March of the Penguins Review

I recently watched March of the Penguins and have to say it's probably the second best penguin movie I've ever seen. You might assume that Happy Feet is the first, but you'd be wrong.

I heard somewhere that it's not real penguins they use, but midgets dressed up like penguins. Either way, it doesn't really ruin the experience for me.

For those of you who have not seen the movie, let me summarize: The penguins are upset about how global warming is affecting their environment, and decide to organize a political march in protest, to send a message to the politicians "Stop killing our planet!" Or something like that. Morgan Freeman narrates (he's the black guy who does the voice of Darth Vader) and he's wonderful. The penguins all have little baby penguins of their own, and then they go off and leave them to freeze to death. It's really a miracle that there are any penguins left in the world at all, what with their parenting skills and global warming and all.

It's a fun little movie, filled with all sorts of interesting facts about what penguins eat (snow), what they do for fun (slide on their tummies), and how they identify their mates (infrared).

Watching this film definitely taught me some things about penguins. First, I don't think I would want one as a pet. They just kind of waddle around and would get in the way alot. Second, penguins are actually mammals (like the crocodile) and may actually be descended from dinosaurs, who evolved into birds. Third, if you did have one as a pet, they'd probably always be in your swimming pool when you wanted to get in it, and the water would be all penguiny.

I highly recommend this film if you want to learn more about penguins or just want to hear Morgan Freeman's voice as you drift off to sleep. I give it a 26.

The Rise of the Kettlebells

I've noticed a recent trend in fitness lately, which is the return of the kettlebell. The kettlebell is a 1920's strongman-era weight training device. Essentially, it's a cannon ball with a handle on it. While I'm sure it was a revolutionary idea at the time (attaching handles to things), I'm a bit puzzled by the revival of this seemingly anachronistic apparatus for one main reason: the existence of the dumbbell.

The dumbbell not only offers superior handling along with increased flexibility in the number of ways it can be used, they are also widely available and relatively inexpensive when compared to a kettlebell. Literally every single exercise you can do with a kettlebell, you can do with a dumbbell. Did anyone stop to think about why we quit using kettlebells in the first place? Maybe it's because not everyone looks good with a handle-bar mustache and a leopard print singlet. Fitness trends will always come and go, and while my Suzanne Somers Thighmaster still sees a fair bit of action, my Patrick Duffy Chinfirmer is still stuffed away in the closet next to the lawn darts and Missionary Conquest: The Board Game.

My point being: next time a personal trainer asks you if you're interested in trying out some "revolutionary piece of fitness equipment" just kick him (0r her) in the kettleballs.