New Thing 220, New Thing Every Day: Go to the New Hockman's Interiors

Yes, I am partially using this because I don't feel like finding a new thing today; but I am also using it because I just really liked it there. They have so much cool stuff! I was there for a chamber ribbon cutting, and had time to look around, and they really do have an awful lot of cool furniture and light fixtures and just all kinds of stuff for the home. You should definitely go there.

New Thing 219, New Thing Every Day: Try an Online Artificial Intelligence Site

Lately, I am becoming more and more fascinated by the whole idea of artificial intelligence. Partly, I think that is because it is just cool; and it is also a little bit because I think there is a possibility that artificial intelligence will eventually spell the end of humanity. No, of course this does not occupy my mind in any kind of unhealthy way, and I do not have any substantial emotions about it, but people who are much smarter than I am are legitimately concerned about the issue (ex. Elon Musk, excellent Vanity Fair article about this, below).

With this in mind, I found a site on the Web that allowed me to have a conversation with a rudimentary AI entity, ALICE. It was not quite the same as chatting online with a person, but pretty close.

Here is the AI site -- http://alice.pandorabots.com/

Here is the Vanity Fair article -- https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/03/elon-musk-billion-dollar-crusade-to-stop-ai-space-x

New Thing 218, New Thing Every Day: Do a Test to See If I Am in Ketosis

With my MS, there are those who think the process of ketosis -- the body burning fat instead of sugar -- will improve my condition. That is the entire foundation of this whole new Wahls Protocol diet I am doing. Everything is geared toward keeping me in a constant state of ketosis, whil making sure my body has the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.

After doing this for about two months, I finally stopped by Kilgore's and picked up a box of ketosis tests (basically, strips I pee on, like doing a kind of gross litmus test). My first try came back that I am in the earliest stages of ketosis. From here, I will try to up the ante, mostly by cutting what little sweetener I currently ingest, and we will see where it goes.

Wish me luck!

New Thing 217, New Thing Every Day: Make a List of Non-Profit Events I Want to Create

Over the years, I have created hundreds and hundreds of events, many of them completely original, many of them as non-profit fundraisers. In all that time, I have never sat and thought through a list of events I would like to create. So that is what I have done today. All of the events on my list could be non-profit fundraisers. A few, I really do not even know what they are; they are just ideas I have in my head that will likely develop into something real at some point.

Here you go.

·       3-on-3 basketball tournament

·       Wheelchair roll-a-thon

·       Pray-a-thon

·       Talent show

·       Major art museum dinner, in the museum

·       Museum slumber party

·       Camping event

·       Tree planting

·       Scavenger hunt

·       30-day Facebook event

·       Cooking event

·       Board game night

New Thing 216, New Thing Every Day: Try Head Cheese

Really, how can you go your whole life and not want to try head cheese, desperately? Well, for me, today was the day. Over the weekend, we went to the new artisinal butcher shop at Barred Owl and go several very cool items. The coolest, of course, was headcheese. From Wikipedia, "Head cheese or brawn is a cold cut that originated in Europe. A version pickled with vinegar is known as souse. Head cheese is not a dairy cheese, but a terrine or meat jelly made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig, or less commonly a sheep or cow, and often set in aspic."

Tonight, as a snack, I trued a slice of head cheese with a little dijon mustard, a common accompaniment. Honestly? Two bites was enough.

New Thing 215, New Thing Every Day: Invent a Meatloaf Recipe That Fits With What I Eat Now

After eating turkey meatloaf every few weeks for many years -- Leigh makes awesome meatloaf -- we have not had it in a few months because it has bread crumbs and we do not eat bread anymore. Tonight, we decided to find another recipe, and I decided to invent one, instead. I did, and then made it, and it was absolutely delicious. We will definitely go back to having meatloaf more often again.

Here is the recipe:
3/4 ground turkey
1/4 salsiccia
3 tbsp. paleo flour (with almod flour, etc.)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
garlic salt
dash of red pepper flakes

Homemade BBQ Sauce:
3 parts Organic ketchup
1 part Sriracha
3 parts pomegranate balsamic vinnagrette
dash of agave nectar

We accompanied the meatloaf with a delicious cauliflower puree.

New Thing 214, New Thing Every Day: Visit Rock Bridge State Park

Nope, never been there. I have been in Columbia for 20 or so of the last 29 years, and somehow I have never managed to make it to Rock Bridge State Park. Leigh and I went over today so I could see what I could see. It is not very accessible, so I have blown my chance to see the grand sights of the park, but I have done my best. Check another New Thing off the list.