On Trump's lies and whether he expects to win the presidency at all...

I've been so fed up with the Trump politics that I have not wanted to put in anything at all about the current state of politics, lest it taints my journal. Yet, the latest BuzzFeed scoop about Trump's instructing his erstwhile lawyer to lie to Congress does warrant a word. Although Special Investigator Mueller releases a statement that BuzzFeed's account is not totally accurate, there is no substantive and blanket rebuttal of the BuzzFeed report. More tellingly is Guilliani, Trump's current lawyer and attack dog, backpedaling on his never stating there's no collusion of Trump campaign with Russia, which I'm sure is his way to cover his arse, lest he's put in the same situation as Michael Cohen (who is now charged with federal crimes for covering up for Trump).

Of all the reports and opinion pieces, this article from New York Times on how Trump never expected to win the presidency and all campaigning is but the best PR he was ever hoping to get, makes total sense. Everyone knows Trump is only interested in making money. Everyone knows that he does not have what it takes to be a president, not intellectually, and certainly not temperamentally. All that Trump was hoping for, is to elevate his name (and brand name) recognition, so that he can have another TV hit of reality show (which I'm sure, would be called The Candidate), and he can build a few more Trump Tower, not the least in Russia, plus he would surely become the Fox News darling commentator to continue pedaling his fake news and loudspeaker nonsense about Crooked Hillary, and more birther conspiracy theories on Obama.

And so, he's crass and crude, but as long as he's not a president, he can say whatever he wants and he won't be held accountable, thanks to the free speech protection. His finances and personal affairs would not be held under microscopic scrutiny either since no one can force him to do so, nor would he be required to. In short, Trump has everything to win by NOT winning the 2016 presidential election. Yet, he did. How ironic.

Now, everything that he's said and done would be brought into focus. He might think he can backtrack and deny things that he's said and done. But under the court of law, he's perjury many times over. His peanut-sized brain (probably matched only by his manhood) is only now beginning to grasp that reality. He thinks he can do whatever he wants in the White House, but it only goes to show how little he understands how the judicial system and executive branch work in a civic government. To say he's clueless and idiotic, is far too kind and a gross understatement.

We know Trump won't back down. That's his modus operandi. If he's impeached, he would just scream louder, professing himself to martyr for right-wing causes, at the swords of liberals and Dems. No doubt Mike Pence will pardon him, and then all will be well for him.

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One should be noted that just because one is saying No to Trump does not necessarily mean an endorsement to the Dems' agenda.

All the shiny new objects like Ocacio-Cortez are just side-shows. Removing Trump from White House does not address the pressing questions that half of the country's voters have agreed on, which is the issue of immigration. Making it easier for all the economic migrants from South America to come in under the pretense of "aslyum" does nothing to solve the underlying issue. All that Dems has done so far, is to stir up more interests in more migrant caravans with more kids jumping on board. The end results? There'll be a far larger cohorts of DACA in 10-15 years.

It is thus that for all the idiocy and outrageousness of Trump, the symbolic fight to erect a border wall is simply something that electorates in general want, which is to toughen immigration enforcement and to introduce immigration reforms. If the country truly needs and can make good use of immigrants, let them come through officially, track them, let them pay taxes. Afterall that was the intent of H1B, wasn't it? Granted that there has been much abuse reported in the H1B system, it has worked, by and large, by bringing in needed high-tech workers and skilled labor into the country. There must be a way to get that working for low/no-skill workers, though the system would have to be enforced and monitored far more vigorously since it can be so easily gamed and abused.

One way or the other, this HAS to work. I'm sick of all the talks of DACA, yet it's silly to demonize migrants.

On following up on New Year resolution...

It's two weeks, and counting. My New Year resolution is still holding up, by and large.

Going into office is tough, since it's so coffee-oriented. Coffee breaks (that long ago replaces smoke breaks) have become the time when folks get together for chats. It seems almost pointless to just hold a bottle of water in hand. So far, I've only offended once, with a cup of decaf. It doesn't seem to have impacted my blood pressure and heart rate adversely. Maybe there really is something in decaf that I should have given it more credits for.

Still, a coffee is a coffee, decaf or otherwise. At least when I'm not in office, when I'm away from all the temptations, I haven't touched any coffee or even feel the urge for it. Fingers crossed.

As with the coffee, I've offended once while eating out with office folks over lunch. One pack of chips. I feel horrible afterwards, for breaking my own rules. More fingers crossed.

I do get to keep at the daily exercise regiment. Daily kettlebell workout and stretching in the evening.

The exercise also helps to tire me out, and I have been sleeping earlier (before 11pm). I've also been waking up on my own around dawn without feeling tired. The withdrawal symptoms of low-grade headache and tirelessness in the afternoon is long gone.

Things are going good, so far. Blood pressure came back down to normal range. Heart rate came back down to 70 (from the coffee days of 97) which is amazing to me. And I don't feel heart palpitation (which I felt almost every night when I laid down on bed) anymore.

I've also lost some 6 pounds without any change in diet or fluids intake. (In fact, I've been drinking water more often.)

I feel great. 

The only thing I do miss occasionally, is the caffeine rush with the first cup of coffee, and that sudden clearness in the head right after. But, it's not worth all the potential health risks that comes with it.

New Year resolution...

I don't generally do New Year resolutions. I have some goals in mind that generally spans more than one year, hence the idea of resolution over the coming year seems too short term to me. Well, that was in the past anyways. As I get older, maybe I should take things in smaller, bite-sized chunks.

What spurs me into action, is the realization, almost by providence, that I've had high blood pressure. It's surprise to me since I have always had low blood pressure all my life. In fact, I feel just fine, so much so that I've been pushing off the annual medical check-up with my PCP for some five years now.

I was visiting families over the Christmas period. As my mother is getting older, she's very health-conscious. As she settles in her nursing home routines, she's used to taking blood pressure three times a day, and various medications five times a day. During the visit, I took my own blood pressure with her gauge out of curiosity. To my horror, my high readings were well in the hypertension range (more than 190 in upper readings, close to 100 in lower readings, and heart rate of 97). How could I allow myself to sway into such danger zone?

Initially I was in state of denial. I took another readings after a few hours, thinking the earlier readings must have been just anomaly. Not so, unfortunately, as the second readings were almost as high as the first one. I again took it the next day, and the day after that. Over the course of three days, my blood pressure never came down. Worse yet, my readings were higher than those of my mother's (!!).

Something must be done about it.

Lifestyle change is the first order of business. I don't want to reduce myself to a life sustained by medications and machines. As a reminder to myself, I've set a New Year resolution for myself, for a change.

• I don't get addicted to anything easily, but I've started drinking coffee since I was 7. Coffee is a passion that I shared with my dad over many decades, and we loved almost the same kind of food (even the specific part of dish, like the skin of a steamed fish, and sauteed squid). Every time we got together, we would have a good cup of coffee (he liked cappuccino and flat white, so do I). After my dad passed away three years ago, coffee is almost a daily reminder of his presence with me. But, I know it's time to let it go.
• I've always been slender all my life. (I'm the slim one in the family.) My metabolism has always been high. I could eat a lot and never gain weight. But, I've rested on laurel for far too long. Although I still like to move around, it would seem that it's not enough anymore. As I get older, my metabolism is slowing as well. I've noticed my mid-section has been expanding somewhat, and I've gained some 15 pounds in the past 1.5 years, with no change in routines or diet. Others might not have noticed it, but I know it for a fact. It's time for me to seriously pick up daily exercise, rather than relying on the "moving around".
• I need to cut down my periodic cravings for junk food (hello, chips and salami). 

Well before my Christmas vacations with family wraps up, I cut out my daily coffee habits. I check my blood pressure for the next three days. To much pleasant surprise, my blood pressure has gone back to the normal range once I stop my caffeine intake. I deliberately keep everything else in my daily routine the same, except the one (missing) variable of coffee, as a control test. I was truly amazed by how immediate the impact has been. I'm resolved to abstain from caffeine from now on. I've had withdrawal symptoms for some four days, with low-grade headache in the afternoon. But on the fifth day, it's gone. I still get a bit tired in the afternoon, occasional catnap and earlier sleeping habit will suffix.

I've also ordered a blood pressure gauge online, so that when I get home, it'll be there for me to start right on it, checking up everyday.

And, there'll be no more junk food, not even "on occasions." As I age, I don't think I can afford that luxury anymore, thrashing my body like that. 

As to the no-salt diet, it's never been a problem with me since I don't really eat that much salty food anyways, apart from the occasional chips and salami.

I'm still working on a schedule to block out some time everyday to do some power-walking to pump my heart. But I can start on the weights and sit-ups at home everyday, which is easy enough. Workout with the kettlebells isn't hard at all.

Such are my resolutions for 2019 and beyond. My first resolutions ever. It doesn't sound too strenuous or difficult to me. Let's see how I fare when I take stock by end of the year. I'm hopeful of that. :)