Paleo 2013

Paleo was the most searched diet on Google in 2013. This is not really surprising to me but it does make me really happy. It gives me hope that I will see the price for grass fed and finished beef go down while CAFO's start to decline. Remember, food stamps are accepted at Whole Foods also.
Top diet searches for 2013.

4th interview I've had this week. I have a good feeling about one of the places. They gave me a tour of the place on my second interview. This job could allow me to turn my career towards Cisco like I have been dreaming since I got out of school.
Thanks for listening to my psychobabble. I got the feeling this week out of nowhere that I will be ok here. I can really get used to this. I don't see myself ever going back to LA. If it turns out Austin is not the right fit for me then I will just go someplace else. Keep in touch, yes, that means YOU reading this.

Apt. Checklist

This post is more for my future reference. I've learned a little bit about apartment hunting this year. I signed a lease last year that I wish I wouldn't have. At the time, the apts. I was looking at seemed like they were getting snatched up quick so when I came across the last apartment on my list that I was willing to settle for and it was available, I signed the lease. The first day in my new apt. I found out how thin the walls were. I could hear the beep of my new neighbor's microwave. Awesome! These interior walls we share are not insulated.

To keep myself and hopefully you from falling into this trap I will make a list of simple things to look for that should give you pause before signing that lease. 

Things to avoid. 

1. Sinks without garbage disposal. 

2. Window AC units. (They tend to produce mold)

3. Incorrectly wired outlets. (carry a GFI tester with you)

4. Knock on interior walls if you share them with neighbors. Do the walls sound hollow when compared with perimeter walls?

5. Check the circuit breaker. Does it still use fuses?

6. If there is an attic space, take a look at the insulation.

7. Does the stove range and bathroom have proper ventilation fans?

8. Keep an eye out for roach turds. 

9. Does the parking lot flood when it rains? Knock on a nearby door and ask your future neighbor when the estate agent is not around. 

10. Can you see daylight around the entry door when it is closed?

11. What do the neighbors think of the maintenance crew?

12. Does the place have a dishwasher?

 These are just the glaring problems I have with my current apartment. This apt. is at the corner of Villere and Wilkinson in Mandeville LA. 

I will not miss this simple, run down, moldy box when I leave Saturday. Fuck you Mandeville. 

Sent from my iPhone

Before you get started on Christmas

I haven't posted anything serious in awhile because I have been prepping to move to Austin. I have spent a lot of time reflecting and trying to figure out whats most important to me without other peoples ideas influencing me.
As Christmas is approaching take some time to think about what you want to give those you love. What do you bring to the table? You are not money. You are acquired skills. You are integrity. You are a wall to lean against. You are an emotional receptical. You are a live wire.
My family and friends that spend time with me and really talk with me, I love you so much. Even you that don't see eye to eye with me and tolerate my views I love you shit tons also.
I saw this on Reddit and that's what kind of inspired this post. Put in over time with friends and family and not work. I'd rather spend 3 hours talking to you over coffee than receive a flat panel tv from you.

Joaney's Bday

We went to the mall today to buy some dolls at the Disney store.
Joaney made sure to mention it was her bday so they made a big
announcement. I'm not sure if Joaney realized the whole song and dance
was for her. We went back to the northshore and played on the
playground for a bit before it started to rain. I felt bad for Joaney
since the weather was kinda funky on her bday. She is gonna have a big
party at her moms next weekend so she have another chance at some
better weather.

The Liev Shrieber

Paleo Debunking

Here's a pretty good post that answers many people's bs questions about Paleo. I say bs questions because most people from my experience don't really want the answers, they simply want the work done for them because they are usually too scared to change how they perceive something like diet or religion. I get it, it can be crazy fuckin' hard to up root those ideas we were told as kids. It takes the ability to look at yourself and admit that maybe you don't know everything or more accurately, you were lied to.

Debunking Paleo.

It may be smarter to rent

This guy is really good with money. I have read his book. For people like me (individuals/singles) it may not be the best move to buy real estate.
I will teach you to be rich.

Go check it out, it's a very refreshing perspective.

Red meat causes Cancer.

I'll put this in text so you can know exactly how I perceive this topic and so you don't think I am changing my words/story. I do not believe red meat causes cancer. I'm not including processed (deli meats) or CAFOs in this statement because as someone who subscribes to the Paleo style approach I remain wary of those products. That does not mean that I never eat those meats but I do try to avoid them when I can.

It makes sense to me that the fewer processes you subject your food to in preparation of eating, the healthier the food will be. These days no food is perfect. Grass fed cows graze on grass that might be sprouting on top of soil soaked with crop fertilizer run off and you would never know. I just think that is better than cows fed corn that was directly treated with pesticides and genetically modified to resist a list of conditions. I don't think cavemen were dropping dead from cancer, or maybe they just didn't live long enough to get cancer.

There was a study where "millions" of people were questioned on their eating habits and researchers came to the idea that red meat must be the culprit I guess. I have not read the study but I've hear a lot of people freak out about it in the media. I don't think you can ask millions to recall what they ate the night before and write it on a piece of paper a "study." For me a study needs to be a little more controlled for me to give it any sort of cred.  I will list sources below that have convinced my feeble brain that it is ok to eat meat. Read over them and let me know why you think these sources or studies are bunk.

Red Meat: Part of a healthy Diet? Great post because Robb links to the sources he references.

Paleo podcast episode 70. Robb addresses this red meat cancer study directly. The show is also transcribed for the hard of hearing.

Time Magazine Can a High-Fat diet beat Cancer?

Paleo Diet Site- member submission- Nurse goes against what she was just taught in nursing school.

Meat does not cause cancer Science writer with an interest in nutrition but cites his sources.


There are undoubtedly many more sources out there saying that red meat does not cause cancer.. Why is good beef (fatty cuts of steak)more expensive? Because it's more nutritious? Because it's a comfort food (twinkies are cheap)? It doesn't cost much to raise a grass fed cow that eats only the free grass that just keeps growing out the ground. If a calorie is a calorie then why don't we price food by caloric content? This is just food for though.

SLEEEEEEP.

Robb Wolf covered the topic of sleep on his Paleo Solution podcast. You can listen to this Episode 181 if you wonder how important sleep is and the role it plays metabolic/hormone derangement.

Robb and Dr. Parsley cover why you typically get sick on vacation, cortisol and how/why your body uses and produces it, sleep debt, fight or flight response and many more factors that explain why sleep is the most important act in your life second only to breathing!

Download the free podcast to your phone and listen in your car on the way to work.

When things just work.

Admittedly my fault for letting my 3 1/2 year old use my expensive Beyerdynamics reference headphones for listening to Dora on her tablet, but still when the audio started to cut out on one side after only 3 months I was a little disappointed.
Foxtone sold these headphones refurbished for a very fair price with a warranty. Beyerdynamics warrants the parts and labor on these cans for 2 years! The unnervingly unorthodox return method made me a bit hesitant but I had so many obligations on my plate last week that I didn't have time to worry or put much more thought into their return process. Shipped my headphones to some guy in New Jersey.
A little over a week later I have them back and in perfect working order. It's awesome when systems just work and you know no one was out to screw you in the process, its exceedingly rare these days which makes it all the more wonderful when it happens.

New AC so nice. I wrote some riffage to it.

Just dicking around, had fun with solo at the end. Grab notes with reckless abandon and bend the shit out of em.

Honda CRV Filter Change

Maybe these dirty ass filters are partly to blame for the previous ac compressor burning out on this vehicle. Honda on Siegen in Baton Rouge did everything but change the filter to try and cover up the smoke smell in the vehicle. For those of you who think car dealerships are looking out for you, wake up, or give me some of what you are smoking.
I'll admit this is something I should have changed when I bought the vehicle a year ago but it obviously wasn't high on my priority list since the new filters have been sitting in my car for 3 months now. After watching a youtube video I realized it would only take 5 min to change out. Cleaner cabin air here we come.

Joke du jour

This is too good not to share. Worth the read...

A Harley and a Jar of Vaseline Joe wanted to buy a motorcycle. He doesn't have much luck, until one day, he comes across a Harley with a 'for sale' sign on it. The bike seems even better than a new one, although it is 10 years old. It's shiny and in absolute mint condition. He immediately buys it and asks the seller how he kept it in such great condition for 10 years. 'Well, it's quite simple really,' says the seller, 'whenever the bike is outside and it's gonna rain, rub Vaseline on the chrome. It protects it from the rain.' (true story) And he hands Joe a jar of Vaseline. That night, his girlfriend, Sandra, invites him over to meet her parents. Naturally, they take the bike there. But just before they enter the house, Sandra stops him and says, 'I have to tell you something about my family before we go in.' 'When we eat dinner, we don't talk. In fact, the first person who says anything during dinner has to do the dishes.' 'No problem,' he says.. And in they go. Joe is shocked. Right smack in the middle of the living room is a huge stack of dirty dishes. In the kitchen is another huge stack of dishes. Piled up on the stairs, in the corridor, everywhere he looks. Dirty dishes. They sit down to dinner, and sure enough, no one says a word. As dinner progresses, Joe decides to take advantage of the situation. So he leans over and kisses Sandra. No one says a word. So he reaches over and fondles her breasts. Still, nobody says a word. So he stands up, grabs her, rips her clothes off, throws her on the table and screws her, right there in front of her parents. His girlfriend is a little flustered, her dad is obviously livid and her mom horrified when he sits back down, but no one says a word. He looks at her mom. 'She's got a great body,' he thinks. So he grabs the mom, bends her over the dinner table, pulls down her panties, and screws her every which way but loose right there on the dinner table. After she has a big orgasm, he sits down again. Now his girlfriend is furious and her dad is boiling, the Mom is pleasantly beaming. But still.... Total silence. All of a sudden there is a loud clap of thunder, and it starts to rain. Joe remembers his bike, so he pulls the jar of Vaseline from his pocket. Suddenly the father shouted. I'll do the fuckin' dishes!!

The brother's place

Got to hang out with my brother and his wife last weekend. Lizzie got
to see Joaney again. I haven't seen Lizzie in a while so it was nice
chatting with her. Can't believe she's teaching Zumba classes. I guess
since I remember her birth like it was yesterday I never really expect
her to do adult things. Had a really good time hanging out with the
family though. Confirmed: Joaney is really allergic to cats.

Dr. Oz ...Cholesterol

Wow, I've actually made 102 posts now! Crazy!

Anyway, just a quick post so I can have any friends reference this easily. Dr. Oz interviews some Doctors who really hit the nail on the head. I'm really surprised to see this interview. If you are struggling with weight, inflammation, diabetes, or heart disease, please just check out this video.This video follows the same train of though as an Ancestral / Primal lifestyle.
Sugar is the Enemy!

Learning Paleo

For my friends sincerely trying to figure out Paleo. It's simple,
meat, veggies, water. You can sautee mushrooms, use sea salt and
pastured butter or ghee (clarified butter).
This is bison, sautéed mushrooms, shrimp cocktail, asparagus and
carrots. It took about 20 minutes and the willingness to invest in
one's self. I cooked tomorrow's meals at the same time (burger patties
and squash 45 min). 3 meals of quality that you cannot buy at a
restaurant made in 50 min. Beats spending the same money on
pharmaceuticals and still feeling like shit right?

My rockstar

Joaney and I finally got some good sun at the lake front on the North
shore this weekend. The weather was so nice!

Reference headphones

Joaney can even hear the difference with studio reference headphones.
Seriously though, these things sound good.

Before I shave it.

At least I can grow it out thick enough that I can avoid that Denham
Springs look. It really takes some getting used to. I still prefer a
clean shave.

Viola Swamp Video!!!

First post of the year. Hope you had a good New Year's day celebration. Right before New Year's I finished editing a music video my brother Joel and I made. I started editing it almost exactly one year (within 10 minutes) ago when we shot it but my pc at that time didn't low end grunt required to edit such a small project and crashed losing 10 hours of editing. Started editing from the beginning last week. I think it came out better the second time. Anyway, check it out and let me know what you think. Leave a comment below.

Viola Swamp