For those of you like me who have never heard of this “Turducken,” it is essentially a dish consisting of a de-boned chicken stuffed into a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed into a de-boned turkey. The thoracic cavity of the chicken/game hen and the rest of the gaps are stuffed, sometimes with a highly seasoned breadcrumb mixture or sausage meat, although some versions have a different stuffing for each bird.

Call me old fashioned, closed minded or stubborn, but this just does not seem right! I usually pride myself on my ability to try new, exotic foods, and this past weekend I had the pleasure… or should I say opportunity to try this popular mystery.  There are no words other than… It’s weird. Really weird. From the way it looks to the way it tastes.  Maybe it’s because the particular Bird (Birds?) I tried this weekend were ordered and not homemade. Regardless, I can tell you now that this fad will not be making its way to my Thanksgiving table any day soon or here after. I like my Turkey day to be strictly about the “Turkey”!  And let’s be honest… it’s so much more visually appeasing and appetizing!

Turducken

the one, the only, Thanksgiving turkey

According to a survey conducted by the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (carried out last year), a long commute to work can cause disproportionate pain, stress, obesity, and dissatisfaction in a variety of different ways. Aside from recurrent neck or back problems that the survey found inherent to those with a 90+ minute daily commute, 40 percent of employees who spend more than 90 minutes getting home from work experience “worry for much of the previous day”. The number falls to 28% for those with commutes of 10 minutes or less.

Also common to those with long commutes is a decrease in overall healthy behavior, like exercising and fixing a meal at home. Research from Thomas James Christian of Brown University has shown that each minute spent commuting results in a .0257 minute exercise time reduction, a 0.387 minute food preparation time reduction, and a .2205 minute sleep time reduction. Ultimately, that adds up, and for the two hour round-trip commute I often experienced, this amounted to 21.5 fewer minutes of exercise, 5.4 fewer minutes of food preparation, and 3 fewer hours of sleep. Especially with the added hour that I needed in order to get ready for work on top of the commute time, it could by hypothesized that I missed as much as 8 hours of sleep a week, or a full night of rest. Obviously I’m kind of fudging statistics here, so draw what conclusions you will, but I can at least say that Brown University’s research is pretty compelling.

I could go on and on about everything I read, but I feel like I’ve made my point. If you have the option, kill your commute, with the unbiased and unadulterated finality it deserves. I now have time to wake up a little later, get home a little earlier, fix dinner, exercise, and even make it home on lunch to let my dog out. I love being close to work, and I’m firmly convinced that anyone who can cut down on their commute will experience the same improvements in their lives that I have. Just a little life advice, I guess.

Also, here’s the article I read in case you’re interested:

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2011/05/your_commute_is_killing_you.html

The Excorcist (The Director’s Cut)- JP Pineda

Beetlejuice- Pat Avery

Witchboard- Lou Difulvio

Nightmare on Elm Street- Roxanne Turner

It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown- Caryn Stoll & Hoang Nygugen

When a Stranger Calls- Vince Chavez

The People Under the Stairs- Beau Hadwiger

The Addams Family- Nicole Aranda

Halloween (the original)- Joelle File

And George Avery’s favorite- Mr. Bogedy

The Art of War is a book about military strategies written by a high-ranking Chinese military general and strategist named Sun Tzu.  The book contains 13 chapters each devoted to one aspect of warfare.  Still today this book stands as one of the oldest and most successful books on military strategy.

The Art of War emphasizes the importance of positioning in military strategy and that decisions made to lead an army must be based on objective conditions in the physical environment.  Sun Tzu believed that strategy was not working through an established list but rather that it requires quick responses to changing conditions.  Planning works in a controlled environment, but a fluid environment creates unexpected situations.

Overall I would consider this book a guide more then anything else.  I found myself reading some portions more then once to ensure that I was getting a clear understanding of the messaging being said.  My initial interest was to see how the Art of War related to my martial arts training but instead it was easier to relate it to running a business or a large company.  Much like the warriors of ancient China, you can apply the ranking, chain of command and environment to every day business in today’s world.  Below are some of the situations that I feel apply to me on a regular basis.

Personal Accountability

Sun Tzu said: “If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame.”

If you do not communicate well, then any problems that are caused by unclear communication are your fault.  Make sure that every email and conversation you have is very clear.

Keeping Your Cool

Sun Tzu said: “Disciplined and calm, to await the appearance of disorder and hubbub amongst the enemy: this is the art of retaining self-possession.”

The fastest way to lose productivity is to lose your cool. Take a deep breath, and think before acting. If you can keep your cool in the midst of a crisis, it will serve you well.

Play to Your Strengths

Sun Tzu said: “It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.”

If you play to your personal strengths, and understand any potential problems that could cause a decline in your productivity, you will always be successful.

Be Prepared

Sun Tzu said: “The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy’s not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable.”

Do everything in your power to be prepared, because it’s only a matter of time until something goes wrong. Think of all the possible complications that you might have to contend with, and work out a plan to be ready for when the inevitable happens.

What are your hobbies? How have they improved your work-life?

Beau Hadwiger thinks outside the box.

He proved that perhaps there is such a thing as a ‘free lunch’ or at least, free Neuro.

By entering the Neuro Facebook contest to take the most creative Neuro picture, he won free drinks. And now we all get to enjoy.

To learn more about Neuro drinks, visit their website here.

Home to the Denver Broncos, the newly named Sports Authority Field at Mile High has seen its share of controversy over naming rights.  This endless battle between the nostalgia of Mile High vs Corporate America’s name branding strategies has over shadowed what has taken fans decades to build.

I’m referring to that old “Mile High Magic”.  The fans’ devotion to the team and unwavering attendance, no matter the score or standings, is what makes this a unique place, not the name on the sign outside the stadium.  The original Mile High stadium has harbored numerous legends of the game in its day, some of whom are now hall-of-famers.  It is with hope that Sports Authority Filed at Mile High will usher in its own set of esteemed players to carry on that magic we’ve grown to know and love.  Sure, maybe it won’t be this season, or even the next, but in a short time we could have ourselves a winning team that will garner the same respect of our teams in the past, thus rendering the name of the stadium irrelevant.  I’ll drink to that.

I would assume if you asked 10 people why we celebrate Columbus day, most would say that it is because he discovered America.  I am sure it is fairly common knowledge that Leif Ericson landed in present day Canada around the year 1000.  Now I am NOT the guy sitting here asking, “why do we celebrate this man?”  Quite contrary, I actually see him as a great visionary and have enjoyed learning about him.  There are just so many myths and blind eyes turned about who he truly was and what he actually accomplished.  For example, did you know that Christopher Columbus never knew that he had landed in the Americas, until his death he still believed he landed in Asia…….

Learn more misconceptions about Mr. Columbus here.