Author Archives: jeff

Friday Donut Haiku #1

We get donuts every Friday at work, and there’s usually a mad rush for them. One of my friends gets into work late since he works with a California client, so I grab one for him.

At first, I’d just send him an email letting him know, but that got boring, so I decided to send a haiku each time. Here was the first one:

Donut in my cube
That’s just waiting here alone
And it’s all for you

The Best Personal Development Tool: Meditation

I started meditating two and a half years ago. I’ve only begun to scratch the surface, but I’ve learned quite a bit. The most helpful benefit I’ve learned so far is the ability to monitor myself.

At about the same time, I started learning about personal development, and I’ve found the two go hand-in-hand. If you can monitor yourself, you have an easier time changing. Continue reading →

You Don’t Need a Workout Routine

I recently read a lifehacker article that gave a 20-minute daily exercise plan and was aimed at people too busy to work out.

I just had to laugh.

Why didn’t I think of this before? Just work out 20 minutes a day. It’s so simple!

The fact is, “too busy” is just an excuse. If working out is a priority for you and you don’t have the time, just wake up 30 minutes earlier. It’s really that simple.

Here’s the real reason why people can’t find the time to exercise: exercising blows.

I used to feel bad about not working out, so I would start a daily running routine, but it would never stick.

Yeah, I used to work out. I remember that . . day.

After failing to establish a workout routine so many times, I no longer feel bad about it. I’ve learned to embrace it. I hate exercising, so I’m not going to do it.

Now I just make an effort to be a little more active throughout the day than I normally would.

Here are some examples:

  • Using an office restroom that’s farther away
  • Taking the stairs down and/or up
  • Walking laps around the office during a break
  • Stretching when you wake up
  • Taking a leisurely bike ride
  • Having sex
  • Playing a sport

Yeah, if you want to get into great shape, this won’t cut it. You’ll need a more rigorous routine.

But you might not want to get into great shape. Maybe you hate exercising as much as I do. If you’re just looking to shed some pounds, these small activities will go a long way. As long as they’re done consistently and you combine them with better eating, you’ll be surprised how much they’ll help.

Writing More

I’ve decided that I want to get better at writing. I keep reading that in order to get better at writing, you have to write. Makes sense, so that’s what I’m going to do.

Write about what, exactly? I’ve no idea.

I keep trying to come up with an idea for a blog that has an overall theme that I can write about. I know that popular blogs revolve around a single idea, whether it be about productivity, motivation, writing, movies, whatever.

The problem is that my interests shift from one day to the next, and they can be about completely different things. I don’t think there’s one topic that I can learn and write about without becoming bored with it.

Here’s a short list of topics I’ve been reading about lately:

  • Speed Reading
  • Meyer-Briggs Personality Type
  • Short Story Writing
  • Non-Fiction Writing
  • Habit Changing
  • Productivity
  • Success
  • Being an Entrepreneur
  • Dieting

I could go on, but I’ll leave it at that. My point is, I don’t know if my interests have an overall theme, so I’m just going to write what I feel like at the time.

mc chris Race Wars Tour

Race Wars

mc chris is on tour promoting his new album Race Wars, and I jumped at the chance to go see him. He came to 7th St. Entry (First Avenue) in Minneapolis and we (my fiancee and I) had a blast. We had such a good time, we decided to skip town this past weekend and go see him again in Iowa City. The driving to show ratio was over 2:1, but it was totally worth it.

The night opens with Adam Warrock, who does an awesome job warming up the crowd. He’s a lot of fun to watch because you can see how much he enjoys performing. I loved his song Starving Artist, which is really inspiring. Check out his website: adamwarrock.com.

The show continues with Random, a.k.a. Mega Ran, along with K-Murdock laying down the beats in tow. Random builds the show up with his rhymes about video gaming. His set includes Player Two, which sympathizes with anyone that is forced into always playing second, and freestyling by using random items that the crowd holds up as inspiration. Check him out: megaran.com.

Next on stage is Mc Lars. Backed up by a guitar and drums, he kicks the intensity of the evening up a notch. The most literate hip-hop artist you’ll ever have a chance to see, he raps about materialistic hip-hop (get crunk!), Hamlet’s Ophelia, and Edgar Allan Poe’s Raven. He’s the perfect last stop before the ten year old, himself. Check out Mc Lars’s new album Lars Attacks! at his website: mclars.com.

Then, it finally happens. mc chris arrives on the scene and jumps right into a remix of I Want Candy (bubblegum and taffy). The show goes on, showcasing his new album Race Wars (Race Wars!), along with the classics such as Nrrrd Girl, The Tussin, and of course Fett’s Vette. Among the songs from Race Wars (Race Wars!) is Popcorn Frog (I go ribbit then I get it, I go ribbit then I get it) and my new favorite Nerd Cave.

While onstage, mc’s hilarious. He rants about his video game withdrawal since going on tour, and reminds us that his hit from the summer, Hoodie Ninja, is about shitting on driveways and jerking off in trees.

But you also see the dedication to his craft. If he misses a line from the song, he hops over to his laptop and restarts the song until he gets it right. He might feel bad about it, but the crowd just cheers even more. If we could, we would make him repeat every song.

There is also the costume contest (thanks Hoodie Ninja!). Here was Iowa City’s costume contest winner, right out of Vault 101:

mcchris Costume Contest

Business Casual Boba Fett says, "What the fuck?"

Finally, mc hangs around after the show to make sure everyone gets an autograph and picture with him. I asked him to do an additional show in Minneapolis next tour so I wouldn’t have to drive to Iowa to see him again. One can dream.

If you are still able to attend a show, I highly recommend going. The show costs around $15, and it’ll be the best time you’ve had in a while. His tour dates are listed on his site: mcchris.com.