What to do over Lent

 This past Wednesday is the beginning of the Lenten season. As you know I like to put up links to explain things much better so here is what Lent is about.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent

Pretty much Lent is the season of 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday where Christians prepare to observe Good Friday during which Jesus was cruicified and on Easter Sunday he was resurrected and rose into Heaven.

  Many Christians I know use Lent to make themselves better by giving up things or terrible habits such as sweets, fats, meat or even Facebook. I'm sorry I can't give those up it would be hard for me to do so. Especially since I like to get my protein from meat during my training periods. Facebook, yeah I could do that but sadly Facebook, Twitter, and other means of Social Media have become our norm. I probably won't check it as often but I like to post some things such as links to my blog!! heh heh.

  Now, you're probably saying well Dustin you're not being a good Christian by practicing Lent. Heh, noboby is perfect. We try to be better but I believe there could be other ways to celebrating Lent without giving up anything. For example taking up good habits and try to use them throughout the year. I've been trying to follow through with my New Years' Resolution now for almost the last 2 months. In fact, how's your New Year's Resolution doing.

  Another thing I have learned over one of my last bible studies just recently and I know a few Facebook Friends are doing is to honor those who have shaped your life. Thank those who have mentored or influenced you in some sort of way or another. It's good to let them know how they have made a impact on your life.

  Whatever you plan to do if you haven't done it already this first week, then plan to give a little more of yourself to others. That's what I'm trying to do everyday. Who knows you may feel good about yourself as well.

I'm D-Money and that's my Two Cents!!

Valentines Day from a single person's perspective!!

   Ok, I know Everyone is tired of hearing about my love life or lack of. But I'll tell you a little bit of my true feelings of Valentines' Day even if I were married, single, or seeing someone.

   Valentine's Day is nothing more than a Hallmark Holiday!!!! (Open the link) Don't get me started on Mother's Day or Father's Day those really mean something we have to honor our parents that pretty much seem like they were in Hell when they raised us up at times. Kind of like them paying for the pain they gave our grandparents when they grew up. Trust me one day we'll get our payback from our kids. That remains to be seen if that happens to me. Sorry, again for being a Negative Nancy or a Debbie Downer. From a business student's prospective it keeps stores that sell flowers, jewerly, cards, candy, and what not a lot of money so it's kind of helps the economy, a little bit though!

  Like, I said before Valentines Day has become a hallmark holiday where we are forced to give flowers, cards, gifts, and candy to those we loved. I know we give those to those on our loved ones birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas, but my point is can't we just give to our loved ones for those days I just mentioned and also we can give to our significant others JUST BECAUSE we love them and it being THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS other than some made up holiday like Valentines' Day to try to tell us so!!!

  In fact, it was called ST. VALENTINE'S DAY and I found in wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

The day was about a Roman Priest in the early 3rd Century of the Christian Church who was martyred for his faith during the Pegan Times of the Roman Empire. Stories came about and his day was taken up during the Medival Times with poets writing about his love and soon they wrote about unconditional type of love in their poems and it got turned into being written on cards in the late 18th century. Speaking of History didn't one the most tragic days in American History happen on Valentine's Day in Chicago in the 1920's??
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Valentine%27s_Day_massacre

Sadly, I've been watching a whole lot of How I Met Your Mother!

Started watching in the show while it's been in syndication and got caught up in the other seasons on Netflix and it's become one of my favorite shows. I love the characters. Barney, of course, is my favorite character. I sadly picture Neil Patrick Harris as similar to the Barney character more than what he is in real life. Anyway the character I relate to on the show is Ted. He's the central character on the show trying to find the woman of his dreams while his Older Self narrates to his future kids  and has some adventures along the way with his friends Marshall, Lilly, Robin and of course Barney! Hillarious Show. I would recommend watching seasons through Netflix and syndication in order to get caught up with the current season. This is the 7th season and I think at the end of the series which is the next season 8 he finally meets the woman who will be his wife and his future kids' mother.

Now, you'll tell me that I also celebrate St.Patrick's Day and its become a holiday that we all celebrate whenever we are Irish or not. I Celebrate St Patties because I have a little bit Irish in my family and it a holiday to honor St.Patrick and my ancestors whenever they were Irish or not (My ancestry is mostly German, Scottish, Welsh and Irish with a tiny bit of Native American by the way) and its a holiday to celebrate one's good health! Also, on St.Patties you can drink green Beer!! :)

I bet there is plenty a single person can do around Valentine's Day or to improve one's chances in the future.

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/how-to-enjoy-life-as-a-single-person-on-valentines-day.html

Getting out more is great way. Bar scene is ok but I wouldn't go there. The Gym or church. I for one don't think its a great idea dating someone from work. Makes workday seem weird. If there is one lesson I can give you is DON'T MIX BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE!! But, I'm not an expert on relationships just making some suggestions. However, making yourself available to those around you to develop friendships maybe turning into something more.

One of the things I've been trying to take up is to cook a lot more. Hopefully I can get a croc pot either by buying one or an old one from the folks so I can cook up some things. Ladies love it when they know a guy can cook. Since now I'm back living on my own and without my sister to cook a little sometimes I need to know how to cook some recipes. Can't always hurt. Helps it when they like your cooking!

I'm not whoa is me this Valentine's Day. To be honest it just a reminder how I'm still haven't been able to find the one yet. But I'm keeping my head up still. Keeping myself busy with training for a half marathon this spring, gearing up for officiating track meets this spring, going to register for online USATF Coaching education class first step in coaching certification, and regular work for D.O.D. Lets face it I have a good career and it comes with some good benefits but I just seem like I'm a dull plateau right now. Making some life changes is good which is what I strive for back in my New Years Resolution.

So for right now being single isn't too bad. I'm striving, hoping, and praying someone will come my way. One day I could change my tune about V-Day and cave in and buy my girlfriend/fiancee/wife valentines day gifts but for now I'm glad I'm not spending my money on a HALLMARK HOLIDAY!!!

The Death and Return of Superman

I'll post a blog about Post Super Bowl thoughts this weekend. Plus I might have another about the mystery of why we have a Valentine's Day holiday.

Anyway I saw this video on YouTube. It's 17 minute long commentary/parady like video that was made and done by Max Landis (who if all don't know is the son of filmmaker John Landis, the guy that has done AnimalHouse, the Michael Jackson "Thriller" music video and other things.) Anyway, Max Landis is this funny video goes into the debacle back in the early 1990's of D.C. Comics trying to increase it sales thinking that people don't care about Superman anymore, so they decide to kill him off.

It makes the character popular again and they then bring him back and it's funny with all of these theories and comic book characters involved. Landis thinks it pretty much changed the comic book industry mostly for the bad since D.C and Marvel comics killed off but brought back many superheros and villians after the whole Superman death thing.

 Anyway, I'm a huge fan of Superhero movies I like a lot of them. But I would have to say the best superhero movies I've seen involve Superman, Spiderman, and Batman (I'm not including Batman & Robin that movie stunk like poop :P )

 I hope you enjoy this 17 minute parady video and it includes appearances from celebrities such as Elijah Wood, Mandy Moore, and Simon Pegg.