Life Hack #4: Make a list

Posted on May 16, 2018 by admin

This just in: We had a saying in the Navy…”You can expect what you can inspect.”

In other words, if you can measure something, you can evaluate it. Failure to be able to do so means you are just going by your gut instinct.

Ask yourself, “How much exercise did I get last week? Is that more or less than the week before? Is that more or less than I should be getting?”

If you are not tracking your exercise, you are relying on your memory and a gut feeling.

My experience is that if I want to exercise a certain amount every day or week, I need to track it. I write it down. I make goals and note if I’m achieving them or not.

I’m not trying to be your motivational personal trainer. I’m just making the point that if you really want to get something done on a regular basis, it might help to track it. Make it measurable.

So, what am I doing? Well, those of you that know me already know the answer. I make a list.

I have a list that I made 62 days ago. I know it was 62 days ago because I’m keeping track of it.

This list has 21 items. Some of the items include posing this blog, doing pushups and pullups, doing back exercises, writing my book, meditation, eating a salad, playing my digideroo, calling a family member or friend etc.

Notice that not everything is exercise. In fact, less than half of the list is about fitness. There are things I want to do and I have found that tracking them greatly increases the chance of me doing that. For example, my mom always says that I don’t stay in touch with my sisters. I started tracking and found that in my mind, I called Mary Sue a couple of days ago. But, in my documented list, its been about 6 weeks. I can see this easily and take steps to fix it.

My goal is to complete at least 11 of the 21 items every day. Because of the way I have set it up and color-coded it, I can easily see trends. Am I improving in pullups? What item am I regularly avoiding.

It’s day 63 and today, just like every other day since I started, I opened my list and started planning when I can do various tasks today.

This works for me. It may not work for you but if you are feeling like you are not advancing in your life or wasting too much time daily, just remember, “If you do what you did, you will get what you got.”

Not satisfied…then change.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

Pay to Play

Posted on May 15, 2018 by admin

This just in: Ever since Trump first ran for office, we’ve been hearing about the Emoluments Clause (aka Title of Nobility Clause). Here is what it says in the Constitution:

The Title of Nobility Clause is a provision in Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution,^[1] that prohibits the federal government from granting titles of nobility, and restricts members of the government from receiving gifts, emoluments, offices or titles from foreign states without the consent of the United States Congress. Also known as the Emoluments Clause, it was designed to shield the republican character of the United States against so-called “corrupting foreign influences.” This shield is reinforced by the corresponding prohibition on state titles of nobility in Article I, Section 10, and more generally by the Republican Guarantee Clause in Article IV, Section 4.

In simple terms, it says the President should not be bribable. He should not profit from foreign enterprises. He should do his job as president.

Now, on a completely unrelated subject…

Trump has decided to help China’s telephone company ZTE because our sanctions are costing them jobs. We put these sanctions in place because ZTE shipped banned components to Iran.

Trump made this decision about 72 hours after China agreed to contribute $500,000,000 to a Trump linked project in Indonesia.

Elsewhere...

Trump’s lawyer is in deep trouble for selling access to the president. He received over $4,000,000 for providing this access. Money that he can’t account for and some suspect he passed along to his boss…Trump.

Elsewhere…

Last year, Trump’s son-in-law asked Qatar for a personal loan of about $500,000,000. When they said “no”, the United States immediately sided with Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries in punishing Qatar.

Now, if Trump wasn’t associated with a lifetime of corruption, I might be willing to overlook this. However, it appears to me that he has turned his presidency into a “Cash Grab.” This include his apparent love of Russia, who bailed him out of several bankruptcies when no one else would.

On the entertainment page...

My wife and I like to find shows we can watch together. It’s not unusual for us to spend an hour watching an episode of some show we both like, before turning in for the night. We look for shows that have a lot of episodes. There are two reasons for this. First, if they probably don’t make a lot of episodes of a show no one will like. Secondly, we don’t want to have to research for a new batch of shows to watch every few days. Finding an show with a lot of episodes means we have something to watch for weeks.

We have just started watching two shows that we like: Numb3rs and Chuck.

As for shows that I watch without my wife: Justified and Expanse.

Also…I watched the remake of the Lost in Space series. I liked it a lot.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

Plan B? We don’t need to stinkin Plan B!

Posted on May 14, 2018 by admin

This just in: When we live in a world devoid of facts, we shouldn’t be surprised when our actions, based on fantasy, give us less than optimal results. This is why it’s important to have a Plan B.

Let’s look at a couple of actions that are either (1) not turning out as expected or (2) probably won’t turn out as expected…

We moved the U.S. Embassy for Israel to Jerusalem. I accurately predicted that people would die because of this. Today, more than 50 did just that. Now, this seems to be a bipartisan issue. Democrats and Republicans think this was a good idea (I don’t). The problem is that they all also agree that this move essentially puts an end to any attempt at peace between Palestine and Israel. If this is not the end, what is the plan? What is plan B?
Iran’s nuclear development program was stopped and dismantled. In return, we let them have access to their own money and lifted other sanctions. Everyone agrees that Iran was in compliance with the deal. Trump pulls us out of the deal in spite of this. My guess is this has something to do with his National Security Advisor, Bolton. Bolton is a fellow draft dodger, along with Trump. It has been his long standing position that the idea of war with Iran gives him an erection. So now, Iran can go back to building nukes. If Europe tries to enter a deal with Iran without us, Bolton has said we’ll impose sanctions on Europe. So, when these things happen, what is our Plan B? There was no crisis in Iran and now there is…now what?
The Republican Party spent 8 years chanting “Elect us so we can repeal Obamacare and create great insurance for everyone.” So, the last budget cut out the individual mandate forcing people to buy insurance or pay a penalty. This is a cornerstone of Obamacare and without it, we can expect to see millions more uninsured and prices shooting up. So, they broke healthcare and have absolutely no Plan B.
The tax cut passed recently gives the average person almost no relief in taxes. The top 1% and corporations are raking in billions. Meanwhile, our national debt is soaring at a rate never seen before. Essentially, we passed a tax plan that says, “Borrow $1 trillion a year and give it all to the richest people in the country.” Early data is showing that the economy is no better than before the tax cut. Yes, unemployment is down but it has been dropping steadily for 8 years. The tax break had no impact on this. So, now that it’s clearly not working…what is Plan B?
We are rolling back every environmental protection program we have. Faced with the fact that Global Warming is going to change everything for our kids and grandkids (and not for the better) what is Plan B? How will we save Florida when it goes underwater?

Asking for a Plan B is a must with Trump. Why? Because he revels in boasting about what he just did and the results that exist only in his mind. He does this because we let him get away with it. We forget about lie number 3,002 because he is already basking in the fake outcome that is lie number 3,003.

Trump exists because we don’t hold him accountable.

The Republican Party exists for the exact same reason.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

It all makes sense now…

Posted on May 13, 2018 by admin

This just in: I read an article a couple of days ago (N.Y. Times or Wapo) that said we shouldn’t keep trying to understand Trump voters. Then it went on to explain why.

First, let me start with a short story. I grew up in Wasco, Ca, population 7,000 in the 1960’s. We had about 40% hispanics and maybe 10% blacks. The rest were white. I have fond memories of growing up in this small nest in the middle of nowhere. Life was good.

Last year, Wasco made the list of the top 10 places in California that you don’t want to live in. Crime was so high you had a 1 in 12 chance in being involved in a crime in a single year. Years ago they had built a prison nearby. The population surged to about 25,000. The demographics changed strongly in the direction of hispanics. The last time I drove through, all of the stores had Mexican names. It felt like I was in a different country.

I longed for my hometown to return to its Mayberry roots. No crime. Small. Simple.

There you have it. My little story. I’m not blaming the prison or the Latinos or any other specific influencer for the change. I’m just saying that it changed.

So, what about the story I read in the paper.

It basically said, “Trump supporters have noticed that the United States, is no longer a predominant White, Christian nation…and they resent this.” It went on to say they support Trump because they think he will stop this.

When I thought about this…everything became clear.

People are not conservatives because they want to return to the past. They are conservatives because they are uncomfortable with the future.

Trump comes along and promised to basically erase anything and everything that is not White and Christian. He has lots of other loopy ideas as well but for those that fear change…he had them at “White and Christian.”

It turns out that race is a very divisive issue. More than half of the Russian Troll Machine posts had to do with race.

So, to fear that we are becoming a non-white country seems to be a powerful thing for some people.

This is a fundamental part of their psyche. You can’t argue them out of this rut because to give it up would be to give up what makes them who they are.

It’s not wrong to long for the past. It is wrong to think you can turn back the clock.

You can’t because time only moves forward.

Long for the past but continue to look forward.

Why?

Because that is where the future is.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

Life Hack #3: How to turn back the aging process

Posted on May 11, 2018 by admin

This just in: Yesterday I attended a TED event where a panel of 3 experts discussed the latest research into fighting the aging process.

I didn’t take written notes so I will have to rely on my aging mind to recall a few key points.

How close are we to curing Alzheimer’s? Look at it this way, our grandparents feared Polio but we don’t. We fear Alzheimer’s but our kids won’t. The expert in this field said his 20 year old daughter would never have to worry about it.
Early detection can slow or turn back the effects of Alzheimer’s. They recommended getting something called a Cognoscopy. This will give you the ability to see it coming and take steps to turn it back.
Calorie reduction is a major factor in keeping your body young. There seems to be a lot of technical jargon about this I didn’t follow but essentially, your body has to be able to divide and replicate cells for you to stay young. If you don’t do certain things, you lose this ability. Being overweight is a good indicator that you are losing this ability.
Low carb diets seem to help as do Mediterranean diets. Basically, don’t eat cake but instead, eat salad. They admit that this is less fun than eating cake but it is effective.
Of course, exercise is important. In fact, if you have never exercised and then start, you will immediately start to turn back the aging process. So, its never too late to start.
Stress is both good and bad for you. We all have stress. It’s how we respond to it that matters. If we carry it with us…the effect tends to be faster aging. However, if we have brief periods of stress then let it go, that actually reverses the aging process. For example, brief periods of fasting are stressful but they induce stress that is short-lived and thus helpful. So, don’t be chronically under stress. Find a way to induce it and then let it go.
Loneliness is a big factor in aging. Don’t be lonely. Find a way to share your meals with others. Get involved in your community. Social interaction is a major factor. The more you have, the better.
Coffee? Why not? They say there have been hundreds of studies trying to paint coffee as the “bad guy”. In the end, no one has been able to show this is true. In fact, caffeine intake improves memory.

So, there you have it…to the best of me mental ability to recall.

On the entertainment page….

I can’t wait for Deadpool 2 to come out later this month. This is the kind of movie I can watch over and over again.

If you like Science Fiction, I recommend my favorite author, Neal Asher. Start with Gridlinked and then move on from there.

On the political page...

There are four people that are determining what the Republican Party should do; The two Koch Brothers, a guy named Mercer and a guy named Adelson. This last guy is a billionaire that owns a few casinos. He’s Jewish and is the one that told Trump to move the Israeli Embassy to Jerusalem. He is very likely to be the reason that Trump backed out of the Iranian deal. Only Israel and Saudi Arabia supported Trump’s move in this area. However, our Republican Party is notably quiet on this. The reason, I think, is because shortly after Trump make this move, Adelson gave $30 million to the Republican Party.

Just sayin…

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

Note: Please feel free to comment every now and then. I enjoy interacting with my readers. Also, I appreciate any reposts you make.

Iran: Manufactured Crisis/Diversion

Posted on May 9, 2018 by admin

This just in: Yesterday, Trump pulled the United States out of the Iranian Nuclear Deal. On a completely unrelated note; Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen, took in millions of dollars from Russia, AT&T and a Pharmaceutical company. He took it in through a shell company and speculation is that he was selling influence and access to Trump.

Getting out of the Iranian deal basically tells the world that the United States does not feel obligated to hold up its end of the bargain. I’m sure North Korea is watching this carefully.

I would like to make three points.

First, Iran has been in complete agreement with the accord. They have been off the nuclear threat map since the deal was cut.
Getting out of the deal is not the United States breaking a deal with Iran. We are breaking a deal with all of the participants of the deal which includes the UK, France, Germany, China and Russia. All of these countries told the United States to stay in the agreement.
The deal was cut with Iranian moderates. That is to say, we were able to sit at a table with the less-crazy people from Iran and eventually cut a deal. Now, we will be dealing with hardliners who would just as soon nuke Israel as not. Getting out of the deal has strengthened the position of these hardliners who have said all along, “The United States cannot be trusted.”

There is virtually no support for this move. It hurts U.S. credibility abroad. It hurts U.S. relations with its allies. It allows Iran to once again become a nuclear threat to the world.

Furthermore…there is no Plan B. We have no plan on how to deal with Iran outside of the agreement.

So…why did Trump do this?

Two reasons: First, his National Security Advisor and fellow draft dodger, John Bolton, has always wanted to go to war with Iran. Secondly, If we are looking at Iran, we might not notice that the Mueller Probe is starting to look like it will result in Trump dying in prison.

So, for no clear reason, Trump has made the world a more dangerous place.

Why? Who knows. It could be a distraction. It could be that he is just not that smart.

I suspect both.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

The Art of Donald Trump’s Con

Posted on May 8, 2018 by admin

This just in: Trump has failed at nearly every business undertaking except for real estate. If he had taken his dad’s money and just invested it in a Stock Market Index Fund, he would be worth more than 3 times what he is reportedly worth today. He has declared bankruptcy several times. Within the last decade, he has found that banks in the United States would no longer loan him money. He turned to Russia and now appears to be cash-rich. He started buying properties at market price and then, without making any improvements, sold those properties to Russians for huge profits; a practice most often associated with money laundering.

Take all of this in and then ask yourself, “Is Trump a genius or a con man? Is Trump laundering money with help from Russia? Is there a link between Trump’s benevolent attitude towards Russia and his financial dependence upon them?”

Let’s put all of that aside. Forget about it.

I now have a new question: Is Trump a genius negotiator or an idiot? In other words, is he a legitimate president or just a con man?

Let’s look at the deals he’s been involved with since taking office.

Healthcare: He promised much better healthcare at much lower prices. It turns out that neither he, nor the Republican Party had a plan. In fact, Trump has no idea how healthcare works. He claimed he was going to fix it without knowing what he was talking about.

NAFTA: Trump calls this the “worst deal ever,” and claims he will negotiate a much better deal for us. It turns out that his threats to back out of NAFTA have caused two of our top trading partners to look elsewhere for goods. Trump has never given any indication that he understands what is even in NAFTA.

TPP: This is another deal Trump calls “the worst deal ever.” He says this without once mentioning a single thing he does not like or would change. He apparently does not understand TPP any more than he understands NAFTA or Healthcare. He calls previous deals “the worst deal ever” so his followers can nod in agreement and pretend, along with Trump, that he has a plan.

Paris Climate Accord: Another deal that is the “worst ever.” Trump has demonstrated that he has no idea what is in this agreement saying, “He wants to negotiate a fairer deal for the United States,” even though everything in the accord is voluntary. If we want to participate less or pay less, then we can.

The Iran Non-Nuclear deal: Again, “the worse deal ever.” Trump has been saying the Iranians violated the deal by testing missiles. Clearly, he didn’t understand that Iran is free to test missile within the bounds of the agreement. Every other country that joined with the United States on this deal has urged Trump to stay with the agreement. Instead, Trump is stepping away.

All these deals were already made. The United States had already agreed to them. What Trump has done is renege on these deals without understanding even the basics about the deals and having no alternative. Why? So he could pretend that he could fix things.

But let’s continue…

Trump is imposing tariffs without understanding the very basics about such an action. He appears to know less about Economics than someone who has just completed their first week of Econ 101.

Trump supported a tax reform plan that gives virtually nothing to the middle class while enriching the top 1% of the population. In this instance, I’m not sure if he doesn’t understand the tax break or if he did this on purpose. Notably, there was a last minute “pass through” issue that basically enriches anyone in the real estate business…like Trump.

The Con continues as Trump takes credit for progress between North and South Korea. He does this expecting us to believe that his tweets about “Rocket Man” have brought the North to its knees. He has done nothing to help in that part of the world. Even North Korea says Trump has had nothing to do with the denuclearization talks going on now.

Trump has the Black Midas Touch. Everything he does make things worse. His EPA is dismantling itself; allowing for the rapid rise in nearly every area of pollution. He’s weakened consumer protection. He’s alienated NATO allies. He’s shown racist tendencies and legitimatized the rise of white supremacy. He’s actively supported the NRA while calling for “thoughts and prayers” and armed gym teachers as solutions to violence in schools. He thinks saying “don’t do drugs” will cure the opioid crisis. He thinks telling teens “don’t have sex” will lower teen pregnancy.

Notice all of this exists in addition to the Russian Collusion allegations or Trump’s constant lying.

This guy is a train wreck…and we put him in charge.

Just sayin…

Gotta run. It’s time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

The Killing of Bear #399

Posted on May 7, 2018 by admin

This just in: Last night I was watching 60 Minutes and they had a segment on a nature photographer. One of his favorite subjects is grizzly bear (tagged as #399). Recently, the bear population was healthy enough that there is now talk about allowing some people to hunt bears. The photographer said many hunters have told him they can’t wait and that they hope to be the one to shoot the famous #399.

I don’t get this. It is so far from what I could consider as a “good idea” that it makes me feel like there are aliens among us; or at least a branch of the human race made up of gun-toting sociopaths.

The NRA recently had a convention in Texas. The President and V.P. were both there. In the President’s speech, he managed to anger both the country of France and the country of England.

Here are Trump’s views on gun violence as far as I can tell…

If the violence was perpetrated by a non-white, then it is terrorism.
If the violence happened at a school, then blame video games and arm your gym teachers.
If the violence was by a white supremacist…silence.

Also, while the NRA convention was taking place, a breakfast place in Dallas put a note on receipts that portion of the receipt would go to organizations that support “reasonable and effective gun regulations.” How did the NRA visitors respond? With death threats; threatening to “shoot up the place.” This…is the NRA…our very own, homegrown terrorist organization.

We’ve become a country where we can make stuff up to suit whatever fantasy we like.

For example:

Universal Health care is a government takeover of healthcare. The facts actually tell a different story. Countries that have universal healthcare pay much less for much better outcomes.
Guns are not the reason we kill each other with guns. The facts say that we have the same rate of mental illness and video game addiction as other countries and yet…we kill each other with guns at a much higher rate.
Tax cuts for the rich will spur economic growth and create high-paying jobs. The facts say that this economic policy (also known as trickle-down economics) is a failure 100% of the time.
Unlimited campaign financing is Freedom of Speech. Actually, you can link the Supreme Court’s decision on Citizens United to the rapid fall of the Republican Party into a corrupt organization that profits by legislating based on the whims of their billionaire donors.

It’s getting to the point where nothing makes sense anymore.

However, there is hope. Here is a…something created by the young daughter of a artist friend.

This is so cute I can’t help but have a positive outlook on our future.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

Life Hack #2: Lower Back Pain

Posted on May 6, 2018 by admin

This just in: In April of 2017, I was taken out of my house on a board, unable to lift a finger due to lower back pain.

The diagnosis was 2 herniated discs; something that doesn’t heal. You just have to learn to live with it.

I did consider surgery but the doctor said even that was only about a 50/50 proposition and in the end, other discs would soon go bad as a result.

I have been virtually pain free for about a year now. I’m not an expert on back or pain but I did my homework and came up with a plan that works quite well for me. This homework included participation in a Stanford University Back Pain study and consultation with a surgeon.

Here it is…

First of all, realize that the days of lifting 100 lb rocks are over. If I need something heavy to be lifted, I get help.
I don’t overdo things. When I’m feeling great, I don’t decide that I’m cured and go out running and lifting. I pace myself. If I plan on playing 9 holes of golf, that’s what I do. I don’t do 18 because that was not the pace I had planned on.
I realize that there will be some bad days. I don’t let this get me down. I take it easy. Gobble some Advil and maybe an ice pack or something. I also use a Tens Unit from time to time.
I start every day with 26 minutes of exercise that is a combination of Yoga and core strengthening. I have missed doing this only a handful of times over the last year. This is vital. When I do Yoga, I avoid movements that twist my upper body.
I sit in the jacuzzi every morning with a focus on putting jets where they can get to my back; lower and upper back.
I look for alternative exercises. For example, I like to do curls for my biceps however, this adds weight to my upper body and compresses my spine. Instead, I do pull-ups. This works my biceps and stretches my spine.
I have a Teeter Hangup. This is a device that turns me upside down so I end up hanging by my ankles. My surgeon likes this but only for about 45 seconds at a time. He said if you hang too long things start to stretch that shouldn’t be stretched.
I try to pay attention to my posture.
I have discoverd that bicycle riding does not bother my back so I do a lot of this.
I never jog or run or use an elliptical machine. All of these will result of back problems the next day.
I never take anything stronger than Advil for the pain. NEVER.

Now that my back is doing so well, I can save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

The Evangelical Effect

Posted on May 4, 2018 by admin

This just in: I recall being about 8 years old and thinking “I can’t believe that my parents believe what they are teaching us in Sunday School.”

The apple snake story is a good one, like many others in the bible, but to take it literally seems akin to thinking we should sacrifice virgins to volcanos.

To me, the best case for there being a God is that I want there to be one.

That’s it. Everything else is speculative.

The idea that anyone, anywhere understands the will of a God capable of creating the Universe is astoundingly absurd.

There was a study done recently that showed the more Evangelicals get involved in politics, the more people turn away from organized religion. I completely fall within this category.

I watch the Evangelicals twist and turn to justify their support for Trump. They say things like, “The Bible teaches forgiveness” or “God is just testing us.”

What they should really be saying, if they were being truthful is, “Trump doesn’t like non-whites and non-Christians so we like Trump.”

I watched a segment on the morning news where a boy was suspended from school for wearing t-shirts with guns on them. One t-shirt had about a dozen different guns on it. Underneath is said, “Respect Diversity.” The other t-shirt had guns arranged to spell out the word “LOVE.”

The parents fit the NRA/Trump mode perfectly. They were both about 300 lbs. The husband had on a shift that said, “I’m a Christian.” and both claimed the shirts were about Love and Diversity, not guns. Plus, their son loved guns and they didn’t want to change him.

Right there is your problem…

These people are Christians willing to inspire gun violence so their son doesn’t have to change his shirt. They are the American Evangelicals and thus, typify why we are unfit to govern ourselves.

Note: Most Trump supporters make me feel this way. There are certain types that I view as “Likely Trump Supporters.” One is that they must live in rural America and be willing to vote for a person that does everything he can to fight against their best interests. They belong to the NRA. They are not-college educated (unless they are very rich and positioned to become richer through Trump’s actions.) They must be anti-abortion plus against any food program that will feed our nation’s poor. They must watch Hannity and believe he is real news. They are closet or openly white supremacists. They are evangelicals who hate Muslims. They are poor and willing to blame that condition on immigrants.

In the end, I’ve decided that I believe in God but want nothing to do with formal Christian organizations. The hypocrisy is just too much to bear.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim