Trying to be healthier

I am trying to change little things in my life in an attempt to be healthier. While I would like to lose weight, that's not my primary goal. My primary goal is to feel better. I've had issues with arthritis, insomnia, depression, and more physical aches and pains than I can reasonably relate here. I'm 29 years old and I feel 50. I have to change something. However, I can't handle change all in one block, so I'm making one change at a time. Then, when I adjust to that change, I make another one.

So far I've cut out fast food at work (I sit at a desk all day), and added in "light" lunches. Sometimes it's salad, sometimes a sandwich, but I always include a yogurt so I feel like I'm getting dessert. I figure I've gotten my lunch to less than 500 calories, which is pretty good considering I have no inclination to eat breakfast. I don't actually count calories, as that feels too time intensive and constricting, but I'm definitely down from what I was intaking before. It's a pretty big cut in calories from eating Lasagna and garlic bread from Pasta Wagon, and a salad apple and yogurt.

A while back I shifted from regular Mountain Dew to Diet Mountain Dew. Now I'm phasing out Diet Mountain Dew altogether. I'm substituting water in it's place and am already up to drinking a 2.3 liter container of water every day during work hours. I figure my water consumption will go up even further now that I'm cutting out Mountain Dew after work as well.

I've already noticed that I feel better and more clear-headed during the day. I haven't weighed myself (I don't own a scale) but it seem as if I've lost a few pounds too!

Just to be clear, I love food. I am NOT on any kind of diet. I'm altering small things, letting myself adjust until it becomes the "normal" way of things, then changing another small thing. I won't restrict myself, count calories or follow some fad diet plan. I just want to feel healthier. That's my only goal.

Writing to write, or writing to be read?

I'm having trouble posting on a consistent basis, as anyone who actually bothers to stop by here has no doubt seen. I think it's because I'm writing to be heard, instead of writing just to write. The truth is, I love to write, but have trouble actually doing it. I have tons of ideas for novels, characters, situations, but when it comes to writing them down I freeze long before I finish.

I'm an evil self editor, bound and determined to make every sentence polished enough for publication before I even write it. The result is that nothing I write ever "sounds" good to me. By the time I've read it through a dozen or so times, I've decided that no one in their right mind is going to want to read it, and I usually get rid of it. I find myself doing the same thing with this blog. I write a few paragraphs, reread them until I've decided they're horrible, then delete and go on with my day. The result is, I feel like I've written something...but my blog goes unupdated.

Sorry folks, I'll try to do better!

Flag Burning

Today the US Senate considers a proposed constitutional amendment to make burning the flag illegal.

Now I understand why it would be illegal to burn your neighbor's flag, or to burn the flag you stole from the local city hall, but how does anyone think it's appropriate to make it illegal to burn your own property? Because it's a symbol of the country? Well, duh. That's why it's chosen for burning by those vehemently opposed to some portion of American politics. That doesn't mean it should be illegal!

When Islamics threw such a fuss over the Danish cartoons depicting Mohammad...it was made out to be religious fanaticism, a joke to be laughed at...but burning the flag is different only in the sense that it's not a religious topic. It's the same basic principle, freedom of speech, and it's something this country was founded on. It's pretty sad when we'll defend the rights of Danish cartoonists but not American protesters.

Burning the flag is, at it's essence, another way to speak out against the government. That's it...that's all it is. It' s constitutionally protected freedom of speech. There is absolutely no basis for making this activity illegal except to lay the foundation for the stripping of other freedoms.

The first amendment to the constitution says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Let's break the first amendment down into it's parts, shall we?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion
Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise thereof (referring to religion still)
Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech
Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press
Congress shall make no law abridging the right of the people peaceably to assemble
Congress shall make no law abridging the abridging the freedom to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

NO LAW...Congress shall make no law.

How can burning the flag be considered anything BUT free speech? Therefore, how can this even be considered as a viable law?