Inadvertent Choking

Many people keep a "Bug Out Bag" (BOB) or similar with them. I have experimented with several types over the years. Every time I tried to go with something simple like a bandolier or simple range bag, I ran into difficulty when carrying it.

The strap from the bag will help form a noose around the neck if the carry strap from the rifle is used on the opposite side!

Sometimes, when a person has difficulties, they wonder if they are the only one. That thought crossed my mind more than once. However, it seems that The New Rifleman has also noted this same issue.

Now, for my emergency bugout pack, I have two main parts: a chest rig for the arms and munitions, and a pack for the other equipment that might be needed.


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Government Intervention?

On Easter, a FB friend noted that they "wished the government hadn't made Easter be so late in April this year."

Just so you know, here is how the date for Easter is determined:
The Jewish festival Passover (originating with the Exodus from Egypt) is the festival Jesus and His disciples were celebrating when they had the Last Supper. Jesus was crucified hours later, and arose three days after His crucifixion.

So, Easter (celebration of our arisen Lord) is three days after Good Friday (the day of Jesus' crucifixion) which happened at the tail end of Passover.

Passover is determined by the Jewish Lunar calendar.


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NYC Trip 4

I rarely discuss my current job on this blog. But a couple of weeks ago, I was included in the annual trip of sales leaders to recognize the efforts of the top performers. We went to New York City.

On Saturday, April 12, we had the day to ourselves. I started the day by walking around and looking at different sights again. After a while, I found myself at Grand Central Station.

I got out at New York's City Hall, then walked across the Brooklyn Bridge:

This historical marker picture for my good friend, Lefty:

I took the subway back to Grand Central Station, and then walked the 8 blocks back to the hotel. That evening, one more formal dinner with live entertainment was in store for us. We ate at a rooftop restaurant. the appetizers were spectacular! Oh, and the view was good, too:

NYC Trip 3

I rarely discuss my current job on this blog. But a couple of weeks ago, I was included in the annual trip of sales leaders to recognize the efforts of the top performers. We went to New York City.

On Friday, April 11, we were free to explore and enjoy the city as we wished for the duration of the day. I walked around for a couple of hours and saw sights. Just before lunch, I decided to walk a bit through Central Park, and I got a hot dog at a NYC hotdog stand. It was really nothing special in regards to taste, but I can now say I've done it!

After that, I went to the American Museum of Natural History.

I finished the day by having dinner at Maggie's Place - an Irish restaurant that wasn't far from the hotel.

Had the crab cake appetizer:

And the Shepherd's Pie for the main course:

The open air view of the street was fantastic!

 Over 10 miles on foot that day. Good food. Excellent sights!


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NYC Trip 2

I rarely discuss my current job on this blog. But a couple of weeks ago, I was included in the annual trip of sales leaders to recognize the efforts of the top performers. We went to New York City.

On Thursday, April 10, each sales leader had the opportunity to participate in any one of a half dozen different pre-scheduled activities. I had selected one called "A Slice of the Big Apple." We boarded a tour bus and were treated to views of popular locations as well as interesting tidbits of information about the city or the specific locations from our friendly tour guide.

Flat Iron building

 Statue of Liberty

Freedom Tower

The Majestic Theater

We ate lunch at John's Pizzeria (no slices!)

The wall-mural at John's Pizzeria (still, no slices):

Later in the evening, we were treated to a formal dinner, complete with live musical entertainment. These events took place in the Vanderbilt Room and the Empire Room of the Waldorf Astoria. Really good food and the singing was not bad at all!


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NYC Trip 1

I rarely discuss my current job on this blog. But a couple of weeks ago, I was included in the annual trip of sales leaders to recognize the efforts of the top performers. We went to New York City.

We arrived Wednesday, April 9. The company had arranged all air travel and ground transportation. A very nice Lincoln driven by a friendly, professional valet transported me from New York's Laguardia Airport (in the borough of Queens) to the hotel.

We stayed in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

The hotel is located in Midtown Manhattan. Our company treated us to a warm reception dinner complete with open bar, hors d'oeuvres, and live musical entertainment. After the festivities, we were free to do whatever we wished until the following day at 9:45 am. 

My sister, being a big fan of the Big Apple, called me and we talked. I set out walking (something popular to do in Manhattan), and looked for familiar places.I found a few you might have heard of:

Times Square

Rockefeller Center

St. Patrick's Cathedral

More to come...


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Great Reward

I rarely discuss my current work or job on this blog. There are several reasons for this, but the more mundane reason is that little of it is of interest to most of my readers. I earn a good living in sales and have since 1998 - the year I graduated college.

1998 was also the last year I was not recognized as a top performer in sales. Most would fall behind an excuse of being new out of the gates, or similar. I offer no excuse: I exceeded quotas, but was simply not employed long enough to qualify as a top performer.

Speaking of quotas, I've never failed to exceed mine.

Now, being recognized as a top performer can mean many things to many organizations. Indeed, within the same organization, there may be multiple possible rewards. I've gone on trips, been the recipient of bonus money (that is always good!), as well as simply received a congratulatory email and encouragement to keep up the good work.

Generally, I prefer the money. 

Two weeks ago, I was along for the ride on a trip to honor the award winners within my company. The top 5% of producers were selected, company-wide. In my division, only 7 were selected out of 77 producers. I exceeded quota by over 26% - target production was a bit over $8 million, and results were a hair over $10 million.

So I went along with the other winners to New York City. 

My plan is to put up some posts with observations and even some pictures of the trip on the blog over the next few days. Hope you enjoy!

New Terminology

I was wrong.

A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog post about male interaction and used terms that were not universally accepted. In fact, in the comments, you can see evidence of same. I have amended the post, and the picture associated with it.

Know that the following terms are more prevalent in common parlance, and should have been applied:
What I called "Omega" should have been called "Alpha with Alpha tendencies."
What I called "Alpha" should have been called "Alpha with Beta tendencies."
What I called "Beta" should have been called "Beta with Alpha tendencies."
What I called "Gamma" should have been called "Beta with Beta tendencies."
Good definition of terms here.


Note that what I called "Gamma" is often called Gamma in common parlance also.

Also, note that there should also be an entry called "Sigma." By definition, the Sigma is the "lone wolf" that is equally as powerful as any alpha alive.


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In Remembrance

This post is scheduled for 11:00 am on Saturday, April 19, 2014. That is the time of the scheduled funeral for my friend, and good Christian man, Chuck. I've known him some 5-6 years. He was a member of the best Sunday School class I've ever been blessed to attend. Chuck's youngest and my oldest are the same age (9), and have been in the same Church class since age 3, and also the same grade in the same school since Kindergarten.

Lefty says it well when he says he was glad to have known Chuck. All of us that are so blessed as to be able to count ourselves as his friends are better for having known him.

Chuck, an honorably discharged Captain in the Air Force, leaves behind quite possibly the sweetest family I have ever known: a wife and four children ranging in age from nine to twenty.

My only regret is that I promised Chuck that we would go fishing, and that never happened as the brain cancer kept getting in the way. But that's OK - I'll be sure to take his son one day. And when we get to Heaven, I know there will be a fishing spot (if you aren't sure, you need to research what St. Peter's profession was before he met Jesus Christ).

Chuck was a talented musician and actor. Amazingly, he had a great mind for the sciences as well: his post-military job was in microbiology. The brain tumor tried to take some of that away, but Chuck pressed on.

When I was at the visitation yesterday, an entire busload of people from out of state came in right at 3 pm when the visitation was set to start. It is no surprise to me that this wonderful man and his precious family have touched so many in a positive way.

Chuck never failed to show love, and each time I think of him, I am reminded of 1 John 4: 7-8 -

Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 

Revolution Mechanism

This past week, in Nevada - we had an interesting showdown. At the heart of it was the Bureau of Land Management trying to control and own property (not legal for the Federal Government or its agencies to own property under the Constitution) and bully a local cattle rancher.

When the BLM got nasty, rancher Cliven Bundy got help... from thousands of patriots who came out and had a standoff with the Feds. Eventually, the BLM caved.

I saw a commentary on Facebook from a group, and the commentary said that the Feds, if they wanted, would have destroyed even 5000 civilians, and that the US citizenry stands no chance against the Federal Government if it comes to war.

I would agree in theory only to that statement. If *all* of the military were to turn their might on the US populace, there would be a massacre. Victory for the people would be difficult at best. Technology and sheer numbers would favor the government.

But...
(and this is a very big but)

That is assuming too many things. Things like:
Assuming that *all* of the military would turn fire on US citizens.
Assuming that all weapons would be brought to bear.

Truth is: 
Over half of the military would "defect."
Many more would refrain from obeying unconstitutional orders to fire on US citizens.
Very few instances of technology would be brought to bear on US citizens.
The fighting that would occur would motivate many more citizens and "former military" to join the revolt.

It would not be a long, drawn out war, as the primary target of a revolt would be politicians in Washington DC. Hypothetically speaking, of course, once DC had been removed as a threat to the freedom of We the People, then the "war" would be all but over. And that would happen within a couple of weeks at best.


And this is why we need the Second Amendment.

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Follow the Money

Very interesting movie promo clip:

Interesting how they touch on every evil I've said about the divorce system in America.


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Following Orders

NYPD's most sued police officer is finally being removed from street duty.

I'm sure he was only "following orders."


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Wrestling Fun 8

My kids are big fans of WWE wrestling. We subscribe to the WWE Network, and frequently watch WWE pay-per-view events.

Recently, the WWE had a house show in Jackson, TN. I was able to attend with my son. My daughter was busy that day, earning a horseback riding badge for the Girl Scouts. The boy and I scored front row seats!

Match 8 (final match) - The Shield (Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns) def. The Wyatts (Luke Harper & Eric Rowan):

Wrestling Fun 7

My kids are big fans of WWE wrestling. We subscribe to the WWE Network, and frequently watch WWE pay-per-view events.

Recently, the WWE had a house show in Jackson, TN. I was able to attend with my son. My daughter was busy that day, earning a horseback riding badge for the Girl Scouts. The boy and I scored front row seats!

Match 7 - Sheamus def. Christian:

Power Tie

Wearing a suit is not my favorite thing to do, but it is something I do well. In business, especially sales, the tie is an important part of the suit. Some go for the red power tie, and others choose the blue power tie. I've seen politicians on "both" sides choose both red and blue, depending on time and circumstance.

Red power ties typically invoke feelings of power, assertiveness, authority and confidence. But can indicate too much ego, threatening, or overly aggressive. 

Blue power ties indicate trust, calm, peace, and tranquility. However, they can leave the observer with feelings of cold or predictability.

I wear a yellow power tie. It invokes feelings of cheer, optimism, and friendliness. The potential drawbacks include impulsiveness, which is furthest from my personality, and a person learns that within moments of meeting me. So for me, it is the best color.

Also, going away from the red or blue is a way to stand out. I was once in a group interview. There were 8 other men, and we were all vying for one job. Every other man in the room (including the interviewer) wore a red or blue tie. I had on my yellow tie.

Not ironically, my alternate favorite tie is a violet shade... and that indicates calm and in control.


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Mind of Anarchy

Possibly one of the better quotes I've ever read, from Facebook the other day:

"How many of you anarchists leave your doors open to your homes and let any random person come in whenever they want and stay as long as they want?"

Of course they don't leave their doors open. "Only for thee, never for me," is their mindset.

Wrestling Fun 5

My kids are big fans of WWE wrestling. We subscribe to the WWE Network, and frequently watch WWE pay-per-view events.

Recently, the WWE had a house show in Jackson, TN. I was able to attend with my son. My daughter was busy that day, earning a horseback riding badge for the Girl Scouts. The boy and I scored front row seats!

Match 5 - Big Show def. Dean Ambrose / Jerry "The King" Lawler was special guest referee.

Wrestling Fun 6

My kids are big fans of WWE wrestling. We subscribe to the WWE Network, and frequently watch WWE pay-per-view events.

Recently, the WWE had a house show in Jackson, TN. I was able to attend with my son. My daughter was busy that day, earning a horseback riding badge for the Girl Scouts. The boy and I scored front row seats!

Match 6 - Bad News Barrett def. Sin Cara

Majoring in Majors 2

Mark 12:28-31

One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, “Which command is the most important of all?”

“This is the most important,” Jesus answered:
Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
“The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”

Very simple verses that could be expounded upon infinitely. Indeed, it could be very reasonably argued that the entire Bible is simply an expansion of these two commands.

The second part of this principle is to show love to your fellow man. Indeed, it is impossible to show hatred toward your fellow man and at the same time show love to God.

The second most common theme in the Bible is to show love to your fellow man. This can take many forms. In fact, the Bible covers dozens of different ways to show love to your fellow man.


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Preaching to the Jews

From a reader:

You’ve made your point on Christian Exclusivity and whether God has changed the requirements for salvation. But, what I’m wondering is how you explain Peter witnessing to the Jews after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven? - Rich

In Acts 2:14-41, Peter indeed preaches to the Jews. Many Jews are saved that day.

But how can that be? I thought Judaism was a legitimate means to salvation???

Judaism is a legitimate "means" to salvation. It's just too bad the religious leaders of that day weren't teaching it. Jesus did, and they called Him a fanatic, and had Him killed for it. Jesus didn't change how people would be saved... He simply enlightened them all, unlike religious leaders who were power tripping by showing everyone how "holy" they were.

Some today would argue that Judaism still cannot save. In technicality, they are correct, as we are saved by God's Grace, through faith in Jehova. Neither Christians, nor Jews have a legitimate claim that the other party is not going to Heaven. 

The religious leaders of that day focused on the Law of Moses. Particularly, they were majoring in the minors. So much so, they lost sight of what the Law was given to accomplish (to set the Jewish people apart from the others in the region, as well as to prescribe Godly living). Jesus brought the focus right back where it needed to be: love the Lord, your God; and love your fellow man.

The religious leaders of that time had never taught the masses to believe in God, demonstrate it with faithful deeds ("good works"), and show love toward your fellow man. These religious leaders were like so many Calvinists today who are consumed with getting into arguments with others over false doctrine instead of actually applying Jesus' simple commands!

So do we Christians need to witness / preach to the Jews of today? Only those who don't believe in God. I'd presume that's not many of them.

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Kicking the $h!t Outta Diabetes

From a reader:

You have said on your blog that you are Type 2 Diabetic. You’ve also stated that you have it under control with diet & exercise. If you were newly diagnosed today, what changes would you make and when?

Fantastic Question!

Genetics
My mother died due to complications from diabetes (although she died after I found out I was diabetic). My father lives with diabetes every day. His father died due to complications from diabetes. So you could say I was *predestined* to fight this battle.

Motivation
My dad goes to dialysis three times per week, and I text with him every morning he goes, to give him something to do during the boring three hours he has to stay at the clinic. It breaks my heart to see the things he has fought through: amputation, loss of eyesight in one of his eyes, hospitalization, dialysis. To say I'd like to avoid these things is an understatement.

Knowledge
I did a lot of self-experimenting to find out what worked and what didn't work with regards to keeping my blood-glucose under control. What I found was consistent with what other successful people have done to control their diabetes. Nevertheless, I wish I had known that day about the following blogs:
1. Mark's Daily Apple
2. Diabetes Warrior
3. Wheat Belly
4. Free the Animal

"Cure"
So what would I do this day if I was diagnosed? I would do the following:

• Fast. No, seriously, I'd fast for at least a day... maybe two days.
• Keep on "fasting." I'd eat only one evening meal per day. (some call this "Warrior Diet")
• Eat a Primal/Paleo diet.80% of calories from meat. 80% of meat from beef, bison, lamb.
• Very moderate exercise: walk 5 days+ per week, lift something heavy once a week, sprint once a week. Play a lot with the kids!
• Drink more water. Reduce (nearly eliminate) sodas, drink 3 liters of water, minimum, per day.
• Resistant Starch. Stuff works like insulin shots or meds, but without all the harmful side effects.

If I did these, and didn't skip any of the points, I have no doubt my BG levels would have been completely stabilized within 90 days.

Proof
PS - the morning I wrote this, my fasting BG was 80. The evening before, right after a large meal (3 pork chops, green beans, broccoli), it peaked at 109 at about 90 minutes after eating.


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Wrestling Fun 4

My kids are big fans of WWE wrestling. We subscribe to the WWE Network, and frequently watch WWE pay-per-view events.

Recently, the WWE had a house show in Jackson, TN. I was able to attend with my son. My daughter was busy that day, earning a horseback riding badge for the Girl Scouts. The boy and I scored front row seats!

Match 4 - The Bella Twins def. Aksana & Alicia Fox

Wrestling Fun 3

My kids are big fans of WWE wrestling. We subscribe to the WWE Network, and frequently watch WWE pay-per-view events.

Recently, the WWE had a house show in Jackson, TN. I was able to attend with my son. My daughter was busy that day, earning a horseback riding badge for the Girl Scouts. The boy and I scored front row seats!

Match 3 - Mark Henry def. Heath Slater