What does that even mean anyways? Either way the sentiment is if someone is going to help you with something and it is painfully obvious that you need that help, why do you dismiss it?
Call me crazy but if I had two houses in another state and was as lazy as an in-law after Thanksgiving dinner than I would gladly accept the help and assistance of a completely honest real estate agent in trying to get the houses sold. But noooooooo, this is not the case of some people. I am really beginning to hate lazy obsessive compulsives, honestly all they do is run around and encourage people to do a whole lot of nothing, until they decide its time, even when they are completely unqualified to make the decision.
God help this family and see that none of them ever truely get sick, for they would die of inaction before they would make up there minds to do something.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
The Battle of the Bulge rages
Well it looks like plans for the weekend are coming along nicely. I just need to get through this weeks work of worth and I'll be able to enjoy it. Well its Wednesday now and its almost over so this is good.
I know my niece is turning 4 on friday, but I know that her mother also is getting upset with other members of the household so she may scram, expecting us to follow if we want to celebrate. Now I love my niece, but I hate being played and am not fond of pandering to bad behaviour either so if she goes I'l; be seeing a movie Friday night. Brian won't want to go up either because he'll be working. Saturday looks to be fun, friends of ours are throwing a little dinner party. When we all go out the bill usually tends to get expensive and you eat way to much, so we are doing this in an effort to save money and stay healthy. So we (Brian and I) have been tasked with bringing a dessert. I have a couple of ideas, and of course they will be figure friendly.
Sunday is an open book right now, but there are some projects that I need to get out of the way first like going through some old clothes and such. I am going to be prepaired as possible for when I move out so there will be no wait, I can just pick up and go. Of course I should have my new Perplex City cards by then too so I may be deeply engrossed in the new season. You may want to check it out now before the next season kicks off, its real fun and anyone who enjoys puzzles as much as I do will be occupied for months trying to solve some of the cards. There are even cards from season 1 that have not been solved yet.
I know my niece is turning 4 on friday, but I know that her mother also is getting upset with other members of the household so she may scram, expecting us to follow if we want to celebrate. Now I love my niece, but I hate being played and am not fond of pandering to bad behaviour either so if she goes I'l; be seeing a movie Friday night. Brian won't want to go up either because he'll be working. Saturday looks to be fun, friends of ours are throwing a little dinner party. When we all go out the bill usually tends to get expensive and you eat way to much, so we are doing this in an effort to save money and stay healthy. So we (Brian and I) have been tasked with bringing a dessert. I have a couple of ideas, and of course they will be figure friendly.
Sunday is an open book right now, but there are some projects that I need to get out of the way first like going through some old clothes and such. I am going to be prepaired as possible for when I move out so there will be no wait, I can just pick up and go. Of course I should have my new Perplex City cards by then too so I may be deeply engrossed in the new season. You may want to check it out now before the next season kicks off, its real fun and anyone who enjoys puzzles as much as I do will be occupied for months trying to solve some of the cards. There are even cards from season 1 that have not been solved yet.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Who knew?
Yes I'm gay I kinda think you've figured that out by now. But you need to know that I am not the queeny kind of gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Its just I'm kinda straight acting. Anyways the point I'm trying to make is that I had no idea I was a total UK Pop Queen!!
Good lord I know my musical tastes were varied and some of my more favorite songs would make a straight man cringe but I have recently come to the conclusion that I really do like the Euro pop scene. Let me tell you its better and has far more cred than anything Bat Crazy Britney ever put out. I've been listening to Outcast Radio in the Uk which is a gay radio station and there are some songs that I am now so completely enamored with. Leading the pack would be anything from Steps, with their Abba-esque sound and the two strapping lads who must play an instrument, and more importantly look incredibly dreamy on the CD covers. Any ways, I had to share this revelation. The moral of the story is Steps check them out.
Good lord I know my musical tastes were varied and some of my more favorite songs would make a straight man cringe but I have recently come to the conclusion that I really do like the Euro pop scene. Let me tell you its better and has far more cred than anything Bat Crazy Britney ever put out. I've been listening to Outcast Radio in the Uk which is a gay radio station and there are some songs that I am now so completely enamored with. Leading the pack would be anything from Steps, with their Abba-esque sound and the two strapping lads who must play an instrument, and more importantly look incredibly dreamy on the CD covers. Any ways, I had to share this revelation. The moral of the story is Steps check them out.
Morning Snarkieness!!
GAY MARRIAGE LOGIC
Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.
Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.
Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.
Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Brittany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.
Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.
Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.
Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.
Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
ONLY IN AMERICA!
One of the saddest parts about our society is that these arguments, before the humorous common sense, are the real reasons why people can't accept gay marriages.
Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.
Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.
Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.
Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Brittany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.
Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.
Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.
Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.
Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
ONLY IN AMERICA!
One of the saddest parts about our society is that these arguments, before the humorous common sense, are the real reasons why people can't accept gay marriages.
Monday, February 26, 2007
The Biggest Loser
A letter to my co-workers at work who like me are part of our own little community of biggest losers, many thanks and kudos to my friend Sean over at Seanlandia who talked with me last Saturday over dinner, and was the inspiration and motivation for my letter. There are some minor grammar errors so please pardon:
After last Friday's results I am as astonished as all of you, but the reason are slightly different. I am more surprised that the changes I have made have garnered a faster response than I anticipated. While I am using weight watchers as my vehicle to get to my goal what I have to say is universal to the cause.
Discipline we all lack it and we all crave it in the same instance. Maybe someone kept you from the cookie jar as a kid and now subconsciously you act out to eat whatever and whenever. Maybe you snack while bored; you eat while watching the TV. Ever feel guilty after eating something particularly sinful with out really knowing why you ate it. Have you ever hidden food? Most people me included have done most or all of these things. When we don't confront them we don't change these behaviors i.e. we don't change our figures. Maybe you don't do what I described above but I bet deep down inside you, you know why you have not lost as much as you were hoping, and you'll never say it to anybody. Until you confront that side of you though your efforts are going to be self defeating.
From now on I will not be using the word diet. Neither should you. I don't think anyone on this list needs to be on a diet me included. Diet is a medical term more commonly used to describe an eating regiment prescribed to someone who can only eat specific foods because of medical circumstances. These would include Diabetes and Celiac's disease. From what I know about you all no one has any conditions like this. What we all need to understand is Behavior Modification. You act in certain patterns, so its only natural for you eat to eat in certain patterns as well. Don't believe me? What do eat when you are stressed? I bet there's a small list of foods that always comes up.
Sometimes those habits run counter to keep a slim figure. Most of mine did. Those were those little voices in my head that I was talking about earlier. We need to change our behavior in order to reach our goals. It is not easy. It is not like turning on a switch, and for some of us we did not get this way overnight so neither should we expect to melt away by morning. Its going to be a harder road ahead for those of us who I have overheard utter the following: "can't", "won't", "just don't like", "wasn't prepared", "I know but". If you are not positive you will not win, not this contest but in reaching your goal to begin with. If you can not make changes to lifestyle to help then you will not make any changes to your body, or at least any that you want. For me I just turned 30 and I always had held the belief that I didn't need to worry about things cause I was still young. It was a very stupid statement, but it was one of things that I kept in the back of my mind because I didn't want to face the reality of the situation. Well guess what I'm 30 and very overweight and I know I can already feel it impacting my life. I don't know about the rest of you but I have loved ones that I want to be with for as long as I can, so that is my motivation that is my discipline. My fully loaded Starbucks is not worth missing my nephews graduation from college because I had a heart attack when I was 50.
I may not be able to stop a bus from hitting me but I can damn well wake up take control of my own life and how I treat it. Now of course there are certain pleasures in eating. A special occasion like birthdays or anniversaries are always special and who wants to be the one counting calories in the restaurant while the rest of you party had already ordered. No one not even me. There are things like simple pleasures in this world that make life worth living and some of them are food related. If your vice is eating out. Then do it, only do it once a week. This was one of mine. Let me tell you last week you all know how much I lost, but what you didn't know is that Saturday I went to an Italian Restaurant and ate Fettuccine Alfredo, probably the 'worst' thing you could have. I was with a bunch of friends I had not seen in a while and I wanted to enjoy the night so I did. I just made sur to eat a large salad first and did not take home the leftovers. You can still treat yourself as long as you stay vigilant and make sure you are making better choices.
I know this long, and my intent was not to lecture but to help motivate. I do not want to win this competition by a landslide, I would rather it end neck and neck with each one of you. I want us all to do well. Two more things.
A) Several people have asked me what I am going to do with the money, well here's my answer. This competition is far from over but some people are treating it like it is. I will sweeten the pot. I am not in this for the money. To prove it; if I win I will donate my winnings to the Clarks Foundation in OUR names plus an extra $50. I am taking it this seriously; my health and yours is my motivating factor.
B) Like I said there is another month, and while I firmly believe in setting small achievable goals I know I won't be at my overall goal for some time, but I firmly intend to start a group here at Clarks who can help people like me and others who want to eat right and improve their overall well being. Maybe some of you will help me start it. The invite is there; all you need to do is bring your positive attitude and desire to make a change.
I hope this all find you with a renewed sense of feeling;
Garrett Earley
National Accounts Coordinator
After last Friday's results I am as astonished as all of you, but the reason are slightly different. I am more surprised that the changes I have made have garnered a faster response than I anticipated. While I am using weight watchers as my vehicle to get to my goal what I have to say is universal to the cause.
Discipline we all lack it and we all crave it in the same instance. Maybe someone kept you from the cookie jar as a kid and now subconsciously you act out to eat whatever and whenever. Maybe you snack while bored; you eat while watching the TV. Ever feel guilty after eating something particularly sinful with out really knowing why you ate it. Have you ever hidden food? Most people me included have done most or all of these things. When we don't confront them we don't change these behaviors i.e. we don't change our figures. Maybe you don't do what I described above but I bet deep down inside you, you know why you have not lost as much as you were hoping, and you'll never say it to anybody. Until you confront that side of you though your efforts are going to be self defeating.
From now on I will not be using the word diet. Neither should you. I don't think anyone on this list needs to be on a diet me included. Diet is a medical term more commonly used to describe an eating regiment prescribed to someone who can only eat specific foods because of medical circumstances. These would include Diabetes and Celiac's disease. From what I know about you all no one has any conditions like this. What we all need to understand is Behavior Modification. You act in certain patterns, so its only natural for you eat to eat in certain patterns as well. Don't believe me? What do eat when you are stressed? I bet there's a small list of foods that always comes up.
Sometimes those habits run counter to keep a slim figure. Most of mine did. Those were those little voices in my head that I was talking about earlier. We need to change our behavior in order to reach our goals. It is not easy. It is not like turning on a switch, and for some of us we did not get this way overnight so neither should we expect to melt away by morning. Its going to be a harder road ahead for those of us who I have overheard utter the following: "can't", "won't", "just don't like", "wasn't prepared", "I know but". If you are not positive you will not win, not this contest but in reaching your goal to begin with. If you can not make changes to lifestyle to help then you will not make any changes to your body, or at least any that you want. For me I just turned 30 and I always had held the belief that I didn't need to worry about things cause I was still young. It was a very stupid statement, but it was one of things that I kept in the back of my mind because I didn't want to face the reality of the situation. Well guess what I'm 30 and very overweight and I know I can already feel it impacting my life. I don't know about the rest of you but I have loved ones that I want to be with for as long as I can, so that is my motivation that is my discipline. My fully loaded Starbucks is not worth missing my nephews graduation from college because I had a heart attack when I was 50.
I may not be able to stop a bus from hitting me but I can damn well wake up take control of my own life and how I treat it. Now of course there are certain pleasures in eating. A special occasion like birthdays or anniversaries are always special and who wants to be the one counting calories in the restaurant while the rest of you party had already ordered. No one not even me. There are things like simple pleasures in this world that make life worth living and some of them are food related. If your vice is eating out. Then do it, only do it once a week. This was one of mine. Let me tell you last week you all know how much I lost, but what you didn't know is that Saturday I went to an Italian Restaurant and ate Fettuccine Alfredo, probably the 'worst' thing you could have. I was with a bunch of friends I had not seen in a while and I wanted to enjoy the night so I did. I just made sur to eat a large salad first and did not take home the leftovers. You can still treat yourself as long as you stay vigilant and make sure you are making better choices.
I know this long, and my intent was not to lecture but to help motivate. I do not want to win this competition by a landslide, I would rather it end neck and neck with each one of you. I want us all to do well. Two more things.
A) Several people have asked me what I am going to do with the money, well here's my answer. This competition is far from over but some people are treating it like it is. I will sweeten the pot. I am not in this for the money. To prove it; if I win I will donate my winnings to the Clarks Foundation in OUR names plus an extra $50. I am taking it this seriously; my health and yours is my motivating factor.
B) Like I said there is another month, and while I firmly believe in setting small achievable goals I know I won't be at my overall goal for some time, but I firmly intend to start a group here at Clarks who can help people like me and others who want to eat right and improve their overall well being. Maybe some of you will help me start it. The invite is there; all you need to do is bring your positive attitude and desire to make a change.
I hope this all find you with a renewed sense of feeling;
Garrett Earley
National Accounts Coordinator
Sunday, February 25, 2007
DefCon 1
Oh God the oil has gone out again. Of course it happens again when I'm here, so Brian gets to miss the whole episode. Have you ever seen what happens when hysteria meets obsessive compulsion. It's not pretty, logic and reason are left aside and are now hiding with me up in my bedroom. Right now the house is filled with smoke which may or may not contain toxic fumes and or coal since the flew was shut. But we are loosing all the heat we have left as the other occupants of the house are opening the windows and doors to fumigate. Of course this is all my fault because the oil bill has not been sent in quite on time; eventhough it has nothing to do with that and more to do with the 20 year furnace that never gets serviced.
God I'm getting out of here one way or another. Of course how does one make Brian understand all this without him being here.
Maybe if I blog about it he will get the point, MISTER!!!
God I'm getting out of here one way or another. Of course how does one make Brian understand all this without him being here.
Maybe if I blog about it he will get the point, MISTER!!!
Welcome to the new blog.
Well I didn't really want to have a myspace page and a seperate blog page, but the myspace blogging utility is just to limited for what I wanted to do I had to start a new blog. For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about and want to see the old one go here. I'll post more shortly.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
I'm BAAAaaacckkk!!!!
Technically I've been back for a couple of days now, but I have had no deesire to do anything online. Yesterday was a snow day for me so I spent the better part of the day redesigning my page and downloading my photos from the trip. You can find them at FLICKR. If anyone needs further information on a pic or two just e-mail I'm sure there is a story behind it. Also check out my video section and you can see the Ebel clan get down and boogie.
I'll blog more later, when I have more time to chat.
I'll blog more later, when I have more time to chat.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Partly Cloudy and 82 Degrees
That's the forecast for tomorrow in Punta Cana. In 24 hours I will be touching down in the tropical climates of the Dominican Republic to start a much needed break. Since the shuttle is picking me up at 3:45 in the morning I will be getting to be dearly so this is the last chance I'll have to say something before I go.
I am on lunch now in a few minutes I'll be finishing up for the day and hope to leave things pretty well of for my backup, and if she's reading this I'll have an extra drink for you while I'm down there. Of course nothing can go right when you want it to and so went this mornig. I busted my ass to get things good last week and it fell apart this morning. C'est la vie! I can only do so much and I'll just pick up where I left when I get back. Its only shoes after all.
The past weekend finishing up rather well. I made dinner for everyone that was well received and while Brian was at work closing, I did manage to find some stuff to do. Mainly pack. I waited up for him so he wouldn't have to eat dinner alone and so we could talk. We are in good shape as far as being rady to go. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the family. While I wish I had taken Monday off so that I could help, Brian assures me that its better that I be at work and not at home. He meant it would be less stressful that way for me, because apparently the whole house will go into crisis mode.
Well lets see how far they get when I get back I may have to crack a whip. I already had to worn about the mammoth suitcases that are being packed, and how if they exceed 50lbs they will be paying at least $50 a pop for them. I just hope that everyone will be ready for 3:45 AM pickup. I know I can do it, I'm pretty sure Brian and his mother can do it. The others may prove to be a challenge. Only time will tell I may be surprised, but I will do my best to photo document the ordeal.
Alright almost time to get back to work. Take care everyone and I'll see you when I get back.
Peace
I am on lunch now in a few minutes I'll be finishing up for the day and hope to leave things pretty well of for my backup, and if she's reading this I'll have an extra drink for you while I'm down there. Of course nothing can go right when you want it to and so went this mornig. I busted my ass to get things good last week and it fell apart this morning. C'est la vie! I can only do so much and I'll just pick up where I left when I get back. Its only shoes after all.
The past weekend finishing up rather well. I made dinner for everyone that was well received and while Brian was at work closing, I did manage to find some stuff to do. Mainly pack. I waited up for him so he wouldn't have to eat dinner alone and so we could talk. We are in good shape as far as being rady to go. I wish I could say the same for the rest of the family. While I wish I had taken Monday off so that I could help, Brian assures me that its better that I be at work and not at home. He meant it would be less stressful that way for me, because apparently the whole house will go into crisis mode.
Well lets see how far they get when I get back I may have to crack a whip. I already had to worn about the mammoth suitcases that are being packed, and how if they exceed 50lbs they will be paying at least $50 a pop for them. I just hope that everyone will be ready for 3:45 AM pickup. I know I can do it, I'm pretty sure Brian and his mother can do it. The others may prove to be a challenge. Only time will tell I may be surprised, but I will do my best to photo document the ordeal.
Alright almost time to get back to work. Take care everyone and I'll see you when I get back.
Peace
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Part II
Slowly but surely once off Atkins the pounds continued to return. Unitl eventually I was back to my weight that I started with. I became depressed, I'm pretty sure of it. Not just the mood but the actual physical ailment, and while I did not seek to fix it everything just got worse as I continued to ignore the situation. I just accepted that nothing could be done and I'll deal after all there was plenty of other stuff going on in my life that needed attention.
Of course as time goes on I become more political and outspoken as I believe this country needs new direction, not only in the White House, but Socially, Fiscally and Culturally. I have begun to analyse the environmental impact we are leaving on the planet and how I don't want to be the one that kills this planet for future generations. I may not have kids but I believe that mankind can and will do great things if it can survive itself and I want to give it the opportunity to reach its full potential. We'll get there by learning how to take care of this planet and each other. Most people don't realize the impact they have on this world.
By the time you drag yourself out of bed, shower, dress, eat breakfast and drive to work you have already done plenty of damage. Just ask yourself a few questions and you'll see what I mean:
How where these sheets made? and by whom? How much are they paid?
Why did I buy this shampoo? Does it smell nice? What will it do to the water when it gets down the drain into the water? What will it do to my skin? How was it made?
Where did I buy these clothes? they were cheap? How much did the people who made them get paid? What did the dyes do that made the shirt red?
mmmm Bacon? Where did the animal come from? What were the conditions it was kept in? Doesn't everyone eat bacon? Thats alot of pigs? Alot of waste, where does it go? Why is orange juice so expensive? I thought illegal immigrants worked cheaply?
Why is gas so expensive? Why do we fight for oil instead of finding alternate solutions? Why do I drive 30 miles out of my way for cheaper gas when I can save more by making sure I don't drive faster than 65 mph?
If you don't ask yourself these questions, who will. Who will tell your children, will your children fall victim to someone else's busy morning? If everyone asks themselves these questions and stops taking everything and everyone they see for granted then maybe we can finally get somewhere. Don't feel bad if you didn't think of it before, not many do, but now you know. You can I either acknowledge what I said and help make this world better or you can go on as you were, but when the rug gets pulled out from underneath you don't say I didn't warn you.
So I/We are becoming more socially conscious and while I do get grief for it occasionally from co-workers I do believe I am making better choices and have started to make my footprint on this planet a little lighter. I buy local as much possible. I buy organic. I do not shop at Walmart. I try to use small companies as much as possible and I resist advertising. This whole new attitude has been enlightening and educational. I like to cook so getting simple ingredients is great and making good meals is even better. Thats really how I am doing this. There is no secret, there's no magic pill. I am just eating better and living better, making better choices because I know more about the options because I asked the questions.
If I had to explain to you how I am loosing weight I will describe it like this: I am eating better food and making better choices that just so happen to be able to be easily tracked and followed through weight watchers. I am not saying this road is going to be easy, but I'm going to try and with a little support I can make it and the more people I can take with me the better off we will all be.
Last night I had a lot of fun. Brian had to work late, so I dound myself with nothing to do until Jeff e-mailed me and wanted to know if I wanted to go with them to see the Worcester Sharks later that night. I jumped at the chance since I like Hockey and it would it give me something to do as well as see some friends before our trip. It was great I drove to Jeff and Moe's house after work and we met Sharon and we were on our way. We stopped at the 99 which presented myself with quite the conundrum. What am I going to eat here? All the "salads" looked about as bad as everything else. I had briefly considered falling back on some old comfort foods, but I slapped myself and made what I think was the best choice. I chose the Turkey tips which did I admit come with french fries, and I had some french onion soup before hand. I ate until I was satisfied and took the rest home. Yay me! I skipped dessert and we were on our way to the Centrum(DCU Center/ it will always be the Centrum to me).
While being a tad late we were able to see most of the game and they did win. The were trailing when we arrived but then the other team just seamed to fall apart because as the game ended Worcester won 6-2. It was a fun time then when we left we exited to find the city covered in snow. Here's a shot looking off to the east from the 5th level of the garge we were in. Now you can see what was the Centrum here off to the west. It was good to be back home at least for a little while. I like going back there now that my mood has improved somewhat. Plus I love it when it snows. I think thats enough for today. Only 2 more days left until Punta Cana.
Peace
Of course as time goes on I become more political and outspoken as I believe this country needs new direction, not only in the White House, but Socially, Fiscally and Culturally. I have begun to analyse the environmental impact we are leaving on the planet and how I don't want to be the one that kills this planet for future generations. I may not have kids but I believe that mankind can and will do great things if it can survive itself and I want to give it the opportunity to reach its full potential. We'll get there by learning how to take care of this planet and each other. Most people don't realize the impact they have on this world.
By the time you drag yourself out of bed, shower, dress, eat breakfast and drive to work you have already done plenty of damage. Just ask yourself a few questions and you'll see what I mean:
How where these sheets made? and by whom? How much are they paid?
Why did I buy this shampoo? Does it smell nice? What will it do to the water when it gets down the drain into the water? What will it do to my skin? How was it made?
Where did I buy these clothes? they were cheap? How much did the people who made them get paid? What did the dyes do that made the shirt red?
mmmm Bacon? Where did the animal come from? What were the conditions it was kept in? Doesn't everyone eat bacon? Thats alot of pigs? Alot of waste, where does it go? Why is orange juice so expensive? I thought illegal immigrants worked cheaply?
Why is gas so expensive? Why do we fight for oil instead of finding alternate solutions? Why do I drive 30 miles out of my way for cheaper gas when I can save more by making sure I don't drive faster than 65 mph?
If you don't ask yourself these questions, who will. Who will tell your children, will your children fall victim to someone else's busy morning? If everyone asks themselves these questions and stops taking everything and everyone they see for granted then maybe we can finally get somewhere. Don't feel bad if you didn't think of it before, not many do, but now you know. You can I either acknowledge what I said and help make this world better or you can go on as you were, but when the rug gets pulled out from underneath you don't say I didn't warn you.
So I/We are becoming more socially conscious and while I do get grief for it occasionally from co-workers I do believe I am making better choices and have started to make my footprint on this planet a little lighter. I buy local as much possible. I buy organic. I do not shop at Walmart. I try to use small companies as much as possible and I resist advertising. This whole new attitude has been enlightening and educational. I like to cook so getting simple ingredients is great and making good meals is even better. Thats really how I am doing this. There is no secret, there's no magic pill. I am just eating better and living better, making better choices because I know more about the options because I asked the questions.
If I had to explain to you how I am loosing weight I will describe it like this: I am eating better food and making better choices that just so happen to be able to be easily tracked and followed through weight watchers. I am not saying this road is going to be easy, but I'm going to try and with a little support I can make it and the more people I can take with me the better off we will all be.
Last night I had a lot of fun. Brian had to work late, so I dound myself with nothing to do until Jeff e-mailed me and wanted to know if I wanted to go with them to see the Worcester Sharks later that night. I jumped at the chance since I like Hockey and it would it give me something to do as well as see some friends before our trip. It was great I drove to Jeff and Moe's house after work and we met Sharon and we were on our way. We stopped at the 99 which presented myself with quite the conundrum. What am I going to eat here? All the "salads" looked about as bad as everything else. I had briefly considered falling back on some old comfort foods, but I slapped myself and made what I think was the best choice. I chose the Turkey tips which did I admit come with french fries, and I had some french onion soup before hand. I ate until I was satisfied and took the rest home. Yay me! I skipped dessert and we were on our way to the Centrum(DCU Center/ it will always be the Centrum to me).
While being a tad late we were able to see most of the game and they did win. The were trailing when we arrived but then the other team just seamed to fall apart because as the game ended Worcester won 6-2. It was a fun time then when we left we exited to find the city covered in snow. Here's a shot looking off to the east from the 5th level of the garge we were in. Now you can see what was the Centrum here off to the west. It was good to be back home at least for a little while. I like going back there now that my mood has improved somewhat. Plus I love it when it snows. I think thats enough for today. Only 2 more days left until Punta Cana.
Peace
Friday, February 2, 2007
You get a Gold Star!!!
Well I had not told you about this yet but a few of us at work have decided to do our own version of the biggest loser. We had our first weigh in today after having started and we still have some people to go but I look to be in the lead so far having lost 6.5 pounds . I did not expect to do so well. I was so happy I was giddy and squealed like a little girl on the scale this morning. I guess Weight Watchers really does work.
I have had the benefit of doing many diets over the years that have flopped. Why is this a benefit? Well it is becuase while the diets themselves may have failed each one had a good point to make, and that point while not being able to be sustained by itself helps when you combine them all together. Now I know I have only officially done this for a week and I am by far no diet guru, but I think I can speak from experience, and since this was a resolution I want to stick I am committed to this.
Here's what I've learned over the years. When I first experimented on weight watchers (WW) a few years ago it flopped and did not last long. I found myself overwhelmingly hungry eventhough I bought all the WW food and started excercising. I was so hungry I would blow it after a few weeks. It was not until I tried my next diet that I learned why it did not work. For a brief time while we were in Attleboro (days I never thought I'd find myself longing for) we tried out the Suzanne Summers Summercise(SS) diet. I know, I know ir just screams fad but it was fabulous and we're gay so deal. It did make some good points about food combining and was not restrictive per se you just could not mix carbs with fats and so on and so forth and spoke to me for the first time about whole grains and the hazards of refined carbs. It also taught about excercise and how the metabolism increases when you excersice. So that explained why WW had failed me the first time. I concentrated too much on the snack food from WW and the frozen meals that were all made out of Carbs, and combined with my increased metabolism from excercising no wonder I was fucking starved.
Well soon SS started to loose its appeal as it fell victim to our active lives. The recipes were good. I in fact still have fond memories of the first curry I ever made on SS, but there was nothing in there that good be made particularly fast or conveniently. Sure it must have been easy for Suzane with the private chef and unlimited funds for good food, but for Brian and Garrett working man with car loans, rent and school loans it fell out of favor.
Flash forward a few more years we left Attleboro and I really can't tell you how or why but I decided to try something else. There was this new diet on the horizon and gaining in popularity that seemed to work and had some science behind it. This was the Atkins Diet (AD) don't roll your eyes at me. Put out the visions of stacks of bacon and burgers aside. For anyone who actually read about the diet you find out more than just the popular public image of it. Yes it did treat carbs as the anti-christ but it did make some good points which I still hold true to this day.
Paramount of them is that refined carbs are bad, what are refined carbs? They are white sugar and white flour. Some of the best foods are made with white sugar and white flour I know but in moderation it is ok, not in everything you eat. Lets put it this way. How long does evolution take? Quite some time really I mean our bodies don't evolve all that fast, note the appendix which is still kicking around, and our inability to grow skin resistant to harmful UV rays. Evolution is the little old lady driving in the break down lane. Meanwhile the capacity for human thought and engineering is screaming by in the fast lane. Our bodies still really need the basic essentials that you find in nature, fat, carbs, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. They are also built to receive them the natural way. The natural way is what humans were built on; the hunter and gathering stage. Now I am not suggesting that we strip down to the loin cloth and scrounge for berries and spear a pig or two but I am sayine that our bodies are not used to getting the volume of easily converted energy we are dumping into it. Look over the years and see when this country started to become fat. I don't have exact numbers but suffice to say it coincided with the rise of prepaired pre packaged food. Convenience has been the death wale of the American waste line for years. We made foods so efficient at giving us what we need our bodies don't want to let go of it. Then we started increasing the portions.
Atkins found me loosing the most weight I had ever lost seriously I was down about 50 pounds and life was good. I ate well and I kept the Saturated fats down while keeping the carbs down as well. I eliminated trans fats as much as possible. Things were going well until Brian developed a particular sideeffect that I shall not go into and I decided that it was not worth it to continue.
Part 2 continues later ...
I have had the benefit of doing many diets over the years that have flopped. Why is this a benefit? Well it is becuase while the diets themselves may have failed each one had a good point to make, and that point while not being able to be sustained by itself helps when you combine them all together. Now I know I have only officially done this for a week and I am by far no diet guru, but I think I can speak from experience, and since this was a resolution I want to stick I am committed to this.
Here's what I've learned over the years. When I first experimented on weight watchers (WW) a few years ago it flopped and did not last long. I found myself overwhelmingly hungry eventhough I bought all the WW food and started excercising. I was so hungry I would blow it after a few weeks. It was not until I tried my next diet that I learned why it did not work. For a brief time while we were in Attleboro (days I never thought I'd find myself longing for) we tried out the Suzanne Summers Summercise(SS) diet. I know, I know ir just screams fad but it was fabulous and we're gay so deal. It did make some good points about food combining and was not restrictive per se you just could not mix carbs with fats and so on and so forth and spoke to me for the first time about whole grains and the hazards of refined carbs. It also taught about excercise and how the metabolism increases when you excersice. So that explained why WW had failed me the first time. I concentrated too much on the snack food from WW and the frozen meals that were all made out of Carbs, and combined with my increased metabolism from excercising no wonder I was fucking starved.
Well soon SS started to loose its appeal as it fell victim to our active lives. The recipes were good. I in fact still have fond memories of the first curry I ever made on SS, but there was nothing in there that good be made particularly fast or conveniently. Sure it must have been easy for Suzane with the private chef and unlimited funds for good food, but for Brian and Garrett working man with car loans, rent and school loans it fell out of favor.
Flash forward a few more years we left Attleboro and I really can't tell you how or why but I decided to try something else. There was this new diet on the horizon and gaining in popularity that seemed to work and had some science behind it. This was the Atkins Diet (AD) don't roll your eyes at me. Put out the visions of stacks of bacon and burgers aside. For anyone who actually read about the diet you find out more than just the popular public image of it. Yes it did treat carbs as the anti-christ but it did make some good points which I still hold true to this day.
Paramount of them is that refined carbs are bad, what are refined carbs? They are white sugar and white flour. Some of the best foods are made with white sugar and white flour I know but in moderation it is ok, not in everything you eat. Lets put it this way. How long does evolution take? Quite some time really I mean our bodies don't evolve all that fast, note the appendix which is still kicking around, and our inability to grow skin resistant to harmful UV rays. Evolution is the little old lady driving in the break down lane. Meanwhile the capacity for human thought and engineering is screaming by in the fast lane. Our bodies still really need the basic essentials that you find in nature, fat, carbs, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. They are also built to receive them the natural way. The natural way is what humans were built on; the hunter and gathering stage. Now I am not suggesting that we strip down to the loin cloth and scrounge for berries and spear a pig or two but I am sayine that our bodies are not used to getting the volume of easily converted energy we are dumping into it. Look over the years and see when this country started to become fat. I don't have exact numbers but suffice to say it coincided with the rise of prepaired pre packaged food. Convenience has been the death wale of the American waste line for years. We made foods so efficient at giving us what we need our bodies don't want to let go of it. Then we started increasing the portions.
Atkins found me loosing the most weight I had ever lost seriously I was down about 50 pounds and life was good. I ate well and I kept the Saturated fats down while keeping the carbs down as well. I eliminated trans fats as much as possible. Things were going well until Brian developed a particular sideeffect that I shall not go into and I decided that it was not worth it to continue.
Part 2 continues later ...
Thursday, February 1, 2007
IED's vs. LED's
All laughs aside, I'm a little annoyed and angry about yesterday's events in Boston. But I'm not angry with Adult Swim or Turner Broadcasting. Maybe they were irresponsible, even though NECN is reporting that they had legal permits to go ahead with their campaign. Maybe on the back of those signs they should have put up a "Call this number if you have any concerns about this thing", maybe a little foresight should have been used to see where some freaked out post 9/11 "I'm going to be a citizen hero by being vigilant" type could see what someone was doing as a threat to public infrastructure.
Who I am really angry at are the news media, who blew this story way out of proportion by using words like suspicious package, bomb, and really blowing it out of the park when they said that multiple devices found all around town at key infrastructure points. I blame them for scaring the piss out of the general public for something that the entire Internet community already knew to be harmless, as well as probably most of the college students and geeks in the city. It really shouldn't have gotten to the point that it did.
I'm also angry at the city of Boston, and our government in general. They're patting themselves on the back for saying how they acted so timely and efficiently during this potential crisis, when the reality is those things have been hanging up around Boston for 3 week! And there's video proof that it happened 3 weeks ago! And there's 9 other cities that for weeks didn't freak out, but us, the intellectual capital of the United States, goes a bit nutso over a few moonitite light brights? Why is that by 2:00 PM, the media was still reporting a bomb threat like the city was going to explode any moment, while the blogging community knew what in the world they were, put two and two together, and it took 3 extra hours for our mayor (who by the way had a press conference at 4:20, no I really can't make that up) to fess up to saying that yes they now know it's harmless. And to arrest the guy who was just hired to put up the signs? Make an artistic statement? Exercise his free speech rights? Come on now. Now your just trying to find a scapegoat and a pansy, and you've just put someone innocent and turned his life upside down.
I hate that they're still using the word hoax. It's not a hoax if there was never a bomb threat in the first place. No one called it in. No one had any intent to harm or to cause hysteria. This is not the same as yelling fire in a crowded movie theater.
What I love? Aqua Teen Hunger Force has never had so much attention in the mass media news. The first 5 minutes of last night's news wasn't even so much about the day's events, as it was explaining what the hell Adult Swim is (with inaccuracies of course because the group of people we charge with telling us the truth can't ever get their facts straight in the first place). The problem at it's heart is that something like Adult Swim talks to a underground counterculture, it talks to the people who aren't really a part of mainstream society, people who are reporting on it don't understand why it exists, and what's the point. I'm sure if Mayor Menino watched a mooninite episode he'd go "OMGWTFBBQ?!", or actually that's the exact opposite of what he wouldn't do. What else I think is hysterical? Boston wants $500,000 for yesterday's events. Ted Turner is probably laughing his ass off, that's a fraction of what the coverage would have cost him if he went via traditional channels. Think about it. 30 seconds on Super Bowl this year? 2.6 Million. All day coverage and hype about ATHF on every local channel and nationally over the wires including a full breakdown of the show? Half a million? Really? Really?
But what really makes me angry is the people who agree with the city. The ones who are going, "Oh yeah before 9/11 this would have been funny but now that we're living post 9/11, it's not cool". Shut the Hell Up. Things that were funny before 9/11 are still funny post 9/11. Because if what the idiot was saying is true, taking another cliché line, the terrorists have already won. What is wrong with people that we're living in this constant trigger finger state of fear instead of living our lives the way we want to live them, free to do what we want, and not have any sort of fear that we're going to be blown up tomorrow? The more and more I see it, the more and more depressed I get that we're just going to become pawns of our society, that we're going to be controlled by fear instead of freedom. And of everything yesterday, that's really what boils my blood. That people just don't get it. Terrorists are going to keep trying to bomb us, and we're going to keep trying to stop it, but we shouldn't change our daily routine and mindset because of it. Because is life really that important if your not allowed to do what you really want to do?
Who I am really angry at are the news media, who blew this story way out of proportion by using words like suspicious package, bomb, and really blowing it out of the park when they said that multiple devices found all around town at key infrastructure points. I blame them for scaring the piss out of the general public for something that the entire Internet community already knew to be harmless, as well as probably most of the college students and geeks in the city. It really shouldn't have gotten to the point that it did.
I'm also angry at the city of Boston, and our government in general. They're patting themselves on the back for saying how they acted so timely and efficiently during this potential crisis, when the reality is those things have been hanging up around Boston for 3 week! And there's video proof that it happened 3 weeks ago! And there's 9 other cities that for weeks didn't freak out, but us, the intellectual capital of the United States, goes a bit nutso over a few moonitite light brights? Why is that by 2:00 PM, the media was still reporting a bomb threat like the city was going to explode any moment, while the blogging community knew what in the world they were, put two and two together, and it took 3 extra hours for our mayor (who by the way had a press conference at 4:20, no I really can't make that up) to fess up to saying that yes they now know it's harmless. And to arrest the guy who was just hired to put up the signs? Make an artistic statement? Exercise his free speech rights? Come on now. Now your just trying to find a scapegoat and a pansy, and you've just put someone innocent and turned his life upside down.
I hate that they're still using the word hoax. It's not a hoax if there was never a bomb threat in the first place. No one called it in. No one had any intent to harm or to cause hysteria. This is not the same as yelling fire in a crowded movie theater.
What I love? Aqua Teen Hunger Force has never had so much attention in the mass media news. The first 5 minutes of last night's news wasn't even so much about the day's events, as it was explaining what the hell Adult Swim is (with inaccuracies of course because the group of people we charge with telling us the truth can't ever get their facts straight in the first place). The problem at it's heart is that something like Adult Swim talks to a underground counterculture, it talks to the people who aren't really a part of mainstream society, people who are reporting on it don't understand why it exists, and what's the point. I'm sure if Mayor Menino watched a mooninite episode he'd go "OMGWTFBBQ?!", or actually that's the exact opposite of what he wouldn't do. What else I think is hysterical? Boston wants $500,000 for yesterday's events. Ted Turner is probably laughing his ass off, that's a fraction of what the coverage would have cost him if he went via traditional channels. Think about it. 30 seconds on Super Bowl this year? 2.6 Million. All day coverage and hype about ATHF on every local channel and nationally over the wires including a full breakdown of the show? Half a million? Really? Really?
But what really makes me angry is the people who agree with the city. The ones who are going, "Oh yeah before 9/11 this would have been funny but now that we're living post 9/11, it's not cool". Shut the Hell Up. Things that were funny before 9/11 are still funny post 9/11. Because if what the idiot was saying is true, taking another cliché line, the terrorists have already won. What is wrong with people that we're living in this constant trigger finger state of fear instead of living our lives the way we want to live them, free to do what we want, and not have any sort of fear that we're going to be blown up tomorrow? The more and more I see it, the more and more depressed I get that we're just going to become pawns of our society, that we're going to be controlled by fear instead of freedom. And of everything yesterday, that's really what boils my blood. That people just don't get it. Terrorists are going to keep trying to bomb us, and we're going to keep trying to stop it, but we shouldn't change our daily routine and mindset because of it. Because is life really that important if your not allowed to do what you really want to do?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)