the masculine urge...

 

Reading 2022

Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual Mk1-MOD1 by Jocko Willink 

Redemption (Ryan Drake Book One) by Will Jordan

Knee Ability Zero by Ben Patrick

Peaceful Heart, Warrior Spirit: The True Story of my Spiritual Quest by Dan Millman

Robert B. Parker's Bye Bye Baby (Spenser Book 50) by Ace Atkins 

Behind the Mask: My Autobiography by Tyson Fury 

Demolition Man by Richard Osborne

The Probability Broach by L. Neil Smith

Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain, and the Search for Something Like Transcendence in Competitive Yoga by Benjamin Lorr 

The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance by Tom Brady

Dark Horse: An Orphan X Novel by Gregg Hurwitz  

Presto!: How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales by Penn Jillette 

The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity by Carlo M. Cipolla

The Size of Your Dreams: A Novel that Transforms Lives by Dave Mason and Chana Mason

Baby Steps Millionaires: How Ordinary People Built Extraordinary Wealth-- and How You Can Too by Dave Ramsey

Colonel Sanders and the American Dream by Josh Ozersky

Monster Hunter Bloodlines (Monster Hunters International Book 8) Larry Correia

Stress Less, Accomplish More: Meditation for Extraordinary Performance by Emily Fletcher  

Better Off Dead: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child and Andrew Child

Killing Floor by Lee Child

Monster Hunter Nemesis by Larry Correia

The Lightning Rod: A Zig and Nola Novel by Brad Meltzer

The Cutting Season by M.W. Craven

Doctor Ice Pick by Claire Prentice

Chemical Pink by Katie Arnoldi  

Radical Love: Learning to Accept Yourself and Others by Zachary Levi 

Zero Negativity: The Power of Positive Thinking by Ant Middleton

You2: A High Velocity Formula for Multiplying Your Personal Effectiveness by Price Pritchett

The Last Moriarty (A Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Mystery) by Charles Veley  

The Complete Keys to Progress by John McCallum

The Toynbee Convector by Ray Bradbury

No Plan B by Lee Child and Andrew Child

--

Prodigy Volume 1: The Evil Earth by Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque

Nemesis by Mark Millar, Steve McNiven 

DC's Greatest Detective Stories Ever Told by Various 

Batman vs. Deathstroke by Christopher Priest & Carlo Pagulayan 

Black Summer by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp

Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 1 by Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette

One Bad Day by Steve Rolston 

The Mystery Play: A Graphic Novel by Grant Morrison & Jon J. Muth 

Wild Children by Ales Kot and Riley Rossmo

Secret by Jonathan Hickman, Ryan Bodenheim, et al.

Kill Your Boyfriend by Grant Morrison, Philip Bond

Planet of the Capes by Larry Young and Brandon McKinney

Yoga Joe by Dan Abramson and Chris Mead. Illustrated by PK Olson

The Order Vol. 1: The Next Right Thing by Matt Fraction and Barry Kitson

Nowhere Men Volume 1: Fates Worse Than Death by Eric Stephenson , Nate Bellegarde, et al.

The Tithe Vol. 2 by Matt Hawkins and Rahsan Ekedal

Leaving Megalopolis by Gail Simone, Jim Calafiore

Holmes by Omaha Perez

Captain Carrot and the Final Ark Paperback by Bill Morrison, Roy Thomas, Scott Shaw 

Badlands by Steven Grant, Vince Giarrano 

Absolute Authority Vol. 1 & 2 by Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch 

Doc Savage: The Silver Pyramid by Dennis O'Neil, Adam Kubert, Andy Kubert 

Challengers of the Unknown: Stolen Moments, Borrowed Time Paperback by Howard Chaykin 

Checkmate (Event Leviathan) by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev 

Event Leviathan Paperback by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev 

U.S.Agent: The Good Fight by Various

Animal Man 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Book One & Two by Grant Morrison  (Author), Chas Truog

Absolute Batman Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli

four months to undo a bad year

Fall '20 to '21 was just a broken train wreck of a dumpster fire of a year.

So I fixed it.

Starting the end of September/beginning of October, finishing up this block of training the second week of February. Closer to 4.5 months, to be accurate, but there were fits and starts. Undid most of the damage and lost 25lbs by the end of November. Another 9 the next month. And 3 more since. Starting to plateau, but that should get a kick in the ass as I finish up the current training template and change things up and tweak things a bit. 

Results/Metrics: Weight from 9/27/21 to 2/11/22, 215 to 178. Puts me back at the weight I was in my five years in the military, age 21-25 (holy moly, over 20 years ago,) 175-185lbs. Weight, in general, not a great marker to track, honestly. The scale is a deceitful bitch. Within the course of a day, depending on the amount I ate or drank, sodium intake, etc weight could fluctuate 5lbs. Inside of a week I've seen 8lb swings, in both directions. But tracking the general trend line, taking the measure the same time every day - I do it first thing in AM after waking up - gives a good sense of the direction you're moving. If the previous day was on point or a clusterfuck. Waist measurement 36 to 32. And regular progress pics are really useful. Seeing objectively that you don't look still look like the overstuffed trash bag of garbage you've been picturing yourself as in your head is a good thing. The before/after bit in the above photo is 10/5 to 2/11. Plus the Robb Wolf metric, to paraphrase - "Do the thing, and see how you look, feel and perform." 

The easy excuse for everybody the last couple years is COVID. But really, I did well during the first year or so of that whole debacle. Nutrition wasn't on point, but I was training fairly consistently, working on hypertrophy but getting a little fluffy ('dirty bulking' is such an easy, and bullshit, idea/excuse) walking around at about 200lbs or so. 

What really got me off the rails was... well, life. Moving overseas again, quarantine, medevac back to the USA for what was ultimately a big nothing (get your salt and electrolytes, kids - idiopathic syncope, indeed) living out of a hotel for about a month, back overseas again, quarantine again, figuring out a new country, waiting for and then unpacking all our household goods, the holidays, then the flood on Easter, cleanup, temp housing for 3 months, moving back into our old place... those are actually much better excuses than the nuttiness that is and was Covid. But that's all they are. Excuses. 

The only real truth is I got lazy, undisciplined and made bad choices.

So around September, looking ahead to my birthday the next month, it was time to change direction and stop being an asshole. (When the occasional person asked me what my diet was, I told them it was the "'Stop Eating Like A Childish Asshole' Diet.'" Truth in comedy.)

I'd run some of the Beachbody, bunch of the P90X and Body Beast programs in the past when I needed to kickstart - and those all work great, particularly for home workouts (if access to a gym/barbells, some version of Wendler's 5/3/1 is my go-to move. Sadly, haven't done barbell work in over 2 yrs. I miss real deadlifts.) - but I wasn't feeling it at the time. I needed something with a bit more flexibility and allowed more choice and autonomy. So when roaming the vast expanses of the internet one day I came across the 75 Hard challenge. That clicked. A template, a set of guidelines, but there was a bunch of choice within it. Bingo. 

So in that template you do this, every day.

You check all those boxes, every day, for 75 days straight. You fail on any of them, you start over. You'll notice it took me four and half months to finish a two and a half month program. Dropped the ball 2x, both on the diet. Banana bread got me once and Thanksgiving pumpkin pie got me the second. Started the last run of 75 days just after Thanksgiving.

The big purpose of the whole thing was twofold. Primarily, set/reset habits for training and nutrition. Second, lose fat. Managed to make good dents in both of those. Worth noting and reminding (myself) that there is no endpoint for the habit part. It's like brushing your teeth. You do it every day. Systems instead of goals.

The advantage of the 75 Hard is the flexibility within the structure. Two workouts a day, but what those are are entirely up to you. Follow a diet, but it's any diet. You just have to find one that works for you and you'll stick with. But it has to have structure.

For me, PT1 was usually a strength based workout. Weights, calisthenics, etc. I had ADHD with set/rep/split schemes the first 3 months. 5/3/1, 5x5, 3x10, 10x3, 5x10, 10x10, amraps, targeted rep goals, full body workouts, upper/lower splits, 3 or 4 or 6 day splits. Ultimately doesn't matter. Put in work for at least 45 minutes. January 1 I flipped over to the Beachbody Body Beast program, because now I needed less choice, was overthinking things and just needed plug and play for a bit. Plus, old school meathead hypertrophy bodybuilding to try and hold on to some muscle while cutting fat. If I was beat/sore or on a 3 or 4 day split, PT1 was boxing/MMA. Bag work, shadowboxing, skipping rope, etc. If bone tired, 45m of stretching.

PT2, the outdoor workout, the first 2 months, usually a swim. These last two, with rainy season kicking in, usually stretching outside on the porch, or if the weather was good, the yard. Am sure the neighbors and guards think I'm a weirdo. ZFG.

Diet, for me, was low'ish carb intermittent fasting. Low'ish in that I didn't track carbs and sugar, just generally avoided them. Didn't worry about the carbs in dairy or fruit. No breads, processed wheat, limited added sugar. Ate eggs, meat, dairy, veg (including root veg/potatoes - though not often), fruit. I think I had rice twice the last 4 months, when I was feeling flat or it felt right. (Sushi without rice is just sashimi, people.) Oatmeal about the same. 

Intermittent fasting, daily. No breakfast, early dinner and then usually a smaller meal.  Probably a 4-5 hour eating window, though time limits weren't something strictly adhered to. Sometimes I'd eat at 4 o'clock, sometimes not until 8. On the couple times I ate earlier than planned, just kept the carbs really low that day. The smaller meal, I guess you could call it a snack, generally fruit/dried fruit, nuts/nut butters, yogurt. If needing a sweet tooth fix, peanut butter or yogurt, rarely oatmeal, with some maple syrup did the trick.

Typical day, yesterday for example, was - coffee w/milk, water, supplements* throughout the day. Steak for dinner. Some Greek yogurt later. If I find myself bored/hungry (most hunger is boredom, or you wanting to distract yourself from something - most people have never known real hunger) I'd chew some gum - mastic or nicotine.

 *Supps were both haphazard and targeted. Pickings are slim in East Timor, mail is infrequent from the US. Electrolytes/salt definitely every day/baseline. Citrulline and occasional niacin for circulation. Collagen, hyaluronic acid and gotu kola for joint and tissue health. Preworkout is whatever I can find local, or subbed with coffee, citrulline, nicotine gum and niacin, or some variation/combination thereof. Protein bars, when available, fall into that post dinner snack category. Stopped buying protein powder, just throw some eggs, dairy and maple syrup in a blender. Best shake you'll ever have.

Mindset for diet/nutrition - Food is fuel, not entertainment (99% of the time.) You're not a child, or a dog, you don't need 'treats' as a 'reward.' Eat real food, not chemically processed food-like substances designed in a lab to make you overeat and buy more. Don't eat until you're full, just until you're not hungry anymore.

The reading was usually a biography, training or mindset book. Good habit. Definitely keeping it.

The 'no booze' was surprisingly easy. Didn't miss it at all. Not even a little. Given my family history and own personal experiences with drinking, while I'd never say I had any kind of real problem, it's something that hangs around in the back of my head. Besides, it's not like I can get a Rogue Double Chocolate Stout here in East Timor. 

From here, as noted, I'm in the middle of the Body Beast template, due to finish that up the end of March. And now that I don't have to split workouts or make one mandatory outside, I figure there'll be more conditioning/boxing/MMA work. Low'ish carb intermittent fasting works for me. Shoot for 99% adherence, not 100%. There are Girl Scout cookies in the freezer, after all. Nutrition wise the goal is to get a little leaner and stay there. Back of the envelope "Navy Bodyfat Calculators" put me at about 15%. Shooting for 10%. There are advantages to the bulk/cut paradigm, but ultimately it's not my bag. And probably not worth it as I creep up in age. The rollercoaster of about the last decade or so is more than enough evidence of that. 

From April I'll start hybridizing weights and calisthenics more, since we move again this summer and I'll be without most of my gym equipment for about a year, year and a half. So then it'll be calisthenics, bodyweight strength skill work, martial arts, bands and mobility/flexibility work.

As ever, a work in progress.  Or, as Bucky Fuller said, "I seem to be a verb." 

Never too late. Never too old. Never give up.

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” - Socrates

"It is always about you and your body. It's how you see yourself, and as a result, how you see the rest of the world. The body dictates everything. It's where it all starts. What you can make it do. What you can make it endure. How quick you can be. How precise. How quiet, and strong, and flexible and still... It is at the heart of everything you do, and you must be able to trust it absolutely..." - Greg Rucka, Critical Space

Reading 2021

So on Easter we had a flood in East Timor. Hit our place, took out a bunch of my books, including my collection of the Spenser series by Robert B. Parker. Probably about 2/3 of them. So I decided to buy them back on Kindle and re-read them all. All 39 of them. And they're as good, if not better, than I remember. The first three in the series are good, but maybe not great. Though with the fourth -"Promised Land" - which won the Edgar Award, he really starts firing on all cylinders and is excellent. Probably doesn't hurt that's the one that introduces Hawk. The comparison and contrast between the two is a great appeal to the series. It doesn't hurt that my mind's eye always sees Avery Brooks. (Whereas, oddly, I don't see Robert Urich as Spenser. Though he was good in the series. I always pictured Spenser looking like the author, to be honest.) 

That being said, there are also 39 of Parker's novels, 40 if you count the Young Spenser book. Which took about 5 months to get through, putting on hold a bunch else I'd planned on reading this year. Alack and alas and all that kind of thing. But worth it.

There's something in those books. Good pulp-y detective fiction, to be sure, but a lot more. Ruminations on life, philosophy, relationships, friendships, autonomy, purpose, even the care and feeding of pets. Things I didn't recall from the first reads, years ago, things I'm likely more attuned to now as I get older. The follow up novels after Parker's death, over a decade ago at this point, are well crafted by Ace Atkins. But still, there's something in the original works that defy capture. And it always strikes me as, if not appropriate, but nevertheless meaningful that Parker was found dead at his desk, ready to set forth more stories.

So I re-read the Spenser Novels 1-39, his one Young Spenser book plus the Xmas novel finished by his literary agent.  And then I re-read the nine works by Atkins. The tenth is due in January, so I'm well prepared.

Which didn't leave me a great deal of time elsewhere, but here's the remainder:

The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale

Zen in the Martial Arts by Joe Hyams

Extreme Fitness: How to Train Like an Action Hero by Dolph Lundgren

75 Hard: A Tactical Guide to Winning the War with Yourself by Andy Frisella

The Furious Method: Transform Your Mind, Body & Goals by Tyson Fury

Sly Moves: My Proven Program to Lose Weight, Build Strength, Gain Will Power and Live Your Dream by Sylvester Stallone

The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) by Hal Elrod

Prodigal Son: An Orphan X Novel by Gregg Hurwitz 

The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols: Adapted from the Journals of John H. Watson, M.D. by Nicholas Meyer

The Simple Path to Wealth by J L Collins 

The Eye of Revelation: The Ancient Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation by Peter Kelder and J. W. Watt

Jesse Stone Novels 1-9 (Night Passage, Trouble in Paradise, Death in Paradise, Stone Cold, Sea Change, High Profile, Stranger in Paradise, Night and Day, Split Image)  by Robert B. Parker 

Earl Nightingale's Greatest Discovery: Six Words that Changed the Author's Life Can Ensure Success to Anyone Who Uses Them by Earl Nightingale 

The Money Answer Book by Dave Ramsey

King Bullet by Richard Kadrey

The Chaos Kind by Barry Eisler

Hail Mary by Andy Weir

A Dud at 70... a Stud at 80! and how to do it by Noel Johnson 

Staying Supple: The Bountiful Pleasures of Stretching by John Jerome

Ancient Secrets of the Fountain of Youth by Peter Kelder

The Eye of Revelation 1939 & 1946 Editions Combined: The True Five Tibetan Rites by Peter Kelder and Carolinda Witt 

The Five Tibetan Rites: Ancient Anti-Aging Secrets of the Five Tibetan Rites by Carolinda Witt, Peter Kelder

Training With Weights by Robert B. Parker and John R. Marsh

COMICS

The Life and Times of Martha Washington in the Twenty-First Century by Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons

Wolverine: Not Dead Yet by Warren Ellis & Leinil Yu

Shazam and The Seven Magic Lands by Geoff Johns, Dale Eaglesham, Marco Santucci

Absolute Planetary V2 by Warren Ellis & John Cassaday

The Middleman - The Doomsday Armageddon Apocalypse  by Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Armando M Zanker, Les McClaine 

Department of Truth, Vol 1: The End Of The World Book by James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds

Superman: American Alien by Max Landis, Francis Manapul, Jock, Jae Lee, Joelle Jones, Tommy Lee Edwards, Matthew Clark, Nick Dragotta, Jonathan Case 

Luthor by Bryan Azzarello and Lee Bermejo

Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo 

Batman, Vol. 4: Zero Year - Secret City by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

Batman Vol. 5: Zero Year - Dark City by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo 

Batman: Earth One - Volumes 1, 2 & 3 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank 

The Boys: Dear Becky by Garth Ennis and Russ Braun

Superman & Batman Generations Omnibus by John Byrne

The Art of War: A Graphic Novel by Kelly Roman and Michael DeWeese

The Batman's Grave by Warren Ellis, Bryan Hitch and Kevin Nowlan

BRZRKR Vol. 1 by Matt Kindt, Keanu Reeves, Ron Garney

Hagakure: The Code of the Samurai (The Manga Edition) by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, Sean Michael Wilson and Chie Kutsuwada

Fantastic Four 1234 by Grant Morrison & Jae Lee

"Age 14 at midnight I hear voices from the kitchen..."

"I let my feet follow the sound as I let my ears listen

I walk upstairs and at the kitchen table I can see

That God is sitting with the Devil, sharing drinks and old stories

The floorboard creaks

A red embarrassment floods all throughout God's face

He swears that it's not what it looks like

Then he swears he can explain

The Devil speaks,

"Your God and I put all our

Differences to rest Now man's actions are his own

But man will blame us nonetheless"

The Devil stands

He grabs his keys and straightens out a rusted crown

He tells me, "Hell is frozen over

Heaven burned down to the ground

And you have only got one life

So do with it what you would like

We solemnly apologize but we won't be there when you die"

And I stand cold and alone

In a body that won't move

Watching the eyes of these gods that I once knew

One pair looks down in a half-hearted lie while

The other looks straight into mine with a whole truth

Lacking the fear I've been told that God deserves

I say, "What good is a prayer that goes unheard"

He says, "What hope could they find in a book

If the book doesn't sell and the pages stay unturned"

And with a wink, the Devil turns and exits the back door

And God is standing there in silence with his eyes glued to the floor

But then he speaks

"I am no savior but I give them what they need

And there has never been a dreamer who prefers reality

The war for truth is raging on but it's not one you have to fight

And if it is the truth you want, then it is hope you'll sacrifice

It's yours to choose

And you can choose

This is not the way I am, this is just how I was raised

So let me make up my own mind, let me map out my own way

And to the parents of the kids with tongues down in their throats

Because of tears that you will cry

If they don't stick to what they know

I'm sure you're giving it your best

And I am sure it takes a toll

But whether God given or not

Our lives are not to be controlled

Just let us choose"

this cat has seen things

"We become what we think about."

 

Reading - MAR > DEC 2020

Kept up with tracking, but not publishing out into the ether, what I've read this year. Last time was in February, apparently. Wild ride in 2020, many distractions. Not to mention moving back overseas and related complications. Regardless, something like a book a week, give or take. On average. Plus comics. And OCD surfing of the internets. Lot of fiction this year, apparently. Coping mechanism for the stresses of the 'real' world? Possibly. Reread a bunch of Crichton this summer. Reminded me of my dad, who I got the 'reading habit' from - and who got it from his mom - and who used to read all the Crichton, Clancy and Griffin he could get his hands on. A handful of biographies, some financial literacy, some positive psych. We'll see if in 2021 I can post up more often, maybe monthly. Onwards.

Gladiator by Philip Wylie

Anno Dracula by Kim Newman

Anno Dracula: The Bloody Red Baron by Kim Newman

Anno Dracula: Dracula Cha Cha Cha by Kim Newman

Helltown by Dennis O'Neil

Richard Dragon: Dragon's Fists by Jim Dennis (Dennis O'Neil and James R. Berry) 

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks

The Stranger by Harlan Corben

Anno Dracula: Johnny Alucard by Kim Newman

Peace Talks (Dresden Files Book 16) by Jim Butcher

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks  

Rising Sun by Michael Crichton

The Greatest Miracle in the World by Og Mandino

Travels by Michael Crichton

Congo by Michael Crichton

Timeline by Michael Crichton

A Newcomer's Guide to the Afterlife: On the Other Side Known Commonly as The Little Book by Daniel Quinn and Tom Whalen

Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman

The Mystery of the Iron Samson: The Life and Training of Strongman Alexander Zass by Yuri Shapshnikoff (Author), A. Drapkin (Author), Logan Christopher (Editor), Professor "Stone" Paul (Translator)

A Feast Unknown (Secrets of the Nine #1 - Wold Newton Parallel Universe) Book 1 of 3: Secrets of the Nine by Philip Jose Farmer 

The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson

Resurrected Destiny (The Last Witness Book 1) by Gerald Welch

Ballistic Kiss: A Sandman Slim Novel by Richard Kadrey

Playing with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early): How Far Would You Go for Financial Freedom by Scott Riecken

The Holy by Daniel Quinn

Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined by Drew Carey 

Battle Ground: The Dresden Files 17 by Jim Butcher 

8 Mins: An Anthology of the Last Eight Minutes of Earth by Victor Dandridge 

After Dachau by Daniel Quinn

The Sentinel: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child & Andrew Child 

Levon's Home by Chuck Dixon

Art in the Blood (A Sherlock Holmes Adventure, Book 1) by Bonnie MacBird 

Unquiet Spirits: Whisky, Ghosts, Murder (A Sherlock Holmes Adventure, Book 2) by Bonnie MacBird

Uncaged: My Life as a Champion MMA Fighter by Frank Shamrock 

Shamrock: The World's Most Dangerous Man by Jonathan Snowden 

The Devil’s Due (A Sherlock Holmes Adventure, Book 3) by Bonnie MacBird

The Size of Your Dreams: A Novel that Transforms Lives by Dave Mason and Chana Mason

The Cash Machine: A Tale of Passion, Persistence, and Financial Independence by Dave Mason and Chana Mason

The Mandibles: A Family, 2029-2047 by Lionel Shriver 

The Motion of the Body Through Space by Lionel Shriver

--

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 1 & 2 by Kousuke Oono

Savage Wolverine Vol. 1: Kill Island by Frank Cho

Second Coming: Volume One by Mark Russell, Richard Pace, Leonard Kirk, Andy Troy

Skybourne by Frank Cho, Marcio Menyz

Black Hammer Volume 4: Age of Doom Part Two by Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, Dave Stewart

Green Arrow: War of the Clans by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino

Secret Volume by Jonathan Hickman, Ryan Bodenheim, Michael Garland 

Punisher: Soviet by Garth Ennis, Jacen Burrows, Paolo Rivera

Wonder Twins Vol. 1: Activate! by Mark Russell , Stephen Byrne 

Captain America: White by Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale 

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 1 (of 6): Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley & Nathan Fairbairn 

The Complete Jon Sable Freelance Volume 1 by Mike Grell

Absolute Planetary V1 by Warren Ellis & John Cassaday

Green Lantern: Legacy by Minh Le & Andie Tong

Doomsday Clock: The Complete Collection Paperback by Geoff Johns & Gary Frank 

Jacked by Eric Kripke & John Higgins 

Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale by Zack Whedon, Joss Whedon, Chris Samnee 

Batman: Three Jokers by Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok 

245 chin-ups for the 245th USMC Birthday.

 Split into two wkouts, because I had to do a grocery run/watch an episode of The Mandalorian. (Priorities.)

Low reps, high sets, supinated/neutral grip because elbow tendonitis is real and not a myth, apparently.

Semper Fi and all that kind of stuff.

"Have you a plan?"

Coping with COVID-19.

Reading, Winter 19/20.

Hate Inc.: Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another by Matt Taibbi

Walking Dead by Greg Rucka

The Rock Says... by The Rock and Joe Layden

God's Debris: A Thought Experiment by Scott Adams

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown

The Religion War by Scott Adams

House on Fire: A Novel (A Nick Heller Novel Book 4) by Joseph Finder

The Simple Path to Wealth: Your road map to financial independence and a rich, free life by JL Collins

Into the Fire: An Orphan X Novel by Gregg Hurwitz

-----

The Boys Omnibus Volumes 4-6 by by Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Russ Braun, John McCrea

Bushido: The Soul of the Samurai by Inazo Nitobe, adapted by Sean Michael Wilson and Akiko Shimojima

Luther Strode Volumes 1-3 by Justin Jordan, Tradd Moore, Felipe Sobreiro

Injection Volumes 1-3 by Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey, Jordie Bellaire

Cover Vol. 1 by Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack

Fury MAX: My War Gone By Volume 1 by Garth Ennis , Goran Parlov

Batman: Damned by Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo
Dead Man Logan Vol. 2: Welcome Back, Logan by Mike Henderson and Ed Brisson
Fury: Peacemaker by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson

Reading, Fall '19.

Blue Moon: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child

Man Made: In Which a Dad Learns to Be a Man for His Son by Joel Stein

They're Watching by Gregg Hurwitz

365 Days of Brutality: An Anti-Programming Manifesto by Jamie Lewis and Tara Chaos

Levon's Time by Chuck Dixon

The Day Remo Died (The Destroyer Book 0) by Warren Murphy, Richard Sapir

Savage Song: A Special Edition Destroyer Novella by Warren Murphy

All the Devils (A Livia Lone Novel) by Barry Eisler

Number Two: A Special Edition Destroyer Novella  by Warren Murphy and Donna Courtois

Grave Descend: An Early Thriller by Michael Crichton

The Venom Business: An Early Thriller by Michael Crichton

The Raid (Ryan Decker Book 2) by Steven Konkoly

Critical Space (Atticus Kodiak Book 5) by Greg Rucka

Patriot Acts (Atticus Kodiak Book 6) by Greg Rucka

Robert B. Parker's Angel Eyes by Ace Atkins

--

Doom Patrol Vol. 1: Brick by Brick by Gerard Way and Nick Derington

Doom Patrol Vol. 2: Nada by Gerard Way and Nick Derington

The Boys Omnibus Vol. 3 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson

Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? by Neil Gaiman, Andy Kubert

Kingsman: The Secret Service by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons

Kingsman: The Red Diamond by Rob Williams, Simon Fraser

Nemesis by Mark Millar, Steve McNiven

Prodigy Volume 1: The Evil Earth by Mark Millar, Rafael Albuquerque

Batman: White Knight by Sean Murphy

Lazarus: The Third Collection Hardcover by Greg Rucka, Michael Lark and others

Legends 30th Anniversary Edition by John Ostrander, Len Wein & John Byrne

The Poe Twisted Anthology Paperback by Various

Lazarus: The First Collection by Greg Rucka, Michael Lark

Lazarus: The Second Collection by Greg Rucka, Michael Lark

Lazarus: The Third Collection by Greg Rucka, Michael Lark

Stumptown Vol. 1: The Case of the Girl Who Took Her Shampoo by Greg Rucka and Michael Southworth

Stumptown Vol. 2: The Case of the Baby in the Velvet Case  by Greg Rucka , Matthew Southworth

Stumptown Vol. 3: The Case of the King of Clubs by Greg Rucka, Justin Greenwood, Ryan Hill

Stumptown Vol. 4: The Case of a Cup of Joe by Greg Rucka, Justin Greenwood, Ryan Hill

Fight Club 2 by Chuck Palahniuk, Cameron Stewart

The Multiversity Deluxe Edition Hardcover by Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Ivan Reis, Jim Lee

The Flintstones Vol. 1 & 2 by Mark Russell, Steve Pugh

The Wild Storm Vol. 4 by Warren Ellis

Reading, Summer '19.

Bruce Lee: A Life by Matthew Polly

Zero Cool by Michael Crichton writing as John Lange

Drug of Choice by Michael Crichton writing as John Lange

Judgment by Joseph Finder

Finally, Some Good News by Delicious Tacos

This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life by Annie Grace

Elevating Overman by Bruce Ferber

LEGACY, Books 1-7 by Gerald Welch and Warren Murphy

The Carnivore Diet Holiday Handbook: How to Thrive & Survive the Holidays on a Carnivore Diet by K. Suzanne

How to Fight a Hydra: Face Your Fears, Pursue Your Ambitions, and Become the Hero You Are Destined to Be by Josh Kaufman

Everyone Loves You When You're Dead: Journeys into Fame and Madness by Neil Strauss

The Truth: Sex, Love, Commitment, and the Puzzle of the Male Mind by Neil Strauss

The Frugal Carnivore Diet: How I Eat a Carnivore Diet for $4 a Day by K. Suzanne

Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge by Larry Correia and John Ringo

Monster Hunter Memoirs: Sinners by Larry Correia and John Ringo

Monster Hunter Memoirs: Saints by Larry Correia and John Ringo

The Monster Hunter Files (Anthology) – by Larry Correia, Jim Butcher & others

Monster Hunter Guardian (Monster Hunters International Book 7) by Larry Correia and Sarah A. Hoyt

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Wolverine: Old Man Logan Vol. 10: End Of The World by Ed Brisson (Author), Ryan Cady (Author), Damian Couceiro (Illustrator, Artist), Ibraim Roberson (Illustrator, Artist), Andrea Sorrentino (Cover Art), Di Meo, Simone (Artist), Hayden Sherman (Artist)

Dead Man Logan Vol. 1: Sins Of The Father by Ed Brisson (Author), Declan Shalvey (Cover Art), Mike Henderson (Artist)

Black Hammer Volume 3: Age of Doom Part One by Jeff Lemire (Author), Dean Ormston (Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Illustrator)

Black Hammer Volume 2: The Event by Jeff Lemire (Author), Dean Ormston (Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Illustrator), David Rubin (Illustrator)

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Four - The Complete Collection (Injustice: Gods Among Us by Brian Buccellato (Author), Tom Taylor (Author), Bruno Redondo (Illustrator,

Black Hammer Volume 1: Secret Origins by Jeff Lemire (Author), Dean Ormston (Illustrator)

Return of Wolverine by Charles Soule (Author), Steve McNiven (Illustrator, Cover Art, Artist), Declan Shalvey (Artist)

The Boys Omnibus Vol. 1 & 2 by Garth Ennis (Author), Darick Robertson (Artist)

Stumptown Vol. 4: The Case of a Cup of Joe by Greg Rucka (Author), Justin Greenwood (Illustrator), Ryan Hill (Illustrator)

Plastic Man Paperback by Gail Simone (Author), Adriana Melo (Illustrator)

Atomic Robo and the Dawn of a New Era by Brian Clevinger (Author), Scott Wegener (Illustrator)

"I think it's hilarious."

"Violence... has settled more issues in history than any other factor."

I have feelings. For example, sometimes I feel sleepy. Or hungry.

"To the extent that you need scapegoats...

"...you simply have not got your brain programmed to work as an efficient problem-solving machine." - Robert Anton Wilson

#legit

Reading, Spring 2019.

The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels, and the History of American Comedy by Kliph Nesteroff

Yourdrum by Kevin Stock

The Rescue (Ryan Decker Book 1) by Steven Konkoly

Obvious Adams: The Story of a Successful Businessman by Robert Updegraff

Destroy the Opposition: Programming for Powerlifting by Jamie Lewis

Sleep Like a Lion: How to Go From Average Sleep to Awesome Sleep with a Scientifically-Proven System of Sleep Tips, Tactics and Routines by Paul French

The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection by Michael Ruhlman

ALPHA: A Black Flagged Thriller (The Black Flagged Series Book 1) by Steven Konkoly

Monster Hunter International (Monster Hunters International Book 1) by Larry Correia

Monster Hunter Vendetta (Monster Hunters International Book 2) by Larry Correia

Monster Hunter Alpha (Monster Hunters International Book 3) by Larry Correia

Monster Hunter Legion (Monster Hunters International Book 4) by Larry Correia

Monster Hunter Nemesis (Monster Hunters International Book 5) by Larry Correia

Monster Hunter Siege (Monster Hunters International Book 6) by Larry Correia

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The Wild Storm Vol. 3 Paperback by Warren Ellis, John Davis-Hunt

Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures: The Flying She-Devils in Raid on Marauder Island by Brian Clevinger, Lo Baker, Wook Jin Clark

Atomic Robo Presents Real Science Adventures: The Nicodemus Job by Brian Clevinger, Meredith McClaren

Atomic Robo and the Spectre of Tomorrow by Brian Clevinger, Scott Wegener

Atomic Robo: Real Science Adventures Volume 1 TP by Brian Clevinger, John Broglia, Ryan Cody, Scott Wegener, Jeff Powell

Kill or Be Killed Volume 1-4 by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, Elizabeth Breitweiser

Shazam!: Origins by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank

Batman vs. Deathstroke by Christopher Priest, Diogenes Neves

Deathstroke Vol. 3-5 by Christopher Priest, Joe Bennett, Carlo Pagulayan, Diogenes Neves

Titans: The Lazarus Contract by Christopher Priest, Dan Abnett, Brett Booth

#thestruggle