Transphobia Everywhere

Today I saw an article online about a white gal who has made her skin darker and changed her hair to appear darker because she identifies as black. Two weeks ago I read an article about how a man changed his body to appear more like a woman because he/she identified/identifies as a woman

In our culture today, it is seemingly always pushing the boundaries of what seems more risqué and edgy. We push away traditional ideals and push for the newest and most "original" ideals. 

There is a convoluted and mixed mentality that somehow everything needs to be fair and right, but when was the last time anything felt fair? When is the last time things felt right?

I am 100% an advocate for equal rights for all people. I am entirely in favor of everyone being free to be who they are and not feel condemned by other people. Regardless of beliefs or personal convictions it is never anyone's right to make someone else feel like less.

With all the news about Caitlyn Jenner, it's really surprising to me that people will two weeks later treat this Rachel any differently.

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between feeling like a man or a woman feels like? How can anyone in a male body know what being a female is like aside from stereotypes? How can anyone who is white or black know what it is like to be another race aside from stereotypes?

Really, for Bruce to think or realize that he/she is a woman, those suppositions need to be premised on an idea of what a man is and what a woman is and an internal evaluation of which group he/she belongs to.

For Rachel to say she identifies as black versus white, there needs to be suppositions about what it means to be either of those things.

That said, I am outraged that two weeks ago everyone wanted to be on the pronoun train and supportive of someone identifying in a different group and today I noticed people from that supportive group making fun of another for their exact same cause.

The only difference between Bruce and Rachel is that Bruce identifies as a different gender and Rachel identifies as a different race.

If Bruce is transgendered then Rachel is transracial. Deal with it and respect people for people rather than their choices

Feeling Fat

GETTING FIT

Step By Step

For those of you that know me, you know that I have been both very large on the weight scale, and last year I was below 200 lbs - which was an accomplishment. At the time, it was really more out of a desire to win a competition. My wife and I attended a gym and they had a competition. The winner won a large volume of money so I found the motivation there. 

In order to win, I had to lose the highest volume of body fat percentage based on a scale and then it went to votes for overall most change. At the time, I felt like my body really wasn't changing much, although I did notice that I had some clothes fit much better. 

Since then (about a year ago) I have had another child and I have really let go of all of the things that I should be doing. I am using this blog post as a starting point. I am jumping back on the train this week, and I will update this in a few weeks, but here are some of the things that I learned. 

During that time I went from weighing 269 lbs to 195 in 90 days. Here are the tips I have:

1. DON'T JUST WORK OUT - VARY YOUR WORKOUTS

So the first thing to know is that you absolutely need to be working out. Sure there are diets, but the important thing to know is that the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn in your resting metabolic rate (RMR). That means, even when you're lounging on the couch, having more muscle will help you lose more weight. The way to get muscle is to work out.

You need to vary your workouts in several levels. Not only do you need to change what you are doing day to day, but after 3-4 weeks you want to change what your weekly order looks like. Your body is an amazing adapter and will adapt to your strategy.

My suggestion:

1. Get some index cards - write out what your workouts are on them
1. Each index card should be labeled on one side with a cagegory (cardio, biceps/back, triceps/shoulders/chest, core, quads/calves/glutes, circuit training, endurance training, stretching, etc.)
2. On the back side of each card should be a specific work out. 
2. Each category of workouts should be grouped together (all cardio goes in a stack, etc) and the categories are assigned to days of the week and rotated bi-weekly
3. When you are on any 1 given day, you shuffle the cards in that category, pick out cards until your workout is done. If you are doubling up, then you do so in rotation. (if you couple core every two days or cardio every two days, then you want to change which goes first each time)

This will help you switch up your workout routine and you can always add other cards in to your exercise routine.

2. EAT HEALTHY FOODS

So there are a million diets out there. Here is what I know. I've tried the "low fat" stuff, and it didn't work for me. I don't have much an issue with portion control, but I have always been a big boy. It wasn't until I went to my gym last year that they helped me figure out the problem - carbs. 

So it's not a problem to eat carbs but, for me, the balance of carbohydrates in comparison to everything else that I ate was way out of control. I could eat a whole pizza myself and not blink. I still can. I love carbs. What they let me know is that there is a difference between fast/slow and simple/complex carbs. What you want to aim for with carbs is the stuff that I don't like so much. Fast and simple. Fruits, veggies, legumes, and such. 

What they informed me is that you want to aim for a higher protein than carb intake. 

My suggestion: 

Don't avoid what you like as if it were going to completely spoil you. The goal should be to aim for a 2:1 protein to carb ratio. If you eat 1 carb, you also need 2 proteins by the unit. 3g carbs = 6g protein. Really simple. This means, you can absolutely have the awesome cupcake at the wedding. You can have the delicious cookie that the gal brought into work. Just make sure that you have protein to go with it. 

Avoiding what you want will make you want it that more and will completely derail you when you "slip" - but really you should allow yourself a "cheat" object of the day or "cheat" meal of the week. Your body is, again, amazing at adapting, so having one bad meal isn't ruining your whole day. Enjoy that there is freedom in maintaining the balance. 

3. *WHELP* WEIGH YOURSELF DAILY

So here's the thing, weight is not the only indicator of your health. When you first start working out, your weight may just as well increase because of gaining muscle faster than losing fat. If you are building muscle faster than your fat is being burned, the weight will go up and you are going to look down and keep your head down all day. Don't be discouraged. 

Understand a few things. 

1. Your weight (based on water, food intake and a few other things) can fluctuate around 3-5 pounds throughout the day. 
2. Weight is only one element of your health - so is body fat percentage, flexibility, etc. 
3. Your body will always have some water weight

So knowing those things, you can make a plan on how to know what you are doing and rate your improvement/set goals, etc.

My suggestion:

Weigh yourself, and measure your arms/legs/and waist on the same scale at roughly the same time every day. It should probably be in the morning. Use a scale that can roughly estimate body fat %. It will not be perfectly accurate

You want to weigh in the same place with the same scale to remove the error of the scale itself. Then you can say, "this scale at this place said I was 55 pounds and now it says that I am 53 pounds." This is the win. You are down 2 pounds. If you go to the gym and that one says you are 54 pounds, you didn't lose 1 less pound. That scale would likely have originally measured 56 lbs assuming you were weighing there at the same time every day also. You want to use a body fat scale because (even though it's not entirely accurate) you can measure over time the overall average change and as long as body fat, weight, or inches are going down then you are moving toward your goal. 

SUMMARY

Work out, eat healthy, and keep track. I personally was doing 2x/day work outs when I lost the weight before. I won't be that intense this time, but your frequency of work out is up to you. Anything that is more than what you are currently doing will mean progress, but make sure you do take a rest day. It's important for your body to be allowed time to recoup from all of the restructuring you are aiming for. 

I'll post another blog like this in about six months, but for right now I am at 250 lbs again and...feeling fat...

Battered People - Fearful Police - Violated Rights

THE PROBLEM WITH POLICE

and what to do about it

Swat at the Baltimore Riots 2015

I have never been a big fan of the police. Most of that is stigmatized from the upbringing I had and the fact that I've never been in a situation where I have needed the police to feel "protected" or "served" in any capacity.

More often than not, as a child and teen, I experienced it the opposite way around. In third grade I tripped a kid at the bus stop who asked me to so he could slide along some ice. I did, and he got a bloody nose. The next day the police came to the bus stop, put me in handcuffs in front of everyone (I was 10 years old) and placed me in the back of the squad car. They then took me down to the police station to wait for my parents.

The next thing I remember with police is walking home from school to see two squad cars sitting outside of the trailer that we lived in. My mom was wearing a white sweater and blue jeans as the police officers told her that they were taking us into protective custody until CPS determined that our home was safe for children again, which apparently was a few days later. I have received traffic tickets without ever having been pulled over, and once an officer pulled me over when I was doing nothing. It was an unmarked car and he just "ran my plates" and then said I was free to go?

I have known police officers to be very involved when you don't need it, but then when I need someone, they haven't been there.

There was a time when our trailer was being rattled violently in the night. My oldest brother called the police, and nobody sent anyone. The next morning, we woke up to news crews because the man who went around pounding on doors had committed a murder about a block and a half away after he was banging our door in.

That said, I am obviously biased a little bit on this side, so please understand that when I get to this point, it is a little slanted, but I will try to remain impartial.

Our country is currently at a point where it seems very obvious that the police have gotten out of control. The riots in Baltimore, Trayvon Martin, riots in Ferguson; they are all an indicator of a bigger problem.

The problem, in my opinion, can be looked at in very controlled segments:

1. Police officers, while their safety is very important, feel that they can use that as an excuse to do whatever they wish. 

In most of the cases where a police officer is "reprimanding" or "containing" a "suspect" the common defense is that they were taking the necessary actions to make sure they were safe. Let's look at some of the evidence:

http://www.wgal.com/news/video-footage-of-baltimore-riots/32602682

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO1SKC6dK7o

http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/05/citizens-out-undercover-cops-infiltrating-anti-police-brutality-protest-in-wisconsin/

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/05/5_pa_state_troopers_battling_p.html

It's pretty obvious to me that there are several cases where the police seem to use excessive force to make sure they are safe. Sneaking into an anti-police brutality campaign as police officers is already a dead giveaway as to how far they will go. Given that there are forces with canisters of gas that can suppress a mob, it seems highly unlikely to me that anyone would need to beat someone in the head as in the last link here. POLICE OFFICERS ARE OVERCOMPENSATING FOR THEIR OWN SAFETY

2. Citizens are terribly under-informed about what their rights are and what to do to ensure they are given their rights.

If you are stopped by a police officer, it is YOUR RIGHT to know the reason. It is also YOUR RIGHT to remain silent. It is YOUR RIGHT to know if you are being detained, under arrest, or neither. It is YOUR RIGHT to have a lawyer present. It is YOUR RIGHT to not consent to a search. It is YOUR RIGHT to have recorded any PUBLIC interaction with a police officer. The trick is that many times police officers use different or deceptive language. To clear this up, here are some tips:

To ensure YOUR RIGHT to know why you were stopped, ask: "What seems to be the problem officer?" - asking it this way is letting the officer know that you don't believe there to be a problem, but that you are willing and want to hear about what the officer believes the problem to be.

To ensure YOUR RIGHT to remain silent, say, "I am respectfully and peacefully invoking my right to remain silent." - You need to ensure that you have the right, but you also want to make sure you don't set off any ideas that you are disrespectful or not willing to comply with their safety needs.

To Ensure YOUR RIGHT to know if you are being detained, under arrest, or neither, ask: "Am I being detained or arrested, or am I free to go?" -You want to ask this question with all three options, because if you only ask if you are free to go and you are told no, then you also have the right to know if you are being detained or arrested. There is a big difference.

To ensure YOUR RIGHT to your lawyer, say: "I am happy to speak as soon as I have my lawyer present." - You don't need to say anything more to ensure this right. It's afforded in the constitution.

To ensure YOUR RIGHT to not be searched, you need to be observant. Occasionally searches may begin without you being asked. If you notice a search is starting or if you are asked you reply, "I do not consent to any kind of search without warrant." -Police can get a search warrant from a judge, but you are not required to allow them to search whenever they want.

To ensure YOUR RIGHT to have a recorded conversation with a police officer, begin recording the minute you begin your interaction with the officer. Announce publicly, "I am recording this interaction with audio." If the officer asks you to stop recording, you should ask, "is there an active investigation?" - without an investigation to interfere with, you are allowed to record in a public space. If there is an active investigation and he asks you to stop, simply ask if you are free to go.

Knowing your rights is half of the battle. A police officer cannot tell you to stop recording in a public space unless it interferes with an investigation.

http://www.aclupa.org/issues/policepractices/your-right-record-and-observe-police/taking-photos-video-and-audio/

3. Many times when something is happening that is unfair to a citizen their immediate family or friends are unaware of their locations. 

One of the easiest ways to ensure that you have people aware of you, is to consent to an interview. When you do this, you have the right to set the terms of the interview with the police, including the location of the interview, parties present, which questions to answer, and you can cancel at any time.

Your strategy here would be to consent to an interview at that location, just as soon as your family arrives. You then contact the family and have them come to your location so there are witnesses. Then, when the interview begins, invoke your right to your lawyer. This way, you will have family aware of your location, you will not be relocated with a "rough ride" from the police, and you will not have to say anything until your lawyer arrives.

SYNOPSIS
While there are certainly a lot of racially charged problems in this topic, the main issue I see is a lack of information and the police being to fearful. It was once said, "the most dangerous person to hold a gun is a person who is afraid." In this time and age, I understand that there are a lot of risks to the police. I have seen the videos where police are killed for no good reason because of armed criminals and not taking safety measures.

It's becoming more and more obvious that the training for the police incites fear for them, which then makes them the most dangerous kind of gun holder. We have seen these actions time and again in the media.

I, for one, am really tired of feeling on the opposite end of the police. I am tired of the notion that their safety for some reason trumps mine, and moreover their concern about their safety outranks my actual safety.

Enough is enough. Know your rights. Take a stand.