Musings on Random Musings

[zornwil]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

 

So all I have to do to lose weight is move to a new apartment really often?

 

That doesn't sound right, somehow.

 

Anyway, I keep doing all the right things, but I plateau at a certain level. I think I need to break down and pay someone to tell me how to break out of this pattern eventually.

 

Meanwhile, what's most important to me is that I'm healthy, so I'll just continue taking my vitamins and going for regular walks.

My personal advice/opinion is that a big part of succesfully dieting and all that (whatever you add to make yourself look as you desire) is simply to suck up some level of "simple" but painful self-deprivation. If you don't learn to deprive, the diets that promise progress by "eating what you like" or "eating as much as you like within (x) set of parameters" don't address behaviors that resume as soon as the weight level is achieved or close to achieved. And, to me, the reality of losing weight has been simply living with less food-based satisfaction, although I do feel better.

 

You have to accept a level of unhappiness in one regard for a level of happiness in another, in summary, and, just to be clear, IMHO. That was just my experience. Maybe it doesn't apply to others, I don't know.

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

My personal advice/opinion is that a big part of succesfully dieting and all that (whatever you add to make yourself look as you desire) is simply to suck up some level of "simple" but painful self-deprivation. If you don't learn to deprive, the diets that promise progress by "eating what you like" or "eating as much as you like within (x) set of parameters" don't address behaviors that resume as soon as the weight level is achieved or close to achieved. And, to me, the reality of losing weight has been simply living with less food-based satisfaction, although I do feel better.

 

You have to accept a level of unhappiness in one regard for a level of happiness in another, in summary, and, just to be clear, IMHO. That was just my experience. Maybe it doesn't apply to others, I don't know.

I think I've heard that put another way: integrate in small changes. Adjust to these changes. Then integrate in something new.

 

I've actually stuck with a lot of the small changes I've managed to integrate into my daily life. I eat fresh or dried fruit for a snack when I first get hungry after breakfast, I've cut down on the sugar in my coffee (and may just be able to cut it out entirely someday), I drink at least 64 ounces of water every weekday, and I pay a lot more attention to what I'm eating and how often I'm walking (like parking farther away from a mall entrance, walking to the library instead of driving, that kind of thing).

 

I definitely like that version better. It sounds . . . less painful.

[zornwil]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

I think I've heard that put another way: integrate in small changes. Adjust to these changes. Then integrate in something new.

 

I've actually stuck with a lot of the small changes I've managed to integrate into my daily life. I eat fresh or dried fruit for a snack when I first get hungry after breakfast, I've cut down on the sugar in my coffee (and may just be able to cut it out entirely someday), I drink at least 64 ounces of water every weekday, and I pay a lot more attention to what I'm eating and how often I'm walking (like parking farther away from a mall entrance, walking to the library instead of driving, that kind of thing).

 

I definitely like that version better. It sounds . . . less painful.

That sounds good, I think the only thing I found, when starting out, was that it was hard to make the changes too small/incremental. But I'm not quibbling or saying that there's any one approach for all - not at all!

[AliceTheOwl]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

That sounds good' date=' I think the only thing I found, when starting out, was that it was hard to make the changes too small/incremental. But I'm not quibbling or saying that there's any one approach for all - not at all![/quote']

The measure is in whether I can deal with it for a period of time long enough that it becomes habit.

 

If I fail, I make the next goal a little easier.

 

Unfortunately, I'm at a bit of a standstill, because I can't find any small changes I can make.

 

Hence, the need to hire someone to tell me what to do.

[lemming]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Also' date=' JG is indeed very real and as interesting and nice a guy as he appears on the boards.[/quote']

And since I can verify you, that spreads the web of verification.

[zornwil]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

And since I can verify you' date=' that spreads the web of verification. [/quote']

Plus I had missed in the past that HeWhoIsMatt (or such, I can't recall if that's precisely the handle) is in James' group, so that also estalishes further "real people".

 

Or we have one heck of a conspiracy going on, Rachel v2.5...

[James Gillen]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

An update - I ended up staying up and going back out to get something to eat away from the hotel later in the evening/AM (Vegas' 24 hour atttude is very corrupting for someone like me who is a night owl by nature' date=' I'm so tired right now...), and talked to another cabbie who said that he felt the strike thing was bunk and it's mostly a lot of loose talk by people, that the consequences to the drivers of a real walk-out (which is illegal he claimed, btw, there are contractual and legal obligations to provide service and drivers can be summarily dismissed for not picking up at hotels as well as for refusing city service); however, "loose talk" has a way of becoming powerful, and while it might be "illegal", just imagine if the idea does catch on, if all the drivers were to get fired it would cripple the industry for weeks if not months, so while I respect this driver's opinion, it is one of several and I could imagine this scenario going any which way - as James relayed, the demonstration yesterday was quite impressive. [/quote']

 

I'm pretty sure that a walkout on that scale would be illegal, as would be tying up airport traffic, but the fact that there were that many cabs in the same area at once indicates it wasn't just "loose talk."

 

Update: According to our local news, the main point of contention was that they were actually going to pass a state law to the effect that places of business couldn't give $20s or freebies of any sort to cabbies. This is bogus for two reasons: One, it was proposed on the pretext that the need to give kickbacks undercut the business of smaller companies, but most of the clubs people want to go to anyway are the ones with word of mouth or good financial backing, and two, as one of the cabbies interviewed on TV pointed out, you wouldn't even be able to give regular cabbies free bottled water in the summer.

 

So Governor Guinn backed down and said he'd veto the bill. Which seems to have calmed things down although allegedly some drivers were still planning their own little strikes.

 

Also, interestingly, I learned as this cab driver has been doing it for 30 years, that the strip club kickback was only around the last 5 or so years. It started, logically enough, when certain clubs would give drivers the kickback to steer customers to their instead of others' clubs. Then the practice spread and then the gov't got involved and it became standardized to be fair, although of course in so doing it eliminated any competitive advantage and "simply" moved revenue from the clubs to the taxi and limo drivers. And now we're where the driver described as James mentioned. Quite an interesting story, a very Vegas one!

 

There's also some very convoluted politics going on with these clubs, some of which have been accused of making under-the-table deals with local officials to keep them off their backs. The FBI is going through the criminal trial stages of something called "Operation G-Sting."

Suffice to say, not all of the owners wanted to give cabbies their fee, and some of these owners (like the owner of Olympic Garden) started pressuring the state in that regard. Anybody who wonders why I'm a Libertarian isn't familiar with how Las Vegas government works. It makes Daley's Chicago look like King Arthur's Court.

 

 

Also, JG is indeed very real and as interesting and nice a guy as he appears on the boards.

 

Awwww.

Seriously, to Alice: Wilson is a fairly healthy looking guy. I mentioned when we were resting up at the Wynn that I was more outta shape than I thought (I'm over 300 lbs. and am still feeling the ache in my legs from walking over 2 1/2 hours). And he mentioned that he'd lost 70 pounds.

 

I really couldn't believe it. He just told me (IIRC) that "you have to accept that you're going to be depriving yourself." Just don't eat the junk. Which is of course the key- I can lay off the sugar for a day or so, especially if I know I'll need to be active, as I was Thursday- but as a rule, it's hard.

 

But it was nice to know that it IS possible to lose that much weight and keep it off. It will really help me in my attempts to shape up.

 

Thanks, Wil. See you later, I hope.

 

James

[zornwil]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Hope to see you, too, and thanks for your kind words as well!

 

I heard that news report, too, in the cab on the way to the airport, about the bottles of water and such. I didn't hear the Gov. intends to veto, that's good.

 

I can definitely imagine under-the-table deals, with all the money and all the convolutions around "morality issues" in general (not even speaking in terms of the controversy societally as to whether to encourage such activities but rather the whole pragmatic issue of "how far is too far" when it comes to showgirl behaviors with customers and what club practices are really legal versus skirting the law and all that, along with the political pressures regarding the club situation) I would think there'd be tremendous pressures.

 

It's such an interesting comparison between Portland and Las Vegas in terms of this stuff. Because Portland makes no great income on the sex industry and there's no real focus on the sex community (though there has been some real nasty politics going on there between the commercial swing establishment which is just one company against the personal "amateur" swing community) from a gov't or societal level but there's this very laissez-faire attitude about these things, it's just as pervasive on one level as in Vegas with the strongest per capita presence of strip clubs and adult bookstores in the nation (btw, JG and I did already discuss much of this, I'm sort of fleshing out for others but also adding some thoughts to our conversation the other night for James) but it's radically different in the orientation and visibility/focus because of that lack of serious money and the lack of a "sex tourist" industry. Of course Oregon doesn't have legalized prostitution like Nevada does, so that makes a huge difference.

 

But I still can't figure out how the adult entertainment industry took such a strong hold in Portland in terms of having a real following yet lacking the big money (though I shouldn't sell the money thing short - there's definitely money in it, it's just that the dollars aren't remotely as much volume as Vegas). I know there's a strongly libertarian attitude on a social (not economic) level here and that has had a lot to do with it, and that dates back to pioneer days in the NW (Seattle had a thriving semi-legalized prostitution industry for quite some time in the past), but it's intrigueing to see how it took such a different direction than in Nevada, and how even though you'd think there'd be either more money in it or fewer businesses, that just doesn't happen. As bookstores close, new ones just keep popping up, and the same with strip clubs. BTW, in Portland, the strip club girls have to pay just for the "opportunity" to make tip money, it's a very tough competition here on that level. I just can't figure out how the model has been sustainable, here just has to be a strong ongoing audience, and, as far as I can guess, it must be a combo of a very enthusiastic core coupled with the open-minded attitude which encourages an ongoing occasional traffic by "regular" people that I bet doesn't happen in other cities (like Boston, where you wouldn't have "regular" people as readily admit to going to the local adult bookstore - heck, there's no such thing as a "local" adult bookstore since they are shuttled away from population centers and generally few in number, comparatively - in Portland, even though of course neighborhoods do sometimes object, they are pretty much all over the place, though of course there are concentrations in some undesirable areas).

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

An update - I ended up staying up and going back out to get something to eat away from the hotel later in the evening/AM (Vegas' 24 hour atttude is very corrupting for someone like me who is a night owl by nature...

I'd pick you more for a lizard not a night owl. Guess I was wrong.

 

 

Also, JG is indeed very real and as interesting and nice a guy as he appears on the boards.

So JG looks like Strong Bad? Good to know when (or if) I (ever) visit Vegas.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

I really' date=' really love the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' song "Impression That I Get" (the "Never had to knock on wood" song)[/quote']

 

I just heard that last night. I have the album and I have my entire collection on my computer and it's playing them randomly.

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Austrailian Humor.

 

Some more chuckles for you...............

LOL

 

By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never had an accident.

And we are proud of that too.

 

BTW: the "NT" in QANTAS refers to my home "state" the Northern Territory.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

I'm still trying to find my notes for ANZAC, the loose association of Australian and New Zealand heroes I wrote up as NPCs years ago; I can't imagine what I did with them!

 

One of them was called Qantas, and was a supersonic flyer -- and this was in the days before Megascale!

[Lamrok]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

My personal advice/opinion is that a big part of succesfully dieting and all that (whatever you add to make yourself look as you desire) is simply to suck up some level of "simple" but painful self-deprivation. If you don't learn to deprive, the diets that promise progress by "eating what you like" or "eating as much as you like within (x) set of parameters" don't address behaviors that resume as soon as the weight level is achieved or close to achieved. And, to me, the reality of losing weight has been simply living with less food-based satisfaction, although I do feel better.

 

You have to accept a level of unhappiness in one regard for a level of happiness in another, in summary, and, just to be clear, IMHO. That was just my experience. Maybe it doesn't apply to others, I don't know.

 

Quite true. A few months ago, I decided to alter my eating habits - generally eating less, and working to stick to low-fat high-nutrient foods. My goal is to stay on this new plan for pretty much forever. I'm trying not to think of it as a diet so much as a more reasoned approach to eating. So far so good.

 

My main problem with dieting has been that I had no issues with my size. My doctor said I was healthy and had no real reason to lose weight, and I just generally liked being a bit more massive. Until I got into my twenties, I was severely underweight, and hated it. Once I began to put on weight, I started feeling a lot better about myself. As long as I kept reaonably fit I was reaonably happy.

 

But, there are other factors. As my kids have been getting older, I've been spending more time playing sports with them, and to be able to keep up, I need to lose some mass. I'm also hoping that I'll have a few less aches and pains to deal with, and hoping to feel a bit more energetic. I've had a fairly stellar year at work and I want to keep the momentum going.

 

A bunch of people at my office have scored some MAJOR successes with Weight Watchers. I think our office, collectively, has lost about 30% of its total mass in the last two years. I'm not doing this personally, but it does seem that it can work for a lot of people.

[zornwil]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

I just heard that last night. I have the album and I have my entire collection on my computer and it's playing them randomly.

When I posted that, I had heard it just a bit before at the convention, they played music during breaks.

[zornwil]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Quite true. A few months ago, I decided to alter my eating habits - generally eating less, and working to stick to low-fat high-nutrient foods. My goal is to stay on this new plan for pretty much forever. I'm trying not to think of it as a diet so much as a more reasoned approach to eating. So far so good.

 

My main problem with dieting has been that I had no issues with my size. My doctor said I was healthy and had no real reason to lose weight, and I just generally liked being a bit more massive. Until I got into my twenties, I was severely underweight, and hated it. Once I began to put on weight, I started feeling a lot better about myself. As long as I kept reaonably fit I was reaonably happy.

 

But, there are other factors. As my kids have been getting older, I've been spending more time playing sports with them, and to be able to keep up, I need to lose some mass. I'm also hoping that I'll have a few less aches and pains to deal with, and hoping to feel a bit more energetic. I've had a fairly stellar year at work and I want to keep the momentum going.

 

A bunch of people at my office have scored some MAJOR successes with Weight Watchers. I think our office, collectively, has lost about 30% of its total mass in the last two years. I'm not doing this personally, but it does seem that it can work for a lot of people.

Yeah, you've been doing pretty well! I'm always hesitant to say much because sometimes I've said that and people will stare blankly and be surprised they were overweight or they'll say they were sick or whatever, so I tend to be careful, but anyway, you're definitely losing that excess part of weight. Congratulations!

 

I should say that, just as you pointed out in your office, a number of people in our office were losing weight through various means at about the same time as I was. It was coincidental and I didn't even realize it (consciously) until someone pointed that out to me. It probably helped as well, even if I didn't realize it at first. Similarly, my wife couldn't quit smoking (which she did over 10 years ago) until some of her smoking buddy friends quit, and then it was easier for her.

[zornwil]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

I'd pick you more for a lizard not a night owl. Guess I was wrong.

 

 

So JG looks like Strong Bad? Good to know when (or if) I (ever) visit Vegas.

I just got up, I don't have a good comeback for this!

[zornwil]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Announcing the new "Built-in Orderly Organized Knowledge" device' date=' otherwise known as [b']BOOK[/b]!

 

It's a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use even a child can operate it. Just lift its cover. Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere--even sitting in an armchair by the fire--yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM! Here's how it works: each BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. These pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. By using both sides of each sheet, manufacturers are able to cut costs in half. Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. The book may be taken up at any time and used by merely opening it. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet, and move forward and backward as you wish. Most come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of any selected information for instant retrieval. An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open the BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session--even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Portable, durable and affordable, the BOOK is expected to enjoy tremendous demand of truly historic proportions. New titles continue to appear, due to the continued popularity of its programming tool, the Portable Erasable-Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus.

 

That was pretty clever, did you do that or where did you find it if not?

[zornwil]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Enforcer84, I liked those Savatage lyrics, but I couldn't rep you.

[James Gillen]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

But I still can't figure out how the adult entertainment industry took such a strong hold in Portland in terms of having a real following yet lacking the big money (though I shouldn't sell the money thing short - there's definitely money in it, it's just that the dollars aren't remotely as much volume as Vegas). I know there's a strongly libertarian attitude on a social (not economic) level here and that has had a lot to do with it, and that dates back to pioneer days in the NW (Seattle had a thriving semi-legalized prostitution industry for quite some time in the past), but it's intrigueing to see how it took such a different direction than in Nevada, and how even though you'd think there'd be either more money in it or fewer businesses, that just doesn't happen. As bookstores close, new ones just keep popping up, and the same with strip clubs. BTW, in Portland, the strip club girls have to pay just for the "opportunity" to make tip money, it's a very tough competition here on that level. I just can't figure out how the model has been sustainable, here just has to be a strong ongoing audience, and, as far as I can guess, it must be a combo of a very enthusiastic core coupled with the open-minded attitude which encourages an ongoing occasional traffic by "regular" people that I bet doesn't happen in other cities (like Boston, where you wouldn't have "regular" people as readily admit to going to the local adult bookstore - heck, there's no such thing as a "local" adult bookstore since they are shuttled away from population centers and generally few in number, comparatively - in Portland, even though of course neighborhoods do sometimes object, they are pretty much all over the place, though of course there are concentrations in some undesirable areas).

 

I'm not sure how the pioneer attitude would have much to do with it, if it's a settled area now...

And as far as I know, most strip clubs in the West are "pay to play."

 

jg

[James Gillen]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

I'd pick you more for a lizard not a night owl. Guess I was wrong.

 

 

So JG looks like Strong Bad? Good to know when (or if) I (ever) visit Vegas.

 

StrongBad is a lot thinner, but I do wear a mask all the time, yes.

 

JG

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

I'm still trying to find my notes for ANZAC, the loose association of Australian and New Zealand heroes I wrote up as NPCs years ago; I can't imagine what I did with them!

 

One of them was called Qantas, and was a supersonic flyer -- and this was in the days before Megascale!

Thanks for sharing.

[lemming]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Seriously, to Alice: Wilson is a fairly healthy looking guy. I mentioned when we were resting up at the Wynn that I was more outta shape than I thought (I'm over 300 lbs. and am still feeling the ache in my legs from walking over 2 1/2 hours). And he mentioned that he'd lost 70 pounds.

 

I really couldn't believe it. He just told me (IIRC) that "you have to accept that you're going to be depriving yourself." Just don't eat the junk. Which is of course the key- I can lay off the sugar for a day or so, especially if I know I'll need to be active, as I was Thursday- but as a rule, it's hard.

 

But it was nice to know that it IS possible to lose that much weight and keep it off. It will really help me in my attempts to shape up.

Yep. I got to watch him shrink. Hmm, we could of done something with time lapse photography...

[zornwil]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

I'm not sure how the pioneer attitude would have much to do with it, if it's a settled area now...

And as far as I know, most strip clubs in the West are "pay to play."

 

jg

Bear in mind that until post-WWII, the NW region including both Portland and Seattle were relatively isolated still, as winter storms precluded the passage of much in the way of goods, so the locals continued to operate in that vein until the '50s, when airplane transportation of consumer goods and highway maintenance overpowered geography. I didn't know that until I lived here, but it explains a lot in terms of the degree to which that notion of living outside the norm and doing things on one's own and the like lasted. It is changing, though.

[James Gillen]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

Bear in mind that until post-WWII' date=' the NW region including both Portland and Seattle were relatively isolated still, as winter storms precluded the passage of much in the way of goods, so the locals continued to operate in that vein until the '50s, when airplane transportation of consumer goods and highway maintenance overpowered geography. I didn't know that until I lived here, but it explains a lot in terms of the degree to which that notion of living outside the norm and doing things on one's own and the like lasted. It is changing, though.[/quote']

 

That would make sense, now that I think of it.

 

JG

[Bazza]

Re: Musings on Random Musings

 

A good friend recently lost her favorite amulet (Owl on one side, Triskel on the other). She can not find the thing and has been tearing up her house looking for it. I sympathize with her, but at the same time I recognize she's going to be impossible to live with for the next week at least unless she finds the darn thing.

 

If anyone wants to send prayers, well wishes, goodlucks or good vibes her way so the darn thing gets found, I'd appreciate it. I know it is just a 'thing', but it is one of her favorite 'things' so, she's obsessing a bit.

 

Bit being a relative term.

There is a baby lizard in my house, could she find it and take it outside? Thanks.