Hopped up on Zinderthrust!*

Hello, folks.

This is probably going to be very stream-of-conscious. I make no apologies. I blame the latest promotion at McDonald's

I swear I am seeing triple. This is a terrible idea for a caffeine addict.  I think I've had about 7 gallons of the stuff. Tastes like absolute pisswater.* Rich Burlew writes about why a bad cup of coffee is good, because it reminds you of every great cup you've had. It's spot on. I am having flashbacks of flashbacks of Starbucks.

I am writing in triplicate all at once.  I said that. I am seeing triple.

The project continues, and continues to be above my pay grade. Yet I muddle on.

I had a bit I wanted to write about, but I forgot. I literally wrote an entire post in my head on the way home from McDonald's today, but then I blinked and it was gone. 

So a few observations on getting older:
I reached the age when a  good dump is often better than a good hump.
My father has reached the age where he actively gives a shit about how people separate their garbage.

I have yet to make a spelling error while typing this. That is unprecedented. I feel, aside from being extremely jittery, incredibly focused. As if, with the ingestion of copious amounts of coffee, I have found a physical and perceptual clarity.

I'm as loopy as a jaybird when I talk, blathering like a coked-up Robin Williams. But my sense, my hands, everything is moving with a sort of incredible, supernal grace. I think...

This leads me to suspect what others have told me, that I might have adult ADD. It would explain a whole bunch of variables.

This pretty much sums up McDonald's brilliant plan.

*Special thanks to Jon Walbrun for the name. 
**Note - It's actually pretty good. And free. So I can't really complain except for hyperbole. 

Is this the condition that I so feared?

My kiddos, I have a confession to make:

I never wanted to write about politics in this blog.

I never want to be political. I call myself an anarcho-moderate, and I am fanatically so. I had a rule

But I broke the rule and waxed political.

I waxed political because deep down this blog is about independence. The most important thing for man (or women!) is to have the liberty to live their life as they wish. To be free.

Free from illness by being healthy.
Free from hatred, ignorance and unhealthy agendas by keeping your mind open.
Free from mental illness through diet, exercise, reflection and meditation.
Free from drugs by being responsible for your body and mind.
And sometimes, free from a corrupt government (regardless of the party affiliation - from which you should also be free!).

Many people, and myself, often say we need something. And yet a lot of people get along without. I need a car, I need a gym, I need a job.

You don't. Your mind, your ingenuity, and your positivity are all you *need*. Everything else is optional or obtainable with those things.

I know, I sound like a raving hippy.

We are hooked - chained, to the world by needs and desires - for money, for love, for sex, for food, and those chains are being used to make you act in ways that maybe you don't want to act.

Well, there are two ways to release those chains. The first is to give everyone everything that they desire. If everyone is fulfilled, then there is no way to use fulfillment to motivate someone.  While I like this  option - because hay, free stuff, I think it's a dangerous option. There will always be something that is scarce - and that means something more valuable than another thing.

Plus it requires changing the world. That step's a-doozy.

The better solution is to reject those desires. Learn how little you actually need, so that you can  find what you really want. Reduce the value of something from the demand side, by simply not desiring it. This requires you to change yourself, but it's effects, if done by the commons as whole, will be immense.

The obvious and simple example is "I need a gym." Do you really need heavy equipment to get a workout, to become strong?  Smith racks, Leg Press machines, and thousand-dollar treadmills?

Not at all.  I have a gym membership. I do not need one.  All the equipment I really need is my body - and that's free.

I have spent about 45 dollars on exercise equipment that I use almost daily. It's cobbled together, grabbed from junk yards, and works better than the gym equipment. And Instead of a treadmill, I just go for a run.

To be free, you must remove things from your life, not add. Perhaps, like Diogenes, I see things as often a distraction.  Perhaps, like Seneca, I see us all working jobs we don't like for things we don't need.

So that's what this blog is about. Independence. It's a lot of work, kiddos, but it's worth it.

So my assignment for you is to take some time and remove yourself from a habit. I spent 5 weeks without Internet, and it was extremely productive. I advise you remove something - Internet, TV, even idle reading, if you are so inclined, and ask yourself as Seneca asks, "Is this the condition that I so feared?"

More on living as independently as possible next week, my friends.  

Beans, beans, They're good for your heart.

Quick update friends!

Food. We've taken care of the most important part of living in your car. That is Internet. Now we must tackle the next struggle. Food and water.

Right now, I have a modest income, so food is not quite the problem it will be in a few months. But without a kitchen, cooking becomes problematic.
 If well prepared for your adventure, you can purchase a camp stove or create a solar oven. Lacking the funds or the space for one, you are going to have to improvise.

If you are lucky, you'll have a friend like Jen who will let you use her kitchen.  Eating healthy becomes a little easier of you can grab some dry beans and maybe a little rice, drop it in a  slow cooker, and chow down 8 hours later. By Bean meal works out to 3 dollars a day and will keep you stupid full. It's healthy, vegan, and keeps your insulin from spiking - a plus for those of us with blood sugar issues.

Beans, my friend.. If you can eat them, bully for you. You win. No, it's not the fanciest of grub. But you gave up fancy when you gave up your address.

Now, things get trickier if you can't use a kitchen and don't have a way to cook.  You have to eat prepared foods. This can get expensive. And if you were made of money, you'd have that address.

Fast food is right out. Don't even think about it. it's poor nutritional value and excess calories will make you fat and tired. And bulking doesn't make it easier to sleep in your car.

Beans are your friend again, and so is Walmart. Is there anything these two can't accomplish (besides providing well-paying jobs)?

A bowl and a spoon and a 75 cent can of beans. If you make one meal of yours a can of pre-cooked beans, it will give you protein and fiber and keep you full. Avoid baked beans and go straight for the black beans. Add a little chili powder and voila!

Other things to eat are Deli meats, Pepperoni, and Sardines. When choosing prepared meats, make sure to keep your macros. Keto, for example, requires minimum protein, maximum carbohydrates, and some fat. You want to look for a solid calorie to price ratio. Spam, for example, is not that great for the price. Go for sardines instead. On slow carb, be careful how much sugar is in your foods. And don't be afraid to pick up a  bag of baby carrots on either. Yeah, they are high in sugar and carbs as vegetables go, but you cannot beat them for fullness factor. I also love raw broccoli and spinach. Just like dieting, continued fullness is important.   If you desire fruit, it's actually not that expensive to add an apple or a nectarine.

Eating prepped food will cost you between 5-10 dollars a day, depending on your dietary requirements. Avoid chips, candy, and prepared "junk food" snacks. They are actually not as inexpensive as you think, and they won't provide nutrition.


In the future we shall discuss visiting other cities, and busking. I spoke my friend JP, who's traveled this way, He speaks of the incredible generosity of people. I have experienced some of this, but I do not share his worldview. I have trouble asking for things (Which is 50% of getting things).  Hopefully I can break that limiting worldview and try something new.

Science!

While we are not all as genetically perfect as Tim Ferriss, I think we can do it.

He also mentions, briefly, about conversational fluency, which is my goal with Russian.

he is right, though: Diet is the hardest part of the whole damn thing.

Here's the link to Tim's NEXT talk

Anyway, the flaw in the science is me right now.

I am really struggling to keep on the slow-carb diet.

So I am going to take a smaller bite of the elephant.

30 grams of protein, 30 minutes after waking up.