tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62659521551160863372024-03-18T21:47:57.133-04:00Charlie's Blog<b>100% human generated content. Still available at a price you can afford--FREE!!</b>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comBlogger295125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-36912880041259713402024-03-17T00:00:00.002-04:002024-03-17T00:00:00.169-04:00Walking and Eating<div style="text-align: center;"><i>No, I'd lose time. If you quit once, it's easy to do it again and again and again. It becomes a habit.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">MIKAEL EKVALL</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Walking is Fitness podcast had an episode entitled <a href="https://dcs.megaphone.fm/TNM8556159889.mp3?key=34e2aa49e4b95af5c434c1a725f77f7c&request_event_id=78ab7228-ab48-490c-84e6-7caec0890884" target="_blank">Should You Walk or Eat First?</a>. I recommend listening to it. It inspired me to write this blog post on the topic.</div><p>The Gentle Reader who is a faithful C-Blog devotee knows by now of my antipathy for running for fitness and my love of walking for fitness. One of the things I neglected to cover in my walking vs. running posts was the issue of eating. Walking and eating is way easier than running and eating. I must warn you that I am going into a zone that is graphic and TMI. You've been warned.</p><p>Running is a stupid activity that burns a lot of calories. This is mostly glycogen from your bloodstream and muscles instead of fat from your gut and butt. The body needs that quick energy to maintain the speed needed for running. When you run out of this glycogen, you hit the wall or bonk. To counteract this, runners drink sports drinks, slurp gels, and eat energy bars. They can't eat real food because the combination of real food in the gut with the up-and-down pounding produces a condition known as "runner's trots." Everyone else knows this as diarrhea.</p><p>Diarrhea is a constant at road races. There are even infamous tales of runners who have soiled themselves completely in a race. I'm not going to share the pictures, but you can Google them up if you don't believe me. There is also a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runner%27s_diarrhea" target="_blank">Wikipedia article</a> on the subject where you will find the context of the opening quotation of this blog post.</p><p>Runners will blame the trots on "trigger foods" before a run or race. Everyone thinks immediately of Taco Bell which is a trigger food for every member of the human race except me. That is one of the upsides of a plant based diet, but that is a topic for another post. With runners, all solid food is a trigger food for them. This is because the trigger is the running and not so much what they ate.</p><p>If you are a runner, the choice is stark. You can risk bonking, or you can risk explosive diarrhea. Sometimes, you get both. The undeniable fact is that the human digestive tract hates running. This is a big reason to give up running and become a fitness walker.</p><p>Walkers don't have these issues. Walkers can eat a Thanksgiving level dinner and go walking immediately after. The walking actually aids in digestion. Many people go for a short walk after meals for this reason. Food is never an issue for a walker unless it is Taco Bell. Walkers also don't waste money on expensive sports drinks and energy gels. I like a granola bar or a sandwich before my walks when I think I need some food.</p><p>I couldn't do this sort of thing when I would run for fitness in my younger days. I have had some close calls with runner's trots. I will spare the Gentle Reader the worst details but trying to manage running and nutrition with other aspects of a busy schedule was a nightmare. Why did I ever waste time with running? That was really dumb.</p><p>I have had to go to the loo in the middle of a walk, but it was never catastrophic. I have never soiled myself on a walk. I can't imagine how a runner wants a medal so bad that they would expose themselves to the public spectacle of having liquid feces running down both legs.</p><p>The cure for runner's trots is to become a fitness walker. That switch will cause you less distress and embarrassment. And you don't have to time those meals around your training anymore.</p>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-11270391654009914442024-03-10T00:00:00.043-05:002024-03-10T00:00:00.188-05:00The Worst Book Ever<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor, podiatrist, healthcare professional, personal trainer, or anything requiring extra letters after my last name. Consult with those people before beginning an exercise program.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Blaming the running injury epidemic on big, bad Nike seems too easy - but that's okay, because it's largely their fault.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">CHRISTOPHER MCDOUGALL, <i>Born to Run</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">The title of this post is deliberate hyperbole. I am certain that I can find books that are worse than Christopher McDougall's <i>Born to Run</i>. I just don't care to look. The reason I think <i>Born to Run</i> is the worst book ever is because it was a fad that pushed many bad ideas out there that persist to the present day. That pervasive influence is what makes it the worst book ever.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I read the book over a decade ago mainly because of its fad nature. I loved the book especially with the takedown of Nike as the cause of all running injuries. I thought McDougall had solved the problem of running injuries. He didn't.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We are not born to run. McDougall's tale of persistence hunting and evolution is a nice myth, but it is a myth. I do not believe in evolution. When I read <i>Born to Run, </i>I did believe in evolution as an explanation for human origins because I was a stone cold atheist. I am not an atheist now. I believe God designed all human beings and all living things. There is microevolution and devolution that occurs within a species but no species are created as a product of this process.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If I said that we were born to swim, people would laugh. Some people can swim but nothing close to how dolphins swim. If I said that we were born to fly, people would laugh at that as people can't fly without additional equipment. The same applies to cycling as the bicycle is a relatively recent invention in terms of human history. We were not born to cycle.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Humans can run reasonably well over short distances. That's about it. Those anaerobic bursts can save your life, but they cannot be sustained for long. When we run slower at aerobic levels, we can maintain that indefinitely until the injuries kick in. This is where footwear comes into the picture. All footwear exists to prevent injury to the foot. This is why footwear has a long history predating Nike by thousands of years.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Running shoes are not the cause of running injuries. Running is the cause of running injuries. McDougall points out correctly that running shoes have not prevented these injuries. What he leaves out is that barefoot running or wearing minimalist footwear has not stopped these injuries either. Here is what Martin Fritz Huber wrote for <i>Outside,</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i>Fortunately all photographic evidence has long been destroyed, but there was a time when I briefly belonged to the barefoot running cult. This was roughly ten years ago. Like millions of others, I read Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run and realized that I’d been duped by big running shoe companies who had sold me something that I didn’t actually need. Newly enlightened, I did the only rational thing and spent $160 on a pair of shoes that mimicked the sensation of running barefoot. I felt sorry for the idiots I saw on my daily park loop who were still caught in the cushioning-is-necessary matrix. I exchanged nods with the local hippie guy who always ran in sandals. After a few weeks, however, I became disillusioned. The anticipated breakthrough in my running never came. What’s more, none of the top professionals seemed to be ditching their plush footwear and going minimalist. If they weren’t doing it, why should I? In the end, I was relieved to go back to wearing regular old running shoes; my feet were really starting to hurt. </i> </div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div> </div></div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/books-media/infinite-race-film-tarahumara-myth/">https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/books-media/infinite-race-film-tarahumara-myth/</a></div></div></div></blockquote><p>When you dig into McDougall's claims, you find that he is a first class bullshitter. Here is what Jamie Compos wrote about the minimalist running thing:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i>So I did some runs in my fancy new shoes and it felt liberating. I even did a spate of barefoot walks on all types of terrain, and some sprints in grassy fields. I tore out the cushy insoles from my work shoes and got some good ol’ Chuck Taylors (minimalism incognito) to wear casually.</i></p><p><i>Everything was going well. So well, in fact, that one day I decided to do several squats at the gym, followed by a 6-mile run – more than double the distance I’d attempted in my minimalist shoes to date.</i></p><p><i>My knees were screaming the next day, and remained extremely tender for weeks.</i></p><p><i>Thus endeth the experiment in minimalism.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i>The injury frightened me so much that I gave up running for several years. Dual obsessions with backpacking and running are probably not good on the knees. A friend’s comment while we were out on a beautiful backpacking trip sealed the deal:</i></p><p><i>“I’d rather be able to do this in old age than risk it all on running,” he said. </i></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><a href="https://www.downthetrail.com/book-reviews/mcdougalls-born-to-run-book-review/">https://www.downthetrail.com/book-reviews/mcdougalls-born-to-run-book-review/</a></p></blockquote><p>The claim from barefoot and minimalist enthusiasts is that runners have to allow for an adjustment period until you get used to running without all the cushioning of a modern running shoe. This sounds almost identical to carnivore diet enthusiasts who tell people to allow for days, weeks, and months as you suffer explosive and chronic diarrhea until you "adjust" to the new diet and become chronically constipated. With a vegan diet, your health is already improving after a few days. But I digress. . .</p><p>I am going to tell a different story. You can agree or disagree if you like, but I think my tale is better. We were never born to run just like we weren't born to swim, fly, cycle, row a boat, or sweat to the oldies with Richard Simmons. We were born to walk. This is our natural movement. You begin as a toddler with a few unsteady steps and progress from there. Walking injuries are rare relative to running. You feel better when you walk. You don't feel better when you run. Our bodies are designed to walk for long distances which we are able to do with little difficulty or distress. In comparison, chimpanzees are terrible walkers but outstanding climbers. They were designed to climb. It is their natural movement.</p><p>Human beings did not develop big brains from eating meat from persistent hunting. Humans always had big brains, and those brains have been maintained by starches derived from farming. The energy we require to walk and work comes mostly from carbohydrates not meat. Carbs are the preferred fuel source for human beings. I don't know how persistence hunters can run all day while bonking on a meat diet.</p><p>McDougall is at pains to argue that endurance running is natural to humans. Yes, humans have great endurance and sweat like horses. We can go all day when it comes to walking and working. The running thing comes up short with the injuries. This leads us to the next big myth which is ultrarunning.</p><p>Ultrarunners do not actually run ultramarathons. They run and walk those extreme distances. A marathoner is able to cover a marathon while running the entire distance, but ultramarathoners are incapable of doing that with ultramarathons especially those 100-milers. They shouldn't call it ultrarunning but speed hiking. Here is what Heather Hart wrote:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i>Here’s a bit of a reality check for new (or non) ultra runners: you’re likely going to walk during your ultramarathon. The longer the distance, the more you’re going to walk. But don’t worry: walking during an ultramarathon is quite normal – you’ll even see the elites power walking up some steep and gnarly hills.</i></p><p><i>But for whatever reason, not a lot of people seem to know that.</i></p><a href="https://relentlessforwardcommotion.com/ultra-training-101-ultramarathon-walking/">https://relentlessforwardcommotion.com/ultra-training-101-ultramarathon-walking/</a></blockquote><p>The reason not a lot of people seem to know that is because ultrarunners hide the truth about the walking while embellishing the running. I would like to know how much they walk in a typical ultra, but I will guess 50%. Some researcher needs to use fitness tracker data to get a true picture on the ratio of running to walking in an ultra.</p><p>Why do ultrarunners have to walk? That is obvious. Human beings are not born to run. Running long distances is unnatural for us. But we can walk those same distances though we do it slower. Ultrarunning is just a great way to ruin a hike.</p><p>If you believe the ultrarunning myth that ultrarunners run the entire 100 mile distance, you will buy the born to run thesis. The reality is they don't run the whole way. That brings us back to the shoe issue.</p><p>Neither cushioned trainers nor barefoot shoes make any difference. If you run, you will have running injuries. No shoe causes or cures these injuries. The running shoe industry won't tell you this because they make bank off of your search for that magic shoe that will cure those injuries. This is why they never make those injury prevention claims. When Vibram made those claims, they got sued and lost.</p><p>Running injuries have one thing in common. They are all sustained while running. When you stop running, those injuries clear up. This is the number one advice for healing running injuries. Stop running.</p><p>When it comes to cushioned shoes, they certainly make walking more comfortable. When people walk, they heel strike normally. This is why shoes for eons have had stacked heels relative to the forefoot. That is the point of first contact when walking normally. Forefoot striking is abnormal for walking on level ground. Forefoot striking comes into play when going up steep hills. You can walk barefoot, but this becomes painful very quickly. This is why people like carpeted floors and rugs.</p><p><i>Born to Run </i>is a bad book. Unfortunately, it still remains influential. It was a microfad in the larger fad of running. If there is one upside, <i>Born to Run</i> has made some people give up running when they finally rejected the hype. A better book to read is Shane O'Mara's <i>In Praise of Walking. </i>The big complaint of that book is that it is very scientific and has a ton of evidence and research that can be wonky to read. I don't care for the evolution arguments O'Mara makes, but the book seems solid in its presentation which makes it the opposite of <i>Born to Run.</i> O'Mara isn't full of crap. I think runners should switch to walking and do that walking in comfortable shoes.</p><p><b>UPDATE #1:</b> I enjoyed this comment from Ben so much on one of my sources for this post that I wanted to share it.</p><p><i>To me, the issue isn’t whether barefoot running is better than running using cushioned shoes, but whether humans are truly ‘born to run’ at all. We can run long distances, certainly, but did we evolve to do so, or are we to some extent ‘misusing’ our biology?</i></p><p><i>The persistence hunting theory, often used as an evolutionary explanation for our running ability, has been debunked as unscientific. It has about the same standing among anthropologists as the aquatic ape hypothesis. Studies of extant hunter-gatherer societies show that some never run at all – never.</i></p><p><i>All in all, it seems that running is something that we (or some of us) can do, but we don’t have to do it, it isn’t necessary to be healthy, and its importance in our evolution has been overstated (or at least misstated – no doubt occasionally running from predators or towards prey is very useful). It’s an interesting issue, and personally I find McDougall’s mythologising of running and running culture doesn’t contribute in a useful way, whatever its practical applications for runners or effect on the industry.</i></p><p><a href="https://www.downthetrail.com/book-reviews/mcdougalls-born-to-run-book-review/">https://www.downthetrail.com/book-reviews/mcdougalls-born-to-run-book-review/</a></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UPDATE #2: </b>I found this video on the Sport Walk channel on YouTube:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-weight: bold;">Sport Walking Top Tips - Should you use Forefoot Landing when Sport Walking?</div><div><a href="https://youtu.be/Ww8GhTJolBM?si=hC5sROfawCB55lMm" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/Ww8GhTJolBM?si=hC5sROfawCB55lMm</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This video definitely settles the issue of minimalist footwear and the barefoot philosophy for walking with a dose of plain common sense. Running is a different story. I know that I need cushioned shoes and to land on the heel not the forefoot when walking.</div></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-35054968622439220462024-03-03T00:00:00.003-05:002024-03-03T08:56:07.265-05:00Bald + Beard<div style="text-align: center;"><i>We're all born bald, baby.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">TELLY SAVALAS</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I never grow a beard on purpose. I grow what I call "the beard of neglect." This is when I stop shaving for awhile because I don't always have the energy to stand in front of a mirror for 30 minutes shaving my entire head. That is one of the curses of my accident. Standing for long periods is very fatiguing for me because of balance issues. Sometimes, I sit down and take rest breaks to get through a shaving session.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Some folks have suggested to me to let my hair and beard grow out on purpose. I don't care to do this. I like having a clean melon as opposed to male pattern baldness and a scratchy beard with dandruff. I don't care what I look like, but I like the feeling of not having hair on my head or face. There is a real benefit there that doesn't get discussed enough.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My all time hero for the shaved head thing is Telly Savalas. He was the first bald guy I remember seeing as a kid who shaved his head. The second was Yul Brynner. Those cats embraced the blade long before Michael Jordan and Bruce Willis. Today, the Rock is carrying the torch for the practice.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There is a channel on YouTube called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Baldcafe" target="_blank">Baldcafe</a> that I used to follow for inspiration once upon a time, but I don't care for it anymore. This is because the host of the channel does the dreaded practice of combining a shaved head with the nastiest beard on the internet. He inspires me to shave my face more than my head. Unfortunately, he has motivated his channel followers and who knows who else to combine the shaved head with a disgusting beard.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have no issue with men who grow beards along with letting their hair grow up top. Guys with a horseshoe often do this, and I respect it. They may tidy it up a bit, but they don't waste time shaving the head. The effect of this style is to present a warm appearance. My wife tells me that I look warmer and friendlier when I neglect to shave. She calls this look the "Sailor Man." When I shave the face and melon, I turn into the meaner looking "Snakehead." (Now, you know the origin of my CB handle.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Being the Snakehead feels better than being the Sailor Man. I hate the beard of neglect because it begins to become itchy and painful by the end of the week. I have been told to try dandruff shampoo on the beard and hair, and I remember using that stuff when I had hair. It never worked. The blade cured my dandruff. But I digress. . .</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I hate the look of bald + beard. A fellow in my parish goes for this look, and it isn't flattering. He was a total shaved head guy like me but opted to let his grayish white beard grow while still shaving the head. He looks terrible in my opinion. I don't pay attention to looks on myself or anyone else, but I can't get over the bald + beard thing. Baldness happens, but the beard is a choice. I also include the mustache and the goatee in my derision. If you're going to shave the dome, you need to clean it up in the front while you're at it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I know of no one who looks good going with bald + beard. NO ONE. I don't think anyone has the stones to tell these guys that they look really bad with this style. It probably doesn't help that these dudes look like they belong to a biker gang or a death metal group. That brings me back to Telly Savalas.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Telly Savalas got it exactly right. He cleaned up that melon and maintained it to the absolute end. And he knew that a spiffy hat and a pair of cool shades finished the look. Looking at pictures of him always motivates me to get a shave. Telly made the bald look very cool.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My final verdict on this is to either clean it up or let it go. Bald + Beard is simply the worst of both worlds. Why would anyone want this?</div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-43735492121741400932024-02-25T00:00:00.004-05:002024-02-25T00:00:00.307-05:00Gout: What Has Worked For Me<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><b>DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor or anything remotely related to being a healthcare professional. This is purely a personal testimonial.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Be temperate in wine, in eating, girls, & sloth; Or the Gout will seize you and plague you both.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">BENJAMIN FRANKLIN</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I do not wish gout on anyone. Gout is the most painful thing I have ever endured in my life, and I have endured a lot of things. Gout is in the number one spot. The pain of gout motivated me to get rid of it. Here is what has worked for me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I won't go into the technical details of gout. I have read many articles on the subject, and I barely understand them. It also frustrates me that they contradict each other. I have tried various "cures" with no success. I gave up on this new school medicine and went old school with Hippocrates and the like. That is when I started finding relief.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I believe that gout is a lifestyle disease. This is because people from the olden days thought the same thing. Peasants didn't get gout. Aristocratic types did. I sat down and made a list of things that those aristocrats did that the peasants didn't. Here is that list:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">1. They drank wine instead of water.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2. They ate sweets and treats.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">3. They ate meat.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">4. They were sedentary.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Except for the wine, my lifestyle was virtually identical to those aristocrats back in the day. Like it or not, today's peasants live lifestyles that are higher than aristocrats and royalty from a long time ago. Realizing this, I decided to live in the opposite way. This is when I found relief from gout attacks. Here is what worked for me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>1. Drink water.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">90% of my hydration comes from water. The 10% comes from the 2 cups of coffee I drink each morning with a single teaspoon of sugar to take the edge off of the bitterness. I do not drink soda pop or sweet iced tea. I never drink alcoholic beverages. I live with a Klean Kanteen bottle by my side, and I even drink water at night. Whenever I urinate, I drink an almost identical amount of water. This one thing alone helped diminish the severity of my gout attacks. I think this is because the water helps flush uric acid out of my body.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>2. Eat a plant based diet.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">The irony of my gout attacks is that they began after I became a vegan. I researched this and read that people who were lifelong vegans did not get gout. I did not go vegan until I was 41 years old. As I lost weight on the new program, that is when the flare ups would happen especially during Lent when I would fast. Dr. McDougall said that his patients would experience gout when they lost weight, and he said that it was caused by the release of purines stored in their fat that came from the meat they had eaten over the course of their lives. That made sense to me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My meathead friends jumped on the vegan thing as the "cause" of my gout. What they failed to see were the many people who eat meat that get gout. It is my personal belief that meat consumption is the fundamental cause of gout. Because of this, I eschew fasting now for weight loss. It is better to take the slow road of moderate diet and exercise. I definitely do not recommend low carb meathead diets.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>3. Cut out processed sugary foods, sweets, and soda pop.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Sugar does not cause gout, but I do think it interferes with the elimination of uric acid which crystallizes in the joints causing the excruciating agony. For me, this would be the big toe joint. I ate some pop tarts for breakfast one time which caused me a flare up at a time when I didn't need it. The sugar caused me to eat less which caused another release of those purines from the dissolved fat in my body.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I got rid of sugar almost completely. I used to dump sugar in my coffee. I went totally black with no sugar, but I put a small amount in now to make it less bitter. That's the only added sugar in my diet. As for sweets and candy, those are rare treats usually around the holidays. I eat these sparingly. My preferred sweet is fresh fruit like strawberries and blueberries.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>4. Take daily walks.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">The final piece of the solution was when I took up walking for exercise. Since doing that in combination with the other things, I have had no flare ups of gout. It virtually vanished from my life. I am two years removed from my last known attack of gout. I think the improved circulation from exercise helps to prevent concentration and crystallization of uric acid in the joints.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Conclusion</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This program is what has brought relief to my life. I changed my habits and lifestyle to be less like an aristocrat and more like a peasant. Gout always looms in the background to punish me for any lack of discipline. Most people will seek out the pharmacological remedy to keep from making these lifestyle changes. I think any of these things in isolation will reduce the severity of gout attacks, but the golden ticket is the combination of these things. Gout has one upside. It has motivated me to clean up my act and keep it cleaned up.</div></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-44513789455133482602024-02-21T19:54:00.000-05:002024-02-21T19:54:27.364-05:00Kathy<div style="text-align: center;"><i>But before all things have a constant mutual charity among yourselves: for charity covereth a multitude of sins.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 PETER 4:8 DOUAY-RHEIMS</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our friend Kathy has died. She suffered for a long time, and her death was expected. But no matter how much preparation you get, it still hurts. We are honored to have had her as our friend.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My friendship began with her on the day of my accident. She drove my wife to the hospital to see me. My wife was in no mental or emotional condition to make that drive. Kathy was an angel of mercy that day. Her entire life was filled with those small but selfless acts.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When I met her with my face and head all busted up, I made a joke as I usually do in those situations. I handle everything with prayer and a sense of humor. Kathy said that I was full of shit. I laughed hard at that. I knew at that moment that she and I were always going to be friends.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Kathy always told it like it was. Not everyone can handle that level of honesty, but I can. There was no guile in that woman. She was tough as nails, had a head like a brick, and a heart of pure gold. I believe God puts His most precious things in rough packages because we couldn't bear the immensity of such love otherwise.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Kathy was a mother, and one of the best mothers anyone could ever have. My wife and I got the mother vibe from her, and she told us we were like her own children. We always wanted to do for her, but she wouldn't let us. Like I said, she had a head like a brick.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the sad notes about Kathy is that she was mistreated in life. I won't go into the details, but evil people hated Kathy. I could never understand that. She was always so kind to people, and they repaid her kindness with viciousness and cruelty. I hope those wicked people know they will have to answer to God one day, and I pray they repent of their wickedness before it is too late.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Kathy was not perfect. She was rough around the edges. All we know is that she loved God, helped everyone she knew, and asked nothing in return. Love covers a multitude of sins, and Kathy's love more than covered her flaws and imperfections.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I pray that God forgive Kathy whatever she needs mercy for and to remember her charity and her sufferings in this life. We will miss her, and I know that we will see her again. May she rest in the peace of Christ forever and may her family and friends be comforted in their grief.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpTAs7EAsJ25HPuA-G07LIynCRSPi5KyNHjnw-IBQOCsIDZcS6a7HSg-Y7hl4HqHw_LMs7PCAYDzT2qgwGLAq4-F8ZsZLgsuYJjCZjT0Uxv4_3F5XGbcAhOloLpuzMAJRpp9duP7RXcI4ITUquk2XROLt6cYC_AjF4RarQVbkh6NSZJDXv_sA4gaeb20/s2751/The_Madonna_of_the_Carnation_by_Bernardino_Luini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2751" data-original-width="2541" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZpTAs7EAsJ25HPuA-G07LIynCRSPi5KyNHjnw-IBQOCsIDZcS6a7HSg-Y7hl4HqHw_LMs7PCAYDzT2qgwGLAq4-F8ZsZLgsuYJjCZjT0Uxv4_3F5XGbcAhOloLpuzMAJRpp9duP7RXcI4ITUquk2XROLt6cYC_AjF4RarQVbkh6NSZJDXv_sA4gaeb20/w370-h400/The_Madonna_of_the_Carnation_by_Bernardino_Luini.jpg" width="370" /></a></div></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-22925562686906281352024-02-18T00:00:00.004-05:002024-02-18T00:00:00.135-05:00Charlie's Catholic Survival Guide<div style="text-align: center;"><i>But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not be defiled with the king's table, nor with the wine which he drank: and he requested the master of the eunuchs that he might not be defiled.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">DANIEL 1:8 DOUAY-RHEIMS</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is a hard time to be a Roman Catholic. It has been this way since Vatican II when the floodgates of heresy, perversion, and corruption were opened upon the faithful. The mission is to keep your faith in these hard times while also not soiling yourself with the corruption. I have two tools that I use for myself to get through these difficult times. These would be Catholic minimalism and Catholic pessimism.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>CATHOLIC MINIMALISM</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">No faithful Catholic can support and go along with what is happening in the Church. Your bishop and your priest expect two things from you:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">1. Time, talent, and treasure. </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">2. Don't ask questions.</div></blockquote><p>You will notice they never ask for your prayers. They will have countless numbers of social justice activities requiring your money and participation. None of these things is even remotely Catholic. They are the sorts of things you see at your local Rotary Club. You're not helping Catholicism but the Marxism of the modernist heretics than run the Catholic Church now.</p><p>When it comes to the Mass, they want everyone to be Hannibal Lectors and Extraordinary Monsters doing things that were reserved to the priests and those on the way to becoming priests. No faithful Catholic should be involved with this sacrilege. As for teaching CCD and RCIA, they don't teach Roman Catholicism anymore. You know this when you discover many tradition minded people choosing to homeschool their kids instead of trusting the established curriculum of the diocese. You know something is up when you see rainbows on the covers of their books.</p><p>When it comes to giving, you are a total sucker if you put money in the offering basket or towards those infernal second collections that go for things like human traffiicking, sex abuse settlements, and coke fueled orgies at the Vatican.</p><p>Catholic minimalism is the decision to not participate in this garbage. Do not give them money except the occasional dollar to cover the cost of the Mass. This would be about a dollar per week. This will keep the lights on and pay for hosts. Do not participate in the Bishop's Annual Appeal. Things are so bad that they try and rechristen it as the "Catholic Appeal." You know things are bad when they resort to PR tricks like this. They really think you are that stupid.</p><p>You should give of your time, talent, and treasure, but it can't be to these fiends running the Church now. It is hard work, but you need to be a good steward and find places outside of the Church to send your money. This means asking questions. Asking questions is what keeps you from being taken for a fool. As for giving to your parish and diocese, you have already done this through your taxes against your will to support those things that the Marxist Democrats want. The top priority is illegal immigration.</p><p>I have learned to go to my parish for my sacraments and to leave. I try to have nothing else to do with the fiends and dupes in my parish. I refuse to be neither a fiend nor a dupe. Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.</p><p><b>CATHOLIC PESSIMISM</b></p><p>The Roman Catholic Church has always had a corruption problem. Read the New Testament, and you will see this. The dark dirty secret of the Church is that it is filled with sinners. I think our Lord allowed Judas Iscariot into the group to be a large warning about what was to come. People are going to let you down, and this includes the hierarchy of the Church. Additionally, the Devil seeks to infiltrate the Church at every level to undermine it.</p><p>This filth and corruption will be with us until the Second Coming. The Devil would love nothing more than for you to be scandalized out of your faith. But if you do this, you will also become part of that corruption. I know of no one who separated from the Church who went on to become a saint. It doesn't happen.</p><p>Scandal comes when we have high expectations of people. I have low expectations of people. I expect people to be corrupt. I think everyone is a crook. They rarely let me down on this. They surprise me by being good people and saints. That is a rarity. There are some good priests and bishops, but the fiends persecute them.</p><p>You have to have a remnant mindset. The faithful are a permanent minority both in the world and in the visible church. If you can keep yourself unsoiled by the world and remain in a state of grace, this is about the most you can hope to do. You are outnumbered by the evildoers, and they intend to eat you alive.</p><div style="text-align: left;"><b>STAY AND STINK</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">It has been the refrain of many traditionalists and faithful Catholics to "recognize and resist." That motto doesn't really get to the meat of the issue. The real way is to stay and stink. So many wish to escape from our awful parishes and migrate to better places. I wanted to do this. God closed the door on that option for me. I'm not moving or spending four or more hours on the road every weekend to attend a Latin Mass. When the faithful do this, they make life easier for the fiends in our parishes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Because I remain in my parish, I make life hard for the fiends. This was not my intention, but I can't help what I am. We have many women who wear chapel veils. Others kneel for communion and take it on the tongue from the priest or deacon only. We refuse all pressure to participate in fundraising activities that do nothing good for the Church. And some of us write blog posts decrying all of the crap we endure in our parishes. We also pray. All of this is profoundly irritating to the fiends.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I can't be a heretic, a schismatic, or an apostate. I am a Roman Catholic which means I have to stay in the Church and suffer. The true Church is that faithful remnant of true believers. We offer up our frustrations and sufferings to the Lord. I accept that I will always have this cross to bear for the rest of my life.</div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-53843102587620165282024-02-11T00:00:00.001-05:002024-02-11T00:00:00.154-05:00Charlie's Homemade Memes<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>History is now being documented in the moment through memes, and they shape our memories. I make them as if to say, "I was here, and I mocked this time and place.”</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">JAROD KINTZ</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I share memes with my friends on my flip phone. These would be memes that I find. I also write and draw things on the backs of pieces of junk mail. Then, I take pictures of those crude drawings to illustrate a point I am trying to make. A friend referred to these drawings of mine as "homemade memes." I suspect they find them funny or interesting because they are so crudely drawn. I also take them with the bad camera on my flip phone. Here are some of those homemade memes with commentary.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoHLSOLCpLBznagFwG1Qz69bT21b2evKvxeVTZYe09tKLwTpyPNqAAdXBoICXuGVetsG1OVyz3Tqli1JDpTyorjnNB0BiG-Mz3TKGK2OYE8dHiyQWDTLctqJ6EBVhqrfR4CAEkayWY208ftk0U5kSFcxGrpMIZPKUNwNeXxJUAkCVFittg5DeROiHuBUo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoHLSOLCpLBznagFwG1Qz69bT21b2evKvxeVTZYe09tKLwTpyPNqAAdXBoICXuGVetsG1OVyz3Tqli1JDpTyorjnNB0BiG-Mz3TKGK2OYE8dHiyQWDTLctqJ6EBVhqrfR4CAEkayWY208ftk0U5kSFcxGrpMIZPKUNwNeXxJUAkCVFittg5DeROiHuBUo=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>This shows my life pre-TBI and post-TBI. Before my accident, I worked hard, slept little, and indulged myself in excessive things like binge watching movies and TV shows. More was more. After the accident, I can't binge anymore. Everything I do and achieve today comes from the accumulation of small bites. I have to rest frequently and be intentional about my activities. The irony is that I wished I had followed the bites strategy prior to my accident. This was my first step towards sensibility.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrAm6HvdnMZni9FVQ2MCl5vxBGsxpBVJzBWN5I0xZwQBA8u1Y-PRrsn1Q0hi9mW5J_NED-9LkQbKGTRwzhBA_O7Ujg2X8qHyE7Muay3WvjzAn7GFIx-ZWruIo6RMUjL6IkJMlmYvkX62JTl5g_sUQ7fjCShXr1YuoCYxvmlVahu5ba93hI3UxFhGgjwPg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrAm6HvdnMZni9FVQ2MCl5vxBGsxpBVJzBWN5I0xZwQBA8u1Y-PRrsn1Q0hi9mW5J_NED-9LkQbKGTRwzhBA_O7Ujg2X8qHyE7Muay3WvjzAn7GFIx-ZWruIo6RMUjL6IkJMlmYvkX62JTl5g_sUQ7fjCShXr1YuoCYxvmlVahu5ba93hI3UxFhGgjwPg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />I don't have the luxury of overthinking. Talking about something all day doesn't get it done. I prefer to be brief in my discussions and use what is left of my energy in getting it done.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJHSK1h-4uDL8N2NVuSi0TQuymnOGqm2A1NQ2ID6Pkkp442aUxf688Jo1x3kcgj3eRXNQNqWXtBD0Dk8JpWilxGv1CeBJPjsRYTQATEq9_veYcX7gcJ6BFfm1DL6iO4-YP3W6XBqU5f5usakH6g5kqbI3U55BWcIhoJhm9CYP3r18uCFtw9WemR2EEUlw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJHSK1h-4uDL8N2NVuSi0TQuymnOGqm2A1NQ2ID6Pkkp442aUxf688Jo1x3kcgj3eRXNQNqWXtBD0Dk8JpWilxGv1CeBJPjsRYTQATEq9_veYcX7gcJ6BFfm1DL6iO4-YP3W6XBqU5f5usakH6g5kqbI3U55BWcIhoJhm9CYP3r18uCFtw9WemR2EEUlw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />I don't smoke, drink, or use drugs. Coffee is my only vice. The wife and I wake up in what we call the "pre-caffeinated" state. It isn't pretty. The coffee is the official start of each day. It works for her, but it doesn't work for me anymore since my accident. I can drink two cups of coffee and still pass out. Some doctors recommend not drinking coffee for people with TBI. I ignore them just like I ignore the ones who think amphetamines are a good idea. I'll stick with the java.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgH87u-CGsFYt1Z97WLYyoSQzJRpI7U7ioZWrwFQf351LW0bwuR4HqrZQMb0zOoEqnz4IUgey7bkr2iQQpkQI6tMfzhdOOZsOEekq1WeEYBBuR4j1-EbqfNkfkmvJHN6B1iMqFRk8DpcmU1yuo5t2Ht7XBMfj80ApEc6fHnI4RI1C-RWHY0pN01Qqb63OU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="1060" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgH87u-CGsFYt1Z97WLYyoSQzJRpI7U7ioZWrwFQf351LW0bwuR4HqrZQMb0zOoEqnz4IUgey7bkr2iQQpkQI6tMfzhdOOZsOEekq1WeEYBBuR4j1-EbqfNkfkmvJHN6B1iMqFRk8DpcmU1yuo5t2Ht7XBMfj80ApEc6fHnI4RI1C-RWHY0pN01Qqb63OU=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>The treadmill is what the vast majority of people are grinding away on. What they want is the quiet life, but they think they have to achieve a certain financial state to get there. They become so obsessed with that objective that they lose all concept of the quiet life which is not hard to find. The future is the enemy of the quiet life. You have to find the quiet life in the present. The future never arrives.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioj3c9aQbPee5Gv6BlI4fH26-a8rCYZdhm4zhRC3dqmMVi1vOqFiOD-_sXIJ75lSdpLVhozsMASkgZVe_nKXH-8F6wduc4irCCA61GsAFg8QNeUhze2v4R_ttv_Hyk25jbNb7QZEkmNj3qiOyQ76DVmK_Y3vN_pAxUb0n42c9oJ0mxMzfZZEzFcgrn600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioj3c9aQbPee5Gv6BlI4fH26-a8rCYZdhm4zhRC3dqmMVi1vOqFiOD-_sXIJ75lSdpLVhozsMASkgZVe_nKXH-8F6wduc4irCCA61GsAFg8QNeUhze2v4R_ttv_Hyk25jbNb7QZEkmNj3qiOyQ76DVmK_Y3vN_pAxUb0n42c9oJ0mxMzfZZEzFcgrn600=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />I think yard work, gardening, and manual labor are better for exercise than signing up for a gym membership or training for marathons. People will pay money for exercise and then pay a lawncare service to tend to chores around the house. People see no connection between work and fitness.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHTItXRlI3HILf-XWnP6VCZgU3Wk6uvkyRFrK-GVoPYhxHl_B4gQCqIM-qKLyxrFzh5iPpMyic5y2hNM_36Xir2uIZtzjkJZ87DILZSJLBqpIsazU6Ejs1em5o_da2SBNeDODh45_zMkAgvgWrVL7hEgZbj50S924UKzf1gZDcuHBX8eSrJjZb-1SuF54" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHTItXRlI3HILf-XWnP6VCZgU3Wk6uvkyRFrK-GVoPYhxHl_B4gQCqIM-qKLyxrFzh5iPpMyic5y2hNM_36Xir2uIZtzjkJZ87DILZSJLBqpIsazU6Ejs1em5o_da2SBNeDODh45_zMkAgvgWrVL7hEgZbj50S924UKzf1gZDcuHBX8eSrJjZb-1SuF54=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />I do not hunt, fish, or play golf. The thing I noticed about those three activities is they are essentially sitting on a chair outside. They are the three most popular activities where I live. I prefer going for a walk. I do enough sitting now.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglUOn8hiDjRELeyI_izp2neUVraV85VaBkHQXAyc95nO3Frlh3T5dd11gaFOGt8YlhwKzckxHgKSChAeX9nJFvfHFaM-EE9T4OxKeJZPO5bq2sOoKDj3ils_KaG_FVi_7a_uEBHCtWiOgTZ9BKhx8oLU_b-Cpb3FzUbSr6acwik-b-bDa8DQHKzZN3Z8M" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglUOn8hiDjRELeyI_izp2neUVraV85VaBkHQXAyc95nO3Frlh3T5dd11gaFOGt8YlhwKzckxHgKSChAeX9nJFvfHFaM-EE9T4OxKeJZPO5bq2sOoKDj3ils_KaG_FVi_7a_uEBHCtWiOgTZ9BKhx8oLU_b-Cpb3FzUbSr6acwik-b-bDa8DQHKzZN3Z8M=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />This one is self-explanatory. None of us refuseniks regret that decision. I can't say the same for those who didn't refuse.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyVEAICTO5TLkY3j5Q-B1Qk_j5DR8mEtlz1qboujYGvDSTfFOI2sCtm_MwLPVkUWkumsrj5kjAIYHAGZRuFjQceX2zeNkLDHgvq09Zz341h5WtGCyxH_inWveW-F8A-belMDhnXe7hZHAHczdZXGoJr7kPKnMntaeRpSX04QOw9qY5mmHyTrB2ADzzG8I" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyVEAICTO5TLkY3j5Q-B1Qk_j5DR8mEtlz1qboujYGvDSTfFOI2sCtm_MwLPVkUWkumsrj5kjAIYHAGZRuFjQceX2zeNkLDHgvq09Zz341h5WtGCyxH_inWveW-F8A-belMDhnXe7hZHAHczdZXGoJr7kPKnMntaeRpSX04QOw9qY5mmHyTrB2ADzzG8I=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />I don't care how many laws you pass, rules you make up, or how carefully you monitor operations. There is always going to be that one idiot who makes a mess of everything. It is better to accept that inevitability and plan for it than delude yourself with preventing it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8g_Bq8qd_L8fMC74Sv_HLMdnq_seE_yRP8R3k3LbArQ84gCOAlaOENtbkNhRWbNRnaaCclPv0Ppg5Oalop4k9OjDPR3Y35K7ndDvuahFg5x-5njY8lBcWRAo7TxXZp9fxzW8aaN_qtTN_LmK7PZcsHo-NA_Lu-duWR4iCqsN6fLZAfi-rum8ZhmbHtvg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8g_Bq8qd_L8fMC74Sv_HLMdnq_seE_yRP8R3k3LbArQ84gCOAlaOENtbkNhRWbNRnaaCclPv0Ppg5Oalop4k9OjDPR3Y35K7ndDvuahFg5x-5njY8lBcWRAo7TxXZp9fxzW8aaN_qtTN_LmK7PZcsHo-NA_Lu-duWR4iCqsN6fLZAfi-rum8ZhmbHtvg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />This one comes from the debates on YouTube on the best caliber ammo for a semi-automatic handgun. My preference should be obvious from the homemade meme. There are no perfect answers. There are compromises. You can't have it all.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeI_6v8xX2zSk8MgSIVcFNIiaoFgyFifgLsFHghs8b-ELcuQ3xwb2YTXLoWcQPpyIFsbgyWh0kYS5_21ml9Jm7krlAHIYH_qRvLHrc8_OW2milsrC-hYTGpEbd2APAU5jqaBb2R8fPIK1mPjl1oorJ55gzOundJnK-_U0kBViztjWzAs3CBvotsT_vMPs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="165" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeI_6v8xX2zSk8MgSIVcFNIiaoFgyFifgLsFHghs8b-ELcuQ3xwb2YTXLoWcQPpyIFsbgyWh0kYS5_21ml9Jm7krlAHIYH_qRvLHrc8_OW2milsrC-hYTGpEbd2APAU5jqaBb2R8fPIK1mPjl1oorJ55gzOundJnK-_U0kBViztjWzAs3CBvotsT_vMPs=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />I post this in response to what is popularly known as "first world problems." There are people enduring terminal illnesses. Then, there are people who can't afford to upgrade to the new iPhone. I see more grief over the latter than the former.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBMVERkKjmrMixyqE896h5hKmUwEwywQ6JXMpwYxzAHyGdDJ9xq_0-zxX0p2q-GVqGZ6pskdpHwwlGuf3kznJZgIPaIN9hB3bU9VhKou_rNfoo3eCD5r9kCR9HA4BTVcd1rIQtnzQSCNejz-s5v8ObUB8GVd-ohvH7aXU73VZG9nRD-WzDQDD0_gCXEsA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBMVERkKjmrMixyqE896h5hKmUwEwywQ6JXMpwYxzAHyGdDJ9xq_0-zxX0p2q-GVqGZ6pskdpHwwlGuf3kznJZgIPaIN9hB3bU9VhKou_rNfoo3eCD5r9kCR9HA4BTVcd1rIQtnzQSCNejz-s5v8ObUB8GVd-ohvH7aXU73VZG9nRD-WzDQDD0_gCXEsA=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />Sensibility is my best idea. It isn't an original idea, but it will change your life more than anything else you can try. I regret coming to it late in life, and I have my accident to teach me this lesson. Our society is all-or-nothing. I reject that now. Good things depend on the dose. If you get the dosage right, you will get better. If you get it wrong, it will get worse for you.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIp6eISHXgxTKdw2AFjOg6kLJ60Ik97_CdJf_inCRsC7ma2DdOx9aEiPYsws9yj7t_LitoESNFTwQjdhYTrgDkR1ynkkuWYnKWF9L8L12klji9M7P_v7-1PKDRfv0NOkqrUuymPAUCKQWshFWP76NMXgFnfgUSry8r7JKJWhDfuB2Mwz26PbQIOr2x_UU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIp6eISHXgxTKdw2AFjOg6kLJ60Ik97_CdJf_inCRsC7ma2DdOx9aEiPYsws9yj7t_LitoESNFTwQjdhYTrgDkR1ynkkuWYnKWF9L8L12klji9M7P_v7-1PKDRfv0NOkqrUuymPAUCKQWshFWP76NMXgFnfgUSry8r7JKJWhDfuB2Mwz26PbQIOr2x_UU=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />I have spent much of my life watching helplessly as people do dumb things to mess up their lives. I have tried to say something only to get the middle finger. So, I watch the train wrecks happen. It is painful to watch, but it isn't up to me. This is why I keep my mouth shut now and let it happen. If you think I am heartless for this, recognize that these train wrecks are not my fault and beyond my power to stop.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV2iLFOP9iaxa_4tFdHJPf1tZi_JYEyJumG5-awiA7-96DCLofx_CROU2ktURXisxobs4ahzK58gIsHAKh4oQfLxfevwRIRZlfchvClgr9yq9xMhNx98hbNMqa3uSHpFPeHKSIHa4yUidB6j7CmHSLidzVYxRoALGXPQcD8RsNF8n5AiSena92lLTOHgA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV2iLFOP9iaxa_4tFdHJPf1tZi_JYEyJumG5-awiA7-96DCLofx_CROU2ktURXisxobs4ahzK58gIsHAKh4oQfLxfevwRIRZlfchvClgr9yq9xMhNx98hbNMqa3uSHpFPeHKSIHa4yUidB6j7CmHSLidzVYxRoALGXPQcD8RsNF8n5AiSena92lLTOHgA=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />This is my personal reminder that my days are numbered, and I must strive to always be in a state of grace when that last day comes. It is a very sobering reminder.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijA9NB0sAHJ-dFKCXEyvys0e8gXbflW5NMAt94cxD574Fh9kcIZKqp5YxMtBKHz6EfpRZho7hKhAxiE9KSTN_xf2Wfk5kMh2XeHlP-VuQL99TIU8R80aEEYafn-sMmSGmXelPWoQsHsx1Ue5jVEfi-biY8x5AIvffk1KRZJaa5YJyIFqV-hMj98QT7oVE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijA9NB0sAHJ-dFKCXEyvys0e8gXbflW5NMAt94cxD574Fh9kcIZKqp5YxMtBKHz6EfpRZho7hKhAxiE9KSTN_xf2Wfk5kMh2XeHlP-VuQL99TIU8R80aEEYafn-sMmSGmXelPWoQsHsx1Ue5jVEfi-biY8x5AIvffk1KRZJaa5YJyIFqV-hMj98QT7oVE=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />I drew this in response to seeing a man trapped in a mental prison. He can escape at any moment, but he won't. I would tell him, but that would just get me one of those middle fingers referenced in the other meme. I can calmly watch someone destroy himself and not say a word. This is because people don't listen. It is better to pray for them to find wisdom than to give them that wisdom that they will ignore.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6UhnEOiSAVFDGekLwY3BiifGHK03WipefoEaGfEjum_VHrLGjtftcqvw7HCpedq85P0yX4hJ6c-bOJ46uDKmj0h271pM_97rOpxYilH0EXAuvNIhho6oIM3VcCkzajR7PI4uP0LplW0VzKo1GQ1E0-yaY3dz1qNNvnN2ri1cYCowYmARV8J9S6V5IiIg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6UhnEOiSAVFDGekLwY3BiifGHK03WipefoEaGfEjum_VHrLGjtftcqvw7HCpedq85P0yX4hJ6c-bOJ46uDKmj0h271pM_97rOpxYilH0EXAuvNIhho6oIM3VcCkzajR7PI4uP0LplW0VzKo1GQ1E0-yaY3dz1qNNvnN2ri1cYCowYmARV8J9S6V5IiIg=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />Life is 90% boredom punctuated by periods of intense crisis. This sounds cynical, but I am fine with it. I prefer boredom to being stressed out. Boredom is just another word for peace and tranquility. I try as hard as I can to cultivate a boring life.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl6dtZAhmNKyiIrRjgglmWew5u_n9cG9hN-VnhOPyhPLc58Pgj2hTboauHI3aHCx3odcGKorHPavsHwHzpW9vOM7vNOvg6byebDYJoqrI_MBRPpQzDyaUWZ1As_WWWw_0F3_lrQHgssUOs8ZLZOdC0F_HPjr_V0qiBfZb7_BQ6cCv6hZXJ1W8gUOFOEVM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgl6dtZAhmNKyiIrRjgglmWew5u_n9cG9hN-VnhOPyhPLc58Pgj2hTboauHI3aHCx3odcGKorHPavsHwHzpW9vOM7vNOvg6byebDYJoqrI_MBRPpQzDyaUWZ1As_WWWw_0F3_lrQHgssUOs8ZLZOdC0F_HPjr_V0qiBfZb7_BQ6cCv6hZXJ1W8gUOFOEVM=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />One of my big pet peeves is watching working class men blow their hard earned money on toys they buy on credit. I see this all over my neighborhood which I refer to now as "Toyland." One day, I will see FOR SALE signs on these toys or watch the repo man haul them off. Most of these people could pay off their mortgages with what they are blowing on toys.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW2UiXtyjNy8dtj1sfzNl3Vpp9wwEcPcMB8kHkrL8GTRyohGfynoqi-Kl-pGB9tejy4DY3TKAm2uAq5jkxXYh2H2AbUI7eLet3dgJal1ZxFT5iSrDOJFRvASnQgFZbclAp5bg96_7QL7SF9fHIULbCLuRBF6H3kZam6Pk9x8hfdts897VnCqEie8-lE0s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgW2UiXtyjNy8dtj1sfzNl3Vpp9wwEcPcMB8kHkrL8GTRyohGfynoqi-Kl-pGB9tejy4DY3TKAm2uAq5jkxXYh2H2AbUI7eLet3dgJal1ZxFT5iSrDOJFRvASnQgFZbclAp5bg96_7QL7SF9fHIULbCLuRBF6H3kZam6Pk9x8hfdts897VnCqEie8-lE0s=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />This is in the same theme as the previous meme about buying toys. This is the lifestyle of most of my co-workers and peers. They slave to pay for senseless toys.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiG8cGI7qJL4D46ThKUWmdayIqVYXmVPwWwfLozj5lxD_2eh3DCSH_3k-EyEisWNpQpQbj42g0jOIS-5DsBMlf9_12poKDFpkxSROx40pZ-XPDuvUFjk-94scfDOj3S8-LMlYdrRDqrldoZffTZhf_x5Kp4TVJbOA4N_zH_m-LeoMpnW-BHt252RR0nxCs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="596" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiG8cGI7qJL4D46ThKUWmdayIqVYXmVPwWwfLozj5lxD_2eh3DCSH_3k-EyEisWNpQpQbj42g0jOIS-5DsBMlf9_12poKDFpkxSROx40pZ-XPDuvUFjk-94scfDOj3S8-LMlYdrRDqrldoZffTZhf_x5Kp4TVJbOA4N_zH_m-LeoMpnW-BHt252RR0nxCs=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />This meme explains the fundamental reason behind the toy buying. I have a life of the mind and my faith, so I need very little except the basics of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. I have never been into buying and owning toys. I buy tools instead which are cheap and boring.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That's it for the homemade memes. As you can see, I can't draw very well or take good photographs with my flip phone. I think the crude nature of the memes is what makes them funny. I can see a second edition of homemade memes in the near future.<br /></div></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-14554933275536666752024-02-04T00:00:00.002-05:002024-02-04T00:00:00.326-05:002 Reddit Posts About Walking<div style="text-align: center;"><i>I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">NOEL COWARD</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>These are two posts that I came across in the reddit walking forum. I thought they were worth sharing with some commentary. Here is the first post:</div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Misconceptions about walkers</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>I'll start with some I've heard and add your own</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>1. Walkers are runner wannabes</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />2. walkers failed at running</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />3. Walkers are out of shape</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />4. Walkers are always getting in the way of runners and bikers.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />5. Any exercise you can do just moving around your home isn't an exercise</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />What misconceptions, slurs and lies have you hear?</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Walking is usually the first thing you do on the way to becoming a runner. I remember mixing walking and running when I was in college until I had enough fitness to run an entire 20 minutes. I was so proud of myself when I was able to do that back in my younger days. Now, I am ashamed that I ever did that. I ruined a good walk. A smarter Charlie would have started walking for fitness instead of running. Today, I can candidly say that I am not a runner wannabe.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As for failing at running, I have to laugh at that. The truth is that most runners fail at running especially when they pull out of a race they paid to run because of some injury. My opinion is that running is a failure as a fitness activity. It shows that you allowed vanity to overwhelm your common sense.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I do not know how you define being in shape. Most walkers could not complete the Ironman Triathlon on walking alone. Then again, most runners could not do it on running alone. Shape is a relative thing. In comparison to being sedentary, walkers are definitely in better shape than those who do not walk.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Runners and bikers annoy each other. All I can say is that walking came first. I don't have a problem with runners, but bikers are a pain to the pedestrians. Drivers hate everyone.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As for moving about your home, where else would you move? But I do agree that counting steps to the bathroom on your FitBit is ridiculous. This is why I don't wear a FitBit.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I don't hear any other lies, slurs, and misconceptions about walking. This is because walkers actually walk. You can do that when you aren't injured all the time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here is the second post:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="font-style: italic;"><b>Walking IS exercise. Get over it!</b></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><div>Ok this is kind of a rant but I guess I had to get this out of my thoughts somehow :D</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm tired of people who tell me that walking is not exercise. Yes it is, even if it doesn't feel like it. I hate every other type of exercise and walking is the only thing that I can manage without getting bored or too tired.</div><div><br /></div><div>Heck it is even better than other forms of exercise. You know why?</div><div><br /></div><div>1. You can do it anywhere, anytime. No special equipment is required. You can get up on your lunch break and go for a walk.</div><div>2. You can get stuff done WHILE you are out for a walk. You can go grocery shopping while getting your daily steps in, you can go to the mall, you can go and meet friends etc etc</div><div>3. It is literally free. You don't need a gym membership</div><div>4. If you do it outside, there are benefits from it as well: More vitamin D on sunny days; outdoors is more relaxing than staring at the wall in the gym, you can explore your city or the nature...</div><div>5. It isn't as tiring as other forms of exercise, which means you can do it day in-day out and you will barely feel it in your legs the next day.</div><div>6. It keeps your mind in shape. Some of the best ideas I have come up with came to me on my daily walks.</div><div>7. It keeps your body in shape. You work your muscles and your heart muscle as well</div><div>8. The risk of injury is way smaller than with other forms of exercise</div><div>If you come up with another benefit, feel free to add it to the list :)</div></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><br /></div><div>I can't find anything to add to this one because this poster nails it. I will say that walking is not exactly free. I burn through enough shoes that it is comparable to a gym membership. But I would burn through shoes even if I went to the gym. As such, walking is the cheapest fitness activity that comes to mind.</div><div><br /></div><div>The debate here is the one between running and walking. The simple fact is that running has a better press agent than walking. I like what Roger Burlinson wrote over at <a href="https://sportwalk.net/2024/01/04/get-fit-walking/" target="_blank">Sport Walk</a>:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div><b><i>Can walking really get me fit?</i></b></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div><i>Quick answer… YES! There’s been a lot written and said about walking in the last few years and it would be easy to think that it’s some kind of miracle solution, given some of the discoveries that have been made. But the simple fact is that walking, as a method of getting or staying fit and for general wellbeing, has just been hiding in plain sight all this time.</i></div></div></div></blockquote><p>Walking has definitely been hiding in plain sight. For years, I have seen old ladies and moms with strollers walking the streets and at the mall. It never occurred to me that I should do the same thing. I was too vain to give walking any notice even if those walkers were in better shape than me. Age and injury have a way of peeling off vanity.</p>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-15337108205072237512024-01-28T00:00:00.004-05:002024-02-26T01:27:51.692-05:00Backpacks<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Backpacking makes you realize how little you really need to be happy.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">UNKNOWN</div><div><br /></div><div>I have been using backpacks since I was a kid back in elementary school. I had to lug books back and forth to school along with notebooks, pencils, pens, and whatever else they need to mess up a kid's spine. I can't remember all of the backpacks I have used over the years. I know two of them came from L.L.Bean. One was worn out before I left high school. The second one lasted me until the end of college. I don't know what became of the second one. I liked it because it had a leather bottom.</div><div><br /></div><div>My current backpack is a cheap camo bag from Walmart I bought in the sporting goods section. It's supposed to be used for hunting, but I have never hunted anything in my life. I bought it over a decade ago to carry books, notebooks, pens, pencils, and my Walkman. The load is lighter than my schooldays, but the point is that I have never stopped being a student.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have never used a backpack for hiking because I am not a hiker. I have never used one for traveling the world and sleeping in hostels. I have also never served in the military and used a rucksack. Basically, my backpack has served as a portable office to feed my mind. It carries my world with me.</div><div><br /></div><div>The backpack is a versatile bag, and it struck me at how it is the most useful bag you can own. There are different versions depending upon the task, but they are all basically a bag with two straps that go around the shoulders turning the wearer into a human mule.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Backpacks vs. messenger bags</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>The biggest competitor to the backpack is the messenger bag. There are different versions from the slim versions bicycle messengers use to the briefcase versions of office workers to the large satchels you see on postal workers. The messenger bag has an advantage over the backpack. The messenger bag is easy to access. You have to take off a backpack to get anything out of it.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have used a messenger bag a couple of times in my life. I got a lot of insults about carrying a "man purse." I had to remind myself and those idiots that Indiana Jones carried a man purse. I don't care what others think about me as most of the population are blithering idiots. If I want to carry a man purse, I will.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't use a messenger bag now because it has a drawback. You can't carry much stuff in it. If you did carry a lot of stuff, the weight of the thing hanging from one side of your body can't do much good for your posture. This is why students shun messenger bags. They can't get the job done for you.</div><div><br /></div><div>The messenger bag is only good for the office worker carrying papers and a laptop computer. If you wear a suit, you can keep it looking unwrinkled with a messenger bag. I would opt for a messenger bag over a briefcase. But I'm not an office worker.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rucking</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>I became interested in rucking as I was reading up on the benefits of walking. For those who don't know, rucking is simply walking with a weighted backpack. Rucking is very popular among military types who hate running. My research into rucking has shown to me that the extra calorie burn is not worth the increased risk of injury or the hassle of carrying that pack. The touted benefits of rucking are overrated and can be achieved by walking a few more minutes each day. I will break all of this down in a future post about walking versus rucking.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Hiking</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>I was interested in hiking in my younger years. I never actually did any hiking, but I dreamed of hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. Then, I got old and wise. I don't care to do any outdoor activity that requires me to sleep on the ground overnight. I will do it in a survival scenario, but I would never choose to do it for "recreation."</div><div><br /></div><div>My time outside is followed by a hot shower and a warm bed. I do have a ratty old backpack I bought from Goodwill. It looks like an old book bag used by a schoolkid. I bought the thing as a way to get into rucking until I changed my mind about rucking. I keep the thing now to potentially carry water and food if I ever go walking in a state park one day. I used to do that sort of thing before my accident, but it is beyond my capabilities right now.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some people might call this a day hike, but I don't. I think hiking is more serious than anything I do. Hiking is essentially walking except you carry more gear on a hike. What I would carry amounts to lunch. I am not a hiker which is why I can get away with that ratty bag. I would use my camo bookbag, but I don't want crumbs and water messing it up and getting on my books later on.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Brands</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>My two backpacks came from Walmart and Goodwill. I can afford better, but I don't bother. If I did bother, there are three brands I find recommended online. These brands would be LLBean, JanSport, and Eastpak. Those three brands are great for students who put more use and abuse on a bag than any soldier or mountain climber. They are also typically less than $100. I would go with any of those three bags if I was back in school.</div><div><br /></div><div>I can't recommend anything over $100 from the makers of military backpacks or outdoor packs. This is because I don't do those activities. My personal opinion is that these bags are overpriced. Over the years, I have learned that any specialized gear pales in comparison to a general purpose product in terms of both quality and price. The specialized gear is mostly marketing and hype.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Conclusion</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>That's it for my discussion on backpacks, At the end of the day, a backpack is just a bag with 2 straps. As long as the straps and the zippers are good, you have a quality bag. Even the ratty bags will do if you don't care to spend a lot of money. Try the thrift store before the department store or online. I have seen those brands I recommended selling for a couple of dollars and in excellent shape. Overall, I think a backpack is the best bag you can own and use for lugging stuff.</div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-84614666948660099642024-01-21T00:00:00.001-05:002024-01-21T00:00:00.363-05:00100 and Today<div style="text-align: center;"><i>The days of our years in them are threescore and ten years. But if in the strong they be fourscore years: and what is more of them is labour and sorrow. For mildness is come upon us: and we shall be corrected.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">PSALM 89:10 DOUAY-RHEIMS</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Good Book says you have 70 years to live and maybe 80 if you are strong. This verse is not so much a promise but an observation that persists even to our time. Most people who live to old age die between 70 and 80. Current life expectancy in the USA is that women will die at 79 while men will die at 73. These are just averages, but you can see from these numbers that the Bible gets it right.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My personal opinion is that every day past age 70 is bonus time on the clock. None of us is guaranteed anything, but that 70 number is a good benchmark. If you make it to 70, you can't say God didn't give you enough time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Some people live to 80, 90, and 100. To be candid, I don't know how much of a blessing that is. You have to admit that those advanced years are going to be the worst you ever lived through. A sudden death at 70 from a heart attack has to be better than a lingering death at 95. When you factor in Alzheimer's and dementia, living to the century mark is more curse than blessing. The Bible even says this with that line about increased labor and sorrow.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I think God chooses your death date. Jack LaLanne exercised and ate a vegetarian diet. He died at 96. Charlie Munger did the opposite and lived to be 99. Recently, a former tobacco company executive died. He was 100. I gamble that he smoked until the day he died. Anecdotes like this make a mockery of all our plans to increase our longevity.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The fact is that we could live to 100 or die in the next few minutes. As someone who lived through an accident that could have been fatal, I can tell you that it can be over sooner than you realize. But it was not enough to make me go back to eating steak.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I believe in eating right and getting exercise. This is because I have already lived a life where I did neither of those things. For me, the change wasn't because of quantity of life considerations but quality of life. I don't care about living to 100. I do care about living with less pain and misery today.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If I knew I had a short time to live, I would change nothing about my habits. I wouldn't eat meat, dairy, and eggs again. I wouldn't take up smoking. I wouldn't drink alcohol or smoke dope or any of that. Part of it comes from the fact that I am not a hedonist. The other part of it comes from the fact that I wouldn't do it even if I was a hedonist.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When it comes to pleasure and pain, I think Epicurus had the better wisdom versus the Cyrenaics. True hedonism is not an abundance of pleasure so much as the absence of pain. The taste of steak can never make up for the gastrointestinal distress it would cause me. Likewise, a cigar after dinner would make me turn green and puke.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I do not think you can avoid all pain and misery, but I think misery can be minimized by living sensibly. I like waking up in the morning without a hangover. I like not having to pop antacids after a meal. I like not having to inject myself with insulin. I like not having chest pains after eating fast food. I like going for a walk and enjoying time outside. I am not trying to brag here, but I have a good life.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My good life comes from not hurting myself with bad habits. I don't expect to live any longer than anyone else, but I do live better than everyone I know. I have a high quality of life. Epicurus knew what he was talking about. It doesn't take much to have that quality of life except common sense.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It struck me one day that I did not have any vices except a strong cup of black coffee. I didn't plan to arrive here, but here I am. I got here by giving up the things that made me feel sick. I think most vices come from trying to neutralize emotional and spiritual pain. I turn those pains over to the Lord. A good hour in prayer beats a night at the bar and grill.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For me, the real test will come with a painful terminal disease. I have already decided to not take opioid painkillers. I want that suffering to offer up to the Lord. I want to have a clear mind in my final days and hours. I don't think it is possible to have a good death while being stoned out of your mind.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You should live as if you will live to be 100 but also that you could die at any moment. 100 makes you use common sense. Today makes you live in a state of grace. Sensibility is the balance of those two considerations. If you achieve this balance, you will live well regardless of how long you live.</div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-67510485355162234322024-01-14T00:00:00.004-05:002024-01-14T00:00:00.190-05:00Walking As An Outdoor Activity<div style="text-align: center;"><i>I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">JOHN MUIR</div><div><br /></div><div>Once upon a time, people's primary way to enjoy the outdoors was through walking. This is no longer the case. People still enjoy the outdoors, but walking is not the first thing that springs to their minds. They think of the more laborious exercise of hiking which is just walking but with expensive gear. Others like trail running which requires less gear but more pain and suffering. Then, there are the mountain bikers who make the foot traffic suffer on the trails they terrorize.</div><div><br /></div><div>Walking is the easiest, the cheapest, and the most pleasant way to enjoy being outside. Fundamentally, you just need some good footwear. The rest would be clothes and gear you probably already own. On a sensibility level, walking should be the top preference for outdoor enthusiasts. It isn't. This is because walking doesn't have a very good PR department which relegates it to being the most underrated form of exercise and outdoor enjoyment.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is my contention that walking is underrated because it requires so little in terms of equipment and gear. It is virtually a free activity. Other activities require gear and equipment which can be quite expensive. The makers of this gear advertise these products which ends up bankrolling magazines and other media. This is why you will find a magazine for <a href="https://www.crosscountryskier.com/" target="_blank">cross country skiing</a> but not one for walking here in the USA. You have to buy stuff to ski. The economics of a gear heavy fringe activity will always outdo the economics of a gear light but popular activity. Over time, the marketing of the product involves marketing for the activity itself.</div><div><br /></div><div>This marketing for the gear heavy activities has the counter effect of diminishing the appeal of something easy like walking. Because people can't afford a mountain bike, a kayak, or a set of skis, they leave the outdoors to those with the funds, the youth, or whatever as they choose to spend their weekends watching sports on the couch. This takes a toll on physical and mental health. It never occurs to these people that they could just take a walk and get those outdoor benefits. Walking doesn't "count."</div><div><br /></div><div>According to <i><a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/business-journal/issues/outdoor-industry-bureau-economic-analysis-report-2022/" target="_blank">Outside</a>, </i>outdoor recreation and related businesses contributed $862 billion to the US economy in 2022. Motorized activities were more lucrative than human powered activities. Think of all the motorboats and ATVs that are out there. Yet, walking as an outdoor activity gets virtually no coverage in <i>Outside</i>. You do get some hiking coverage along with climbing and trail running because those things require gear which requires money which pays for advertising.</div><div><br /></div><div>The irony of all that spent money is that it doesn't reflect the actual participation in these outdoor activities which is quite low relative to that expenditure. Fundamentally, people buy products for things they don't actually do. The activities are just excuses to buy stuff. It can be rightly called "outdoor consumerism." It is simply easier to buy things than to actually do things. If you need more convincing, look at all the outdoor gear being sold at rummage sales in almost new condition.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some years ago, there was a fellow who became a living folk hero to the ultrarunning community. He was not a particularly gifted runner, but he was certainly a dedicated runner. He was famous for living out of the back of his truck and using minimal gear for his sport and lifestyle. He amazed people not so much for his exploits but for the style in which he did it. Running injuries would force him to cross train with gravel biking, mountain climbing, and skiing as he morphed from trailrunning bum to "outdoor athlete." The guy hasn't done much of anything as an ultrarunner since, but he is able to live off of endorsement deals as a sponsored multisport athlete because he is able to sell product. He essentially lives as a hypocrite now. He also knows he is a hypocrite which gives him angst. The solution to his angst would be to get a day job and go for long walks.</div><div><br /></div><div>It doesn't matter to me if people like to do expensive activities in the outdoors. Outdoor consumerism doesn't affect my daily walks. What it does do is discourage other people from walking by fostering a mindset of extremism. Consequently, people spend a lot of money on doing nothing, or they just choose to save money and do nothing at all. That is the number one deleterious effect of all of this marketing and outdoor consumerism. Doing something cheap and fun isn't an option for these people.</div><div><br /></div><div>The most effective "marketing" for walking is seeing people going outside for a walk. When people see a walker, they immediately know they can do that, too. There are virtually no barriers to entry. Walking outside is cheap, easy, and fun. People know this. They just need reminding.</div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-20242961161982986772024-01-07T00:00:00.008-05:002024-01-07T00:00:00.297-05:00Plant Based For Life<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>There are two types of cardiologists: vegans and those who haven’t read the data.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">DR. KIM WILLIAMS, CARDIOLOGIST</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There was a recent groundbreaking <a href="https://www.forksoverknives.com/wellness/new-twin-vegan-diet-study-from-stanford-medicine-2023/" target="_blank">study</a> of the vegan versus omnivore diet involving identical twins. I won't bore you with the nerdy data. I will cut to the chase. The vegan diet was the hands down winner, and the study gave every possible benefit to the omnivore diet while not so much for the vegan diet. I see this study as the capstone to what I discovered a decade ago and has been confirmed to me again and again. A whole food plant based diet is the optimal way to eat.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I know that I will always eat a plant based diet for the rest of my life. The evidence for this diet is overwhelming. Only the most profoundly stupid person on the planet could ignore this evidence and keep eating meat, dairy, and eggs. My only regret with going plant based is that I didn't embrace it sooner. It still ranks as the most important thing I have ever done for my health.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You will hear all sorts of bad information from people especially low carbers that a plant based diet is bad for you while meat is good for you. These people are liars. The data does not support their idiocy. And they know it. It is because of these lying fools that we have all of this confusion about diet.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In my perfect world, you can eat meat, dairy, and eggs without any problems. I wish this perfect world existed because I loved eating this crap. I would get a narcotic high from eating a bacon double cheeseburger. I loved it so much that it would thrill me to no end to read that the vegans were all wrong about this. But they're right.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have a nasty habit of following and seeking the truth wherever it leads me. I believe we all have a moral duty to seek the truth. Unfortunately, I am the only person I know that does this. I haven't always gotten it right, but I never stop looking for the truth. This is why I eat a plant based diet. It is the truth.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I don't care about the ethical treatment of animals or the environment when it comes to what I eat. I only care about my personal health. Those side issues have made "vegan" such a loaded term that people will shun anything that carries the vegan label. This is why vegans only comprise 1% of the population, and every vegan restaurant or food company has an almost 100% certainty of going bankrupt. If the meatheads make things bad with their lies, the ethical vegans help those meatheads with their fanaticism.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There is one thing I have learned from the keto craze and the gluten free fad. People will make changes to their diets if they think those changes will improve their health or trim their waistlines. If they do this on the basis of false information, I think they would do the same with the truth. Unfortunately, ethical vegans can be counted on to fumble the ball. That's a real shame.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>Is This the Be-All and End-All Proof That We Should All Be Eating More Plants?</b></div><div><a href="https://vegnews.com/2023/12/twin-study-eating-more-plants-healthier">https://vegnews.com/2023/12/twin-study-eating-more-plants-healthier</a></div></div></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-8983798703803730522023-12-31T00:00:00.119-05:002024-01-12T20:52:40.022-05:00The Not-To-Do List<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>“Not-to-do” lists are often more effective than to-do lists for upgrading performance. The reason is simple: what you don’t do determines what you can do.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">TIM FERRISS</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I don't always agree with Tim Ferriss, but I do appreciate Tim Ferriss. He has some good ideas, and I think his best idea is the Not-To-Do List. For most people, doing more is what they are after. They never stop to consider doing less. Subtraction belongs in the toolbox of your life, and I can say that removing things from my life has helped me. Here are the items on my personal Not-To-Do List.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>1. Stop watching sports.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I do not watch sports or follow sports. This was not always the case, but I came to this decision in stages. I cancelled my cable TV subscription, and I deleted the preset for the sports radio station from my Walkman. I don't keep up with any of it now. In life, you can watch others do things, or you can do things yourself. For me, time to watch a game is better spent going for a walk.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>2. Stop pursuing hobbies.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I define a hobby as the serious pursuit of a worthless activity. I do have worthless activities that I do for momentary fun like playing the kazoo or drawing things on the back of junk mail. I watch birds sometimes from the back step. But I don't go beyond this stuff into serious wastes of time and money like ham radio or car collecting. I definitely don't hunt, fish, or play golf.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>3. Stop doing things that you are not good at doing.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is a corollary to the hobby thing. I gave up guitar playing when I accepted that I was not very good at playing guitar. I switched to the kazoo because I could be just as annoying at a fraction of the cost. I also don't listen to people who think I should do podcasts or a YouTube channel. I am a good writer, but I am not a good speaker. My TBI has only exacerbated this for me. I also stopped writing fiction and poetry. I stick to non-fiction blogging.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>4. Torch your bucket list.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I am never going to climb Everest or run a marathon or complete a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. I think all bucket lists are vanity. The only thing I want to do before I die is to be in a state of grace in order to go to Heaven. I don't think dying and becoming a popsicle on Everest is going to help me on that.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>5. Stop trying to change other people.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">When it comes to other people's problems, I am mostly indifferent. This is because these problems are usually self-inflicted, and people are not going to do what it takes to fix those problems. I pray for people and will give advice if they ask for it. Otherwise, I mind my own business. I have my own problems.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>6. Stay off of social media.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ever since kicking my Twitter addiction some years ago, I vowed to never allow myself to become addicted to social media again. I have kept that vow. Social media is a waste of life.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>7. Stop extroverting.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I am an introvert. I can fake being an extrovert when I need to do that, but I am playing out of my position when that happens. I prefer a quiet mode of existence. Consequently, I don't go out to bars and cafes or attend parties and social functions except when it is required. I find people exhausting. My TBI has only exacerbated this for me. I don't care to change this.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>8. Stop consuming bad information.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I try to listen to both sides of an argument or an issue. At some point, I have made up my mind, and I can tune out the wrong side. I am never going to become a Protestant again, join the Eastern Orthodox, or go atheist. Similarly, I am never going to become a Marxist. I am not going to become a carnivore meathead or take up triathlon. Knowing these things allows me to ignore a lot of useless blabber.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That's it for my Not-To-Do list. As you get older, you realize how precious time can be. This motivates you to stop wasting it. The Not-To-Do list is a great way to stop wasting time.</div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-59454285975696739642023-12-24T00:00:00.083-05:002024-02-17T12:25:20.900-05:00Shoes and Socks<div style="text-align: left;"><b>DISCLAIMER: I am not a podiatrist or shoe expert. This is just a personal testimonial concerning what I wear on my feet for walking. Consult with podiatrists and experts before buying footwear.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>It's gotta be the shoes.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">MARS BLACKMON</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The athletic footwear market is a 100+ billion dollar industry. That's a big number of shoes sold. $15 billion comes from the sale of running shoes. I won't get into socks. As for walking shoes, I don't know.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I wear shoes out of necessity. I don't think shoes have magic properties, but they do protect my feet. When I was a teenager, I took up walking briefly to help lose some weight. I had some paper thin soled boating shoes I wore while walking on the concrete sidewalk. My legs and feet felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to them. I switched to some thick soled knock off brand running shoes from Walmart, and my legs and feet improved considerably. The lesson I learned from that experience was that I need that slab of foam underneath my feet especially on concrete.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I don't think you need special or expensive shoes for walking. The shoes I walk in now are essentially the same as those cheap Walmart shoes I wore briefly as a kid. I wear New Balance 608s preferably in white. They cost $50-60 on Amazon. I know when I need to replace them because I get that sledgehammer attack feeling in my legs at the 500 mile mark. Here is a picture of those shoes:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PaP9Ahb0qeBwNYApUf2hyphenhyphenvZ2IPQYFqCY8GVA6s61hSAZ82CAMnLnOPrcrCA5BZdmUAhf4bplSuop3MDXs2Aj3pEma3oEpRKbBxE3Thoq9idAXQcxhvOujTZTij3h1rxw_OLYtMWaEM1alxHYRUXSGslohYfpv5htuVrHbAS8PtlNVfxyCkDw08_dEfs/s2592/SHOES.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PaP9Ahb0qeBwNYApUf2hyphenhyphenvZ2IPQYFqCY8GVA6s61hSAZ82CAMnLnOPrcrCA5BZdmUAhf4bplSuop3MDXs2Aj3pEma3oEpRKbBxE3Thoq9idAXQcxhvOujTZTij3h1rxw_OLYtMWaEM1alxHYRUXSGslohYfpv5htuVrHbAS8PtlNVfxyCkDw08_dEfs/w300-h400/SHOES.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The Gentle Reader will recognize these as "dad shoes." Many of the old men in my town wear these shoes. I suppose this makes me an old man, too. They are basic, yet they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn in my life. These shoes are without gimmicks which brings me to the main point I want to make in this post.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Gimmick shoes are the ones that have some "extra" thing that makes them better than my plain shoes. These gimmicks also make them more expensive. One of those gimmicks for the last decade has been the minimalist barefoot shoes that promise to promote a more natural foot strike. Runners have taken to these shoes in the vain hope for finding a remedy for their running injuries. I recommend switching to walking. I do not think human beings were designed for long distance running, but I do think they were designed for long distance walking. Aside from a couple of blisters, I have experienced no injuries with walking.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Another gimmick has been the swing to the other extreme with maximalist shoes with gigantic stacked soles. I call these "Frankenstein shoes." I suspect they do help with injuries, but I think they are excessive especially when you look at the price tag.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The other gimmick shoes have weird construction. For instance, shoes with air cushions (and a famous swoosh) work good until you hit a tack. Then, they make a weird sound as you push out air through the puncture with each step. Another new line of shoes have little empty pockets under the sole to act as shock absorbers. Then, there are the rocking chair walking shoes with curved soles that are supposed to help propel you forward with each step. At the end of the day, I want the slab of foam. You can keep the gimmicks which I think are aimed at depriving you of hard earned money.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I suspect that trail shoes are gimmicks, too. I love walking on trails, but I wear the same NB 608 shoes I wear for everywhere else. I noticed early on that trail shoes were essentially the same as the road shoes except with different aesthetics on the upper. Later, they made the soles a bit grippier like off road tires for a truck. This was supposed to help for gnarly and technical terrain. I don't do that type of walking. If I did, I would switch to a good pair of hiking boots. I am not a hiker, so I save my money.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The one thing I do that seems unique to me is that I wear thick socks with my walking shoes. My socks are Thorlos running socks that only come up to the ankle. Here is a picture:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qzQNBi13dP2FgutpPrTCwLl3z49-0dP5WaVVc-cF6qhqgM_2dCJxrF9M-pqml6m9jxm_O1bUoi0fzzT2v85Wr5_Uv1cAUkelsxfxGvOelyGMj9K_kPlirI7YGM1WP-xevzKT8ko-awgz6nsDTcNkTMzK2CivgGQ0fSc_8BkGTlEJ9GZ3FGV9Bx6CFwM/s2592/SOCKS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1944" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qzQNBi13dP2FgutpPrTCwLl3z49-0dP5WaVVc-cF6qhqgM_2dCJxrF9M-pqml6m9jxm_O1bUoi0fzzT2v85Wr5_Uv1cAUkelsxfxGvOelyGMj9K_kPlirI7YGM1WP-xevzKT8ko-awgz6nsDTcNkTMzK2CivgGQ0fSc_8BkGTlEJ9GZ3FGV9Bx6CFwM/w300-h400/SOCKS.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I love these socks. I wear them to protect against rubbing and blisters. They also add another layer of cushion to my dad shoes. My philosophy is that you will do a thing more if you are comfortable doing it. I walk mainly because my shoes and socks are comfortable.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My only beef with shoes is having to buy a new pair every six months. I don't think this fact of life will ever change. Everything has a downside. But this brings me to another thing I like about my New Balance shoes. They don't change. I buy the same brand and model every time in the same color. I may switch colors if they are cheaper, but the basic white ones tend to be the lowest cost. My two pairs of basic shoes each year still cost less than a single pair of gimmick shoes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Shoes and socks come down to individual preference. Some folks like a tighter shoe with thin socks. I think everyone would benefit from finding a basic shoe that is inexpensive paired with a comfortable pair of socks. Aim for comfort. I think that is the most important thing. If you're not comfortable doing it, you will stop doing it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UPDATE: </b>I came across this article on maximalist running shoes aka Frankenstein shoes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>The Padded Paradox: The Cost Of Cushioned Running Shoes</b></div><div><a href="https://www.womensrunning.com/gear/shoes/cost-of-cushioned-running-shoes/">https://www.womensrunning.com/gear/shoes/cost-of-cushioned-running-shoes/</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div><i>Science aside, many runners find that max running shoes feel great—like soft, bouncy moon boots or like the shoe is doing the work for you. But highly cushioned shoes are not actually linked to lower levels of impact than traditional running shoes; in fact, they come with a higher vertical average load rate and vertical instantaneous loading rate—both of which promote overuse injuries like stress fractures and plantar fasciitis, research published in 2015 in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise revealed.</i></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div><i>A 2018 study published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine also showed that runners exhibited increased impact forces and loading rates—variables that have been associated with a higher risk of running-related injuries—in maximal shoes versus neutral shoes. The authors wrote that runners who are new to running in a maximal shoe may be at an increased risk of injury.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>My takeaway from this is that running is always the primary cause of running injuries. The shoes make no difference. This is a good reason to WALK in sensible shoes. Avoid the gimmick shoes.</div></div></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-53420997497272452912023-12-17T00:00:00.096-05:002023-12-17T00:00:00.387-05:00The Tragedy of Micah True<div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor, personal trainer, or healthcare professional. These are just my opinions. Consult a physician before starting any exercise program.</b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I don't want anyone to do anything except come run, party, dance, eat, and hang with us. Running isn't about making people buy stuff. Running should be free, man.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">MICAH TRUE</div><div><br /></div><div>Micah True was 58 when he died. He outlived <a href="https://charliebroadway.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-tragedy-of-jim-fixx.html" target="_blank">Jim Fixx</a> by six years. Like Fixx, True was an avid runner. In fact, he was an extreme ultrarunner and the hero in <i>Born To Run</i> known as "Caballo Blanco." True also died like Fixx from a bad ticker. True's heart was enlarged and showed evidence of scarring. It is the contention of Dr. James O'Keefe that running killed Micah True. I agree with O'Keefe.</div><div><br /></div><div>James O'Keefe presented his argument concerning True's death in this <a href="https://youtu.be/Y6U728AZnV0?si=xJp_aTfL-j1RCw90" target="_blank">Ted Talk</a>. I highly recommend watching the whole thing, but I will summarize it here. It is possible to take endurance exercise too far. You can have too much of a good thing. Micah True was a perfect experiment in this regard as he ran for many years for extremely long distances. True described himself as a "trail running bum" similar to surf bums and climbing bums who spend the bulk of their days pursuing their passions. All that running took a toll on his heart. Naturally, there are those who differ with O'Keefe on this theory. These people are in denial.</div><div><br /></div><div>Exercise is like anything else. You need exercise, but you don't want to overdo that exercise. It is all tied to the dosage. For Micah True, he took an overdose. That shatters a myth that I suspect the editors at a certain running publication would like to keep intact. High mileage running and marathons sell a lot of stuff. I can't help but draw a parallel between these running purveyors and tobacco company executives in <a href="https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a20837686/what-the-latest-excess-exercise-reports-mean/" target="_blank">denial</a> about the hazards of their products. Micah True got it wrong. Running is totally about making people buy stuff.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Gentle Reader already knows where I stand on this issue. I think walking is better than running. Plus, I don't make a red cent off of that opinion. I have no financial conflicts of interest when it comes to this debate. Unfortunately in life, where people stand on things usually depends upon where they are getting their money.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am tempted often to devote a project entirely to a single topic of interest because this would increase traffic to that project and also advertising prospects. Unfortunately, I think being a single topic blogger is a hazard to objectivity. I have the freedom to present the empirical evidence and even change my mind on an issue because I haven't built my living on the thing.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think running is an overrated and oversold activity. Because of this, people pursue it when they shouldn't while others are discouraged by it and remain on the couch. Walking is the middle path. Exercise doesn't have to be extreme to be beneficial.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Show me the bodies.</i></div><div>AMBY BURFOOT</div><div><br /></div><div><b>UPDATE: </b>I have really enjoyed reading the combox comments on the O'Keefe video, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6U728AZnV0" target="_blank">Run for your life! At a comfortable pace, and not too far: James O'Keefe at TEDxUMKC</a>. Here is a selection of the ones I liked the best:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><i>I have been an endurance athlete/triathlete my entire life. My perfect Saturday was a 45-mile bike ride, followed by an 8-mile run with a 5 hours rest afterwards and then an afternoon masters swim chased with several pints at the La Jolla Brewing Co. I always thought that my activity would make me bulletproof, and I'd live to be 100. 2 years ago, after a vigorous masters swim in the lead lane with an ex-olympian, holding times that I would be proud of in my 20's and 30's,- I went home, had a sandwich, sat down at my desk and (with no prior history - family or otherwise) had a heart attack. They told me it was SCAD (Spontaneous Coronary Arterial Dissection) It was a super rare type of heart attack that effects women having a baby (90%) and endurance athletes (10% male). It floored me. I asked my Cardiologist "what caused this?" he said - "I don't know". I asked, "Will it happen again?" he said - "I don't know". I now hang in the back, I am at about 65% of where I was 3 years ago, I take long walks and am enjoying the view from the middle/back of the pack. I'll be 60 next year, and I know my kids would like to see another 40 more.</i></div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>What a wonderfully informative presentation. This avoidance of high intensity for long periods is also shown in Mafetone program. At 63 I thought I had a responsibility to push myself harder to give myself the best shot at a long healthy life. Not now, I am going to keep the intensity down and settle for plenty of low intensity exercise.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>***</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><div>This is one of the best talks when it comes to exercise and safety.</div><div><br /></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Thank you for this lecture. I kind of suspected that the law of diminishing returns, which applies to everything else in life, would apply to exercise as well. Thanks for going over the evidence for this.</div><div><br /></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>I'm an avid walker. I love to walk. Sometimes I even enjoy a nice run or some hill climbs. The runners in my life don't understand. They're into their best time. Training for that next race. We don't understand each other. I walk to lower my stress and be happy. I hope it does good things for my heart.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Much of this information, in bits and pieces, has been around for decades but the good doctor FINALLY puts together a sensible way to look at how we should approach our exercise habits in accordance with the older and, now, the newer research. His presentation style is low-key and comforting...</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Wow. This blew my mind. Completely contrary to what conventional wisdom has fed us for the last 30 years. Thank you for sharing.</div><div><br /></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>I have been an endurance athlete for about 10 years now training for Ironman triathlons off and on...and I have definitely noticed some negative health related things that occur when my training time periods rise above a certain level.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Fantastic talk. I certainly believe our bodies are not designed for endurance sports.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>I felt my heart relaxing while listening to his speech. Nice indeed.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>This opened my eyes a bit. The word I'll take from this is - Moderation! Life in moderation is healthier. Being efficient and optimal is more important than overdoing things. From now on I'll eat moderately, exercise adequately, and enjoy work. Thank you!!</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>everything he said was true and backed by solid data. Thank god we finally have people like this changing the ignorant face of exercise.</div><div><br /></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Brilliant!!! Everything in moderation has always been the best advice.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Amazing! The readers of runners world won't be happy about this study. Apparently for maximum health you should be running 2 times a week, roughly no more than 10-15 miles per week. WOW!</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>This research is consistent with centenarians. For example, Jeanne Calment only rode her bike around town. Not to far and not too fast. She started riding her bike at 3 years old and did so until 110 years old. She lived to 122. The centenarian Greeks also did a lot of low impact exercise such as shepherding sheep up hills.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Years go by, but this speech remains true.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>This is an amazing Ted talk with robust scientific data that shakes the very foundation of endurance athletics . Thanks.</div><div><br /></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>I was a devotee of Jim Fixx; studied his book, "The Complete Book of Running" . And, was shocked when he dropped dead while running. Luckily I never had time to become more compulsive than a couple of half-marathons, and years of 7 miles on the weekends (with, of course 3 mile normals)</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>My friend's husband was a passionate cyclist pushing it every day. Very fit, looking great, full of life, good job as an engineer etc - perfect life you'd think. He died on his bike in his 60s, heart attack... She was absolutely devastated and felt cheated, how come, he was so fit etc... Now we hear more and more of pro athletes collapsing and dying suddenly. I think society is becoming more aware now but we need to take this message further, exercise is like water, you don't hydrate, you die, you overhydrate, you die. That's why I enjoy being a couch pot... no, I'm kidding :) I enjoy mixing my training with strength training, I'll do 20-30min of moderate to high cardio + 20-30 min of strength training. That way I feel good. When I was pushing my cardio too much I noticed I was sick all the time and I didn't feel that well most of the time, usually tired. The problem is that intensive cardio past 50--60 min is like a drug, you get high from it, it feels great for a second, you're the king of the world but like every drug that makes you high, it can be very dangerous.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>By Cracky James O'Keefe just told me that I should be doing exactly what I have been doing, I walk moderately twice a day 40 miniutes and a few other activities. I used to run marathons and exercise like a fanatic, but burned out, good thing too.</div><div><br /></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>GREAT talk by Dr. James O'Keefe. Brings to mind the tragic story of Jimm Fixx = author of the Complete Book of Running - only to die in 1984 from jogging with multivessel disease on autopsy - which is eerily similar to Micah True's story (Caballo Blanco) that Dr. O'Keefe describes. It makes sense that some exercise is good - moderate exercise is better - but extreme exercise (done repetitively without rest) may be fatal.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Kenneth Cooper's "Aerobics" in 1968 was the first wave in the running craze. He cautioned in his book, the benefits of running are many but if you run more than 3.2 miles you are doing it for reasons other than health</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>the middle way is the right way, thank you for sharing this life saving insight</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>The scientific confirmation of the common sense approach to exercise.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>To live intensely can put you in a hospital. The problem is not dying. It's hanging on with diminished health. I'm 74 and walk a lot.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Genius and Common Sense together.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Clearly there is a difference between health and fitness performance.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Not a surprise heavy-duty runners don't like to hear this message. What it doesn't take into account is the pyschological/mental aspects of vigorous exercise. Some people don't want to slow down or reduce the amount of exercise because they don't feel as good as with their current dosage of activity. Hard to go from Type A behavior/personality to Type B. Runners, in particular, often have a hard time "cross-training". They have a hard time getting mental boost from exercise if it's not long enough or fast enough. Often, can't comprehend how they could have underlying health conditions with all of the exercise they get, especially when they feel great. The "invincible" shield takes hold, as seen in some of the previous comments here, where one has the attitude of, "I'm not hurt and I feel awesome, so I can keep doing this for the rest of my life".</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Thanks. I rate this as the best TED talk ever. Evidence-based, sound reasoning, well presented, and taking action on what's presented will have massive benefits to those who do so. Great work! You pulled together a lot of high quality studies into a succinct presentation.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>The 45 people who disliked this video are obviously marathon runners in denial.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Runners will not like this video. However, Caballo Blanco ran 150-160 miles a week, and the state medical examiner’s office has determined the cause of Caballo Blanco's death as idiopathic cardiomyopathy, a heart ailment.</div><div><br /></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>When my father was in his 50's he ran several marathons and ended up being diagnosed with idiopathic cardiomyopathy. Marathon running is not good for the heart.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>very controversial topic but i think theres increasing data to support this guy. as an excercise enthusiast, i hate hearing this stuff too. its a shame but... probably gotta cut it back. 2-3 mile jogs humming along at 8 min/miles several times a week is the way to go. nice moderate pace swims 20-30 mins and that's it.</div><div><br /></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>lol my knees regulate my heart damage. Thank you.</div><div><br /></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>I almost wanted to hate him for his message until he said "Don't shoot the messenger"</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Shared this video with a runner and he wasn't happy.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Why run? Because it feels so good when I stop!</div><div><br /></div></div><div>***</div><div><br /></div><div><div>I hate running,walking is my thing</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></i></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-22142033043434517932023-12-10T00:00:00.003-05:002023-12-10T00:00:00.220-05:00Batman Versus The Punisher<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>In certain extreme situations, the law is inadequate. In order to shame its inadequacy, it is necessary to act outside the law to pursue a natural justice. This is not vengeance. Revenge is not a valid motive. It’s an emotional response. No, not vengeance, punishment.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">FRANK CASTLE aka THE PUNISHER</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On the face of it, Batman and the Punisher are identical characters. Bruce Wayne lost his mother and father to a senseless crime when he was a child. Likewise, Frank Castle lost his family to another senseless crime. Both mourn the loss of their loved ones. The differences between the two men are their responses to crime, and their philosophies about those responses. Yes, these are just comic book characters, but they reflect the real world.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Batman has been tempted to the style of vigilantism of the Punisher. This was shown in the movie, <i>Batman Begins, </i>when Bruce Wayne brought a gun to the courtroom to kill the man that murdered his parents. Instead, someone else kills the man for different reasons cheating Bruce of pulling the trigger himself. Wayne has a moment of clarity and chooses a different path. Without a target, he chooses to go after crime and corruption in general but to also refrain from becoming the thing he is fighting against.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Frank Castle responds by gunning up and inflicting punishment and revenge on the same criminals that Batman fights. The difference is that Castle kills the crimlnals. He is enforcer, judge, jury, and executioner. He takes upon himself the roles that do not belong to him. This is justified because of the "inadequacies" of the system. The Punisher sees himself as the perfect dispenser of justice. I wonder if he hasn't killed some innocent bystanders along the way making him the same as the criminals he kills.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We live in the world of Gotham City right now, and we always have. Crime and corruption have always been with us and will be here until the Second Coming. Until then, we have to preserve the order even if this is imperfect. Batman understands this. His efforts are meant to reinforce what good remains in the urban corruption. The Punisher wants to burn it all down to satisfy something personal inside of himself. The problem is that crime is not the solution to crime.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We have punishers today. These are the ones who take preemptive action against the "guilty." They make broad judgments about entire groups of people, and they scorch the earth in their desire to exterminate the guilty. This already happens in war zones in foreign countries. Many of our service members have chosen to become war criminals. Some even wear the Punisher's symbol on their uniforms and equipment. Stateside, many wish to fulfill their own fantasies of inflicting punishment on criminals without all that due process crap.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Batman is not the same as the Punisher. In the stories I like, Batman works in cooperation with law enforcement as represented by Commissioner Gordon. Batman is not a vigilante so much as a deputy police officer and concerned citizen. His personal decision to not use guns and kill criminals is Batman's way of keeping vigilante impulses in check. Bruce Wayne's personal desire is to hang up the cape and leave it to the authorities. The reality is that your police depend upon the support of the public.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyone can be Batman in our society today. This doesn't require a special costume or a Batmobile. It could be something small as serving on a neighborhood watch and keeping your eyes open to criminal activities. For years, <i>America's Most Wanted</i> put away bad guys by tapping into the power of the public. To a lesser extent, we can be Batman by being good parents, good teachers, and law abiding citizens. Ultimately, law and order are what make the world a better place not vigilantes with guns and anger. Law and order demands good institutions and good people. Undermining these things is counterproductive.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Saint Paul makes this point in Romans 13:1-4,</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Let every soul be subject to higher powers: for there is no power but from God: and those that are, are ordained of God. Therefore he that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. And they that resist, purchase to themselves damnation. For princes are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good: and thou shalt have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to thee, for good. But if thou do that which is evil, fear: for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is God's minister: an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil.</i></div></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div>Authority comes from God especially the authority of law enforcement. The power of the police comes less from their guns than from their badges that represent the special and God ordained function they serve in society. A vigilante like the Punisher undermines all of that. He steals an authority that does not belong to him. Without a basis in God and morality, justice is shredded to bits as violence replaces morality. In the long term, this leads to anarchy and chaos.</div><div><br /></div><div>The vigilante argument is that our institutions and our culture are failing. This is true. Batman deals with this problem in Gotham City. There is nothing light and sunny about Gotham. This is what makes Batman the most realistic comic book. Gotham City is the world corrupted by original sin. This is what makes the Batman myth so appealing to a conservative and a Catholic such as myself. This world will never be Heaven, but you can keep it from becoming Hell.</div><div><br /></div><div>The fundamental difference between Batman and the Punisher is that Batman has patience. The Punisher lacks this patience. Frank Castle just wants immediate satisfaction. We can see this lack of patience at play today. People want to lose their tempers and get stupid. This rashness on their part never solves problems or makes things better. They just make things worse. It also fundamentally tells God that you can do a better job than the Almighty.</div><div><br /></div><div>The last thing about the Punisher is an inability to acknowledge his own need to be moral and upright. At the end of the day, Frank Castle is just a criminal with a different agenda. He's not the good guy. He is called an "antihero" because he kills killers. And that is what galls people. It is the idea that even criminals are made in the image of God and deserving of some basic level of dignity. The Punisher does not believe this. Along the way, he loses his own soul. He becomes that which he hates. Castle is a tragic figure in this regard.</div><div><br /></div><div>Don't be the Punisher. Be Batman. Make the world a better place instead of settling the score. Leave justice to the authorities. Leave vengeance to God.</div></div></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-21880377366585354212023-12-03T00:00:00.006-05:002023-12-03T03:12:00.027-05:00Overrated/Underrated<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>I think happiness is overrated. Satisfied, at peace-those would be more realistic goals.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">BRAD PITT</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Something is overrated when it does not live up to the hype it receives. That doesn't make it a bad thing. It just means that it does not live up to expectations because those expectations were too high. Conversely, a thing that is underrated is a pleasant surprise. It did not receive the credit it deserves. Here are some things I find overrated and underrated.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>OVERRATED: Carhartt</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Carhartt makes good stuff, but it carries the reputation of indestructibility that is undeserved. Aside from double knee duck canvas pants, Carhartt pants last about as long as a pair of Dockers. I bought some pairs back in 2012, and they were disintegrated by the end of the decade. They were comfortable, and I did not wear them for work but just for casual wear.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UNDERRATED: Dickies</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I bought some Dickies pants for work back in 2005. I still have those pants and still wear them. There has been some light mending and a patch or two, but those pants have been indestructible. These would be the polyester pants they make like the 874. When it comes to work wear for actual work, you can't go wrong with Dickies.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>OVERRATED: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Ever since the beginning of UFC back in the nineties, every bro on the planet has looked to BJJ as the ticket to badassery in the fighting arts and for self-defense. BJJ is fine for MMA competitions but is horrible for real world self-defense. I watched one video of a BJJ black belt who weighed 155 roll with an untrained opponent who was almost 7 foot tall and 450 pounds. The big guy owned the little guy. In another video, an untrained karate guy beat an opponent at BJJ simply by standing up. Basically, if you refuse to grapple with a BJJ guy, they can't do anything with you. Finally, who wants to roll with a dude in a filthy and dangerous parking lot with the possibility that his friends may join in the action and kick your head in? I also don't see women using BJJ for self-defense against stronger and bigger men. BJJ is a sport not a system for self-defense.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UNDERRATED: Krav Maga</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Krav Maga is my placeholder for all real world self-defense systems including those that don't carry the Krav Maga name. For me, Krav Maga is more of a philosophy than a system which allows additions, innovations, and variations as its founder, Imi Lichtenfeld envisioned it. Keyboard warriors will claim that Krav Maga doesn't work. When does an eye gouge or a kick to the groin not work? Finally, what does work? BJJ? I go with the system used by the IDF, the military, and the police around the world. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>OVERRATED: The Keurig Coffeemaker</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Convenience is expensive. The Keurig is proof of this. This overpriced machine with its pricey and wasteful K-cups takes the same coffee you could brew with a Mr. Coffee and makes it easy to make a single cup without having to use a measuring spoon. That small inconvenience is all that you're skipping. Meanwhile, instant coffee is there for people who want that single cup without the expense. You will need to measure the instant coffee with the same spoon you will use to stir the cream and sugar. The Keurig exists for the stupid and the lazy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UNDERRATED: The Chemex</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Chemex is a big glass bottle and a paper funnel. It is not a convenient way to make coffee, but I think it makes the most delicious cup you can get with pour over coffee. It even does a good job making cheap coffee taste good. It is also more sanitary and easier to clean than a machine.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>OVERRATED: Literary fiction</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have read both Steinbeck and Hemingway. I don't see the big deal about their stories. When literature becomes "art," it means it is boring and empty. I won't say the same for works produced before the 20th century like Twain or Melville or Dumas. In those days, people just wrote stuff people wanted to read. They weren't trying to win a Nobel Prize.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UNDERRATED: Genre fiction</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">The biggest selling writer of the last century is Agatha Christie. She is second to the Holy Bible in terms of sales. I doubt any English professors are lecturing on her work. The same goes for Tolkien, Spillane, and L'Amour. Like it or not, genre fiction is what people want to read. People enjoy those stories. They are beloved.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>OVERRATED: Arnold Schwarzenegger</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">This guy only made two good movies in his life playing a homicidal robot. The rest of his catalog of work pales in comparison. Yet, he is considered the king of action movies.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UNDERRATED: Kurt Russell</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Kurt Russell is now getting respect for his body of outstanding work. <i>Big Trouble in Little China</i> is his best work, but he shined in everything else he has ever done. As far as I know, he did it all without steroids or a martial arts black belt. Kurt is the blue collar action hero for the rest of us.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>OVERRATED: Sherlock Holmes</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When people think of detectives, Sherlock Holmes springs immediately to mind with the pipe and the deerstalker cap. Holmes is the classic genius detective who solves cases with superior intellect. His feats are amazing, but he is not so likable as a character even with his eccentricities.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UNDERRATED: Columbo</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Lt. Columbo played by Peter Falk is my favorite detective. This is because he is fundamentally blue collar with the raincoat, cigar, and junky car. Columbo solves cases not by genius but by not giving up. He comes across as dumb, but he simply keeps asking questions until he gets the answers. He is also humble and down to earth. The Columbo shows are a real joy to watch.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>OVERRATED: Jeeps</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I am talking about the classic Army style jeeps not the modern SUVs. These offroad vehicles are horrible to drive and are worthless for getting work done. They exist primarily as toys for people who go into the wilderness to flip them over and get them stuck somewhere.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UNDERRATED: Work trucks</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">These trucks could be Fords, Dodges, Chevys, Toyotas, Nissans, etc. The thing they have in common is plainness and utility. This is opposed to the shiny new versions of these vehicles that people drive as status symbols. Go to the parking lot at Lowe's or Home Depot to see some real work trucks. If you're worried about getting a scratch on it, it isn't a work truck.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>OVERRATED: Netflix</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Netflix is like the Keurig. It is convenient but expensive. You get to watch movies at your convenience unless they are on another streaming service. Otherwise, you are paying rent on entertainment with most of it not worth watching. You also need great internet. Good luck if you live in the country.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UNDERRATED: DVDs</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">When DVDs came out, I climbed aboard. I already loved CDs, so I was a natural fit for DVDs. I like physical media especially used DVDs from the thrift store. We have a library of these videos that we watch at our convenience, and the price is less than a streaming service. DVDs are taking a hit as people move to streaming, but I think people will come back to the discs just like they have with vinyl records, cassette tapes, CDs, and physical books.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>OVERRATED: Apple Macbooks</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Apple is more of a cult than a company. I think they make overpriced junk products they sell to a bunch of brainwashed fools. The Macbook is the best product the company makes because you can use it for work. It costs thousands depending upon which version you get and becomes worthless in two years.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UNDERRATED: Chromebooks</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Chromebooks are derided for not being real computers, but they are a fraction of the cost of a Macbook and enables you to do what most people use computers for which is going on the internet. They boot up fast and last a long time. You can get expensive and durable versions, but we had one that lasted over 7 years that was the basic plastic model made by Samsung.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>OVERRATED: Disneyworld</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I lived for 5 years in Orlando, Florida, and I never went to Disneyworld. I am not a kid, and I find the park ridiculous and stupid. This was before it went totally woke. Now, I wouldn't even recommend it for families. Additionally, the bulk of your time will be spent standing in line trying not to soil your pants as the wait time exceeds the capacity of your bladder and colon.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UNDERRATED: Gatorland</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">I joke that Gatorland is Redneck Disneyworld. I think they may have jazzed up the place over the years, but I remember it being a quiet place filled with snakes and gators who just sort of sat there doing nothing. There are some shows with gator wrestling, but I found that I enjoyed just looking at animals that could kill me. Gatorland began a love in me for roadside attractions that are kitschy and cheap fun.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That's it for Overrated/Underrated. I think I will have future installments of this type of thing. Be sure to tune in again, and don't fall for the hype.</div></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-82778000434003941442023-11-26T00:00:00.003-05:002023-11-26T00:00:00.135-05:00Need Versus Greed<div style="text-align: center;"><i>And that no man overreach, nor circumvent his brother in business: because the Lord is the avenger of all these things, as we have told you before, and have testified.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">1 THESSALONIANS 4:6 DOUAY-RHEIMS</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I prefer the Douay-Rheims translation because it gives the proper Catholic understanding of Scripture. This is because of a truth I learned decades ago at a Protestant seminary. There is no translation without interpretation. If you read a Protestant Bible, you will get the Protestant translation. If you read a Catholic Bible, you will get the Catholic translation. This verse is one of those verses.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The King James Version translates this verse this way:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><i>That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.</i></div></div></blockquote><p> The New King James translates the verse this way:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i>that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.</i></p></blockquote><p> The New International Version translates the verse this way:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p><i>and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before.</i></p></blockquote><p>All of these verses are similar, but they are not the same. The Protestant versions caution against defrauding someone. The Catholic version cautions against monopolistic behavior. You can see how the Protestant translations evolved in their interpretation. When you consider the Protestant and the Catholic attitudes towards business and commerce, you can see why they have different translations. It is the case of need versus greed.</p><p>Despite the claims of modernist heretics in the Church espousing liberation theology, Catholicism has always opposed communism. The right to own property is part of natural law. The commandment to not steal implies that one can own something. But Catholicism also opposes the monopolistic tendencies of those who go beyond owning something to owning everything.</p><p>The final end of material wealth is to meet material needs. Imagine if some company could lay claim to the air itself which is free and charge people a fee for breathing. This seems ludicrous, yet this is exactly what companies have done with water, land, petroleum, and other free things they did not create. It is so bad that they have made it illegal in some states to harvest rainwater. Then, when a business can't own a resource, they pollute the hell out of it. When you can't drink the water or breathe the air, this is a crime. Even the owner of the offending business should want to drink clean water and breathe clean air.</p><p>The problem we have today is that anyone who criticizes capitalism and business gets hit with the Marxist label. You can be a capitalist and still criticize capitalism. Everyone has the right to make a profit but not at the expense of his brother. Yet, this is precisely what many businesses do. And when they can't do it in one country that says enough, they move their operations overseas where they can get away with this dirty business.</p><p>There are limits to what you can own. Commies want you to own nothing. Dirty businesses want to own everything. Catholics believe you should own what you need in order to live.</p><p>A fellow once told me that he was trying to make a living not make a killing. That stuck with me. I believe in making a living. I don't believe in making a killing. I didn't really settle on this until after my conversion to Catholicism. The irony is that I have done better materially after making that switch from my libertarian mindset.</p><p>People who are extremely pro-capitalism will deride contentment as making one soft and lazy. Greed is good. It motivates and innovates and blah blah blah. Here is the Gordon Gekko speech from <i>Wall Street</i>:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you very much.</i></p></blockquote><p>This speech was based on an actual speech by Ivan Boesky. Both Gekko and Boesky would serve time for their crimes. Yet, their respective speeches would make Ayn Rand proud because they championed both capitalism and selfishness. Neither one of these two was content with what they had. They always wanted more.</p><p>Greed is not good. This is why it is listed in the seven deadly sins. The rapacious hunger for money and material things is one of the surest paths to poverty. The lack of contentment I see among friends and family members is what drives them to live paycheck to paycheck even when they make six figure salaries. They have to earn more which leads to them spending more requiring them to earn more. This creates a vicious cycle that has no end.</p><p>Companies engage in the same vicious cycle. They prosper by doing good business until the greed drives them to increase profits by doing dirty business. This is why you can't buy a decent can opener anymore because the company decided it was more profitable for them to stick it to the customers by making lower quality products. In the long run, customers turn away from that business to find what they need. I know I did.</p><p>Good business is good business. You can't run a good business on greed. That is a libertarian lie. This is why some of the best businesses belong to people who tend to be hippie types. I don't think these people are heroes necessarily, but they do eschew greed for the sake of other goals. Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia is a prominent example. Patagonia eschews greed and remains profitable. That is not supposed to happen, but it does.</p><p>Another quip I heard was this. "Pigs get fed while hogs get slaughtered." Basically, it is enough to be profitable. Going beyond this profitably involves increased risks and potential disaster. You see this with Facebook's failures with creating a metaverse. That was a dumb idea. At some point, you pay a dividend to your shareholders in concession to reality.</p><p>I see need as the driver of progress and not greed. Successful businesses satisfy needs. Unsuccessful businesses fail when they seek to satisfy their greed.</p><p>How much is enough? That is a hard question to answer. Needs are finite. Once present needs are met, you have to consider future needs. It is enough to eat today and to eat tomorrow. Beyond that, you are working to meet someone else's needs. This might be your family, your grandchildren, the poor, or what have you. Contentment naturally leads to generosity. Greed does not. Greed turns wants into needs and never finds satisfaction for itself.</p><p>I am a capitalist and will always be a capitalist. But I believe in clean business not dirty business. Businesses and individuals should focus on meeting needs not feeding greed. No business can last long without a profit, but profit is the byproduct of success. It is not success itself. A dirty business can be profitable for a season but not forever. Consequently, it is not successful in the same way that a bank robber or a lottery winner is not successful. Luck and theft are not winning strategies.</p><p>Good business takes a holistic view of things with an eye towards sustainability over the long haul. Quality and morality matter in business. I don't know any customer that wants to be robbed or deceived. Unfortunately, our culture today gives all the incentives to dirty business while punishing good business. This needs to change.</p>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-17109317846799556302023-11-19T00:00:00.001-05:002023-11-19T00:00:00.270-05:00The Generalist and the Specialist<div style="text-align: center;"><i>A jack of all trades is a master of none, but often times better than a master of one.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (?)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have seen this quotation attributed to Shakespeare, but I couldn't say for sure that Billy Boy made this quip in any of his works. It doesn't matter because it is true. It serves as both compliment and insult. It also begs the question. Is it better to be a generalist or a specialist?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This topic came back to my mind a few weeks ago when we took a friend to the auto body place to inspect her wrecked vehicle. The car was totaled, and the guy told her that she could go ahead and get her things out of the car and take her license plate. I reached into my pocket and took out the small Leatherman Squirt multitool I carry on my key chain and opened the screwdriver attachment to remove the plate. It struck me how handy these multitools can be especially when one of them is all you have. It made me resolve to get a larger Leatherman to carry on my belt.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Leatherman multitool is the best symbol I have of the value of being a generalist. The Leatherman is truly the jack of all tools. It is not the best of tools, but it is very handy when you need it. It certainly saves you a trip back to the toolbox to get the specialized tool. I have seen many fellows who carry one regularly on their person.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I would never use a Leatherman to overhaul an engine, plumb a house, or chop firewood. When it comes to certain tasks, the specialized tool is the only one that will do. Anyone who thinks he can replace a box of tools with a Leatherman is a fool. By the same token, you can't carry that box of tools in your pocket.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The same principle is at play when it comes to what you choose to do in life. Many folks come to the crossroads in life when they have to choose to be a generalist or to become a specialist. This choice comes with reward and regret. Neither choice is the right one or the wrong one because they have their upsides and downsides.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The upside of becoming a specialist is that it is much easier to focus on doing one thing well. It can also be more lucrative. The downside is that you may also be unemployed or become unemployable if your one thing becomes obsolete or can be done by a machine. I have seen this happen to specialists in my lifetime. They go from being rich to becoming broke.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The upside of becoming a generalist is that it makes you more employable and more useful. The downside is that generalists usually don't make as much as specialists even if they are always employed. There is less downside risk in being a generalist, but there is also less upside reward. If you're a narcissist, you probably won't be able to handle being a generalist.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Another aspect of the specialist/generalist debate is personal fulfillment. Specialization leads to boredom. Generalists are never bored. It takes more work and intelligence to be competent at various tasks than to be supremely gifted and trained for one task. Specialists make up for this lack of stimulation by seeking out competition. It becomes a game to them. When there is competition, there are egos. Generalists oppose this competitive spirit and tend towards humility.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Some people will argue that you can be both a generalist and a specialist at the same time. I disagree. I'm not sure what drives this crazy idea except a naive belief that you can have it both ways. You can't. As a golfer relative of mine once told me, he was never going to make the PGA tour while holding down a day job. I did not doubt him. Likewise, you're never going to make the top grades necessary for Harvard Medical School while also tending bar. You need rich parents for that which is why wealth has a way of perpetuating itself.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It may sound like I am selling the generalist path since I am biased on this topic, but I strive to be evenhanded in my discussion here. I appreciate the fact that my eye doctor specialized in his field, and I chose him based upon that expertise and ratings. I wanted the best guy to cut on my eyes. When you get your sight back, it makes you appreciate specialists.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Specialists are good for the world in general, but specialization is not so good for the individual. If my eye doctor developed a tremor in his hand or his own vision problems, then he better have a good financial planner looking after his money. The general practitioner doesn't have the same risks. This is why the path of the generalist looks better over the long haul. That path seems more certain and secure even if it is less lucrative.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Certain fields and endeavors tend to favor the generalist over the specialist. For instance, all blue collar jobs and trades favor the generalist. I have never known a plumber who didn't know a bit of carpentry, drywall repair, and electrical wiring as these come into contact with his profession. And if his van breaks down, he will not hesitate to pop the hood on that thing. I doubt the computer programmer wastes any time learning about the electrical wiring powering his machine.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the military, specialists favor the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force as all three of those branches have specialized jobs for those who score high on their tests. The Marine Corps tends to favor the generalist who is primarily an infantryman who can learn additional skills as needed. As the Corps puts it, "Every Marine is, first and foremost, a Rifleman." This applies even to the desk jockey pushing a pencil. This is also why the Marines have been reluctant to provide personnel to the spec ops community because this requires specialization and a loss of those Marines to the service of other departments and missions. Turning these generalists into specialists also hurts morale as this brings in competition with many wanting to become special operators. Once you become a special operator, you don't want to go back to peeling potatoes and cleaning latrines.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the world of sports and fitness, you will notice certain physiques serve certain functions. Basketball players tend to be tall, lean, and athletic. Marathon runners tend to be skinny and light with great aerobic capacity. Cyclists tend to be skinny and light from the waist up and muscled from the waist down. Bodybuilders are human statues while powerlifters are slabs of meat able to exert great strength. The generalist in the physique category would be the rugby player who is strong in the upper and lower body, heavy in weight, lean in muscle, and possessing the same aerobic capacity as a soccer player but the same strength as an American football player. I think the Rugby player physique is the most functional for general activities and life. They are the Leatherman tools of athletes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the world of academics and the mind, the generalist will simply be well read in all of the basic subjects of history, literature, philosophy, science, etc. He will not be a polymath or Renaissance Man like Leonardo da Vinci since this requires the same level of performance as a specialist but across multiple disciplines. Basically, a polymath is a master of all instead of one. I don't know if this is feasible in our day and time as knowledge has increased exponentially but not the time in which to learn it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I think to be a generalist requires a real desire to follow that path. People motivated by greed or an aversion to work are not going to take this path. I have tried to recall generalists from my work or life that I have encountered, but my mind is drawing a blank. I remember one fellow who was fond of saying, "That's not in my job description." He did not possess a robust work ethic. Unfortunately, most followed his example.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Personally, I choose the generalist path. I'm not particularly good at one thing, but I am competent at many things and flexible enough to adapt to new things when needed. But I have learned one great lesson from specialists. If you are bad at something, you shouldn't do it at all. It is better to pay someone to do it right than pay them to do it right after you messed it up. Generalists should know when to let the specialists take over.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The key for the generalist is competence. The generalist knows that he needs to perform to a certain level of satisfaction but not more. A generalist can be a short order cook but not a French chef. A generalist can be an EMT or paramedic but not a surgeon. This is why being a generalist requires humility. You have to know what you can do competently and also what you shouldn't do at all. You leave the higher level stuff to the specialists.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I do not believe it is better to be either a generalist or a specialist. Each path has its upsides and its downsides. You have to decide for yourself which path fits your skills, talents, and personality. What is best is what will be best for you. Also know, you will always feel regret whichever path you take. You can't have it all which is the most important lesson in this debate. Learn to live with that brutal fact of life.</div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-90350547262391174432023-11-16T21:59:00.001-05:002023-11-16T22:02:13.498-05:002 Recent Articles Related To Walking<div style="text-align: left;"><b>DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor, personal trainer, or healthcare professional. These are just my opinions. Consult a physician before starting any exercise program.</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The vogue for counting steps springs from a work ethic gone wild, a need always to be meeting goals.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">KATIE ROIPHE</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I recently read two articles related to walking that pertain to points I have made here at the C-Blog. The first deals with fitness trackers. The second deals with the debate about walking vs. running.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><b>Confession of a Failed Steps Fanatic</b></div><div><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/personalfinance/confession-of-a-failed-steps-fanatic/">https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/personalfinance/confession-of-a-failed-steps-fanatic/</a></div><div><br /></div><div>I came across this article in the dead tree version of the <i>Wall Street Journal</i>. I figured it would be behind the paywall on the internet, but I was fortunate to find this version for free on the MSN website. The gist of the article deals with the obsessive/compulsive nature of using pedometer devices like the FitBit. Here is a great quotation from the piece:</div><div><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The vogue for step counting seems to spring from our obsession with productivity, our work ethic gone wild, our need to be always accomplishing and meeting goals, or else we are lost, adrift. (The apotheosis of this impulse to maximize efficiency is probably the treadmill desk.) It may also be that unlike global warming, political chaos, pandemics, wildfires, disease and the inevitable deterioration of our own bodies, steps are one thing we can control.</i></div></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div>The keyword here is <i>obsession.</i> I don't think Thoreau walked with this kind of obsession, and I can't picture him ever wearing a FitBit. I understand that having an obsessive-compulsive disorder is a great motivator for walking fitness, and this may be the only way some people will ever get out the door. But I think it takes much of the joy out of walking and life.</div><div><br /></div><div>I walk with a Casio G-Shock with a timer that beeps. I use this watch to let me know when to go back inside. Otherwise, my daydreams would keep me outside longer than I need to be. I don't quantify my walks except that I did my walk for the day. I do not keep a log of my walking or post my stats to the Strava website. This is because I do not want to feed that quantitative side of me that leads to comparisons with others or doing dangerous things like walking in a lightning storm to get my steps in. I am not a steps fanatic.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Is running better than walking? New research says yes</b></div></div><div><div><b>You can finally conclusively win those arguments with your non-running buddies</b></div></div><div><a href="https://runningmagazine.ca/health-nutrition/is-running-better-than-walking-new-research-says-yes/">https://runningmagazine.ca/health-nutrition/is-running-better-than-walking-new-research-says-yes/</a></div><div><br /></div><div>This article is in the <i>Canadian Running Magazine</i> and references research featured in <i>The New York Times</i>. The gist of the article is that running gives greater fitness benefits than walking. I have already given my opinions on the topic <a href="https://charliebroadway.blogspot.com/2022/08/walking-is-better-than-running.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Why is there a giddy reaction over this research which says nothing new while leaving a lot of stuff unsaid? As the article puts it, "Here’s what you need to know to win all the walking vs. running debates with your friends." I am unaware of these debates mainly because I don't have any running friends. I do have many walking friends, and they do not care about runners.</div><div><br /></div><div>The reason a running magazine would trumpet this research is no mystery. Running magazines sell the activity of running and related products and services. Anything that boosts running matters to their bottom line. Anything that undermines running (like walking) is not going to see publication in the magazine. The fact they even mentioned walking at all tells me the editors of this magazine must be worried and concerned.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are some facts that I do not dispute. Generally, an hour of running burns more calories than walking. It also burns more calories than cycling or swimming. Running, cycling, and swimming all burn more calories than walking. And what beats running? High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT burns more calories than running while also boosting endurance and strength. I won't even go into the calorie burn of sprinting, rock climbing, stair climbing, and on and on. The bottom line is that walking is definitely on the gentle side of the exercise menu. This is the reason I enjoy it so much.</div><div><br /></div><div>What makes running so awful are the injuries. This part gets no mention in the article. That is the real debate here. I would rather walk an hour each day and do it again the next day than run for half an hour and hope to be healed up enough from whatever injuries I encounter to do it again the following week. The high injury rate among runners is undisputed.</div><div><br /></div><div>This bring us to the longevity argument. The article claims that running boosts VO2 max which is a marker for fitness and longevity. As the article states, "VO2 max, a measurement of how much oxygen your body uses during regular exercise, is a helpful standard for assessing fitness and predicting life span." The keyword here is <i>predicting.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>The reality is that research shows otherwise. CBS News had an article entitled <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/too-much-running-tied-to-shorter-lifespan-studies-find/" target="_blank">Too much running tied to shorter lifespan, studies find</a>, which stated, "The researchers behind the newest study on the issue say people who get either no exercise or high-mileage runners both tend to have shorter lifespans than moderate runners." Basically, the high mileage runner lives about as long as the couch potato. The recommendation is for moderate running.</div><div><br /></div><div>What is moderate running? The CBS article says, "In O'Keefe's view, the 'sweet spot' for jogging for health benefits is a slow to moderate pace, about two or three times per week, for a total of one to 2.5 hours." That does not sound like a ringing endorsement for running. The irony is that <i>Canadian Running </i>referenced this <a href="https://runningmagazine.ca/health-nutrition/short-runs-still-have-major-health-benefits-research-says/" target="_blank">article</a> that said the same thing as the CBS article but puts a more positive spin on it. At this point, you start to suspect that someone is fibbing on this information.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will tell you what I think is the truth here in this research. Running high mileage at a fast pace will shorten your life. I think this is because of the sustained stress placed on the heart. I am not a doctor or a scientist, but the literature on the subject indicates to me that this is the case. The slow and infrequent jogger is probably safe from this risk.</div><div><br /></div><div>The real debate comes down to slow jogging versus fast walking. Jogging seems to offer increased cardiovascular benefit at the cost of increased injury. Power walking seems to offer almost as much cardio benefit but without injury. Additionally, increased steps results in increased fitness.</div><div><br /></div><div>My bottom line is that running in all its forms, durations, and intensities is not worth the injuries. The better way is to walk with a preference for duration and intensity. All things considered, a long brisk walk beats a slow jog. I suspect the editors at <i>Canadian Running</i> already know this.</div></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-62433710465503993472023-11-12T00:00:00.001-05:002023-11-12T00:00:00.142-05:00Unpopular Strategies<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Culture eats strategy for breakfast.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">PETER DRUCKER</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the debates that I follow online is till vs. no-till. This will be boring to the average reader, but it is a hot topic among gardeners. I am in the no-till camp, but that is not the topic of this blog post. I noticed that in this discussion no one mentions my favorite garden strategy which is lasagna gardening. They will mention other no-till strategies, but lasagna gardening is not one of them. Why is this? I have come to the conclusion that culture is the culprit.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have mentioned before how most of my strategies tend to not be popular strategies. I don't choose these strategies because of their unpopularity, but I do see that unpopularity as a signpost now. Generally, my strategies are unpopular, yet they will possess a small but devoted following. This devotion comes from the fact that it works. Beyond that, no one else is buying it. Yet, they will subscribe to failing or difficult strategies in droves. You would figure that failure and defeat would make these bad strategies unpopular, but they don't. What is short circuiting the reasoning of the herd? It is the culture.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Culture overrides reason. People will ignore their own common sense and go with the popular option. The best example I can give on this is the plant based diet. The research on this is overwhelming, and you know it in your gut. Eating vegetables is good for you. Eating meat is not. Yet, the vegan diet is DOA and has been DOA for decades. I have even convinced a few people to try it, and they experienced the positive effects in as little as three days. They all gave up to go back to suffering and eating crap. Invariably, they turn to some low carb meat diet and experience explosive diarrhea followed by constipation. They will endure all of that to do what everyone knows is stupid. Why?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Atkins diet was popular. Then, people turned to the Paleo diet which was a caveman redressing of Atkins. Then, the Keto diet became the hot thing which was simply another version of the same diet. Now, the Carnivore diet is becoming the new thing. All of this low carb nonsense is driven by culture and not common sense. Meanwhile, vegan restaurants and products go out of business left and right. The surest path to bankruptcy is to open a vegan eatery.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I wish bacon was healthy, but it isn't. It's just tasty. Spaghetti is also tasty, but these low carbers will ditch pasta without hesitation. It isn't about flavor but culture. I know because the vegan diet has made me the most antisocial person I know because I can't share a meal with someone. This is why I prefer to have a coffee with someone at Dunkin' Donuts.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I am adept at ignoring the culture and the rest of the herd when it comes to these things. I can't pinpoint when this began with me. I just remember a time in high school when I didn't care to fit in anymore. I stopped caring what other people thought about me. After a lifetime of this apathy, I feel as if I live in a culture of idiots. There is a strength in this but also a danger.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The first danger is that you may think that every maverick is on the right path. I don't think that at all. Our society has plenty of mavericks, but they represent a different flavor of idiot.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The second danger is that you think you are on the right path because you are a maverick. I don't think this whatsoever. I can ignore the herd but defying the herd requires reason not chutzpah. Oftentimes, the herd is exactly right. You just need to know when the herd is wrong, so you can take a different path.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The third danger is exchanging one herd for another. People who buck the majority will try and find what they lost in a minority of likeminded people. This is when the tests for "purity" come out. I learn to ignore this idiocy as well.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My advice is to focus on your strategy. You get knocked off strategy when you lose your confidence. This usually comes as the herd mocks you. They may or may not catch on to what you're doing. It shouldn't matter. 2 + 2 = 4 despite what the herd may think.</div></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-1332334190242059802023-11-05T00:00:00.032-04:002023-11-05T00:00:00.141-04:00Fighters and Quitters<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">STEVE PREFONTAINE</div><div><br /></div><div>The conventional wisdom divides the world into winners and losers. That dichotomy has never agreed with me, but I have always been at a loss to replace it with something better. Then, it hit me one day. There are no winners and losers. There are only fighters and quitters.</div><div><br /></div><div>The day it hit me came when the property manager at our apartment complex made a comment about my humble efforts to walk the path around the courtyard after my brain injury. She told my wife that I was a "fighter." I didn't feel like a fighter at the time. I felt like a tragic loser. I had to make the choice between "try" and "wait to die." So, I chose to try. That choice and the subsequent efforts made me a fighter instead of a quitter.</div><div><br /></div><div>That episode showed to me the ridiculous nature of the winner vs. loser dichotomy. Being a winner or a loser is what the world says about you. Anyone can be a winner. Most everyone is a loser. Being a fighter is when you choose to stay in the struggle of life instead of giving up. Fighters become indifferent to winning and losing. What matters most is not quitting.</div><div><br /></div><div>I divide the world into fighters and quitters. A fighter is the paraplegic who decides that the wheelchair is not the end of his life. The quitter is the young man who retreats to his parents' basement to escape the cruelty of the world. Circumstances are not what make you a fighter or a quitter. Your decisions are what make you fighter or a quitter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fathers push their sons to become winners, but this backfires on them spectacularly. The sons experience failure early and opt to quit instead of fight. The blowhard dad calls his son a loser, and the son agrees with him. The rest is tragic.</div><div><br /></div><div>The better way is for fathers to teach their sons to be fighters instead of quitters. You carry on in the face of defeat and failure. Those setbacks are just an inescapable part of life. Those things defy you, but they don't define you.</div><div><br /></div><div>I refuse to call someone a loser. But I will call that person a quitter. I see a generation of quitters today. The world has tainted the well with that winner/loser poison turning so many into quitters. At any moment, they can turn into fighters. They simply have to will it.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know when I became a fighter. My life has been a real disaster, and I have wanted to give up more times than I can count. I haven't given up. I have faith in God who strengthens me. That is ultimately why I am a fighter. My only requirement in life is to not quit.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't care about winning or losing. I only care about not quitting. God will handle the winning. I choose to stay in the fight. I only have one rule to follow. Do not quit.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>UPDATE: </b>One of the great examples I can give about fighters and quitters is the movie, <i>Rocky</i>. My wife had never seen the movie before, so we decided to watch it for our movie night. She liked the movie until the ending where Rocky loses. She wanted him to win. That was the feel good ending, but that ending is too easy and not realistic. Was Rocky a loser at the end of the fight? Yes, but we don't care. Rocky was a loser, but he was a fighter. He refused to quit. He wanted to go the distance, and he did.</div><div><br /></div><div>Most of the time, winning and losing is not up to us. It is not in our power to win. The only things truly in our power are fighting and quitting. When you fight, you may not win. When you quit, you always lose.</div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-9143436603856070502023-10-29T00:00:00.022-04:002023-11-02T08:15:41.062-04:00Sensibility and the Information Buffet<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">HERBERT SIMON</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">There has always been a wealth of information. We like to think that our age somehow developed a surplus of information, but we didn't. A newsstand from 1953 contained more information than you could read in a year. The reason no one attempted it is because you had to pay money for that information. As for people staring into their smartphones, they were doing the same thing back in the day with their newspapers, magazines, and paperback novels. Nothing has fundamentally changed except the price of that information. You had to pay for those publications. Today, you pay for internet and cellphone access while the information is virtually limitless and free. It is a buffet, and some people attempt the all-you-can-eat challenge. This is stupid.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">People tend to spend more to dine at the all-you-can-eat buffet than at a traditional restaurant thinking they will bust the establishment in the head by eating twice or three times the amount of food. The reality is that they will consume an amount only slightly larger than they normally do. If you pay three times the normal cost but only eat 1.5 times the normal amount of food, they busted you in the head. Yet, people keep lining up for those buffets. Why?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The answer to that question is obvious. People's imaginations are stronger than their observations. A classic example of this is Netflix. I used to have a Netflix membership when they sent you DVDs in the mail. I filled up my queue of movies and proceeded to watch them as they arrived. I would spend entire weekends binge watching stuff until I got sick of it. Before long, I would have a Netflix DVD collecting dust on the coffee table and paying $10 or whatever it was per month for what turned out to be a coaster. What I thought I was going to watch turned out to be way less than I imagined. I made a personal queue of what I actually wanted to watch versus what I could watch, and it was only a handful of movies. I did the math, and it was just cheaper for me to buy the 2 or 3 good movies on DVD that came out each year than pay rent on all the crap that was available on Netflix. I cancelled Netflix. The fact that it is a streaming service now only makes it worse. You are saving them the postage while paying for the higher bandwidth internet. They've got a great scam going there.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Streaming services are an entertainment buffet sort of like cable television. Many people are waking up on cable TV and cutting the cord. I know we did. We watch TV over the air on a $9 antenna. We don't do Roku or Chromecast or Prime or any of that garbage you have to buy. I don't watch much TV except as a weekend treat because the visual processing messes with my TBI. We watch old westerns and <i>Columbo </i>right now. Watching too much television makes me ill.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When I apply a quality test to the content, there's not much worth watching. Life is too short to waste on bad movies and television shows. The quantity is off the chain. OAB TV is not the same as the four channels we got when I was a kid with the fourth channel being PBS. Broadcast television has almost as much content as basic cable television except you don't have to pay for it. I'm not going to watch something just because it is free. That brings us to the internet.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Like the old newsstand, they upload more videos and content in a single hour on the internet than you could consume in your entire life. I find the sheer bulk of this information to be overwhelming. It becomes less overwhelming when you apply a quality filter. Just because they produce it doesn't mean you have to consume it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I am better than most on this issue for two reasons. The first is that I do not own a smartphone. The second is that I do not have any social media accounts. Those two things alone will allow you to get back much of your time and attention. Still, I developed a bad habit that goes back almost two decades. I was maintaining a digital hoard with my feed reader.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I was a fan of the Google Reader when it first appeared and think it was one of the greatest services they ever offered. The Google folks discovered that the Reader was hurting their other ventures like Google+. The fact is that a feed reader allows you to choose what you want to see versus what they want you to see. Regardless, they killed the Reader, and I went to Feedly. They were generous with their service until they cut the the number of feeds you could have on the free version of their application and on the paid version. So, I looked at Inoreader and paid for an unlimited subscription which I abused.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I never looked at the vast majority of my feed subscriptions which were in the thousands. I was OK because following the feed was enough to make me think I was actually reading the content. I was deluding myself with this nonsense. I was at the information buffet but only eating the same few dishes I actually liked. It hit me that this behavior was foolish, but I didn't know what to do except keep paying the subscription on what amounted to a digital storage space for content I was never going to consume. I was a shameful information hoarder.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It took me a couple of days of thinking to figure out what to do about my problem. The solution I reached was to delete all of those feeds and start over with a 150 feed limit which is how many you can have on Inoreader on the free level. I added back from memory the feeds I actually enjoyed, and it was less than 100. I had repeated the Netflix episode except with the feed reader.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have likely lost the Gentle Reader at this stage of my personal tale. But if you made it this far, here is the payoff. If you are someone who is struggling with information overwhelm, I have two tools from the sensibility toolbox that can help you.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>1. Go with quality over quantity.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">You know what you like and what is valuable. If you apply a quality filter to your content, you will find that quality is in short supply. We force feed ourselves crap when it is cheap and plentiful, and we purge when get sick from it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>2. Go with the actual over the imagined.</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">My feed reader has stats on what I read, and what I actually read isn't that much. We want the options even though we are never going to use them. This embracing of the actual over the imagined requires a great deal of honesty and self-awareness.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This brings us to a concept made famous by Tim Ferriss--the low information diet. This is the practice of selective ignorance. Basically, you cut out everything for a week to break the information addiction. I don't know what you do after this information fast. I just know the correct path lies between knowing nothing and knowing everything. Ferriss is an extremist on things, so he gets credit for experimenting and thinking outside of the box.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I believe in having a sensible information diet. Like with food, you want higher quality and lower quantity. You want to avoid the extremes of starvation and gluttony. Somewhere between those extremes is the right amount of information you should consume on a regular basis.</div></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-51768933074611593662023-10-22T00:00:00.000-04:002023-10-22T00:00:00.142-04:00Unpopular Opinions 6<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Nothing is more conductive to peace of mind than not having any opinions at all.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">GEORG CHRISTOPH LICHTENBERG</div><div><br /></div><div>Opinions can cost you friendships and relationships. If someone cuts it off with you because of a differing opinion, that person wasn't worth having in your life. Virtually everyone in my life disagrees with me on something that doesn't really matter. The irony is those differences have made me change my mind on some things. That's the appeal of reading unpopular opinions. They make us reconsider things even if we may not change our minds in the end.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>1. Biltmore is overrated.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>I visited the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, one time. One time was enough. I wasn't impressed by Vanderbilt's self-indulgence. The natural beauty of the place is stunning. The house is kinda gross. It is Gilded Age decadence. The Biltmore is a European palace built on American soil.</div><div><br /></div><div>A better place to visit in Asheville is the Saint Lawrence Basilica. A guy that worked on the Biltmore worked on that church. It is amazing.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>2. Pickleball and walking sports are stupid invitations to injury.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Pickleball is very popular especially for people over 50. It is a dumbed down and less strenuous version of tennis. Unfortunately, it isn't dumbed down enough as those old people have the most injuries from the sport. Across the pond, they have walking football which is soccer for people too old to run. I don't know what the injury rate is for that sport. I hear there is also walking basketball, rugby, cricket, etc.</div><div><br /></div><div>When it comes to these sports, old people need to grow up. Older folks such as myself want to get in shape, but your health insurer would prefer it to not be pickleball. There is nothing healthy about getting an injury. This is why walking is the better way to go. Anything involving lateral movements, jumping, sprinting, etc. are invitations to injury. I know because young professional athletes get injured doing this stuff. Why do this at 50+?</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>3. Buffs are terrible apparel.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><a href="https://www.buff.com/" target="_blank">Buffs</a> are neck gaiters, but they also get worn as covid face masks and headwear. I hate the things. I use a bandanna when I get sweaty.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The buff feels like you're getting choked when worn on the neck. It feels like a vise on your head leading to splitting headaches. As a mask, I don't believe in masks period. But if I did, it wouldn't be a buff.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think dirty hippies like buffs because it keeps their long hair out of their faces. I recommend getting a haircut.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>4. When it comes to creativity. stay in your lane.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Rock stars tend to be terrible actors and painters. Actors tend to be terrible rock stars. But when you're famous, people will indulge your vanity and lack of self-awareness. The public won't. It's rare to be good at one creative endeavor much less two or three. I think people should find out what they're good at and stick to that.</div><div><br /></div><div>For me, I know that I am good at writing non-fiction. I am no good at writing fiction. I can analyze a good story, but I can't write a good story. So, I am going to stick to the non-fiction lane and leave the fiction lane for better writers than me. As for music, I play the kazoo. As for the visual arts, I draw doodles. Those are good for a laugh.</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>5. Joe Rogan is a bad influence and a poor example of manhood.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>I don't know why Rogan is so popular, but I find it has more to do with the guests than with him. So much stupidity comes out of Rogan's mouth that I am unable to listen to him except when I need a bad example for illustration purposes. Rogan is the epitome of everything bad about bro culture. The only thing I like that he does is that he shaves his melon. He can keep the flaming joint and the jiu-jitsu to himself.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>6. Men shouldn't wear bracelets or ear rings.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Jewelry on a man is effeminate. I am OK with a wedding band and necklaces with crucifixes and religious medals worn under the shirt. A medic alert bracelet is better worn as a necklace outside of the shirt because it is essentially the civilian equivalent of a dog tag. I think a wrist watch is as close as a man should get to wearing a bracelet. Otherwise, all of this decorative jewelry on a man is ridiculous and unmanly.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>7. Paracord bracelets are stupid.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>This is a corollary to #6. Men like to buy or make these ridiculous excuses to wear a bracelet. They claim they need the paracord for "survival." Whatever. Instead of making a fancy braided bracelet out of some string you are never going to use, just put some in your pocket. The problem is solved without going to Boy Scout school to tie a stupid craft project.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>8. Harbor Freight sells good stuff.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Dudes love to bash on Harbor Freight as cheap Chinese junk. What they overlook is the stuff at Lowe's and Home Depot is expensive Chinese junk. I buy a lot of Harbor Freight tools and supplies especially mechanics gloves. I wear out those gloves. I would rather spend $5 for those gloves than $25 for a similar pair that doesn't last any longer.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>9. I'm not a fan of straws.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>There is much debate about plastic straws, but I negate the debate by drinking straight from the cup or glass. People like straws because they let you drink in the car while driving. I think eating and drinking behind the wheel is distracting and dangerous. It is a symptom of the fast food lifestyle. I prefer the slow food lifestyle.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am for anything that reduces waste and pollution. This is not environmentalism but conservationism which is an idea that I want to bring back. This is why a right winger like me drinks from a Klean Kanteen. Plastic bottles pollute our water and spaces. The same applies to drinking straws.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>10. Curtains are better than blinds.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Blinds are dirty and difficult to clean. They disintegrate in sunlight becoming brittle. When they break, they are useless. They are expensive to replace.</div><div><br /></div><div>Curtains do the same job as blinds except you can wash them in the washing machine. They last forever. The heavier versions block out sunlight better than blinds.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's it for the sixth edition of Unpopular Opinions. Hopefully, this did not cost me any friendships and relationships. That would be a real shame. My other hope is that it may have changed some minds.</div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6265952155116086337.post-12579884465646649322023-10-15T00:00:00.003-04:002024-03-17T08:24:10.237-04:00Failed Runner Syndrome<div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>You can't run a marathon every day, but you can walk a marathon every day with no ill effects.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">SHANE O'MARA</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I am a regular listener to a podcast called <a href="https://walkingisfitness.com/podcast/" target="_blank">Walking is Fitness</a>. I have found this podcast to be both motivational and life changing as the host of the podcast has told me things about walking I didn't know. A recent example is where I learned that the calorie burn from wearing weights while walking is so insignificant as to not justify the increased risk of injury. You are better off just walking five extra minutes for that small extra calorie burn. Needless to say, I recommend the podcast. I do have one issue with the podcast. The host clearly suffers from Failed Runner Syndrome.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Failed Runner Syndrome is when a walker with a running background or has friends and family who run develops an inferiority complex relative to running. Walking is seen as some second class form of exercise compared to the first class exercise of running. The host is a former runner who switched to walking because he found it more enjoyable. He stops short of saying walking was more sustainable and had fewer injuries than running. I think this is because his wife is a runner and works at a running shoe store. He also recently <a href="https://walkingisfitness.libsyn.com/my-upcoming-fitness-challenge" target="_blank">decided</a> to train for and run a half marathon. Why?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When it comes to this topic, I prefer Frank Ring at <a href="https://www.walkingforhealthandfitness.com/" target="_blank">Walking for Health and Fitness</a> who is a former runner who candidly admits that running is more injurious than walking which is why he made the switch. For Ring, back issues were the primary injury for him. Walking has been the remedy for those back issues.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I quoted Shane O'Mara from memory of the podcast he did with <a href="https://youtu.be/MltZxgejfKI?si=_3mNxCdVKDoPeFsh" target="_blank">Mel Robbins</a>, so it may be a paraphrase instead of a precise quotation. I just cited the meat of what he said. You can walk a marathon daily without injury. I don't see runners achieving the same feat with running. If you need proof, consider hikers on the Appalachian Trail who cover 20+ miles daily carrying a pack. The bottom line is that human beings are good at walking. We are not so good at running.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I don't see walking as a second class of exercise to running. I have a good reason for this. Running is stupid. This fellow's <a href="https://youtu.be/znu38dM8wXE?si=8Y4R4VDxbHz0zK_H" target="_blank">rant</a> captures this issue with running. Being a failed runner is equivalent to being a cowardly BASE jumper. It's called SMART. Doing things that hurt you is not smart. When did becoming smart become a failure?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you suffer from Failed Runner Syndrome, this is a clear sign that you are stupid. The cure for this condition is to get smart. You should do no exercise that has a high risk of injury. Running has a high risk of injury. Injuries mean riding the couch. Riding the couch is not exercise. When I see walkers on my street, I see geniuses. When I see runners on my street, I see idiots. I saw one old guy on my street running one day. I don't see him anymore. I assume he got injured. The walkers are still walking. Where is the failure in that?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UPDATE #1: </b>Dave pulled the <a href="https://walkingisfitness.libsyn.com/will-the-time-change-affect-your-walk" target="_blank">plug</a> on his half-marathon. His reason was because his wife "deferred" the half marathon to next year. He did not give the reason for this deferral. I can only guess and say that the wife suffered an injury in her training. Then, he confessed that he doesn't like running and prefers walking. I don't know why he blurted out this confession. What you don't say can speak volumes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>UPDATE #2: </b>Dave recently posted a podcast called <a href="https://dcs.megaphone.fm/TNM5209924809.mp3?key=c8c53445be6330158c430468ed51f84a&request_event_id=7ae9b4cc-e90c-4709-b283-ea4ef61d2a01" target="_blank">Which Is Better - Walking Or Running?</a> Dave's podcasts are either inspiring or annoying. This podcast was annoying. I knew he would take a "diplomatic" stance on this debate because his wife is a runner. Yet, he has an audience of fitness walkers who want to hear that walking is better than running. He has also taken a diplomatic stance on rucking where he seems to recommend it where he didn't before. As I said, Dave is either inspiring or annoying.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My first issue was what he said about the knee issue. Runners will tell you that running does not hurt your knees. Ex-runners will tell you differently. The research indicates running is not bad for the knees, but I have already said these studies suffer from survivorship bias. Who would continue to run for a lifetime if it was destroying their knees? I think running is terrible for knees, hips, back, and feet. My personal experience has taught me that. With fitness walking, those injuries have vanished.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My second issue was with the cardiovascular benefit of running. Running has a slight edge on walking in this department. What people leave out are the diminishing returns of running. When pace and distance are increased, runners show the same mortality rates as people who never leave the couch. A slow jogger who clicks off ten minute miles three times a week for a total of 1.5 hours is probably safe on this. These folks display the same level of health benefits and longevity as--wait for it--fitness walkers.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Once upon a time, this low level of slow running was called "jogging." That term is now held in disdain as even joggers will now defend themselves as runners. I think this is unfortunate. I will candidly admit that I was just a jogger when I was younger. I ran in some road races for make believe fun, but I was always a shuffler and a plodder. I still got hurt doing it. The slight edge of jogging over walking is negated by the injuries.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Runners suffer from vanity. This is that "psychology" Dave mentioned about switching from running to walking. It takes humility to do the smart thing. When it comes to running, pride absolutely leads to destruction. I don't want Dave to get a divorce which is why I totally think his wife would leave him if he said running was for idiots. Calling your wife an idiot is not good for a marriage. Fortunately, I don't have those collateral considerations to bias my viewpoints. Running is for idiots.</div></div>Charliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03472911378151049336noreply@blogger.com