Into It (2020)
Happy New Year! Kicking off the year 2020, I am bringing back the series "Into It" which I basically stole from BJ Novack years ago when he and a team had an awesome app called LiST. Something went sideways with that cool app and it went the way of the dodo but I continue the daily habit, with or without a neat social sharing site.
Basically, the premise of "Into It" is my weekly report of things I am into which includes tech, health, food, places, people and...things. It's a neat way to share stuff I am into with people who could be into it too. And perhaps they can do the same in return! Anyway, here is the first "INTO IT" list of 2020!
GoPro Hero 8!
I have long been on the fence with GoPro because of some pretty annoying failures I have encountered. My highest viewed YouTube video is the exploration of the Japanese "Sea of Trees" forest and I shot most of it with the GoPro 6. When I went to edit the footage I was heartbroken to listening to ear-piercing microphone crunch. The audio was total shit. Knowing this, I continued to use it on other trips and even with the slightest movement, I still got an annoying crunching sound. So I gave it to a friend. (Sorry Amanda)
Another irk was the fact it died out of nowhere because when I thought it was shut off, in fact, it was still running and died when I really needed it. That led me to double up on batteries because I didn't have full trust in it and you need that when you are relying on the "action shot" for what it is built for.
BUT the 8 has gone a mile past all those irks. First, the quality and smoothness is almost cinematic. I cannot get over the stability and 4K abilities in a tiny square box. The audio is still a little sketch but it has a side connection for an external mic and that is MANDATORY. It takes it from an ordinary action cam to a real SLR camera you can drop from a plane.
The viewer is much simpler. The factory settings are basic but you can manually change the frame rate and ISO and that makes a huge difference especially in linear mode. It has a 2.0 Warp mode that is crazy. Yes, you can accomplish this in post edit but it is neat to quickly upload this to Instagram or Facebook straight from the web interface.
All-in-all, this camera is amazing. It will set you back almost $500 but when you need something that can take a beating, quickly upload, and take anywhere, GoPro did it!
Podcast: Matt D'Avella "Ground Up Show"
I have been a big fan of Matt D'Avella for a couple years, mainly from his YouTube channel. He is a professional photographer and media consultant but he also runs a great podcast called, The Ground Up Show. He does an amazing job interviewing and looking into the tools of productivity, minimalism, good habit creations, health and 30 day challenges. He has a number of very successful guests who share what makes them the way they are and I find that fascinating.
If you have room in your podcast library, give him an add. It is a great way to declutter and prioritize life's messes. You can find it here.
Peel-a-Pound Soup
So, I have been making a great effort to live a more plant based diet and at the same time train for upcoming races in the Spring. It isn't easy because I live in NC and living the Rich Roll way of life isn't always practical. But, it isn't impossible. I have found that being an athletic (mostly) vegetarian takes planning unless you want to spend $100 a day living fully organic and have only two restaurants to choose from. So you need to be flexible.
I came across this recipe called "Peel-a-Pound" soup and it was originally given to patients who needed open-heart surgery but were too heavy for a success full operation. They were given this soup for a couple weeks to drop weight very quickly but also not deprive them of vitamins or starve them. And, it is pretty darn good.
I made it to lean down before getting back to lifting and let me tell you, it really works and more importantly, you can eat as much as you want. It's easy, cheap and healthy. Here is a recipe!
1. One head of cabbage
2. One whole celery bunch
3. Whole bag of carrots
4. Two red onions
5. Three green/red peppers
6. One bag of green beans
7. One 30oz can of whole tomatoes (Crush them before adding)
8. One can of Rotel Hot tomatoes (if you want)
9. One quart of broth (Beef, Veggie or Chicken)
10. Two Jalapeños (if you want)
11. 1 pack of Dry Onion soup mix
I would give you step-by-step instructions but the funny thing about this is you just chop it up and throw it all in a pot and heat for an hour on low/medium heat. The veggies don't come out mushy and the broth is really good. I suggest salting and peppering per serving because remember, it is designed to cut fat and you don't want to lose the point in the whole pot.
So, down and dirty, just a few things I am "into" this week. Stay tuned this Monday for a new joint adventure with my pal, Halloween Love. I am hosting a video/podcast covering all things we love about the Halloween season from movies to stories to upcoming news. I have a bunch of guests who are fun and fascinating so this show will be a hoot, even in the off season.
Take care and be kind!