Category: Opinion

What The Hell Was I Saying…?

I just read something online about the month of October being ADHD awareness month. I couldn’t find any information about whether this applied in Canada and to be honest, I can’t be bothered to remember all the “awareness” months or the ridiculous, second-tier holidays that seem to be all the rage these days. National Donut Day? Give me a fuckin’ break… Who the hell is that even for? I think I just proved my point… I started this post several times and am still on the first paragraph but as the reader, you thankfully won’t know that. But really, why the fuck is there an ADHD awareness month? Someone with ADHD won’t even be aware of this month or give a shit. But once again, I digress…

I thirteen years old when my brother passed away from heart failure at the age of 18. Because a young person’s death is obviously a traumatic event to all those who remain behind, I was brought to a therapist who “chatted” with me, and by chatted with me, I mean that he assessed me for further treatment. Because of certain things I said and my inability to sit still and focus on the topic at hand, I was referred to a psychiatrist who, after several tests and arguments, diagnosed me with ADHD. Given that my brother had just died, my family attributed things to that and didn’t take stock in the diagnosis. Whatever. What was I saying…? Oh, yeah…

I’m making light of things because it’s how I’ve come to cope with it. But my ADHD symptoms never really went away. So let’s start with the basics, as I always do. What the fuck IS ADHD, anyway? Well, ADHD is a mental disorder that according to an article posted by The American Psychiatry Association, “Symptoms of ADHD include inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excess movement that is not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought). ADHD is considered a chronic and debilitating disorder and is known to impact the individual in many aspects of their life including academic and professional achievements, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning […]. ADHD can lead to poor self-esteem and social function in children when not appropriately treated […]. Adults with ADHD may experience poor self-worth, sensitivity towards criticism, and increased self-criticism possibly stemming from higher levels of criticism throughout life […]. Of note, ADHD presentation and assessment in adults differs;”

I have to say that I don’t entirely agree with the last couple of sentences where they refer to adult ADHD. I STILL match almost all of these symptoms, making sitting still, focusing and getting proper sleep a severe challenge in my adult life. This is something people generally don’t recognize or understand. In fact, if any people who know me personally read this, they may actually be a bit surprised by the revelation. Besides my wife and a couple of closely chosen individuals, I’ve never really shared the fact that I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD. It’s never held me back, although it HAS made certain things hard throughout my life, both as a child and into adulthood.

In school, my grades were above average but I was considered sub-par. This was mostly because I couldn’t pay attention in class to save my life. I used to use my pencil case and it’s contents to build small forts on my desk that would allow me to hide my face and nap during class. My teachers would get pissed but at the end of the day I would pass everything, so what could they really do? It wasn’t my fault they were boring as fuck and all I could focus on was the movie I watched the previous evening or the karate class I would attend that evening. Somehow, I would always pass every class with flying colours.

Continuing to experience the symptoms of ADHD can easily carry on into adulthood, contrary to what some less-than-knowledgable colleagues have told me over the years. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental health disorder that includes a combination of persistent problems, such as difficulty paying attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behavior. Adult ADHD can lead to unstable relationships, poor work or school performance, low self-esteem, and other problems. Though it’s called adult ADHD, symptoms start in early childhood and continue into adulthood. In some cases, ADHD is not recognized or diagnosed until the person is an adult. Adult ADHD symptoms may not be as clear as ADHD symptoms in children. In adults, hyperactivity may decrease, but struggles with impulsiveness, restlessness and difficulty paying attention may continue.”

Anyway, I didn’t even know this month was a thing, far from thinking it should garner this kind of attention. Most sources will say that ADHD is treated with psychiatric consultations and treatments as well as medications. I’ve been lucky enough that I never had to go on medications. I also don’t like how that often to seems to be to go-to, although I understand that it’s necessary in some cases. This is actually near and dear to me, despite my cavalier writing, since we’re trying to figure out if my oldest is also afflicted with ADHD. Once way or another, if you have a friend or colleague who seems to have a hard time sitting still or paying attention, don’t question it. Just be aware that they may not be able to physically help it. That is all. ☯️

Your Roots Are Your Foundation…

Continuing on my recent trend of gaining knowledge in the least likely of places, I gleaned some important insight from a movie I’ve probably seen more times than I can count. But it’s true; if we’re willing to listen, we can gain wisdom and insight into life, our journey and the martial arts. All one has to do is be willing to do more than sit there and stare idly at the screen, whether it’s the television, your smart device or whatever. But before I go off on more of a rant than I have to, I should stop digressing and get to the bloody point of today’s post…

There’s no denying that the most important aspect of any style of martial arts, is its foundation. Without a solid foundation, a practitioner will never progress or grow beyond the basic elements of a first-day practitioner, nor will they be able to set goals and truly learn the art. Further, someone who somehow muddles through on a weak foundation will always have a weak martial arts constitution and will never truly learn the adapt to the style they endeavour to learn. As they say, the strongest structure built on a weak foundation will still collapse.

I some ways, many ways, learning the martial way is a bit like growing a tree. Contrary to what one might think from looking out at a forest, there are actually quite a number of important factors that have to line up in order for a tree to grow. The right soil, the right sunlight and the right conditions all have to be in play in order for the roots to take hold. However, once the roots DO take hold, the tree will then determine how it grows, depending on all the factors I mentioned above. Some plants and flowers will even turn towards the sun throughout the course of a day. The path the tree takes in its growth is up to the tree; much as the path the martial artists takes to grow is up to them.

When a martial artists begins their training, they’re presented with the basic elements they need in order to learn the martial arts. These basics are the equivalent of the tree’s sunlight, soil and water. Only once these elements are implemented can the martial artist’s foundation “take root.” From there, the martial artists must decide for themselves how they’ll grow and progress. Much like a tree that will wilt and rot under the wrong conditions, a martial artist will also stagnate from taking the wrong direction. Being given the proper fundamentals and allowing the basics take root won’t be enough. The martial artist also has to be positive in their training and daily life.

If we look at the other side of the equation, dropping seeds into a bucket of water may cause them to sprout, but they likely won’t grow and thrive since they’d be missing several key elements needed to grow properly. By the same token, if you learn shitty basics from a McDojo or a poor style, you won’t grow or thrive either. That’s why it’s so important to ensure that you seek out a dojo and style that suits you and fits your overall goals. You also want a Sensei who is engaged and willing to train you in order to cement that starting foundation.

At the end of the day, ensuring you have strong roots is important. Once you have those roots and your foundation is established, how you grow is up to you. Much like the tree that decides its path, you need to decide what kind of person and martial artist you’ll grow into. With strong roots and a strong heart, not only will you achieve whatever goals you seek through the martial arts, you’ll also positively contribute to society in a way that will allow you to shine like the beautiful bonsai tree that you are. Food for thought… ☯️

Mouse Trap… (Not The Game)

I remember this one time in my twenties when I attended a karate class during the summer. It was a gruelling two hours in a non-air conditioned environment where most people had to practically pull themselves out of the deep pool of sweat on the floor that they had created. Once class let out and given that it was summertime, a few of us decided we wanted to climb to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain to watch the sunset. I challenge a couple of them to climb the west face with me. they foolishly accepted.

To provide a bit of context, Sugarloaf Mountain is an extinct volcano that sits at under 1000 feet at its summit. There’s a perimeter trail that goes around the base and an ascension trail on the east side. It’s pretty steep, but there are guard rails, steel ladders and various rock formations that help a person reach the top. It takes about forty minutes. The west side is a sheer face. That is all. It takes about twenty minutes to ascend, provided you actually keep moving consistently and steadily. Lots of people do free climbing but very few people back home have been exposed to it. All of that was followed by climbing back down, showering and attending a local pub for a cold beer to end the night. And that night ended well past midnight.

Meanwhile, flash forward twenty years and I pulled my back by sneezing this morning. Time stays consistent but the passing of said time has a way of slowing us down. Although time is started to catch up and I may not be able to train as much, as hard and as fast as I did twenty years ago, the important thing to remember is that this “seizure” of one’s body happens far faster if one sits idle and does nothing. The important thing is to stay active, keep moving and recognize that one’s body may occasionally need a bit more recovery time when performing the same level of exercise.

I was inspired to write this post when a colleague described his fitness routine in anticipation of a trip to Machu Picchu. He was describing how he’s slowly building up his strength and cardio, being cognizant of his body and his requirement to heal. This woke me up to the fact that not so long ago, I could hop out of bed and hit the ground running. Nowadays, it takes several minutes for the signal to get up to travel from my brain and for my body to stop swearing at me to quit pushing it. Then, when i finally do get up, all of my joints sound like a hundred mouse traps going off at the same time.

Time catches up on us all. There’s no escaping that (at least until I discover the secret to vampirism). But that doesn’t mean one needs to give up and throw in the towel. It’s important to keep moving and stay active, especially for someone with Type-1 Diabetes. Sometimes it might feel easier to just kick back and let time make fools of us all. But nothing is ever accomplished by taking the easier path. Food for thought… ☯️

Size Matters Not…

One of the big things that makes karate so particular, is the fact that you don’t have to be big and strong in order to study and practice it. I still remember asking Sensei’s son, back in the late 1980’s about what it takes to be successful in karate. The conversation went a little something like this:

ME: “What do you need to be in karate? Do you have to be strong?”
HIM: “Nope.”
ME: “Do you need good speed?”
HIM: “Nope…”
ME: “So, what do you need?”
HIM: “Just concentration.”
ME: “That’s it???”
HIM: “Yup, everything else comes later…”

It would take a year or two before I would realize that he was right; despite the fact I was a scrawny little punk with no constitution and no bodily strength, I started to gain mass, speed and precision, all of which started increasing exponentially based on how hard I focused my attentions on my training and concentrated. Who knew he’d be right? I guess it was bound to happen once, right? (Just kidding, Guillaume! Please don’t track me down and kill me…)

Size and strength goes a long way. After all, if two people square off and one is 6-foot-5 and 230lbs and the other 5-foot-7 and 185lbs, there’s a VERY strong likelihood that the bigger guy’s strikes will have more of an effect than the little guy’s. But the eventual development of speed and accuracy is what closes the gap. It’s like basic, high school physics teaches us; if two objects of different mass are accelerating at the same rate of acceleration, the one with the heavier mass will have the greater force on impact. Or similarly, if an object with half the mass accelerates at twice the rate, it will have the same force on impact as the larger one.

I don’t want to muddy the waters with a bunch of physics (I’ve done enough of that in other posts). My point is that the smaller and less imposing opponent can still pose as much of a challenge to defeat as the larger, more muscular one. That ability comes from consistent commitment, concentration and focus on your art and skills. I have to say that a great demonstration of that concept comes from the most unlikely source: Star Wars. In Empire Strikes Back, Yoda makes a point of telling Luke Skywalker, “Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? And well you should not.”

That was in 1980. Imagine my surprise and the collective gasps and surprise everyone had, 22 years later during Episode II: Attack of the Clones, where Yoda fought against Count Dooku and suddenly emerged from the diminutive, walking cane-carrying little green character to an absolute whirlwind of flips, acrobatics and lightsaber techniques. Given his limited screen exposure during the original trilogy, it came as a pleasant surprise to see him using his Jedi skills in all their glory during the prequel trilogy. This was reflected further during Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, where he fights against the Emperor.

The lesson here is that despite his small size, Yoda turned out to be amongst the most skilled and capable of his peers. The same concept applies to karate. When I look back at the weak, tiny and physically unimposing stature I had when I first started karate as compared to how I am now, I recognize that concept within myself. Granted, some of my mass and stature can now be attributed to my dad bod. But I digress… This is one of the things I enjoy about Cobrai Kai, as well. Some of the main characters were presented as having been what some consider to be skinny nerds, only to eventually turn out to become champions.

It shows that you should never allow what you perceive as your limitations to hold you back. Where you go and how your progress is entirely up to you. Karate has a place for anyone who choose to commit to it. Although different styles will suit different people, once you’ve decided on karate, you can go a long way towards building yourself up and achieving your goals. All you need is focus and concentration. Food for thought… Hey, look at that! I wrote a post that combines my martial arts and my nerdy, geeky side! Go, me! ☯️

Chaotic Un-Balance…

Type-1 Diabetes is an extremely weird condition. Think about it for a moment… Your body produces insulin, which is carried through your bloodstream by particular cells. Then, all of a sudden, your immune system decides that these cells are a no-no and begins attacking them. The subsequent result is your pancreas finally throws up its hands and says “Fuck you, too! guess I’ll stop trying…” Although this typically takes place within the first four to six years of a child’s life, prompting the original misnomer of “Juvenile Diabetes,” it can also occur in adults, depending on some conditions.

Once you’ve been properly diagnosed with type-1 Diabetes, your life dramatically changes. All of a sudden, you need to monitor and calculate everything your body takes in. You need to test your blood several times a day and you need to administer injections of artificial insulin since your body no longer produces its own and even if it did, your body’s immune system would just shoot the messenger, anyway. It can be a very chaotic balance of do and don’t that most people have significant issues maintaining.

Although the average layman is inclined to think, “What’s the big deal? Just stay away from sugar and you’ll be fine…” No, no Kyle! I won’t. As I learned the hard way, almost a decade ago, it’s about more than sugar. It involves carbohydrates as a whole, which as some of you may be aware, is a primary fuel source for the human body. Once again, a chaotic balance.And considering this year marks four decades with this condition for me, if you do the math properly, I haven’t carb-counted for the majority of my life, making my overall control all that much more difficult.

During my childhood, it wasn’t unusual if I was hungry to be given crackers. No big deal, right? Crackers aren’t cookies; they aren’t SUGARED. A glass of milk if fine, if I was thirsty. After all, milk isn’t juice and isn’t SUGARED. FML… the amount of damage that was done to my system during my childhood is immeasurable. It’s no wonder I was such a moody kid and had so many damaged relationships. And even WITH carb-counting, it gets pretty convoluted. For example, every loaf of bread has a slightly different carb-count, making the consumption of a sandwich a fun guessing game of either taking too much or too little insulin and dealing with THAT fallout. Fun, right?

The thing is, having Type-1 Diabetes, living with it and managing it is a life-long commitment. And you can’t be halfway in; it’s gotta be all or nothing. Don’t even get me started on the fact that you need to be physically active in order to promote good blood circulation, better overall health and positive blood sugar readings. That’s why it often irks me when people look at me and refuse to acknowledge that I live an incurable condition that I fight. Every. Fuckin’. Day.

The second-to-worse part is when someone tells me “it could be worse.” I think that’s one of the worst things you can tell ANYONE with a medical condition. Getting shot with a .40 caliber bullet will make a larger hole than a .22 caliber, but I that doesn’t mean I want to get shot by either. The same concept applies to someone’s medical condition. Is it true that I could be afflicted with far worse and detrimental conditions? Absolutely. It doesn’t mean the one I live with is easy.

The hardest part is that my hard work and commitment acts against me. Because I focus on my physical health and control of Diabetes, people assume that my condition isn’t that bad. The truth and reality is that my conditions isn’t that bad BECAUSE I do all of those things. It’s a delicate house of cards that will crash without remorse, the moment I stop or let my guard down. And as a closing thought, if anyone is ever curious about something related to Diabetes, just ask. Most of us will be willing to explain. Food for thought…☯️

National Day For truth And Reconciliation

Today is a statutory holiday that recognizes the legacy of the Canadian residential school system and the impact it’s had. Although it was first established in 2013, it was elevated to a statutory by Parliament of Canada in 2021. This is the second year that I get to participate by wearing an orange shirt to work. The wearing of an orange shirt was inspired by a residential school survivor who had her brand new orange shirt taken from her on her first day of residential schooling.

To be honest, as important of a day as this is, I don’t believe I could do it justice by trying to explain. There are plenty of resources out there that can properly explain what this day means and why it’s so important. My son has the day off school, but they observed in class yesterday by wearing orange t-shirts. I managed to get my hands on an orange dress shirt to wear for work. Feel free to look it up and read up on it. Even if you just visit Wikipedia or Canada.ca for information, it’s worth the read. ☯️

Cobra Kai Season 5: A Review (Major Spoilers)

As not only a life-long martial artists but a practitioner of karate, Cobra Kai holds a special place in my heart. The Karate Kid movies (not including that piece of shit with Jaden Smith in it, of course) introduced me not only to a genuine representation of Okinawan karate but the sequel introduced me to the beauty of Okinawa itself and firmly implanted itself as the place I would eventually wish to travel to, as I reached adulthood. I accomplished that dream in 2001 when I travelled to Japan and subsequently Okinawa with my Sensei and a couple of other students.

When Cobra Kai was originally introduced on YouTube, I was cautiously optimistic. The idea of a show based on what happened to Johnny Lawrence, decades after losing the big tournament was about as original and interesting a concept one could hope to have. Although a bit slow on the start (and limited to only two episodes without subscribing to youTube’s streaming service), it delivered some characters from the original movies reprising their roles 30 years later, and their roles appear to be reversed, with Daniel Larusso having become a successful business owner and Johnny Lawrence having fallen down on his luck and being essentially penniless.

The end of Season 4 sees all antagonists and protagonists facing off once again at the All-valley Karate Tournament, with Cobra Kai squaring off against Miyago Do and Eagle fang karate, led by Danial and Johnny respectively. A challenge was laid that meant the losing dojo would have to close its doors forever, leaving the valley to whatever karate dojo came out as winner. In an unexpected and refreshing twist of fate, the good guys actually lose, and Cobra Kai takes over the valley as its only karate dojo. The season closes out with Daniel speaking at Miyagi’s grave, about how he can’t honour an agreement made with someone who has none. He then asks for help in cutting the head off the snake and Chozen is revealed to be with him.

Now that you’re all caught up, let’s chat about season 5, which was conveniently released only a couple of days before my birthday. The season begins with Daniel and Chozen doing their best to try and derail Terry Silver’s plans, which also involved sending John Kreese to jail for a crime he didn’t commit, at the end of season 4. One of the things I enjoy about this series is that there’s a greater element of realism to it, than others series and movies. Granted, some of the multiple strikes to the head and prolonged fights are a bit of a reach but overall, it does a pretty good job. Cobra Kai and Eagle Fang’s use of high-reaching and spinning kicks speaks to its Korean background, which is also reflected by the style’s founder sending his granddaughter to assist Cobra Kai.

The series reaches its climax by having Daniel square off against terry Silver and delivering his well-known crane kick for the first time in 30 years to defeat Terry at the end of the season. The season ends with plenty of open opportunity to explore the characters further, especially since we see John Kreese escape from jail at the end. The crane kick was bittersweet… It was an odd mixture of excitement at seeing him use the technique and disappointment at how ineffective and stupid the crane kick is. This may be an unpopular opinion, but coming from a genuine martial artists, hear me out…

The crane kick is a ridiculous technique because you start by staging yourself on one leg. This is something that is incredibly dangerous to do against an opponent, especially one that means to do you serious harm. Although one could easily argue that all kicks involve putting all of your weight on one leg, the crane kicks requires you to visibly stand on one leg as your opponent approaches. Dumb. And unnecessary. Next is the placement of the arms. Holding your arms out to the sides like some drunken bird while exposing both sides of your rib cage is ridiculous. The entirety of the move leaves just about every aspect of one’s body exposed in a ridiculously unnecessary way.

I’m going to stop analyzing and simply go back to discussing the show, shall I? All in all, it was worth the wait for the season to release and one episode even brought tears to my eyes. There’s an episode towards the beginning of the season where Daniel decides to give up and throws in the towel, conceding and letting Terry Silver keep the valley. It isn’t until his wife brings him back to Mr. Miyagi’s old house, the dojo of Miyago Do, and talks him back into it. She opens the doors out to the dojo grounds to reveal not only all of his students but Chozen and Johnny Lawrence, as well. It was a dramatic reveal. If you haven’t watch ANY of Cobra Kai yet, first of all, come out from under the rock you’re living under. Then, grab some chips and a warm blanky and binge your way through the series. If you were an 80’s kid, it won’t disappoint. ☯️

A Chosen Path…

Life rarely cares about one’s plans. Light knows that this is something I’ve said in more posts than I can count. And it’s true; life will carry on no matter what steps we take and what path we choose. The thing is, even a chosen path will eventually diverge and split off, leading to consequences and outcomes that we may not want or couldn’t have foreseen. This isn’t always a good thing but it’ll rarely be a negative thing, since one can always make the best of any situation, good or bad. Depending on the choices we make and the decisions we take, it can often seem as though we should simply let go and move onto something else. But the reality is that nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight.

Life doesn’t make it easy to choose a path. After all, life in general will seek to take the path of least resistance by throwing that resistance at us. And as human beings, we’re no different. Sometimes, when things become difficult or we don’t see the outcome we thought we’d necessarily get it can seem easy to lay down one’s sword and surrender. We almost always seek to take the path of least resistance unless we can clearly see a desired outcome. But it isn’t until one has fought through the difficulty that one can hope to reach that desired outcome. It will assuredly never happen on its own.

The important thing to remember is that if one commits to something and work hard to achieve it, one must see it through. Whether one succeeds or fails will depend on the effort one uses but here’s the key lesson… If you try, you may succeed or you may fail. If you don’t try, you’re guaranteed to fail. And depending on what time and resources you’ve spent in order to try, it may cost far more to give up and than it would to push through, even if it isn’t al sunshine and rainbows. I learned that the hard way.

This concept can apply to all things in life. Work, fitness goals, relationship goals or plans for one’s direction in life. Keeping an eye on the prize, as it were, is the only way to ensure the elimination of unnecessary suffering in one’s life and ensure some level or degree of success. As the old saying goes, “work smarter, not harder.” Food for thought… ☯️

Your Health Starts With You

I was having a conversation about Diabetes and A1C readings with my wife this past weekend, when i started to discuss and bring up many of the other folks I’ve known through my life who have Diabetes. It made me realize that for the most part, almost everyone I know who has either Type-1 or Type-2 Diabetes has failed to take care of themselves to the extent that they’ve caused damage to themselves that can no longer be repaired. It’s made me realize just how involved my care has been and how far my training and efforts have brought me.

After four decades of living with Type-1 Diabetes, I enjoy the pleasure of retaining all my limbs and digits, have a clean nervous system, clear kidneys and have the heart of a horse. In fact, I ran a stress test just a few short years ago and even ran the PARE two years ago in New Brunswick against other candidates half my age. But such health didn’t come naturally or on its own. It took a lot of time, training and effort to maintain this level of health and avoid many of the symptoms and side effects of Diabetes that many of my counterparts have had to suffer through.

Before getting on an insulin pump, a lot of my Diabetes control had to be done by feel. Carb-counting wasn’t something I was familiar with and I still adhered to the concept that sugar was what I needed to avoid. That being said, I worked pretty hard on my physical health, pushing myself and my body until I managed to grow and develop without many of the limitations that Diabetes has brought on others. When I joined the martial arts, it gave me tools and methods to ensure I could continue to maintain my health well into my years, which is a practice I still observe today.

None of that is easy and it would absolutely be simpler to just sit back, take it easy and let my body rest. That would likely feel much better but time and others have proven that such a path is what causes quicker complications and a sooner death; two things I’m trying very hard to avoid. None of this means that I haven’t gone down some difficult steps before. In my youth, before I had full control and say into my treatment, I suffered through comas, vision complications and high A1C’s. But once I took ownership of my therapies and the course of my life, I was able to make a measurable difference. And that’s the key takeaway; Diabetes has no feelings, no emotions and doesn’t care whether one lives or dies. This is why it’s up to the person themselves to take steps to maintain one’s health and ensure a longer and healthier life. ☯️

May As Well Start Weaving A Hand Basket Now…

Poultry is without a doubt one of the most versatile sources of protein a person can consume. You can bake it, fry it and even boil it (I’m not kidding, it eliminates all the fat and almost tastes like a hot dog). You can have it battered and in the form of nuggets, strips, burgers or tossed into a salad or a wrap. Truly, there are endless meal options when chicken is involved. You can also spice and season chicken in SO many different ways, leading to a different meal experience every time you eat it. But can you guess what I’ve NEVER seasoned my chicken with? NyQuil. That’s right, we’re doing this…

Have you heard about this latest “trend?” I always get a kick out of it when one of these total shows of idiocy are referred to as a “trend.” A trend is loosely defined as a general direction in which something, including society, is developing or changing. Doing something enormously stupid can’t, and should not, be referred to as a trend. But I’m getting off track here. As if eating Tide pods and snorting condoms weren’t bad enough, they’ve come out with this new thing called the “NyQuil Chicken Challenge” that appears to be making the rounds on, where else? TikTok.

This challenge involves dropping a couple of chicken breast into a frying pan and marinating it with NyQuil and heating it up. Then you eat the “sleepy chicken” right before bed. It’s become something of a running joke but it seems as though like most of these things, people are jumping into it and trying it out. The FDA came out with a warning against the challenge and many claim that it had very little attention… That is, until the FDA issued its warning.

There’s plenty of blame to go around when something stupid like this comes out but some of the important key points that the FDA mentioned is that “boiling a medication can make it much more concentrated and change its properties in other ways. Even if you don’t eat the chicken, inhaling the medication’s vapors while cooking could cause high levels of the drugs to enter your body. It could also hurt your lungs.” You can read the FDA’s post on this here.

I think about how things were in my youth… How by the time we were in our pre-teens, a lot of us had part time jobs, helped our parents and our neighbours and were more concerned with having some free time to play on our original NES system or playing outside than we were with doing a lot of this stupid shit we see nowadays. Oh, I by no means assume we didn’t have our fair share of idiots back in the day. The nice part is that the internet wasn’t there to document and spread all the idiocy so that others could try it.

More now than ever, it appears as though the world is going to hell in a hand basket. In some ways, I get it. Between the pandemic and all the issues with Russia, the younger generation are no doubt trying to find easy and comedic ways to entertain themselves. That’s all well and good but once they all fried their brains with all the household chemicals and boiled medications they’re ingesting, there won’t be much of a world left to be in. Kind of makes me glad I’m not immortal. ☯️