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February 28, 2005

LOSING WEIGHT IS EASY. BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION IS HARD!

Up until a year-and-a-half ago, I thought losing weight was difficult to do. Not true; losing weight is easy... in the simplest of terms, all you have to do to lose weight is expend more calories than you consume (keeping in mind that 3,500 calories consumed or burned equals one pound consumed or burned). That part's simple. The hard part about losing weight is keeping it off, and that for most people--myself included--involves behavior modification.

Officially, 'behavior modification' is psychotherapy that is concerned with the treatment (as by desensitization or aversion therapy) of observable behaviors rather than underlying psychological processes and that applies learning principles to substitute desirable responses and behavior patterns for undesirable ones. Unofficially, it's doing shit differently on a consistent basis.

Doing shit differently on a consistent basis is hard work. It's a lot harder, I'm learning, than losing between 50-70 lbs. Changing behaviors that took years to perfect is easier said than done. Going to the gym, eating well, getting a good night's sleep, buying the right foods, holding myself accountable and being responsible for my own health and well being... that's hard work (or at least it's proving to be so for me).

There's a lot more to say on this topic, I'm sure; and in the weeks and months to come I'll be doing a much better job of sharing my struggles and successes. Why? Why share this sort of information in such an open and public forum? Well, I've said before...

I'm a firm believer in the notion that people have an 'already and always' way of listening and relating to one another, and that until we choose to transform our lives, which involves sharing 'what we're up to' with those who experience us on a daily basis, people are not very likely to change the way in which they experience one another, which possibly stands in the way of our own transformation. In my case, this means sharing 'what I'm up to' with as many people as possible. I not only choose to share that sort of info here because I want you to know what's going on in my life, but also so you'll support me and hold me accountable when I lose my way or stray off course. If what I'm up to in this world is a secret between me, myself, and I, realistically, who's gonna keep me honest? Me... well, sometimes yes, but not always. I'm honest enough with myself to know that I'm only human and that I can't go it alone.

Those words are from a January 2004 post, and while they still ring true today, they mean nothing without action. The action that's bringing them back to the forefront is this... I'm home sick today, and while being sick isn't an entirely unusual event in one's life, there are things I should be doing to take better care of myself, and I just haven't been doing them as well as I should.

Posted by Mikal at 8:22 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

February 25, 2005

FOUR FOR FRIDAY

Q1: Peppermint Patty... straight or gay?

Q2: Imagine for a moment that you're the President of the United States of America. During a formal White House concert, a very talented and extremely sincere North Korean pianist (whose every move, by the way, is being closely monitored by North Korean chaperones) somehow manages to slip you a note stating that he wants to defect. If you grant his request, important nuclear disarmament talks with the North Koreans will be broken off, which would increase the likelihood of war between the two nations. Knowing that if you do not allow him to defect, the North Korean pianist would return to his country only to be killed, what would you do?

Q3: Taking stock of all of your material possessions, which ones are the oldest, and which have you owned the longest?

Q4: Are there any reoccurring or standalone fictional television or movie characters that you personally identify with? If not, are there any who you wish you could be more like in your own life?

Posted by Mikal at 7:18 AM | Comments (14) | TrackBack

February 24, 2005

By way of Jane Hanstein Cunniffe (Š2005) and SmilingGoat.com, allow me to present, The Crackers:

February 23, 2005

February 22, 2005

I had an interesting conversation last night with a friend who lives in my former hometown of Boulder (Colorado). Bryan and I worked together at both the Association for Experiential Education (AEE) and The Outdoor Network (TON), and we try to connect every few months or so to stay up-to-date with what's going on in one another's lives. Last night we realized that in less than 30 days, I'll have lived in Indianapolis for three years, which both of us acknowledged as being quite an unexpected development.

As recently has three-and-a-half years ago, if someone took me aside and told me that by the time March of 2005 rolled around that I'd be living in Indianapolis for going on three years, I would have said, "You're Nuts!" But here I am, nearly three years removed from Boulder, and I am living in Indy, and quite honestly--outside of winning the lottery--I couldn't be happier. Sure, there are days when I miss Boulder's charm, atmosphere, and the life-long friendships I developed there, but for the most part, home is what you choose to make of it, and Indianapolis suites me just fine.

If I'm honest about it, I sold The Outdoor Network and moved to Indiana because I sensed that if I didn't, I probably never would have taken the steps necessary to become a self-sustaining adult. Boulder was an oasis of sorts for me. I had many friends and associates there who were supportive of my business-related dreams and goals, but at the end of the day--at the end of most days--people were too generous with me, and I never truly learned to fend for myself. Whether it was living in a friend's basement rent-free when times were tough, or accepting friends loans in order to keep my company afloat after the dot.com bubble burst, I just wasn't cutting it on my own. Sure, my team and I did innovative things at The Outdoor Network--we launched the first website in the world to report outdoor education and adventure travel industry news on a daily basis; we created the most popular online job and resume site in the world for outdoor education and adventure travel industry professionals (and successfully licensed the proprietary technology running its search engine to non-competing organization); and we created and launched the first-ever legal periodical to cover the outdoor ed and adventure travel space (called The Outdoor Education and Recreation Law Quarterly)--but personally, while I was thrilled to be developing innovative products and services for an industry I loved, I wasn't being personally responsible.

Day in and day out, I hid behind my company's successes, refusing to grow up and take responsibility for so many things that were wrong in my life. From my personal finances and relationships with others, to my health and the distance I was putting between myself and my family, if I didn't sell my company and move from Boulder's "it's okay Mikal, we'll support you" environment, I would have eventually alienated everyone I knew, including myself.

Moving to Indianapolis forced me to take responsibility for myself, and as much as I want to kick and scream some days, it's a move I haven't regretted. Sure, I still have a long way to go in terms of being that self-sustaining adult that I wasnít while living in Boulder, but three years later I am a bit closer, and that's a good thing!

February 21, 2005

Today is President's Day, and that means that I'm lucky enough to get the day off from work. Woo-Hoo! So far I've...

...Scheduled a haircut
...Done two loads of laundry
...Watched a Chris Rock movie (Head Of State)
...Learned that a friend is thinking about buying a second condo
...Vacuumed the homestead (the roomie's out of town this week)
...Watched The Tony Danza Show (daytime TV is really, really, really bad)

I'm now off to workout at the gym, and mail my Mom's birthday gift. After that, who knows? Maybe I'll be home in time to catch the 'Survivor' edition of Family Feud or have Oprah Winfrey tell me How to Look 10 Years Younger Now!

Free association--a psychoanalytic procedure in which a person is encouraged to give free rein to his or her thoughts and feelings, verbalizing whatever comes into the mind without monitoring its content--is what this post is all about. Each week, Patricia over at Luna Nina posts ten words to which anyone can respond to with the first thing that comes to mind.

February 18, 2005

Q1: Which is a bigger waste of time in your life... being stuck in traffic or being placed on hold during telephone calls? Which do you find more annoying?

Q2: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently rejected a petition from a consumer group asking that product placements on TV be clearly labeled as such. The FTC said that the use of products by characters in fictional television shows or contestants on reality TV shows like American Idol or The Apprentice does not constitute an objective claim to the quality of the product being shown on screen. What do you think... have the lines become blurred on this one? Should television shows be barred from using overt product placements, or should they at least be made to disclose these sorts of practices before, during, or after (in the credits) the shows in question?

Q3: With just about every business under the sun now accepting bank check cards and debit cards, do you find that you carry more, less, or the same amount of cash as you did 5 or 10 years ago?

Q4: What's the last song you downloaded from the Internet? If you've never downloaded music, what's the last CD you bought at a store or received as a gift?

February 17, 2005

As a part of my Hotel & Restaurant Management studies at the University of Houston, I took a course where classmates and I were assigned to operate an on-campus restaurant's semester-long international dinner series. During the course of the 15-week class I bused and waited tables, tended bar, cooked, washed dishes, hosted, planned menus, handled publicity, and even got to take a couple of shots at managing the entire show myself for a few nights. All-in-all, looking back on it now, it was great fun and an excellent way to put into practice all of the theory I'd been subjected to in the many semesters leading up to the course.

Now word has come--thru someone I met via LinkedIn.com--that there's a similar program right here in Indianapolis. The Culinary Expressions Cafe, which is run by Ivy Tech's Culinary students, begins serving lunch this Friday to anyone lucky enough to get a reservation for one of the eight Friday lunches being served over the next two months. Like the program I worked in at the Univ. of Houston, Ivy Tech's students are running the entire show, but unlike the program I was in, a Culinary Expressions Cafe meal won't cost you an arm or a leg. Take a look at the menu and pricing:

- East Coast Style Crab Cake... a generous 3 ounce crab cake served atop corn relish with a roasted red pepper remoulade: $5.25

- Stuffed Portabella Mushroom Caps... two large mushroom caps stuffed with parmesan and garlic then baked to perfection: $2.00

- Lemon Hummus... freshly prepared with a variety of fresh vegetables and crisp pita chips for dipping: $1.50

- Cream of Chicken... velvety soup with chicken, vegetables and a hint of fine sherry: Cup $1.00 / Crock $1.75

- Pasta Fagioli Italian soup... with tomatoes, beans, spinach, pasta and Romano cheese: Cup $1.00 / Crock $1.75

- Caesar Salad... romaine, seasoned croutons, and Parmesan tossed with classic Caesar dressing (repared tableside): $2.25 (with Grilled Chicken Strips: $3.50)

- Spinach Salad... baby spinach, chopped eggs and grilled red onions drizzled with warm bacon dressing: $1.75

- Mandarin House Salad... mixed greens, mandarin oranges, green onions and toasted slivered almonds with an orange balsamic vinaigrette: $2.00

ENTREES

- Italian Meat Roll-up... Italian-style ground beef filled with ham and mozzarella, rolled and baked till hot and bubbly, topped with a marinara sauce, served with garlic mashed potatoes and sautČed vegetables: $4.00

- Lemon Pepper Pasta with Shrimp... fettuccini in a creamy Alfredo sauce made with sautČed red peppers, shrimp and pine nuts: $5.00

- Pecan Chicken Salad Croissant... chicken with bits of roasted pecans, celery and onions in a sweet peppery sauce served on a flaky croissant with seasonal fresh fruit skewers: $3.50

- Smoked Turkey Wrap... tortilla filled with smoked turkey, bacon, caramelized onions, diced tomatoes and baby field greens with herb mayonnaise served with seasoned steak fries: $3.50

- Quiche of the Day... served with a lemon bread and raspberry cream cheese sandwich: $3.50

- White Chocolate Cheesecake... creamy chocolaty cheesecake in a graham cracker crust: $2.00

- Flourless Chocolate Cake... a decadent desert -- chocolate, rich and delicious: $2.50

Hungry yet? Good, because Ivy Tech's Culinary Expressions Cafe is now accepting reservations (note: seating is available from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. only). Contact Chef Thom England at 317-921-4619 or by e-mailing tengland at ivytech dot edu. When leaving messages or sending e-mail, be sure to leave your name, the date you want (remember, Fridays only thru the 8th of April), the time you have in mind, and the number of people in your party. Finally, if you do go, please pop back here and leave a comment about your experienceÖ unfortunately, because of the distance from my office, I donít think Iíll be able to make it there for lunch myself.

February 16, 2005

There's nothing unusual about being woken up at 3:00 a.m. in my neighborhood by the sound of fire engine sirens. At least once a week, between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 4:00.a.m., fire trucks come rumbling down Pennsylvania Street on their way to one false alarm or another. This morning was different. From my bedroom window (ignore the date in the corner of the picture...I replaced the batteries in such a hurry that I forgot to reset the date):

My apologies for the quality of the photo (it's the best I could muster at 3:45 a.m.).

Location: Three-story apartment home at 111 East 9th Street (behind the Cathcart Building, caddy-corner to Urban Element)

Cause: According to Indianapolis Fire Department spokesperson Greg Harris (who I overheard being interviewed by a local news reporter), arching power lines may have ignited the blaze.

Occupants: Four residents (two of which who lived in the building for 10+ years); three cats and a dog. The Red Cross and the People's Burn Foundation were already on the scene assisting residents.

Injuries: One firefighter hospitalized; all three cats are missing; the 16-year-old dog made it out safe.

UPDATE (7:59 a.m.): Here's a shot of what the building looks like this morning after the fire was snuffed out (notice the large gaping holes in the roof):

February 15, 2005

I agree with Chris Rock, host of this year's Oscars, when he recently said that the show he's set to host later this month is "idiotic" and little more than a "fashion show." Make no mistake about it... I think televised awards shows like The Grammy's and Oscars promote little more than self-aggrandizing behavior from among a faction of society that is already over paid and overly exposed.

Now comes word from a United States Congressman that $150.000.00 of our taxpayer money went to the GRAMMY Foundation, the "music appreciation" wing of the Recording Academy which hands out the annual awards. Arizona's 6th District U.S. Congressman, Jeff Flake (R.):

I don't know about anyone else, but I for one agree with the Arizona Republican when he says, I love music and Iíve got nothing against music appreciation, but why should taxpayers fund an organization comprised of millionaire singers, producers, and executives!

February 14, 2005

Google Maps: Internet search giant Google recently added maps and driving directions to its armory of online services (cick here to see for yourself). While not as robust as MapQuest or Yahoo! Maps, I do like the click and drag feature once Google's maps appear on screen. Who Knew!

211 Service for Indiana: Hoosier's in search of information about critical health and human services available in their communities can now dial 2-1-1 for answers. The new service debuted here in Indianapolis last Friday, 2/11/05, and is being promoted as an easy-to-remember 3-digit dialing system (similar to 9-1-1 and 4-1-1) that makes a simple, but critical connection between individuals and families who are seeking services or volunteer opportunities and the appropriate community-based organizations and government agencies. Be warned though... dialing 2-1-1 doesn't work from all phones (not yet at least). Because of the way wireless calls are picked up by cell towers, the service isn't likely to work from your cell phone; nor should you expect it to work from your office if your place of work has phone extensions or a private branch exchange (PBX). Incidentally, dialing 3-1-1 in Chicago, Baltimore, Dallas, and New York City connects residents to hotlines for requesting city services. Who Knew!

Jake Jarvis: While most 13-year-old's blog about the mundane, this kid writes like he's a seasoned vet. The son of BuzzMachine.com's Jeff Jarvis, Jake Jarvis' blog isn't a must read just yet, but if he keeps it up, it surely will be. You may not think so but I see something in this kid that suggests that we'll be hearing about him in one fashion or another in the years to come. Who Knew!

Brushing Your Teeth & Heart Attacks: According to a study by Columbia University researchers, brushing your teeth may significantly reduce your risk of having a stroke or heart attack. Apparently, researchers have found a strong link between bacteria found in our mouths that cause periodontal disease and heart disease. Quoting from the article I found: The idea that oral bacteria shed from chronic gum infections, enter the circulatory system, and possibly contribute to diseases of the heart and other body organs once was widely accepted in medicine. The concept, known as the "focal infection theory," fell out of fashion by the 1940s, then resurfaced four decades later with the publication of new data proposing a link. Who knew!

February 11, 2005

Q1: Do you drive the same roads to work every morning, or do you mix it up? How about the drive home from work...do you typically take the same route home as you did in the morning, only in reverse? If you don't drive to work, or if you don't drive, how about this one... Assuming you shop for groceries, do you typically take the same route thru the grocery store every time you go grocery shopping, i.e. do you travel up and down the store's isles in a certain pattern?

Q2: Has a newspaper or television reporter ever interviewed you? If so, what were the circumstances and what did you think when you read or saw what you said?

Q3: Are there any causes that are important enough to you that you'd be willing to take three days off from work without pay in order to join an out-of-town protest march or sit-in? If so, what's the cause?

Q4: If you were forced to eat the same three items of food for dinner every night for three weeks straight, what would you eat?

February 10, 2005

New magazines are a dime a dozen. If you don't believe me, just head over to Wooden Horse Publishing, a site devoted to providing up-to-date information about magazines to non-fiction writers so they can become more successful selling their material, and take a look at the dozens of new magazines headed our way. With so many new periodicals making it onto magazine racks every month, publishers have to go out of their way to stand out.

Domino magazine is billed as not being your mother's home magazine. Edited for consumers who shop for home furnishings and accessories as they do for their wardrobes--mixing an array of pieces and price points to underscore individualistic styles--Domino is already setting itself apart online with technology like this.

Upon first glance, Domino's Flash animated site appears to be a great way to show consumers, and advertisers alike, exactly what the magazine's layout and design will look like. And while that's all fine and good, I'm wondering why more magazine publishers aren't using this technology to bridge the gap between in-print and online readers. Imagine being able to flip thru Time, Newsweek , or The Boulder Daily Camera or Indianapolis Star like this. Call me crazy but I just think it's way more sexy than what we're currently seeing anywhere else.

A while back, when every newspaper and magazine was just starting to pound into our heads that we can read the same material found in their current edition online via their websites, I was fond of saying that web pages would never replace the look and feel of actually being able to flip through the paper or a magazine while sitting on the couch or at the kitchen table at home. And while I still think that's true, Domino's interactive layout--which I can't tell if it's just an advertising technique or if they'll actually employ it once the magazine hits the newsstands this May--gives me hope that the online experience may someday soon feel more lifelike.

February 8, 2005

Daily Show Interview: As I mentioned in yesterday's post, an author who I signed to a book contract--when I worked at Penguin--recently appeared on The Daily Show. Michael Broder, who co-authored the first book in a new series I developed for Penguin/Alpha Books and Psychology Today magazine, was completely spoofed in the Daily Show piece which aired late last week. The show's producers told... well, never mind me trying to explain it... here's how it went down, in Michael Broder's own words:

What surprises me most about his experience is that Broder was interviewed for 3 full hours, yet his face graced the screen for maybe 45 seconds, tops. The fact that The Daily Show's correspondent (whose name I can't recall--he wasn't one of the regulars) didn't mention his book doesn't surprise me. Michael's a perfect target... he's strikingly bald, can be perceived as the type who takes himself way too seriously for his own good, and has a tendency to over analyze things in psychobabble (he is, after all, a psychologist with a series of successful interactive self-help audio tapes). Frankly, I'm surprised The Daily Show hadn't come ah knocking on Michael's door earlier. He's actually quite funny, with editing!

February 7, 2005

I don't think I'll be blogging much this week. I have a lot of things I need to do for work, and I'm attempting to adjust my sleep pattern by going to bed earlier on weeknights. All-in-all, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed already this week, so I think blogging will take a bit of a back seat for the next few days.

There is one thing I might post about before Friday. An author I signed to a contract--to write a book for me while I worked for another publishing house--recently appeared on The Daily Show. I was curious as to how the whole thing came about, so I sent him an e-mail message, to which he responded with some interesting info about the process. I might post his reply tomorrow... we'll see.

February 4, 2005

Q1: Ten years from now, how do you think new or emerging technologies will impact the job you have today?

Q2: The University of Colorado-Boulder is considering whether to dismiss a tenured member of the faculty for remarks made three years ago in a post-9/11 essay in which he likened the people who died in the World Trade Center attacks to Nazi war criminals. From The Boulder Daily Camera's editorial page: "True to form, [Ward] Churchill is unrepentant, refusing to apologize for comparing stockbrokers to genocidal maniacs, refusing even to admit one clear aim of his rant: to suggest that capitalist cogs in the twin towers got what was justifiably coming to them. When his remarks finally detonated a statewide explosion of outrage, Churchill remained as internally inconsistent as ever: He claimed to "mourn the victims" of the Sept. 11 attacks even as he once again likened "technocrats of empire" to Nazi murderers." Based on the information before you, do you think Professor Churchill should be dismissed from his teaching position at the University?

Q3: Weyco, a Michigan-based health benefits administration company, grabbed national headlines this week after it started firing employees who refused to take a smoking test. According to various media reports, seven employees have left the company rather than be tested for smoking tobacco, and the company now says that it will not hire anyone who smokes. Do you think employers should be allowed to fire people who smoke outside of the workplace, or not hire those who do?

Q4: Which team will you root for in this weekend's Super Bowl? If you could care less about the game, will you at least tune in to watch the commercials? If not, what do you plan on doing while the game's being played?

February 3, 2005

Who Knew Number One: Cowbells make any song sound good. Admittedly, this isnít an original thought. NPR ran a piece on this yesterday afternoon (click here to listen for yourself). Who knew!

Who Knew Number Two: Mexican UFOís are oldÖ Peruvian UFOís are new (this according to a co-worker who told me so when I offered up a standard ěhey, whatís newî greeting). Who knew!

Who Knew Number Three: Lemons contain more sugar than Strawberries. Who knew!

Who Knew Number Four: On my way from work the other night I stumbled across a radio station broadcasting an Indianapolis television station's live audio. WRTV, 87.7 on the FM dial, is a live broadcast of whateverís playing on the local ABC television station here Indy, including commercials. Who knew!

Who Knew Number Five: Tomorrow's 'Four For Friday' post will be the 500th entry in the life of this Blog. Who knew!

February 1, 2005

I received an unexpected e-mail message the other day from Santa Claus, who wrote to tell me that he's planning on getting his haircut this Thursday, and that the whole affair is likely to be covered by WISH-TV 8 here in Indianapolis. Confused as to why Santa would e-mail me, of all people, with news of an impending haircut, and why said haircut would be newsworthy?

Santa, a.k.a. Mike Linn, and I have worked together at the Fashion Mall at Keystone at The Crossing's holiday photo shop for the past two years. Unlike other mall Santa's around town, Mike's hair (available for viewing in this photo) is all his own, and when he decides to get it cut--which last happened in 2002--he makes a point of donating the clippings to Locks Of Love.

Locks Of Love is a Florida-based not-for-profit that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children who are suffering from long-term medical conditions that result in hair loss. Here in Indianapolis, LOL coordinates donations thru Great Clips, Fantastic Sams, and other select independent hair salons. In order to qualify as a donor, Mike must be in a position to have a minimum of 10 inches (from tip to top) cut from his head, which as you can see from this photograph isn't going to be much of a problem.

Mike's hair is perfectly suited for donation. I've never asked him exactly how long it is during the Christmas season, but if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say Mike's hair between 14 and 18 inches from root to end. If you live here in Indianapolis, and you'd like to learn more about Locks Of Love, or watch Mike part with his locks, tune into WISH-TV 8's evening news broadcast this Thursday.