Hiatus

Hello everyone!

I have decided to take a break from doing the blog for a while. This is my 100th entry, so it feels like an appropriate time to stop for a while. In TV, this would mean I could go into syndication. Thank you for reading my blog!

Lesson Of The Week: Chewing The Cud

Cows are interesting. They eat grass and hay, but they grow huge. Have any of you ever seen a skinny cow? There is a perception about vegetarians being skinny, but I guess they blow that theory out of the water.

Hay is very difficult to digest, so a cow's digestive system is pretty tough! Cows belong to the ruminant class of animals, which have four stomachs and chew their cud. The average cow chews 40,000 to 60,000 times a day because of the amount of food it eats and chewing its cud.

After grinding its initial food, the cow swallows the food into its first stomach, the rumen. The rumen is the largest compartment and has billions of microorganisms inside. These organisms help the cow by digesting the plant fiber and producing fatty acids for the cow. This symbiotic relationship helps cows digest a variety of materials that are hard to digest for other animal classes. Any food that is too heavy or hard to be digested is stored in the reticulum, the second stomach compartment.

Once this is done, the cow regurgitates the unprocessed food to allow it to grind the food into smaller pieces, called chewing its cud. Once it is done chewing, the cow swallows the food into a third compartment called omasum. The omasum absorbs the fatty acids that were not absorbed by the rumen.

Finally, the food that is left gets passed to the final compartment called the abomasum. The abomasum works like a human stomach. It secretes acids to break down the remaining food.

This is the back story behind chewing the cud.

Spirituality: Luke Chapter 11 Verse 9

"And so I tell you, keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you."

Reading this quote from the Bible, consistency comes to mind. The first line says you get what you ask for if you keep asking for it. This sounds a lot like prayer to me. In prayer you are asking God for help, such as help to heal a friend or help to give you strength to do the right thing.

The second line brings truth to mind. We are all looking to figure things out in our lives. As long as you keep searching for answers, then you will find those answers.

Finally, the last line brings action to mind. "Knocking on the door" can mean doing actions that you know are right and moral. If you continue to do good things, then doors will be opened to you.

To me, this quote is saying that if you keep on striving for your desires, then you will achieve them.

Finances: Be Somebody or Be Somebody's Fool

My best friend gave me a bunch of random video tapes once and in the collection was Mr. T's video "Be Somebody or Be Somebody's Fool". I never actually watched it, but I think I can hazard a guess at the topic.

I bet Mr. T says that you need to develop yourself as a person or else people will be taken advantage of by others. Of course, this is true no matter what age you are. We all have something we can be working on to improve ourselves. The same is true for your finances.

You have to plan ahead and think about what financial goals you want to strive for. For example, jobs have no guarantee on them. We are all "at will" employees and our bosses can let us go at any time. Gone are the days of working for the same employer for decades. So, you have to think of strategies to keep your income growing years down the road. My plan is to create my own business. In this way I can control my own destiny to a greater degree than working for someone. Also, I can learn a lot about myself, which will help me grow as a person too.

See Mr. T, I am not going to a fool for you to pity!

Nutrition: Sea Salt

Salt is bad for you. That's what we hear. Stay away from salty foods. There were a lot of studies done that show salt intake can lead to hypertension. However, it's all about moderation.

First, let's make a distinction about kinds of salt. There is sea salt and table salt. Table salt is made using a high heat process to purify the salt crystals to be over 99% sodium chloride. Then anti-caking agents are added to table salt. These agents are not good for the body. On the other hand, there is sea salt which is made in salt water and does not need anti-caking agents. Also, 2% of sea salt is made up of trace minerals that are good for the body. Sea salt has a distinctive flavor.

Now, sea salt has many benefits. It helps regulate the acidity level of the body. The body tries to maintain an acidity level, and if there is not enough salt in the body, then the body will try to lose more water through sweat and urine. By keeping a healthy amount of salt in the body, we can retain more fluid in the body. Salt also is a strong antihistamine, helping to relieve asthma. Salt can even help stabilize irregular heartbeats by working with water to regulate blood pressure.

I consume sea salt every day.

Programming: Resources

OK, so you run across a problem you need to code for but don't know how to go about it. What do you do? Finding where to look for answers can be the most frustrating experience for a programmer. We go into situations thinking "oh, that doesn't sound too bad", but inevitably a roadblock arises. What do you do?

Well first, realize that if you've come across a problem, most likely others have come across it too. Internet searches are a great way to find solutions because there are many sites dedicated to publishing solutions to programming problems. Some people joke that only one person wrote all the code used in industry and everyone else has just downloaded and adjusted the code for their use. That's an exaggeration, but online code samples can lead to great solutions!

Staying with the internet, most programming languages also have sites dedicated to themselves. They contain definitions of methods and classes that you may not ever have known existed. They also have code samples that show how to implement them.

Another resource for finding solutions is technical books. Bookstores have usually have a wide selection of technical books on most popular subject matters. If you use a tool that is more obscure, searches on online bookstores, such as amazon, may be more helpful.

Don't forget your best resource is the people around you. Your teammates may have personal experience with the problem. Don't be afraid to ask them for help if you get stuck.

Wing Chun Fut Kung Fu: Vulnerability

What is your image of a fighter? Probably some scary, big guy who is muscular and aggressive. Well, much of our concept of fighting comes from movies and sports shows. However, Wing Chun Fut takes a different approach.

Most people wanting to learn how to fight think they are going to learn how kick someone's butt right away. Here's the problem with that. Are you learning self defense so you can go pick a fight with people? I don't think so. If you're learning self defense, most likely you are doing it to defend yourself against an attacker. The attacker has probably watched you and thought you were a target, so learning to be the aggressor is not realistic to learning self defense.

Now, one of the hardest things about learning Wing Chun Fut is learning to appear vulnerable to your attacker. Our style is developed for smaller fighters. We do not takes chances with lunging attacks. We encourage our attackers to come in and get closer. When they do get closer, they are in range for our attacks and we follow them, keeping that same closeness between us until we find a controlled strike. By appearing vulnerable, we fool our opponents into coming closer and keep on them until we finish the fight.

Vulnerability takes a lot of inner strength.

Physical Fitness: Training Goals

When you want to come up with a plan for getting into great shape, you have to first come up with goals. Examine the reason that you want to start working out. Once you know why you want to start exercising, then you can prepare a workout plan that is appropriate.

For example, if your goal is to lose weight, then you will want to investigate the best ways to speed up your metabolism. You may want to start running four times a week. Another example is maybe you want to train for a sport like wrestling. This would make you try to increase your explosiveness. In this case, you might want to concentrate on exercises like squats and power lifts.

Once you decide what the goal of your workout is, you can plan your workout program effectively.

Lesson Of The Week: Rust

Did you ever wonder why metal rusts? Well, the short answer is water. Here's how it works. Metals are very strong materials; however, many metals are susceptible to oxidation. Rust is the result of the oxidation of metal. Oxidation is when the molecules of metals combine with oxygen molecules.

Even though metals seem to have no weak spots, microscopically, they are very vulnerable. The easiest way for oxygen molecules to reach metal molecules is through water. You're probably asking "what about air?" Well, oxygen in air is stable, so those oxygen molecules are not looking to bond with other molecules. However, when water molecules find microscopic spaces in metal, a reaction occurs. The hydrogen atoms bond with some of the elements in metals to form acids. This does two things. First, it frees up the oxygen molecules from their bond with hydrogen and they find a new partner in the metal, which is oxidation. Second, the acid compound form creates more areas of exposure on the metal. This is the reason why it is best to store metals in a dry environment.

Rust weakens the strength of metal. Solutions to this problem are usually either coating the metal with a waterproof liquid or using thicker metals. The thicker the metal, the more resistant they are to the effects of rust.

Spirituality: Deuteronomy Chapter 31 Verse 6

"So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."

This is very important to me in kung fu. Recently, my master has been using me a lot to fight the door. This means when people visit the school, he asks me to spar with them so they can get a feel of what our school is about.

This is a lot of pressure because I don't know them at all. To fight someone and not get hit is a challenge, but that is what my master expects. So now I go into these situations with a new perspective. Before I fight, I put my faith in God to the forefront. I believe God will have a plan for me whatever the outcome, so I do not concern my self with getting hurt. Even when I fought someone who outweighed me by about 100 pounds, I put my trust in God.

This is what I get from this Bible verse: God is here to protect you when you are defending what is right.

Finances: Four Stages of Success

What are your financial goals? Do you want to be rich? Do you want to own property? Do you want to have enough money to be comfortable? None of these ideas are possible unless you have a strategy.

The first step is to have a goal. Figure out what you want to strive towards. It's easier to achieve a financial goal when it's quantifiable. For example, saying that your goal is you want to have enough money to live comfortably is a harder goal to achieve than saying you want to save $100,000 dollars. With the first goal, it's hard to know when you achieved it; however, the second goal is numerical, making it easier to see when you achieved it.

Next, you have to devise a plan. So if your goal is to have a steady stream of income, then you should be looking at something that can give you consistent earnings, such as renting houses or investing in mutual funds. Your plan should map out how you intend to achieve you goal.

After formulating a plan, now you come up with a system. Systems are more specific. You take your plan and apply it to the real world. So if your plan is to rent houses, your system could be researching good areas to buy investment properties where you know the real estate values grow rapidly and rent out the house. This is where you put the plan into action.

Finally, you have to watch your system. The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray. You have to set time markers for achievements and see if you meet those markers. Ultimately, you want to make sure you are making progress in the long term view.

With these four rules, you should always be going in the right direction.

Nutrition: Spinach

One of the foods I try to get in every day is spinach. Spinach has a lot of health benefits. Spinach is rich in cancer fighting nutrients flavonoid and carotenoid. The varieties of flavonoid present act as anti-cancer agents and antioxidants. The carotenoid nutrients help fight prostate cancer by eliminating cancerous cells and stopping the reproduction of cancerous cells.

Also, spinach contains high amounts of vitamin C and beta-carotene, which helps fight heart disease by reducing the amount of free radicals in the body. Vitamin C is water soluble and beta-carotene is fat soluble, so their anti-oxidant properties are sure to be absorbed throughout the body and helps lower cholesterol.

We're not done yet! Studies have shown that eating spinach regularly helps slow the effects of aging on the brain.

For more cool benefits of spinach, go to this site.

Programming: Efficiency

When writing code, you learn that there are many ways to perform the same task. Many times, there is no difference in the methods. However, whenever possible, it is important to focus on keeping your code efficient.

One way to keep your code efficient is to avoid repeating code. For example, if you perform a calculation several times, it is a good idea to encapsulate it into a method. This way, if you need to change the code in some way, there's only one place to modify.

Also, thinking through your code can save unnecessary code. An example of this is avoiding unnecessary checking. Avoid covering scenarios that are not logically possible.

Finally, remember that the more efficient your code is, the easier it will be to maintain.

Wing Chun Fut Kung Fu: UFC Myth

Have you ever seen the ultimate fighting shows. The bill it as finally getting to see which martial art is the best. It's true that there are competitors fighting from many different styles, hence why they call it mixed martial arts. However, there's one big problem.

The problem is there are rules. Fighting in these competitions ban certain attacks. For example, there are no groin, throat, or eye strikes. In wing chun fut, those are our striking areas because one strike in those ares stops the fight pretty quick. Have you wondered why all those mixed martial arts fights end up on the ground? Well, it's because the rules don't allow you to knee someone coming in. Really though, how often do you see fights in real life end up on the ground trying to get a submission?

There are not rules on the street, so to think that fighting in competitions is an accurate reflection of who is better is a myth. Our style focuses on defense. We pride ourselves on not getting hit. Think about it, are you really going to be the one to start a fight. If not, the first thing you need to do is defend the first attack. Please tell me anyone you've seen in a mixed martial arts fight be defensive minded. We're not looking to exchange blows. When we attack, we make sure we connect. That is real self defense.

Physical Fitness: Arms

Your arms have three major muscle groups: biceps, forearms and triceps. I like to work on all all three groups on the same day, but some people work triceps on a different day because it's an opposite muscle to the bicep. Play around with it to see which gives you the best muscle growth.

First I work my biceps. A curl bar usually has two grips, the curved part of the bar. I like to use the inside grip when doing curls, but the outside can be beneficial as well. In both cases, I keep my elbows at my waist to make sure I isolate the biceps. I don't have much gym equipment, so I curl while standing, if you can, seated preacher curls isolate biceps the best. Another exercise I do for my biceps is hammer curls. With this exercise, you curl using dumbbells, except your palms are faced towards your body instead of face up. I like to twist the hammer curl into a normal curl when I get to the top of the motion to work every part o the bicep.

For forearms, I put the curl bar behind my back. With my palms facing up, I roll the curl bar up and down my fingers.

For triceps, I take a dumbbell and hold it over my head with my elbows close to my head. I curl it over my head and then bring it down behind my head.

With gym equipment, you can hit these muscle groups in different ways, but this is a good workout on its own.

Lesson Of The Week: Doppler Effect

Have you ever been sitting in traffic and hear a siren get louder and louder until the vehicle passes you. Then the siren appears to have a lower pitch? That's the Doppler effect. It's a very deceptive concept.

Sound travels through the air in waves. These waves have a length, which is how far the wave travels. They also have a frequency, which is the pitch of the sound

The Doppler Effect comes into play when one object is moving toward another and will pass it. If the moving object emits a sound at a constant pitch, the frequency remains unchanged, but the wavelength gets shorter as it near the object because the sound's point of origin is getting closer. The consistent shortening of the wavelength allows the sound to reach the stationary object faster and gives the effect of a higher pitch.

As the moving object goes away from the object, the point of origin for the sound is farther and farther away, making the wavelength longer. This increases the time it takes for the frequency to reach the stationary object, so the pitch is lower.

However, if the object went right through the object, it would hear a change, weird, huh?

Spirituality: Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 11

"God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against because you are my followers."

To me this quote from the Bible is discussing people who want to tear you down. When you try to do good things for yourself, there will be people who will discourage you. This is one of the obstacles we face. For example, if you start working out regularly and lose weight, there might be people who say that you are losing too much weight. Another example is if you are doing well at your job, jealous people might talk bad about you behind your back to get others against you.

What do you do when these things happen? Well, this verse says God blesses you when people come lie about you to others. So even though you might be upset at the hurtful things others may say, the Lord will bless you and reward you if you do not retaliate. If you act like them then you are no longer a follower of God and will not be blessed. So, ignore haters because you will be rewarded in the end.

Finances: Time Is Money

Have you ever thought about the phrase "time is money"? Interesting concept because if that were literally true, then we'd be born millionaires and poor old people. Well, that is clearly not the case.

So what does it mean? One lesson I've learned that relates to this saying is that the sooner you get a good idea out then the more chance of good things happening. In essence, getting a jump on the situation by reacting quicker. For example, doing research on a problem helps me find a solution faster and stop a problem from getting out of hand. Also, moving quickly on an opportunity, like in the stock market, can help to increase your reward.

Another way of looking at the phrase "time is money" is to consider what an activity is costing you in man hours. For example, if you are at a store and are thinking of buying a $100 shirt, think about how long it would take you to earn $100 and then consider if the shirt is worth it.

Time is money, so choose wisely how you spend your time.

Nutrition: Why Is Sugar Bad For You

How can something so sweet be bad for you? That is today's question. Sugar is very addictive and is one of the main ingredients in most junk foods. Why? The answer is that marketers discovered long ago that sugar is addictive. There have been no clear studies that show a direct link to sugar and a chemical addiction. However, studies have suggested that the brain receives pleasure impulses when digesting sugar.

Another theory of why sugar is so addictive is due to an ironic cycle. Consuming excess sugar increases the production of insulin. This increase in insulin causes the body's blood sugar to drop. As a result, the body craves more sugar to compensate for the drop. Pretty crazy, huh?

Sugar has many problems. Consuming excess sugar regularly may lead to diabetes. Sugar can also wreak havoc with organs in the body's endocrine system, such as the pancreas and adrenal glands. Also, sugar is the leading cause of dental decay.

Try to eliminate refined sugar from your diet. For example, I add raisins to my oatmeal instead of sugar to get a naturally sweet taste.

Programming: Requirements

Logical thinking is the cornerstone of a good programmer. The best applications are well thought out and allow opportunities for growth. The ability to think ahead is important when designing a program.

Before you do anything, the first thing you need to know is your requirements. What is it that the application needs to do. You must figure out the specifications of the project. Then list out these requirements in a document. If you don't know where you are going, then you'll never get there.

Requirements are essential for completing business goals. The application is being built to satisfy a client. The requirements must take into account the needs of the client. Is ease of use more important than flexibility? How much user interaction is appropriate? Are there features that are must haves and some that can wait until a future release? These are the types of decisions that must be made.

Requirements are declarations of intent for building the application and must be considered thoughtfully.