Closing out a long week...

No great strides in my journey this week, I am sad to say. Though, that may not be all together true. Yes, my journey is primarily one of weight loss, but I have forgotten, it is also about being happy and healthy… that is not merely weight loss. So, in that respect, I have actually done quite well this week, today being especially good. Work has been pretty slow, but, I am still bringing money home. I am definitely working tomorrow, but not sure about Saturday. I admit that I would love to have the weekend off to recuperate. I am getting used to having to be at work and on the road as much as I am. It’s a bit of a drive from my house to work, so I lose about 1.5 to 2 hours driving a day, depending on traffic.

But, even though I have not been the success at the gym that I have wanted to be, as of yet, I have been able to maintain the initial weight loss. I remain at 447 and have not gained or loss since that weigh in. I have been sticking to my “diet” (I hate using that word, but it is what most people tend to use, common nomenclature and all) and drinking massive amounts of water. I suppose that has been a help. I do need to get back on track with taking my vitamins and supplements, I really slacked off on that and I am really disappointed with myself about that. Tomorrow, I will start anew with the pills. I have also come to the conclusion that my all or nothing attitude has to be adjusted a bit when it comes to the gym, at least for now anyway. I had fully intended on working out 6 days a week with one day off… well, my spirit is certainly willing, but, my body is saying “oh… no, no, no…” And rightfully so, I mean really, you can’t abuse your body for so many years and then expect it to play ball when you come to your senses!

I am now going to work out every other day, no matter what. Starting either Tomorrow or Saturday. I am still a little on the sore side from earlier this week, and I think one more day of rest will prepare me for my return. I totally enjoy going and doing what I have to at the gym, I just need to convince my body that it is okay! I was happy to see that my blog has found its way, with no assistance from me, to other blog sites on the web. I don’t know how it is being found, but I am glad it is getting out there all the same. I would, however, welcome any and all suggestions on how I can better promote this blog and get more eyes to see it. I have tried a few things to no real avail except the one post in December when I had my record of 500 plus hits in one day. I have to say that I was a bit spoiled by that day, and have felt that my meager 15 to 30 hits on any given day is not so great, lol.

Once again, I am thinking seriously of pursuing a career in writing. I have been told by many, including a few people who I value their opinions very highly, that I should find a way to write for a living. I have been posting some articles on eHow.com and have really enjoyed that. I am looking for some opportunities to contribute to a few local publications if I can, even for free at first. I will be reviewing and writing a piece on the band “Particle Effect” after their show that is coming up in February. Info as follows: (Particle Effects is the band, and they will be kicking off open mic at Yeoman’s Road on Davis Island. 10pm Tuesday night on February 9th. at 236 Davis Blvd. Tampa FL. 33606. Mapquest it or GPS it. Come on out and support them, then hang out with them after the show.) One of the band members is a dear friend and former band mate of mine, Christian F. Rivas. I look forward to the opportunity to see them live for the first time, and to write what very well may be their first review. I will try to be as objective as possible, though, my bias may play into it a little. I am sure that it will be a great show! I am also still putting together some ideas for a book, I have a few working titles, but, I am going to leave the title until I am further into the creation of the actual main body.

Well, it is that time… I am tired and have a probable long day ahead of me tomorrow at the club. Please let me know what you are thinking and any of the aforementioned suggestions and/or comments are greatly appreciated!

Thanks to all of you for your continued love and support.

As always, take care and remember…

Every day is a chance to turn it all around!

- Kenny

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[Via http://kennyislosingit.wordpress.com]

Modern Technology Owes Ecology An Apology

Oh, people in the 21st century…(sigh). Anything anybody’s interested in these days are the new “pea pods” or “tea books”. Now, many a “mature” being may have come across these grammatical mishaps given to the fact that they still probably think Lincoln is in office. Well, as these oldies resist, the younglings are practically more than welcoming. As I have just learned, from personal experience, these younger generations have become frighteningly dependent on these great technological feats, spending hours on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. Seeming to have some kind of hypnotizing component to it, technology is anything anybody cares about nowadays. What happened to curling up with a good ole book without a glaring light projecting from a digitally processed page? Or actually writing a letter and taking the time to send it, postage stamp and all instead of typing it up and sending it off in a matter of seconds?

Yesterday, because of complications with my WiFi network, I could not access the internet on my laptop. My frustration turned into hysteria which turned into me crying over not being able to check my Facebook page. Oh. My. God. I felt so incredibly silly afterwards, recounting my rant on how important it was that I check up on my page right that second. Not to mention that I had an audience as well, equipped with friends and family.

I suppose the “moral” of the story is that maybe one of these days you should trade up that eBook for an original (antique) copy of The Grapes of Wrath or that email for a piece of looseleaf and a pen. Bring yourself back down to earth, buy that horse and not that Prius.

“Western society has accepted as unquestionable a technological imperative that is quite as arbitrary as the most primitive taboo:  not merely the duty to foster invention and constantly to create technological novelties, but equally the duty to surrender to these novelties unconditionally, just because they are offered, without respect to their human consequences.”  ~Lewis Mumford

[Via http://aquavitae358.wordpress.com]

Twitter: Slightly less worthless now

If you don’t own stake in a tech company, work in media or live close to a downtown metropolitan area, you are excused from thinking that Twitter is an over-hyped leftover curiosity from the now retreating mobile phone Short Message System era. Seriously, what the hell is the point of “tweeting” text when you are no longer bound by SMS’s arbitrary character limit or lack of graphics? Anyone with a slightly smart phone (soon to be just about everyone) has access to MMS or robust social media applications.

I stopped using Twitter for anything in October after Facebook did some heavy updates to its Blackberry application, eliminating my desire to use the lightweight Twitter app for quick Facebook updates. Despite some excellent content finally appearing on the service (Fake AP Stylebook, Shit My Dad Says and Time Lost Batman), I was done with the whole concept. I uninstalled the Twitter app from my Facebook account, locked down the Twitter account and walked away. The only thing that has been appearing on my Twitter feed since then are the update notices sent out by this WordPress blog.

However, as I’ve been helping The Redhead update her blog and Etsy store over the last two days, I’ve reluctantly returned to Twitter to see how it has changed. Overall, it’s slightly less worthless than it used to be. Site performance has definitely improved, although it is after the holidays. I like the retweet button, the local trending topic sidebar and the lists function…but where the hell are simple things like Twitpic integration?

Facebook made massive design and privacy changes to its site to head off the slightest advantage that Twitter might gain from its freewheeling, open-door nature, but Twitter has done little to integrate the Frankenstein’s monster of off-site services that make its system even remotely competitive. Where can I find a comprehensive list of popular off site Twitter apps? How about an automatically scrolling list of tweets, saving me from having to refresh the static site for the latest? This is basic, basic stuff that hundreds of other web noodlers and ne’er-do-wells have cobbled together over the last few months, but they are not reflected in Twitter’s web site, the first place people go when their friends finally harass them into using the service.

[Via http://fuzzybuzz.wordpress.com]

Facebook Note from Sarah Palin on Women's Rights

From Sarah Palin’s Facebook Notes:

Women’s Rights Groups: Your Double Standard is Showing Women’s Rights groups, like NOW, commendably call out advertisers and networks for airing sexist and demeaning portrayals of women that lead to young women’s diminished self-esteem and acceptance of roles as mere sexed-up objects.

What a ridiculous situation they’re getting themselves into now with their protest of CBS airing a pro-life ad during the upcoming Super Bowl game. The ad will feature Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow and his mom, and they’ll speak to the sanctity of life and the beautiful potential within every innocent child as Mrs. Tebow acknowledges her choice to give Tim life, despite less than ideal circumstances. Messages like this empower women! This speaks to the strength and commitment and nurturing spirit within women. The message says everything positive and nothing negative about the power of women – and life. Evidently, some women’s rights groups like NOW do not like that message.

NOW is looking at the pro-life issue backwards. Women should be reminded that they are strong enough and smart enough to make decisions that allow for career and educational opportunities while still giving their babies a chance at life. In my own home, my daughter Bristol has also been challenged by pro-abortion “women’s rights” groups who don’t agree with her decision to have her baby, nor do they like the abstinence message which she articulated as her personal commitment. NOW could gain ground and credibility with everyday Americans, thus allowing their pro-women message to be heard by more than just their ardent supporters, if they made wiser decisions regarding which battles to pick. They should call attention to and embrace the Tebow’s message, instead of covertly and overtly disrespecting what Mrs. Tebow, Bristol, and millions of other women have chosen to do (in less than ideal circumstances).

My message to these groups who are inexplicably offended by a pro-woman, pro-child, pro-life message airing during the Super Bowl: please concentrate on empowering women, help with efforts to prevent unexpected pregnancies, stay consistent with your message that for too long women have been made to feel like sex objects in our “modern” culture and that we can expect better in 2010. But don’t let your double standard glare so vividly as to undo some of the good to which you could contribute.

And CBS: just do the right thing. Don’t cave. Have the backbone to run the ad.

To the Tebows: thank you. America is listening. We appreciate you.

- Sarah Palin

[Via http://themoveright.com]

Pizza Hut's Intestinal Warfare

If you’ve ever heard me on the subject of Pizza Hut, it all boils down to this…  Pizza Hut = Gastrointestinal Distress.  I have no idea why.  I’ve heard the same thing from many other people when the subject is raised.  I know I’ve gotten into it on facebook not too long ago too.  I enjoy plenty of other pizzas from other chains & from the local shops, all with no digestional discomfort.

I wrote to Pizza Hut a long time ago… and this is all I had to say…

Hello Fine Friends at Pizza Hut,

Contrary to the belief held by your delicious pizzas, my intestines are not a waterslide.  Can you please instruct the   to not use my digestive system as a waterslide park?  It would be very much appreciated!

Gotta go!

-ERiC AiXeLsyD

world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com

Well, their answers back then were quite dissatisfying, and when I contacted them again via snail mail, my query went wholly unanswered.

Perhaps that’s why I waged another campaign of emails with a vengeance.  I looked up several Pizza Hut and Yum! Brands executives online, found the syntaxt of their respective companies’ email addresses, and fired off a few notes… as well as filled out the webform once or twice or so.

from ERiC AiXeLsyD world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com

to Scott.Bergren@yum.com

date Wed, Jan 20, 2010 at 8:28 AM

subject Intestinal Warfare?

mailed-by gmail.com

Hello,

This isn’t about a specific incident, but a general observation.  There was nowhere in the webform to indicate that, so I had to seek out some email addresses. I find it quite rude that there’s no general inquiry area, or a contact email address.

As for the purpose of my missive…

I would like to know why your pizza treats my intestines like a water park.  Every time I enjoy your delicious slices of pie, I feel like I have swallowed a hurricane that’s trying to escape via my …well, I’ll leave that to your imagination.

I can assure you that I’m not lactose intolerant, but perhaps I’m allergic to something in your sauce or pie?  I don’t seem to have this problem with any other pizza places… chains or local.

Have any other customers written to you regarding gastrointestinal distress of any sort?  My cousin who works in a Pizza Hut in Ohio swears that they use a different sauce there, devoid of the same effects.

Thanks for your time!

-ERiC

The email address experiment seemed to be to no avail.  I’ve either been blocked by IT, spam filters, or wholly ignored.  But, it looks like I did get a bite off of the webform…

from Dave Kronenwetter Davekronenwetter@aurorahuts.com

to world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com

cc Ed Holt edholt@aurorahuts.com

date Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 9:16 AM

subject Pizza Hut Incident Eric Aixelsyd

mailed-by aurorahuts.com

Dear Mr. Aixelsyd,

I was sorry to hear about your experience at the local Pizza Hut. Let me assure you that the ingredients used here in Pennsylvania are the same quality ingredients that are used throughout the country. In most cases our ingredients come from the same suppliers. The following website lists possible allergen & sensitive ingredients : http://www.pizzahut.com/Files/pdf/Updated%20PH%20Allergen%20List%2004.17.09.pdf This website includes our nutritional information: http://www.pizzahut.com/Files/PDF/Pizza%20Hut%20Nutrition%20Info%2010.12.09.pdf. Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions you may have and I will handle them personally

Sincerely,

Dave Kronenwetter

Area Coach

Aurora Huts LLC

412-897-6775

davekronenwetter@aurorahuts.com

Interesting.  Well, at least now I have two good contacts… but perhaps my query will take a more serous and inquisitive turn.

Upon viewing the interesting pdf linked to by Mr. Kronenwetter, I see that a bunch of items there are marked “prepared in common equipment and therefore may contain allergens” in the shellfish column.  I’m not sure exactly why this is, because I don’t recall any shellfish on the Pizza Hut menu, and especially since the items marked are oddly random and specific…  Garlic Parmesan wings, and no others… three different pizza sauces… 3 of the 4 Tuscani pastas, and breadsticks.

I can only assume that these things arrive at Pizza Hut pre-made, and may come into contact with potential allergens at the manufacturing/processing/packaging facility?  Oh well, perhaps I can figure out a way to address this in a goofy manner, yet still yield some positive and enlightening results.  I know that many people suffer from the pizza hut digestion demon, and I really hope it’s not just some sanitary/kitchen issues.

Perhaps this too must move into snail mail territory.  For some reason, most companies seem to treat a real live letter with more respect than an email.

I thought of Yum! Brands today as we watched Spaceballs…  In the characters Kernel Sandurz and Pizza the Hutt – both now Yum! Brands brands.  Would it be wrong of me to write to them and tell them that Mel Brooks is working on a new special edition of Spaceballs with more scenes, digitally inserted characters and creatures, and better re-vamped special effects… and that they’d like to include more Yum! Brands characters… like Captain Long John Silver and Taco Bell, and some droid sidekicks, A & W?

[Via http://aixelsyd13.wordpress.com]

Cut to the Heart

Acts 2:36-38 (ESV)

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

—–

In our immediate context, verse 36 is the summary of Acts 2:14-35. Peter is proclaiming to an audience of Jews (see 2:5)  that Jesus is in fact the Messiah, that He is not dead but resurrected and living, and that they did not embrace him but rather crucified him. Peter quotes from the Old Testament proofs regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit and resurrection. The Jews were cut to the heart by the Word of God and Peter’s apostolic testimony, knowing they were guilty and had greatly sinned against God. In a state of desperation cried out and exclaimed, “Brothers, what shall we do?” The first word of Peter’s reply?

Repent.

There are times when, as in Acts 2:37, God’s truth “cuts to the heart.” Your conscience informs you that immediate and desperate action must occur to remove sin that the Holy Spirit has shone His pure and holy light on. This is what happened to me tonight. Thanks to James Miller at my church, One Hope, for speaking the truth boldly and with humility from 1 John 1:5-2:1.

By the time you see this posted to Facebook, I will have begun a Facebook fast that will last until May 1st. God has led me in this direction for several weeks, and only finally tonight God grant the necessary brokenness to proceed. Here are the three reasons why this fast is taking place in order of significance.

1) Purity. As a man called to shine as light into a dark world, I must be vigilant keeping my eyes away from impure images. I have not more than once looked longer than I should have at a picture – be it an ad or posted by a friend – which have led to impure thoughts. I would cover up these transgressions against God by saying that these sins were not as bad as the ones I used to commit while lost/a new believer; a little linger of the eyes here or there is OK. Jesus had a much different answer to dealing with sins committed with our eyes. He said:

Mark 9:47-48 “And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ “

The application for me as a believer is not that I am going to hell, but that sin is so great of an offense against God that it must be eradicated at any cost. All sin is an offense to God because He is pure and holy. When I think a sin is not so bad in God’s eyes, I have actually replaced the true God with a false god that will let me hold on to “lesser” sins. When this happens, and are aware of it, a huge shift in thinking (repentance) must take place. A lie has been believed for far too long if it starts to resemble truth!!

2) Self-glorification. There is no greater sin than that of pride. True believers must fight against this sin. Here is another area where I have let down my guard and sinned against God. I can’t give you an actual comparison of time, but I am sure that I have spent more time thinking about my status, exalting myself when people write what I like, and making sure my Facebook profile represented who I am to the world than crying out before God in prayer. Lecrae in his song “Go Hard” puts it this way:

Aw mayne we ain’t focused on the war / We just kickin’ it

Worried bout our image / And our space up on the Internet

One would be foolish to think that something that inhibits a major activity like prayer, something Jesus did constantly and urged his disciples to do often, is worth holding onto.

3) Wasting time/idling. Christians are to redeem the time given to them to honor the Lord as the days we live in are evil (Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5). This sin is closely related to #2 due to the amount of time it takes to make my representation of my life as correct as possible. There is a tract about the cross that God has put on my heart to write way back in April 2009. It’s now January 2010. What happened? Satan is so deceptive.

—–

Therefore, I will be zealous and repent, like Jesus told the church in Laodicea to do in Revelation 3:19. I do not know what will happen on May 1st. Jesus may have come back by then! I hope to be purer of eye, more humbled before the Lord, and a better steward of my time. I may be a little more excited by this than I should be.

Well, that’s all for now, early morning ahead! Comments, as always, are welcome. If there are grammatical errors, please let me know – they tend to frequent these late night blog posts.

[Via http://repentandbelieve.wordpress.com]

How to Un-Share your E-mail Address with Pet Society

Did you have trigger-finger and clicked yes to this message without reading it?

If so, there’s a way to undo the damage. Go to the “Settings” link on the top right of Facebook. Click “Application Settings.”

Then find Pet Society in the list. Click “Edit Settings.”

Click on the “Additional Permissions” tab. Uncheck the box next to “Receive updates to my Facebook contact email address.”

It also looks like you can unsubscribe from any e-mails sent by Pet Society. While you’re at it, you may as uncheck the box, “Publish to streams.” This will prevent the application from blasting all your friends with constant reports of “Melody is now playing with her pet Muffintop in Pet Society.” No one needs to know about your game addiction, riiiight?

[Via http://petsocietyanonymous.com]