The rumors circulating among my friends and family are true: I have laid down arms and ceased resistance to Facebook. On January 29, 2014, I became a node in the Social Network. Like so many before me, I like to think that I'll profit from this alliance more than will the network itself. Time will tell!

Instead of making New Year's resolutions, I've written up some quantifiable goals for 2014 as a motivational tool; this is an idea that came to me via Brian Brushwood (although probably he didn't originate it himself). I did this last year as well, but in 2014 I'm publishing them openly here, hoping to use social pressure to exert some extra leverage against indolence and inertia.

Here's the list:

• Complete one 5k footrace
• Earn Fechter rank in HEMA
• Do 10 pullups in a set (I can do about 3 at present)
• Do 100 pushups in a set (I tested at 21 at the beginning of January)
• Do 200 situps in a set (right now I'm at 50–60)
• Add five new videos to Youtube
• Launch three new web projects
• Add five significant projects to my personal site
• Add eight artworks to my personal site
• Post 24 new blog entries
• Launch my crowd-funded project (of which more anon)

I'll be updating this with additional blog posts quarterly, to keep myself on track.