Why a Tree is the Most Important Thing on Earth

I'm no tree hugging hippie, but I'm a realist, a sensible realist. As a realist I feel that trees go relatively unnoticed. We often notice a cool picture, a flashy car, or a fancy building, but trees just go by day to day. As a realist I think that tress (and plants) are the most important thing on Earth.

Life on Earth is fueled by energy. Without the energy of life the earth would just be a dead rock in space. You, as an animal (specifically the mammal Homo Sapien), need to produce energy to sustain life. This energy comes from oxygen and food. Oxygen is supplied by trees and plants when they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, and although our atmosphere is mostly nitrogen, it is the oxygen given off by trees and plants that we need for life. Food that we consume is broken down from plant and animal matter (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) to give us energy. The original source of this energy comes from the sun. Trees and plants are the first step of converting sunlight into energy by photosynthesis using water and carbon dioxide. Photosynthesis is also the source of carbon within all the organic compounds of living organisms, and we are carbon based lifeforms. Basically, trees are the coolest thing ever. Without them, you are nothing but cosmic stardust.

Nothing that anyone on Earth does is more important to you than the actions of a tree. No lawyer, doctor, priest, best friend, idol, or political leader makes more important decisions that directly effect your life than the day to day routine of a tree. Even the most important bill or law passed by Congress can't compare to the relevance of your next breath, and your next breath is all thanks to trees and plants. The silly things we worry about, our electric bill, our hair, our cars, our things, all mean nothing compared to what a tree does for us for free- they let us breathe!

So the question is this: Would you rather exercise in a bland gym with artificial lights, artificial sounds, synthetic rubber mats, and machines? or would you rather exercise outside next to a tree? Nature provides you the best gym, and it belongs to you.

Just a little something to think about the next time you are outside.

“For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.”
~Martin Luther

The Karl Gotch Bible

It's so awesome and hardcore that I had to post it again:

For this workout you will need a standard deck of playing cards.

Clubs: Double the value for Hindu Squats.

Spaids: Double value for Hindu Jumper Squats.

Diamonds: Number value for Straight Pushups (or half moon pushups)

Hearts: Number value for Hindu Pushups.

Number Cards (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)= Given value.

Face cards (Jacks, Queens, Kings)= 10 value.

Aces= 11 value.

Jokers= 20 value.

Shuffle the deck well. Deal the top card. Do the number and exercise for that card. Then, without rest, deal the second card, and on and on until the entire deck is finished.

For example we will look at 10 random cards...

3 of Clubs= 6 squats

Jack of Spaids= 20 jumpers

King of Hearts= 10 hindu pushups

6 of Diamonds= 6 pushups

9 of spaids= 18 jumpers

King of Clubs= 20 squats

Joker= 40 squats or 20 hindu pushups

Jack of Diamonds= 10 pushups

Ace of Spaids= 22 jumpers

3 of Hearts= 3 hindu pushups

etc.....

This workout done at a reasonable clip should take about 30 minutes. It is not as easy as it looks so don't send me emails saying you ripped through the deck twice on your first try. All exercises should be done in perfect form.

The total number of squats is 420. The total number of pushups is 210. The total reps is 630.

Beginners can break the cards up into sets, or take longer time to complete, or take out the advanced exercises, change the exercises, or not double the squat numbers. Modifications should not become a crutch, just a means for progression.

You will never look at a deck of cards the same again.