Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Superbowl Commercials, Paco Pena, Cholesterol Myth, and Other Stuff

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1. Okay, I hope everyone is starting to recover from their insulin-coma they put themselves into last night. Even more importantly, I hope everyone is fully recovered from that full on make-out session between super model Bar Refaeli and G0 Daddy.com’s resident nerd Walter (who, lets be honest: is officially every guy’s hero today).

While there was a huge public backlash to the commercial due to its “eww factor,” especially with the additional sound effects (which sounded like a five year old eating a peanut butter sandwich – I didn’t mind it so much, and just chalked it up to the  overthetopness of the Super Bowl in general.

That’s what the Super Bowl is all about, right?

All in all (and I don’t know how everyone else feels) but no commercial really stood out in my book.  Like, nada.

Whatever happened to the good ol’ days when we had Spud McKenzie, The Budweiser Frogs, the Waaaaaaaaasup Guys, or Ali Landry eating Doritos?

Speaking of Doritos, both Lisa and I kept it pretty gluttony-free yesterday during the game.  Okay, while I still had my fair share of pizza (and okay, yes, ice cream), we made some fajitas using homemade fajita mix, grass-fed beef, and lettuce wraps instead of regular wraps.

Also, Lisa made some crispy (baked, not fried) buffalo chicken wings that were Paleo friendly.  She’s a ginormous chicken wing fan and pretty finicky when it comes to giving any recipe a thumbs up, but this one was a definite homerun.

For those interested, here’s the recipe she followed:

2. Prior to the festivities yesterday, Lisa and I got all “cultural” and had an afternoon date where we  headed into the city to see a flamenco show featuring the Paco Pena Flamenco Company.

Now, before I met Lisa the only iota of “culture” in my life was eating out at Applebees and going to the occasional foreign film.

You know, for the art (Read:  boobies).

Anyways, Lisa takes all the credit for introducing me to flamenco.  She dragged me (kicking and screaming) to a show when we first started dating, and reminiscing back I had every intention of sitting there with my arms folded hating life for an hour and a half.

Truth be told:  I absolutely LOVED it!  For those unfamiliar there’s a lot going on on stage with all the clapping, dancing, and singing. And it’s beautiful to listen to.

While there is some semblance of choreography between the percussionist(s), guitarist(s) and the dancers, no performance is the same as there’s always a degree of improvisation…..which makes all the more interesting to watch.

Yesterday marked the fourth or fifth show we’ve gone to see together, and the third time we’ve seen Paco Pena.  If you ever get the chance to see him in person, I’d HIGHLY suggest it.

3.  Heads up!  I’ll be submitting my next T-Nation article in the next day or two, so keep your eyes peeled for that.  It’s going to focus on what else:  the deadlift.  While some may be rolling their eyes at the thought of another deadlifting article:

• It’s not like I’m forcing you to sit at the table until you finish all your vegetables.  You’ll read this article when it comes out, and like it!
• I’ll be covering some less known coaching cues that I feel helps a lot of people hone in on their technique.

4. I purposely try to avoid talking politics on this blog for obvious reasons, but for those looking for a good book to read (or just something that will make you angry enough to punch a dolphin in the face), I just completed a doozy called Predator Nation. Written by Charles Ferguson – the guy who wrote and directed the documentary Inside Job – it basically details just how shady and corrupt many of our financial institutions, CEOs, politicians, and (unfortunately)peeps in higher academia are.

It’s pretty sickening, when given an opportunity to actually witness what goes on behind the scenes and to see the man behind the curtain, what these people have been (and currently are) getting away with.

I’m no financial savant, and I’d be the last one to be able to break down the inner workings of what a credit default swap is, let alone what it does – but this book does a bang-up job of laying out the pieces and making us think:  why the hell has no one gone to jail for any of this?

What’s more – and this is something that really appealed to me as I was reading it – the book points the blame to all recent administrations – Bush, Obama, Clinton, Reagan, Bush II, and even (Star Wars reference!) the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances.

Okay, obviously not the last one, but no one can wipe their hands clean here.

For those looking for something to better explain why it is where spiraling into more and more debt and continually digging ourselves into a deeper hole, I’d give this book a try.

5.  On a less “I-want-to-throw-my-face-through-a-wall” note, another book to check out is Jonny Bowden’s The Great Ch0lesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won’t Prevent Heart Disease and the Statin Free Plan That Will.

Giving full disclosure I have yet to open it up, but I’ve always been a fan of Dr. Bowden’s stuff, and I’m always game for pointing people in the direction of why tossing out egg yolks is a dumb idea.

More to the point, I’m always disheartened when people are automatically encouraged (but usually shoved) down the path of reactionary protocols like statin drugs – mostly because there’s a financial incentive to those physicians who do so – and given archaic and ill advice on nutrition and exercise.

It’s high-time that we change our attitudes towards this epidemic and start taking more preventative measures.  And this book is (presumably) a step in the right direction.

6.  Check out this hilarious video.  The girl’s reaction is awesome!

It’s a shark!  It’s a big-ass shark!

7.  And finally, for all those movie buffs out there: fellow CP coach Brett Kokorunda and I have been debating these two “best of” lists from the 90’s and 2000’s.

50 Best Films of the 1990’s

50 Best Films of the 2000’s

While I could sit and talk about/debate movies all day, I have to say I was really impressed with both lists.

They included lesser known gems like Out of Sight, Talk to Her, Rushmore, Mulholland Drive, and Children of Men; as well as the obvious choices like Pulp Fiction, GoodFellas, Boogie Nights (my personal fav), Schindler’s List and Terminator 2.

Although, I’m calling BS that Saving Private Ryan or Swingers wasn’t included in the 90’s list.

UPDATE:  and upon second glance, The Shawshank Redemption, too.  WTF!!!!!! I’ve yet to meet one single person who’s ever said a bad thing about that movie.

Not including that movie on a “best of” list is like not including The Beatles on a Best of Rock-n-Roll list.

I still have to sift though and read all the entries, but I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions!  Agree with the list?  Disagree?

Wait, what was that? You never saw Boogie Nights!?!!??!!?

You’re officially banned from this blog until you do.

No, seriously, get out.

Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.

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