Nothing Much to Say.

I've been at a loss for words at times.  That's part of the reason why I have trouble writing something each and every day.  I spend all that time thinking and when I feel I want to say something or that I should say something, nothing comes out.

It goes beyond writer's blocks.  After all, it could be a Facebook or Google+ status update that I'm trying to do and my mind draws a blank.  It's like all the pieces of information haven't been gathered together and organized appropriately in order to pull off something magnificent.

Except I'm not trying to write a novel.  I just want to do a blog entry.

I really don't have much to say today.  Work was work as usual.  I had a late start, so I couldn't pack my normal veggies for lunch.  I was still able to enjoy what food I did have though.

Speaking of food, I bought a bag of sweet peppers and some cut up portabella mushrooms (among more of the usual low carb stuff).  My change in eating habits has been having an effect on me.  I've had to adjust my belt to be slightly tighter as of late.

I might be able to speed the process up if I manage to increase the use of the 10 pound dumb bell this Sunday.  Right now, I'm working the biceps and triceps at 30 reps.  The plan is to up it to 31.  After five days of doing that (not straight.... I leave a day in between), I'll up it to 33.

Once I hit 50 and can do that consistently, I'll double the weight.

I've also been 20 pushups off the wall.  This Sunday, I'll do 21.  A week from this Wednesday, I'll do 23.

The pattern for upping reps will occur every sixth day.  So on the sixth day, I'll up it by one.  On the twelfth day, I'll up it by two.  On the eighteenth day, by three.  On the 24th day, by four.

For the dumb bell, I'll increase the weight when I can consistently do 50 reps without feeling too much strain.  As for off the wall pushups, I'll simply keep doing them.  I eventually want to be able to do the pyramid style; this is where I would start at ten pounds with a high number of reps, go to 20 lbs at half the reps, 30 lbs at half the reps of 20 lbs, go back to 20 lbs, then back to ten.

When I did that oh so long ago, my muscles could feel it.  It was well worth it.  Now that I'm back on the train, I'll work my way back to that point.  When warmer weather (that's consistent) arrives, I'll be doing more walking as well.

What do you know?  I really didn't have much to say, now did I?

Memories Going through My Head

Work was interesting.  Despite being short handed on the front end, we were able to get our stuff done.  It helps that there's not much customer traffic at the moment due to winter break.  Towards the end of my shift, something began to happen.

I began replaying some moments in my mind.

Towards the end of the month, it will be a year since I experienced a moment that would change my life.  It was that moment that defied my stance for several years.  That defiance made me truly happy.

For many years, I never ever thought I would have a girlfriend.  It just didn't seem to be in the cards for me.

In 2012, things changed.  I would be introduced by somebody else, and from there, things happened.  The relationship would end after four months.

She wants to eventually start a family.  Being a father is not in the cards for me as I don't have the patience for it.

Now that I'm sitting here writing this entry, more memories of the past are going through my head.

Memories of falling for someone and writing a three page letter that never reached them.  The poor lady always kept getting sick or injured each semester at college.  I also have memories of attempting to date other people only to come up short.

I also have a recent memory.  It happened towards the end of last year.  For the longest time, I wanted to write some status update on Facebook that goes something like this:

"That moment when you realize you've been blocked and that it doesn't really matter."

 Perhaps it was something I said via chat.  Perhaps it was something that I had shared and/or wrote regarding current events.  It doesn't matter really.  All that matters is that I was told by the individual in question through their actions that they don't want to associate with me, and they have a right to do so.

Facebook is a great medium of communication, but it's not my entire life.  Whenever somebody, whether it's through their words or actions, screams, "LEAVE ME ALONE!," I simply comply.

What I seem to be looking for in those memories are life lessons to remember.  I find only one.

Take control of your own life and own destiny before a group of people decides how you should conduct your own affairs.

I know I said that yesterday.  I simply decided to apply it to my own life today.  Things are changing, because we all live in interesting times.  Something very important and very interesting is on the horizon, so the prudent thing for me to do is to be prepared.

It's time for me to seize the day and determine my own fate.

Weekend's Over Wednesday: Reading Between the Lines.

I took another break from personal blogging.  I know why other bloggers are so successful.  Take a look at The Blog of Helios.  Helios only blogs when he has something to say.  With events that have been occurring in the last several days, I decided it was time to take a break and think things over.

I want to talk about something very important.

To do so, I want to mention three things.  They will all have something in common.  It's this very thing that we need to start looking at, for it will determine the future of the entire world.

The Kid's Table

"....Linux Users can't be trusted to behave if they are taken out into public."

 Much speculation was had on LXer regarding the latest blog entry of Helios.  A question was asked why Google never mentions in its marketing that Android and Chromebooks are Linux-based.  The above text is the essential message of the entry in question.

The problem is that speculation went way into left field so to speak.  Yes, there is infighting in various group settings in Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).  However, the same thing happens behind closed doors at proprietary software firms.

If that wasn't the case, we wouldn't hear about a CEO throwing a chair in a fit of anger at one of their own leaving for a rival company.

In essence, there are grown men and women who act like children in all walks of life.  Seeing as how the quirky, eccentric, and nerdy were the ones who brought the Linux kernel to the dance so to speak, I'm seriously doubting that the infighting, name calling, unusual application names, and other unusual activity is what turns Google off of marketing Linux.

The important thing to do here is to read between the lines.

Think about it.  Who owns the trademark to Linux?  Linus Torvalds.  Who helps protect the trademark and reputation of Linux?  The Linux Foundation.

In the realm of FOSS, the supposed "greatest weakness" is actually its greatest strength.  FOSS consists of individuals, and much like the Libertarian Party in the United States, trying to get a bunch of people to go along with the same exact idea is like herding a bunch of cats.

In reality, it's about control.

Google does not own the trademark to Linux.  Therefore, they can't control it.  Google is not in it to make Linux succeed.  Google is in the game so that Google can succeed.

It's nothing personal.  It's just business.

It's also the same reason Canonical has a copyright and trademark policy.  The company allows the use of trademarks for non-commercial purposes, but for commercial purposes, certain procedures have to be followed.

Gun Control

We all know what happened at Sandy Hook, and it was indeed tragic.  Those children didn't need to die.  Like with Columbine and the Colorado theater shootings, there were calls for gun control in addition to blaming video games.

A TV show host called for gun control while railroading an individual who disagreed with him.  A petition was started to deport the host in question, a British citizen.  Said British citizen has one of the people behind said petition on his show.

Mixed commentary came as a result.

So let's step back for a moment.  Should we really be listening to some blow hard on TV telling American citizens how to live their own lives?  The same blow hard who was fired for alteration of photos regarding the Iraq war and was potentially implicated in another scandal?

What's this really about?  Let's start by reading between the lines.

For starters, Connecticut already has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.  Those laws did not stop the tragedy at Sandy Hook.  That's because laws don't focus on the proverbial person behind the trigger.

The calls for real mental health care is a start in terms of reading between the lines and thinking outside the box.  The only problem is that it will leave the door open to authoritarians labeling those who own firearms or want to do so as "mentally ill," thus potentially denying them their 2nd Amendment rights should such legislation be signed into law.

The bad part is that many of us are quite responsible for the mental anguish and suffering of those who could potentially become mass murderers, especially if we accuse them of being a potential murderer.  This tidbit from Gina Tron drives the point home:

"In a small town like mine, everyone knew that the stories were about me, and more than a few people genuinely thought I was consumed with murderous rage. Even my parents, who worked towns away, were being told how troubled I was by their coworkers. No one tried to hide their fear and hatred of me either. When I walked down the halls of school it was like the parting of the Red Sea; crowded restaurants fell quiet when I entered; students who feared they were on my non-existent hit list dropped out of the classes they shared with me. My house was egged and I got French fries and soda thrown at me when I attempted to set foot inside the school cafeteria."

She began to sympathize with those who went on murdering sprees at school because they were tortured.  After all, she was forced to take anti-depressants based on her outward appearance (italics added for emphasis).

"I started pushing the limit of what I could get away with, and shifted from ignoring people’s remarks to ripping posters off the walls in front of them in an attempt at intimidation. On a few occasions I would actually chase people. And they would always run. It was funny. You want a psycho? I’ll give you a psycho. That was my logic, and it kind of became a game for me."

 Do you see it yet?  It's not really about guns.  It's actually about control.  People who believe they know better than you are wanting to tell you how to live your life.  In addition, they want to control your entire life in a sense so that they don't have to deal with any inconvenience coming from your individuality.

Ban guns?  There will be knife stabbings instead.  Ban knives?  Ball bats will be used instead.  Removing one weapon will only cause another to appear.  It's about control.

A Thought Provoking Video



I want you to watch the entire video.  I know that not everybody will agree with the points made.  However, I want you to look for the common theme here; control.  Notice how groups of people controlling individuals is the overall theme of the video in question.

Again, it's all about control.

Conclusion

Unless the individual takes charge and control of their own destiny, somebody else will determine what that destiny will be.

Those who want Linux and FOSS to be recognized and accepted by the masses need to stop relying on other groups and entities to do it for them.  Form an advocacy group, raise money, and begin advertising it instead.  How do you think Firefox became so successful?

If you want the keep your right to bear arms, then speak out!  I personally made the choice not to own them, but that was my choice and I'll be damned if that choice is taken away from every single citizen in this country.  There are plenty of advocacy groups out there, such as Gun Owners of America.

But don't just rely on advocacy groups yourself.  Educate others and get them to realize that we need to focus on the person pulling the trigger and understand why they did what they did.  There also needs to be mention of times when those who are armed have stopped violent activity.

Finally, you might start looking into the non-aggression principle.

Just Another Saturday Morning

Work came and went.  I ran freight in celebration and even helped to zone frozen.  The good news was that it got done.

It's amazing what can happen when a co-worker makes sure that nobody walks away until the job's done.

At the moment, I'm simply relaxing from a night of work while writing this entry.  I've had quite a bit on my mind as of late.  Most of it involves the website.

For those who read yesterday's entry, I'll be moving my site to e107.  It's a content management system that I'm more familiar with.  In terms of security, no matter what software is used, matters tend to improve when one actually keeps an eye on things and updates as needed.

I'm thinking of doing an unorthodox thing by going with a theme that isn't graphically intense.  After all, certain sites like this one and this one get plenty of traffic without graphics everywhere all the time.

Plus, a valid point is made when the individual in question on one of the sites states the following:

"Some webmasters have spent years tweaking their layout and designing their site, and very few get any traffic. This site, as shitty as it looks, gets over 1 million visits per month. I use large fonts also as a protest against all the stylish garbage you see out there. When I go to a web site, I WANT TO READ THE CONTENT. Trust me, that micro-font everyone uses isn't nearly as original as they think. I've chosen a black background for most of my text because it's easier on the eyes than staring at a white screen. Think about it: your monitor is not a piece of paper, no matter how hard you try to make it one. Staring at a white background while you read is like staring at a light bulb (don't believe me? Try turning off the lights next time you use a word processor). Would you stare at a light bulb for hours at a time? Not if you want to keep your vision." --Maddox

A successful site is supposed to be about the content.  All the pretty graphics in the world won't guarantee success.  Plus, the theme I'm thinking of using may give the site an underground feel.

I am looking forward to working on it very soon.  Once this is done, I'll be able to focus on posting content.

On the life front, I have started noticing my sleep schedule changing a bit.  I've been going to bed around 11 AM or noonish and getting up at 9 PM; just an hour before work.  Perhaps changing the way I'm eating is helping matters a bit.

I also did a good deed after I clocked out from work.  The ring that I had with real turquoise was returned to the very person who left it behind.  Even if it wasn't their ring, they had one exactly like it.

I couldn't let a friend go without such an heirloom either way.  I simply took it off the chain and handed it to him.  Hopefully, he'll hold onto it for the rest of his days.  May he and it never part ways.

Anyhoo, it's time for me to wind down so I can eventually go to bed.  I'm thinking the migration of the website may occur after I get home Sunday morning.

At least it would give me something to do while waiting for an appropriate time to go to bed.

It May Be Friday, But Not MY Friday.

Today is Friday, and I know people are excited about their upcoming weekends.  My weekend isn't here yet.  My nights off are Mondays and Tuesdays.

I have three more shifts to go.

In the meantime, I've been making some changes as evidenced in the picture below.

I had three chicken breasts topped with pepper jack cheese for dinner.  It was absolutely scrumptious.  Here's a couple more pictures below.

I've been bringing my lunch to work as of late, which saves quite a bit of money in the long run.  Both have fish in a can (salmon and herring).  I also ate some broccoli and baby spinach.

As far as the website goes, I'm going to switch back to e107.  I'm familiar with it already and can re-learn it within a short period of time.  I notified those who contributed that they'll be able to archive what they wrote as I'll be waiting for a couple of days before embarking on the task at hand.

Perhaps I'll return to Drupal one day (if the site gets big and famous enough to warrant a dedicated server).  I considered using WordPress, but e107 has built in forum functionality.

For now, I'll relax for a bit longer and go to bed.  Have a good Friday, everyone.  ;)

'twas a Mild Night at Work

Work wasn't too terrible.  I was assigned to the side of the store that waxing was taking place, so that limited what I could do for a while.  The good news is that it wasn't nearly as rushed as it was during the previous month.

While sales may suffer, an opportunity for additional clean up presents itself at the beginning of each year.  For the company I work for, the financial year isn't quite over though; it ends in February, the same month that Valentine's Day is celebrated by many.

I won't be among those who do.  In fact, I'll have both the 13th and 14th of February off.  One of the most significant things I can do is to call my Dad on the 14th and wish him a happy birthday.  That sounds like an awesome idea.

Speaking of birthdays, I'll be taking a mini-vacation in March as well.  I'm turning 30 after all, so I might as well celebrate living that long.  ;)

On the website front, I'm still considering my options.  I did have a roadmap, but as I begin to think about things more and more, I realized that I wanted to at least be able to operate the content management system in a way that I was more comfortable.  I'm more familiar with e107 than with Drupal.

I'll more than likely decide in the coming days what to do.

In the meantime, I think I shall go to bed.

Weekend's Over Wednesday: It's Time.

The last couple of days have given me a chance to rest from a hectic week of work.  Today, I feel better than I have in a while.  Granted, I'm still recovering from the 2012 Holiday Sales Season, but I'm in much better shape at the moment.

Speaking of which, I'm wanting to be in better physical condition this year and in the years to come.

I recently cut out sugars and am limiting my intake of carbohydrates.  Exercising began yesterday with some minor weight training.  A ten pound dumbbell was used as well as a wall for push ups.

I'm not remotely strong enough to do them off the floor as of yet.

Challenges to Come

With the so called "fiscal cliff" averted for the time being, I suppose we may get back to our normal lives until about February or March (debt ceiling joys to come).  Regardless, there are plenty of personal challenges that will keep 2013 interesting.

I've been working on a website for an independent film maker.  There's still quite a bit of work to be done.  However, I'm confident that my efforts will go a long way in not only helping a film maker's dreams come true, but it will also help me become better in terms of website building.

Progress on my website has stalled.  While I enjoyed using Drupal, I also am familiar with e107.  Both allow for an integrated forum and themes to be used.  e107 has also been easier for me to use.  I'm still deciding whether I should stick with the current content management system or to switch to a different one.

Either way, I'll be archiving all blog posts.

I also have to clean up the living quarters.  It's been a mess as of late, and it really needs to be tidied up and in some cases, reorganized (especially my bedroom).

One more final challenge will be deciding what to do on my 30th birthday.  In March, I'll no longer be a 20 something.  Imagine that.

So what are some of your personal challenges this year?  Feel free to post in the comments below.