After Week 1 - Insanity Blog

After Week 1 of Insanity Blog

Weight I’ve lost: None. I actually gained a pound. I went from 168.1 to 169.7

What Hurts the Most: After a workout, usually my knees and calves. I found during a workout that my knees would be the body part bringing me the most pain.

What I did: A lot of cardio workouts (which included high knees, butt kicks, suicide drills, among other things), and a body test

Diet: Breakfast: Small bowl of Wheaties Fuel or Total cereal, morning snack: banana and NutriGrain Bar, Lunch: Either a small turkey sandwich or peanut buttered toast, afternoon snack: Varied… usually included a Power Bar. Dinner: Varied, often an Eating Right Frozen Dinner. I also ate out once (Blackened Chicken Pasta at Canyon’s) and had Thanksgiving Dinner

Summary: Well, I actually gained over a pound. I didn’t see that coming. I think I can attribute it to my couple of splurges this week because of Thanksgiving. I also may have gained some muscle mass, which weighs more than fat. I definitely noticed in my legs there is more there. I’ve heard that happens a lot in the first week of a workout, especially if you start like I did, sort of out of shape. I expect to definitely lose some weight for next week, especially if I stick to my diet. This first month is all about cardio and being able to last long during a workout, and of course, burning those extra pounds off. We’ll see if that starts to take effect this coming week.

My 60 Day Insanity Workout

Brian Holland’s 60-Day Insanity Workout

I am announcing that I will be doing the 60-Day Insanity Workout over the next two months (from November 22^nd to the middle of January). It is a workout routine on DVD that only requires 45-60 minutes a day of exercise. I have already received it in the mail and I am very excited to get starting and being in the best shape of my life by the end of this workout.

Here is a video in case you have never heard of it:


I will be posting a blog every Monday to let people know of my status on the workout. I’ll include what I’ve done, how hard it’s been, my diet, and my current weight. My weight right now stands at 168 pounds, so I could stand to lose a bit of weight. I plan on losing 20, 25 pounds to get under 150.

I know this is going to be hard for me. It’s going to be the most difficult thing I’ve ever done physically. But I’m ok with that and I’m ready for the challenge. I know what waits for me at the end. I want to be in the best shape of my life. And I’m willing to give it everything I’ve got, just one hour a day, for 60 days. It will be worth it.

My thoughts on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part one, in my opinion, is the best Harry Potter movie to date. The amazing and exciting book sure helped, but this movie, to me, outshone all others. Here are some scenes I thought they did beautifully:

- The seven Potters scene. PERFECT. Hilarious, accurate, and even better than I imagined it would be.
- The scene at the ministry. Sure, they didn’t rescue a lot of muggle-borns in the movie, but I felt that was a necessary cut to the film.
- The locket and doe scene. Just as I imagined. I couldn’t have written it better.
- The story of the Three Brothers. I am actually pleasantly surprised that Hermione’s telling of the story was left in, but seeing as it has to do with the title of the movie, then again, perhaps not that surprised.

Here are some that I thought they did ok, but a bit rushed:
- The wedding, including the preparations. Sadly, no ceremony, but the reception was pretty-well covered.
- The Malfoy Manor scene. The only thing that was really left out was Ron’s sobs for Hermione (which would have showed a strong bond between them) and Pettigrew’s hand turning on him and killing him.

Here’s what I missed:
- Lupin arriving at Grimmauld Place and his confrontation with Harry.
- The tale of Kreacher/Regulus. It’s a shame they never fully revealed how he did it. I was hoping they’d explain that Kreacher was used to not only put the real locket in the cave, but to get it out. Oh well.
- The statue/the letter Lily wrote to Sirius. While not essential to the plot (which is probably why they were cut), they would have been nice, touching additions to the movie.

All in all, however, I was very pleased with this movie. More so than any other movie, I thought the acting in this one was great. Dan was at his best, and so was Rupert. Emma Watson, formerly cringe-worthy, is now a very decent actress. She portrayed the scene where she removed her parents’ memories very well. I would give this movie a 4.5/5, or a 9/10. I cannot wait for Part 2, which unfortunately is not for another 8 months! Yikes!

Congrats Giants, but championship is bittersweet for me

I wanted to first start out by saying congratulations to my second favorite baseball team, the San Francisco Giants, on winning the 2010 World Series. They played incredibly and deserve it. They won it the same year I went to see one of their games, the first time I’d ever seen a non-Seattle pro sports game.

However, this title was bittersweet for me. If you’re reading this and you know me, you know that I am an even bigger—in fact, much bigger—fan of the Seattle Mariners. They are MY team. They always will be. I’d take one Mariners championship over ten Giants championships. As you can tell, there is a substantial gap between my first and second most favorite baseball teams.

What puts the bitter in bittersweet for me is that the Mariners have failed to do what every team except for one has done: get to the World Series. The only other team is the Washington Nationals, formerly the Montreal Expos. My Mariners have struggled in their history, but that’s not to say they haven’t had their bright spots. They had one of the most magical, franchise-saving seasons in baseball history in 1995. They tied the MLB record for wins in a season in 2001. And they have had a handful of future Hall of Famers don their colors.

But never have the Mariners won it all or even been to the World Series. And, as I watch the Giants and their fans celebrate, I hope that someday I will be one of those fans rooting as the Mariners win their first World Series championship. It’s bittersweet to watch that, because I haven’t rooted for the Giants all my life like I have with the Mariners. I haven’t donned Giants jerseys, caps, and shirts all my life. I haven’t been to more than one Giants game. And I haven’t bled Orange and Black, like I bleed Navy and Teal.

The Mariners will someday win it all. I know they will. And when that day comes, I will be the fan cheering hardest. They have to win it all. They just have to. After all of the torture they have put us through, they have to pay us back some day. If I have to wait until I’m 90 and have players win it whose GRANDPARENTS aren’t even born yet, then so be it. I will always root for my Mariners. I would definitely prefer a championship sooner than later, but at the same time, however long the front office and coaches need to put together a championship team, I will wait. Take your time, Mariners. I will be patient. BUT… GET—IT—DONE.

My Take on the Seahawks/Chargers Game

My take on the Seahawks-Chargers game (9/26/10):

Offense:
- Matt Hasselbeck is still struggling. He only had an ok game today. He overthrew and underthrew MANY receivers today.
- Forsett is solid. Not great, but solid. If he has a few good games, he could be a 1,000 yard rusher, our first since Shaun Alexander.
- Golden Tate, Deion Branch, and Mike Williams may be our best top three receivers we’ve had in a long time.
- Where was Julius Jones? The announcers even commented on that.
- When John Carlson gets involved, this offense does well. Every time. He needs to get the ball as much as possible.
- HORRIBLE decision at the end of the 2^nd half. First, we waste our timeout right after the two minute warning. Then, when we’re near the goal line, we spike the ball, even though we had plenty of time to run a play. Then, with NO TIMEOUTS, Hasselbeck tries a quarterback draw and gets stuffed. We ended with zero points when we should have gotten three. Poor time management there. VERY POOR. I don’t know who is to blame: Hasselbeck, Carroll, or Bates? One of them could have cost us the game.
- It was the third straight week where the offense has started slowly. The Seahawks have ABSOLUTELY ZERO FIRST QUARTER POINTS SO FAR THIS SEASON. This offense is TERRIBLE at the start of games.
- However, for the first time this season, we did manage to score first. We got a field goal in the 2^nd.

Defense:
- When we rushed Rivers, we forced him to get off a bad throw. When we didn’t rush him, he almost always found a LONG completion to either Gates, Floyd, or Naanee.
- Which leads to me saying that there’s something wrong with our zone defense. There were GAPING holes in it.
- The Chargers had technically FOUR tries to tie the game. The first TD pass to Gates was taken back (holding), but he still ended up getting the TD on the next play. Then, on the two point conversion, Legedu Naanee got a conversion but it was taken back (illegal touching—he went out of bounds), but he still managed to get the conversion on the next play. We did not take advantage after either penalty. If we had just taken advantage once, the game would not have been tied.
- Earl Thomas may become a better defensive player than Aaron Curry. AND, if he keeps it up, he’ll be in the running for defensive rookie of the year.

Special Teams:
- LEON WASHINGTON! What else can I say? Let him return kicks all year long. But it also was a bit the poor special teams coverage of the Chargers.
- Golden Tate also needs to stay as our punt returner. Although he needs to stop catching punts inside the 10 yard line.

Officiating:
- The officiating was generally good for this game. The reviews went a bet overboard in the final two minutes of the first half. Also, they made a terrible mistake which could have cost the Chargers. While they were determining something (I can’t remember what they were trying to figure out), the play clock kept running and the Chargers got penalized with a delay of game on their 2^nd to last drive. That certainly didn’t help. They ended up turning the ball over on downs.

Other:
- Crowd appeared to be ecstatic! Four false starts and three delays of game! Great job by the 12^th man.
- I liked Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts. They are better than most Fox announcers. Especially Dick Stockton and his pronunciation of Olindo Ma-RAY!

All in all, solid win. Next week, at the Rams. The Rams are 1-2 and just beat Washington. This is a game we probably should win. We’ve had success their recently, so I don’t see why that would change.

Top 20 Survivor Players Ever

Top 20 Survivor Players Ever

Well, since my girlfriend made this list and pressured me to do one too, here it is. My top 20 Survivor players ever. Following this list is a list of players who just barely missed the list.


20. Nick Brown – The Australian Outback

The Australian Outback was the first season of Survivor that I saw, and one of the players I immediately became a fan of was Nick Brown, as he is from Steilacoom, Washington. He made the merge and the jury, but didn’t come close to winning. But I still liked his game. He was quiet, played fair, and did his best.

19. Brianna Varela – Guatemala

You’re probably thinking to yourself, who? She was the third person voted out of one of the least memorable Survivor seasons, yet she makes my list. Why? Well one, she’s from Edmonds, Washington, and two, I had a major crush on her. I was rooting for her to go far, but sadly she did not.

18. Brian Corridan – Guatemala

Another one you probably haven’t heard of. Brian Corridan was on the same season as the aforementioned Brianna Varela, and he got a little farther, finishing in 12^th place. He had the strategy to go far, and I envisioned him as the next, even better, Rob Cesternino, but unfortunately it never panned out. Also, he was one of two Brian’s ever on Survivor.

17. Amanda Kimmel – China, Micronesia, Heroes vs. Villains

Amanda is one that I kind of liked, but not too much. I never was a huge fan of hers, I have to admit, but I do think she deserved to win (she gave three good shots at it). She’s also not bad on the eyes, either, which you’ll see common amongst the woman on my list here. Her downfall was always the final tribal council where she always come off pretty badly.

16. Stephenie LaGrossa – Palau, Guatemala, Heroes vs. Villains

Stephanie is one of the true fighters I’ve seen on the show. What I mean by that is someone who never gives up and always strives to win. She is the complete opposite of Osten and Janu, notable quitters of Survivor. She deserved to win once, that’s for sure. And she’s the only person in Survivor history to be the last remaining member of her tribe before the merge.

15. Erik Reichenbach – Micronesia

Oh, Eric. You fool. “I would like to give my Immunity necklace to Natalie.” DOH! Oh well. I was so rooting for Erik that season, but he made one of the biggest bonehead moves in Survivor history. Who knows what would have happened if he hadn’t done that. Probably would have finished 2^nd to someone. But I loved his enthusiasm and knowledge of the game… and his profession: Ice cream scooper, haha.

14. Danielle DiLorenzo – Exile Island, Heroes vs. Villians

Ok, I gotta admit. If it wasn’t for her amazing body, she wouldn’t be on this list. She’d be close, but she wouldn’t be on here. That aside, she still managed to make the final two in one game and prove to be a force in an “All-Stars” type game. I did like how she played the game, and she was probably the one person who I didn’t think belonged on the villains.

13. Russell Hantz – Samoa, Heroes vs. Villains

Let me get this cleared up. I do not like Russell. I don’t think he’s a great guy. I do, however, respect how he played the game. He made getting to the finals look EASY. Sure, he did some scumbag things, but he also managed to fool people even older than him (Shambo for one). I wish that if I were to somehow get on Survivor myself, I could play the game as… cunningly… as he did.

12 and 11. Jenna Morasca and Heidi Strobel (tie) – The Amazon (Heidi and Jenna), All-Stars (Jenna)

Jenna and Heidi are two of the hottest women to ever be on Survivor. Jenna won her season and Heidi ended up marrying a star baseball pitcher (Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies). Of course, their most memorable moment was when they stripped for chocolate cookies and peanut butter. That’s the first, and still only, time in Survivor that a woman has gotten naked deliberately in front of a man on camera.

10. Tyson Apostol – Tocantins and Heroes vs. Villains

Tyson didn’t play the game particularly well either time he played. But he makes my list because he is without a doubt the funniest guy to ever be on Survivor. His jokes, albeit sometimes crude, are the funniest things the show has had. I wish they would bring him back for a third season just to hear what he would say. He loved giving Coach a hard time.

9. Chris Daugherty – Vanuatu

Not to be confused with the former American Idol contestant and frontman for the band Daughtry, Chris Daugherty did something so amazing in Survivor that I’m not at all surprised it hasn’t been repeated since. Chris made it to the final seven… as the ONLY MAN. The other six in the final seven were women. So obviously, he had a target on his back. But he somehow, miraculously, won. How, I’ll never know. Jeff Probst even considers him one of the most unlikely Survivor winners.

8. Yul Kwon – Cook Islands

Yul played the game probably better than anyone in history. He always analyzed things, thinking of “what if” scenarios, and he did it absolutely right. Besides those things, there’s also no reason to dislike Yul, unless you happen to be racist towards Asians. He has got to be one of the least hated Survivors ever, and for good reason.

7. Sandra Diaz-Twine – Pearl Islands, Heroes vs. Villains

Sandra is the only player to ever win the game twice, so she’s got to be on this list. I like how she tells things how they are and is up straight with people. She also lived in Fort Lewis, Washington, while her husband was stationed there. I was happy when she won Survivor. Both times.

6. Brian Heidik – Thailand

The only other Brian (besides Brian Corridan) to play survivor is Brian Heidik. Brian dominated his game. He was easily the best and only interesting Survivor that season. Unfortunately, he got into a bit of trouble with the law after the game, so he drops down a few notches. He was charged with shooting a dog with an arrow, which he thought was a coyote. And he used to do soft-core porn. So yeah…

5. Colby Donaldson – Australian Outback, All-Stars, Heroes vs. Villains

Colby is one of the most well-liked players to ever play Survivor. In his first season, he dominated challenges. Unfortunately, he made the wrong move taking Tina Wesson instead of Keith Famie to the final 2. He had two “all-star” appearances after that, but failed to win both times. However, he has always played with integrity and loyalty.

4. Rupert Boneham – Pearl Islands, All-Stars, Heroes vs. Villains

Rupert is probably the most well-liked Survivor ever and probably will always be. He never backstabs anyone and he plays 100% all the way through the game. He never actually won Survivor, but he got to the jury in each of his seasons. Probably the reason he hasn’t been to the finals is because if he did, he would most surely get all the jury’s votes. But since he never won, he settles for fourth on my list.

3. Ethan Zohn – Africa, All-Stars

What a guy. The way he played Africa has to be one of the best Survivor “performances”, if you will, of all time. He is one of the most well-liked Survivor winners and, if it wasn’t for his battle with cancer, probably would have been on Heroes vs. Villains. He truly is a warrior, a fighter, and a great man, and I wish he could have played one more time.

2. Aras Baskauskas – Exile Island

Ok, so he only played once, yet he won, but he’s 2^nd on my list. I don’t know what to say. Aras is the survivor who I connected to the most. He’s the survivor I’d most model my game after, if I were to go on the show. I love how he mocked Terry in one of the final challenges of the season, and he totally bested Danielle in a battle of words at the final tribal council. It’s a shame he never played again, because he could have gone far again.

1. Parvati Shallow – Cook Islands, Micronesia, Heroes vs. Villains

She’s made the finals twice, made the jury three times, and has probably the cutest smile on Survivor. Parvati is without a doubt my favorite survivor ever. She could write a book on how to play Survivor. She uses her charm and bubbly personality to woo over other players. She’s the perfect Survivor player because she’s not a huge threat, yet she’s just manipulative enough to get to the finals and win. Yet, no one really considers her a threat. That’s why Parvati Shallow is my favorite Survivor ever.


Just missed the cut: JT Thomas, Stephen Fischbach, Coach Ben Wade, Spencer Duhm, Michael “Frosti” Zernow, Taj George, Neleh Dennis, Tom Westman, Danni Boatwright, Bobby Jon Drinkard

My Top Ten Favorite TV Shows Ever

Top Ten TV Shows Ever

I’ve been meaning to do a blog on this, so here is my Top Ten Favorite TV Shows ever. This includes every TV show that had a plotline, from cartoons to comedies to dramas. Before I announce the top ten, here are the runners up:

That 70s Show
The Drew Carey Show
Doug
Pokemon (Anime series)
The Big Bang Theory
Hey Arnold
Two and a Half Men
Glee

And here are the Top 10:

10. Whose Line Is It Anyway

Whose Line Is It Anyway is a rare type of show that relies on improvisation and unwritten and unscripted performances and routines done by four talented comedic actors, usually comprising of Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles, and Wayne Brady, and one other. This show has made me laugh more than any other. It is a total shame it’s not on anymore, or at least another version of it. Perhaps someday some people will bring it back with a new cast.

9. Rugrats

My favorite childhood show, I grew up with Rugrats. I grew up with Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Lil, and Angelica. The show had a great run. I’ve some episodes at least 10 times. I don’t watch it anymore, but I sure learned a lot from this show on what it means to be a friend and doing the right thing. I also watched two of the movies they came out with. The show went downhill after introducing Kimy unfortunately, then completely jumped the shark when they abandoned the “babies” concept and went with “All Grown Up”, which didn’t last long.

8. Heroes

I have to admit losing interest in this show in its final year before cancellation, but that was a lot later than most Heroes fans lost interest. I just thought they had well-written characters that you could root for, like Claire, Hiro, and Noah Bennett. The show kind of veered off course from what it was successful at in its first season, which was developing characters and giving them goals and sticking to them. It’s a shame Heroes ended the way it did, but it is still one of my favorite dramas of all time.

7. Family Guy

I got into the show after watching clips of it on Youtube, laughing my you-know-what off. I then started watching the show on FOX and immediately go into it. It’s not realistic, but they go places almost no other show will go (except maybe South Park). The characters never really progress or age, but what do you expect of a cartoon? Bart and Lisa have been the same age for twenty years!

6. The Office

I admit, I actually did not get into this show until less than a year ago. A year ago today I had never seen an episode of The Office, and now it’s my number 6 favorite TV show ever. One day, I was sort of bored and noticed Netflix had all the episodes of seasons 1-5 available to watch online, so I did. And I got hooked. I finished five seasons in just a couple months. I can’t wait to see further seasons.

5. American Idol

Probably the most successful reality show of all time, American Idol is in my top ten because since 2004, I have followed this show every year. I have also dreamed of one day trying out and competing on the show. Yes, the show is starting to slide and may be on its way towards much lower ratings, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a show I’ve followed more closely than American Idol for the past 6 years.

4. Survivor

Survivor is without a doubt the best reality show I’ve ever seen. They’ve come out with twenty seasons, and I’ve seen all but the very first season (I plan on watching it someday). They’ve had hundreds of contestants on the show. And since 2002, I have been an avid fan of the show. It is just a great hour of television. And no one could do a better job of hosting it than Jeff Probst.

3. How I Met Your Mother

Interestingly, I got into HIMYM after hearing that Britney Spears was going to be on the show. Intrigued, I decided to watch the show, and I was hooked. HIMYM is one of the best comedies I’ve ever seen. I absolutely love the mystery element in the show where you have to try to wonder and guess who the mother is future Ted is talking about. And it is, as of 2010, my favorite TV show still on air.

2. Friends

My favorite comedy of all time. I got into the show in high school and I have now seen each episode at least five times, something I cannot say for any other show. I have learned so much about dating, relationships, and friendship, all from this one show. Friends is without a doubt in my mind, the best comedy of its generation.

1. LOST

I’ve already made a blog post entirely to this one show. LOST is the greatest television show I have ever seen. It has drama, action, comedy, romance, thriller moments, mystery, and suspense. I got into the show right before season two started. Oddly enough, during the fall of 2004, I had a choice between two shows to watch on Wednesday night at 8pm. One was LOST on ABC. The other was this show called “North Shore” on FOX, a drama about surfers in Hawaii, which intrigued me. I chose North Shore, and chose wrong, as it was cancelled after one season. Fortunately, after missing the first season of LOST, I was able to catch up and fall in love with it. LOST is without a doubt my favorite TV show ever.