Friday, May 31, 2013

The past week

So, this past week has been one of good news and even better news. The good news is that at the request of my friends and my girlfriend, I have started to watch Arrested Development on Netflix. It is hilarious and may be the funniest show I have ever seen. My favorite comedy came to an end this past season. I am of course talking about The Office. I am a fan of clever humor and character reaction. With that being said, you can probably understand why Arrested Development is now my favorite comedy show. For those of you who do not know what Arrested Development is I could try to explain it, but that is not what this is about. I am not a TV show critic, nor would I expect anyone to look to me for advice on what TV show to watch. As my dad would say, "You think that anything you see is the 'funniest show ever.'" That is a very true statement. I am easily amused. I do advise anyone who has Netflix to watch Arrested Development. For anyone who does not have Netflix, you should get it. Unless you never watch television, it is a great investment. For $8 a month they offer unlimited online use. I do not think anything else is necessary. Countless TV shows, movies, and documentaries. This past week alone I watched Big Fish (My new favorite movie), I'm Still Here (Mocumentary produced by Casey Affleck about Joaquin Phoenix's life after retiring from acting to pursue a rap career), and Into the Wild (Movie starring Emile Hirsch telling the story of Christopher McCandless who goes into the Alaskan Wilderness with minimal supplies so he can try to live life alone). 3 movies in 1 week. Go back a few years, that would have cost me $15 and I would have to return them in the next few days. I can watch all of these again and again without any worry of late charges.
Also, this is not all that I watched. That was not including Arrested Development and a documentary called Hungry for Change.

Hungry for Change is very interesting because it talks about how addicting food is and how unhealthy it is. It goes into detail about how everything has sugar in it, which is what makes the food addicting. It also explains why we can eat so much candy and unhealthy food and not feel full. Back in the day, we are talking B.C.. our ancestors were hunters and gatherers. Our bodies needed fats and sugars to survive. This was when food was scarce. Our bodies wanted it. Now, 2013, our bodies still want it, however, we do not need it. Food is in abundance. Unfortunately, our food is not natural. Have you ever wondered why you can only eat, maybe two apples, but can chow down an entire package of Oreos? That is because our body wants sugars and fats. We can get sugars out of apples (Fructose) and Oreos. However, Apples have vitamins that our bodies need. Oreos do not. When we eat apples, we get that nutritional value and our cells tell our body that they go the nutrition that they need. Oreos have no nutritional value, except 4% our daily value of iron per cookie. Our body wants fats and sugars so it will tell our brain to keep eating and our cells are looking for vitamins that they are not getting so they are not telling our brain that they are full. Thus, we can eat Oreo after Oreo and then complain when we get fat. This goes for all types of cookies, candies, and most snacks that we have in our cabinets. Fast food does this also. How many burgers can you eat when you cook them on a grill? Probably 2 and feel satisfied. How many McDonald's burgers can you eat in one sitting? If you did not know how bad they were for you and did not consciously stop, probably 4-5. This happens because the meat you get is not good grade meat so it has less vitamins and nutritional value. Mix that with iceberg lettuce and ketchup and mustard and you can keep eating all you want. The scary part is that we do not realize how bad it actually is for us. We need to eat to survive. This is the biggest problem. We are addicted to our food. Everyone needs to eat. Cigarettes are addicting and kill millions of people per year but people do not need to smoke. I have never smoked in my life because I never needed to start. There is no reason for me to smoke so I do not smoke. There is a reason for me to eat. I have been eating from day 1. Everyone has. People need to eat. So if you make food addicting, you affect every person in the world.

Now that I have you depressed I will present the even better news. The even better news is that I got my test results back. Now most of you have no idea what test I am talking about (although, I do not know who reads my blog so if only my family does then you all know) so I will explain a small amount. I had a test, it came back negative, I am fine. That is about all you need to know about my part of the test.

After getting that news, I went rock climbing at Evolution Rock and Fitness in Concord. It is a great place to rock climb. They have a bouldering area and rock walls that are sky high (Or at least up to the ceiling of the warehouse style building). They also offer yoga and exercise machines for members. It is $16 to climb for the day and then about $5 to rent a harness and shoes. You do need to be certified to belay someone but they will certify you right there and it takes all of 5 minutes for them to show you and certify you. It was my second time going there and I will say that my climbing skills are terrible but I improved a bit and am still working at it. After that workout I ended up at Tandy's Top Shelf (Weekly Wednesday stop for Happy Hour), went to my cousin Danny's house for some Rummykub, and tried Magic Hat Cucumber Hibiscus.

Let me explain Magic Hat Cucumber Hibiscus. About a week ago, Danny told me that it was the worst beer he had ever tasted. He told me that he actually dumped out a bottle of it. As always, I decided to give it a shot because I enjoy trying new things. With all eyes (just Danny's) upon me, I took my first sip. I actually enjoyed it. After my first sip I could picture the scene in the Movie The Other Guys when Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg are talking to Steve Coogan in his office about his company being under investigation.

you can watch the clip here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKNvikVWWsk





So if you get a chance to try it, give Magic Hat Cucumber Hibiscus its shot. It may not be the best beer you ever tasted but it will be the first time you tasted a beer like that.



Friday, May 24, 2013

I figure I will make my second post an introduction as to who I am. I currently work at New England College and am working towards my Masters Degree in Higher Education Administration. I attended New England College for my undergraduate as well. While there I ran cross country, was a Resident Advisor, was a brother of the Phi Mu Delta Fraternity, and a member of the criminal justice club.

I enjoy spending time with friends and family and am always looking for a new activity to try. I enjoy spending time outdoors but prefer to be moving when I am. I enjoy hiking, golf, archery, horseshoes, basketball, and just playing catch, whether it be lacrosse, football or baseball. I also enjoy shooting at the gun range and the occasional beer or three.

I am originally from Connecticut but have relocated to New Hampshire. Maybe one day I will end up somewhere else, but for now NH is my home.

I hope that whoever reads this will provide topics for posts or debates. I always enjoy discussions because that is how I learn best. I enjoy learning, so that is what I hope to get out of this.
Hello and welcome to my blog. The whole reason this blog is being created is to keep me writing in the summer months between my Masters Degree courses. What I am hoping for is to get input from anyone who is following this blog, whether it be a one time reader or someone who will be reading my blog often. I want input on what to write. You are the readers so why not give you a chance to pick the topic. I am willing to talk about any topic, although you may not agree with my answers or opinions. I also enjoy a good debate so if you do not agree please respond, but I will ask you to articulate your reasoning. Well then, lets begin...