Category: Motivation

A Review – Star Trek: Picard (Definite Spoilers Ahead)

Whether you’re a Trekkie fan or not, there’s no denying the deep influence that the Star Trek universe has had on film and television since the late 1960’s. Spawning a number of subsequent television series and movies, it encompasses what I enjoy most about the sci-fi genre; exploration, future technologies and the possibility of what’s out there… All while enjoying it all from the comfort of one’s couch. Some of my best childhood memories included sitting on the couch on a lazy day with my father while watching Captain James T. Kirk make a flimsy effort at hand to hand combat, followed by quasi-inappropriate canoodling with a female of some previously unknown alien race.

My children apparently haven’t inherited my love of Star Trek, which is a shame. Despite that fact, I used to have the benefit of knowing I had watched every series and movie under the Star Trek banner. With the release of series such as Discovery, Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks, I fallen out of touch with some of the more modernized iterations of the Star Trek universe. This is a problem I sought out remedy by subscribing to Paramount+ a few months ago and starting with what turned out to be an excellent series. I’m talking about Star Trek: Picard. I advise you to stop reading now, if you haven’t seen it and don’t want spoilers…

Let’s start with how it began. Star Trek: the Next generation is a follow-series that ran from 1987 to 1994 and featured the exploits of the USS Enterprise “D” and its crew, some 80 years after Kirk’s Enterprise. It was a fantastic series and ran for seven seasons, covering new races, new planets and had better visual and effects than the original series, making it a more enjoyable experience for the 9-year old Blogging Buddhist who would sit and soak up every episode. Jean-Luc Picard was the Captain of this particular Enterprise and led the ship and crew through many adventures and hardships. The series ended with Picard ultimately contributing to saving nothing less than the entire galaxy and humanity itself, with some passive-aggressive help from the omnipotent entity known as Q.

What was fun about TNG is that it addressed some reasonably serious issue on the ship while not taking itself too seriously as a whole. Despite some negative criticism about some of the storylines, I enjoyed every episode. Star Trek: Picard takes place a couple of decades after the end of the TNG storyline and features a retired Admiral Picard who is suddenly thrown back in the fray when a young synthetic woman, believed to be the daughter of the later Lt. Commander Data, seeks his assistance. He spends the majority of the season sorting through the chaos and attempting to have a prohibition on synthetic life abolished. The season ends with Picard making an ultimate sacrifice but still pulling through.

Season 2 sees Picard and his colleagues trapped in a dark, alternate reality, somewhat reminiscent of the mirror universe, if you’ve read of those Star Trek books. This is done by none other than the infamous Q, who also appears to be slowly losing his omnipotent abilities. In an effort to right things, the team ended accidentally travelling to 2024 and putting one of Picard’s ancestors on the right path before Q sends them all back to their own time, seemingly using the last of his omnipotence and sacrificing his won life in the process. Once they return to the 23rd century, they are faced with a galaxy-destroying force that is being prevented by none other than the Borg. I had a hard time believing that myself, until I realized that the Borg queen was one of Picard’s characters that remained in in 2024 and waiting 400 years to save the day.

Season 3 is where things got interesting and the one I enjoyed the most. It reunites the majority of TNG’s original bridge crew and senior staff, including Geordi LaForge, Will River, Deana Troy, Beverly Crusher and eventually, a regenerated and reborn Data. Word shows up in all his Klingon glory and we eventually learn of a young man named Jack Crusher, said to be the product of Picard and Beverly Crusher’s sleepover activities, some twenty years prior. The premise of the season is that there seems to be something inside of Picard’s son, which is drawing him to the Borg. He eventually concedes and goes to a dilapidated and nearly-dead Borg queen, played by the same actress who was Borg queen in Star Trek: First Contact.

The Borg end up assimilating the vast majority of humanity within a short period, due to an infection that rewrites their genetic code when using the transporter. All individuals too old or who predate this genetic rewrite are being systematically eliminated by the newly-assimilated human race and it’s up to Picard and his crew to use their unique style of space-faring swashbuckling to eliminate the Borg queen once and for all and to save humanity. Which they do. With gusto.

Of course, there are a number of subplots and side stories that I’m not covering here, including with the Romulans and an abandoned Borg cube. But I need to leave some mystery for if you sit through it. Star Trek: Picard definitely manage to strike a perfect balance. For me, the nostalgia of seeing the old crew back together and operating as a unit occasionally brought a tear to my eye, reminding me of a simpler time and happy memories. Although it only ran for three seasons, it did something that most series fail to do; it provided a fantastic storyline while leaving the audience wanting for more. But it recognized when it was time to stop.

If you’re looking for something to binge over a weekend, I would highly recommend Star Trek: Picard. My wife watched it with me and I believe she enjoyed it as well. At only 10 episodes per season, the entire series is only 30 episodes long, which is barely a season and a half of most shows. Granted, it has an almost 1-hour runtime, so you’re looking at 30 hours of watching. Either way, see for yourself. If you’re a fan of the Star Trek universe, it’ll tie off some storylines from TNG nicely and stoke the fires of your memories from the 1990’s quite nicely. ☯️

Shaping The Glass Rod Without Breaking It…

I’ve been through a significant number of challenges in my life. These include things like training in the martial arts, overcoming Diabetes complications and training to become an effective police officer. I consider myself to be successful in those areas, considering the odds and obstacles I had to overcome to achieve them. But there’s one challenge that is never-ending and that I was definitely not prepared for that I will inevitably be doing now, for the rest of my life. I’m talking about parenthood.

If you’re a parent yourself, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Having that first child can bring about a fear the likes of which you’ve never felt before. What if you don’t feed them properly? What if you don’t protect them enough? What if you protect them too MUCH? I think we can all agree that parenthood and in fact children, don’t come with any sort of an instruction manual. And using our parents as a guide on how to raise a generation of children twice removed from their own is a risky prospect at best.

When we become parents, we tend to treat our children like delicate, blown glass sculptures. We’re entranced with looking at them, holding them and taking care of them but are definitely afraid of breaking or damaging them in ways that can’t be repaired. And there’s certainly something to be said for that. However, it’s important to note that children aren’t the frail constructs we make them out to be. And they’re certainly not made of glass…

Not a week has gone by in recent years where I haven’t found articles online and through social media with titles such as, “Top 10 Things you Should Avoid Saying To Your Child” or “Bad Habits Every Parent Should Stop.” While there is certainly some merit pin some of what these concepts provide, one needs to remember that a child still needs that rudimentary foundation of discipline within their lives, no matter how much of a first world snowflake you consider yourself or don’t mind your child becoming.

For example, when I was a child, I was expected to do chores, clean myself and my room, maintain my homework and I was expected to ask for help with that last one BEFORE I started having trouble or failing assignments. If I disobeyed or refused direction from my parents, voices would be raised and firm discipline would ensue. I never really approved much of my grandmother’s tactics, which usually involved a wooden spoon. I agree that physical correction is easily a thing of the past as it teaches a poor lesson about how should use superior strength to force compliance, which is contrary to how one should raise their child. But I digress…

The thing is, the softer generation has moved away from the concepts of discipline and following direction, in favour of a more “lets kids be kids” concept. So let’s examine that, for a moment… What, exactly, does it mean to be a kid? Does it mean you have no responsilities, no duty to help within the household? I would argue not. Generally speaking, I agree that a child should never have to worry about having a safe roof over their head, food in their stomach and unconditional love, things that some children are unfortunately forced to go without, even in modern times.

As the quote from one of my favourite movies says, “Discipline is not the enemy of enthusiasm.” It’s a pretty typical scene. I wake up at a reasonable hour, despite it being the weekend. Before everyone else is up, I’ve started a load of laundry, cleaned up the previous evening’s dishes and have started on some breakfast. Maybe a couple of hours later, my son will wake and stumble his way out of his room. When the passing suggestion of taking care of something or doing something that would help me out is made, the response I get is almost unilaterally unfavourable. Simple things like taking out the trash, cleaning out his won room or picking up discarded clothing or dishes almost seems akin to slipping bamboo shoots under his fingernails.

Allowance in exchange for chores? He’s uninterested in money. And at 9 years old, why wouldn’t he be? He’s got everything he needs and more. Take away devices and amenities? It’ll piss him off but he knows eventually he’ll get them back as the way of the new world all but requires devices. It usually leads to raised voices and a battle of wills to try and convince him that he needs to do his part and contribute within the household; a practice that many modern articles say is a no-no. Raise your voice to a child? For shame…

So that begs the question: If you’ve your best to try and teach your child and make them understand the importance of chores and contributing within the the household and the lesson just isn’t taking, what else can you do? Eventually, your child will need to understand and sometimes being firm and raising one’s voice is the only way. The problem lies in the modern world’s perspective that we need to be gentler and softer with our children than the generations that came before. Unfortunately, such an approach doesn’t do our children any favours and we are quickly raising a generation of lazy, self-entitled people who will contribute nothing to society, while consuming Tide pods and snorting condoms.

Concepts such as participation trophies, not “forcing” your kids to do certain tasks or follow direction may seem like enlightened, neo-modern ways of trying to raise a kinder generation. But what it actually does is create a person who will NEVER take direction. This will carry over into their future, including employment, relationships and believing that everything in life will simply come to them and they never have to work for it. They’ll be facing insurmountable surprises when the time comes to build a career, buy their first home or try to navigate the unfair, choppy waters of life.

Likely one of the hardest parts of being a parent is having your child upset at you or telling you that they hate you. It renders your soul open and some may try to do everything they can to avoid that happening. But at the end of the day and when you take a step back and send your little chick into the vast world outside the nest, you’ll have served them better by teaching them the importance of discipline, hard work and stepping up to do what must be done, even when it sucks and you’d rather binge-watch Netflix. Food for thought… ☯️

Come Play With Me, Daddy…

I’ve often said that life rarely cares about one’s plans. While it’s great to have goals and objectives in life that you’d like to accomplish, it’s important to remember that things change, and you can’t be in control of every factor that may get in the way of what you’re trying to do. Planning out your life to the letter is nigh impossible. That’s why if you take a path where you expect things to happen within a certain timeline, you’ll undoubtedly be disappointed at the result.

Through my late teens and into adulthood, I faced the very real possibility that I would likely never have children. I don’t recall the exact statistic but doctors have told me that the majority of male Type-1 Diabetics usually end up not bearing children. In some ways, this came as a mild relief when I was younger since Diabetes can inherently be passed on to one’s children. But as I got older, I began recognizing that passing on one’s life to the next generation is important in all aspects.

Luckily, those concerns came to an end in 2014 when my wonderful wife and I had our first son, Nathan. It’s a pretty typical scenario that we’ve all seen, either in our personal lives or on television… The parents are burned out, exhausted and somehow still fighting and pushing forward, dealing with diaper changes, middle-of-the-night feedings, crying and a complete and utter disruption of the serene life they may have had before. Just imagine that many if not most of these couples have their children in their 20’s. Since life never goes according to plan, I met my wife and we had our first child when I was in my late 30’s.

Considering I was an operational police officer at the time, I was used to working through extended periods of fatigue, so my policing experience was actually quite invaluable in parenting. But I would be lying if I said it was a breeze. Add in the fact that as someone with Type-1 Diabetes, sleep, proper nutrition, exercise and a structured routine are all very important to maintaining one’s overall health. Raising an infant is the opposite of most of that. Most obviously, a parent wants to be able to play and interact and roll around on the floor with their kids. Sharing in the innocence and fun is a big part of the magic that is parenting.

When our second son, Alexandre, was born four years ago, it was even worse as I was now in my 40’s. trying to finding the energy to jump around and play with your kid when you’re burnt from a day’s work, still have laundry and household chores other do and all he wants to do is wrestle you to the ground and demonstrate his recently-developed right hook. First world problems, am I right? But energy levels for a Type-1 Diabetic are iffy at the best of times. Trying to share some of that energy with a toddler while in your 40’s is something else.

It can frustrating sometimes, as much for Alex as it is for me. Especially since he won’t understand that daddy’s tired and needs to rest. He just understands that he wants to play with his daddy. And so he should! That’s why it becomes so important to maintain those blood sugars, maintain your physical fitness and keep a healthier lifestyle. Doing so can help you to at least TRY and keep up with your next generation. For me, my children are a handful and they rarely stand still. My oldest is a roiling ball of energy and my youngest is a fucking tank. Both require their own amount of energy and attention; something that isn’t always the easiest.

I just need to keep my energy levels up enough to ensure that when they get older, they can look back and acknowledge that they had some fun with their father. Especially before I get much older and can no longer keep up. On the flip side, I’d be lying if I said there isn’t an inherent joy in being able to shed some of the adult facade and just play with toys or watch a cartoon movie with my kids. They give me as much as I give them. Maybe just not in the same way. ☯️

The Second Family…

Most karate practitioners have been there and I spent decades experiencing the same routine… Your dojo doors open up and you show up for class about thirty minutes before start of class. There’s some friendly “how are you’s” and hellos exchanged while stretching. Maybe you engage in a form or two and do a bit of light shadow sparring. Sensei is always the first one there and always makes a point of asking you how your weekend was or, if you’re on the last class of the week, will ask you what plans you may have for the weekend to come.

Sound familiar? It should. This is the sort of social nicety that one can expect when entering a dojo and before starting class. Setting aside for the moment that not all dojos have the whole “get here half an hour before” mindset, you can usually expect that people who train together will bond together. Relationships and connections will develop, which will lead into a more social connection beyond the immediate purpose for being in the dojo, which is training in karate. This aspect is important, not only for you as a person but for you as a student, as well.

These connection make it easier and more comfortable to train in the dojo environment and allow for material to be absorbed and learned easily. If one is able to think back to the initial year one started in a dojo, there was awkwardness, silence and it felt as though one’s skills weren’t progressing. Some of that could likely be attributed to the fact that those interpersonal connections and relationships hadn’t been solidified yet, which led to less questions being asked, less people being approached for coaching and less overall learning.

Some may comment that this isn’t entirely accurate and that it doesn’t really play a role but I’ve seen it firsthand. It’s very hard to learn if you train like an antisocial douche who sits in the corner and doesn’t connect with anybody. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll learn NOTHING. But you certainly won’t learn at the level you should with the quality of teaching that a dedicated student deserves. The worst is when the teachers and instructors do their best to reach out but the student STILL wants nothing to do with connecting to other fellow karateka.

All that being said, my point is that training in karate has so much more to offer than just being in the dojo. It’s the semi-permanent connections made with the practitioners. For example, you can tell a lot about the dynamic of a dojo by what happens AFTER the class. For the most part and from what I’ve seen of many dojos I’ve trained in, the class closes, people change and get the hell out of dodge. I even trained at one dojo that boasted shower facilities on site but I’ve never seen anyone use them. Considering the key holders are usually standing there waiting like vultures for everyone to get into street clothes and leave, that’s not surprising.

In my home dojo, it usually took at least half an hour for everyone to leave. This is because once class closed, you’d have students helping each other with technique, or people would start chatting and conversing, almost to the point of hanging out. Hell, my home dojo had a standing tradition that on the last Wednesday of every month, senior students would get together to grab a beer after class. Stories and laughs would be shared and even if we were all karate practitioners, most of the conversations would be unrelated to karate. Imagine that? Even now, when I travel home for any reason, I make a point to have social visits with Sensei and others I’ve trained with. These are relationships and bonds that last a lifetime and can never be undone.

Am I saying this phenomenon is necessary to train in karate? Absolutely not. Considering I’ve been effectively training for over ten years by myself, by virtue of there being no schools of Uechi-Ryu in Saskatchewan, I think I’m living proof of that. What I’m saying is that it makes it BETTER. It makes it more fun and more motivating. Like it or not, human beings are pack creatures and we are drawn to others of our kind. To develop those bonds is to provide an undeniable benefit to one’s training and ultimately, to one’s overall personal development. Food for thought… ☯️

Dojo Code Of Conduct


I wrote this post all the way back in December of 2019 and reposted it for the last time, almost two years ago. Although I try to avoid just recycling posts I’ve already written, this post outlines the proper guidelines a prospective student should follow when attending ANY martial arts school. Some of these are simply a matter of tradition, some of them are necessary to ensure that a dojo runs smoothly. Some, mostly all of them, are also a show of respect for the school you’ve chosen to attend. I think we can all agree that even if you’ve studied in a different style or have a different set of core beliefs, you should still show respect when inside someone else’s dojo. ESPECIALLY if your goal is to have it become your dojo, as well.

One of the big points I make when listing these things, is if your core beliefs don’t align with the school you’re visiting, you likely shouldn’t be joining. Not all styles are created equal and not all schools will suit every student. Martial arts is a very subjective journey and the first step should always be to find the school that works for you. But I digress… Given that my significantly delayed but anticipated return to the dojo is forthcoming, I’ve decided to repost this list as a reminder.

I’ve had the opportunity to observe some students, visitors and outsiders in many dojos. Taking into consideration some of the things I’ve observed, these are some of the basic principles of conduct when training within the dojo. This is never an exhaustive list and is often subjective to what’s been seen in the dojo but it’s all good stuff. Here we go:

  1. Bow when entering or exiting the dojo: This seems like a bit of a tiny detail, but it is an important one. It provides a show of respect; respect towards the instructors, respect towards the ones who trained before you, and respect towards the school. It also evokes a sense of discipline. Even though you may not realize it now, that tiny detail begins to lay the foundational discipline that should become the cornerstone of your training;
  2. Ensure your Gi, or karate uniform, is clean and pressed: This one is important not only for protocol and etiquette, but for hygiene reasons as well. And you would be surprised how many people overlook it. There’s nothing worse than someone who assumes that their last workout wasn’t intense enough to warrant laundering their uniform. Make sure it’s clean. Not only does that ensure a more “pleasant” environment for yourself and the other students, it shows proper respect for the uniform you wear on your journey. Keep an eye on the condition of your uniform. If it’s become yellowed and stained, regardless of washing, it’s time to replace it. If there are tears and/or holes, have them repaired (unless they’re unsightly even once fixed). You shouldn’t have to iron your gi but if you do, for the love of ALL that’s good and holy, don’t iron a crease down the center of your pants. Your going to karate class, not a business meeting;
  3. Stand straight and pay attention: When not executing a movement in the immediate moment, it is imperative that you stand straight and tall, heels together and thumbs tucked into the front of your belt. Keep your gaze towards the front and pay close attention to what the head instructor is saying. Try to avoid looking around and fidgeting. A big part of discipline is being able to focus long enough to build an attention span beyond that of a goldfish and if you fidget and waste your time, you may miss an integral piece of information you needed for what you’re working on;
  4. Acknowledge every instruction given: Different styles will have different ways of doing this. Some will choose a shallow bow when the head instructor provides instruction, some will answer in the affirmative by saying Hai (Japanese for “yes”) or something of the like… The method of acknowledgment will depend on the style and school you’re in. But once it’s clear that the instructor has completed providing instruction, this small acknowledgment is not only a sign of respect but provides the instructor with some cursory way of knowing that you’ve understood what’s been said;
  5. No food or drink within the dojo: You would think this one would be common sense, but a martial arts school is no place for you to sip your mocha-choca latte while your kid trains. Since the average martial arts class only lasts about an hour and a half to two hours, you can manage this easily without having food and drink within the confines of a training environment. In recent years, I’ve noticed that it’s become a bit more of a common thing for the practitioners to carry water bottles into the dojo and take water breaks throughout training. I’m pretty divided on this, considering Sensei always use to tell us to use the washroom and grab our drink BEFORE class started, because once you bowed in, you were in until you bowed out. But from a health perspective, I understand better than most that proper hydration is important. That being said, my current classes are only an hour in length and the average person should be able to make it through that short period without necessarily sucking back on a bottle;
  6. Get out of the way: If you become injured or over-tired, bow, step back and sit in seiza (on your knees) at the rear of the class. Stay out of the way and remove yourself from the flow of the class until your fatigue passes or your injury allows you to continue. Of course, if your injury is severe or serious enough to think you need to remove yourself, you likely shouldn’t continue as you could aggravate the injury further. The point is, there’s nothing to be served by standing in the way while others continue and you shouldn’t expect that everyone will stop and wait. After all, this is their time, too;
  7. Don’t show up late: This one is and always has been, a personal pet peeve of mine. Some instructors will say that if you show up late, it’s better to get “some of the workout” in rather than none at all. Although that is a great concept, showing up late can be disruptive to a class and shows great disrespect to your class and instructors. We all have busy lives. It falls to you to plan ahead and schedule things so that you may attend class. Whether or not showing up late is appropriate will be up to your head instructor, but true respect dictates that if you aren’t fifteen minutes early for class, you’re already late. A good example is a recent evening where I had to fight off a bout of low blood sugar and didn’t make it to class. I’m sure that if I really pushed it and fought my way down there, I would have been able to make it only a short period after start of class. But such disrespect for the flow of a dojo’s operations shouldn’t be encouraged;
  8. Don’t waste your instructor’s time: Although you’ve likely paid a fee for your presence, the instructor(s) within the school are there to impart their knowledge and skills to you and others. If you aren’t going to put in your full effort, then you’re wasting your instructors time. Effectively, you’re also wasting your time AND the fee you paid. You’re also affecting the other student’s ability to learn properly. Karate isn’t something you can walk into a few 1-hour classes and expect to progress. You need to put in some supplementary time training outside the dojo, on your own. This is the only way you’ll truly progress and make any headway. Otherwise, you may as well join a knitting circle;
  9. Respect and train based on your partner: You will sometimes be paired with someone of lower or higher rank than yourself. If you’re paired with someone of lower rank, you become the example of what is to be taught. If you inflict injury upon your partner, you may discourage them from further learning and you will have gained nothing yourself. If training with someone of higher rank, respect should be given and you should take every advantage to learn from this person as they are in the same position you would be if training with a lower ranked belt. Granted, time has proven that there is just as much you can learn from a lower rank. It depends on how positive your perspective may be; and
  10. Don’t be afraid to share some personal information: This is a new one that I haven’t included in the previous iterations of this post but I feel it’s significantly important, especially since it also plays in to some of the previous points about food and drink and disrupting the dojo. I’ve always made a point of sharing the fact I have Type-1 Diabetes with all of my instructors and students. We live in a world of wanting privacy but such a step is important, not only for my health and well-being but because there may be occasions where I’ll need to excuse myself to eat some fast-acting carbs or rest for a few moments. Beyond the respect component, such steps can be necessary to ensure I don’t pass out on the dojo floor. Be sure to discuss such things with your head instructor so that there are no misunderstandings.

I’ve seen everything from kids running around, coffee, students fidgeting and looking around… In a school I trained in, there was even one guy who showed up forty minutes late for class with a bag of cheeseburgers and ate while the rest of us did calisthenics! Besides the fact that the smell of burgers was killing me, a karate dojo is definitely NOT the place to eating, much less junk food. Even though some of these points could be viewed simply as one’s person’s opinion, it stands to reason that tradition and respect are things that should never be ignored in the dojo.

Folks, no matter what sport or art you study, there will always be guidelines to follow. The martial arts simply have more, and that’s part of the charm. Although the above guidelines are only basic, they apply to any martial arts school you attend. Your specific dojo may have more, and this is one of those moments where it’s important to take the initiative and ask. After all, respect is a primary aspect of karate and all martial arts. Food for thought… ☯

The Ozempic Follow-up…

So back in November, my visit to the endocrinologist’s office resulted in my having Ozempic prescribed as a weekly injection. I wasn’t particularly jazzed about getting on this medication as, in the history of my life, the introduction of any new medication has ALWAYS caused chaos in my blood sugar control. However, Ozempic works by mimicking the effects of the naturally-occurring hormone the body produces to tell your body that you’re full. The result is that you eat less. If you combine this with regular exercise, not only does your blood sugar control become much tighter, one tends to lose weight as a side effect.

While Ozempic isn’t primarily intended as a weight loss tool, I will point out that within a month of me using on the injections, I dropped from approximately 94.5 kilograms to 91.1 kilograms, which is a significant improvement. The loss of weight has made my cardio workouts a bit easier, clothing fits better and if I can finally kick this pulmonary infection, I’m looking forward to increased energy levels and ability to return to some of my physical activities, such as Kempo Karate, which I recently found out has re-opened its doors.

Even at almost two months in, I haven’t really felt any of the general side effects for this drug that most sites, such as WebMD tend to list. I’m actually enjoying the lessened portion sizes and I’ve started incorporating more vegetables and lean proteins into my diet. I’ve eliminated most (key word) processed meats and foods and enjoying the benefits of my exercise bike in the basement. The result has been a healthy drop in weight, as you can see from the photo above, which was taken yesterday morning. Fasting weight is subjective, based on a few factors, including whether you’ve had your morning bathroom trip, if you weigh yourself with clothing or not and removing anything that provide added weight, such as your insulin pump or cell phone. In recent days, I’ve gotten weight results as low as a flat 90 kilograms (approximately 198 pounds), which is the lightest I’ve been in over ten years.

Although the drug is primarily intended to help control blood sugar levels and tend to be used more with folks that have Type-2 Diabetes, it has very much proven to be an invaluable tool in getting me healthier. My blood sugars are smoother but the weight loss is the icing on the cake. So much so, that it has evoked the envy of work colleagues who would like to try the drug themselves. Considering they don’t have Diabetes, it speaks to the trend seen in recent media about the recreational use of this drug for weight loss. This causes supply chain issues for the Diabetics who genuinely need and benefit from this medication, which is why it’s important never to use something of this nature unless you need it and it’s been prescribed by your doctor or medical practitioner. ☯️

A Better Resolve…

I guess first and foremost, I should start by wishing everyone happy holidays and a Happy New Year, considering I haven’t posted since before the holidays. For the most part, we had some pretty quiet holidays, with a nice stay-at-home Christmas Day and some brief travel to see family during the last weekend before New Year’s Day. All in all, it was pretty nice, despite my constant coughing and hacking, but that’s a post for a different day. Today’s post is about the strangest and most curious of traditions; the New Year’s resolution…

Now, I need to be very clear that I’m a big fan of setting goals and making resolutions. I think it’s a fantastic thing to do and helps one work towards specific outcomes in terms of their overall health and fitness (or whatever else you may be looking to alter or improve in your life). Hell, I’ve even been guilty of jumping on the resolution train a time or two myself, in the past few decades. But I will be the first to admit that the farthest I’ve gotten with a New Year’s resolution is about three or four months before I faltered and threw in the towel. The question becomes, why do people make such resolutions at what is without a doubt the very worst time of the year to do so?

What do I mean but that? Well, simply put, the beginning of January is the very worst time to make any sort of commitment towards improving your fitness or health or commit to dieting or changes in lifestyle. The reasons for this are quite simple. It’s the winter time and it’s cold. This limits a person’s motivation at the best of times but it’s even more limiting, considering you can’t spend extended periods of time outdoors to help you along, there isn’t as much sunlight and the days are shorter and last but certainly not least, you just spent the past couple of weeks seeing family, opening gifts and celebrating the New Year.

The period immediately following all of that includes a likely return to work, payment of bills and preparation for tax time (in Canada, at least). Then, you tack on a commitment to eat better or limit your diet or exercise for X number of times a week or whatever you’ve chosen, and it’s a sure recipe for failure. With that lessened feeling of motivation, it’s no wonder that people often falter in their resolutions within weeks of starting it.

The idea should be that one should resolve to increase their fitness and nutrition throughout the entire year. Instead of commuting to something on January 1st, when it feels more like a hindrance and you’re likely to give up, make a point of finding your resolution throughout the year. Another tool that’s extremely useful is having a resolution buddy. If you have someone working right long with you, it helps keep you on the path and keeps you accountable. By going this route, you’re less likely to fail so early into your goals. Last but not least, we’re all human. You may falter sometimes. You may take a cheat day or an added rest day here and there (proper fitness requires the occasional rest day, anyway). That doesn’t mean you’ve failed in your resolution; it just means you need to refocus your efforts and keep on going. Food for thought… 😜

I Dream Of Ozempic…

Holy shit, I haven’t posted in nearly a month!!! I think I’m taking this casual, stepping back from my blog thing a little too far. Anyway, here I am. It’s been a rough couple of months for me. In late October, I had to travel back to the Maritimes to do something every child fears; I had to place my mother in a nursing home. Between the stress, travel and eating like absolute shit during my travels, my blood sugars were completely Hayward and out of whack, which anyone who knows me is aware that it sin’s something I take lightly.

In the last week of November, I had by bi-yearly endocrinologist appointment. Normally, I get praised for my tight blood sugar control and solid blood work and I’ve gotten used to being told how boring a patient I am, for a Type-1 Diabetic. This appointment was a bit different. First of all, I had the highest Hemoglobin A1c reading in almost eight years, sitting at 7.9. The second issue is that by virtue of this poor control, my kidneys are struggling. I like to think that I’m not afraid of much in this life but organ failure definitely ranks high on the limited list.

Luckily, my doctor explained that the kidney function was very easily reversible, considering what I’ve been dealing with in previous weeks and having been sick and unable to work out as usual. Once my blood sugars were back to a smooth line and I got some physical activity going, things should go back to normal. That being said, it was a bit of a wake up call that as I continue to age, some of these complications will become more prevailant. And they may not always BE reversible.

Last but not least is the fact that I had been working pretty hard in the months prior to my trip to lose some weight. As you all know, insulin is a growth hormone and no matter how buff I get, slimming down that waistline is probably one of the biggest fitness challenges I face. But I had managed to start off at 95.2 kilograms (roughly 210 pounds) and got myself down to 92.8 kilograms (roughly 205 pounds). This involved working out twice a day and cutting out alcohol over a two-month period.

I was pretty proud of myself until my endocrinologist appointment where I was weighed and found to be sitting back up at 94.2 kilograms (208 pounds). I was angry and disappointed with myself, and that was BEFORE I found out that my kidneys were struggling. I almost left the doctor’s office in a despondent state, until my endocrinologist suggested something I hadn’t even considered trying; Ozempic. Cue the soft music and cheesy infomercial…

Those of you who know me are well aware that I don’t do the whole “band wagon” thing and I’m not a fan of trends, especially as they relate to diet and weight loss. In my world, weight loss has always involved good ol’ fashioned sweat and less calories. But this particular drug has made the news a great deal in recent months, given that it apparently has a side effect of helping one to lose weight. Realistically, it’s intended as a Diabetic medication to help control blood sugar levels. The weight loss is just an after effect, But good ol’ Hollywood is using it for the former, restricting availability for the latter. Typical.

Anyway, my endocrinologist suggested that I start taking it as a means of shedding a few pounds and helping not bring my blood sugars back under smooth control. He provided enough samples to get me through a few months, with a prescription to fill if I chose to continue taking it. I was a bit reluctant since, in the history of my life, I have never had a prescription change or addition that hasn’t totally fucked up my balance. But he explained that shedding even 5 to 10 pounds would help regulate my blood sugars and help ease the burden on my kidneys. So, here we are…

It’s been roughly a month since i started taking Ozempic injections, which are required o a weekly basis. I had my doubts as to its effectiveness but I have to admit, it’s doin’ something. The injection works within the mind, leading your body to believe you’re full, even when you’re not. The result is the consumption of less calories, leading to better blood sugar control and ultimately, loss of weight. As of this morning, I’ve found that I appear to have dropped in weight to 91.1 kilograms (200 pounds).

This means that in about a month, I’ve lost nearly 10 pounds. I’ve also started getting back on the bike, which no doubt helps. I’ve increased the amount of vegetables in my diet and my portions are significantly smaller due to the injections and my lack of hunger. Time will tell if my energy levels are a result of the lessened calorie consumption or the fact I’ve been sick for nearly a month. But it’s certainly a step in the right direction. Do I expect to get washboard abs? Certainly not but it will definitely be nice to shed some weight and feel a bit better.

As with all things in life, there is some negative to offset the positive. Like any prescription medication, there is a risk of side effects. With Ozempic, most of those side effects are digestion-related. Nausea, vomiting, stomach pains and constipation are the most common ones I’ve found posted on most medical websites. I can’t say I’ve experienced anything significantly out of the ordinary but it’s also only been four weeks.

Do I think this medication will help? It appears to be doing so already. Do I think people need to be smarter and not take this shit if they AREN’T Diabetic and didn’t get out prescribed? Absolutely. Of course, we’re living in a generation where folks eat Tide pods and snort condoms, so I don’t think I can expect too much. In any event, I’ll keep y’all posted. ☯️

It Can Happen To You…

Yes. Yes, it can. Most people go through their lives with a set of blinders on; unaware and unbothered about the potential pitfalls that await them and the consequences of their actions. In many ways, this makes sense. After all, if one spent the majority of one’s life contemplating their own death, they’d cause a level of psychological damage to themselves that would be difficult to ignore. People go through their daily routine with nary a thought about their own unavoidable demise, regardless of the fact that we all know that it’s coming.

Today’s focus is not quite as macabre as discussing death but rather, the strange dichotomy that society seems to have when it comes to assuming that. A particular thing won’t happen to them. Let’s take smoking, as an example. From a societal standpoint, half a century ago smoking was almost considered an expectation. When the health complications associated with smoking became common knowledge, you still had tons of people who would light up, several times a day. Despite the stories of pulmonary disease and cancer, people usually take a long drag while muttering, “it won’t happen to me…”

One would think that seeing a photo of a blackened lung on the cigarette packet would be enough o dissuade someone with a modicum of common sense from sucking back on a tar-filled stick of cancer causing chemicals but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Instead, some prefer to bury their heads in the sand and assume that such medical horror couldn’t possibly happen to them. But it can. Oh, but it can. Granted, when using an example that includes something addictive, such as nicotine, it can be a bit diffuse to provide a clear perspective. So, let’s look at some different examples…

This dichotomy I speak of, kicks in with just about everything. On the one side, you have the absolute committed folks who say you have to exercise constantly, never eat anything bad, don’t smoke, don’t drink, sleep eight hours and eliminate all stress from your life. On the other side, you have the ones who say you shouldn’t necessarily deny yourself the things you want, at least not completely. If you want that slice of cake, that beer, that cigar or take a day off from exercising, you should deny yourself that.

So, who’s right? Obviously, I’m a big supporter of exercising and eating right, to an extent. I’m certainly no supporter of those who flop down on the couch and do nothing with their time, eating junk and making no progress in their lives. And believe me, I know some folks who are like that. The big problem is that being at either extreme is not a good thing. Take Jim Fixx, for example. He was an American runner who ended up dying of a heart attack while, you guessed it, running! Although I don’t know the back story behind the actual cause of his death, the irony is palpable. I think Denis Leary joked about it in one of his comedy albums. But i digress.

The key to life is to find the balance that works for you. Exercise and proper diet is important, whether you have Type-1 Diabetes or not. Although you don’t need to slam hours of fitness and eat nothing but quinoa all day, you shouldn’t become a lazy couch potato eating nothing but beef jerky and wings, either. Find yourself a routine that works for you and indulge in it. Enjoy it. Work WITH it instead of thinking of it as a chore. And although you should try to balance out your diet so that you aren’t intentionally clogging your arteries, allow yourself the occasion to have that treat you’re thinking about or grab that beer with a buddy. Balance. That’s what it all comes down to.

Bear in mind that humans are fragile creatures. If you eat a pound of bacon every morning and expect NOT to have a heart attack, think again. It can happen to you. If your think that sitting sedentary all day, every day, won’t cause your body to atrophy, think again. If you think your chain smoking won’t result in lung problems and/or cancer, think again. It can happen to you. It can all happen to you. The idea is to find your balance so that you can live healthy AND live happy. And with that happiness may come the lesser stress you all seem so crazed about. Food for thought… ☯️

Life Lessons For Your Morning…

I found a short list of “life lessons” online while recently wandering my social media platforms. I don’t recognize the individual who posted this list and it was a “recommended” post (we all know a platform or two that does this), so maybe someone reading this will recognize it. If you know the source of this list, please feel free to share it in the comments. That being said, I can relate to some of these and felt I should share it. The bolder lines are the list. The narrative is mine and some of these are a bit on the funny side. Here we go…

1. Don’t lend money to your family; give it.
This is an important lesson for most, myself especially. I’ve had many times in my life that my parents gave me money, even when I didn’t need it. It can obviously cause things to go awry, especially if one has a family member seeking to take advantage.

2. Never shake a hand while sitting down.
Okay, I get where they’re coming from with this one. Although mostly an etiquette thing, there’s nothing more awkward than walking up to someone to shake their hand and they keep their butt in the seat. Plus, if it’s your first meeting with someone, you only get that one chance to make a first impression.

3. Stop telling people more than they need to know.
They key point here is that it isn’t being suggested that you lie or omit details. But depending on who you’re speaking to, less is sometimes more. Providing a bunch of fluff and details that don’t add to your message is pointless, and may also change the receiver’s interpretation of what you’re trying to impart.

4. Never eat the last piece of something you didn’t buy.
I realize that I’ve been guilty of this quite a few times in my life. Especially if a meal is provided for me and I’m having something delicious that I’ve never tried before, I have a tendency of going for seconds. But if a buddy invites you over for a beer, don’t be that person who grabs the last one. It’s just rude.

5. Don’t throw your friend under the bus to impress someone.
I’ve been the victim of this on more occasions than I can count. If there’s one thing I’ve come to learn in the course of my life, is that friends, true friends, are a genuine rarity and should never be sacrificed for the sake of impressing someone else. This is also a good and fast way to end that friendship, if you’re doing it to someone like me.

6. Never insult the cooking when you are the guest.
If you’ve been invited and are being given free food, shut your mouth, eat it, smile and say thank you. Maybe you don’t like eating quinoa but if that’s what’s being served, grin and bear it. Anything short of a medical reason, be thankful you have someone who not only invites your into their home but shares their food with you.

7. Don’t use the urinal next to an occupied one.
While on the comedic side, I’m going to add to this one while also pointing out that you shouldn’t try to make small talk while using a urinal. The last thing any guy wants/needs, is to be chit-chatting with someone while their hands are on their junk. Obviously, if there are only two urinals available, you may not have a choice. But if there are, don’t be that guy.

8. Don’t take out your phone during a conversation.
This is a pretty big one because society now exists in a world where we essentially function on a daily basis through our devices. While convenient, this can be detrimental during an actual face-to-face conversation. If you’re speaking with a live person, keeps your damn phone in your pocket! You can check your Twitter (Oh, sorry! I mean ‘X’) later. Unless it pertains to the conversation, such as looking something up… And even then, I usually make a point of stating that I’m looking something up for them,

9. Never take credit for work you didn’t do.
Setting aside for a moment the fact that this can get you into serious trouble if it’s ever discovered or you’re required to lean on the skills used for that work, you should never try and advance yourself at the cost of someone else’s blood, sweat and tears. Even if you hit someone that consents to your taking credit, this is definitely a faux pas.

10. Listen, nod, and most of all make eye contact.
People want to feel like they’re being heard. There’s nothing more distracting and annoying than talking to someone who’s eyes wander while you speak and it just feels as though they aren’t listening. Be present in the moment. Pay attention. And if making eye contact is difficult for you, it’s definitely something personal that should be developed. A huge percentage of a conversation is contained in the eye contact.

11. Don’t make fun of your friend in front of his kids.
Whatever. My kids make fun of me so why wouldn’t my friends? I would suggest that it’s more accurate to say not to “belittle” your friend in front of their kids.

12. Never let emotions overpower you.
We all have ‘em. But as soon as you let them take control or dictate your actions, it can start a downward spiral you may not be able to pull out of. Self-control is a major element in the martial arts and in Zen. The important thing is to acknowledge one’s emotions, feel them and experience them. Just don’t them control you.

13. Never beg for a relationship.
This is a big one and quite important. There’s a difference between fighting to keep someone in your life and begging them to do so. The former is noble. The latter is pathetic. If you have to beg any person for a relationship, regardless of the nature of that relationship, they don’t have a place in your life. In fact, they don’t deserve one.

14. Dress well no matter what the occasion.
This is a self-respect piece but it plays a big role in how you’ll develop your confidence, trust in yourself and to help maintain good mental health. No matter what’s happening, take the time to get up and get dressed. It’s part of the routine that will bring success to your day.

15. Never kick a man when he is already down.
Not much to say on this one. No one deserves to be battered. If someone’s already down, you should help raise them up. But if you’re the one being kicked, be sure to block that shit!

There you have it. This became a way longer post than I expected to write but hopefully some of you will actually read through it and get value from some of what’s here. ☯️