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ON STAGE: Rain, A Tribute to the Beatles
Thalia Mara Hall
Formed from the same group that performed Broadway's "Beatlemania," Rain has been performing as the fab four since 1977.
Gadgets of The Week [08.23.06]
I'm partial to mobile phones with QWERTY keyboards—and the fuller the keyboard the better. (That's why, although I've recently said I was switching from a Blackberry to a Treo, I've still got the Blackberry activated; I've got the Treo on my desk—I pick it up and fondle it occasionally—but I'm just not a fan of its keyboard.) The most important reason for having a full keyboard on your phone is because it makes you look more businesslike than typing using that look-ahead stuff on a typical numbered keypad. And looking busy can be extremely important for college students, dontcha know.
[Drive] Revenge of the Minivans?
What is the deal with my life and minivans? All of a sudden I seem to find myself ensconced in the little buggers just a little more often than I care to admit. (Although the careful reader will note that I'm admitting it here in print.)
Calm Before the Storm
Today, I heard that the Killen trial media was gathering in the afternoon and headed over to Neshoba County to see what was up. The town seemed very calm, other than the mass of cars around the media center, which is in the old Magnolia restaurant on Walnut Street a block from the courthouse. It's a loft-like building with low-hanging loft lights and a really rustic, yet hip interior with exposed brick. It's too bad this place closed; it was probably hard to compete with the casino restaurants.
Me and My Cardio
I like three things about a workout on the elliptical:
I've developed a strong appreciation for the elliptical machine -- I'd never really used one successfully until this Road to Wellness challenge, and now -- unless they're all taken when I get to the gym -- I'm spending about 45 minutes at least four days a week on one.
On Drinking Less and Getting Sleep
For the past few weeks I've been bothered by what I assume are allergies that have caused an interesting reaction -- if I drink even one mug of beer or a single glass of red wine, I will wake up with an excruciating headache around 1 a.m. The headaches seemed to be what people describe as "cluster headaches" -- the type where you consider banging your head against a wall in order to distract yourself from the pain.
Workaholic Needs To Schedule Regular Exercise
For the past few months I've been loving the time spent either on the elliptical at the gym or on the bicycle that I've recently dusted off, adjusted a bit and started riding around the neighborhood. After an hour or so of cardio mixed with hard work for my leg muscles, I'm ready to enjoy a long, quiet evening and a good nights sleep. There's only one problem -- I generally only get that exercise one (sometimes two) nights per week!
Set Do-Able Goals
My main goal on the Road to Wellness has been to turn trips to the gym into a habit -- instead of a chore. That's tough for a guy who has never prided himself on a ton of will power. I do it three ways. First, I tell myself that every trip to the gym can last as long (or as short) as it needs to. Most of the time I get in 45-60 minutes on the elliptical, my cardio of choice, even if I didn't feel like I'd spend that much time when I'm on my way in the gym. But if 30 minutes is all I feel like doing, I'll stop. Something is better than nothing, and lowered the bar just a bit makes it easier to get to the gym. Second, I've convinced myself I don't have to go every day -- but I should "earn" the days I don't go by getting there the next day. If the Saints play Monday Night Football, that means I can skip an after-work session, but only if I double-down the commitment to make it on a Tuesday. That keeps me on track for at least 3 sessions and week, and usually four -- which is pretty good considering I wasn't going at all a few months back, right? Third, I recommend prepping for the next gym session right after your last one. For me, that means refilling my water bottle and sticking it in the fridge, making sure my headphones go right back in my gym bag (I've got a special $2 set just for the gym) and locating a clean towel. That way, when the next gym day comes around, I'm ready to change shoes, walk out the door and get on with it -- without finding an easy excuse for putting it off.
Developing a Wellness Habit
They say it takes 21 days to develop a habit, and that's been my wellness goal since returning from vacation -- I want to develop the habit of getting to the gym everyday and doing at least 30 minutes of exercise, whatever it is. So far I'm mostly spending time on the elliptical (that's where the TV is, after all) but even that feels like a nice accomplishment -- 3-4 miles of workout that doesn't get me so sore that I'm not up for going back the next day.
Study: 16,000 Auto Deaths Caused By Cell Phones, Texting
If one definition of "wellness" is "avoiding death," then this story should give some readers pause. Reuter's reports the results of a study at the University of North Texas that determined there were 16,000 automobile fatalities resulting from cell phone use between 2001 and 2006.
Eating with a Little Self-Respect
Over the long Labor Day weekend we headed up to the Ozarks to see Donna's brother and sister in law. For decades they've been great eaters -- purposeful, careful eaters who take the job of fueling their bodies pretty seriously. Of course, they have their own organic garden (I'd call it a *farm* given the effort it appears to take) -- and amenities (new bread machine, small tractors, dirt roads, acres and acres of trees) that would make a D-I-Y city dweller drool.
Discuss the Saints: ‘Ten and Oh'
The Saints started the day in Tampa Bay by going three-and-out, punting, and then watching the Buccaneers march down the field against their depleted secondary and score seven points. What wasn't clear from that opening drive was this: Those seven were the only points that Tampa would score for the rest of the game.
Saints: 11-0
The New Orleans Saints surprised the New England Patriots (and a fair bit of the sports media) with a healthy drubbing in the New Orleans Superdome in front of a national crowd on Monday Night Football.
Saints: Deuce. Is. Back.
Maybe it won't matter. It may be tough for him to be a factor as a player, particularly with so little practice time with the team this late in the season.
Discuss the Saints: 9-0
The Saints are good enough to beat every team on their schedule. So why are they keeping these games so close?
Saints Defense Playing ‘Sharper'
Great story in the Times-Picayune about the role that Darren Sharper is playing in not only picking off quarterbacks but also leading the Saints' relatively young secondary.
Deuce Announces His Retirement
After joining the Saints briefly in a "ceremonial" role for last Saturday's playoff game, Deuce McAllister has announced that he's retiring from football.
Saints March In, Conquer
The Saints, the media and football fans everywhere knew that the Sunday Night Football game between the cinderella Saints and the surging Dallas Cowboys would be a "tester" for both franchises.
Music: Les Kerr, Christmas On The Coast
I heard Jackson native Les Kerr perform "Christmas on the Coast" this summer during a gig at Hal & Mal's and, despite the poor timing (of course, musicians rarely have the luxury of recording Christmas songs during the holidays), I enjoyed the song then. On his new album of the same name, the "Christmas on the Coast" track features background vocals by the Jordanaires, which give the song some Johnny Cash ballad credibility. Overall, the song balances novelty and a familiar coastal country sound, adding something significant to the body of Christmas tunes we stick into our CD changers each year.
‘MySquare' & The Joys of QWERTY
Huge news for iTunes users—an executive at movie house Lion's Gate let slip during a quarterly conference call that they've made a deal with Apple to sell full-length films through the online iTunes Store. They're probably not the only ones—expect to be able to buy movies from iTunes for your iPod—or for playback on your Mac or PC—by the end of the year. One question remains … will those movies burn to DVD?