Travis Eneix

The most frustrating aspect of customer service is that customers often think the guy, or gal, answering the phone is responsible for whatever design, or decision, is giving them issue.  They also often assume the poor prole who takes the call is capable of making sweeping global changes at the touch of a button.  Both of these assumptions are not true in a ratio of cases mathematically indistinguishable from 1-1.

It’s not my f**king fault dude!  I didn’t make the decision to work our billing system that way, and frankly I loathe it as much as you do.  That said, what is it you think I can do about it?  Do not take your venom out on me.  I get that you are upset, and I feel you are justified.  Now, let me do my God-Damned job and help you out!  Sheesh!!

To all the customers out there girding themselves to make a call to a customer service, or techsupport center, I have this piece of advice.  Take a breath.  Chill.  Explain the difficulty, and if you are upset say so.  Then let the poor sucker on the other end help.  If they can.  And, if they can’t you can file a complaint about the procedure and get it passed up the chain.  If enough customers do that, things will change.

I used to be a fanatic about reading fitness gurus, magazines, books and websites. The fascination took up major portions of my day. I picked up a lot of tips along the way. I still keep my eyeballs in there a bit, but only to check to see if anything useful has actually been done.

You see, the one thing I learned most of all is this - with amazingly few exception it’s all been said before. Jack LaLanne came up with 99% of what Bill Phillips said in Body for Life. Mike Mentzer mostly re-posted what the old greats like Eugene Sandow had already wrote. Don’t get me wrong, I salute the folks like Mike Mentzer and Bill Phillips (Mike Mentzer was a genius in my estimation) who keep the flame alive and carry the message of health to new generations, but very little has been added to the base line knowledge of what it takes to get fit.

My mind keeps going back to the simplicity of calisthenics. Our bodies are our first tool, and every baby knows that the way to get strong, agile, and mobile is to lift and flex the one set of weights you always have with you: you.

Here’s a very simple and effective exercise routine that has served men and women alike since they were first recognizable as such. Get up. That’s it. Lay down on the ground, let your body be completely stopped as if sleeping, then get up. Repeat. There are almost a limitless number of variations here. Speed, position, reps, sets. You can do it with both arms, one arm, or no arms. Both legs, one leg, or if you are fit enough to handstand, no legs.

Do that 20 times as fast as you can I you will be puffing. And, if you are not, just do it 10 more times.

In our modern age we often look to complicate things. In fitness it is not necessary. Just get up.

Sometimes you just have to get nostalgic. Here’s my review of an old haunt -
“Back when I was a full-time fatty (I used to tip in at 396) this was my favorite place to get Apple Fritters. Hands down the best, and maybe biggest, in the city. I used to buy 3. One for the wooble back to the car. One for one-handed stuffing while driving home. And, one for back home on my couch. Pure sugar-adled bliss!

Now that I care about my health I no longer frequent this fine establishment. But, for those of you who can eat such things and not bloat up like a Macy Day float this is the place to get sugar doughy warm evil goodness!”

Here’s my review of Range over at Yelp-

“I have been to  Range several times and have never had anything but good service and great food.  The custom cocktails are usually exciting and yummy, and the regular list is wonderful.  The staff is pleasant and accommodating, and they take the time to dish out personal attention without being buddy-buddy.

It can feel a bit tight at times, but this is San Francisco so that’s not much of a ding.

The only downside I can see would be if I was a vegetarian.  I am not thankfully, but the selections and preparation care definitely favor the meat dishes.”

Finally saw the flick last night.  Woof!  What a dog!

Terrible acting, forced love interests, deadpan directing.

Some of the effects were pretty, but they got repetitive.  Famke Janssen, who played Jean Grey, and who I enjoy in movies was basically a back drop piece the whole film.  Wolverine, Hugh Jackman, was painful in the role of inspiring drill sargeant.  Kelsey Grammer, as Beast, was okay but half his dialogue was muffled.  Vinnie Jones, who I also adore as an actor, was horrid as Juggernaut.  The Brotherhood mutants were underdetailed and uninteresting.
And, they killed two of the seminal team members, making the possibility of any more X-Men movies remote.

All in all, a mutant powered sleeper.