It's... uh... the shoulder thing that goes up.

This diet sucks

2011-01-06T00:26:00.002-05:00

Legs today. I had significantly less strength per rep and set than I've had in the past -- more than can easily be explained away by not lifting in a while. You don't just go from a leg press 1RM over 800 to struggling to push 360 because you haven't lifted in a couple months, especially considering the amount of walking I do. I blame it on the diet.

SO

starting tomorrow

no more "no white carbs" nonsense. Eating my usual brown rice/oatmeal/whole wheat carbs I've done in the past, with a limit of 62g/day (roughly one carb per four lbs bodyweight) and a strict cutoff after 7:00 p.m. I can't lift if I have no energy and no glycogen stores, and if I can't lift, I can't burn fat. Of course I will have an "off" day which will be basically an all-out cheat, eat whatever I want kinda day, to cycle the carbs back up. This Four Hour Body slow carb shit just ain't cutting it. We'll see how I look in a couple months. Smart money says a WHOLE lot better than now.

Thoughts on today

2011-01-04T22:31:00.002-05:00

Lifted again today. Chest and biceps. Bad DOMS big-times in my shoulders and lats (what did I do to recruit the lats, I wonder? rear delt raises?). Warmup/stretching hurt like a mofo but felt better afterwards.

Noticed a funny little click in my left shoulder during DB BPs and incline bar BPs. Decided to limit ROM a bit to keep from agitating it too badly. Curls hurt in my left shoulder a little too.

More energy today, from eating more before working out. Still a tough diet. I'd freaking kill for some hot, salty french fries right now. Pork tenderloin, Italian-seasoned kidney beans, and cauliflower for dinner was good, though. Not rice/tater/pasta good, but good nonetheless.

Legs tomorrow. Gonna increase my pre-workout carb intake just a touch more since it's a bigger lift. Classes start tomorrow, too, and depending on my financial aid status (how sad is it I won't know until the day classes start?) I'll be taking between 6-12 hours. Definitely ACCT 2102 (Principles of Managerial Accounting) and ITEC 2201 (Business Info Apps) and possibly MGMT 3141 (Principles of Management) and ECON 2106 (Principles of Microeconomics). Looking forward to that.

Back again.

2011-01-03T23:51:00.002-05:00

Started lifting again today. Felt good.

Also started a new diet, from Timothy Ferriss' new book The Four Hour Body, the Slow Carb diet. Basically it's no "white" foods (rice, bread, grains, taters, all that good carby stuff) no fruit and lots of veggies and beans. Shouldn't be too bad. I'm going to try to combine it with a form of CKD to further jumpstart my weight loss.

Should be interesting.

Early Voting

2010-10-13T21:11:00.003-04:00

So, folks in Georgia, early voting has started (in most places). Hopefully you've considered for whom you will cast a vote. My votes today were as follows:

Governor: This one's a no-brainer. I could vote for King Roy, one of the most power-hungry maniacs ever to serve as an elected official in Georgia (and one who royally fucked teachers). I could vote for Nathan Deal, one of the most corrupt politicians in Congress (and that's saying a LOT!) Or, I could vote my conscience and choose John Monds. Mr. Monds believes in personal freedom, individual liberty, sound fiscal policy, and would be the first effective leader in a long time. He's also the first African-American ever nominated to run for Governor. Vote -- Monds. Vote in runoff -- None of the above, or Monds if he happens to make it. As a Georgia political writer whom I respect greatly put it, "A vote for Deal in 2010 is a vote for Cagle in 2011."

Lt. Governor: Didn't do my homework on this one, but I can't in good conscience cast another vote for Casey "Gun owners should be happy with the little bit of freedom we gave them" Cagle. I voted Libertarian.

Senator: Johnny Isakson is a political weathervane. Whichever way popular opinion blows, that's where he's pointing. Don't forget his votes for key Obama policies. Vote: Chuck Donovan (L). Vote in runoff: Write-in. I can't reelect Johnny.

GA Congressional District 8: In 2008, I cast a vote for Jim Marshall (in a very close election) the day before he voted for TARP. Fool me once, shame on you. Austin Scott all the way. Side note: There wasn't a Libertarian nominee here. I'm guessing because they didn't think they needed one, with Austin Scott running.

All the other races I care very little about: Libertarian all the way. Especially Kira Willis for Superintendent of Schools.

Local races: I didn't vote for either of the candidates for State Court Judge who have littered my streets and highways. I did vote for the one with very few signs. Sometimes signs can backfire -- looking at you here, Jason Ashford and supporters...

Cecil "Censor" Staton is running unopposed. I wrote in Mickey Mouse. He'd do a better job, and wouldn't fire radio personalities for speaking their minds.

Larry O'Neal is also running unopposed. I don't like it when they're able to do this. I wrote in my girlfriend's dad.

On the Amendments to the state Constitution: "NO" to all of them. New debt instruments are bad. New taxes (that's what that $10 license plate "fee" is) are bad. Allowing the state to obligate YOUR MONEY without first appropriating it is bad. Do the math.

On the referendum: YES. Taxes on business are bad. Tax cuts for business are good. You make a business pay less in taxes, they can spend the money they didn't have to pay in taxes to hire another employee, buy more inventory (which they won't be taxed on now!), or enlarge their space. This is how you create jobs. This is smart fiscal policy.

New look

2010-10-12T13:16:00.001-04:00

Decided the dark-on-darker was just painful.

How do you like the new look?

Does anybody read this blog anyway?

Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry

2010-10-07T15:40:00.004-04:00

2-3 pounds London Broil (or other lean steak)
1 cup sake
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbsp honey
sriracha to taste

Put the steak in the freezer for a couple hours to make it easier to slice. Slice it across the grain (it may help to butterfly it first) in very thin strips. Mix the other ingredients in a large bowl; dump the steak in and marinate at least overnight. (play with the proportions, I didn't measure anything so I'm guessing. You may need more liquid to cover all the steak.)

The next day, cut into bite size pieces:

1 pound baby carrots
.5-1 pound broccoli (I used two broccoli florets)
3-4 zucchini

I also added two cans of baby corn and a can of bamboo shoots. Whatever you like, add it.

Heat an electric wok to 325 degrees; add a small amount of oil. Stir fry the steak in small batches. Be careful; it burns QUICK, as do the sugars left in the bottom of the wok. When you're done with the meat, add a little more oil and the carrots, zucchini, baby corn, and bamboo shoots. Stir fry briefly. Remove them from the wok and add the leftover marinade; bring it to a boil for 2 minutes. Add a little more sake, soy sauce, or vinegar until the wok is about half full. Dump the broccoli in and let it boil for a minute or two. Add everything else back in, stir, and cover for about 5 minutes. Serve over rice (preferably brown rice, cuz it tastes the same and is better for you).

It looks like this:

http://plixi.com/p/49087020 (click the link, I can't seem to embed the image)

More on the $40,000 waste in WR

2009-07-14T14:19:00.003-04:00

So the question I want answered in the worst way is where will the $40,600 used yearly to line the pockets of the City Council and Mayor come from?

Are they going to cut police salaries? Public safety funding? Infrastructure? City employee salaries? Water? Gas?

Or are they going to raise taxes? This is the most likely explanation, as salary cuts would piss off a bunch of city employees, ALL of whom are registered voters. Tax increases just piss off most folks but can be levied at a time when it's not near an election so they're easily forgotten.

Most people believe that money grows on trees. It does not.

Warner Robins politicians may try to tell you that they can increase their salaries without cutting programs or raising taxes. They can not.

At least they're doing this legitimately and in plain view instead of skimming off the top behind the scenes.

The City Council meets Next Monday (the 20th) at City Hall, at 6:30 pm. I will be there with bells on... please come join me! I hope to be able to ask the above question and possibly speak a little.

Local politics

2009-07-09T22:10:00.003-04:00

So it seems Mr. Terry Horton, the esteemed (sarcasm) Councilman currently occupying Post 3 of the Warner Robins City Council, who is representing (among others) me, has introduced an ordinance to raise the pay of the Mayor by $25,000 a year (a 25% increase) and his own pay, and that of the other Councilmen, by $1200 a year to a total of $6200. The ordinance will also increase the car allowances for all 7 of them (Councilmen and Mayor) by $1200.

This is a total new expenditure of $40,600.

For reference, an entry-level Warner Robins police officer makes $27,898.80 a year. That same entry-level officer does far more difficult and important work and quite literally puts his or her life on the line every single day he or she goes to work. The most important thing a City Councilman does is... show up to a meeting twice a month. The position of Mayor is, admittedly, a full-time job, but I fail to see how the person holding that job deserves to make nearly FIVE TIMES what his lowest ranking police officer makes. When's the last time the Mayor of Warner Robins served a no-knock warrant?

To make it worse, Mr. Horton is not running for re-election this year. He's leaving the Council. So why does he want to raise their salary?

Furthermore, what justification is there in admittedly difficult economic times to INCREASE government expenses, especially those expenses which have absolutely NO profitable return. $40,600 to raise the benefits of 7 people who sit in a nice, air-conditioned room twice a month is absolutely absurd. If we assume (probably wrongly) that there are 100 entry-level police officers in Warner Robins we could increase their salaries by $406 a year. That money would be spent locally by those officers and would... wait for it... STIMULATE THE ECONOMY. Or maybe we could use the money to improve city infrastructure, say expand the sewer and water service to another subdivision just outside the city limits and annex it, which would... wait for it... INCREASE TAX REVENUE.

But no. A bunch of smelly (OK, probably not, just making that up) old men need more money to sit around and HARRUMPH at each other. Instead of doing something about the problem, let's just throw more money at those in charge of trying to fix it. Wait, isn't that what government is for?

For the record, I'm strongly considering running for Post 1 (At Large) on the Warner Robins City Council. Weighing whether or not I want to put myself and my family through the wringer and out on display.

Musings on a low-carb diet

2009-04-08T11:04:00.002-04:00

So I've been low-carbing it for a few days now. Yesterday was the last day of my low carb cycle and today is HIGH CARB DAY!!!!!

Eating less than 60 carbs a day while still maintaining muscle mass and working out every day is extremely difficult. The majority of my carbs were coming from breakfast and were in the form of brown rice, which should last me all day, right? Wrong. Come 3 or 4 in the afternoon the honey buns were looking mighty good, as was anything else sweet or starchy. I did get a minor carb burst every afternoon in the form of some strawberries in my protein shake but they didn't help much.

Seems like the first couple nights were the worst. I'm used to taking a break at work between 7 and 8 in the evening and eating typically a turkey sandwich (on whole wheat bread) and a little something sweet. Can't do that any more.

The "mental fog" most people have on a low carb diet didn't affect me. I dunno, maybe I'm immune. Or maybe I'm far smarter than most morons who post on the Internet. Take your pick.

High carb day is gonna be fun. Instead of my usual 6 fried eggs in the morning, I had 2 fried egg sandwiches. I'm thinking... "I LOVE fried egg sandwiches! With a little mayo, and a little ketchup, and a slice of cheese, it'll be just like Mom used to make every Sunday for lunch."

WRONG.

Fried egg sandwiches on white bread are frakking awesome.

I can't have white bread.

Let's put it this way... I'd rather not even have the bread if I have to eat a fried egg sandwich on whole wheat EVER again. I'll pass, thanks.

Chest

2009-04-04T14:45:00.002-04:00

Wow. This new high-intensity routine is... uh... intense. Highly so.

I did:

Bench press (50% 1RM) to failure, superset with pushups to failure, then "girl" pushups to failure. 3 minute rest, repeat for 5 supersets.
Dumbbell Flyes (50% 1RM) to failure, superset with DB press at same weight to failure for 2 sets. Dropped 5 pounds and repeated for two sets. Dropped 5 pounds again and repeated for one set. Incline bench today, gonna rotate between incline, flat, and decline weekly.
Cable crossovers 25% 1RM for long isometric reps... 20 seconds down, 20 seconds hold, 20 seconds back up until I couldn't stand the burn any longer. Only took 6 reps.

Plus 20 minutes low-intensity cardio on the elliptical.

I'm doing good on the diet, too... over halfway through the day and at 766 calories, 63 net carbs, and 113g protein. Gotta up that protein before the end of the day.

Switching to a 6-day split, and carb cycling

2009-04-04T11:48:00.003-04:00

So I'm going from my current 3-day lifting split to a 6-day split to allow me to concentrate more on specific body parts. More concentration = more growth.

Also carb cycling the diet. On my low-carb days I'll be consuming between .25 and .5g of carbs per pound of bodyweight (closer to the bottom limit, which puts me at about 60g per day... HARD to do), 1-1.5g protein per pound, and not too particular about the fat intake (I'm not going to eat an entire stick of butter but I'm also not going to cut fat out entirely, as I'm trying to get my body used to burning it for fuel). On high carb days (those glorious days!) every fourth day, I'm going to get between .75 and 1g carb per pound.

I'm cycling back up to keep my body guessing, lose fat, and keep the ketosis going while maintaining my sanity with a "good" day every fourth day. Hopefully I'll go from 237 lbs and 30% or so bodyfat to... maybe 220 and 12%? In maybe 6 months or so...

I will be in line for this one DAYS in advance

2009-04-02T21:08:00.002-04:00

http://www.riskybusinessblog.com/2009/03/with-atlas-shrugged-hollywood-may-have-its-first-antibailout-movie.html

The film adaptation of the greatest book ever written may finally be going somewhere.

In the article, it says Anne Hathaway may be playing Dagny. I think she'd be perfect... now who for Hank? Who for Galt? How about Francisco? And I think Randall Wallace (writer for Pearl Harbor, before Michael Bay pissed all over it, and Braveheart) is perfect to adapt what is an extremely difficult and weighty story to the screen.

Well, he would know about mental illness...

2009-04-02T21:07:00.000-04:00

http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0409/Barney_GOP_suffers_pyschological_disorder.html?showall

House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank was in quite a mood on the floor of the House today -- questioning the sanity of Texas Republican John Culberson and other conservatives over their opposition to the new AIG bonus bill.

Let me get this straight. Barney Frank has the audacity to call someone crazy?

Excuse me while I go pee myself laughing.

I guess curtseying is too old-fashioned?

2009-04-02T21:03:00.003-04:00

So I'm sure you've heard by now that PresBo and his wife gave the Queen of England that most appropriate of gifts for a sovereign... an iPod. But what was on it?

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/04/what-does-one-g.html

Photos from the Queen's 2007 White House State Visit
Photos from the Queen's 2007 Jamestown, Va., Visit
Photos from the Queen's 2007 Richmond, Va., Visit
Video from the Queen's 1957 Jamestown Visit
Video from the Queen's 2007 Jamestown Visit
Video from the Queen's 2007 Richmond Visit
Photos from President Obama's Inauguration
Audio of then-state senator Obama's speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and
Audio of President Obama 2009 Inauguration Address

Plus the following music:

"Oklahoma!"
"If I Loved You," Jan Clayton, "Carousel"
"You'll Never Walk Alone," Jan Clayton, "Carousel"
"There's No Business Like Show Business," Ethel Merman, "Annie Get Your Gun"
"Once in Love with Amy (Where's Charley?)," Ray Bolger
"Some Enchanted Evening," "South Pacific"
"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," Carol Channing, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"
"Getting to Know You," Gertrude Lawrence, "The King and I"
"Shall We Dance?" Gertrude Lawrence, "The King and I"
"I Could Have Danced All Night," Julie Andrews, "My Fair Lady"
"I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," Rex Harrison, "My Fair Lady"
"The Party's Over (Bells Are Ringing)," Judy Holliday
"Maria," "West Side Story"
"Tonight," "West Side Story"
"Seventy Six Trombones," "The Music Man"
"Everything's Coming up Roses," Ethel Merman, "Gypsy"
"The Sound of Music"
"Try to Remember," Jerry Orbach, "The Fantasticks"
"Camelot," Richard Burton
"If Ever I Would Leave You," Robert Goulet, "Camelot"
"Hello, Dolly!" Carol Channing
"If I Were a Rich Man," Zero Mostel, "Fiddler on the Roof"
"People," Barbra Streisand, "Funny Girl"
"On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)," John Cullum
"The Impossible Dream," Richard Kiley, "Man of La Mancha"
"Mame," Charles Braswell
"Cabaret," Liza Minnelli
"Aquarius, Ronald Dyson, "Hair'
"Send in the Clowns," Judy Collins, "A Little Night Music"
"All That Jazz," Chita Rivera, "Chicago"
"One," "A Chorus Line"
"Tomorrow," Andrea McArdle, "Annie"
"Don't Cry for Me Argentina," Patti LuPone, "Evita"
"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," Jennifer Holliday, "Dreamgirls"
"Memory," Elaine Paige, "Cats"
"The Best of Times," George Hearn, "La Cage Aux Folles"
"I Dreamed a Dream," Aretha Franklin, "Les MisDerables"
"The Music of the Night," Michael Crawford, "The Phantom of the Opera"
"As If We Never Said Goodbye," Elaine Paige, "Sunset Blvd."
"Seasons of Love," "Rent"

Showtunes? And are La Cage Aux Foiles and Rent really appropriate to give to... anyone?

Plus, how self-centered is it to give someone a copy of your inauguration address?

More incompetence from the White House

2009-04-02T21:00:00.001-04:00

White House Corrects Conference Call Number After Directing Reporters to Sex Line

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/02/white-house-corrects-toll-free-number-mishap/

Journalists seeking to talk a little foreign policy with high-profile Obama administration officials live from the G20 meetings in London this week were solicited for phone sex instead after ringing up the toll-free number given by the White House.
In a press release, the White House accidentally listed a sex line number for journalists seeking an "on-the-record briefing call with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and National Security Advisor Jim Jones to discuss the NATO summit."
But after dialing, a soft-voiced female recording that was clearly not Clinton asked for a credit card number if you "feel like getting nasty."
After several efforts to make sure that the phone number was correctly dialed, a call to the White House resulted in a corrected press release. "If you are having trouble dialing into the call, please try this number as an alternative," and listed the international line included for reporters abroad to dial.
By this time, the conference call was already under way.

*snicker*

Tea Party

2009-04-02T16:23:00.000-04:00

WHAT: Warner Robins Tax Day Tea Party Protest
WHEN: Tax Day, April 15, 2009 from 1500-1900.
WHERE: In front of the Homer Walker Municipal Complex, 700 Watson Blvd, WRGA. This is on Watson Blvd (obviously!) across from Macon State College, Robins Federal, and the Library.
WHO: You, your friends, your family, wife, girlfriend, husband, boyfriend, domestic partner, love interest, baby momma, baby daddy, uncle, aunt, grandparents, kids, people you don't even know, basically ANYONE AND EVERYONE who has an interest in eliminating taxes. The more people we get the better. I'm hoping to have all kinds of local media present so we want to show that we're not just a couple of kooks, but a whole TON of kooks.

More information to come. State information can be found at: http://taxdayteaparty.com/teaparty/georgia/

More information can also be found at http://www.jeffscottshow.com/ or by listening to the Jeff Scott show on 99.9 FM or 1350 AM in the afternoons.

Facebook group coming shortly.

Email me at jakefletcher@gmail.com if you have any questions or can help out.

Is this one covered under the Interstate Commerce clause, too?

2009-04-02T13:10:00.002-04:00

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/02/house-approves-plan-fda-regulatory-power-tobacco/

The House of Representatives on Thursday approved sweeping legislation to bring tobacco under control of the Food and Drug Administration for the first time.
The vote was 298-to-112, with more than 60 Republicans joining majority Democrats in backing the legislation.
However, at least eight Democrats bucked their party and voted against the bill.
Under the bill, the Food and Drug Administration would be able to regulate, but not ban, cigarettes and other tobacco products. The FDA could make ingredients public, ban flavoring and prohibit marketing campaigns.
The plan would bolster tobacco warnings on cigarette packages and could require firms to lower nicotine levels in cigarettes.

Apart from the rather dubious Constitutionality of this, my main question is... why? If the market calls for flavored cigarettes, why not produce them? When I was a smoker I was rather fond of a few of Camel's flavorings... the Mandarin Mint were really good (and about $3 more a pack, if I recall correctly, which severely limited me smoking them).

And on what grounds is it anywhere near fair to violate intellectual property rights and copyrights by making ingredients public? Or to prohibit marketing? There'd be no more need for brands, competition, or anything else. The government could just consolidate all means of cigarette production centrally. Hell, we've started with cars, why not move on to vice (where the REAL money in a recession is)? Little steps, get the people used to the feeling of Socialism's big, hard manhood poking at their behinds, so they won't notice it as much when PresBo rams it all the way in.

Like I said, I'm an ex-smoker. Not healthy, too expensive, bad breath, tough to run, all that. But I firmly believe that if you want to put something that you KNOW will kill you into your body, you should be able to do it. I'll question your wisdom all I want (privately, because I know there's nothing more annoying than a self-righteous ex-smoker) but I'm not going to stop you from doing it. Big Brother is here to save you from yourself.

Makes me want to go fucking light up.

Found on GeorgiaPacking.org...

2009-04-02T11:14:00.000-04:00

Funny joke, purporting to be a letter from the boss...

LETTER FROM THE BOSS.....

As the CEO of this organization, I have resigned myself to the fact that Barrack Obama is our President, and that our taxes, and government fees will increase in a BIG way. To compensate for these increases, our prices would have to increase by about 10%.

Since we cannot increase our prices right now due to the dismal state of the economy, we will have to lay off six of our employees instead. This has really been bothering me, since I believe we are family here and I didn't know how to choose who would have to go.

So, this is what I did. I walked through our parking lot and found six Obama bumper stickers on our employees' cars and have decided these folks will be the ones to let go. I can't think of a more fair way to approach this problem. They voted for change; I gave it to them.

I will see the rest of you at the annual company picnic.

Favorite pre- and post-workout shake

2009-04-01T19:53:00.002-04:00

6-8 fresh or frozen strawberries (about 1/2-1 cup)
1-2 cups water
1 serving (2 heaping teaspoons) Universal EAA Stack, Fruit Punch Kicker
2 servings (2 heaping scoops) Universal Ultra Iso Whey, Lemonade Chiller

Combine the strawberries and water in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the EAA and protein; blend until mixed. Consume and enjoy.

Most protein shakes taste like ass. This one tastes like a good smoothie.

40g protein (and it's fast-digesting to get into your muscles quick), about 10g carbs (also VERY fast to boost insulin uptake, helping shuttle protein and the aminos from the stack into your muscles). No fat.

Gym today

2009-04-01T19:49:00.002-04:00

Chest, biceps, and triceps.

Nothing particularly impressive to note. Just an average day at the gym. Set a couple personal best 1RMs but nothing special.

I did try something new... I did some isometric stuff at the end of the workout... put about 1/3 my 1RM on the pushdown, cable crossover, and curls and did SLOW reps, like 20 seconds up and 20 seconds back down. Only managed about 5 reps like this. Freakin' BURNS but it oughta shred me up quick.

Drinking a shake right now. Recipe to follow.

Yeah, it was a joke.

2009-04-01T15:36:00.000-04:00

April Fools.

Not as good as Car and Driver's April Fools joke about PresBo ordering Chevy and Dodge out of NASCAR... I think that one wins this year...

Quit my job today.

2009-04-01T10:16:00.001-04:00

I quit my job, sold my car and possessions, and am signing a three-year contract to go to Sudan to teach English today.

Starting May 1 I'm not going to be able to blog a whole lot. I'll pop in occasionally when I get a chance but don't expect much.

My current favorite pre-workout meal

2009-03-31T15:21:00.003-04:00

1 package boil-in-bag brown rice (1 cup cooked, Success brand works well)
1 whole egg
5 egg whites

Prepare the rice as directed on the package. Usually bringing it to a boil and boiling for 9 minutes does it for me. Add the drained rice to a large skillet with one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and scramble a little until rice dries out a bit. Meanwhile, beat the 6 egg whites and the yolk in a small bowl until well combined. Add to rice and stir together to scramble. Add salt and pepper to taste and fry until cooked as done as you like the eggs.

Makes 2 servings for me.

14.5 g protein, 23.5g slow-digesting carbs, and 10g fat per serving. Plus almost 2 grams of fiber. If you leave the olive oil out (and it's really not necessary to have it in there) you cut the fat to around 3 grams per serving. Leave the yolk out and it's fat-free.

You can also add in any number of veggies, broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, and snap peas are excellent, along with just about any Asian vegetable (baby corn, water chestnuts, etc.) Adding a couple tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce makes for a quick and dirty fried rice. Sometimes I'll stir in a diced grilled boneless skinless chicken breast for variety.

It's cheap to make, too.

3%er

2009-03-31T12:06:00.000-04:00

Are you a 3%er?

Maybe you should be.

Somebody has too much time on his hands.

2009-03-30T23:28:00.003-04:00

http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2009/03/lego-star-trek.html

Guy recreates classic Star Trek scenes with Lego. Kinda like the great Lego video games (Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Star Wars are some of the most fun you can have with a controller) but he's actually taking the time to put the things together, pose them, and take pictures.

Not sure if this is cool or disturbing. Maybe a bit of both?

oh yeah, there's pics at the link...

Too freaking cool

2009-03-30T23:15:00.003-04:00

http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-119/ndxpage42.html
http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/shuttle/sts-119/ndxpage49.html

Pictures from the most recent shuttle mission to the International Space Station. There are plenty more good pictures at the links and on the other pages so if you have time, take a look. Some of the high-res stuff is absolutely breathtaking.

Gym today

2009-03-30T16:24:00.000-04:00

Just got home from the gym, took a shower, and now I'm off to work.

I put up 540 on the leg press today for 8 reps, a personal best (estimated 1RM of like 660!)

And I watched a guy lift 500 pounds on the bench press. Impressive.

Because ESPN is a great source for economic education.

2009-03-29T21:35:00.001-04:00

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/hunting/news/story?id=4021404

Read the page title.

"Demand for ammo is causing supply shortage."

Well no shit, guys. That's how it works.

All kidding aside, the article is well-researched and does a good job of explaining why it's hard to find ammo at a reasonable price anymore.

h/t to Of Arms and the Law

Damn glad I quit smoking.

2009-03-29T21:33:00.002-04:00

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/29/single-largest-cigarette-tax-hike-goes-effect-wednesday/

Taxation without representation, anyone?

Tea party, anyone?

If I was a smoker, I'd think long and hard about buying as many cartons of cigarettes as I could, and going up to Boston and throwing them into the harbor...

Funny

2009-03-29T21:28:00.000-04:00

HopenChangenStuff... but not the PresBo kind

2009-03-29T20:59:00.003-04:00

http://www.macon.com/203/story/664283.html

So... in Georgia we have this great program called HOPE. It's lottery-funded, and it allows students who are residents of Georgia and attend college (or tech school) in Georgia to receive free college tuition, provided they have a GPA upon graduation from high school of 3.0 (a B average) and that they maintain that GPA throughout college.

Sounds like a great idea, right? What better way to improve our great state than by helping kids go to college, right?

Well, kinda.

Turns out lots of high schools and colleges in this great state are giving out watered-down grades in order to help kids go to school, and stay in college (read: colleges want to keep failures in school as long as they can so they can continue to receive HOPE money).

My question is... where were these watered down grades when I was in college? I worked my ass off in high school in all Honors-level classes and EARNED my tuition assistance. I then slacked (a bit) in college and promptly lost that money, which eventually led to my dropping out because I couldn't afford college. (I'm going back in January, so if you're reading this, Mom, don't call me and climb on my ass about going back to school again...)

So, what we have here is yet another example of how mediocrity, not superiority, is rewarded by our culture. Get bad grades? Oh, well, we wouldn't want you to feel bad about yourself because you couldn't get that Leisure Studies degree. Stay in school.

PresBo's Teleprompter's Blog

2009-03-29T20:49:00.003-04:00

http://baracksteleprompter.blogspot.com/

Too damn funny.

I'm especially fond of this post... http://baracksteleprompter.blogspot.com/2009/03/travels-with-michelle_29.html

I think it's fairly well known that the First Lady and I have not always gotten along. This goes way back to her and Big Guy's dating days in Chicago. Whenever we'd go out for drives, for example, the conversations were always a bit stilted because Big Guy had a tough time reading the screens via the rear-view mirror when I was in the backseat. But I digress.

Whoever writes this is a comedy genius.

Time to dust this sucka off.

2009-03-29T20:38:00.002-04:00

OK folks, at the urging of a friend (and since I want to do it again) I'm gonna start blogging again.

Not necessarily gonna be all about guns... there are plenty of good gun blogs out there.

I'll talk about politics, guns (gotta have SOME boomsticks), food, weightlifting, nutrition, recipes, and my job. Whatever crosses my mind to post.

Hope you enjoy.

Political tirade of the day.

2008-03-02T22:06:00.001-05:00

You know what will change in November?

The face of the person in the White House.

Nothing else.

Politicians are all the fucking same...

A wise man once told me, "If voting could change anything, it would be illegal."

No matter which one of those morons wins the Presidency, they still won't give a fuck about the common man. No President ever has, and none of them ever will. They'll continue to pander to each of their respective audiences and will continue to bend the regular guy over a fucking barrel and rape him for all he's worth. Obama wants a nanny state. Hillary wants to garnish my wages if I choose not to buy into her healthcare plan... I've already got great healthcare at a low cost, since there's competition. Thanks anyway, bitch. McCain is the worst of them all... He says he's one thing, and then proves he's another when it comes down to it. See: 1994 AWB, McCain-Feingold (absolutely the worst piece of federal legislation in the history of the country) and the war.

At least with Obamillary I know what I'm getting... socialist (borderline fascist) nanny state tactics and a government who treats me like I cna't take care of myself.

No one in the Presidential race represented me. I'm an educated redneck who works for a fucking living, loves his country, supports the troops, carries a big fucking gun everywhere he goes, hunts, cusses, wears cowboy boots, pays his fucking taxes, goes to church every Sunday, is faithful to one woman, and DOESN'T WANT THE FUCKING GOVERNMENT IN HIS FUCKING LIFE. Don't try to require me to buy your crappy government healthcare... I'd sooner die than ask my fellow taxpayer to pay for something I need. Don't try to take my guns... you can have them, glowing hot, after I've fired every single piece of ammunition I own out of them at you. Don't try to tell me you're closing the border... your ancestors were immigrants too. Don't try to tell me you're going to give illegals driver's licenses and amnesty... they're here illegally. Fuck them. my family came here the old fucking fashioned way on a fucking boat through a fucking Island in New York and did so legally, and built themselves up a pretty fucking good life. Don't raise my taxes for anything... If I want to live in a country that takes my money to help pay for the "less fortunate" I'll move to Canada. Don't try to tell me the fucking welfare sponges "can't do it on their own." Bullshit. I'm a working-class man, and I came from working-class parents. We do pretty fucking well on our own WITHOUT government assistance. Why? Because we know how to fucking work. The next time I see a fucking welfare sponge load the food they bought with their fucking EBT "debit card" foodstamp bullshit into their fucking Escalade, I'm going to fucking lose it. They don't have to work for shit, the taxpayer (ME) buys all their fucking food because they "can't afford it" but they can somehow afford a fucking $40,000 car?

I'm tired of this crap.

GCO files amicus brief in support of Heller

2008-02-06T03:37:00.002-05:00

Here.

I'm laughing so hard I'm crying

2008-02-06T03:11:00.001-05:00

...at Skippy's List of things not allowed in the Army.

No time to blog

2008-02-06T03:05:00.000-05:00

I wish I had more time to blog.

What with working ten-hour days, spending weekends with the girlfriend, and sleeping my mandatory 80 hours a week, I barely even have time to think about my blog.

Giant Douche or Turd Sandwich?

2008-02-04T13:18:00.000-05:00

Like the kids in South Park, I'm torn.

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday. I'm supposed to go exercise my right to vote. Make my voice heard. Change the course of the country with a pull of a lever (well, now, it's a touch on a screen, but I digress.)

Like the vote of one intelligent person is going to be heard over the rabble of mindless morons who vote based on what the candidates look like. Or whose name sounds funnier.

If you're not sure what the title refers to, the kids in South Park, Colorado were forced to vote on a new school mascot. (It's a TV show.) They had to choose between a giant douche and a turd sandwich.

With the current crop of GOP candidates, I feel the same way.

First, some analysis of their stance on my key issues, then why I wouldn't vote for any of them.

GUNS:

Ron Paul: Definitely the best of the bunch. Very pro-2A.
Fred: Hell yeah!
Huck: Eh. Why not? As long as I'm not a reporter on a hunting trip with him.
McCain: I don't know, and I don't care... just looking at the man creeps me out.
Romney: Will tell you whatever you want to hear to get your vote. As governor of Massachusetts, he signed into law a permanent "assault weapons" ban, but has stated that he will veto any gun-control bill that comes across his desk as President, including a renewal of the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban. Do I believe what he says, or what he's done?

ECONOMY:

Ron Paul: Haven't gotten a real straight answer on this one yet, but I know he's in favor of lower taxes, as am I.
Fred: Hell Yeah!
Huck: I like the "fair tax" but he's just another tax and spend "conservative".
McCain: I don't know, and I don't care... just looking at the man creeps me out.
Romney: Will tell you whatever you want to hear to get your vote. I didn't listen when he was talking about money, because I didn't care.

GENERAL IMPRESSION OF CANDIDATES:

Ron Paul: Looks like Ian McKellen playing Magneto in X-Men. Just a bit scary.
Fred: HELL YEAH!
Huckabee: When fascism comes to the US, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross. Anyone who dedicates their life to talking to their imaginary friend in the sky has problems.
McCain: I don't know, and I don't care... just looking at the man creeps me out.
Romney: Will tell you whatever you want to hear to get your vote. Too clean, too polished. Too pretty.

So... the only two GOP candidates I could vote for in good conscience are Ron Paul and Fred Thompson. Unfortunately, Ron Paul wasn't adopted by the media, and a lot of "mainstream" conservatives think he's a nut job. And Fred (who was my #1, #2, #3, and #4 choice) dropped out.

Which leaves me... Huckabee (crazy religious nutso), McCain (turd sandwich), and Romney (giant douche, and oh yeah did I happen to mention he's a Mormon and those people scare me).

Maybe I'll vote for Hitlery.

Wow, I forgot about this sucka

2008-01-28T13:24:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in over a month.

Excuse me while I go lash myself with a wet noodle.

Making chili tonight

2007-12-18T15:15:00.000-05:00

If you suddenly feel an overwhelming, deep-seated emotional need to drive towards Statesboro, don't worry, I'm just making chili. It's a natural reaction in anyone who smells, tastes, or thinks about my chili.

That whole business in Iraq right now? Yup. My chili started that. My chili was the WMD (Weapon of Masticatory Deliciosity) Bush was looking for.

It's the chili that launched a thousand ships.

Seriously. It's that good.

I quit my job today.

2007-12-14T13:29:00.000-05:00

I tendered my resignation at the hospital today, effective immediately.

My boss was fairly upset by this (as I was scheduled to work tonight, and she's gonna have to scramble to find someone to cover) but that's not my problem. If she had EVER at any point been honest with me about a full-time position I might have stayed.

Good riddance to that place. Hopefully the new job at the Walmart DC will work out.

Wouldn't want to wrap a fish in it

2007-12-13T18:17:00.000-05:00

...and I certainly won't deign to insult my noble sphincter by suggesting that I wipe my ass with it.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, that is.

Check this out. Dick (well, got his first name right) Polman evidently thinks his tongue-in-cheek anti-gun and anti-Republican writings are clever. Sure, some good-natured fun is alright, but suggesting that the candidates would be carrying guns? Especially Giuliani...

Let's file this one under "Stupid anti-gun vitriol" and leave it at that. Whaddya say?

Link courtesy of Newsbusters.

Mass Effect

2007-12-13T17:36:00.000-05:00

So I bought me a new game for the 360 last night. It's called Mass Effect and it's an RPG by the same guys who made Knights of the Old Republic.

Totally dynamic dialog system, in which saying one thing slightly different can change things hours and worlds later in the game. I'm not crazy about the combat system but it's fun too.

Oh yeah, and did I mention that it's absolutely beautiful in HD?

Buy it. It's well worth the $60. I have a couple friends who have had it for a while and are on their second and third "careers" who say it's a completely different game every time around.

Welcome to teh new blog!

2007-12-13T16:32:00.000-05:00

Hi!

I'm a libertarian gun nut. This blog will reflect that.

I'll use it to post various news items, musings, and other things that amuse me.

That is all for now.