This week I downloaded a few new apps that I already love. Two are just dumb fun, one helps me track my exercise stuff and another is fun in meetings around the office (or in my classroom).

Action Movie FX

OK, this app is just dumb fun. But I laugh every time. The basic premise is that you can create a Michael Bay movie at the touch of a button. Record you favorite landmark and blow it up. Record video of Broadway during rush hour and have a huge asteroid drop in the middle of the road. Cars crashing, bombs flying. It’s all good clean fun. What makes it really fun, it to record someone saying something really stupid and blow him or her up. Trust me – everyone laughs.

I plan on blowing up a lot of things (via special effects) this weekend. I’ll let you know how it goes.

FitBit

In my quest to get into better shape, lose a few pounds and become overall healthier, I downloaded FitBit. It allows you to track everything. How much you exercise, how much you walk, how much you eat, the number of stairs you climb and the amount of water you drink. It syncs to your computer and mobile phone, so you have a constant reminder of how you’re doing against a BMI goal. It’s pretty cool. I also purchased a little sensor you wear on your clothing. It tracks everything you do. In fact, last night I wore it to sleep. It told me exactly how long it took me to fall asleep (7 minutes), how long I slept (5:35) and how many times I woke up during the night (3 times for a total of 12 minutes). So my total sleep quality was 98%. So when I’m sleeping, I’m really sleeping. It also didn’t yell at me for not getting more sleep.

Let’s see how I do over a longer period of time. I know that just by wearing the monitor I’ve adjusted my activity. Last night I chose to walk up 5 flights of stairs instead of taking the elevator – since my goal for the day was 10 flights. Hopefully this will help.

Applausometer

Yes, people tend to clap in meetings. People clap when they don’t mean it. People clap when the do mean it. Sometimes we’re being polite. Sometime we’re excited. So I downloaded an applause meter to really judge how people are feeling. It’s a lot of fun. In fact, I used it in my class last night. After every student presented, people clapped. I was looking at my phone to see who got the highest amount of applause. (I’m not telling!)

Atari Greatest Hits

I loved arcade games. I spent plenty of time and money playing games in the 80s. Now there’s an app that captures all the great Atari games. Missile Command, Pong, Breakout, Asteroids, Centipede, Gravitar, Liberator and Millipede. In all, there’s dozens of games in the App. And here’s the cool part, there’s a Bluetooth arcade controller that makes it feel like you’re playing the real arcade game. Of course, my son thinks this App sucks. The games are old. The graphics are old. And I have to admit, when you look at Asteroids, it’s kind of funny how basic the graphics are by today’s standards. But I don’t care. I’m play my game and I’m 15-years-old again.

That’s about it for today. Clapping, playing, dieting and blowing things up. Sounds like a microcosm of my life.

I love these silly questions: if you were stranded on an island and you could only bring one album, one movie, one book and one TV series, what would they be?

OK, let’s make some assumptions, you have an endless supply of electrical power; so you can listen to your album, watch your movie and TV series. Let’s assume you happen to have a solar power source, and all your devices work – but you don’t have an Internet or satellite connection – that would be too easy.

Let’s also assume that this island has enough food and fresh drinking water that you’ll be stuck there for let’s say 10 years. And let’s also say that you’re alone.

Phew, that was a lot of assumptions. That said, here are my choices:

One album:
I thought about this a lot. There are so many artists I love, so many albums I’d love to listen to over and over again. I think I’d want something hopeful but also something that is timeless. So I decided on the “Woodstock” soundtrack. What? I know, you expected The Beatles Revolver or Rubber Soul. Perhaps even Goats Head Soup by the Rolling Stones or The Who’s Tommy. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. All great albums. All in my top 10. But for the variety, the different artists, the songs, and the joy – I’m going with Woodstock. Janis Joplin, The Who, Crosby, Still, Nash & Young, Sly and the Family Stone. Gotta love it.

One movie:
This is probably the hardest category of all. What movie would I want to watch over and over and over again? It’s certainly NOT going to be Cast Away with Tom Hanks or any horror or science fiction that would freak me out at night. I thought about the Godfather – but I think I’ve played that too much already. I thought about my all time favorite movie – Patton – but even that would get old. Nope, my choice would be ‘Some Like It Hot’ starring Jack Lemon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. Funny. Timeless. And I never get sick of it.

One book:
I admit, I thought about “How to survive anything,” but decided that was too easy. I also checked off books I’ve read, loved, but never recommended to anyone. I decided I needed a book that makes me laugh every time I pick it up, a book that spoke to me personally, and a book that I’ve recommended to many people. So my choice: ‘A Walk In The Woods’ by Bill Bryson. It’s a travel journal about his adventures walking the Appalachian Trail. If you haven’t read it, please do. You’ll laugh a lot.

One TV series:
This was the easiest one for me. While there are many TV shows I love and I loved growing up, Seinfeld, The Cosby Show, All in the Family, MASH, and Cheers, I think I’d get sick of them eventually. But the show I can never get sick of is ‘I Love Lucy.’ I can watch re-runs of that show every day and laugh. I think its genius. And I would be happy with Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel forever.

So there you have it. Woodstock, Some Like It Hot, A Walk in the Woods and I Love Lucy.

What would you choose?

They say the best way to begin something is to tell as many people as humanly possible you’re going to do it. So, I’m announcing it here. I have to start exercising more. A lot more. And I’m going to start on Wednesday, February 1st. Really. I swear. No kidding. Honest. (I hope.)

I used to exercise. I even belong to a gym. A gym I haven’t been to in over a year. I have workout equipment in my basement. I have a treadmill. My 9 year old uses it more than me. I used to exercise every morning before I went to work. I’d get up early and go into my basement. For 8 months I was religious about it. Then suddenly I stopped. I think I got a cold and never started up after I was feeling better.

My wife even commented how good I was looking. I was getting positive reinforcement from everyone. I have shed almost 20 pounds. I was feeling stronger, looking better, feeling better and had a great attitude. Then it all went to hell.

I don’t know how it happened.

My wife often comments that I’m an ‘all in’ or ‘all out’ kind of person. When I do something – I don’t do it half way. I go in with all guns firing or not at all. That I’m not a halfway person. I guess I see that in myself. I do get fanatical about certain things. I also lose interest in things quickly.

So, here it is. Wednesday is the day. I plan to get up early and work out every morning. And by every morning, I mean every morning. Monday through Friday. I know if I take a day off, I’ll stop completely. I need an every day routine.

I promise I will report back to you monthly to let you know if I’ve stuck to my program. If I see you in the office, I want you to ask me about my workouts. If I see you in the classroom and I look tired, it’s because I’m getting up early. And if you see me eating a jelly donut – remind me that I’m supposed to be watching my diet, too.

In other words, if I fail – it’s your fault. (Not really)

Stupid Conversations – A follow-up

A few weeks ago, I told you about a conversation I had with two women on a chairlift. You know, about having children that are 27 and 9-years-old, and how it couldn’t be from the same wife. Well, these same two women cornered me again this weekend. I wanted to kill myself. Here’s the conversation:

Woman #1: You’re the guy with the two wives, right?
Me: What?
Woman #1: The kids who are 20 from one wife and a young kid from wife #2.
Me: Yes, that’s me.
Woman #1: What do you call them? Wife #1 and wife #2?
Woman #2: Doesn’t that imply there will be a wife #3 or wife #4?
Me: (With disgust in my voice) I call my wife ‘my wife’ and my ex – I don’t call her anything. I call her by name if I need to refer to her.
Woman #1: Oh, so the first wife is like Voldemort from Harry Potter ‘She who must not be named.’
Me: Not exactly.

At this point I refused to engage in conversation.

So, that’s it for today. I’m starting to exercise, and I still think these woman have some baggage they’re not revealing. Interesting.

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