What Do The Cowardly Attacks in Paris, Brussels and Pakistan Tell Us?

They tells us, dear Reader, that the Dream of a new Caliphate is dead in the water - like the proverbial Dodo.

These Petty, Little, Islamic, Peons have read the tea leaves and can now see that their jig is up.

They are on the defensive throughout the Middle East and are daily losing ground to an array of opponents who are determined to put these cowards out of their self-inflicted misery.

With the ground war unraveling before their unbelieving eyes, they are now morphing into the use of guerrilla tactics - wherein they blow up innocent men, women, and children. It is the strategy of a loser and although it gets headlines, will not carry them to their hoped for ending.

And for those of them who have gone before and for those yet to join them - I can only imagine their disappointment when they find that the Fires of Hell do not harbour Vestal Virgins - rather just other cut-throats like themselves.

But that does not mean for a moment that our job is done - fact is we are still at war* with these dirt-bags but we need to change the way in which we in the West deal with them on two (2) separate fronts.   *(some argue against using the term War saying this has international implications (e.g. UN) - I say nonsense - if the Baddies can declare 'war' against us - then we can bloody well declare 'war' against them back.)

So what needs changing?

First on the Individual Front.  I read over the weekend that since the Paris attacks, the market places in Brussels have been deserted and with last week's attack, the few that continued to come - have now too disappeared.  They should come out in droves in defiance.

In fact we as individuals everywhere should go about our daily lives as we did pre-ISIS / Al Qaeda.  Dismantle the security lines at air ports - (you know the electronic strip searches) - fly often, take the subways, the buses as if they were the safest places to be on earth - go to Malls, Markets, Sports Events - Live Life to the Fullest.

When an attack happens - dust yourself off mentally - like the Londoners did when they faced down the Nazi bombers in the 1940s.

And, Second on the State Front    Governments need to come clean and declare who the enemy is - that is to say Extreme Muslims who have distorted a great religion for their petty power purposes. Stop Muslim Immigration probably until the War with Radical Islam is over or at least until authorities can adequately sort the chaff from the wheat. And instead of harassing the Innocent Citizen , The Babies in Carriages, The Infirm in their Wheel Chairs,  the Atheists, the Christians and the Jews - focus entirely on the Bad Guys - the Extreme Muslims.  Profile, Profile, Profile - then Profile some more and do it discreetly.

Unfortunately innocent Muslims will get caught up in this but since the Bad Muslims hide out among them - this is inevitable.  Plus there is some benefit to this - the problem of Extremist Muslims is a problem for all Muslims and only they can effectively - by collectively put an end to this reign of terror.

As i see it...

'K.D. Galagher'

THE UN-DIET

Note:  I indicated my previous Blog on Diet attracted much attention but nothing compared to my recent - as per below.  Nearly 3,000 views - a record for me and I thank everyone of you for visiting - G


Over the course of the last two (2) years I have lost over 50 lbs. on the UN-DIET and during that time, family and friends have also been successful in losing significant weight.

As you know, I usually write about Politics, World Affairs, and Current Events but once in awhile I drift into other areas of interest to me as is the case with the Un-Diet. Some of you may even recall that I dealt with this subject on a previous occasion and I found that it generated a great deal of interest - in some cases, even more than with respect to some of my standard pieces.

So it seems fitting at this Easter Period  - with its emphasis on good food, chocolates and such that I return once again to the age old topic of  losing weight.

Let me iterate at the outset - the Un - Diet is named as such since it is not a Diet - there are no gimmicks - no magical foods or other substances - no weird exercises - indeed you do not even need to exercise to be successful.

The Un-Diet comes down to the simple equation of Calories In & Calories Out.

If you take in more calories than your body consumes daily - you will gain weight.   Full Stop

If you use more calories up than you take in daily - you will lose weight.  Full Stop.

It is as simple as that.

Indeed, it is so simple that to call it a Diet would be wrong in the same way it would be to say that Breath In Breath Out warrants some complex approach.  Can't you just imagine Dr. Em Dee coming out with a Declaration that she can reduce the number of your Breaths by 10% within 60 days or your money back.

It is nonsense for Breathing as it is for Losing Weight.


And dear Reader, you can eat whenever and whatever you want.  In fact, the more times you eat per day, the greater your chances of success and the food you eat always tastes better when you give it value.

Permit me to explain using my personal experience:

I used to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and in between grazed on anything that was readily available.  I also snacked in the evening.  Who knows how many calories I was consuming per day since I had no idea whatsoever but one thing I did know the weight packed on.  Given my cavalier approach to eating - it never tasted all that great to me.

But one thing that was obvious - I was taking in more calories than my body could burn.

So I began by reducing the amount of my daily food intake:

• Breakfast     Prior to this I usually had a breakfast comprising of 2 slices of toast, butter - jam sometimes with peanut butter.   I reduced this to 1 slice of toast*, no butter, no jam (indeed I try to avoid sugar like the plague since it only sets up your body for craving).  On the 1 slice of toast I would put peanut butter or 2 eggs or I would have bran flakes**with low calorie Almond Milk (a third of the calories of regular milk).  I would aim to have no more than 350 to 400 calories.

             *Bread varies greatly in calories - anywhere from 80 calories per slice to 120 per.  I go for                    the 120 since it is more filling - but the choice is yours.

            **I go for a sugarless or sugar reduced cereal but add dry protein to it which I will cover in                 more  detail below.

• Morning Snack     I find the protein in my breakfast (eggs/ peanut butter, / dry protein) keeps me satisfied much longer than carbohydrates.  So it is easier for me to consciously stop grazing between breakfast and lunch.  As a reward - around 11 am I treat myself to a snack - a handful of almonds or some crackers and cheese or peanut butter and a banana.  Again I focus this snack to give me a shot of protein to carry me the last hour or so to lunch.  I try to keep my morning snack to 150 calories. 

• Lunch     I used to have 2 sandwiches for lunch - 4 slices of bread plus meat and condiments.  Now I restrict myself to 1 sandwich - so 2 slices of bread plus meat* and condiments**  I also add a fruit - an orange or an apple.

           *  Surprisingly cold cuts vary greatly in caloric content - anywhere from 30 calories for a few                  slices to a hundred and more.  I focus on the meat that has but 30 calories.  Condiments                  too have calories but not as many as you might expect if you do not lay it on too thick. I am
               therefore not too religious about what I choose but do try to go with Mild Salsa which is                      almost calorie free.  I try to keep my lunch time calories intake between 400 and 500 cal.

• Supper / Dinner  If you add up the daily calorie count so far - it totals between 900 and 1050.  That leave me with well over 1000 calories for dinner - so as long as I am eating foods we prepare ourselves - such as salads, vegetables, meat etc - I really do not have to be too concerned with numbers of calories.  I do however refrain from desert.  Supper - 1000 - to 1200 calories.

Now I did say you can eat whenever and whatever you want - and you can.

The above provides for eating at 5 separate times - plus if you do not go wild at dinner - you can add a 6th time for an evening snack*.  Indeed, my wife tells me I am "always eating" and it does in fact feel that I am.  Plus I also include fruit (an orange or apple or banana) between these 3 meals and 2-3 snacks. 

     And because it has become part of my daily regimen - the food always tastes better than when I randomly grazed.

  *Did you know that there are frozen yogurts out there that have but 90 calories per serving?  And, the Chocolate has less calories than the Vanilla. 

As for eating whatever you want - you cann do that too.  For instance, I noted above that I avoid desert at supper time.  I could and you could have desert if you want - just factor it in the calories in calories out equation.

You could also have a Big Mac - calorie load - 550 - simply deduct that from your personal daily calorie allotment*.

*As a Male I can consume up to 2200 calories per day and lose weight - Females can have slightly less - up to 1900.   When thought is put into the selection of food - these numbers can translate into a lot of food with modest calories.

I give the example of hamburgers - I went to the local grocery store wanting to buy hamburgers - the store's regular burgers each totaled 400 cal.  - their reduced fat burgers had but 200 cal per burger and tasted just as good or even better.  I would have 2 burgers for dinner so had I taken the regular ones - that would be 2 x 400 cal or 800 cal which is nearly your full dinner calorie allotment.   I took the lean version 2 x 200 or 400 cal so had lots of calories left over for other things.

Final Word Of Advice

Weigh Yourself Each Day since it is too easy to convince yourself that you are having less calories per day than you really are - believe me I have tried it but daily weighing keeps you and me on track.

As I see it...

'K.D. Galagher.