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My Google cording cutting continues as all future entries will be found at jawahlblog.wordpress.com.

The Identity Thief

I was up for about twenty hours when I got around to watching this movie on the plane last night.  I try to rent comedies because they look ok on the iPad and because they don't require a lot of mental energy.  I fell asleep halfway through this movie and slogged through the second half without paying too much attention.  Needless to say, it's a dud.  The plotlines are thin, the physical comedy is weak and the dialogue is poor.

I do not recommend this movie.

Whole 30: Day 30

Energy level:
I haven't been sleeping well lately so my energy level has been low.  It's been a vicious cycle because I haven't been working out either to give my right shoulder a break.

Mood:
My mood was ok this morning, but is improving as my vacation nears.

Cravings:
These haven't been an issue for a couple of weeks now.  It'll be interesting to see how my body reacts to wheat, dairy and sugar.  I suspect I'll feel like crap pretty quickly.

Progress:

Don't let the uptick at the end fool you; I'm confident I'm in the best shape of my recent life right now.  I lost over ten pounds, most of which was fat.  I also dropped about two inches off my waist.  My mind is clear and my physical cravings are gone.

I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to start Paleo.  Cold turkey is the easiest way to start and this program will help you reset your blood sugar.  You'll also learn how to treat food in a different light.  You can still live to eat, but your thoughts won't be dominated by cravings for junk food.

I'll move back to less strict Paleo with almond meal, butter and occasional dairy, but will follow Whole 30 now and then if I feel I need another reset.

House of Cards: Season 1

I knew about this show, but dismissed it because I don't like Spacey.  However, a friend at work gave it two thumbs up so I checked it out.  I was instantly hooked on the gritty plotlines, the excellent acting and believable dialogue.  I don't know much about DC politics, but these storylines feel plausible and that's enough for me. 

Spacey may be a jerk, but he plays his role effectively.

I highly recommend this show and I eagerly await Season 2.

Cutting the cord with Google

I'm not happy with Google's response to the NSA spying allegations.  The current CEO is also not in favor of open standards.  I don't care for Google knowing every intimate detail of my life so I'm going to cut the cord as much as I can.

Step 1: Stop using Gmail
This step will be tough, but my website hoster gives me an e-mail account so I'm going to start using it for my personal communication.  I can use Thunderbird which isn't as cool as Gmail, but at least it's relatively safe from prying eyes.

I have a Tor mail account as well so the FBI/NSA probably thinks I'm a child molesting pervert dealing illicit drugs and black market guns.  For the record, I'm none of those.

Step 2: Stop using Chrome
This step is the easiest as Firefox is more than an adequate replacement.

Step 3: Don't upgrade to another Android smartphone
I'm due for an upgrade so I'll get a Blackberry Q10 since I use my current phone only for checking e-mail, texting, calling and occasionally navigation.  The Blackberry will allow me to easily check my new personal account, will be better for texting because of the physical keyboard and has ok navigation.  I'll probably save up to get a Garmin for my car since it's something I can take to Europe or Asia.

I briefly considered an iPhone, but I already have enough plants in Apple's walled garden.

Step 4: Move blog from Blogger to Wordpress
This step will wait until after my vacation because I don't feel like messing with stuff now.

I don't really have much to hide, but I value what privacy I do have and I don't care to contribute to Google's efforts to own the internet.  Perhaps I should take my tinfoil hat off, but I like to be prepared.

Whole 30: Day 29

Energy level:
I had very little energy today because I slept poorly last night.

Mood:
My mood was just ok.

Cravings:
No cravings today except maybe for some butter.

Progress:

I'm still maintaining roughly five pounds of fat loss which is good for a month.  I'm also down nearly two inches off my spare tire.  My torso is much more solid now.

Goon

A stupid, but highly entertaining movie.  It's well cast and chock full of hockey violence.  It's definitely an adult movie so keep the younguns away.

I recommend this movie.