Life Beyond 5PM On A Monday

There's a crucial point to the end of each executive's day where his mind shifts to life after death, a.k.a. his/her work day. In a technology-based society, where being lazy has become a lifestyle via Facebook, endless cable channels, and online food delivery, it is so easy to forget what your lifestyle -- err, what your life is about.

After a long day of dealing with the mundane activities that consume your day, ridiculous antics from your unappreciative boss, and the boring nature of 90% of your colleagues, you're exhausted. All you want to do is order that pizza, crack open a beer, and veg out to nothingness in front of your TV.

So is this a healthy way to end your day. It always comes back to philosophy vs. philosophy. Do we live to work or work to live? Five out of seven days solely devoted to being a zombie in front of a computer screen just so we can sleep at home? We weren't born to be robots.

You're thinking right now: Easier said than done to actually do something after work. I have no energy and just want to be left alone anyway. Let me tell you buddy, you're in for a rough future with that mentality. Here's an ideal way of sustaining your youth and your quality of life before you wake up and you're forty with a bag for a belly.

1. Create a list. Sounds very 20th century, I know. Think of a list as a metaphorical reminder to keep active after work. Try setting your cell phone to alarm one hour after your work day is done to go to the gym. Make a routine out of this and it will become habitual.

2. Pick one thing a week to do after work that you've never done before. Whether it's walking around a nearby city or eating fish tacos on a Tuesday, keep your mind focused on other things besides retiring before another dreadful day in the office.

3. Chase the dream. One thing you can't do during work is pursue a lifelong goal. If you've ever wanted to become an artist, writer, or sports figure, now's your chance. Devote a set number of hours a week to practicing and honing your passion into expertise. You'll thank yourself in the future.

Casino 101: Cap Yourself

Do you know why you can't sleep in Vegas?

Could it possibly be the 24/7 blasting of blinking and flashing lights on the strip? Could it be the heavy volume of people coming in and out of the casino? Or could it be the unique but intoxicating quality of air within the casino floor? The answer is yes.

The flashing lights make it possible for you to ignore that a beehive of activity is occurring, and you'd only be missing out by ordering that twenty dollar move and order room service from your hotel room. There is a ton of people-watching to take part in. Between the scantily-clad women (mainly prostitutes and drunk co-eds), high rollers, and self-destructive frat boys, it is a place of celebration and degradation. And yes, PURE oxygen is poured into the casino so that you will have no choice but to stay awake and be attracted to the colorful slot machines.


So this is your first time in a large casino and it's a given that you are tempted to partake in three things: drinking, partying, and yes, gambling. Even the cheapest of cheap-asses tend to gamble as it is a break from reality and a reaffirmation of the fact that you have money to burn. The biggest problem people have is knowing how much to gamble and when to stop.

A couple years ago, I drove to Vegas for the second time. I was pouting with my date over a hundred bucks that I lost at the slot machines when a very drunk guy around my age stumbled into the bar. He told us both how he had won $20,000 during the weekend.

"A few awesome hands at Texas Holdem!"

So I respond, "That's awesome! So what are you at right now?"

"Seven bucks."

"You managed to lose the twenty thousand within twenty-four hours?" I shoot back.

He answers, "No. All I have left is seven bucks. I gambled the home, the business, everything."

This is obviously a very extreme case, but not completely uncommon in the world of Sin City. My advice? Always have a spotter to either promote you, or steer you away from a long run of bad luck at the tables or slot machines. Take a look at what you currently have as far as your budget, and cap yourself on a daily basis. You have a thousand to blow in cash on drinks, food, and hookers? Take a quarter of that and have some fun. But remember to spread it out. And for God's sake, don't lose your life savings to a Denver Duck machine.

The Evolution of Gaming

Sure, video games are improving by the day. It seems like only yesterday SEGA Genesis and Super Nintendo were the forerunners in gaming. These platforms remained on the top for so long because of the content in its games. While games were "improving" other platforms like SEGA CD weren't quite helping gamers optimize their experience.

Games like Sonic The Hedgehog and Super Mario Bros. were popular for one main reason: consistency. No matter how many sequels in the franchises came out, people couldn't get enough of the same colorful and head-turning gameplay. Maybe it was the use of colors or the fruity music and sounds that made these games pop. But it seems like for the true gamer (the kind that played video games frequently in a social manner), this was the time to shine.

At some point, however, gaming started taking on a new meaning. It was no longer about going from level to level to get the big prize in the end. Instead, it turned into a more realistic, lifelike journey. Think Legend of Zelda for Nintendo 64. At the time of its release, it was one of the most popular games to ever sell. Suddenly it wasn't just about having Mario or Sonic hop over obstacles and switching off with friends; it was about committing yourself to a way of life. It was about abandoning your role in human society and becoming a junkie. It was addiction.



With the improvement of graphics and the competition between different companies to release the best experience for its consumers (i.e. Microsoft vs. Sony) gaming started kicking into high gear becoming more and more realistic. Some games started to even offer a cinematic quality to them. Not only do you have to win a game, you have to be the hero in your own movie.

But it wasn't until the emergence of online gaming, that the true subculture of the human species started to rise. Games like World of Warcraft and Halo changed EVERYTHING.

We are in an age of being plugged into the system (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, TXTing). Online gaming offers an aesthetically pleasing way of being further involved in an ever-expanding dimension that is crippling our society. Kids aren't playing basketball outside or camping anymore. Instead they are turning into junk food-addicted fat fucks developing carpel tunnel syndrome between all of the joystick-handling and masturbating to online porn.

For all of the teenage to thirty-somethings out there flirting with an avatar from World of Warcraft. They're not going to blow you. Shut down the PC, throw on some sweats, and hit the gym. Gaming is the lease effective way of getting laid. There's still hope for you.

Narrating Your Life: Morgan Freeman

He is the center of satire on shows like South Park. He is recognized as the go-to figure for narrating any movie, documentary, or television program. He has even played God on the big screen.What is our cultural obsession with Morgan Freeman?

He gained notoriety in the nineties for playing roles in class movies such as Driving Miss Daisy and Shawshank Redemption. But what is it about Morgan Freeman that gives him such star power? He's not good-looking at all. In fact, he looks like he's taking on a skin disease more and more throughout his films. But it is the unique quality of his voice that has made him stand out and be hired for several key roles in films. This unique voice has also made him the spokesperson for narration in modern-day pop films and documentaries. What is it about his voice that people connect with so much? It is the fact that Morgan Freeman doesn't rush his monologues, or pretend to overemphasize them. It is the fact that he often comes across understated in tone and attitude. Freeman is a classic example of an actor that really doesn't try at all. He just is.

Perhaps Morgan Freeman is the missing link for aspiring actors that do not have talent. After all, you cannot compare the factor of talent Freeman has to great actors of our time such as Robert Downey Jr. and Al Pacino. Instead it is the fact that at some point Morgan Freeman's voice was recognized as an asset to the screen. And often, as it is seen in Hollywood, all it takes is that one magic factor that has yet to be recognized.

Why You Should Put All Of Your Money Into Disney Stock

2012. I have heavy doubt it's going to be the year the world ends. However, there will be an epic occurence: the heavily anticipated release of the mega-blockbuster movie, The Avengers.

Let's backtrack to 2008. Iron Man was the unlikely superhero movie to win over audiences. It starred a has-been actor trying to make his comeback in a genre usually suited for an actor half his age. The director's biggest claim to fame was directing Elf. I would say people were a bit skeptic. Amazingly, the movie was a critical and financial success raking in over $300 million in domestic box office gross alone.

At the end of Iron Man, a surprise cameo by Samuel L Jackson teased a follow-up movie. Samuel L Jackson, as Nick Fury - Director of a top secret organization called S.H.I.E.L.D. breaks into Iron Man's home and tells him he's looking to put a team together. End of movie.

Following the success of Iron Man, a pattern started. A remake of The Incredible Hulk, while not as financially successful as Iron Man, proved to be a worthy follow-up in a series of superhero movies that would accumulate to one major blockbuster masterpiece.

With the release of Thor and Captain America approaching, comic book lovers are tapping their foots anxiously waiting for that extra teaser or clip or news concerning The Avengers. It is the only movie in history that has taken the release of five superhero blockbusters to market it. If you take the combined worldwide gross of all five movies that either have been, or will be released soon (i.e. Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and Captain America), it wouldn't touch Avatar's financial success. Now accumulate those movies into one encore with all of the actors combined in the largest spectacle movie ever produced. We're not talking millions. We're talking fucking billions.

Earlier this year, Disney wanted to bank on the success of Marvel, the studio responsible for these superhero films. Disney acquired Marvel for $4.3 billion. Currently valued at around $43, I wouldn't hesitate in investing in this stock. Beyond the box office bucks, think about all of the merchandise, advertising, and sales in DVDs and Blu-Rays. It will astonish you.

My assessment? Save your money by skimping on the survival kits for December 21st, 2012. It is not going to happen, and you will be wasting your money on false prophets and the biggest hoax manufactured by the World Wide Web in history. Instead, put your cash into a sure winner.

What is Age Appropriate?

I want to know the fascination with the mixture of age groups in regards to dating and picking up women in bars. I used to think it was pretty cool seeing a guy in his forties, or even fifties hitting on a girl my age. In a sense, it gave me hope for a brighter middle-aged tomorrow. The idea of being divorced or even never married at all at 45 and being able to get women half your age seemed pretty cool.

Yet I see now how at 24 there are problematic issues that arise dating a girl even three years younger than me. The age gap isn't that much of course, but even the three years of experience I have over a girl that's 21 can be immense. I mentally project myself being in my forties and going after a woman who's in her twenties and see so many things just WRONG with it.

The appeal of banging a girl half your age at forty is definitely uplifting. I just think it's pathetic how naive most middle-aged men are to buying into the fact that they can relate to someone who can be their daughters' age. It doesn't just stop with a wild night of taboo sex. The man will carry on and spoil the girl with disposable income just to feel like more of a pimp, or born again single man. All this scenario ends with is disaster and society spitting down on you because yes, you're an idiot. There's one thing to successfully seduce a girl, but who's really being played when you see the "child" again and again and again thinking there's a remote possibility it won't end badly.

My assessment? You want to feel like a player and still be moral about it? Go after a thirty-something. It's a happy-medium success.

Bar Etiquette 101: Choose Your Wingman Carefully

Every so often I check my phonebook contacts on my cell phone and try seeing how the night would play out eight steps ahead with one of them as a wing man. Truth is, your buddy can either make or break your night. Usually you'll find that if you have the tolerable, easy-going wing man, you might get a number or two. Then there's the bold guy who will stop at nothing to cock-block you, get in your way and talk to every girl he's interested in, as well the ones YOU'RE interested in. The best kind of wing man, however, is the one that seems to be spotlighting as your very own promoter or sponsor. He's the guy who may have a happy situation at home with a good girlfriend and would like to see you have one yourself. Maybe his motive is to live vicariously through you because he feels too guilty cheating on his own girlfriend. This guy is usually the wild card you DO want on your side.

The worst type of wing man, however, is the guy who isn't all there, so to speak. He's looking to fill his own agenda, and sometimes it doesn't even include getting women. For example, say you're talking to a really good-looking girl at the bar. Your friend may chime and say hello to her friend, but will quickly get restless and disappear. An hour later you find him drunk and hard to approach. Let's even say, in all theory, that the girl you started talking to at the beginning of the night decides to come home with you. Problem is your buddy is either:

A) nowhere to be found
B) drunk, difficult to understand, and wants nothing except for pizza
C) insulting your girlfriend, her friend, or both

In either case, you're screwed with this type of wing man. Chances are you've had this guy on your side a few times in the form of different friends. I like to call him Rico: The Self-Serving and Self-Destructive Class Clown. He's usually the guy who's the life of the party throwing up sideways peace signs, but he's usually hogging everyone's good time until he finally ruins their night...

If you have to wonder if you're going to be arrested or assaulted with your wing man, think before you set plans for the night. You might get embarassed. You might get hurt. You might even be killed.