Welcome to Wick's Weblog. Here you will find much randomness from food, sports and maybe some technology thrown in there. If you have any ideas you want me to talk about or ask about, just contact me. I'll be glad to do some research.

30 Minute Hardcore Workout Play List

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Since I haven’t been able to get up as early as I like to hit the gym I have been getting there around 6:45 to 7:00 AM or during my lunch hour. So that limits me to a 30 to 45 minute workout. Yeah not too happy about myself getting to the gym so late or using my lunch hour. So I have made a quick 30 minute play list for inspiration and why it lives on this play list.

Redefine – Soil

    Why am I going to the gym? Yes to redefine myself.

Prison Song – System of a Down

    Have you heard this song? It pushes you. The PRISON SYSTEM!

Pathetic – Five Bolt Main

    I’m feeling pretty pathetic because I have been lacking on my gym time.

Pushing Through – Mudvayne

    Middle of the playlist, am I getting tired? Keep pushing dood!

Walk – Pantera

    Only my favorite Pantera song. You can’t be something you’re not….RE! SPECT! WALK!

Fully Alive – Flyleaf

    Ok, a chick singing with some sweet riffs. The workout is fully alive.

Black – Sevendust

    The riff at the beginning at the song keeps me going. It’s a straight pump to get me through the last of my workout.

Reborn – Drowning Pool

    Finishing up my workout. My day has been reborn.

Any thoughts? Suggestions? I am looking for about 3 to 5 more songs to make a 45 minute list. But I believe I have found the perfect 30.9 minute (according to iTunes) workout play list to push you through it. Enjoy.

Letter to the Editor About Amanda by Jennifer Smith

Friday, January 29th, 2010

January 10th, a dear friend of mine was murdered in a murder/suicide by her husband in which they were in the process of going through a divorce. I am posting this here so that I will have Jennifer’s letter on hand at all times. It was published in the Columbus Packet and she also sent the letter to the Daily Journal in Tupelo and to the Daily Corinthian in Corinth. I know for sure that the Daily Corinthian has failed to return phone calls and emails back to Jennifer about her letter as of January 29, 2010. I am not sure if it was ever printed in the Daily Journal.

Below you will find a note to the editor of the Columbus Packet (Roger Larson) and a note from him (in italics). All of this was posted on http://myweb.cableone.net/columbuspacket/letters.html


Editor’s note: Jennifer Smith, who wrote the following letter, included this note with it.

Roger,

Many people in Columbus and Starkville know the two people that the attached letter is about as they both lived here and in Starkville for years, which is why I found it hard to believe that Tupelo covered their deaths but not Columbus. Amanda was a graduate of MSU and her husband Brad was a graduate of MUW.

Thanks for your time,
Jennifer Smith

Ms. Smith’s e-mail was the first I had heard of the murder/suicide.

Editor:

I am writing in response to the January 10 murder/suicide of Amanda Millsaps and Brad Johnson in Corinth. Their deaths did not garner much attention here, but they had resided in the Golden Triangle area for the past two years, up until last June. While living here, Amanda worked at a Columbus bank and taught water aerobics at night at the W. Brad graduated from the W in May with a business degree. Amanda was my college roommate and best friend. The news of her death devastated me, but the resulting news coverage on WTVA angered me. It was insinuated that this came out of the blue, that no one could see this coming. That is, in fact, horribly wrong. Brad had been stalking, harassing and threatening Amanda since their separation in October. He even went so far as to follow her 120 miles from Corinth to Columbus, where he stalked her all night and then physically assaulted her when she was separated from her friends. I took her to the police station that night where she filed a report against him. I will forever feel guilty that I did not push her to press charges against him that night.

Amanda sought protection from Brad, but the system and everyone involved failed her. Amanda sought a restraining order in Alcorn County, but the judge would not listen to her—too busy on his cell phone to listen to a woman who feared for her safety. He would not grant her an emergency restraining order but instead told her to bring it to open court. This means that Brad would have to be served and then face her in open court to defend himself against the protective order. Please explain to me how it makes sense that a woman who fears for her safety would want the person doing this to her to know the exact date, time, and place (the courthouse) where he can find her? Brad’s counselor hung up on her when she called to report that Brad had threatened both Amanda’s life and his own. Her divorce attorney did not return her calls when she called for weeks seeking advice on what to do. The people in his camp (I will not name names as you know who you are and will have to live with that) told her she was a liar and that Brad would never do those horrible things when she sought for the people close to him to help her by encouraging him to seek help and move on.

I know rationally that Amanda’s death is no one’s fault but Brad Johnson’s, but I am so angry that no one with the power to help her even listened to her, much less actually tried to help. I hope in the future that judges take the time, and have the courtesy to hang up the cell phone, to listen when a woman comes to them fearing for her safety, especially as she already had a police report from Columbus where he had followed her across numerous counties and miles and physically hurt her. I hope in the future that counselors/ psychologists listen that a man has threatened his life and others. I hope in the future that attorneys take ten minutes out of their day to return a call. I hope in the future that friends and family of a man take seriously that the man is threatening harm against someone and actually get involved instead of sitting on the sidelines.

Evil presides when good people do nothing. But, most of all, I hope that women will take seriously any threats made on their life. Amanda feared that Brad would harm her, but she never believed that he would kill her. She was tragically wrong. Nothing will bring back this beautiful, warm, vivacious lady whom her family and friends loved and adored, but I hope that we all can learn something from her death. I believe that this case shows how and why we need tougher laws on domestic violence in Mississippi and more protection for the women in danger. Let us never allow this to happen again.

Jennifer Smith
Columbus

Getting ready to Home Brew

Friday, October 30th, 2009

This past summer I was in Kansas City with some family. And my last evening there we got to brew some beer. After trying Fat Tire in Colorado years ago and then discovering it in Memphis last Christmas, a recipe for the Fat Tire clone was found and we decided to recreate it. After reading the recipe I was floored at how precise things were listed on it. Steep the grains at a 154 degrees, put so many ounces of this into it. Well after discussing this I learned the main part of brewing your beer is keeping everything sanitized. Sanitizing the carboy, the bottles and so on. I have been itching to get myself a brewing kit so I can start the brewing here in Starkville. So I kept getting updates from KC on how the beer was coming and of course I couldn’t wait to get there to try it. So finally October rolled around and we were able to get on it and was it good. Really smooth and the flavor of it was right on point. Didn’t have that bite that Fat Tire does. I think tonight, a side by side comparison is going to happen. I’ll update this post with pics.

Wick's Pick  Home Brew

Wick's Pick Home Brew

If you have any suggestions on where to purchase home brewing kits/ingredients, let me know. I have had suggestions and am always looking for the better deal.

Awesome Parking Job

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Well, I know I want to add more content to my site and everything. So I saw this YouTube video and it was too funny.  I wanna park like this guy.

Testing Deepest Sender

Friday, August 21st, 2009

Testing out a Firefox plugin called Deepest Sender. Maybe can submit quicker blogs and try to keep things more up to date. I have been slacking and it is just going to get worse probably. I have started back into graduate school, but only taking one class along with full time here at the university. Gah! I have to remember things from my Engineering Statistics class? Seriously? Yeah that is what I’ll be working on this weekend.

Have a great weekend and hopefully I’ll be around more.

Smoker Brisket Action

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Well after my trip to Kansas City a little over a month ago and learning quite a bit about barbecuing meat, I wanted to try my hand at smoking a brisket. Learned some tricks, got some tips and also ate some good food! Well here is my first attempt.

Sweating in spices. My first attempt, just salt and heavy pepper.

Sweating in spices. My first attempt, just salt and heavy pepper.

After about 6 hours on the smoker, only 9 more hours to go!

After about 4 hours on the smoker, only 10 more hours to go!

Almost to the 12 hour mark. Wrapped in foil to limit burning and keeping meat's juices.

Almost to the 12 hour mark. Wrapped in foil to limit burning and keeping meat's juices.

Here it is after 15 hours on the smoker! Good things come to those who wait.

Here it is after 15 hours on the smoker! Good things come to those who wait.

Here is my homemade BBQ sauce. I believe this cooked about 8 hours. Needs some more vinegar, but its a good base. This will be perfected soon.

Here is my homemade BBQ sauce. I believe this cooked about 8 hours. Needs some more vinegar, but its a good base. This will be perfected soon.

I will document more smoker action soon, I hope. Next up is a pork butt. Yessir!

Why are you using my email address?

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

So for about the past year or so I have gotten random emails sent to my Gmail account. Anywhere from car purchasing information, soccer pictures, family pictures, asking to have a day off, trying to reset my Gmail and Netflix accounts, and much more random stuff. So check this:

Hi Jessica,

As discussed, I have attached a candidate Registration pack for you to complete prior to coming into the branch to register with us.

Your Appointment is scheduled for Friday morning the 7th of August at 11.30am.

We are located at unit 3 – 4 Albatross street, Winnellie. (Next to the ANZ Bank)

Peter Remfrey | Branch Supervisor – Darwin
0417 ### ###
(I took out the #, just in case)

KI Recruitment CMYK

First of all, I’m not Jessica. This is a new name that I have seen. I have seen Jack multiple times, James a few times, but this the first instance of a female. I think this is from What is the dealio? So I thought I’d share. Maybe I’ll see if I have archived the emails and that’ll be a whole other blog.

Roundabout

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

I am in my awakening
A character formed on the land
Persistent attempts
Awareness like a hawk
I can see clearly through the glass

Renewing my life through the days
A bold mystique? Not quite
Relentless needs
Perceptions are defined
The blue sky is clearly shown

Intoxicating my mind with knowledge
Nothing is natural
Going for broke mentality
Notions are labeled
The stars are shining in the black crisp night

Lifting Journal 11/5/08

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

Yesterday 11/4/08 (Election Day)
Got to the gym late again…’round 7:00 AM
Quads
Single Leg Step Downs
3 sets 15-20 reps
Leg Press
90lbs 15 reps
2 x 180lbs 12 reps
Lying Leg Curl
Resistance 6 15 reps
Resistance 7 12 reps
Resistance 8 10 reps
Seated Leg Curl
100lbs 15 reps 1-2 second hold on every push down
115lbs 12 reps 1-2 second hold on every push down
130lbs 10 reps 1-2 second hold on every push down

11/5/08 Back
Wide Grip Pulldown
120lbs 15 reps
130lbs 12 reps
140lbs 10 reps

Cable Rows
100lbs 15 reps
120lbs 12 reps
140lbs 10 reps

Bent Over Barbell Rows
135lbs 10 reps
140lbs 9 reps
140lbs 9 reps

T-Bar Rows
80lbs 15 reps
90lbs 12 reps
100lbs 10 reps

Hyper extensions
2 x Body weight 15 reps

Protien Shake

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

So I wanted something new to do with my protien drinks. And after talking with some other people on what they put in their drinks. Here is what I have come across just trying stuff out.

a handful of Bear Naked Banana Nut Granola
half a banana
about a tablespoon of natural crunchy peanut butter
about 8-12 oz of skim milk
heaping scoop of your favorite protein (I’m using Optimum Nutrition’s Rocky Road which is good just on its own).

Throw all this in a blender, maybe a few cubes of ice to make it all colder and what not. Its mega good.

Enjoy!