Toothpaste made from chocolate? C’mon, really?!
Actually, yes! As a parent, it’s nice to know that I don’t have to be afraid of a product designed to promote health (as is the case with flouride). When we first had children, I was stunned at the warnings and found myself cringing when it came time to get the kids started brushing their teeth. Imagine telling a 2 or 3 yr old not to swallow something that tastes like bubblegum!

Thanks to Theodent, we don’t have to worry. And, if you like good music, you’ll like this video:

You can get it at Whole Foods soon, or order online at http://www.Theodent.com
Find them on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/theodent and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/theodent

Chris

We bought four nice, new, not-cheap tires yesterday for our Toyota Sienna mini-van (yes, all my rock and roll buddies from the 80′s, Chris aka “Animal” rocks a mini-van). On the way out of the parking lot, my wife ran over a large nail… not the Goodyear lot, the mall parking lot… and one tire was almost flat this morning.

Well, we didn’t get road hazard coverage and at first, they were going to just comp the labor and charge for the tire. But, after a little good-natured talking and a call to Goodyear headquarters, they gave us the new tire at no charge and said “Merry Christmas!”

Guys, THAT is good service… even if we would have had to pay for a tire. Thank you and keep up the good work!

Chris

Chris

So, check it out and be sure to ask Erin about the topic.
She truly is an expert!

First, let’s look at the pro’s and con’s of their current culinary habits:

• Pro – it’s renewable. We seem to keep making more humans… and talk about convenience! In most movies, all zombies need to do is hang out and wait for the stupid one to walk or run right into them while looking the wrong way. Puts McDonald’s to shame, I say.
• Con – it’s painful. I don’t know about you, but getting eaten alive and having what’s left of you turn into one of the living dead would basically suck.
• Pro – no refrigeration necessary. Low carbon footprint diet? Eco-friendly zombies? Whoda thunk it!
• Con – it creates one heck of a mess. Have you ever smelled zombie breath?
• Pro – thinning the herd. All you need to do is run faster than the slowest, ergo weakest, member of the human pack.
• Con – that just ain’t fair. Smacks of Nazi eugenics.
• Pro – another shot at life… in a way. Hey, they’re not called the “living dead” for no reason!
• Con – quality of life issues abound.

So, given the above pro’s and con’s, what difference would an organic diet have on our undead zombie pals?
Answer?

Let’s examine this scene from George Romero’s “Return of the Living Dead” where we may get an actual answer from a talking zombie:

Well, at least we know they like brains. As for organic chow? I have no idea.
Seems to me we’d be to busy running away or barricading ourselves in to worry about compost, pesticides and sustainable gardening practices… not to mention the fact that our grass-fed bovine buddies couldn’t outrun the ravenous hoard and would only encourage them. Have you ever seen how fast some of them could run in Day of The Dead? And they’re not even wearing Adidas’ latest!

After some thought (perhaps too much thought, you’re saying) I’m of the belief that an organic diet would help in the short term by giving healthy humans a leg up (pardon the pun) on their less-healthy compadres. So after the Zombie Apocalypse is over, those in their right minds would stand a better chance of surviving by virtue of their initial health at the outset.

That is, of course, unless the all-brain zombie food pyramid diet makes them smarter with every meal…

What do you think? Leave your comments and let’s dig into this topic

Zombies vs UFC MMA fighters

To see how a zombie would do against an MMA/UFC fighter in the cage, check this out.

Chris

Actually, I was in the middle of coaching someone and had to hold off because even the cached page is incomplete.
Oh the travails of being a geek.

Chris

For more information about Beyond Organic, click here

I found out about it quite by accident as I was looking for veteran-related badges this past Veterans Day.
All it took was shouting “Happy Veteran’s Day” while at a venue tagged veterans day.  As a veteran, I think it’s a cool badge, but a bit too easy to get.

Since then, I’ve seen tweets and shouts from others who’ve earned it just by shouting “Happy Veterans Day” anywhere.
It didn’t work for me until I actually checked into a parade on my way back from an appointment.
Oh, one more thing – I’m a veteran of the US Marine Corps and I’d like to thank the team at @foursquare for coming up with this.
While I and my buddies never joined for the recognition, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel good to be thanked.

So, Foursquare, I say thank you.

Semper Fidelis,

Chris

This vet still flies

$400 million on day one of the latest Call of Duty video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops“…  but you will never see the game in my home.

Why?

After seeing it played and noticing how realistic it is (I swear the AK-47 rounds even sound different from higher-velocity, lower-weight rounds) it’s obvious that combat veterans supplied the necessary knowledge to make this game what it is. And it is a good game, but given the nature of the “action” and images, it’s time to let those who actually paid the price experience some benefit.

Now it’s time for some payback, but first let me tell you what happened when one of my sons asked if he could play the game and if it was “just like combat.” I sat him down and said, “I’ll think about letting you play that one under three conditions:

1. You never say it’s like real war (because it is not);
2. Get injured in the game, get punched hard where the on-screen injury occurred… twice;
3. If you die in the game, you lose all video game privileges for the rest of your life;
4. Let your buddy die, or worse, accidently put a round through him, and you’ll never be allowed to see him again.

Now, you may be thinking I was being harsh, but my son is intelligent enough to know that I was simply trying to make a point and drive it home and would not hold him to it. But you should have seen the look on his face. It was there because he got the point in language he could understand.

Now that you know a little background with a personal anecdote, it’s time to call for some payback, the real reason for this. All the paintballers and arm-chair warriors who think they’ve got what it takes need to give honor to those who cannot play the game because they’re true heroes who are no longer with us, don’t have hands or have been hit so hard by PTSD that this game would set them off.

So, Activision, I know you donate some… but the latest $250,000 it doesn’t hold a candle to those heroes who’ve given their life, limbs, freedom and, yes, even mental capacity, so we can sit back with a game controller and play couch general.
Don’t get me wrong, I like video games and always have.
My point here is that this one over-capitalizes and takes advantage of a generation looking for a rite of passage because life is too soft. Parents – do you watch your kids play and wonder why it’s so addicting? Try giving them some real challenges and opportunities to serve.

What will it be?

Semper Fidelis

Chris

Chris Moline, LEED AP

If you’ve used your gmail account for years, I think you’ll like the change. Watch the video and let me know your opinion.

All the best,

Chris