Jack LaLane ain't got nothing on this Guy!

So, today as I was perusing DIGG as I am want to do when I cannot seem to focus my thoughts very well, I found a story on ABC.com that I felt was absolutely inspiring, funny, but ultimately a little convicting.

"Buster Martin is an unlikely candidate to set a marathon record. He drinks beer, smokes cigarettes and stays out late. And he's 101. But Martin expects to shatter, or at least ease past, the record next month when he runs London's marathon. And he is counting on having a beer at the finish line. He smokes, drinks, stays out late, which is probably why he is still alive," said Charlie Mullins, the managing director of the plumbing company where Martin cleans vans. When not working three days a week for Mullins, Martin can be found in a nearby boxing gym working with a pair of trainers in preparation for April's run. He refuses to be impressed by the fact that he is still running.I am not doing anything unusual. I am just running a marathon," he told ABC News."

So, I thought, WOW, how amazing. This old man (and I MEAN OLD) is out there running... then I realized he is trying to run a marathon... then I realized he tried to do it in under 8 hours.... and then halfway through he stops off to have a beer and a cigarette. Outside of checking this guy for HGH, we should probably enter him into some kind of Scientific Study, because clearly he is an alien or some other mythic creature.

However, seriously, I have been thinking about training for a marathon for about three years now... if this guy could do it... couldn't I?

Would you listent to our Podcast?

Founder of Art of Function, Mick Montgomery (me) is considering starting up a bi-weekly podcast sometime this Spring! I have mentioned a few podcasts here on the blog, and really love them. However, I've held off doing my own until I knew what I wanted it to be... So, the real question we have to you our readers is... would you listen to a Podcast done by the ART OF FUNCTION creative team? Would you care if it was bi-weekly instead of weekly? Oh, and how long would you prefer it to be? Comment away!

Leave a Comment... Por Favor!

Por Favor is Spanish for, "I'm on my knees begging."

Hey, we want to know if your reading the blog, we want you to engage in the process on a formal basis, by leaving comments. See at the bottom of this page, you will see a little link called 'comments'. Just click that and you will zoom over to a page where you can leave message. If you are a fellow blogger, you will be able to leave your profile link, so people can check out your blogs as well.

So, .... start a dialogue... start a revolution... start organizing your taxes because April 15th is six weeks away... SNAP! Don't use Turbo Tax, I've got a sweet tax guy. If you live in L.A. let me know, I'll hook you up!

The Only Reason to Watch the Oscars Last Night

Well, I'll be a monkey's step-uncle, the Oscars got something right. Last night, I deliberately missed the Oscars... I know... How could I? Well, it's okay, because I consider the show to be a bloated self aggrandizing mess... HOWEVER! Despite my cynicism, every once in a while the Academy and Television Producers get something right. Last night that was the world wide audience being allowed an opportunity to watch Marekta Irglova and Glen Hansard play their little song, "Falling Slowly" to millions and millions of people. I cannot believe what I am about to write, but... I agree with Colin Farrell. ONCE was the little movie that could last year. Shot on an independent budget in 17 days, this Movie really is the dream for any independent film maker. No, it did not win best picture, but I will be darned if it was a key part of last nights festivities and the fact those two actors were on that stage speaks volumes to the pursuit of art and story as you want and wish it to be. Congratulations from Art of Function to these wonderful artists. Enjoy the clip above!

Remember The Milk

Okay, the cartoon above really has nothing to do with the subject of the posting. I just wanted to clue everyone in to a pretty cool Web service, I've been using called "Remember the Milk" or www.rememberthemilk.com. Basically, we all create 'To Do' lists, right? Or at some point, you have been so bogged down by what you had to do, you had to create a list. Well, there are tons and tons and tons of software programs devoted to Task Management. However, if you are like me you bounce from computer to computer, and much of your key resources (like email) are on a web based program. So, why shouldn't your TASK management be also web based?

Enter the aforementioned website. This clever site, allows you to be as detailed or non detailed as you want with your tasks lists, while also separating tasks by personal or work oriented tasks. You can also set weekly tasks, with reminders, due dates, and the best feature of all... a NOTES section. So, perhaps you have to call 'so and so'. You task that out for today. You just leave a message. You can update the due date to tomorrow and leave a note, called and left a message. This way you can get all your head space clear and not need to remember every little detail, or spend hours jotting down notes in a note pad. Currently, I've been using this FREE resource for about a week, and it has really been a fresh update on my constant note pad use. There is also a mobile web application for the website, which allows you to use it from your phone or PDA. There are plenty of GTD geeks out there using this service as we speak, and as always, if its on the blog, I recommend it too.

Inbox Zero w/ Merlin Mann

You will probably begin to hear more and more in regards to the term "GTD" this year, than you have ever before. I really think that GTD will be this year's version of "The Secret". For those of you reading this, who have no idea what GTD is, it stands for "GETTING THINGS DONE" the title of a book written by David Allen. GTD is a set of concepts and systems designed by Mr. Allen to enable the user to be as efficient and stress free as possible in their work habits. Currently, I have been studying the book and implementing some thoughts and ideas from it into my work life and personal life, and I must say, it is quite useful. I recommend everyone check out the book. Or Download the audio book on iTunes.

Many 'disciples' of GTD are fervently out there spreading the good word about GTD while also building cottage industries around the ideas in the books. One of the biggest 'expounders' on GTD is a gentlemen named Merlin Mann. He is the founder of the GTD website www.43folders.com. I recently visited the website, and I am digging through the gold, and at the top of the page is a link to a Google Tech Talk, Merlin did in regards to managing your email.

As we can all agree, email has become the cornerstone of work management for many of us. For me personally between my work and personal email accounts, and counting MySpace and Facebook somewhere around 200 emails a day. Yeah, I know it is a little daunting. However, here is the scary part. I am not alone. I once shared with a relative, who was so email illiterate she struggled to cope with the 70 or more emails she received a day, and managing all the data was so overwhelming she had almost completely abandoned her inbox. I believe many of us can identify with the fact that our email inbox can become an indomitable mess. How many of you have over 300 emails in your inbox right now, as you read this? If you do, and you hate it, then I have the video link for you.

Merlin has a concept for email management he calls "Zero Inbox". The tips he gives in the video shown below are very useful and worth checking into. Some of you may already be doing this in your own life, but do not know it. However, for all of us who have used our inbox as a to do list, calender, file back, whatever... catch all... mess... this video will help you sort out this most basic of functions in our modern life. Enjoy! It's highly Functional.

Let's All Get Arrested!

Recognize the Photo above? If you do, then you are going to be tickled blue that Will Arnet recently confirmed, at an event with Will Ferrell, that the Arrested Development movie is indeed in development as we speak. This is happy, happy, happy news to fans of the show, which won an EMMY its first season, but was canceled after what amounts to two and a half hilarious seasons. I loved this show so much, I watched all three seasons on DVD in the span of five days. Rumors of a movie about the much loved television show have been going around for years. Hopefully we see something by 2009. I miss me some Buster!

If you want further proof, just play the video below... keep in mind it takes a while for the topic to come up, but eventually a college students asks Ferrell if he would fund an Arrested Development movie for Arnet... then the good news spills out like a golden magic milk shake.