Despite all the hate being leveled at Google from Uncle Sam, various startups and rival companies (I’m looking at you Apple!), I’m a passionate fan of the numerous Google services available, including Gmail, Google Voice, Google Chrome, Google+ (note: here’s my profile link), AdSense, Analytics, Search (of course!) and Android (note: I’m still not ditching my iPhone, but I do love some of the features available to Android, especially regarding third party apps).

However in the past few weeks months (or months?) I’ve started to use other services instead, some of which ironically are not attempting to compete with the Google Goliath. Here are just a few that I’ve started using instead of the Google alternative.

Out: Google Calender, In: Remember The Milk

Why?: If it weren’t for Remember The Milk’s (or RTM for short) iOS app I probably wouldn’t even consider ditching Google Calendar in the first place (as I loathe RTM’s web interface). However the startup has released a slick to-do list that is not only easier to create alerts upon, but also has simplified the process when it comes to creating events. Even better I can easily schedule events on every second Tuesday without having to dig too deeply into the “events” section.

I’m now subscribed to their premium service (which costs $25/year) and while I have tried rival to-do list managers (including Google tasks), few were as elegant as well as powerful as RTM.

Out: Google Docs, In: Evernote

Why?: Even though Google Docs is far more powerful than Evernote, the latter is far easier to use when it comes towards creating notes and “documents” than the former. I also enjoy the fact that I can record audio notes straight from my iPhone into my Evernote note (which comes handy when you’re in a lecture or meeting and the main speaker is speaking way too fast).

I also love the ability to easily clip web pages into Evernote, and highlight relevant content for a friend to checkout or even for a blog post. Of course Google Docs isn’t completely useless to me, as I still need a simple spreadsheet solution that doesn’t rhyme with the word Excel.

Out: YouTube, In: Qik

Why?: There are only 2 reasons why I prefer Qik (the premium version) over YouTube right now. The first is that I can broadcast live video for up to 90 minutes (note: YouTube also has live video but they have yet to roll it out to my account) and the second is Qik’s iOS app that allows you to apply effects upon the video as you’re broadcasting live.

Unfortunately not many people inside and outside of the geekverse use Qik (most are on Ustream, Viddy, Vimeo, etc.). Since Microsoft technically owns Qik (as they inherited the service after purchasing Skype) I’m hesitant about relying entirely upon the service so as a precaution I am automatically porting all of my Qik videos to YouTube as I’d rather be safe than sorry).

Out: Picasa and Picnik, In: Instagram

Why?: At the end of the day all I want to do is quickly edit a photo that I’ve taken on my iPhone. While both Picasa and Picnik are powerful tools to edit images with, they are often too slow for my taste, especially if I want to post something while on the go.

Instagram is probably closer to Flickr than its Google rivals, although truth be told it’s a lot more fun to use than any picture service that I’ve tried. Unfortunately Instagram is only available for iPhone users, so I’ll continue to use Picasa as well as Picnik until Instagram launches a decent web app as well a desktop app.

What about _______?

There are a few other services I am testing out as “Google replacements,” but as of now Google is either providing a superior service or the rival services are too expensive for my taste.

Is there a service that you use instead of Google? And please don’t say Bing! (as we’ve had a falling out since the hiybbprqag scandal).

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According to man legend, the warriors from War World 2 were a lot more fit when compared against the average GI, and believe it or not there is an official workout to prove it!

I’ve skimmed through the list of exercises which include pull ups, push ups, “cross over” knee sit ups (what I call them), squat jumps and lots of running.

While I’m confident that I could easily pass the running tests (since I’ve run all my life thanks to track, football, and fun running in my new shoes), it’s the other tests that have me worried a bit.

Pull Ups 

According to the scoring sheet, I’d receive a “fair” grade as I can only do 8 out of 20 push ups. While this isn’t exactly failing according to the chart (at least as far as I know), however receiving a score of 52/100 isn’t passing in my book, so I’ll be working on getting up to 20 in the not so distant future (especially after finding a decent pull up bar in the park which is mocking my 8 reps).

Squat Jumps

I haven’t done these in a long time (since football years ago), so at best I can only give an estimate of how well I would do on a test (I say 50 at least). 75 is perfection according to the vets of old, so that will be my overall aim (although I’ll strive towards 50 at first).

 Push Ups

I’ve done push ups for almost as long as I’ve run, and apparently the WW2 score sheet considers 54 push ups to be excellent. The most I’ve ever done consecutively is 220 push ups (which I will not repeat as I was in pain throughout the week) but I can do between 100-150 push ups before my arms feel like they are on fire. I guess this is one test I pretty much pass with flying colors!

Cross Over Situps (in 120 seconds)

This exercise seems like a cross between situps and bicycle crunches, and I’m pondering whether this exercise is even safe to do (as it seems to strain the back). Regular situps I can do with no hassle (550 was my all time record), and I’m consistently pushing out 200 bicycle crunches too (despite my abs being on fire). I’m hesitant about doing cross over situps (again what I call them as they are different from traditional situps), but I might practice these as well in the not so distant future.

What About…

I’ll continue doing other exercises such as bicycle crunches, Jack knives and dips, although I’ll strive to ace these test scores and blog about the results later on.

(Props to Art of Manliness for tracking down these exercises, Image Credits: German Federal Archive).

 

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After receiving a gift card to the Mast General Store from my brother (it was a belated birthday gift), I decided to pick up a pair of 5 finger shoes (by Vibram for those wondering).

After testing them out in the store for 15 minutes, then running/walking/trotting upon running trails, streets and enormous water pipes in the park (note: kids don’t do the latter in as you could fall and crack your head open) over the next hour, I am now officially ashamed that I have worn traditional sneakers for so long instead of 5 finger shoes.

The only thing I don’t like about 5 finger shoes is that it takes a lot longer to put on than traditional sneakers (as you can see from the video below), but aside from that I’m probably only going to purchasing 5 finger shoes in the future due to how natural they feel upon my feet.

I’m planning on purchasing another pair (5 finger boots for those wondering). However if I could find a pair of 5 finger dress shoes, my feet would be complete!

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Last Saturday I was able to view a drama called Metamorphoses at The Warehouse Theatre (note: see disclosure below).

Metamorphoses is basically a retelling of ancient Greek myths (which include tales about Apollo, Aphrodite, Midas, etc.) with one unique distinction: there is a mini “pool” in the middle of the stage!

I was surprised by how well the cast incorporated the pool within their scripts as not all the tales involved rivers, oceans and (of course) pools of affluent kings.

I don’t want to give away how the cast spun the stories (as it’s better to see it in person), but here is a mini synopsis of what I loved (as well as disliked) about Metamorphoses.

Meta-Awesome

The cast of Metamorphoses were nothing short of phenomenal, as they not only executed their lines perfectly but were also able to appropriately project their character’s emotions upon their faces (which in my honest opinion separates the good actors from the great).

I also liked how the whole cast could easily switch between roles (i.e. transitioning from a supporting character in one story to a main one in the next).

Also having the actors disappear within the pool (or make a surprising entrance from the water) was really cool, especially during the stormy sea episode with Poseidon (which you’ll have to see in person to understand how great it was).

The only disadvantage of the Metamorphoses crew using water was the fact that they had to constantly dry off the sides (so the actors wouldn’t slip), but they humorously were able to incorporate side characters which prevented the drama from being interrupted.

Meta-Bad?

Most of the stuff I didn’t like about attending is trivial (yet understandable), but for a geek like me it was a bit of a let down.

We were not allowed to take videos or photos of the drama (so alas no instagraming it), and out cell phones had to be off during the Greek drama (which meant no tweeting or Google plusing by the minute updates about what was happening).

The only part of the drama that I disliked with a passion was the Father-daughter story, although that had more to do with the content of the story itself and not the acting (which was flawless throughout the event).

Meta-Hilarious

While some of the stories were sad, a few were hilarious (especially the Apollo drama which is traditionally a sad story but Metamorphoses had you cracking up laughing when Apollo made his debut).

Intermission was also hilarious (stay and watch it, as you won’t be disappointed) and the random Pandora transition scene was awesome too!

And I can not fail to mention the drunk guy in the beginning, although I’ll refrain from telling more lest I spoil the surprise.

Is it worth it?

Even if you are not a fan of live skits and dramas, you’ll probably enjoy Metamorphoses due to the pool in the center of the stage (which last I recall has an under water tunnel), and how the actors incorporate it within each story (especially Apollo’s which as you can tell was my favorite performance).

Just avoid the “hungry lady” as she was creepy and freaky! (words to the wise: don’t tick her off)

Disclosure: The Warehouse Theatre provided me season tickets without cost in order to review this drama, as well as upcoming performances.

–Posted from my iPhone

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So I forced myself to traverse a bridge I had no desire to cross.

Despite the “sea of emotions” that swirled within, I remained mostly calm (at least as far as I could tell).

So what’s next? Sleep of course! Joking aside I’ll be trying to spend whatever free time I have left hanging out with 2 dear friends before they enter the next transition in their lives.

After that I’ll be spending more of my free time (re)organizing my life which means I’ll be spending less time downtown hanging out with friends (with the exception of Fridays & Saturdays of course).

Despite crossing that bridge for the first (and hopefully last) time, it’s what’s around the bend that has me excited.

–Posted from my iPhone

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Solomon’s words of wisdom ring true today as they did thousands of years ago.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

~Proverbs 4:23

I think my biggest problem is that I’m too open hearted, which results in me exposing myself to the wrong people who in hindsight do not have my best interests in mind (and end up causing me unnecessary grief).

I need to be more selective when it comes to personal friendships lest I end up receiving another heartache.

In essence I need to begin focusing on myself and less on distractions. Starting tonight….or maybe tomorrow (as it’s late right now).

–Posted from my iPhone

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In order to get a fresh start.

After today’s (or rather yesterday’s) ordeal I’ve decided to turn what use to be fond memories into positive experiences again, so I’m donating some trendy clothes and shoes to charity (you can ask me why later on when I’m ready to talk about it).

While I think someone will find the pants and shirts useful, I’m not sure about the shoes (as they’re a size 13 and have been worn frequently).

I’ll drop them off in the morning, before heading downtown in order to “chillax” (as Zach always says).

Either way I’m looking forward towards the next 6 months. Hopefully my work will bear fruit (especially during this horrendous recession).

–Posted from my iPhone

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