This is the most realistic training you can get. Way more realistic than Modern Warfare 2.

Catch a video of the action after the jump.

What do you need:

* 2 oz vodka
* 5 oz grapefruit juice

How do you make it:

Pour vodka and grapefruit juice on top of the ice in a cocktail glass. Stir well.

“Drinking doesn’t make you fat, It makes you lean….
Against bars, tables, chairs, and poles.” ~Anonymous

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

-The Wizard of Westwood

Later this year, Jack Black stars in ‘Gulliver’s Travels’. A modern film version of the Jonathan Swift Classic. Expect this adventure in movie theaters December 22.

In the midst of the economic meltdown … with chaos and hardship everywhere, my business is growing, I’m happily married 17 years and counting, I’m connected with my two boys, I have a terrific social life, I’m physically fit and most important … I’m happy! Is it possible during these challenging times to be this way?

I say yes!

Look, I have been to the lowest point in my life — waking up in the gutter, wasted on drugs with no hope of ever changing my life. If I can turn my life around, so can you.

Today, as a success coach, I think of myself as a life strategist in a business world. I travel from city to city giving lectures and conducting seminars that help change people’s lives. Guiding people toward greater success in their chosen field, while simultaneously enabling them to achieve a better balance across all the key areas of their lives — that’s what I do.

How is this type of turnaround possible?

I simply decided a long time ago to stop living by default and start to live By Design!

Now, what if I told you I could help you achieve the same results in your own life — show you how to navigate the rough water we’re all treading these days by creating a plan to not only survive but actually thrive in these difficult times?

As of July 2008, there were more than 123,000,000 Americans who were either struggling or suffering, in great part but not entirely due to the economic crisis. As things progressively get worse, that number continues to skyrocket, eclipsing the number of thriving Americans month after month.

Are you one of them?

To fully understand what holds us back from living to our fullest potential, you have to recognize that most people live life by default. What I mean by this is they fail to decide how they want their lives to be or have an unwillingness to do whatever it takes to make that happen, and simply accept things as they are. They believe they have no say or power to affect their course. But the bottom line about living by default, in my view, is that it represents choosing to be a victim!

Most people are living in what I refer to as an active coma. They’re alive, functioning, but appear to be plugged into an imaginary life support, hoping someday when they wake up everything will be okay. Think about it; they’ve become victims of the circumstances of the world and they’re doing little to nothing about it! They’re suffering with the economy, the housing crises, politics, their finances or lack thereof, their relationships, their health and their emotional well-being, just to name a few. And they’re stuck, concerned, worried and afraid to act! They’re afraid to change, afraid to try a new approach; they’re in a coma!

Why is it that some people live their lives full of love, abundance and purpose, what I would call a rich and full life, while others live in a state of fear, lack and indecision? It is because most of the world sees themselves as victims. They’re always suffering. Now more than ever, adversity is destined to be on your path. Are you worried about losing your job, home, marriage, health or money? The question isn’t how did you get here, but what will you do now?

When you realize that you’ve been living your life by default, you will become consciously aware that you are responsible for your choices. With 20 years and nearly 30,000 hours of success coaching behind me, I have learned that most people get comfortable suffering and accept things as they are too quickly, rather than choosing to change or try something new!

Aristotle said the formula for happiness and success is to “first, have a definite, clear, practical idea, goal or objective. Second, attain it by whatever means available, whether wisdom, money, materials, or methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.”

All success is predicated on finding what you are passionate about and then becoming relentless in your pursuit of every possibility so you will achieve your dreams.

When I was making some difficult decisions to change things up in my own life several years ago, my mentor and friend Mike Vance asked me five thought-provoking and life-altering questions to help me envision and then plan out the path I should take.

1. Why are you here — what’s your purpose?

2. How do you want to show up for others — what are your values?

3. What are your God-given talents?

4. Five years from now, how is the world experiencing you?

5. Who would you already be if you were already there?

None of these questions was easy to answer, but they all got me thinking … hard. It was as if a door had been opened that I never even knew existed. If I could identify these answers, anything was possible. All I had to do was figure out my next step. If I could do that, I could stop living by default and would discover the keys to creating a life, By Design.

The people living By Design live by a different set of rules. They know an upset is just an upset, their problems are assets and the past is where it belongs — somewhere behind them. They aren’t victims; they’re victors, heroes if you will, because they are willing to jump through hoops to live the life they dream of. I’ve met people who don’t have two nickels to rub together, as well as extremely successful business people that fall into this category. Living By Design isn’t about how much money you have. It’s a frame of mind that positively impacts every core area of your life. It isn’t easy, but living By Design is hugely rewarding, and that my friend, is our goal.

The Four Addictions

I’ve discovered four addictions we all have that destroy more dreams, more hopes and more lives than alcohol, drugs, food, gambling or sex combined. When I refer to addictions, I am not focused on any of these. To me, those are habitual symptoms or effects brought on by four much larger causes that are the root cause of those symptoms.

They are:

1) The Addiction to opinions of other people. As a society, we’re addicted to what others think about us and how others’ views of the world affect us.

2) The Addiction to drama. Some people are drawn to and consumed by any event or situation that occupies their thoughts and fills their mind with negativity, which often brings attention to them in unproductive ways.

3) The Addiction to the past. These people have an unhealthy attachment to events or situations that have occurred in the past. They’re stuck in how things used to be.

4) The Addiction to worry. This addiction is comprised of all the negative and self-defeating thoughts that make us anxious, disturbed, upset and stressed, that hold us back in life.

TAKE THE QUIZ:

Tom Ferry’s Sure Signs of Four Addictions — these are merely ideas to help you identify how each addiction could be showing up in your life. Do not reject the addiction if you don’t relate to the six examples in each category. Think about situations in your life that might be more relevant to you.

The Addiction to the Opinions of Others

1. You Are Concerned About What Others Are Saying or Think About You.

2. You Have Good Ideas and Intentions But Find Yourself Afraid to Act on Them.

3. You Over Leveraged Yourself Financially in the Last Decade With Cars, Clothes, Homes, Jewelry and More.

4. You Are Constantly Seeking Other People’s Approval or Avoiding Their Disapproval.

5. You’re Afraid to Speak in Public.

6. You’re Afraid to Speak Your Mind.

The Addiction to Drama

1. You Love To Gossip.

2. You Are Always In The Middle of a Crisis.

3. You’re Glued to the News, Magazines and Stories About X Y & Z.

4. You Have a Tendency Toward Over Reacting Versus Rational Behavior.

5. Everything Is a Bigger Deal Than It Actually Is.

6. You’re a Pot Stirrer.

The Addiction to the Past

1. You Constantly Talk About the Past and the Way Things Used to Be.

2. You Resist Change.

3. You Continually Fail to Plan for a Better Future.

4. You Argue for the Past That Things Used to be Better.

5. You’ve Allowed Relationships to Become Stale, Uninteresting and Without Passion.

6. You have Physically or Mentally Peaked.

The Addiction to Worry

1. You’re Depressed, Concerned and Fearful about Everything.

2. You Spend Time with Other Worriers.

3. You Turn to TV and Movies as a Way to Escape the Thoughts in Your Head.

4. You Continuously Wake Up at Night from Your Mind Chatter.

5. You Continuously Go to the Worst-Case Scenario First.

6. You Use Food, Alcohol or Drugs to Control Your Moods and Feelings.

If you were to take away only one message from me, I want you to free yourself from the four addictions. Your life will become instantly and infinitely better.

I’m not a guru. I am a regular guy who has made it his life’s mission to make a difference in other people’s lives. I have been exposed to more and perhaps different models of excellence over the course of my career, which has helped me develop and brand my own model of excellence, one you can now benefit from and experience for yourself.

I am one of the fortunate guys in this world who wakes up every day eager, anxious, excited, fired up and ready to get to work. I love my wife and two sons. Against many obstacles, I have created an extraordinary life. Am I somehow luckier than you?

No.

I simply learned to and choose to live my life By Design–not by default. So can you.

Tom Ferry is CEO of YourCoach, and success coach to more than 100,000 people and leader of more than 100 business motivation seminars per year. He speaks to dozens of major corporations annually and has served as head coach to hundreds of top executives over the past 20 years. His latest book is his instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller LIFE! BY DESIGN: 6 Steps to an Extraordinary You.

Huffington Post

This video shows how a family of four and easily, comfortably and stylishly live in a two bedroom apartment..

“I, love, living the city…”

Memorial Day marks the start of the serious grilling season, and there’s no better weekend to try your hand at outdoor cooking, or bolster your established grill-master game.

Luckily, honing your outdoor culinary skills is a lot more simple than it seems, given the right tools, a little preparation, and a few tips on technique. Here’s a look at some pointers on getting the right gear, turning out great meals, and even preparing for uncooperative weather.

Get the right tools

• Lump charcoal or briquettes?: This is one of those endless, both-sides-are-right-and-wrong debates (kind of like Mac vs. PC), but there is some fairly common ground. As The Virtual Weber Bullet puts it:
  

  The general consensus is that lump tends to burn hotter than briquettes, but not as long or as consistently. Some lack of consistency is to be expected, given that the content and piece size varies within an individual bag and between bags.

  Personally, I recommend briquettes for anyone just starting out with their grill, as lump can be finicky in lighting. Of course, you can save yourself a lot of effort and frustration by investing in a chimney starter, which you can also use for flash-cooking. Photo by Joshua Thompson via WikiMedia.

• Choosing a gas grill: Ignore the BTUs and heat for the most part—unless you really need to cook a whole bird or roast this weekend, most grills have got your steaks and burgers covered. Consumer Reports’ blog recommends bringing a magnet with you to gauge the quality of steel used to contain the heat. If the magnet sticks, it’s likely a cheaper grade that will rust more easily. Feel free to give a test model a few shoves and shakes, as an unstable grill is a recipe for serious problems.
• Multi-use utensils: The three-tool grilling sets you see at big-box stores have all you’ll need for basic grill work, with long-handled versions of a spatula, tongs, and a carving-type poker. A long-handle brush would be your next purchase, and then a grilling basket and skewers when you start branching out. Make sure your tools feel heavy and firm in your hands, as clumsy handling creates the kind of BBQ stories you don’t want repeated. Photo by rick.

For more grilling gear, our gadget-crazed brother site Gizmodo runs down 10 awesome grills you can buy for the ultimate Memorial Day barbecue.

Getting ready

• Clean that grill: If there’s black crust on the grill bars, you need to get it off to ensure no-stick cooking and easy food flipping. If you’re feeling strong, wad up some aluminum foil and go to town on that stuff. For seriously stuck grime, you could also try popping the grill in the oven to bake off the stubborn bits.
• Make your own sauce: Most of the pre-bottled sauces you see on grocery shelves are over-sweetened, and none match the taste of homemade. Making your own isn’t that difficult, either. Use one of BBQ Recipe Secret’s three sauce bases as a starting point, and build your own flavor ideas into them. It’ll give you something to talk about while you’re waiting for the ribs to finish. Photo by Jason McArthur.

Hone your technique

• Use a cheat sheet: Experience is the best indicator for knowing the precise moment to yank your food off the rack, but Real Simple offers a super-helpful cheat sheet you can print and bring to this culinary test (original post). Here’s a sample that covers the basics of red meat and sausages:
• BBQ chicken: As my fellow editor Adam can attest, eHow’s technique for grilling whole or partial chicken results in some juicy bird. The basics: Oil the grill, cook the chicken uncovered slightly off the heat center, and, for Pete’s sake, don’t put your sauce on until the last few minutes.
• Perfect burgers: Our commenters don’t necessarily agree on cooking great burgers, but they do have some common wisdom to share. Use meat that’s as close to room temperature as possible for even cooking. Don’t press them on the grill, unless you like your meat dry. And the best “secret” to great burgers is buying good meat, preferably ground by a butcher while you watch.
• Seriously salt your steak: Got filet mignon dreams for the weekend, but only a Quarter-Pounder budget? Buy a cheap cut of “choice” meat, then salt, salt, salt the heck out of that thing—for only one hour before grilling, and then pat it dry. By doing so, your salt is breaking in your meat and loosening some of its protein strands, making it hold flavor better and cut like the steakhouse commercials of your dreams (original post).
• Let it rest: You’ll be eager to slice open your tender steak or succulent chicken, but you’ll lose a lot of juicy flavor if you do so. As the food techies at Cook’s Illustrated point out, cutting into your food right off the grill releases a significant amount of juice, which would be re-absorbed for better succulence if you let it sit a few minutes.

Recover from a rain-out

All that planning, cleaning, and purchasing, and Mother Nature calls an audible on your perfect grill day? You’re not finished yet. As the New York Times’ food guru and cookbook author Mark Bittman points out, your oven broiler can sub in for your grill with a little prep-work, with results almost as satisfying. Brown your meat in the pan, roast or braise it slowly, then use the broiler to give it that grill-like finish. Check out his oven-based pork ribs or brisket recipes if you need convincing.

Document your success

When you’ve put all this effort into creating a great fire-cooked feast, you’ll want more than just compliments to remember it by. Break out your digital camera (or pass it off to a trusted friend) and try the following tips to take some great grilling shots. (Photo by ctaloi):

• Tell a story: A BBQ-friendly shooter named Nika notes that a lot of grilled food might look good to the human eye, but smoky crusts and perfect charring can look like unappealing dark nothingness without good framing. Try to capture moments of “drama,” such as when the meat’s being pulled, or focus on the tools used to make the meal to get shots you’ll remember.
• Get in close: At the same time, Flickr user Another Pint Please…, also known as Mike and who shot the steak picture you saw at the top of this post, recommends being brave and getting up-close and personal with your heat source—while being safe with your lens, of course. You’ll have time to take wider-angle shots when the cooking’s done, but those sudden flare-ups and perfect glistening angles only happen once.

Got some great resources for first-timers or experienced grill gurus? Planning on trying a new technique this weekend? Let’s hear about great food, and solid tips, in the comments.

Lifehacker

The Motley Fool can help you find a broker that will make your dreams come true.

Whether you’re ready to open your first discount brokerage account or simply wondering if you’re getting the best service for your money from your current one, here are 10 things to consider.

1. Trading commissions
Surprise! Cheaper is not always better. We know you’ve probably figured that out, but the price per trade at a discount broker may also indicate the level of customer service that comes with it. If you aren’t trading in and out of stocks very often (and you shouldn’t be), and you’re not too concerned about whether your trade is executed within 15 seconds or two minutes (and you shouldn’t be), there really isn’t a significant difference among the brokers charging $7 to $20. If you go much cheaper than that, you may have trouble getting someone on the telephone to answer any questions you may have. And if you’re paying much more than that, you should expect near-flawless service.

2. Other fees
You’ll get a good idea of what we find important as far as additional fees are concerned in this comparison chart of our broker sponsors. Beyond the trading commissions, you’ll find that brokerages may charge other fees, including fees for transferring assets into the account, fees for closing an account, IRA custodian fees, wire transfer fees, account inactivity fees, annual fees, and fees for not maintaining a minimum balance. If you know your needs, you won’t end up paying for services you don’t need.

3. Minimum initial deposit
If you’re just starting out, consider what you’ll be able to comfortably invest initially. Some brokers have account minimums, so find the one that best fits your budget. We have more on this topic here.

4. Customer service
For Fools, customer service is a biggie. If nothing else, you should put some time into researching a broker’s service before you sign on the dotted line. In the case of discount brokers, customer service includes website performance and interface. Check out each brokerage’s website. Is the interface intuitive? Can you find what you’re looking for without having to click 65 links? Is it speedy? If talking to a live human is important to you, test their phone service. Does the brokerage answer the phone promptly? Is there an office nearby, just in case you need to talk face-to-face? (Not everyone does, but if that’s important to you, put it down on your checklist.) You’ll definitely want to see how the brokerage does at sending you all relevant material you ask for online.

Finally, check out The Motley Fool Discount Brokers discussion board for invaluable insight into the praise and complaints being put forth regarding each of the major brokerages. It’s an active board, with many strong opinions. Understand that those with complaints are more likely to post their thoughts than satisfied customers.

5. Traditional banking services
This might not be tops on your list, but if you want to consolidate your PINs and pennies, think about looking for a brokerage account that can accommodate your banking needs. Many brokers now offer:

* Money market sweeps
* Check writing and bill payment
* Visa cards
* Direct deposit
* ATM cards

Your cash will typically attract higher interest rates in a brokerage money market account versus the typical savings or checking account. Check out our banking area for more details.

6. Research
Some brokerages market their research as a real plus. That’s fine, but you probably don’t want to pay for it. There’s plenty of research available on the Web (including right here at Fool.com). Some of the offerings include analyst reports, real-time quotes, and detailed financial data.

7. Mutual funds
No-load mutual funds can be purchased directly from mutual fund companies, so unless you’re a mutual-fund trading addict, the availability of thousands of mutual funds in one location probably shouldn’t affect which broker you choose. While you may purchase some no-load mutual funds from discount brokers without paying a transaction fee, some brokers do charge a fee for funds — so be sure to check on this before making a purchase. And, of course, if there’s a particular mutual fund family that you’re set on using, make sure that the brokerage you select offers that family of funds.

8. Investment product selection
All the brokerages offer stocks traded on the major exchanges, and most will offer equity mutual funds. But there are a number of other investment vehicles that you may wish to use. If you’re interested in risking your hard-earned moolah on over-the-counter (OTC) bulletin board stocks (shame on you!), you’ll have to see which brokerages offer them. Other choices such as options, government bonds, corporate bonds, and the like are not available through every brokerage. Determine what you expect you’ll need — we’re fans of just plain old stocks, especially if you’re young — and act accordingly.

9. Other methods of getting your trades executed
What if the Internet breaks? We’d all probably get a bit more exercise and sun now and then. Seriously, though, sometimes you may not have access to a computer. Check out whether the brokerages you’re considering also have touch-tone phone trading, and how that works. Sometimes you just might want to place an order through a real, live person, and many discount brokerages offer that option, too.

10. Other freebies and perks
We wouldn’t suggest making too big a deal about the freebies. After all, they are one-time things, and $100 or a new Koosh ball probably isn’t going to be worth the hassle if you soon find that you’ve made the wrong choice and have to move your account elsewhere. Still, free money is free money (and Kooshes are a great way to relieve stress). So if you find yourself deadlocked on which brokerage to go with, cash (or some other perk) can be a persuasive tiebreaker.

Finally, remember this: If you’re only making five, six, 10, even 20 trades in a year, the difference between paying $7 per trade and $20 per trade isn’t significant. We think it’s better to make customer service a priority and not sweat about most of the other stuff. After all, how much did you ever worry about which bank to open your first checking account with? The differences are about the same.

Motley Fool

The Jason Statham Weight-Loss Workout

From the Fitness Editors of Men’s Health

Jason Statham’s weight-loss workout consists of three stages.

1) Ten-minute warmup: Statham uses a Concept2 Rowing Machine (www.concept2.com) because it’s low-impact and works the cardiovascular system as well as all primary muscle groups. This is the easy part.

2) Ten minutes at medium intensity: This works the body and preps it for stage 3. There’s always variety. This portion of the workout consists of either:

a. Heavy lifting using compound movements like the front squat, deadlift, or power clean. Never more than five reps at a time.

b. Short circuits of various exercises with light weights.

c. Various carrying exercises with kettlebells or sandbags.

d. A progression of about 15 kettlebell exercises.

e. Various throws with medicine balls.

3) Interval training: This is the brutal final stage that “blows every gasket,” says Statham. “You’re crying for air. It redlines the heart into oblivion.” Again, variety is key—either different exercises, or one exercise done according to an interval structure. Here is a list of some of Statham’s exercises. Pick six to make a circuit.

Note: You may not have access to the equipment needed to do some of these. The point is to find a balance of total-body work, so you can pick six basic exercises you can do at home and go full-out. Statham does one six-exercise circuit five times. Rest for as long as you need between exercises. And know your limits.

a. Ball Slams
Pick up a 20-pound rubberized medicine ball, raise it above your head, and then smash it down on the floor as hard as you can. Do 20 reps.

b. Rope Climbs
Do 25-foot climbs using your arms, not your legs. Aim for five reps.

c. Pullups
Statham jumps from one pullup bar to another above it; it’s called “Dyno.”. But the traditional move still works your shoulders and back. Do 8 reps.

d. Snappers, or Whip Smashes
Attach 25 feet of heavy-gauge rope to something secure, like a fence or railing. With both hands, lift the rope above your head and use a whip-like motion to smash the rope against the floor. Do 20 reps.

e. Hanging Knee Raises
Hang from a pullup bar, bend your legs and curl your knees toward your chest, and then lower them. Work up to 20 reps.

f. Burpees
With your feet shoulder-width apart, squat, thrust your legs back, do a pushup, pull your legs back under, and jump as high as you can out of the squat position. Do 20 reps.

g. Bear Crawl
Walk on all fours, facedown, across the whole length of a basketball court. Go up and back three times.

h. Farmer Walk
Hold a heavy kettle bell in each hand, with your arms at your sides. March the length of the gym, and then march back. Do 3 reps.

i. Front Squats
Hold a barbell in front of your shoulders. Bend at the hips and knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Then push back up. Do 20 reps. Statham can do five at 1.25 times his body weight.

j. Rope Pulls
Tie 25- or 45-pound weight plates to a 50-foot length of rope. Pull the rope in until the weights reach you. Do 5 reps.

k. Weighted Stepups
Hold a kettle bell or dumbbell in each hand, step up onto a bench, and then step down. Do 20 reps.

l. Compound movements
Statham does bench presses, squats, or deadlifts with with about 75 percent of his one-rep max, and never incorporates them into a circuit. “My workout always changes. That keeps it interesting.”

Men’s Health

Burger King Corporation is firing up guests as the first national fast food hamburger restaurant to dish up authentic, juicy, bone-in pork ribs. The new smokey, slow-cooked BK(TM) Fire-Grilled Ribs — served with a barbecue dipping sauce and in three serving sizes — make an ideal snack, add-on item or a more indulgent meal. The BK(TM) Fire-Grilled Ribs are available at participating restaurants for a limited time only.

“Fall-off-the-bone ribs and summer go hand-in-hand, and now we are excited to be the first national fast food hamburger restaurant to offer our guests an authentic bone-in rib menu offering,” said John Schaufelberger, senior vice president, global product marketing and innovation, Burger King Corp. “Our guests’ initial reaction to this product has exceeded our expectations, further validating the BURGER KING(R) system’s investment in our new game-changing broiler. Because of this proprietary cooking technology, we’ve been able to up the ante in our product development across the board, and BK(TM) Fire-Grilled Ribs are just the beginning of the innovative product line we can offer with this new cooking platform.”

Guests at participating restaurants can try the ribs by adding on a three-piece serving to a BK(R) Value Meal for a suggested retail price of an additional $1.99. BK(TM) Fire-Grilled Ribs are also available for value-conscious customers in three- and six-piece serving sizes designed for snacking or as an add-on item. They are available for a suggested retail price of $2.99 and $5.69 respectively. Alternatively, for those in the mood for a more indulgent serving, an eight-piece order is also available for a suggested retail price of $7.19.

Me So Hungry
Market Watch

Don’t get ripped off! (Yahoo!)

Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto meets the wild west, awesome (IGN)