Four Park Mambo & The Kai Chi Do Non Resistance.

ZEN.

Whole lotta zen last week or so since I have reported. Still trying to get my feet under me in the new blog format. I think I have it down. Anyways, been getting the meditation part down, now I need to get the Yoga train going. Joined a Kai Chi Do meetup group in the area and will be going to my first one in February.

As described by the official site....

Kai Chi Do® is a system of movements utilizing Five Elements combined with music, meditation, and breathwork, to free blocked Energy.

Sounds chi-licious don't it?


VEGAN.

New business venture idea in the works. A vegan italian joint. In the very very early stages, but every day, closer it will get. I will speak about it here second.




ECO-IST.

A Lot of park and wilderness activities in the last ten or so days. Heres the super fast recap sans 99 percent of the pictures taken. If I had done the entries as i went to each place, I'd have posted them all. Now its just a too big task to undertake. This is from the first trip to Anclote River Park. Lisa sitting, waiting, wishing for a Manatee to arrive. They do popup right at the scene of this crime, but alas, none were there.


Next is from Jay B Starkey Wilderness Park on the trail. Ok, ok, enough. I am sick of doing all this editing. Next time, I'll do post the entries as they happen. This is ridiculous. I can;t sit here and imageshack and polaroid all these pics. Are we all crazy?


COMEDIAN?

Coming closer together on my ecomedy idea. It involves a lot of miles and no car. Sorry for the skippy haphazard boring entry. I just wanted to check in. Getting focused.

of heart rates, bikes and pudding

ZEN.

I finished my three days of silence with only a few hiccups. A few minutes after I started it, someone came knocking at the dooor looking for the person who lived here before me. I could have mimed it, or made nonsensical jestures, but then they might have thought I was hiding them in here and that i was a wacko hopped up on something. Though, when I talk they still might have gotten that impression, so who knows.

My next stint starting tomorrow is 1 week of the simple heartbeat theory. I am going to go a week avoiding stress and all activities and things that will cause my heart rate to spike. I need to get to the root of happiness and it starts at the inside. Once I find out (and the people around me) what keeps me happy and not a ticking time bomb, all is good.

Also, on the zen note, started (and stopped) reading eat, pray love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Review? Well they say, if you can't say anything nice......



VEGAN.

Here's a recipe from the previously mentioned cookbook by Moby, Teany. If I was still in New York, I'd check his place out. I will still go. But for now, here's one of the recipes from the book/cafe.

Chocolate and Green Tea Pudding Recipe 1 cup chocolate soy milk 1 tablespoon loose green tea leaves 10 ounces (one bag) semisweet vegan chocolate chips 12 ounces silken tofu 1/4 cup soft tofu 2 tablespoons matcha tea (green tea powder, available at any good tea shop), optional Pour the chocolate milk and tea leaves into a small pot and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let the chocolate milk cool. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler (or you can do this in a small pot over low heat, stirring constantly). Put the soy milk mixture , melted chocolate, silken tofu, and soft tofu into a food processor. Blend until totally smooth. Put into individual cups or bowls, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Before serving, take a paper doily or any other design cutout and lay it over the pudding. Generously powder the top of the doily or cutout with the matcha. Lift the doily or cutout, making sure not to disturb the design you just made. Serve immediately. Makes 5 servings. From Teany Book: Stories, Food, Romance, Cartoons and, of Course, Tea by Moby and Kelly Tisdale (Studio, 2005) - reprinted with permission

ECO-IST.

I am now ready to go a-biking. The Cannondale is in order and I will again seriously cut back on the car usage. Today for my mom's birthday we are going to Largo to see an Elvis Impersonator she loves, so instead of going in two cars and meeting them, its a car-pool kind of day.
But biking is going to be the main mode for January. I also now own some walking poles to be used during the many hikes that are planned in 09.

Time to live a different life.
Dream it. Plan it. Do it.


COMEDIAN?

Looking to get back to the stage with a few different approaches. There's a local place I think i can get stuff done at. Buit this time its not for me as much. Stay tuned.

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of silence, tea and wood{y}

ZEN.

Today I am going on a three day speaking fast. No words. Just odd expressions from the overly talkative cashier when I have to ask for a book today at the bookstore (this should be interesting). Well, it will be fun and therapeutic. I need and have needed to do this. A lot of you are thinking, "Isn't New Years Eve tomorrow? How can you go that day without speaking?"

Well, thats just it. It's a perfect day to be doing it when you think about it. In this day and age of tech and the 'now, now now! mentality, we lose sight of the simple things. We don't see the forest for the trees. That being said, It's high time I took a hike in the woods.

As of 11:42. No speaking for three days. How will it go?



VEGAN.

Got a new 'cookbook' to add to my collection. This one is Teany by Moby and Kelly Somethingorother. Its a great little book (For 3 dollars @ Big Lots). It talks about his Lower East Side cafe, Teany, done through humor and not so much humor. It has a lot of natural tea remedies, vegan recipes (I finally found a vegan version of Pink Vodka sauce), the *fake* history of Teany, Moby & Kelly, among other nice tidbits thrown into a journal style stream of consciousness format. Fun read, pick it up.




ECO-IST.

Woody Harrelson was one of my main if not THE main inspirations for change. He is someone who walks the talk. I recently picked up the eco-mentary dvd and companion book, 'How to Go Further' at Borders and it opened my eyes. I am positive it will have the same effect on you as it did on me.



Check out these links to buy his book/eco-mentary dvd & learn more!

- woody harrelson and laura louie's voice yourself!: the official site
- the world according to woody harrelson
- woody loves nothing more than a bit of yoga
- woody harrelson's long strange trip
- woody harrelson's sustainable life
- woody harrelson talks marijuana
- woody harrelson's wonderful life



COMEDIAN?

--- I was just thinking of how the hell I am going to talk for 3 days. WTF was I thinking (ok there I am off to a good start, 'thinking', not 'saying'.
Good start.

Anyways, in thinking I thought (there i go again. this is easy), what if i have to sneeze? Does the sound of a sneeze count? OF course not. Buuuuuut, what about if I go 'Oh my god' after it, if its a big sneeze? Or what if I see a car accident and naturally go, "OMG WTF!!!!". Will I then be a failure? Someone who couldn't keep his simple word. Destined to forever be a person who doesn't do what they set out to do?

Of course it does.

But If I scream at the top of my lung in the woods (because I dropped a log on my tootsies) and no ones around to hear it?..........


--- Random thought- If a book is 3 dollars, does that make it a crappy book? I am seriously wondering it. Its very rare to see certain books ever go discounted, some go wayyyy down. I feel bad for the author. Unless its one of those romanciers.
Anyways, heres a list of books that you might see at the clearance isle at your local neighborhood hardware store.

-The History Of Squash: The Sport AND The Plant. Volume 1

-Philosophy & Tony Hawk

-Bush & Me: A Love Story

-Reverse Racism In Harlem In 1943: A Spiritual Study Of 14 Woman's & 6 Men's Ideals and Values In An Analyzation Driven World & The People That Inhabit It.

- Death By Ferris Wheel: A Novel

Get em now, before they aren't all gone.

--- Finally Woody Harrelson's birthday is July 23rd. Go wish him a happy happy at his website.


Thats all kids. Silence starts at 12 noon.
Now!

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new format

New format rolling out today. I decided to take the 4 header words from the blog title, and blog based on each of those topics in each entry. Hope it works for me...and you. Its a worK in progress. I think my final format idea will be to talk ZEN.VEGAN.ECO-ISM. then in the comedian section, recap things with a funny bend. Maybe?


ZEN.

Today I did my first 'reframe'. It's the art of taking something that happened to you thats perceived as a negative, annoying, frustrating or whatever and 'reframing it' to see another side of it. I am always on the lookout for things like this. Me? Anger issues? Nooooooo. Yesssssssss.
Anyways, I saw this article on the not yet phenomenon of 'the reframing effect' and I bookmarked It quicker than you can say...

"Why would you bookmark this site when the article is only like 50 words?"

Though you wouldn't say that because why would you care if I bookmarked it. Its weird to care about that. Besides most people bookmark porn.

Here's How Tim Brownson describes it.

"If something unexpected happens, it’s easy to let it knock your fledgling self-confidence. Perhaps you spill your drink on someone, you arrive late for the big meeting because of traffic problems, or someone who you wanted to speak to gives you a cold brush-off. Try to “reframe” the situation; put it in the best possible light: often, events are only negative because of the meaning we attach to them".

Give it a try, it can't help but help.

I like the meditation thing. It calmed me down even though it was early in the morning and I was already calm.

Mission Meditate: Success.


VEGAN.

So, people ask me, are you really doing it? Going green?

Yes, tho its going slowly.
I haven't switched over all aspects yet.
I am learning and easing in.
I am still eating fish, though I am phasing it out ever so slowly as you will notice below.
Heres my early dieting plan.

Day 1: All natural, vegan and organic. Which included a colorful melange of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Day 2: I had fish as well as the recommended daily intake of protein and greens. (Note: I enjoy fish and might still eat the occasional sardine).
Day 3: I hunted and killed 3 deer and a squirrel. Then ate them both.
Day 4: I entered and finished fourth (!) in a hungarian/polish sausage/sauerkraut/chilibean eating contest in Springfield. Went home, had an apple.
Days 5 & 6: I ate nothing but chicken and all variations of. Chicken pot pie, chicken tenders, mcchicken sandwiches, chicken with pork sauce & just plain chicken. Felt extra healthy on this day. It's days like these that are gonna make it suck giving up chicken.
Day 7: Smoothie Sundays! These will be fun. I had 4 total. Along with HGH, and a bag of jelly beans (I ran out of fruits and stuff).
Don't judge!!

This organic living is fun!

baby steps....

*editors note* Ok so this should be more for the 'comedian?' section because of all the laughs therein. But Since the blog is new, I shoved it there. Besides, its from March. I don't eat meat or jelly beans.


ECO-IST.





COMEDIAN?

In the ZEN section up top, I talked about the 'reframe' exercise I came across on the web..I just didn't detail it too much.

Well, I am not going to do that here, either. But I will elaborate.

Well, I found the perfect scenario for this exercise. Something that upset me, that I was damn well going to spin doctor into something that fit how I saw things. Because I am the only important one in this thing right?

Anyways. I sized it up. Thought it through. Then applied it liberally.

Now I have a nasty f*&king rash on my bottom!
Does that always happen when you 'reframe' and realize thas the person in traffic cutting you off was only doing it because I drive a Toyota and he's an asshole?
Ok maybe, that rash was from something else. And maybe he cut me off because thats how he drives and I wasn't paying close enough attention to his intentions.

Either way. Unlike my old Electric football game with the guys that run all over the place even though I told them to run straight and have Lynn Swann do a fly pattern across the middle, this thing works.
I was speaking earlier on feeling relaxed doing my 1st meditation. IT also felt weird. I had this strange sensation going on up in the house. Hard to explain.
Though It did make me think of other things I've experienced that are soooo relaxing but that also feel weird to me.

+ Geting Novacaine (During a dentists visit, or not)
+ Masturbating (During a dentist visit, or not)
+ Baking a cake while wearing a cowboy hat with a parrot on my shoulder.

There is something to be said for all this zen buddhist meditation yoga, mind body stuff.
And that thing is...Neat-O.

I'm liking it.

--On the comedy world front, it seems the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm will be based loosely around Larry's real life starring role in a Woody Allen film, entitled, Whatever Works.
Can there be a better person to play Woody besides Woody?

On a side note (back and to the left) someone asked me once if because of my neurosis, my life ever felt like a Woody Allen movie. I said, 'Yea. But I just wish i had a better supporting cast'.



Tommy

earth day: welcome to the movement

- hi all. welcome aboard and happy earthday to you. i am inviting you to come along on my journey to help save the planet through comedy. soon i will be doing some exciting things as it relates to the environment & comedy. i finally found my purpose in life and without sounding too preachy, or at all preachy, it is helping others and myself too save the earth. sometimes you see things and you say, wtf! i have begun a life of eco-conscious SOL (Simply Organic Living). I say, "if you aren't SOL, you're S.O.L".

-my other purpose for being here is comedy, i knew i had to combine the two when i saw how both of them are more alike than i thought. i hope to bring the message to the masses with jokes, which has brought to you, the 'green with laughter' movement.

-any comedians interested in performing at any of my green shows, email me, any non comedians looking to join the movement or just enjoy the shows, let me know as well. i'd love to hear from you.

more to come soon.

enjoy earth day.

tommy fusco
scotch plains, n.j.