The Brian Blog

Strep Update:

So I took Monday off, slept in, drank plenty of Fire Brew, and I have to say folks, it's been three days with no signs of Strep.

I do admit to having a cough, and I feel tired occasionally, but I think that's allergy related. It's also close to normal for me right now considering what time I wake up at in the morning.

The pain in the throat is still gone, and I'm honestly impressed with the power of the Fire Brew.

I certainly won't be missing that musky, bitter tang of garlic and apple cider vinegar. But if you are suffering from the slicing pain of Strep it's worth it. 100%!

I will probably keep drinking it occasionally until I don't feel anymore tiredness and stop coughing, but I think that's more allergy related than anything with the strep.

Overall, I'm impressed. I recommend giving it a try.

THE BRIAN BLOG

Strep Throat and The Fire Brew: A Natural Alternative to Antibiotics?

Something happened to me last week that hasn't in years. Last Monday, to be exact, I fell ill with a fever. I took a few days from work, or only worked lightly until I thought I was better.

Three days later my fever broke, however, I was still not 100%. I still woke up every morning with a sore throat, and had trouble sleeping because of it.

Breathing in the morning was getting very painful, and my sore throat grew steadily worse every day. I questioned whether or not I had something else along with my cold; the of strep throat did cross my mind.

Saturday I began feeling the dreaded 9/10 pain of strep. It's hard to describe that sliced up of feeling of razor blades in the throat. The painful sensation doesn't subside for long, even after sucking on cough drops and coating the throat with Dayquil.

 Well, I knew I could go to the Dr. and receive a prescription for antibiotics, or, I could turn to alternative medicine through herbs & diet. I chose the ladder. It's really my first choice whenever possible. Like so many others I avoid prescription drugs and antibiotics when I can.

 I've learned a lot about how they work from medical professionals over the years, and while many of them do work, their side-effects or methods aren't always great for the body. I won't get into a lot of this here now because that's not what this post is about, however, a good argument for natural alternatives may make its way in a future post.

Being a singer, I already knew that cayenne had a proven track record for sore throats, but I wasn't 100% sure what it could do to the strep bacteria. I began pouring through the internet for information. Luckily, it didn't take long to find it. I came across several recipes for all-out, natural cures for strep, many of them sharing the same ingredients.

After compiling several recipes I took the most common ingredients, especially the ones that were anti-bacterial or made sense in some way, and made my own. I call it...
 Brian's Fire Brew.

Brian's Fire Brew:

1 & 1/2 (more if you can stand it) tablespoon ground cayenne

1 tablespoon of finely ground fresh garlic

2 tablespoon of raw honey

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Brewed & stirred inside of a eucalypti tea

Any tea will work, but I prefer the healing benefits of eucalypti

I took a sip of this (warm) every 15 minutes for several hours. (Still am just in case.)

Now, I have to warn you that I'm not a Dr. and I don't guarantee anyone that this will work, however, I'll let you know what it's done for me.

I began drinking this flaming concoction on Saturday evening while my throat still felt like knives were slicing around in there. The first drink was excruciating; it was like drinking acid and the pain was almost unbearable. I felt like my throat was on fire. The second and third were almost just as bad, however, by about the fifth or sixth drink I began to feel a lot better. (I imagine if you cut back on the cayenne, especially at first, the burn would lessen quite a bit, however, the results may be much slower as well.)

By the end of my first cup I was feeling tremendously better. The pain in my throat had subsided from a 9-10 to around a 3-4. When i woke the next morning it was back to about a 5 or 6 but I quickly made more Fire Brew and it didn't take long to return to a 3. Simply amazing!

I've been drinking the Fire Brew throughout the day and I can honestly say it's absolutely making a difference. Any time I feel the hint of the pain returning I take another sip and it quickly subsides. It's honestly at a 1 now after being a 10 just a day ago.

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Let's breakdown some stuff in the ingredients and why I think they work.

Cayenne/garlic = antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, known to alleviate cold symptoms

Raw Honey - Known to help with throat problems and good God you need something to flavor this beverage

Apple Cider Vinegar - Seems to help me from getting heartburn with all of the cayenne as well as re-balance my PH. The re-balanced. A balanced PH may lead to additional healing benefits as well.

There are plenty of recipes like mine on the internet. This would also likely work for a simple sore throat. I can feel the ingredients actively doing something on my tonsils and throat. I know the cayenne is certainly burning on them but it also feels like more than just that.

I'll continue my Fire Brew on through the rest of Monday. If my strep doesn't subside by the end of it I'll likely be taking a trip to the Dr. to get a prescription for antibiotics. However, I'm confident that I'm winning the battle right now.

Get well out there! And have a wonderful February!

THE BRIAN BLOG

Tidying and the Kon Mari Method

Ever think your house is too messy and cluttered? Well, you're not alone. Turns out, many Americans do! And it produces a lot of stress!

I'll admit that for years my Wife and I have gone back and forth on clutter. It's not that we're messy people, but over time certain things get cluttered, or used to.

We recently read a very unique and fascinating book on the art and science of "tidying" that opened our eyes, and let me tell you, it seems radical. The author, Marie Kondo, has dedicated much of her adult life to the craft, and it shows.

What my Wife and I realized is that we've been harboring several items that bring us no joy. The book stresses that you shouldn't look for items to discard or give away, like we had done in the past, but rather keep the ones that bring you joy. This minor adjustment in our tidying made a world of difference.

We started with our closets and by the end of our first "Kon Mari" we had filled 8 large trash bags full of clothing to give away. We had no idea how much clothing we really had, and how much of it didn't bring us joy or had become obsolete due to stains/tears.

Another interesting change that we have now implemented is how we fold our clothes. We no longer fold them like you see in stores but in a way that all clothing is visible when you open the drawer. Doing this has an amazing impact on what you grab to wear.

On top of all of that, we actually like the clothes we have now! And they aren't cluttered!

There's a lot more to it than what I've described, so feel free to read the book yourself before jumping in head first. If you do find yourself doing a Kon Mari, I recommend doing as Kon Mari says and giving a word of thanks to your used items as you discard them. It may seem bizarre, but this does help the psyche let go of the old items.

You can find the book on Amazon here https://www.amazon.com/Life-Changing-Magic-Tidying-Decluttering-Organizing/dp/1607747308/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486598754&sr=8-1&keywords=kon+mari

THE BRIAN BLOG

Back to the basics: Community

Unless you've been living under a rock, or perhaps in one, you've likely seen the disparaging news taking place. Despite which side you're on you're likely upset at the constant disdain in people's attitudes.

This vitriol is certainly alive and well on the internet too, if not more so. I constantly come across posts where people are swearing up and down at each other, determined to prove a point and tear the other side down.

But here's the real question: Which side is right?

I'll let you in on a little secret, if you're finding yourself doing everything you can to tear another person down, it's not you.

America has been blessed with a freedom to share and express ideas and thoughts, not silence your opposition with fear and violence.

Perhaps it's time America went back to the basics; before we were too caught up in life to take a stroll through our own neighborhoods; before we were too absorbed into the fake lives of Hollywood to call up a friend just to ask how they're doing; before we were too infatuated with latest gossip on our news feeds to help out a person in need, even in our own backyards.

Community in America does exist in many areas, and if you're one that thrives then good for you! Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who don't believe in the power of community, not because they're innately against it, but because they've never experienced it.

If you truly want America great, make your community strong. It's been too long since we had clean, strong, friendly communities thriving across the Country.

The change has to start with someone in every community. Be that someone in yours.

The Brian Blog

Stocks and The Great 2280

Today was a flat out gorgeous day for those living in the Midwest, at least in Oklahoma anyway.

The only complaint was the 40 mile an hour winds and a few fires that left some people without homes tonight; thoughts, prayers, positive vibes to them. 

(Photo source: http://kfor.com/2017/01/24/crews-respond-after-grass-fire-spreads-to-structures-in-logan-county/)

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With that said, the wind took to the sails of the major US indexes today, driving the S&P back to the top of its channel.

It looks like we'll be looking for either a bounce or a break very soon.
The charts and indicators certainly look promising for a breakthrough to the upside; we even saw a temporary move above the 2280 line today. Sadly, it didn't close above it.

There are certainly some catalysts out there, but I haven't seen a lot of analysts and pundits pushing them so far.

What am I doing? With the S&P 20 points from the 2300 line, and the Dow 80 points from 22,000, I'll wait to see which way the political winds blow before making any moves.

Remember, typical Republican Presidency's tend to run a lower market... With that said, President Trump is far from typical. With a strong focus on manufacturing and better paying jobs, I am inclined to think the markets would keep growing.

Only time will tell. Stay positive 👍

The Brian Blog

#YoureHired: The Transition of Power & the Markets Jan 2017

The transition came, the power was transferred, and the Stock Market? Well, it kind of just rolled sideways.

True, it ended on a slightly higher note, and had some spikes throughout the day, but no Brexit effect like many had predicted; at least yet anyway.

The Trader's Almanac, a book I highly recommend to traders, predicted that the day would most likely be a bearish day. A rare miss, but altogether not a bad thing either.

So, are we out of the woods yet? Is there a bear in the woods? Perhaps... Or perhaps we'll have to wait and see what #POTUS Trump's first month in office looks like.

Of course, we can likely expect the main stream media to sling as much dirt towards Trump as they can muster up, given their track record. And Trump will likely fire back, given his track record. Interestingly enough, there seems to be a break in trust with the mainstream media, leading many to seek out additional news sources.

But really, can you blame them? I can't remember how many times I flipped from station to station hearing the same shpill about Trump saying this or doing that and then digging deeper to find it was blown out of proportion. And how many times did I hear Trump had no chance? Or that Trump was finished? The main stream media underestimated him at every turn, and that means they underestimated the voting public at every turn.

Only time will tell if these trends surrounding President #Trump will hold or not. Me? I'm going to keep a close eye on the markets over the next month. President Trump has potential, and a lot of it, to bring prosperity to the Country. Let's hope and pray he succeeds and proves the mainstream media wrong once again. After all, we all want a better place to live and grow.

The Brian Blog

Today's Topic: 

The #TrumpInauguration & the Stock Market

Want more money in your stock account?
Of course you do!

You're probably asking yourself the same question a lot of other people are asking: is the market going to react to Trump's inauguration?

Yesterday I had yet another friend ask me about this very thing, wondering if the market was due for a pullback like before the election. We mauled it over and found that nearly everyone in the office he works in was hedging for a pullback. Many of them had put their retirement funds in safe haven funds that won't move much if it does pull back.

He then asked me for my opinion. Now, this is nothing more than my opinion.

I studied the few charts and noticed that the trading volume has pulled WAY back over the last week of trading, which tells me something very well may happen, as so many are anticipating.

As for a crash or pullback? It doesn't exactly make sense to me because a lot hasn't changed since Trump won the election. And from what I can tell, Trump winning the election had an amazing impact on the stock market. Sadly, a lot of this growth has been pricing in some emotional expectations for what they believe Trump will do.

Considering Trump hasn't even been President for a day, and nearly 200 points of emotional trading has been priced into the market, I do believe we are likely due for a correction, though I don't believe it'll be the end of the world or any type of 2008 crash.

Bush's inauguration did have a small back following, and Obama's was during the end of the 2008 crash, but neither one shows a good indication of what is to come, especially since Trump has been such a uniquely treated candidate by the media.

With that said, if there is a pullback I would guess it to be somewhere around the 2200 line. Personally, I'm setting aside 10% of my retirement in the case of a pullback and plan to ride any bearish activity if it happens. 

With 90% exposure to the Dow and S&P I'm cheering for another election effect, even if only a smaller version.