Books

Lately I’ve been really into Ursula K. LeGuin and Larry Niven. Sci-fi is such an amazing, and underrated, genre. Sure, it’s filled with pulpy nonsense, but so is every genre. And the reason that nonsense exists is that it is emulating truly great writing! Niven is just amazing at creating worlds and concepts, and his writing is good enough to satisfy my literary side. LeGuin is the whole package. The Left Hand of Darkness is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read, and she does an excellent job creating even the mythology for her world. And her Earthsea saga is also excellent.

I’d really recommend trying these two, especially LeGuin, if you haven’t cracked open the sci-fi genre, or haven’t taken a liking to it in the past. And the way LeGuin presents social issues…well…let me attempt to descripe it: surreal, hyperreal allegory on steroids. Truly, sci-fi is a way to present social issues that just can’t be achieved with other genres!

In fact, make a habit of trying new things like that. Look beyond the surface, and give yourself a chance before you decide you wouldn’t like it because you…whatever. Just try new things!
Here’s a fun wikihow: How to Exercise an Open Mind.

Here’s another piece of advice. Take your own advice! (see reference to overweight/unhealthy doctors below). That’s half the reason I made this blog, to give me a reason to listen to my own advice.

Oh, get a Swiss ball (exercise ball) and sit on it in lieu of an office chair. Sure, you might get made fun of, but your body will thank you forever. It is more comfortable than, and MUCH better for your posture than, any chair I’ve ever seen. That tip is from Chad Waterbury in his new book:

Muscle Revolution. For fitness enthusiasts it’s a great place to start, and not a bad place to stay if you want the basics presented to you in a concise, relevant, and easy-to-understand fashion…the basics are the most important part! Get it on www.t-nation.com.

Here I’d like to explain that it’s great to know the “basics” of working out: What works, and how to do it. But you will really increase your knowledge of your body by understanding why it works too! That scientific stuff is pretty heady, but if you get your head around it so to speak you will honestly be much more well-rounded. The same goes for everything you do: ask WHY, not just how! (Thanks Einstein, for that advice: always ask why!)