I HAVE A DREAM

This is the weekend in America where all Americans celebrate the life of Reverend Martin Luther King.  I call him 'Reverend' because the secular lefties in America would prefer to only confer his doctorate, and strip him of his religious authority.  It is as if, a 'reverend' was somehow not as impressive as a doctorate.  When one thinks of all the moronic 'ideas' emanating from all the ph.D.'s in American Universities, I am willing to bet the Martin Luther King would not be insulted by the title, Reverend.  But I digress.  Digress?  I have not even started...

I want to focus today on the unrealized portion of King's 'I Have a Dream' speech given in 1963.  The line that is most bothersome to me is this:

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character

This line is NOT bothersome because I disagree with it. In fact, as far as I am concerned it is the single most beautiful thought from the speech.  It is bothersome because, this part of the dream will seemingly never be true for democrats, lefties, and all of America's supposed loving, caring people.  The words King spoke have been true for Conservatives for a long, long time.  Want some examples?

Conservatives did not care that Clarence Thomas was black when he was nominated for the Supreme Court.  Conservatives loved Clarence Thomas then (and now) for the content of character.

Dumb liberals (sorry for the redundancy) think conservatives did not support Barack Obama ONLY because he was black... If that was true, Can someone explain me why conservative have ALWAYS SUPPORTED and ADMIRED and REVERED Justice Clarence Thomas?    

Conservatives did not care that Barack Obama was black when he ran and successfully won the Presidency and was re-elected.  No, conservatives dislike Obama for the content of his character.  They couldn't give a fig about his skin color.  The moronic lefty, liberal haters who unabashedly told us time and time again, that only because Obama was black did conservatives not support him.  These people are such racist haters that I simply cannot believe that they really believe that if Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry or Harry Reid had championed the 'Affordable Care Act' (insurance takeover) that conservatives would have loved the same plan coming from these white politicians.  Remember this, that lefty, liberal morons think this - is incontrovertible proof of their hateful racism. Did these racist haters forget that when WHITE PRESIDENT CLINTON supported his version of universal health care that it was defeated.  Did conservatives also hate that program because Clinton was black?  (It seems unlikely.)

Dumb liberals (sorry for the redundancy again) think conservatives did not NOT support Barack Obama ONLY because he was black... If that was true, does anyone really think if the same policies proposed and enacted by Obama had been proposed and enacted by a white guy (or gal) that conservatives would have embraced them?  I don't recall conservatives supporting Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter so much when they served as President.  If memory serves me correctly, weren't they both white?

Conservatives did not care that Dr Ben Carson was a black man when he announced that he was running for president this year.  Most conservatives, still greatly admire this man (count me as one of them) but it became increasingly obvious as the campaign unfolded that there were other excellent candidates running as well.  Conservatives did not lose interest in Carson because he was black, their interest waned as they found other candidates that they liked more. (When there are 16 candidates running for the nomination during primary season, there may be many popular and qualified people.)

Here's a question: Do you think it would even be possible to find a conservative who does not admire Dr Ben Carson. 

Just recently the Academy Awards announced the list of nominees for 'Best Actor.'  Apparently the race baiters in the country did not like that there were no blacks nominated.  Now we know definitionally that the Hollywood types are the most loving, caring, libs in the world.  Is is possible that the nominees that were nominated were simply the best at their craft this year?  Again, conservatives couldn't give a fig about the 'color' of the nominees.  I thought one of the best actors of the year was BB-8 in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  BB-8 is not even human - and I definitely don't know what his race was.  Oh wait....now that I am looking at a photograph, I can see that he actually IS white. I guess I am just another conservative who judges people (and robots) by the color of their skin (and/or outer layer.)

Is there a polite way for me to say this?  Reverend Sharpton, sir,  would you please shut up?  And as far as  'Progressive Hollywood' being fraudulent.... Oh is that ever true.  Hollywood types love to support politicians who call for higher taxes.  Have you noticed how many films are filmed in Canada and elsewhere where production costs are lower because the taxes are lower?  Hollywood types may be frauds, but they are not stupid. Let me amend that.... Hollywood types are stupid, but they are not that stupid.

BB-8.  Here is my nomination for Best Actor in 2015.

I could go on and on and on.... but I might bore myself even before I bore you.... I will tell you now.... I still have the dream, that Reverend Martin Luther King had....I have a dream that my thirteen year old daughter will one day live in a nation where she will not be judged by the color of her skin but by the content of her character.  You want a good place to start, Government?  Stop asking us our race on every government document and application.  Lead by example. No one cares.  Oops....check that, lefty, racist liberals care - us conservatives couldn't give a fig.

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THAT RANT WAS WAY OFF TOPIC... NOW LET ME GET BACK ON TOPIC.
I HAVE A DREAM....

I have a dream that one day, my daughter will live in a world where her father, is under 200 lbs.  I still have a long way to go... but if one does not dream it, how can one attain it?

Tomorrow is a National Holiday... Many of us might have the day off from work and/or school.
If you do, enjoy your day off... and consider judging everyone you meet by the content of their character... not pigmentation. And if you do have the day off.... spend some time at the gym or taking a long walk... BURN SOME CALORIES!
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Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, January 16, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
Walgreens - Nutritional Shake, 1 Bottle	250	40	6	9	190	22
Oats & More With Honey & Almonds	390	78	6	9	450	18
	640	118	12	18	640	40
L U N C H
Eggs - Grade A Large, 2 egg (50g)	140	0	10	12	140	0
Deli Ham - Ham, 4 oz	120	1	3	24	920	0
Kraft - Deli Deluxe American Cheese	70	0	6	4	300	0
John Mc Cann's Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal	600	108	10	16	0	2
Whole Foods - Whole Wheat Bread	200	38	4	10	420	4
	1,130	147	33	66	1,780	6
D I N N E R
Delmonte - Sweet Corn Cream Style	210	49	2	4	35	25
Essential Everyday - Artichoke Hearts	105	21	0	6	1,200	9
Hostess - Classic Wheat Bread, 2 Slices	140	27	2	5	290	5
365 Everyday Peanut Butter - Creamy	100	4	9	4	70	1
Walgreens - Nutritional Shake, 1 Bottle	250	40	6	9	190	22
	805	141	18	27	1,785	61
Totals	2,575	406	63	111	4,205	107
Your Daily Goal	6,310	789	210	316	2,300	236
Remaining	3,735	383	147	204	-1,905	128
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 4,380 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	2,204
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	2,237
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-61
Daily Total / Goal	185 / 30	4,380 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	748 / 210	15,152 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 2575 calories

total calories burned (184 min elliptical) 4441 calories

total net 2310 calorie deficit

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fitbit day 135

20089 steps
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for the second consecutive day, I had two elliptical sessions in one day....This one was 11:00AM

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The second elliptical session of the day was at 6:00PM

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I would like to credit my daughter who gave me the idea of titling one of my blog entries "I Have a Dream."  Last year she gave me the idea a couple of days after the Martin Luther King Holiday - I just needed one year for the opportunity to use her idea.

THE MOVIE THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT

If you do not know what the movie is that everyone is talking about, then the premise of the title is false. Still, I think that you can figure out that I am talking about Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  As the months and years were approaching after this film was announced, I had little interest. Only about 48 hours prior to its Friday release, did I get bitten by the hype.  I read that that this movie was much like the original films from the late 70's early 80's. I read that the film had a mix of action, emotion and humor. Everything that I read turned out to be true. I went with my 13 year old daughter who had low expectations for this film. As I sat in my reserved seat, which completely reclined, with some snacks that were 'smuggled' in from the outside, I found myself transported to another time and place. The movie claims that the action takes place "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...."  That is meant to be the location and timeline of the story. I found myself transported a long time ago, not quite in far away galaxy, but far enough from where I am now. I found myself transported into the 17 year-old who viewed that first movie nearly 40 years ago when I was living on Long Island. The movie surprised my daughter who also enjoyed it. The movie was both new, inventive and familiar all at once. This prediction is not too difficult to make: The movie will be financially successful. It deserves it. 

Your Food Diary For:

Saturday, December 19, 2015

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
steel cut oatmeal - steel cut oat meal	600	108	10	20	0	4
Starbucks - Reduced-fat Turkey Bacon	230	28	6	13	560	3
	830	136	16	33	560	7
L U N C H
Campbell's  Manhattan Clam Chowder	240	36	6	10	1,600	6
Generic - Whitefish, Lightly Blackened	183	0	2	40	1,734	0
Generic - Grilled Brussel Sprouts, 1 cup	65	13	3	6	23	0
	488	49	10	55	3,357	6
D I N N E R
Trader Joe's - Turkey Jerky Original, 4 oz	240	24	0	44	1,080	20
	240	24	0	44	1,080	20
S N A C K S
WHOLE FOODS CHERRY  GRANOLA	420	70	12	9	105	26
WHOLE FOODS DRIED MANGO SLICES	110	28	0	2	1	20
WHOLE FOODS DATE PIECES	240	60	0	2	20	44
Add Food Quick Tools	770	158	12	13	126	90
Totals	2,328	367	39	145	5,123	123
Your Daily Goal	3,329	416	111	167	2,300	124
Remaining	1,001	49	72	21	-2,823	0
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 1,399 extra calories from exercise today

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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
MATRIX TREADMILL	65	635
Walking, 4.5 mph, very, very brisk pace	36	504
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	260
Add Exercise Quick Tools
Daily Total / Goal	102 / 30	1,399 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	794 / 210	11,895 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 2328 calories

total calories burned (treadmill, short walk) 1139 calories

total net calories 1189 calories

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fitbit day 108
20595 steps

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GOTTA GET AWEIGH

GOTTA GET AWAY.   This song was released by The Rolling Stones as a 'B' side to their hit single, As Tears Go By in December of 1965.  (I can't say I remember when this was released as I was 7 years old.) Is it just me?  Or does anyone else find it amazing that The Rolling Stones who released this song 50 years ago, is currently touring North America?  Actually, I know that it is not just me who finds this amazing, the thousands of fans who have purchased tickets certainly find this amazing - and this includes folks like me who have seen The Rolling Stones multiple times over the years and people seeing them for the very first time.

My weight was starting to go in the wrong direction and I said to myself, that I GOTTA GET AWAY from some of the less intelligent eating decisions that were beginning to consume me.  It amuses me a little bit, that in the old days I had no remorse, no anxiety, no guilt about walking over to the frozen yogurt store two blocks from my home and filling a pint container with high calorie frozen yogurt and pouring God-knows how many calories of topping on this tasty delight.   Was my delicious treat 800 calories?   1000 calories?  1500 calories?   I don't know - but it had to be quite a lot.   These days, I feel remorse, anxiety and guilt if I have eaten too many apples or other fruit.  I will tell you this - It would be quite challenging to eat 1500 calories just eating fruit.  (although it appears quite doable if one is consuming nuts and/or granola)

My point, and there is one, is that recently I have been eating with a little more reckless abandon.  Mostly good food.  The worst of what I have recently consumed is too much fruit, and too many nuts and too much granola.   I have also just wrapped up two national trade shows where I have had some delicious meals in restaurants which were usually preceded (and followed) by some serious drinking.   Once I discovered that a Tanqueray & Tonic was higher calorie than I had thought - I converted to Glenlivets on the rocks.  Only in my mind, do I consider this a low-calorie alternative.  Thank God, I don't battle drinking as an ongoing problem.  I am a true social drinker.  I NEVER drink alone.  NEVER.  I only enjoy drinking with others - and I have always been this way.  Back in my college days - it was never too difficult to find 'others' to drink with - so back then I drank much more. Much, much more.

Although I 'officially' weigh myself on Saturday (that is the day that I record my weight) I do occasionally step onto the scale mid-week to see where I am at.   After my swing of 3 different trade shows in five consecutive days in three different states - where I had too many wrong meals - I stepped onto my scale with great trepidation.  That scale displayed a number which gave me great hope and much comfort.  So here it is....Saturday morning....time for my 'official' weigh-in.

I GOTTA GET AWAY from some of the bad habits that have crept into my life and continue to embrace the good habits which I am trying to develop.  I do believe that I have been very successful making these lifestyle changes.  Still it is enjoyable (a little bit) to make a bad decision once in a while...

I am only human.  I am not a robot.

Robots have no trouble focusing on the task assigned to them.
For example, this robot, aka The TERMINATOR,  focused on desiring to terminate, Sarah Connor.
Thankfully, for Mankind, the robot failed in his task - but not because he lost his focus.
Human Beings sometimes have more difficulty staying on task.
Thankfully, we are not robots.
God gave us free will.
Some of us exercise our free will to eat too many cookies (among many other poor choices.)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

216.0 lbs

I weigh 216.0 lbs.
I lost 7.6 lbs this week.
(This makes no sense, I did suspect that last week's weigh-in was giving me a false number...)
I lost 93.0 lbs in 164 days. Today begins Day 165.
I have lost 14 inches from my waist. 
I will always be at the beginning of a journey that never ends.
I weigh 216.0 lbs. (164 days ago I weighed 309 lbs)
I have lost 30.1% of my weight since Dec 24.
Considering how different my calorie count has been - eating much larger portions of still mostly nutritious foods - I am satisfied.  I must consider cutting back just a bit to continue to lose weight.
I have a BMI, body mass index of 28.89 (far away from obesity!)
I had a 42.0 BMI on 12.24.14 just 164 days ago (Class III obesity)
I wonder about achieving a 'normal weight' - the charts say 186.8 lbs - I'm not too sure about that...
I know this, regardless of what the BMI charts show - Marc Jacobs is no longer a fat man!
I have three words to describe how I feel right now - back on track!

...I know how to begin this week... 
32 minutes ELLIPTICAL, but before that... I will take the elevator to the ground floor and climb up 25 flights of stairs to the fitness room...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 FRIDAY MENU
breakfast     STARBUCKS low-fat turkey bacon sandwich, two apples  420 calories 
lunch           2 apples, fruit/grain bar, oat/honey granola bar                     360 calories
dinner          Yu Sing Teriyaki Chicken, 2 Oat/Honey bars                       510 calories
snack           apple, pear                                                                              192 calories
                        
total calories  1452 calories

calories burned
STAIR CLIMBING (ground floor to 25th floor)  65 calories
6AM ELLIPTICAL 25 MINUTES ONLY (level 16, manual setting)  527 calories
(I had just had an extremely vigorous workout at 9PM, late Thursday evening - using level 16, manual setting for the first time - and on Friday morning at 6AM - I simply ran out of gas and stopped at 25 minutes.  I didn't have the energy at that time to descend the 25 flights of stairs back to ground floor - BUT I DID CLIMB UP 25 FLIGHTS BEFORE I HOPPED ONTO THE ELLIPTICAL MACHINE.

TOTAL CALORIES BURNED  592 CALORIES

Friday net calories  calories 860 calories

"As Tears Go By"
Single by The Rolling Stones
from the album December's Children (And Everybody's)
B-side	"Gotta Get Away"
Released	18 December 1965 (US)
Format	7"
Recorded	26 October 1965, IBC Studios, London
Genre	Baroque pop[1]
Length	2:45
Label	London 45-LON9808
Writer(s)	Jagger/Richards/Oldham
Producer(s)	Andrew Loog Oldham; engineer:Glyn Johns