Fitness Friday!

Since I forgot last week, I want to do another installment of The Healthy Writers Club...which is hosted by Shallee McArthur. The particulars of which can be found over at her awesome blog.

Exercise Update: To be honest, over the past few months my exercise regimen has slowed to a crawl with the fault lying squarely on my own shoulders. We had done a couple of "juice reboots/fasts" and they recommend not exerting yourself, too much, so I took that advice to heart....hehe. Anywho, I'm back on a weight routine and am even throwing in some cardio.

We have some decent equipment, so no excuses:

Culinary Lifestyle Change: (Because I hate the word "diet") We're still juicing...at least one veggie and one fruit a day. Sometimes, we'll throw in a fruit smoothie to mix things up a bit. Overall, though, we're doing pretty good at sticking to this. We've also cut out almost every sugary drink from our choices, mainly sticking with water, sometimes opting for a bit of sweet tea so things don't get too boring for the taste buds. We've also been using organic sugar, steering away from the processed, granulated, variety and substitutes like Splenda. I didn't like some of the things I had been reading about aspartame, so better safe than sorry.

My wife wanted to start a blog to help track our journey towards getting healthy, which I found a bit ironic because a). she doesn't like to write, and b). she doesn't like to read. In fact, she doesn't even read my blog....not that I'm really faulting her, that much, for it. :)

Anyway, I think it's a great idea to help motivate not only us, but maybe anyone else who happens to drop by. So, if you're interested, drop by and say "hi". We're calling it Don't Just Know....Do! because we know it's easy to know how to do something, the challenging part coming in actually getting it done.

Oh, and since it fits so nicely, this would also be a good post to remind everyone about the Get Healthy Blog Hop, (scroll down on the link for the info) which is happening this coming Wednesday, the 29th. Check it out and sign up!

So, how about you.....any fitness news or goals that you're striving for?

Have a great weekend!

3 Ups Blog Hop!

I know, I know...."Come on, Mark, not another blog hop!!" Now, before you start burning me in effigy....or Cincinnati......or New Jersey.....or wherever else you're from, read below :)

While this is "technically" a blog hop, it's not your typical blog hop. Randi Lee, over at The Emotional Process of Writing a Novel (say that three times fast...I dare ya!), came up with this great idea to help 'community build' while giving everyone a chance to find some new and different blogs.

Here's how Randi put it:

"Over the next week or two (depending on how much interest I get) I’d like to generate a list of people who want to participate. Once this list is at a good number we’ll get started. The way it will work is like this: each blogger will pick the blogger listed below them, visit his or her site, read a post or two, and then tell them three things they like about the person or his or her blog. Easy enough, right?"

Yep...easy enough! Checking the list, today, I saw my 3 Up partner was M.J. Joachim. I've been following a couple of M.J.'s blogs, for a while now, so this won't be difficult at all. In fact, the most difficult thing will be limiting myself to saying only three nice things about her and her blog.

So, here goes...in true, old school, Nintendo video game fashion:

1 UP! Extremely Interesting Blog Achievement: Unlocked!

I've said this before, in other posts, but the whole reason I got into blogging in the first place was that I really enjoyed reading about people's lives. Why this is, I don't know, but I just find it very interesting to hear about the ups and downs people go through. For me, M.J.'s blog is one of the most interesting out there. Her topics always hook me in and I can always relate. Her writing style flows well and is very conversational...something that's always a plus with me.

2 UP! Passionate Soul Achievement: Unlocked!

Just read one of M.J.'s posts and you can see that she pours her soul into each and every one of them. It's this kind of passion for, not only writing, but living that's also a huge draw. Never preachy, but always thought provoking.

3 UP! Great Looking Blog Achievement: Unlocked!

This should be a given on any blog out there but, unfortunately, it's not always the case. M.J.'s blog, though, looks great. The background is crisp and clear, her text and background color don't clash (believe it or not, I've seen some very hard to read blogs out there) and her columns are well organized and not cluttered. Overall, it's just a nice site to navigate and that's something I always appreciate in a blog.

So what are you waiting for? Don't just take my word for it......go check out M.J. Joachim's place and see for yourself! You'll be glad you did, I promise :)

A big 'thank you' to Randi for hosting this little hop and, if you'd like to see the list of folks involved, check it out HERE.

Encouraging Bloggers/Music Monday

Last week Brandy, over at Brandy's Bustlings, was kind enough to think of my lil ole blog for the Liebster Award.....thank you very much, Brandy!

Brandy has won a place in my blogging heart as she simplified things, just a bit, and only posed five questions. She also based things, loosely, around D.L. Hammond's great Blog Blitz idea...which is where she got her nominees, as well.

Brandy was curious about the following:

1. If you have published a book (most of these nominees have, some more than one), describe in three words how it felt that first time? If you have not published a book, how do you think it would feel?

I haven't published a book....yet. But, when I do, I have no doubt it will be one of the highlights of my life. It's always nice to see your efforts come to fruition.

2. Have you taken part in Blog Blitz before or is this your first time?

This is my first rodeo, yes.

3. Have you ever run a contest/blog hop from your blog?

No, but you know I've been thinking of doing one for a while now. I think the whole process of writing is very interesting and, even more so, where people write. I'd like to do a hop highlighting what everyone's "writing spot" looks like....pictures, descriptions, etc. Hops are a lot of work, but maybe I'll organize it and give it a go, here soon.

4. What is your favorite genre to read?

Science Fiction/Fantasy

5. Where is your favorite place to write?

My desk, where I have a 32" monitor...it's real easy on the eyes :)

Thanks again, Brandy, I appreciate you thinking of me!

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The lovely and talented Sheena-kay Graham, from Queendsheena, also gave me some kudos in the form of the Friends for the Journey Blog Award Encouragement. No real strings attached with this one, just passing it along and recognizing fellow bloggers is the gist of this one, it seems.

It's nice to have such great blogging buddies and their encouragement, in any form, really does help , so thank you again, Sheena!

I'd like to forward this one on to five other blogging pals who, I think, need more blogging pals of their own.

Dee at DeeCoded.  Dee is all over the place, in terms of her blog, but she's always entertaining and I always enjoy seeing how things are in her corner of the world. 

Jennifer over at A Creative Exercise. A focus on writing, but also this and that from here and there.

The Capillary, located in England, always has an interesting take on things.

Jasmine at A Yellow Rose of Texas always has fun and interesting topics and you never know just quite what you're going to see over there...in a good way.

Rebecca Green Gasper A YA author who is always looking to raise awareness on issues affecting young people.

So, if you get a chance, drop by these great gal's blogs and show them some encouragement!

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And, for a quick Music Monday selection, here's something to help get the blood pumping...some Billy Idol and a "Pop Up Video" version, no less.

Cradle of Love

Have a great Monday.

Best and Worst Movie Remakes Blogfest

When I saw this, my first thought was...."Ugh, a blog hop so soon after A to Z?". Then, I read about it and found it was right up my alley, so I just had to participate :)

Thanks to Alex, Stephen, Livia, and Father Dragon (Al Diaz) for hosting!

If there's one thing I'm saying about Hollywood, on a constant basis, is that there are never enough original ideas coming from them.

In comes the (sometimes) dreaded "remake".

When it comes to the movie "remake", the term always makes me cringe because it's such a double-edged sword....especially if the original was a movie you really liked. A lot of times you're rolling the dice when you plunk down your money for one of these.

Now, when I think "best" and "worst" in terms of movie remakes, here are the first ones that spring to mind...

The Worst:

Superman Returns: I know this wasn't touted as an actual "remake", but anyone who saw both this and the original could attest to it being one. Even Kevin Spacey's great Lex Luthor couldn't counteract just the sheer "fail"-ness of this flick. They make Superman out to be, basically, a stalker.....following Lois Lane around like a lost puppy. Parker Posey's character was just annoying, but not near so much as the almost verbatim use of some of the lines from the original.

I think this one qualifies as a 'worst' because, even though it had so much potential, I was so disappointed in it.

In this case, I would have been happy if Superman hadn't returned.

The Wild, Wild, West:  While, technically, not a movie remake, it was a remake of one of my favorite television series of all times times and was so bad that it made me want to punch Wil Smith and Kevin Kline in their respective noses.

O.k, well, maybe it wasn't as bad as all that....but this one was pretty terrible.

First of all, the casting was waaaaay off and it doesn't even have anything to do with skin color. I didn't have a huge problem with James West being a 'buffalo soldier' as much as I did seeing the Fresh Prince of Bel Air pretending to be a Secret Service Agent. I mean, honestly, Wil Smith's acting chops are pretty extensive, but he just phoned this one in. Honestly, I think he was just in it for the paycheck and, unfortunately, it showed.

Kevin Kline, who I think is a great actor, honestly was no better. Even worse than Smith because he wasn't even credible as a 'whacky inventor' much less a Secret Service Agent. I'm sure Ross Martin was spinning in his grave over this one and I know Robert Conrad wasn't any happier. Kevin Branagh was, also, sorely miscast as a parody of the original Miguelito Loveless character portrayed by the great Michael Dunne. He must've been hard up for a paycheck, too.

This film should have stayed out West....far, out West.

(Dis)Honorable mentions for 'worst' also go out to:

The Day the Earth Stood Still
Arthur
The Nutty Professor

Now, on a brighter note, here are....

The Best:

The Manchurian Candidate:  While I've never been a huge Denzel Washington fan, I thought he was great in this remake of the old Sinatra classic. The story flowed nicely and, even though a few things were updated to reflect today's society, it still made sense and was a compelling story.

I've also never been a big Meryl Streep fan, either, but have to admit she nailed the part of Shaw's evil mother, originally portrayed by Angela Lansbury.

I had seen the original film in bits and pieces, but gave it a full watch before going to see this one. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

This remake has my vote.

Ocean's 11: This "Rat Pack" remake hit all the marks for me. Nice pacing, some cool twists, colorful characters and great leads. Clooney and Pitt worked well together. Now, granted, I could have done without Julia Roberts, but even her presence didn't take away from the slickness and tight story of this one.

While the cast didn't have the same savoir fare of the original, they still came off as pretty darn cool.

This remake hit the jackpot.

Honorable mentions for "best" also go to:

The Mechanic
True Grit
Planet of the Apes

So, how about you? What are your favorite...or least favorite....movie remakes?

Testing, testing...1,2,3....

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This is only a test.....BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog posting.....

Don't worry....be happy...

O.k, I'll admit...I never liked that old Bobby McFerrin song, but it seemed like a good title to run with.

Anyway, my blogging buddy Mark Koopmans gave me a "Happy One" shout-out the other day, which I'd like to now thank him for, so...

Thanks Mark! Oh, and if you don't (by some crazy circumstance) know or follow Mark, do yourself a favor and check out his blog....you won't regret it!

Now, part of this thing is to mention five things that makes me happy and then tag five others who I feel embody that same sort of happiness. (And, yes, I'm going to follow suit and not mention my wife or family because, well, those should be a given)

Things that make me happy....

1. As strange as it sounds, a fat cheeked baby can always bring a smile to my face....

Come on, how can you not smile at this face?

2. The beach. There's always something calm and serene about watching the ocean meet the sand.

3. Music. Whether it's a tune from the 80s that brings back some great memories, some rockin' Surf Music, or a mellow John Denver tune, music is another thing that can always make me smile.

4. Time spent with friends. Since moving down to Florida, I don't get the chance to see/talk to my friends nearly as much as I used to and it's definitely impressed upon me just how much I miss that. Any chance to visit with old friends is a sure fire 'pick me up'.

5. Even though it, sort of, goes along with music, I also really like nostalgia. It's not that I always live in the past, but sometimes a reminder of simpler times (at least the way I see it) can bring a smile to my face. 

The five Happy folks I'm tagging for this are....

1. Ella at Ella's Edge

2. Tyrean at Tyrean's Writing Spot

3. M.J. Joachim

4. Samantha May at Writing Through College

5. Tara at Tara Tyler Talks

Now, go forth and spread the love and happiness!