August 16, 2011 Day 72

Hi everyone, it's been a while since my last update. I've just had a lot of things going on and they sort of took center stage for a while. I have been updating my You Tube page nearly daily and I'll include some videos at the end of this post. I hope to be back to updating my blog more often.

So, I've finished with my grandmother's living room remodel and audio video system installation. It looks great and sounds awesome! The Bowers & Wilkins speakers are amazing! You'd never guess they were little 8" ceiling speakers CCM664 in the rear (two) and CCM663 in front (three), and a 10" B & W 200 watt sub. Also a Denon 2312 AV receiver, Sony 580 Blue-Ray DVD player, and a Direct TV DVR whole house system. It all works together seamlessly. We were going to use Time Warner Cable whole house DVR service and had an appointment set up to get it all installed but they lied about the appointment, canceled it and really messed things up. The next day was when all of the AV equipment was to be installed. So I called Direct TV, they said they would have an installer out first thing in the morning. He wasn't there in time for the AV installers but they knew the codes for the box they use, so it all worked out. I was absolutely livid about the Time Warner thing. As soon as I move, I'm switching too. I can't handle liars and that totally pissed me off. Besides, their service and their customer service sucks. I hope everyone who reads this switches to something else. They should be put out of business for the way they act. I can't believe we live in a "free market" society and a company would dare to act this way. Anyway, enough with that rant.

Also, I've gone on a 40 day fast, and this is day 27 of the fast. I'm doing well I think. Every now and then my blood sugar acts a little strange by getting low, but for the most part it stays pretty even. I'm also getting a few of what are called "healing-crises" and they feel awful!!! Like I've got the flu or something, I hate it. The thing that seems to help most is to drink a lot of water, do the enemas, and use lemon in my water. None of these things are permanent fixes, but they do provide some temporary relief.

I guess the reason for fast is mostly religious. I mean I also want to experience the healing that is associated with it, and I did do a 10 day Master Cleanse Diet before the fast, but I'm curious about all of the health claims I've read about. It really will detox your body. No question about that. I've lost about 40 pounds since beginning the water fast. I lost 10 pounds on the Master Cleanse Diet but gained a few back. In all, since October of last year I've lost a total of 80 pounds, which is amazing I think. Another reason I wanted to fast, is the detox affect it has on the body. The getting rid of all the chemicals which have been stored in the body for years without ever having had a chance to be eliminated. I do intend to get back into lifting weights and I do want to get a nice looking body. I've never had that and I really want it. After spending plenty of time in the gym, I just felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. And to look at my body now, you'd think I never even stepped foot in a gym. I have spent hours in the gym lifting weights and "bodybuilding" but I still don't have any muscle tone or definition. So I thought the best solution would be to just break everything down and start all over. It's like what Tim the Tool man Taylor said. "Before there can be construction, there must be destruction" and I guess those words have influenced me a lot. If you want to make an omelet, you have to break a few eggs, so to speak. So I'm breaking down my body. I'm taking it back to a good starting point, getting rid of a lot of fat and toxins which have been here for years.

Another reason for the fasting is spiritual. I picked the number of 40 days not because of anything my church or any religious leader told me to do; but rather, because it's what Jesus did. I want to know what a 40 day fast feels like in every way. To walk through it myself. So I'm also spending a lot of time reading the Bible. I've got a version with both the NIV and the Message together side by side. When I read one chapter of a book in the NIV, I go back and read the same part in the Message. So far, I'm just now beginning the book of Ruth. I doubt I'll finish the entire Bible by the end of this fast, but I'm going to give it a good try. I'm also noticing things about myself. I am becoming closer to God. I'm becoming a lot more spiritual. I am also a lot calmer than before and things which used to make me want to beat the living crap out of someone hardly phase me now. I did expect the spiritual part to be different than what it has been. I mean I seriously though I'd see angels and everything. When I started this fast I was planning on basically living the life of a monk…just staying in my bedroom, reading the Bible, meditating, and praying. The reality is far from it. I mean life still goes on and it doesn't care what you are trying to do. It'll tell you what it demands. So I've been trying to keep up with all of the demands of my day to day life and read as much of the Bible as I can. Also, just learning to relax is something which requires attention as well. But I'd say the spiritual experience I was looking for has been a much more gradual process. I will say this about it all though. I do feel I've become more spiritual in the last 27 days than I've been in years. It really does work fast. I would encourage anyone who feels as though their religious life needs to be renewed to fast. In fact, according to the Bible it's not a matter of "if" we fast, but rather "when" we fast. So it is actually expected that just as you pray, you'll also fast. It's important, and it's healthy.

I've also been trying to do yoga. I bought a DVD of yoga for beginners. I'm sure glad I did this rather than show up at a yoga class or school. I've got a lot to learn first, I believe. Also, I am not very flexible at all. I need to practice this a lot before I will feel comfortable attending a class. But hey, at least I won't be fat when I get there. The yoga is a lot more physically demanding than I thought it'd be. I mean I see little old ladies going to yoga classes. My grandmother goes to yoga classes three times a week. So I thought it'd be easy and that it was mostly just stretching and poses…far from it.

Let's see. One more thing I'm going through right now is that when I switched my grandmother to Direct TV, her remote control would not work with the new equipment. So…when I tried to hook it up to the computer, the computer wouldn't recognize it. It's a Logitech Harmony 900. Guess what?! The manufactures warranty went out about 9 months ago and since they don't have any "service" centers and they don't "service" any of their products but only replace them if they're still under warranty, we're pretty much just shit out of luck. I contacted MasterCard about the problem and they want everything under the moon to honor their warranty. One thing they wanted was a repair estimate. I faxed them all of the information they asked for and included a note that Logitech doesn't service their products. There are no replacement parts available and since they don't service anything they sell, they don't have "authorized" service centers to get an estimate from. No one on the planet earth is authorized to service a Logitech product. My grandmother paid $285 for the remote from Amazon. Logitech offered her 50% off of a new one at the MSRP price of $350. I felt like I had just gotten screwed. And now MasterCard is asking for me to produce a document which no man on earth is authorized to produce. I wrote them back. If they don't accept this, I'll make one phone call, and then I'm filing a complaint against them with the BBB, and I'll begin my internet campaign of going on every single website I can sharing my experiences with everyone in the world. I might even file a complaint with the States Attorney General. Whatever else I can find to do them legally, I will do. They've made this personal to me now. Oh yeah, and I've prayed about this as well, so I know God heard me.

That's about all the things going on lately. Like I said, I'll be back more often. Y'all have a great day!!!

July 20, 2011 Day 45

So, today was very difficult. I'm still working on my grandmother's audio video systems. We've totally taken apart the front wall with the fireplace and bookshelves. We're going to change the mantel, put in an arch, and then put the 60" Sharp LED TV inside of the arch. Then, we're replacing the bookshelves and putting in glass shelves with lighting. It's going to look really sharp. I've taken the doors off the side cabinets and we're having that covered with speaker material. So that's going to change too. I'm putting the subwoofer down in than cabinet. On the other side will be all of the A/V equipment. Also, in the ceiling, I'm putting five B & W speakers. It's a lot of work. But it's not easy at all.

Let me tell you about today's adventures in remodeling. Everything was going fairly well until the A/V tech found out that he couldn't install a speaker in a certain part of the ceiling…the hard way. He cut a hole in the ceiling and then found out that this is where the truss changes direction. I mean it was an honest mistake. He was being careful and using the stud finder to try and locate the direction of the trusses. It really was an honest mistake. He got the rest of the speakers installed just fine. Of course, there was me, my grandmother and the two cabinet builders in the room. My grandmother put on one of her famous displays which make most people run for the hills, some turn to religion and I turn red from embarrassment. I felt very bad for the guy. My grandmother was on the phone with the home theater store in a heartbeat. Tomorrow she intends to talk to the manager and complain about the tech. The tech really did nothing wrong. I can't side with my grandmother on this. While the tech was standing there finishing up his part of the job, I really felt the need to apologize for my grandmother's behavior. However, she's a grown lady and I have no reason to make apologies on her behalf. So, tomorrow after she and the manager have talked, I'm going to call him back and tell him that in my opinion the tech did what he was supposed to do. That there is nothing wrong with what he did. It's a small hole and it's easily repairable.

That brings me to another thing that bothers me. She was talking to the cabinet builder and he was going on about how they'll never match the paint, that the hole will always be visible until she paints the whole ceiling. He asked her how long ago it had been since it had been painted, and she said three years. Well…a lot has happened to that ceiling in three years. For one thing, hail had hit the roof and water started collecting inside of the attic, and bowed some of the sheet-rock sheets out. You could see nails coming out of the ceiling. She's since had that repaired and that part of the ceiling repainted. So you can see a line where the paint is newer in that part of the house. Also, she's had a problem with one of the ceiling lights which required some work. There are little square patches there too. Also, several years ago, the plumbing upstairs was bad and leaked into the ceiling…there is a square cut-out there which has been repaired. This ceiling has seen better days since she's had it painted last. But of course none of this matters because the tech cut a small 7" moon shaped hole in the ceiling…and then repaired it as much as possible.

The cabinet guy even said with all of the work she's having done, there's a good chance the guy whose doing the tape and bedding on the new wall might just go ahead and fix that for free…as a favor. So I see no problem. I promise, with a project this large, if that's the worst thing that happens, we're doing very well.

The fact is, my grandmother just doesn't like this installer. He's very quiet and reserved. He pretty much just wants to do his job and doesn't do all of the sucking up a lot of people do. He's just there to install A/V equipment. He isn't looking to add Facebook friends. We're not going to keep in touch and exchange Christmas cards every year. So get over it. He's not a salesman. He's an installer. Got a problem? Call the salesman. That's what they're there for. After the hole in the ceiling, everything of course became his fault. He didn't put plastic down on a sofa over four feet away. He didn't cover up the curtains lying on the ground with a tarp. He got his hand prints on the ceiling. (He really didn't but…) My grandmother just really wants to blame him for everything, and it's unfair. I don't like it. After she got through throwing her fit and even recruiting the cabinet builders to join in on the bashing she did this…now keep in mind, the tech is still in the same room with her. She spoke of him in the third person while the third person was still there. She looked at the cabinet builder and said "he didn't even act like he was sorry." Really?! How do you know what his emotional responses usually look like? Should he get on his knees and beg forgiveness? I just thought she was so rude to them.

After they left, she looked up at the ceiling and saw hand prints and said…"and look…he just left his dirty hand prints all over the ceiling and walked away." First off grandma, there were two other people working in that area…and for much longer periods of time than this guy. If he was leaving prints all over the ceiling, how come he didn't leave any prints on the rear speakers? As for all of the fucking dust in the room, could it damn well be from the motherfuckers tearing out the entire wall? I mean SON OF A BITCH!!! Of course here is where I get personally involved…I'm the one who hired them. So it's all on me. All she has done is bitch all day long. Even bitching about the fucking system I put together two years ago…"I can't get this remote to work right…come fix this!!!" Look grandma, I love you, but point the fucking remote at the equipment when you're pressing buttons.

Well, I'm sure there is more I can personally bitch about today, but that pretty much covers it. You get the idea.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot something. Tomorrow begins my forty day religious fast. I'm pretty much just going to stay in my room, read the bible, do some yoga and walk…but mostly just read the Bible. It's going to be pretty rough to begin with I think. But this is something I feel strongly about and want to experience.

The fast involves a lot of things I've never done before as well as stopping smoking cold turkey and no caffeine. I'm sure I'll feel like shit for about a week, have lots of headaches and withdrawals. But I am determined and we'll see how it goes. 

July 15, 2011 Day 40

Well, I've been VERY busy with building my grandmother's home theater…or the Audio Video project. It's not really a home theater. But I've been going over there just about every day this week to talk to the A/V installers and the builders. We've paid for the equipment and now we're just seeing when everyone can get together on this. I think it's going to be awesome. And it should be, I've put a lot of work into it. I know God has blessed this project because the equipment was going to go over budget. I talked to the Home Theater Store and they sent back an offer that was just under my budget. I couldn't believe it. I mean that was really the hand of God on this. I just felt it.

Also, I finished my Master Cleanse diet and I'm so happy…I can eat about. I really feel like it's a lot easier than it sounds. I mean even I balked when I thought about not eating for 10 days and only drinking a lemonade concoction they suggested. But I did it anyway and it's really worth it. So if you're on the fence as to do it or not, go ahead. I lost 10.5 pounds of weight. My body fat went from 20.5% to 14.5% which even though I'm sure there is some error in these measurements, I did lose a lot of weight fast. Also, I lost almost two inches off my waist and my gut. This morning when I started eating again, I started with juice and by this evening I had some chicken noodle soup and then for the bad part, I had some chips and cheese dip. I know that's a bit much for a first day off of this diet, but it's been ok.

Tomorrow I'm pretty much going to take things easy and I'm going to keep my diet simple. I'm going to cook some homemade soup and just sort of nibble on that all day.

I'm going to link a few videos, so you can see what my last day and conclusion of the Master Cleanse diet are, as well as the A/V system I'm building. I think this A/V system is really going to be cool. I can't wait to watch some Pink Floyd on it. 

July 9, 2011 Day 34

Hmm…let's see here. What all has been going on. It's day five of the Master Cleanse Diet, and I do not like it at all. I feel weak, sluggish, and hungry and my blood sugar is all over the place. I know a lot of it has to do with stress. I've been working on a home theater system for my grandmother as well as trying to get the cabinets built, so I'm talking to two different A/V stores and installers and the cabinet builder. I don't think the cabinet builder is listening to me and my grandmother will not listen to me either. My grandmother wants the fireplace mantle lowered 4 inches and that's beginning to interfere with building codes. When I mention something the builder never just says "ok sir, well do it your way." He always disagrees with me and then makes his arguments against my ideas to my grandmother. Now we are in the middle of getting this built, and I see a lot of mistakes being made…but there's nothing I can do about it. I say "this," and he says "that" to her. I point out a mistake he's making and he wants to increase the price $200. I mean it's just one bullshit thing after another. In the end, I think it's going to look wrong. I'm a very visual person and my grandmother is anything but. Also, I tend to be a perfectionist and when things don't go the way I want them to go, or there is something still not right with a situation, it bugs me to death. I think this is to blame for my sugar problems last night and today. I'm really stressed out. The solution to all of this stress is really simple yet almost impossible for me to implement in my life. This is her house, and her money, and she can do whatever she wants to do. I have done everything she has asked me to do. I have gone over to talk with the builders, we disagree. I have picked out and negotiated a very nice home theater system and now she can decide if she wants to spend the money. I need to just back off and let her take it from here. If she needs to ask me something…I can answer her questions. But emotionally I need to detach myself from this whole project. I am trying to do that now, but it's hard. But that's the direction I want to take for the rest of the evening. Just stop thinking about it. I have several other things I want to do with my time than sit around and worry about something which I have no control over. Not my strong suit, but I'm gonna give it the good ole college try.

Man, five days with no food. Amazing and I am wondering if I'll be able to make it to the end. I get a little dizzy sometimes when I stand up to fast. So things are really getting interesting. This evening I plan on reading about different religions. I want to briefly look at Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, and Protestant and orthodox Christianity. I've got a lot of questions about all the different religions. So it should make for some interesting reading. Sometimes though…the more I find out, the more questions I have—impossible! Maybe in a few days I'll calm down. I go from feeling completely mellow and relaxed to being an emotional basket case. Right now I'm a little in between.

I've also been spending a lot of time watching YouTube videos and I've made a few since my last post. What else…I think that's about all I can think of for now.

I just need to chill the hell out.

July 3, 2011 Day 28

I've been reading a lot about detox diets and Master Cleanse. The Master Cleanse is basically a diet where you drink a sort of lemonade. You can find the basics of it all over the internet if you're interested. So, today I am going to start preparing for my detox diet. I am going on a variation of the Master Cleanse which I read about on the internet. I really have no idea of what to expect. I think it'll be pretty intense and all. I'm also going to quit smoking cold turkey for this detox diet. I want to get the full benefit of it and experience all of the things most everyone else does. It'll be tough for the first few days, I'm sure.

Also, I've been reading a lot about meditation centers. There is one called Vipasanna. It's a ten day meditation course where you go stay at a meditation center. It's all run on donations, and basically you spend ten days doing nothing but meditation. I'm interested. It's not a religious thing, and from what I understand it's pretty strict. No smoking there either, so I figure I can smoke for about a week before the course begins and I'm going to take full advantage of this time to smoke all I can. I read their website and all of their rules. I don't think it's an impossible thing to do, but I do think it's also pretty intense. I filled out the application and now I'm just waiting to hear back from them. I hope I get accepted. I'd love to see what this is all about. They have a lot of these retreats. Some of them last as long as 45 days. I can't imagine not speaking to anyone or even acknowledging anyone for 45 days. But, as a beginner, I'm not qualified for that course, so why worry about it. I just think it's interesting. It's another thing to scratch off of my bucket list.

Let's see…what else. I got the bid back from the last Audio Video installer. We got the bid also from the cabinet builder. Between me and my grandmother we've exceeded the budget by about $1,800. So now I get to go back and see what I can take off of the list. But first I want to pick the installer who's going to actually do the work. I mean it's so much trouble to sit there and negotiate all of this with anyone. Also, my grandmother doesn't understand why these companies can't just send people over to her house and give a firm bid. She doesn't want to pay the $100-$200 most stores and companies want for a professional consultation. She thinks it should be free and I can sure see her point. But I can also see the other side of that coin too. I mean what are the chances you're thinking you want to spend $5,000 on a home theater and when the installers get there, they say it'll actually cost $8,000, and the homeowner decides they don't need a home theater after all. I mean a lot of people just want to dream about it and I'm sure a good handful of people go so far as to have plans made up. It cost money to send these guys to your house. They're not cheap either. So if you want it done right, it'll cost. So we're now down to two companies. I'm really ready to get this show on the road. I'll be really relieved when the decision of who to hire is made and the checks have been written. Then all that will need to be done is the actual work of installing and rebuilding everything. They only way something can be my fault, is if it doesn't sound or look right because I picked the wrong company. I trust both of these companies very well and I'm sure they are both very well qualified to do the work. So I really see my part ending when the money changes hands.

Tomorrow I'm going to do some more videos on You Tube about the Master Cleanse Diet and how I'm coping. I won't be fasting tomorrow. I will be on an all liquid diet though—beef broth, tomato soup, and lots of juices. Oh yeah, and vitamins. I can still smoke tomorrow, so that's good.

Oh yeah, tomorrow morning I have to go the airport at 5:00 AM to pick up my aunt and uncle. They've just spend the last ten days in Hawaii. First they went to the Big Island and then to Kauai. They have a time share there. It's pretty nice. If I ever make enough money, I'm moving there. It's where I want to live now…dreams are good. 

June 28, 2011 Day 23

So let's see what's been going on for the past few days. I'm still going to the gym and making progress there. I've gone from one workout a week which killed me to two workouts which are a lot easier on me. They're still a lot of work, but I am getting to where it takes me less time to recover in between sets. Later on I'll link this to my bodybuilding page with all of the stats in case you're that interested.

Last night I went to BestBuy and looked at stereo equipment. I was very impressed by the knowledge of the sales lady. At first I thought "what does a chick know about stereos?" Then after talking to her for a while, I found out she really knew the products they sell very well…I wanted to marry her. I fell in love right then. Anyway, we put together a good package and rough estimate for my grandmother's home theater. Tomorrow morning I'm going to meet with the cabinet builders again to get a firm estimate on the cost to rebuild part of the wall. I don't think it should be too expensive. I mean it's still not cheap, but doable. Then on Thursday, I have another home theater installer coming to give a bid on what it'll cost to build this system and what he recommends. I'm feeling more and more like I'm going to use the Home Theater Store, though. Unless this guy really impresses me. We'll see.

This afternoon I got my tobacco rolling machine, so now I can start making MYO cigarettes. I've made one video on basically what I bought and how it all seemed when I got it. It took about a week to get here, but now that it's here I love it. I used Criss Cross tobacco and D & R Windsail. Both are very good. I mean I've tried some cheap cigarettes and to be honest they suck big ones. I can't stand cheap cigs. They just taste awful and smell bad. Ever since the law was passed that all cigarettes had to be "Fire Safe" meaning they go out on their own if you don't keep puffing, they've been awful. And really, I've had more problems with the FSC, than I ever did with the regular. So, I'm now into the MYO cigarettes. I was really surprised, they taste really good and I would do the Pepsi challenge with either of these tobaccos against anything store bought in a heartbeat. They really taste good. They last longer, cost about $1.40 a pack to make, so I'm saving a butt load on them. I think they've got a little more nicotine in them because they will make your head spin. But really, if you've been thinking to yourself "should I quit? Or, roll my own?" Give the roll your own a try, I feel like you'll love them. I do. I gave a few of them to my mother and she said she could be very happy if she never bought another store cigarette again. Also, it's just a great way as a smoker to take a political stand against a government that wants to tax the hell out of a product and then pass a bunch of bullshit laws saying where and when you can smoke them. If everyone who smoked would set a date, and we all joined together to not buy even a single pack of store bought cigs for at least a month, it would cripple the government and they would have no choice but to give into our demands as smokers. I hope one day soon we can all get together and do this. I'd love to see it happen. Then maybe the bitch-head ass-wipes who are so rude to us could then turn around and kiss our asses. Anyway, that's enough with that rant. Roll your own America. Grow your own…even better.

So I guess that's be all for today. 

    

June 24, 2011 Day19

Well, it's been a few days since I've written anything about what's going on. So let me bring you up to speed. Where to begin? I began working on my grandmother's home theater. It's really going to be kickass. I'm talking to a man at a theater store about B & W speakers. I had only read about them a million times, so my heart was set on them. But when I finally got the green light to spend some money—even though it was someone else's, I couldn't wait to go listen to these speakers in person. WOW! That's all I can say. I mean little ceiling speakers that sound as good as any middle of the line floor speaker. It blew my mind. Then I looked at TVs, and fell in love with a 70" Sharp TV. Amazing picture, and in case you're looking for the same thing in a TV I am, it has the least reflective screen. I sure hope the manufactures of TVs take note from Sharp on this one. The matt screens are where it's at. So this has been taking hours and hours of my time, planning it all out, taking photos, getting bids from contractors to remodel my grandmother's living room wall to accommodate all of this. Taking measurements and asking and answering questions. If you want a great system for not a lot of money, and you don't want to see anything but the TV, you have to do your homework. I'm still waiting on two bids to come through and I'm going to talk to another home theater installer this week. I looked at his website and if the pictures are of projects he's completed, then he's pretty talented and worth a look. That'll be next week sometime. I expect to be finished with it all by the first of August.

What else? I had two doctor's appointments this week with doctors I've never met before. I liked one of them. He's the dermatologist. The other is the Endocrinologist I'm seeing because of diabetes and other things. I didn't really like him. He's foreign and sounds like he just got off the boat. I have no idea where he went to school, but I can't imagine it was in America. Who knows really?! All he did was order some more blood work. That's it. I'm looking at the folder in his hand of my medical information and it's close to two inches thick…the guy didn't even know I was already taking medicine. His solution was to stop taking the medicine and then take the blood tests again. WTF!!! Just listen to me for a second and put away the statistics and let's play ball. He's worried about my cholesterol and other things and doesn't want to the increase the dosage of my drug. The side effects include cancer. Take a good long look at me doc. I smoke, I'm a recovering alcoholic. I live a precarious life. I'm not real worried about dying; I'm worried about the quality of the life I'm actually living.

Also today was the last day my mother had to work before vacation. She has the week off and it's paid. I seriously doubt she'll be going back the following Monday after vacation. Also, I know the manager where she works. We're kind of friends I guess you could say. I've worked there myself. We all can't stand the dumbfuck asshole that through some cosmic and mystical way ended up owning a business. I promise, and this isn't exaggerating, if the President of the United States could meet and spend a little time around this man, he would give and executive order to reopen all mental hospitals immediately. He's that big of an asshole. I mean to the point I truly believe they make no medicine for someone like him. Only straps, a strait jacket and a padded room…maybe even a little EST thrown in just so the staff could have some fun. I mean if they had to guard him all day, you gotta throw the dog a bone and give them some sort of relief. I'd say give them drugs for watching him, but I'm afraid he'd take advantage of the situation (like he does everyone around him, btw) and escape. But enough about him, I'm not going to go into how I think blowing his knee caps off would be fun. Or how one employee wanted to superglue his mouth shut, or how another one wanted to stab him to death with a butter knife. The point is, he's a dick! So me, my mom, and the manager are all going to get together sometime this weekend and have a get drunk boss bashing party. I think it'll allow us to vent and then my mom can enjoy the rest of her vacation.

Oh yeah, I had a birthday a couple of days ago. I'm the big "none of your business." It was fun. We all went out to eat and had a nice time. I got lots of fun gifts. So that's cool.

I think that's all for today. It's enough, anyway.

June 14, 2011 Day 6

Today I am sore. I went to the gym and worked out yesterday and it was a good workout. A funny thing about me going to the gym is that I can't wait to finish my sets of every exercise because I'm lifting such a light weight. It's sort of like hurry up and get rid of the evidence—take the weights off as fast as I can, so not too many people see what I was benching. I can't wait until I can at least put a couple of 45 lb. weights on the barbell. When I can get to that point, I'm going to take as long as I can to get through a set. I might even just sit around on the bench so everyone can see that I'm actually lifting "man size" weights. It's really embarrassing.

I also did a lot of reading about stereo equipment. I'm putting together a system for my grandmother and it's really a lot of work. Tons of choices and I don't want to make a mistake with her money. So I'm probably even pickier than I would be if I were building a system for myself. I love technology, so even though this is actually a lot of work, I'm enjoying it. I guess that's why I'm not getting paid.

This brings me to another thing, Chinese knockoffs and pirated whatever. Ever notice on the news how when they do a story about counterfeit goods, they always talk about how the quality is substandard, and it costs the economy billons. That's a great story. But why do they always have to throw in the part where it could be "endangering" your very life. And if that isn't enough, then the money from counterfeit goods goes straight to the hands of terrorist organizations around the world. So if you buy a knockoff brand-named sneaker, in a way, you are responsible for the bombings in Kenya and 9-11.

You know, the media had me up until the point they said "substandard quality and costing the economy billions." I'm a good enough American that I sure don't want to cost my neighbor his job, and I value a dollar enough that I don't want a bunch of cheap knockoff goods around my house. That to me is a reasonable assumption. I wonder whatever happened to journalistic integrity. Reporting the news in a fair and unbiased manner leaving the public to grow their own conclusions. They totally lose me when they try to make me believe that the fake brand T-shirt I bought is going to kill me or anyone else. The only terrorist being supported by my illegal actions are the media companies who report this shit. And that's all it is. Journalistic capitalistic enforces and money motivated propaganda bullshit. To me, they've just lost all credibility. So now, whenever possible, I look for the counterfeit goods at a deeply discounted price. It might not be as good…and it might be more cheaply made. But at least I'm not supporting the companies who support "news media terrorism." In fact, I am supporting capitalism in its purist form. One company makes something cheaper and more readily available than another company. It's what makes this country great. How in the hell can profits from drugs and counterfeit goods support terrorist?! How come they never do the report in a more realistic fashion? Something much more believable, something like this:

"Tonight, our cameras go undercover to show you how the profits from counterfeit goods are paying for this man's night out on the town, the girls on his arms, and the high-end luxury car he drives to all of the best and exclusive nightclubs in all of Europe. That's right, while you are watching this report; the very threads in the knockoff shirt you're wearing are falling apart. And while that's happening, this man is having the time of his life…and you're paying for it."

That's believable. Furthermore, that'd piss me off enough to always make sure I buy from reputable dealers. Give me a break!!! Wake up and smell the coffee everyone.

I guess that's enough of a rant for this evening.

June 8 2011, Day 3

So I'm still feeling very sore and I haven't been to workout in two days now. I haven't walked either. But, I am sure eventually I'll be feeling like hitting the gym and the track again.

 

Today I had a lot of time to sit and read the internet. I spent a while learning about motorcycles and this and that. Somehow or another I began reading about drugs. I mean actual pharmaceuticals. That might be a sign of getting older I guess. When you become interested in drugs that don't alter you mind. Then I watched TV, and started thinking about things. Then I went into a bad mood. Really, if it's not a happy story don't read it.

 

If I sometimes sound like an anti-American pessimist, it's probably because I love America but I hate the way we're doing a lot of things these days. I mean everywhere you turn it's all about the money. Jessie Ventura had or still has an entire show about conspiracy theory. In the show he said something that pretty much rings true to whatever truth you want to find. "Follow the money." And that's it. Does this holistic approach to curing something really work? What do people say? What do doctors say? Why is the medical community against it? Follow the money and you'll find out. I hate how everything is an "industry" these days. People don't go to colleges or universities because they're passionate about an area of study or that there even really interested in higher educational pursuits. And for our sins, banks are now involved in education. Incredible the amount of money people are paying for school. Here, I suggest outsourcing as well. Look at going to school in another country. Besides, you'll gain a butt-load of experience and learn a foreign language…from native speakers. Do you know what your $15,000 four year degree obtained in another country is worth in America? It's worth the same as any $100,000+ American degree. And think about it. Wouldn't the $85,000 difference make a great down payment on your first car and house in whatever city you choose to live in? I mean really. Protest school…study in another country. Among other things, the water, the air…whatever else you can think of…It's becoming more and more controlled by capitalist. That means water isn't free anymore. Health isn't a right. School is for a bunch of brats whose parents can afford the price tag.

 

While I'm on a rant here, let's talk about charities too. They're all a sham. Churches are sending their teenagers to countries to work with missionaries. Did you know there are entire private travel agencies who cater to churches for "mission" trips? I got letters in the mail for relatives raising money for their church so they could travel to Italy to do the work of God. Italy? Excuse me, I don't have the numbers, but is there anyone in Italy who isn't Catholic? South America is probably 75% Catholic. Churches are sending these "teens" to work with missionaries in some of the most Christian nations and regions of the entire world. Even the churches are corrupt.

 

So that's where my head has been for last few hours. Not a good place to be alone in there.

 

We'll see how I feel about going to the gym tomorrow, or at least walking. Hopefully I'll feel like walking.

 

Now I'm going to look at some personals web-sites and dream about getting married to a beautiful foreign woman. At least I have plans for the night.

June 5 2011, Day 1

This morning I got up at about 3:00 AM. I had gone to bed around 9:00 last night, so I didn't feel like I got enough sleep. But, my eyes were wide open. So, I went ahead a started my day. It took me a while to wake up, but by 5:00 I was off to the gym to begin my new workout plan. Note: it's always a good idea to hire a trainer…if you can. I can't. I've posted my work out on bodybuilding.com. Feel free to take a look. Like I was saying, I was doing well until my very last set which were deadlifts. That's when I felt this dull pain in my groin muscle. I knew immediately I had pulled it. I think it's called a "grade II strain" or something like that. That put an end to the rest of my workout which is walking 2.5 miles. I was to begin doing that twice a day. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

I've also spent a lot of time reading about motorcycles today--learning about all of the different parts and all. For myself, I find that looking at the websites of particular makes and models is a great place to begin. For some reason though, I tend to learn best about things when I think about the tweaking of the product. What would it cost to totally trick it out. I can spend hours doing things like that. I read about Kawasaki mostly. There really isn't that much you can do to those. They just changed the model, so it'll be several more months before the aftermarket companies really start coming out with parts. I mean you can drop a ton of cash, but I'd still like to have more options. When I look up each part I'm "dreaming" about, it helps me to learn what the part is, and why it's better than stock. Also, it helps a lot to read the online review…does everyone like it or hate it?

Oh yeah, I also had to go to the blood place to give a sample. I'm getting my Hepatitis immunizations and they need to make sure I don't actually have it or have had it, something like that. That's always a fun thing to do. I guess the feeling is sort of like when you go get tested for aids and STD's. There is this sort of feeling in the back of your head saying "what are you going to do if you have it? You know, you could have it. You've done a lot of stupid shit." So I'm also dealing with that but it's nowhere nearly as bad as an aids test. That one really made me worry. You start thinking "that bitch gave me aids!!! I'm gonna kill her!!!" and the emotions are everywhere until you get the call. When they said I was negative for HIV, I made them repeat it so I could be clear. Thank God!!! Actually, I didn't have anything. That was sort of amazing I though. Oh well. So now I'm dealing with the what if's of Hepatitis. I'm sure if I had it, it would have shown up in my STD tests. My mind just likes to fuck with me, that's all. Wish me luck.