I were bored enough I’d enact tons of revenge. -DudeListen

Revenge is not motivated by boredom or an abundance of free time. Revenge is motivated by injustice, and usually comes at the expense of future plans, not in spite of them.  If you aren’t emotional enough to concoct revenge, then you’re just wasting your effort thinking about how awesome it would be if you did.  That’s called a “grudge”.   Revenge isn’t rational. You either sacrifice things to obtain it, or you don’t care enough to do so. That’s it, the only two options.

Cam toti stim celebra emisiune de pe Discovery a carui prezentator este Bear. De aceasta data vine in Romania,pentru a va arata cum sa supravietuiti in padurile din Transilvania.Ceea ce e foarte tare ,a venit si la noi in tarisoara!!! Mie sincer mi se parea mai relevant daca il lasau in mijlocul Bucurestiului sa ajunga la un hotel fara taxi.Atunci era de supravietuire:)) Asa in paduri si in astea se mai poate…

Oricum vizionare placuta:

Tourism bosses in the south should be jumping at a gilt-edged promotional opportunity floating around cyber-space right now.

A Facebook petition to get Man vs Wild star Bear Grylls to film an episode of the adventure show in Fiordland has garnered almost 5,000 names (they’re looking for 10,000, so sign up). A new series of the Discovery Channel show will be filmed in April.  

The live salmon-eating, camel hump water-drinking star is looking for new destinations in which to leap out of helicopters and live off the land, in a (ok, kinda slightly stage-managed) battle for survival.

When we consider that this week Lonely Planet  named Fiordland one of its favourite New Zealand destinations, it would be timely for our tourism leaders, such as Venture Southland, to get a bit more creative and pro-active in promoting the south.

It wouldn’t be a bad move when you consider about 4 million viewers tuned into his “special” show with funny-man Will Ferrell last season.

Go on Southland – bring on the Bear!

Ryan, ever tolerant, in reference to this video of a Bear Grylls dinner (warning, not for the faint-hearted):

“I would much rather eat delicious rare moose steak cooked over a fire than to take a bite out of a still beating heart.  To each his own.”

- Anna

…

“Starting Today, You’re a Brand: Building Your Brand & Your Business” is the last of the PhotoPlus seminars I’ll be writing about here. (I hope the previous posts have been of some use to you.) The panel was led by Lynn Martin and featured Ken Carbone of the branding and design agency Carbone Smolan, Shama Hyder of ClicktoClient, Brandweek editor-in-chief Todd Wasserman, and action and lifestyle photographer Corey Rich, whose story will be my focus.

…

Corey Googled himself and reviewed the results with us. His website came up first. Then his blog. Here he talked a bit about his “matter-of-fact” approach to blogging and to Twitter. He uses Twitter to announce work-related news, such as what he’s shooting, where he’s going, where he is (since location is central to his work). The third result is his MySpace account, which he said he hadn’t touched since 2008. (It’s useful to keep tabs on those old accounts. Bio text you wrote even just last year, for example, may no longer be relevant.)

He also looked himself up on Google Images. One of his photos was there, linked to an interview he did with a blogger. Corey said he “always” says yes when he’s asked for an interview. “Every opportunity to share opens a set of doors,” he said.

Corey has a Facebook account, but it’s “really targeted.” His focus is clients and other industry pros, so he’s not writing status updates about stuff like a hangover he has from some party he went to. For him, this professional approach has paid off professionally. A status update he wrote about having just photographed Dean Potter do a wingsuit jump (sorry, I don’t speak extreme sports) in the Eiger elicited an admiring comment from an editor at Sports Illustrated, who called the event “radical.”

Corey also said that Facebook is a great way to simply be in front of the audience he wants to reach. People have FB open on their computer while they work, and even if they don’t respond to his status updates, they see those updates. “Do you get work from Facebook? Absolutely.”

His example was a friend of his at the Discovery Channel who noticed a question Corey had posted in his status update. She didn’t respond to the question, but she did write him to say that Discovery was looking for someone to shoot an ad for the show Man Vs. Wild and she thought he’d be perfect for it. “Facebook allowed me to be in front of her that day,” Corey said. (That Discovery job, by the way, led to further work with Bear Grylls, the host of Man Vs. Wild. Bear’s clothing sponsor later called Corey to ask about licensing some of his photos for a catalogue. And that turned into a whole new lifestyle shoot for the catalogue.)

…

Other notable bits from the seminar:

Shama gave stats indicating that people are far more likely to watch a full video clip than to read a full text entry. (It was something like they’re 64% more likely to finish a video, while only 24% read to the end of the text.) She described an experiment she did with video where she started her own online TV show. It was personal stuff—not about her business. She figured no one would watch it, but when she checked the analytics, it turns out a Shama TV video clip of her with her dog, Snoopy, had been embedded 8,500 times. Woof.

Ken Carbone offered mantra-like directives, like “Unify, Simplify, Amplify.” Basically, figure out who you are and what you have to offer, distill that identity into something that people can easily understand, and say it loud. “Make it so every time you’re communicating with your audience, it’s reinforced in every touch point,” he said.

Ken said he gets five to six e-blasts from photographers every day. “There’s more photographers now than there were three seconds ago,” he said. (I know it hurts, but you have to admit it’s a funny line.)

He also made interesting point about publicizing a new development in your business. I’ve heard photographers and business owners say that they have a new service but are going to slowly roll it out. From what I gathered, Ken was against that, and I agree with him. Wait till you have the service ready to go and you’re prepared to deal with demand (which will hopefully come), and then roll it out loud and with purpose. “If you have something new to say, don’t whisper it,” Ken advised. “Find the right moment to do it, and do it.”

…

….

Os voy a dejar un regalo, casi impagable:

LA IMAGEN DE TU VIDA – El ataque de las focas (1984)

]]> http://baysideufl.wordpress.com/2009/10/22/the-bear-man/ Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:51:27 +0000 baysideufl http://baysideufl.wordpress.com/2009/10/22/the-bear-man/

Went and saw Bear Grylls speak last night. That dude is awesome. I won’t even go into all the reasons why. During his talk, the host wanted him to show us some survival techniques for getting back to our cars safely. So he demonstrates on one of the speakers from the conference. I’ll just put it this way. Anytime someone attacks you and you end up standing over them holding their hand between 2 fingers and them going “ow, ow, ow”…you are B.A.!

 For survival the rule of 3 is this. We cannot survive for more than 3 hours if we are exposed to extremely low temperatures, for more than 3 days without water, or 3 weeks without food.

Bear Grylls regularly pushes his physical limits to show others how to survive. Bear eats barbecued turtle and maggots on the run, sleeps in very inhospitable places, drinks urine straight from a snake’s bladder and strips off in the snow to get warm.  He also pushes his mental limits to meet these challenges. He is a strong advocate for good communication for meeting the challeges of everyday life.

So that’s the rule of 3 + 1 in my books. The + 1 is that we need our emotions to survive.

Evolutionary history bears this out (no pun intended).  Think about the fight or flight response. You are walking along a bush track. You see a snake. Your body responds immediately so you can take action. You are ready to get out of danger and avoid possible harm before you can blink. This response is hard wired in all of us deep down in our pre-evolutionary brains. Even though the human brain has evolved over many years our primary emotional responses are still part of our biological repertoire because they are adaptive. They help us to survive in a complex, everchanging world.

I love what Richard Lane had to say about why we still have these primary emotional responses:

Emotional responses provide an immediate assessment of the extent to which goals or needs are being met in our interaction with the environment, and they reset the organism behaviorally, physiologically, cognitively, and experientially to adjust to these changing circumstances. [1]

Most of us are not facing Bear Grylls type scenarios in our everyday lives. But in everyday, non life-threatening situations, emotions influence what you do in the short term to prevent future problems.

This is still about ensuring survival.

For example feeling insecure and fearful about old age motivates us to exercise, eat a healthy diet and plan and execute solid financial strategies to ensure a more comfortable (safe) retirement. Here emotion involves a coupling of physical responses (feeling worried, fearful) and psychological events (imagining possible outcomes) and this urges us to act in a way that accords with our own personal goals. This involves higher brain processes than the ‘fight or flight’ response in that there is integration of information in the hypothalamus and the channeling of information to the cortex where conscious awareness originates.

 So you can see how what you do is powerfully influenced by emotions operating at both conscious and unconscious levels. Your emotions are shaped by your environment, and your unique development history from childhood to the present. So in modern man emotional responses are a complex chain of events. You must integrate what’s happening in your world with what’s happened in your past.

Survival involves getting out of danger, but also moving towards those things that promote survival. For example relationships with others. A sense of connection with other people is fundamental to the quality of human life and emotion is a key component of that process. The ability to perceive emotional cues and use them helps to build and maintain the social support strongly linked to emotional and physical health.

[1] Lane, R. (2008). Neural substrates of implicit and explicit emotional processes: A unifying framework for psychosomatic medicine. Psychosomatic Medicine. 70(2): 214-231.

What if Bear Grylls was a grill?

What if Bear Grylls was a grill?

See also: What if Bear Grylls was a bear?

I circulated the ET media database (around 270 press contacts) with the EXERCISE TRANSGLOBE NEWS UPDATE # 8 and all of these updates + excerpts of the blogs (on the event website’s blog pages) can usually be found here incase my news releases don’t make it onto the official website first (quite possible). Currently the website tracking isn’t operating and there’s a holding note on the blog page saying ERROR: This blog is on hold because its bandwidth has been exceeded.

Despite the technical hitches and glitches on the website (all owing to lack of proper funding), what is becoming so clear as we head off on Leg 4, especially for the more novice members of the crews, is how much of a voyage of discovery this really is – the whole idea of TRANSGLOBE is proving to be a winner in terms of getting to grips with steep learning curves and testing skills and determination, courage and relationships, not to mention engendering that all-important trust in each other. Its a formidable challenge that lies ahead with the Southern Ocean to negotiate. What a blistering adventure of a lifetime this is proving to be and I am so proud to be a tiny part of it.

Sqn Ldr Cottrell, who wrote me this delightful email the day after we sent the three yachts off on their first leg to Lanzarote back in July, and who is responsible for running this Exercise, is now on board the RAF yacht Disco battling his way towards the Southern Ocean.

TRANSGLOBE Supporter Babs Powell with Neil Cottrell

My dear Peta,

Last night, for the first time in many months,  I slept well because yesterday we sent three yachts away on the start of TRANSGLOBE with an exceptional send off and only 2 days after a fantastic Patrons’ Day.  I will write a formal letter of thanks to Nick Knowles this week and send it to you to pass on to him.

I and the TRANSGLOBE participants are very lucky that you contacted us earlier this year and offered your services as our Press Officer. Under your direction and expert guidance we have delivered the very best possible Media, Patrons’ and Start Day events that we could on such a shoe string budget.  In comparison to the multi-million sponsorship deals of events like the Volvo Ocean Race and the Vendee Globe, I don’t think we have done at all badly.  I am proud of what we as a team (You, me Andy and Clive) have been able to achieve.  Thank you.

I will try very hard to secure funding so that we can continue to draw on your expertise, energy and enthusiasm right through to the triumphant return of the three yachts next July.  Whatever funding I can secure will never be enough to repay you financially for the commitment and professionalism that you have brought to this enterprise.  Nevertheless, I hope that you know just how deeply grateful I, Andy, Clive and every TRANSGLOBE participant are for having you with us these last few months.

I truly value your friendship and look forward to the post-TRANSGLOBE reception when we can really celebrate the success of this expedition.
Yours, Neil

Our Ambassador, Nick Knowles, on start gun duty. We’ve invited him to do a leg of the TRANSGLOBE next year and he’s considering it but is an extremely busy man these days…

…but not too busy to give your’s truly a cuddle!

Bear Grylls is another of our high profile supporters

1. The Bernie Mac Show

2. Robot Chicken

3. Man vs. Wild

4. The History Channel (almost any show)

5. Old Horror Movies

Chuck Norris

san Chuck

Chuck Norris quizas el macho mas rudo del universo que se dedica a darle patadas giratorias a la gente que se atraviesa, se le conoce por no pasar mas de 5 minutos sin armarla.

el cañon rojo de colorado fue creado por un ataque de tos de Chuck Norris.

el no paga el IVA, el gobierno se lo paga a el.

chuck fue a un burger king y pidio un big mac….. y se lo hicieron

habia vida en marte, hasta que un dia Chuck Norris la visito

la criptonita a la que tanto teme superman es solo un moco de Chuck Norris solidificado

Chuck Norris se trago un cubo de rubik entero y luego lo garko resuelto

Chuck norris es 1/8 parte indigena, pero no por sus parientes, sino que se trago a un cherokee entero

el triangulo de las bermudas era un cuadrado hasta que Chuck Norris destruyo una esquina de una patada

los esteroides solo es el zudor de Cuck Norris procesado

el ejercito de soldados de piedra en China eran soldados reales hasta que Chuck Norris les garko encima

las lagrimas de chck norris curan el cancer pero por desgracia Chuck Norris no llora

Chuck Norris vende su orina en lata esta es conocida como Red Bull

Bear Grylls

bear paseando en mordor

el unico que puede vencer a Chuck es el poderoso Bear Grills, macho nacido en inglaterra es el unico que puede pasear en mordor las veces que le de la gana famoso por comer todo lo que se encuentra en su programa de Tv “a prueba de todo”, y en humillar al idiota de “les stroud” (survivorman)

bear hasta ahora se ha comido 12 orcos en sus paseos por mordor (7 de estos los mato el mismo con una pluma)

les stroud, jhon rambo, bryan fury, jack bauer, jan cloe van dame, y steven seagal, tienen un afiche de Bear Grylls en su cuarto

Bear Grylls es el mas jeven en escalar el himalaya, fue mientras estaba en el utero de su madre el mismo se auto aborto dandose patadas, luego llego a la cima gateando y bajo la montaña caminando

lo de los lin kuei no era joda hasta se los comio

Bear cruzo el oceano atlantico a pie y regreso despues de hundir 3 barcos balleneros con un cubo de hielo

Bear Grylls se enfrento a una horda de guerreros lin kuei en el artico los unicos sobrevivientes fueron Sub-Zero y Frost que estaban participando en el torneo de mortal kombat, despues de que se ambos se enteraron han hecho lo posile por huir de Bear

Bear Grylls tambien orina Red bull

depues de todo esto ¿quien considera usted que es el mejor?

So its Sunday, you’re due round at your Mam & Dads for Sunday dinner, and quite frankly, the old cranks are doing your (possibly) hung over head in. How do you cope?

1: Start drinking – Easy this, if you can stomach it, pinch a can out of your Dads stash, or crack open the red wine, you’ll soon be too pissed to give a shit what they’re giving you grief about.

2: Don’t go – I know, technically its not “surviving” but you won’t have to put up with the constant barrage of questions they’ve already asked you before. Although you’re probably hamstringing yourself here and doing yourself out of a fairly decent feed (unless your Mams roasts are as bad as mine).

3: Take the piss – I know some of you probably do this already and I know some of you probably don’t, but taking the piss can make a few hours go fast as fuck. Rip your Dad for the length of his sideburns, give your Mam grief over the state of her roast spuds. Its all good. Even start taking the piss in other ways, crack open your Dads best bottle of Whisky and sling a bag of washing at your Mam.

By Edwin Ouellette

PORTLAND — Bear Grylls will do just about anything. On the Discovery Channel TV show, Man vs. Wild, Grylls ate yak eyeballs in Siberia, drank his own urine in Australia, and survived a two-day excursion with comedian Will Ferrell in the mountains of northern Sweden.

Now, Grylls is promoting the Alpha course in Portland.

The Alpha course offers a casual, non-threatening environment for individuals to explore the Christian faith, said Kirk Petersen, regional director of Alpha Portland. It is targeted toward new believers and non-Christians alike, he added.

Recently, Alpha has kicked off a massive advertising campaign across 30 regions. Ads featuring Grylls can be found on 40 Tri-Met buses in Portland. Additionally, Alpha has partnered with the Luis Palau Association for Palau’s community outreach effort, Season of Service.

“The Alpha organization has years of experience in answering the critical ‘questions of life’ and we recommend the course without hesitation to all new believers,” stated Palau on the Alpha web site, www.alphausa.org. The New York Times called the Alpha course: “a novel approach to Christian education that has been catching on nationwide.”

The Alpha course, which runs 10 weeks long, covers such questions as: “Why and how should I read the Bible?” and “How can I make the most of the rest of my life?” The course also works hand in hand with local churches. Alpha participants attend a series of dinners, where a video presentation is given, along with a time for questions and answers.

The Alpha course has been shown to be substantially effective. According to Petersen, at least 50 percent of Alpha participants make a first time commitment or re-commitment to Christ by the end of the course. The Alpha course connects with the “post-Christian culture” of the current generation, said Petersen.

This summer, the Alpha team launched a regional office in Portland, said Petersen. Eighteen churches in the Portland area are already running the Alpha course. “We’ve seen growth in a number of churches,” said Petersen.

The Alpha course was originally started as a Bible study at Holy Trinity Brompton in London, England in the late 1970s, said Petersen. In fact, it was at this very church that Grylls and his wife, both Christians, first participated in the Alpha course.

In 1990, Nicky Gumble took over the Alpha course and it soon spread across the globe. Since its inception, Alpha has expanded to 33,500 courses in more than 163 countries worldwide, according to the program’s web site.

“A Taste of Alpha,” an informational meeting for pastors interested in hosting the course, will be held Wednesday, Oct. 28 from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Multnomah Presbyterian Church, 7555 S.W. 45th Ave. in Portland. For more information, contact Petersen at kirkpetersen@alphausa.org.

(Article originally appeared in October issue of Christian News Northwest.)

Good episode. You can see the rest of it in the related videos on youtube.

I dreamt of being a lot of things when I was younger.  The world had so much potential and I could’ve been anything.  Some days I was. When I played  with all my friends and I was anything and everything.  I was a doctor, zombie, pirate and everything in-between.  Some things seemed to stick in my head over the years, and were’nt just empty wishes, but actual possibilities.  I’ve learned to never quit dreaming, because each day has just as much potential as it did then.

This is #8 on my countdown of my Top 10 Childhood Dream Jobs.

Park Ranger

Yellowstone.

I’ve always wanted to protect pic-a-nic baskets from unsuspecting bears with ties.  My family did a lot traveling when I was younger.  We went to a slew of National Parks and Forests.  As a kid those things are great.  I remember driving through an area called “Bear Country”.  It was a place where the bears roamed free and you were driving through a whole mess of bears.  A better version of Jurassic Park without the death and dinosaurs.

I love the outdoors.  I would sleep with my window open every night if I could. I just seem to sleep better and wake up easier.  Even if I’ve been sleeping on the hard ground all night I just love to be outside.

Hiking, fishing, camping,  and eating things that most people wouldn’t (thanks Bear Grylls).  That’s what the outdoors is all about.  I thought that being a park ranger would be a cool job.  It didn’t look like work to me.  It looked like one of the best jobs of all times.

Plus park rangers don’t live in cities, they live with nature.  I’ve always thought it would be cool to be like Grizzly Adams and hang out with the bears.  To me it didn’t look like a job as much as it looked like a lifestyle that I wish I had.

now…

Well this dream isn’t completely dead.  I bet I could retire to be a park ranger, but I don’t know how that really works.  If I could live up in some mountain range and spend the rest of my old days there I think It’d be nice, but my friends would all have to have houses on the same mountain and we’d all get together on the weekends and have a pot-luck dinner.  That right there… is perfect bliss.

And the part about hanging out with the bears is a little far fetched.  Bears would rather rip off my face than hang out… according to science.