Beer Tasting Update: Allison and Jen and I went beer tasting on Friday night. They might still be there at the Peculiar Pub in the West Village. Allison and Jen come home! This is what we found out:

Favorite beers of the day:

Vermont?s Otter Creek Pale Ale This is a beer with some zing. It?s almost sour, almost bitter, kind of sassy and really good.

Wexford Irish Cream Ale:Allison said ?It tastes like a chocolate shake.?

Jen was messing around with Lagers. She had a Denmarkian Carlsberg Elephant which was ?better than Bud, but not as good as Stella? and a DAB Dortmunder Lager that was kind of watery, but I liked it because it tasted like Corn Chex.

Mark?s New Book: My friend Mark Nowak has a new book which is going to blow your mind. It?s from Coffee House Press and it?s called: Shut Up Shut Down. This is a book that is a historic book. I mean I am speechless. If you like Bob Dylan?s ?North Country Blues? and Charles Olson?s Maximus, then this is the book for you. It is an excellent book of poems but it is also a project, about people, and the labor movement, and capitalism. It will blow your head off. Also check out the note from the author at the back:

If you believe that the bookstore worker who ordered this book from the distributor, placed it on the shelf, rang up your order at the cash register, etc., deserves a living wage, affordable health care, and a voice in the workplace, and you?re interested in helping your community?s bookstore workers organize for these workplace rights and benefits, please contact the author via the Union of Radical Workers and Writers (URWW) at URWW.

Three cheers for Mark. He?s also a wicked bowler.

Peak Performance, Go! Go! Go!: The weather in New York has taken a turn for the weird, which means it?s time for all of us to update our vision statements. I will act as a guinea pig example this month. My vision statement has changed a lot over the last couple of months.

Difficulties I?m still having? Discipline. Suggestions: Remember to give yourself reasonable goals so that you don?t feel weighted down by unrealistic expectations for yourself. Transition into the tougher goals: Rather than saying you?ll meditate for 40 minutes in the morning, start with 15 minutes. You know you can fit that 15 minutes in there between your coffee and brushing your teeth. Discipline is the key: make a plan, stick with it, and read your vision statement every day.

Also, use your positive thinking visualization skills. I?ve been using my imagination to get more focused on my work. I try to wake up believing that I am Spiderman, or Neo from the Matrix (?I know Kung Fu.? ) or an Olympic marathoner. If you start from that place you won?t be so slouchy. Remember Spiderman?s motto: ?With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.? Have fun fellow super heroes!

Here is my September 19th vision statement:

I wake up early every morning and I stretch and I drink water and lemon juice. I go running three mornings a week. I eat greens and fruit and protein every day. I am as streamlined and smooth and focused as an Olympic athlete. I read for one hour every day. I spend one hour every other morning working on the Duncan biography and one hour every other morning translating the Iliad. I return to my wildflower and astronomy studies for two hours every week. In the evening, I knit for an hour and I talk to my friends. I save money to travel to London, Berlin, Paris, Athens, and Tibet. I work smarter, not harder. I am a good teacher and I do what I can to help my kids. I am streamlined and smooth and I am an Olympic athlete and I am the one.

Another tip for getting the most out of your vision statement: Make a list of very particular things you can do to meet your goals. Some people like charts (buy some glittery gold and silver stars to give yourself when you accomplish goals). Maybe you need to organize your physical environment to make the work more enticing. (For instance, I?m going to clean up my desk today and put all my wildflower and greek and astronomy books in view.) Maybe you even need to pull out your credit card and buy yourself something nice. Or if you don?t have a credit card, or if you?ve already maxed out your credit card, you can put aside some money from your next paycheck to buy a juicer or a yoga mat or a new desk chair or some new swim goggles.

And remember the best advice of all: Just do it! Sometimes you might not feel like doing something, but if you get into the habit, it will become a natural part of your routine.