Well that was fun wasn’t it?
Today marks the beginning of what I call “The Grind.” Holidays are over. You’ve consumed approximately 12,000,000 calories over the last week and the next holiday is a long fucking way off.
Back to work, fuckos!
Are you the type of person who makes New Years resolutions? Ever had any luck sticking to them? Let us know in the comments.
I’ve had two success stories that I’m kind of proud of. First, I managed to quit smoking, er uh, quit smoking cigarettes that is. It’s been many years. I’m actually so cured of cigarettes that I can even smoke one once or twice a year and not feel the urge to pick the habit back up again.
Look, just because I use a vape system for nicotine delivery does not mean I’m a smoker.
Second success story is alluded to by the banner image. Eighteen years ago tomorrow, January 3rd, I started my morning walk. I’ve shared bits of this before but when I weighed in at my pulmonologists’ office – while suffering a lengthy bout of bronchitis – a few days before and that fucking scale said I weighed 339 pounds… Well that was enough. For most of the years following I walked every damn day unless it was raining and since I live in LA that means at least 350 days a year. Sure I’ve had breaks due to illness, three different knee surgeries and maybe a vacation day or two but I am deeply committed to my walk.
It’s my religion, my meditation, my preparation for a new day and I just fucking love it.
I am currently still over 100 pounds less than that fateful day at the doctors’ office and I ain’t letting that shit come back.
Over the past 18 years during my walk I have encountered some interesting things. I’ve seen whales, dolphins, sea lions and even elephants (circus was in town.) I’ve walked the beach, the harbor, the city streets of Chicago, San Diego, Pittsburgh, New York, the Vegas strip, Downtown Denver, Philly, The Jersey Shore and Phoenix among many others. I’ve walked directly through a double homicide scene at 3:30 in the morning. The officer setting out the crime scene tape wasn’t really happy about that but he let me go. I had one encounter at about 4:00 AM while walking where a carload of girls, very obviously gang members, rolled up on me, rolled down their window and stared. I’m pretty sure my very sincere “Good morning” might have saved my dumb ass from a gang initiation.
Through it all I’ve kept right on walking. I go through probably 4 to 5 pairs of walking shoes a year so it’s not exactly a “free” endeavor but I’ll pay the price. The walk more than likely saved my life. I walked this morning and I’ll walk tomorrow.
It’s what I do.
Just felt like sharing that so if we’ve got anybody out there who has sworn to get rid of the holiday pounds or maybe even a few extra pounds; you CAN do it. It’s dedication and commitment but it can be done.
SPORTS:
There’s a decent slate of NBA games including T-Wolves vs Celtics and Lakers vs OKC.
NHL has a handful of games to keep you amused.
And well that’s about it.
Join us won’t you? Today is the last day of my 5 day “end of the holidays” vacation so there will be some final festive drinks.
What do you say?
One last round before getting back to the grind?
Gentlemen. It is late.
Eh, tonight I was mainly drinking beers from your neck of the woods and Horatio’s. Also mine-ish. It was a busy weeknight with a buddy in town.
I had that one in the queue…… for the name. I wonder if it is any good (IPAters would definitely not like it.)
One of my good friends finally realized he was being cheating on. We played this in the bar on repeat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB1D9wWxd2w&ab_channel=MarkMorrison
Related noted, by British buddy from college told me one of his mates found out his girl was cheating on said mate. They were drinking their pub, when she walked in. This was played on repeat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU314nyMKWE&ab_channel=AirbrushRocks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiTtcCIisVc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsjXRpHlAUc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzPr3R3DNoo
I wonder if the career accomplishments were similar…….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3v5LW3tpJ4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAc7C4Dlvl0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83gddxVpitc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQVTyBPJbN4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0trh9Y598fM
What’s up shitmonkeys? I haven’t slept in about 36 hours give or take, and I had to fly to Florida today (and boy are my arms tired).
On the bright side, I got laid. Twice. Sometimes life evens out.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I now have to go into a coma for about 10 hours so I can get laid again tomorrow without dying.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1IinQZG3Sc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_qUU6cBJ4M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ5xjCu2wP0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwNdLjqaMLs
Senor likes cream cheese. Senor likes jalapenos. Senor is disappointed to say jalapeno cream cheese doesn’t work because they use pickled instead of fresh jalapenos, and it just tastes like salty spicy vinegar. (Yes, there is a place that I can get bagels at midnight. I took Senorita Weaselo there at 2:30 in the morning once. It’s wonderful.)
And how are your evenings?
Much like your asshole, red hot!
I don’t go back to work for another week. That said, I’m “expected” to have new things to add to courses. So, while my girls watched Disney Princess movies tonight, I got to find documentaries of what’s happening in place like South Sudan, the black plague making a comeback in Madagascar, and racism/tribalism in Central Asia.
Lots of uplifting stuff.
Jesus Fuck, Africa, are you ever going to get your shit together?
Colonialism never left.
Serious question: As a scholar, do you think those countries might have been better off remaining official colonies instead of pretending to be independent countries?
They remain essentially the same thing. Colonial powers used and exploited any and every thing they could, and used certain locals as “favorites.” The heart of all of it was mineral and natural exploitation drove all of it. That has never changed. That process lead to an era of one local ethnic type being fucked over. Once the Europeans left, those local ethnic divides were never settled in any real sense. That’s what’s lead to decades of fuck-upperier. The strongmen have always understood that ethos, the people in the bush are always looking for a better way. Everyone else is caught in the middle.
It’s exactly the same thing in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has nothing to offer, but, it’s never been defeated. These days, it’s become a dick-swinging contest. Watch the Chinese try in 2024.
Well, besides poppy fields that can produce heroin, opium, etc., yeah they don’t really have natural resources.
I, for some reason, don’t see the Chinese as imperialists. Not in the sense of capturing other countries’ territory. I could see financial imperialism with profits going to the mother country, but I just don’t see them as an occupying force. I’m probably wrong.
We’ll see, but, the Chinese Uyghurs in the very, very far west of China are far more Muslim than they are anything else. There have been Islamist attacks in place like Ürümqi.
There have also been been ISIL/Boko Harem against Chinese led development projects in Africa. China might very well have their “9/11.”
Yes, but what of the price of manganese?
Walking through Beijing, I got the distinct feeling that China would absofuckinglutely be the one country to nuke one of its own cities to prove a point or quell a rebellion.
I should probably start making a strings arrangement of Baby Shark. And then hang, draw and quarter myself.
“I’ve walked directly through a double homicide scene at 3:30 in the morning.”
Hey, substitute “walked directly through” with “created” and we’re Eskimo brothers!
That was really pretty surreal. In hindsight it was probably the gunshots that woke me at 3:30 in the morning.
This was in my old town of San Pedro which does indeed have some let’s call them questionable areas.
I actually ducked under the crime scene tape because it was 3:30 in the morning and I saw a cop setting out flares and there was a dead body in front of me and another toward my left and I was just doing my morning walk without being completely awake.
Gang shooting. To my knowledge there were no arrests.
Forget it yeah right, it’s San Pedro.
Ooh, can I guess where? Ten bucks says it was at most two blocks off Gaffey.
Block and a half. Pacific and 8th. I was living on 6th and Pacific. Still, good call.
Getcha a case of beer for that one.
Funny, I was going to say east of Gaffey, but I didn’t want to come off as an asshole.
This was right after the divorce and cost of lodging was a considerable factor in choice of location. That was a great place but seriously fucked up in other ways. I miss it a bit.
Your Chinatown comparison is apt. San Pedro is a very interesting place. As are the people that live there or have lived there…
I drank at the same bars that Bukowski drank at. My god. What more could you ask for when you’re coming off a contentious divorce?
The uncle of my girlfriend the crazy redhead used to make t shirts that said “San Pedro. Where the ghetto meets the sea.” I should have bought an extra one.
I took this week off. First time I’ve had two weeks off since college. Naturally the Court schedules a hearing for Friday afternoon in a case that I desperately want to get rid of and am not willing to hand off to anyone else.
WOO-HOO, 1/2 DAY WEEK!!!!
We watched some show with a Japanese woman who helps people organize their lives. The couple had a kid named Jaxon and paid someone to fold their laundry.
It goes without saying that I was rooting against them.
I hope that Japanese woman gives them leprosy.
Jackass is running out of ideas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2xj1-vdFyY&ab_channel=AdultSwim
“You kids wanna see a dead body? Wait here for a coupla seconds.”
He’s fine; he fell relaxed.
found a funny:
me: one time i itched my balls so hard my wrist cracked
priest: k, so i think we need to go over what a “sin” is again
So apparently someone who does not fart in public is a ……. private tooter.
Lead with the shoulder.
Instant karma is gonna get you.
Also, no eyes and ears protection.
Another option is to damage yourself and others.
Maybe he has waxy buildup?
Happy New Year, folks.
https://twitter.com/LizMair/status/1080645910084890625
Technically, he did open the bottle.
I hear she does a killer set at the National Front Disco.
Bob Huggins is absolutely going to kill an official at some point this season.
On tape or will he stalk them to their house and try to cover it up?
It’s cold and snowing and I ain’t walkin’ nowhere without a roof
Punishment fits the crime.
I think he got of light (no tree).
Good job with losing the hundo, Slim
Thanks. The trick is not letting it sneak back.
It’s also my last day off before heading back to work. I’ve used today largely as a way to cram a week’s worth of personal productivity into one day. This includes taking my Xmas gifted Instant Pot out of the box and putting it through its paces. It’s about to be chilli time in the Commander Ziggurat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFa6dSUS_Qk&ab_channel=AnimationonFOX
The new Disney remake of Full Metal Jacket takes some liberties.
Antonio Brown is the NFL’s version of Jimmy Butler, and it seems like his situation is unfolding in exactly the same way.
That’s a perfect comparison.
Alright I just posted an idea in the general channel of slack. It’s still in the planning stages, if you wanna contribute send me an email
Apparently they are heading a different direction with their analytics, as Tommy Shuttledrill is rumored to be the leading candidate to replace him.
If Joey Clinkscales isn’t a secret lizard person, I don’t know who is.
Good on you yeah right. More and more people are tipping the scalea, and refusing to do any thing about it
When I first started the walk I read that anything can become habit after 15-20 days in a row. I just started putting a bunch of days together.
I’m not much of Queen fan, but, it’s pretty fucking gnarly that Brian May is part of NASA’s New Horizons research team.
I was very impressed when he earned his PhD (and not just an honorary degree) in astrophysics at age 60.
Food Trends That Just Won’t Cut It In 2019-
Broccoli, Greek Yogurt, Cheddar, Cracked Pepper and Hope. Tastes horrible.
The Greek yogurt thing is really annoying. My regular yogurt used to have it’s own section at the grocery store and now it’s down to a freaking shelf and only 4 flavors while everything else is the Greek shit.
That’ll happen when a Spanos moves to town.
You just wrote a piece about losing weight and being healthy. Most brands of Plain Greek yogurt has double the protein, half the carbs and half the sodium of the regular variety. The flavored ones depends on the brand and how much sugar and other shit they throw in, but the difference in the base is the same. I really see where you are coming from.
On another note; the paragraph that begins “Over the past 18 years during my walk I have encountered some interesting things.” is fantastic.
Meh, I like all of those.
I have for most of my life. Hope is OK, but like cracked pepper (I assume you are talking about fresh cracked pepper called for in a few recipes) is fruitless.
I had every intent to work out today and failed. I think it’s still 2018.
Cool!
Psyched that Chelsea is gonna have Christian Pulisic play for em.
As Ren said to Stimpy in ‘Space Madness’, you’re one of the “Good Ones”, yeahright.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwLKI4ivhOk
Some how this is blocked for me……
“Wish I knew what that felt like.” – DeShaun Watson