Via NerdwithSwag's Facebook.
And from Cracked...
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Friday and We're Fat
This is why we're fat
I am a big guy. When people ask me to describe myself, I say that "I am short, fat and bald." Some people believe that I am being self-effacing by saying this, but I am being honest. Even when I am working out regularly, and practicing control in what I choose to eat (the amount of food, not the food itself...I am too busy living life to worry about extending it, you know?) I am still on the borderline between obese and overweight, using standard BMI calculations. I have lost two inches on my waist recently and my BMI went up. Yep, I am fat. (Even when I was at my "skinniest", when friends were beginning to believe that I looked unhealthy, I was above 27. Currently, I migrate between a high 28 and a low 30.) Apparently, you are fat too and you do not know how fat you really are.
Why is this?
Well, as I wrote the other day, there is a problem with people refusing to walk places and the addiction to the car. I saw this first hand as I was going for a run this morning. (My run was abbreviated and I will try again this afternoon.) There is a loop in the complex that I live in that is roughly .71 of a mile (or .55 of a mile if you run the inside loop). That means that between any two points of the loop, it is little more than 1/4 of a mile. I watched a father load is daughter (approximately about 10) into the car to drive her to the bus stop with was well within that 1/4 radius. What was that saving? Six minutes? I know that a little bit of a walk like that would not impact general healthfulness, but...it's a start, no? More strikingly awful (to me at least) is the lesson that it is teaching the child which is that walking is bad, especially when you can drive.
And there are the other benefits of exercise, like the increase in cognitive function of people who engage in regular exercise.
But, Americans want to get fatter and dumber...I mean...actually, you know what I mean.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Must Have Apps for the Nook Tablet
With more people picking up the Nook Tablet (which is not to say anything bad about the iPad, I mean, that is the gold standard...and it is also quite expensive and some of us have other priorities), I wanted to share the apps that I fine invaluable.
Dolphin Browser HD
A very good web browser to use in addition to the mobile browser that is built-in.
Dropbox
Dropbox is one of those tools that if you do not have it already, I have to ask why not?
Friendcaster for Facebook
Since there is not a native Facebook app yet, this may be worth the $3. It is good but not great.
Lose It!
A great fitness and diet tracking tool.
Pandora
Like Dropbox, if you do not have this, what are you doing on the internet again?
Pocket Penguins
A live feed of the penguins at the California Institute of Science. Penguins are awesome!
Seesmic
A Facebook and Twitter client that is okay and usable, especially if you want to stay in one interface.
Stitcher Smart Radio
You do not know what Stitcher is? Really? *sigh*
The Oregon Trail
The classic game that a lot of us (if you are under 38) played in grade school. It is a great way to kill time and my nine year old son loves it.
Twitter
Like Dropbox, Pandora and Stitcher, it is Twitter. Do you really need an explanation?
Urban Daddy
Urban Daddy is awesome. The people behind Urban Daddy are awesome. This app is great, especially if you are looking for something fun to do in the cities that it covers.
ZMPP Free
Remember Zork? Ayup...Zork on your tablet.
Also see Six Must Have Apps for your Nook Tablet.
(Yes, I would love a native Facebook client as well as the Google Suite. Hopefully those will come soon.)
And yes, if you decide to root your tablet, you have full access to all the Android apps that are out there, and it is apparently easy to do, but this is a resource for people who want to use their Nook Tablet as they received it.
Dolphin Browser HD
A very good web browser to use in addition to the mobile browser that is built-in.
Dropbox
Dropbox is one of those tools that if you do not have it already, I have to ask why not?
Friendcaster for Facebook
Since there is not a native Facebook app yet, this may be worth the $3. It is good but not great.
Lose It!
A great fitness and diet tracking tool.
Pandora
Like Dropbox, if you do not have this, what are you doing on the internet again?
Pocket Penguins
A live feed of the penguins at the California Institute of Science. Penguins are awesome!
Seesmic
A Facebook and Twitter client that is okay and usable, especially if you want to stay in one interface.
Stitcher Smart Radio
You do not know what Stitcher is? Really? *sigh*
The Oregon Trail
The classic game that a lot of us (if you are under 38) played in grade school. It is a great way to kill time and my nine year old son loves it.
Like Dropbox, Pandora and Stitcher, it is Twitter. Do you really need an explanation?
Urban Daddy
Urban Daddy is awesome. The people behind Urban Daddy are awesome. This app is great, especially if you are looking for something fun to do in the cities that it covers.
ZMPP Free
Remember Zork? Ayup...Zork on your tablet.
Also see Six Must Have Apps for your Nook Tablet.
(Yes, I would love a native Facebook client as well as the Google Suite. Hopefully those will come soon.)
And yes, if you decide to root your tablet, you have full access to all the Android apps that are out there, and it is apparently easy to do, but this is a resource for people who want to use their Nook Tablet as they received it.
Questions and Minutiae for a Thursday Morning
Bicycle! Bicycle!
Find more information here.
Questions
Is it peculiar that I have been finding a lot of the things on HelloGiggles really interesting? I mean this spinach and zucchini tostada looks delicious. For those of you who don't know, HelloGiggles is one of the projects of my manic pixie dream girl future ex wife, Zooey.
I know that at least one other friend has this issue, but does anyone else think that bags of Goldfish Crackers are essentially a single serving? Is it me?
Is it wrong that I feel a weird amount of pride when my useless snark is the featured comment on AoA?
Did Ian Mackaye's 50th birthday make you feel really old too?
With Pat Summitt retiring, does that mean that Gino is the ultimate winner? (Does it also mean that we, as a culture, can stop caring about NCAA Women's Basketball?)
Finally
This made me literally laugh out loud.
Find more information here.
Questions
Is it peculiar that I have been finding a lot of the things on HelloGiggles really interesting? I mean this spinach and zucchini tostada looks delicious. For those of you who don't know, HelloGiggles is one of the projects of my manic pixie dream girl future ex wife, Zooey.
I know that at least one other friend has this issue, but does anyone else think that bags of Goldfish Crackers are essentially a single serving? Is it me?
Is it wrong that I feel a weird amount of pride when my useless snark is the featured comment on AoA?
Did Ian Mackaye's 50th birthday make you feel really old too?
With Pat Summitt retiring, does that mean that Gino is the ultimate winner? (Does it also mean that we, as a culture, can stop caring about NCAA Women's Basketball?)
Finally
This made me literally laugh out loud.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Bringing that Weak Stuff on Wednesday
Health Care Conundrum
Hospitals are awful places. Even when going to visit your newborn, they are awful places. They are full of death and disease, and there is an element of "secrecy" surrounding the staff, as though they were keepers of elder magicks as opposed to flesh mechanics, that always bothers me.
That being said, I have had the opportunity to spend time at St. Mary's Hospital in Troy while visiting with an ill relative. Everything that I said above was multiplied but the awfulness of this place. I was shocked by the facilities but what was worse was the staff, specifically one staff member that made me think that this hospital would better serve the public if it disappeared and the smoking crater became a pilgrimage point for hospital administrators so they are reminded not what to do in terms of patient care and bedside manner.
I am not going to get into details, but the REDACTED is a treat...take Nurse Rachet on a bad day and give her the personality of a Bukowski girlfriend on a bender, however, I think this is a great example of what is wrong with St. Mary's.
Do you see what it says? "I always introduce myself when seeing a patient." This is what they are advertising in terms of patient care. "Introduce yourself" is something that we teach toddlers, even those that are almost pre-verbal. Why do we do that? BECAUSE IT IS FOUNDATIONAL TO FUNCTION IN SOCIETY. We give people our names, especially is they are going to do things like ask horribly personal questions and probe wounds with sharp metal objects, but...for St. Mary's this is a point a pride.
When a medical professional takes pride in INTRODUCING HERSELF to PATIENTS, you have failed as an organization.
*shakes head*
Okay, I am done here.
Rediscovering classic foods
Last week, I met up with a friend for coffee and when I arrived, she was eating oatmeal. I had not regularly consumed oatmeal in decades and, as you well know, my breakfast of choice has been set with the whole two eggs poached standard. However, over the weekend, when I was looking for something healthy and filling, the idea of oatmeal sounded appealing. So, maybe oatmeal will be my new thing. It is certainly better for me than rye toast, bacon, and runny eggs. Oh, and I am trying sweet. If you do not use local honey, you should start. If you have no clue what local honey is...just stop reading.
What other classic foods should I revisit?
Tiny Furniture
Based on a conversation about Girls, @jonathanrnash and @fofacy recommended "Tiny Furniture".
Have you seen this?
It was more appealing than Girls, at least to me, but I still did not understand it. Maybe, it is because I am an old or maybe it is because there is something fundamentally different about this.
(For the record, the second and third episodes of Girls are stronger than the pilot.)
Complaining about the weather
I hate complaining about the weather and I have a little bit of distaste for those who do. With that out of the way, I am going to complain about the weather. The weather has been very gentle this spring and I have been enjoying it. So much so that I have been spending a lot of time running and walking just so that I could be outside. This coming weekend, I was looking forward to doing the Dodge the Deer 5k. Then, as I was watching Morning Joe, I saw that we in the Northeast are expecting a Nor'Easter and that the weekend is a "washout". It is predicted that it will be raining and there will only be a high of 48. This is not what I wanted. At least the storm is predicted to put an end to the drought conditions in New Jersey and Southern New England. So...that's a yay, I guess?
Hospitals are awful places. Even when going to visit your newborn, they are awful places. They are full of death and disease, and there is an element of "secrecy" surrounding the staff, as though they were keepers of elder magicks as opposed to flesh mechanics, that always bothers me.
That being said, I have had the opportunity to spend time at St. Mary's Hospital in Troy while visiting with an ill relative. Everything that I said above was multiplied but the awfulness of this place. I was shocked by the facilities but what was worse was the staff, specifically one staff member that made me think that this hospital would better serve the public if it disappeared and the smoking crater became a pilgrimage point for hospital administrators so they are reminded not what to do in terms of patient care and bedside manner.
I am not going to get into details, but the REDACTED is a treat...take Nurse Rachet on a bad day and give her the personality of a Bukowski girlfriend on a bender, however, I think this is a great example of what is wrong with St. Mary's.
Do you see what it says? "I always introduce myself when seeing a patient." This is what they are advertising in terms of patient care. "Introduce yourself" is something that we teach toddlers, even those that are almost pre-verbal. Why do we do that? BECAUSE IT IS FOUNDATIONAL TO FUNCTION IN SOCIETY. We give people our names, especially is they are going to do things like ask horribly personal questions and probe wounds with sharp metal objects, but...for St. Mary's this is a point a pride.
When a medical professional takes pride in INTRODUCING HERSELF to PATIENTS, you have failed as an organization.
*shakes head*
Okay, I am done here.
Rediscovering classic foods
Last week, I met up with a friend for coffee and when I arrived, she was eating oatmeal. I had not regularly consumed oatmeal in decades and, as you well know, my breakfast of choice has been set with the whole two eggs poached standard. However, over the weekend, when I was looking for something healthy and filling, the idea of oatmeal sounded appealing. So, maybe oatmeal will be my new thing. It is certainly better for me than rye toast, bacon, and runny eggs. Oh, and I am trying sweet. If you do not use local honey, you should start. If you have no clue what local honey is...just stop reading.
What other classic foods should I revisit?
Tiny Furniture
Based on a conversation about Girls, @jonathanrnash and @fofacy recommended "Tiny Furniture".
Have you seen this?
It was more appealing than Girls, at least to me, but I still did not understand it. Maybe, it is because I am an old or maybe it is because there is something fundamentally different about this.
(For the record, the second and third episodes of Girls are stronger than the pilot.)
Complaining about the weather
I hate complaining about the weather and I have a little bit of distaste for those who do. With that out of the way, I am going to complain about the weather. The weather has been very gentle this spring and I have been enjoying it. So much so that I have been spending a lot of time running and walking just so that I could be outside. This coming weekend, I was looking forward to doing the Dodge the Deer 5k. Then, as I was watching Morning Joe, I saw that we in the Northeast are expecting a Nor'Easter and that the weekend is a "washout". It is predicted that it will be raining and there will only be a high of 48. This is not what I wanted. At least the storm is predicted to put an end to the drought conditions in New Jersey and Southern New England. So...that's a yay, I guess?
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Tuesday Tuesday
• I watched "Girls" this morning (meaning at 2 am as insomnia hit me again) and it made me uncomfortable. That may be the point of the show...to make old people like me uncomfortable.
• Part of the insomnia was due to me dog sitting. She is out of sorts and it is difficult for me. She is cute though. See below.
• I did make myself a great dinner. It was garlic balsamic angel hair pasta with hot Italian sausage. It was so very tasty.
• Seriously, I am just waiting until the sun comes up so I can go for a run & start my day.
• Part of the insomnia was due to me dog sitting. She is out of sorts and it is difficult for me. She is cute though. See below.
• I did make myself a great dinner. It was garlic balsamic angel hair pasta with hot Italian sausage. It was so very tasty.
• Seriously, I am just waiting until the sun comes up so I can go for a run & start my day.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Happy 4Sq Day!
Foursquare users, do not forget that today is 4Sq Day! (Think about it geeks!)
Don't forget to check-in in order to get your badge!
(Yes, @danap2170, this post is for you because your did not get the Leap Day Badge...)
Don't forget to check-in in order to get your badge!
(Yes, @danap2170, this post is for you because your did not get the Leap Day Badge...)
Monday is Patriot's Day?
Well, at least it is for people in Massachusetts...
My Weekend
There is nothing really to report, apart from some of the worst service, from the most vacant server, at Jose Malone's...
New to Me Music
Haunting, no? Why had I never heard this before?
Never...
Friday's Xkcd made me laugh.
(Original post.)
Bringing your A Game
This is one of the most wickedly inappropriate things I have ever witnessed and I loved every minute of it.
There be dragons there...
Always remember, when engaging with the none and unknown, "Here there be dragons..."
(Hunt-Lenox Globe.)
For more on the phrase, see Wikipedia.
The important thing to remember is that whatever is over the horizon, as long as you recognize that there are dragons, you will be prepared for the eventual tragedy that will occur.
Weird Music Choice
The other day, I was watching something on CBS (it wasn't HIMYM, it was something else that I never watch) and there was a commercial for "The Good Wife". I know people that actually like this show, and for the most part, those people are the parents of friends, but I do not know anyone under 55 who watches this show. (Please share with me if you do, I have heard it is very good, but it I have paid a lot of attention to the fall out from Client Number 9 so I do not need the fictionalized account.) Now in and of itself, this is not surprising. The Good Wife needs to be promoted, but it was the way it was promoted. They were using the music of Jose Gonzalez...yep. I am sure that the people who enjoy The Good Wife also really enjoy Argentinian, by way of Sweden, lo-fi. Should I not be shaking my head over this?
Baseball
The Mets are playing well, even with a loss on Sunday. If we keep playing this way, we are on pace for 112 wins. That is kind of cool. I'll take it. How is your team doing? (*cough* I am looking at you Boston fans. *cough*)
Tattoos
What was Slate thinking by having Simon Doonan pontificate upon the nature of tattoos? I am serious. This was one of the more pointless articles by one of the least relevant authors ever. I have some odd ink, and I have some friends that have some wonderfully awful pop art ink that will not age well culturally nor in terms of coloring, but I still would not claim that they are faddish cutting.
Finally...
Flavorwire has the birthday calender that you need, not the birthday calender that you deserve...or...
What fictional character do you share your birthday with?
Seriously, the only fictional character that they could find is from Naruto?!? I am not entirely sure that I know what Naruto is...I think it is a cartoon.
Via io9
My Weekend
There is nothing really to report, apart from some of the worst service, from the most vacant server, at Jose Malone's...
New to Me Music
Haunting, no? Why had I never heard this before?
Never...
Friday's Xkcd made me laugh.
Bringing your A Game
This is one of the most wickedly inappropriate things I have ever witnessed and I loved every minute of it.
There be dragons there...
Always remember, when engaging with the none and unknown, "Here there be dragons..."
(Hunt-Lenox Globe.)
For more on the phrase, see Wikipedia.
The important thing to remember is that whatever is over the horizon, as long as you recognize that there are dragons, you will be prepared for the eventual tragedy that will occur.
Weird Music Choice
The other day, I was watching something on CBS (it wasn't HIMYM, it was something else that I never watch) and there was a commercial for "The Good Wife". I know people that actually like this show, and for the most part, those people are the parents of friends, but I do not know anyone under 55 who watches this show. (Please share with me if you do, I have heard it is very good, but it I have paid a lot of attention to the fall out from Client Number 9 so I do not need the fictionalized account.) Now in and of itself, this is not surprising. The Good Wife needs to be promoted, but it was the way it was promoted. They were using the music of Jose Gonzalez...yep. I am sure that the people who enjoy The Good Wife also really enjoy Argentinian, by way of Sweden, lo-fi. Should I not be shaking my head over this?
Baseball
The Mets are playing well, even with a loss on Sunday. If we keep playing this way, we are on pace for 112 wins. That is kind of cool. I'll take it. How is your team doing? (*cough* I am looking at you Boston fans. *cough*)
Tattoos
What was Slate thinking by having Simon Doonan pontificate upon the nature of tattoos? I am serious. This was one of the more pointless articles by one of the least relevant authors ever. I have some odd ink, and I have some friends that have some wonderfully awful pop art ink that will not age well culturally nor in terms of coloring, but I still would not claim that they are faddish cutting.
Finally...
Flavorwire has the birthday calender that you need, not the birthday calender that you deserve...or...
What fictional character do you share your birthday with?
Via io9
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Sunday Morning
Running
So, I wanted to do a long run this morning, using an interval plan, but I did not expect this.
I am now above 50% of my monthly goal. This makes me very happy.
I think one of the reasons that I was happy to run through the pain, and there was pain...hip and knees...(Friday evening, Fish made a remark about my limp and that she was willing to walk faster just to make me admit that I hurt.) was the soundtrack to this trainer.
It was Underworld and old Underworld at that.
For almost 90 minutes it was all like this and it was great. (If you do not like it, well, I understand and I feel pity for you because you are either too young OR you just weren't raised right.)
This is setting up to be a great day!
(And there will be more about my weekend tomorrow.)
Edit at 9:43: D'oh, and one of the reasons I wanted to write this up is that after the first mile, I felt a pebble on the ball of my right foot so I stopped to remove it from the shoe, wondering how it did manage to make in in there, and when I popped my shoe off, it was still there. I was then left wondering how the pebble not only managed to make it into my shoe but also into my sock. So, there I was, standing on the side of the road, one shoe off, and taking off my sock while early to mid 90s house music was *duggaduggadiggadiggaduggadugga*-ing in my ears, and out popped half a toenail. Nice, no? Then I ran ten more miles.
So, I wanted to do a long run this morning, using an interval plan, but I did not expect this.
I am now above 50% of my monthly goal. This makes me very happy.
I think one of the reasons that I was happy to run through the pain, and there was pain...hip and knees...(Friday evening, Fish made a remark about my limp and that she was willing to walk faster just to make me admit that I hurt.) was the soundtrack to this trainer.
It was Underworld and old Underworld at that.
For almost 90 minutes it was all like this and it was great. (If you do not like it, well, I understand and I feel pity for you because you are either too young OR you just weren't raised right.)
This is setting up to be a great day!
(And there will be more about my weekend tomorrow.)
Edit at 9:43: D'oh, and one of the reasons I wanted to write this up is that after the first mile, I felt a pebble on the ball of my right foot so I stopped to remove it from the shoe, wondering how it did manage to make in in there, and when I popped my shoe off, it was still there. I was then left wondering how the pebble not only managed to make it into my shoe but also into my sock. So, there I was, standing on the side of the road, one shoe off, and taking off my sock while early to mid 90s house music was *duggaduggadiggadiggaduggadugga*-ing in my ears, and out popped half a toenail. Nice, no? Then I ran ten more miles.
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