Apr 11
2012

Over the course of the last year, I have made a complete lifestyle change when it comes to food.  One of the big differences is the significant reduction in sugar in my diet.  Here are two videos that present a starling look at sugar, and the effects that it has on our bodies when consumed the way it usually is in the diets of Americans today.

The information in these videos supports other things that I have read recently, most notably in the book “Why we get fat and what to do about it”.  This book was instrumental in my re-learning much of what I thought I knew about nutrition.

Many people today could be much healthier if they stopped believing in the conventional wisdom of today, and instead focused on the facts when it comes to their diets.

The first was aired on CBS News recently.  The second, is referenced in the CBS News video.

 

 

 



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Apr 7
2012

New Years 2011 found me at my heaviest point ever.  I was 230 pounds.  I didn’t feel good, I had no energy, and it was time for some changes.  I started trying to eat healthier in January, but, having been overweight for much of my life, I had tried that many times in the past without success

In the past, I had always wanted to lose weight, but I don’t think I ever really WANTED it.  It was something that I wished I could do, but never could really commit to.  It was never important enough to force me to muster the will power to make permanent lasting changes to my diet. Click to read more …



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Jan 16
2012

I just finished reading “One man’s wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey”.  The book is based on the journals of Dick Proenneke, an amazing man, who at 50 years old retired to the Alaskan bush.  he stayed there for the next 30 years in a cabin that he built by hand, capturing photographs and 16mm film of the pure and pristine landscape and wildlife that surrounded him.

The book made me think about the way I want to live my life.  no, that doesn’t mean that I want to adopt a subsistence lifestyle and disconnect from modern society.  What it means is that I want to simplify my life and become more in touch with the world around me.  I want to affect a real change in my life by unplugging from technology and letting life slow down around me a little bit.  Sure, I’ll keep my high tech job, and stay up to date on the tech industry, but when I’m not working, I need to step back and focus on enjoying the simple things in my life. Click to read more …



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Dec 6
2011

My new Radio Shack Pro-106 digital trunking scanner arrived a few days ago.  So far, I’m very happy with it!

I’ve been using my trusty old Radio Shack Pro-93 scanner for over 10 years now.  I still use it daily at the office, and it still works great for listening to the local Amateur radio repeaters and the Franklin County public safety radio system.  I expect that I will get many more years of service out of it, but, it was also time for an upgrade.

You may wonder why I would buy a new scanner if my old one was still working well.  The answer is that my old scanner won’t track the digital voice channels that are used by public safety personnel in Delaware County, Ohio.  Most of the police and Fire departments in Delaware county are on the Central Ohio Interoperable Radio System (COIRS).  COIRS is an APCO 25 digital trunked system.  Sadly, my old scanner doesn’t do me much good when I’m at home.

In the past few days, I have learned how to program and operate the Pro-106.  They have changed how the scanner’s memory is used.  I prefer the new object oriented programming model over the older traditional channel bank model.

To make programming easier, I decided it was best to organize my thoughts first.  I sat down and mapped out exactly what I wanted to program in, and how I wanted to organize them into the scan lists. This proved to be the best way to go, because it made programming the radio pretty simple.  I have shared my Google Doc, so you can take a look at my scan list configuration, and my trunked system frequencies.  These files will change over time as I modify my radio’s programming.

I used the Radio Shack programming software to program my radio.  If you buy one of these advanced scanners, I highly recommend buying the programming cable and using the software.  You’ll save yourself a lot of time and headaches.  I saved my scanner configuration to my public drop box folder.  If you live in Delaware, Ohio and buy a new Pro-106, you can download my configuration file (If your browser displays a bunch of text, right click and save the link).

It might not be exactly the setup that YOU want in the long run, but it will get you up and running quickly!



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Dec 6
2011

I apparently still can’t seem to get myself to update my site regularly.  It has been a few months now since the biggest change of my life occurred.  My son Warren was born in September.  Becky and I couldn’t be happier!  It was a wild ride, but things have started to settle down, and I feel like we’re finally starting to get into a pattern.



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Feb 13
2011

This chunky black bean salsa is easy to make, and tastes great!  I know, my photo doesn’t do it justice.  Whip up a batch for yourself, and grab some baked “scoop” shaped tortilla chips.  It also makes a great addition to other dishes, like tacos or burritos.

Chunky Black Bean Salsa

One word of warning… to keep yourself from eating too much, don’t eat the chips directly from the bag.  Instead, pour a serving of chips into a bowl.  Eating healthy foods doesn’t help if you eat 2-3 times as much as you need!

1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1/2 can sweet corn
1 onion (~2.5 inches diameter)
1 tsp. minced garlic
Dried Cilantro*
Crushed Red Pepper*
Chili Powder*
Black Pepper*
Salt*

1) Drain and rinse the diced tomatoes, black beans and sweet corn, and place2 them in a large bowl.
2) Peel and chop the onion.  Place it in the large bowl.
3) Add the 1 tsp. of minced garlic.
4) *Season to taste with dried cilantro, crushed red pepper, chili powder, black peeper, and salt
5) Mix all of the ingredients together.  Cover, and allow to sit in the refrigerator  for a couple hours for the flavors to mix.

Another way I like to enjoy this salsa… scramble two eggs (only use one yolk if you want to make it a little healthier), and add a helping of salsa.  Cook it up for a nice hearty breakfast!!



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