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!

The "Hunger Games"

Woke up early again. My dog needed to go out so I decided to do a little computer work before I went back to bed. I have been thinking quite a bit about how my attitude towards hunger has changed since taking this "90 Day Challenge" with Visalus and I wanted to share this with some of you.

First of all I have come to recognize the feeling I get in the pit of my stomach as a signal not to eat but as my body telling me it needs something. Now how I respond to that feeling "Hunger Pains or Pangs" as some might describe it, is totally different than before. Six months or a year ago I would have wheeled into the nearest Bojangles or Wendy's and got myself a combo of some sort including fries and a tea. WOW! Do you realize how foreign that seems to me now?

Today when I feel that odd sensation in my stomach I look at it in a different way. I recognize my body wants something and I often respond by drinking some water ( I carry two or three bottles with me every day now) but I now see that signal as a good thing! It tells me my body needs fuel and if I don't stop and fuel up guess what? My body feeds on itself! If I have excess fat cells than that's where the body goes for fuel to create the energy needed to keep moving. It's a GREAT feeling to know that you are burning those fat cells. I drink water to sedate the feeling (no calories) and keep on going. Now if I get too hungry I pull out either a Vi shake (I carry one of those too) or a breakfast bar to get through the day and I eat later when I get home.

So to wrap it up let's just say we need to take a whole new approach to the Hunger Games we play each and every day as we go through our work week.

My tip pf the week is if you travel alot or drive for a living, always keep a cooler with bottled water, a few of your favorite breakfast bars, and a Vi Shake to get you through the day.

Peace be with you!

I've certainly made my share but it is part of who I am today...

Martial Arts, Fitness & Weight Loss

Attended a great Seminar today with Grand Master John Pellegrini in Southern Pines, NC. Master Dorton was kind enough to welcome us all to his Dojang once again for an awesome Saturday of training with GMP! My Sensei, Jeff Flagg and his son Austin Flagg both recieved their 3rd dan certificates in Combat Hapkido as did Mona Doyle.

Next year Jeff Handy and I will be getting our 1st Dan at this seminar. Looking forward to that! I stuck to my diet today and ate light, not junk. The Visalus, VI Shape Shakes sustain me through these tough all day workouts and I still have energy to excercise later when I get home. Been eating lots of lettuce wrap/turkey/tomatoe for lunch or dinner the past month to keep the weight down but I still have a weakness for kettle chips! (grin)


More later!

Just Six More!

When I am working out in the mornings I have gotten into the habit of pushing myself a little harder. At the end of my set I add six more reps whether I'm doing pushups, crunches, using the dumbell or squats, just add six more reps to push your body to grow a bit more.

I wonder how we can use this method in other parts of our lives? Could we make six more sales calls in a day or a week? Could we put six more dollars in the tithing tray at Church or leave it for a tip at a restaurant where a great server deserves a helping hand? How about six more minutes of praying or devotions?

I'd like to know your ideas on how doing just six more, can change your life!

Inspirational Quote of the Day!

Getting Your Mind Right Again!

Update! Lost 22 lbs in 8 weeks! "90 Day Challenge" coming to an end in less than two weeks...

........... Now back to "Getting Your Mind Right!"


Like me, you may have heard this phrase before. I have heard it and used it but what does it really mean?

Like many people, I have struggled with trying to get my appetite under control for years and due to my penchant for eating unhealthy snacks and gorging myself when I have a plate or two of yummy food to consume, I have suffered from all types of problems from weight gain to GERD and other gastro intestinal problems I will not go into. Making a plan and sticking to it when it comes to food is a really hard thing to do!

Well, I have still not mastered my late night cravings for ice cream, chips or pop corn completely but I have gotten closer to my goal than ever with the help of a company called Visalus. They make a delicious cream flavored shake mix that you can use as a meal replacement or supplement depending on your goals. If your goal is weight loss (like me) then use it for meal replacement.

I have been doing it for over 2 months and I have lost 22 pounds. The pounds came off quick and the funny thing is, I had been trying to lose weight since January 1st and had managed to lose 10 pounds already but it took me about three months on my own. With the help of the VI shakes (and they are very tasty I might add) I lost the next 10 in about 3 weeks. Now I am holding steady at about 156 and anticipate losing only about 5 more poundsat most! Since I am 5'10 and fairly lean already, I don't want to lose much more weight but I am now in the phase of toning and reshaping. I am preparing for two upcoming Black Belt tests in the two martial arts classes I take, both will be within a few months of each other if all goes well. The first one will be in my Tomiki Aikido class and it may happen by the end of this year. The next test will be in Combat Hapkido and should be sometime in the first quarter of 2013. Again this is if I stay injury free and all goes as planned.

Now the phrase (Get your mind right) is important here because what I am learning or have learned is that all of this stuff in regards to food, excercise, etc., is all in your head. You have to get in the right mindset to accomplish goals you have. In other words, you have to really want something bad enough to make the changes that have to be made in order to accomplish your goal, any goal.

I suppose I have finally gotten to that point. I want something bad enough to do what it takes to see it through. One thing I am excited about is that this product the (VI shakes) are the catalyst that have helped my break through a really tough barrier that was keeping me from getting my mind right. Now that I have achieved my weight loss goal, I am on to my next goal which is getting in the best shape I can be to be ready for these upcoming tests. I feel like I can accopmlish that now. The one regret I have is that it has taken me this long to get here, at 51 it seems I am a very slow starter.


In closing let me add that I am currently reading a new bookcalled "Overkill" by Steven Shrewsbury. It is about a legendary warrior who is over 700 year old! I'm not saying I would like to live that long but at least he has had plenty of time to learn and "Get His Mind Right"...

Blogging for health and wealth!

If you have read any of my previous posts you know I am involved with the "90 Day Challenge" by Visalus Sciences. Drinking VI Shakes now has become ingrained in my daily routine. I love this stuff! After losing about 22 lbs in 8 weeks I am into the home stretch of my 90 days. I am also promoting the product. I am passionate about the company and what it's products have done for me and what they can do for others. I am recommending it for many of my friends and actively trying to make a serious run at becoming an Ambassador with this company! I need your help to accomplish that goal!

If you want or need to lose some weight this is an amazing product so give it a try! You won't be sorry. But like anything else you have to comitt yourself to this and eat right when your not drinking shakes. Lay off the Pizza, soda and other stuff that will replace those calories that you lost early in the day. Don't eat late at night, drink a small shake if you get hungry. It's 10:00 PM here and I just finished a good workout and a before bed-time shake. I know losing weight is tough, I struggled with it for years but Visalus has changed that for me. I hope it can be what you are looking for as well. Visit my Visalus page @ http://pearcejd.myvi.net