Sunday - Stage 2 Hangover!!

Started my day with a Stage 2 Hangover!

I had the Stage 1 hangover on Saturday after a wild Friday night birthday party when I decided to drink like an 18 year old!

A Stage 2 hangover is mainly the leftover tiredness after feeling the worst of Stage 1 the day before!

I did manage to rally and do a semi-serious circuit training workout with some 80's tunes for motivation. Also hiked about 2 miles just to burn some extra calories. I went to see my ENT for a serious ear dewaxing and he told me in a very direct manner that I would be a lot heathier if lost some weight. Big News Flash! He also said to forget the Elliptical and start taking Aerobics classes. This led to my big comeback with the combo aerobics and strength training workout which also generally leads to the dreaded "Workout Hangover" the next day! I am presently pounding water and protein to avoid that from happening!!

I had good luck with my afternoon sports investment as the Twins pulled a comeback win over Arizona with Webb pitching.

Enjoying an excellent sunset and watching Sunday Night Baseball! I got the Cubbies as a 2nd sports investment. So far so good as they lead the hated crosstown Chisox by 2 runs early in the game!!

Latest Workout Poop!!

It appears that exercising piecemeal is better for your Bloodwork!

This is great for busy people that have to sneak in their workout at different times during the day!!

MIZZOU NEWS
Intermittent Exercise Is More Effective

By Jeremy Diener

Regular exercise is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle and for the prevention of coronary heart disease, Type II diabetes and obesity. Classic recommendations for endurance exercise have been 20 to 60 minutes of continuous exercise at a vigorous intensity. New research from the University of Missouri-Columbia suggests intermittent exercise is more effective at lowering artery-blocking fat in the bloodstream than continuous exercise when exercising just 30 minutes.

MU researchers conducted the study to examine the effects of continuous versus intermittent exercise on triglyceride, a type of fat, levels in the bloodstream after subjects ate high-fat meals. The results show that people who engage in 30 minutes of exercise can achieve lower triglyceride levels after a high fat meal if they engage in short, separated bouts of exercise rather than one continuous bout. The research team included professor of nutritional sciences Tom Thomas, post-doctorate fellow Thomas Altena, assistant professor of nutritional sciences Stephen Ball, and graduate student Jody Michaelson, all in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. Altena, who is now an assistant professor at Southwest Missouri State University, supervised the study.

“Most Americans who exercise are exercising around 30 minutes a day,” Thomas said. “Based on the results of the research, the intermittent approach would probably be best for most Americans at lowering fat in the bloodstream.”
The researchers examined triglyceride levels following meals in inactive subjects. All subjects performed three different protocols on different days. On the control day, subjects ate a high-fat meal only.

On a second visit, the subjects ate a high-fat meal following a session of continuous exercise. On another visit, the subjects ate a high-fat meal following a session of intermittent exercise in which the subjects exercised in 10-minute bouts separated by 20-minute rest periods.

Results indicated that peak triglyceride levels in the subjects who engaged in intermittent exercise before eating a high-fat meal were reduced by 27 percent. Those who engaged in continuous exercise reduced their triglyceride levels by 15 percent.

Thomas noted that exercising before eating was crucial for fat clearing, saying that the researchers believe muscle contraction during the exercise process stimulates a fat-clearing enzyme in the muscle. According to previous research, the enzyme activity seems to peak about 12 hours after the session of exercise. In addition to showing what type of exercise is best, this information also could help someone determine what time is best for exercise.

Since it’s best to exercise 12 hours before eating a large or high-fat meal, those who eat large breakfasts could benefit more from exercise in the evening, while those who eat large dinners could benefit more from exercise in the morning.

However, Thomas said, the exercise effect on fat clearing does not last more than 24 hours, which suggests the need for daily physical activity to continuously stimulate the fat clearing system.

The research is published in the August issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Power Smoothies!!!

This place Rocks!!

I can get a huge Smoothie made with Splenda and stay under 300 calories. Most of these island delights are loaded with whatever nutritional ingredients you are into at that very moment.



For example, I thought my immune system could use some support during allergy season, so I tried out a "Morning After" Smoothie designed to fight hangovers with a load of Vitamin C Immune Complex. It tasted awesome, filled me up, and gave me a nice energy bump!!

Need a little caffeine? Try a "Lean Machine" when you "Get up and Go" got up and went!! It's filled with Fat Metabolizers, Strawberries and Banana so you can get your Groove on.

If you are a Buff Bagwell Muscle Head you can go for another Power Smoothie called "Health Nut" that features Blueberries, Mango, Banana, Almonds and your choice of Soy or Whey protein!!

I also thought the Wraps were excellent but have not tried the Sandwiches yet because the Smoothie's were so filling.

The atmosphere is definitely of the ParrotHead type! Lots of Reggae, etc along with a decor to match!!

Tropical Smoothie Cafe gets my highest rating!!

Going Ballistic with Netflix!!

Signed up with Netflix a couple of months ago and am really happy with it!!!

I like being able to browse online rather than having brain cramps while I am looking around a video store! If I get in the mood for a particular video or , I can use their search engine to find just about anything without worrying about not getting it back on time.

I've been watching a lot of old time TV programs and Mini Series including "From the Earth to the Moon"; "The Dick Van Dyke show"; Backstairs at the White House and "The Fugitive". "From the Earth to the Moon" was on of the best Mini Series I have seen...right up there with "Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance"!

My latest video conquest has been the 60's drama "The Fugitive". I remember that show from my childhood and watching the episodes of an innocent man running from the law is every bit as great now as it was then!! Richard Kimble hits it off with a ton of sympathetic early 60's babes and always narrowly escapes Lt. Gerard and his nationwide network of flatfoots!!

A millenium version of "The Fugitive" came out starring Tim Daly in the year 2000 and was also really good...but it only lasted a short time, disappointing not only me, but my whole Saturday night drinking Posse!!

My life would be a lot more dramatic if I had a Narrator like William Conrad!

David Janssen got all the breaks!!

The Big Bush Bonus!!

The Commander in Chief just came out and told us our economy will soon be "Robust" again and decided to send us a nifty little tax rebate to help thing along!

I plan on using my 600 dollar windfall as a beginning of an actual savings account which is a very tender first step to getting back on my financial feet after doing the paycheck to paycheck thing for many years!

Most likely, however, my Bush Bonus will be eaten up by impending car maintenance on my PT Cruiser. Every time I take the the thing into Chrysler they charge me an arm and leg even with my warranty in good standing. On top of that it will take two days and a significant amount of time off my job riding their shuttle back and forth!

If car maintenance doesn't wipe out my Bush Bonus, it will most likely be the financial fallout from my recent back surgery. I consider myself very lucky that I have an excellent health plan with my employer, but there is still about a grand or so that wasn't covered.

Looks like my new savings account will be short lived!!

Dirty Rotten Workout Hangovers!!

As you may have read in my previous posts, I have found a formula that pretty much takes care of alcoholic hangovers. Now that I have that figured out, I am running in to "Workout Hangovers" !! In a nutshell, it's feeling bad for doing something that's supposed to be good!

I had back surgery (Microdiscectomy) last February and am recovering pretty well considering it's only been a little over two months since the surgery. I started Physical Therapy in early March and started working out every day (Mainly Elliptical Exercise) in order to lose some of the Gut I developed while laid up. This was all well and good until I started feeling like I was putting tequila in my Gatorade the day after the workouts! Draggy, Cranky, Headachey, etc.

Initially I blamed it on my allergies, but I think it may be simple over training! I ran across this little tidbit in an article by Tom Gorman about Ellipticals....

"Using your elliptical trainer every other day or three times a week should provide adequate workout time, and you should see results quickly. It is important to take “rest days” so as not to overwork your muscles. Overworking can cause your weight loss or muscle building to slow down, not speed up."

Not only does this explain my hangovers but also my reluctance to lose weight! It's easy to underestimate what a good workout the Ellipticals give since you don't actually notice how hard you are working out! It is very low impact!

Looks like I will be working out every other day for at least the near future!!

Common warning signs of over training include:

Washed-out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy
Mild leg soreness, general aches and pains
Pain in muscles and joints
Sudden drop in performance
Insomnia
Headaches
Decreased immunity (increased number of colds, and sore throats)
Decrease in training capacity / intensity
Moodiness and irritability
Depression
Loss of enthusiasm for the sport
Decreased appetite
Increased incidence of injuries.

Big Tuesday-Ohio Style!!

All political roads lead to Ohio and Texas!!

Since I am recovering from back surgery, the one thing I have to do to pass the time (Besides getting fat) is watch all the political hoopla that sorrounds the Ohio and Texas primaries.

I've been getting drilled by Clinton backers on the phone and witnessed Obama backers freezing their asses off holding up signs out in the freezing cold!

My perception is that my senses have been assaulted more by the Clintonians than the Obamanites which might be why Hillary is ahead in the Polls here.

Although I like Obama, I will most likely vote for Hillary mainly because she at least tried to do something about the Healthcare crisis and also because there would be two Presidential types in the White House for the price of one. The Clinton machine has all the Political machinery in place and the experience to operate it. Obama needs a few more years of making contacts and gaining political street cred before he will be able to accomplish anything.

Most folks I talk to are split and not sure who they are going to vote for until they hit the Polls tomorrow....which could wreac havoc with exit polling!

Weather forecast for tommorow is horrible...but everyone is so jacked about having a Primary that matters, I'm sure there will still be a good turnout at the Polls.

Forecast from the Wayward Caucus Posse: Ohio to Clinton, Texas to Obama!!

Hangover Avoidance 101!!

As I am out in my travels getting the pulse of middle America with my local Posse, I have run into issues with hangovers! Some lasting 2 days!!

In order to alleviate this Dehydration Dilemma, I took to cyberspace in order to find a plan to initiate before our weekly gathering last night. I focused on dehydration since I believe that is the main Perp in causing hangovers.

Today, I feel pretty darn good!!

Here is the basic plan that I used....

1. Eat a big meal before going out (I focused on fiber)

2. Pound Vitamins before you head out.

3. Drink Clear liquids (Vodka, Gin-I did Vodka and Tonics)

4. Funnel a Ton of Water or Gatorade beforehand. (Electrolytes a big factor/dehydration)

5. Drink water along with your alcoholic buzz bomb as the evening progresses.

6. Eat something when you get home (Oatmeal) and take a hit of Vitamin B/C

7. Sleep as late as you can.

8. Eat a solid breakfast

The downside of all this Damage Control is that you will be ingesting a ton of calories.

If you are worried about some cornball diet your are on, ignore the preceding advice and continue to lose weight while you are upchucking all over your bathroom!

Super Tuesday Tidbits!!

Here is the skinny on what the local peer (Beer) group thinks as this is being written only minutes before the Georgia Polls close...

1. For the most part we thought Obama is having his "Moment in the Sun" but that he would be crushed by the Clinton political machine on Super Tuesday. Obama made a nice late move over the weekend leading to some doubt about our theory, but we know how polls have worked in the recent past.

2. Giuliani let McCain back in the game by having a moronic campaign strategy. McCain now seems like a runaway freight train. The problem is that most republicans, including part my own political posse, don't consider McCain a real "Republican"! Earlier today, Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh came out and made statements against him. The plot thickens, but I think McCain wins in a walk since he isn't a "Traditional" republican candidate. On that same note, Obama isn't doing badly with same label.

3. Sounds like California will decide the contest for both parties. Should be entertaining viewing as the Primaries go into overtime.

Seeing how my Super Bowl prediction was a total bust, I will refrain from making any personal predictions other than my McCain blowout forecast!

THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!!

OK!! It's the football Giants, not the baseball Giants!

Eli Manning not Bobby Thompson!!

This has to be one the biggest shockers since "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" back in 1951!!

The hero of the day has to be the New York Giants. No one has been able to come up with a defense to stop the Patriots.....Until Today!

Probably the first time I seen Brady under pressure this whole year.

The Giants blitzes had Brady rushing his passes!!

Great games were had by Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck (Notre Dame Alum!!)

Coughlin will be a "Party Animal" tonight!!!

So much for my "Fearless Prediction"!!!

Fearless Super Bowl 2008 Prediction!!

After consulting with the local sports critics, I have come to the conclusion that New England will blow out the Giants!

My reasoning for this bold statement is that the Pats not only want to go undefeated, but they will also want to make the Super Bowl a "Statement Game". Winning a close game to go undefeated won't be good enough for Brady and Company. Also, too many people are jumping on the Giants bandwagon since they blew away the spread in all of the playoff games.

If you are betting man, I wouldn't put your paycheck on my advice, however, since you can take a look below and see how I thought Notre Dame was going to have a big year!!

Back to The Bogosphere!! The Return of the Kevinator

Super Bowl Sunday is the perfect time for Comeback!!

Lots of neat stuff going on with a Presidential Election looming and Notre Dame trying to mount a big time comeback year!! Stay Tuned here if you would like get an idea of what the average Midwestern paycheck to paycheck dude thinks about things that happen around him!

My personal fortunes have taken a turn for the better as I have found "Gainful" employment in my role as a Recruiter of Emergency Department Physicians. This seems to go against the grain of current trends since quite a few of my younger contemporaries are worried about cutbacks at their companies!! I am still broke, however, since I blew a disk in my back while I was still waiting for my Healthcare Bennies to kick in!! I am counting the hours until my income tax refund show up so I can pay Chiropractor, MRI people, etc!!

Feel free to hang out as I put forth a journal of my rise to mediocrity and espouse my totally biased opinions!!

Notre Dame - The Corwin Brown Factor

This is a very conflicted time of year!!

Summer is finally here but we have had any college football for over five months! We don't want to rush summer, but we can see our favorite teams teeing it up in the distant horizon!

Nothing but gloom and doom is forecast for the supposedly hapless Irish, but the critics are underestimating the "Corwin Brown Effect"!

It's beautiful morning here in Klingerville, and I am listening to the local sports talk show on the way back from purchasing my artery clogging cappuccino, when I hear that Corwin Brown's Jets secondary went 13 straight quarters without giving up a Pass Interference penalty!

Little facts like these seem come to my attention every day.....added to the fact that Coach Brown has done wonders as a recruiter, bagging blue chip verbal commitments from talent such as Omar Hunter, Robert Blanton, Jamoris Slaughter, and Ethan Johnson.

According to sources in the Irish blogosphere "Corwin Brown, almost single-handedly, is becoming one of the best recruiters in college football and is close to signing a class that will give the Irish national-championship caliber talent on defense for the first time in at least 10 years."

We must also remember that the Irish defensive secondary returns Tom Zibikowski, Ambrose Wooden, Terrel Lambert, and Darrin Walls ... not mention adding the speed of Munir Prince!

If Corwin Brown and his 3-4 Defense overachieves, that would give ND's offense some wiggle room to work out it's wrinkles and find it's new identity.

The real beauty of it all is that everyone has pretty much written off the Irish for 2007.

I think Corwin Brown thinks otherwise........

Howard Dean Meets The Obama Girl!

Only in the blogosphere will you find Howard Dean and the Obama Girl in the same Headline!

Leah Kaufman, who wrote "Obama Girl", has unwittingly unleashed a political tsunami in cyberspace. Once again, a political candidate has gotten a major bounce from an internet happening. It went from You Tube to the blogosphere and to the Television Networks faster than it takes to reboot the typical PC!

Barack Obama (D-Illinois) never seemed a serious presidential candidate until last September when Oprah gave him a ringing endorsement on Larry King. From that point it seemed like Obama has been really getting the buzz. If fact, he is giving Hillary Clinton a run for the money to be runner up in the Iowa Primary behind John Edwards.

We all remember how Howard Dean got all that buzz in cyberspace before the last election but ran out of steam with "The Scream" in Iowa. The question for the upcoming presidential election is......

Will the Internet/Blogosphere ever have the Power to be a major influence on who becomes the next President?

It's not hard to imagine legions of Democrats or Republicans showing up at the opposition rallies waiting for a "Mucaca Moment" that they can film on their cell phone cameras and have on You Tube within the same hour!

My somewhat ignorant conclusion is that the Presidential Race could be won by the most internet savvy campaign! Whether that's good or bad is for the future to tell!

As for the "Obama Girl", a big pat on the back for showing us the impact of cyberspace.

I hope we never see an "Osama Girl"!!

Notre Dame Football - ESPN Take!

I was just listening to ESPN Radio Gameday with John Stashower and Mel Kiper while I was returning from doing my Jared Fogle imitation at the local Subway shop.



They had a guest on in regards to Notre Dame Football, but I didn't catch his name....they were of the opinion that Evan Sharpley would most likely get the starting nod with Jimmy Clausen coming in later in the season. They also mentioned that Coach Weis would run a very conservative, boring offense relying solely on the running game.

As I mentioned in former posts, I do believe the emphasis will be on the running game, but I differ with them in terms of the QB and the Offense. If Weis wants to start out with the focus on running, I would think he would go with Demetrius Jones, since he has got the wheels to be a running threat on his own. I also think the offense could be exciting if Notre Dame really does get a good running game going, since it would take the pressure off an inexperienced QB when he does put the ball in the air!!

They also failed to mention anything about Corwin Brown improving the Defense, which I think will be a big factor in the tough part of the Irish schedule at the beginning of the season.

One thing on ESPN Gameday that there can be no doubt about.......

The Irish will be facing one mean, aggressive defense when they open with Georgia Tech!

Notre Dame - Big Surprise or Rebuilding Year?

Nobody knows what to expect from the Irish this year!

Inexperienced QB? Questionable offensive line? Same old Lame Defense?


I'm going to go (way) out on a limb and say "Big Surprise"!

As far as the defense is concerned, I think Corwyn Brown is quietly making big strides. He changed the defensive scheme and has Zibkowski, Wooden, and Terrel Lambert returning. Munir Prince will also lend considerable speed to the defensive equation. There's even a rumor that a real pass rush might be imminent!

The big issue, of course, is the offense. Sources in the blogosphere seem to be suggesting that Coach Weis is dialed in on the running game. Big Time! Which brings us to what I consider to be Notre Dame's strong spot - Running Backs. They have punishing power backs in James Aldridge, Junior Jabbie, and Asaph Schwapp and, oh..yeah.....
Robert Hughes coming in as a Freshman. Added to that, we have the ever dependable Travis Thomas and speedburner Armando Allen!!

If Weis can harness all that running talent, it will take a lot of pressure off Clausen, Sharpley, or Demetrious Jones. If it turns out the speedy Jones takes the snap, it will add another running dimension for opposing defenses to worry about.

The kicking game is what scares me the most. I haven't read anything positive about that yet. Ryan Burkhardt has a good leg, but he couldn't even beat out last year's kicker in a head to head competition!

I was lucky enough to get tickets to the home opener against Georgia Tech. The first thing I will be looking for is crisp execution. We had it big time the first year of Weis's tenure. Second year.....Not so much! There was a lot of distraction leading up to last year, however, with things like boxing matches and minor league baseball going on in the pre-season. Zibkowski even showed up a mohawk!

I think the focus will be back this year.

We will know when we see the first drive!

Rescue Me Is Back!!

Finally!!!

Something to watch this summer besides Baseball!!

Rescue Me returns tonight on FX! One of my favorite shows of all time.....Right up there with Hill Street Blues, MASH, Homicide, Miami Vice and the ultimate 60's thriller, "The Fugitive"!


Things I have in common with Tommy Gavin (Lead Character)
1. I like Jameson's Whiskey
2. I like wearing stupid Irish Shirts
3. I played Hockey (Rugby later in Life)
4. I worked in a Uniform once (Navy instead of Fire Department)
5. I have Commitment Issues
6. I like to use Bad Words

Things I don't have in common with Tommy Gavin
1. Getting in Fights on a Daily Basis
2. Having a Hot Blonde Wife
3. Having an Exciting Job
4. Having Affairs with Hot Widows
5. Giving up Alcohol
6. Constant Hallucinations
7. I live in Toledo and not New York

Veteran's Healthcare - A Great Way to Say Thanks!

A great way to say 'Thank you for your service" would be to make sure the Presidential nominee you vote for supports mandatory funding for Veteran's health care!


I plan on making it a personal quest to find out where nominees for both parties stand! We have lots of younger Veterans coming out of the military who will need to know that their benefits will always be there!

Its real simple.

If they don't support mandatory funding for Veterans, they don't get your vote!

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

USS Enterprise - Praying Mantis Sequel?

It is rumored my old home, the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), is back out to sea and heading for duty off the shores of Iran!

They will become the 3rd Carrier Group in that area of operations! I had the good fortune to be on board when "The Big E" pilots (And our battle group) tangled with Iranian frigates and gunboats during Operation Praying Mantis in April, 1988.

Now that the "Hormuz Highway Patrol" will be coming around the bend, I hope memories of their first encounter with the Big E will bring about productive "Big Stick" diplomacy!!

Notre Dame - Will the Green Jerseys Work This Time?

A couple of days ago, Coach Weis announced that Irish will be wearing 1977 style green jerseys and gold pants to honor the 1977 National Championship Team! This will happen on October 20th, when the Irish take on the heathens from USC!

The following is an excerpt from a Chicago Sports.com Article regarding our "Green Jersey" history.....

"The green jerseys have been met with mixed results. The Irish wore green in victories over USC in 1983 and 1985 -- although in 1985 they wore blue in the first half then switched to green for the second half.

Lou Holtz had the Irish wear green twice: in a 39-28 win over Florida in the 1992 Sugar Bowl and a 41-24 loss to Colorado in the 1995 Fiesta Bowl. The Irish also wore green in a 35-28 loss to Georgia Tech in the 1999 Gator Bowl and in a 14-7 loss to Boston College in 2002 after the Irish started the season 8-0.

The Irish wore green against USC in 2005, when Matt Leinart led the top-ranked Trojans to a 34-31 victory with a touchdown in the closing seconds. The Irish also wore green in a 41-9 victory over Army this past November.

John Heisler, Notre Dame's senior associate athletic director, said this was the first time in recent memory where the Irish announced in advance they would wear green for a game."

In spite of the mixed results, I still love the Green Jersey ploy! I'll take every psychological advantage we can get against the hated Trojans! If someone could figure out how paint the fabled Trojan Horse green, I would really be impressed!