What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0206

10251.  Commitment is the ability to show up for something bigger than yourself;
10252.  Commitment is a value you can apply in every aspect of your life and it’s what will keep you going when times get tough;
10253.  (I can say) I’ve been to a(n) Islamic/Muslim wedding;
10254.  Imams (i.e., Islamic/Muslim priests) can be funny;
10255.  Austin(, Texas) strip clubs are terrible (specifically the Red Rose Cabaret);
10256.  Austin(, Texas) can’t handle freezing rain/snow. . . . They have no snow plows and not many salt/sand trucks;
10257.  Researchers Robin Baker and Mark Bellis found that approximately 35% of the sperm are ejected within half an hour of intercourse;
10258.  The female’s body perceives sperm as antigens (i.e., foreign bodies) that are promptly attacked by anti-sperm leucocytes, which outnumber sperm 100:1.  Only 1 in 14 million ejaculated human sperm even reach the oviduct;
10259.  There is striking evidence that the female reproductive system is capable of making subtle judgments based upon the chemical signature of different men’s sperm cells.  These assessments may go well beyond general health to the subtleties of immunological compatibility;
10260.  The genetic compatibility of different men with a given women means that sperm quality is a relative characteristic;
10261.  Not every “high quality” male would be a good match for any specific woman even on a purely biological level;
10262.  Because of the complexities of how the 2 sets of parental DNA interact in fertilization, a man who appears to be of superior mate value (i.e., square jaw, symmetrical body, good job, firm handshake & a Platinum AMEX card) may in fact be a poor genetic match for a particular woman;
10263.  A women’s orgasms provoke changes in vaginal acidity.  These changes appear to assist the sperm cells of the lucky guy who provoked the orgasm;
10264.  The environment at the cervical opening tends to be highly acidic and, thus, hostile to sperm cells.  The alkaline pH of semen protects the spermatozoa in this environment for a while, but the protection is short-lived; most of the sperm cells are viable within the vagina for only a few hours, so these changes in acidity alter the vaginal environment in ways that can favor sperm that arrive with the female’s orgasm;
10265.  Recent research suggests women who do not use condoms are less likely to suffer from depression than either women who do use condoms or who are not sexually active;
10266.  Women can develop a “chemical dependency” on the boost they get from the testosterone, estrogen, prostaglandins and other hormones contained in semen.  These chemicals center the woman’s bloodstream through the vaginal wall;
10267.  Reaching out and asking for help can be a gift.  It allows someone else to help/give back;
10268.  Jeremy thinks I don’t look my age;
10269.  The slow roasted Angus brisket (barbacoa style with red chile mayo, avocado relish & micro cilantro) and the chicken & waffle (with crisp tenders, peppered bacon, peppercorn gravy, green apple slaw, maple syrup, red chile aioli, chives on a waffle tortilla) tacos at Velvet Taco (VelvetTaco.com) are tasty;
10270.  Apparently, Kalpesh (Lakhani) thinks I’m a fun guy;
10271.  I feel/think that people don’t see me, but (some) people do see me as a good person (specifically Rob, Ian & Greg);
10272.  Spanish researchers confirmed that women experience greater feelings of attractiveness and desire around ovulation while others have reported women find classically masculine faces more attractive around ovulation opting for less chiseled-looking guys when not fertile;
10273.  Where a woman chooses her partner while she is on the pill and then comes off it to have a child, her hormone-driven preferences have changed and she may find she is married to the wrong kind of man;
10274.  The only real (love) revolution happens right inside of you;
10275.  The most important place for all of us to start is to prioritize loving and healing is the self-love that needs to happen inside ourselves and our own trauma first;
10276.  When we’re able to discover more of our own light after healing our trauma, we’ll have more light to shine out to the world;
10277.  Hurt people hurt people, but people filled with love for themselves love other people;
10278.  A lot of the restaurants/stores at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport close around 5:30/6:00 PM;
10279.  Celebrating your small wins is crucial as it reminds you that you are on the right path and your efforts will pay off;
10280.  We wrap our self-worth up in completing certain tasks or goals.  Noting that once we achieve a certain goal or standard, that it will boost our self-esteem and, therefore, our confidence and worth.  This is true to a point because achievement does feel good and is a strong motivator.  However, for those of us who struggle with perfection, it’s a dangerous internal dialogue to have.  To say that we are only worth something if we can achieve a specific thing we’ve randomly attached value to creates a rat race.  And it’s a race that, ultimately, we will never win.  We’ll always be chasing the next best thing, never satisfied, never fully confident and always hungry;
10281.  What if we shifted our perspective to be more like those who are truly confident and happy with who/where they are?  What would it take?  It would take self-acceptance;
10282.  Goal attainment and confidence are 2 separate things and, the more we can assess these separately, the better off we are;
10283.  If we blindly accepted ourselves, without attaching achievement, how differently would we look and feel?
10284.  What if we decided we were worth something not because we “earned it,” but because we know who we are and we know that’s someone worth believing in?
10285.  What if we believed we were worth something simply because we are human and know that nobody else out there is like us?
10286.  It’s okay to believe in who I am because I accept and love all of me . . . weaknesses, strengths, the whole package. . . . There’s no other package like this – like me – like you. . . . There is value in rarity;
10287.  Accept who you are and use all of what you know to propel yourself forward rather than focusing exclusively on goal attainment;
10288.  Achievement is one small portion of success; confidence, on the other hand, is a matter of perspective;
10289.  By constantly ruminating over your past, you are characterizing your present with a negative emotional experience.  Let go;
10290.  Researchers at Michigan State University have discovered that dogs often take on the same personality traits as their owner;
10291.  Dogs are like humans in that they have personalities that are shaped over time;
10292.  According to Professor Chopik, older dogs are much harder to train.  He found that the “sweet spot” for teaching a dog obedience is around the age of 6, when it outgrows its excitable puppy stage, but before it’s too set in its ways;
10293.  Forget those who hurt you yesterday, but don’t forget those who love you every day.  Forget the past that makes you cry, focus on the present that makes you smile.  Forget the pain, but never forget the lessons you gained;
10294.  It cost me $119.95 (i.e., trip charge) to find out that frost can form in your freezer if the door/drawer isn’t (fully) shut( all of the way);
10295.  With women, at least nominally straight women, the higher her sex drive, the more likely she’ll be attracted to men and women;
10296.  Lesbians showed the same pattern as men: a higher sex drive means more women-only focus;
10297.  Many women see themselves as attracted to specific people rather than to their gender;
10298.  Women, in sexologist Lisa Diamond’s view, respond so strongly to emotional intimacy that their innate gender orientation can easily be overwhelmed;
10299.  One can choose what to do, but not what to want;
10300.  Note to self: Don’t visit Chicago in February;

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0205

10201.  In Mexico, they put shards of glass on top of walls. . . . I’m guessing it’s to prevent people from grabbing a hold of the top and pulling themselves over;
10202.  I can say I’ve been sailing (on a catamaran) in Mexico;
10203.  The “carpaccio di manzo” (i.e., beef carpaccio, balsamic gel & fennel-orange salad) at Bocelli Cucina Italiana at the Playacar Palace (in Playa del Carmen, Mexico) is (really) tasty;
10204.  Cancun(, Mexico) was founded in 1970;
10205.  Cancun(, Mexico and the Riviera Maya region) exist(s) solely because of tourism;
10206.  Tulum(, Mexico) was originally called Zama(, which is Mayan for “dawn”);
10207.  There are over 780 glyphs/signs in Mayan (hieroglyphic) writing;
10208.  The Mayans are known for their astronomical system, their calendar and mathematics;
10209.  About 20% of Mexicans are (part) Mayan;
10210.  Apparently, Mayans were short;
10211.  The Mayans built houses in the shape of a cross (pointing in the 4 cardinal directions of north, south, east and west);
10212.  Belize is a 3 days walk from Tulum;
10213.  Cuba is about 90 miles from Cancun;
10214.  Apparently, there’s a bike racing circuit for 7-year-olds;
10215.  Martie Haselton and her colleagues found that men shown photographs of the same 30 women – some taken around ovulation and others not – were quite good at judging when the women were “trying to look more attractive,” which in turn corresponded to the women’s menstrual status.  These authors found that women tend to dress more fetchingly when they are more likely to be fertile.  “Moreover,” writes Haselton, “the closer women were to ovulation when photographed in the fertile window, the more frequently their fertile photograph was chosen;”
10216.  Other researchers have found that men preferred women’s bodily smells near ovulation and that women tend to behave more provocatively in various ways when they’re likely to be fertile (i.e., they wear more jewelry and perfume, go out more, are more likely to hook up for casual sexual encounters and are less likely to use condoms with new lovers);
10217.  According to the head chef at the Playacar Palace (in Playa del Carmen, Mexico), you should cook onions (for) a little bit before adding (olive) oil. . . . It gives them a different flavor;
10218.  There are 60 employees preparing all of the food for the guests at the Playacar Palace (in Playa del Carmen, Mexico);
10219.  The biggest shrimp I’ve ever eaten/had were at the “chef’s dinner” at the Playacar Palace (in Mexico);
10220.  Nail buffer blocks remind me of drywall sanding sponges;
10221.  I had my first (ever) manicure and pedicure in Mexico;
10222.  There’s a Nickelodeon resort in Cancun(, Mexico);
10223.  The chipotle chicken tortas at Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless (RickBayless.com/Restaurants/Tortas-Frontera/) is tasty;
10224.  If you want to date more, don’t focus on how many dates you go on, how many phone numbers you get or how many women you sleep with (i.e., all outcomes).  Instead just think about becoming the best version of yourself, being more social and putting yourself in situations where you’ll meet the women you’re interested in (i.e., actions);
10225.  You don’t have to know every turn on the route to get to where you want to go.  You don’t need to know how you’re going to get somewhere.  You just have to believe that you’re going to get there.  The how will take care of itself;
10226.  Faith is taking the first step when you can’t see the full staircase.  Trust is surrendering to the flow of life;
10227.  The degree to which you’re willing to be vulnerable is the degree to which you can grow in life;
10228.  Consistency is the not-so-secret secret to success;
10229.  (According to Ian Stanley, )the best habits to be consistent at are: 1.  Writing; 2.  Working out; 3.  Eating well; and 4.  Meditating;
10230.  Although Dixson classifies humans as mildly polygynous in his survey of primate sexuality, he seems to have doubts, as when he writes, “One might argue that . . . the female’s orgasm is rewarding, increases her willingness to copulate with a variety of males rather than one partner and thus promotes sperm competition;”
10231.  Apparently, Brittani (Wilson) lived next to Molly McGrath (i.e., the sportscaster) when she attended/was at Boston College;
10232.  Apologizing doesn’t make you weak.  It shows you have humility and the maturity to speak the truth and own up to your behavior;
10233.  Farmers Fishers Bakers (FarmersFishersBakers.com) in Washington Harbour in D.C. has a good weekend brunch (from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM) for $29.99/person.  They have a good variety of breakfast (e.g., eggs Benedict, egg scramble, French toast, etc.), lunch (e.g., brisket, fried chicken, fried shrimp, ham, salads, salmon, tacos, vegetables, etc.) and dessert (e.g., cinnamon rolls, cheesecake, cookies, doughnuts, ice cream, kettle corn, Key lime pie, peanut butter mousse, etc.) items;
10234.  Don’t forget to show appreciation to those who genuinely support you;
10235.  (I can say) I’ve eaten/had wagyu beef. . . . I don’t (really) get the hype;
10236.  I never thought I’d ever know someone who was murdered . . . rest in peace Bengu Beachley;
10237.  Jehovah’s Witnesses are relentless. . . . They’ll send you (recruitment) letters in foreign languages if they think English isn’t your first language/native tongue;
10238.  Assumptions are often wrong.  Ask people about what they think rather than assuming you already know;
10239.  Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift.  That’s why it’s called the present;
10240.  Believe the hype.  Magic Spoon cereals (MagicSpoon.com) (specifically the cocoa and peanut butter) do taste like their sugary counterparts;
10241.  Overcooked gyro meat is like (lamb) bacon;
10242.  Yes, life is hard and many things cause suffering, but we also have the ability to find joy, relief and hope amidst difficulties;
10243.  Seth (Barr) thinks I don’t look my age;
10244.  The quinoa tabbouleh salad (with cucumber, roasted tomato, lettuce, radishes & olive vinaigrette) at the Sixth and Waller Global Diner (EastAustinHotel.com/food-drink/6th-and-waller/) (at the East Austin Hotel) in Austin, Texas is (really) tasty;
10245.  If you’re speaking, you’re not listening.  If you’re not listening, you’re not learning.  Listening is the key to learning and learning is the prerequisite to growth;
10246.  If you can’t hear what another person has to say, how can you learn about the motivations behind their actions?
10247.  If you don’t listen to your intuition, how can you live a life that is aligned with your gut/highest self?
10248.  If you don’t listen to that small quiet pull inside, how can you listen to others when we don’t even listen to ourselves?
10249.  If respect was the building blocks, listening would be the glue that holds them together;
10250.  What you do in the dark, puts you in the light;

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0204

10151.  We talk a lot in our culture about red flags when dating and that’s a good thing!  What we don’t talk enough about is: red flags don’t feel like red flags when they were once our familiar;
10152.  Many of us need to learn how to validate ourselves, how it’s okay to upset or disappoint people and how authentic relationships do not involve betraying ourselves to be loved or chosen;
10153.  If you’re always seeking external validation, you’ll lose the connection to your own voice, your own needs and your own power;
10154.  Apparently, Ingrid Michaelson has a “man-friend” (not a boyfriend);
10155.  Will Chase (i.e., “Luke Wheeler” from the television show, “Nashville,”) wants to be called a “man-friend” or partner;
10156.  I can say I’ve been to a concert at the (John F.) Kennedy (Memorial) Center (for the Performing Arts) with Will Chase;
10157.  Instead of setting an elusive standard for happiness, slow down to appreciate life’s little pleasures;
10158.  Relish the good.  Let the positive moments linger a little longer;
10159.  The way you perceive yourself makes a huge difference in the way your life turns out;
10160.  Elizabeth and Marlin think Charlie (Dog) would rather live with me;
10161.  Joe Snively is the first player from (the state of) Virginia to play for the (Washington) Capitals. . . . He’s from Herndon, Virginia, and was a player with the Washington Little Capitals program;
10162.  Adult male humans have the longest, thickest and most flexible penises of any living primate;
10163.  The unusual flared glans of the human penis forming the coronal ridge, combined with the repeated thrusting action characteristic of human intercourse, ranging anywhere from 10-500 thrusts per romantic interlude, creates a vacuum in the female's reproductive tract.  This vacuum pulls any previously deposited semen away from the ovum, thus, aiding the sperm about to be sent into action;
10164.  Despite all the bad press they get, men last far longer in the saddle than bonobos (i.e., 15 seconds), chimps (i.e., 7 seconds) or gorillas (i.e., 60 seconds) clocking in between 4-7 minutes on average;
10165.  A scrotum is like a spare refrigerator in the garage just for beer.  If you’ve got a spare beer fridge, you're probably the type who expects a party to break out at any moment.  A scrotum fulfills the same function.  By keeping the testicles a few degrees cooler than they would be inside the body, a scrotum allows chilled spermatozoa to accumulate and remain viable longer, available if needed;
10166.  A team of Australian researchers found that men who had ejaculated more than 5 times per week between the ages of 20 and 50 were one-third less likely to develop prostate cancer later in life;
10167.  Along with the fructose, potassium, zinc and other benign components of semen, trace amounts of carcinogens are often present so researchers hypothesize that the reduction in cancer rates may be due to the frequent flushing of the ducts;
10168.  A different team from Sydney University reported in late 2007 that daily ejaculation dramatically reduced DNA damage to men's sperm cells thereby increasing male fertility quite the opposite of the conventional wisdom;
10169.  After 42 men with damaged sperm were instructed to ejaculate daily for a week almost all showed less chromosomal damage than a control group who had abstained for 3 days;
10170.  A study conducted at the University of Bristol and Queen's University of Belfast found that men, who have 3 or more orgasms per week, are 50% less likely to die from coronary heart disease;
10171.  World Health Organization guidelines specify different sizes for various parts of the world: a 49-millimeter-width condom for Asia, a 52-millimeter width for North America and Europe and a 53-millimeter width for Africa (all condoms are longer than most men will ever need);
10172.  According to an article published in Nature, Japanese and Chinese men’s testicles tend to be smaller than those of Caucasian men on average;
10173.  Other researchers confirmed finding the average combined testes weights of 24 grams for Asians, 29-33 grams for Caucasians and 50 grams for Africans;
10174.  The Hamilton Beach Company of Racine, Wisconsin, patented the first home-use vibrator in 1902 thereby making it just the fifth electrical appliance approved for domestic use;
10175.  If a witch-hunter in the 1600s discovered a woman or girl with an unusually large clitoris, this “devil's teat” was sufficient to condemn her to death;
10176.  British primatologist Stuart Semple recorded more than 500 copulation calls from 7 different female baboons and analyzed their acoustic structure.  He found that these complex vocalizations contained information related to both the female’s reproductive state (i.e., the vocalizations were more complex when females were closer to ovulation) and to the status of the male “inspiring” any given vocalization (i.e., calls were longer and contained more distinct sonic units during mating with higher-ranked males);
10177.  Given all the other convergent evidence, it seems far more likely that in humans, female copulatory vocalization would serve to attract males to the ovulating, sexually receptive female, thus, promoting sperm competition with all its attendant benefits both reproductive and social;
10178.  My (maternal) grandmother’s godmother was Portuguese;
10179.  My mother’s godmother became a nun;
10180.  I never thought (that) I’d be “kissed” by a dog (on the back of my neck) when/while ringing in the New Year;
10181.  Jerry Buss (the former owner of the Los Angeles Lakers) used to own the (Los Angeles) Kings;
10182.  Taylor Hawkins was Alanis Morissette’s drummer before he joined the “Foo Fighters;”
10183.  According to the American Society of Plastic Surgery, 347,254 breast augmentation procedures were performed in the United States in 2007 making it the nation’s most commonly performed surgical procedure;
10184.  The ceilings are lower in Mexico;
10185.  There aren’t many Asians in Mexico;
10186.  You’re not supposed to flush toilet paper down the drain/toilet in Mexico;
10187.  I can say I’ve snuck into a (beach) club in Mexico;
10188.  I can say I’ve had a Corona (beer) in Mexico;
10189.  Apparently, Lukash is friends with (frosted-tips) “Harry Potter;”
10190.  I can say I’ve had tequila in Mexico;
10191.  I can say I’ve had a drink/shot with “Harry Potter” (in Mexico);
10192.  I can say I’ve had (late night, street) tacos in Mexico;
10193.  Bathrooms in Mexico don’t have tubs.  They only have showers.  The showers are next to the toilet set a little below sloping to a drain;
10194.  Prickly pear (fruit) has a lot of seeds;
10195.  Star fruit is very tart;
10196.  White guava is mushy and custardy;
10197.  The beach in Playa del Carmen (in Mexico) doesn’t have that strip of rocks/shells you have to walk over/through to get into the ocean;
10198.  I can say I’ve had a strawberry daiquiri on a tropical beach . . . and a Pina colada;
10199.  Apparently, I’m (really) good at recognizing movies by their soundtracks when I’m drunk;
10200.  They water down the (alcoholic) drinks in Mexico (especially at the all-inclusive resorts);

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0203

10101.  Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down;
10102.  Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing;
10103.  Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time.  We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.  We are the change that we seek;
10104.  Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending;
10105.  Even if you cannot change all the people around you, you can change the people you choose to be around;
10106.  At the beginning of the 20^th century, life expectancy at birth was around 45 years.  It has risen to about 75 thanks to the advent of antibiotics and public health measures that allow people to survive or avoid infectious diseases.  Keep in mind that this dramatic increase is much more a reflection of increased infant survival than of adults living longer;
10107.  Many anthropologists agree it’s likely that a large portion of infant mortality once attributed to starvation and disease probably resulted from infanticide;
10108.  They argue that foraging societies limited the number of infants so they wouldn’t become a burden to the group or allow overly rapid population growth to strain food supplies;
10109.  Joseph Birdsell, one of the world’s greatest scholars of Australian Aboriginal culture, estimated that as many as ½ of all infants were intentionally destroyed;
10110.  Various surveys of contemporary pre-industrial societies conclude that anywhere from ½ to ¾ of them practice some form of direct infanticide;
10111.  Learn to enjoy your own company;
10112.  You are valuable regardless of your relationship status.  You don’t need someone else to validate your self-worth;
10113.  Give yourself credit for the effort you put in to transform your life for the better;
10114.  There’s a (very good) reason why you’re not allowed to use your phones during a Dave Chappelle show;
10115.  Dave Chappelle is friends with/knows a lot of celebrities;
10116.  I can say that I’ve seen Dave Chappelle live;
10117.  Apparently, no smoking indoors in public places (in D.C.) doesn’t apply to Dave Chappelle;
10118.  Dave Chappelle smokes a lot;
10119.  Dave Chappelle is a decent singer;
10120.  If you focus on what you have, you gain what you lack.  If you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have;
10121.  Societies that practice infanticide don’t consider newborn infants full human beings.  Rituals ranging from baptism to naming ceremonies are delayed until it is determined whether or not the child will be permitted to live.  If not, from this perspective, the child was never fully alive anyway;
10122.  The dramatic increases in world population that paralleled agricultural development don’t indicate increased health, but increased fertility: more people living to reproduce, but lower quality of life for those who do;
10123.  Cortisol, the hormone your body releases when under stress, is the strongest immunosuppressant known.  In other words, nothing weakens our defenses against disease quite like stress;
10124.  Sheldon Cohen and his colleagues studied the sleep habits of 153 healthy men and women for 2 weeks before putting them in quarantine and exposing them to rhinovirus, which causes the common cold.  Those who slept less than 7 hours per night were 3 times as likely to get sick;
10125.  Intermittent fasting was associated with more than a 40% reduction in heart disease risk in a study of 448 people published in the American Journal of Cardiology reporting that “most diseases, including cancer, diabetes and even neurodegenerative illnesses are forestalled” by caloric reduction;
10126.  The theory of testis size is simple: species that copulate more often need larger testes and species in which several males routinely copulate with one ovulating female need even bigger testes;
10127.  If a species has cojones grandes, you can bet that males have frequent ejaculations with females who sleep around.  Where the females save it for Mr. Right, the males have smaller testes relative to their overall body mass.  The correlation of slutty females with big balled males appears to apply not only to humans and other primates, but to many mammals as well as to birds, butterflies, reptiles and fish;
10128.  A human ejaculation typically consists of anywhere from 3 to 9 spurts.  Researchers who somehow managed to capture “split ejaculates” for analysis found that the first spurts contain chemicals that protect against various kinds of chemical attack.  Aside from leucocytes and antigens present in a woman’s reproductive tract, they protect the sperm from the chemicals in the latter spurts of other men’s ejaculate.  These final spurts contain a spermicidal substance that slows the advance of any latecomers;
10129.  Several researchers have demonstrated that a man’s sperm production increases significantly when he has not seen his partner for a few days regardless of whether or not he ejaculated during her absence;
10130.  When my mom moved to Texas for grad(uate) school, she didn’t like the Mexican food served in the school cafeterias/dining halls;
10131.  My dad used to drink a couple of (12-ounce) bottles of Coca-Cola at work every day;
10132.  You deserve respect and compassion . . . from yourself;
10133.  Hibiki Suntory Whiskey (Japanese Harmony) reminds me of (The) Macallan (Scotch);
10134.  As much as it is fun to start a new life with someone, you must realize that the reason they want to be with you in the first place was that you had an “interesting life.”  You don’t want to lose your “life” trying to start a new one with them.  Let them come and share the wonderful life you’ve built just as you go on to partake in theirs;
10135.  I can say I’ve had venison Rocky Mountain oysters;
10136.  Venison testicles are soft and mushy;
10137.  Let your memories be just memories.  Don’t allow them to influence your thoughts and behaviors;
10138.  Serena Williams’s hitting partner is a former University of Virginia tennis player (i.e., Jarmere Jenkins);
10139.  Apparently, Dennis Rodman has a flip phone;
10140.  I hear Charles Esten (i.e., “Deacon Claybourne” from the television show, “Nashville,”) likes to go barhopping when he’s in (Old) Town (Alexandria) for Thanksgiving;
10141.  “Speck” is a type of cured, lightly smoked ham. . . . It’s very chewy;
10142.  “Pastirma” is Turkish pastrami;
10143.  You can only make helpful changes in your life if you focus on the things that are within your control;
10144.  No excuses about not being good at something.  We all have to start somewhere;
10145.  The single most important influence to our sense of self/self-worth comes from our relationships with parental figures;
10146.  Our parents’ interactions with us reflect back our sense of self.  We internalize their voice and it becomes our own inner voice . . . our identity;
10147.  If we had parents, who invalidated our emotions, denied our realities or disapproved of core parts of who we are, we felt this as children.  We developed beliefs that we are unworthy, unlovable and have a fear that something about us is broken.  This the mother/father wound;
10148.  When this happens, we search for love and validation in everyone we meet.  We become chronic people pleasers desperate to be “good enough” to be accepted;
10149.  Unconsciously, we recreate this parent-child dynamic with romantic partners.  We over extend ourselves, allow our boundaries to be crossed, allow people to betray us, place our self-worth in someone else’s hands and release our own needs in order to feel close to someone else;
10150.  External validation is the only way we can feel worthy.  Of course when someone doesn’t validate our worth, the blow feels crushing especially with romantic partners where we feel the original parental rejection all over again;

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0202

10051.  Broccoli stems soften (and shrink) quite a bit when roasted (in the oven);
10052.  No, you’re not a hopeless loser.  Life is challenging.  It’s okay to feel sad or angry in response to whatever obstacle you’re facing;
10053.  Making just one positive change in your life will push you towards all the other things that are good for you;
10054.  I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination;
10055.  Life isn’t about getting and having, it’s about giving and being;
10056.  Happiness is not something ready-made.  It comes from your own actions;
10057.  You do not find the happy life.  You make it;
10058.  Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it;
10059.  If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way;
10060.  When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be;
10061.  Life isn’t about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself;
10062.  If you want unusual results, you can’t do the same things that everyone else does;
10063.  It is a common mistake to assume that evolution is a process of improvement, that evolving organisms are progressing toward some final, perfected state.  But they, and we, are not.  An evolving society or organism simply adapts over the generations to changing conditions.  While these modifications may be immediately beneficial, they are not really improvements because external conditions never stop shifting;
10064.  When children and adolescents don’t get adequate nutrition for as little as a week, growth slows in the long bones in their arms and legs.  When their nutritional intake recovers and the bones begin to grow again, the density of the new bone growth differs from the interruption.  X-rays reveal theses telltale lines in ancient bones know as Harris lines.  Periods of more prolonged malnutrition leave signs on the teeth known as hypoplasias – discolored bands and small pits in the enamel surface, which can still be seen many centuries later in fossilized remains.  Archaeologists find fewer Harris lines and dental hypoplasias in the remains of prehistoric hunters-gatherer populations than they do in the skeletons of settled populations who lived in villages dependent on cultivation for their food supply;
10065.  Approximately 800 skeletons from the Dickson Mounds in the lower Illinois Valley have been analyzed.  Archeologist George Armelagos and his colleagues reported that the farmers’ remains show a 50% increase in chronic malnutrition and 3 times the incidence of infectious diseases (indicated by bone lesions) compared with the foragers who preceded them.  Furthermore, they found evidence of increased infant mortality, delayed skeletal grow in adults and a fourfold increase in porotic hyperostosis indicating iron-deficiency anemia in more than half the population;
10066.  Throughout the world, the shift to agriculture accompanied a dramatic drop in the quality of most people’s diets and overall health;
10067.  Don’t waste your time and energy reinforcing a negative belief system;
10068.  Keep/use your old toothbrushes to clean/scrub the inside of your toilet (bowl) and then toss them;
10069.  Save the unused wet wipes/moist towelettes you get at restaurants.  They work great for cleaning the sides of your toilet;
10070.  The “PLNT burger” at “PLNT Burger” (PLNTBurger.com) is tasty. . . . So is the “spicy chik n’ funguy” (sandwich);
10071.  “PLNT Burger” is from Spike Mendelsohn (i.e., the former contestant on “Top Chef”);
10072.  I no longer judge myself for my past;
10073.  I look back kindly at my past self;
10074.  The quickest way to get your attention back to the present moment is to focus on your breath;
10075.  Sometimes what is most beneficial might be painful and what is toxic might be pleasurable;
10076.  Difficult as it may be for some to accept, skeletal evidence clearly shows that our ancestors didn’t experience widespread, chronic scarcity until the advent of agriculture.  Chronic food shortages and scarcity-based economies are artifacts of social systems that arose with farming;
10077.  Hunter-gatherers spent their abundant leisure time eating, drinking, playing and socializing – in short, doing the very things we associate with affluence;
10078.  For the vast majority of human generations that have ever lived, it would have been unthinkable to hoard food when those around you were hungry.  The hunter-gatherer represents uneconomic man;
10079.  John Fogerty has to dye his hair;
10080.  Hearing John Fogerty’s band play reminds me of listening to (live) music at “The Tobacco Company( Restaurant)” (TheTobaccoCompany.com) in Richmond;
10081.  John Fogerty wrote “Who’ll Stop the Rain” after coming back from playing (the) Woodstock (Music & Art Fair) in 1969;
10082.  John Fogerty’s two sons, Shane and Tyler, play in his band;
10083.  John Fogerty has a baseball bat-shaped guitar for playing “Centerfield;”
10084.  Shane Fogerty can really play( the guitar);
10085.  Warfare is more likely in advanced horticultural and agrarian societies than it is in hunting-and-gathering and simple horticultural societies.  When sociologist, Patrick Nolan, limited his analysis only to hunter-gatherer and agrarian societies, he found that above-average population density was the best predictor of war;
10086.  Ecologist Peter Turchin and anthropologist Andrey Korotayev looked at data from English, Chinese and Roman history finding strong statistical correlations between increases in population density and warfare.  Their suggests population growth could account for as much as 90% of the variation between historical periods of war and peace;
10087.  Freedom (from war) is just another word for nothing to lose or gain;
10088.  After conducting a comprehensive review of prehistoric skeletal evidence, anthropologist Brian Ferguson concluded that apart from one particular site in modern-day Sudan, “only about a dozen homo sapiens skeletons 10,000 years ago or older, out of hundreds of similar antiquity examined to date, show clear indication of interpersonal violence.”  Ferguson continues, “If warfare were prevalent in early prehistoric times, the abundant materials in the archaeological record would be rich with evidence of warfare.  But the signs are not there;”
10089.  Let go of the past.  Don’t spend your energy on something that no longer exists;
10090.  (George Mumford’s) 4 “A”s: 1.  Awareness; 2.  Acceptance; 3.  Action; and 4.  Assessment;
10091.  Strive for a healthy balance between doing the best you can and then letting go;
10092.  I can say that I’ve seen Genesis (with Phil Collins) in concert;
10093.  Phil Collins walks with a cane;
10094.  Phil Collins doesn’t play drums (in concert) anymore;
10095.  Nic(holas) Collins, Phil’s son, plays (the) drums for Genesis . . . and he’s really good;
10096.  Take a minute to focus on things that are going right for you;
10097.  Problems in relationships occur because each person is concentrating on what is missing in the other person;
10098.  If your love for another person doesn’t include loving yourself then your love is incomplete;
10099.   You can love them, forgive them and want good things for them, but still move on without them;
10100.  Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option;

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0201

10001.  Apparently, you shouldn’t have a big steak dinner (specifically at Voltaggio Brothers Steak House in MGM National Harbor) before playing a concert;
10002.  Apparently, Tom DeLonge likes (red) wine;
10003.  “Blink-182” wouldn’t exist if Tom DeLonge hadn’t been expelled from (Poway) High School;
10004.  I can say I heard “Angels & Airwaves” play “Losing My Mind” (live) for the second time ever;
10005.  Ilan Rubin, the drummer for “Angels & Airwaves” is also the drummer for “Nine Inch Nails;”
10006.  If you have a craving for kettle corn, buy yourself a bag of O Organics “Sweet & Salty Organic Kettle Corn” from Safeway;
10007.  Set aside some time to talk and to think about the illness or other crisis and how it should be managed every day.  Do not talk or think about it otherwise.  If you do not limit its effect, you will become exhausted and everything will spiral into the ground;
10008.  When worries associated with the crisis arise at other times, remind yourself that you will think them through during the scheduled period;
10009.  The parts of your brain that generate anxiety are more interested in the fact that there is a plan than in the details of the plan;
10010.  Don’t schedule your time to think in the evening or at night.  You won’t be able to sleep.  If you can’t sleep then everything will go rapidly downhill;
10011.  Aim high like Pinocchio’s Geppetto.  Wish upon a star and then act properly in accordance with that aim.  Once you are aligned with the heavens, you can concentrate on the day.  Be careful.  Put the things you can control in order.  Repair what is in disorder and make what is already good better.  It is possible that you can manage if you are careful;
10012.  People can survive through much pain and loss.  But to persevere they must see the good in being.   If they lose that they are truly lost;
10013.  Every day, the prayers of desperate people go unanswered.  But maybe this is because the questions they contain are not reasonable to ask god to break the rules of physics every time we fall by the wayside or make a serious error.  Perhaps in such times you can’t put the cart before the horse and simply wish for your problem to be solved in some magical manner.  Perhaps you could ask, instead, what you might have to do right now to increase your resolve, buttress your character and find the strength to go on.  Perhaps you could instead ask to see the truth;
10014.  What had we each done to contribute to the situation we were arguing about?  How was I wrong?  The problem with asking yourself such a question is that you must truly want the answer.  And the problem with doing that is that you won’t like the answer.  When you are arguing with someone, you want to be right and you want the other person to be wrong.  Then it’s her/him that has to sacrifice something and change not you and that’s much preferable.  If it’s you that’s wrong and you that must change then you have to reconsider yourself – your memories of the past, your manner of being in the present and your plans for the future.  Then you must resolve to improve and figure out how to do that.  Then you actually have to do it.  That’s exhausting.  It takes repeated practice to instantiate the new perceptions and make the new actions habitual.  It’s much easier just not to realize, admit and engage.  It’s much easier to turn your attention away from the truth and remain willfully blind;
10015.  You must decide whether you want to be right or you want to have peace;
10016.  You must decide whether to insist upon the absolute correctness of your view or to listen and negotiate;
10017.  You don’t get peace by being right.  You just get to be right while your partner gets to be wrong – defeated and wrong;
10018.  More than 50% of the surface of the brain is devoted to processing visual information.  Closing our eyes frees up the energy associated with that 50% and allowing our brains much needed recovery.  We can tap into the unconscious processes that help us connect with our innovative ideas and solve problems more efficiently simply by decreasing visual input;
10019.  The adult brain, a mere 2% of body weight, is responsible for around 20% of oxygen consumption;
10020.  An Atkins “caramel chocolate nut roll bar” tastes like a “Baby Ruth”( candy bar);
10021.  To seek peace, you have to decide that you want the answer more than you want to be right.  That’s the way out of the prison of your stubborn preconceptions;
10022.  Perhaps true prayer is the question, “What have I done wrong and what can I do now to set things at least a little bit more right?”
10023.  There is no enlightened one.  There is only the one who is seeking further enlightenment;
10024.  Proper being is process not a state; a journey not a destination.  It’s the continual transformation of what you know through encounter with what you don’t know rather than the desperate clinging to the certainty that is eternally insufficient in any case;
10025.  Always place your becoming above your current being;
10026.  Remember those who have nothing and strive to be grateful;
10027.  You may be blocked in your progress not because you lack opportunity, but because you have been too arrogant to make full use of what already lies in front of you;
10028.  He who has many material things may be described as rich, but he who knows he has enough and is at one with the Tao might have enough of material things and have self-being as well;
10029.  To give is to do what you can to make things better;
10030.  If we put ourselves in order perhaps we will do the same for the world;
10031.  Strength in the face of adversity is very different from the wish for a life free of trouble;
10032.  When everything has become chaotic and uncertain, all that remains to guide you might be the character you constructed previously by aiming up and concentrating on the moment at hand.  If you have failed in that you will fail in the moment of crisis and then god help you;
10033.  The best way to fix the world is to fix yourself;
10034.  Failure to make the proper sacrifices, failure to reveal yourself, failure to live and tell the truth – all that weakens you;
10035.  The terrible suffering of unfortunate souls becomes attributable, by their own judgment, to mistakes they made knowingly in the past: act of betrayal, deception, cruelty, carelessness, cowardice and, most commonly of all, willful blindness;
10036.  To suffer terribly and to know yourself as the cause: that is hell.  And once in hell it is very easy to curse being itself;
10037.  Lay’s “Magic Masala” chips are tasty;
10038.  There are a lot of burger places in Toronto;
10039.  Chip bags in Canada seem to use less packaging;
10040.  There are black squirrels in Toronto;
10041.  Billy Bishop (Toronto City) Airport is right next/within walking distance to CN Tower;
10042.  Dr. Clive Hamilton, a visiting scholar at Cambridge University, set out to study the “suffering rich” and found that 4 of every 10 people earning $80,000.00 at the time felt “deprived;”
10043.  Another recent survey in the United States found that 45% of those with a net worth (excluding their home) over $1 million were worried about running out of money before they died.  Over one third of those with more than $5 million had the same concern;
10044.  He is richest who is content with least for contentment is the wealth of nature;
10045.  When communities grow beyond the point where every individual has at least a passing acquaintance with everyone else, our behavior changes, our choices shift and our sense of the possible and of the acceptable grows ever more abstract;
10046.  Community ownership doesn’t work in large-scale societies where people operate in anonymity;
10047.  The size of human societies and cultures matters because larger societies will naturally have more concentrated social power.  Larger societies will be less democratic than smaller societies and they will have an unequal distribution of risks and rewards;
10048.  Human nature functions one way in the context of intimate, interdependent societies, but, set loose in anonymity, we become a different creature.  Neither beast is more nor less human;
10049.  Apparently, Norfolk(, Virginia,) had a techno scene . . . until all of the illegal Europeans were deported;
10050.  Apparently, Dan Deacon (the deejay) hangs out at “The Auld Shebeen( Irish Pub & Restaurant)” in (Old Town) Fairfax on Wednesday nights for “Transit Party;”

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0200

9951.  According to Jack Antonoff, the concert at The Anthem (in D.C.) on (Friday,) September 24, 2021 is the largest “Bleacher’s” concert ever played or scheduled;
9952.  “Rollercoaster” was the first song Jack Antonoff wrote for “Bleachers;”
9953.  There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so;
9954.  Relationships require more than just love. . . . It takes time, patience, loyalty, respect, communication, forgiveness and selflessness. . . . Maintaining a healthy relationship isn’t easy.  It takes hard work. . . . To receive you must give, mutually, equally and not more than the other and vice versa. . . . Relationships are important.  You need them to grow.  You need these special, rare and beautiful interactions with people. . . . Love is so very important, but it also takes so much more than you think;
9955.  A regular-sized hip flask holds 8 ounces so a little over 5 shots;
9956.  Charlie (Dog) likes carrots;
9957.  Don’t doubt your worth just because someone couldn’t see it;
9958.  The habits that you develop now will determine the way you’ll feel about yourself in the future;
9959.  Don’t force yourself to be happy or productive every day;
9960.  You’re doing your best with what you’re given.  Go easy on yourself;
9961.  Move on and don’t let memories of past mistakes weigh you down for the rest of your life;
9962.  Don’t wait to feel grateful and happy for your life;
9963.  Apparently, fundraisers love/target donors who give annually (over many years) across multiple areas/categories;
9964.  Ultimately, it’s you who has to live with the consequences not them.  Choose what’s right for you;
9965.  If you’re thinking about an ex, you’re usually not (actually) missing her/him, but you’re missing something you got from her/him (e.g., comfort, love, closeness, etc.);
9966.  Other people’s reactions to you are usually not about you, it’s about what’s going on inside of them.  If someone blows up on you, that’s more about the triggering going on inside of them and it really has nothing to do with you;
9967.  Even successful people feel lost, sad and lonely at times.  These are normal emotions that everyone feels no matter how good your life is . . . and it’s okay and normal to feel this way;
9968.  Be gentler on yourself. . . . Pushing yourself to always be perfect and to live up to unrealistic standards is not a fun way to go through life.  Having a little more compassion for your inner child and allowing yourself to make mistakes can do wonders for you;
9969.  Bad things and good things can happen simultaneously in your life.  Choose which one you want to focus on more;
9970.  Agreeable, compassionate, empathic, conflict-averse people (all those traits group together) let people walk on them and they get bitter.  They sacrifice themselves for others, sometimes excessively, and cannot comprehend why that is not reciprocated;
9971.  Agreeable people are compliant and this robs them of their independence;
9972.  Agreeable people will go along with whoever makes a suggestion instead of insisting, at least sometimes, on their own way.  So they lose their way and become indecisive and too easily swayed;
9973.  The Oedipal mother makes a pact with herself, her children and the devil himself.  The deal is: “Above all never leave me.  In return, I will do everything for you.  As you age without maturing you will become worthless and bitter, but you will never have to take any responsibility and everything you do that’s wrong will always be someone else’s fault;”
9974.  Your pain and your struggles are real, but you don’t have to succumb to them;
9975.  You can find life rich and valuable without following society’s definition of success;
9976.  If they’re healthy, women don’t want boys.  They want men.  They want someone to contend with; someone to grapple with.  If they’re tough, they want someone tougher.  If they’re smart, they want someone smarter.  They desire someone who brings to the table something they can’t already provide;
9977.  It’s hard for tough, smart and attractive women to find mates.  There just aren’t that many men around who can outclass them enough to be considered desirable (who are higher, as one research publication put it, in “income, education, self-confidence, intelligence, dominance as social position”);
9978.  Apparently, (some) congressman (specifically Doug Lamborn) have a(n official) scheduler (specifically Meghan Selip);
9979.  (To me,) NEEDTOBREATHE’s music is (very) hopeful/joyful;
9980.  What can be truly loved about a person is inseparable from their limitations;
9981.  Being of any reasonable sort appears to require limitations;
9982.  Being requires becoming as well as mere static existence and to become is to become something more or at least something different.  That is only possible for something limited;
9983.  What is an exercise in futility?  The answer is: Trying to please everyone;
9984.  Don’t let negativity be the only available response to things you are experiencing;
9985.  Failure is more common than success.  It isn’t personal though we still manage to take it that way.  (The first step is to) stop taking failure personally;
9986.  You should actively anticipate failure and prepare for it, so that when it (might) come, you’re ready.  This is not to say you should be negative-minded;
9987.  Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts;
9988.  The way your parents spoke to you, treated you or dealt with their own emotions is a reflection of their own childhood trauma not a reflection of who you are;
9989.  Awakening or becoming conscious will bring up lots of pain and unresolved trauma.  As you heal, you’ll realize that you are a powerful alchemist able to turn your pain into wisdom;
9990.  The desire to produce suffering for the sake of suffering is the very essence of evil;
9991.  When existence reveals itself as existentially intolerable, thinking collapses in on itself.  In such situations, in the depths, it’s noticing (i.e., feeling) not thinking that does the trick;
9992.  You shouldn’t stop trying to make life better or let suffering just be, but there appear to be limits on the path to improvement beyond which we might not want to go lest we sacrifice our humanity itself;
9993.  Apparently, I issued Google’s MapReduce patent;
9994.  The fat from grass-fed beef (does) taste(s) different than (the) fat from corn-fed beef;
9995.  Grass-fed beef does taste gamier than corn-fed beef;
9996.  Apparently, you don’t need to cook grass-fed beef as long as corn-fed beef (because of the lower fat content);
9997.  I just realized that Arlington National Cemetery is right next to the Pentagon( and only separated by George Washington Memorial Highway);
9998.  I can say that I saw “1990nowhere” on their first tour;
9999.  Opening for “Angels & Airwaves’” “Lifeforms Tour 2021” is the first time “Bad Sun” has played live/toured in 2 years;
10000.  Tom DeLonge (the lead singer and guitarist for “Angels & Airwaves” and formerly of “Blink-182”) likes cheese;