Every Day A New Adventure

censored

2012-01-18T01:14:00.001-05:00

http://sopacountdown.com/

TEDxIowaCity - Dr. Terry Wahls - Minding Your Mitochondria

2011-12-09T01:16:00.000-05:00

My Occupy LA Arrest, by Patrick Meighan: My Occupy LA Arrest, by Patrick Meighan

2011-12-07T11:39:00.000-05:00

My Occupy LA Arrest, by Patrick Meighan: My Occupy LA Arrest, by Patrick Meighan: My name is Patrick Meighan, and I’m a husband, a father, a writer on the Fox animated sitcom “ Family Guy ”, and a member of the Unitarian U...

Shotgun Post - Multiple Updates

2011-09-23T18:52:00.001-04:00

Vibram update
For those of my followers wondering "Hey, I wonder if Mike is still wearing those funny shoes?"
Yes. I am wearing my funny shoes, and I have accidentally increased my weekly mileage quite a bit, sue to the pure awesome feeling of running them. The calf soreness and pinky toe cramping has gone away, and I feel good on the go.
Today, fueled on nothing but black coffee and a coffee mug of homemade beef broth, I set off on a run with no real plan as to what the final distance would be. I new it would be at least 3 miles, but I had no intention of setting a limit. The weather has been beautiful yesterday and today, with the humidity of the summer finally dropping off and a nice north wind blowing through gently. It was 84F when I started (29C for pretty much the rest of the known world), and sunny. To facilitate my daily dose of Vitamin D, I was clad in nothing but a pair of baggies with my communication device (page/cell/2way comm phone affectionately known as "the bat phone") in my wax pocket, my VFF's, a reflective belt (you know, for safety ::facepalm::), and my Simple Hydration Bottle; which we'll get to later. It felt great. I can't remember the most comfortable I have been on a run in a long time. I took it slow, never got winded, and just enjoyed it. I walked some, but it was more a run than a walk. The sun was brutal, and I wanted to keep running to see how far I could go. After the first 5 miles or so I decided to refill my bottle, get some water and a sip of broth, and I picked up my fishing shirt to cover me up. visual reference here
I ended up with a combined total, according to google maps, a 9.7mi Run/Walk fasted, in VFF's, and in a fishing shirt. This is pretty much the longest run I've completed that I know of. I'm not a distance runner by any means, and actively avoid chronic distance. I just wanted to see how far I could go. I definitely ran more than I walked, and it took about 2 hours to complete it all, but I will still put it up there on the accomplishments. I'm not training for any races.

Simple Hydration

I found out about the Simple Hydration bottle when one of my searches for the end of the internet led me to Kickstarter.com. This is a site that lets people give small sums of money to fund projects that would otherwise not get off the ground. It works similarly to a PBS fund drive, where you pledge you support, and various levels of support equal different gifts in return. However, you only get charged if the project meets it's funding goal. I loved the idea fr the bottle founder Brian Hock came up with, and saw the potential so I pledged my support, and have a bottle now to test and evaluate. Verdict: I love the little thing. It gets hot enough for the crawfish to crawl out pre-boiled here in the summer, so the idea of a bottle I can take with me on my half naked runs was spot-on. Truth be told I use it more as a basting brush than it's intended purpose, but keeping my skin cool and my bandanna wet gives me more endurance on those searing days. It works best with a strong waist band or a belt (more reason for my reflective belt, you know, for safety ::facepalm::), as I've had a hard time keeping it in place with lightweight running shorts, but it's small enough and designed so well that it fits in the palm of your hand and you don't even realize you are carrying a bottle at all. I have run with bottles before in the past carrying like a football tucked in your arm, but it's difficult staying relaxed carrying it that way. Camelbaks are sufficient, but I don't need that much water on short runs, and I prefer to not run with straps on my shoulders. The Simple Hydration bottle works great. It also fits in my weight vest, when I'm wearing that. I can say with confidence this bottle would work great in any active situation. I wish I had one of these in my military training days. I plan on purchasing a couple more.

Running in a Fishing Shirt
I honestly don't know why I've never tried this before. With the heat and the sun in the south, I just can't completely give-up using sunscreen. I put it on my tattoos to help keep the color lasting through the ages, and pretty much go without on the rest of my body, but I feel a tad guilty about it. Humans evolved many different ways to tackle the problem of sun exposure, or lack of as in the case of my European ancestry, and the modern chemicals in "SPF T-shirt" probably aren't doing me any good as they absorb into my skin. Even when I have a nice summer tan; I'm loaded up on bacon, butter, coconut oil, and tomatoes; this blond haired blue-eyed kid still gets a sunburn. Plus, tattoos have the unfortunate effect of heating up hotter and earlier than the rest of your skin, which I suspect has something to do with the Ink being made out of metal (probably not the healthiest choice, come to think of it). Sunscreen helps a little. The obvious recommendation is to get out of the sun or put on clothes. This hampers the running process.
Traditional cultures in hot environments wear loose fitting lightweight clothing that covers up exposed skin. Arab dessert cultures wear robes, Indians and Pakistanis wear loose pants and shirts, and the Tarahumara from the Copper Canyons of Mexico wear traditional blouses and loincloths when they run their great distance races though the mountains in extreme heat - just to think of a few. The Tarahumara are the inspiration for my fishing shirt run.

The Great Arnulfo Quimare

I was cooking in my skin on the first half of my run with my mind pumping away as it tends to do on runs, and I realized a fishing shirt is about as close to the traditional Tarahumara blouses as you can get without going an expedition to Old Mexico to acquire one. This is a shirt that is designed with sun protection in mind with a UPF30 advertised on the sleeve, and it's vented to allow for the breeze to flow through and still keep you in the shade. It's made of a lightweight synthetic material and is built for the movement required to cast. Seems like a perfect piece of running wear to me. I have looked at the UnderArmour heat gear before, but can't justify the price tag. My fishin' shirt was picked up at Gander Mountain for considerably less, and you can find them online. The big brand names creep up in price, but whatever.
This led me to wonder why the popularity of sun shirts aren't higher in the Ancestral heath and fitness circles. Vibrams, moccasins, running sandals are all picked up from the idea that our ancestors were right, and old ideas were merely improved (VFF's being the "improvement" to the human foot) why not traditional apparel? Runners are always making sure to have the newest technical gear to run in, but go out of the way to be minimal on their feet. Is traditional apparel the next untapped market? Time will tell. Maybe I will see more folks running in fishing shirts.

The Rugged Beauty of Swampy South Louisiana

Louisiana has a strange charm. It's downright sultry in the summer, with heat and humidity that would choke a ghecko; Reptiles, Arachnids, and Insects that live off your suffering and can certainly ruin your day abound; and the area has to deal with the occasional Category 5 hurricane that rolls through and knocks all the trailers off their pilings (they will put a double wide anywhere down here). However, over the course of the last two years I've grown very fond of life here, and the scenery is very beautiful when it wants to be. The sunrises and sunsets are spectactular, beside the heat, the weather is pretty awesome most of the year, and the fish and wildlife are pretty awesome. The people are the friendliest you'll ever meet, and the food culture is one of a kind.
I love getting off the road here and just running or hiking. I work very near the locations on Swamp People, and I can decipher the coon-ass dialect so well I don't need the subtitles on the show. Gators, Snakes, Spiders be damned. I still run trails. I do wait for the grass to be cut, and I have regular run-ins with fire ants, but so far I'm still higher on the food chain. I don't plan on changing my habits anytime soon.

Fasted Training

2011-09-19T13:02:00.000-04:00

As I laced up my running shoes (first time since buying my VFF's) for a 5k on the gravel road, the lightning struck and the rain started falling. So I've been pacing around the crew trailer waiting for it to stop. There are squall lines in every direction today, so I was hoping to get my run in before it started storming again. I wanted to post a link to a guest post by Jason Fitzgerald this morning on Naturally Engineered I've been following David Csonka for a while now, and his blog is a great resource to all things Paleo and Fitness as well as a great place to start if you are just getting into all of this. Strength Running, likewise has been extremely helpful to me in improving my running ability. Both these guys know their stuff, and are talented bloggers who can really convey the information in a concise, understandable way.

Perfecting the Art of Fasting Before Running
The article deals with fasted-state running, and actively challenges the old adage that you need to carb load prior and during a run to perform well. If you are training for a race or race season Intermittent Fasting lets you work in a way to train your body to metabolize and store glucose in your muscles more efficiently. This definitely a must-read article.

In my own experience, I have switched almost entirely to fasted runs. I have not been putting in as many miles as a competitive runner, but rather supplementing my training, and maximizing the mind-clearing benefits of runs. I was starting to ratchet up my mileage before I started running in VFF's, but dialed it back down when I was breaking them in. I made up for the shorter distances with more frequent runs. It is very cathartic to just float along nearly barefoot, and I have to say it is mildly addictive when you are already into fitness. My already minimal (9mm heel drop) NB100's feel like cowboy boots compared to the KSO's. The only reason I am putting them on is I want to run on a gravel road, and gravel has been my arch nemesis lately. I really just want to run my old 5k on gravel just to get away.
I have not eaten a traditional breakfast in nearly a year, and now if I run with anything more than half a banana in my stomach I feel nauseated the entire run. Running with the fuel low light on has been nothing but a blessing to my runs. I get a nice little pulse of energy after the first mile that catapults me through the rest of the run. The only exception being on very high heat and humidity days where I'm just getting beat down by the elements. Most of the time fasting helps cool your body down as well, so the summers are a lot more bearable here in the deep south.
I have also completed many military fitness tests while fasted with my Navy PRT scores getting better, and my Search and Rescue Fitness Tests and Evals getting better. Swimming with anything in my stomach has generally been a bad idea anyway, due to the nausea and cramping associated. The Conventional Wisdom would be that an individual needs a large number of calories before during and after to fuel these workouts, but the opposite is true. I now perform better on an empty stomach than I do with even a light breakfast. Light breakfast being a powerbar or a piece of fruit. Now I fuel myself with a good cup (usually more) of French Pressed coffee, and at most a tiny piece of very dark chocolate to counteract the acid. Coffee and Chicory seems to provide the best results, as the chicory takes away the acid, and is high in magnesium.

The added benefits of increased insulin sensitivity, lower caloric load over time, and better fat metabolism, have all helped push me through plateaus in fitness and weight loss; and the "second wind" sometimes achieved gives the benefit of pushing through some grueling workouts leading to my better over-all conditioning. I am unsure as to this effect is from the release of liver glucose after gluconeogenesis from the previous night's protein, or if it is simply keto adaptation and the point at which the mitochondria switch over to burning ketone bodies (fat) as fuel. Either way, it has been intuitive to me to eat and work this way, so I will not be switching back.

If you are interested in learning more about Intermittent Fasting as a method, here are some very helpful links that I still follow on a regular basis:
Martin Berkhan at Lean Gains
Johnny at The Lean Saloon
Brad Pillon at Eat Stop Eat
Mike O'Donell at The IF Life
The Fast-5 Corporation

***I do want to state, that unless you have your diet really dialed in, and all the crap removed this will be a very difficult transition if this is something you are wanting to try out. A lifetime of poor dietary choices perpetuated by our consumerist society will not provide enough of the necessary nutrients for your body to run efficiently. Start with making REAL FOOD your primary source of fuel, so the need to snack on junk all day is eliminated. This is imperative. Fasting is intuitive once you can eat well enough to be able to skip a meal. Garbage in Garbage out. If you get light headed by dinner time after snacking all day, then it's time to reevaluate your food choices.

Not Everything in the South is Fried

2011-08-26T11:16:00.000-04:00

Before reading this post, I recommend you click this link for some audio ambiance

There is a huge benefit to living near the water - SEAFOOD!

The biggest problem you run into in the South (capitol "S") is the heavy breading, and short cooking times in hot "trans-fat free" industrial oils ruining otherwise delicious fresh fare. I love oysters on the half shell, but for some reason, I can only find them battered, fried, and stuck on a po' boy bun around here, and shrimp tends to meet the same fate. Luckily, there is a culture of food down hyeah that isn't all about fried fried fried. Almost any seafood restaurant you go to, outside of a po' boy shop on the side of the road will have boiled seafood. Crabs, shrimp, crawfish are all still snappin' when they throw them in the pot, with a healthy portion of spices, corn, sometimes sausage, and red potatoes. it's only a few minutes, and you have a beautiful pot of spicy fish candy ready to be cracked open and shoved in your face!

If you've never had blue crab, then you are truly missing out on one of the best edible creatures on the planet. People think of crabs, and they think of crab legs imported from a cold and dangerous location somewhere near the arctic circle only to break open the shells and dip the meat in clarified butter. While all this is fine and dandy, since it gives us entertaining reality television on the discovery channel, it definitely isn't the most tasty crustacean swimming and crawling across the bottom of the Ocean. As anyone along the East and Gulf Coast knows, blue crab is fish candy! It's like swimming bacon!

Now you can buy peeled and de-veined shrimp already cooked, and you can buy jumbo lump crabmeat for $30/Lb, but why mess with all that, when you can peel or pick it yourself? The locals just grab and go start picking. It really is a lot better when you pick the meat off the shell instead of worrying about all the bread in a crab cake or devilled crab. It is such a nice change-up from the usual fried nasty, or the greasy burgers on most people's plates.
Here is a link to a video explaining how to pick your crab

Shrimping has just started again here, and word has it the boats are doing really well this season. I'm going to go look for a good deal on the side of the bayou. I love this stuff!

Daddy's Silly Shoes

2011-08-20T18:46:00.000-04:00

I finally joined the Vibram Five Fingers shoe club Sunday. I was putting off the inevitable, I suppose, as my running around barefoot eventually resulted in torn callouses on the bottom of my feet that I was unaware that I had. Apparently, years of wearing steel toed flight boots had left a few manageable callouses on my big toes and inside of the balls of my feet. My barefoot run on the road after a rain a few weeks ago resulted in tears on said callouses similar to tearing a callous whilst kipping pull-ups at a CrossFit gym. I guess I was just so in the moment on my little run, that i didn't realize I was toeing off too much. I had been sprinting in the grass for a while, and wanted to top off the workout with an extra mile mostly to test my feet on the road. It felt amazing to get out and run without my shoes. Such a freeing experience, and my form was effortless. I felt like I was floating.

I switched to the New Balance 100 almost 2 years ago, and still have the same pair. They are just now starting to show signs of wear after 2 years! The follow-up, the NB101 will be a purchase soon, but I may look into getting the 8mm drop cobbled out to a zero drop, or start cutting and filing the rubber down, Anton Krupicka style:

Skip to :53

Well here I am now. I Finally purchased a pair of the VFF's. Call me a late adopter. I am so late on the scene of barefoot footwear. Forgive me shoe hipsters. VFF's are sooo 2009. I just couldn't justify paying so much for something so ugly. They are so stupid looking, in fact, that my 18 month old little girl laughs and giggles at "Daddy's Silly Shoes." She doesn't have the verbal agility to make her words sound like mine, yet, but she sure has the tone down. She bushes and giggles as if to say: "Dada! those aren't shoes. They make your feet look like monkey feet!" Leave it to a toddler to bring things into perspective.

However, they have a very functional purpose. I have been trying to break these in slow, but it's difficult to not just take off on a jog everywhere. The standard recommendation is to cut your running volume to 10-20% of your normal distance for the first week, with a 10% increase each consecutive week. I spend as much time as possible barefoot, including on my workouts already, and I run in a fairly minimal shoe as it is. I've been focussing on my running form for over a year now on every run. I make sure to kick my shoes off and do barefoot sprints when i can, and i run barefoot on the beach quite a bit. I didn't think this wold be a painful transition. HOWEVER, the calf pain this first week has been painful. I cut my distance and speed down a lot, since it's impossible to go to a full 10% of 20 miles a week without riding in a wheelchair. I tested it out with my normal 5K on the road with the intent being to stop as soon as I felt any fatigue, and walk. I made it to the 2 mile mark lighter and faster than any other run I have had. I didn't even feel like I needed to stop at the 1.5 mile turn around. No lung cramps, extremely relaxed, It was hot and humid, but I just kept running. I stopped at 2 miles only because I was concerned about the break-in period. It hit all at once. One minute I was running free, feeling like Prefontaine (moustache and all), and then full stop the next. I walked back the next mile, and by the time i was back at my crew trailer I was feeling the tightness. I skipped the run the next day in favor of a bodyweight workout to push my weightloss protege through, and capped it off with a short jog to work on form. I was sore, but not to the point of barely being able to walk. The next day was a lifting day, and at one point I had to remove the shoes due to the cramping from wearing the shoes. Simply being barefoot was brutal, but it was worse with the shoes on.

Here is a video from RunBlogger showing the calf muscle contraction during a run with VFF's

This leads me to a conclusion: The VFF Break-in period isn't necessarily from the muscles in your feet being atrophied from years and years of being shod, but in my case at least, from the unatural position of the toes being held in more of a splayed position. While running unshod, your toes splay out and spread looking for ground. The big toe is the driver, and the little toes are the stabilizers. The VFF's facilitate the splaying out, but when you relax and try to grip the ground, there is a resistance. This puts the pinky toe in an awkward position, and the small muscles incorporated in the movement get worn out from having to hold the toes in a splayed position. The break in period is to acclimate your legs to this new dynamic.

Now it may be the case, that as the sole breaks in, my toes will be able to relax on the upstride. I haven't got that far yet,as this pair of KSO's only have about 4-5mi on them with some weight training and some tree climbing. It has to be said that so far, I am not unhappy with the purchase, and the shoes live up to the hype. I would like to give the ZEM360's a try as well, but that will have to be in the near future. I did get out today and run a "follow-the-leader" style circuit around the camp today, and afterward worked on my MovNat skills in the liveoak tree out in front of the crew trailer. After a rest day yesterday, my legs feel fresh and ready to go. So far, so good. I can say I will be wearing the shoes a lot in the future.

ALSO: I can say 2 more things slightly related. 1. I conquered a branch in the tree that I dubbed my "MovNat" branch. I have been using this branch to try and work on my natural movement sklls. I today, for the first time, went from a dead-hang in to the tree via a muscle-up, and then down over another branch. 2. I am definitely NOT too old to climb trees.

Summer in Ohio

2011-07-31T16:31:00.002-04:00

Summer adventures are mostly over now, and it's back to the status quo. My little family unit traveled many many miles, braved storms, traffic, puke, poop, tantrums, random crack-heads, sleep deprivation, "heat", power outages, and still managed to be where we needed to be, and see who we were supposed to see. We traveled far and wide, but we returned safely, and have some great experiences to live with for a long time to come. I have to put up some links and some recommendations for places to visit if you are ever in Columbus, OH.

1. For the best cup of coffee you will ever have, you have to visit Luck Bros' Coffee House in Grandview. These guys really know their stuff, and my wife and I make a concerted effort to stop in there whenever we pass through. They do it all in the realms of coffee. There are tons of places Columbus has to offer, but I can't speak for them all since I haven't had a chance to see much of my old stomping grounds in the last ten years. But this place is the real deal. Also, there is a cute little park across the street, so if you have youngsters, you can get your coffee, and walk over to play.
2. For the most aamzing Ice Cream I have ever had, check out Jeni's Ice Cream. We bought a pint at the second stop in at Luck Bros' and I can only describe it as out-of-this-world good. I have had some decadent desserts, but nothing compared to this ice cream. To quote the master:

"Every day I’m surrounded by an ice cream-making crew of artists, writers, photographers, bakers, big-brain mathletes, travelers with omnivorous cultural appetites, and world-class experience gatherers."

"We create ice creams we fall madly in love with, that we want to bathe in, that make us see million-year-old stars. We devour it out of Mason jars, coffee mugs—whatever we can get our hands on. Handmade American ice cream = Bliss with a big B. Every single thing we put in our ice cream is legit. Generic chemist-built ice cream bases and powdered astronaut-friendly gelato mixes? No, ma’am. We build every recipe from the ground up with luscious, Snowville milk and cream from cows that eat grass. With that exquisite base, we explore pure flavor in whatever direction moves us at any moment, every day, all year."

Local Produce from my home state, hand-made artisanal products, grass-fed cows... Yeah. I'm in. And, they deliver!

3. I try to stop in Amish country whenever I can, and if you find yourself driving though Ohio, a small detour off the beaten path may be worth your while. There is a small country store just outside of Bellefontaine near theAmish settlement of Belle Center called the Country Variety Store and Bakery. When i was just a young pup, my grandmother would take me in there on the way home from Camp Wesley in the summer. Back then the refrigerators operated off of natural gas, and there were no lights. It's a little different now, but it's still the quaint country store it always was. I picked up a cute little hand-made rocking chair for my daughter, and some egg-noodles.

4. On a recommendation from family, we stopped in at Marie's Candies(!). I know this doesn't fit in with most of my principles, but they hand make all the chocolate in the basement of a converted train station, and the story behind the place is pretty cool. The chocolate was awesome, It was a special treat, and it even came with a warning at purchase "now this doens't have any preservatives or stabilizers in it, so keep it out of the sun or it will met in your car." They follow the same recipes that Marie herself made when she opened the shop when her husband came down with polio in 1941. The business started as a way to provide a living for the family. They have been in business since 1956, and you can take tours of the little old Train Depot where they make the chocolates today. This place is definitely worth a detour.

We stopped in Asheville, NC on the way back home to our little cottage by the sea. We made a point to go to Tupelo Honey Cafe for breakfast the next morning. This place is one of my favorite restaurants in the world. I'll let them speak for themselves. If you are ever in Asheville, stop in.

I did get to get a run in while there, and i have to say I underestimated the hills. I see more bridge runs in my future to compensate for the flatness of Florida and Louisiana. I saw enough of my old spots to miss them terribly, but Not enough to remember why I moved the hell away in the first place. Ohio in the summer and fall is one of the best places to be. It's the other parts of the year that can suck. What i miss most is the open spaces. I'm definitely a country boy at heart looking for a simpler life. I feel a strong connection to my family land that will never be broken. A little bit of the Blanchard River will always run through my veins, and I will always long for the clear skies and clean air of my childhood. I guess it must be a shift from my twenties to my thirties.

I would have posted more pictures, however we were so busy chasing a lightening fast toddler around, there weren't many pics actually taken; neither were videos. I suppose this is why family albums always seem to hit a lull when the babies get bigger. Once kids get mobile, they surely don't sit still for pictures. Especially when they are little adventurers like their daddy!

Summer Break

2011-07-05T12:55:00.004-04:00

I have a lot of Summertime Daddy things to accomplish in the next couple of weeks, so I will not be writing anything. I will instead be grilling meat, enjoying time with my family, chasing my little girl around like a bear, and getting into some regular old neighborhood adventures. I'll be back in a few weeks.

n=1; The Paleo-Libertarian Connection

2011-06-28T15:34:00.000-04:00

"Society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members. Society is a joint-stock company, in which the members agree, for the better securing of his bread to each shareholder, to surrender the liberty and culture of the eater. The virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion. It loves not realities and creators, but names and customs."

"Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist."

Ralph Waldo Emerson - "Self Reliance"

"Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it."

Henry David Thoreau

There is a deep seated vein of Libertarianism within the greater Paleo community. For a long time, I have been searching for the connection between the two. Paleo is about using an evolutionary approach to diet, health and wellness, and fitness. It has been around as a published diet in one form or another for over 40 years, but the most recent form has been more of a movement than one set of rules and guidelines that constitute a "diet" that one can start and stop at anytime. Paleo, while not being considered mainstream, is comprised of a network of bloggers, scientists, health professionals, and authors that all lend a unique voice to the greater "Paleo-sphere." The principles and guidelines are fluid, so as new information comes to light, studies published, and talking heads are refuted; the idealogy adapts to reflect the findings. This is a true grass-roots movement moving at the speed of the internet in the information age. The information is available to provide a solid framework for health and well-being as our peers and relatives are dying of the Diseases of Civilization or Syndrome X.

The Paleo Crowd is growing. It's doubling every year, as evidenced by the 2011 Paleo Community Survey. This is nearly a movement considered "radical" by some in the mainstream. When people start to do their own research into this way of living, eyes begin to open to a history of deception, bad business, legal roadblocks, and government SNAFU's all mired around the pseudoscience released shortly after WWII, and perpetuated by Large Media Outlets and US Government Bureaucracies. I liken it to falling down the rabbit hole, waking up in Oz, or taking the red pill; it's waking up to a painful reality. The Conventional Wisdom of the day, spread like manure by Big Pharma, Big Cola, Yum Foods, McDonalds, Disney, ConAgra, ADM, Monsanto, and the bureaucratic arms of the government (which are simply mercantilist policy makers that have revolving doors to the industries they govern. Conflict of interest, much?) are precisely why the US is getting fatter, less healthy, and has a lower life expectancy than previous generations. Medical care is supposedly better, but it really just keeps you in a perpetual state of sick and miserable, so you have to keep taking the drugs to treat symptoms while ignoring the cause. The same Conventional Wisdom is taught briefly in med school and flawed studies funded by the industries most benefiting are pushed as fact (pseudoscience). Our country gets sicker, and as we start to figure out how to fix it, the regulations are passed to stop it. The key is to look in ourselves.

One of the major tenets of the paleo paradigm is to "see what works" or "listen to your body" and adapt your personal plan around this. This is what is referred to as an experiment of one or n=1. n=1 is the ultimate expression of self-reliance. It makes no difference what others are doing. It makes no difference what the mandated government sponsored info-graphic of the day is, you will eat according to your biological make-up (this is exactly what the giant food producers are afraid of, and have been keen to react to because it pulls you away from the independence of subsidized grain; but that's another post). This is freedom. This is Liberty. When the shady practices of the mercantile government bureaucracies, reactionary politics, and the helplessness of the healthcare industry get your feathers all ruffled up, you start to see the logic behind Libertarianism. The government has no right to tell you what can and can't go in your mouth, what you need to do for exercise, or what you can do with your own private property. The Information Age has provided the opportunity for the little guy to actually see the bigger picture. This is a Renaissance, and all the information is at your fingertips. You can see the error of picking one of two sides. They are both wrong, and hamper the liberties of every individual in this nation. Laws are made, policies follow, and generally never go away. People complain and want to gubment to help them, but the road to the dark side of capitalism is paved with good intentions. Follow the money. The well being of the citizenry is not high on the priority list.

Maybe as time goes on, the tidal wave of sea change will influence the political landscape of this country. Right now we are seeing the result of the hippies and veterans of the Vietnam war all grown up, and in positions of power. The next generation (this one) can see the errors of the past and will strive to fix it. It is up to us to preserve the ideals laid out for us by our founding fathers. If the wake-up call for most people is through the food they eat, then so be it. I hope more people wake up. Do we need to have a brand name? To some extent, in this day and age, yes. You can only fight buzz words with more buzz words, soudbites with more soundbites, tweets with tweets and Facebook messages. Spread it around.

“First, they ignore you.
Then they laugh at you.
Then they fight you.
Then you win.”

Mahatma Ghandi

The Paleo Diet Infographic

2011-06-12T12:00:00.001-04:00

For the Paleo crowd, I'm late on this, but I am posting this up for the people who are not associated with the Paleo community... Yet.

From Patrik, who brought the world PaleoHacks and PaleolithicDiet.com
Here is the Paleo Diet Infographic:

Learn more about the Paleo Diet.

Sunday Afternoon Music Videos

2011-06-05T17:49:00.000-04:00

Non Diet Related Happy Sunday Music Video Funtime!

Renaissance Plate: The Artist's Table from Emiko Davies

2011-06-03T22:23:00.001-04:00

I found this little gem on Twitter today, posted by Lonely Planet from Emiko Davies a Citizen-of-the-World type travel and food blogger in Florence, Italy. The Artists Table details a few days in the life of the Italian artist Jacapo Pontormo in the spring of 1554, late in his life.

http://www.emikodavies.com/blog/the-artists-table/

On the 11th of March 1554, on Sunday morning, I ate lunch with Bronzino—chicken and veal—and felt well (it is true that I was in bed when he came for me at home. It was quite late and upon getting up I felt swollen and full. It was a very beautiful day). In the evening I ate a bit of roasted dry meat which made me thirsty.
Monday evening I ate a cabbage and an omelet.
Tuesday evening I ate one half of the head of a kid and soup.
Wednesday evening I had the other half, fried, and a pretty big helping of zibibbo grapes, and 5 quattrini of bread, and capers in salad.
Thursday evening, a soup of good mutton and salad of goat’s beard.
Friday evening, salad of goat’s beard and two eggs in an omelet.
Saturday, fasted. Sunday evening, which was the evening of Palm Sunday, I ate a little boiled mutton and salad, and had to eat three quattrini of bread.
Monday evening after dinner I felt very lively and agreeable. I ate a salad of lettuce, a thin soup of good mutton and 4 quattrini of bread.
Tuesday evening I ate a salad of lettuce and an omelet.
Holy Wednesday: evening, 2 quattrini of almonds, and an omelet and some walnuts. And I did the figure that is above the head [of another figure]. The Duchess came to San Lorenzo; the Duke came, too.
Thursday evening, a salad of lettuce and some caviar, and one egg.
Friday evening an omelet with fava beans, and a bit of caviar and 4 quattrini of bread. Saturday I ate two eggs.
Sunday, which was Easter morning and the Feast of the Annunciation, I went to eat lunch with Bronzino. And I ate dinner there, too.
Monday evening I ate a salad that was of borage and a half-lemon, and 2 eggs in an omelet.
Tuesday evening I was all hoarse and ate a rosemary bread and an omelet and a salad and some dry figs.
Wednesday, fasted.
Thursday evening, a rosemary bread, an omelet of one egg and a salad and 4 quattrini of bread, in all.

The blog post touches on the foibles of Pontormo and his food log, interestingly enough considered neurotic and obsessive (hmmm). and some of the other interesting things of Florentine Renaissance life, but the most interesting thing I noticed, beside the minuscule amount of bread on his menu, was the fasting. He generally ate one modest meal a day with just enough to keep him going through until the next except for the occasion of a religious feast! This was a painter who spent his days painting into wet plaster, and staying active.

Karen Pendergrass: Vegetarian Chicken Rant

2011-06-01T23:30:00.001-04:00

Karen Pendergrass is behind the Paleo Approved Label. Share this, forward it on, and maybe people will stop believing in all the Vegan propaganda.

Humans are omnivores too.

Burning Rubber

2011-05-24T11:10:00.001-04:00

You got tires? I got tires.

15yd tractor tire flip
15 push-ups with feet on tire
15yd tire flip
10 back extensions
10 GHD sit-ups
10 Chest to Bar pull-ups
20 sledgehammer tire slams (10 each side

5 rounds AFAP w/20# vest

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My Day Job

2011-05-11T12:38:00.001-04:00

This is a video of the Crew of Cougar 61 training at the BP West Sirius. The crew did a great job with the video. This is an awesome view of us getting it done. If we can't land on a rig, and there is medical emergency, this is how you get picked up to go to the hospital. This is why we train.

I was asked once why I train. I want to be conditioned for the rigors of the job. It is also fun. Functional fitness keeps me ready for anything life can throw at me.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T18:44:00.002-04:00

I speak a lot about family here on Every Day a New Adventure. Fatherhood is truly the greatest adventure I have ever been on, and it just keeps getting more exciting everyday. However, I couldn't do this without the support of my beautiful wife, the mother of my beautiful daughter. She is truly amazing, and I can't be more happy she is the Mother of my child. While daddy is out trying to make a living, she is there making sure little one grows up healthy, happy, strong, well-rounded, beautiful little girl. She does the hard work with little in return. She's changed diapers, kissed booboos, nursed and cared for, protected, and guided little one through everything this life has shown her; and will be there for the rest. Today is just a way to show the world honors you for all the hard work, tears, and joy you have put in it. I love you, and look forward to all the adventures we will have in the years to come.

I know now how hard my mother worked to keep myself and my brothers well. She was there for the bumps, bruises, breaks, grass stains, muddy footprints, bloody noses, tears, and laughter. She was there when things were tough, and never let us know about it. She was there keeping us safe, or bailing us out of trouble. She was there cheering us on around the turns of the track, rounding the bases, kicking soccer balls, drumming in band competitions; and she gasped in fright every time a pole vault attempt went the wrong direction and missed the pit. She with my dad were responsible for my brothers and I even when we didn't know it, or were trying so desperately to grow up. Thank you, Mom, for keeping me from hurting myself, others, from getting into too much trouble, and for just being my Mom. You have taught me so much, and I have everything in the world to thank you for. I love you.

To all the mothers out there. Thank you for all that you do. The work you put in and neverget credit for is noticed. The world doesn't run without you. Thank you.

Updates

2011-05-05T23:42:00.000-04:00

Just before Christmas, I re-sprained my ankle. This tendency to happen is going to be with me for the rest of my life, and i have to be prepared to not only know my limits, but to be able to strengthen it back up if it happens. It caught me by surprise, and I thought I was strong enough for it not to happen. I was wrong.

But, 4 months and some change later, I am back to normal. Hell, I am past normal. I set a new Personal Record on the deadlift at 424Lbs. (silly metric weights). Last month I scored the highest I scored on the Navy Physical Readiness test since I was 20 and there was a Marine adding extra push-ups to my score. All of these fasted, for the record. I would venture to say I am better.

I set goals of self improvement. I still have a long way to go with the gymnastics and bodyweight training, but I notice a difference the more I train, and the more fat I lose. I set a goal weight at 190 Lbs back when my hungover bloated ass decided i was getting too fat. I have since passed that original goal only to see that I have farther to go. I am not wasting away. I am not losing muscle. I am simply losing fat. I bought new jeans only to find that two weeks later, they don't fit. I went down a jacket size, and my suits don't fit. These were all things that fit great when I was at what I thought was a good weight at 200, but now i look at pics of me at 200, and I can see the difference. I know this isn't a lot of weight, but the differences in my face and waistline show the truth! I thought i was genetically predispositioned for corpulence, but I figured it out. Genetics be damned!

In other news, Osama Bin Laden is Dead. Nothing has changed. We are still fighting wars all over creation, bleeding ourselves dry with poor economic and foreign policy, living and dying under a bureaucracy that subscribes to no one's politics while watching the yellow journalism on cable blaming the president. I hated that piece of shit as much as anyone out there, and that bastard is directly responsible for the most heinous acts of our time, but doe sit matter whether he is dead or alive? No.
I found this piece the other day. /www.washingtonpost.com Between war, stifling economic poliy, natural disasters, and the 24/7 sensationalism of it all, Are we winning?

I am currently devouring Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. This book is a real eye opener in terms of the rise of civilizations and the uneven distribution of the world's power. There are so many questions that spin off of it, I won't go into until after I read the book. It's very amazing in it's scope and thoughtfulness. I suppose that's why it won a Pulitzer.

I hope to recover from my slump on the blogging. I have been torn lately with all the cognitive dissonance within the Paleo movement lately. I almost want to stop using the term. It's really just a brand after all, and I suppose a brand is necessary in today's world.

Anyway, Here is some awesome music.

Local Natives | Who Knows Who Cares | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Robb Wolf: Sh*t Fox News Says

2011-04-29T20:27:00.000-04:00

As is usual, Robb Wolf says what I'm thinking much more eloquently. I usually agree with Stossel on a lot of issues, but this just shows you have to trust but verify.
Sh*t Fox News Says

Updates Coming Soon

2011-03-26T10:54:00.002-04:00

Updates are coming soon. I have been too busy to put together a good post.

The weather has been nearly perfect, and a nice little visit from family have made the idea of a blog far from my thoughts. I get to play Navy quite a bit coming up, so it may be a week before i can get all these thoughts lined up together. Family, beaches, fishing, weddings, the Reserves, springtime, and Beaches (did I already mention the beach?) make for great reasons to get out of the house and away from the blog. I will return when I can.

Louisiana Saturday Night

2011-03-12T15:09:00.004-05:00

Twist the tail, peel the tail, pinch the head and suck the fat, eat the tail meat. Sip frosty cold adult beverage. Repeat.

this was about 5 pounds for round 1

The best part about the Louisiana Cajun culture is most definitely the Crawfish. Every spring the mudbugs start getting big, and the rice ponds are filled with the suckers. It blows me away how many are in a sack, and we boiled two sacks or 72 pounds worth of crustaceans. I don't know the chef's personal recipe, and he wouldn't tell me if I asked, but I know it was awesome. The smell of a pot of boiling crawfish is like nothing else, and once you smell it, you will say the same. The closest thing i can think of is lobster. Crawfish, however, are more tender and there is the "fat" in the head. The real cajuns and folks in the know will suck the head, and maybe even give a little pinch to extract the flavor. If they are big enough you may even be able to get some meat out of the claws. Down here people don't look at you sideways if you shove your pinky finger into the head and pull out the fat, either.

Round 1. We could only boil so many at a time!

I am spreading the word about the Paleo movement one belly at a time. I know the seasonings that go into a boil may be considered off limits, and some of the paleo reenacting purists could get on my case about this, but honestly this is one of the most traditional and most primal meals in Cajun culture. Crawfish were a meal handed down by the Attakapa and Chitimacha Natives to the first Acadian settlers when they immigrated to the area in the middle part of the 18th century after the French and Indian War. These little guys are mostly shell, and what meat is there is delicious and nutritious. It takes about 5 or 6 pounds of crawfish to make a pound of tail meat, and each ounce of that meat according to nutritiondata.self.com, leaves you with 15g of protein and plenty of zinc to keep your pirogue in the water. A pirogue is a boat not a potato dumpling in case you were curious.

Either you hate 'em or you love 'em, but I know I love dem bugs.

Fresh Kill Like a Boss

2011-03-11T22:25:00.003-05:00

Richard Nikoley at Free The Animal posted this. I love the camera angle when the three hunters stand up and stroll up to the lion pride like a boss. No fear. They just casually and confidently walk up top hundreds of bloody teeth waiting to tear into some flesh. I mean, what's a little twig of a human to a lion compared to a wildebeast? It's like the primal version of Office Space. "I can't say I've been missing work, !gembeh" Absolutely brilliant. This is what human is. We are the Top tier of the food chain.

Is it bad that I start thinking of ways to cook a Wildebeast shank? I wonder if they smoke the hock to throw in with some cassava? Do they have tony Chacherere's in Africa?

Mega Dinner

2011-03-10T21:20:00.002-05:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

I have been working out hard again now that the weather isn't nasty, and my ankle is getting back to normal. I haven't been blogging as much lately for more excuses than i can think, but I am here now. Yesterday was the first time in a long time that I can honestly say I was really hungry. I made homemade veggie soup for dinner, and i could Just. Not. Get. Enough. I ate soup until it was coming out of my ears, and then had another bowl. I was full, but still hungry. When I woke up this morning, I knew it was a legitimate hunger, and not just the occasional morning empty that passes after the first sniff of coffee. Luckily, there was a banana pancake waiting for me and a cup of coffee! My trailer mate had extra bananas and threw together a paleo pancake on accident. Basically: mash-up two ripe bananas, a whole egg, and some nut butter into a batter, and fry in butter. These were so good, and blew away any attempt at a paleo pancake I have ever tried before. Dumb luck.

After a hard workout at noontime, I was STARVING. Legitimate, depletion of bodily needs hunger. I checked (with a ketostick), and I was still in ketosis even after breaking a fast earlier in the day. I had planned on eating ad libitum today after last night, so it worked out, but I downed 3 eggs and a whole ham steak! By three in the afternoon the headaches started kicking in, and I was already hungry again, so I could tell I needed some starches. I ate an avocado.

It was dinner time shortly after, so I made this feast: I had a giant ribeye with the bone on, a boat-load of broccoli and some roasted vegetable medley. It was a dinner of such epic proportions so as to not be contained by one single plate. The steak covered one plate on it's own merit. I usually only eat like this on holidays. The only thing I would have added was a glass of wine, but unfortunately on call, I am unable to imbibe.

I will make an observation on fasting with a Paleo diet. You HAVE to make sure you can listen to your body to interpret your caloric and dietary needs. Eat when you are hungry, but don't when you are not. If you are lacking in something suck as Iron or Magnesium, or Potassium your body will tell you. I know when I start getting serious headaches that don't go away, I NEED starch to replenish my glucose reserves. If I eat something sweet I just feel like ass anyway, so this is where rice and root vegetables come in. Rice has never given me problems, so i never omitted it completely; but potatoes I use VERY sparingly. I limit them to rare occasions and never eat them alone. I always throw in some fat and usually other veggies.

With fasting most days, I have managed to curb my issue with boredom eating, push past the plateau at 200Lbs, and really figure out what works for me. The more I drop, the better I feel and perform. I also have had to adjust as i get lower in Bodyfat. I attribute this to having less of a store to draw from. When I was 230 and 20%BF, I could stand to have a few nutritious meals derived of my own bodyfat stores. I wish I knew the physiology of ketosis prior to then, but that's all hindsight being perfect and all. I still try to stay pretty low on the carb scale most of the time, and I use the headaches as a guide as to when I need to refill the tank. I passed my weight goal, but it was based on my bad math skills trying to figure out my lean body mass, and my body fat percentage still isn't where I would like it to be. I also want to push it a little to see how far this method takes me. I could look as good as I did after graduating from SAR school when I was 20 years old. That is pretty cool.

Ulysses in Iceland

2011-03-04T17:57:00.003-05:00

Ulysses from Christopher Herwig on Vimeo.

a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson recited by Alastair Humphreys while crossing Iceland by foot and raft in July 2010

I've Been Missing

2011-02-23T14:31:00.005-05:00

I haven't put up a post in a little while. A little cutie I know just turned 1 year old, and I have been completely absorbed in daddy mode.

I honestly can't believe it's really been a year. It feels like just last week she was a little baby burrito swaddled in my arms, and now she's walking and talking. Time goes so fast, and even faster when you travel, and faster still when you have a baby. This being a daddy thing is truly my greatest adventure, and I can't say anything would top it. She's already as fearless as Daddy, so I can't wait until we can go on little adventures together! This summer will be spent at the beach and running through the nature park. I can't wait.

Happy Birthday DB.

Grilled Beet, Fennel, and Jazz Apple

2011-02-23T12:51:00.008-05:00

Beets. My extent of beets has up until this point been limited to Pickled beets, and the eggs pickled in the beet juice after the beets had been consumed. I can't say I had much of an opinion on them, other than they remind me of my boyhood in Ohio, and the black dirt from our gardens that give them the earthy goodness. Beets were truly a staple around the family, but I was too young to have developed the complex palate for them. My father and brother have been talking about how good roasted beets are recently, so I of course had to pick some up at the commissary. Adventures in fine dining, and grill mastery experimentation are a welcome experience in my little household. I have to say this turned out better than expected.

Grilled Country Style Ribs in Orange Marinade, Roasted Beets and Grilled Fennel with Grilled Apple. There was a homemade beef broth mushroom soup for a first course.

This turned out so much better than I expected it to. The pork shoulder is pretty fire (no pun intended) and forget, and always a crowd pleaser. The shoulder cut is so deliciously marbled with pork fat, and the charcoal grill does a terrific job of searing and caramelizing the outside, so you have a tender, juicy hunk of delicious pork. A simple marinade and some time over the coals, and you have a big chunk of awesome. The Beet dish was truly a wonder. I had never cooked with either beets or fennel before, and didn't really know what to expect. Fennel was one of those foreign vegetables that I had on my list to try, but never got around to. I highly recommend this dish to anyone who wants to impress a dinner party, or needs something cheep and moderately simple to bring to a pot-luck picnic or family function. It works well warm, but would be just as great as a cold salad. If you serve it cold, I would suggest adding walnuts or pecans to even out the texture and give it a bit more crunch. It's also a beautiful dish to serve if you are wanting for color on the plate. There is nothing like the color that pours out of roasted beets. A natural magenta that stains your hands, it leaves streaks of red all through the fennel and apples. The picture doesn't do it justice. It's truly food art if you give it a chance. The sweetness of the apple, the subtle anise cabbage-like flavor of the fennel, and the complex, earthy-sweet of the beets all stand alone on their own merit, but the trio is a concerto of flavor on your palate. Try this one out!

Here are my recipes:

Beet, Fennel, Apple salad
Ingredients:
3 Beets with tops removed
1 Large Fennel Bulb
1 Large Sweet apple (I used a Jazz Apple)
Sea Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
White Wine vinegar
1/3 cup Beef Stock

Prepare the beets: Roast beets in a foil packet on grill 30 minutes on each side or until tender through. After roasting, peel beets, and slice thin.
Prepare Fennel: Remove top and root of fennel bulb. Slice in 1/4 inch slices, and coat with white wine vinegar and olive oil with salt. Grill fennel on each side until seared. Remove from grill and place in saute pan with a dash of vinegar and Beef stock. Salt to taste, and saute until softened and separate pieces of fennel.
Slice fennel core into thin slices as well.
Prepare apple: peel, core, and halve the apple. Grill on the core side until carmelized. The sweeter the apple, the more caramelized the apple gets. Remove from grill and cut into small cubes.

Combine all the ingredients together in a large serving bowl. Salt to taste and drizzle with EVOO and White Wine Vinegar.

If anyone wants to duplicate this recipe and take better pictures of it, please post them! I never plan on making food posts until after I have eaten half of the dish, and the light in the room is too low for a quality pic.

Citrus Marinade Pork Country Style Ribs
Ingredients:
Pork Country Style Ribs/ Pork Shoulder
3 Cups Orange juice
1/4 cup Spicy Brown Mustard
3 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Medium Onion
honey (optional)
4 TBS Cajun Seasoning
Hot Sauce to taste (I like Iguana Radioactice pepper sauce)

Combine ingredients in gallon zip-lock bag, and let stand in refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours, but preferably overnight. Grill. Let rest. Serve. Yum.

Pork is so tasty and simple. Pair it with any good vegetable, and you can't go wrong.

Hunting Morels from the Perennial Plate

2011-02-02T17:57:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite meals of all time was from my childhood. Cast-Iron Morel Mushrooms in Butter over steak... in the woods, on a camp-stove, with my dad on a turkey hunting trip in the hills of Pike County, Ohio. We spent the day walking the hills in the forest looking for turkeys, and found a good patch of morels along the way! We filled our pockets and a hat with them, and continued on.

We used to go specifically Mushroom Hunting around the woods around the family land on the Blanchard River as a little kid. I would be following my dad or grandfather along the railroad and down into the woods, usually finding more briars and burrs than mushrooms, but being 3 ft tall did help with the view, however. We would find enough to cook for dinner, and that would be enough. Sometimes we would find enough for gifts to relatives or to eat later. More often than not they didn't last longer than that evening. It was a rare and special occasion.

Being a young kid, I didn't have the evolved tastebuds yet, and didn't like the flavor of the mushroom. It probably had more to do with their alien landscape appearance, and pungent aroma than flavor, but I didn't really give them a chance. By the time I was older and we went hunting for turkeys, I had developed a bit more refined taste. I was hesitant, but the smell of the butter in the pan with the perfume of those morels was amazing. Paired with some local steak medalions from a little store down the road seared in the same pan, in the same butter, and topped with those mushrooms.... devine. The scenery, the day, the chill in the air as the sun set on the other side of the hill, the fog rolling in from over the crest of the ridge across the lake. It was truly a unique and amazing experience. Nothing fancy, no extras, no tablecloths. It was perfect.

I've been addicted to The Perennial Plate series of episodes lately, about Chef Daniel Klein in Minneapolis who creates the adventure of sustainably sourcing his food to show the viewer the appreciation for where our food comes from. It's incredibly enlightening, and insightful with weekly episodes chronicling his adventures in food. Episode 7 specifically, is about the sourcing of Morel mushrooms, and subsequently what led me to reminisce about the hunting trip with my father in the woods and one of my favorite meals of all time.

The Perennial Plate Episode 7: Hunting Morel Mushrooms from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

I'm in the process of starting from the beginning and watching every single episode in order. I would recommend the same!

Dog-Boarding

2011-01-27T17:25:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to figure out how to work this into a competitive sport, but until then my dog, Trash-can Trailer Betty Duuuvall skate around the neighborhood when we can. She enjoys grabbing the leash with her mouth and pulling me through the streets on my Gravity Board, and I pilot us safely - avoiding automobiles, bicycles, other dogs, rough pavement, and heeding to all applicable traffic laws.

Dog-Boarding from Mike Fout on Vimeo.

We have been known to speed upwards of 24MPH on level street with good pavement. I like to throw in some check slides and deep turns to keep my Gravity Board skills relevant. There aren't a lot of hills to bomb in North Florida. I enjoy wakeboarding and surfing, so being pulled behind a canine at equivalent speeds is the logical progression when there are no waves, boats, and your dog needs some exercise. She nearly knocks through the garage door loony-tunes style when I put on my shoes and grab my board. It takes no effort in getting her to run and pull me. She is half boxer, so her energy level is through the roof. Normal backyard exercise is not nearly enough to keep her from going nuts. Skating around the neighborhood is her favorite.

If you are ever cruising through Atlantic Beach, FL; please don't hit us.

Quick, While the Little Ladies are Napping!!!

2011-01-26T14:08:00.000-05:00

I haven't been as diligent with my writing lately. My time off work is actually busier than time on, what with Navy Reserve duty, Family stuff, Date night, and the quality time I spend with my little girl and her momma, I don't even think about this thing all that much. Sorry, Blog. You're just a hobby.

A small update: My weight loss continues! I am at 195Lbs. and this would add up to 35lbs. Lost over the course of the last year. I know it's not a large figure, but I have been more recomposition oriented than weight anyway. My lean Body Mass has increased, and my bodyfat% has gone down. I have hit the last notch on a belt I have had for years! The jeans I bought at Christmas to fit are now too big. I'll take that and run with it.

It's definitely becoming apparent on the outside too, as I have gotten comments on how I have trimmed down as well. I had a conversation with a friend who is also trimming down about how the appearances make a difference. Our "new skinny is our old fat" and it feels good to be noticed, but it's kind of a wake-up that you really did get fat. I never got to the point of obesity, but it was definitely not where i wanted to be. I feel great eating this way, and I am stronger, leaner, and faster so I don't see any changes in the near future. In fact, I had a momentary lapse of reason after "date night" Sunday when we went out for mexican (hurt us both) and the Drive-By Truckers show at the Freebird in Jax Beach. We spent all of Monday indoors recovering, and I slipped. We ordered pizza. I felt so dirty. LOL.

The biggest thing is this: As you reach your goals it is easier to justify a little cheat here and there. Use the negative impact it has yon your immediate feeling to remind yourself that it makes you feel like dogshit, so you don't do it again for a very long time. Alcohol used to be a major player in my recreational time. I still enjoy a few drinks, but I have to be more careful now. The fact that I turned myself into a lightweight is one factor, but the hangover is the real devil. My resolve is gone when it comes to recovery. I know a great big steak and brussel sprouts would be the thing to get me back to normal, but I end up eating a giant bacon cheeseburger (with the bun) or a whole thin-crust pizza by myself. I of course feel even worse after eating this, and it takes a few days to straighten back out. Food hangovers are worse than booze hangovers. I think they always were, but I could never tell the difference.

Now I want to use my mistakes as a lesson for anyone else getting into this lifestyle. It's not a huge thing to throw in a few cheat meals every once in a while, but just be smart about it. If you are going to pig out on Dominoes and beer, Just add a long fast in before hand, and try and eat well the next day. Use how bad you feel to enforce the good habits. You end up minimizing your indulgences over time just based on how you feel. I knew Mexican and rock and roll were going to mess me up, but I didn't anticipate the Hangover and the binge that came with it. You can sweat little things like nitrites in Bacon or the Omega-6 Content in Conventional beef, but the fact of the matter is, there is more pollution from a night out on the town than a whole year of eating Walmart Steak. Just plan for it.

On another note... My little girl has been getting more and more mobile lately. I am experimenting with a vimeo account, so hopefully there will be audio/visual excitement on my blog in the near future.

She just started truly walking last week.

DB Walks from Mike Fout on Vimeo.

Blueberries faked in cereals, muffins, bagels and other food products - Food Investigations - NaturalNews.tv

2011-01-26T09:31:00.000-05:00

Blueberries faked in cereals, muffins, bagels and other food products - Food Investigations - NaturalNews.tv

Strand of Oaks -- Pope Killdragron

2011-01-17T23:38:00.000-05:00

This album Haunts me. Beautiful.

R.Lee Ermey speaks on tattoos in the Military

2011-01-15T00:33:00.000-05:00

The Importance of Decompression

2011-01-09T11:41:00.000-05:00

When you live and work in the same place, whether it is on a ship at sea, in a forward operating base in Jihadistan, on an oil rig, logging, in a helicopter camp, any number of various situations; you find yourself getting burnt out on the same places and faces. A low level of stress tends to build over time, and at times you get the full on "bored to tears" mentality. Some of my best writing has been owed to black coffee, isolation, and boredom. Everyone has their own coping mechanism -- mine happens to be fitness. I relieve my stress by working out everyday. I love sledgehammer slams to get out aggression, and muscle-ups for greasing the groove. I have a set of rings in a live oak outside the trailer I sleep in while on shift. When i need a breath or two of fresh air, I go outside and do a couple of muscle-ups. Sometimes I'll throw in some L-dips in there too. Pull-ups on our home-built bar are a good time killer as well. I have attained my goal of being able to do bar muscle-ups as well, but they are harder on my hands than on the rings. The best decompression exercise -- the great equalizer -- however, is running. I try not to over do the running, but sometimes the best way to "get away" without going far is to just go for a run. Last year I started incorporating weighted Mile runs into my warm-ups, and the occasional 5k run, but it has turned into something I look forward to. When my shift starts hitting day 10, I am about to lose my mind, and I need a good reason to get away from the camp for a little while, a quick run is the best prescription.
Now I'm not one to spend hours upon hours running, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting out and spending a chunk of the day out stretching the legs. I usually stay less than 4 miles, but only because i get bored. If I had a longer trail here, I probably would go longer. I just get bored. I also love throwing in sprints and plyometrics into the workouts. Power skips are a great power exercise as a warm-up or full out workout. I wish I had rediscovered them sooner.

This was of course until just before Christmas, when I was out warming up for a workout and rolled my ankle. I felt two pops and had the shooting pain, all too familiar from my first sprain. I guess it was colder than normal, and I landed just awkward enough to roll it. Not good. I fought through the pain, and tried to keep it moving - partly to make sure it wasn't broken, and partly to keep it from seizing up. I just grit my teeth and hobbled the 200 yards back to the trailer. I immediately took 4 ibuprofen, some fish oil (for the anti-inflammatory effect) and threw some ice in a bucket. Within an hour it looked like this:

From Drop Box

PAIN.

The point of this story is that I have been in the process of rehabbing this bum joint back to a strong workable joint that I can rely on to get me from point A to point B without too much pain. So far it's working pretty well, and my hopes of retaining or improving the range of motion from after the initial sprain is pretty close to a reality. After the first time I sprained it, I was just out of the Navy, without insurance, and working in a warehouse where i was on my feet most of the day. It healed, but took a long time, and had no formal rehab to help it along. Ironically, the sprain is what led me to this path of constant improvement, and crossfit, Paleo, Health, etc. This time I have learned from my mistakes, and I want to strengthen and improve my ankle, not only to minimize further injury, but to get back to a point where I can run again. I finally learned to love running, and now I can't do it!!!! What kind of karmic shit is this!?

This has been the most difficult part of all this. With my diet being clean, my self experimentations and rehab, and constant attention the re-hab is going extremely well, and I have progressed rapidly over the last month. I learned after the first sprain, that to properly re-hab the sucker, you have to let it hurt. Sprained ankles are torn ligaments, and because they are so dynamic and very bony, they are prone to scar. The scarring is what leads to loss of mobility and ROM. When attempting to regain mobility through stretching and strength exercise, this scar tissue tears away, and... HURTS. If I would have known this the first time, I would have been back to normal in two or three months, but it ended up taking 6+. It has been 3 weeks, and I am almost back to where i need to be. I stretch it constantly, and I stay active. I have been able to ditch the support brace after 2 weeks, and I have started balance exercises again. The swelling is gone for the most part unless i really torque it. I have to occasionally ice it after a good day. I have been making sure to walk as far as I can every few days, and I can still squat and deadlift, so I throw those in. A good three or four mile hike with a weight vest on is a good low impact adventure to try and clear my head. Yesterday I had a chance to get off road and walk on the levee, and feel like I was out in the woods. I took the camp dog Cracky with me. She had a blast.

I will not be crippled. I just can't run yet. It feels like there is damage inside the joint somewhere, and I am hesitant on pushing it. The impact forces just aren't feeling very awesome. It's awesome to get out and take a hike. I feel great when i wear the 50Lb. vest, but it's just. not. the. same. I need to be able to run. Walking is ok, but i am too alone with my thoughts.

Any recommendations for increased healing times and re-hab ideas are welcome. Please comment.

Levee Swamp Hike

2011-01-08T15:02:00.002-05:00

Hike by the canal. How's that for rehab?

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4 Miles off road with a 50Lb.Vest is a perfect way to get "out of the zoo." The softer ground was more forgiving on my ankle. Also: admire my awesome Beard. Don't be too jealous.

Sugar Bowl: Go Bucks!

2011-01-05T00:28:00.001-05:00

O-H-I-O!!!

Gary Taubes on the Brian Lehrer Radio Show

2011-01-04T14:27:00.000-05:00

Good Calories, Bad Calories was the book that stoked the fires for me with my search for the correct dietary approach. He has SO much information, and is very adept at putting it on paper and in context within the frames of a book. He is however hard to listen to in an interview. Every interview I see with him, he is treated like an outsider quack. He gets so wrapped up in the data, that he isn't persuasive. The information in his books are truly stand alone, and I think that is what made Good Calories, Bad Calories so influential. The research has been done, the common knowledge of our great grandparents has faded; but the establishment of Time magazine and the McGovern Commission has cemented the dogmas of Low-Fat-19meals-a-day-weightwatchers-marieosmond CRAP into the zeitgeist of the weight loss industry, and we are getting fatter because of it. The biggest hurdle is getting people to pull their head out of Jillian Michael's booty hole, put down their diet coke and wise up. The main stream will find his work eventually, I suppose.

Taubes' New Book Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It is on the shelves, and I have mine on order.

Suddenly Music

2011-01-03T23:25:00.001-05:00

I haven't posted enough music in this thing lately. I love the simplicity of this recording and the video. True songwriting should be able to stand on it's own merit, and this song exemplifies that. With nothing but a guitar, an autoharp, barefeet on a wooden floor, natural acoustics and human voices this song manages to blow me away.

Plants and Animals - A Take Away Show - Bye Bye Bye from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Check out the rest of the Take Away Shows from La Blogotheque, and you can see and here these bands playing their music completely stripped down, and not produced. I love it.

Expectations For 2011

2011-01-03T12:01:00.000-05:00

I make a point NOT to make Resolutions at the New Year. I work better with goals in mind, rather than a half-hearted attempt at resolving to change something that needed to be changed in the first place. It has never been a good source of motivation for me, and from observation, not many others. I want to set a few goals in this post, but not exclusive fitness goals. I want to be a more consistent writer. My posts have been sparse lately, and I only have myself to blame. I find that when I have an actual person to listen to me rant and rave, I tend to get out what's bugging me, thereby negating the desire to write it all down. This is unfair to my readers, even if it is still a small number. I would like to get my traffic up.

I know there are hacks to drive more traffic through social media, but I had to put that crack pipe down for a little while. Facebook had become a holding tank for all the BS I don't like about the human race in general, and I had to give it up. I would prefer to see my friends in person rather than online. I have tossed around the idea of twitter strictly for traffic to this site, but meh. I just don't want to mess with it. If this keeps my traffic lower than it needs to be, then so be it. I have only put a few decent pieces on here in the last few months anyway. If I was writing things worth sharing, I feel like it would stand on it's own feet. The blame is on me. I need to be a more diligent blogger.

I am interested in seeing what other bloggers out there use for motivation in getting their posts up. I read a lot of extremely good blogs out there that seem effortless, yet full of outstanding content and opinions. My link list is too short to hold everything i read on a daily basis. I try to post the best of the best (in my opininon) whenever I come across it. There is so much inspiration out there. Richard Nikoley and his blog Free the Animal has been a huge inspiration and motivator, and one of the loudest voices in the Paleo community. Likewise, Melissa Urban, who wrote the Urban Gets Diesel blog, and evolved it into a business and HUGELY influential program in the communtiy at the Whole9. As a blogger (did I just say that?), these two have been the most influential.

I do not want to be a parrot. I don't want to be the kind of writer that just takes someone else's Idea and redoes it in my voice. Every time I read a dark chocolate review, I want to throw up -- my coffee and dark chocolate. Whenever I see the Banksy picture of a Neanderthal holding McDonalds again I just want to stick a butter knife in my eye. It's been done to death. I used to post recipes, but honestly, there are enough Paleo and Primal cookbooks out there that my recipes are just drops in the bucket. It's extremely easy to cook Paleo foods. Just don't use flour, sugar, corn, rice, soy, canola, or feces. Especially the feces. No one wants that in their food. I could post workout advice, but I am not a personal trainer, I am not a crossfit trainer. Does that make my opinion less valid? No. It's just an opinion. I am at a loss. Where am I supposed to take this little blog?

Here is my Goal: Write more. It doesn't even need to be anything all that grandiose, or anything with a limited scope. I am Paleo, I workout, I travel, I am a dad, I play and listen to music. I have a multitude of topics to cover, so I just need to cover them. I am still burned out on social media, so if you like something i write, do a guy a solid and link to it every so often. If it sucks, tell me. I respond to criticism. I love getting comments. Drop one. I will do my best to stay ~~caffeinated~~ motivated, and fresh words falling into my laptop. The more I voice my ideas, the better I get at implementing plans.

Reflections on 2010; Looking Forward

2010-12-31T19:58:00.008-05:00

Things accomplished in 2010:

1. I'm a Daddy! Life as I once knew it is GONE. It's amazing.

2. I learned to love running.3. I caught my first redfish.

4. Went full Paleo for a bit.
5. Successfully fought off the sympathy weight, and am continuing to lose.

I had an amazing year. I know a few others out there who did too. I hope the prosperity continues, and there is only more adventures to get into.

Happy New Year

Evolvify. Read it.

2010-12-30T18:06:00.001-05:00

Best Blog and Blog Post So Far

evolvify.com/top-10-things-that-arent-paleo-for-2010

Where’s The Butter?

2010-12-29T23:16:00.001-05:00

Where’s The Butter?

I had a conversation with an individual on this very topic. He worked in a restaurant, but still gets confused between the difference in Butter and Margarine. WTF?

“Excuse me,” I asked him politely, “but do you have any butter butter? Real butter, I mean, not margarine?” His momentarily confused expression quickly passed, and then he promised to go ask his manager.

Five minutes later, the manager came out and asked me what I wanted. I reiterated that I simply wanted some butter. I wasn’t trying to be a pain, but surely the restaurant had real butter somewhere back in the kitchen.

Five minutes later, he returned. “We don’t have any butter,” he said.

Link Love--Awesome Post.

2010-12-27T17:44:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to share a really great post that summarizes a lot of the things I have been trying to incorporate into my life as of late. I am trying to make the switch to improvement versus hitting the numbers. I want to be the best I can be, and I set my goals according to self improvement.

Great post from an awesome blog. I love Roller Derby girls anyway, but a crossfitting paleo derby girl? I'm down.

THE BEST VERSIONS OF US

Justin Townes Earle: A G&G Film

2010-12-19T22:24:00.000-05:00

Sprained Ankle Again

2010-12-19T17:46:00.002-05:00

Well I suppose it was only a matter of time.

I sprained my ankle again during my warm-up. I hate working out when it's cold. I guess my ankle did too. This blows.

Awesome Rugby Video

2010-12-16T21:47:00.000-05:00

Tis the Season... for spoofs.

2010-12-14T09:57:00.000-05:00

Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy with Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly from Will Ferrell

Drive By Truckers Free Download

2010-12-09T11:35:00.001-05:00

Warm Soup for a Cold Evening

2010-12-07T19:41:00.003-05:00

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Irish Potato and Leek Soup with Thinly sliced Pork Chops in Strongbow Gravy.

I know potatoes are in the nether-regions of the paleo world, but it's chilly here in NE Florida, and there is something special about home made slow-cooked soup to warm your bones. The aroma of leeks cooking down in butter and mirepoix filled my house with happiness and anticipation. The addition of home cooked chicken stock added that little feeling of a hug you get from grandma, and the anticipation is worth the work. I took my time with this, and I can't be happier with the results. I was lucky enough to find 3 BIG leeks and organic potatoes. I didn't plan on making this soup until I had the ingredients in my cart. I can say, this was one of the best things I have ever cooked. It was the perfect day for a slow cooked, hearty bowl of comfort food, some drunken pork loin, and some cider for Team MamaDada.

Still Here, Just Swamped

2010-12-06T21:59:00.005-05:00

In my official off-weeks from my full-time job, I have very little time set aside to write. I want to post something to prove I am still engaged in this whole blogging process, so here are some random things loosely strung together.

I generally dislike Christmas time. This year is not as bad as last year, but only because I have a baby. It's our first Christmas together. I could care less because I am 1000 miles away from my birthplace, and my folks, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins who I used to spend Christmas time with are all over the country or left in my birthplace in BFE, Ohio. I now have a "new" family-in-law, and that makes me happy. I am glad I have a place to be on Christmas, and people that I care about around me. Plus, I can experience the fun vicariously through little eyes now. My bah-humbug is slowly dying. We put up our christmas tree today, and I wore a santa hat drinking cider.

This leads into the slow creeping weight gain I tend to experience in only the 2 weeks I have at home between shifts. Remember when i talked about how Alcohol derails my intestinal fortitude for clean eating? Well this past weekend was our annual Holiday Party for my reserve squadron. I have to confess. I ate Whataburger. I didn't totally binge on crap, but eating fast-food in the wee hours of the morning isn't exactly going to do anything good for your health. To be fair, however, neither are Whisky and beer. I am working on cleaning up again, but it's not as easy at home, and definitely difficult to do with a constantly varying flight schedule with the reserves. I refuse to do a 24 hour fast while flying. It's an un-necessary risk. I find myself living off ham nuts, and jerky. The Navy is far from adopting a paleo approach to health. In fact, I would would guess it's on the no-no list of buzz words that says I should get a flight surgeon's consent before even eating healthy. Whatever. I swam my SAR Fitness test faster than I have EVER since they instituted the new testing system. I went and checked. I knocked a minute off my average without being in the pool for 2 months. I guess what I am doing is working.

So the while the rest of society calls us crazy for wanting meat, vegetables, fruit and nuts over processed industrial agri-products, the Paleo/Primal/PaNu/WAPF/Neanderthin/low Carb community is getting healthier, lighter, stronger, faster, and more and more smug. I have no problem ordering three eggs and a ham steak in front of my friends. I love taking three hours to slowly cook the stock out of left over bones. I need an IV Drip with Coconut milk and coffee. I hate eating before noon now, and I love to feel the giant boost of energy i get from a fasted workout that doesn't make me want to puke my breakfast out. I love having to buy new jeans only to find out they are too big. Brang it, Conventional wisdom. I have your broscience right here.

Fail-eo Thanksgiving, and Why I'm Not Guilty.

2010-11-25T21:05:00.004-05:00

I have a confession to make. I ate an apple fritter today. I also had some Pecan Pie. AND THEY WERE AWESOME!!!! I didn't have too much of a chance to feel like crap, but I'm sure I would have if I wasn't too busy stuffing my coffee intake portal full of every known meat combo available along with rice dressing, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, garlic mashed potatoes and... coffee. I completely went against (nearly) everything my paleo conscience stands for today. I went into my Thanksgiving meal with reckless abandon, and I don't feel the slightest bit guilty.

Now some people need to have the strict confines of a program or a diet, and freak out completely when they "cheat" on it. You can recognize these folks by their ziploc containers full of carrots and baggies full of almonds. If you happen to offer them a particular item of food, they either flat out call you crazy or you can watch them scramble with a calculator to figure out how many shots of olive oil they need to do when they get back to their apartment on the rich side of town to offset the extra carbs. I am not this person.

I was prepared for this day. I planned ahead and had a decent workout fasted around noon. I went until my stomach felt like it was going to eat through my belly button and slap me in the face to tell me to eat an egg, so I had to eat some ham and tomatoes. I had planned on fasting all day, but running and exercising got the better of me. I needed a little fuel to last through my domination of the kitchen. I definitely went over my limit on food today, and I ate some things reserved for the 6th level of paleo purgatory, but I will be alright. I feel good.

Here is why I don't feel like I need to bath in holy bone broth: I have been feeling like ass all week. The holidays are tough when you are away from the most important things in your life, and I have been seriously down. I had the blues. Well, after losing 25 pounds this summer, and working out nearly everyday, I came to the realization, that one little apple fritter isn't going to kill me. I love apple fritters and coffee. I think, as a reward for doing so well on my little weigh-loss-body-recomposition-badassification, then dammit! I earned that little fucker! I ate that apple fritter, and it was gooooooooooood. We have a hook-up with a local bakery on the bayou, and usually when the girl brings by a box of donuts, I sneer and avoid them. I know that one leads to many, and sugar leads to more sugar cravings. they are pretty dang good. The personal sized pecan pies rival my wife's (but not even close baby). Well.... after eating said sugar bomb fat pill, I felt ok. I knew I was about to go pig the eff out anyway, so whatevs. We had Turkey(Me), Venison, Turducken from a local specialty meat store, green bean casserole, rice dressing(cajun dirty rice), deviled eggs, stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes(me), and I ran out of room for home made carrot cake. Paleo Fail. the turkey and venison, not so much, but a lot of the other stuff - FAIL. But you know what? I done got rid of my blues for the day. SO I feels alright.

I'm simmering what's left of the turkey to make a stock. My plan is to live on the broth most of tomorrow. I think i'll need a good cleaning.

I want to say I am thankful. I am extremely thankful for my little family, and the fact that I have a job that lets me take care of them. They are my world, and I hate the fact that Daddy has to travel to give them the best life possible, but I am truly thankful that My beautiful little daughter has her beautiful mother taking car of her in our pretty little corner near the ocean. I love you.

End the TSA

2010-11-23T12:32:00.007-05:00

Does the Molestation by glorified federal mall cops create more security? No. It does absolutely nothing for the security of this nation. It exacerbates the ridiculous over-reaction, and over-reach of federal power. I like my 4th Amendment rights, thanks.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

By I mean, honestly, does anyone actually think this shit is working beside Janet Napolitano, John Pistole and Michael Chertoff? Michael Chertoff, consequentially is making large profits from the manufacturers of the Body Scan Machines.

2005: Michael Chertoff, as head of Homeland Security, orders the first batch of porno scanners from a company called Rapiscan Systems. After his departure, Chertoff gave dozens of interviews using his government credentials to promote the device. What he didn’t tell people was that Rapiscan was one of the clients of his consulting company, The Chertoff group.

The answer, of course is NO. This shit doesn't work for security. It works for the people on top of the heap. The pat downs make it so atrocious to think about opting out, that more people are willing to walk through the machines. This creates more demand for a useless machine, and increases revenue for L-3 and "Rapescan" all while bypassing our Constitutional right to privacy.

If I was a terrorist hell-bent on killing as many infidels as possible, where would the most logical place be to detonate a large amount of high explosive? Well, I would happen to think walking into the middle of a long line of people waiting with no place to go other than a security checkpoint would obliterate as many god-fearing citizens as possible! The benefit of this, of course is all the security cameras already in place trained on American citizens would provide endless hours for AlJazeera to broadcast to the Muslim world! The need for an accomplice to film said attack would not be necessary!

If I was a stupid terrorist merely wanting to bring down a plane, I could smuggle in a stinger missile over the border with Mexico, Canada, or with a boat along the millions of miles of un-patrolled coastline; and merely sit alongside the departure end of any runway in a large metropolitan area, and knock the plane out of the sky and into a populated area. Now tell me how much security do you really need for DOMESTIC FLIGHTS!?

To call these policies mis-guided is giving these jokers too much credit. There must be some pocket padding going on by someone in the these mega-defense contracting companies. The simple answer would be to start dismantling the TSA and get rid of these over-reaching "Security" Dogmas. Instead of hiring anyone that doesn't have a criminal record part-time for $14/hr, let's cut this in half and hire people with criminalogy degrees for 80k/yr and place them in plain clothes to monitor people who are acting suspiciously starting in the Parking lots (Similar to Israeli protocols), and maybe we can stop more than 50% of the guns and knives that still make it through security. My belt buckle is not an explosive device. My shoes aren't full of explosive. That's been done, and failed. Are they really going to try this crap again?

The terrorist is lucky in his position because even if he fails in his initial task, he still induces fear on the populace. The TSA has to react when there is a perceived call that "Something has to be done," so to keep up the perception they are doing Something, they increase the perception of more uniformed TSA Agents, More restrictions, longer delays, and more disgruntled assholes who take out their frustrations from having to grab ball sacks all day for 28k/yr on the law-abiding terrified american citizens to show that they really do have more authority than is actually there. Outside of that security checkpoint, they are still just the creepy old cat lady or the guy that hangs out in a van by the little league field. There, they are IMPORTANT godammit!

This needs to stop. Bureaucratic nonsense has led to a bloated agency with more power than it needs, and a Director that doesn't listen to congress. I don't feel more secure. I feel molested. National Opt Out day is tomorrow. If you are flying, wear a kilt and opt out. Don't shower that day either. If you are woman, stay home. I wouldn't subject my wife, daughter, mother, grandmother, or any female I know (well ok, maybe a couple) to the pat-down procedures in place right now. I personally have no problem showing off my blurry junk to a stranger twice a month, but i'm not given the choice. I have a HUGE problem with my loved ones being subjected to this shit. I personally won't be flying with my wife and Daughter until this ends. It HAS TO END. The Executive branch of government has stepped over it's boundaries, and the congress has done little to nothing to stop it. There is a call to action that is happening in the House and Senate, and a few Congressmen have been actively trying to stop this, but there needs to be more action.
This is a letter from Congressman Rush Holt, from the 12th District of New Jersey asking for a conference with John Pistole about the same ideas I have brought up in this Post.
Now watch this video. This is why I will NOT be traveling by air with my family until this ends.

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Enough Is Enough! Ron Paul's freedom speech about the TSA and airport security - NaturalNews.tv

2010-11-22T15:31:00.001-05:00

Enough Is Enough! Ron Paul's freedom speech about the TSA and airport security - NaturalNews.tv

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Practical Paleo – Diet Tip of the Day – Sauces

2010-11-20T23:17:00.000-05:00

Practical Paleo – Diet Tip of the Day – Sauces

I love Hot Sauces!!!!

Don;t forget to add your Iguana Brand Sauces

Making a List

2010-11-20T10:23:00.003-05:00

I haven't been posting as much substance lately. I need to make very clear that it isn't for lack of information, but rather OVERWHELMING topics. I have so many things I want to write about that I can't put them all together in a clear and concise, educated thought-provoking post.
Here is a checklist of things that I can post about in the future:

1. End the TSA. It has crossed the line, and outgrown it's usefulness. No replacing the TSA Agents with private contractors. End it. The Private airport security guards still need to follow the rules and our breach of constitutional rights.

2. Where is the disconnect between children's health and shoving sugar laced marshmallow crack down their throats, or Enfamil pushing formula around every corner of the internet and parenting magazine?

3. The Food Safety Modernization Act(S.510), Small Farmers, Raw Milk, and the FDA Goons.

Edit: There is an Ammendment attached to differentiate between family farms and Direct to Consumer sales from the Mega-Farms

So these are supposed to come up in the future. If I say I'm going to do it, well, Now I have to write them. It's just a matter of focusing on one topic long enough without getting pissed off. Herein lies the problem. They all three PISS ME OFF. I get so spun up about all three of these topics that I've been in knots.

Here is a video. Enjoy.

Farmageddon Trailer from Kristin Canty on Vimeo.

Here is another one:

Can't Tell Me Nothing with Zach Galifianakis - High Quality Video

2010-11-16T14:53:00.000-05:00

I love Zach Galifanakis, and I love Bonny Prince Billy. This is just random hilarity, and I assume what happens when two great minds get bored in the Kentucky countryside. Weeeeeee!

Where did the Science go?

2010-11-14T13:15:00.004-05:00

Adam at Practical Paleolithic has a better formed rant than I could ever put together. His story is similar to a multitude of people that have spent years bouncing around from doctor to doctor, to neuropathology, to finally finding this whole buzz-word umbrella of "Paleo"; only to finally have their health getting better.

The mainstream medical establishment is fixated – to the point of insanity or idiocy, I can’t decide which – on individual systems in the body. As far as they’re concerned, nothing is related to anything else. If you’re depressed, it means your brain is broken – it couldn’t have anything to do with your diet. I mean, look how “far away” your stomach is from your head. How could they be related? Anxious? Your brain is broken – but in a different way from the depression. It couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that the speed of life and the volume of stress we endure every day is THOUSANDS of times faster than anything our equipment is evolved to handle. And, if you’re having digestive problems it couldn’t have anything to do with the coffee and donuts you have every morning. As far as the medical establishment is concerned, the body is just a dumb machine that can be manipulated with chemicals and man’s scientific genius. IS THIS NOT THE HEIGHT OF CONCEIT? A few hundred years of man and science are smarter than MILLIONS of years of evolution? This is man’s ego run amuck.

And, remember, I’m a trained scientist! I lived in that world FOR YEARS!

Read this article.

The Onion on Soybeans

2010-11-13T20:43:00.003-05:00

http://www.theonion.com/articles/nation-waistdeep-in-soybeans-after-30-trillion-far,18422/?utm_source=recentnews

I love the Onion. Satire greases the gears of change.

Booze, Friends, Music, and Fire

2010-11-11T00:36:00.002-05:00

There is nothin more Primal than music, booze and fire.

Here's to the veterans who were lucky to have a fire. Here's to the veterans that fought and continue to fight. Freedom is in the hearts and minds of those sworn to protect it.

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End of my 2 week Challenge Results

2010-11-03T14:40:00.005-04:00

Just a quick post to ~~brag about myself~~ report my results:

After 2 weeks of my original challenge of Strict Paleo (no grains, legumes, dairy, or added sugar*) and Intermittent Fasting anywhere from 14-18 hours a day and including on 24 hour test, I have hit my goal of losing 10 pounds in 2 weeks! I started at 212lbs., and after my weigh in this morning I weighed 201lbs! All the sympathy weight gain from earlier this year is GONE!!!! I'm back to the weight I was the day of my wedding.

I am down a belt size, and I can definitely tell my BF% is down. I'm leaner. I have been at a sticking point lately, and I really think the IF and working out in a fasted state was the little push I needed to get over the hump. I'm not sold on the no dairy thing yet, but it's working, so I'm not in a hurry to throw it back in. I know today's dairy is definitely NOT the healthy product it claims to be, and I think I will probably forgo the milk and yogurt. I will definitely be snooty on my cheese selection as well.

Now alcohol is going to be tough. It's already very painful not pouring some Bourbon over ice in the evenings. I should just accept the ten pounds and have a drink, but I'm afraid I will binge. I may have to get a bottle of good red wine for this evenings dinner. I think that should be acceptable. We'll see.

Anyway, 10 pounds in two weeks is pretty cool. My jeans are loose. It's a good feeling.

Paleo in the Real World

2010-11-01T22:39:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is the end of my two week experiment in Strict Paleo-hood and intermittent fasting-ness. I made it through lighter, healthier, clearer, and I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I was a really bad grazer. I would constantly eat when i was bored. I know this because i would usually grab a string cheese or an apple, or some celery or carrots with sunbutter. With the fasting part, I found out that I was only eating because i was bored, and I had a throw-back to my Zone days still lingering on. It was never required. I also found though fasting, that I operate more clearly in the mornings running only on coffee and water, than i do when i eat a breakfast. I was never a big breakfast person growing up, but had since started eating breakfast due to various cultural dogmas and social pressures. I can even remember thinking about how much hungrier at lunch I was when I ate a breakfast, compared to when I skipped. I would eat significantly more when i ate breakfast compared to not. The same goes for my lunches this last week. I didn't even realize I was fasting at 18 hours. It was only when i started thinking about the time, and putting food thoughts in my brain did I really start to feel hungry. It is a total Mind game. Plus, the cold fingers and toes was kinda neat. It's a good feeling knowing your hands are cold because you are losing your belly fat. It brings up memories of peroxide on scrapes as a kid, and complaining to your mom.
me: "Mom, it burns!!!!"
Mom: "That means it's working!"
You just suck it up, and know it's helping.

This evening was especially difficult. Generally, being this is the end of my 2 week shift with no real outside interaction or alcohol, I usually go down to the VooDoo BBQ stuck on the side of my hotel and have BBQ Shrimp (drowning in yummy butter sauce), veggies(buttered), Maker's Mark fine Bourbon Whisky, and an Abita Amber or two to cap off the shift. Also, Monday Night Football, and newfound drinkin buddies are usually factored into the equation. Tonight, I opted for a different approach. I left the camp later than normal to distract me from the long hours waiting to go to sleep and all the delicious BBQ, Beer, and Muzak Bliues, and checked into my room and stayed in there. I may have well as boarded the doors. I covered the room service menu up with other hotel paraphernalia, to overt my eyes from the tantalizing pictures of mac and cheese and Pork in all it's many glorious forms. I feel like a recovering alcoholic. Why am I going to all this trouble to avoid an otherwise perfectly acceptable caveman-esque meal of charred pig flesh? Because of BEER and alcohol in general. Beer is my deregulator. I could sneak in one, sure, but after 2 weeks of near isolation, one beer just isn't going to cut it. I would need at least three. Then I would be hungry. I would have to order BBQ -- which, BTW is probably loaded with sugar along with who knows what else -- further derailing my best attempts at keeping clean. I would most likely have a few drinks, and give up my stance on my personal challenge, and then i would keep drinking until I could convince myself I would feel fine in the morning. I, however speaking from experience, would not. So what do you crave with a hangover? CRAP. That's what. I would lose two whole days of clean eating for a measly beer. A cold, frosty, delicious, Abita Amber with drips of condensation melting the frost on it's sides. Complimenting the smoky aroma of the BBQ ever present in the air.

Yeah. This shit is tough.

So here is my newest Dilemma. I have decided I would like to try to extend my challenge another 6 days. I would say more, but I am having a party on Sunday, and I don't want that hanging over my head, so I can enjoy myself. These 6 days are going to be in an un-controlled real world environment. I will have wife and baby to contend with as well as myself. My wife is not doing this challenge, and will be consuming whatever she damn well pleases. We will also have the constant temptation of going to restaurants. This is a bad habit I hope to break, but It's hard to say. I will also be contending with dinner at my in-laws, I'm sure. So this is going to be very tough for me. In the context of Primal I do well, but the 20% has a way of creeping up on you. Tomorrow I will be tromping through Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport feeling like the Geico Caveman. You can substitute the caveman add for a picture of Jillian Michaels or one of the many Starbucks, Chick-fil-a's, or any and all of the food courts in every concourse. Cue Royksopp.

However, this is a long awaited homecoming for my beautiful little family. I can't wait to see my little girl and her momma! She grows so fast, that two weeks on shift feels like robbery of all the little golden moments. She can ask for me now, and gets excited when we video call on Skype. I can't imagine what life would be like without all the modern conveniences and connectivity. It's a blessing and a curse.

Fowl Play: Pumped and Plumped Meat

2010-10-31T09:28:00.000-04:00

Fowl Play: Pumped and Plumped Meat

I would keep chickens in my backyard, but it's illegal in Atlantic Beach. I could however have a pot-belly pig, or a pygmy goat. No heirloom chickens.

Buy REAL CHICKEN.

How To Break a Fast

2010-10-30T13:34:00.001-04:00

Oh yeah.

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The Mentawai

2010-10-29T10:25:00.006-04:00

This is an absolutely breathtaking view into the lives of a remote tribe in Indonesia filmed by a young Rock and Roll videographer and a young photographer. I'll let the video speak for itself.

The Mentawai, Behind the Scenes Documentary from Joey L on Vimeo.

Here is the website for the Videograher, Cale Glendening:
http://www.caleglendening.com/

And here are the links to the specific Blog posts about the trip. It truly is an amazing adventure to be able to experience this amazing, dying culture.
http://caleglendening.com/blog/mentawai1/
http://caleglendening.com/blog/mentawai2//

And here is a link to Joey L., the photographer shown in the video neck deep in the stream taking pictures. I had a chance to peruse through his work, and it's absolutely breathtaking.
http://www.joeyl.com/
And the link to his story about the Mentawai adventure:
http://http://www.joeyl.com/blog/the-mentawai-12/

Both these guys have an amazing body of work already. I'm looking forward to seeing more of it.

*photos by Joey L.

Perception: A Manifesto

2010-10-28T01:29:00.007-04:00

I have come to a couple realizations about living this "extreme diet fringe lifestyle." Even though myself and thousands of other people have adopted the ideas of eating Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Clean Meats, and Seeds; removing wheat and other grains, legumes (beans), Dairy (optional), and processed foods from their diet; and including a healthy amount of functional fitness into their lives -- WE ARE STILL VIEWED AS OUTSIDERS AND CRAZIES. Now, most diet plans are some variation on a theme, and the majority of them call for copious amounts of fresh produce, so no fringe mentality there. However if you wave the Bullshit Flag on the fat-o-phobic Conventional Wisdom Dogma, and opt for lots of protein and ::GASP:: Fat(!!!), you are looked at like you are going to drop dead from a coronary event right in the living room. If you call out the fitness industry for wanting you to stay fat so they can keep shoving supplements, protein shakes and gimmicky exercise equipment in your solar plexus, then you are viewed as crazy. I am sorry if I like to lift heavy, and run on the ground in my bare feet. How did we as a species ever survive for millenia without polyurethane protecting our tender soles? This country, and the majority of the developed world is steeped in Conventional Wisdom perpetuated by the ad industry, fitness industry, pharmaceutical industry, and the talk box with babbling idiots like Oprah and Fox News CNN, and The View.

A little background before I continue on a rant: I have always been into sports and fitness. I played multiple sports as a kid, and focused on the Pole Vault in High school competing in 2 State Tournaments. I foolishly decided not to carry it over to college athletics while attending The Ohio State University, and filled that void with water-skiing and wake boarding. It's cold for a large part of the year in Ohio, so the partying took a larger role than the skiing. I didn't do a lot of working out, to say the least. I gained some weight do to the copious amounts of cheep beer and high carb load of the cafeteria which then carried over to late-night pizza, gyros, fries, etc. After running out of money, and losing focus on my school work, I went into the United States Navy as an Aviation Rescue Swimmer and Aircrewman. Luckily all my college weight was worked off, and I was leaner and meaner. In our community, the emphasis on fitness was top priority due to the nature of the work. We were making sure that we would have the endurance to be able to jump out of a helicopter and fight the ocean to pull someone back from the cold grip of death at a moments notice. So Others May Live. Hooyah! This is the beginning of the adventure.
Well, after being in and around the military for a while surrounded by fitness minded individuals, the logical progression of the day is to spend quite a bit of time in the gym, and reading the magazines and guzzling protein shakes so you can have the beach body to go pick up ladies (the Navy is usually based on the coast, fyi.), and maintain the fitness levels required to do the job. Regular PT was simply not enough to maintain the level required. This is when I started falling into the body builder trap of split days and focussed muscle groups. Combined with ridiculous supplements to give me SICK ABZZZZZZZ and HYOOOGE BICEPS LOLZZZ!!! I noticed my fitness levels dropping. My run times were slower, my scale numbers were climbing, and I just disliked going to the gym to hang out with all the D-bags in little tank-tops staring the mirror covered in back-ne putting their swurv on some little bimbo actively trying NOT to break a sweat because it would mess up her make-up. The days of long runs through the woods and on the beach up and over the dunes were over, and the days of zombie running, push-ups, sit-ups, and the occasional pull-ups were standard. The wing banned Log PT for the new students going through SAR week (one of the most challenging, awesome team building activities for students), and the Navy decided it would crack down on the fat bodies skating through the bi-annual Physical Fitness Assessment.
Skip ahead a few years. I got out of active duty and was a reservist. The physical requirements are still there, but even less activity due to returning to school, working, drill, and flight training along with being a "starving artist" playing music every chance I got for beer. I worked a few jobs, but the weight started accumulating from all the beer and "healthy" sandwiches. After working in a warehouse for a while I jumped over a pallet and rolled my ankle BAD. I should have gone to a doctor, but had no insurance, and had to work. I never rehabbed it properly, and it greatly attributed to the lack of exercise. The only activity outside of the military every few weeks up to this point had been surfing and skate boarding. This injury pretty much removed everything for a few months. I hit an all time weight high of 230# at 5'10". I decided it was time for a change.

ENTER CROSSFIT JAX
I discovered Crossfit through some like minded individuals at my squadron who had mentioned it a few times, but hadn't gotten around to trying it out yet. We found the Crossfit Jax website and found the directions to gym. I had heard stories about how hardcore Crossfit was, and how a buddy of a buddy had used it to get prepared for BUD/S and become a Navy Seal. Sounded like what I needed to whip my lard-ass into shape! It turned out one of the trainers was also an instructor at the Surface SAR Swimmer School. Bonus! It was definitely my cup of kool-aid. I found the gym in the ghetto, which coincidently was right up the skreet from the Half Moon Bay warehouse I was working at. Sweet! I gave them a call, and started the next day with "Cindy": a workout consisting of 5 pull-ups, 10 Push-ups. and 15 Squats for as many rounds as you can finish in 20 minutes. Something that sounds so simple brought so much pain. Something that changed my life PERMANENTLY.

Now this brings me to the point I was inevitable going to get to: The Fringe. Even with the explosion of programs like Crossfit that incorporate High Intensity and varied functional movements, people are scared. The Navy, still, is holding out on the idea that crossfit training is dangerous despite the early adoption of the program by the Special Forces communities, and the change in Marine Corps fitness tests to emulate real world functional situations. Crossfit has a whole series of workouts devoted to "Heroes" who were killed in the line of duty and were Crossfit practitioners. It also has a workout named "The Chief" after all the new chief selectees of 2008. Regular run-of-the-mill Joe and Joan Six-pack look something as "crazy" as Crossfit, and run for the hills. The same thing goes for the Paleo Diet. It is regarded as extreme because it kicks to the curb all the things that detrimental to Human Health like Gluten.

"You mean whole grains are bad!?" this must be extreme.

The Mercantilist policies of the USDA and FDA, combined with the non-stop babble of Television and Print media and skewed by idealist mantras from misguided vegetarian ideals have confused and indoctrinated the American public into believing every marketing buzzword and Bullshit study funded by the very companies that stand to profit by the Bullshit they spew. We have the fattest population on the planet. We are led to believe eating more corn, wheat, soy, and processed franken-foods will fix all our ails, only to find out we are sicker in the long run. Here comes the pharmaceutical industry to the rescue! They have a pill for every made-up condition or syndrome ever imagined. Restless leg syndrome!? Nevermind running off that excess energy -- Here's a pill. Irrritable Bowel Syndrome? Nevermind celiac disease. Here's a pill! Now go eat your whole grains. It's no wonder the public is scared of something so easy a caveman can do it. They are conditioned. WE are conditioned. WE are brainwashed. The thought police aren't a division of Big Brother, they are a division of Monsanto. The ministry of Truth is the USDA -- A subsidiary of CONagra, Archer Daniels Midland, YumFoods, Tyson, and Monsanto. It's no wonder I am looked at like a circus show.

I had a moment of clarity the other day. I started this blog to vent out all the vitriol that accumulates when sitting around idle waiting to save the day. My poor wife can only take so much of my ranting and raving before she loses it, so I am making a direct effort in putting it down here and on message boards, rather than pollute her airspace with noise. She hasn't had more than a sip of the kool-aid yet despite my efforts. I have been on the Mark's Daily Apple forum a lot lately due to not having any like-minded individuals to discuss this with. I have sought out others with similar experiences, as is Human Nature, I believe. In the days of the internet, community is only a click away. I don't have to feel so much like a freak. I responded in a thread about "Primal Haters":

I just this minute came to the realization I frequent this forum more often because I don't have very many people to talk about this lifestyle with. Most people are so brainwashed by fat-o-phobe dogma, or CW pushed by the Gub'ment Dietary Pyramid that the idea of eating like the guy in the Geico Commercials is offensive. I can only rant to my wife for so long before she gets aggravated, and while at work I am surrounded by the Cajun culture of FriedMargarineSaltBread Po'boys and Walmart Specials. This is where I can discuss Primal/ Paleo issues in a grown-up, civilized manner without all the quiet judging and alienation of my peers.

Hooray for the internerd!

I have to look at it from an outside perspective, though. I mean if you had never heard anything about the Primal Blueprint, Paleo, Crossfit, HIIT, or any other of the crazy stuff floating around, and all you have to go by is what you hear second hand through your co-workers and family about whatever the new thing Dr. Oz is spouting out on Oprah, or the 3 second sound bite of The biggest loser, then the crazy tattooed guy doing muscle-ups in the liveoak tree and eating chickens with his bare hands after skipping breakfast AND lunch might seem a little weird.

I guess it's not their fault for giving me the stink eye

When looking at things from an outside perspective, we are on the fringes of society. We are radicals. We are EXACTLY what the Establishment doesn't want. A large group of independent, healthy, freedom-minded individuals. This is a movement as important as any other before it or after. I see the Paleo Diet, The Primal Blueprint or Good Calories Bad Calories and The Omnivore's Dillema as our centuries The Jungle. People are waking up. There is more information available to the average person than ever before, and people are capable of making their own informed decisions about everything without a filter by a so-called Expert. The information age is upon us.

So Vote with your dollars. Buy REAL FOOD. Make Educated Decisions. Be an indivual. Go against the grain: Be Healthy and Independent. The more the people start makeing smart decisions, the more the Establishment will fight back. The raids on farmer's stores, and the tightening legislation disguised as "food safety" are evident of that. The snake is in the corner and striking. Buy from farmer's markets. Seek out heirloom breeds and varieties. Buy Buffalo. Buy Grassfed Beef, Pastured Pork, and Free Roaming Chickens and chicken eggs. Don't fall into the hype of Crap shows like The Biggest Loser, or whatever program Dr. Oz is blowing hot air on. Find out for yourself. Read the success stories of countless people who have saved their lives through nutrition choices. We are on the fringe now, but soon we'll be the mainstream, and some other group will be out there trying to change the world.

Adventures in Paleo 2

2010-10-27T23:45:00.006-04:00

Yesterday marked the first week down in my Strict Paleo+Intermittent Fasting Experiment. In honor of the occasion, I fasted for 24 hours. I was 16 hours into the fast yesterday when I was writing, with the full intention to go a full 24 hours. I have gone this long without eating before, but never intentionally or for reasons under my own control. The longest I can remember ever going without eating was in SERE School, but that was to simulate survival in the winter after being shot down over hostile territory. THAT was the hungriest I have ever been. Yesterday was nothing. I had notions of going longer, but once I smelled the chicken roasting in the oven stuffed with mirepoix, that notion went away pretty quickly. Real hunger is contemplating chasing down a snowshoe hair in three feet of snow because it's the first edible thing you have seen in days. Real Hunger is picking carrot and celery pieces out of the snow, and boiling more snow with some pine needles -- just to pretend you can get some nutrients out of it, and have a hot meal. Skipping Breakfast and Lunch is not hungry.

I have noticed some things about this fasted state that are totally different than I was expecting. The mental clarity during a fast is amazing. It actually seems like my vision is clearer. It may have been the increased blood flow from the Ball-Buster of a workout, but I couldn't say. I have noticed at about 14 hours I feel cold, and definitely colder in the hands and feet. I have been drinking twice as much water as normal to keep the hunger pains away. I will cut up a lemon in the afternoon, and put it in my water bottle. It actually makes me drink more, believe it or not. You wouldn't think sugar free watered down lemonade would be all that good, but I like it. I have been troubled with some bad heartburn during fasts previously, but I think the small rations of Dark Chocolate and Lemon help. I also have to drink decent coffee or I burn up, so I have been drinking Mello Joy, which I can't get at home. Louisiana has some really good perks if applied correctly. I have noticed the workouts do NOT suffer. I haven't gone on a distance run fasted yet due to heartburn issues, but I plan on hitting that later this week. I am recovering faster than ever, and still getting things done. I have been getting very creative with a pair of 5gal. water jugs. On the negative side, I have had to deal with what some in the more holistic sections of the health industry would categorize as "Cleansing Movements," which I have been correlating to higher quantities of H2O in my system combined with 64oz of black coffee on an entirely empty stomach, but it has been unpredictable. Sometimes it's after eating, sometimes it's after drinking. I think it may be a pressure relief mechanism or something. I don't know.

The Biggest complaint I have had throughout the fasting thing is not in the fast itself, but in the days I am NOT fasting. On the days I eat the standard three squares, and have a green light to eat whatever I want within the constraints of Paleo, I feel like crap! I am foggy, and sleepy. I have the yawns all day. I don't get it. Is this reverse carb flu? I have maintained a fairly low-carb approach to everything the first week, and have definitely not upped my carb intake at all. I just don't get it? Why would the refeed days be foggier than the fasting days? I woke up today not feeling terribly awful, wasn't groggy, contemplated skipping breakfast, but decided it better to eat because I only had one real meal yesterday. (I ended my fast at 8 PM and went to bed at 11) I had my three squares today. I snuck in a little fruit. I made a killer braised country style ribs with baby carrots that was so filling I haven't been hungry since 5pm, but I have been in a funk all day. I couldn't "get right" all day. I planned a 5k Run, but could never get the motivation to go. My work environment was bothering me more than normal. I couldn't seem to get the energy to do anything. AND I have had a small annoying headache all day. The same thing happened after my last non-fast.
I just don't get it. Now don't get me wrong. I thought about the possibility of over training, and not having a good ammount of (x) Nutrient, but that is just not the case. I am not sore at all. I have been working out LESS than normal due to the fasting, and I am still getting plenty of vegetables. I am eating so many vegetables, in fact, that i have had to go the store to replenish my supply three times now. I have killed 3 Bags of carrots in 10 days. I should be developing an orange tan and shitting carotene bricks! It just doesn't logically add up.

So on to the results so far. I am visibly smaller. My Dickies, which are terribly honest to a waist size, and usually tight, fit perfectly right now. I can feel my belly fat melting away as I am regaining the leanness of my youth. The stubborn fat that refuses to die seems to have finally found it's kryptonite. I can put up with the occasional bouts of explosive espresso shots out of my nether regions to get results. At least it isn't as painful as a bodybuilder's supplement rejection. Protein shakes aren't in my version of Paleo.

**I just remembered. I ran out of my Green&Black's chocolate today, so I went back to my old stand-by Lindt's Lindor truffles 60% Dark. Unfortunately I didn't think about it, but the ganache on the inside of these beautiful, delectable, amazingly silky smooth explosions of chocolate on your tongue creations have dairy in them. Challenge FAIL. I could not make it two weeks. I am not changing the game plan from here on out, however. The results are speaking for themselves. It is a matter of principle when you are trying to challenge yourself and the rules are broken, you fail. Did the walls come crashing down on my head? Did the world stop on it's axis and change polarity? no. And I will keep going as if they do not have dairy in them. Because as was stated in an earlier post, There are more benefits than negatives in these amazing little things.

Why Can't Chuck Get His Business Off the Ground?

2010-10-27T11:44:00.000-04:00

Just some examples of how Bureaucracies stifle entrepreneurship.

There is no such thing as a vegan

2010-10-26T17:25:00.001-04:00

There is no such thing as a vegan

Thank You John Durant!

Adventures in Strict Paleo

2010-10-26T12:08:00.003-04:00

Peace out Dairy

Today marks a week into a new diet approach I am embarking on as an experiment. I have been on a small roller-coaster of weight loss in the last 9 months. The battle against sympathy weight has been a winning one, but I hit a sticking point. I wouldn't call it a plateau, but more like a landing on a staircase. While on shift, I am on call 24 hours a day for 14 days. This creates an environment of 0 Alcohol for 14 Days, 100% control of the food I ingest as I am responsible for my meals(groceries), and ample down time waiting for a cal to be able to workout. This has been very beneficial to my overall goals, and I have been very successful... while at work. I typically lose 5 pounds or more a shift, only to gain 5 back as soon as I get home. I know the alcohol has a huge effect on my weight, but I like my whisky. Beer has gotten to the point of making me feel like crap, so I typically eschew beer in favor of Maker's Mark. But I have determined the whisky is not the ONLY cause of weight gain while home. Time constraints are always tighter when i get home, and it always seems like there are 3 places to be at the same time. This leads to eating from a restaurant. I try to make the best decisions I can when we get take-out food, but there is no 100% compliance at a restaurant (in my particular case). I know you can pull the meat out of the bun, order extra veggies, etc. However the social pressures when I am home are usually too great for me to pass.

Until three weeks ago.

I made a specific point to eat right and fast more. My family hasn't accepted the breadless approach, and a few people are still stuck in low-fat no man's land. It's very difficult to be polite and be picky. I hate being the guy picking through his food. I have to be selective of what I pick through or what i put on my plate. The last time off was a family based 2 weeks. I was very active, and more selective. On average i gain 5 pounds back of what I lost on shift, but this time I managed to stay at the same weight. I am proud of this. This means I can continue losing, and get leaner, faster, and stronger all while maintaining a healthy balance of family and rest. SOOO....

I decided to go super strict on this hitch. This will give me a solid 14 day experiment on how my body reacts to a specific pattern. This means No Wheat, Corn, Rice, Oats, Legumes, or DAIRY. I have been relatively grain free for 6 moths at least (with the occasional cheats and rice), but this means NO cheating. I have also been slow to try out the no dairy approach due partly to my Midwestern upbringing, and partly to my love of good butter and cheese. I was never a big milk drinker, but butter and cheese have been staples. The lack of butter has proven challenging. I have also been incorporating 16-18 hour fasts (skipping breakfast) into most days. This is also an experiment in combining the methods for optimum results. I have fasted 5 of the 7 days. My goal is 10 lbs in 2 weeks. I started at 212.

To mark the occasion, I am extending my fast today. At the time I am writing this I am 16 hours in, and I want to see how far I can go. It's usually about this time that I notice cold hands and feet and greater clarity. The stomach grumblings also usually stop. Through some of the blogs around the net (specifically Leangains and Eat Stop Eat) that after an extended fast you may notice cold hands and fingers due to blood flow opening up in your fat cells to move fat out of the fat cells to mobilize fat to be converted to energy in the liver. I have been noticing cold hands and feet around hour 13 and beyond. So much so, that I timed my workout so that I could warm up. Coincidently working out fasted actually kills the hunger your brain says you have. AND before anyone says "oh you're starving yourself!" cough cough.. mom.. cough... I am STILL getting more food than I probably need a day, it's just in a smaller window of time. I'm actually eating BETTER than I would anywhere else due to the dense nutrients I am getting from all the veggies I eat. I have gone through 2 bags of carrots in the last week alone. Using the 5 colors approach, really makes for a healthy and tasty mix of vegetables in your meals.

I have to stipulate my exceptions to the Strictness. Some paleo folks, when talking about strict, i.e. the Whole 9 crew cut out honey and dark chocolate due to the sugar. I have been ok with small ammounts of Honey in my coconut fruit bowls, and I find that a GOOD dark chocolate in small pieces takes the edge off the bile taste that sometimes creeps into the back of your mouth. I enjoy the Green&Black's 70% Organic Dark Chocolate. I let a small piece melt on my tongue usually with black coffee somewhere in the near vicinity. The endorphin rush in itself is great. I see they have an espresso infused version I will DEFINITELY be trying in the near future.

So far the results have already been speaking for themselves. I wake up in the morning with less of the "trailer hangover" I get from living in the company trailers (mold and dust?), and the recovery time from my workouts is nil. I find I can workout hard on one day, and the soreness is barely there the next day. I can jump right back into another difficult workout the next day without problems. I may be moving a little slower than usual, but not sore. Sunday was my first real "re-feed" non-fasting day since starting, and I have to say, I woke up feeling like crappety crappola yesterday. It nagged me allllll day. I felt sluggish and puffy all day. I don't know if the Ham I baked for dinner had too much salt in it or what, but i just couldn't get right. I was chugging water, and eating clean, but I couldn't get right. Hopefully this doesn't happen next time.

So as far as my thoughts on this way of eating, I will definitely be incorporating more regular fasting. I feel good. The dairy thing, I am not so sure of. I know I will be limiting my intake after this 2 week thing is over( might try for a month as per Robb Wolf), but I'm not sure I can give up Organic Grass-fed Butter. There are a few things that have more benefit than detriment. Local Honey, for example, has been shown to help with seasonal allergies and is a perfectly Paleo sweetener in small doses. I am not going to be drinking it out of the bear, but to add it to coconut and cinnamon is pretty dang tasty. same with a dash on celery and sunbutter. Dark Chocolate is another. The benefits outweigh the detriment. There is minimal Dairy in a good dark chocolate bar as well as minimal sugar when you only eat a square inch at a time. Again, I am not advocating gorging on chocolate and honey, but used in minimal amounts makes things a hell of a lot more bearable and less restrictive feeling. The hardest part of a "diet" is the restriction and deprivation of things you like. If you can benefit from something you like that isn't bad for you in the long run, then use it. Sure it can be considered a cheat, but it's all up to the individual. I find it makes things better, so I will keep it up. Here's to a week down!

1st Redfish... Finally.

2010-10-17T01:09:00.002-04:00

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Thank you Terry. After 9(!) years in Florida, I finally got to catch one of these guys.

Sunday Lunch

2010-10-10T13:10:00.001-04:00

Extra thick porkchops braised in citrus and rum; rotel Brussels sprouts.

Awesome.

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The Importance of Rest and Family

2010-10-10T00:05:00.003-04:00

I have been known to multi-task and over-extend myself at times. These last few months of work, reserves, travel, work, reserves, repeat have been taxing on my home life for my family as well as my soul. I have responsibilities and obligations just like the next middle-class white American male, but my responsibilities involve me travelling more miles than the norm, and separating myself from what matters to me more than I should have to explain. I need some time with my family, and I only value my time with them more while I am gone.
I am fortunate enough to have 7 days to spend with my immediate family, and my out of town family in-law. I can't wait. I am already disappointed that it will end and I will have to go back to work. I never knew I would be such a family man, but i think my wife did. I think my Mom did. I didn't. I am surprised everyday at how awesome this whole DAD thing is, and how beautiful my daughter is. 5 years ago I never expected I would be married at 30 (or Ever), and that kids would be in the plans. I absolutely love the turns that have been in my particular creek of life these last few years, and I wouldn't have them any other way. I live for the adventure of teaching my beautiful little daughter how to be an outstanding grown woman one day. I work at a job I love to do so that my amazing wife can continue to raise our little girl in the best home possible, and I serve in the reserves to make ends meet while doing something I can be proud of.
I have to sit back and look at all the things I am doing objectively sometimes just to keep a perspective. I hate being gone, but I couldn't support my family otherwise. I like my job(s) for the most part, and the benefits outweigh the faults. I have to make sure to step back and take a break every once in a while and do nothing but spend time with my family. I hate that my daughter associates the computer with Dada. I spend every moment I can with her while I'm home because I never want her to not know her father. My life has definitely made the transition from me to US.

I have gotten off topic after "freestyling" for a few paragraphs. Maker's Mark has a way of loosening my literary fingers. The moral of my blog post is: Get rest while you can, and make sure you spend as much time as possible with your family. I don't feel as though I Rest enough or spend enough time with my family, but I do what I can, and I am working hard to be able to spend more.

Do you take your coffee like John Wayne or Mary Poppins?

2010-10-09T00:41:00.001-04:00

Do you take your coffee like John Wayne or Mary Poppins?

Winner:

Go Bucks!

2010-09-25T20:19:00.001-04:00

My little girl loves the Buckeyes! If her first word is Dada, her second and third will maybe be Go Bucks!

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Wind Through the Rings

2010-09-24T17:37:00.001-04:00

4rnds:
5 muscle-ups
50 m Barefoot Sprint
Watch out for fire ants!

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I Dream of Music

2010-09-23T11:11:00.005-04:00

Sometimes one has a dream that breaks through the morning fog, and is still memorable on the conscious side. These are best written down and shared, so as to keep a hold of them. The downside, however, is there is always someone who thinks they can decipher what nonsense your brain is aligning in to a story, and give you their best Freudian opinion of what all that junk means. I don't believe there is anything to dreams other than your brain trying to make sense of thought fragments caught between the conscious and subconscious thought pathways. But whatever, this makes a good story.

Somehow, my family figured out how to travel back in time. I'll leave this as the premise because I don't know how or why, but i do know it revolved around stormy weather and massive amounts of electricity. We (My wife, me, and DB) all ended up staying in a hotel (think shitty Ramada) that had a small BBQ party next door to it outside of someone's garage. Well at this party, there were the token middle aged white guys in Hawaiian shirts with Coors Light, but also... Junior Kimbrough and Asie Payton! They were drinking beer and playing guitar waiting on the ribs to be done.
Now normally I would be star-struck with the weight of these dead bluesmen, but I was their new Best Friend -- despite not wearing any pants!!! (this is where the dreamy-ness of all this comes into play)

Asie and Junior Played, taking turns passing around an old beat up acoustic. Eventually I wandered back to our car and put on some pants to go back to the plastic chair between the two bluesmen. They let me play them a couple songs, and I remember how beautiful the songs were. They were full composititons of songs I haven't written yet, and Asie and Junior were floored at how good it all was! Humbly I thanked them, and had to leave to find my wife and daughter -- the music still ringing in my ears. The song was so good, but I never make the transititon of the songs i hear when i'm asleep to the songs I play on my guitar. There is so much good music hidden in my brain, I just can't access it.

The rest of the dream involved me climbing the hard way through some sort of power plant that looked like it was in a Transformers cartoon or some kind of movie set. Cue the big sparks and lightning and storms. after I found my wife and child I woke up. I never figured out how we got back in time, but whatever. It's just a dream. I know this because I wasn't wearing pants the majority of the time. Pretty standard really.

Struggling to Type

2010-09-22T13:30:00.002-04:00

Today's workout left my arms very much like jello. no story today, just the workout. My arms are tired.

4 Rounds as Fast as Possible:
400M Farmer's Walk with full 5Gal Waterjugs*
25 Pullups (Alternate Grip)
15 Knees to Elbows

*If you have to put down the jugs, you cannot advance forward until you pick them back up.

Back at Work/ Back on Track

2010-09-21T17:52:00.005-04:00

I have been traveling more than normal the last few weeks. The adventures in Ohio, Bahamas and various airports have been less than kind on my eating habits and workout routines. Managing a few fasts and a few workouts has been difficult. Ohio was great, the Navy Trip to the Bahamas was more work-hard-play-hard than relaxation, and I am using the time at work to get back on track. I can control more factors while on the job. I feed myself only most of the time, and I don't eat at restaurants. This helps curb the up-sale forced feedings from most restaurants, and keeps me away from lunchables. I can focus on getting the nutrients I need, and experiment with recipes. I can also fast as long as I can since there is no one else needing to be fed. I have set a goal of running twice as much as normal this hitch to get my mileage up. I haven't decided whether I am going to run a race next year or not, but it doesn't really matter. I don't compete with anyone but myself anymore. I just want to lose solid weight -- even if that means losing some muscle mass. I want to be under 200 again. Leaner, Quicker, and Faster. We'll see what happens. I'm off to a good start after today's workout.

Workout: (as intended)
1 mile with 20# Vest
50 Sledgehammers (25 each side)
40 WaterJug Frontsquats (5 gal.)
30 Single Leg Deadlift (15 Each Leg)
20 Back Extensions

I was running this workout with a partner, and ended up doing the exercises in reverse, so it slowed me down. I burned up my back early on, and it ended up being more of a strength/ muscle endurance workout than a strictly High intensity workout. My partner was doing the workout as originally intended and finished a little after I did. I'm definitely feeling this one this evening. time for a nice rest before some extra running tomorrow.

EDIT: I added a Tabata Kettlebell Swing after resting for a few minutes. 35 Lbs Alternating arms until the last 2 intervals.

Adventure of the Month: AUTEC

2010-09-15T14:46:00.001-04:00

According to some kook on the history channel, the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center, or AUTEC, is the Area 51 of the Atlantic. Apparently they store UFO's in the blue holes of Andros, but I have never seen them. In reality, AUTEC is a little facility on Andros Island, Bahamas the US and British Navies practice playing submarine. It's more Down Periscope, than Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind. The facility also happens to be very large part of the island economy. I love talking to the local Bahamians.
I am on my way to Opa Locka, where my helicopter will get fuel, and then fly across the water to Fresh Creek. For the next 4 days, my compatriots and I will be dropping torpedoes and shooting guns from Navy helicopters; while trying to find time to snorkel with the barracudas, and drink goombay smashes on the beach. This is to distract us from the fact we are confined to a mile square piece o rock, living in shitty barracks, and away from our families. I personally intend on working out every day as well.

Andros Island is a beautiful Island, but I have only really seen it from the air. It's pock marked with Blue Holes - fresh water filled holes that seem to have no bottom. They are essentially caves formed in the limestone or coral of the islands that open up to the ocean somewhere along the shelf. Andros is set on the edge of an area of deep water called the Tongue Of The Ocean. The shelf drops off to 1000 fathoms.

The weather is hot, the girls are not. Rum is cheap, beats the heat.

I may have internet, but I might not.

Whatever. The reserves are still a pretty cool second job.

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Busy, But Catching the Moments That Matter

2010-09-14T11:15:00.004-04:00

A good friend of mine reffered to my visits to Ohio as "a Whirlwind of [New Renaissance]" and I have to concur. My life is a whirlwind. I'm never in the same spot for longer than a few days, it seems; and I always have somewhere to be or someone to see when I'm there. Excluding work, where I am obligated to be within a stone's throw away from my helicopter. I cannot leave to go anywhere else, and my family doesn't come along. I cherish the small moments of time I have with my young daughter. I don't have enough of them, it seems. I could spend all day, every day with her, but that's not how life works. I am just glad to not have to worry about deployments any longer than a few weeks anymore. It's tough enough leaving for a 2 week shift and coming back to a bigger, stronger, smarter, and faster little thing crawling at my ankles. She is pulling up, has teeth, and can walk if i hold her hands. Pretty soon she'll be sprinting to meet me at the airport when i come home.

Summer Sangria

2010-08-16T19:15:00.001-04:00

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Surf and Yard Bird

2010-08-15T19:48:00.004-04:00

My wife and I finally got a chance to visit with some old friends today. we planned ahead of time to have a cookout and get some much needed play time for the kids, and some much needed social time for the parents. The rain came in today, and it was steamy outside, but the food made up for any negative feelings from the storm. It was a surf and turf, and yard-bird kind of party with some apple chicken sausage thrown in and Val's AMAZING corn and black bean salsa.
[as an aside: I avoid corn products except in the case of it being served as actual CORN. I grew up in the mid west, and there will never be a time when i give up corn completely -- no matter how bad it fits in with the paleo/primal diet crowd. Where I grew up corn was a vegetable, and served as such. I also thoroughly enjoy bourbon which by definition must be mashed from no less than 51% corn. Sweet corn grown in our garden every summer was a major staple in my house as a kid. HFCS hadn't been widely distributed, and the only sugar we drank was in tea or in Kool-Aid. Corn is fine in appropriate amounts -- as a VEGETABlE.]
The point of this post is to pass along the Chicken and Shrimp recipes that I used for my contribution to the cook out. There was grilled chicken wings and drumsticks tossed in Tiger Sauce. AND!!! Fresh Mayport Shrimp in a Tequila Lime Marinade. I only wish I had a chance to take pictures of the final product. The cameras were trained intently on my daughter and friend's son who were enjoying their third date. If they could type it would be Facebook official.

Chicken:

you will need a grill and some chicken wings and drumsticks. Also about half a stick of butter and 2 small bottles of Tiger Sauce.
Charcoal is best for this, but you can fry or bake the wings as well. It really doesn't matter; I just like to have the crispy grill burned pieces co-mingle with the sweet and spicy of the sauce. The broiler would be completely sufficient.

Grill your chicken, and make sure to sear it well.
I had 8 full wings and 4 drumsticks. I used 1/2 a stick of melted butter and 1 3/4 bottles of Tiger sauce. Add some salt, and you are golden. Toss your cooked Wing/drumsticks in the sauce and get it. I marinated the chicken ahead of time, but it didn't make a difference. None. The flavor is in the eye of the tiger.

Now the Shrimp is a different story. It's too awesome to give a name.

You need 2 pounds of fresh peeled and de-veined shrimp.
3 slices of thick sliced bacon
2 jalapeño peppers, chopped fine (seeds and veins removed)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced
Juice of 1 lime
the leftover 1/4 bottle of Tiger Sauce
Salt to taste
and TEQUILA!!!!

The most important things about this concoction are: 1. The shrimp has to be fresh, 2. The bacon should be a good thick cut, and 3. The Tequila must be good. Quervo doesn't cut it, kids. I used Hussong's Reposado, but anything of a decent heritage will work. And seriously, Life is too short to eat shitty bacon.

Combine the Shrimp and all the ingredients except the bacon in a non-reactive bowl and keep chilled. Slice the bacon into small pieces and brown in a pan. De-glaze the pan with the marinade from the shrimp and reduce. Add the shrimp and sauté for 5 minutes or until done. Make sure not to over cook. Over-cooked shellfish is a sin to humanity.

It really seemed more complicated than it was while I was cooking the shrimp. In actuality I was merely prepping the shrimp. I bought it fresh, so i had to pull off the heads, peel, and de-vein everything. I usually just throw the little guys in a pot and boil them. This was the first time I actually made a big to-do over skrimps.
The flavor was unbelievable, though. I will definitely be making this again. The tequila-lime-bacon trifecta was a powerhouse of flavor that made you stop what you are doing and rethink everything you know about food. Ask My wife.

So now I will be finishing the bottle of Hussong's watching the roast of David Hasselhoff.

Life as it stands on a few drinks of Rum

2010-08-14T23:46:00.002-04:00

I tend to be more verbose after consuming some decent rum drinks. Sailor Jerry and Coke Zero have been giving me a silver tongue for the evening, but it really doesn't matter. 1. You need an audience, and 2. you have to have people that care what comes out of your mouth. Rum provides Neither.

I decidede to share the wealth of the down-home blues of Captain Luke and Cool John playing a cover of the Brook Benton version of "Rainy Night in Georgia." I absolutely love this song, and this version-- with the boys sitting in a pawnshop or guitar store or whatever-- makes it so much more authentic and real. Captain Luke's Double Bass rumbling through the bottom end of the range as Cool John rings out the harmonics like he's directing a herald of cherubim. Call it poetic, but don't deny that this version sounds great, and Cool John can play that guitar!

Here is another video of Captain Luke teaching the finer points of singing Bass:

You can find more videos of the last great Blues Men and the best of independent music on The Musicmaker Foundation website with links to more and more the videos of men and women like Captain Luke and Cool John bustin' it out to keep the lights on all throughout The South. Give them a listen. This is what the blues is about.

Now don't forget the Punkin' Puddin'

Fantastic Friday!!! (2fer1!)

2010-08-06T11:17:00.004-04:00

While I sit and wait for my shift to be over, and day dreaming of home I tend to watch videos and read a lot of internet blogs.

Here is the story of Veronica Garza, who at 27 Defeated Lupus after the doctors told her she couldn't by switching to a Primal Diet, and joining a CrossFit gym. The video is extremely well done, and very motivational. It's such a great story! I can't wait to hear more about her. Way to go Veronica! And thank you Free The Animal for the link.

G7 Stories - Veronica Garza from G7 Athletics on Vimeo.

Here is the Music Video for HaHa Tonka's "Caney Mountain." The video is all stop- animation except for the beginning and end. But I see it as a metaphor for today's modern snake oil salesman trying to sell everything they can market in pill form. The cycle will continue until someone starts looking for causes instead of "cures" to the symptoms.

Ha Ha Tonka "Caney Mountain" - Widescreen HD from Barkley MDFX on Vimeo.

In honor of the Mustache growing contest I am having with myself, here is a video from La Blogotheque from the Low Anthem. Look for more of these guys.

The Low Anthem - Apothecary - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

They are also streaming a live set from the Newport Folk Festival on NPR.org

I will be trying to blog on a more daily basis in the future, but no promises.

Muscle-Ups (Diluted)

2010-08-06T10:52:00.003-04:00

I was blogging in my head through my workout two days ago. 30 Muscle-ups took 48 minutes and 26 seconds to complete. You might think this was a distraction, and I should focus more on the task at hand, rather than put coherent thoughts and sentences together while I sweat, but honestly it helped keep my mind off of the clock (discouraging), and the tears on my hands. I had a post started musing on the beautiful challenges of the muscle-up and it's functional translations into real life, but due to distractions and my inability to put it all together in a coherent fashion, I deleted it. It was crap.

Short story: Muscle-ups are hard. I am getting better at them. 2 years ago I could not do 1. Wednesday I did 30 -- for time. I can do 4 in a row, but after I start getting tired I have to focus on the form, and the kip that is very similar to a pole vault. The first 15 took 20 minutes, and the last two took ten. My hands look worse today, then yesterday, and this was after re-taping twice in the middle of this. My time sucks, but I'm getting better, and a shitty time is still better than a DNF. Amen

I would like to thank the Live Oak outside of my trailer for your support -- of my RINGS!!!

But I Digress

2010-07-29T00:18:00.003-04:00

I've been feeling more motivated lately. My typical 2 week Alternating schedule doesn't lend itself to actual exercise when I'm on my off time, but my most recent time off actually let me get a breath. There were some slightly larger than normal waves in Jacksonville, so I got out on my big green longboard and tried to do my best Jimmy Buffett impersonation. Nose-riding is a long way off for me. I was just happy to stand up, turn, and stay on until the wave gave up. Nothing fancy, but better than where I was the last time I surfed. Which, consequently from my work schedule, was LAST AUGUST. There hasn't been too ocean recreation on my itinerary lately.

I guess the salt water and deep tan activated something in me. I fixed a lawnmower, then broke it again to the point of no return; so I had to bring the back-up mower out of it's hole and resurrect the dead. This mower has been around for 5 years now, and it has been used and abused, but still runs. It sounds like it skips every 12th cycle or so, sounds like it's choke is stuck, and bogs down even in managed grass; but it sure gets the job done. Everytime. I sweated out the rest of the previous night's BAC, and felt like a man. There is nothing more masculine than the sweat, dirt, motor oil, and fresh cut grass. Dads Rule.

The other side effect of all this Salty Testosterone is the extra motivation given to exercising. I stay in good shape, but I have been trying to fight off the 10 pounds gained since getting married, new job, missing Crossfit Jax; AND the 15 pounds from the sympathy weight. I have managed to cut the sympathy weight, which was mainly water and pudge from all the sympathy EATING I was doing during my Beautiful Wife's pregnancy. I am sitting at a solid 212 lbs. right now, but I want to see my bodyfat percentage drop to as close to single digits as I can get and still drink beer. I might bust out the measuring tape tomorrow to guestimate my current situation. Digression aside, I snuck a good workout in on Sunday in the heat consisting of Jumprope and abs for a warm-up, with walking lunges and walking on my hands in the (newly shorn) yard for the bulk of the workout. No workout on the travel day, but now I'm back in the Bayou, and have plenty of time on my hands. Yesterday was a killer workout leaving me sore today, and today's will no doubt leave me hobbled tomorrow. I plan on attempting a 5k to loosen my joints in the morning. We shall see.

So....

Tuesday's workout:
"warm" up (It's HOT in S. Louisiana this time of year)
800m Run w/20# weight vest
20 Back extensions w/20# weight vest
10 Pull-ups w/20# weight vest

Work out
21-15-9 consecutively without rest
Ring Push-ups
Squat Jumps

Wham BAM. I was spent after this, and I wish I had a stop watch. I was going at a sub 4minute pace, but I have no proof. I Love the 21-15-9 Crossfit Rep method (my term). It sounds so simple easy, until you finish -- drenched in sweat, sucking for air. So demonically deceptive. It is simple in design: go all out, and don't stop until you are done. Blam. Sweat Angel.

Today's workout was a little more complicated, but I did excavate my stopwatch out of my gear for this one.

"warm" up (seriously. 95 in the shade)
active stretching
Push-ups with side Plank
Spiderman Push-ups

Work out:
Max Reps Double-Unders(D/U's) in 2 minutes
Ring Dips; reps = number of D/U's completed
rest 1 minute
Max Reps D/U's in 2 min.
Back Extensions; reps = number of D/U's completed
rest 1 minute
Max Reps D/U's in 2 min.
Pull Ups; reps = number of D/U's completed (minimum of 50)

I had a Jumprope issue, so I didn't get more than 41 D/U's on the last round. I did 50 to even it out.

This little guy was a ball buster! I didn't expect it to be this tough. The third round was brutal. I have to give it up to Crossfit Jax again for this idea. I was definitely ~~stealing~~ inspired by previous workouts there. Those guys are mad geniuses when it comes to pain. I can't and will not call my workouts Crossfit simply because I am not scoring myself, and I can't always push my limits while on the job for fear of going to the point of no return and compromising my ability to perform my job safely on a 20 minute response time. I just know that the methods are proven, and I have learned so much from the Crossfit community over the last 2 years. If I get the chance to attend a level 1 certification in the future, I will jump at the chance, but for right now, I am just making due with what is available. I am kicking my own ass in the process. But I digress...

Holy Crap!!! Goodbye 20's!

2010-07-14T18:18:00.006-04:00

Well....

My 20's are ending in mere hours, and the Dirty 30 will be here. Forever gone are the days of my youth, and my irresponsibility. I made the decision to be an adult about 3 years ago when the rockstar-death-age hit me (Hendrix, Joplin, Cobain all dead at 27) and I hadn't put out an album or gone on tour. I got a real job, got married, had a baby; and now it's here. 30 years old. Holy Sh*t.

I would normally celebrate another year of hell-raising with more hell raising and drunken antics for a week or so, but I can't do that anymore. The feeling of my infant daughter pseudo-crawl across my back on the couch is a good reminder that i need to keep my wits about me, and set a good example. So on the eve of my thirties, my wife and I are being civilized and going to the Casa Marina for a quiet fine dining experience followed by a fine tequila at TacoLu, a Guinness at Fly's Tie, and a nightcap at the house in the backyard with some Maker's Mark and a fine Cigar. 3 years ago, I was wasted on cheap beer dressed as a red-neck and having a theme party (White Trash Trailer Bash)after having to beat up a friend for being too drunk and belligerent. What is a white trash party without a fight, right?

SO, I'm turning thirty, and I'm being refined. I suppose i should be depressed my younger days are passing, but I really don't feel any different. I didn't cross a lot of things of THE LIST of things to do before I have to grow up, but all the things I have a accomplished in the last decade speak for themselves. I joined the Navy, saw a large portion of the world, love and lost, and loved and continue to love the Mother of my child(ren). I played a lot of shows, and made some pretty good music, but i didn't play the game well enough to call it a career. I was never willing to be a complete bum to be a rockstar. I will still continue to record and play music, and my daughter already loves music and "jams out" with me.

So tip your glass in honor of my twenties, and may the mistakes I made in the last decade give way to triumphs in the future. Tip your glass again for luck in the coming ten years so in my 40's I can coast, and in my 50's I can take care of my children's future so they don't make the same mistakes I did, and they can be happy to make the mistakes they make on their own, and have their father to pick them back up when they fall.

My 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's are for telling stories about my 20's and 30's. If I live longer than that... well that's when I can start raising hell again, and blame it on old age. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go be old and have a Bourbon on the rocks with a nice cigar.

Stress Relief

2010-04-30T19:51:00.005-04:00

No pics for today. It's a dreary, windy, sad day in South Louisiana. I could smell the oil on the wind last night, and I heard on the news the oil slick has touched shore. The leak still hasn't been plugged, and it looks like they will be drilling a relief well. This could take weeks and weeks. I can now say that crude oil smells a bit like a marina in July, when sniffed from a distance. My company is under contract with BP, so I will not publish any thoughts on the subject.

My trailer-mate here in the camp had on The News today, and it got me riled up with the over exposure of news and opinions spun out in a far reaching direction to the right or left, depending on the network of your choice. All the goings on and the current political situation (more accurately the very public reaction to) just had me a smidge out of sorts. I could tell when I was swearing under my breath and getting mad over the touch pad on my computer, and wanting to throw my laptop through my trailer wall, that I was primed for a good "Dance with Helga" workout. I incorporated weighted sprints with a full 5 gallon water jug, and a concrete paver block. The block is roughly 4" x 16" x 16" and I am unsure of the exact weight, but using a standard nominal weight of 150#/cubic foot, or 12.5#/cubic inch, the block weighs around 82 pounds. I guesstimated somewhere between 75# and 100#, so that's about right. I suck at math, so please correct me if I am wrong.

So here is the workout:

Warm-up: (after carrying everything to my workout area)
50 D/U
15 handstand push-ups
sledgehammer swings

Workout -- 5 rounds For Time:
20 Sledgehammer Blows (alternating sides)
10 Heavy Block Presses (concrete block)
1 50yd Sprint with 5gal water jug on shoulder

Cooldown:
50 Crunches
50 Oblique Crunches (25 R/L)
50 Flutter Kicks (4-count)

Dinner: Rock Cornish Game hen stuffed with lemon...

The workout was completed in 12:30. I was fighting pukie at the beginning of round 4, but the beauty of a sledgehammer is you can imagine the face of someone you dislike in your head on your hammer target. Here is where the Stress Relief comes into play. There is a particular face I had on my tire this evening. I picked up the pace at that point, and was back in the game. It was a challenge having to power snatch an odd object over my head to facilitate the shoulder presses in the last two rounds, but the form doesn't change much from using a bar to odd objects. You still need to be centered, and dip under the weight just like in an Olympic lift. Granted, it isn't as pretty as a flawlessly performed Power Clean, but I would have hurt myself if I tried to fight the concrete up with my arms. I only had to break up the presses on the last two rounds, and that was just to insure I didn't drop the thing on my head. I will definitely be incorporating more weighted sprints into the workouts as well. I think a good 400m jug run might be in the future.

All in all, this was good stress relief. Helga dances like a champion.

I'm definitely feeling hammered... nyuk nyuk nyuk.

Meet Helga

2010-04-28T22:03:00.005-04:00

Helga is a svelte 8 lb. sledgehammer with a wooden handle. She has an old-school flair to her, and despite only weighing 8 lbs., she has a knack for puttin' a hurtin' on an old tire -- she showed me today. We found an old tire on the side of the canal by a bridge, and She immediately hated that tire. It wasn't long after we rolled the guy home, that she was hammering the crap out of said tire. Bayou tires suck. We hate them. We punish them with brute force and become stronger and meaner.

So, with less personification, I had a good workout today. I picked up a sledgehammer last night from wallyworld for $19, and during a run this afternoon, I found Stumpy the swamp tire by the side of the canal under the bridge. No mosquitoes in sight.

My workout started with an after flight run that was supposed to be 3 miles, but I couldn't overcome the mental block and run the whole time. While walking (feeling like a wuss), I found the tire, and my running partner and I rolled it back to the trailer I sleep in while on the job. With no gym facilities to speak of here, a good workout is a nice treat that breaks up the day, and gives a beautiful rush of endorphins. I decided to use the Tabata Protocol to get my fix of power and pain.

The workout consisted of: 32 rounds of 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest each. The first round is Sledgehammers alternating L/R, second round is squats, and third round is push-ups. The sledgehammer may never leave your hands, and may not rest on the ground during squats. Push-ups are performed holding the sledgehammer under your hands on the ground.

Now I attempted to do all the squats Over-head, but I had to let it down on my shoulders sometimes, so I didn't put it in the total. Likewise, some push-ups were with the feet on the tire, but since it's only 10 inches and I was inconsistent, I left that out as well. Basically, it equates to one hell of a 16 minute workout that sneaks up on you. By alternating the rounds in threes, I didn't burn out completely with every exercise. I suppose it can't be considered a true Tabata protocol without hitting each exercise for 8 rounds consecutively, but it still works. I feel it now over 4 hours later, and I am going to venture a guess that I will be hurting tomorrow. Helga will be a cursed name in the morning. For now, I will keep riding this endorphin wave, and eat my mushroom and leek soup with pork waiting for the beeper to go off for a call to save the day.

Helga and I will play again tomorrow. She's great stress relief.

Apology

2010-04-18T00:04:00.002-04:00

I apologize for not updating the blog the past month. I have many things to talk about, but not the words to put them in. Focus and motivation have been on other tasks. Family and work are primary to an online journal.

There will be more ranting and raving in the near future as well as music reviews (good music this summer) workouts and recipes. Until then, roam through my links.

Enjoy the spring if you are in the Northern Hemisphere.

Persistence Hunting

2010-03-20T20:19:00.006-04:00

This video got me motivated to get up and run yesterday. The videography is the outstanding in itself, but aside from the fact the San people can run down a Kudu until it nearly dies from exhaustion; the striking thing is the connection the hunter has with it's quarry. The San people have been hunting this way since paleolithic times. The hunter ceremonially thanks the animal for giving it's life for the hunter, and the hunter rubs saliva from the animal's mouth onto his burning thighs to relieve the pain from the hunt. Similar to American Indian hunters thanking the animal and eating the animal's liver in tribute (not to mention the large quantities of vitamins and minerals present in raw liver to replace the electrolytes lost in the hunt). There is a close respect for their environment and resources. The human race has nearly lost this notion under the guise of civilization and progress. We would benefit as a people to know where our resources, specifically our food, comes from.

When you think of dinner, do you think of the vine the tomatoes grew on or the herbs in the ground that make up the pomodoro sauce? Do you think of the feild of semolina field the wheat came from to make the pasta? Do you know the cow the burger was ground from hat made up the meatballs? My guess is no. You think of a box of pasta, a plastic can of spice mix, and a tube of ground beef. When someone says "steak," my guess is the picture that comes to mind is a red package cased in cellophone with a perfectly trimmed, one inch thick t-bone. Generally, I would be willing to guess the thought of Bessie the Angus doesn't come to mind.

The problem in this fracture from our food source enables CAFO's, factory farming, franken-foods, and the situation we find ourselves in today. Food is no longer a spiritual event (for most...), and we are feeding ourselves manufactured products made from inedible resources. We are becoming the cattle in the CAFO lot. We are bloated, unhealthy, ignorant masses waiting around for the end, refusing to believe it is near. We eat whatever is put in front of us.

I am not perfect, nor do I claim to be. I eat junk. I buy steaks from Wal-Mart out of necessity, and hate myself when I do. Economics plays a large part in all this mess as well, but I will not go into that today. I am trying to get to the point where I can buy grass fed beef, with pastured pork and eggs. I try to vote with my dollars and buy "fresh" produce along with healthy choices, but life gets in the way sometimes. I want to shop at farmer's markets. I want to have wild game in a freezer in my garage like my childhood, but it's not that simple. I live in suburbia. I travel a lot for my chosen profession. I can only do so much. The best I can do is See. I try to think about where my dinner comes from before it landed on the styrofoam plate under he cellophane. I stay away from the aisles in the grocery store. I vote with my dollars on produce over bar codes and nutrition info. I try to cook like my great grandmother did. I do my best, and i hope I can instill the same principles in my daughter.

/rant

Bayou "Trail" Adventure/Run

2010-03-19T21:12:00.004-04:00

I work in South Louisiana. South of New Orleans, in Lafourche (La-Foosh) Parrish, is a little town on Bayou Lafourche called Galliano. Near Galliano, is the Airport I live and work at while on the job. Well, being that we are on a short tether, I don't get to venture far from our base very often. We have to get creative with ways to entertain ourselves. Today I was afforded the opportunity to ride shotgun to Houma, LA for a coworker's errands. This was my first time in Houma outside of the Airport there, and I was pleased to find a smidgen of history and fun there. It was nice to be away from home-base for second. It was a beautiful day, and the drive there took us through some really deep swamp country. I enjoyed the few minutes of countryside between the normal shacks, bayous, dry docks full of rusty boats, and overgrown farmland. S. Louisiana is a different world from the rest of the country.

After we returned from that little excursion, we decided it was a fine day unload a few boxes or 12 gauge bird shot on some clay targets. 5 of us went through a box and a half of targets, and three boxes of shells. It wasn't a giant amount, but i hadn't had a chance to really shoot since I was a kid, and it felt really good to put some shot on some clays. I even got to shoot a .410 gauge! I had never shot one before. That is a fun little gun.

With limited exercise facilities (read: none), i have to get creative with my workouts. I usually jump rope, hang rings from a tree, and do various functional movements with 5 gallon water jugs. Running is always included in there as well, but I don't run as much as I could or should to build my distance. It is so hard for me to get motivated to pound pavement just for the sake of running if I can get my workouts somewhere else. After reading Born to Run by Christopher Mcdougall, I decided I wanted to try and enjoy running. I might train for an ultra marathon one day, but I doubt it. I just don't want to hate running anymore.
I almost didn't workout at all. I was sitting on the couch and was looking for the end of the Internet again when i stumbled across an interview with Barefoot Ted about his experiences running, mostly from the book, and it led me to a YouTube video about the Sans people (also in Born to Run) filming their persistence hunt. I won't delve too far into that discussion (I'll Save it for Tomorrow), but it got my ass off the couch, and out to complete a workout. The idea was just to run a couple of miles to warm up for a ball-busting High Intensity Interval Training workout full of Constantly Varied Functional Movements, but I decided to go on an adventure. I ran about 200 yards, turned around, grabbed my phone with headphones, my generic CamelBak, and took off with metal music blasting in my ears. There is no avoiding the pavement for portions of runs around here, but the area is abound with Primal Fitness obstacles. I ran until the road ends and kept going. I ran on trails, I threw heavy stones. I jumped over streams. I climbed over levees and rock piles. I chucked re-bar like a javelin. I ran through stands of trees. I walked when I was out of breath, ran when I wanted to get somewhere, I jumped when I needed to, I HAD A BLAST. I felt like a kid exploring his surroundings. I didn't run for time, and I didn't feel like it was torture. I don't know how far i ran, and I don't care. I could have gone longer, but the sun was setting, and I needed to be back in case we got called out.
My music died in the middle of the run, and i lost some motivation to keep moving, sure. However it led to a new discovery. The sound of the wildlife at dusk. The birds and frogs and crickets were all coming to life around the time I was heading back along the canal. The Airport maintenance folks had just mowed this week, so it wasn't hacking through jungle for a mile to get back. It afforded me the delight of running off-road next to the canal. I actually got to enjoy the serenity of nature and the enjoyment of a run at the same time. This was the reason I wanted to get off the road so bad. It was another beautiful sunset to boot. I wish I could have taken a hundred pictures, or made a workout vid to show how fun it was, but I only had my cell phone (no service). I snapped a picture along the canal as the sun was setting.

But what about snakes, and alligators, and mosquitoes you ask? Well, it is still chilly at night, and the water temps are still below 60F in most places; so the snakes are holed up at the end of the day, and the gators are still in hibernation. I am vigilant not to corner a rattlesnake or a water moccasin, nonetheless. Snakes usually get out of your way anyway. The only casualties of the day were a shoe stuck in the mud when my foothold broke through into the bog on a leap across a drainage ditch, and a few mosquito bites when I stopped to take the picture. It will be more challenging when the weather warms up and the heavy summer air sets in, but I still look forward to more of these adventure runs. They are a great way to break up the monotony. It was so Primal, and so fun to just act like a kid and have some fun.

One Hungry Mother Clucker

2010-03-17T20:38:00.004-04:00

Sometimes you have to make a good meal. Sometimes that meal happens to be by yourself. Why ruin a great opportunity for gourmet cooking with a burger and fries? Let's have the staple of all healthy diets... Chicken!

But, it's too much food, you say? It will all go to waste, you say? go with a Rock Cornish game hen! with only 1 pound net weight of good quality chicken, and the ease of the oven, you can't go wrong! Plus, it gives you the advantage of being able to get your hands and face covered in chicken grease without having to worry about not looking like a slob in front of your significant other! I made the mistake of thinking of Blogging this after I devoured it, so I don't have a picture. I was caveman hungry, so forgive this one. I stole a pic from somewhere else.
Now, It may sound gross to some with a name with "game" and "hen" in there, but it actually has no bearing on the meat. It's just a chicken folks. It happens to be an all white meat chicken. The USDA defines a Rock Cornish game hen as:

"...a young immature chicken (usually 5 to 6 weeks of age), weighing not more than
2 pounds ready-to-cook weight, which was prepared from a Cornish chicken or the progeny of a Cornish chicken crossed with another breed of chicken."

It's an awesomely delicious little bundle of awesome. Basically a woman by the name of Te Makowsky bred together the Cornish game cock with several other species of chicken including the Plymouth Rock chicken and the Malayn fighting cock to create the stumpy little meat bombs that PETA enthusiasts love to hate. The term "hen" requires the chicken to be harvested under 2 pounds, usually at 4 to 6 weeks of age. This makes for a moist, tender little mother clucker. You can buy them in any grocery store, and if you do have a party you can prepare one for each guest. I prefer to buy them when I am on shift, and I can cook more with less.

Here is a recipe that is damn near sailor proof -- The hardest part is waiting for it to cool down!

Ingredients:
1 Rock Cornish game hen
1 medium size Lemon
6 cloves fresh garlic
1 TBS Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After your Rock Cornish game hen(RCGH) has thawed, remove it from the packaging and rinse under cold water inside and out. Peelthe Garlic, but leave whole. Halve a lemon -- with one half to be sliced, and one to be wedged. Set aside one wedge for juice. Stuff cavity of RCGH with garlic and lemon wedges. Now set bird in a small dish with substantial sides to hold onto juices. Here is the trick: Make sure to place the bird BREAST SIDE DOWN to preserve the juice in the dryer meat. You'll thank me later. Coat the topside of bird in EVOO, and rub in Tony Chachere's. Squeeze juice of the reserved lemon over the bird, and place lemon slices along the outside of the bird or under the wings. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes for a 16 oz bird, or 1 hour 30 minutes for larger.

Try not to burn your hands as you tear into this one.

Cheesy

2010-03-08T20:30:00.003-05:00

I just came across this. I don't know if I would want to try and make it at home, though. Mommy's Milk Cheese

The whole idea of drinking from my wife kind of weirds me out, but it brings up some interesting questions. The natives of the Swiss Alps found that the cheese cured from cows that grazed on wild herbs had a strong aromatic flavor different than that of regular cheeses. Sooooooo... if i feed my wife a lot of butterscotch, will the cheese made from her Mommy Milk taste like candy? Or in the converse, if she eats a lot of junk-food will it taste like Fun-yuns? It's apparent that whatever she eats, my baby eats, so I can only imagine what flavor combination could be created.

Another point to make, if I decided to make cheese out of my Spouse's Milk, and assuming there is a surplus of milk so as not to steal from my daughter's mouth; is would I share it with people? I am not talking about a milk bank style donation to the needy. I'm talking about sharing with friends and family like a cheeseball at Christmas dinner. Would I be willing to look someone in the face that is ingesting something from my wife? I guess it takes a special kind of person to give it away like that. Images come to mind of the weird family on the side of the mountain that dry out their significant other's placentas to be used in some sort of witch-doctory. This kind of thing just doesn't happen in Western Society. I'm not sure I'm ok with it. Just because something can be done, doesn't necessarily mean it should.

I'm Addicted to Take-Away Shows

2010-03-06T22:26:00.004-05:00

#62.3 - Menomena - Wet and Rusting
by lablogotheque

The sound quality doesn't do this particular song justice, but the drumming is amazing as always with Menomena - even with only two drums! The best part is about 2:30. Simply the coolest reaction to a song I have ever seen.

More on Menomena:

I was fortunate enough to see them perform up close and personal at Jack Rabbits in Jacksonville, Florida a couple years (holy crap! has it been that long? ago. I have to put that particular show in my Top 5 shows of all time. I would venture to say it earns the silver medal. The energy they convey in their music live is other-wordly. Upon first hearing the album Wet and Rusting, I thought it was at least 5 people, or studio magic layering tracks. I was pleased to find out there is no special trick to the songs, it truly is a three-piece, and they put every bit of sound into their live shows that is on the album. Anyone who has seen a show at Jack Rabbits knows the place is freakin tiny. That is part of the charm. You get to see some really great bands close enough to get their beers spilled on you if they get too froggy. The intimacy of the club is my favorite aspect of it. I lurv me a good indie rock show.

Anyway, The band has just released a new song, so hopefully they will be putting a new album out soon, and I can see them on tour again.

Kristi Howell at Jax Underbelly

2010-03-04T13:34:00.002-05:00

I will let this one speak for itself. Kristi has a great style, and I encourage everyone to go check it out. I love when Jacksonville is all grown up and has culture. I wish wholeheartedly I could attend, but I have to keep food on the table, a roof over our heads, and Maker's Mark in the cabinet.

No Over-Production Here

2010-03-03T17:36:00.003-05:00

Phoenix - 1901 - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

I love this song. I had my doubts about how these guys would be live, thinking the album must have been really produced in the studio, but this video made me love the song even more. Phoenix - 1901

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food | Video on TED.com

2010-03-02T22:52:00.001-05:00

More people need to see this, and listen.

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food | Video on TED.com

Operation Push

2010-02-11T09:52:00.003-05:00

Operation PUSH commenced on 10FEB2010 at 1700 when my wife checked into Beaches Baptist Hospital. We "settled in" for the long night of Labor. I could go on about how uncomfortable the couch was or how the nurses came in every hour to do clinical things that made me uncomfortable to watch; but that isn't important. No one remembers the play by play, they only remember the score at the end of the game. My Daughter Dixie Bright Fout was Born unto this mortal coil at 1223, 11FEB2010 weighing 7 pounds, 1.7 ounces with blond hair and a smooshed nose. She scored an impressive 9.5 APGAR test, and is absolutely perfect.

She is the most amazing thing I have ever seen, and this experience has been the most rewarding thing I have ever done. The whole reason we, as humans, are here on this earth is to reproduce. Everything we are geared for is for the creation of new lives.

Welcome to the world Dixie Bright Fout. We love you.

Beef Labels Clarified

2010-01-10T17:00:00.002-05:00

Beef Label Decoder

All the stickers on Beef and what they mean.

Not much going on today... It's cold in South Louisiana. I head back to an aven colder Florida tomorrow.

2009 Re-cap (as a robot)

2009-12-31T14:02:00.001-05:00

2009 was a very good year for me.