Juicing for Joy: 30 Pounds in 30 Days. Brad's Journal.

Welcome to my 30 day juicing journal.  If you haven't already read my 'Let's Get Started' blog post, I recommend beginning with that page instead.  I've included a ton of great information about the juice fast I've just started and all of the things that went into our planning efforts...  This post is actually my experiential journal, starting with day 1 and (hopefully) ending on day 30, 30 pounds lighter.  I have high hopes - but this blog post is really meant to help keep me accountable.  If, after day 5 I post "I gave up" then I'll probably feel bad about it...  I'd rather go right through to day 30 and end with a journal post that says 'YAY, I MADE IT!!!'.  So here we go:

Day 1: Sat, 12 May 2012. Weight: 239 Pounds. Feeling: Excited!!!

Last night Vicki and I went out to dinner for our 'last meal'.  Vicki is only planning to do a 10 day juice fast, but I'm going for a full 30 (hence 30 pounds in 30 days).  We felt like we needed to spoil ourselves a bit before getting started though.  This morning we woke up - and I was like a little kid on Christmas morning.  I basically ran out to the kitchen (hungry) and got our little 'assembly line' prep station set up.  I prepped a nice little pile of carrots, apples, and ginger while Vicki cleaned out the fridge (dumping everything that's not juice-able or juice-worthy).  It took about 5 to 10 minutes to prep, 5 minutes to juice, and 5 minutes to clean up.  Everything was really simply, straightforward, and easy...  especially with our totally awesome Omega 8006 from DiscountJuicers.com.  The juice itself was FANTASTIC!  We've been using a centrifugal juicer off and on for a couple of years now - and there's just no comparison.  The juice from our new Omega was rich, vibrant, and incredibly flavorful.  After that, I tossed in some mango and oranges that we still had laying around and that was even yummier (mixed into the little bit of carrot/apple/ginger I had remaining in my glass).  All in all our first juice of this journey was a really powerful validation and motivator...  now it's just about follow-through.  Speaking of which, I'm hungry, so I need to get back to juicing   

See you next time...

Day 2: Sun, 13 May 2012. Weight: 236 Pounds. Feeling: Hungry w/Headache.

So just a quick update about yesterday...  We made it through day 1. I'll tell you what though, it sure as hell wasn't easy.  We knew it wouldn't be, but it was harder than we thought.  I drank about 6 juices throughout the day, along with a ton of water.  I was hungry the ENTIRE time - and I mean HUNGRY!  I think my stomach has been revolting against me for unkindly teasing it with the promise of food (olfactory senses), then failing to deliver by offering it nothing but liquid.  Sorry stomach, but your rule has come to an end!  .  A couple of other notes - I had to pee ALL DAY LONG. I mean like every 15 minutes!  I also spent a whole lot of unproductive time sitting on the crapper.  I've never been constipated before in my life (not even when eating nothing but MRE's in the field back in my military days).  It's not uncomfortable (yet), but it's definitely weird to me.  Other than that though, it was a good day.  We had great weather, the top and doors off of the Jeep, and went shopping for organic fruits and veggies.  And of course - we JUICED!

So today I woke up and weighed in at 236, meaning I've already dropped 3 pounds in a day.  Before anyone starts sending congratulatory e-cards, it's safe to say that every ounce of that was just water weight (I was peeing all day long remember).  I expect that I'll see the biggest weight drop over the first week or so, and then things will gradually settle into a 1/2 to 1 pound weight reduction ratio per day.  My one issue so far today is this massive headache I now have.  Vicki was dealing with it yesterday - and I had little twinges here and there, but today my head is POUNDING.  Again, this is not unexpected, just unpleasant.  Most folks who do this sort of a juice diet experience a lot of challenges over the first three or four days.  Hunger, discomfort, headaches, lethargy, and so on.  But I also know that if you can get past that 3 to 4 day hump, it gets to be a whole lot easier and you also start to feel BETTER than you did before the juice fast began.  But it's gonna be a long 3 to 4 days  . 

So now for some fun.  I just pulled together a very tasty juice that I'd like to share.  This is more for a breakfast juice, but it can fit in anywhere along your day:

• 5 to 7 carrots, peeled
• 1 mango, peeled
• 1 orange, peeled
• 1 apple
• 1 kale leaf
• small slice of ginger

Toss everything in and drink up.  It's a very citrus-y juice, but I found it quite refreshing and a great way to break the morning hunger pangs.  At least for a few minutes anyway. 

More to come later...   Happy juicing 

Day 3: Mon, 14 May 2012. Weight: 233 Pounds. Feeling: A Little Nauseous.

Well, it's day 3 now and I'm at a point where I'm eying everyone around me; wondering how they might taste with a little ketchup.  It's not quite as bad as yesterday though, when I was thinking about yanking a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich out of a little kids hands...  You get the idea 

Yesterday actually turned out to be pretty decent.  My headache went away after a couple of hours, and I noticed a slight drop in the intensity of my hunger.  It was still there of course, but it wasn't as bad as day 1.  We spent the day running around doing errands - I picked up a new juicer to take to work.  I've gotta keep this thing going day and night, so had to invest a few $$$ to get myself set up to juice at work.  It's all part of the process. 

Woke up this morning and checked the scale - down to 233...  That's 6 pounds in 2 days.  Not surprising, but not a big deal either.  If I stopped today and started eating solid food again I'd gain that 6 pounds back in a day.  The lost weight is still all just water weight and the result of my system cleaning itself out.  I won't see any real weight loss for another couple of days.  Even so, a 6 pounds loss still 'sounds' good, so there is a little ray of hope shining in the back of my mind that says 'YAY!; PROGRESS!!!'. 

I am feeling a little sick today though.  Kind of nauseous...  a bit.  Not to the point where I feel like I'm about to lose my lunch (or lack thereof); just feeling a little clammy on the outside and a little wobbly on the inside.  The hunger pangs are still there, but they are starting to subside a bit more.  I'm still on track and hoping that the worst parts of this experience will start to fade by Wednesday or so...

More to come later - have to get to work! 

Day 5: Wed, 16 May 2012. Weight: 231 Pounds. Feeling: GREAT!

Yesterday I got too busy to post anything, but it was a good day.  No real issues to speak of and things did indeed start to get a little easier.  The juice is starting to fill me up more and I'm getting less and less hungry.  All good signs  .

Today I want to start out with something I thought I'd never say on an all juice diet "I'm Full!!!".  I know, crazy right? But true.  Vicki and I just did an orange, pear, ginger juice that was FANTASTIC as a morning repast.  Along with several ounces of water, I actually walked out of the kitchen feeling full - sated - for the first time in days.  I'm also feeling pretty fantastic.  Loads of energy, and shooting out of bed after my usual 6 hours of sleep.  I tend to drag a bit in the morning, but today I woke up an hour before my alarm went off - and felt fully awake and refreshed.

I knew that the 4/5 day point would be where we could expect a turn-around... and it's true.  If you can get past that first 3 or 4 days, day 4 or 5 will probably be the point at which it all becomes worth it.  I'm sure we'll still have our challenges (I still have 25 days to go after all), but with the right support system in place (Vicki and I being in this together) it's really possible to push through the tough points and realize the full benefits of a juice fast without too much difficulty.   

Later y'all

Day 7: Fri, 18 May 2012. Weight: 229 Pounds. Feeling: GREAT!

This morning marks the beginning of day 7 - and of course the end of day 7 will mean I MADE IT THROUGH A WHOLE WEEK!!!  Yay...  and the best part - I haven't injured anyone in the process    It was touch and go there for a little while and I think there were a few people afraid for their lives, but the worst has passed.  Now they just have to deal with the roaring sound of my grumbling belly.  I'm not complaining though - because stepping on the scale this morning I weighed in at 229.  That's 10 pounds in 6 days...  and that's a pretty awesome result.  Sure, I'm still a bit hungry most of the day, but the juices I'm drinking are wonderful, I feel great, and you just can't argue with the results...   Well, you can, but you'll lose 

So tomorrow I'll post a quick summary of week 1 and what we learned along the way.  I'll also be happy to post that I'm 25% through and have already reached 33.33333333333333333333333333333% of my goal.  But who's counting? 

More tomorrow...  Same time, same station 

Juicing for Joy: 30 Pounds in 30 Days.  Let's Get Started!!!

So today is day 1 of 30 and...   I'm already starving.  But it's a minor inconvenience when compared to all of the benefits I expect to reap over the course of the 30 day juice fast I've just begun.  Hold up now, "a juice fast?"  "What the hell is that?" you ask... 

Well, about a month ago Vicki and I had decided that we were going to do a 60 day raw vegan diet in order to get more healthy and shed our unwanted winter weight.  We're already vegans, but thought the 'raw' addition would be a great way of achieving our goals.  After just a couple of days though, we were laughing about going from being 'junk food vegans' to being 'raw junk food vegans'.  When you start mixing nuts and coconut into nearly every meal, it's easy to find yourself putting ON weight rather than taking it off. 

About the same time, we sat down to watch 'Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead' on NetFlix (via streaming video).  Yeah, our Friday nights are terribly exciting.  Anyway, we both experienced a heart-felt connection with the two gentlemen who take center stage throughout the movie.  We were also astounded by the results they achieved.  One of them (Joe) was just over 300 pounds and lost something like 80 pounds over the course of his 60 day juice journey.  The other (Phil) topped the scales at 429 pounds at the beginning of his truly incredible journey.  Phil's story is especially touching (you just have to watch the movie).  By the end of the movie (pushing out some 10 months later; with 60 days of juicing followed by several months of just taking good care of himself), Phil had lost over 200 pounds.  Following up on-line it looks like Phil got down to 204 pounds, but then he settled into a normal routine and now stays even at around 250.  Still though, he's nearly 200 pounds lighter, and a whole hell of a lot healthier.  Again, I highly recommend watching the movie - even if you have no interest in juicing. 

While those may sound like pretty extreme numbers, and you may be thinking to yourself "that just can't be healthy", you'd be wrong.  Joe and Phil aren't alone on their journey and are tied at the hip to doctors and nutritionists throughout the entirety of their fast (and beyond).  Here's the thing - when we talk about 'juicing', I'm not suggesting you run out and buy several gallons of orange juice at the supermarket and just live off that for a time.  No!  What I'm talking about is buying a juicer (a NICE juicer) and juicing fresh, organic produce (fruits and veggies) several times a day.  By combining the right types of things, and making sure you're drinking as much juice as you need to, your body is going to be getting a rich dose of micro-nutrients and other fantabulous, absolutely healthy things that your body needs.  And the results are nothing less than astounding. In the end, everyone who participated (and the many on-line testimonials we've read) all agree they felt lighter, healthier, and sharper than they did before they started juicing.  Whether it was for a few days of dedicated juice fasting, or as a supplement to their regular meals...  There's definitely a powerful case to be made for juicing - even just a little bit of juicing. 

The one question I've already been asked is "but what about protein consumption and possible muscle loss".  As a beefy guy who's always had a more muscular build (even when I've been fat), this is a concern for me to.  I'm not going to lie - I'm probably not going to get the protein content I'd prefer on an all juice diet.  I'm expecting to see a decrease in fat and muscle mass over the course of the next 30 days.  I'm okay with that though.  By dropping a few pounds and seeing the results, I'm pretty certain I'll be motivated to get my ass back into the gym far more often than I do right now.  I'll keep things light and easy while I'm juicing, but then after the fast I'll start incorporating raw vegan protein powders back into my diet and begin the process of bulking up again.  If there's one thing I've learned about myself over the years, it's that it doesn't take much effort for my muscles to 'pop' back into shape if I'm actually putting in the time and effort required.  My assumption is that losing 30 pounds in 30 days will set me up to gain 10 pounds of sheer muscle within the 30 day period after that.  Right now I'm just focused on the 30 day juice fast though.  It's best to take these kinds of things one step at a time.  

As for getting started.  Well, 'Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead' is the motivational part - and probably enough to get you thinking about how you eat today.   It might not get you on a 10, 30 or 60 day juice fast, but if it gets you to start mixing more fresh fruits and veggies into your diet then you've already benefited.  If you do consider the possibility of juicing, then you'll want to start taking a look at juicers.  In the movie they use a Breville, which Vicki and I agree looks like a centrifugal juicer.  While they may be fast, and look relatively easy to use, they are actually harder to clean and produce a good, but less than perfect final product.  If you really plan to go at juicing the right way, and you want to derive the greatest possible benefit from the juices you create, then you're probably going to be better of with a masticating juicer (yes - MASTICATING; get your mind out of the gutter... . We did a TON of research before we finally settled on one that would work for us.  We decided to go with the Omega 8006 masticating juicer.  We got it in the mail yesterday and juiced our breakfast this morning.  The thing is AWESOME, easy to use, easy to clean, and can juice damn near anything you throw at it.  It can also be used for a whole bunch of other things (besides juicing).  All in all, we highly recommend it for anyone who's not put off by spending $300 for a top of the line juicer. 

No matter what kind of juicer you decide to purchase though, we implore you to buy from 'John the Juicer' at DiscountJuicers.com.  Now granted, the site doesn't look like much, but his prices are competitive and he takes care of his customers (he returned our 65$ shipping fee and got the juicer to us in the two days we needed it without having to use the more expensive shipping option - we consider that pretty great service).  But the real reason we recommend DiscountJuicers.com is because of all the work John has done to help educate people on juicers and on juicing.  We stumbled across his video collection on YouTube pretty early on in our research process - and we developed a rapid appreciation for his knowledge, passion, and candor. Here's a sample video from John that will give you a sense of how great his information is - just keep going through his videos and you'll be as sold on DJ as we were...  and THANK the man for his efforts by buying FROM HIM!    Quite frankly John feels like a member of the family now that we've spent so much time with him on YouTube...  weird maybe, but true!

So them's the general points...  Keep an eye out for my next blog post which will actually be my 30 day journal.  I'll get into the details along the way and share my experiences...  It should be fun!  Well, time to go now - my stomach is growling for another yummy juice 

Enjoy'

I originally wrote this as a response on one of the Jeep forums I now frequent.  I'm seeing this conversation take place all the time though, and I also have people ask me 'Why no Rubi Brad?'.  So here ya go...

Here are the only line items that are specific to the Rubicon and cannot be added as an option on any other build:

- Tru-lok front and rear locking differentials
- Rock-Trac heavy-duty transfer case
- Electronic sway bar disconnect
- Dana 44 front axle
- 4.1 gearing
- Mud tires
- Stickers

The question of Rubicon or not is more about whether or not a stock build is going to meet your needs. *If you plan to run stock forever, or for a good long time, then a Rubi probably makes sense for mild to moderate part time wheeling. *

If you plan to put 35 inch tires*(or bigger) on it and/or plan to do some hard core wheeling then you are probably better off buying a lesser model and modding it to meet your needs. *For instance, here are a few things to think about for each Rubi only line item:

- Lockers. *The ones it comes with are fine. But those ARB Air Lockers are awfully nice, as are the Eaton E-Lockers. *Probably going to outperform and outlast the stock Rubi lockers.

- Heavy-duty transfer case. *About the only thing that's a real plus here, but even this is nominal. *Yes, it can outdo the normal transfer case, but the normal one is just fine for 99% of stuff most folks will do. *If you find it's not, you can upgrade or even go for something really sweet like a high end custom built dual transfer case or system with an adapter. *

- Electronic sway bar disconnect. *I say 'so what?' A manual disconnect is likely to be stronger and and hold up better. *Adding a manual quick disconnect is going to make it a quick two minute job*(or less) that you can do as your inspecting the vehicle at the trailhead before you roll out. *Lots of lift kits include quick disconnects anyway. *

- Dana 44 front axle. *Sounds nice, but this one is the most misleading of all. *There are a LOT of reports coming in from all over that Rubi's with 35's are coming back from the field with bent axles. *Again, bigger tires are going to require upgrades anyway. *You can go with a ProRock or RockJock replacement, or add a Super 44 reinforcement kit of some sort*(lots to choose from). *

- 4.1 gearing. *First off, with the 2012 you are going to be fine up to 35's with a 3.73 gearing (although 4.56 is actually the real sweet spot for a heavy load with 35's). *If you are going to jump up in tire size anyway, 4.1 may not be suitable*(ok, but maybe not perfect). *If you are going to go with anything bigger than 35's you'll probably want to bump up to 4.56 or even 4.88*(or higher) gearing anyway. *

- Mud tires. *Please... *32 inch mud tires? *Again, if you plan to run stock for a while, no problem. *Many folks are going to want to get into a set of 33's or 35's anyway. *Why buy a Rubi for tires? *'nough said. *

- Stickers.  Ummm, you can order the Rubicon stickers on-line for like 10 bucks.  Personally I think it's an opportunity to get more creative if you DON'T have these on...  My decals say 'Life is Good'.  A saw a yellow Jeep with 'Rubber Duckie'.  Some folks also go with 'Rubiclone'.  You decide 

A Rubi is gonna run another 5 to 10 grand over a lower end model. *Personally I went with a nice Sport S package and am modding the hell out of mine in a way that makes a Rubi look like a child's toy. *

Bradleyb.net » My Jeep Plans and Progress Tracking

It's all a question of personal preference, but that's my two cents. *

With the Penstar 3.6L engine being introduced with the new 2012 Wrangler, all of the old rules for calculating gearing ratios have literally gone out the window.  With the added horsepower and torque the 2012 is capable, you can scale back on the old recommendations quite a bit.  It's still important to have gearing that's appropriate for your tire size and other factors - but the numbers are very different now. 

As someone who purchased a 2012 after having had a YJ for 12 years or so, this mental leap took a little while to sink in.  I spent a considerable amount of time on the various Jeep-related forums getting both good and bad advice on what gearing ratio I should choose as I move up from stock 32's to 33's or even 35's.  Of course everyone has different recommendations - the most common of which was 'just try it with what you have - it'll be good enough'.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I didn't buy my Jeep to have a 'good enough' ride. 

So in order to break through the mythology and opinions on this subject, I decided to dive more deeply into my investigations and do some serious research.  Based on all of the great advise, input, and statistic I uncovered, I've created a handy little chart that may just help you avoid all of the pain and frustration I went through trying to find a real answer to a pretty simple question.  Even so, this chart isn't perfect - here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Tire size is misleading - the weight of the tires is also an issue
• Weight is a big factor in many ways - everything adds up over time
• Terrain also matters - lots of up hill work demands more oomph
• Usage also matters - if you are a crawler, it matters a lot
• If you need to tow stuff  - it will also matter a lot

...and that's about all I'm going to say here.  If you want to go into serious detail beyond my little table below, then you'll need to talk to somebody with far more experience than me - someone who can talk to you about your unique needs.  The table below assumes:  You've got a moderate amount of added weight from mods you've made (or plan to make), you cover a variety of terrain with a few ups and downs here and there, you're looking to be flexible in what you can tackle off-road, and you may need to occasionally pull something behind your wondrous 4-wheel drive convertible super toy.  In other words, you're interested in making the most of your investment, but you're not into competitive off-roading or anything.  That's a whole different story. 

So without further ado, and will all the appropriate caveats in place, here are the suggested gearing ratios on a 2012 Wrangler for the most commonly encountered tire sizes:

• Base gearing of 3.21 not really recommended
• 32 inch tires, 3.21 (ok) to 3.73 (best)
• 33 inch tires, 3.73 (ok) to 4.10 (best)
• 35 inch tires, 4.10 (ok) to 4.56 (best)
• 37 inch tires, 4.56 (ok) to 4.88 (best)
• 40 inch tires, 4.88 (ok) to 5.13 (best)

32 inch tires are pretty much stock on all of the 2012's.  Hence this tire size as our starting point.  33's and 35's are really what you tend to see most of us average Jeepers talking about, with a few folks reaching up into 37's, and then 40's as more of a dream than a reality.  There are other variations, and you can certainly go bigger (have fun), but these are the tire sizes you'll generally see discussed in most 'what gearing ratio should I go to' conversations. 

The base model of a standard Jeep begins at 3.21 gearing - this is pretty crappy as a starting point, and most folks tend to agree that a 3.21 gearing option is going to suck ass as a long term limitation.  For Rubicons you'll end up with 3.73 or 4.10 as your base.  3.73 is really the numerically lowest gearing ratio you should go with if you even THINK you'll be going beyond the stock tires at some point.  Let's just assume, for the sake of argument, that you'll get the itch some day.  Either custom order your 2012 with 3.73 (or higher) gearing, or make sure that you've got 3.73 (or higher) gearing clearly called out on the build sheet of the Jeep you're looking at.  If you roll off the lot with 3.21 gearing - just note that you were warned.  Be ready to update your gearing as you move up to bigger tires. 

One other thing to note as you consider gearing ratios and tire sizes.  Just remember that anything beyond a 33 inch tire is going to require some modifications to you Jeep.  Even with 33's, if you have a Dana 30 front axle, you may want to beef it up before you throw them on and start wheeling.  35 inch and larger tires also appear to be bending the front and rear Dana 44 axles on Rubicons when they see moderate to heavy use.  You can pick up a 'Super 30' or 'Super 44' reinforcement kit to help address this issue, or you can replace the axles entirely - perhaps looking at a Currie RockJock or Dynatrac ProRock.  These also come in Dana 60 models for when you start courting those 40 inch tires (or bigger).  Do your research to learn more, but just note that if you throw 35's on a stock Dana 30 front axle keep a really really really close eye on it.  And be prepared for it to bend or even break when you're on the trail.  Okay, so some folks get away with it and never have an issue - but personally I'd rather be safe than sorry and the numbers show a trend...  Listen to the numbers 

In a similar vein, that rear tire carrier of yours may also need an upgrade.  Some 33's will fit without an issue - even some 35's can fit (if you're lucky), but just like your stock axles, the stock tire carrier just wasn't made to carry that much weight.  You may see bending or breaking at some point - assuming you can even fit your tire at all.  Be extra careful if you have a larger spare on the stock carrier and want to add things like a bike rack or jurry cans - again, everything adds up.  There are PLENTY of after market tire carriers that are rated to hold much larger tires and a lot more weight.  Take a look at these and get something that's appropriate for the job.

I didn't talk about tire clearance of lift heights on purpose...  it's a much more complicated discussion.  But hopefully this was useful all by itself - I'm always open to feedback though...  Just remember, I never claimed to be an expert...  I'm just pulling together all of the bits and pieces I've seen come from the experts as I did my own research into this topic. 

Enjoy,

As most folks who know me are already well aware, I am very very excited about my new 2012 Jeep Wrangler. You can read more here for the back story.  Bottom line, I custom ordered a sweet ride and now it's time to mod the hell out of it!  All of the details are listed below, but more importantly, I'm also adding a 'Lessons Learned' section at the very bottom.  Any time I have a problem or think something is really awesome, I'll add a short note about it - sharing my experiences along the way. 

Pics of my starting canvas (Feb 2012):

Starting Package (Custom Ordered):

• 2012 Jeep Wrangler
• With Sport 'S' Package
• Orange 'Crush' Exterior Color
• Half-Metal Doors with Locks
• 6-Speed Manual Transmission
• 3.73 Rear Axle Gearing Ratio
• Trac-Lok Limited Slip Rear Differential
• Engine Block Heater
• Black Appearance Group
• Trailer Tow Group
• Connectivity Group
• 368-watt 7-speaker Infinity Sound System
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio

Plus Dealer Added (Purchased):

[X] 36 Month Maintenance Option
[X] Lifetime Powertrain Warranty

Feb 2012 Mods List:

[X] Clifford 330.3X 5-Channel 2-Way Car Alarm
[X] Clifford Proximity Sensor and Backup Alarm
[X] Tuffy Secure JK Tailgate Enclosure

Mar 2012 Mods List:

[X] Rugged Ridge 14 Piece (Black) Euroguard Light Protection Kit
[X] Rugged Ridge 7 Piece (Black) Euroguard Front Grill Insert Kit
[X] Rugged Ridge Windshield Light Bar
[X] Rugged Ridge Windshield Light Brackets
[X] Rugged Ridge Side Mirror Relocation Brackets
[X] Custom (Black) "Life is good." Rubicon Style Hood Decals
[X] Black Project-JK Logo Decals
[X] Bushwacker Trail Armor Hood and Tailgate Protectors
[X] Bushwacker Trail Armor Rear Corner Protectors
[X] Bushwacker Air Scoop
[X] AntennaX Black Billet 14" Antenna
[X] Uniden 520 XL Pro CB Radio
[X] Firestik FS3 3ft CB Antenna
[X] Tire Carrier CB Antenna Mount
[X] MOPAR Door Entry Guards
[X] Mastercraft 3" Sport Handles

Apr 2012 Mods List

[X] Rampage Inclinometer
[X] Rugged Ridge Hinge Covers for Doors and Hood
[X] Tuffy JK Security Door Lockers for 2 Door Model Jeep
[X] MOPAR Soft Top Boot
[X] American Outlaw Side Mirrors
[X] Gorilla Spare Tire Security Lockers
[X] Rugged Ridge 7inch Off Road HID Lights x3
[X] KC 130 Watt Daylighters x2
[_] Rugged Ridge A-Pillar Switch Pod (On Order)
[_] GEAR Tailgate Organizer (On Back-order)

And here's where we're at now.  It's the end of April.  I still have a long way to go, but now it's mostly about saving up for the big ticket items.  I need about 12k for the front axle upgrade, lift kit, tires, etc.  Probably going to be winter time before I pull it all together...  I am pretty happy with how things are looking now though.  Sadly, these pictures don't do it justice 

Latest Pics (Apr 2012):

Future Mods List:

[_] iPhone Holder
[_] Mopar Hood Locker
[_] Bestop Soundbar Cap
[_] Bestop Bikini Top
[_] Wet Okole Custom Seat Covers
[_] Rugged Ridge 7inch Off Road HID Lights x2
[_] Rugged Ridge Light Mount Brackets (Bumper)
[_] LOD JK Signature Series Shorty Front Bumper
[_] Warn PowerPlant HP Winch
[_] AEV JK Heat Reduction Hood
[_] AEV JK Snorkle Kit w/Air Ram
[_] AEV ProCal Performance Tuner
[_] Advanced Adapters 4-Speed Atlas Transfer Case (Gearing choice TBD)
[_] ProRock 44 Unlimited RVC Front Axle with ARB lockers and 4.56 gearing
[_] Super 44 Rear Axle Reinforcement Kit with 4.56 gearing upgrade (Details TBD)
[_] Dedicated ARB Air Compressor for Locking Differentials (Model TBD)
[_] Rock Krawler 3.5 X Factor Coil Over Long Arm Suspension System
[_] High-end Performance Shocks, likely BilStein's (TBD)
[_] 36 inch Mud Terrain Tires (Brand and Model TBD)
[_] 16" black powder-coat wheels with proper backspacing (still TBD)
[_] Beadlocks - either Hutchinson Rock Monsters or Staun Inflatables (TBD)
[_] LOD JK Door Linked Signature Series Shorty Rear Bumper w/Gen3 Tire Carrier
[_] EVO MFG Protek Skid System for 2012 Wrangler
[_] Rugged Ridge Front and Rear Differential Skids
[_] TBD Clutch Start Bypass Unit
[_] TBD 3/4Inch Coil Spacers for Front Leveling?
[_] TBD 1inch Body Lift Kit for Extra Clearance?
[_] TBD Flat Fenders for Added Tire Clearance?
[_] TBD Spare Tire 2-Bike Carrier
[_] Media Center 430N Stereo/GPS unit
[_] MyGig Lockpick addon module for 430N
[_] Performance Filters, Brakes, etc.

Additional Items:

[_] Hi-Lift Handle-All Multitool
[_] High-Lift Jack X-Treme Jack
[_] High-Lift Jack Mount System
[_] High-Lift Jack Base and Accessories
[_] Fire extinguisher and Mount
[_] Large Flashlight and Mount
[_] ARB D-Ring Shackle Set
[_] Tire Pressure Reducer
[_] Tire Pressure Gauge
[_] Emergency Gas Can
[_] Bungee Cables
[_] Cargo Straps
[_] First Aid Kit
[_] Tree Strap
[_] Tow Strap
[_] Tool Box
[_] Spare Parts Kit
[_] Work Gloves
[_] Base 'Oh Shit' Bag
[_] Multipurpose Survival Knife
[_] Emergency Food and Water

And more (list still not finished).  All mods will be black if/when color matters.  Some mods cannot be added until updated/verified compatible for 2012 model.  Timeline TBD. New pics will be posted along the way as visible changes take place. Open to feedback/suggestions from fellow JK owners (especially those with 2-Door 2012's)...'

Thanks in advance!

Notes:

* Will probably add ARB rear lockers after factory LSD dies (or sooner)
* Looking to match body color and paint orange highlights on inside
* Evaluating grill protection options compatible with current billets

Lessons Learned:

• Rear LSD.  Good choice for the short term.  Generally tends to give out at around 50k to 100k miles and needs to be replaced.  Good opportunity to add rear lockers when this happens (see notes above).

• 3.73 gearing is VERY impressive on the 2012 with the stock 32inch tires.  Could probably go to 33's without any issues.  Not sure what the exact crawl speed ratios will be in heavy wheeling conditions though. 

• Connectivity Group.  Well worth it.  Love the hands free phone and voice calling options.  Upgrade to the 430N if you can though.  I am doing this aftermarket and it's more expensive (not available on all models). 

• Alarm System.  Did not specifically request quick disconnects and/or programing options for full door removal.  I would have given this more attention if I had thought about it.  Looking for solution now. 

• Tuffy Tailgate.  This is a MUST HAVE item for any Wrangler.  If you have a soft top, you'll need to remove the plastic rear window lips, then lever the cover underneath the brackets and push forward.  Put lips back in and you're set.

• Rugged Ridge grill inserts and light billets are hard to keep clean.  Especially here in rainy Seattle.  Water droplets leave discoloration behind that needs to be wiped off.  Would be nice if they were textured instead. 

• Rugged Ridge grill inserts were easy and look good, but the ones I have offer no real protection for the grill itself.  If I had to do it again I'd order a different type.  Still looking to add a mesh backing though.  We'll see.

• Rugged Ridge Light Bar.  This is a REALLY nice bar.  Very thick and rugged.  Wiring holes are a little small though, especially at the mount point.  You may need to drill them a little larger to fit all of the wires needed.  Then seal them. 

• Custom Decals.  I LOVE my Rubicon-style 'Life is Good' hood decals.  I got these made by http://www.pixeldecals.com for $20.  They can customize to say anything you want.  Only took about a week to arrive.  Great folks there!

• Mirror Relocation.  Passenger side mirror is almost unusable with the upper doors on (or full doors).  I decided to remove these and add American Outlaw Side Mirrors instead - just putting them on when I take the doors off.

• Bushwacker Hood Guard.  This was kind of a pain in the ass.  Nice item though.  Directions didn't make a lot of sense.  I suggest going through them in detail, then taping and numbering each adhesive tab to get it right. 

• Bushwacker Rear Corners.  Drivers side was a pain to install.  Worked nicely though.  Had a problem with the passenger side - soft top edging wouldn't slide back into the lip around back side.  Had to pull back and trim it a bit. 

• Door Removal.  When I removed the bottom half of my doors for the first time, I had to remove the inside panel, disconnect the lines to the overhead light, cut the cable runner away from the door strap, and put it all back together.

• Mastercraft Handles.  These things are BEEFY.  There were lots of 'oh shit' handles to choose from, but these ones actually have a safety rating.  I really like them and am glad they are there now. 

• Firestick Install.  I have a 48" Firestick for my CB.  I put this on a tailgate mount, ran it through the grommet below and into the tailgate, then inside the cable rack, through the speaker, down the passenger side.  Very clean. 

• Uniden 520.  This is a very nice little CB radio.  I don't like the mike though (looks and feels like a child's toy).  Unit fits VERY nicely in the center console with velcro tape - keeps it secure. Drilled a hole for the cable. 

• Hinge Covers.  Not sure I really like these.  In hindsight I think I should have just ordered black replacement hinges - these were a bit cheaper, but are bulky and crude looking.  Still adjusting to them, but may send them back.

• Rugged Ridge HID Lights.  I went ahead and popped the red ring out of these and used gloss "Real Orange" Rustoleum paint to color match them.  Was really easy and I really like the outcome. 

So I am now the proud papa of a brand new 2012 Jeep Wrangler, and I must say I AM STOKED!  Even more so now that I've had it for a couple of weeks and have a pretty solid game plan for everything I want to do with it.  Here's a quick peek at my starting canvas:

Long story short, I had a Jeep Wrangler for about 12 years.  It was a white '95 (YJ) with a black top, and a few minor extra's.  It was pretty basic, but it was my toy for 12 strait years, and it was an extension of me...  

It died after several years of good and faithful service.  The repairs would have cost more than a new vehicle (and I wanted to get more economical anyway), so I replaced it with a commuter car to get better gas mileage.  Well, I had that little car for about 5 years before I totaled it in a major pileup.  My first and only car accident (so far) and it was definitely a nasty one.  Thankfully no one was hurt...  well, except for the car.

With a pocket full of money and needing a new car, I decided I wanted to get back to me Jeep roots - and so here we are.  My car accident was back in November of 2011.  I looked around for a nice Jeep that fit my criteria, but I couldn't find anything I liked.  So, I finally decided to order a custom Jeep built to my exact specifications.  It arrive on 10 Feb 2012.  That's several months without a vehicle, and while Vicki and I made it work, it was kind of a pain in the butt.  It's all been worth it though!

Ohhh, and did I mention this was an all cash deal!  Double bonus, because there's no bank between me and my new baby (though Vicki did pitch a few bucks into the pot - so I still owe here a bit).  Still though - it's nice to own a brand new vehicle without having to pay for it over the course of several years - not to mention that nasty word 'interest'.  So anyway - it's MINE!  Yay!

So what kind of niftiness did I order and pay over 30k for? Well, going to Jeep.com and clicking on 'Build Your Own', here's what I pulled together:

   Basics -

• 2012 Jeep Wrangler 4X4
• Sport S Equipment Package
• 3.6- Liter V6 24-Valve VVT
• 6-Speed Manual Transmission
• 'Crush' Clear Coat Exterior Paint
• All Black (Cloth) Interior
• Black Soft Top

  Extras -

• Plugged in an Engine Heater
• Upgrade to 3.73 Rear Axle Ratio
• Added Trac-Lok Rear Limited Slip Differential
• Requested Half Metal/Black Soft Top Doors
• Media Center System with Voice Command
• 368W 7-Speaker Infinity Surround Sound System
• SeriusXM Satellite Radio for a full year
• Blue Tooth Hands-Free Call System
• Trailer Tow Group for a Hitch
• Black Appearance Group
• ...and a few more odds and ends

And that's just the starting package.  I still have a few aftermarket items to add, like a new lightbar up top, a winch system, upgraded suspension, etc.  Lots and lots of fun.  That's part of what makes a Jeep Wrangler so much fun to own.  Its a convertible 4-wheel drive tinkerers dream!

I'll let you know how it goes.  In fact, you can see my entire mod list and watch my progress here 

Last time I wrote about home firewalls I was using IPCop, a great little opensource firewall option that you can run on just about anything.  Meanwhile, I've been keeping my eye on the development of PFSense 2.0. 

For a while I was running RC3 (dumping IPCop), but now the full version of 2.0 is out and available.  And I have to say, it is BRILLIANT.  It has a rich firewall feature set that is comparable to leading SOHO firewall products on the market that might cost you 500 to 100 dollars, plus annual fees. 

If you are in the market for a good home firewall - and really protecting yourself, then definitely take a look at PFSense 2.0!  http://www.pfsense.org.

Good luck...

I was just posting on Facebook about how much I am enjoying the new Skyrim video game (Elder Scrolls V).  I started writing about how awesome my gaming rig is, and I suddenly realized that I've never taken the time to brag about what I've built  .  Skyrim isn't all though - also getting ready for Star Wars, The Old Republic!!!

About 3 months ago, I set out to build the coolest computer I could come up with.  So here's my gaming system for all those of you who lay awake at night and dream about awesome PCs:

In essence, it's a 4.5 Ghz system with 16GB Ram, top-end SSD drives, and game-crushing graphics.  Details:

• Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 Black Steel and Polished Mesh ATX Mid-Tower Case
• Case Filters: DemciFilter custom cut HAF 922 4pc magnetic filter set with optional front fan filter
• Case Fans: x3 Cooler Master Megaflow 200mm fans w/Blue LEDs, x1 Cooler Master 140mm fan with Blue LED, x1 Cooler Master 120mm fab with Blue LED
• System Fan Controller: NZXT Sentry 2 5.25 Front Bay Mounted 5-Port Touch Screen Fan Controller
• Power Supply: Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold Series 1200W ATX SLI/Crossfire Ready PSU
• Motherboard:  ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA III/USB 3.0 ATX w/UEFI BIOS
• CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (running at 4.5 Ghz OC) LGA 1155 95W w/Embedded Intel HD Graphics
• CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 120mm + 140mm SSO
• RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4) 240-Pin DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) SDRAM
• RAM Cooling: Kingston HyperX KHX-FAN-B Fab w/Blue LEDs
• Boot Drive: OCZ Vertex 3 120GB SATA III Solid State Drive
• Game Drive: OCZ Vertex 3 240GB SATA III Solid State Drive
• Multi-box Drives: x4 OCZ Vertex 2 60GB SATA II Solid State Drives
• Storage Drive: WD Caviar Black SATA III 7200 RPM 1.5TB Internal Hard Drive
• Disk Reader: LITE-ON Blu-ray SATA iHBS212-08 Burner w/3D Playback and Lightscribe Support
• Bonus USB 3.0: Silverstone FP36B 2x USB 3.0 + 2x 2.5 Drive Bay Converter
• Video: x2 MSI Lightning Extreme GTX 580 3GB GDDR5 PCI-e 2.0 running in SLI mode
• Monitors: x3 HP LP2475w H-IPS 24" 6 ms Swivel and Pivot Adjustable Widescreen LCD Monitors @ 5760x1200 resolution
• Sound: Logitech G35 USB Surround Sound Headset (so I don't annoy Vicki)
• Sound: Bose Companion 3 Series II Multimedia Speaker System (for when I'm alone 
• Keyboard: Logitech G19 Black USB Wired Gaming Keyboard
• Keypad: Logitech G13 Black USB Wired Gaming Keypad
• Mouse: Logitech G9x Dual Mode Wired Laser Gaming Mouse
• Mouse Pad: Alien Specialized Dual Surface Max Speed Game Pad
• Game Pad: Logitech FP310, or Microsoft XBOX 360 Wireless Game Controller for Windows (depends)

Other stuff that makes my home network pretty kickass:

• Storage: NetGear ReadyNAS Ultra6 Plus, with x6 WD SATA III Caviar Green 3TB drives (15TB useable). 

...so yes, Skyrim sings on this machine    Outdated in another 6 months?  Sure, but for now this thing ROCKS!!!

Building A Home Firewall (and more).

It's not very often that I get to cross-post articles between my personal blog and my professional one. In fact, I think this is the very first time I've written something that is equally applicable to both the professional security community and my friends and family (at least the more technically astute ones anyway). This time out, we're going to talk a bit about building a unified threat management gateway to defend your home network.

I've always had a few different security tools running here and there to keep my own personal home network reasonably well protected, but since we're now running close to 20 IP devices around the house, I decided it was time to step things up just a bit. Actually, the real impetus came from my purchase of a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device with 18TB of space that we're quickly loading up. I wanted to expose it over the Internet via DynDNS and port forwarding to make our iPad 2's a thousand times more useful. But this needed to be done securely, and my existing perimeter defense tools just weren't going to be enough to satisfy my over-active sense of paranoia (hey, I'm a security professional after all - a healthy does of paranoia is pretty much a job requirement).

My original plan was to purchase and drop in a network security appliance - a Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) firewall with a few other features. I was prepared to spend up to a thousand bucks for something that would work. But the more time I spent looking at the SOHO firewall market, the more and more I realized that the cost/benefit ratio just wasn't going to match up all that well. So, I turned my eye toward a few open-source options that I am relatively familiar with to learn a bit more and see what might work for us. There are lots of different options available - but in my research I settled on one in particular that had all of the features and functions that I was looking for... and the price was right.

Let's start out with a few requirements though. First, I had to be able to leverage existing gear around the house. My 8 year old laptop that I had been running Ubuntu Linux on, and was using as a security test-bed was my only real option. This is an old Pentium III 1.6GHZ Dell laptop with 2GB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive. There's a single built-in NIC, and an open PCMCIA slot that could potentially be used for another network card. The thing has several USB 1.0 connectors on it though, so finding a USB/Ethernet adapter was also an option. Overall the box is plenty beefy for a basic firewall (it was already doing heavy duty chores as a security test-bed before), but when you're building a firewall, it's a really good idea to have a separate network interface for each segment you want to support on your network. At a minimum this means two connections - one for the external side of your home network, and one for the internal side. Thankfully there was a $20 PCMCIA network card that worked beautifully - and gave me the 2nd NIC I was looking for (although I may still want a third NIC for later on down the road).

In addition to the hardware piece of the pie, I also spent some time considering what I really wanted to build and the level of protection that I wanted to afford my home network. It needed to be a well-built open-source firewall that's been around for a while - stable and well supported. It needed to be capable of network address translation, port forwarding, dynamic dns support, stateful packet filtering,and a few other core basics for any decent firewall. I also wanted it to have some level of application awareness, a built-in intrusion detection engine, web proxy and http filtering options, anti-virus and anti-spam capabilities, pop mail filtering, etc. In essence, I wanted a free but robust unified threat management gateway. Not really a tall order at all - and something one can build pretty easily with any number of linux packages. But I also didn't want to have to do much work. 60 hour work-weeks + being a full time student + all of my involvement with the security community + having a life... well, I didn't want to become a part-time firewall admin on top of everything else.

With my list of requirements in hand I spent some time reviewing a number of options. There was really only one that kept coming up again and again though - only one that could really hit all of the key points I had identified before I ever opened a search page - a fantastic little distribution called IPCop. Easy to use, well supported, well documented, and fully capable of meeting my needs, IPCop stood apart from the competition. But there was one other factor that influenced my decision - the nice little selection of additional security add-ons that would really turn this firewall into the full-fledged gateway I wanted to have in place. Looking at IPCop and combining it with another key component called Copfilter, this became the ultimate solution for us here on the home-front.

There's no real need for me to go into any more detail though - there's a great series of articles on Sourceforge that can give you more detailed information and walk you through the entire build process:

• http://www.howtoforge.com/perfect_linux_firewall_ipcop
• http://www.howtoforge.com/perfect_linux_firewall_ipcop_p2

There are a few other addons I've put in place, and I've also gone to great lengths to lock down the box even more than it was in its original form (which is already pretty damned solid to begin with). I can't share all of my secrets though - I gotta keep an ace up my sleeve for anyone trying to bang on the front door. Anyway, my simple point is this - if you are ready to move up from your basic Internet router with a few basic protections in place, and want to add a full-fledged security gateway that will allow you to defend your home network from all types of nasty little issues, an IPCop/Copfilter deployment may just be what you need. Then again, if you're a true geek there are a few other options that may better suit your needs - I'm quite happy with this one though... and you might be to.

'Till next time...

My Adventures in Building a Home Theater PC - Continued...

In my last article we spent some time cringing at the thought of the monetary outlay required to snag a kick'n graphics processor.  We're not quite done with the big ticket purchases though.  Sadly, there's one more item that could very well blow your budget.  But it may just be worth it.  After all, what good is a home theater system that can't broadcast and record television channels?  Yeah you've got NetFlix and Hulu, and a multitude of others, but it's not the same thing. 

This article won't be as long as many of the others I've written so far, but it's an important one...  and something that requires careful consideration. 

Adding a TV Tuner:

So what exactly is a TV Tuner card and why is it important for our htpc?  Just like it sounds, the tuner is going to let you pull television signals into your computer...  There are tuner cards that attach to 'bunny ears', there are tuner cards that will pull free channels off of your television cable box, and there are even tuner cards that can replace your television cable box entirely.  When you've got a tuner in place, you can use it to push television signals to your TV, one or more devices on your home network, over the Internet, and more (depending on the features built into your card).  You can also use certain kinds of software to record the video coming in - essentially having your very own Tivo without all of the overhead.  Some cards even have multiple receivers built into them, meaning you can watch one channel while recording another, and possibly even broadcast another channel to another device somewhere else in your house.  This all sounds pretty cool right?

The tuner card you buy is going to be limited in certain ways though.  Most television signals fall into one of three primary categories:  ATSC over-the-air, Clear QAM, and Scrambled.  As with most things I've been writing about here, it's a bit more complicated than that - it's a good working analogy though.  The ATSC over-the-air channels are the ones you could pick up with bunny ears, or a card that can pull these signals out of the air on its own.  Clear QAM channels are the ones broadcast by cable providers, but are essentially free (kind of like your typical basic cable package).  The 'scrambled' channels are the ones you need an actual decoder for - this usually applies to the premium channels that you pay your cable company to provide. 

There are lots of cards that will offer ATSC and QAM capabilities for a nominal (even cheap) price.  But these cards are missing something that I personally consider to be integral to the whole htpc experience...  the ability to replace your cable box.  It's bigger than that though.  By using a tuner card that can replace your cable box, you can now record and broadcast all of those premium channels to - this is an exciting and very tempting reason to shell out the extra few bucks your going to drop on a card that can 'do it all'.

In the tradition of this ongoing series, I'm going to start zeroing in on my own TV tuner choice and why I picked it.  And for me, there is nothing more appealing than the Ceton InfiniTV 4.  This is a live, 4 channel capable card that can receive all SD and HD digital cable channels without needing a separate cable box.  You can essentially do 4 things at once with this card - watching, recording, and broadcasting on four different channels at one time.  This card has some pretty bad-ass mojo.  But all of it's coolness comes at a price - one that you're probably going to choke on.  Just like the 5870 video card I added, this tuner card comes in at right around $400.  That's a rather hefty pricetag, but if you stop to think about the degree of flexibility it offers, and the fact that you no longer have to pay that 8 to 12 dollar monthly fee for a set-top cable box, you will actually get a pretty good return on investment in short order (a year or two).

There are just a couple of requirements that you'll need to be aware of for this card to work.  First, you need a PCI-e slot.  It doesn't matter what kind - x1 to x16 will work just fine.  My board has an open PCI-e x1 slot specifically reserved for this card - it's actually the only expansion card (other than my dedicated video card) that I plan to have in this box (at least right now).  The other thing you'll need is a cablecard form your cable provider.  There's just no getting around the fact that you still have to pay your cable provider if you really want to make the most of a technology like this one.  You'll also still have to pay a small monthly rental charge for the cablecard.  A cablecard is like a small credit card that carries all of your account information on it - you put this card into a slot on the Ceton tuner card, and that's what actually allows you to decode all of those premium channels.  We're talking about 2 to 5 dollars per month for the card, so that's less than half of what you may be paying for an HD cable box from your provider right now...  and your cable box can't do half of what this thing can.

Are there alternatives to the $400 Ceton card?  Sure there are - but you're going to have to do your own research on that one.  For me, I immediately saw exactly what I was looking for when I came across this card, and it's the only one on the market that can do all of the things I want to be able to do.  Yeah, $400 is a bit pricey as an initial investment, but I think I can make it up within just the first year alone once I put it into action. Okay, okay - here's a lower end recommendation that can do all but those premium channels - the Hauppauge WinTV HVR.  There, are you happy now?  Actually I'd recommend checking out the HDTV PC Tuner Guide to learn more about your options...  I'll stick with my Ceton though 

Well there you have it - the perfect little TV tuner card for my htpc.  I like it!  And once I get it purchased, delivered, and installed you'll be the first to know just how much I grow to love it 

'Till next time...