I don’t remember much from my childhood, so I guess I should be thankful that there is a new Volton movie in the works, or is it?

There are conflicting reports about the possibility of an action packed, big-screen version of the beloved 80’s classic.  Apparently there have been some problems getting a story ironed out for the movie.  Not to mention, some studio executives doubt that Voltron has a big enough following to make it a box office hit.  It’s obvious that Voltron does not have the following of other classics like G.I. Joe, or Transformers, but I think an effective marketing campaign could reawaken the interest of Generation X’s long lost Voltron fans.  Nonetheless, there are some big names behind the idea, and it seems for now to be maintaining something that resembles forward momentum.

In theory, I would love to see a Voltron movie, but the reality of such a movie is likely to be as nightmarish as the recent G.I. Joe and Transformers movies – Great classics turned into modern day silliness.  A new Voltron movie would likely be filled with hot guys, and even hotter women.  To make matters worse, they will all be falling in love while struggling to overcome some ridiculously impossible situation.  The movie will going something like this – Embrace, cry, fight, cry, embrace, cry, cheer.

Maybe this one is better left alone.

I would be willing to bet my left nut that Tyrese will form the head.

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Here are a few of my favorite movies that Michael Biehn has played a significant part in:

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Terminator – Kyle Reese. Need I say more?

Aliens – Cpl. Hicks. Sure, Drake was the best character in the movie, but Hicks made the movie and was a pivotal character. Imagine watching the latter half of Aliens if it had just been Sigourney Weaver crawling through ventilation shafts looking for Newt?

The Abyss – Lt. Coffey.  This was never my favorite movie, but it was classic Michael Biehn.

Navy Seals – Lt. Curran.  Fine, maybe this should not be in the list.  This movie had nothing to do with defining our generation, but I think it was under rated.

Strapped – Matthew McRae.  In hindsight this was a terrible movie, but in my wiggin days Strapped was awesome.  I mean, come on, it had Sticky Fingaz cousin in it.

Tombstone – Johnny Ringo.  I hated his character in this movie, but he played it well.

The Rock – Commander Anderson.  Another solid role as a bad-ass military dude.

Now that I am looking into this, I may have discoverd the sole reason Michael Biehn never made it to super stardom as movie hero:

Just kidding Mr. Biehn.  Everyone looked that silly in the 80’s.

If you’re interested you can see his complete filmography HERE.

Thanks for the good people over at A&E we are all now going to be blessed with another injection of pure Seagal bad-ass.  That’s right, starting in December A&E will be airing a new series called Steven Seagal Lawman.

The new reality show “will allow fans to ride shotgun with Seagal as he and his hand-selected elite team of deputies respond to crimes in progress. Then, when Seagal goes off duty, the cameras will continue following him as he pursues his many ventures, including musical performances and philanthropic efforts in Jefferson Parish and New Orleans”.

I can’t tell you how delighted I am to know that Nico is spending his days and nights casually executing undergarment free combat sequences on the unsuspecting criminal element of Jefferson Parish.

I will absolutely be watching this show.

Honestly, all the songs are good, but “Got Some” and “The Fixer” are the first two tracks that really made it to – playing in my head all the time status.    These two tracks take me back to my times as an angry and confused teenager who analyzed Eddie Vedder’s every word in hopes of finding some understanding of how to survive my perceived hell.  This album can turn an hour long ride on the train into an immersive walk down memory lane.

True, Pearl Jam has a way of taking me to a place in my life that is not so happy, but sometimes it feels great to allow music to submerge you in an emotion. Be it sad or happy, the two extremes of emotion can be almost equally rewarding.  If you are that type of person who enjoys all of that, Backspacer will not let you down.  You could grab it on iTunes, but I would venture out to Target to grab a copy and then rip it – the album art is cool.

Take a listen to The Fixer

I believe I was in 9th grade when they became the must have jacket of the decade.  I had a Dodgers Starter Jacket and I’m pretty sure I wore it every single day for about two years.  The funny thing was, Starter Jackets were actually cheap pieces of junk, if it wasn’t for their popularization through hip-hop, they would have remained unsold, and unappreciated on a dusty rack at Wal-Mart.

Unfortunately they got so popular, that kids were killing other kids for their Starters, and a silly jacket became a basic measure of coolness.  It did after all have a large pocket in the front that was good for carrying a walkman, a pack of smokes, a small bag of weed, a few blunts, and one Kiwi-Strawberry Snapple.  Most importantly, you could poke a hole in the lining of the large center pocket and stash a dime bag in the jacket that “Jake” would never find.

If you want to relive the glory days, or try to bring the Starter back, you can find plenty of them on Ebay.  Check em out HERE

Ray Kurzweil, a scientist, seems to be talking about science fiction, but according to him, it is all very real.  He sites the extreme acceleration of our understanding of genes and computer technology as the main driver behind these incredible advances.  In around twenty years, he predicts that scientists will be able to reprogram our bodies “stone age software” and then halt, and eventually reverse aging.

According to Mr. Kurzweil, when The Second Third is in its 50’s, our blood cells will be replaced by nanobots that are thousands of times more efficient, we will be able to sprint for 15 minutes without taking a breath, swim for an hour without needing oxygen, write a book in minutes, and use our minds to virtualize any experience.

We will be powered by bionic hearts and artificial organs of every type.  Heart attacks and disease will be a thing of the past.  We will be starting our accent ( or decent) into a future of immortality as cyborgs.

Blah Blah Blah

I certainly hope this is true, but for some reason I remember hearing things like this before.  Actually, my hover-car is about 9 years past due.  Not to mention, I am still waiting for my robot house-maid, personal jet-pack, meal in a pill, my apartment in the sky, city under the sea, hover board,  and my vacation to distant planets.  All of these things were predicted to have happened by the futuristic year 2000.  As a kid I put a great amount of effort into planning on how I would take advantage of all these great things, and I have yet to be rewarded for my efforts.

Keep your fingers crossed, but I get the feeling that none of us are gonna make it out of this alive.

Check out the original article HERE

There were numerous things one could do in a recently concurred tree.  For example, a pine tree is a great place for a smoke, or a sip of whatever alcohol had been pilfered from the parents stash.  Not to mention, the tree tops were the perfect spot to plan an attack, confide in a friend, “read” a Playboy, or hone your woodworking skills building a fort.  It sounds funny, but a lot of life lessons can be leaned in a tree.

It’s a shame that our generation (X) is really the last that will have these fond memories of tree climbing and fort building.  Generations after ours are being raised in such a tech-centric world, climbing trees is the last thing on their minds.  Instead, they choose (or have chosen for them) to be inside watching TV, surfing the internet, or playing video games.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved all of those activities as a kid, but back then, there was some balance.  We loved video games, but we still desired the classic childhood experiences as well.  I remember playing Ghost & Goblins all night long, and then heading out to the woods the next day for a full day of killing the enemy with stick guns.

So if anyone between the ages of 8 and 15 have stumbled upon this blog, I say go ahead – climb a tree, take a sip, have a smoke, fall on your ass, break a bone, it’s good for you.  and if you are over 15, you probably shouldn’t climb a tree, it is subject to diminishing returns, and probably won’t help your social life very much.

I’m sure we all remember the comical videos we were forced to watch in high school about doing testicular self-exams.  Actually, I don’t really remember the video, I was too busy laughing and looking away.  In my school, they guys who looked at the video were accused of being gay and generally uncool.  It was the job of myself and other douches like me to monitor the bleachers in search of any eye that might wonder towards the screen.  Once discovered, it was also our job to make the peepers life as miserable as possible.

Surprisingly though, that’s kind of your one chance at Testicular Cancer awareness education.  Not since then have we been educated or warned about the very real danger this common from of cancer presents to young men.  When you are kid, admitting to checking your balls is akin to the dreaded idea of openly admitting masturbation.  As an adult, however, it is something that we all need to do.  In fact, it should be a part of your regular routine.

Even if you are not experiencing any symptoms you should make a habit of doing a self-exam every month.  The only way this self-exam could be considered gay, is if you are wearing ass-less chaps and another guy is checking your balls for you. Even then, it might not be gay.

To do this examination, follow these steps:

• Stand in front of a mirror. Look for any swelling on the skin of the scrotum.
• Examine each testicle with both hands. Place the index and middle fingers under the testicle while placing your thumbs on the top.
• Gently roll the testicle between the thumbs and the fingers. Remember that the testicles are usually smooth, oval shaped and somewhat firm. It’s normal for one testicle to be slightly larger than the other. Also, the cord leading upward from the top of the testicle (epididymis) is a normal part of the scrotum. By regularly performing this exam, you will become more familiar with your testicles and aware of any changes that might be of concern.
• If you find a lump, call your doctor as soon as possible. Testicular cancer is highly treatable, especially when identified early.

Getting old sucks, but it will suck more with only one ball.  So do your part to make sure you make it out of your thirties.  If you think the self-administered testicular exam is bad, just wait for the definitely not self-administered prostate exam.  I have first-hand experience with this that I will detail in a future article.

If interested, you can read all about Testicular Cancer HERE.

I remember watching the planes hit the towers that morning.  I remember watching in amazement, thinking of the death and destruction.  What didn’t occur to me on that day is how it would change our generation forever.  September 11th was the day Generation X grew up.  Before that day we were perceived as unappreciative slackers who were cynical of the government, defied tradition, and lived this life with nothing but our own self interest in mind.

Today, however, we are a generation who has, and will continue to sacrifice so much.  Not just in the deaths of over 5,000 of our friends, brothers, and sisters in the ensuing conflicts, but in the millions of lives that have been altered in the wake of September 11th.  We are no longer assured a life of safety and prosperity.  I guess it never was a guarantee, not for any generation, but now the reality of such a life seems so far away.

It has been said that these uncertainties and struggles are what molds a great generation.  I hope that is the case, because the reality of being blown up has a funny way of sapping the collective potential of a generation.

Here are some pictures I took this evening of the Twin Tower lights.

I recently went to the doctor for a routine checkup and when I received the results of my blood-work  the cholesterol numbers were not looking too good.  I was a little surprised because I view myself as being in relatively good shape.   My diet could be better, but overall it’s really not so bad.  It is certainly better than a lot of people I know.  I go to the gym regularly and lead a fairly active lifestyle on the weekends.  I’m not out running marathons or anything, but I do plenty of city/dog walking.

My numbers were 200 for cholesterol – HDL was 30, LDL was 123, and Triglycerides were 250.

The American Heart Association gives the following recommendations.

Cholesterol: Less than 200 is “desirable”

HDL: Greater than 40 for men and greater than 50 for women

LDL: Less than 100 is “optimal”

Triglycerides: Less than 150 is nomal

Overall, my numbers are not so far off the mark. They are not good, but not the worst either.  My doctor mentioned that in a lot of ways having cholesterol levels like mine are the most dangerous kind to have.  They are the type of numbers that promote complacency and silently damage your body over several years.  In fact, most people who drop dead of a heart attack in their 40’s are those who had only moderately high cholesterol levels in their thirties.

This is actually true for many health problems.  Right now, while in your thirties, is the time when you can really make a difference in your long-term health.  This is the decade where you can make or break your health for the rest of your life.  Don’t wait until you are in your forties or fifties to start thinking about being healthy.  Much like financial investing, the earlier you start the better off you will be.

So, if you have not done so.  Go get your cholesterol checked to see where you stand.