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November 28, 2003

FOUR FOR FRIDAY

Q: How did you spend Thanksgiving Day?

Q: Was President Bush's surprise Thanksgiving Day visit to U.S. troops in Baghdad worth the risk?

Q: How many days have you taken off from work this year for vacation / personal days / sick days?

Q: Would you rather be double- or triple-jointed or be able to get anyone to break dance or rap on command?

Posted by Mikal at 8:28 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

GRID BLOGGING

Waiyee Wan of Yellow Sub left a TrackBack on my Thanksgiving Day post, which led to the discovery of this coming Monday's 'grid blog' experiment. From Ashley Benigno's contaminated blog:

"Grid blogging aims to investigate the potentials of a distributed media production model spread across blogosphere nodes. It seeks to ignite attention on specific topics at set times through variegated voices. A kind of decentralized flash mobbing for the mind, if you like.

Decentralization is key here. Unlike single collaborative blogging structures that unite discussions under the same URL, Grid blogging is about synchronized guerrilla publishing attacks carried out across a series of online locations. It respects and heightens the individual voice within a media-wise choir. It allows for idea-jamming and mosaics of diverse perspectives to emerge unfettered.

Temporary in nature, the first grid blog is set to happen on December 1. The topic is the "brand". Interpret it as you like, from the comfort of your own blog. As critique, as recollection, as original content, as link-fest or visual interpretation. Whatever. Join in and help us discover where we can lead this dance."

Look for my post Grid contribution to appear Monday on the topic of "brand". And if you're a blogger yourself, consider joining in on the experiment via your own blog. As a way of creating a connected archive, and for reference of Monday's posts, it's suggested that you add "[grid::brand]" to the title of your post. This way, they can be easily retrieved at a later date via search engines like Google.

Posted by Mikal at 8:02 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

November 27, 2003

I received one of the coolest online cards ever the other day from my cousin, Dori. Check it out by clicking here -- it's well worth sharing with anyone who happens to stumble across it today or any other day. (Note: In order to view the card, the site requires that Macromedia's Flash Player be installed on your machine.)

My plans today include checking in with family and friends, and then heading over to the Wheeler Mission with fellow U of H alum, Leigh Fought, where we'll help out with Thanksgiving Day dinner for those without a home to go to this year.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

UPDATE: Had a great time earlier today helping out over at the Wheeler Mission. For the first time since I've been volunteering at the Mission, I got to serve as maÓtre dí, and what an honor it was to take the lead in welcoming everyone and handing them their abundantly prepared trays of food.

November 25, 2003

Two grandmothers shopping for the exact same over-promoted and under stocked toys the day after Thanksgiving is a lot like watching the Paris Hilton unauthorized sex video... You already know the outcome, and quite frankly, no one really wants to see these two get it on! In recent years, on the day after Thanksgiving, I could be found at either my office catching up on work whilst everyone else was out shopping, or at home sleeping off L-tryptophan induced post-turkey day lethargy. But this year will be different. Aside from the fact that turkey with all the trimmings is not on my medically supervised meal plan/menu, I'll actually be in the catbird's seat at a local shopping mall.

A friend, who's an owner of a photography business, recently asked for my help with a holiday photo shoot at the Fashion Mall at Keystone. In the spirit of the holidays, money I earn from shooting photos from November 28th and December 24th will be donated to a local charity (not sure which one just yet, but I am open to suggestions).

So, consider this an invitation to come on out to the Fashion Mall and capture all the wonder and smiles of the holiday season with photos that will forever be a part of your life. We'll have Santa set up in a brand spankin new holiday display (right in front of the Parisian store), and you'll be able to take your photos home right then and there. I'll be working at 3:00PM this Friday, Saturday afternoon and evening, and then again next Tuesday and Thursday from 6:00PM - 8:00PM.

November 24, 2003

If you're thinking about relocating to Geuda Springs, Kansas, you'd better make sure to bring a gun and ammunition. According to an article in yesterday's Washington Post, Geuda Springs, which doesn't have a local police force of its own, recently passed an ordinance requiring most households to have guns and ammunition.

Noncomplying residents would be fined $10 under the ordinance, passed 3-2 earlier this month by City Council members who thought it would help protect the town of 210 people. Those who suffer from physical or mental disabilities, paupers and people who conscientiously oppose firearms would be exempt.

"This ordinance fulfills the duty to protect by allowing each individual householder to provide for his or her protection," said Councilman John Brewer.

Only in America!

November 23, 2003

A friend (Mark Rowland of Peak Training) who's a member of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team, sent this link for pictures from the recent California fires. The automatic slide show lasts about 5 minutes, and includes 107 amazing images of people and nature in a most vulnerable state.

November 21, 2003

Q: The holiday season is upon us. Do you look forward to the holidays? Why or why not?

MB's A: I love the holidays and always look forward to this time of the year. For me the holidays start the Monday before Thanksgiving, when I start to notice fewer and fewer cars on the road and not as many people coming to and from work. I like the festive spirit and the lights, and the generally accepted notion that itís okay to be friendly toward your fellow man and woman. Itís just a special time of the year, and I always look forward to it. For most of my life Iíve lived in a region of the country where the holiday season is christened with a chill in the air and snow on the ground ñ both of which I also look forward to.

Q: If the necessary money and space were available to you, what one thing would you add to your bedroom?

MB's A: Either a really tricked out hot tub/Jacuzzi/steam room sort of set up, or ample room for a championship level ping-pong table (along with the ping-pong table itself, of course).

Q: If you could change one law -- at either the local, state, or federal level -- which law would you change?

MB's A: Without doing a tremendous amount of research into the far reaching impacts of dumb federal laws, Iíd start right here in Indiana by changing IC 14-22-9-1, which covers the unlawful means of taking fish, and reads as follows:

Sec. 1. (a) Except as allowed by section 3 of this chapter, a person may not take fish from waters containing state owned fish, waters of the state, or boundary waters of the state by the following:

(1) Means of: (A) a weir; (B) an electric current; (C) dynamite or other explosive; (D) a net; (E) a seine; (F) a trap; or (G) any other substance that has a tendency to stupefy or poison fish.

(2) Means of the following: (A) A firearm; (B) A crossbow; (C) The hands alone.

It seems to me that the taking of fish by oneís hands is by far the most humane method possible. What should be outlawed, in my opinion, is recreationally-motivated catch and release fishing.

Q: How often do you cut your fingernails?

MB's A: Not as often as I should. Just to be safe, in addition to keeping nail clippers in my bathroom, I keep some at the office, which is where I usually notice that I havenít been keeping up with them as much as I should. In an ideal world Iíd clip them every Sunday, or thereabouts. As is, I think I do it every couple of weeks or so, which is probably three or four days too many.

November 20, 2003

I've decided that it's time for a new regular feature on the Beli-Blog. Taking a cue from one of my favorite comedians, Bill Maher, starting today I'm going to suggest and solicit ëNew Rulesí for a variety of areas of life. To get us started, I offer up the following as possible new rules:

Friends Photos: From now on, the sharing of photos shall be done without the active aid and participation of the picture's owner. In other words, when I'm looking at your photos, I do not want, nor do I need, a detailed story for each and every shot.

Pro Football / Basketball / Hockey: From now on, when a player commits a foul or penalty, the umpire or referee should have to shoot the player in question using a paint gun just as quickly after the foul occurs as possible.

That's it for me for today. How about you... do you have a few 'New Rules' up your sleeve that you're willing to share? If so, click into the 'comments' area immediately below this post and leave your thoughts. In the future, in addition to sharing my own suggestions, I'll post yours and give credit where credit is due.

November 19, 2003

Michael Jackson was back in the news for alleged molestation charges; the state of Massachusetts' highest court ruled against banning same-sex marriages; 14-year-old American soccer prodigy Freddy Adu signed a four-year contract with Major League Soccer; Arnold Schwarzenegger took command of his first full day as governor of California; the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Bucs shelved three-time Pro Bowl receiver Keyshawn Johnson for the rest of season; AND... Mickey Mouse celebrated his 75th birthday.

Mickey was found escorting Freddy Adu around at Michael Jackson's ranch by the police who arrived with a search warrant signed by Arnold who announced on his first day of office that he was going to promote a bill against groping and "naughty" touching and as a first move was going to look into the allegations against Michael Jackson who was said to be in Massachusetts attending a marriage of two friends that was being officiated by Keyshawn Johnson formerly of the Tampa Bay Bucs. -- From Cindra (in the 'comments' section for this post)

November 18, 2003

For years, consumers with land line phones have been able to switch from one local carrier to another without having to change their phone numbers. Now, under the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) wireless "local number portability" rules, which go into effect on November 24th, this service will be available to cell phone customers as well.

Starting next week you can switch wireless carriers within the same geographic area AND keep your existing phone number. In addition to switching from one wireless carrier to another, in most cases, you will be able to switch from a land line carrier to a wireless carrier, or from a wireless carrier to a land line carrier, and still keep your phone number. Indeed very good news for those of us who live and die by the cell, but this isn't the only advancement in the cell phone arena.

Cell phone customers now also have at least three one-stop shopping websites to compare and shop for a new provider. These sites were all launched in anticipation of the new FCC rules. WireFly.com went live Monday, bundling information on offers by seven major cell phone carriers along with ratings from J.D. Power and Associates. CellUpdate.com also offers comparisons of plans, while NumberPortability.com claims it will be the independent source of information on number portability AND help you get the best deal on a phone and plan all at the same time.

November 17, 2003

My friend Melody, who I credit for introducing me to Lifestyle Strategies of Central Indiana's medically supervised weight management and counseling program, sent me the following explanation (when I first enrolled in the program) of how to figure out how much weight you can expect to lose while on this program Iíve been writing about:

1. Your weight x 100 = the number of calories you can consume in a day to keep you at your current weight. Example: 230 lbs x 10 = 2,300 calories. That's your daily allowance [sic: to maintain your current weight if you weigh 230 lbs.]. Of course, it changes as you lose weight. 2,300 ñ actual calories consumed = calories banked. Example: 2,300 actual calories ñ 800 calories consumed = 1,500 banked.

2. Exercise causes you to burn additional calories. These you add to your calories banked. Example: 800 calories burned + 1,500 calories banked = 2,300 calories banked.

3. The total number of calories you must burn to lose 1 pound is 3,500, so if you divide your calories banked by 3,500, you'll come up with a rough estimate for how much weight you'll shed that day. Example: 2,300 calories banked / 3,500 calories in a pound = .64 lbs.

So, following this logic, when I weigh in tonight at my mandatory Monday evening class, the scale should yield that I lost 3.3 lbs. over last Monday evening's weigh in... and here's how I figured that out:

This past week I consumed 37 meal replacement packets, which at 160 calories apiece equals 5,920 calories consumed. In addition to the 37 meal replacements, I also consumed 250 outside calories from spaghetti sauce, cream cheese, and one alcoholic drink. So, the total calories I consumed between 11/10/03 and 11/16/03 was 6,170.

At the beginning of the week I weighed in at 203.3 lbs., and in order to maintain that weight I would have had to consume 2,033 calories per day, or 14,231 for entire the week. The difference between that which I consumed and that which I would have had to have consumed in order to maintain the 203.3 lbs. is 8,061 calories (banked). Add the 3,508 calories that I burned over the week thru exercise, and I banked a total of 11,569 calories, which if you divide by 3,500 (the number of calories in a pound), and I show that I should have lost 3.3 lbs. this last week.

Will the calculations hold true? Will the scale yield a 3.3 lb. drop in weight? Probably not! The week before last my calculations said that I should have dropped 2.97 lbs., but when I weighed in I had dropped five-and-a-half pounds. As Melody and my coach Alvin point out, the calculations are not exact science, but they do provide a sense for what to expect. Check in tomorrow for an update on tonight's weigh in. In the meantime, for something even less exciting than what I just wrote about, check out yesterday's post (below).

November 16, 2003

From an e-newsletter I received the other day:

Things Other People Were Accomplished With When They Were Your Age

Need some anti-egoboo? Enter your age and this handy little app will tell you what great things other people were doing when they were your age. Can be a bit depressing!

November 14, 2003

Q: How do you know that what you know is so?

Q: Does George W. Bush's professed faith comfort or frighten you?

Q: If you could have had a role (staring or otherwise) in any one film already made, what movie and role would you pick?

Q: Given the chance for your name to appear in the Guinness Book of World Records, in what context would you be listed?

November 13, 2003

Since October -- when I enrolled in Lifestyle Strategies of Central Indiana's medically supervised weight management and counseling program -- I've reduced my daily caloric intake by approximately 300-400%, and have continued to step up my daily level of exercise. And as hard as it may be to fathom (because it certainly has been for me), I now consume just 800 to 960 calories per day. To put that number into perspective, consider this... In order to maintain my old weight, which was around 230 pounds for the last 18 months, I consumed 2,500 to 3,500 calories per day, which I can assure you I had no problem doing. Three eggs (or the equivalent thereof) for breakfast, followed by a large sandwich / chips / and a pasta or potato salad for lunch, topped off by a Qudoba burrito or some another fast food product for dinner, and it's easy to see how I packed on and maintained such a gross amount of weight for my frame.

What I started eating on the 13th of October, and will continue to eat until around the end of February, are medically formulated meal replacements consisting of 100% of my daily nutritional requirements, in 160 calorie packets. Five packets a day equals 800 calories, and they come in Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Potato flavors. For the sake of ease, I've been drinking 90% of my meals. I have this great 200 watt portable Braun hand mixer which whips my packets and some ice and water into the most delicious shakes. On the weekends, or when I just have to have solid food, I mix a couple of potato packets with water and create dough which can then be baked into muffin-like rounds that taste really good with Healthy Choice spaghetti sauce and low-fat parmesan cheese (can you say mini-pizza).

While I find that I'm hungry at very predictable times of each and every day -- like in the morning right after I exercise, or in the late afternoon before dinner -- I've been pleasantly surprised with how I've handled the change in diet. That being said, I do realize that I'm going to need to step up to the plate on the cooking and baking side of the equation. Long-term success with the 40 x 40 Plan means that I'm going to have to get into the habit / routine of preparing my own meals. As someone very smart posted to this Blog just recently, "Choosing a fast food meal over a meal prepared at home is neither a rational nor reasonable choice; it is a copout for being lazy." Copping out is what got me here in the first place, and I get to choose -- No More Copping Out!

Hold onto your seats boys and girls, because tomorrow on Monday I'll cover (from a mathmatical perspective) how the low caloric diet stimulates weight loss. In the meantime, for bigger laughs, check out the post from last night, below.

November 12, 2003

Back in 1997 I coughed up the dough for a handmade/custom mattress for my bed. While I've never regretted the decision to fork over close to a grand for my Verlo, I could not for the life of me tell you what on earth I did with my trusty old mattress. Had StreetMattress.com -- aka The Mattress Trash Authority -- been around when I tossed my old bedding, I most assuredly would have been encouraged to document the event for prosperity's sake.

While you and I may justifiably think of a discarded mattress as nothing more than common rubbish, the folks over at StreetMattress.com have developed an over-the-top appreciation for the art of spotting mattresses in some of the most interesting places. Check out StreetMattress.com, where the pictures are just as entertaining as the comments associated with each.

November 11, 2003

I haven't written much lately about my efforts to drop 40 pounds by the age of 40 (aptly named the "40 x 40 Plan"), so here's an update: Earlier this year, on September 17th (two days before my 38th birthday), I decided that I was tired of carrying around all the extra weight I had gained since moving to Indiana, and that I was going to choose to do something about it. Rather than getting all crazed and unrealistic about the whole thing (can you say 'Atkins Diet' or 'South Beach Diet'), I said that I wanted to first lose -- and then maintain -- a 40 pound drop in weight by the time I was 40-years-old. I knew that in order for this to work I'd have to change my entire relationship to food and exercise, and I also knew that I wouldn't be able to do it on my own. Enter an amazingly supportive and dedicated workout partner, and a medically supervised weight loss program that I enrolled myself in back in early October called Lifestyle Strategies of Indiana.

The workout partner has been there every single day without fail, and has supported and encouraged me in ways that are truly unimaginable and inspiring. And Lifestyle Strategies of Indiana (LSI) -- I can't say enough about this program either. LSI's purpose is to provide the skills, strategies, and tools necessary for a lifetime of effective health and weight management, which is exactly what I was looking for, and which seems to be working for me.

Since the 17th of September, when I weighed in at 235 pounds, I've lost 32 pounds. As of last night's weigh in (we weigh in every Monday evening as a part of a mandatory one-and-a-half hour educational class) I weighed 203 pounds, which is 32 pounds lighter than when I started this whole thing.

I'll write more tomorrow about LSI, the low caloric 'meal replacements' that I've been eating since the middle of October, my coach Alvin, and the ongoing exercise regime I've adopted. For now though, here's a quick shoutout to everyone who continues to support me in reaching my goal. Mom -- thanks for the program fee; Melody -- thanks for telling me about LSI in the first place; Angela -- thanks for the continued support and encouragement; and to everyone at work who I know checks in with the site from time to time (and to my roomie) -- thanks for not making me feel stupid for going to such measures to protect my own health. And to everyone else who has checked in with me over the last month or two to see how my energy level has been, thanks. More Tomorrow!

November 8, 2003

My friend Brett Davey recently joined the mushrooming web log community with a great blog of his own. Brett's "Step Off Old Man" invites comments, of course, as he writes about a wide range of ideas that invite a bevy of questions. Feel free to view view his site, but please, not to the exclusion of the Beli-Blog.

Brett is a long-time friend from Rhode Island, an old drinking and Sunday brunch buddy, my former editor and co-founder of Providence Monthly, and a fellow Clark for President supporter (more on that later, though). For now, please wish Brett well and welcome him to the blogging community.

November 7, 2003

Q: If you were elected President of the United States tomorrow, and took office next Monday morning, what's the very thing you'd do after you were sworn in?

Fire the White House chef and install my brother, Kenny, as the new 'First Chef.'

Q: How has your attitude about the war in Iraq changed since U.S. President George W. Bush, on March 18, 2003, gave Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq or face invasion?

On March 25th I wrote the following, and my thoughts havenít changed since:

While I'm not too crazy about it, I do understand why we're doing it. Saddam Hussein and his regime represent a threat ñ to what degree exactly, Iím not so sure ñ so I suppose it's best to deal with him before he becomes so powerful that he cause real harm to humans all over the world (including US citizens). That having been said, I'm not happy with intentionally putting our troops in harms way, and I'm also not happy with the lack of true diplomatic efforts aimed directly at Saddam Husseinís regime on the part of the current US administration.

If there's anything though that bothers me more than anything else about the whole premise upon which this war appears to be based, it's the notion that Weapons of Mass Destruction are okay for the USA to have in its possession, but its not alright for some other countries to have them in theirs.

I'm also concerned about the net effect this war may have on you and me and our fellow US citizens living here and abroad. I fear that we will be retaliated against by factions who are opposed to how we handle our foreign relations. I think what happened on September 11th is now going to happen again and again and again. As a friend of mine recently said, we (Americans) do not need a tax break from our government; what we really need is a 'fear break'. We need to feel safe again, and I do not see this war as being a positive step in that direction.

Q: Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you're going to say?

Unconsciously, perhaps, but certainly not like I used to when I was in grade school.

Q: Would you agree to have one of your thumbs surgically removed if it somehow guaranteed immunity from all major diseases?

I would not. The only things that separate us humans from all other living things are: 1) Our ability to make informed choices; 2) The fact that we had enough ingenuity to invent duct tape, and 3) Our opposable thumbs. Thereís now way Iím voluntarily giving up a thumb, not when I believe that most everything happens for a reason.

November 6, 2003

Fast-food and other chain restaurants would be required to disclose more nutritional information if legislation introduced yesterday in Congress by Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) became law. The Menu Education and Labeling (MEAL) bill would require fast-food chains to list calorie counts on fast-food menu boards, and would require table-service chains to list calories, saturated-plus trans fat, carbohydrates, and sodium on printed menus. The bill applies only to standard menu items ó not changing specials ó and only to chains with 20 or more outlets. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced that he will introduce a companion bill in the U.S. Senate later this year.

The legislation is being praised by health-related watch dog groups which indicate that there's broad public support for restaurant menu labeling. Recent surveys in fact indicate that that two-thirds of U.S. citizens support requiring chain restaurants to display calorie content on menu boards and menus.

Look, this is a no-brainerÖ nutritional information is needed on chain restaurant menus, period! Estimates have it that weíre getting about one-third to one-half of our calories from outside the home, and that weíre eating out twice as often as we did in 1986. And does anyone really question whether fast food restaurants are an important contributor to rising rates of overweight and obesity in this country? (When people eat out at restaurants, they donít eat as well as at home. They consume more calories and saturated fat, fewer nutrients, like calcium, and less fiber.) Despite these generally accepted facts, the restaurant industry won a special exemption in the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act ó the 1990 law that requires manufacturers of packaged foods to list nutrition information on labels. Several of the fast-food chains that provide posters or brochures in restaurants only did so to avoid legal action in the mid-80s by several state attorneys general.

This year, restaurant industry lobbyists are trying to keep nutrition information off menus by raising misleading red herrings, and the restaurants themselves are chiming in with advertising campaigns suggesting that fast food ñ like Kentucky Fried Chicken ñ is actually good for youÖ because after all, if itís good for Dr. Atkins, then it must be good for you too. Give Me A Break! Yeah, I love eating fast food just as much as the next guy (and haven't, by the way, since October 13) but don't try to pass the food off as actually being good for me. I'm hungry, not stupid!

November 5, 2003

Some six months after Jr. declared the major fighting done in Iraq, how has life improved for the Iraqi people? Clearly, safety and security are huge concerns. But for an average Iraqi, I'm imagining that it's the little things that cease to be little and that can define a life as currently being better or worse. Is the electricity on and working? Are the schools open and providing an education to those who need it most? Are the roads passable and safe? Is there a recognizable justice system in place? How about water treatment plants? After Saddam, has it really gotten and better?

The arguments that our esteemed President offered for attacking Iraq were many. There were the weapons of mass destruction, of course, but let's leave that thorny little issue to another post. One of the main arguments we heard over and over again was that we're attacking Iraq to relieve the Iraqi people of the despotic rule of Saddam Hussein, who ruled Iraq with a cruel and vicious dictatorship. No one questions whether his country and its people suffered while he and his family built opulent palaces.

And so it was assumed by many that the removal of Hussein and the toppling of his regime would improve the living conditions for most Iraqis. But as we have all seen and heard over the last several months, life after this 'war' is messy and unpredictable, and that's all that we're really told. What seems to get lost amongst the focus placed on the continued downing of our troops is the day-to-day condition of Iraqi lives. Has it really been worth it? How much longer must the world and the average Iraqi citizen wait before seeing the results of this relief we set out to provide? What's a realistic amount of time?

November 4, 2003

It's early and the only thing that's really on my mind right now is the very simple fact that I'm human. As a human I'm capable of many extraordinary things... some good, some not so good.

Some days, even though I know better, I put my petty feelings above the real and serious feelings and needs of others, while on other days or in other situations I choose not to. Sometimes I surprise myself and those around me by coming up with a really profound or insightful observation, while on other days I struggle for what to say or say the most obvious sorts of things. And while I never intentionally try to hurt someone else, sometimes I do; and sometimes, when I'm trying to help someone, it actually works out. I drive fast, I drive slow; I gain weight, I drop weight; I over think some things while under thinking others; and I sometimes talk too softly and smile and fail to smile when I shouldn't.

More often than not I fail to give myself credit for the good things I do, have done, or think I can do, while at other times I catch myself saying "good me" when I probably shouldn't. I don't update this blog as often I should, while at the same time I probably write and share too much info.

At the end of the day, most of it bolis down to one simple word... Choice. Most of the time I get to choose. Do I always make the right choices? Certainly not, but that potential is always there, and that's what's so exciting about being human... we get to choose. Moving forward... I choose to try harder and to not try so hard.