Month: June 2020

Food is always an Adventure

I sort of struggle with my weight. When I got my first office job back in 1998, I packed on 50lbs real quick, and I’ve had problems getting it off ever since.

Starting running in 2016 helped a lot, and then working with a nutrionest a bit in 2019 helped, but then I hit a wall. Then the pandemic hit, which has led to all sorts of stress:

when cortisol levels stay high, this is why stress can impact our sleep, energy levels, metabolism, and libido, and lead to declining productivity levels, fatigue, weight gain, constipation, poor concentration, and even depression.

Fast Company

My productivity has fallen off, but my weight gain has been an “issue.” I use quotes because I’m going easy on myself – we’re in the middle of an unprecedented world event, and it ain’t getting any better here in the United States. And really, I’m not eating fast food multiple times a week, or even eating horrible foods – I just love to snack.

Putting this out there because I just don’t see many men talking about this sort of thing. It’s either HOW TO GET RIPPED or RUN FAST or FASTING and shit, and I just don’t want any part of that noise, in part because of working with Grayson Murphy for nutrition and run coaching.

This week I’m trying to eat hearty salads for lunch, rather than my go-to burritos, which are pan-fried in oil with LOTS of stuff (zucchini, onions, broccoli, beans, fake-meat, etc.), so hoping less oil, fake meat, and tortillas will help.

Defeat by Tweet

Trump Tweets, money is raised for Black-led political organizers in swing states. I love this, and signed up to donate a penny each time this idiot Tweets.

Movement Voter PAC (MVP) has vetted a group of Black-led organizations that work in nine key swing states, engaging in local elections including for district attorney, sheriff, and judges.
By focusing on organizations doing work on these issues in key states, we can expand the base of black voters and black political power and have the greatest impact on the outcome of November’s presidential election and the makeup of the US Senate.
MVP has vetted participating organizations for their track record on moving the needle on criminal justice reform as well as their financial need and growth potential.

Defeat By Tweet

Ten Episodes of Bandcamp Roulette

I’ve told lots of friends to “just start,” and how episode 10 will be better than episode one, and on and on. One of these days I’ll believe that for myself, and my own work, but this the struggle, I suppose.

Thinking out loud here – I’ve been doing video on and off since 2006, never really committing at any one point. Not to say I want to build a YOUTUBE CHANNEL and have a million subscribers. Hell, I don’t know what I want. I’m 44, and have done a lot of shit over the years. Sometimes I feel like I’m just running into walls with stuff, and still trying to make heads of tails of anything at all.

Golden Coast Track Club Pride 5K Report

The past few weeks have been blah, which has seeped into my running. My last 20+ mile week was back in APRIL, when I was still doing my “Four Miles Everyday in April (the 4th month thing), and hurt my foot.

So a combination of injury, and mental burnout from work stuff, and *** everything else that’s going on in the world *** I’ve lost a step. Haven’t felt as “driven” to run.

Thankfully that changed this past two weeks, having hit 17+ miles each week, along with some cycling.

All that to say, this 5K was rough. First mile I clocked an 8:39/mile pace, but the heat and humidity (97%), along with not actually training for that sort of effort, I finished at around 29:17. The last half-mile was in the eights, topping out at 7:39 (!!!), but that’s all I could muster. Strava page here.

But hey – this was all to raise money for the Trevor Project, and I got to run my friend Shannon at 8am on a Sunday, so this was good.

Defund Facebook

Hating Facebook isn’t anything special these days. Quitting, which is something a lot of my friends have done, is good and all, but the machine lumbers ahead. Until now, maybe?

The Stop Hate for Profit movement has some momentum – over 100 companies have pulled advertising from Facebook:

Among them are well-known brands like Ben & Jerry’s, TalkSpace, and Magnolia Pictures. But things became really serious when Verizon signed on Thursday evening. 


Then, yesterday, consumer goods giant Unilever — one of the world’s largest advertisers — announced they would stop advertising on Facebook and Twitter for the rest of the year. 


Popular Information

First Race of 2020

My first race this year was supposed to be the Queens Marathon, way back on March 22nd. All hell broke loose on March 14th or so, when the NBA suspended their season because one of their players got diagnosed with COVID-19.

Now here we are in late June, and things ain’t looking great. I went to my gym today, intent on cancelling my membership. All their treadmills were still packed together, and no one was wearing masks. Hell, they’re not even required. I don’t like walking in the chip aisle at the grocery store if someone isn’t wearing a mask. I sure as hell ain’t gonna be comfortable in a gym with sweaty, heavy breathing people. Fuck that.

So yeah… first race is tomorrow, a virtual 5K. The Golden Coast Track Club Pride 5K.

I’ll get up early, do my pre-race breakfast routine, and hopefully start at 7:30am, like most races in the summer start. I know it’s gonna be painful, I’m not really in 5K race shape, coming off two weeks of the “blahs” and barely squeaking out 15 miles a week, but I know that pain and discomfort is nothing compared to what those in the LGBTQ+ community face. The stigma, the prejudice, the discrimination; people have died for who they loved.

The virtual race raised money for the Trevor Project, and I’d be stoked if you could chip in a few dollars. Sure, June is Pride month, but it’s really every month. Give if you can, spread the word otherwise.

It’s All Serious Stuff

This quote is just the tip of an iceberg, a rabbit hole stemming from an offhand Tweet, to the struggle that BIPOC / LGBTQ+ face everyday in life and work:

On one hand, I find myself thinking, “astrology is a silly thing to get worked up over, especially when there are such big, important issues going on in the world right now.” 


But on the other hand, it angers me how deep these systems that marginalise women, POC, queer people, and any other group that’s not cis men, run in our lives. 


And most people don’t even realise that somewhere in Cupertino, a white man is sitting in a conference room making decisions about what categories of apps can and cannot even exist for you to download onto your phone.

Rachel Lo, co-founder of Struck

Nothing Is Real

This is a little phrase I’ve been repeating here and there lately. Perhaps we’re living in a computer simulation. Or maybe in the Fight Club-esque mindset, that our lives are tied to computer records. Deeper yet, we’re plugged into the Matrix, and really we’re all fast asleep, living in a computerized dream world.

If nothing is real, it’s a sure thing that everything is fucked. COVID-19 is as real as ever, and cops (and their budgets) are out of control.

In the mont of June we’ve been raising funds with Metal Bandcamp Gift Club, coming together to raise almost $1,300 for bail and legal funds.

Went to my first protest this past weekend, and kept my head on a swivel, staying alert for any wackadoo who might start any trouble. It felt good, though, and I want to stay involved.

Black lives matter. Defund the police. Pay teachers.