Tanktimus the Encourager

Congrats on that picture. I'm glad the world gets to see your Badrangerassery.

Did you really just tell someone to lift their butt as high as possible in a Doodlie thread?

Once I went into a Freebirds on Haloween. The manager was a member of the 501st and took my order in full Stormtrooper armor, minus the helmet. Thanks! Welcome back. Thanks. I was prepared to have to go super short, but the stylist (who is the same person doing Sra. Tanque's hair in the wedding photos BTW) told me if I let her cut it shorter and used a lighter hairspray it would stand up more and look fuller. This weekend was good. Eating was mostly good, I've still got some of the habits from the honeymoon hanging around, I'm not saying no to all the free goodies like I was doing for so long. I'm not going to beat myself up, however, just do as best I can from here on out. I did not get a 5th workout in during week 1 either, but that means I did work out 4 times, so I call that a win.

Rangers Week 2 is upon us. A lot has gone on in our world, and a lot has gone on in the worlds between each of our ears. There has been a lot of talk about problems, but not a lot of solutions. Please allow me to use some analogies. Ignorance is not solved by shaming the ignorant for what they don't know. Ignorance is solved by teaching and knowledge. You can't guilt someone into suddenly not being ignorant. Criticizing them for ignorance will only turn them off to you, and perhaps even drive them to seek shelter in their ignorance, holding on to it so the mean person criticizing them won't win and change them. You have to invest some time in that person and teach them what they don't know. That will be far more effective with respect and kindness. There is a lot of ignorance in the world, we all have some. Knowledge is contagious though, and we can all teach each other and all learn from each other. In the same way, you can't shame someone out of being unhealthy. If that were going to work their own sense of self shame would have made it work long ago. In fact, unhealthiness is often an external representation of internal self-loathing. You can show an unhealthy person how to be healthy and model those behaviors. You can accept the unhealthy person as they are and come along side that person and coach them. Hatred works the same way. Hatred will never be stopped by shame, by revenge, or by more hatred. If someone is being hateful, returning hate for hate will only intensify that person's belief that they were right to hate in the first place, or possibly anger them further so that they are more hateful to you, angering you, which in turns starts an arms race of hatred. Hate can only be overcome by love. Love in the face of hatred is the most powerful force in the universe, and very difficult to wield. Initially loving those who hate you will probably intensify their hate towards you. Loving them causes cognitive dissonance, and it's easier for them to provoke you into being hateful than it is for them to admit they are wrong for hating. However, love is and will always be the stronger force. It works the same way in your mind. You cannot better yourself by hating yourself. You cannot teach yourself by being mad at yourself for being ignorant. You cannot become healthy by berating yourself for being unhealthy. Only by forgiving yourself, then loving yourself will you begin to grow. Only by accepting yourself for who you are will you ever find peace, and then strength, and then the ability to craft your body as you see fit. When things get tough, take the high road, be the Ranger you were born to be, teach the ignorant, love those who hate. You are awesome, now go forth and win at week 2.

Biking counts

See below. Got it. In addition to being a rest day, it also buys the captain some time to write out the next bit of narrative...

How did week 1 go? We miss you, come back.

How was your week 1?

Following some more.

Can DFG and I get a dress that will fit us both at the same time? I think that will make for the best pics.

All I know is it's cool for 36 year olds to watch Voltron, Transformers, GI Joe, He-Man, She-Ra and a ton of other cartoons.

I wear a ball cap when I'm outside both to shield my eyes from the sun and to keep sweat out of my eyes, it really protects my glasses. Ball caps may not be an option on your side of the pond, but try to find something you can wear around your forehead.

We're aware, the mods are deleting them as fast as we can. Reporting them when you see them helps.