One of my big sins has always been energy drinks. I absolutely adore them, but I know they are bad for me, all the people that care about my health have very gently been trying to get me to cut them out. I have tried SodaStream with healthy energy powder, I’ve tried some of the more expensive non bad drinks, and I have tried cold brewed coffee. But none of them have been perfect. But we’re getting closer. The latest iteration is a type of cold brew coffee smoothie with Yfood + bits and I think I am getting much better at it. To recap: The best cold brew coffee maker at a cheep price is the Hario Cold Brew Coffee Pot Mizudashi Red 1000ml , which I slow filter and then leave in the fridge over night (as long as I can) this gives a very none bitter coffee, I would advise you actually get 2 of these jugs as leaving it for 24+ hours gives the best result. Next Yfood has turned out to be the best meal replacement , and far nicer than Huel (it tastes far less like porridge), I find Yfood smells far more like Nesquik but doesn’t seem to be any worse for you, it seems that it’s a much finer powder and in any cheapo blender works perfectly, it produces a lovely near milkshake level of drink. Made with cold brew coffee instead of water and you have your morning rocket fuel while tasting great. understandably the coffee flavour works best with actual coffee. The banana one I had high hopes for but it’s just not right. A recent addition to the mix is Athletic Greens, this is a good dietary powder and the only one I have found that does not swamp the other tastes. Unfortunately I do have a serious sugar craving and Golden syrup is my base line, I try to have better option such as Maple syrup or a banana if I have planned correctly. A storage medium for this kind of stuff is actually far harder than I would have expected as the stuff gets in to every crack and if you don’t clean it it sets rock hard, I have found that a couple of good options: the 330ml classic LockNLock work well to split the drink into a breakfast and a lunch portion and never leak, but seem to have been phased out by the parent company, more practically is the Chillies Coffee Cup 2 which is VERY easy to clean and works just right. Lastly the blender, I have found that just about anything works with Yfood, so no worries there.
A much cooler way to say 100,000 , from the Indian Numbering System (pronounced /læk, lɑːk/; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac)
Explanation:
You might hear this used by your Indian colleagues, and in my opinion it should be in general use, as it is not only cool sounding but quicker and well understood.
This is something that I’m seeing more and more in business but historically has always been a problem in IT,
It is the little known and little appreciated individual doing a sterling job and no one noticing them.
Now before I get started on this, I’m going to differentiate between them, and the rest of us, We all consider ourselves underappreciated, and we could all do with a pay rise or a promotion or whatever. but if your boss knows that you consider yourself underappreciated or you complain about it, then you are not one of these people. I’m talking about the database admin that does their job each and every day without a complaint. I’m talking about the firewall person who makes sure all of the tables and all of the structures are working for all projects without being chased, so that a working network is taken for granted, the person that manages something buried deep that everybody uses but is unaware is vital for the state of the nation.
XKCD did this excellent drawing which visualises the issue from an IT perspective, but I personally prefer the term: ‘manhole admin’, which harks back to the old Nintendo game and watch. It was an awful game, I hated playing it, but in it, you control a person leaping around trying to cover up every one else’s problem. No one notices anything when he does a successful job they just go on their way with no thanks, but when he screws up Ohhhh does he get blamed. Such people exist all over the place. Often they are dismissed with a ‘no one is irreplaceable’, and while it is true, such people deserve recognition. and if they got such recognition on a regular basis, the roles they play would be revealed to be vital.
However there is a slight twist to this lesson, when you acknowledge such work don’t do the knee jerk reaction of “oh this is suddenly important, we better outsource it to a team and thus if it fails it wont be my fault; it will be someone else’s”, keep that person in charge of the deliverable and acknowledge their value, yes put in contingency, and backup people, But don’t take this persons work that they take pride in away from them.
Welcome to Episode 8, as I continue trying to get a really good “Acid Sam” time 1, An “Acid Sam” 2 is 100 Kettle bell Snatches followed immediately by a standard “Acid Bath” fitness test.
This week I set the hard goal of under 12mins, I managed 11:56, so I am very happy, this time I remembered to set up all the equipment correctly and that saved a good 10 seconds, but I think the big difference is that I set a final “reasonable goal” interval at the end as currently I know I wont get to 11mins, but now that I know I have the timings right it seems stupid to mess with them, so I just bolted a final interval on the end, and aimed for that
20 Snatches Off hand (0:58)
20 Snatches On hand (0:58)
15 Snatches Off hand (0:43)
15 Snatches On hand (0:43)
10 Snatches Off hand (0:29)
10 Snatches On hand (0:29)
5 Snatches Off hand (0:15)
5 Snatches On hand (0:15)
Transfer Over to Acid Test (10 seconds using the Kettle Bell time, 10 seconds using the Acid bath time) (0:20)
Time: between 5 – 10 mins, with under 5 mins without the Kettle bell touching the floor as the strict challenge (see details).
Details: The proper details of the challenge ( taken from) + the no set down rule:
Begin by getting into position, Hike-pass the kettlebell back and snatch it overhead in one movement, ending with a straight-arm lockout.
You may swing and change hands as much as needed
You may set the kettlebell down and rest as needed
Acceptable hand-coverings for the test include: tape, socks, Dragon Skins™, and minimalist gloves (i.e. cotton gardening gloves). You may use chalk and reapply it during the test, if needed. You may not use belts, thick or padded-gloves, wrist wraps or any other equipment designed to support your body.
No Count Criteria
Not locking out the elbows.
Rebending the knees on the way up.
Failure to stop all movement at the lockout.
Pressing out the kettlebell to finish your lockout.
Touching the chest with the working arm or passing through the rack position on the way down.
Placing a hand on the knee or thigh.
Failure (strict challenge)
Failure on the strict challenge will occur if:
You Touch the kettlebell with the non-working arm, unless you are switching hands.
You drop the kettlebell rather than setting it down with control (at the end).
You run out of time before completing the required number of reps.
You set down the kettlebell on the floor before the end.
Snatch Test Requirements:
For the snatch test, the sum of both arms is scored. There are different requirements based on gender and age group (Only the Open ones are listed here). They are as follows:
Men’s Open Class:
Up to 135 pounds 18kg 100reps / 5 min
136-150 pounds 20kg 100reps / 5 min
151-165 pounds 22kg 100reps / 5 min
166-250 pounds 24kg 100reps / 5 min
Over 251 pounds 24kg 100reps / 5 min
Over 251 pounds (mad option) 28kg 100reps / 5 min
Women’s Open Class:
Up to 100 pounds 10kg 100reps / 5 min
101-120 pounds 12kg 100reps / 5 min
121-135 pounds 14kg 100reps / 5 min
136-200 pounds 16kg 100reps / 5 min
Over 200 pounds 16g 100reps / 5 min
Over 200 pounds (mad option) 18kg 100reps / 5 min
Acid bath
Details: The “Acid bath” is a standard fitness set which consists of the following:
“The cumulative outputs from a group of highly skilled, disciplined professionals all studying the same problem, and routinely sharing their findings. Each new independent finding becomes a common input into everyone else’s process. The Tansley Effect is an endless positive feedback loop. How quickly the solution would reveal itself against such an onslaught!” – Alex McClung
Explanation:
This is a phrase I first read in appendix B on the original Dune book, some 20 years ago, and I’ve never had a chance to use it in real life, but I’ve just done so. And I’m so happy about it!!, So I’m actually just sharing. It’s the world’s coolest sounding phrase. And it applies to when you’ve got to be absolutely perfect in a corporate environment.
The best cold brew coffee maker at a cheep price is the Hario Cold Brew Coffee Pot Mizudashi Red 1000ml , which I slow filter and then leave in the fridge over night (as long as I can) this gives a very none bitter coffee, I would advise you actually get 2 of these jugs as leaving it for 24+ hours gives the best result. 
Next Yfood has turned out to be the best meal replacement , and far nicer than Huel (it tastes far less like porridge), I find Yfood smells far more like Nesquik but doesn’t seem to be any worse for you, it seems that it’s a much finer powder and in any cheapo blender works perfectly, it produces a lovely near milkshake level of drink. Made with cold brew coffee instead of water and you have your morning rocket fuel while tasting great. understandably the coffee flavour works best with actual coffee. The banana one I had high hopes for but it’s just not right. 
A recent addition to the mix is Athletic Greens, this is a good dietary powder and the only one I have found that does not swamp the other tastes. 
Unfortunately I do have a serious sugar craving and Golden syrup is my base line, I try to have better option such as Maple syrup or a banana if I have planned correctly. 
A storage medium for this kind of stuff is actually far harder than I would have expected as the stuff gets in to every crack and if you don’t clean it it sets rock hard, I have found that a couple of good options: the 330ml classic LockNLock work well to split the drink into a breakfast and a lunch portion and never leak, but seem to have been phased out by the parent company, more practically is the Chillies Coffee Cup 2 which is VERY easy to clean and works just right. 
Lastly the blender, I have found that just about anything works with Yfood, so no worries there. 
