#Blogtober2021 Day Almost the End: “#FridayFeed Videodrome–THE REVENGE!”

How’s that for a title!

Hey gang, I figured it was about time for another #FridayFeed post, and I have a bunch of videos I’ve collected over the last few weeks that you may enjoy, so here’s your bit of weekend entertainment.

Hit me up in the comments and let me know your favorite. Leggo!

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I’m a fan of Doctor Who (at least up until the current incarnation which is…not good). This video explores what may be one of my very favorite episodes of New-Who, featuring what is probably my favorite version of The Doctor from this era of the show). This may not interest you if you’re not familiar with Who, but it does provide a great analysis of how science fiction can be used to examine themes like loss.

I first saw Sam Perry on the Austrailian version of the TV show The Voice. This Beatles cover is stellar.

If there’s any possible way to redeem a Nickelback song, Alex Melton’s the guy to do it.

I loved this video about how lo-fi music works. It totally makes sense why I love it when I’m trying to pull a late-night work session.

Okay, one more Peter Capaldi clip because seriously, this dude just kills it as The Doctor. You don’t need context for this one, but I just love this monologue (one of the very few moments of the show that breaks the fourth wall).

You’ve probably heard the story of how Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater production of War of the Worlds created a nationwide panic. Well, the truth is…probably not that extreme. However, this retrospective of the broadcast and aftermath (from “Inside a Mind”) is fascinating and well worth your time, exploring a possible reason why that panic myth was spread.

And if you’re interested in listening to the WotW broadcast in its entirety, here you go:

Austin McConnell’s video on why escape rooms sometimes don’t work or aren’t done well is interesting (although he doesn’t give much in the way of recommendations for how to make them better). Still, worth a look if you’re into that.

POMPLAMOOSE / MOBY – “Extreme Ways” — SO. GOOD.

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That’s it, gang. Have a great weekend. I’ll have something new for you next week!

#Blogtober2021 Day Whatever: We’re fine, we’re all fine here, now, thanks… How are you?

Just popping in here to say: I’m doing okay. Lots going on.

My grandfather died at the end of last week, bringing the (hopefully) final total to 3 extended family members who passed away this month. All three had serious medical conditions. It’s still sad.
Work life is busy, church life is busy; both are stressful, both are blessings.
My household’s doing okay. My kids have colds and aren’t sleeping that consistently this week. We’re all feeling a bit exhausted. But down here in the southland, we’re now enjoying a brief cool spell, so that means more time outside this week, which is good for everyone’s disposition.
My wife and I are trying to buy our first home and realizing we’re a bit out of our depth with this process. Thankful for a good realtor to hold our hands (and keep our heads above water).
Again, I may not post much more this week. But I’m doing okay. Still not getting my sleeping schedule and eating habits (or caffeine consumption) in proper balance. Hope to do that next week, as I take some time off work and spend time with my family. November reset, here we come.

That’s it, that’s what I got. Let me know how I can pray for you in the comments. Talk to you later.

#Blogtober Day 5: “What time is it? It’s time for lunch!”

[If you’re a parent of a toddler, or just know a toddler, you might recognize the quote.]

I haven’t been back to F3 for early morning workouts in a few weeks, and have really been hit or miss for the last few months. Part of the issue has been work/life stuff, but a big piece has been nagging injuries that just aren’t getting better (including tendonitis in one and then both elbows). My wife wisely reminds me that part of that problem may be high levels of bodily inflammation, exacerbated by both being now middle-aged, carrying a lot of weight, not getting good sleep, and not eating in a consistently healthy, disciplined way.

I’m slowly getting back into low-carb eating–still struggling, still not perfect, but trying to make better choices, watch my intake of saturated fats in the short-term, drink lots (and LOTS) of water, and make sure I get enough protein. But before I really get locked in about what I eat, I’m trying to get control over when I eat and how much.

As part of that, I’ve started intermittent fasting (IF)–also known as “time-restricted eating,” if you don’t like that particular”f-word.” There’s lots of evidence that IF has major benefits beyond caloric reduction, specifically in the area of inflammation recovery, improved digestion, and burning visceral fat (the dangerous fat that collects around your internal organs). If you haven’t considered IF, there are lots of good resources out there. I follow both Thomas DeLauer and Logan Delgado‘s channels on Youtube, and they provide some good info. (DeLauer in particular digs into the scientific research around a lot of these issues.) Neither of these guys are doctors or scientists professionally–they’re fitness Youtubers and coaches/consultants–but they both have lost weight and kept it off, so they know something of what they’re talking about.

For me, IF begins with pretty simple routines. Certain days, I’ll go around 14-15 hours between meals, while other days it’s just a basic 12 (8pm to 8am, for example). I haven’t pushed it beyond 15 hours yet, but I may get there. Honestly, just sticking to the 12-hour window is helping to curb some of my snacking temptations–and forcing me to drink more water.

If you’re struggling with over-eating/over-snacking or you’re carrying a lot of weight (especially around your middle), you might want to look into IF. I can’t tell you it’s done all these amazing things for me–I just started. But I can say that it’s pretty easy to get started, and seems like it’s simple enough to be done consistently and for the long term.

Also, I can confirm that once I hit the end of that fast, whenever it ends, something like that Bubble Guppies song I referenced starts playing in my head.

“What time is it? It’s time to EAT!
What time is it? It’s time to EAT!”

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Have you tried intermittent fasting / time-restricted eating? Has it been helpful? Let me know what you think and any advice you have in the comments.

#Blogtober Day 4: The Night the Lights Went Out in Menlo Park.

So Facebook and Instagram just went down, as you probably know.

I haven’t looked up any theories as to why. I’m sure it’s just a technical glitch–someone accidentally deleted a bracket in the code or something.

I have to admit, in the back of my mind, I’m imagining some sort of white-hat hacker op to take down the platform after the recent Wall Street Journal series of articles airing Facebook’s internal memos and studies about the mentally corrosive effect of their product on teenagers.

Can’t you just imagine the movie: A middle-aged man (who “went straight” after spending his 20’s getting into more and more dangerous hacks) settles down and starts a legitimate business in cyber security. He gets married, starts a family, and then has a child who gets into social media in his or her early teens only to be cyber-bullied into doing something drastic and permanent. Enraged and heartbroken, the grieving father exacts revenge on the multi-billion dollar company that profits (in his mind) off of the psychic desolation of bullied and broken children. He runs his “last big job”–a complete takedown of the very social media platform that contributed to his child’s tragic fate.

Basically, it’s a mix of Taken and Mr. Robot. Naturally, the film would star Liam Neeson. (Just kidding. Imagine the extended shots of Neeson pecking away with two fingers at the keyboard while squinting at the screen. No thanks.)

Honestly, I should have written this up as a short story. Oh well.

I mean, this whole thing will likely be over by tonight anyway. Facebook will figure out what’s going on and fix it. The boomers will go back to sharing memes to show they truly love or hate ___. The millenials will log back into Insta. And life will go on as it has before.

But what if–and just hear me out–what if it didn’t?

What if we all come up for air from our phones for a bit and realize, Hey, I don’t need this thing. In fact, the further away from it I get, the better I feel about myself and the world around me.

I mean, that’s total nonsense–no one would ever think that. But, I’m just saying, “what if?”

Now, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna go jump on Twitter to talk about all this.