Online Escape: Xtreme skeet shooting

"I want more bigger stuff."

Pavlik vs. Taylor

Jermain Taylor has never seemed like a middleweight champion to me.

Looking at the 29-year-old's résumé – which includes two victories over Bernard Hopkins and a draw against Winky Wright – I sound like a crazy man for saying this. But I watched all three of those fights and Taylor didn't do all that well.

Hopkins should have won both fights – I'm not sure what the judges were saying. Hopkins outboxed Taylor and showed much less damage after the fights. The Wright fight was much closer, but Winky had the fight except for that last round.

Taylor's a tall, strong fighter with a long reach. But his opponent on Saturday, Kelly Pavlik, is even taller and has seems like he has more power – 31 wins, 28 KOs. In May, he had a decisive victory over up-and-comer Edison Miranda in one of the most entertaining fights of the year. Seven rounds of nonstop action before getting a TKO in the seventh round.

That same night Taylor scored a dull split-decision victory over the smaller Cory Spinks.

It's going to be interesting to see what happens on Saturday. Can Taylor's suspect chin handle Pavlik's power, or will he prevail and live up to his potential?

I think Pavlik's going to run the tables on Taylor. He is too big, too strong. Pavlik via KO in 8.

Lazy journalism

“Taser this... F--- Bush.”

Wow.

Creative.

When I read about how The Rocky Mountain Collegian decided to publish this four-letter piece in its opinions section, I couldn't help but think to myself that someone was too lazy to write an actual column and this was a last-second decision.

No, I don't think the content was as offensive as many are making it out to be – it is a college newspaper after all, and they are allowed some editorial liberties. Granted I didn't use swear words in big, bold letters in my time at The Metropolitan.

I'm offended by the lack of effort that was applied. It wasn't a provocative and insightful look at, well, anything. The Rocky Mountain Collegian Editor-in-Chief J. David McSwane said CSU students are apathetic about free speech and other freedoms and that the “best way to illustrate that point was to use our freedoms.”

The best way? I don't think most people got the point. A well-written, profanity-laced piece about that subject would have been much more interesting.

And McSwain has shown plenty of effort in the past. Two years ago, the then 17-year-old wrote a piece titled “An Army of Anyone” in Westword. He went undercover and exposed army recruiters bending the rules to sign new recruits.

If he spent an hour to bang out something with more substance, no one outside of Fort Collins would have heard about it.

Then again, maybe that's what he wanted.

Oh, and if you're going to do a four-word piece, please edit it. There's a space before the ellipses according to AP style.

What's in a name?

Gardens on Havana, huh?

Then my name is Master King Emperor Josephus, Ph.D.

Just because you give something a different name, doesn't mean it's going to stick. Ask the Aurora Mall – wait, I mean “Town Center.”

I grew up knowing that area as Buckingham Square and it's going to continue to be Buckingham after the redevelopment. Plus “Gardens” sounds too flowery.

“Hey, let's head over to the Gardens!”

“Hey, let's not.”

Why not give it an awesome name like “The Fort” or “Thundera.”

Actually, calling it “Thundera” would be pretty sweet, especially with a giant statue of Lion-O at the entrance and some guy in a Snarf outfit giving balloons to kids.

Fighting fat: Week four

Starting weight: 176 lbs. (BMI: 26.4 – overweight)
Sept. 25 morning weigh in: 169 lbs. (BMI 25.3 – overweight)
Days worked out during week three: five

How the heck this this happen?

It's a pleasant surprise to lose two pounds this week – I was expecting to be heavier than I am right now. My nephew graduated from the Art Institute on Friday so we had a family party on Saturday. The thing about our family parties is that there's tons of food and it's all delicious. I ate way more than I should have that night. Then we hit up the club and partook in some alcoholic beverages. How many? Lets say it was slightly less than the number of fingers I have. Add in some late-night burgers and ribs and it was a fitting end to a night of gluttony.

I probably took in 3,000-4,000 calories from dinner to when I came home. Yeah. Not doing that again anytime soon.

Add that to my recent acquisition of NCAA Football '08 and it's a double-edged sword against me – Speaking of which, I created my alma mater Metro State. It's year six and the 'Runners are the three-time defending Sun Belt conference champs and are currently ranked No. 15 in the AP, ahem, “Media” polls.

I suppose I compensated by increasing my workout warm-up cardio to 30-45 minutes. But it leaves me wondering, how light would I be if I didn't give into my indulgences?

There's more temptation this weekend with another family gathering. I just need to stick to my guns and stay with moderate portions.

To recap, I have two weeks and two days to drop three pounds. My goal for next Tuesday is to reach my goal and be at 166 pounds. It's nice being able to reach notch six on my belt again.

Online Escape: Western ukelele

A classic Western song with a bevy of ukeleles.

Lookalikes

Separated at birth? Oscar-nominated actor David Strathairn, left, and Aurora city council Ward IV candidate Gary Zimmerman.

Fighting fat, week three

Starting weight: 176 lbs. (BMI: 26.4 – overweight)
Sept. 18 morning weigh-in: 171 lbs. (BMI: 25.6 – overweight)
Days worked out during week two: four

I've hit the halfway point to my goal of 166 by Oct. 11, but I'm a little heavier than I planned on being. I only lost a pound in the last week, but that's due to my minor food gorging and lack of exercise this past weekend. I'm a little surprised that I actually lost weight this week, but I'm not complaining.

My cardio stamina is returning. I had to do an abbreviated 15-minute warm-up last night and it felt easy. I didn't feel any strain, but I do know I have a ways to go. My leg strength is coming back quickly – I'm pushing as much as I could before in everything with the exception of leg lifts. But in time, my quads will return. Upper-body-wise my arms, back and shoulders are getting stronger. My chest has hit a wall, but it usually does every so often. I'm not worried.

I've tweaked my diet. Before, I was eating a burrito for breakfast, a moderate lunch and then a protein shake for dinner. To increase my body's metabolism, I've broken the burrito into two meals. Half at 10:30 a.m., half at 2 p.m. and then a moderate dinner at 5 p.m. Then I have a protein shake before hitting the gym. It feels much better when I'm just content at work than full.

When I dropped down to 153 pounds four years ago, I was eating 6-10 meals a day – with each meal being about 200 to 300 calories. Ideally this is what I should do to lose weight. Think of it as compounding interest – getting one interest period for a year gets you an additional amount of money, but the more periods that are added, the more money you'll make. (Trust me, I was almost a math minor). Maybe I'll turn my burrito into three meals, and have two small dinners next week before a protein shake before the gym. Six meals of about 300 calories each.

Hmm – 1,800 calories. I may have to increase my food intake. We'll see.

In recap, I have three weeks and two days to drop five pounds. My goal for next Tuesday is to be about 168 pounds.

Last second: the sequel

I love the Broncos and nothing is sweeter than a close victory, but just once this season I want to see them beat the living snot out of someone. My heart can't handle these last-second heroics by Jason Elam anymore.

Two weeks, two late game-winning field goals by Elam.

Excuse me while I check my pulse.

Denver held a 17-3 lead at halftime before the Raiders scored 17 unanswered points to take the lead. The Broncos drove the ball down the field to set up an Elam field goal to tie the game, forcing it into overtime.

That's when my heart stop.

The Raiders lined up for a field goal and it looked as if they were going to win. But Mike Shanahan called a timeout, killing Sebastian Janikowski's kick. When he tried again, it bounced off the uprights.

The Broncos marched down the field and gave Elam an easy chip shot for the victory.

I love close football games – except when it involves my team. I want them to demolish anyone and everyone in their path. They face Jacksonville next week – lets hope for a good ol' fashion 42-7 butt-whoopin'.

Online Escape: Minute masters of the turntables

When I was eight, scratching meant relieving an itch.

Hidden Gems: Misha

Misha Teardrop Sweetheart (Tomlab, 2007) Three and a half out of four stars

Some people are just meant to be together.

Misha's John Chao and Ashley Yao grew up knowing each other in Taipei, Taiwan before events moved them around the world, according to their record label's website. But after college, they found each other again in New York, began dating and made beautiful music together.

Perhaps that’s why the duo's LP, Teardrop Sweetheart, is a collection of lighthearted love songs that elicit a spectrum of emotions. The group’s unique blend of mellow melodies and charming lyrics carry listeners through the ups and downs of a love.

The album opens with “Scars,” which features Chao's subdued vocals accompanied by steady claps and a simple bassline. Piano lines, horns and bright bell strikes are layered to create a rich sound.

The best song on the album is “Summersend,” a throwback to the 80s new-wave sound. Layered guitar riffs set the melody while the rhythmic bassline plays. Yao's vocals run parallel to Chao's lyrics, producing aurally pleasing harmonies as the muddled lyrics lend richness to the airy sound.

“Delovedly” opens with a bright music box melody, rattling clicks and a muffled drum bass before Chao's voice enters. Rich, high-pitched strings accompany Yao's voice. The electric piano and the bassline become more prominent as a steady hi-hat rhythm begin, giving the song a lounge-esque sound.

Love is a fickle subject that has been trotted on by everyone in every genre. What sets Teardrop Sweetheart apart is Misha’s avoidance of a cookie-cutter sound. Rather, they tackle the theme while producing sounds that are solely their own.

For more information about Misha, visit their MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/Mishatheband.

Gym etiquette

I've learned that there are certain gym etiquettes that I have to abide by:

There are the ones that are courteous:

• Put away the weights when you're done with them
• Wipe down machines after you use them – no one wants to work out in your sweat
• If someone's on a machine you'd like to use, ask if you could “work in” with them
• Help spot people if they ask
• Go in the right direction on the track
  

After years of working out, I have a number of rules that I'd like to add.

Don't spit on the ground
This seems like common sense to me, but every so often I catch someone doing it. I don't care if you spit in a corner – that's where I stretch. I don't want to stretch my quads while standing in a pile of your mucus.

Don't sit at benches or machines doing nothing
Since I work out late at night, I don't know how often I find some person sitting at a machine waiting for their friend or spouse to finish changing. I want to lift and I shouldn't have to ask you to move.

No groupies
This interesting phenomenon occurs during the spring. There's usually two teenage guys who work out and a flock of teenage girls who hang around them taking up space. The girls are ridiculously annoying. They giggle and laugh and take up all the benches. Why? Because they need a place to sit and chat.

Don't wander naked into the pool area
OK, this only happened once – I went for a swim when an older woman walked out topless. It wasn't something that I wanted to see at 8 a.m. (Granted I may have not minded as much if she were attractive, but that's beside the point)

Don't walk on the treadmills
This is just an annoying observation. Why walk on a treadmill when you could walk in the park or around the track upstairs?

There are more and I'll remember them when I go to the gym tonight.

Online Escape: Bringing back the robot

Those who say the robot's dead don't know what they're talking about. It rocks if you do it right.

Remembering 9/11

Sept. 11, 2001 – it's a date that will remain etched in the minds of Americans for years to come.

I was a freshman art major at CU-Boulder when it happened. It was the third week of school and I was beginning to get used to my daily routine in the dorms.

I woke up early that morning to grab some breakfast with my friend Bryant. I messaged him via AOL Instant Messenger and he told me he would meet me in a few minutes. After 10 minutes, he didn't show up, so I walked up to his room. I saw him mesmorized by something on TV. The second plane had hit the south tower of the World Trade Center.

Thoughts of breakfast dissapated as we watched these surreal events unravel on his television. This wasn't supposed to happen in the U.S. This wasn't supposed to happen to us.

When a third plane crashed into the Pentagon, my thoughts shifted to my family in nearby Virginia. It was a scary time and the only emotion that hit me was confusion.

For the next few days, there was a solemn mood on campus. Everyone was coping in their own ways. Some with anger, some with sadness, some with humor, some with occupying their time by keeping busy.

I went to a candlelight vigil that Thursday night at the fountains of the UMC. Students told stories and expressed sorrow, but the one thing that was etched in my mind was the guy who carried a large U.S. flag across his shoulder. He didn't have anything to say, but his image said it all.

We were still here.

Fighting fat, part two

Today is the start of week two of my diet.

I am down to 172 pounds – a drop of four pounds in one week. Most of the research I have read suggests that two to three pounds per week is a safe number. I believe the extra pound is due to my gorgefest of ice cream and chicken wings on Labor Day.

My BMI is down to 25.8 – still in the “overweight” region, but closer to “normal” at 18-24.9. I had my body fat percentage measured yesterday and I was at 21.5 percent. The American Council on Exercise puts me at “acceptable” for men – 18-25 percent. I suppose a new goal I have to add is getting down to 17 percent, or the “fitness” level.

So far I've been able to maintain my “Chipotle diet.” With a burrito for breakfast, a moderate lunch and a protein shake for dinner, my daily calorie intake has become consistant. But I am finding it a little difficult to keep up with on the weekend. I've also decreased my alcoholic intake – each bottle of beer is roughly 120 calories – and my unhealthy snacking, though I do have an occasional cookie during work.

After a month-long bout with flus, colds and coughs, I was astonished how much my cardio stamina had diminished. During my warm-up last Tuesday, I got tired after five minutes. It was a bizarre feeling – I'm not supposed to hit a wall on the machines. Thankfully, I shook off the cobwebs and am back to 25 minutes now.

I'm back on a five to six day a week workout regiment. My upper body maintained most of its strength – probably due to me continuing my lifting routine during my sickness. My lower body lost a little power, but it's rapidly returning. The best part is that I'm getting the good tired feeling again – when my muscles are sore, but it's a good sore.

My goal this week is to drop another two to three pounds and increase my cardio warm-up to 30-35 minutes. Getting to 165 pounds is right around the corner, but I'm going to have to work a lot harder after this week.

Broncos need to march into red zone

The Broncos eeked out a last-second 15-14 victory over Buffalo Sept. 9.

And what a way to kick off the season. Jason Elam running out to the field to kick a field goal with time running out on the clock. It's going to be a classic moment in Broncos history.

15-14.

It's a little close considering Denver dominated the Bills in total yardage 470-184, and had a 23-13 first-down edge.

I know “a win's a win” and “football's unpredictable,” but with all those yards, the Denver offense only reached the red zone twice – capitalizing once on a five-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall in the third quarter.

I was pleased with the defense holding the Bills to minimal success. Their only mistake was allowing a 23-yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch.

Fighting fat

Obesity is a problem in the United States. People spend millions every year, trying new dietery fads in order to lose weight.

And I'm joining the fray.

For the next few months, I will be documenting my journey to getting fit.

I officially began my diet yesterday after months of working out, but gorging on anything and everything that was in my reach. At 5-feet-8 ½ and 176 pounds (as of the morning of Sept. 4), I have a Body Mass Index of 26.4, which is considered overweight according to the scale. To be considered “normal,” I have to drop down to 166 so that my BMI is 24.9.

I was 173 pounds when I woke up this morning. I credit a good deal of that to my Labor Day weekend gluttony passing.

Funny. I was 167 when I started this job in May. Perhaps it's all the cookies and not moving that's helped increase my weight.

Instead of going on Atkins or South Beach or whatever the current tready diet is, I'm doing what's worked for me in the past: consistent workouts and healthy meals. From Monday through Friday, I come to work at 10:30 a.m. with a Chipotle burrito or bol sans sour cream, depending on what my workout is for the night. At about 4 p.m., I go home for a light to moderate lunch. Then it's a small snack – such as a protein bar – for dinner. After work I hit the gym for an hour and a half to two, and then a protein shake before going to bed.

I kind of feel like Jared Fogel, except with better tasting food.

My workout routine is simple. Five to six days a week, alternating between lower- and upper-body lifting. I start with 15-30 minutes of cardio, which I'm hoping to increase to 45 once this month-long sickness clears up, stretches and then weights.

Ah, I miss that one stretch when I was was 19 and had dropped down to my middle-school weight of 153 pounds. I could run like a gazelle, but was as weak as a mouse.

And then I found beer and a love of weights.

So here's the goal: Drop down to 165 pounds by Oct. 11, my 24th birthday. But also returning to repping my weight on the bench just like I did last year before my rotator cuff injury. It's nice to have a chest that pops out, but it's not fun when your gut hides it.

Defending the crown

It's good to be the king.

At last year's Taste of Colorado ice cream eating contest, I was the new kid. With a rag-tag team that consisted of myself, my 23-year-old nephew John, and a father and his 7-year-old son, we took home the title with a Kobayashi-esque performance. With the father and his son suffering brain freezes in the first 20 seconds, John and I took over, devouring the half gallon of ice cream in 67 seconds.

Flash forward to Sept. 3, 2007 – It's a year later, John and me have a new team. It's a team we trust because it's family.

Enter Nick, my 14-year-old nephew who shares his uncle's competitive spirit, and Dom, John's younger brother and part of the 2005 championship team who won in 53 seconds. It was only appropriate that our team name was the Minutemen.

We arrived at the Taste with a bit of a swagger, marching through the crowd exuding confidence. We didn't need to go through the qualifying rounds – we were the defending champions.

As we waited with the half-gallon of ice cream sitting on our table, my adrenaline was pumping. Like a caged tiger, I marched around, staring at the cold, sweet obstacle that was presented in front of me. The other teams slowly disappeared from my vision, as my only goal was to reach the bottom of the plate.

The countdown began.

Five.

I could hear my heart beating as I stood less than an inch away from the ice cream.

Four.

I could hear the cheers from my other family members who sat just to the right of me.

Three.

I could see the texture on the surface of the ice cream. Bumpy and filled with ridges, like a picture of mountains from space.

Two.

The sounds slowly dissipate. I could see Dom's eyes on the opposite side of the ice cream. Focused, fierce – I knew he was on his game.

One.

Absolute silence.

Go!

I dug into the chilly mound with my mouth, taking in as much as I possibly could. The cold reminded me of my qualifying round the year before. I got up and switched with Nick and watched him take down a couple of bites. Still inexperienced and wearing braces, he ate as much as he could.

I went back down and broke toward the center. The ice cream was much harder than I had remembered. Was this really the same substance I had eaten the year before?

A minute passed and I knew that this ice cream proved to be a far more difficult challenge than last year. I took out more chunks and got back up. None of my teammates were going back for more. In a second that seemed like an eternity, I swallowed the vanilla dessert in my mouth and attacked it once again. Dom sensing the same urgency, followed suit.

I raised my head and looked down the table. The other teams were doing a good job with their ice cream, staying close with us.

“Oh no, the Minutemen are falling behind,” the announcer said.

Suddenly my competitive nature kicked in and my mind went blank. For the next 10-15 seconds, I went after the one-fifth of the half-gallon or so that remained. When I stood back up, most of the bottom of the plate was visable. That's when John and Dom went in for the kill.

Covered in vanilla ice cream, we were victorious. It is said that nothing is sweeter than the first championship.

Perhaps that's by someone who's only won one. This is the start of a dynasty.