Sonny the Alien: The Madness of March

by
Sonny the Alien

Earth Log Entry #13: Rational Vibes

Sonny sat at the kitchen table with a laptop open, several sheets of paper spread around him, and a pencil tucked behind his ear.

Chad walked in and stopped. “What are you doing…and why is our kitchen table covered in paper?”

Sonny looked up. “I took a special subbing assignment in home economics today. The students would not stop discussing this ‘March Madness.’ I am studying it.”

Chad nodded slowly. “Okay. Respect.”

Sonny looked back at his laptop. “At first I thought it was a mental disorder caused by the shifting of the clock.”

Chad reached into the fridge. “Naturally.”

Sonny continued. “But then I learned it is a single elimination tournament for the sport of intercollegiate basketball.”

Chad grabbed a bottle of chocolate milk. “Yeah…technically speaking.”

Sonny took the pencil from his ear and pointed it at the screen. “I have reviewed team records, strength of schedule, offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency, injury reports, coaching tendencies, rebounding rates, turnover percentages, and historical upset patterns.”

Chad sat down. “Uhh…okay.”

Sonny reached out and picked up one of the pieces of paper from the table. “I have also created a weighted prediction model…I am prepared to dominate the bracket.”

Chad leaned back. “It’s that serious, huh?”

Sonny looked over. “What data did you use to pick your bracket?”

Chad took a drink of his chocolate milk. “Vibes.”

Sonny stared at him.

Chad shrugged. “And mascots.”

Sonny’s face tightened. “…mascots?”

Chad grabbed a sports magazine and flipped it open. “Yeah. Like, if it’s a tiger versus a bird, I usually go tiger. Predator energy.”

Sonny slowly turned his laptop toward him. “I have spent three hours building a predictive framework.”

Chad nodded. “And I spent four minutes becoming spiritually aligned with the bracket.”

Sonny sat back in his chair. “That is not a method.”

Chad didn’t look up. “That’s where you’re wrong, dude. That is the method.”

Sonny frowned. “Humans claim to value reason. Yet you decide things based on ‘vibes’.”

Chad smirked. “Got us this far.”

Chad picked up his phone and started scrolling. “Whoa…High Point took down Wisconsin.”

Sonny snapped his head over and threw up his hands. “…vibes!”

Chad grinned. “Vibes.”

Sonny grabbed his Earth Log device and began typing.

Humans choose outcomes based on something called “vibes”. As they are the dominant species on Earth, it appears to be effective. I do not understand it. Chad’s bracket is crushing mine.

What Tyler Durden from Fight Club Got Right…And Wrong

by

I recently rewatched Fight Club.

And one thing hit me immediately.

The film understood something about modern men that most people are afraid to say out loud:

A lot of men today are lost. Soft. Sedated by comfort and consumption. Scrolling. Buying things they don’t need. Working soul-sucking jobs. Living lives that feel strangely…empty.

On that point, Tyler Durden was absolutely right.

But his solution?

That’s where he went wrong.

Tyler’s answer was destruction.

Mine is construction.

Burning down the world solves nothing.

But building yourself…

Building your body…

Building your mission…

Building your brotherhood…

That changes everything.

Let’s talk about it.

What Tyler Durden Got Right

1. The Modern World Is Making Men Soft

Comfort has replaced challenge.

We sit more than we move. Consume more than we create. Watch more than we do.

Modern life has removed many of the things that historically forged men:

Struggle. Responsibility. Rites of passage. Brotherhood.

Tyler Durden called this out perfectly.

Men need positive friction. We need constructive resistance. We need something that pushes back (but doesn’t push us over).

That’s why we gravitate toward:

Iron. Combat sports. Hard trails. Difficult challenges.

Because struggle forges strength.

Not comfort.

Modern conveniences are great—we’re not starving in the wilderness anymore.

But too much comfort makes a man soft. And a soft man struggles to build anything meaningful.

2. The Need for Brotherhood

The fight club itself wasn’t really about fighting.

It was about belonging.

Men standing shoulder to shoulder. Testing themselves. Sharing struggle.

In a world where many men feel invisible, that kind of brotherhood is powerful.

The problem?

Their outlet was destruction.

But the instinct behind it was correct.

Men need tribes. Men need brotherhood.

Groups of men who train together. Work together. Push each other. Build together.

The modern fight club isn’t a basement…

It’s wherever men that build gather.

3. Pain Is Part of the Process

Tyler understood something most people spend their lives avoiding:

Pain is unavoidable. And often necessary.

Pain teaches. Pain sharpens. Pain reveals who you are.

But pain by itself isn’t the goal.

Pain is information, and fuel.

It’s your body and mind telling you that something needs to be done. It’s a call to action.

You need to do the reps, the work. Have the conversations. Look inside. Make the changes.

Avoid pain—and you avoid growth.

Run from it…and you stay the same.

Lean into it…and you evolve.

What Tyler Durden Got Wrong

1. Destruction Is Not Transformation

Tyler believed freedom came from burning everything down.

Your job. Your apartment. Your identity.

But destruction alone doesn’t create meaning.

If you demolish a building and never rebuild it, you’re left with rubble. Same with yourself.

Real transformation requires construction.

You tear down what’s false, yes.

Then you build something stronger in its place. Brick by brick.

That’s the Builder path.

2. Rage Without Vision

Tyler’s philosophy was pure rebellion.

Reject the system. Reject consumerism. Reject society.

But then what?

There was no plan. No vision. No blueprint.

Just chaos (and chaos at the expense of innocent people).

Real men don’t just rebel.

They build viable alternatives.

We build strong bodies. Strong minds. Strong families. Strong missions. Strong ecosystems.

Not just saying “no.”

But creating a better yes.

3. Worshipping the Wrong Hero

Here’s the uncomfortable truth.

Tyler Durden looks cool.

He’s charismatic. Confident. Fearless. Fit.

But (spoiler alert) he’s also a hallucination born from a man who is completely broken.

And unfortunately, many young men mistook him for a role model.

Tyler Durden isn’t a blueprint.

He’s a warning.

Uncontrolled rage doesn’t lead to freedom…

It leads to collapse.

So What Now, Brother?

Fight Club got us asking the right questions.

Is this system really serving us? Is this the best way?

But Tyler Durden offered the wrong answers.

You’re not your bank account. You’re not what you drive. You’re not your Yin-Yang coffee table. You’re not your fucking khakis.

But the answer isn’t destruction.

The answer is building a life so strong you don’t want to burn it down.

Train your body. Build your mind. Choose your mission. Find your brothers.

Step into the arena…

And start building.

Builder’s Club Creed

Do challenging things.

Find your tribe, your brothers.

Use pain for construction.

Tear down what’s weak—then build something stronger.

Rebel…but build viable alternatives.

Study real men. Adopt standards. (Start with Brickwall’s Baddest Builders)

No shortcuts. No excuses. No drift.

Brick by brick.

Sonny the Alien: The Day of St. Patrick

by
Sonny the Alien

Earth Log Entry #12: The Misunderstood Assignment

Sonny sat at the kitchen table, sipping his tea and reading the newspaper.

Chad walked in. Green shirt. Green hat. Green beads.

Sonny looked up. “…why are you dressed as the color of Earth vegetation?”

Chad looked down at his outfit. “It’s St. Patrick’s Day, dude.”

Sonny nodded slowly. “…and that requires you to resemble plant life?”

Chad started making coffee. “It’s tradition.”

Sonny considered this. “…what is the purpose of the tradition?”

Chad shrugged. “People wear green and go to bars to drink.”

“…why?”

Chad paused. “…honestly, I’m not totally sure.”

Sonny thought about this. “So the ritual involves dressing in a chlorophyll-like manner and becoming intoxicated.”

“Pretty much.”

Sonny nodded thoughtfully. “Did Saint Patrick do these things?”

Chad grabbed a mug from the cupboard. “I doubt it.”

Sonny put the paper down. “Then it seems the humans have misunderstood the assignment.”

Chad looked over. “I guess so. You gonna come out tonight?”

Sonny clasped his hands and put them to his mouth. “Will there be intoxicated plant-like humans?”

Chad smirked. “Oh yeah.”

Sonny looked over at Chad and nodded. “Then yes. This I must observe.”

He took out his Earth Log device and started typing.

Humans celebrate another human called Saint Patrick by wearing the color of chlorophyll and imbibing alcoholic beverages. Chad says this is normal. I must observe.

Sunday Sendoff #39: Progress Usually Isn’t a Straight Line Up

by
Brickwall's Sunday Sendoff

We like to think of progress as a straight line.

Straight up.

Always winning. Always moving forward. Always making gains.

But that’s usually not the case.

In fact, that’s almost never the case.

There will be setbacks. There will be sidesteps. There will be detours. There will be times you need to stop.

Indeed, progress usually looks more like the drawing of a two-year-old. Lines going everywhere. Up. Down. Sideways. Loops.

And that’s fine.

As long as you have one thing:

An upward trend.

When you zoom out, the bird’s-eye view should show progress.

Small setbacks don’t matter. Lateral movements don’t matter. Detours don’t matter. Stopping briefly doesn’t matter.

As long as the trendline keeps moving upward.

Just keep going.

Builder Principle

Don’t worry about the small stuff. Just keep the trendline moving up.

Something to Ponder

Are you judging your progress too closely? Zoom out. Look at the last year. The last five years. Is the overall direction upward? If it is…you’re doing better than you think.

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

-Brickwall

Sonny the Alien: The Gala

by
Sonny the Alien

Earth Log Entry #11: A Whole Different Operating System

Sonny, Vanessa, and Chad arrived exactly ten minutes early to the Fighting for Our Youth Annual Charity Gala.

Vanessa checked in at the front table.

Within thirty seconds she had learned the volunteer’s name, complimented her earrings, and asked how long she’d been involved with the organization.

Sonny leaned toward Chad. “Is she interrogating the staff?”

Chad shrugged. “She’s being friendly.”

Vanessa waved them over. “Guys! This is Melissa!”

Melissa smiled. “Welcome, nice to meet you!”

Sonny nodded politely. “…what are your intentions with this event?”

Melissa blinked. “My intentions?”

Vanessa laughed. “Oh my goodness, Sonny.”

Then she smiled at Melissa. “Sorry, he doesn’t get out much.”

Everyone laughed.

Sonny looked at Chad. “…that was a normal question.”

They walked toward the coat check.

Vanessa immediately struck up another conversation. “Oh my gosh I love your tie.”

The coat check attendant lit up. “Oh, thank you! My girlfriend got it for me.”

Sonny whispered to Chad. “She knows his relationship status already.”

Chad chuckled. “Sonny, that’s Firecracker for you. She makes friends faster than anyone I’ve ever met.”

Sonny nodded slowly. “Smart. The coat guardian controls access to the outer garments. This is a strategic alliance.”

Chad started fixing his tie. “It’s a coat check, Sonny.”

Vanessa disappeared into the room, and within minutes she had joined a small group laughing near the bar. Then another group near the stage. Then another group near the dessert table.

Sonny watched her move effortlessly from conversation to conversation. “Chad…she is forming alliances. She may control the room by midnight.”

Chad sipped his drink. “She’s networking.”

Sonny scanned the room. “I count fourteen new friends.”

Chad picked up an hors d’oeuvre and tossed it into his mouth. “Sounds about right.”

Vanessa waved them over again. “Guys, come meet Greg!”

They walked over.

Greg shook Sonny’s hand enthusiastically. “Nice to meet you!”

Sonny studied him carefully. “…what are your intentions with Vanessa?”

Greg blinked. “My intentions?”

Vanessa groaned. “He’s joking.”

Sonny turned to Chad. “I am not joking.”

Chad patted his shoulder. “You’ll get used to it.”

Across the room Vanessa was already talking to three more people.

Sonny watched her for a long moment. “Chad…how many friends does one human require?”

Chad shrugged. “Depends on the human.”

Sonny looked at the room. Then at Vanessa. Then back at Chad. After a long pause he sighed. “…I miss the apartment.”

He took out his Earth Log device and began typing.

Some humans possess enormous social capacity and appear to enjoy interacting with other humans for no clear reason. Vanessa is one of these humans. I do not understand it. I must return to the quiet confines of the apartment soon.

Brickwall’s Baddest: Alan P. Mead, “The Human Anatomy Chart”

by
Bbbalanpmead

World War I veteran. Amputee. Attorney. Pioneer of physical culture.

There’s something about a man who builds without applause.

Alan P. Mead lost his leg in World War I.

Not in a training accident. Not from a bad lifestyle choice.

In war. Serving his country.

He came home altered.

And the world moved on.

No parades that lasted. No lifetime support system. No social media sympathy.

Just life. And bills. And responsibility.

The World Didn’t Care

Here’s the uncomfortable part.

Veterans came home from World War I to a country that expected them to quietly reintegrate.

There was no modern VA safety net. No honoring service members the way we do now.

You survived?

Good.

Now get back to work.

And he did.

The Decision

He could’ve lived small. He could’ve lived carefully. He could’ve accepted the label.

He didn’t.

Instead, he chose to build.

He trained his body.

Not for competition. Not for clout.

For strength. For presence. For self-respect.

The iconic photos?

Not contest prep.

A statement. A declaration:

“You will not reduce me.”

The Engineer Mindset

This is the part I love most.

He didn’t just train.

He innovated. He developed pulley systems to better target muscles.

He studied mechanics. Leverage. Angles. Tension.

He adapted the gym to fit his structure.

He didn’t wait for perfect equipment.

He engineered around limitation.

The Three Pillars He Built

1. His Body

No gyms. No steroids (they didn’t exist yet). No supplements. Almost no information.

Built anyway.

2. His Family

He raised two daughters—Mary and Elizabeth.

He showed them what resilience looks like in a man.

Not loud.

Steady.

3. His Career

He became a successful attorney.

One leg.

Full responsibility.

No excuses.

Alan P. Mead Kept Fighting

He didn’t let his circumstances consume him. He didn’t back down. He didn’t center his life around what he lost.

He focused on what remained.

That’s rare.

A lot of men today are physically intact—and spiritually fragile.

He was physically altered—and structurally unshakeable.

The Takeaway

Life is full of hardship.

It’s messy. It’s chaotic.

But we don’t fold. No, we look right back at life, laugh in its face, and keep building anyway.

Life will take something from you.

Health. Time. Opportunities. People. Status.

You will not leave this thing untouched.

The question is not:

“What did I lose?”

The question is:

“What can I still build?”

Alan P. Mead built with what he had.

And that’s why he’s one of the baddest men to ever exist.

Sunday Sendoff #38: The High Cost of Redlining

by
Brickwall's Sunday Sendoff

I was burning the candle at both ends. Grinding myself into dust. Pulverizing myself into nothing.

My health suffered (including mental health). My ability to parent suffered. My relationship suffered.

It wasn’t until a hard reset—with some serious rest—that I was able to see how much I had been redlining.

We naturally want to build. To grind. To hustle.

It’s hard to keep us still.

Every waking moment feels like it needs to be filled with something productive.

But at a certain point, your body and mind will give out on you.

You’re not a machine.

You need to just be—dare I say—lazy once in a while.

Lay on the couch and do nothing. Lay in bed for the whole morning. Be a slacker for half the day.

And when you come back?

You’ll be as voracious as ever to get back to it.

Rest isn’t weakness.

It’s strength. It’s strategy. It’s necessary.

Guiding Principle

Rest…or feel the repercussions.

Something to Ponder

Why not reset and schedule some time to do absolutely nothing? Set up some couch time. Or chill in bed for the whole morning. Or at the very least, take an hour and do nothing productive.

See You In the Arena

This week is just about over. Next week is just about here. Let’s keep building.

Brick by brick.

I Mixed Move Ya Body, Culo, and After Hours…and It’s 14 Minutes of Pure Audio Bliss

by
I Mixed Move Ya Body, Culo, and After Hours…and It’s 14 Minutes of Pure Audio Bliss

I noticed something.

Move Ya Body by Nina Sky. Culo by Pitbull and Lil Jon. After Hours by Kehlani.

Different artists. Different titles. Same DNA.

So I stitched them together (along with the Move Ya Body instrumental to kick things off) into one tight 14-minute run.

No skips. No dead spots.

Just rhythm that carries you.

It’s awesomely hypnotic.

Perfect for:

  • A hard cardio finisher
  • Locking in for deep work
  • A late-night drive when the highway’s empty
  • Cleaning the house like you’re in a music video 🤣

It’s not complicated.

It’s just momentum.

And momentum is underrated.

Pro tip: Loop it for more awesomeness.

14 minutes becomes 28. 28 becomes 56.

Sometimes bliss doesn’t need variety.

It just needs rhythm on repeat.

Here it is:

Here’s how to loop the playlist:

On Mobile (iPhone/Android)

  1. Open the playlist.
  2. Tap Play.
  3. Tap the Now Playing bar at the bottom.
  4. Look for the 🔁 Repeat icon (bottom right area).

You’ve got three modes:

  • Gray = No repeat
  • Green (one arrow circle) = Repeat entire playlist
  • Green with “1” = Repeat current song only

For the mix:
👉 Tap until it shows green without the “1.”
That loops the whole playlist.

On Desktop

  1. Open the playlist.
  2. Click Play.
  3. In the bottom control bar, click the Repeat icon.

Same rule:

  • One click = repeat playlist
  • Two clicks = repeat one song

Enjoy the beat.