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I had heard there were fires in Australia, but hadn’t read too much about them. This morning, the Telegraph had a collection of pictures from there about the fires. They led with the picture below. A set of grandparents saved their grandkids by fleeing the fire into the (ocean, sea, lake…it isn’t clear) and sheltering under the dock. We should remember to pray for the people of Australia affected by the fires.
“Now, folks, you have to admit that this is the kind of stuff that banana republics do.“
Exactly. I propose spending no more next year than the treasury takes in this year. Real, honest cuts in the US Budget. Don’t increase the debt limit. The US won’t default. The country will have to not spend beyond what it takes in. If you disagree with that, then real honest cuts are needed in the federal budget. I say start with the Connie Mack Penny Plan.
[Update 2013-01-17 08:07:49] I’m taking a short break from this topic.
Image from fernando stankuns via flickr
This past weekend, Cyndi, the kids, and I went to Lullingstone Roman Villa. We didn’t know anything about it other than it was a place we could use our English Heritage membership for free entry and it was close. I didn’t know what to expect, but we went. You can check out all of the pictures on our flickr set here.
A few observations:
I liked it. I learned a lot about Romans in Britain.
They had hands-on things for the kids to do. A plus.
It wasn’t at all what I expected. I thought it would be something like a ruined castle…instead, it was a single building of just the foundation of the roman villa.
If you are an English Heritage member, I would highly recommend you go. If you aren’t, I don’t know that the price of admission is worth it.
Last time I bought glasses, I bought one of those bendy glasses that won’t break. Well, this morning…they broke. As I was cleaning them, the piece across the nose broke. I had to wake Cyndi up to look for my spare pair (I can’t see squat without my glasses). Here’s a few pictures:
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Now, there’s a small problem: my spare glasses have normal lenses while my regular pair has high index lenses that are thinner. I’ve had this problem before, but the light bends differently through the two lenses and causes my eyes to work different. Below is a picture, but I’m going to head to Specsavers today to see if they can switch lenses…I already have a headache, but I can’t do without.
2000 posts! This is my 2000th post. All of them are here on Maxsons.org; however, all of them weren’t originally written here. I’ve used 2 other blog engines since I started.
However, I wanted to write about something serious and not simply have a YAY 2000 posts! post.
I think that in the future, people will look back on the years from 2011(ish) to 2015(ish) and be able to say that is when the US made a turn. A turn to embrace all of the current problems of Europe and then reap all of the benefits–or in this case, experience all the same problems.
Up until now, the US has resisted making many of the same mistakes as Europe. No more. What do I mean? Here are a few examples:
How would I fix it? First off, implement the Connie Mack penny plan. (Hey, I just noticed that was post 1776). The debt ceiling should not be raised. The US Government takes in 2 Trillion per year…they can make cuts and spend what they take in. Will ti be hard? Sure…but it MUST be done. I loathe it when people ramble on and on about how family finances are not government finances: ok..granted they are different but the principle is still the same. Except in a dire emergency–only car breaks down, invaders come–you can’t spend more than you take in. MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Anyway, I think the US economy will continue to shrink. In 30-40 years, we’ll be in the economic mess that Europe is in now. Normal people won’t be able to get ahead. The government will be telling people how good they are because they’ve saved them £2/month. Many people will be living off the government dole. Most people will be “ok” but won’t be able to get ahead. That is the American dream: if you work hard, you’ll be able to get ahead. That is now dead. I don’t see any way to really get ahead if the US continues on this path.
This post….#2000…I hope it doesn’t happen this way; however, I fear it will.
Oh, before I quit, I want to say that this post isn’t just because I don’t like Obama or the Democrats or the liberals. I didn’t like “W” either…many of the things he did stripped away valuable intrinsic rights we have (the Patriot Act…hello!). This is a post based on my 5 years experience living in Europe and seeing where the US is headed.
[Update 2013-01-09 21:03:22] See http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2013/01/03/cliff_deal_left_asset_wealthy_untouched and http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2013/01/03/nobody_cares_about_economic_history for more information.
[Update 2013-01-17 08:07:49] I’m taking a short break from this topic.
Image from milknosugar via flickr
Sorry for not posting yesterday. I left my computer at work to download a bunch of stuff and…well…just never turned mine on at home.
FatSecret Journal for 8 Jan 2012
FatSecret Journal for 9 Jan 2012
I’m still doing the Biggest Loser on my xbox.
Image from bark via flickr
In Serbia, Cyndi and I got in a habit of going to coffee. Lydia and Isaac both like it too. That habit has continued to England. However, we don’t have nearly the choice of coffee shops in Redhill that we had in Cacak. One of our favorites (or favourites) is the Costa in Redhill.
I wanted to give them a special shout out. I think they went above and beyond yesterday. Cyndi bought me a insulated mug from Costa for Christmas. Well, after using it twice (and only hand-washing) it had a bed condensation problem between the outer and iner mugs. So bad that the paper inside was wet and wrinkled. I took it in, spoke to the manager, and asked her if I could get another. She said that usually I would need the receipt; however, since I was a regular, she would just exchange it even up.
Thank you Costa Redhill for fixing my cup even though you didn’t HAVE to.
Image from Kiran Raja Bahadur SRK via flickr
First off, days 4 and 5 were over the weekend. I didn’t workout on Saturday. Saturday was free day. I don’t work out on Sundays.
Here’s today’s fat secret log.
My weight was up over the weekend; however, I’m not concerned. The trend is in the right direction. Also….
Another principle in the Body for Life book was don’t try to chase daily weights. Take weight for a week and average it. Then, do the same the next week. Then, compare those two averages. Why? Well, because your daily weight changes. I can make my weight change +/- 5 lbs by drinking or not drinking enough water, eating a large meal, or having a bm. Average everything then compare the average. Use trends to make sure you are going in the right direction.
As an aside, my own history and seeing fluctuations for myself (and knowing how they came about) makes me laugh when I hear people talking about wanting to lose 5lbs or less. You breathe hard or eat a large meal and you can make that change…. :^)
image from synergy by jasmine via flickr
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A couple of weeks ago, I made this post where I pose the question: is there a double-standard? Do liberals allow things done on their side to pass while criticizing those on the opposite side for the same thing? I gave two examples:
I now have another, much better example: The Des Moines Register has published a column that calls for deadly violence against the NRA and others who disagree with the author on gun control. Arg, the goofy paper has the article behind a pay-wall. I’m assuming the Fox News piece has the quotes correct. |
Here are two quotes:
“I would tie Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, our esteemed Republican leaders, to the back of a Chevy pickup truck and drag them around a parking lot until they saw the light on gun control,” he wrote. … “And if that didn’t work, I’d adopt radical measures,” he continued.
Declare the NRA a terrorist organization and make membership illegal. Hey! We did it to the Communist Party, and the NRA has led to the deaths of more of us than American Commies ever did. (I would also raze the organization’s headquarters, clear the rubble and salt the earth, but that’s optional.) Make ownership of unlicensed assault rifles a felony. If some people refused to give up their guns, that “prying the guns from their cold, dead hands” thing works for me.”
If dragging them behind a truck isn’t enough, then he would adopt “radical measures?” He would pry guns from people’s cold dead hands? Wow. This makes my point perfectly: will Nancy Pelosi, Billary Clinton, or Barak O. condem this man for his tone? I doubt it. But if Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, Sean Hannity, and others are condemned for much less (heck, those who listen to Rush are already called mind-numbed robots).
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying this man can’t say what he did. I don’t care what this man thinks or says. I’ll defend his right to have his opinion to the end (even though he, obviously, does not think the same about me). My problem is with a group of people condemning others for something they themselves do. My problem is with the double-standard. if something is wrong, it is wrong….if it isn’t then it isn’t.
Oh, one last thing before I post this: I’m sure the Republicans do this same thing. I think it is just as bad then. But pay attention to this next sentence: Republican != Conservative. I think that conservatives are much more even and intellectually honest than liberals.
Image from robert reed daily via flickr
I’m still getting up a 4. My weight is going in the right direction. I’m not eating as much junk.
Today’s Weight: 111kg
Today’s FatSecret log
So why the Body for Life book? Well…inspiration. There was a time in my life when I weighed 290lbs (131kg or 20stone 9lbs). That is 45lbs more than I weigh now. We went on a ski trip, I had a good time, however, I saw how out of shape I was. I don’t ever want to be there again! What made the difference then was seeing it and wanting to take action. I picked up a copy of Bill Philips’ Body for Life and started. In that 12 weeks, I lost down to 245ish–about where I am now. When we moved to Columbus around 2003, I decided to do another round and hit my low mark of 205ish. About a year later, I started riding my bike to work and kept that up until we moved overseas. While we were in Columbus, I met Rick Harrington (you’ll have to scroll down and read his post. That link is broke…sorry…I couldn’t find anything else online about him) who had been a semi-finalist in the competition. He was a big inspiration to keep going while in Columbus
In all of my weight-loss, one thing has been constant: a body for life. Unless you have only 5lbs to lose, some sort of weird crash diet isn’t going to work. You need a lifestyle change. Some people have had good success with paleo diet sort of things, some people do atkins, the list goes on. For me, a total change is/was necessary: I need to start eating healthier and exercising with a purpose. What does that mean?
Exercise every day. I don’t have weights (and can’t afford them at the moment). I’m doing the Biggest Loser xBox game. So far, it is working out better.
Eat right. I like Bill’s idea of smaller meals spread through the day. Portions. Fist/Palm sized whatevers. Easy. It works. For me, the hardest time to keep this up is when I travel; however, the good news is I shouldn’t be gone as much this year.
Free day. Bill allows a free day where you can eat whatever you want. In his Eating for Life Q/A section, he says:
I have people ask me all the time does free day mean you can eat whatever you want? 12 Krispie Kremes? My [Bill Phillips] answer is sure. But do it and be honest. Eventually you won’t like how you feel after.
Sorry, that isn’t an exact quote, but you get the idea (here’s a link to an online discussion of people talking about it). Yes, you really can have a free day and eat whatever you want. I lost 90 lbs doing that. The problem for me is planning the free day so it is that…a free DAY. Not a free weekend. Not a day + a night. A day. It let’s me put off cravings until the end of the week–very manageable–and if I still want it then I eat it. But I try not to gorge on the 12 Krispie Kremes because I feel rubbish afterwards.
What does all of this do? It gets you in a mindset of doing it. You see you can live like this. You see you feel better. So you end up with a Body for Life.
Book cover image from awws via flickr