FireFox has everything I need to get stuff done. It is a fast browser that rarely ever crashes for me. And with the add ons, I literally have any tools I need at my finger tips. From screen measuring tools, to twitter tools, to music, to RSS feeds, to blogging help, and everything in between. I also have it password protected so no one can access my FireFox except me.  And since it is password protected, I can safely store all my passwords and logins to all my sites, making logging on quick and easy.

I have tried IE, and will probably never use that again. I use Safari on my mac sometimes, but mainly use Firefox due to the fact that it has all the add ons. The only browser I have really not tested fully as a work horse has been Google Chrome. If you use it, I would love to hear how it helps you get things done working.

So if you are looking for a web browser to use, I highly recommend you head on over to Mozilla and download Firefox. Then check out the add ons and see how you can make it your work horse of a browser.

But with all the different blogging platforms out there, which one is the best?

That depends on what you want to do. Personally, I LOVE wordpress. I self use the self hosted version. It is by far the best blogging platform I have used, and I have used them all (so I think). The only downside is you need to buy a domain name ($10) and you need to buy hosting ($4.95/mo). But you have the full ability to not only create a fantastic blog, but a pretty damn good website as well.

If you want to go a free version and just dip your big toe into blogging, I recommend blogger, or blogspot. It is based through Google and is very easy to use, update and have others find your blog.

However I do recommend that you pay the money and go with WordPress self hosted. If you are serious about blogging and trying to make a few bucks blogging, you are going to want the top of the line system. WordPress is that system. And being serious, you are going to want to use the best theme. I use Thesis as my wordpress theme. It not only is very clean in its design, but it ROCKS when it comes to customizations and SEO. I highly recommend you use wordpress coupled with THESIS if you really want to make a splash in the blog world.

My instructors were both overweight. Now, I am not talking a few pounds. I am talking borderline overweight and obese. They both were very large men. I know this isn’t a new occurrence in the world today, but hear me out. There was a section in the training about heart attacks. They were running through a few of the risk factors of heart attacks, and pretty much the could have been reading a bio on themselves. It is hard to listen how to save someone from a heart attack when the person who is telling you could have one at any time. Strike one on credibility for me.

Later on, we were learning about how to help someone who is choking. The training I took now has a part added where they teach you how to remove an object from an overly large person, who you can’t get your hands around. The people teaching it were overly large. It was hard for me to 1) Comprehend that we live in a world we were now have to be trained a certain way to help an overweight person if they are choking and 2) to listen how to do it when the people trying to tell me are overweight. Strike 2.

The kicker for me on the day was about lifestyle. The instructor said, word for word ” You have to talk the talk and walk the walk”. He goes on to explain that we live in a society where people are overweight. Things are going to happen such as heart attack and stokes. We (the class) need to stay in shape, eat good, live healthy to set an example to others to minimize the risk of incidents occurring where CPR is needed. Basically, in order to be good at CPR and first aid, you need to stay in good health. Again, this was coming from 2 overweight individuals. Strike 3. This takes the cake for me. Don’t sit there and tell me that in order to be successful at CPR you need to be in shape. You are teaching a class on it and look at yourself? If you are going to tell the class to talk the talk and walk the walk, you need to take a taste of your own medicine and look in the mirror and ask yourself – “Why am I the person who is now a special case for CPR?”.

I understand that you could have a huge knowledge of something. But you have to live it if you are going to get me to do it. If you are trainer, don’t be out of shape. If you work at a weight loss clinic or a wellness center, don’t be overweight or have back problems. If you sell a software, don’t tell me you aren’t really sure what something does? If you sell pizzas, don’t tell me you don’t know how many slices come in a large. Do your homework, live your so called passion and back up what you are saying. Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk. 50% effort is going to get your 50% results.

But this blurb isn’t about the summers in San Diego. It was about something that I did tonight that I think more people should do. LAUGH.

When was the last time you laughed? Not a little I-laughed-at-a-coworkers-joke-but-it-wasn’t-funny-I-only-did-it-to-be-nice type laugh. I am talking a big, full belly laugh!

People in today’s day and age run around like a chicken with their heads cut off. Stress levels run high, emotions run high, and you get caught up in everything. Sometimes, you just need a good laugh to set you straight. Go rent the funniest movie that you know. Or go through the comedy section of your movie store and try to find something that is good. Or go hang out with that one person in your life that you know you always get a good laugh with.

If you can’t do any of these, just relax. Life isn’t as serious as it appears to be in the present moment.

How many people do you know are on a diet right now? How many people do you know have dieted in the past? How many of those diets stuck? How many people do you know are on their second, third, forth, fifth diet?

Most people diet before a wedding, reunion, resolution, or a variety of other reasons. This makes the work “diet” have a short term effect behind its meaning. People are under the assumption that if they diet for 3 months, they will lose weight. And if they stick to it they will. But then what? Most people YO YO back up to their starting weight.

Want to know the best way to manage your weight? Stop dieting and establish life long healthy lifestyle habits. A diet is nothing more that WHAT you eat. A bird’s diet is seeds. A horses diet is hay and grains. What is YOUR diet going to be? Create a healthy way of eating for the rest of your life. You will be able to manage your weight more effectively and never have to go on a diet ever again.

There are people in the world that you cannot help but to be awe inspired to listen too. I met a young man over the winter that seriously change what I think about motivation, and the English language.

I took a therapy class on how to work people back from injuries. I had a gentleman very close to the same age as me (mid 20s). He was in a car accident in his teen years and was the only one who survived out of the entire 5 people in the car. Even though he was alive, he was in really bad shape. Years later, he is making great strides in improvement and went from having no mobility through his entire body, to having complete movement in his entire body, except his lower legs.

I had a great conversation with him during our time on CAN’T vs. WON’T and how they are used in the English language. CAN’T is a shorten version of CANNOT. If anyone should say this word, it is the gentleman I am wored with. However you will not find it in his vocabulary. WON’T is a shorten version of WILL NOT. Again, a word my client did not use.

However, too many people use the word “can’t” and “won’t” that should not use it. First, no one should use the word can’t. If a guy who physically CAN’T walk without help doesn’t use it, neither should you. In no way, shape or form.

Second, you CAN do anything if you are willing. Most people that say “can’t” really mean “won’t”. “I can’t run for 20 minutes on the treadmill”. YES YOU CAN! You just are not willing to. You will not. You won’t. You can do anything you put your mind you. You hear that over and over again. Don’t be afraid to fail. Try Try and TRY AGAIN! Remove Won’t and Can’t out of  your vocabulary. Try and Do. Those should be the words you use. If you try and do not succeed, at least you tried. Saying you can’t do something is a cop out in my mind.

I want to thank this young man for being so inspiring to me. I wish him the best in his recovery, even though he is already there.

Yes – the iPad is revolutionary. It is a touch screen tablet computer that will no doubt make a huge impact in the technology scene. Will it stick? I don’t think so.

I am a huge mac fan and was really excited to see the tablet launched by Apple (mainly due to the fact that apple shares jumped $8). However, I was sadly disappointed in the iPad. First, it has no new features that the iPhone or the iPod touch will not have in the future, so basically, it truly is an over-sized iPod touch. It is starting at $499, which is still more than an iPod touch. I think there will be a huge gap with this product. I think people either want a laptop, or an iPod touch. I think that the glamour of this device will fade quickly, which will prompt Apple to produce another device very similar, but will better capabilities.

Personally, I would rather have a computer in my pocket, rather than the tablet. I think Apple should have geared the iPad more to a eBook reader than a tablet computer. Yes – Steve Jobs (who looked really thin during the conference) mentions that the device is a great eBook reader and Yes – it will probably be the end of the Kindle as we know it. But Apple didn’t make a eBook reader, then made a tablet computer. I personally think this lack of product identity will ultimate have the Apple iPad flop (at least this first generation). Apple is amazing about adapting products to their market research and what their customers are saying that they want I have no doubt that Apple will release a 2nd generation iPad and it will kill the market. For now, I am not really that impressed at first glance. I guess I need to get into the Apple store and play around with it a bit!

2009 was a great year for me personally. I learned quite a bit throughout all my experiences this year. I am going to share what I learned in hopes that some of what you read here sparks a fire within you and you take the information and run with it.

• Never judge people by their looks. Yes, first impressions are crucial, but they are not everything. See Susan Boyle.
• Never let anyone tell you that you cannot do something. If you want it bad enough, you can do it. You are more powerful than you know. Again – see Susan Boyle (and I swear that is the last time I will mention her!)
• Be genuinely you – You cannot try to be something you are not. It is fake and people can see right through it. Plus – why would you not be proud of who you really are? Let people connect with you as  you, instead of someone else.
• Be a big deal – If you don’t think you are a big deal, no one else will.
• Invade peoples personal space – People for some reason are afraid of being close to other people. Reach out and give someone a hug when they least expect it. They may think it is weird, but it will make their day.
• College is a complete waste of time. Needed? Yes, because every job wants you to have a piece of paper saying that you sat through 4 years of classes that relate to nothing for the job that you are applying for and now you are $20,000 is debt.
• Having someone by your side who supports you and all your crazy ideas is one of the most important thing to have in your life. If you have someone like that, make sure you tell them how much they mean to you everyday.
• Reading books and RSS feeds are a great way to find information. However, it will do absolutely nothing if you are trying to accomplish something. They only way to get stuff done is to take massive action and actually try it. I would rather try and fail rather than not try at all.
• Self helps books will not change your life. Motivational speakers will not change your life. I will not change your life. Only YOU can make the choice to change and take the action needed to change. All self help books and motivational speakers and I can do is give you advice, tips, tricks and point you in the right direction. The rest is completely up to you.

It is also up to you to take this advice I have just given you. You can use it, or throw it out. It is your choice. Only you can make it happen.

Regardless of if you use this list or not, I hope that 2010 is a great year for you.

I still purchased, and I am pleased I did.

The more and more I dig into this phone, find apps, and use the full functionality of this phone, the more and more I realize how great this little device is. It has music, photos, internet, apps, phone, and the best part is, everything is connected! I can go from a contact, click the address and instantly have a google map. I can be browsing the internet, find a phone number, click to call, then add that number as a contact in a few simple touches. I can screenshot the home screen if I need to show someone what I am talking about, then in one click, I can send that screen shot off in a email to any contact that I have.

Now, when I think of everything I have in my pockets/backpack, it use to consist of a laptop, iPod, cell phone, wallet and keys. I lugged all that stuff every day. Well, I know have laptop, cell and iPod taken car of. Viper just released an app where if you buy an alarm, the app will unlock and start your car. Keys are gone. I purchased a case for my iPod that can hold my ID, credit card, and cash. Wallet is know gone. I have one device that I have to worry about. People ask me if I am worried if I lost my iPhone that all that info is together.  Well if someone stole my backpack, they would have all have info anyways. Now I have all that info in something I can put in my pocket, rather than a big pack that I have to set on the ground every time I want to do something, or leave in the car if I need to run into a store. I always have the iPhone with me, so in that reason I feel safer with the info in one smaller device.

The only thing I wish this could do (and I know it is coming) is control my TV. If I could find an app that could power on my TV, change the channels and such, this device would do anything and everything.

I know this makes me sound obsessed. It isn’t an obsession. No one wants to carry 10 things just to get through their day. I am excited that I have a device that can do pretty much anything.

Take Away Note: Highly recommended to look at the iphone when considering a new phone. You will not be disappointed.