Success Warrior: The Blog That Embraces ADHD

Beliefs (Part 1)

So,

I've been giving this topic lots of thought, off and on, for quite some time and have not been able to put my thoughts into any easy order.  That means that I will once again be using this blog as a rough draft to make some sense of the topic and I will, once again, probably be meandering all over the place.

Standard Operating Procedures.

Yup.

In reading Lynette's blog, I came across something that she said that really resonated with me and I told her so.  She said she had been reading a book that brought me to mind and recommended that I read it.  I downloaded Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior by David R. Hawkins to my Kindle and have been reading it.  I'm only about 20% through the book but I'm intrigued and it has rekindled something in me that goes right along with my thoughts on Belief.

One thing that I know I need to do is be nicer to the cult members and minions.  I don't go out trolling but I have certainly been less than kind on my blog.  While I can rationalize the reasons for this because I can say what I want on my blog and they are doing far worse to me, it actually doesn't fit with what I would like to see happen for a number of reasons.  It may actually cause them to dig in deeper to defend their religion and it's really not fair.  It's not entirely their fault that they don't understand things.  I saw a video this week that explained it nicely.  Serendipity at work.

Picking on cult members is like having a spelling bee with contestants that don't speak English.

Spell the word, "Violence."

Could you use the word in a sentence?

I'm not sure how I have escaped the Matrix and to be clear, I'm still trying to teach myself.  I still go out looking for truth and I'm trying to teach myself to think better.  It's an important skill and one that I want to be able to pass on to my kids.  My wife and I discuss it often but we are at a point where we feel we need a better understanding of the concepts before we will be able to adequately pass them on.

There are a few things to note about my intention for a kinder and gentler blog in regards to cult members and minions.

1. I am naturally sarcastic and snarky and one of the voices in my head is even worse.  So, this may be a work in progress.
2. The good intentions are aimed at the cult members and the minions.  Their prophets are still fair game.  Failing to point out the evil would be a disservice to humankind.

Unfortunately, time is going to require that I split this up over at least one more post, if not more.

Let me leave you with something completely unrelated that I found funny.  I was looking around for information yesterday and Googled, "Obama pays travel expenses."

Success Warrior blog was the number 1 hit.

I don't care who you are, that's funny right there.

Git-r-done.

Larry the Cable Guy will be out here tomorrow.

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life.

Have you heard of P90X? That's BeachBody. They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more. They have some of the best exercise programs on the market. These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body. They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology. Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs. Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer.

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of. Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there. If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link. Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Don't Mess With Jewbacca

 
So,

Jewbacca has left a plethora of comments on my blog, in his usual fashion.  I'd block him but I don't dare because he knows:

 
'Nuff said.

I ordered a book to help me with my homework.  My most-excellent UPS guy should be dropping it off some time today.  It's a tad over 1,200 pages in length (tad? - after 1,200, would it even matter if there were another 80 pages?).  What are the odds that I can have that read and internalized by Saturday when the homework is done?

I'm really hoping to be able to hit the high points and make them stick for now, like a strand of spaghetti to the wall where the rest are saved for later consumption.

Not that I've done that, mind you.

Yeah, you used the ceiling instead.

Then couldn't reach it and left it there for months.

Both of you, shaddup!

I figure that even if I can't read it all, I can still use the book as a burglary prevention device.  I could use it to block a door from opening instead of using a dresser.  Or, I could hit a burglar in the head with it, putting him into a permanent coma, making capture that much easier.  I could strap it to my chest, Back to the Future style, and use it to block bullets.

It sounds like I will get my money's worth out of this book, regardless.

If the UPS truck is riding a wheelie down the road, I'll know that my book is arriving.

Peace as a Solution

 
So,

Let me get Part 2 of my thoughts on The Anti-American Manifesto out of the way right now because it could be a crazy few weeks for me.  If you haven't read Part 1 yet, go HERE or the rest might not make a whole lot of sense.

The assumption there being that you do make sense sometimes?

Shut it.

Next up was collateral damage.  The idea of dropping out of the system as much as you are willing to risk changes the view and also reduces the number of bystanders that might be hurt.  The point is to try to live as freely as possible.  At some point, the government might take notice and attempt to make an example of you.  If that happens, you have a couple of choices to make: resist or don't resist.

I'm not going to tell you which is the right choice because it all depends on you and your circumstances.  Either way places a burden on the system.  How many people can be held in an over-populated jail system for not having a driver license?

If you choose resistance . . .

Viva la resistance!

Ferme la bouche.

If you choose resistance, you set up a scenario where you are the defender and the government is the attacker.  Not only that but the only people likely to be injured or killed in the struggle are you and the government agents.  This is a far better approach than firing into a crowd of people surrounding a senator.  If the IRS is storming your house because you haven't paid taxes for a few years and you accidentally shredded all the late notices they sent you, you won't be seen in near the same light as someone that guns down a 7 year old girl.

Waco demonstrated this.  Most people didn't believe in what the Davidians were doing but no one thought that government had a right to kill them all.  Women and children huddled together, scared to death, and then slaughtered. 

By the way, I have been using taxes as an example here just because it's so universal.  You can pick and choose from amongst the millions of laws that are out there as to which ones you want to ignore. 

The last point to all of this is what comes out on the other side.  Ted Rall points out that the US government is corrupt and violent.  He wants to get rid of it.  Then he wants to put into place the US government.

But didn't he just say . . .

I think he did.

Rall's Freedom Fighters aren't really fighting for freedom.  They are fighting for control of the most powerful organization on the planet.  He wants to completely wipe this one out and put a whole new one.  It's like "Vote the bums out" on steroids but in the end, new bums will be put into place.  These new bums would be sprinkled with magic pixie dust that makes them completely impervious to bribery and corruption.

Do they have to think happy thoughts?

Like what they will buy with their bribe money?

This takes me back to a point I made in Part 1.  For now, I'm happy to travel right along with Rall's Freedom Fighters and the Zeitgeisters and anyone else that thinks that there needs to be a change.  Not hopey-changey business as usual but an actual, perceptible, barefaced change.  The idea of cooperation will be very broad.  No one will have to believe the tenants of any other group and there doesn't have to be any planning done between them.  In fact, there shouldn't be.  The more factions there are, the more resources it takes to track them all, plus they can't just take out the top tier and hope the rest goes away.

If Step 1 were to be completed in my lifetime, it would then become my goal to prolong the interregnum for as long as possible.  With any luck, all those factions fighting for control would fight for a long time while we all live in freedom for a while.

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Violence as a Solution

 
So,

Yesterday, I finally got around to giving an overview of Ted Rall's Anti-American Manifesto and some sticking points that I had.  There was one other thing that I left off that list that I'll cover today but first I think it's important to point out one of the basic tenants of the book.

I have pointed out previously that if you voted for anybody that has funded or directed the wars or the puppet dictators that torture, kill, and starve people for the United States government, you are, obviously, accountable for those murders.  You voted for and authorized these policticians to initiate violence and kill anyone that stands in their way.

Rall takes it a step further.  He states that if you know that the US government is killing people and you do not do anything to stop it, you are complicit in all those murders.

I have given this some thought and I have to agree.

Now, the fourth concern that I have with Rall's call-to-arms for the couch potatoes of America is that it's such a huge leap.  He wants them to turn off American Idle, grab an assault rifle, and attack some part of the established government.  That's huge for people that spent 12 years in the public propaganda system pledging allegiance every morning.  It's especially huge for the demograph that he's addressing that has spent the last few years mocking tea partiers and their gun-toting ways.  How do you create a leftist Tea Party? 

He's hoping that they get angry enough and fearful enough of a right-wing coup that they will take up arms and take to the streets.  I think that it might be more appropriate to take baby steps with these people.  Now, like Rall points out in his book, you take help where you can get it so if he is able to get liberals to disrupt parts of the government, that works in everyone's favor so I am in no way dismissing his efforts.  Anyone he can move along the spectrum from True Believer in The Great and Powerful Oz toward being a defender of freedom serves us all.

My suggestion is less radical and may take more patience (but might not if he can't get the people off the couch).  It's much less dramatic and isn't fueled by anger.  It's calm (until that calm is broken) and possible and addresses my four concerns: baby steps, spin, collateral damage, and violence replacing violence.

Baby Steps starts with education, like the first half of Rall's book and this blog.  Everyone who sees what's happening needs to keep on pointing it out in attempt to reach as many people as possible.  Corporate Media has been reduced down to a handful of companies that have a lot to gain from the continuation of governments and they are going to keep spouting bullshit to anyone that will listen.  The more people that quit listening to them and start looking for the truth, the faster this government will fall.  The whole thing is built up and sustained on falsehoods and each person that stops clapping and yelling "I believe" brings the fictional faerie closer to death.

From there, people need to just drop out of the system as much as they are willing.  For some, this might mean nothing more than not voting . . . for now.  I know quite a few people that have quit paying their taxes.  Others don't obey laws that are established for government control, like getting a driver license or registering their car, and regularly go to jail.

"What're ya in for?"

"30 days for no driver's license."

"Hardcore."

There are some things that anyone can do and will be more commonplace as the greater depression continues over the years like bartering for services.  When the plumber fixes a problem for the person that cuts his hair and they trade services instead of fees, neither of them has to pay taxes.  Some communities are expanding this out by creating their own barter system.  As long as you don't pay with Federal Reserve Notes and don't record the sale, you don't have to pay taxes.  Some places are already switching back to gold and silver.  Other places use Euros (which is still a fiat currency but tax free in this country).  Hell, even buying things from Amazon reduces the amount of taxes that states get.  Amazon doesn't charge sales tax.  Instead, Amazon gives purchasers notice that it is their duty to pay the taxes to their home state for items purchased.  Yeah, no one does this.  No one likes taxes and no one volunteers to pay more than the IRS forces at gun point. 

This is where Spin changes sides.  Many of these things seem so minor, especially compared to Rall's idea of tossing a Molotov cocktail into the White House but there is sympathy to be gained here which will lead to recruitment.  I just saw a new graph a couple of days ago that shows that taxes for the top tier are just about at an all-time low while taxes and fees for the middle class are going up.  People see this and they are going to feel it more as inflation continues to bite the purchasing power of their Federal Reserve Notes.  My dear and close friend, Ben Bernanke, doesn't count fuel and food when he discusses inflation and that's because it would be too telling.  The price of things that people actually need are going up and going up fast.  When people are given the choice of putting food on the table or paying taxes or for some new government fee, the choice is going to be simple.

People around the country won't blame them and many will copy the ideas that get them out of the Federal Reserve System.  Bartering and counter-economies will flourish and at some point, the government will take action against some of these people.  They can't take action on everyone.  In fact, as small as the activities are now, the government isn't taking actions on many of them now. 

Yeah, the IRS sends letters to people that don't pay taxes but those can be thrown away.  Eventually, they may garnish your wages, if you have a job and you work for someone else.  After that, what?  Throw you in jail?  Is there any room?

If they come to haul these people away and the people resist?  First, that places even more burden on the system.  If they can send two guys with small guns to your house and you walk out with them, it might work.  If they have to send a SWAT team for every person who keeps their own money, well, it obviously can't be done.

Not only that but the spin has switched sides.  When the government starts attacking families in their homes who are just trying to make it from day to day, it's going to be hard to put much force into the "evil tax evader" story.  People are prone to side with the defender.  When Rall suggests attacking the government, it's in defense yes, but it's easy for the government and their lapdog media to spin it as an attack.  When the government goes around kicking in the doors of families whose only crime is trying to take care of themselves, the picture of the defender becomes true to life and people around the country are going sympathize and support the defenders.

Each time the government attacks the people, the movement toward freedom will gain strength.

In my next post on the topic (Monday? but no promises), I'll cover collateral damage and violence replacing violence.  I also want to touch on desensitization and cooperation, time permitting (or maybe another post).

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

The Anti-American Manifesto

 
So,

I finished reading The Anti-American Manifesto by Ted Rall and I have some things to say about it.  After all, I am a blogger and saying things is what I do.  Here are some takeaway points from the last couple of chapters.

First, it's a book written by a liberal aimed at getting other liberals off their couch and into action but the specific actions apply to absolutely everyone.  It's a call to arms for everyone that isn't making a shitload of money at the expense of everyone else in the country (and most of the world).  That's about 300 million of us.

People with a voice can no longer be silent about the corruption and violence.  We can't pretend that it's not there or that it's going to just go away or that things are going to get better.  Welcome to the greater depression, this is as good as it gets under the current regime.  All of the gimmicks have been played out and now it's just going to come down to open corruption and oppression.  If you see it, you have a duty to tell everyone around you until everyone sees it.  Not just sees it but gets really pissed about it.  We are being screwed and people should be angry about it.  Apathy is not an option at this point. 

Here's a side-note (because this just wouldn't be my blog without a side-note or four).  Rall points out that as evil as huge corporations are painted, they are only able to operate in the way that they do because of the government.  This is a point I have tried to repeatedly make in this blog.  They are able to rent the government's guns to get what they want.  They also pass off the riskiest parts of their business to taxpayers while keeping all the rewards.  Rall didn't say that part but it's true.  If Exxon and BP had to pay all the bribe money to the puppet dictators in the Middle East and fund the operating costs of a couple of aircraft carriers to lay the smack down when needed, they would not even be able to come close to affording it.  However, with a little bit of bribe money, they have the entire United States military behemoth at their beck and call and a printing press for unlimited bribe money.  If you want to curtail the power of corporations, you have to put an end to the United States government.

Here is the most beautiful part of this book written by this liberal.

Whichever team you are on right now doesn't matter.  There are only two things that really matter.

#1. You value principles over any group affiliation.  Don't try to get too organized.  Create your own cells and take whatever action you think will work.  The spontaneity is harder to plan against and the lack of a clear organization makes it impossible for the government to name names and fight a winning a battle.  Do you think they will ever destroy Al Queda (even if that was their goal)?  The government might be able to destroy an organization but it will never be ever to destroy a principle.

#2. Even if you have a group affiliation, you accept any help from anyone that has the same "Step 1" of reaching their goal.  "Step 1" being the dismantling of the current corrupt and violent government with no hint of "changing the system from within the system."

After reading some of my blog posts, a friend of mine asked me if I had heard of the Venus Project.  Most people are probably more familiar with the term, "The Zeitgeist Movement," which is the promotional arm of the Venus Project.  I have heard of them (in fact, I'm on their newsletter list) and they have a lot of good ideas.  If governments stopped holding people back, technology would advance so quickly that we can't even imagine what it would be like in 10 years.  So many of the problems in the world today would be solved but governments don't want them solved and fight against people who want to solve them.  The problem I have with the Zeitgeist Movement is the government they want to put in place after dismantling the current one.  This however won't stop me from traveling along with them during step 1.

Rall spends the first half of the book showing all of the things that are wrong with the current government, which if you have been paying any attention to the world at all, you should already know.  You would also know these things if you have been a regular reader of this blog for a while. 

I'm not going to recap them all here.  Suffice it to say that the United States government is the most murderous organization in the world and that politicians have been completely bought and paid for and are never going to do anything to help people if it hurts them, their rich friends, or multi-national corporations.  By "hurt," I mean, "reduces profits."

Rall and I are surprised that more people aren't angry about this.  Rall wants people to be angry about it because they should be angry about it.  At some point, the anger should over-ride the apathy and the sooner the better.  Every day that people sit on their couch, the US government kills another batch of people that are in the way of monetary profit.

The seeds of anger should bloom into violence against the government.  Here, Rall and I differ on the approach.

Not that I'm going to condemn him or anyone else that uses violence against the government.  It's morally justified, obviously.  Using violence in self-defense or defense of a third party is a valid use of force.  Since the current government kills people on a daily basis, anyone on the planet has a right to come to their aid and kill US politicians.

My concern is more about the collateral damage, gaining more supporters, and the final outcome.

Too many times, when people "attack the government", they pick targets that don't change anything.  If you fly a plane into an IRS building and kill a couple of peons that believed in the system because they didn't know any better, you don't actually alter the actions of the people making all the decisions.  When people take up arms against the government, they need to take it to the highest level.  Don't take out the local tax bean counter.  March to where Qadafi is and start there, taking out anyone who chooses to stand between you and him.

Even when a politician is the target, if you kill innocents just standing around (especially children), you're going to come off as the bad guy.  You will get the attention of the other politicians to be sure but since they have a lapdog media system, they will be able to spin it against you and it might be harder to get more people to join your cause.  There is no way that the US government can stop 300 million people who decide that enough is enough but you have to pull those people into your cause.

The last thing that concerns me is that using force to destroy the government will lead to the creation of a new government, which of course will be based on force.  The good news here as far as Rall's book goes is that while he says what kind of government he would like to see formed in the first half of the book, he admits in the second half of the book that people and technology have evolved to the point where some completely new form a society could emerge on the other side.

I completely understand the desire to destroy the current government with violence.  It's might be much quicker than other alternatives and gives people an outlet for their rage.

I, however, would offer a different solution, although violence would undoubtedly still be involved.

I'll discuss that next time and how this solution addresses my three concerns.

Apparently, The World is Falling Apart

 
So,

I woke up this morning to find that Japan was being destroyed.  Hundreds of people swept up and missing.  It's so huge that I can't wrap my mind around it and all I can do is hope for the best, under the circumstances, for the people living through this catastrophe.

While I can't bring myself to say anything funny about the event itself, which is why I'll never be a writer for late night TV (well, that and the fact that I won't move anywhere near a TV studio), I do have something to say about our beloved media.

Several of them were reporting that no dollar amount could be placed on the damage yet.  Hundreds of people missing, thousands stranded, at least 50 people confirmed dead with the death toll rising, and the important part of the news is the $dollar amount$ of the damage while the water is still carrying buildings over farmland, with people mixed in there somewhere?

All praise the mighty dollah!

It's time for a new god.

Speaking of money, I never did touch on the whole point of Wisconsin.  The Republicans tore the bill in half and passed the part that they could, which pretty much accomplished what the AWOL Dems were trying to block.  One of the Dems sipping brandy in a hot tub said that it was a travesty of Democracy.

Bzzzzzt.  Wrong!  But, thank you for playing.

Do we have a parting gift?

Let's ask Vanna White.

Looks like she's busy . . .

. . . Kissing her pussy.

Not what I was going to say.

Democracy is the travesty.  The Republicans are playing by the rules.  Mob rules, to be sure, but that's the name of the game. 

Hate the game, not the playuh.

I don't think people say that anymore.

Whoever gets the most votes gets to set the rules and the Republicans are stacking the deck for future elections to see if they can maintain power forever (and make it a law that everyone has to worship the Christian god and great ideas like that).

First, they pass a law saying that they can accept as much campaign money as they want from their mega-super-uber-rich corporate friends.  Half the equation complete.  Check.

Now, they are trying to cut the funding of the opposition.  Unions are the #1 campaign contributors for Democrats.  Therefore, if the Republicans can cut the amount of money going to unions, they can cut the amount of money going to Democratic candidate campaigns.  The second half of the equation is in full motion in several states and the Republicans are working on checkmate.

Brilliant!

It's a one-two punch in the campaign-face to the Dems.

Ted Rall may be right in his book The Anti-American Manifesto.  Liberals may have to resort to violence if they want to stop the right half of the one-party system from gaining complete and absolute control.

That was one of two things that has surprised me in Rall's book.  I didn't know who he was when I picked up the book but he made it clear in the first few pages that he's a liberal and very much against the crazy Tea Party peeps.  I braced myself and forged forward into the book.

I didn't brace myself because he would be speaking ill of me or my stance (since liberals and conservatives are in an eternal battle against each other and libertarians and anarchists aren't even on the radar) but because of an experience I had with a different author.  I was trying to read Thom Hartmann's Cracking the Code and after a couple of chapters, I had to put it down.  The hypocrisy was blinding.  I will probably finish reading it in the future but every nasty thing he said about the Republicans was currently being done by the Democrats so it was hard to understand what his point was.  How do you say that waging an illegal war is terrible, morally corrupt, and, well, evil, but support Democrats who funded the war under Bush and increased troops when Obama became commander-in-chief?

Rall isn't blind and states very clearly that US Democracy is a one-party system.  One half might be slightly to the left and the other slightly to the right, like a quarter standing on end but there is really no practical difference.

The other surprising thing about Rall is what he thinks of The Great and Powerful Oz and people who claim to be liberals.  Dude is harder on Obama than I am.  I don't know if that's because of the great betrayal of Mr. Hopey Changey or just more of Rall's anger coming through but he doesn't have anything kind to say about the president.  He comes right out and calls Obama a war-mongering, corporate puppet, peppered with a few F-bombs.

Nor is he kind to the the people on the left who, when W did what he did, were vociferously outraged but now that Obama is doing the same things, all that can be heard are crickets.  Rall describes Obama as, "Bush . . . without the opposition."

I'm still in the chapter about his thoughts on the people supporting the Democrat side.  The next chapter gets into the plan for toppling the government.  I'm looking forward to that and I am going to wrap this blog up so I can take care of a couple of other things and then find out how Rall plans on taking down the current corrupt and violent government. 

I will be let you know what I find out.

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Law Abiding Revolutionists

 
So,

I'm readingTed Rall's Anti-American Manifesto and with any luck, I'll finish it in the next couple of days.  The message of the book is that liberals should rise up and violently overthrow the current government in the United States and take over before the crazy, gun-loving, Tea Party does.  The empire is crumbling and liberals can't afford to sit around and let someone else jump in to fill the gap or we're all doomed.

Liberals will wield violence and corruption better?

They will kill and steal in a more humane manner.

I'll do another post when I have finished reading the book.  So far, it's been about 150pages of rant and Rall's anger gets the best of him at times.

For instance, he states that the fall of the American empire will be harder on Americans than the Russian collapse was on Russians because, at least, the Russians had their houses.  There might have been a few generations and over a dozen people in a house but they had their houses.  Americans are going to continue to be foreclosed upon and kicked to the street and will be homeless as the government falls in upon itself.  There will be no place for them to go.

Except for the millions of empty houses sitting around the country.

Yebbut, besides those.

Tomorrow, I'll have to tell you Rall's view on The Great and Powerful Oz. 

A Night at the Improv

 
First, I have to thank Ricky T. for the present (or half a present, it seems) that arrived last night.  It's an audiobook called What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami.  Rick had briefly mentioned it in passing some time ago because the book is written in a similar style to how I blog.  So, I'm excited to get a chance to listen to it.  It was perfectly timed because I should have plenty of time over the next week to have a listen.  I have it downloaded on my iPod, ready to go.

I mentioned that martial arts class was fun the other night because we took it back to what we were familiar with.  I think I need to explain that better.

I mentioned the most obvious part and that was just getting back to things that were familiar and could be done rapidly.  Moving with speed and confidence just feels good.  It's the same for other pursuits.  Doing something for fun that you are confident at is just fun.  We keep pushing forward and keep practicing new moves, keep expanding the tools available to us, keep building muscle memory, and we need all of that.  We need to keep challenging ourselves, keep trying to grow, and keep increasing our repertoire.

It's just nice, after having pushed and struggled for a couple of months, to take a night to visit the comfortable.  To play.  That's what it comes down to, I think.  We are still playing when we try to push ahead but that feels more like training.  It's still playful and there are lots of laughs as weird things happen.

Monday, our newest student asked what he was supposed to do for an attack against another student. 

"Throw a right straight punch, then fall down," I said.  We laughed.  He's not really supposed to fall down but if the other student does things right, the attacker is going to fall down.

I reached for my water jug, heard the attack, and heard someone fall, then laughing.  I turned around to see the attacker still standing and the defender laying on the ground.

"Perhaps, my instructions were unclear," I said.

The defender had stepped funny, took an accidental hit to the inside of his left knee, and buckled to the ground.  That left the attacker, who should have been knocked to the ground, still standing there.

The more complicated things get, the more this kind of thing happens. 

We twist or catch a foot, lose our balance, fall to the ground, laugh, stand up, and try it again. 

For the longest time, I wore a white/gray/black camouflage belt for my uniform where a great deal of it was the gray and even the white was dirty enough that it was turning gray.  New students would ask about the belt and I would explain, pointing to each color as I explained.  "Some moves, when I do them look like I am a black belt.  Other moves, I still fumble around like I'm a white belt.  Most of what I do falls in the gray area between the two."

I still believe that.

The other thing about going back to the familiar is that we don't actually stick to any script.  On the play nights, I don't expect students to do everything exactly the way they were taught.  They may start that way but they don't have to end that way.  We improvise, change things on the fly, and do whatever feels "natural".  Natural for someone who has been doing this things for over 17 years. 

We have a running joke when someone sneaks in a different hit into one of the techniques. 

"There's no knee strike to the groin in this technique," the guy taking the surprise hit will say while putting his protective cup back where it belongs.

"There is now," the defender will say.

Sometimes these bonus moves catch on to the point where they actually do become part of the "official" technique.  We are constantly changing things, tweaking things here and there to make the techniques work a bit better in some fashion.  It might just be an extra hit or it might speed things up or it might set up the next hit better.  There are always things that can be improved and when we find something that feels natural to everyone to the point where that's just how they do it regardless of what was originally taught, we just change what we teach new people so that it becomes the official way.

It was great night and I should probably schedule that type of class in every month or so, just for the fun of it.

And last, one final reminder for tomorrow's plans.  This was my favorite TSO song for a long time:

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

The Primal Blueprint Cookbook

My copy of The Primal Blueprint Cookbook by Mark Sisson arrived today and I've had a quick scan through it.  Very quick so I don't even have too many first impressions for you but I can say that the Universe is great at answering queries. 

My wife and I were talking this morning because she wants to incorporate breakfast into her plan but she doesn't have time to make or eat breakfast before leaving for work.  I asked her if she wanted me to cook something for her that she could take to work.  I usually have time to cook (not tomorrow - dangit!) so I figured that I could make something while I'm cooking up my eggs and then she could take it with her.

So, I'm glancing through the Primal cookbook, looking at the pictures mostly (but I bought it for the articles, I promise) and I see something that catches my eye.  It's not anything new at all but something that might fit the bill exactly.  Omelets cooked in muffin tins with the muffin wrapper and everything.  How cool is that!  She can tell me what she wants in her omelet, I can make it, and she can take it with her and eat it easily without the need for any utensils.  I have to run the idea by her but how can you not like that idea?  Make up a batch, throw 'em in the fridge, and nuke 'em for a quick bite to eat. 

Score.

Have you ever worked your ass glutes so hard that it hurts to sit down?  Crikey! 

And my calves still haven't healed.  It feels like someone kicked them, like they are bruised.  Now, normally, this is a distinct possibility because of karate class but last week, I was strictly on the teaching end of the hitting and kicking.  This week, I'm going to be on the receiving end a bit as I jump in with everyone else except my #1 student.  #1 went to do a take-down last week and missed the grab and broke his thumb.  All the violence that we share in my class and he breaks his own damn thumb. 

Tomorrow, I have physical therapy but can I just say that I am feeling much better and I have a new BFF.  Of all the painful and expensive procedures that I have had, do you know what has worked the best?

A tennis ball.

Can you believe that?  My therapist told me to go buy a tennis ball (you actually have to buy 3 tennis balls much to Trey's delight with the bonus 2 and now my neighbors delight since those extra 2 balls have now been whacked over the back fence into the neighbor's yard - you're welcome neighbor) and you place said tennis ball on the ground. 

Okay, I was going to insert more parenthesis but my wandering thoughts get long enough that I'm going to give this tangential thought it's own paragraph.  My physical therapist did not say to put the ball on the ground.  She said to put it in this sock thingy so that I could hold the ball in place by holding opposite ends of the socky thingy and lean up against the wall.  I suck at following instructions. 

Anyway, you I place the tennis ball on the ground and then I lay on it.  You move around until you feel the ball on a knot or tender spot and then you stop moving and apply gentle pressure on it for a while.  "A while" being subjective and based on how long it takes before you feel like the knot has released.

Last night, I'm doing this drill and on about the third spot, I feel a release like a soap bubble popping.  Completely non-violent but not the melting away that you might associate with a knot working its way out.  It was there and then it was gone.  And man!  Everything else seemed to feel better too.  I may have even had a vision or something.  There was a ray of light, angelic singing, and some hot chick holding a plate with a medium rare rib-eye on it.  Is heaven like Hooters?

This isn't to say that all the other stuff hasn't helped or done it's part or set this possibility up but last night is the best that my back has felt in 5 months.  The ball and I have a date tonight because I know that, at least for me, that was not a one night stand.

I mentioned this in the early edition of this blog this morning but it's worth repeating again.  I was goofing off between sets while Drill Sergeant was out puking (I keed Chili, I keed - this time anyway, she was just getting some fresh air) and messing around with some of the medicine balls and found a killer ab exercise that requires no motion at all.  It's a plank variation where you aren't moving but oh my gawd are your ab muscles twitchin' and pingin' off trying to keep you from bouncing your face off the mat (and thank goodness I have mats because I failed a few times). 

My abs still aren't quite healed up from last week's "goof off" but I think they will be healed up enough tonight to at least demonstrate both exercises, briefly.  Tomorrow is ab day too.  Last Friday, I sneezed and thought I was going to cry.  You too can have that wonderful feeling if you do these exercises.  I'm talking about working the abs like most people haven't worked them.  You will need a box (you have your box by now right - Come on! You're a SW Blog reader, you haveto have a box) and a couple of medicine balls.  The box adds a whole 'nuther dimension to working out, quite literally. 

I won't require you to get VFFs but I'm loving working out in mine.  One of the students is going to go get some now.  She likes to work out barefoot but likes the idea of having the traction on her feet.  My Bikilas have great traction.  I can dig in on downward dog like nobody's bidness.   And run trails.  And climb rocks. 

I think I'll be doing some more climbing on Thursday.  What I have eyed up is probably too step for Bailey so she may have to stay behind this time.  She's going to be bummed but I'll try to plan a more dog friendly activity the following day or next week.

Stay tuned.

***

Follow me on Twitter to get updates on when new posts show up on this blog (plus get random thoughts on the life of Success Warrior) and feel free to "friend" me on Facebook.

Success Warrior is an Independent BeachBody Coach for BeachBody.com, a company that offers fitness programs, supplements, and equipment that have absolutely changed my life. 

Have you heard of P90X?  That's BeachBody.  They also have Insanity, Turbo Jam, TurboFire, RevAbs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many more.  They have some of the best exercise programs on the market.  These aren't just DVDs but are complete programs to transform your body.  They also have the hugely popular, and what they call "the most important meal of the day", Shakeology.  Go HERE to learn the most inexpensive way to get Shakeology.

They have equipment and supplements in addition to Shakeology and popular exercise programs.  Visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Shop" link to see everything they offer. 

There is also a business side to all this fitness that you can take advantage of.  Whether you're looking to just make a couple hundred extra dollars in fun money or are looking to take complete financial control of your life, BeachBody can help you get there.  If you have a desire to be more fit and would love to help other people do the same while making some money at it, visit BeachBody.com and click on the "Coach" link.  Team up with me and I'll help you reach your goals, in fitness and finance.

Puzzle Pieces, Planning, Paleo, and Primal

For me, today is the last day of summer.  Tomorrow brings a change to how my days will go.  Really, it's more of a mental thing than anything else.  I will actually be doing some things differently and I'm going to build some time into my schedule to work on my ACE Fitness Trainer certification.  I've been putting it off but I can't do that anymore.  The trick is going to be in fitting that in with everything else that I have going on.

Tonight, when I return from work, that's how I'll be spending my night.  Putting all the big rocks in my jar or at least planning how I'm going to do it.  I'm on a deadline and there are several things that have to be accomplished in the next 17 months.  The countdown has begun.  Summer is over and I have to hunker down for 9 months before summer starts again.  My schedule follows Trey's.  It's like I get a summer break because he gets a summer break.

On top of that, I'm going to try to cook some different things for the next 9 months.  We are fairly boring eaters and some of our staple meals had grain in them so I'm going to try adding variety to our dinners while staying grain-free.

To that end, I ordered The Primal Blueprint Cookbook by Mark Sisson so that I can try out some meals that match my diet.  My wife isn't going to complain about me doing the cooking.  She's going to be carrying a full load for college this semester.  It's going to be a busy winter for us.

I'm slowly reading through the Paleo Diet book and I think it was a great step forward.  The author still clings to the notion that animal fat is bad and when you think about paleo people and the fact that they used absolutely everything from animals, it goes against common sense to think that they only ate the lean cuts of meat from the animals they killed.  I'm going to finish reading it for the information but I would recommend the The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson as the better book if you want to be more healthy.  You have to love a guy that says there is no such thing as too much bacon.  Seriously. 

Speaking of being busy, that's it for me today.  I've got stuff to do.  Tomorrow, I'm off and running on about a dozen projects (I'm kidding but that's how it feels right now) and I have decided to go ahead and add a bit of video blogging this blog.  Kind of a hybrid system with a short video along with my normal blathering of words.  We'll see how that goes.

Stay tuned.