Goodbye America

Is America as we know her gone for good?  It seems so to me.

The more I follow the news, the sicker I get.  With the current crop of corrupt politicians in charge it seems worse than ever.  Obama and his scandal ridden regime has flat out said he wanted to fundamentally change America and his changes have all been for the worse.  Let's look just a few of his scandals..

 He and Eric Holder are the two lead bad guys in an ever expanding criminal enterprise known as the Executive Branch and the Justice Department.  Then you've got the supporting cast of criminals like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Valeri Jarrett and so on.

 The first BIG scandal was Fast and Furious, a gun running scheme gone terribly wrong.  They (Holder) wanted to put pressure on pro gun America by using the gun shops near the border and setting up a scenario where guns bought at these gun shop were used  in Mexico. They thought they could turn the tide of opinion against the supporters of the second amendment.  It back fired on them and a border agent was killed along with hundreds of innocents in Mexico.  Eric Holder being the chief law enforcement officer of the USA has stonewalled his way through the hearings and was found in contempt.  He is still not talking.

Then there came Obamacare, they shoved this law down our throats when no one but Democrats wanted it and Pelosi said you have to pass it to learn what's in it.  Now, the President has used executive orders to change it over 70 times to try and make a horrible piece of legislation workable and it still is an albatross around his and every democrats neck.  Hopefully we will find out just how bad in November of this year.

Benghazi, another weapons running scheme gone terribly wrong.  Our own Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens brutally murdered along with two brave ex Navy Seals, Tyrone Woods and Glen Dohetry and information officer Sean Smith.  From the President on down they have lied and stonewalled the investigation into this.  Hillary Clinton was been quoted as saying "What difference does it Make" in a hearing.  Now more than two years later they have arrested a man they say was responsible for some of the brutality, too little too late.

We also have the IRS scandal, where the President and his cronies used the IRS as a tool to hammer their opponents into submission so they could win the 2012 election.  Well it worked and now they have destroyed emails and hard drives to try and cover up this criminal behavior and like all counts before, nothing is being done about it.

The list of scandalous and criminal behavior doesn't stop at the White House, the Justice Dept., or the Senate floor where Harry Reid changed the rules in the Senate in order to appoint liberal judges to pack the circuit courts to save Obamacare, it also rests squarely on the shoulders of a press gone missing.  In fact the press these days, other than Fox News or right wing radio, is nothing more than an extension of the liberal wing of the democrat party.  They cover for this President and his cronies left and right trying to prop them up and keep them from collapsing from the weight of their incompetent and scandalous behavior.

The full list of scandals is too long for me to get into but if you want more follow this link!

http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2013/08/01/obama-dozen-scandals-counting/


Yes friends, America has changed and if we don't watch out the Progressive liberals will destroy her from within.  They have made much headway under Obama. Will we be able to slow the tide of destruction or is America doomed to fall under the weight of it's own corruption and bloated, out of control government...

Progress and Injuries

I LOVE martial arts!

I have since the first time I saw Bruce Lee as Kato kicking ass on TV.

Then there was "Enter the Dragon"! 

 Of course Bruce Lee was gone before we all really got to know who he was and what his story was all about.  Too bad, I would love to have seen his career over a 25 year span.  Then of course there was "Billy Jack".  I saw that movie time after time, thinking back then that Tom Laughlin actually knew how to fight like that.  Turns out it was a 6th degree Hapkido Master named, Bong Soo Han.

 In the 80's and 90's there was Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Segal, Jackie Chan and Jet Li!  I was so struck with the techniques by Segal, I started practicing Aikido several years ago. I am now working on my 2nd Dan.  Then I had an opportunity to go to a seminar put on by Grand Master John Pelligrini of Combat Hapkido.  I am about to finally test for my Black Belt in Combat Hapkido in two weeks.  That's where the injury part comes in.

As a 53 year old martial artist I have many aches and pains from being so active.  I also have a job that requires allot of driving and heavy lifting so that keeps me visiting the chiropractor weekly.  Lately I have hurt my back pretty bad and my knee keeps acting up as well.  I have had an injured wrist the past two weeks and I have chronic neck and shoulder pain.  I keep the cabinets stocked with advil and I have an ice pack at the ready 24/7.  Does this sound like you??

 The price you pay as an aged martial artist is a painful one but at this point I am still willing to suffer the slings and arrows for the love of the arts..

Here's to all you men and women who continue to train into your later years!

By the way my diet is working, I was down to 169 as of yesterday afternoon.  Only 4 more pounds to go to reach my goal...

Peace

Prepared, Educated, Alert, Controlled and Engaged


JD

Time to get serious

Over the last year or two I lost allot of weight.

When I started I was 188, by the time I was done dieting and working out I was down to 152.  Well, as I got more relaxed and fell back into my old eating habits I gained much of it back.  I am walking around at about 173-175 for the most part today.  Still well down from the original 188 so I'm happy about that.  Yet I'm ready to give it another round and lose 10 more pounds.  I went to the HT today and bought apples, oranges and carrots to use in my Jack Lalane, juicer.  I also got some bananas and  almond milk for smoothies, frozen peaches too.  I bought lettuce for lettuce wrap sandwiches, ever roast chicken and of course salad mix.

So for the next two weeks I'm going to hit it hard and lose 10 pounds.  I know I can, it's just a matter of applying myself and NOT eating donuts, chocolate covered raisins and whatever other junk I can get my hands on...

By the way, I hurt my back pretty bad about a week ago, I'm on the mend but I can't work out like I normally do so It's gonna be diet mostly that does this.  I have a scheduled Black Belt test on June 28th that I am hoping to still be able to pull off.  I'm praying for a full healing of this back. I have a great Chiropractor that is helping me recover.

I will mark my progress every time I lose 2 pounds here in the blog..

Peace


JD

Prepared, Educated, Alert, Controlled and Engaged 

New Solar Technology

I've been excited about a new technology that I have been following for a couple of years.  It's called Solar Roadways.  http://www.solarroadways.com/intro.shtml

The idea is to replace our current highway system and other roads, parking lots and sidewalks with a textured glass covered solar panel.  They are said to be strong enough to handle the rigors of large tucks and everyday traffic, will have circuit boards with LED lights to illuminate lines and information for night drivers. Heating elements to melt snow and ice and are skid resistant.  They also will have side compartments under ground for cables and wiring as well as a storm water compartment. The BIG thing is it will generate power and replace our aging and dysfunctional power grid!

They have recently just built their first functional small scale parking lot but are trying to acquire funding to build the first manufacturing facility in Idaho so they can start taking and fulfilling orders to design, sell and build parking lots and roads all over America!

I'd like to see this take off so check it out and get involved!!!

Cliven Bundy VS the BLM

First, an update on NOAH, the movie...

After doing more reading about the movie and it's atheist director and and reading a few reviews of NOAH, I made the decision not to go see it.  It turns out this movie is a fantasy story more along the lines of Lord of the Rings than the real story of NOAH.  I decided to go see Captain America instead.  You can look at the Box Office numbers on these two movies to see which one the public has chosen as the best movie to go see...

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=marvel14b.htm

Now on to Cliven Bundy and the showdown in Nevada.

I have been following this story for a week or so and it looked as if the FEDS were going to kill that rancher and his family.  They had him surrounded with two hundred agents or more, including snipers but then the MILITIA showed up and the FEDS decided to back off.  This was very curious to me as I was waiting to see an ending like Waco Texas or Ruby Ridge, Idaho incidents of years past.  I then read that Harry Reid, senator from Nevada and senate majority leader, had been linked to this story by a shady deal to acquire that land for a solar company his son was connected to.  The very next day the feds backed off.

Here's a link to that story.      Harry Reid's connection!

Honestly, I still don't understand this story completely.  I think I may have the gist of it though and if what I think is correct this is a VERY IMPORTANT story that we all as Americans need to pay attention to!

 First of all the BLM - Bureau of Land Management, a dept. of the Federal Government, was or is still trying to take this land from a rancher, Cliven Bundy, who free grazes his cattle there.  His family has been doing this for generations but he DOES NOT own the land.  From what I understand it belongs to the State of Nevada, NOT the Federal Government or Cliven Bundy.  Mr. Bundy takes the stance that since it is state owned land, the FEDS have no rights or jurisdiction to be on the land or to be trying to drive his cattle off the land.

I'm not sure where all the militia who showed up to support him were from but I am glad they did show up and I am also glad it ended peacefully.  Now the question is WHY did the FEDS back down?

 I think the answer is simple.  It is an election year, Harry Reid wants to be re-elected along with many other democrats and they are already looking at a potential landslide by the republicans.  If the FEDS would have went in and killed this rancher and his sons for not complying with their terms, the backlash would have been on Obama, Holder, Reid and the democrat party.  It seems they have enough scandals on their plates already and this one might be one too many!  This was nothing more than a political decision to try and save their butts in the upcoming election.  Had this not been an election year I think it would have escalated until someone was dead!

Here's a link to a video that will tell you more..

http://scgnews.com/bundy-ranch-what-youre-not-being-told

We need to keep and eye on this. Like I said before, it is a Very Important story.  We the People are sick and tired of the government trampling on our rights and this was a small test of the resistance.  We won this battle but the war is not over.  In fact, it has only just begun.  Let's try to peacefully make it through the coming elections and then see where we stand....


 America needs Hero's, I found one this past weekend.

NOAH ~ The movie

There’s allot of talk about this movie. 

 

 

 I have been anticipating the release in hopes of seeing it soon!  Now, I hear they have chosen to NOT use the word GOD in the movie going with creator instead.  My first reaction was negative and had thoughts of not going after all.  Yet, I decided to give it some more thought.  After hearing the directors explanation of why they chose to go with creator instead of God,  I remembered some of the bible studies I have attended over the years.  There were many other words used in past times such as Yahweh, Elohim, Adonai, Theos and Deus to name only a few.  In fact the word “God” as far as we know, may not existed yet in the time of Noah or even Christ.  It is a term which has origins in indo-Europe.

 

A significant number of scholars have connected this root with the names of three related Germanic tribes: the Geats, the Goths and the Gutar. These names may be derived from an eponymous chieftain Gaut, who was subsequently deified. He also sometimes appears in early Medieval sagas as a name of Odin or one of his descendants, a former king of the Geats (Gaut(i)), an ancestor of the Gutar (Guti), of the Goths (Gothus) and of the royal line of Wessex (Geats) and as a previous hero of the Goths (Gapt). Some variant forms of the name Odin such as the Lombardic Godan may point in the direction that the Lombardic form actually comes from Proto-Germanic *ǥuđánaz. Wōdanaz or Wōđinaz is the reconstructed Proto-Germanic name of a god of Germanic paganism, known as Odin in Norse mythology, Wōden in Old English, Wodan or Wotan in Old High German and Godan in the Lombardic language. Godan was shortened to God over time and was adopted/retained by the Germanic peoples of the British isles as the name of their deity, in lieu of the Latin word Deus used by the Latin speaking Christian church, after conversion to Christianity...

 

 

 

 

Here’s another source.

 

http://www.bibleanswerstand.org/God.htm

 

So, What do you think?  I still want to see the movie?  I think it is going to be good no matter what.  The Noah story is one of my favorites and is beloved by many if not most Christians I know. 

 

 

Peace

 

 

JD

 

What are YOU waiting for? Let's get started!!!

I was looking back through some old posts from earlier this year and thought I would re-post this one after doing a little editing and up dating.

First of all another major goal of mine has been accomplished in early July of this year.  I was awarded my second black belt, this time in Combat Hapkido!  It took four years of training but it was well worth the hard work and many injuries involved.  Now, I am in pursuit of my 2nd Dan in Aikido and Combat Hapikdo.  I intend to pursue my third black belt soon.  I am trying to decided which martial art to take on next, it might be Judo!

It seems I have always been a late bloomer.  Well, maybe not in all things but in accomplishing some goals I have just now began a phase of my life where I feel like I need to get things done before it's too late.  My first Black belt in Aikido came at age 51.  I did not discover I could really sing until I was in my 40's and now I am in my first Praise Band at 52 as well as now singing tenor in choir after several years as a bass/baritone.  I starting playing the guitar seriously at about age 47.  I bought my first Mustang at age 45, (got my second one about a month ago!)  I was  Baptized about in my late forties too. See the pattern?

I guess my point is you are never too old to fulfill your dreams and it's never too late to start pursuing a dream or a desire you have always had. I still have things I want to do and see before I move on to eternity.  I have a secret desire to audition for America's got talent!  I meant to last time they were here but it got past me before I realized they had come and gone...  I have also always wanted to be ripped.  Yeah maybe it's silly but hey it's my life and my body, I want to achieve this goal before I die and I have taken on a one year fitness challenge to make it happen!  Here's a pic of a 60 year old I ran across on the web, his name is Mark Sisson.  He's ripped and looks good but he has an advantage, he was a triathlete when he was younger and he has managed to stay in top condition.

 I am starting this journey from a different place altogether...

What is it you want to do?  Do you have a bucket list?

I have done allot in my life, traveled to many places, met interesting people, accomplished many goals but it seems there is so much more.  Truly, I say that pleasing GOD is my ultimate goal.  Meeting Jesus Christ is my number ONE objective but I can wait, it does not have to be today or tomorrow.  If I have ten or twenty or even thirty more years here on earth, I want to see what else I can do before I go. Let's see, win the lottery?   Build my dream Cabin?  Travel to Europe, Japan, Australia?  There is much, much more to do!!!

 What will you do to follow your dream?

Addicted!

People get addicted to stuff.  Some addictions of course can kill and destroy peoples lives. Drugs, alcohol, sex, food, chocolate,  it goes on and on.  I must admit I am addicted to PC games.  I play all the time, sometimes when I should be doing other things...  HELP!!!!

Here's a couple of screen shots:

Well, just thought I would confess my sin of playing around when I should be working or doing more important things.  The only reason I'm not playing right now is because the server is down for maintenance.

Moving right along.  

My buddy Jeff and I were promoted to first GUP in Combat Hapkido a few weeks back.  We are now officially training for our 1st degree black belts!!  It's exciting and we are learning some great combat arts.  My background in Aikido is really helping me progress quickly in CH.  We hope to get our certificates in August when we go to the annual seminar in Southern Pines with GMP at Master Dorton's Dojang...

Thant's all for now.

Peace

 Over the past few months I have seen numerous posts on face book from friends who have lost a beloved pet.  Recently in the city where I live, a popular radio host lost two dogs in 10 days and he has been humbled by the response from his audience. It was obvious he was devastated.  I can relate to these experiences as my wife and I have had to see three of our dogs and a cat go to pet heaven in the past 15 years.  The last dog was the toughest one for me as I had gotten quite attached to her.  Yet I was not always a dog lover.  We had a few dogs growing up and I always liked them for the most part but never really grew attached to any of them like I am today.  As I type this message there is a small blenheim, Cavalier down around my feet.  Her name is Charlotte but we call her "Babydog"..

She is one sweet dog!  We have become best friends and she follows me around everywhere I go.  She also sleeps with us and has her own pillow right above my head.  Babydog is almost 12 now and I can't help but be reminded  by these recent events of how short dogs lives are compared to humans and it is a saddening thought.

 I still remember a movie I saw back in the 80's, one of my favorites!  It is called "Highlander".  One part I remember well, is when the main character, Connor McCleod (an immortal) is married and his beautiful wife begins to grow old and eventually dies in his arms, as he remains young.  At some point another immortal, I think it was Sean Connery, advises him not to fall in love with normal  human women as it will only break his heart when they grow old and die, leaving him behind to grieve.

Unfortunately, I know my "Highlander" moment is coming some day in the next few years.  I have gotten so attached to this sweet puppy I can't imagine her not being here each day.  I don't even like going on vacation sometimes anymore when I have to leave her behind. I told my wife the other day, when Babydog goes to the great beyond, have the undertaker dig a BIG grave!  Because she and I will need plenty of room for her pillow right above my head...

Star Gazing

I often go out on the back deck and gaze up at the stars.  I have never been a true star gazer I suppose, not really ever knowing what I was looking at.  I honestly could not tell you what or where the big dipper or little dipper might be.  Yet I have been curious lately as to what I was seeing each time I walked out early in the morning when the stars were very bright.

I finally took the time to find out exactly what I was seeing this morning and it is rather fascinating. After an internet search of about half an hour I found a free program called "Stellarium". I downloaded it here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/stellarium/?source=pdlp  and I was very pleased with the results.  After typing in my location in NC, I was able to see the exact sky I was looking at only minutes before!  Now I know exactly what I thought might be the big dipper really is and no, it is not the big dipper...

This program has a multitude of functions and is really amazing.  When you click on a star it gives you all sorts of information about it, more than the average star gazer will need to know.  It will of course show you the constellations from a western culture POV but also has other cultures listed as well.  I have just begun to play around with it so I'm sure there is much more to tell but for now, I highly recommend this if you are a curious star gazer like myself..

Here's a good view of what I am seeing right in the middle of my early morning sky from my back deck.  What I thought might be the big dipper turns out to be Orion's Belt!

Are you Prepared?

http://www.offthegridnews.com/2013/08/28/power-grid-down-drill-to-be-conducted-by-us-government/

 

http://offgridsurvival.com/power-grid-vulnerability-shutdown/

 

Two engineers have discovered a major vulnerability in the systems that control our power grid, one that could literally allow hackers to take down the entire U.S. power grid.

According to the New York Times, the two engineers, Adam Crain and Chris Sistrunk, developed software to look for vulnerabilities in an open-source software program. The program looked for defects in a very specific communications protocol called DNP3, which is predominantly used by electric and water companies, and plays a crucial role in so-called S.C.A.D.A. (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems.

SCADA systems basically control everything from our communication infrastructure, to our drinking water and our electric power grid and nuclear reactors. For many years SCADA systems were thought to be more secure; according to these engineers, that may not be the case.

During the course of testing, the engineers found they could penetrate and shutdown almost every major Industrial Control System they tested. The two quickly compiled a 20-page report detailing the vulnerabilities they found for the Department of Homeland Security’s Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team.

Despite finding and reporting the problems to the Department of Homeland Security, the engineers claim very little is being done to fix the problem.

Government preparing for Massive GridEx 2013 Preparedness Drill

Early next month, the U.S. Government, along with more than 150 companies and organizations, will take part in GridEx 2013, one of the largest infrastructure preparedness drills ever. The drill will simulate a Grid Down Scenario, one that will examine what would happen if the county’s electric grid was taken down by both physical and cyber-attacks.

While GridEx 2013 organizers are pretty tight-lipped over exactly what’s being tested, experts say it could be years before any real improvements are actually made. In fact, our country has known about most of these threats for decades, but very little has been done to protect the country.

Earlier this year we talked to Damon Petraglia, a Cyber-Terrorism expert and member of US Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force, who told us, the country is “under attack 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.” He went on to say, “Our military systems are probed in excess of hundreds of thousands of times per hour. Our private industry can claim similar statistics.”

Our country’s infrastructure is extremely susceptible to cyber-attacks, not to mention how easily things can go bad during relatively common problems caused by storms and outdated failing equipment. As we’ve seen during disasters like Hurricane Sandy, even small-scale disasters can wreak havoc on this country’s power grid, and cause mass amounts of chaos on the streets.

The need to be prepared for this type of disaster has never been more apparent. Our entire culture clings to these systems like a lifeline, should those systems go down this country will be in for some major trouble.

---

Last night I watched a show on discovery about this very problem.  It was a dramatization about how Americans would react and survive a country wide grid failure.  The results were not pretty.  Of course the vast majority of Americans were totally unprepared and had little or no food or water stored.  After the first 3 days store shelves were completely emptied.  After 5 days many people, especially in big cities were starving and began to turn on each other.  Criminals and looters began to roam the streets in search of water, food, weapons, etc..

Those that were prepared had to fight for what was theirs.  Those that were not tried to take what they needed from their neighbors.

We have seen this happen in real life to some degree.  We have witnessed and even been a part of severe weather events that have knocked power out for weeks at a time.  Since it was isolated to certain areas, the whole country was not impacted like on the show but the worst we have seen of late was Katrina or even Sandy, when thousands of people were uprooted and moved to places like shelters or the superdome.  The feds and local law confiscated guns in New Orleans and that allowed looters and criminals to be free to terrorize.  This we know can and will will happen again, especially with the regime we have in place today!

 

 

I am prepared to defend my family.  Yet what will we do when our own neighbors turn on us because we have food and they don’t???  That’s when things turn real ugly!

 

We need to have a plan and try to stick to it.  There is strength in numbers!

 

We should stockpile food & water and have enough for about 60 days.

 

I definately need to re-stock my fuel supply very soon!  I advise at least 10 or 20 gallons of gasoline so you can fill up your tank if you need to bug out.  Again this may be a problem due to congestion on the highways but in many cases people like us are ahead of the curve and can be prepared to leave fast before the masses know what hit them.  In some cases it may be necessary to leave the city and head for the hills!

 

Always have plenty of guns, ammo, cash, silver or gold, etc..

 

Get some duffle bags set up for grab and go. I have been slack in this area.  It would take some time to throw one together at the last minute.  Time may or may not be an option we have, depending on the disaster.

 

Have plenty of batteries, candles, matches, lantern fuel, propane, first aid, medicine, etc... I have some of these things but not enough.

 

I have camping gear, lanterns, stove, utensils, tents, sleeping bags, etc..  It’s best to keep these things organized and ready to load up quickly.

 

Our power grid is fragile in this country and could easily be taken out by terrorists. So could our water supply! This is only one of many problems that could force us to have to survive for days or weeks without power, water, etc..  Like I said before, we have seen what hurricanes, earthquakes and tornadoes can do.  These kind of events can lead to massive power failures.

 

You might want to consider renting a climate controlled storage unit and stock it with water, food, supplies etc. This you could share with your family or close friends. Have it somewhere close so that if you had to pull up stakes from home you would have a place to re-stock before heading out of town.  This would also give you something to trade for fuel or other items you might need.  It might need to be in walking distance. Having a golf cart or ATV might be a good idea as well to navigate around traffic jams.

 

Guess it’s time to get busy!

 

 

Peace by Preparedness!

 

 

JD

October is nearly over and the holidays are fast approaching.  This is good and bad.  Good because we all love the holidays as we get to eat really good food, spend time with family and friends, have great music and fellowship at church and of course get to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas! Praise God!!!

Bad because business usually slows down for me this time of year and the weather turns cold.  Well, I look forward to it anyway and always do.  Hopefully business will be sustainable and we can continue to push forward.

A few updates:

Janet and I just returned from Hawaii a couple of weeks ago.  We had the BEST vacation out there with my son Jason.  It was so nice to get to spend time with him and enjoy the Island of Oahu.  I took over 700 pictures and we had a lot of fun!!!  We stayed at Turtle Bay Resort for a few days then stayed in the Hawaiian Village Rainbow Tower for the rest of the trip.  What a view!  We really had a blast there and it will be hard to top this vacation, ever!

Aikido is still going strong, although I have missed quite a few classes over the past few months I am still plugging away at it and am enjoying my tenure as a black belt.  It's fun teaching others and continuing to learn from those who have much more experience than I do.

Combat Hapkido is also still moving forward.  I received my red belt with black stripe last month and I am working on my black belt with white stripe.  Shodan will come after that and I will then carry two black belts in two different martial arts.  Looking forward to being honored by the Grand Master next August at the seminar in Southern Pines.

Pearce Deliveries has had a good summer.  Business is steady and I may be bringing back an old driver from several years ago.  We are negotiating the particulars now.  He may also have a role in sales this time around.  I really want to focus on the tire and automotive industry in 2014.  I think we can have some good success in this arena due to my experience with Firestone over the past few years.

I am now singing in both services at Church.  My mom is coming to visit us this weekend so she can come hear me sing.  I am leading a version of "I can only Imagine" this Sunday morning that sounded real good in practice last night.  We have a new choir director at the 10:30 service who is a wealth of knowledge and experience.  His name is David Tang.  I am enjoying working with him.

OK, looks like I'm all caught up.

Summer 2013

I have been following the scandal(s) this year and I'm blown away by the arrogance of this administration and all the ignorant people who continuously look the other way, ignore and just plain don't care about what's going on in this country!  We have people in college today who can't even tell you who the Vice President is!  If you ask the average person on the street if they know anything about Benghazi they ask Ben who?  The country is on fire and we have an administration who continuously subvert the rule of law and the Constitution of these United States and many if not most people don't know it, don't care or are pulling for it!

Folks, we are losing this country to a bunch of radical leftists who will usher in an era of tyranny you will not believe if we don't find a way to stop this.These people in the White House with their allies in Congress are destroying the American Dream and the country we once knew and loved so dear, has been radically transformed into something akin to a police state.  It will get worse if we don't stand up and demand these people be held accountable for their criminal behavior and that includes many in the so called free press.

More on this later...

WOW!  I've been absent for several months. That's not good!

 What is good is that I finally tested for 1st dan or Shodan in Aikido and I got my belt.  After five long years of working at this and as I told my friends, (lots of blood, sweat and beers), it is done!  I have really enjoyed the journey and I look forward to continuing on with my Aikido studies.  It is a life long endeavor once you get this far.

So, never give up!  I was 47 when I started and not in very good shape.  Now I'm 52 and in much better shape but I have a long way to go.  I'm still using the V-shakes to help stay in the desired weight range of 165 but I am no longer selling the product.  It took up too much of my time and I was neglecting my primary business as well as other things.

I'll get back into this blog soon and start a more regular post.

Peace

JD

How Bad do you want it?

We all say things like "I'm really going to get into shape this year" or "I'm really gonna lose some of this weight this year". I'm guilty for sure of saying it over and over and never really doing it. I suppose it all comes down to the title of this blog. How BAD do you want it?

Really, how much effort are you willing to put into it? For years I said I was going to lose weight and never did it to any significant degree until I started using the Visalus Vi Shakes. I managed to lose 25 lbs in 90 days after already losing 10 lbs on my own little diet. So from January of 2012 to August 11th 2012, I dropped 35 lbs. I suppose I weighed about 188 to 190 in January. At my height of 5'10" and a slim frame it was too much. I lost down to 152 at my lowest weight last month. I'm back up to 156 now but holding steady.

After testing for 1st Kyu in Aikido I knew I could do better. My cardio was crap and I was totally spent. Now I've been doing Aikido for nearly 4 years and doing Combat Hapkido for over two years and I work out on a regular basis as well so I consider myself in pretty good shape but it's not good enough. I had to ask myself, "How BAD do I really want this?" So I decided the time is right to kick it up a notch or two. I found a personal trainer to workout with twice a week. I mean really WORK OUT! This guy is pushing me further than I have gone in 25 years. I have been so sore for the past week that I can hardly walk but I am pushing through it because I am excited about the potential. I have been inspired by those who like me, in the over 50 crowd who have achieved amazing results by pushing themselves beyond normal.

Now that I think about it, this is what excelling is all about. We have to push ourselves beyond what we think our normal boundaries are. Bruce Lee said: "There are no boundaries, no limits" We can set them and then exceed them. It is up to us to reach as far as we can and then go a little further. I am close to testing for my 1st Dan in Aikido. I will be achieving a life long goal the day Sensei hands me that black belt. Yet I am not limiting myself, I will be testing for 1st Dan in Combat Hapkido next year and after that I intend to go for my third black belt. I will not set limits on myself and neither should you!

How BAD do you want it?

Is it a goal in business, sports, love, whatever it is. There are NO LIMITS.

Go For IT!

Martial Arts for Health & Fitness

There is allot of buzz about Martial Arts since the MMA craze began back in the 90's. The UFC, (Ultimate Fighting Championship) has had it's own reality TV show for 10 years now and there is a new Pay-Per- View every other month for the millions of mixed martial arts fans around the world. We all remember the late, great Bruce Lee back in the 70's. Then later, Steven Segal and John Cluade Van Damme. Even more recently Jackie Chan, Jet Li and the indestructable karate champion and movie/TV icon, Chuck Norris! We also can't forget Sensei Miyagi teaching karate to Ralph Machio in Karate Kid.

However, martial arts isn't just for cage fighters, karate kids, action movie stars or self defense courses. New research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that people in their 40's and 50's who regularly practice martial arts demonstrate astounding levels of physical fitness in comparison to people the same age who don't exercise at all. The study subjects who practiced martial arts had 12% less body fat, were able to do twice as many sit-ups, had enhanced flexibility and leg strength, demonstrated a stronger immune system and showed greatly improved balance. I personally can attest to this as I started my latest martial arts journey at age 47. I am now 51 and training for a black belt in two different arts. I must say I am in far better shape now than I have been since I was 25.

It's not surprising, of course: martial arts -- even mild forms like Tai Chi -- have long been known to confer tremendous anti-aging health benefits to their followers. Throughout Asia, it's not uncommon to see large groups of elderly (people in their 60's, 70's and 80's) practicing Tai Chi at sunrise in the community parks. Despite their age, these people have better aerobic conditioning, balance, strength, flexibility and coordination than many typical Americans in their 30's who are already suffering from chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity and cancer. People who practice Tai Chi simply don't experience those diseases with anywhere near the frequency. As a result, they live longer, healthier, happier lives. Not only that, when people excercise and have fitness goals in general, they eat better and try to live a more healthy lifestyle.

Martial Arts helps keep folks on that fitness level, striving to stay in shape or get in even better shape for the next belt rank test.
Any form of martial arts or physical discipline will produce similar results, by the way: Aikido and Combat Hapkido are my favorites, but you could also enjoy MMA, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kendo or whatever martial arts you choose, it's all good for you! No matter what you decide to do the point is get moving, excercise, stretch, stay off the couch and out from in front of the computer for hours and hours. There is a fit and healthy person inside you dying to get out, literally! Martial Arts could be the key to living a healthy life even well into your 50's and beyond...

Honey VS Sugar (Battle Royal)

Many people work to get themselves off sugar for valid reasons. Too much sugar is like poison for the human body and can lead to all types of terrible consequences. The first to come to mind is diabetes. We all know how bad it is and can lead to devestating illness, blindness and death. Milder forms of diabetes can also strike people who don't watch their excess sugar intake and cause problems too. People who drink alot of soda are prone to get diabetes from all the sugar. In fact a 12 oz Coke has about 36 grams of sugar. That's just one small example, there are many, many more.

Why Honey?

Both sweeteners contain glucose and fructose. However, for sugar, in the process of manufacturing, the organic acids, protein, nitrogen elements, enzymes and vitamins in the sugar cane are destroyed, whereas honey, a natural sweetener, when subjected only to minimal heating keeps it's natural state and provides a multitude of benefits to the body. Also, honey has certain beneficial antioxidant and antimicrobial properties which are not present in table sugar. Local honey is often the BEST!

Here are some interesting facts:


ONE

One tablespoon of table sugar or sucrose contains 46 calories, while one tablespoon of natural sweetener honey has 64 calories. Though honey may have more calories, we actually need to use less of it since it is sweeter than table sugar. As a result, you may in fact consume even less amount of calories that you would with sugar. And in the long run even though honey is more expensive, it may be more economical than table sugar. I was taken aback when I first found out how much table sugar I was consuming when I take a can of coke -- 10 teaspoons, and a 50g chocolate bar -- 7 teaspoons!

TWO

Table sugar is sucrose, which is made up of two molecules bonded together. When we eat table sugar, our stomach has to use its own enzymes to separate the molecules apart before we can use the sugar's energy. Honey is quite different. The bees have added a special enzyme to the nectar that divides the sucrose into glucose and fructose -- two simple sugars for our bodies can absorb directly.

Hence, honey vs sugar, honey has a healthier Glycemic Index (GI) which measures the negative impact of a given food on the blood-glucose level. The lower the GI rating, the slower the absorption and infusion of sugars into the bloodstream and hence a more gradual and healthier digestion process.

THREE

Unlike honey, table sugar lacks minerals and vitamins (hence it's been often called empty calories), they draw upon the body's nutrients to be metabolized into the system. When these nutrients are all used up, metabolizing of undesirable cholesterol and fatty acid is impeded, contributing to higher cholesterol and promoting obesity due to higher fatty acid on the organs and tissues. That is why it is not uncommon for fat people to suffer from malnutrition and many other health related problems. So the message is, honey vs sugar, if you are watching your weight, honey will be a smarter choice than sugar. Besides the differences in nutrition, I feel sugar can never compete with honey in taste. Though both are sweet, honey has such a unique flavour that can be very useful and superior in many foods and beverages. The range of honey floral varieties is so vast that experiencing for yourself the uniqueness of each variety and being able to appropriate each variety to exploit every possibility to complement and improve taste of different types of foods becomes a skillful art.

Finally, I have been using honey as my main sweetner (for coffee) each day for nearly 30 years. I am a very healthy 51 and attribute alot of this to my use of honey and other bee products. I also am an avid bee pollen fan. I normally take two 500 mg capsules a day. You can buy bee pollen over the net or at your local GNC or other health food store. Bee Pollen is VERY good for your body and provides you with just about every thing your body needs to stay healthy. Some say that bee pollen is as a super nutritious, perfect food, the tiny pollens contain almost all the nutrients required by the human body and are enormously rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals, beneficial fatty acids, carotenoids, and bioflavonoids which are anti-viral, antibacterial and helpful in lowering cholesterol, stabilizing and strengthening capillaries.

Learn more here: ~ http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/bee-pollen.html

Learn More about Honey ~ http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/honey-vs-sugar.html

Fitness After 50, II

Greetings Friends!

Now that I am 51 I am taking steps to get into better shape for the next two martial arts tests coming up soon. I have decided to give it my BEST and as I look into more and more fitness & holistic health ideas, I have found I have made some serious but easily correctable mistakes over the last 30 years.

First of all I have been an avid bread man all my life. I LOVE bread with butter, margarine, garlic, jelly, honey, biscuits with gravy, you name it. However, I have given up bread over the past eight months and I have lost a significant amount of weight. Now one real good benefit is since most of the fast food I used to eat was made up of sandwiches I have given up fast food too! This is a BIG plus as I was in the habit of eating at Wendy's, Chic Fil A and a few other places on a weekly basis for years. So now, no french fries, iced tea, chicken sandwiches or quarter pounders... Think of the calories I have missed out on. I have gotten used to not eating bread now and it is not as bad as I thought it would be. Less bloating and gas too!

Now I have started my day with a cup of coffee or two for the past thirty years or so. I normally do not eat any food in the morning, only coffee unless I have scheduled a breakfast meeting for some reason. Of course I have had Visalus, Vi Shakes the past 90 days for breakfast and I LOVE it! I have recently found out that the body needs water in the morning to kick start the metabolism and rehydrate. Coffee should be the second thing I consume instead of the first so I have made that change. So far it makes me feel slightly nauseous but I am sure I will get used to it. I bought some distilled water, used that up then just went to tap water.

Finally, I have doubled up on my strecthing and excercises, added many more salads and lettuce wraps to my diet and bought a lumbar support for my van. That and my "90 Day Challenge" led me to a weight loss of 25 lbs! I'm down to 153 and in better shape than I have been since my 20's! With all these new changes I am sure to be well on my way to being ready for my upcoming BB tests. So here's to looking more like Bruce Lee and less like a Sumo Wrestler....

Peace be with you

Elvis Week & Martial Arts?

Once again, it's that time of year in Memphis and that means it's nearing August 16th, the date Elvis Presley passed away back in 1977. Thousands of fans gather in Memphis Tennessee each year to celebrate the life of their hero and music ICON! Elvis was, to many folks, the King of Rock & Roll although he himself did not particular like that title. Elvis is still one of the most popular entertainers in the world even 35 years after his untimely death at his home(Graceland) which is the second most visited home in the USA next to the White House. I am a HUGE Elvis fan myself and could go on and on about Elvis and his talent. However, I will do more about him and his legacy on this blog at a later date.

Today I want to mention something that many people don't know about Elvis, that is he was a Karate Master! Yes, I said Master. He studied karate with a Korean instructer in Memhpis, Master Kang Rhee and with Ed Parker while he was in Hollywood. Ed Parker was the founder of American Kenpo karate.

Elvis was a natural at karate and began his study in the army back in 1960. Elvis was good friends with many of the karate greats including Bill Wallace. I was told by a reliable source that Elvis and Bruce Lee did meet, I have often wondered if they had a chance to train together. Elvis was awarded a 7th degree black belt in Korean Karate by Master Rhee in 1973 and was awarded an 8th degree black belt in American Kenpo karate by Ed Parker.

Elvis was working on a film project called "The New Gladiators" in the last few years of his life that was centered around martial arts. He was very passionate about the martial arts and wanted to help make it more popular in the USA.

You may remember alot of Elvis's jump suits kind of looked like karate uniforms or Gi's as we call them. He used many karate style moves in his onstage performances and in many of his films.

One last thing, Elvis recieved his first black belt in 1960 under a fellow named Hank Slamanski, this is a great story, one worth reading for any Elvis or martial arts fan.

So here's to Elivs, not only a pioneer in Rock & Roll Music, also a true pioneer in the Martial Arts world too...

Just a quick technical note for all my readers. There is a big discrepency between what you see from Internet Explorer and Google Chrome in the design & layout of the blog. I will be working on those issues over the next few days..

Also, I will be publishing some really cool short stories here starting soon. I will break them up into pieces. Mostly fictional stories, all original works of mine. Hope you enjoy them.

Have a GREAT day!