the mario blog

to live an interesting life

Is there a link between television consumption and a measured increase in sex appeal?

No. 

Please read on to let me explain. 

Next week I am moving back to Europe for a while. So my current life is pretty much a mess. I sold my car, which means I am either riding my bike or taking the bus everywhere. That takes a lot longer than just driving places. There are boxes everywhere. And the stuff that isn’t in boxes yet, I still can’t find amidst all the boxes.

Increasingly I find myself just wanting to pop down on the couch after work and turn on Sportscenter. And sometimes, I do that and it feels good. And sometimes I do it, and it doesn’t necessarily feel good but rather just entertains my empty mind.

Watching TV is an adequate activity when you just need to shut off for a little while and relax. But, TV should be just that.

An occasional equilibrium to what otherwise should be a life filled with activity, productivity and good friends.

TV is like chocolate, an escape not a permanent hangout. Nobody has ever gotten into awesome shape by watching TV.

Nobody has ever started a successful side business by watching television after work.

Nobody has ever strengthened a friendship by watching TV.

TV improves your chances with the ladies by exactly zero percent. 

TV doesn’t help with stress either, exercise does.

TV will never move you forward, it will never make anything better. 

Watch TV when you’re done being productive.

Watch it when you’re done with a great workout.

Television comes after productivity and after activity - never instead. Because a TV will never make you any happier, healthier or wealthier than before you turned it on.

 

Ps. None of the above holds true when it comes to watching Schalke games on TV. 

By the way

I am moving back to Europe at the beginning of August. 

As I was talking to a good friend of mine, she asked me if I was planning to tell anyone about this. Good call. 

On August 3, I am going to step on a plane back to Germany with my cat Otto, my girlfriend Amanda and her cat Lucy. And we are going to spend the rest of the year not coming back. 

Well, I’ll come back a few times as I will continue to work for WDCW, just a bit more remotely.

But otherwise I am planning to spend lots of time finishing my book, growing IdeaMensch, hanging out with my family and friends and feeling perfectly normal about eating ice cream out of cones in nothing but my Speedos, white socks and Birkenstocks. 

This isn’t about leaving America. This is about being back in Europe for a while. It’s crazy to think that I’ve been in America for the last (almost exactly) fourteen years, as I really haven’t aged one bit. 

Not much will change for most of you, other than that our phone conversations will happen at 3am - your time. I’ll still blog here. I'll still bug you about reading IdeaMensch interviews.  And I’ll definitely keep posting pictures of Otto. He’ll just be wearing his speedo.

If anyone ever tells you that it’s impossible to just pick up and move to a different continent for a while, tell them they’re right and then go do it. 

As my good friend, training partner and not-so-role-model-when-it-comes-to-women Arnold once said to me:

"I’ll be back."