I went to the supermarket today; normally I get the tiny handbasket or similar because when I go through the supermarket I like to feel how much I'm buying; generally I shouldn't be buying food that keeps for less than a few days anyway so the weight thing keeps me in check. *Anyway* I did that today and it got me thinking about just how much trash you can buy at the supermarket: absolute garbage. Some of that stuff is like eating from a dumpster of bacon grease and mike & ikes. It's seriously gross just how much those packagers and canners can get away with. ### LEARN TO COOK `I can't cook! Nobody ever taught me! Nothing I make tastes good!` The first step to eating good is learning to cook: everyone's got a mom and if she didn't teach you how to cook then you've gotta find another one. My mom's first name is "Joy." Last name's "of cooking." You get the idea. Just get yourself a cookbook and some cookware; most people have that already but what most people lack is: ### CONFIDENCE Find it. Use your cookbook, I don't care how you find it but just get it; eat what you cook, that's what's worked for me; if you're ever flustered then just think of all the people who never even try. That works for me too. Buy an apron, get a chef's hat, buy a nice set of knives and learn techniques to prep more things faster better. ### BRAINPOWER Now that you've had some fun playing around with your kitchen it's time to pay more attention to just *what* you're eating. Dump the grease from your meats, cook with vegetables you've never seen before, try a different style or put your own flair on an old favorite. Basically try to incorporate as many colors as are in the rainbow into your vocabulary and as many different cuts and techniques as there are people in the world into your head. Keep things distinct in the kitchen: never go for "stir-fry" (tell me about the last remarkable stir-fry you had) and avoid mixing things which shouldn't be mixed: let the flavors and textures play with each other on the plate and in your mouth, not in the pan. ### THREE SQUARE MEALS That's fucking right: 3! Three! III! I can't stress this enough; you might be content to eat cup ramen for dinner: no! There are so many more things one could cook, if only one could stop being so lazy... but more on self-respect later. ### BEER IS ...bad for you and contributes to the early decline of one's health (and the sagging of one's stomach); be as cautious of over-drinking as you are of over-eating. Actually be even more cautious of getting too drunk because there is an extra sort of baggage that comes along... What are you trying to do? Drinking with spirit or only aimlessly drinking? ### CURIOUSLY-SHAPED FRUITS Everyone knows that fruits are wildly suggestive: bananas, grapefruits, carrots, melons... embrace that fact: cook with as many suggestive fruits as you can find at the store, often they're packed full of important acids and vitamins which help you think harder and faster. Although dick-shaped foods are the best [for brainpower] there are many other options to expand your potential; if you're still trying to grasp your identity [in the kitchen] the apron might help. ### THINKING FAST We've all gotta think: some less than others but still all of us think to a certain degree. Have you ever thought about how it would be if you couldn't think? And you know we all need food to function, right? Then it follows that the food you eat will affect how you think. Make the right choice and eat foods that'll make you think: fish, fresh fruits & vegetables. There's no excuse to want to think slow. ### PLAN YOUR COOK TIMES You don't wanna sit at the dinner table jerking your dick around while you wait on food to finish cooking, right? You wanna be effective in the kitchen so you can get on with your life, right? Especially for those of us who actually enjoy *doing things* with our free-time, time not spent waiting on something, someone, anything is time we can put to something interesting and new. So think before you put it in [the oven]. There's no way I can stress this more. **THINK BEFORE YOU PUT IT IN**. Even a small amount of planning and forethought can save you so much hassle later on: it's like a favor to yourself. When you think like that, it shows me that you really respect yourself and your time, as well as the time and commitment and feelings of those around you. ### RESPECT AND SELF-RESPECT This is important: why are you doing all this stuff for yourself if you don't love yourself? Express your love (for yourself and for others) in actions and not words: cooking is one way to unlock that expression. ### EXERCISE AND SELF-CARE My mentor taught me this: *Do today what you wish you had done yesterday.* And he's a pretty smart guy so I'm passing this on to you: you don't need a lofty goal, some higher-high or an aligning vision. Do it for yourself and nobody else; then you'll understand what I'm getting at. It's not fun (!!) and I don't think enough people realize that. If physical training was fun then we'd always be out under then sun. But the reality is that it's difficult and unforgiving and largely depressing; pay it no mind and stop searching for something fun in the midst of suffering. Only once you've come to bear suffering can you bear into infinity: to cast it away so suddenly it flies into an endless blue sky. ### ARCADIA OF YOUR YOUTH You won't be young forever; actually you'll grow quite old one day. And any day after that you'll be still older. The idea is to avoid this at all costs. ### RESPECTING ROUTINES The only way to allow yourself the time to do interesting things is to work your way into a routine. Like how water cuts away a river's bend seek to cut out the roundabout things from your life to make room for *swift-flowing action*. With rivers and with oneself this kind of thing will decrease the volume of standing-water. Respect other's routines; as a sign of respect do not interrupt a seriously dedicated spirit; of course, you *can* recognize those who are only *pretending* to be busy, right? Waking up at a certain time is important; going to bed is more flexible. But try to find a deeper routine than this, it's only a start... I want to write so much more but I ought to hit the hay.