That's definitely a different way to have a 'movement' in the bathroom. If only you had started snoring sooner, Christina might have gotten those few extra minutes she needed to grab the 3 calories and close the rings.. Rocky would have been proud.
Good news! Will Ferrell has agreed to play Rocky’s lawyer in the limited series I’m writing. I’m going to push for you to play the skeptical lawyer Rocky goes to first, the one who tells him there’s no case because Apollo clearly won. If we have the budget, I see that scene not in your office, but at an Equinox gym. You’re on a treadmill. The incline is cranked all the way. You’re running hard. Really hard. (Don’t worry, we can use a stunt double). You tell Rocky he’s got no case. He argues, but you stick to your guns. It wounds him hearing this because you are the best boxing lawyer of all time. Finally, you tell it to him plain. This isn’t Creed, it’s greed. Just a shameless attempt to cash in on an over-exploited franchise. Rocky flies into a rage and proceeds to dismantle every piece of gym equipment with his fists. Every piece except your treadmill. You keep running and set a personal best. We set this scene to “Baba O’Riley.”
Ooooh Hearts On Fire is so good because of how it makes you feel like how Rocky feels when he is driving in the car at night and punching the steering wheel because he fought with Adrian about going to Russia to fight Creed's killer #blessx your grandson is a complex soul!
I used to have a FitBit but after it stopped syncing to my phone and then I tore through the second wristband in less than two years, it went in the drawer forever. I don't like the feel of anything on my wrist anyway. Plus I used to hit my goal while washing dishes so how accurate could it be?
Overall it's another checkbox on the mental to-do list that stresses me out more than it helps. I used to have a bunch: practice a certain amount in Duolingo, write a daily journal entry, etc. I have enough time anxiety without adding more on so I'm trying to take a more laid-back approach to life.
Wait a minute! I can get fit washing dishes? That’s what I took from this comment😂 I’m gonna get a dish washing gig at a local restaurant and parlay that into Olympic gold. Look for me on a Wheaties box.
Mine used to tell me when I was getting stressed out (high heart rate while resting) and that would stress me out MORE! I'm also convinced it never tracked my steps as accurately or generously as it tracked my husband's, so I eventually declared it sexist and let it die.
I'm playing this game called NeoCab set in a near(?) future and the main character has this bracelet called a Feelgrid that lights up different colors depending on her mood. It's supposed to help her be more honest with her needs and deal with how she's feeling but could you imagine if they were a real thing? I think I'd want one out of curiosity but I'd wear it somewhere no one could see it.
Reminds me of the "mood" jewelry that was popular when I was in junior high. After the movie My Girl traumatized us all to Bridge to Terabithia levels. 😭 I'm pretty sure mood jewelry was just hypercolor technology in gemstone form. It would say you were "in love" as long as you were warm enough. 😂
1. I let memories of Fallout’s Pip-Boy con me into Apple Watch ownership. And a non-suppressed desire to be Batman.
I think Apple dodged the name “iWatch” because the constant glances at the thinness-measurement device are inherently sad/hilarious. Can’t have the pun.
2. I like forgetting to put it on during a full day of exercise, then calling it unmentionable words when it sends me reminders later. I don’t know why. I think it means I should never be in management.
3. I’m one of those self-appointed underdogs keeping “Rabbit Run” on loop. And Guilty Gear’s “Sky Should Be High.” Somehow, the anime fighting game theme feels less dorky.
For whatever reason, the jock jam I think most about is “Cotton Eyed Joe.” Where did it come from? Where did it go? Why do I enjoy Cotton Eyed Joe?
You might be interested in a book I read recently called You’ve Been Played by Adrien Hon (the designer of Zombies Run), which talks about how corporations and bad actors use gamification to manipulate people.
Sometimes I like to think about what it'd be like to be some kind of cool animal, does that count as exercise? Can a leopard wear an Apple Watch & close its rings? Cuz right now I am a leopard. Thanks so much for sharing your recent guest appearance on the podcast. I loved having you on the show, & listeners have said ton of nice stuff about your episode!
I think this counts as exercise as long as you're not imaging yourself to be sloth. As for leopards, they all have Apple Watches as part of their compensation for the naming rights to Apple's Mac OS X Leopard. And yes, those leopards close their rings every day.
Next time, consider “Brian Wilson,” by Barenaked Ladies - I’ve always found that to be a highly motivational soundtrack for my fitness routine, which, in all honesty, includes more Nestle Crunches than ab crunches.
1. I used to wear an Apple Watch, then I deposited it into the murky, pathogen-infested waters of Southwest Missouri and decided I wasn't insane enough to wear one.
2. Old man walks and old man bike rides. This is the way.
3. The scene in Commando where Arnold prepares to assault the island singlehandedly.
4. Any opportunity to reuse IP that Hollywood hasn't already taken is a surprise. Related: I really love the reveal in Creed that Apollo won their rubbermatch fight after Rocky III. Solid, believable booking.
5. Blasphemy warning: I don't think Will Ferrell's that funny.
this is the first time i've ever actually considered a wearable device, normally I find myself vehemently against them. but boxing on the toilet before bed while my partner cheers me on?? idk, sounds like the kind of silly, exciting, and vaguely romantic I could get into.
Gamification has never worked for me -- I'm not competitive enough! I do love the fitbit for tracking my quality of sleep and my resting heart rate, though.
This is hilarious and right on the money. Except the part about Ricky Bobby. If you don’t finish first, you do finish last. No participation medals. Slingshot, engage!
Thanks Ben! Not to get too nerdy here, but the whole shake & bake slingshot concept is exactly why the "if you ain't first you're last" mentality is a dead end. The lesson Ricky Bobby learns in the movie is team / family over the individual. If he continued to believe in the first / last myth, we'd hate the movie because Ricky Bobby wouldn't change and he'd just be a jerk. That said, I totally scream out "if you ain't first, you're last" whenever I drive anywhere. I also always check the back seat for a cheetah.
Oh hell, I bring the Cheetah with me every time. Fresh antelope in the back.
You're absolutely right about the profound lessons of TN. But I focus on one thing -- If you haven't or aren't willing to watch it, then are we neither kin nor can we be friends. Magic Man! Now you see him . . . now you don't !
(1) We have iPhones, but have drawn a line at wearable Appletech ... for now. However, the humble Fitbit is just as tasking a master. I can think of numerous nights Karen's been up and pacing the bedroom trying to meet her daily steps requirement. Nothing short of fascist, I'd say. But I would say that because I, of course, have completed my steps because I, well, don't wear a Fitbit. And as I'm laying in bed watching her do the Fitbit Dance, it's obvious that one of us has the right idea about such things.
(2) I teach, therefore I walk fucking miles a day. Albeit around and around the classroom and back and forth to the staffroom for yet another cup of tea or coffee (an athlete must stay hydrated).
(3) I'm always listening for the five songs that will be my newsletter's next playlist, so there's nothing static. However, I'd have to say that Public Enemy's 'Harder Than You Think' should be a mandatory standard.
(4) I'd love to comment on this one, but my opinion of the Rocky films is about three steps below my opinion of wearing Fitbits. Saying that (and to stick with Stallone) Cliffhanger's a pretty good shlock film - and is certainly a metaphor for the current state of Congress. Though I'm afraid Marjorie Taylor Greene's not going to fall to her well-deserved demise soon enough. Ugh. Just fucking ugh. Discuss.
(5) Never apologise for falling asleep in a film. I've slept through so many, I should pay the theatre. Those seats are so very, very comfy. Even when they're not.
You may be on to something with the connection between teaching and getting your steps in. I know it's difficult to attract quality people to the teaching profession, at least in the U.S., but maybe my local school district should emphasize the savings on wearable tech like FitBit's and Apple Watches. Plus, if you become a teacher you won't have to literally run around your house late at night to please a tech task master.
That's definitely a different way to have a 'movement' in the bathroom. If only you had started snoring sooner, Christina might have gotten those few extra minutes she needed to grab the 3 calories and close the rings.. Rocky would have been proud.
Heather, you really nailed the problem here. I should’ve dozed off earlier and everything would’ve worked out. I need to go apologize to Christina.
Definitely Glad to see you have accepted the blame. Please work on your dozing skills. 🤣
PS - Fun post!
Thank you!
The secret to the Apple Watch is re-setting the calories goal to a lower number!
Ain’t that the truth.
1. Neither.
2. Although I have no rings to close, walking and yoga are aces with me.
3. My 3-year-old grandson loves “Hearts On Fire,” but it’s no “Eye of the Tiger.” For me, it’s “Baba O’Riley.”
4. Sorry, but I just watched the first one again, and there’s no case; Creed won. But Rocky did (ahem) beat the meat.
5. Write a better Will Ferrell movie?
Good news! Will Ferrell has agreed to play Rocky’s lawyer in the limited series I’m writing. I’m going to push for you to play the skeptical lawyer Rocky goes to first, the one who tells him there’s no case because Apollo clearly won. If we have the budget, I see that scene not in your office, but at an Equinox gym. You’re on a treadmill. The incline is cranked all the way. You’re running hard. Really hard. (Don’t worry, we can use a stunt double). You tell Rocky he’s got no case. He argues, but you stick to your guns. It wounds him hearing this because you are the best boxing lawyer of all time. Finally, you tell it to him plain. This isn’t Creed, it’s greed. Just a shameless attempt to cash in on an over-exploited franchise. Rocky flies into a rage and proceeds to dismantle every piece of gym equipment with his fists. Every piece except your treadmill. You keep running and set a personal best. We set this scene to “Baba O’Riley.”
I love it, except I do my own stunts. And finally I’ll get my SAG card!
Stand by for a very small contribution to your health and pension.
Ooooh Hearts On Fire is so good because of how it makes you feel like how Rocky feels when he is driving in the car at night and punching the steering wheel because he fought with Adrian about going to Russia to fight Creed's killer #blessx your grandson is a complex soul!
I used to have a FitBit but after it stopped syncing to my phone and then I tore through the second wristband in less than two years, it went in the drawer forever. I don't like the feel of anything on my wrist anyway. Plus I used to hit my goal while washing dishes so how accurate could it be?
Overall it's another checkbox on the mental to-do list that stresses me out more than it helps. I used to have a bunch: practice a certain amount in Duolingo, write a daily journal entry, etc. I have enough time anxiety without adding more on so I'm trying to take a more laid-back approach to life.
Wait a minute! I can get fit washing dishes? That’s what I took from this comment😂 I’m gonna get a dish washing gig at a local restaurant and parlay that into Olympic gold. Look for me on a Wheaties box.
All of this, Amber!
Yup.
Mine used to tell me when I was getting stressed out (high heart rate while resting) and that would stress me out MORE! I'm also convinced it never tracked my steps as accurately or generously as it tracked my husband's, so I eventually declared it sexist and let it die.
I'm playing this game called NeoCab set in a near(?) future and the main character has this bracelet called a Feelgrid that lights up different colors depending on her mood. It's supposed to help her be more honest with her needs and deal with how she's feeling but could you imagine if they were a real thing? I think I'd want one out of curiosity but I'd wear it somewhere no one could see it.
Reminds me of the "mood" jewelry that was popular when I was in junior high. After the movie My Girl traumatized us all to Bridge to Terabithia levels. 😭 I'm pretty sure mood jewelry was just hypercolor technology in gemstone form. It would say you were "in love" as long as you were warm enough. 😂
1. I let memories of Fallout’s Pip-Boy con me into Apple Watch ownership. And a non-suppressed desire to be Batman.
I think Apple dodged the name “iWatch” because the constant glances at the thinness-measurement device are inherently sad/hilarious. Can’t have the pun.
2. I like forgetting to put it on during a full day of exercise, then calling it unmentionable words when it sends me reminders later. I don’t know why. I think it means I should never be in management.
3. I’m one of those self-appointed underdogs keeping “Rabbit Run” on loop. And Guilty Gear’s “Sky Should Be High.” Somehow, the anime fighting game theme feels less dorky.
4. I’m ready for a Creed sub-spinoff.
5. Mail them some punch-up lines to edit in.
I don’t think you’re alone in the reason you fell for the Apple con. In fact, I’ll bet Dick Tracy fans were there to buy the Apple Watch on day one.
Checks out. Decades of Chester Gould conditioning is impossible to resist.
For whatever reason, the jock jam I think most about is “Cotton Eyed Joe.” Where did it come from? Where did it go? Why do I enjoy Cotton Eyed Joe?
You might be interested in a book I read recently called You’ve Been Played by Adrien Hon (the designer of Zombies Run), which talks about how corporations and bad actors use gamification to manipulate people.
An interested in that book! Thank you! As for Cotton Eyed Joe, that’s an ear worm I thought I’d escaped. Apologies in advance to my Spotify algo.
Years ago, I remember looking up Cotton Eyed Joe on Spotify and I was surprised - shocked! - by how many versions of it there are.
I’m surprised to hear this. I alway figured it was just the one.
[Insert Cotton Eyed Joe iceberg meme]
Sane
We need more sanity, thank you for this!
😂
Sometimes I like to think about what it'd be like to be some kind of cool animal, does that count as exercise? Can a leopard wear an Apple Watch & close its rings? Cuz right now I am a leopard. Thanks so much for sharing your recent guest appearance on the podcast. I loved having you on the show, & listeners have said ton of nice stuff about your episode!
I think this counts as exercise as long as you're not imaging yourself to be sloth. As for leopards, they all have Apple Watches as part of their compensation for the naming rights to Apple's Mac OS X Leopard. And yes, those leopards close their rings every day.
Dawg you gonna have to show me how to close my rings, can't have them flapping around everywhere
Eye of the tiger, dawg.
Next time, consider “Brian Wilson,” by Barenaked Ladies - I’ve always found that to be a highly motivational soundtrack for my fitness routine, which, in all honesty, includes more Nestle Crunches than ab crunches.
Your fitness routine is a thing of beauty!
1. I used to wear an Apple Watch, then I deposited it into the murky, pathogen-infested waters of Southwest Missouri and decided I wasn't insane enough to wear one.
2. Old man walks and old man bike rides. This is the way.
3. The scene in Commando where Arnold prepares to assault the island singlehandedly.
4. Any opportunity to reuse IP that Hollywood hasn't already taken is a surprise. Related: I really love the reveal in Creed that Apollo won their rubbermatch fight after Rocky III. Solid, believable booking.
5. Blasphemy warning: I don't think Will Ferrell's that funny.
If that scene from Commando doesn’t get your blood pumping, you need to seek medical help immediately. Excellent choice!
this is the first time i've ever actually considered a wearable device, normally I find myself vehemently against them. but boxing on the toilet before bed while my partner cheers me on?? idk, sounds like the kind of silly, exciting, and vaguely romantic I could get into.
Gamification has never worked for me -- I'm not competitive enough! I do love the fitbit for tracking my quality of sleep and my resting heart rate, though.
I know you're not trying to win, but I think you're winning, Jen!
This is hilarious and right on the money. Except the part about Ricky Bobby. If you don’t finish first, you do finish last. No participation medals. Slingshot, engage!
Thanks Ben! Not to get too nerdy here, but the whole shake & bake slingshot concept is exactly why the "if you ain't first you're last" mentality is a dead end. The lesson Ricky Bobby learns in the movie is team / family over the individual. If he continued to believe in the first / last myth, we'd hate the movie because Ricky Bobby wouldn't change and he'd just be a jerk. That said, I totally scream out "if you ain't first, you're last" whenever I drive anywhere. I also always check the back seat for a cheetah.
Oh hell, I bring the Cheetah with me every time. Fresh antelope in the back.
You're absolutely right about the profound lessons of TN. But I focus on one thing -- If you haven't or aren't willing to watch it, then are we neither kin nor can we be friends. Magic Man! Now you see him . . . now you don't !
I feel that because it’s an older watch version, that can happen.
I do feel very accomplished closing the rings. Totally loved your story 😊
Thank you! I really appreciate that!
I closed my stand ring, and I was sitting. Hmmmm😳
Were your hands high above your waist?
(1) We have iPhones, but have drawn a line at wearable Appletech ... for now. However, the humble Fitbit is just as tasking a master. I can think of numerous nights Karen's been up and pacing the bedroom trying to meet her daily steps requirement. Nothing short of fascist, I'd say. But I would say that because I, of course, have completed my steps because I, well, don't wear a Fitbit. And as I'm laying in bed watching her do the Fitbit Dance, it's obvious that one of us has the right idea about such things.
(2) I teach, therefore I walk fucking miles a day. Albeit around and around the classroom and back and forth to the staffroom for yet another cup of tea or coffee (an athlete must stay hydrated).
(3) I'm always listening for the five songs that will be my newsletter's next playlist, so there's nothing static. However, I'd have to say that Public Enemy's 'Harder Than You Think' should be a mandatory standard.
(4) I'd love to comment on this one, but my opinion of the Rocky films is about three steps below my opinion of wearing Fitbits. Saying that (and to stick with Stallone) Cliffhanger's a pretty good shlock film - and is certainly a metaphor for the current state of Congress. Though I'm afraid Marjorie Taylor Greene's not going to fall to her well-deserved demise soon enough. Ugh. Just fucking ugh. Discuss.
(5) Never apologise for falling asleep in a film. I've slept through so many, I should pay the theatre. Those seats are so very, very comfy. Even when they're not.
You may be on to something with the connection between teaching and getting your steps in. I know it's difficult to attract quality people to the teaching profession, at least in the U.S., but maybe my local school district should emphasize the savings on wearable tech like FitBit's and Apple Watches. Plus, if you become a teacher you won't have to literally run around your house late at night to please a tech task master.