Last week, I explained the difference between a regime and a regimen and I also talked a bit about all that Thanksgiving food. So, I thought that it would appropriate to tackle the areas of wellness and health for this week’s edition of What’s Up Wednesdays. After loading up on all that turkey and pumpkin pie, it might be a good idea to see how you can get fit and healthy again.

Quick and Easy Exercises

Israel Lagares is the man when it comes to all sorts of healthy practices. He may be the Fat Man Unleashed, but he also knows about five kick-ass workouts that can be done in under 8 minutes. One of the most common reasons given for not exercising is a lack of time. You’ve got eight minutes, right?

Blogging from Anywhere

John Chow is so dedicated to his craft that he is blogging from the hospital. It seems that all those years of sugar-infused iced coffees and dining out with MSG have caught up with him, because he has developed gallbladder stones. I wish him well. Let’s hope he doesn’t need surgery.

How to Catch Shut-Eye

Scott Young approaches another area of your overall health. Most people know about food and exercise, but today’s society puts so much pressure on us that we may not be getting enough sleep. Scott explains how to get more time to sleep without sacrificing your career aspirations or time with the family.

Breaking Free from the Cell

Raj Dash takes a look at yet another area of your overall wellness. Your mental health is just as important than your physical health, so that’s why you’ll want to banish lonely freelancer syndrome if you work from home like me. Get out there and socialize. Otherwise, you’ll surely go mad.

A Delectable Indulgence

Carl Nelson lets us indulge in quite possibly the best apple pie you will ever have ever. The recipe is simple enough that even a kitchen novice like myself can handle it. Diets are useful, but you need to treat yourself every so often too.

Time sure flies! It feels like only yesterday that I announced my contest. As you may recall, I held a contest during November 2008 wherein the person who sent the most traffic to Beyond the Rhetoric would receive a terrific prize package worth over $200. This included three Griffin iPod accessories (docking station, FM transmitter, protective and case), as well as a sponsored review on Beyond the Rhetoric.

Before I get around to announcing the winner of this contest, let’s take a look at what else went down in November, just like I did for October.

Top Commentators

The relative growth and success of Beyond the Rhetoric are not due only to the contest winner, of course, so it’s only fitting that I give proper recognition to the other people who have contributed too. Blogging is a two-way street. If it were not for the people below, I’d be shouting into a vacuum. Thank you for continuing the discussion!

1. Nick (Romandock)
2. Eric Tan (Feeding the Crave)
3. Derek (Derek Semmler)
4. Chrisblogging.com (Chris Bibey)
5. Betshopboy

Most Popular Posts

So, what do you people like reading on Beyond the Rhetoric? Seeing how the majority of my traffic comes from search engines and social media, it’s not surprising that the five most popular posts rank quite well in one or both of these arenas.

1. How to Open a US Bank Account as a Canadian Citizen
2. Rock Band 2 is Better Than Guitar Hero World Tour
3. Freelancing: Why It’s Easier Blogging For Others
4. Real Dot Com Moguls Eat From a Toilet
5. Video: Top 10 Best SNES Games Ever

And the Contest Winner Is…

Here is the moment you’ve all been waiting for. I was hoping that this contest would bring more traffic to Beyond the Rhetoric during the month of November, but I’m still glad that a number of people made a valiant effort. Interestingly, the eventual winner of the three iPod accessories and the sponsored review on BTR didn’t really put in a push until the last week of the month.

A hearty congratulations goes out to Mike Huang of PinkyArcade.com! Congrats, Mike! You’re the big winner! Make sure you contact me with your shipping address.

How did Mike manage to leapfrog the competition in just one week? Taking a slightly evil and deceiving route, he linked a number of “free online games” banners to Beyond the Rhetoric. The visitors probably expected to find places where they could play Bejeweled, but instead they got posts about running mice and self-fulfilling prophecies. I hope a few of them chose to stick around anyhow.

Honourable Mentions

Naturally, Mike Huang wasn’t the only one who participated in this contest. When I did my mid-month update, I noted that three Dot Com Pho members made the top five. Not surprisingly, they’re still among the top performers for directing traffic my way. I’d also like to thank Nick (Romandock), Chris, and Derek for their efforts.

• Ed Lau
• John Chow
• Stephen Fung
• Romandock
• Chris Bibey
• Derek Semmler

Thanks again for everyone who participated. I plan on holding more contests in the future, so stay tuned to Beyond the Rhetoric and follow me on Twitter. You don’t want to miss anything.

Here are the rest of this week’s results:

I’m glad to see that the Baltimore Ravens are continuing their winning ways and the New York Giants continue to demonstrate why they are the Super Bowl champions, despite the absence of Plaxico Burress. I’m also quite impressed that the Indianapolis Colts managed to win with just 10 points and no offensive touchdowns.

During the Monday Night Football pregame, the analysts predicted who would make the playoffs. The legendary Emmitt Smith said that the Dallas Cowboys would not be attending the post-season, because the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins would be nabbing the NFC Wild Card spots instead.

The Falcons maybe, but the Redskins? Sorry. The combination of Terrell Owens and Tony Romo is vastly superior to Jason Campbell and Santana Moss (though I have to hand it to Clinton Portis). We’ll see. Either way, wouldn’t it be great to see a NYJ-NYG Super Bowl matchup? Subway series, baby!

As you would probably expect, freelance writers should have a way with words. The livelihood of a freelance writer largely depends on his ability to find just the right combination of words, arranged in just the right way to express just the right sentiment. This much is clear. However, the power of the written word extends far beyond the paid blog posts and feature articles that you may write. More specifically, there is one word in particular that holds a lot of power when it comes to conversing with clients, both current and prospective.

It may appear to be easier to just go with the flow and approach your freelance writing business with an easygoing attitude, but there is one word that you’ll want to keep in your arsenal when the circumstances dictate its use. So, what is the most powerful word in a freelancer’s vocabulary?

Behold the Power of “No”

Yes, you do want to maintain a positive attitude when it comes to running your business and this approachability should extend to how you address your freelance writing clients. That said, it may not be in your best interest to always be so agreeable. If you always agree to every proposition, you may never be able to retire and you will have a much more difficult time growing your business.

Just as you would with your pets, children, significant others, and nearly everyone else in your life, it is important that you establish rules, boundaries, and limitations when it comes to your relationships with your clients. Saying no to someone is much more powerful than saying yes, because the latter simply confirms the person’s preconceived ideas, whereas the former gets them to stop in their tracks and change direction. Think about the last time someone said no to you. It can be quite jarring.

The Customer Is Always Right?

There are going to be times where you will be asked to go beyond the call of duty. For example, you may come to an agreement with a new client to produce a 1000 word feature article. While you are in the process of writing this article, the client may say that it now needs to be 2000 words and it needs to be accompanied with a number of royalty-free images. That certainly changes things!

Depending on your relationship with this client, you may choose to stand out and take on the additional duties at no additional cost, but this may not be in your best interest. It’s not about the extra work being given out for free right now as much as it is about you setting a precedent that the client will always get what they want. Ultimately, the decision is yours, but you may need to utilize the power of “no” under such circumstances.

Believe it or not, the customer is not always right. You don’t need to be mean, but you do need to be assertive when you feel that the client is taking advantage of you. By the same accord, promoting the work of others is somewhat altruistic, but that’s only when it’s under your own volition. If someone else requests that you promote their work without offering anything in return, you may want to reconsider the situation.

With Great Power Comes Great…

Ah, with great power comes great responsibility. It is important that you know when to say no to a freelance writing client, because you don’t want them to take advantage of you. It’s far too easy to let one indiscretion slide in the interest of keeping your business afloat, but making it a habit will ultimately be counterproductive.

As difficult as it may be, sometimes the best way to maximize your freelance income is to learn to say no. At some point, you’ll want to say no to lower paying gigs so that you have more time to dedicate to projects of greater interest and with bigger monetary upsides. Know the power of no, but use it with caution. You don’t want to burn any bridges unnecessarily.

Now that the holiday season is upon us, you may feel inclined to bring your favorite young one (or one who is young at heart) to the movie theater to catch something uplifting and animated. Even if you only celebrate Festivus around this time of year, we can all enjoy a good animated film with a heartfelt message.

Two of the biggest “cartoon” movies hitting the cineplexes this year are Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Bolt. If you’re thinking of taking a break from all that holiday shopping and hiding out in the dark confines of an auditorium with sticky floors and stale popcorn, which animated film should you watch? Well, I’ve seen both Bolt and Madagascar 2, so allow me to give you my opinion on both flicks.

Bolt

John Travolta provides the voice of Bolt, a Hollywood dog who has never left the studio. His on-screen character, also named Bolt, has all sorts of doggie superpowers, including heat vision, super speed, and a super bark. The poor pup is not aware that his entire life is little more than an illusion, so when he suddenly finds himself in the real world, he really is a fish out of water. He experiences hunger for the first time. He bleeds for the first time. And he slowly realizes that his powers no longer seem to work.

While I found the Bolt character to be somewhat bland, the supporting cast is a little more interesting. As Bolt tries to make his way back to home to save his “person” Penny, voiced by Miley Cyrus, he befriends an alley cat named Mittens and a chubby hamster in a ball named Rhino. Shown above, Rhino really steals the show with his utter enthusiasm and his ability to be “beyond awesome.” The action sequences are pretty fun and the lessons of camaraderie, friendship, and loyalty are great for the kids. Their encounters with pigeons from different cities also reminded me of the Mafia pigeons from Animaniacs.

No, Bolt never reaches the same level as WALL-E, but there are enough cute moments and cheap laughs that make this film worthwhile.

Madagascar Escape 2 Africa

While Bolt only has two immediately recognizable names among its voice cast, Madagascar Escape 2 Africa follows in the tradition of some other recent animated films by boasting an incredible star-studded cast. You’ve got everyone from Ben Stiller to Chris Rock, Bernie Mac to David Schwimmer. Even Will i Am and Andy Richter find themselves in there somehow. In this way, Madagascar 2 may have more of an immediate appeal to older audiences, but that’s pretty much where it stops.

This film does not offer the same kind of pop culture references as Shrek or The Simpsons, and as an animal ensemble piece, it’s not as entertaining as something like Kung Fu Panda.

In short, the zoo crew that we met in the first Madagascar make an attempt to get back home, but they find themselves stranded back in Africa where Alex the Lion (voiced by Stiller) reunites with his long-lost family. It seems that the writers borrowed an excessive amount of inspiration from Lion King, tossed in with a little dash of Happy Feet.

Alex’s father is the leader of his pride (like Mufasa), but he is challenged by an evil uncle-like character (like Scar). It is up to Alex (like Simba) to stand up and bring peace and happiness back to the land. Furthermore, Alex’s father disapproves of Alex’s dancing (like Mumbles in Happy Feet), because he feels it is not appropriate behavior for a lion. This story feels far too familiar and far too unimaginative.

And just like the first Madagascar, the most entertaining sequences are those that involved the secondary characters. The meerkat musical numbers are enjoyable and the penguins are quirky (in a good way), but Madagascar Escape 2 Africa really isn’t much more than just a diversion. The first Madagascar was better, if only because it was more original.

The Verdict

Neither one of these movies is quite as mature and well-developed as Ratatouille and WALL-E. Those two films set a new standard for what we should expect from these Pixar-style CG-animated “kids” movies. That said, if you’re heading to the theatre anyway, I’d easily recommend Bolt over Madagascar Escape 2 Africa. It’s more original, more imaginative, and I personally found it to be funnier too. Rhino really is beyond awesome.

If you’ve been following me on Twitter, then you would’ve already known that I went to watch a movie last night. I got to the movie theatre a little early, so I took some time to wander around the connected shopping mall while I waited. I wasn’t really there to do any holiday shopping, per se, so it was more of a random perusal visit than anything else.

In any case, I found myself inside the pet store (I miss having my bunny around) and I wandered over to the small pets area. They didn’t have much of a selection, but because it was the early evening, most of the rodents were pretty active. And then I saw the enclosure filled with pet mice. They were darting all over the place, but there was this one white mouse that dominated the hamster wheel mouse wheel. One of his buddies wanted to join him, but you can’t have two mice on one wheel, can you?

The result of this mouse wheel challenge is actually quite funny. I quickly whipped out my digital camera and took the short video embedded below. Enjoy!

Did you all have a nice Thanksgiving yesterday? Did you manage to catch some of the NFL action that was on TV? The Tennessee Titans absolutely demolished the winless Detroit Lions, as expected, and the Dallas Cowboys continued with their recent resurgence by trouncing the Seattle Seahawks. In perhaps the only surprise of the day, the Arizona Cardinals fell to the falling Philadelphia Eagles in a battle for football bird supremacy. Oh right. The Ravens are still the best bird in the league.

Looking forward to Sunday’s action (as well as Monday Night Football), we take a look at a few more predictions. As you may recall, my Week 12 predictions didn’t exactly turn out as planned, but I guess that’s the law of averages biting me in the rear-end again. There are some interesting matchups this weekend, so let’s get down to it.

San Francisco 49ers at Buffalo Bills (-6.5)
The Bills had such a promising start at the beginning of the season, but somewhere along the line, they lost that edge and started losing games left and right. Look for the Bills to continue regaining some composure against the Niners, who simply have not been the same since the departure of Steve Young so many years ago. Sorry, Jeff Garcia didn’t cut it either.
Pick: Buffalo

Baltimore Ravens (-6.5) at Cincinnati Bengals
Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson was benched last week for being a pain and I’m not entirely sure if he’ll be back this week. It really doesn’t matter, because any hopes of the Bengals making the playoffs were dashed a long time ago. Look for Ray Lewis and the rest of the dirty birds in Baltimore to have a field day in Cincinnati.
Pick: Baltimore

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3.5)
Easily the most exciting division in the league right now is the NFC South. It’s highly competitive and all the teams in that division are better than what their records may lead you to believe. From what I hear, Reggie Bush might not play this game and, well, Tampa’s the division leader for a reason. It’ll be tight, but look for the Bucs to pillage the Saints.
Pick: Tampa Bay

New York Giants (-3.5) at Washington Redskins
The better Manning has proven that he can be a strong leader, whether it be holding onto a lead or overcoming a deficit. The Giants are arguably the best team in the league and they’re probably even better than the squad that won the Super Bowl last year. I like Jason Campbell and the Redskins, but I’m looking for the G-Men to rise above the rest as the season winds down.
Pick: New York Giants

Miami Dolphins (-7.5) at St. Louis Rams
Miami has proven that it can score and the Rams have proven they can lose. Badly. I’m a little hesitant to go with Miami though, seeing how the spread is more than a touchdown, but I also recognize that the Rams have both a hopeless offence and a hopeless defence, so the Dolphins just may be able to cover.
Pick: Miami

Indianapolis Colts (-4.5) at Cleveland Browns
Peyton’s going on a rip, especially with the Colts’ playoffs hopes riding on the line. The Browns have not lived up to their sleeper expectations and while Indy isn’t as good as it’s been in previous years, the Colts should be able to put away the Browns pretty handily.
Pick: Indianapolis

Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers (-2.5)
Jake Delhomme is underrated and Aaron Rodgers has largely exceeded expectations. I’ve been very impressed with what Rodgers and the rest of the Packers have been able to achieve in Green Bay. It’s tough trying to fill Brett Favre’s shoes for sure. That said, Carolina is the more experienced and, ultimately, the superior team. It’ll be cold in Lambeau, but the Panthers are hot.
Pick: Carolina

Atlanta Falcons at San Diego Chargers (-4.5)
Give Matt Ryan and 1000+ yard rushing Michael Turner some credit in Atlanta. With the involuntary departure of Michael Vick, no one knew what was going to happen with the Falcons, but they’ve managed to find a reasonable level of success in that town. I’m expecting Michael Turner to run all over his previous team, making them regret that they ever let him go. This will be a great upset, I’m sure.
Pick: Atlanta

Denver Broncos at New York Jets (-7.5)
The Jets put an end to the undefeated aspirations of the Tennessee Titans last week, proving to us that Brett Favre still has plenty in the tank. The Jets aren’t just contenders. They very well could be favorites heading into the AFC championship and even the Super Bowl. Against possibly the worst defence in the league, New York will prevail. I just hope they cover the spread.
Pick: New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots (-0.5)
This has got to be the game of the week for me. Matt Cassel has matured significantly as the year has progressed and Ben Roethlisberger will have no trouble keeping up. Both teams are coming off of impressive wins last week, so they’ll be pumped. This is a tight one for me, but my money is on the Pats.
Pick: New England

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders (-2.5)
In a battle between two of the crappiest teams in the league, it’s hard to determine which one is the better one. The Chiefs have one win on the season, but Oakland surprised everyone by upsetting the Broncos last week. For that reason alone, I’m giving the advantage to the Raider Nation.
Pick: Oakland

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings (-2.5)
This is another tough pick. The Bears are solid, but they have their weaknesses. Adrian Peterson is having a banner year, but what about the rest of the team? I expect the Vikings to keep this battle to the ground and eek out a slim victory.
Pick: Minnesota

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (-2.5)
At the conclusion of last year, this Monday Night Football showdown sounded like it could have a lot of promise. The Jaguars looked good going into the playoffs and the Texans looked like they were finally turning things around with the franchise’s first non-losing season. My, how the mighty have fallen. I’ve been thoroughly disappointed with the Jags this year, so I’ll give the slight edge to Houston.
Pick: Houston

Even if a belief starts out being based on false pretenses, if you truly believe that something is going to happen, there’s a good chance that it is going to manifest itself. No, this is not because we have the ability to predict the future. Rather, it is because our beliefs dictate our actions and our actions, in turn, influence our outcomes. This is what is known as the self-fulfilling prophecy.

As with most things, the paradigm of the self-fulfilling prophecy has both a bright side and a dark side. In both cases, the ramifications can be absolutely tremendous.

Plan to Fail and You Probably Will

If you go into a project with the expectation of failure, you are significantly increasing your chance of failure. Let’s say, for example, that you are training for a marathon race. If you figure that you’re going to come in last anyway, you probably won’t be putting that much effort into your training and when it comes time to actually run the marathon, you won’t give it your all. After all, you’re coming to come in last anyway, right?

By the same accord, I don’t think Stephen Colbert truly ever felt that he could win the Republican nomination and actually run for President of the United States, so it wasn’t all that surprising that he had to drop out of the race. It was inevitable.

By contrast, if you think that you can be very competitive in the marathon if you work hard at your training and improve your overall health, you’ll act as if this is a distinct possibility. You’ll work harder and smarter, significantly increasing the odds of your expectation coming true.

Expectations Lend Themselves to Expected Results

The reason why the self-fulfilling prophecy works is because your expectations have a direct effect on your behavior. If you go to a party expecting to be ignored and snuffed, there’s a good chance that you’re going to act as if this was already a foregone conclusion. You’ll likely huddle into the corner as a wallflower, sipping on your drink and fading into the background. Not too many people want to spark a conversation with the guy hiding in the shadows, so you will emerge from the party with your expectations fulfilled.

It’s all about your mindset and how it affects your actions. Moreover, as with the party example above, your actions affect the perceptions and actions of the people around you. These further feed into your beliefs. It’s a cycle.

Truly Believe You Can and Yes, You Can

Now, I’m not saying that it is prudent to approach the world through rose-tinted glasses. You should still address the worst-case scenario and plan for the future, but you shouldn’t go in with the expectation of failure. The power of the self-fulfilling prophecy will just lead you down the road to failure if you expect to arrive there anyway.

The strange thing about the self-fulfilling prophecy is that it is very difficult to control your actual expectations. You can keep telling yourself to subscribe to belief A, but if in your heart of hearts you truly subscribe to belief B, it’s belief B that will dictate your actions. In this way, it may be worthwhile to consider the self-fulfilling prophecy almost in reverse.

Instead of having your mindset dictate your actions, try getting your actions to influence your mindset. Last year, I don’t think anyone gave Barack Obama much of a fighting chance, but he composed himself with confidence. I’m not really sure if he believed it himself from the beginning, but he sure acted like he could be a viable contender. That was a major factor in his eventual victory.

If you want to be happier, try smiling. Your mind will follow.

Easily one of the best ways to spend your money is on your stomach. Good food and fine dining can go a lot way in elevating your mood and lifting your spirits, regardless of any prevailing circumstances.

Seeing how American Thanksgiving is tomorrow and most of you will be celebrating some sort of festive feast next month, I thought it would only be suiting to dedicate today’s edition of What’s Up Wednesdays to our gastronomic inclinations. Bon appetit!

Stephen Fung has been experimenting with all sorts of culinary adventures in his kitchen as of late. One of his most recent exploits involves a battle with bison. He prepared a bison roast, some bison brisket (pictured above), and even bison meatballs. I wonder if he invited John Chow over for dinner. John likes balls.

Eric Tan has a blog called Feeding the Crave, but he’s not exactly craving cash lately. Instead, he’s craving dim sum. The Chinese assortment of steamed and fried dishes is certainly appealing, providing quite the staple for both my childhood and my adult life. I could really go for some sui mai and phoenix claw right about now.

Damien Riley revisits his earlier days as a Pizza Hut delivery driver. While hanging out with some of his co-workers one night, Damien was challenged to a $5 bet from Tim. The anchovie [sic] bet, as it came to be known, involved Damien consuming a whole can of anchovies. Too bad the fish swam back out the way they came in.

Israel Lagares feels that snacking has been given a bad name, because people are linking it to obesity and overeating. Dispelling his myth, Israel provides the truth about snacking. Properly implemented and with the right kinds of food, snacking could be the healthiest thing you do for yourself.

Shane Sakata takes a stroll off the beaten path, introducing readers to comfort food from Japan. Some of these items may sound a little exotic, but they can really be quite delectable. You’re probably already familiar with tofu and you may already know about daikon, but have you tried tamago, konbumaki, and gobomaki?

After a couple of good weeks, it seems that my NFL football picking accuracy has taken a bit of a dip in Week 12. It’s still not quite as abysmal as some earlier weeks in the season, but I am doing slightly worse than chance. Needless to say, it’s not a pleasant feeling getting beat by a flipping quarter.

There were some notable surprises this week, so it’s not all that surprising that some of my predictions were a little off. I don’t think anyone expected the Oakland Raiders to completely demolish the Denver Broncos, especially since they were playing in Denver. Furthermore, Brett Favre and the New York Jets really made a huge statement by bringing the undefeated season of the Tennessee Titans to a screeching halt. And it was a big win too.

I am glad to see that a couple of the biggest egos in the NFL lived up to their own billings. Randy Moss caught three touchdowns for the New England Patriots and the amazing Terrell Owens grabbed 213 yards through the air for the Dallas Cowboys. Ironically, this is the first 100+ yard game for T.O. Some of my favorite teams are keeping themselves in the playoff hunt — Colts, Falcons, Ravens, etc. — so that’s good… even if my picks aren’t that great.

This week, there are three games on Thanksgiving Thursday. I’ll see if I can get those predictions out in time. Otherwise, I’ll just stick to the weekend games.