What I’ve been reading: I just finished reading Take Your Eye Off the Ball by Pat Kirwan. Kirwan is a former NFL coach and staffer who worked with, among others, Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick. I’ve been asked before what a good book is for beginners, and this is probably the best one I’ve read for that purpose. It’s a little elementary if you’re a hardcore fan or an experienced player/coach, but there are still some good stories in there, even if they’re spread out a little bit. If you’re getting into football or don’t really understand offense, defense, roster movement, the scouting process, etc., I highly recommend it.
What I’ve been watching: Black Mirror on Netflix. I just finished season two. This isn’t a new show or anything, so you’ve probably heard of it if you have Netflix, but it’s a very thought-provoking look at the future of technology use and the direction our society is headed.
What I’m looking forward to: Going to the gym. The off-season is a great time for me to get into shape. (Conversely, the season is a great time for me to get out of shape.) Now that I have time to work out between football meetings, workouts, etc., I’m in better shape than I have been in a long time. I used to do a lot of cardio, but right now I’m just eating healthfully and lifting a lot of weights. Exercise has always been a big part of my life, but it’s hard to get in a good workout when you’re supervising a football team and doing other football-related tasks. Naturally, I do a variety of exercises, but I’ve been doing a lot of deadlifts lately.
What are your answers to these questions?
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Reading: One Second After – post apocalyptic book written as a diary from an ex-special ops perspective. Fun and quick read.
Watching: Westworld. Never got into it, desperately want something to get the taste of GOT out of my mouth. About 4 episodes in, seems interesting enough.
Look forward to: Also the gym. Work has been a beast, been to the gym less than once a week for the past 2 months. In an ideal world I’m lifting or running 5 days a week. Things should cool down middle of August. I would like to be back in the 1,000 lbs club by Christmas.
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Just curious: How do you count your 1,000 lb. club? We did that in high school with adding up your bench, squat, and deadlift, but I’ve seen some high schools use those three maxes plus hang cleans.
I’ve watched the first couple episodes of “Westworld” too but haven’t got the next disc yet (I get Netflix DVDs by mail).
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Bench/Squat/Deadlift. Adding another lift is cheating, and would allow more people into the club.
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Ok I’ll bite: The only question I see is “What are your answers to these questions?” Is this a trick question?…………. (chuckle; couldn’t resist)
Response to “What I’ve been reading”:
I don’t really read too many books anymore but I do spend a significant amount of non beach time with these sites:
https://www.sciencenews.org
https://phys.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkqPXk86-4wIVBNbACh02MQ8yEAAYASAAEgKFGfD_BwE
https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/timeform.php
Can’t help it, I’m a geodetic engineer/land surveyor…………..intjohn
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I knew somebody was going to call me on that, but I was headed out the door when I was finishing it, so I didn’t bother changing it.
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Response to “What I’ve been watching”:
Haven’t owned a TV set for about 25 years. Prefer to experience the real world vs watching some “Hollywood”/aesthetic interpretation of ???
Can get news weather & sports easily on line – download stream etc.
So why not?……….intjohn
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yeah its a crap weather beach day so far here in West Mich so I have too much time on the ipad. Spost2 clear by 4ish so I’ll be on the sand & shore for the eve.
Till then Response to “What I’m looking forward to; Going to the Gym”…………
Truth is I’ve never ‘worked out’ in my life – just worked. At 19 I was a borderline world class athlete and spent 10 years as a Special Forces Combat Medic. Born with great genetics physical & intellectual ability, I’ve never treated them negatively: proper diet & nutrition; always active, excersize, never done illicit drugs and have/will always drink premium gin :^)
Now well into my 60’s on the high side toward 70 I find few men in their 30’s and even 20’s who can ‘run’ with me……. I consider this no great accomplishment on my part but rather an indictment on the overall lack of health & well being of American Society, its Culture & Lifestyle that places such little value on living a healthy lifestyle while propagating itself as “The Greatest Country”………
The American Male & Female, in general has denigrated to being a pathetic piece of overweight if not obese peopled protoplasm and this is only one facet of the overall health crises in Murahka that so few seem to care to address, little lone actually do anything about.
I’m just getting started; wait till I get around to football ……………INTjohn
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Part 2 on Lack of Healthy Lifestyle:
Numerous health/medical studies have concluded that only about 3% of Americans live a basic REpeat BASIC healthy lifestyle.
This link is typical: https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20160322/less-than-3-percent-of-americans-live-a-healthy-lifestyle
Not talking about marathon runners and peeps with 6 pack abs – just basic healthy living. Only 3%.- or less!
Every time I see about how great America is I laugh with contempt. Any country that isn’t healthy, physically & psychologically, is NOT a “Great Country” and I don’t care how much money & riches it has; how much technology and natural resources it has or how many guns, missles & bombs it can drop on other countries………..
America IS NOT a “Great Country”. Far from it becuase it doesn’t value its basic healthy physical existence. Pathetic, too, because it has so much going for it to actually be the healthiest of countries in the World but it has failed itself!
Sorta like Clemson or Alabama with all their great talent & coaching and not winning a game – would be pathetic!
I also think its a borderline crime to encourage & teach young men playing football in high school and at the college/university level to discipline themselves to gain weight & ‘bulk up’ to what are obviously long term unhealthy caloric intake levels; adding weight that is long term unhealthy for them.
In fact I’m thinking there should be maximum weight limits, like in wrestling at the high school & university level. Make these lineman Loose weight!
Question: What do these schools do to unlearn these eating habits that these football staffs require of these young players 99.9% of which will never play in the pros?
Do these colleges & universities have any kind of program in place that enables these former players to unlearn the 4 to 5 years or more of high caloric eating habits that these schools demanded & implemented on these players? In order for them to now live in a long term healthy manner?
Do they spend 4 years getting them to reduce? Healthily?
the only universities I’m aware of that encourage players to reduce their playing weights after college career is over are the military academies who ORDER these players to reduce & realy get in shape. I think they’re given 6 months to lose weight to conform to basic military physical weight & standards……….. this link is a typical description:
https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2016/03/26/naval-academy-joey-gaston-weight-loss
Does Michigan do anything long term for its players, especially lineman, to ‘deprogram’ from the demanded weight gain and HUGE caloric intake discipline; to now turn it around and discipline them to eat less and healthy for their long term well bing?
We’re all aware about Harbaugh’s comments about “steak vs chicken” – another of his many innane if not idiotic statements. Personally I haven’t eaten red meat in any quantity for about 30 years. Protein is protein but red meat is so full of fat as to make me puke just to look at it………
Might have more but for now I’m headed to the beach………INTJohn
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What I’ve been reading:
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup. This is a book about the rise and fall of Theranos. A biotech start-up. It is amazing to read how a woman can hoodwink so many investors.
What I’ve been watching:
TV Mini-Series Chernobyl. I don’t know how much of this is fiction. This series has done a fantastic job in recreating the 1984 nuclear disaster.
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