A Political Interval....LEAVE or REMAIN? It doesn't matter, you can still donate ;-)

"Whatever you voted, it doesn't change your ability to donate"

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Stephen-Milton

After many weeks of campaigning from both sides, celebrities and those prominent in the spotlight spinning their views and subsequent crap storm created across social media land, the UK woke up this morning to the news that the UK is to leave the EU.

After taking up this challenge for reasons I have previously explained, I really think people are starting to loose focus on the important things in life.

Regardless of whether people agree with the result or not, ask yourself, have you woken up this morning facing your own mortality? Have you woken up to a family member no longer there? 

For some people across the world this is sadly true, so in the grand scheme of things the whole referendum and the who is wrong and who is right debate will be taking a back seat.  Remember, whatever happens the world still turns.  You have to fight to survive, fight for what you believe in.  You have to "DO" to make a change.  If people gave up every time things didn't go their way we would not get anywhere.

Either way, the Earth wouldn't care.  The sun will still shine, the night will still come and the whole cycle will start again the next day.

We achieve great things by working together, be that together in the EU or together out outside of it.  We have not lost the ability to help and and support one another overnight.  As individuals this does not change us.  We still have free will to do good.

A great read is Join Me: The true story of a man who started a cult by accident by Danny Wallace. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Join-Me-Story-Started-Accident/dp/0091895820

The general philosophy of the Join Me movement revolves around Random Acts of Kindness (RAK).  This started out as an encouragement to commit a RAK every Friday however this soon transpired to any day of the week or whenever you can.  Why be confined to being kind and supporting your fellow person on a Friday?  Nothing changes from day to day, there is nothing stopping anyone supporting their fellow persons.  Therefore the result of this referendum does not stop this either.

My Grandma is always speaking of the days growing up in a community where service sharing was common place.  It was not a catastrophe if a young couple with little money were expecting a baby.  Your community would be there for you.  Your best friend would help with your cleaning, your next door neighbor would share their food if you were short, Doreen's husband would fix your mangler if it broke.  People were there for you.  Therefore, when the lady across the street had her 8th child, you would help with her cleaning, you would babysit the other children and give them your baby's hand me down clothes.  No expectation to the exchange of money, just friendship and a genuine willingness to help, knowing that you could count on others to return the favor when you were in need.

Now this utopia may no longer be realistic, the unfortunate reality of our current climate is that we do need money to get by.  However there is nothing stopping us hailing back to as my Grandma puts it, "The good ol' days."  We haven't lost the capacity to be nice and look out for one another.

As usual I have rambled on, but I hope you get the general consensus of my point.  I will leave you with my comment to all the bickerers on Facebook.

Thanks for reading my latest take on life!

Steve

P.S

Regardless of how people voted, lets all keep it intellectual and respectful. Everyone's vote deserved to be a personal choice. Let's face it, those in the limelight will have voted to support their own agenda regardless of their stance of in and out, so why is it wrong that the public do the same?

What has really saddened me is the stooping to name calling and accusations, stereotyping the voters of both camps. How is that helpful? It basically amounts to name calling, sticks and stones; none of which is going to help the future of our country.

Whichever way the result were to go there was going to be fallout, there were going to be successes and there were going to be failures.

The decision has now been made so please all stop being childish name calling, goading losers with "sour grapes" and winners with "I hope you are pleased with yourself, you just wait to see."

Deal with the decision and work together to make our country succeed whatever it takes. Help your fellow persons, give and receive in kind and generally treat others how you expect to be treated yourself. Support one another.

To all the LEAVE voters, you made this happen so stick to your guns and show the REMAIN camp why you cast your vote and prove you can make it work.

To all the REMAIN voters, don't be hypocritical. You said a vote to LEAVE was giving up on the EU. Now things have not gone your way, practice what you preach and don't give up on the UK.

I think you will find that if you asked both camps to list the top 5 issues that concerns them in the UK right now, I am sure there would be some overlap. The question you need to ask yourself is how do we fix the issues raised in that overlap. That is how we can all work together for a successful future.

Sensible comments welcome, no more rubbish mudslinging.

Ticketing Information - Get Your Tickets Reserved ASAP before they sell out!

"Don't miss your chance to witness me getting punched in the noggin'!"

Hi All,

This post is a FYI in order to organise tickets for the Ultra White Collar Boxing Event I am taking part in. 

I have to purchase the tickets in advance in order to meet my quota therefore all ticket sales need to be via myself.

There are two tiers of tickets:

£500 (£50pp when split between the 10 seats) VIP Table - These are early entry, ringside seats, waitress services all night and includes a 2 course meal.

£20 Standing Tickets

I have to purchase the tickets in blocks so I really need to know who is coming and what tier you would like.

I have to purchase at least one table, however if there is enough interest I will purchase another if I can fill it.

I really appreciate everyone's support and it would be super awesome if you could be there on the night as it means we will be raising even more money to 'Smash Cancer In The Face!'

So I would be really grateful if wish to attend that you contact me ASAP to let me know if you would like a Table Seat or a Standing ticket.  Also let me know how many tickets you would like and who they are for.  As you would expect, I will be creating a spreadsheet.  I bloody love spreadsheets.

Below is UWCB Event FAQ:

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Dress Code
We operate a VERY strict dress code policy - Minimum Shirt, Tie, Trousers and Shoes for the Men. Evening dresses for ladies, or suitable smart trousers and a blouse.
No Jeans, Trainers, Chinos, Leggings, Checked Shirts or Scruffs. Please Dress to impress.

Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?
Yes you must be 18 or over to enter one of our events ID May be requested on the door.

Is my registration/ticket transferable?
No, Tickets are not transferable

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?
There will be a list at the door, which will include the names of people who have purchased online, please bring your mobile so that we can check your online ticket.

What is the refund policy?
We do not offer any refunds and tickets are non transferable.

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If you have any further questions, feel free to drop me a line :-)

Cheers

Steve

*IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT* - CHANGE OF DATE TO 10/09/16

Apologies! 

Hi All, 

Just a quick update.  I have been notified by the Ultra White Collar Boxing team that due to a clash in fixtures with the Leicester City Vs Arsenal game on the original date of the 20th August, the boxing event has now been moved back.

The new date for the event is Saturday 10th September 2016

Apologies to all those who have been good enough to make plans in advance.  I ask kindly that you all amend the date in your diaries and still please come to support me and the great cause :-) 

Kind Regards

Stephen Milton

I got the DOMS, I got the DOMS....Terror at 4:45am

OK, so this maybe the shortest post yet however this does not constitute the weekly update.

Right, so it is currently 4:45am and I have woken up and rats have eaten their way through my lower spinal cord, entered my legs and now proceed to be having 90s style light switch raves in my limbs.  They are franticly dancing, to a beat beyond the pace of hard house, techno or GABA. In fact they have invented a whole new genere of club music which is too fast to become mainstream. As they conga through my coronary carriers they are nibbling at the electronics that is my central nervous system sending my own legs into a mental frenzy of a non standard display of physical showmanship, almost like I am performing a mating ritual to the ceiling light. I am a puppet to their agenda, flipping and flopping at their mercy.

After entering the search terms "symptoms of certain death" and "what happens if a rat eats it's way into my body,  could I catch herpes?" It turns out a have what appears to be Acute DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

Well whoever came up with that acronym needs to be put into a tank with 1000 bubonic rats and smeared with peanut butter. Nothing kinky about that but they clearly do not know what they are talking about!

In retrospect yesterday's boot camp wasn't a mistake and has made me think 1) I can work harder and 2) I can achieve more. 

I may write more on this experience later on today if the rats ever leave and I can crawl my way to my computer. Typing this on a phone really sucks. As does sitting in bed as straight as a board, unable to move with the evil rat King tormenting my insides.

Thanks for reading my latest take on night (think of it as a low budget spin off of Life)

Steve

P.S Arrraghhh! The rats have made their way North! So long groin :-(

Muscle Mind Connection.....and other psudo-science babble

Get To Work Bicep!

So WTF is Mind Muscle Connection (MMC)?

Theory 1:

So I am told MMC can help with exercise, specifically when weight training, more specifically to assist with super sick awesome sweet gains.  The idea being that when you lift a weight you are working on a primary muscle group, yet these are supported by a secondary muscle group (a bit like my belt supporting my trousers and my Buddha belly supporting my belt?...maybe?).

So when a bro is channeling poor MMC, their secondary muscle group is providing too much support for the primary muscle group, therefore hindering the aforementioned super sick awesome sweet gains.

In conclusion, by focusing your mind on the primary muscle group and visualizing the muscle fibers working together to lift that weight, the secondary muscle group will only work in a fashion as to stabilize the primaries meaning you WILL achieve super sick awesome sweet gains AND be super smug in knowing that you used (psudo)SCIENCE to prevail.  BOOM! You are a real gym bro.

Ipso Facto, by the logic of the science behind MMC anything can be 'thought away' or 'thought gained' by MMC.  Disease, addiction, erectile dysfunction?

Theory 2:

Bulls*it?

In other news this week....

I have to say that this week has gone much better than the last.  The 'gains' have been sweeter, the runs have got easier yet the tuna and cottage cheese has got viler!  A quick poll of my office reveled that people would rather eat out of a bin than eat cottage cheese.  However to be respected in the international Bro-dom you have to eat cottage cheese, think of it as a membership criteria.

I did try cottage cheese and tuna fishcakes which I have say was a pretty good win.  However they are not suitable for lunch due to the long preparation time.  

I was shunned after my cottage cheese, tuna and sugar free toffee syrup experiment and Big Bad Joe's in office fish steaming did not go down well with the other staff.  

Therefore, I welcome any suggestions to make cottage cheese taste better, answers on the back of a postcode (or in the comments will do).

Meal of the week

I do love to cook however it is now a challenge not to employ the Holy Trinity of Badness (Salt, Sugar and Fat -  this trio when employed together is guaranteed pleasure on a fork!  However think of them like Captain Planet's Planeteers, although rather than summoning the head of the Green Party, they give you a stroke instead).  

I remember once making a dish for a pot luck night to which everyone who ate was like, "Man this is awesome!  What is in it?"  My reply being Cheese, Chilli, Meat, Seafood, Caramelized Onions With Brown Sugar and your weekly allowance of salt....your life span is now 2 years shorter....sorry :-S  Also, Nitz, I put beef* in it, you are going to die two years younger and then come back as a fly.  Sorry my Hindu friend.  Bummer.

This week however I was very restrained (as much as I can be when I follow a recipe in that I get bored/inspired after the first ingredient and put everything else that was not in the recipe into the mix and none of the things that were).  I made fresh lamb kebabs as an homage to the Classic 2am treat "The Doner Kebab."  Thank you Nitz for the inspiration for this one, your years of dedication to the Atkins diet paid off :-P

In a nutshell:

1) Mix your lamb mince with the herbs/spices of your choice then add lemon juice

2) Compact the mix in bowel into a tight ball

3) Roll the mix out into a thin layer about the thickness of a slice of Doner (allowing for fat/water to escape from the meat)

4) Grill on the highest setting until browning then flip over

5) Flip back and forth returning to the grill until you have the consistency/grilled-ness (is that a word) to your liking (as long as it is cooked it's up to you!  But don't give yourself food poisoning.  If you do, you are an idiot!).  I like it crispy at the edge.

6) Slice the cooked meat into strips with a Pizza knife Serve with flat-bread, salad, chips, whatever the hell you want!

7) Shovel it into your big gob, you deserve it bro after your sweet MMC this week.

Right, so that is it for today's post.  I feel like I am forgetting something but I think that is enough rambling for now.

As always, the sick gains page has been updated, check them our here.  Smashed it this week with a 2.4KG loss.  I am feeling like a real gym bro now!

Again, if you are yet to donate to the cause, please do, the Just Giving link is:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Stephen-Milton

Be sure to come back to for more brick-a-brak and vocal tat next time.

Thanks for reading my latest take on life!

Steve

P.S Big Bad Joe is not just a PT, he is a talented puppeteer too!  Make of it what you will....

P.P.S *(star) - the dish did not really contain Beef Nitz!  That was for comical exaggeration.  Beside's such a good friend as you will be coming back as something glorious!  Suggestions....?

Internal Psychological Warefare......Fighting the man in the mirror

Get back in your cupboard Beast!

Right, cutting to the chase, this week's post is going to be a short one.  It has been a hectic week, a busy weekend and it is only going to get crazier.

So this week I have been plagued by Captain Craving, Private Panic, Lieutenant Loser and Drill Sergeant Doubt.  I have met Morpheus and taken both the red pill and the blue pill.

The Blue Pill 

The blue pill opened the door to the food demons, pushing their cookie crack and booze into my head.  Just one bite won't hurt, what harm could one beer do....

One Bite...

...and One Beer

Back to square one :-(

The Red Pill

The red pill gave me restraint and logic.  It may be a bitter pill to swallow however the colour red makes me think of the colour of the liquid coming out of my lug holes if I don't train.  The red pill let me make good eating choices and fight away the dastardly food phantoms and the beer banshees!

This weekend we went to Birmingham for a friend's 30th.  There was plenty of temptation in the guise of sexy spirits by the names of Whisky and Gin and also curvaceous carbs like Fries and Meat-Patty.  Instead I made a date with the exotic cous cous and two timed her with with Greek yogurt.

The weekend wasn't ruined by being more thoughtful to what I was shoveling down my neck, after all it is only for a few months.  As I have mentioned before this is a choice I make and I thank my lucky stars that I have that choice, reminding me of one of the reasons I am taking part in this event.

So the moral of this story is, don't give up.  Life is hard, making positive choices is one of the easier challenges in life.  I didn't quite drop the weight I wanted to this week, but it is certainly not the end of the world.  In the grand scheme of things there are much worse things in life.

After a brief battle with the Man in the Mirror, I have come out the other end a little bit wiser to his tricks and will be ready for round two.  I could not have done it without the positive words from colleagues and friends, especially over this weekend.  Thanks guys for your support and belief in me!

Wow, so that was a little more serious than I expected, but life calls for that sometimes.  As usual you can see this weeks results here.

Tune in next time for more of the same whimsical chitter chatter.

Thanks for reading my latest take on life!

Steve

P.S An example of a Worserrer thing in life.....Being sober and watching Adam (also sober) bumping and grinding to early noughties R&B...then grinding me (whilst still sober).  Even worse, he had a big torch in his pocket which really dug into my back!  I hope you had a great 30th Adam!

First 7 days are done.....this week in food

Naysayer: "You are what you eat"

Me: "You must be delusional mate, cos I look like a human being, not a f*cking cheeseburger!

This week has gone pretty well to be honest.  The hardest part has probably been having to be on the receiving end of the never ending stream of ridicule and return karma.  I should have known that my years of constant torment towards my good friend Nitz, regularly implying that his High Protein/Low Carb diet was in fact the Atkin's diet would come back to haunt me.

Over the last five months of working with my student placement Joe, I have berated him for his diet of Chicken/Broccoli for breakfast, lunch and dinner (well it is really stupid!).  Having moved onto a daily lunch myself of Chicken/Green Beans and Peas, I am feeling the sting of the claims of hypocrisy.

Bulk buying chicken like a real Gym Bro!

Mass cooking chicken like a real Gym Bro Pro!

(Gym Bro Tip #1) Peas as so tiny they make you look massive if you hold one in your hand!

 Gym Bro Maths (Macro Man!) - Cutting chicken into pieces of exactly 100g per serving

What have I become! I am even eating Cottage Cheese and Tuna mixed together.  I am told that I need high protein for sick gains.

The issue I am facing now though is that I am in constant fear of not consuming enough protein.  I am having visions of becoming a disheveled protein addict, fishing with a washing line, bent safety pin and (get this!) using chicken dipped in protein powder for bait to ensure that the dirty canal fish I catch has consumed enough protein in order for me to warrant eating the said dirty canal fish which should now after consuming bait laced with "Rocky Road Flavored Extreme BroFit Beef Whey" be a protein Bro himself thus providing enough grams of protein for me to justify what I have just done.

I feel I am loosing it again but I have more to say so I shall press on.  Let me just take a sip of my protein shake to refresh.....(I will also underline something to regather focus)

So how has the exercise gone?

Well I can summarize in the following Table.  I may have to resort to some HTML as I can't find the table button.

DAY	EXERCISE	WHAT HURTS?
MONDAY	Chest/Back/Run	Chest, Back and Legs
TUESDAY	Arms	Chest, Back, Legs and Arms
WEDNESDAY	Legs	Chest, Back, Legs, Arms and Eye?
THURSDAY	Shoulders/Back/Run	Chest, Back, Legs, Arms, Eye, Head
FRIDAY	Chest/Back	Nearly everything
SATURDAY	Run	EVERYTHING!
SUNDAY	Rest	Can only move fingers to type....

I am not going to lie, it has been a bloody hard week, even more so with my Birthday on Friday (I had a great time, thanks for all the birthday wishes) bringing so much temptation.  I did have a few beers and a couple of naughty meals, but it would have been rude not to on my Birthday.  They were both very manly cheat meals though:

Meat Platter @ Grillstock, Leicester (I only had a couple of chips and one onion ring)

Game Pie on The Great Central "Real rALEway Train" (along with a few or 7 beers)

So with that it is back to reality next week driving forward and onwards.  If you are still reading, cheers, I hope to see you at the next post.  

"Cheers!"

Thanks for reading my latest take on life!

Steve

P.S Please click here for this week's results

P.P.S (it wouldn't be right if there wasn't a real PS)

A little food for thought.  If you REALLY are what you eat, then I want to know what McDonald's contemporary take on the 'Hamburgler' has been up to!?! Creepy....