Whatever, Facebook...

... I don't need your dating so and so ...

F You, Texas

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Zogby Poll

I saw this Zogby poll last week and thought it was very interesting. Things are heating up. Things that I thought were far off don't seem all that far away anymore. Can anyone say "revolution"? Read...

Released: July 23, 2008

Middlebury Institute/Zogby Poll: One in Five Americans Believe States Have the Right to Secede

Survey finds 18% would support a secessionist effort in their state

UTICA, New York -One in five American adults - 22% - believe that any state or region has the right to "peaceably secede from the United States and become an independent republic," a new Middlebury Institute/Zogby International telephone poll shows.

I believe any state or region has the right to peaceably secede and become an independent republic:

Agree - 22%

Disagree - 73%

Not sure - 5%

The level of support for the right of secession was consistent in every region in the country, though the percentage was slightly higher in the South (26%) and the East (24%).  The figures were also consistent for every age group, but backing was strongest among younger adults, as 40% among those age 18 to 24 and 24% among those age 25 to 34 agreed states and regions have secession rights.

Broken down by race, the highest percentage agreeing with the right to secede was among Hispanics (43%) and African-Americans (40%). Among white respondents, 17% said states or regions should have the right to peaceably secede.

I would support a secessionist effort in my state:

Agree - 18%

Disagree - 72%

Not sure - 10%

Politically, liberal thinkers were much more likely to favor the right to secession for states and regions, as 32% of mainline liberals agreed with the concept. Among the very liberal the support was only slightly less enthusiastic - 28% said they favored such a right. Meanwhile, just 17% of mainline conservatives thought it should exist as an option for states or regions of the nation.

Asked whether they would support a secessionist movement in their own state, 18% said they would, with those in the South most likely to say they would back such an effort. In the South, 24% said they would support such an effort, while 15% in the West and Midwest said the same. Here, too, younger adults were more likely than older adults to be supportive - 35% of those under age 30 would support secession in their state, compared to just 17% of those over age 65. Among African Americans, 33% said they would support secession, compared to just 15% of white adults. The more education a respondent had, the less likely they were to support secession - as 38% of those with less than a high school diploma would support it, compared to just 10% of those with a college degree.

To gauge the extent to which support for secession comes from a sense that the nation's current system is not working, a separate question was asked about agreement that "the United States' system is broken and cannot be fixed by traditional two-party politics and elections." Nearly half of respondents agreed with this statement, with 27% who somewhat agree and 18% who strongly agree.

I believe the United States' system is broken and cannot be fixed by traditional two-party politics and elections:

Agree - 44%

Disagree - 53%

Not sure - 3%

The telephone poll, conducted by Zogby International, included 1,209 American adult respondents. It was conducted July 9-13, 2008, and carries a margin of error of +/- 2.9 per cent.

The sponsor of the poll was the Middlebury Institute, a think tank for "the study of separatism, secession, and self-determination," based in Cold Spring, NY. Their web site address is: MiddleburyInstitute.org.

Most interesting to me is the fact that 44% of people polled feel like the system is broken. 44%?!?!?! Wow! That is nearly half of the sampling. What would happen if that number continued to grow? What would happen if those people were just a little more angry... oh boy.

Sheeple!! Wake up!!

My friend Jason sent me this link this morning and I thought it was really relevant to what I see in our world today. What does this mean to you? Do you think everything's ok? Read it... really read it and think about it. Right now, we are in the apathy to dependency stage... not too far off from bondage... cool, eh? Vote Barack and we can get these CHANGES on even quicker.

When the thirteen colonies were still a part of England, Professor Alexander Tyler wrote about the fall of the Athenian republic over two thousand years previous to that time:

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship.

The average age of the world's great civilizations has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage.

-- Alexander Tyler

Triple Treat

So, I was paging through the listings in the iPhone "restaurants" application again last night and came across this jewel from Little Caesars. I have never had the pleasure of enjoying any of the culinary masterpieces from this fine establishment (and I think I will keep it that way), but never the less, I thought this was hilarious. See annotated image below...

In other news... this weekend was a good one. Here's the recap that I know you all love to read (all 3 of you):

Friday night: V went to class as it was her last before testing for her senior green belt (more on that in a minute). When she got home, we were trying to figure out what to do for dinner. After some thought and debate, we finally ended up going to Trudy's. It was delicious... I had not been there in a while. When we got home, we promptly, and in normal fashion as of late ,conked right out.

Saturday: We slept in a bit then got up and got ready to go to the sports center for V's testing. My stomach was NOT feeling all that hot. I think that what I ate at Trudy's just did not sit right with me. Aside from my squirming in my chair, her testing was really great to watch. I am really happy that she invited me. I thought that her form went really well. She did a really good job on it. I was really proud of her b/c I know she was very nervous. Her sparring was even better to watch. Not only were there numerous hook and roundhouses delivered to other people's heads, but straight up sucker punches to their stomachs. Now, I guess you can't really call it a sucker punch b/c you are sparring. It's funny to watch how people will just leave themselves open and get it. Needless to say that was also really good to watch. I was very proud of what I saw. Hopefully, I can sit closer next time =).

As I mentioned before, my stomach was killing me, so I literally drove home at like 80mph. I'm sure that excusable by law, right?

When we got home, we decided that it would be good to finally set that other computer up using my old table as a temporary desk. Then we decided it would be better to swap the futon and desk. THEN we decided that we need to run cables across the room to do that.

I am now the proud owner of 300 feet of Cat5e cable, a crimping tool, and RJ45 jacks. Incidentally, if you need any Cat5e (network) cables made, let me know. I'll be happy to make one for you and 1/2 store cost =).

Anyway... the office now looks a WHOLE lot better and more comfortable. I will take some pictures and post soon.

We also did some work in the garage organizing stuff.

Unfortunately, we did not got Ben's party. I just did not want to be away from facilities for too long, my stomach was killing me.

Sunday: We slept in a little bit again, but then got back to doing stuff in the house. We did some more stuff in the office. It's pretty much done. We got A LOT done in the garage too. That is almost done as well. We also were able to get the futon for the outside front porch weather treated so that it will be all ready for the cushions which are scheduled to come either today or tomorrow. Once it's no longer in the triple #&(@ing digits here, it will be nice to sit outside.

Today... back to work... waiting on cushions, getting grass cut, going to KF to practice with Troy, then teach my class.

Currently pissing me off: Windows Vista Home Basic. Why the FUCK would you remove the ability for someone to connect remotely to your OS. M$ assholes. Most VNC options really suck and are not reliable at all. If anyone knows of a NON-VNC RDP alternative that does not require installing an additional client (like PC Anywhere) OR if anyone knows how to enable or ADD terminal services to Windows Vista Home Basic, please please please let me know.

Article and Weekend

Saturday morning, I was listening to a BBC news podcast and they ran a really interesting story. After searching the web a little bit, I was able to find something close:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/janet-street-porter/janet-streetporter-a-dignified-death-at-home-is-a-human-right-869683.html

It's about something a lot of us don't really think about. Where do you want to die? I'm not talking about things you have no control over like a car accident or the like. This is more of a you know you are going to die and there is nothing that can be done about it, situation.

The story centered around a man that had cancer. It was in an advanced state and there was really nothing more that the medical community could do with him. I won't go into too much detail, but long story short, he ended up opting to stay at home and spend the last of his time with his family.

He was able to be with his wife and kids. He was able to listen to his kids play piano and be with his wife whenever he wanted (as opposed to visiting hours). Most of all, his entire family was present when he left this world. They all got to say goodbye and see him off. What can be better than that? I think that many of us don't really think of this as an option.

Anyway, this weekend was jam packed. I had a pretty busy work week last week...

Friday: After work, Victoria and I finished cat proofing the backyard. They cats now can go outside in the backyard unsupervised and they love it.

Saturday: Was occupied mostly during the day. Got home around 6pm, did some stuff round the house, then we went to Scotty's party. It was a good time. We did leave a little early as I was not really feeling too good. Lack of sleep plus jack and coke plus beer... ugh...

Sunday: We slept in a little bit which was much needed. After waking up, we hit the agenda:

• Went to the Austin Citywide Garage Sale
• Visited a tattoo shop that Victoria is thinking about giving some business to.
• Sold my old house phone.
• Went out to a new BBQ place for lunch (J &J in Cedar Park)... YUM!
• Went to Lowe's to get some more stuff for the garage (1 shelf for workout stuff, peg board, and accoutrements).
• Went to see Dark Knight, which was freakin' awesome.
• Cleaned the house.

Needless to say... we were both really tired last night, but we got A LOT done!

This week ... lookin' busy again...

 

Good times...

Yesterday was a good day. I got a lot of work done, I got to meet V for lunch (@ Jimmy John's ... it was my first time, and it was good, and I will go back), I got to the bank, I got to the supermarket, and I didn't feel any work stress at all. It was very nice.

The evening was nice too. V decided to stay home from class so we got to spend a lot of time together. That, in and of itself is a good night. I tried a new recipe for "low fat chicken corn chowder". Let's just say I ended up not keeping the leftovers... it was not so good.

Aside from that, I helped Victoria get some new ring tones on her iPhone. If you are interested in not paying Apple $2 for a freakin' ring tone, check this site out:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2160460_custom-iphone-ringtones-free.html

Finally, I got my old desk sold. Strike one item off the list. I didn't get quite as much as I wanted for it, but... it's gone and I can move on.

Back to yesterday...

After Jimmy John's, V had some extra time to kill, so we went to Starbuck's (which is not a regular event). We both ended up getting "skinny" drinks which are made sugar free and with low fat or fat free milk. This trip did however spark my curiosity about some of the other things that I order at Starbuck's. This morning, continuing my expose on nutritional facts, I took a trip to Starbuck's web site and found the following:

1) Green Tea Frappuccino - Hmm... I guess another case of "I knew this wasn't all that great for me, but convinced myself that it was OK". The calories aren't horrible but, whoa whoa whoa on the carbs. That can pretty much derail any good eating day that might be having...

2) Vanilla Bean Frappuccino - <insert comments from #1>. Again, not SO bad, but bad enough =).

3) Caramel Macchiato -  This is like a once in a blue moon sorta thing for me. Just about half as bad as the above items (which seems completely backwards to me). Certainly an eye opener.

Finally, just for shits & giggles, I wanted to see what is in a can of Coca-Cola. Now, we all know that sodas are "fat free" and by many people's standards, that makes it ok, but not for me. Look at the carbs... 27g for ONE CAN. I know some people that drink like multiple cans of this shit daily... wow.

 

Lots of OM's

Sorry for the backup... I have been lazy...

1) Awesome topic. I know a few people that are like this. Are you? Check it out. Be conscious in your own life. Be responsible for your actions.

July 10, 2008
Unconscious Communication
Chronic Lateness

Being late for an appointment or a date can seem like a small thing that really doesn’t matter, but it communicates volumes, whether we mean it to or not. Being kept waiting is an experience that almost no one enjoys, because at best, it wastes their time, and at worst, it indicates a lack of regard. It’s as if we’re saying that our time is more important than their time, so we don’t need to honor them by showing up when we said we would. When we are running late, it means a lot if we call and let the person know, especially if it’s going to be more than ten minutes. However, if we are chronically late, it may take more than a phone call to properly address the issue.

If it’s become a habit of ours not to be on time, we may want to look inside ourselves and see what’s going on. It’s easy enough to make excuses about our behavior, or to project responsibility on the other person, perceiving them to be uptight if they are irritated by our tardiness. What’s more difficult, and more meaningful, is looking at ourselves and asking why it is that we always, or often, show up late. Sometimes this happens out of a lack of self-regard, as if we aren’t really important anyway, so why will anyone care if we’re late, or don’t show up at all. Chronic lateness can also stem from being disorganized, or simply trying to do too much in one day. Another possible reason for being late to a particular appointment, or date, is that we don’t really want to be there. We communicate our disinterest or boredom by not showing up on time.

Whatever our reasons, if we raise them to the conscious level, we have an opportunity to live a more conscious life. As we begin to understand the deeper reasons behind our inability to show up on time, we have the option to communicate clearly and consciously about how we really feel, rather than communicating unconsciously by being late.

2) Look beneath the surface! There is more to you than your shoes, hair, clothes, money, <insert material object here>.

July 11, 2008
Under The Hood
Importance Of Looking Deeper

It’s easy to get caught up in examining our actions instead of really deeply examining ourselves. This can be deceiving because our actions may be very spiritual—we meditate, are nice to people, take care of ourselves and others—and yet, we may not be penetrating to the issues below the surface. It’s as if we’ve washed and shined the surface of our car without taking the time to check under the hood. We may appear to be in great shape, but if we aren’t engaging in the deep, inner work of self-examination, the chances are good that we are not deeply aware of the real substance of our lives.

We live in a very appearance-oriented, externally focused world, so it makes sense that we place a lot of value on how our lives look, sometimes to the detriment of noticing how our lives really feel. When we get too caught up in what we are doing and lose track of our core, we sometimes begin to feel dissociated, as if we are not fully awake, alive, and grounded. This is a sure sign that it’s time to engage in the hard work of going deep within to rediscover the foundation of our lives. Without the substance that comes from looking at ourselves deeply, and working through the difficult things we find, our spiritual lives can start to feel hollow or shallow, as if there’s nothing at the center holding it all together.

Of course, the peace that comes with meditation and spiritual practice is an essential part of the whole picture of our development, but it serves us best in conjunction with the less settling, more chaotic work of digging around below the surface to see what needs to be healed, owned, or released. Then our actions are more than just an attempt to keep everything in control, looking pretty and nice. Fueled by the energy of a life in transformation, they become powerful expressions of courage and faith, further inspiring our own inner work and that of those around us.

3)

July 15, 2008
A Bad Habit
Being Hard On Ourselves

One of the key components of human consciousness that most of us need to address and change is our tendency to be hard on ourselves. We do this in ways that are both overt and subtle, and half the work sometimes is recognizing that we are doing it at all. For example, if we find it difficult to graciously accept compliments, this is probably a sign that we tend to be hard on ourselves. Other ways in which we express this tendency include never feeling satisfied with a job well done, always wanting to be and do better, and getting mad at ourselves for getting sick. Getting mad at ourselves at all indicates that we need to rescue ourselves from our learned ability to be unkind to ourselves.

In essence, when we are hard on ourselves, we send our bodies the message that we are not good enough. Whenever we do this, we do damage that will need to be addressed later, and we sap our systems of much-needed energy. Being hard on ourselves is a waste of precious time and energy that we could use in positive ways. To begin to understand how this works, we can think about times when someone made us feel that we weren’t good enough. Even just thinking about it will create an effect in our bodies that doesn’t feel good. We may be used to the feeling, but when we really tune into it, we instinctively know that it is not good for us on any level.

Like any bad habit, being hard on ourselves can be a challenging one to release, but the more we feel the burden it places on us, the more motivated we will be to change. At first, just noticing when we are doing it and how it makes us feel is enough. As our awareness increases, our innate impulse toward health and well-being will be activated, moving us out of danger and into a more positive and more natural relationship with ourselves.

iPhones and eating out...

So, if you have been keeping up with Victoria's blog, you will see that she recently got the new 3G iPhone. Yay!

What does that mean for yours truly? I now have her old, err, classic, 2G iPhone... and I have apps. Tons and tons of apps! One of those apps is called "Restaurant" and I learned some startling shit a few nights ago.

This application basically lets you pick a restaurant to view nutritional information about the food that they serve at said restaurant. Wow...

So, I like Chili's and Cheddar's from time to time. I also will go to Wendy's if I am in a pinch. Particularly, at Cheddar's or Chili's I will almost ALWAYS get the Buffalo Chicken Salad. After viewing this information, I doubt this will be the case going forward.

Check this crap out:

Wow... that's close to being as bad as a burger or something. Holy crap! Here is an example of something I will not be eating again. I guess it's easy to think that just because it's a salad and has leafy things in it, it is not so bad for you, but... wow.

When I looked up the stuff from Wendy's I found out that nutritionally it's not that bad for you. Well, the stuff that I usually order is not that bad for you. Usually, I get the small chili and a side salad. That results in about 550 calories, and, if I picked a better dressing, not TOO much fat. Once you add in the chicken nuggets, it's just as bad (if not worse) as the salad above. Didn't see that coming. Check this:

If, for shits and giggles, we take a look at a Caesar salad with vinaigrette dressing, we see a vast improvement:

Conclusion:

What I thought was "not so bad" for me actually is. Damnit.

Moving forward:

• No more buffalo chicken salad, which forms the logical conclusion of no more salads with friend chicken of any kind. Stick to grilled.
• No more ranch dressing. Stick to vinegar based dressings. Too much fat in ranch dressing.
• Make my own damn buffalo chicken... wow.

I don't even want to touch a burger at this point. I did at some point know how bad this shit is for you, but for some reason, the severity of exactly HOW BAD this is to eat had become decreased in my head. This was a very good reminder as I am known to eat the occasional fast food burger from time to time.

Here's an example of Wendy's baconator. This is something that looks delicious to me. In fact, as much as I hate to admin it, I actually felt myself start to salivate in just visualizing the commercial for this. Sick how that works, but that's an entirely different blog post. Here are the facts (bad bad):

Ok... I guess I should pay attention to this conference call now. BE CAREFUL WITH WHAT YOU EAT WHEN YOU ARE OUT!!!

Good quote...

Saw this coming through RSS this morning:

People do not lack strength, they lack will.
               - Victor Hugo
                 French novelist, poet and playwright

So true...