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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59720522014-10-31T11:58:12.818-07:00LeftyBrown's CornerLeft Handed. Left Coast. Liberally Left. It's firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-9333396077435589132014-10-30T23:04:00.002-07:002014-10-31T00:38:47.604-07:00An Update on Me (And New Beginnings)

It's been an interesting year for the Browns. Kelly got a job at the start of the year and got an even better job soon after. It's been amazing to see her passionate about her job. Mid-way through the year I got laid off from my job I worked for nearly eighteen years. It was a job I dearly loved.

I still haven't found another job yet. It has me both scared (how ARE we going to pay those summer electric bills) and excited. While I'm fearful and I'm also trying to discover what a second act of Christopher Brown might look like. While I'm looking for jobs to fulfill my unemployment, I'm also trying to find something I'll enjoy, grow, be inspired, and learn. In a city (that I love) like Fresno, that can be hard.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to learn HTML/CSS, and finding it mostly fun. But I fear it's not something I'll pick up with ease. I also trying to figure out what to do with The Married Gamers. We've been on a mini-hiatus with the podcast. We're coming back, but with a busy schedule and being recently sick, it felt right to let it rest and return stronger in November. The website is a larger issue. It might be time to rethink how we can make the site both fun and productive.... and make money, well some money would be nice.

The other thing I've just started in that infamous 'meantime' is a promise I made myself. I am now going to do one creative thing each day. It could be recording a podcast, writing an article for TMG, a blog post here on this blog, a poem, writing that story I've been itching to write, doing that guerilla Shakespeare troupe I always wanted to do here in town. Who knows?

To dust off that much too over-used analogy, I feel like it's time to break from this cocoon and become that butterfly. Groan. Ignore that and just focus on that itch inside yourself. The one that has those mad ideas. Those fleeting thoughts of fanciful creation. Those words that cause the imagination to explode into a fiery display only to disappear into the evening. I don't want them to disappear. I want them to find a home in my story, in my biography. THIS, I did. I'll pass but here is my ever-present. I want that. I feel it in me, and I want to wrestle with it until I pin it.

More later. firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-45931992364102601972014-01-23T11:22:00.004-08:002014-01-23T11:22:49.206-08:00Eating Better in a Rush

So Kelly is working again (hurrah!) which now presents a time problem certain days of the week. In addition to her new job, she is also taking a tech class which means on Tuesdays & Thursdays there is very little time to cook.

Fast food shouldn't be the answer. So again I turn to my supportive readers to offer some ideas to turn the 20-30 minutes she has at home (between work and class) into a healthy meal for her and me. Any ideas?

Also, I need healthy alternatives for breakfast. While I am a creature of habit, there have been a day or two that I want something other than 2 cups of oatmeal or Malt-O-Meal and a cup of coffee (with a little creamer). What would you suggest for a one a week or weekend alternative?

(And yes that bowl of avocado & salmon salad pictured above looks so yummy. I think I convince Kelly into making something like that some night.)firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-66072939533981015772014-01-15T11:56:00.001-08:002014-01-15T11:56:26.927-08:00Two Weeks & Counting....I'm now two weeks into the diet and exercise, so it's time to check in with news, things I've learned, and begging some help from readers.

Right now I am using my FitBit Force to track my steps. I've had a few 10,000 steps days must mostly I average about 7,000 steps except on the weekends. I walk at faster than normal rate and often by the end of my 20 minute walks my shins are HURTING.

My awesome wife, Kelly, connected my Force to my MyFitnessPal account (TMGLefty) so it imports auto-magically my exercise. With the help of Kelly I'm doing very good with logging in my foods and am slowly becoming more thoughtful about choosing meals that are lower in sodium, in addition to calories.

Last weekend Kelly had me stand on our home scale. I last weighed myself at my cardiologist's scale mid-December. Since then I have lost ten pounds, bringing me to 370lbs. It feels like it's a drop in the bucket...but I'm learning to be positive about it and look forward to not just the weight-loss but gaining more energy in my day. This Saturday will be my next weigh-in.

So here's my question to my readers. My university has a small exercise area that we employees can use. They don't really have much weight machines, mostly free weights. I want to start using them, but I really need to educate myself on what to use, what I should focus on, and how to properly use them without causing injury to myself. Anyone have some excellent resources or email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-40441687287010255892014-01-06T10:00:00.001-08:002014-01-06T10:00:18.803-08:00Open Source Lefty!

Last month when I sat down with my cardiologist, he really gave me pause. He wanted me to strongly consider a surgical way to reduce my weight. I really don't want to have surgery, but I've been morbidly obese for several years now. It's time for a change.

I decided that if by December 31, 2014 I haven't seen a dramatic lifestyle change and weight loss, then I will begrudgingly take the surgical route. And in trying to make this change, I am turning to this new web community I'm a part of for help. In short, I'm open-sourcing my weight loss and exercise.

My social feeds, my circle of friends, family and followers contain several folks who have been able to lose weight and become more fit. So I am going to open source my diet & fitness this year! I invite my well-meaning friends, family and followers to send me advice, tips, tricks, recipes, eating plans, aerobic (and later weights) workouts, and of course positive feedback and well-wishes.

I want this journey to be a success. I would love to be able to do more things. I've always wanted to skydive...but frankly at my weight that's on hold. And don't get me started on trying to fit into sports jerseys (i.e. Seattle Sounders jerseys) or other clothes for that matter. Who knows how much it will also affect things like my snoring, my diabetes, my neuropathic pain in my hand and feet, my sex drive or always being given "that look" when someone realizes that they are my airline seat neighbor for a 5-hour flight.

I want to be another success story. I know it doesn't come easily. I've done more than a decade of damage to my body that frankly may take years to get under control. Still, I so want to avoid surgery and I definitely want to become this healthier, more active person my obesity has denied me my several years now.

So this blog will feature my journey but you can also check me out at the following places:

Fitbit: http://www.fitbit.com/user/256ZWV

MyFitnessPal: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/user/tmglefty/status

Also some of this will be highlighted from time to time on my Facebook and Twitter feed.

Last but not least, I will be starting a gaming & weight loss podcast and am looking for a few co-hosts. Ideally I am looking for two co-hosts that also are trying to lose weight and another that is a medically-licensed physician or dietician that self-identifies themselves as a gamer. If you are or know someone that would be interested, drop me an email.firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-39279213016904476002013-07-09T10:18:00.002-07:002013-07-09T10:19:33.927-07:00Stupid Shit I've Done (Recently)

Stupid Shit #1

The picture to the left, in case you can't see, is a HUGE bruise I have on my arm. I also have bruises on my legs as well. Yep, they hurt.

I got these shiners after falling down in our bedroom. One of things I hate about my diabetes is that I have tingly numbness in my feet and also my pinkie and ring finger on my right hand. It sometimes affects my grip, on in the case of my bruises, my balance. So this weekend as I was putting my socks in the hamper I slipped and fell into some furniture in our bedroom and then onto our hardwood floor.

I'm thankful that I didn't break anything. We need to buy a rug runner for our bedroom, the hardwood floor didn't help my balance being a little slippery as well.

Stupid Shit #2

So San Diego Comic Con is always a big event and sells out super-fast. Despite it being over-crowded and poorly run (for press access). it's an event we at The Married gamers have been privileged to cover for a few years. Kelly and I were gearing up for covering it in a few weeks, and I found it odd that she was getting press releases and I wasn't. So I did some digging, and lo and behold I discovered I forgot to respond to an email link for the final step of press confirmation. It was a simple thing I was supposed to do, but it came during PAX East stuff and fell into an email Mariana Trench and was forgotten. Of course I found this out a couple weeks after final registration had closed. So no SDCC this year and all because of a stupid, stupid mistake on my part. That makes all the harder to bear.

email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-68047389722044460542013-06-19T09:45:00.002-07:002013-06-19T09:45:56.928-07:00Shake the Disease

The AMA recently decided that obesity is a disease. This is welcome news to me because down the road it will make it easier for obese people like me to find cheaper ways to, in the words of Depeche Mode, shake the disease. Right now through my HMO, Kaiser Permanente, it is cheaper for me to buy my insulin than it is for me to attend workshops to help me eat and exercise better. I can't even begin to think how much of my budget it eat up if I hired a trainer or chef to teach me what I could do to change my life.

I'm also excited that the AMA has taken this step because all my teen and adult life, I've always felt like there was something wrong with me. Even back when exercise was a frequent part of my life I felt I was fat and doomed to it. Maybe I am predisposed to this disease which has made my struggle even harder without access to help that comes from a society (and health insurance system) that believes that it's entirely poor lifestyle and eating choices.

I'm not using this disease designation as an excuse for being morbidly obese. I could write an overlong post about my struggles in learning how to eat better and how to exercise (believe me, real big guys like me face different problems in exercising than most slightly overweight or healthy folks do...try doing jumping jacks when your knees want to divorce you). Like alcoholism, these is some malfunction that makes a healthier me very difficult. It doesn't mean I can't attain it. I haven't met one morbidly obese person who didn't want to change, and if they continued a sedentary and dangerous lifestyle it's because they had lost hope. I empathize with them.

I want to shake this disease. Every time I see, hear, or watch something on the effects of obesity and diabetes I cringe. Every time I think of all those activities I wish I could do if I weighed less I get depressed. Every morning when it's hard to get ready for work in the morning because my feet and right hand are having it's constant "tingling" pain I get upset. The depression makes it all that more difficult to watch what I eat or help motivate me to exercise.

When I going through therapy, my therapist told me something that I am now going to apply to my diet and exercise. I spend far too much energy trying to solve the mystery on WHY I was depressed instead of just applying changes. So I'm going to apply that to changing my lifestyle and hope and pray I have ideas, people, prayer, and support that come alongside to help sustain me in those times when I don't think I can do it myself.

If you follow me on Facebook then you'll see me reaching out to my friends to see if they know of any doctors who are gamers who would like to be a co-host on a new male gamer diet & exercise podcast I will be launching soon. Also, I may use this space on leftybrown.com to be a little transparent on my diet and weight-loss. And I'm becoming more open about asking for help, even if it's prayer or questions.

This is a disease I aim to firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-17522755069692804702013-06-18T16:08:00.002-07:002013-06-18T16:08:20.940-07:00Jesus Is A Little Bit Country

I've been listening to a lot of classic country and western via Pandora (after a good friend let me know about the station). Other than finding some killer stuff that I didn't know existed ,or might have never heard and now love (like Jeannie C. Riley's "Harper Valley PTA"), I've been entranced with the depth and duality of country and western music.

This is personified in Johnny Cash (and many others but for sake of brevity let's stick with the Man in Black). With some knowledge of Cash's music catalog, you KNOW that he was a man that truly treasured his religious faith and his belief in Christ. At the same time, he's also a man that did some "hard living" through out his life, abused drugs and alcohol, and sang about dark themes, including murder. Cash was a flawed person and his music offered funny songs, dark songs, and also songs about redemption and grace.

In many ways Johnny Cash is a man I understand and see traits in myself (traits not talents). I'm also a flawed person. I see those sinful, prideful, hurtful things in myself...but I also see the promise, God's grace, and the love that binds me to my family, friends and others. I am far from a model Christian and frankly, there are times when I have my doubts in the reality of a living God. But through it all there's an ember that keeps this bag of bones warm with the hope that I too will be redeemed when I breathe my last.

For now, I need to learn to accept me as I am. Sure I do want to work on being a better person, but that is born out a desire to be more human, not because this work will save me. Listening to country and western music (the classic "good" stuff) and the stories of sin AND redemption reminds me that Jesus took upon ALL sins of the world so that will might be saved by his email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-85118340566140577502013-05-31T09:35:00.003-07:002013-05-31T09:35:52.726-07:00Lefty's Top Five for May 31stMan is it Friday already? Well time for the Top Five this week.....

#1 The Married Gamers podcast

Gee, how very narcissistic of me. Actually tonight we record episode 300 of The Married Gamers podcast which is a monster milestone for me. For nearly six years my wife and I have recorded a topical podcast and through it has healed our wounded marriage, fallen in love with each other, and are STILL having a blast doing it. Episode 300 will be out on June 10th, we are also recording episode 299 tomorrow (which will be out on Monday), and this week we sat in on two other podcasts, The Broke Nerdcast and Gamertag Radio's The Balcony. We also were recently guests on Game on Girl as well. So we sort of did a small circuit tour for our 300th.

Anyway, I'm so happy that through sic years I've had a fantastic co-host, had some guests that have been dynamic and interesting (most I'm proud to call my friend as well), and have done some very cool stuff too.

I wouldn't wish the heartbreak that Kelly and I had to go through that was the impetus of TMG, but looking back I do see that God can take two hurting and broken people and create a pretty interesting story of faith, grace, and love out of it.

#2 Uncanny Avengers

Last weekend when we were visiting friends in SoCal, we visited Golden Apple comics. In addition to picking up the first appearance of Dazzler in Uncanny X-Men, I picked up the trade collection and issues 6-current of Uncanny Avengers. Brian Bendis has been doing awesome X-Men work in All-New X-Men so I have wondered if this was a series I'd enjoy. Well, I do very much. The art is good (the rotating artists escape me right now), and the storylines have been good (I finished issue 5 and am looking forward to the Kang story). It is good but not awesome...save for one thing.

I've been an Uncanny X-Men reader for decades. For me, Charles Xavier's vision was one in which mutants and humans would be in peaceful co-existence with one another. However, in all that time the X-Men have all been made up of mutants. Uncanny Avengers take Xavier's "dream" a step further (well in a superhero framework) by blending mutant, human, and super-human together on a team in a public way. Sure Avengers have had mutants on their team for a long time (even X-Men have been Avengers prior to Uncanny Avengers, like one of my favorite characters Beast), but this Avengers team wears it's unity stripes front and center which serves as a reminder to BOTH human and mutant.

I'm excited to see where this idea grows in later issues.

#3 John Fogerty "Wrote a Song for Everyone"

I am usually not a fan of artists revisiting their classic works alongside new artists, but when Rolling Stone gave this album five stars ("Classic" status), I knew I had to download it and listen. It's good. Man alive it's good. This album is, by my definition, "vinyl worthy," and will be picking this up on vinyl.

This album has some unique pairings including Foo Fighters, Miranda Lambert (with Tom Morello no less!), My Morning Jacket, Kid Rock, Allen Toussaint (with Jennifer Hudson), and many more. The result of such pairing peels back that "elder statesmen of Rock" that Fogerty has earned with me, to reveal that this is a man with fire in the belly still. You got to check this out! You will be FLOORED by the first track alone, a rocking Fortunate Son with the Foo Fighters.

I think I found my summer album.

#4 Arrested Development

I'm not quite ready for Season 4 of AD on Netflix, because I am watching this with Kelly who has never seen the series. We're in Season 3 and I think I'm enjoying it again and STILL finding new stuff to laugh at. That said, next week we'll be in season 4 territory and I'm excited to seeing something new that I haven't already seen six times before.

#5 My Summer Project

So my summer project consists of reading through as much of the Game of Throne books as I can and to also finish the video game Skyrim. Last night I restarted my journey in the Elder Scrolls game and spent a lot of it trying to remember where I was. This is made harder because I was playing this on not only the Xbox 360, but also on my gaming laptop and taking different approaches to how I played the game. That said, I am catching up to speed quickly.

On the Game of Thrones front I am 15% through the first four books and am about 80% done with the first book I think (judging from where the book matches with the first season of the HBO series more or less). I'm enjoying the book, but really like the portions that weren't included in the television series.

firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-11609813647235122512013-05-24T09:53:00.004-07:002013-05-24T09:53:44.614-07:00Friday Top FiveHere's five things that's been eating up my time this week:

1. Xbox One

Microsoft's new console was announced this week. I really enjoyed the presentation which focused on the hardware much like any new tech announcement. This naturally got "core" gamers upset because it wasn't all about games. Hopefully those naysayers will be amazed at the E3 event. The messaging afterwards has been all over the place, so MS really needs to work on that and trying to satisfy the hunger for reliable and true information.

So what was I excited for? Well, the snap feature is something I'll use a lot since I like to multi-task. I LOVE the speed of the new console which appears to respond nearly instant when switching from different tasks. The use of cloud servers really is the next step forward in gaming, and something where I think Sony will fall far short (I AM excited for the PS4 still).

I am interested in clarification about owning a game in a household with two separate account/consoles, because right now the rumor is that it will mean a single player game will cost twice as much if both Kel and I want to play on our own machines. Fingers-crossed that that isn't true.

2. Me and Mrs. B.

Along with the Xbox One announcement, Kel and I can finally talk about our video/photo shoot we had with Microsoft while we were out in Boston for PAX East. We had a very short, blink and you miss us in the Xbox Anthem:

And we also had a short vignette about how The Married Gamers and Xbox Live had a part in saving our marriage.

3. Game of Thrones

Kelly and I watch Games of Thrones together and she's actually asking less questions about which characters are related to each other and such. Also, I am actually hooked on reading the books on the Kindle. I have the first four books on the device and because they are all "smooshed" together, I can say I'm 10% though the first four books, which I'm guessing is about 2/3rds through the first book.

My summer plans are to read through the books while also trying to complete the long-delayed game Skyrim.

4. Green Lantern

Green Lantern is my favorite DC character. This was before Geoff Johns ever laid his talented hands on it and really gave it a mythos that will last for decades. Essentially Green Lantern is about space cops, and for some reason that resonates for me as a vehicle to tell great science fiction tales (though 90% of the time it's mostly superhero antics).

So this week, Geoff John said goodbye to Green Lantern with a huge story that will have lasting results on those "space cops". I loved the book mostly but the book ended with a look into the future, which admittedly can always be changed (this is after all a comic book), that seemed to give away the endings of the character a little too much for my liking...but now I wonder if it's because Johns knows that someday this "New DC" while be exchanged for a "Newer DC" with new histories.

Anyway, Johns has his pulse on what fans like me want, and he really did a bang-up run on GL. I should also mention that he also had some of the best artists in the biz making his stories look very nice as well.

5. Football = Soccer

The Barclays Premier League wrapped up their 2012-13 season. This was the first season that I paid attention to it and rooted for my 7th place finishing Liverpool (I spent part of the season deciding if I would support Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool). I've never seen soooooo many games played in the rain before. Sheesh! Other than waking up early for a few matches, I really enjoyed the quality of play. I look forward to next year...and hopefully Liverpool finishing in the top 4. I still need to understand what happens to the bottom teams that get relegated and which teams take their place in the BPL.

As for US MLS, I'm am decidedly a Seattle Sounders fan, although really the Portland Timbers are a VERY VERY close second. Heck I love nearly all the West teams...except for Chivas. The Sounders had a magnificent game last week against league leading FC Dallas, so I am beside myself that I finally get to catch the Galaxy vs Sounders in L.A. this weekend. Can. Not. Freakin'. Wait!

email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-2832937275089769432013-05-23T09:53:00.002-07:002013-05-23T09:59:23.838-07:00Social Media and My Bully

Yes, since no one asked, I do plan on updating this site with new content. Lord knows I have plenty to say, it's just valuing the time to say it. I'll admit it's much easier writing 140 character messages or small chunks of update in my Book of Faces.

Here, on this blog, it requires more thought. It's an area that, while it still exists on the same internet, and actually has less privacy than I have on Facebook, I feel that there's more room to speak my mind.

So, for today let me tell you about a bully and business....

{I've edited this to the barest of details, because I don't want to "wake the dragon" but do want to share where my head is at}

If you follow my online existences on Twitter and Facebook you have seen an occasional entry about dealing with a bully. For the past year and a half (possibly longer) I (and by I it also extended to my wife and company, so more We than I) there's been this one person who has gone out of his way to spread lies, impugn my and my wife's relationship, and has cause me real and significant mental anguish. As a result, my name, my business and my wife's name was but through the wringer online.

He had an online megaphone, and I had thought to answer back but under great restraint I choose not to. Let me explain why....

First, I not only represent me, but as a business owner I also am tied to The Married Gamers, my business partner (and my wife) Kelly and the freelance staff. If I were to trade blows it might make for interesting reading from the sidelines but the real effect is that it cheapens me and most importantly my wife, TMG staff, and the TMG business. I need to think of all of these things even when it feels so very personal. I have got to think of my business first. We have built the website into something very special, redefining what a game/geek indie site is with our focus on women & family bloggers and emphasis on marriage equality as a good thing for gaming. We have built great relationships with other websites, partners, and other businesses and I want that to continue.

Second, I like to keep this bully and his business as two different entities. He is not the sole owner, so out of respect for his partners I refrain from disputing things. Through it all I wish no ill towards his business. It was a website that prior to his co-ownership of it, I counted myself a community member of (under different management/ownership to be fair). I view it this way, if I have a problem with an employee at a store, I understand the difference between the actions of the employee than that of the store's. He is part owner, true....but I need to trust like any good company if there is a rogue exec then they will bring him in line or buy him out.

Third, my own self-image. Like it or not I do have image problems. I'm obese and very self-conscience of it. The internet finds it easy to pick on people like me, so I worry that I'm an easy target for their slings and arrows (maybe I could have phrased that better). If I tried to stand up to my bully, I fear that my image would only increase the bullies ten-fold.

So I try to think before I type, as evidenced by this fourth draft of this blog post to make it less about my bully and more about my reasons for how I react. I will say I'm in a much better headspace now. Speaking with a therapist helped (this bully was one of the symptoms of my depression), the support of my awesome wife helped as well. Kelly has helped me to open up and not internalize my grief. Lastly my friends have been such a blessing. I have been prayed for, wished well, spoken well of, given advice from a great many friend. They have helped take away much of the sway this bully had over me and have given me a healthy frame of reference and willingness to take legal action if this silliness on his part continues.

email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-76795598139122595982013-01-29T08:50:00.002-08:002013-01-29T08:50:17.776-08:00Can You See the Real Me Doctor?

This last Sunday I started a project I have been thinking about. I'm going to start watching more Criterion Collection films. Thankfully Hulu has a large collection (minus some of the more recent American films) so after spending 30 minutes just flipping through their holdings I selected Quadrophenia (1979). I was at first dubious of watching a disco-era 1979 movie about loosely based on the 1973 The Who rock opera. Thankfully this was no BeeGees Sgt. Peppers. The performances were great and captured the teenage wasteland quite beautifully.

Phil Daniels, who played lead character Jimmy Cooper with a certain aplomb. In certain ways his character reminds me of Shakespeare's Hamlet and Salinger's Holden Caulfield who is more a figure largely shaped by others while yearning to be something different or larger until too late.

Like other teen, coming of age movies there are familiar tropes. Parents still don't understand, social subcultures conflict, and a lead character out of step with his or her peers. That said, the film has an endearing quality. I felt for Jimmy despite him doing some stuff that made him a part of the problem and despite of his declarations of not being a follower, for most of the film he remains so. Still I felt his heartbreak in his relationship with a girl, his place in the world, his parents. And yes, The Who soundtrack and Detroit R&B classics provided a great feel to the film.

Well Recommended.

After watching Quadrophenia, I decided to take a change on another British 70's film, the 1978 cult film Jubilee. I honestly gave the film 60 minutes and it just didn't grab me despite it's VERY heavy punk rock influence. I did enjoy seeing some important punk figures "try" to act, but the film felt to blunt in trying to "say" something. It DID have me jonesing to listen to some Adam Ant so I guess it wasn't all bad.

firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-34850252160537042852013-01-25T11:41:00.002-08:002013-01-25T11:41:34.213-08:00High Five Fridays

I'm going to introduce a weekly column called High Five Fridays in which I'll list five things that interested me this week.

1. Richard Blanco's "One Today" -Blanco's poem that he recited at President Obama's Inauguration really affected me. I loved the way his words took me on a uniquely American journey. I loved his imagery and story. I will definitely be taking a look at his other poems and books.

2. Looper -I finally sat and watched Looper on Blu-ray. While I ALWAYS forget "that kid from 3rd Rock From the Sun's name" (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), I thought he did a great turn in acting as a young Bruce Willis. Time Travel movies always gets haters and lots of my friends either LOVED this film or HATED it. For me, I enjoyed it and was entertained. My favorite time travel move remains TimeCrimes but hey my tastes differ, I DID watch Hot Tub Time Machine at least three times!

3. Justified -I've been a big fan of Justified through three seasons, and am now three episodes into the new season. I'm really enjoying it. Lots of plot turns and an overarching mystery so far. Looking forward to see all the various plots collide together.

4. Indestructible Hulk -I am so glad Dave at my local comics book store Heroes recommended this book to me. Mark Waid has a long history in comics, but in the past few years he has been firing on all cylinders. After Ed Brubaker's great run on Daredevil, Waid injected new life into the book. Now on Indestructible Hulk (which is a horrible title, IMHO), Waid just might redefine both Bruce banner's and the Hulk's role in the Marvel Universe. I'm not a huge fan of Leinil Francis Yu's art, which I find a little hard to follow in action scenes, but the story is fantastic!

5. NickelNickelNine.com -It's not quite ready, but Kelly and I will soon be commandeering another podcast along with The Married Gamers. Nickel Nickel Nine (aka 559, the area code for the Fresno area) will be a local Fresno County focused podcast. We've come to love the Fresno area as it starts being attractive to new ideas, great businesses, and a place where a lot more fun things can happen. The podcast should be launching in the next week or two.

firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-26448686872281326892013-01-24T07:40:00.001-08:002013-01-24T07:40:06.846-08:00To New Beginnings!

I've been thinking about endings and new beginnings a lot lately. There's been some "stuff" happening with my wife that I can't talk about because that's the way the legal world works. (Just to keep tongues from wagging, it's not anything between me and my wife.) In any event, my wife is now searching for a new beginning for herself which will define her in a new way, that may open new avenues to follow her passions and reward her drive and creativity.

In the midst of this search, she's also making a new beginning with her diet and exercise in a big way, which has also extended to me. This is fortunate for me at the moment I need the "diet training wheels" on. In my head I can select what I should be eating, what portion size is right, and what time slot I could fit in 20-30 minutes of cardio each day. That's all in my head, but my bad relationship with food over decades creeps in if left to my own devices. Just last night as Kelly was sleeping off the effects of a shot for her migraine, instead of easily picking up a flatbread sandwich or healthy salad I opted for a Wendy's cheeseburger, two sides of fries and topped it off with a large cherry poison...I mean Coke. I'm still feeling guilty about that this morning. I need to end that need to creep in just "one more bad meal" or that feeling that if I don't eat at fast food now I'll be "missing out". I know down the road I need to make good choices for myself independently, but for the moment I thank God that Kelly is being an encouragement and a leader as we lose weight and get more fit.

It's hard trying to eat right while I deal with what I think is depression. I may not be suicidal or a danger to others, but man I am slowly eating my way to death. I literally lay awake at night sometimes wonder how big my heart is after years of living this sedentary lifestyle and piss-poor eating choices. I NEED this new beginning.

And yet I am fearful. Tomorrow I see my doctor who I haven't seen in a year. While I know she won't yell at me, I feel like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. And yet, I don't want to be given up on yet. I am also fearful of this visit because I also have to bring up the depression for the first time to a physician. It makes what I only "think" I may have into something with real consequences. But this too will offer me a new beginning, and one that may enrich my relationship with my wife, friends, co-workers and family.

Lastly for new beginning, my wife and I have talked about heading back to church. It's has been years since we sat in a pew or chapel. My faith is important to me. I know it's important to my wife as well. That said, for some reason we just stopped going. That a church just two blocks from us that I know is an "affirming" church which is important to both of us. We might give it a try this Sunday. I really wish there was a Lutheran church that was also affirming in my area. I sorely miss the liturgy. In any regard, I do look forward to worshiping God as part of the body of Christ.

To new email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-56065676512986425692013-01-15T15:22:00.002-08:002013-01-15T15:22:14.771-08:00The "To Kill A Mockingbird" Rule

Running The Married Gamers website and podcast, I've made lots of friends. But here's what irks me. I have friends that, to my knowledge, accept me for who I am. The genuinely like me. However they then make fun of those generalized "mouth breathers" of which clan I am known to be part of. I don't like this.

I get it. Making fun of the obese often comes without incrimination. It's like it's the last segment of polite society that it's okay to put down. I mean after all, we did it to ourselves. We should know better. However, these friends KNOW me. They know that changing your lifestyle is HARD, especially when a person has made poor choices for decades. Deprogramming oneself and learning to eat right, know portion sizes, keep away from sugar, walk, exercise, and the like is a little like learning to walk again after being debilitated for several months. These friends know how hard it is for me to get myself together but somehow are unsympathetic to my obese brothers and sisters. It bums me out, and yes it makes me depressed a bit.

One of my most informative books growing up was Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Besides my parent's instruction, my somewhat lax Christian upbringing, and the music I listened to, Mockingbird taught me how to try to "get into another person's skin" and to view people from their perspective. We human beings are so interesting from any other creature on the planet. Just today as I was getting mail, I was thinking that there are billions of people who have distinct lives: each one with their own hopes, desires, needs and problems. We may share many of them in common, but we are all unique. That complexity intrigues me and compels me to treat others with at least respect. I'm far from perfect at it, but I would hate to miss a Boo Radley who may one day become my hero. firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-67178253558772488182013-01-03T10:28:00.001-08:002013-01-03T10:53:41.035-08:00My Ten Favorite Albums of 2012 It's always hard to chose the ten best of anything, especially music. There's plenty of stuff I haven't heard that may certainly be deserving, so instead I'll just mention albums that have been my favorites this year.

 10. The Loudest Sound Ever Heard -The Choir The Choir was the first Christian band to show me that music didn't have to fit into either/or worship or secular music. Even when their music have been an inspiration and solace for me for over twenty years, their latest album proves that their work and talent continues unabated and will continue to mean so much to my own faith journey.

 9. King Animal -Soundgarden Truth be told, Soundgarden was never a particular favorite grunge band for me. I always leaned more towards Nirvana and Pearl Jam. That said, King Animal is a BEAST! It's a solid return for a band that still has life yet in it. A lot has been said recently about the sunset of rock, but this album proves that it's far from dead. Cornell and boys create an album of great guitar hooks, vocals that excite, and a rhythm that drives the blood.

 8. Believe -Justin Bieber Sacrilege! How dare I include former teeny-bopper and bublegum pop star Justin Bieber above Soundgarden or even on this list. The Gods honest truth, I love this album. I feel that Bieber has an ear and voice for great pop and dance music. Believe shows a big step from his manufactured teen sensation days to a more adult dance album. I think he has enough in him to outshine his heartthrob beginnings. This is a fun, slick album that has been a delight for me to drive and work to (sometimes to the chagrin of co-workers and my wife).

 7. channel ORANGE -Frank Ocean I am admittedly not ANYWHERE an aficionado when it comes to Hip Hop/ R&B. I first of Ocean for his work on the Jay-Z & Kanye West album which was a mixed bag, except for that killer Ocean track, "No Church in the Wild." This album dropped amidst his revealing personal life that even five years might have killed his career before it had a change to blossom. I'm glad that it looks like the key folks in the Hip Hop community have progressed enough to give this man a chance to pursue his passions (all of them). This album is evokes Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and his colleague Kanye West. It's my favorite album of this genre all this year, although Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) gave it a run for its money early on when I was drawing up this list.

 6. Locked Down -Dr. John Dr. John has already had a storied career and several albums to boast of. Despite his rich career, with Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach acting as producer for this album, this is Dr. John's best album in decades. John's voodoo New Orleans music is layered with the raw musical textures that Auerbach brings to the mix. It'd dark, moody, restless and damn good!

 5. Girl On Fire -Alicia Keys It's been a while since a last heard or was interested in Alicia Keys, but this album changes that. It's a beautiful album start to finish. It feels honest and deep and for some reason I just connect with it.

 4. TIE: Boys & Girls -Alabama Shakes and Arrow -Heartless Bastards Sure, this is a way to squeeze eleven selections into a favorite ten list, but these two bands do go hand in hand with one another. Alabama Shakes feels like Amy Winehouse meets Janis Joplin and Big Brother & Holding Company. Brittany Howard's has a strange quality about it, but draws my ear. Her band is tight and manages to infuse the album with various forms of rock music from classic, southern, jam, alt. country. After declaring my love for the Alabama Shakes, a fellow podcaster friend of mine (Mik of The Fanboys Lunchcast) recommended I check out Heartless Bastards. Their latest album, Arrow, found its musical mark. Erika Wennerstrom's voice can fill whatever room it enters. The album is at times luminous and other southern gothic. It is from the first to last track affecting. I'm so grateful for Mik's suggestion, I'm now a fan of Heartless Bastards.

 3. Mirage Rock -Band of Horses I've been a fair-weather fan of Band of Horses since their sophomore album. I haven't given them to much thought to be honest, until I read that renowned producer Glyn Johns was helping the band produced Mirage Rock. The result is Band of Horses best album to date. It is feels like a great Seventies California rock album without all the boring Eagles tunes. There isn't a bad tune on this album, and once the last song finishes I find myself often just letting the album repeat.

 2. Rebirth -Jimmy Cliff What a rebirth indeed! This album was without a doubt my summer album. I listened (and continue) to listen to this album hundreds of time, sometimes just letting it repeat on long trips in my car. Jimmy Cliff is a reggae icon and Rebirth shows that he is not ready to fade away. It's a strong album that sheds light on some weighty topics at times and other times is celebratory of reggae and Cliff's influence in it (with some choice covers like The Clash's "Guns of Brixton") . The band backing him does a great job supporting the legend even with such luminaires Rancid's Tim Armstrong and Cypress Hill's Dan Boer among them.

 1. Blunderbuss -Jack White I knew early on that White's album, Blunderbuss, would be my favorite album of the year. I was very sad when The White Stripes closed up shop, but after hearing this album, I'm glad that White continues to be one of my favorite artists and guitarists. Blunderbuss is a jangly, rough and tough album full of mean guitar hooks, bloodied drum beats, and kick you when your down lyrics. It's a bar-room fight of an album, made perfect clear in the stellar track "Love Interruption." So there you have it. There's plenty of Honorable Mentions on my list of favorite albums including Childish Gambino's Camp, Gary Clark Jr's Blak and Blu, Green Day's UNO . . . DOS . . . TRÉ! , Bob Dylan's Tempest, Norah Jones' Little Broken Hearts and more. email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-11210256742035701342013-01-02T10:03:00.002-08:002013-01-02T10:03:45.330-08:00Blogging my Way in 2013! Hello again. I will do my utmost to provide new content for this site this year. I have a few "Best Of 2012" that will find themselves here on Leftybrown.com this week starting with my top ten music albums of 2012. Stay Tuned! -email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-70084419469921004672012-03-07T16:06:00.001-08:002012-03-07T16:10:08.884-08:00Attaining Nerdvana

So....I've been busy. More on THAT later, but I wanted to give a short update on the whole SocialEngine trial and The Married Gamers.

I just pulled the trigger and paid $530 for SocialEngine and several plugins. I was really impress by the ease in which it was to work with the software, and it really opens us (The Married Gamers) to do something really, really cool.

So we are creating a hub call Nerdvana. It will be a place where geeks can attain a higher level of conversation. We will be inviting friendly, non-bullying gaming and geek websites and podcasts to become our partners. These sites/podcasts would have a great place they and their communities can hang out, create events, interact and chat. It benefits everyone's communities, makes the place robust and hopping with stuff to do, provides great networking opportunities, and also helps our internal numbers as well. Also down the road we might devote a portion of the landing page with an ad as well.

The websites and podcasts still control their respective sites (with link exchanges between them and Nerdvana) and we don't demand anything from them financially or editorially. So it's a good deal for new sites/shows to build a reader/listener base and for others older places provides a second chance to reigniting that community spark.

As much as I love community, I'm really excited by the idea. Nerdvana should fully launch by April 1st. If you have a website or podcast that would like to apply to partner up, just drop me a message over Twitter @leftybrown or my email address.email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-80860023156974026002012-02-23T09:21:00.000-08:002012-02-23T09:21:09.396-08:00Becoming Friends at The Married Gamers

I just wanted to follow up a bit about bringing back the forums to The Married Gamers. We are currently trying out something pretty damn cool. It's called SocialEngine, and it not only give us the ability to run a forum, but also create our own social network of sorts. It does come with a hefty price tag. For the features we want to include it'll cost between $500-$600. We'll be able to offer IM, Chat, Forums, Photo Albums, Groups, Polls, and Blogs. Pretty robust.

So we really want to get a lot of people testing it out so we can help their opinions, because after all we want to have something people will use and enjoy themselves there. We also want to make sure it is worth our investment.

So if you want to check it out, head to our SocialEngine trial here: http://setrial.themarriedgamers.net. Be sure to 'Friend' firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-39763896186443062362012-02-17T09:33:00.000-08:002012-02-17T09:36:00.326-08:00Behind the Scenes with The Married Gamers

So occasionally I use this space to talk frankly about The Married Gamers website, podcast, and gaming folks I've had the pleasure of interacting with. For today I want to just give a glimpse on the "secret sauce" we currently are working with behind the scenes.

The Staff

Currently we have 15 staffers at The Married Gamers, including Kelly and myself. One of those 15 is our web administrator, Devon, who doesn't write for the site, but makes everything look nice and fixes problems when and if they should arrive.

We have three editors at the site. I'm Executive Editor which is a fancy way of saying I own and shape the direction, look, philosophy, and feel of the website and its various parts (including our Facebook Fan Page, Twitter account, Youtube channel, Google+, and what other social media places we need to be in). I also proofread articles along with Erik our Editor in Chief. Erik is the person I most depend on making sure a piece is grammatically correct. Although I do have an English background my grammar can sometimes be a little shaky. Finally, Kelly (my wife) is the Managing Editor. She does not proofread articles, but she is in charge of managing our writer's schedules. This means requesting review copies of games and products, sending coverage of said items back to the companies, setting up interviews for staff, and setting up what I call "Game Beats" (basically assigning writers a game to cover).

Now running a website that doesn't have ad revenues, angel donors, or rich uncles makes it hard to attract good staff members. So I am extremely thankful that we have made some great connections, good vibes, and good reputations in that we have attracted some talented, prolific, and passionate writers. Payment for their services often comes in the form of the games they get to review and keep. Also this year Kelly and I made an investment in our writers saying that if we can improve our visitors to the site, and if they keep their end of the agreement to develop pre-release release content for an assigned game, that we will guarantee that they will have the game to review. If we don't get a review copy, I will purchase them a copy to review. I thought it was only fitting since many of our staff have busy work, school, and work lives so finding additional time to write about games can sometimes be hard to do. This experiment is in its infancy, but I do hope it encourages our writers to write more often and develop the itch to become serious writers.

Managing, proofreading, planning, promoting, writing, and recording Married Gamers stuff takes a lot of work. Sometimes it feels like I have so many balls in the air and not enough arms to catch them all. I'm thankful that Kelly is really good at helping, and Erik has run the site so many times when I've either been sick or away. I have dealt with burnout, frustrations with staff not writing enough, and sometimes not "feeling it anymore." There was a time last year I came close to shutting down the website and just producing the podcast. Thankfully, our some of our writers picked up the slack, and we had some new hires that really re-energized me.

The Community

It's weird this path we've taken with The Married Gamers. I never expected it to be anything more than a podcast and a personal blog that Kelly & I would share our thoughts on. Many of you know we started the podcast as a way to heal our marriage, which was in dire straits at the time. The podcast attracted listeners and when we added forums to the website/blog we attracted a tight-knight community. I have to say I miss that early community because there was a very strong connection to our members. Some of those 'early adopters' have lost interest in forums, maybe in The Married Gamers, or simply have moved on to other sites or passions. We have tried as a group to go where the audience is, so we have a Facebook Fan Page and a Google+ page in in it's infancy.

Our Facebook Fan page has been fun, and we're still trying to learn how to use that portal right. We have not quite made it a special and unique way to interact with us. We haven't used our photo or video wall as much as I had hoped. And we also haven't had many discussions that have started from our fans. Also we had hoped the page would regrow our community game nights using the calendar/invite system, but that hasn't worked that well. Our fans do answer our Questions of the Day fairly often.

Ultimately with the Facebook page we want to: 1.) Get people to visit our home website. 2.) Make our fans our advocates. 3.) Get our fans to not just respond to questions but to lead discussions. 4.) Get our staff to visit the fan page to interact with our community. Some of that has been difficult, and we hope we can improve on that in the future.

Our Twitter account has been pretty successful. Loren, who is not only a pretty good writer, is also our PR person. He runs the majority of our Twitter postings (that isn't auto-tweets of any new posts on our Wordpress website). I also use the account as well. We have a good following, decent interactions, and good retweeting. We do need to improve our discussions a bit more, and I do want to take advantage of Twitter chats and the like.

Our strategy with @MarriedGamers is to: 1.) Get people to our home website. 2.) Develop an attractive company personality. 3.) Grow our followers.

Recently, we decided to bring back our forums. We are research and testing various software at the moment, including one that would cost close to $500 but enable us to do some very killer stuff for our community. Right now we are working on the bugs with that one option and it might be too large a drain on our resources. Our backup is to get a more tradition forums software that some of these other indie sites use (because it's robust AND free).

I really wanted to get our forums back because I really miss those early community days. I miss the daily interactions with our passionate fans. I think they are a way for community to interact better than a quick 140 characters on Twitter, or a short response on Facebook. We do have more "sinister" reasons for forums as well: 1.) Increase visitor stay lengths 2.) Empower our community to interact. 3.) Provide closer connections with our most passionate community/fans.

We are hoping to have forums running before Easter. We (by we I mean Devon) has some work to do when he has time for it. And before we launch something we'll need staff, friends, and community to test it. But I can't wait for the forums to return! I'm really jazzed about it.

Okay, I have much more to say, so I'll write down some of these thoughts and use them for some future posts. Hope you enjoyed some of my internal thoughts, strategies, and plans for The Married firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-80269835184926692642012-02-16T10:16:00.000-08:002012-02-17T07:50:18.713-08:00A Buffet of Topics

It's be a week since I last posted, so allow me to have a few comments on a bevy of topics:

+ Whitney Houston: I spent most of my K-12 educational years in the Eighties. Whitney's first album became a hitmaker when I was in eight grade. Back then I would bounce around from musical genre to musical genre seemingly every week. I dug Whitney Houston, and Lionel Ritchie, and of course Michael Jackson. Whitney had a great set of pipes, and in those days a joy in using them. My interest in her faded after her short hiatus after doing The Bodyguard in 1992. We all know about her addictions, her reality TV show, and Bobby Brown. It's unfortunate. I can't help comparing Whitney to Billie Holiday. Both had a wonderful gift and powerful demons. However they both have a body of work that will long be remembered, continue to inspire, and stir one's emotions. So, for that I'm thankful and moved.

+ Faitheist: The latest Sojourner's magazine has a short piece by Eboo Patel on Chris Stedman who has a book coming out later this year called, "Faitheist: How an Athiest Found Common Ground with the Religious." Stedman is a former Christian who became an Atheist but in serving others found himself respecting other people's religious values while not claiming it for himself. He chooses not to hate religious people. I am a little tired of the Christian-bashing and we ALL know we Christians are awfully good at hating anything "not Christian." Like Stedman, I think we could all do with a dose of treating people like people. There's an intrinsic value to each and everyone of us.

Loving people, even if you disagree with their own religion (or lack thereof), sexuality, politics. We could all use a dose of that tonic.

+ Resume: I've been thinking of updating my resume. I'm not considering a job change. I like 90% of the people I work with in the library. I love working at a Christian university. It's refreshing to have time to slip away for prayer when I need it. And frankly, while I sometime am prone for too much "multi-tasking" I am good and skilled at what I do.

That being said, I won't lie and say that having a job in the games industry isn't attractive to me. So I want to update my resume, just in case. However it's been nearly 20 years since I've written a resume or cover sheet. I have acquired lots of experience managing a community, running a gaming website, gaming forums, social media, etc. So in a sense I really need two resumes; one that highlights those skills learned while doing The Married Gamers, and another I learned from working my library job. But I have writer's block, or something. Also, things have changed in 20 years, I am also creating a digital resume on a fantastic local site called re.vu. You can check out my early "draft" here. And of course, there's LinkedIn. I can be found there by clicking here.

So I need help sharpening and honing my resume talents. Just in case.

+ The Married Gamers: Speaking of TMG, I'm going to work on a separate post about the site during my lunch break today. I just wanted to quickly say it's weird after nearly five years (Late August will be five years) of owning and running the site and podcast that only now we are hitting our stride. I really feel like we have a stellar staff, Kelly and I are really clicking and having fun (again) doing the podcast(s), and we working on something behind the scenes that might transform our community. It's a lot of work, but man these past few months have been delightfully fun.

Now if we could turn it into something that could make some sort of return on the thousands of dollars we've put into it as a hobby/labor of love/business.

I still need to figure out if it is worth it turning TMG into an LLC in the State of California. I REALLY need to come to a decision on that. Anyone know someone I can ask about that email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-35553289665626674662012-02-08T09:59:00.000-08:002012-02-08T10:02:47.560-08:00Comic Book Wednesdays

Wednesday is New Comic Book Day for geeks like moi. So I figured I'll try to chat about comic books and the like on Wednesdays.

One of my favorite graphic novels doesn't involve capes, but it does involve a battle against intolerance. Years ago I picked up a very used copy of Howard Cruse's Stuck Rubber Baby. The book is a fictional story of a gay man's sexual awakening against the backdrop of 1960's Alabama. It's an interesting look at gay life during this period but also of the civil rights struggle as well. While the book is fictional, Cruse does draw upon his own experiences. It is an absorbing read and I highly recommend it.

My copy is falling apart and I really should pick up that hardcover copy I keep seeing at my local comic shop.

While I'm at my local comic shop today, I am hoping (since I forgot to add it to my pull list) the next issue of Wolverine & the X-Men: Alpha & Omega from Brian Wood. It's an X-Men book (Wolverine's team since the whole Cyclops/Wolverine falling out), but Wood brings some mad ideas . I really enjoyed the first issue, so can't wait to dive into the next.

I am also continuing my read through the 100 Bullets collections. I have just wrapped up book five of the trades and am liking this build up of the mythology behind of the book. I can't wait to see how that pays firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-47584300948335183952012-02-06T09:36:00.000-08:002012-02-06T09:36:04.015-08:00In Search Of....Your Questions

I am taking questions so tomorrow I can provide some answers, so if there's something you want me to tackle, please leave a firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-33061680455375917412012-02-06T08:21:00.000-08:002012-02-06T08:21:35.094-08:00Weekend Aftermath

So it was an interesting weekend to say the least for me and Kel. Let me bulletpoint the highlights:

+ The Other Show: We recorded our first Bonus Content podcast for owners of our The Married Gamers app. It was a lot of fun to do, and Kelly shocked me with some of the stuff she said, that I didn't even know about even after all this time we've been together. After recording it on Saturday night I spent the rest of the weekend worried if I should even release it. It is REALLY revealing, but it's stuff that funny, honest, and sometime it is good to just laugh at the craziness of life. So Kel ultimately convinced me to release it. I have to admit I'm pretty nervous about it, so I'm hoping I get feedback from friends I really trust. Future episodes will go down other paths. I know I want to talk about bad dates, politics, funny past work stories, and other things in a relaxed conversational manner.

+ The "Super" Bowl: Patriots versus Giants. Both teams played well. They were pretty evenly matched, so I thought it'd be a little more exciting than it was. Yep the last two minutes of the game had some of that sparkle but I would have enjoyed a few more Tom Brady turnovers for my liking. Still, both teams showed why they made it to the big show. I for one liked Madonna's performance but liked the same sparkly and drive of a rock band performance. Prince's halftime performance remains one of my all-time favorites. Oh, and I, like many others I'm sure, now am hoping that the Honda/Matthew Broderick ad inspires buzz for a Ferris Bueller sequel.

+ New Jeans: So yeah this IS one of the highlights of the weekend. Sue me. I went to Casual Male to buy a new pair of jeans. First, don't go to Casual Male because they are a good $20 more expensive to buy ANYTHING. Future self will just go to JcPenney's and order them online. It's like Casual Male feels like they can tax guys just for being fat. Like they're doing YOU a favor or something. Even their t-shirts are close to fifty dollars. Anyway, I did pick up a pair of jeans and wanted to say that somehow I went from a 56 (yeah I'm obese, ok) to a 48 in the last year. So I guess something is going on, but I'm also hoping that these new expensive jeans will have to be replaced by the summer as I continue my journey in Weight Watchers. I did lose 2 pounds last week in my first week in the program.

+ Gaming: I didn't play a video game at all this weekend, which feels a bit weird for me. Saturday was busy with errands around town with Kelly and then podcasting that evening. Sunday I sat in with the folks at Digital Gonzo to talk about my favorite Harry Potter film, Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban, and the followed it up with the Super Bowl. Somehow I just didn't get time, and right now I'm sort of between games on my consoles and sort of overwhelmed by Star Wars: The Old Republic & Skyrim on the PC. I need to get busy because March is coming and that's when I disappear into Mass Effect email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-63917797432415988702012-02-03T08:39:00.000-08:002012-02-03T08:39:08.470-08:00"The Other (Podcast) Show"

Last night Kel and I went to see Kevin Smith: Live From Behind. We had free passes and I'll be writing something about it on The Married Gamers website tonight The live show was pretty good, a little on the longish side (three hours), but was indirectly inspiring.

The first half of the show was Smith and his on & off screen hetrosexual lifemate, Jason Mewes doing their podcast Jay & Silent Bob Get Old. It was pretty cool to see them just chatting and turning their everyday misadventures into some pretty funny material.

It made me want to explore that in our own little podcasting endeavors. So, if you don't already own The Married Gamers iOS or Android app you might want to download them. It's $1.99 but you can listen to our main show and then be able listen to our little experiment. For two months, Kel and I will record two shows. One show will be the traditional The Married Gamers podcast, but we'll also record a full additional show that will be released as exclusive bonus content for app owners.

This bonus show doesn't have a name yet. I've been calling it That Other Show, but we're going to leave it up to listeners to name. We'll be recording without a script and it'll be just Kel and I (and hopefully other podcasters) simply sharing stories about sex, dating, pets, growing up, movies, music, and whatever might spring to mind. It's going to far different than anything we've done and it'll be interesting to say the least. It'll probably offend some. It'll be no holds barred but I feel like it'll be a lot of fun and think folks will like listening to it.

The first show will appear as bonus content on episode 240 of The Married Gamers releasing on Superbowl Sunday. If the show is successful we're going to keep them as bonus content for the app as a value added incentive for people to email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-5972052.post-46030870003977423782012-02-01T12:27:00.000-08:002012-02-01T12:29:10.411-08:00The E3 Expo & Inclusion of Diversity

I haven't tried registering for E3 Expo yet for our website The Married Gamers. Several friends have already been rejected despite the excellent work they do and their previous stellar E3 coverage they've done in years past..

The expo is a big deal for gaming websites & podcasts. I've gone to four of them so far and they are NOT a vacation (although I do take vacation days to attend). It's a metric ton of work. The day is filled with appointments, and you never have enough help, time or energy. Also it's expensive staying for a week in downtown Los Angeles. It's great for original content that goes farther than the plethora of press releases and announcements. It is also great to build relationships with PR and community managers.

However, the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) which runs the event has become less and less interested in letting smaller community sites into the three day event. In addition to checking the validity of your credentials (business license, photo id, articles written in an editorial capacity, etc) they have are also using a measured standard of how big a site's audience is through use of sites like Alexa, Quantcast, Compete and the like. So it's easy-peasy for larger commercial sites to get in and harder for niche sites like The Married Gamers to get in each year.

I can understand why the ESA does this. E3 Expo is a very busy and well attended games convention. It is an industry event where not just games companies like to announce new games, consoles, projects to the press but also make sure they attract the attention of trade analysts and retail execs. It's not a convention to fuck around. It's where the sausage gets made so to speak for the gaming media. To some indie sites (not in any way everyone) E3 is a trip to Willy Wonkas. Some sort of reward or vacation. Some indie sites have also been involved creating fake tickets and other nefarious things that have giving the rest of us gaming indie sites a black eye. So I can understand why the massive media sites sometimes eats up all the available oxygen at E3.

However as much as I respect sites like Joystiq, MSNBC, G4, and others there IS a reason why smaller indie sites (and podcasts) should have access to E3 Expo. They tend to offer opinions, interviews, coverage that is MORE than "Just the Facts" or 'coverage for everyone.' Sites like The Married Gamers or our friends at Co-Optimus weight their coverage towards the co-op gaming experience. Other make certain game series or genres their speciality. One of my recent favorite site, XBLA Fans only covers (and rather well) the Xbox Live Arcade games. Not to take anything away from the paid journalists but I am attracted to the passions of the indie gaming sites, blogs, and podcasts.

There SHOULD be a discussion on how to include smaller hard-working sites. This discussion should include the ESA, game companies, and paid and indie media. Perhaps extending a day just for smaller media and games communities can be considered. Maybe smaller games and communities sites can be extended special passes courtesy of the games industry who are presenting on the show floors. I won't claim to have an answer other than a hope and belief that E3 is made better when it includes the diversity of coverage that we Indie sites often offer.

So returning to The Married Gamers and E3 Expo. I worry about our Alexa/Compete/Quantcast numbers. December has historically been a down month for us and a great many other sites. Recent staff additions have our site starting to really fire on all cylinders. I have never cheated/tricked Alexa as I have heard some sites have done. And E3 is always a working priority for any and all TMG staff members. However, I have a feeling that we may only get at the most one invite this year, which honestly makes coverage of the event very hard, especially as we move into more video interviews.

I am mentally preparing myself for bad news when we do apply (most likely in March), and even if we don't get a media invite we will try our best to report the "news" and hope that in other conventions like PAX or community events we can concentrate on articles that adult gamers, gaming families, and married gamers want to know more about. At the very least it saves me some vacation hours at my library email@example.com


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Larkin \l(a)-rkin, lar-kin\ as a boy's name is of Irish and Gaelic origin, and the meaning of Larkin is "rough, fierce". Poet Philip Larkin.
Suggested similar baby names are Harkin, Laikin, Larin, Larrin, Larsen, Larson and Parkin.
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Sandyford, Dublin 18
Knee Replacement
• What is a total knee replacement?
• What patients should consider a total knee replacement?
• What are the risks of undergoing a total knee replacement?
• What is involved with the preoperative evaluation for total knee replacement?
• What happens in the postoperative period?
• Total Knee Replacement at a Glance
• Are there any other options to a Total Knee Replacement?
• How does the patient continue to improve as an outpatient after discharge from the hospital?
What is knee arthritis?
The knee can be considered as having three distinct separate but communicating compartments. Orthopaedic surgeons refer to the knee as a 'tri-compartmental' joint being composed of patello-femoral, medial, and lateral 'compartments'. Typically osteoarthritis (OA) or wear and tear starts in the medial compartment of the adult knee and symptoms can vary from mildly irritating pain to severely debilitating pain whereby activities of daily living are impossible.
What is a total knee replacement?
A total knee replacement is a surgical procedure whereby the diseased knee joint is replaced with artificial material. The knee is a hinge joint that provides motion at the point where the thigh meets the lower leg. The thigh bone (or femur) abuts the large bone of the lower leg (tibia) at the knee joint. During a total knee replacement, the end of the femur bone is removed and replaced with a metal shell. The top of the lower leg bone (tibia) is also removed and replaced with a metal table. The two metal pieces are kept apart by a thick piece of plastic (polyethylene) wedged between.
What patients should consider a total knee replacement?
Total knee replacement surgery is considered for patients whose knee joints have been damaged by either progressive wear and tear (degenerative or osteoarthritis), trauma, or other destructive diseases of the joint such as rheumatoid arthritis. The most common reason for knee replacement in Ireland is osteoarthritis. Regardless of the cause of the damage to the joint, the resulting progressively increasing pain and stiffness and decreasing daily function lead the patient to consider total knee replacement. Decisions regarding whether or when to undergo knee replacement surgery are not easy. Patients should understand the risks as well as the benefits before making these decisions.
What are the risks of undergoing a total knee replacement?
Risks of total knee replacement include clots (deep venous thrombosis) in the legs that can travel to the lungs (pulmonary embolism). Other risks include urinary tract infection, nausea and vomiting, on-going chronic knee pain and stiffness, bleeding into the knee joint, nerve damage, blood vessel injury, and infection of the knee, which can require re-operation.
What is involved with the preoperative evaluation for total knee replacement?
Before surgery, joints adjacent to the diseased knee are carefully evaluated. This is important to ensure optimal outcome from the surgery. Replacing a knee joint that is adjacent to a severely damaged joint may not yield significant improvement in function. Furthermore, all medications which the patient is taking are reviewed. Blood-thinning medications such as warfarin and anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin may have to be adjusted or discontinued prior to surgery. Routine blood tests of liver and kidney function and urine tests are evaluated for signs of anaemia, infection, or abnormal metabolism. A chest x-ray and ECG are performed to exclude significant heart and lung disease which may preclude surgery or anesthesia. Finally, it is less likely to have good long-term outcome if the patient's weight is greater than 100kg or have a high BMI (greater than 35). Excess body weight simply puts the replaced knee at an increased risk of loosening and/or dislocation. A similar risk is encountered in younger patients who may tend to be more active, thereby adding trauma to the replaced joint.
What happens in the postoperative period?
A total knee replacement generally requires between one and a half to three hours of operative time. After surgery, patients are taken to a recovery room, where vital organs are frequently monitored. When stabilized, patients are returned to their hospital room. In males, passage of urine can be difficult in the immediate postoperative period, and this condition can be aggravated by pain medications. A catheter inserted into the urethra allows free passage of urine until the patient becomes more mobile. Physiotherapy is an extremely important part of rehabilitation and requires full participation by the patient for optimal outcome. Patients can begin physiotherapy 24 hours after surgery. Some degree of pain, discomfort, and stiffness can be expected during the early days of physiotherapy. A unique device that can help speed recovery is the continuous passive motion (CPM) machine. The CPM machine is first attached to the operated leg. The machine then constantly moves the knee through various degrees of range of motion for hours while the patient relaxes. Patients will start walking using a Zimmer frame and crutches. Eventually, patients will learn to walk up and down stairs and grades. A number of home exercises are given to strengthen thigh and calf muscles.
How does the patient continue to improve as an outpatient after discharge from the hospital?
It is important for patients to continue in an outpatient physiotherapy program along with home exercises for optimal outcome of total knee replacement surgery. Patients will be asked to continue exercising the muscles around the replaced joint to contracture and maintain muscle strength for the purposes of joint stability. Patients also should watch for warning signs of infection including abnormal redness, increasing warmth, swelling, or unusual pain. It is important to report any injury to the joint to the doctor immediately. Future activities are generally limited to those that do not risk injuring the replaced joint. Sports that involve running or contact are avoided, in favour of leisure sports, such as golf and swimming. Patients with joint replacements should alert their doctors and dentists that they have an artificial joint. These joints are at risk for infection by bacteria introduced by any invasive procedures such as surgery, dental or gum work, urological and endoscopic procedures, as well as from infections elsewhere in the body. Patients are recommended to take antibiotics before, during, and immediately after any elective procedures in order to prevent infection of the replaced joint.
Total Knee Replacement at a Glance
Patients with severe destruction of the knee joint associated with progressive pain and impaired function may be candidates for total knee replacement. Risks of total knee replacement surgery have been identified. Physiotherapy is an essential part of rehabilitation after total knee replacement. Patients with artificial joints are recommended to take antibiotics before, during, and after any elective invasive procedures (including dental work).
Are there any other options to a Total Knee Replacement?
Surgery is never the first choice for the management of osteoarthritis of the knee. There are many potentially beneficial therapies in the surgeon's armamentarium that should be exhausted prior to 'reaching for the scalpel'. Non-surgical options include a quadriceps- specific physiotherapy and a dedicated rehabilitation program and the use of a three-point pressure valgus or 'off-loader' knee brace, both of which can help in relieving the pressure on the medial side of the knee. Intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid can be of benefit to approximately 60% of patients with osteoarthritis but this relief can be temporary and often necessitates re-injection. Many surgeons might try a diagnostic/therapeutic arthroscopy on a diseased knee. This has been shown to have symptomatic benefits for many patients with osteoarthritis.
However, for the patient with more debilitating symptoms who has failed conservative management (physiotherapy, bracing and injection therapy) and/or arthroscopic management more involved surgery is often necessary. This can be by way of an osteotomy of the tibia call a 'high tibial osteotomy' (HTO) to 'unload' the medial compartment or a knee replacement, be it a TKR or a partial/'unicompartmental' knee replacement (UKR). The best choice remains controversial, mainly as a result of the lack of prospective randomized trials comparing UKR with TKR or HTO. There are however several radiological and anatomical prerequisites that a patient must satisfy prior to considering a UKR and a patient's suitability is best determined by a surgeon experienced in performing both UKR and TKR.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note you will need a referral letter from your GP to use any of
the services of Beacon Centre for Orthopaedics, except for the Physiotherapy department.


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Originally Posted by Flight2039Down
I don't mind spending a moderate amount of money to get some good tools, but I need to build a starter kit for mucking around with my new GLI. I'm looking to get the Schwaben trim removal tools, but I really have NO idea what else to start. I've searched, but have yet to find a good definitive list that suits my needs. I could use some recommendations for the following.
a.) Jack Stands.
b.) Car Care/Wash products that come highly recommended.
c.) Ratchet Kit. Really like the Wera tools, but I'm not sure what size is appropriate as price fluctuates quite a bit. I was thinking the 3/8" would be ideal.
d.) Gadgets. I love new gadgets and toys. Any item that you feel you could not be without.
Thanks for the input.
If your working on a vw your gonna need a good set of torx bits... As far as brand I only buy snap-on, but they're a little expensive for the weekend warrior.
'11 Jetta


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Just two months into President Barack Obama's second term, Republican leaders are lining up to diagnose the GOP's ills while courting party activists — all with an eye on greater political ambitions. They have danced around questions about their White House aspirations, but the die-hard conservatives are already picking favourites in what could be a crowded Republican presidential primary in 2016
Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum endorsed his one-time fierce rival Mitt Romney on Monday, a move that may help the party's presumptive White House nominee win over religious conservatives
Rick Santorum and Marco Rubio are the top two choices among Republican voters as Mitt Romney's vice presidential running mate, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday
Even as Gingrich vowed to help near-certain GOP nominee Mitt Romney triumph in November, Obama's political machine released a web ad of Newt's greatest hits to remind voters of the ex-candidate's animosity to his rival during the Republican primaries.
White House hopeful Newt Gingrich bade farewell to the 2012 presidential campaign Tuesday, using a video posted on his website to preempt an official announcement set for the following day
Every four years, just as the U.S. presidential primaries wind down and the general election campaign gears up, the American political class becomes consumed with a singular question. Who will the candidate pick for vice-president?
Rick Santorum's abandoned presidential bid, announced just after his three-year-old daughter Bella was released from hospital, has drawn attention to her rare genetic disorder Trisomy 18
Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum bowed to the inevitable Tuesday and abandoned his quest to win the Republican presidential nomination, a decision that effectively hands the GOP crown to Mitt Romney
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney now leads in Pennsylvania with 42 percent to 37 percent to Rick Santorum, according to the Public Policy Polling survey. Ron Paul was at 9 percent and Newt Gingrich at 6 percent, the poll found.
On the campaign trail, Santorum wraps his speeches in somber warnings about Americans losing their freedom in Obama's America — particularly when it comes to the president's healthcare overhaul.


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Hughson returns to Torrington as Chamber guest
|Barry Hughson, former executive director of the Warner Theatre in Torrington and now the executive director of Boston Ballet, speaks to local business leaders at the Five Points Gallery in Torrington on Monday. Next to Hughson is Jo Ann Ryan, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Northwest Connecticut, which sponsored the discussion. John McKenna/RA
TORRINGTON -- Barry Hughson left Torrington years ago to move forward in his career, but he hasn't forgotten what the city did in giving him a start professionally.
Hughson, the former executive director at the Warner Theatre, is in his fifth year as executive director of Boston Ballet following the career stops in Atlanta, Ga., and New York City after leaving the Warner.
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text: Meta Battle Subway PokeBase - Pokemon Q&A Login Register All Activity Questions Unanswered Tags Users Ask a Question Rules Chat Attacks of sceptile? 1 vote What attacks can a teach sceptile with which I can defeat about all the fire-type pokemons? ruby-sapphire sceptile movesets asked Jul 15, 2010 by bansalprakhar.012 retagged Jun 19, 2012 Please log in or register to add a comment. Please log in or register to answer this question. 1 Answer 2 votes Best answer Attacks that can be learned by Sceptile to deal with fire types are: Earthquake Dig Rock Tomb Rock Slide (probably best choice, deals with other weaknesses also) answered Jul 15, 2010 by trachy edited Jul 15, 2010 by trachy Please log in or register to add a comment. Related questions Attacks of Sceptile in Sapphire? Sceptile egg move??? Is substitute a good move for sceptile? sceptile staller Can Sceptile learn these moves as egg moves? Can someone give me a good special moveset for sceptile? Sceptile or torterra? Which Moveset Should I Choose For Sceptile in SS? Useful Meta Posts How to change your username How to add a user avatar Why was my post hidden? The points system Question etiquette Flags vs Downvotes Anime FAQ


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The Madeleine Brand Show for April 5, 2011
New Malcolm X bio reveals a complicated man
Mario Tama/Getty Images
Manning Marable, Director of the Institute of African American Studies at Columbia University, poses for a photograph in his office August 16, 2001 in New York City.
A new biography of Malcolm X by Columbia historian Manning Marable went on sale Monday. Marable spent decades working on it and dug up shocking new details about the man and his death. He would have explained this information on a book tour this week, but he died unexpectedly last Friday of complications related to lung disease. Author Michael Eric Dyson, who has also penned a biography of Malcolm X, joins us to discuss the book.


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LG Display's CEO Discusses Q4 2011 Results - Earnings Call Transcript
Moving onto slide six, I would like to go over our performance highlights. Looking at our shipments, it increased by 4% quarter-on-quarter. Panel price remained flat since November and our ASP recording $684, a 3% quarter-on-quarter decrease. The price fall was limited compared to the industry average decline due to increased pushing of our higher value-added products.
Moving on to our product mix on slide seven, in the fourth quarter, the TV segment represent 47% of the revenue, followed by monitor at 20%, notebook at 13%, smartbook at 9%, and mobile and others at 11%. The smartbook portion has been reduced as the high-end smartbook sales decreased in Q4, but mobile's revenue portion increased with strong sales in smartphone.
Moving on to slide eight, and looking at our capacity. Our capacity decreased slightly by 3% quarter-on-quarter. This is due to the introduction of our new production process in changing (inaudible). Although the production capacity decreased, impact on our output was limited as the production efficiency has improved.
Next, we turn to our outlook section. In the fourth quarter, we expect our total shipment to remain similar to the previous quarter and we expect better than normal seasonality as the customers restock their inventory from current low levels and (inaudible) is expected to increase within our customers. However, the uncertainty over demand outlook remains with a macro economic impact acting as our risk factors.The ASP is expected to remain stable since the panel maker's profitability concerns continue and inventory levels across the industry are very lean. Although there are some uncertainties in the market which could potentially impact the panel shipments, we believe that we are in a relatively better position. Thanks to the increasing trend of high end specialty products within our sales. We are committed to accelerating the differentiation of our products and believe the strategy to minimize the impact of the industries that are back hauled and to maintain the stable product structure during this uncertain period.
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Today's must-reads from around the Internet.
The man behind culty streetwear label Supreme, mapping Liam Neeson's global reign of terror, what the richest men in Silicon Valley are up to now and…»
|ALL LinkOut
Today's must-reads from around the Internet.
The man behind culty streetwear label Supreme, mapping Liam Neeson's global reign of terror, what the richest men in Silicon Valley are up to now and…»
|ALL LinkOut
Today's must-reads from around the Internet.
The story of Kaws and Supreme as told by Candice Swanepoel (basically), the 50 greatest drinking moments in cinema, expertly navigating your holiday party and…»
Today's must-reads from around the Internet.
Hollywood in the Kodachrome era, the best watches made of bronze, the story of how one guy is making millions simply by reselling Supreme gear and more… »
|ALL LinkOut
Some brands are more mystifying than others…
Justin Bridges has been pondering the meaning of Supreme all week, on the heels of a profile of the cult brand in this month's GQ. He covers a lot of ground, but it boils down to a simple question, one that's struck nearly everyone at some point: what makes a man camp out for a pair of cargo pants?
Naturally, we've got a few ideas.
Our thoughts on Supreme, cult brands and the brotherhood of men's style»
|ALL Dept. of Corrections
While we weren't looking, the painted skateboard seems to have become an artistic rite of passage.
Take, for example, these three boards commissioned by Supreme from Takashi Murakami, showing this weekend at New York's Surf/Skate alongside Damien Hirst in the prime of his spray-paint period and Jeff Koons in full blow-up monkey face mode. And, most importantly, it's all plastered on the bottoms of otherwise rideable boards.
Of course, they're too valuable and too easily scratchable for anyone to actually ride them, and the countercultural cred involved isn't what it was 20 years ago…but we're still impressed Supreme managed to pull it off. We believe this qualifies as outside the box.
The Italian School: Vogue Italia shows off their contemplative side. [Fashion Copious]
Don't Try This at Home: Tom Bissell has spent the past few years hooked on cocaine and Grand Theft Auto. We can't decide which one's worse… [The Guardian]
Art Rock: Rothko gets an internet-age update, thanks to a few choice gifs. [Blackbook]
Buttoned Down: Thom Browne's Supreme collab raises eyebrows…and not in a good way. [Sartorially Inclined]
|ALL LinkOut
If any street fights break out between brands after Fashion Week—and it's been known to happen—Supreme will definitely have an edge.
Somehow—and really, the street fight hypothesis is the most likely—these nunchucks found their way into the streetwear brand's latest Spring/Summer preview. And by all apprearances, they've been practicing. We're not sure whether to read this as a Warriors reference or a result of Lou Reed's ongoing penchant for Kung Fu, but we're still glad to see a label stretching themselves.
And we always thought Gilded Age would make one hell of a crossbow.
|ALL Bad Idea/Good Idea
Behind the Times: The Cut predicts an era of visible buttocks. We at Kempt fully support this trend. [The Cut]
If I Were a Rich Man: $1.4 million is no longer enough to buy you the world's most expensive car. What's all this about deflation? [LuxuryLaunches]
High Voltage: New York's Volta art fair kicks off with complete insanity. [NotCot]
Supreme Clientele: The Supreme launch is jammed with crowds. Apparently Lou Reed still draws some water in this town. [Racked]
Roger, Wilco, Out: StyleDash
thinks Jeff Tweedy needs a style intervention due to his SNL
appearance in a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudie_suit">nudie suit.
Similarly, we think Style Dash needs a music intervention due to their
apparent ignorance of the href="http://rateyourmusic.com/misc/link_image?album_id=8266&image_hotlinked">Flying
Burrito Brothers ( href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCqxq6xqoXI">video). [ href="http://www.styledash.com/2008/03/03/intervention-jeff-tweedy/">StyleDash]
Team Colors: An interview with sideline style leader
and coach of the 5-and-11 49ers, Mike Nolan. [ href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-christine-miller/whats-my-logo-49ers-coa_b_89074.html">HuffPo]
Housing Futures: Figuring that all the collapsing
real estate market needs is a fresh blazer, "Fashion Futurist Geoffrey
Beane" (say whaa?) is teaming up with Century 21 (not the store) to
redesign their iconic gold jacket. [ href="http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080304005979&newsLang=en">Business
Absolute Beginners: Buying into Mod style. [ href="http://www.modculture.co.uk/culture/culture.php?id=49">ModCulture
via Retro
to Go]
Best Men: Engineered Garments brings home the
inaugural GQ/CFDA Best New Menswear Designers in America award (oh,
and $50,000). [ href="http://men.style.com/news/blog/2008/03/and-the-gqcfda.html">Men.Style]
Leading Lights: Luring men toward a new shaving cream
is much like luring
mosquitos to a high-voltage death. [ href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/business/media/04adco.html?_r=2&ex=1362373200&en=a7e3c4f2ee6abac0&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin">NYTimes]
Historical Threads: Classic American style parsed.
Continuous Lean]
It's Not Easy Being Green: Kermit the Frog gets his
slimy, webbed hands on Terry Richardson—or is that the other way
around? [Skidknee]
|ALL LinkOut
LinksUrbanDaddy DRIVEN A Continuous Lean A Headlong Dive A Suitable Wardrobe Archival Clothing Art of Manliness Blackbird Blog BULLETT The Choosy Beggar Coolhunting Cool Material DETAILS Die, Workwear! FashionBeans Four Pins GQ Hypebeast The Impossible Cool Jake Davis The Midwestyle Mister Mort The Moment Put This On Racked The Sartorialist The Selby Selectism Valet Vanity Fair Daily Vulture Wax Wane What I Saw Today Well Spent
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