I don’t know about where you are, but in Connecticut it has been very hot and humid all week.  Try and cool off today by taking a few runs down a slip and slide.  You may remember such an activity from your childhood.  It was often store bought and may have ended with a small pool or an inflatable alligator head to cruise into.  Those were always fun, but the biggest downside to them was how short they were.  If you found one that was longer than 20 feet, then you my friend were the king of the neighborhood.

On the flip side you could very easily find a hill and buy a 100 foot roll of plastic from your local hardware store.  Add water and presto, you will be sliding in no time.  I have done this in the past and have some recommendations for improved fun and safety:

• Always make sure to check for rocks before laying down the plastic, they hurt.
• Be weary of stakes holding it down, they hurt more than rocks.
• Adding a padded surface under the plastic at the top of the run will greatly cushion the impact of the take off, unless of course you dive completely over it.
• Baby shampoo provides extra speed to your runs.  Coat the plastic first and yourself as well for added speed.  Make sure you buy the ‘No More Tears’ variety of shampoo.  You will thank me for that later.

I leave you with some final videos of things I would not recommend building for your slip and slide…

Many people are unaware of the benefits rowing can bring.  Just to name a few:

• Rowing machines work every major muscle group
• They use a very fluid motion and are therefore very low impact on your joints
• Since it is an aerobic activity, it can very effectively work the heart and lungs
• It’s another way to stay healthy while having fun

There are many options when it comes for the duration of your row.  I suggest giving 500 meters a try first.  As you begin to develop as a rower you could go for a set time, a set distance or mix in an interval set.  You have the flexability to change it up and keep it interesting.

That’s it for today.  Ready, Set, Row!

So your Goal For Today, if you choose to accept it, is to try out the Thriller dance in MJ’s honor.  Here’s a video on how to do it if you need instruction:

And for those of you that are already familiar with the dance, why don’t you grab 1500 of your closest inmate friends and give this one a shot (You didn’t actually think I would actually write a post about Thriller without putting this video in somewhere did you?)

Note: Starting this week, I have decided to rename Movie Monday into Media Monday.  This will allow me to expand the topic past movies into music, television, video games and other types of media.

Many people underestimate the value of running.  Whether your goal is to lose weight, improve your cardiovascular health or slow the effects of aging, running can help.  For more information on the benefits of running, check out this article from the Runner’s Guide.

So today start that running journey.  Find a track, a piece of road or nice open field and give it a go.

I recently sat down and watched The Hurt Locker.  For those of you that have never hear of the movie, it debuted at the Venice Film Festival last fall and finally opened nationwide in the U.S. this past weekend.  It’s not in every theater, but you should be able to find it playing somewhere near you.  Here is a brief summary of the plot from IMDB.com:

An intense portrayal of elite soldiers who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. When a new sergeant, James, takes over a highly trained bomb disposal team amidst violent conflict, he surprises his two subordinates, Sanborn and Eldridge, by recklessly plunging them into a deadly game of urban combat. James behaves as if he’s indifferent to death. As the men struggle to control their wild new leader, the city explodes into chaos, and James’ true character reveals itself in a way that will change each man forever.

As of this writing, the movie has received a score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer.  I completely agree with this assessment.  I am personally not a huge fan of war movies, but this was excellent.  In fact it may have been the best movie I have seen all year.  There are no big name stars to steal the spotlight and it works quite well.  It was a little slow at times, but the focus of the movie was not of explosions and the actual war.  It took a deeper look at the inner workings of a soldier and the little things that go on during times of war that you may not be aware of.  I would highly recommend getting out and seeing it if you can.

So maybe you have a great idea for a t-shirt slogan, or maybe you have a design in your head already.  Take today to get it on paper or leave a comment and share it with the world.

I am also looking to have Goal for Today t-shirts made in the coming months.  As well as obviously promoting the site, I want to eventually start doing contests and giveaways that a t-shirt could be a prize.  If anyone has some ideas for a shirt, please let me know.

As a disclaimer, I have been seriously researching starting up a t-shirt website among a few other side projects I am working on.  If my plan does come to fruition and becomes a reality, I would of course ask for permission before turning any designs into an actual t-shirt for sale.

Take it easy tonight.  Hang out with some friends and roast some marshmallows.