20 Pounds and Falling!!!

well six weeks in and I hit the big 20 lbs mark, now I did shave my beard which was getting quit bushy but I do not think that added much to the scale. The diet plan that I embarked on was 400 calories 4x a day every 4 hours. Now this is no scientific diet it is simply about the calories. I have found that this works well for me and makes me exhibit some self control. Eating now goes from being a time to gorge out to a careful selection of what will be the most filling 400 calories that I can consume. Eating this way over the last 6 weeks have put things into perspective also. We eat to live not live to eat. Now I am not a health nut but it is amazing how much better a person feels by only loosing 20 lbs. I have another 10 lbs that I would like to shed by the end of the year, that will get me below the 200 mark something I haven't seen in a long time. As I get closer to that mark I will ease up a little, take more cheat meals but I like the smaller, lighter me!

Thank you Mr. Soldier Man!

..ah Veterans Day... sadly probably the most over looked and under appreciated days on the Calendar. What does it mean? Do you stop to think about it? We live in a country that allows us the freedom to Worship as we choose, go do and say what we want, own guns, assemble at will, vote leaders into office. All the freedoms that we enjoy are because Men and Women bravely fought for our freedom. This tradition started in 1919 with President Wilson however I do not think it does justice for soldiers.

I believe that any US Vet should have a paid day off on Veterans Day, I believe more education and information should be given within the workplace. Today I didn't realize it was Veterans day until 9 a.m.

We owe our veterans more than 1 day, more than a nod of gratitude. These people sacrifice time away from their family and their country. They have seen horrible things that will taint them forever..why? All to keep our freedoms in place that we so often take for granted.

Take time today to thank a Veteran, express to them the gratitude that you have for what they have done for our great country.

Hogtastic: my amature review of my HD test ride:

This weekend the local HD Dealership Southern Thunder had their Demo Days. Demo Days is where the new HD models are transported down from Milwaukee for potential riders to take out and "demo" the rides. This was an awesome experience and I was like a kid in the candy store. I anxiously looked around and picked out what I was going to ride. I could've spent the entire day there riding all 11 models but I constrained myself to only two. The ride was about 20 minutes long with a combination of Interstate, Highway, and Local roads. This was a well planned route that gave the rider a sense of different riding environments.

The Rocker:

The first bike I took out was the Rocker, the new Softtail "Chopperistic" in style. The Rocker has the 96 cb in engine and six speed tranny that gets it done on the highway. I was excited about this bike as I like the look a lot, the fat rear tire and stretched front fork looks tasty. Upon sitting on the bike I realized that it is a stretch to reach the pedals for a vertically challenged guy like myself (5'8 with boots) Once out on the road the bike was very rough, the front end is so stretched and so light that it has a tendency to bounce around a bit more than normal. Cornering was nothing spectacular and the overall ride was a disappointment. This bike has plenty of power but the clumsiness of the control makes one hesitant to use. This bike bears a $20,000 price tag and unfortunately looks way smoother than it rides.

The Fat Bob:

Disappointed but not discouraged I decided to pick another. This time my pick came from the Dyna family, Fat Bob. As soon as my buttock hit the saddle I knew I was in trouble. From the comfortable seat to the sound of the 96 ci engine this bike was nice. I found myself more comfortable on this bike than any other I have ridden. This Fat Bob handled great, had excellent power and good ridding position. The only negatives that I can say about this bike is 1) the mid controls make it awkward to find your footing from a stop. This would not take long to get use to but I prefer more forward controls. 2) The ride was too short. I wanted to keep riding the same bike all day long, however, they wouldn't let me. This bike has a starting price tag of $15,000.

Well it was fun while it lasted, Someday I will own a Harley, however I have a feeling it will not be for another 20 years. My Honda is still in good condition and gets me to and fro. I like what Harley is about, i like the comrodery amongst the owners, the American Made muscle, and after riding I can see what the fuss is all about. Some day, but not until I have the ability to pay cash for the bike.

...a throw back to yesteryears!

Wow, this picture doesn't seem to long ago in my mind but you can tell it is as the hair has since escaped my head. This picture looks back just over 10 years now....wow how time flies. This was one of my core group of friends throughout college "The Bond Squad" as we called ourselves ..a tribute to the what started this friendship.. Golden Eye 007 - this N64 game brought a new dimension to first person shooters and deathmatches.. this also was the focal point of our friendship. This group grew over the years as new members would have to beat one of the "BS Originals" to earn his ranks amoungst the best.

I guess this morning I am fealing a bit nestalgic, or maybe it is that I miss the close friendship we once had. College is a great time in a persons life, the people you meet, the connections you make change your life forever...if you are currently in the place in your life cherish these times, and the friendships that you make. Now nearly 7 years after graduation day I don't get the opportuntiy to hang out with the ol' pals. We all have families, careers, and live from California to Mississippi to Chicago to Ohio. Eventhough I do not get to see these guys as often as I would like they will always mean the world to me. (Joel, Brandon, Josh, Marc, Jayson, Brad, Akira, and not pictured Chad C, and Chad P you guys are the coolest guys I have ever known!)

is that Beth Ditto I hear singing?

The Nation has spoken and the fat lady has sung (rather loudly and slightly off key). I don't think anyone is in surprise over last nights results. This man, the next president of the United States was able to gain popularity amongst young, old, black, white; his image has popped up on T-shirts, shoes, posters, mosaics, billboards, murals, and about everything else one could imagine. His support has rallied from California to Maine to Kenya and Iran. Last night analyst were calling him an Universal Iconic Symbol. Well if you have read any of my previous post you will not be shocked to find out that I did not vote for Obama. He and I just don't quit see eye to eye on more than a few very important issues. However, those differences have to be overlooked because God has placed Barrak Obama as the future head of the United States. God has also placed me under his leadership to respect and follow his lead.

Now there is no doubt that i will start getting witty emails from my conservative friends filled with disrespect and fear of the new leader. Emails that tell me to move to Canada or show Obama falling off a cliff

...but I am not fearful of the future, I will not be moving to Canada, an I am not embarrassed to call Obama my president. I am, however, concerned for the direction of the country, I am concerned for what the people of this country want. This concern stems from the observation that we are moving further and further away from the values that this nation was founded on. This nation now allows such sinful things like abortion and gay marriage and the number of people appalled to it is less and less. President Elect Obama is in support of a hate crime bill that (in the way it is currently written) will prohibit anyone from speaking against homosexuality. Even quoting the bible can become a criminal offense.

Our nation will march on, day by day and year by year. God allowing, in four years from now we will vote again if we are unhappy with the job that Obama is doing, but my concern is in the direction away from God that our nation appears to be running and just how long the mighty Master above will allow it? This is not just evident in the presidential results but evident in the congressional, senate, and other bills that were voted for too.

Tomorrow is it

Wow, it's been a while since I typed anything. There has been a mediocre feeling looming around. I have been loosely focused on nothing and mildly interested in little. Either way tomorrow is it, the big day. Tomorrow will be a joyous time for some Americans and a gloomy day for others. Tomorrow two Candidates put their fate in the hands of the American people and the "trusty" voting machines.

Living in Memphis, a diverse city, you see signs for both Candidates. Some are for a hope of Change and others are for McCain's visions for the US. What really bothers me though is the fact that there is this "infatuation" with Obama. My wife and I were strolling , yes strolling (it's a southern thing) through the Mall the other day and I noticed at a rather trendy store they had Obama shirts, these were not your typical campaign $5 fruit of the loom t-shirts. These were trendy shirts with cool logos and sayings. I was not really shocked but perplexed as why they only had one candidates shirt...could it be they sold out of McCain shirts? I doubt it.

It seems that for this election there are many people voting just to vote. They see Barrack for who they think he is and the icon they want to represent America but I find a very large number of voters are clueless about why they are voting for him.
I have heard several reasons to vote for Obama

1. It would be great to have a Black president: I agree, however, I think it would be great if the 1st African American President is a good one. I do not think color of skin justifies a vote
2. I am for change: however, most voters fail to tell me what this change is. What is so bad in their life that they need change
3. Bush recked the economy it's time for a democrat: Anyone who thinks that one person has that much control is living in a fantasy world. In America we have a thing called Congress that is responsible for the majority of what happens. There were many things that show that the republican party tried to instill safe guards against some of the economic meltdowns, however, the resistance of the dems ceased the efforts.
4. I just like how he speaks: Well I can see how this can be important after listening to "W" speak for the last 8 years it would be nice to have an eloquent speaker represent the USA, however, I would rather have substance than pretty talks.

Now bottom line, I don't care who you vote for, each person has the ability to vote for the candidate that he/she feels will most closely align to their values. What I would like to see is people that can back up who they are voting for with substance. Whether your choice is McCain or Obama be able to logically debate and say why you are voting for the candidate. Sometimes I feel there should be IQ test, or candidate test. You should be able to identify with what your candidate stands for, or against. No one person is going to agree 100% with the candidate that they vote for, at least I hope not.

Wake-up America! Educate yourself, and don't rely just on one source of Media to get your information.