lookin

I wonder why they say someone is 'crazy as a bedbug'. Lucky's wandering mattress dwellers may be sneaky and rude, but how are they crazy? I once met a man who did seem crazy as a bedbug to me. His name was Dr. Zamal. He came to my house one day when I was living in India and asked for my help in getting a patent on the perpetual motion machine he had invented. He insisted on showing me the drawings and explaining exactly how it worked. Something to do with buckets of water on a rope pulley I recall. In engineering school, they taught me that perpetual motion was impossible, and even made me come up with some equations to prove it. But here was Dr. Zamal explaining how his contraption would run forever and, for the life of me, I couldn't show him why it wouldn't. He had a perpetual smile too, and when he got excited and talkative, he'd spritz anyone sitting too close. As he was nearly always excited and talkative, I tried to keep well back, which only encouraged him to move in closer. It was his eyes, though, that made me think he was moving into crazy as a bedbug territory. They were bright and glistening and they seemed to have some kind of a rapid flickering quality, especially when he got to the part about him being the only man in the world who had unlocked the secret of perpetual motion. I thought maybe he was trying to hypnotize me into thinking he was and he had. Of course I couldn't help him get a patent, but that didn't seem to deter him any. He just loved dropping by every week or so and talking about himself and his inventions. Always with the smile, always with the megillah, and always with the radioactive eyes. I can't remember how I got rid of him. I think maybe it was around the time I moved to a larger town. I know it wasn't bowls around my bedposts. How about you guys? Have you ever known anyone crazy as a bedbug? (Present company excepted, of course. )

When they start sending guys down the runway on walkers, I'll know they're serious about my business.

You're right, BiBottomBoy, 'commitment to gays' was probably a simplistic overstatement on my part. Still, I'd rather have his commitment to end DADT 'on my watch' than McCain's position that 'the policy is working and it's been working well'. Can't defend Obama's membership in 'The Church of Homophobia', but I do note his resignation from the church a couple of years ago. Even if done under duress, he still did it. He could have stayed in the church and defended its views, but he didn't. As one whose own views change as the years go by, and as life experiences pile up, I do think it's possible for someone to evolve and to look at things differently over time. I sure hope so anyway! I'd hate to think of being stuck for the rest of my life with the same opinions I had a decade ago, or even the ones I have today, hard as I've worked to shape them. Hopefully we all continue to learn. I liked your comment a few days ago that DADT could be a way for gay men to avoid the draft, should it be reinstated. Made me think that a surefire way to end DADT would be for everyone to show up at the recruiting station wearing 'I'm Gay!' teeshirts. That would hurry things along.

Lots happening. I'm surprised and happy to see public acknowledgement that White House lawyers were divided on whether to appeal or not. There seems to be an openness to this administration that was missing in the last one. And I was very happy to hear Obama say on the radio today that DADT would end on his watch. No equivocation. I haven't bought in to the view that he's abandoned his commitment to gays. It does seem to wax and wane, but I'm inclined to trust him and to believe that he plays a longer game. When DADT ends, it won't be easy for anyone to say that the process wasn't thorough and open. We shall see.

And just when I thought I'd heard everything!

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Definitely. I think your approach is the right one, and even a fifteen minute daily walk will start to reset your metabolism. The trick for me is doing something every day - or at least five times a week. It signals your body that times, they are a changin', and it's going to have to change too. It shouldn't take long for your body to get the message that its goal is no longer being a storehouse for extra calories, and that its new mission is to turn food into energy. As mentioned in the earlier thread, I think it's the permanent changes, however modest, that get the body to adjust its ways for good. I believe that burning a hundred extra calories a day gives a stronger message to your body than burning a thousand extra calories once a week. By the way, thanks for starting these threads, and thanks to OZ and TY for launching the forum. My GP gave me a challenge in May to lose a few more pounds. I've shed about half during the past couple of months, and the interest here is giving me the focus to drop the rest.

In a world of full transparency, I agree that the penalties for corporate malfeasance should be laid out clearly and dispensed equally. The snag as I see it is that it would be take a huge bureaucracy, if it's even possible, for the government to be looking over the shoulder of every corporate manager who might make a boneheaded decision. It would tie up our courts, and the high-priced lawyers would still make sure that some folks would skate. I think the quickest and most practical solution would be to make an example of a handful of high-level executives, as the Hungarians are doing. Watching your golfing foursome become a twosome because ol' Woody and Al are spending a few years on Rikers Island is the best way I know to get these managers' attention. They're the only ones who can create a corporate culture that values safety above profits, and they're the only ones who can get the message out forcefully throughout the organization. They just need an incentive to do it. BP has a history of making deadly decisions in the name of profits. I'd suggest starting with them. I agree with those who feel the politicians aren't likely to bite the corporate hands that feed them, so they're not likely to step up on their own. What does seem to get the politicians off their asses are the survivors of a disaster and their advocates and, even then, only during the early days of a disaster, before it morphs into an endless series of hearings and studies and regulations which will themselves likely be ignored within a few years. If we truly want to see our government respond as the Hungarians have done, I think it will take some folks going into the streets and shining a light on the unsatisfactory process we have today. In my opinion, another editorial won't do it. I'm not suggesting riots or anything a lady shouldn't be seen doing in public, but I do think it's time to ask respectfully, thoughtfully, and firmly for a government that's more responsive to its citizens and less responsive to private industry.

I changed careers twice, and discovered that a nice long break in the middle worked well for me. The first break was a year. I thought it would be shorter, but I loved the time off. It let me really clear my head and figure out what I wanted to do next. The second break was only a month. I thought it would be longer, and later wished it had been. All this to say that, if you get a chance to take a few months to empty your head of what's there now, it might be worth considering. Something may occur to you during a dreamy day in the woods that wouldn't otherwise. Very best wishes to you both, whatever path you take!

Any time ya wanna change your luck, Foggy, I'll be waitin' fer ya in the henhouse!

TY, I've got a crick in my neck from nodding agreement with your post, line by line. The only point I'd add to your list is the deterioration of international relations under the Bush administration. On September 12th we had the largest outpouring of American support I can recall. Within a year, it had been squandered. I think the problem with the American electorate is a belief that all problems are caused by the federal government and should therefore be solved by a different federal government, and preferably within a matter of days or weeks. We lack the perspective of a decade-long depression, and we no longer realize the importance of being part of an international community. Worse, there is virtually no one left in the national media to remind us. It appears we are living in a fantasy world. Like you, I felt that whoever got the Presidency two years ago would be in for a tough slog. I'm amazed we've clawed back as much as we have, and will be pleasantly surprised if we avoid another backslide or two. Obama's done more than I hoped, and faster than I expected. McCain, in my opinion, would still be looking around for something to fix. Hell, he'd probably have spent his first two years trying to clean up after Palin. I'm really hoping we don't do a knee-jerk housecleaning in November. If we do, I expect private industry will grab hold of the federal government and hang on tight, and it will be many years before average American citizens will again get a place at the table. And there may not be much left when we do.

Well off course nothing takes the weight off like Mexican coke. But it gives me the jitters, and I worry about encouraging the cartels.

I had trouble finding Matrix's post too, after I first checked in last night. One minute the headline was right there, the next minute I couldn't find it again. Finally realized that there were a lot of posts in a very short time, and it dropped down half a page in the twinkling of an eye. Anyway, confusion followed, issue resolved, and here we all are back in the tent again none the worse for wear. At least I hope we're none the worse for wear. How we treat each other when one of us is struggling a bit, or asking for a little support, or looking for validation that our posts are important, goes a long way in defining what this site is all about. There are plenty of places one can go to kick and be kicked. I vote we keep this site more of a sanctuary where folks can come for a break from all that. And maybe a nice piece babka. Enjoy ! !

I can sure relate to your experiences, including eating after a personal loss, losing weight twice and gaining even more back, and poor eating habits while working and commuting. The one thing that really helped me was to change my focus from big short-term changes to small long-term changes. Both times I went on a diet that dropped weight quickly, I started feeling deprived and couldn't wait until it was over so I could return to my old ways, which then put the weight back on, plus more. I found that a small permanent change, like a short daily walk, or substituting pretzels for potato chips, or switching to low-fat milk, was much more effective. I lost only a pound every week or two, but they stayed off. It took a couple of years to lose the weight I wanted to, but it was from permanent changes that weren't hard to stick with, so the weight hasn't come back. Don't know if any of this will resonate with you but, for me, the keys were to avoid feeling deprived, and to realize that a little exercise is as good as a little eating change, and both are even better. The trick was to find something I could stick with for the rest of my life. (Also, don't know if you saw my response to your Denver post, but, if the researchers are right, you should soon be losing a few pounds without lifting a finger. )

I fully agree with MsGuy! I love the pictures, but don't say so often enough. One reason is not enough fresh ways to say 'Thank you", and another is the worry of public exposure as a - well, you know. Thank you! Thank you! Thank You!

Seeing as how TY and OZ were kind enough to give us brand spanking new Health, Nutrition and Fitness Forum, I'm going to schlep a few thoughts down there. I figure the exercise will do me good.

Worth noting that Matrix's recently discarded PoP'ems contain not only Xanthan Gum, but Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, and Carob Bean Gum as well. Why so many gums, you may ask, especially in a foodstuff not intended for blowing bubbles? It turns out that these gums are meant to replace various fats, like butter, while retaining some semblance of what the food chemists refer to as "mouthfeel". They impart a 'slippery' quality to the food like fat does and, in excess, can give one the sensation of slurping on a slug. "Good", you may say, "butter's fattening anyway, and I'm glad these chemists are finding ways to get rid of it." And you may have a point. If your cardiologist has told you not to have so much as a pat of butter ever again, then a cocktail of gums, artificial flavor, and artificial color may be just what the doctor ordered. But my guess is the wholesale replacement of natural ingredients with ersatz compounds straight from the lab has little to do with better nutrition, and lots to do with the increasing industrialization of our food supply. The donuts your great grandmother lovingly served up would not fare well moving through the factories and distribution systems that deliver a box of PoP'ems to your grocery basket. First, they'd be way too expensive. Real butter, real vanilla, and real chocolate cost real money, and the folks at Entenmann's understand that a six dollar box of donut holes is not going to be a big seller. Hardened soybean oil and artificial flavor and artificial color are lots cheaper, and look enough like the real thing that folks are willing to fork over three or four bucks at the checkout stand to give them a try. After they discover, as Matrix did, that they taste like waxy marbles, they may not buy another box, and they may even throw some away, but at least that one box got sold. And there are plenty of kids whining at Mom to buy the next one. Another reason is the manufacturing process itself. Real butter has to be well cared for, while on its way to the factory, and while there. Rancid butter can contaminate other ingredients and, at the wrong temperature, it can slow down the machinery. Oils and gums are far more stable, and keep things flowing smoothly. But the primary reason behind the move to fake foods, in my opinion, is the extensive distribution system they have to move through to get to us. A century ago when William Entenmann and his horse were delivering baked goods in Brooklyn, real butter was an option. His donuts were typically eaten the day they were made, or soon after. Even after he expanded throughout New England, there were rarely more than a few days between manufacture and consumption. His products just didn't have enough time to get stale or moldy. But when Entenmann's expanded nationwide forty years ago, a couple of new problems appeared. First, the products would have to travel thousands of miles to towns where the temperature could easily top a hundred degrees. And second, they'd have to ride in trucks, sit in large grocery warehouses, and wait on supermarket shelves for weeks and maybe months before somebody picked them up and brought them home. So the food chemists dosed them with preservatives and/or replaced natural ingredients with artificial ingredients that could survive a year in the desert without any noticeable effect. Welcome to the foods we eat today. Some years ago, I started reading ingredients labels on most everything I pick up at the supermarket. Often, especially with 'fun foods', it's enough to make me put them back on the shelf. Although I've never seen any research to back it up, I have a theory that the industrialization of our food supply is one reason, and perhaps the primary one, that the U. S. is in the midst of an obesity epidemic. My theory is that, in an effort to get the nutrients our bodies require, we are forced to eat much more fake food than we would if we were eating real food that delivered real nutrition. PS: Entenmann's isn't the worst offender, by far, and they still appreciate the appeal of real butter. In fact, to this day, they make an All Butter Pound Cake that appeals to the consumer who's looking for some real food. But, I've read that it's best if eaten within a week or so and, even then, look what they've had to dose it with to move it through our distribution system: Ingredients: Sugar, Bleached Wheat Flour, Eggs, Butter, Nonfat Milk, Water, Modified Food Starch (Corn, Rice), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Leavening (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Baking Soda, Monocalcium Phosphate), Salt, Sorbitan Monostearate, Artificial Flavor, Preservatives (Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Propionate), Polysorbate 60, Xanthan Gum, Mono-And Diglycerides, Wheat Gluten, Guar Gum, Propylene Glycol Monoesters, Oat Fiber, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Caramel Color, Soy Lecithin. Yikes!

I sure hope, I say, I sure hope he ain't talkin' about me !

Dunno why, but for some months I've been fantasizing about a role switch between Obama and Clinton. With agreement from both, she runs for President in 2012 and 2016, while he fills the Secretary of State slot for eight years. He then runs for his second term as President in 2020. She gets the Presidency while she's young enough, and he gets some needed international experience and the chance to build some much-needed bridges. And we get the best of both worlds. Best for me, anyway. I expect others will be less pleased.

There was a time right around ten o'clock when the on-line number at the top of the page hit 63. I'm not sure where everybody was lurking or if they made it to this thread but, just in case, I've taken the liberty of hiding a couple of Easter eggs for the believers amongst us.

Yoo-Hoo! Is anybody here?

I will not try to edit posts after midnight. I will not try to edit posts after midnight. I will not try to edit posts after midnight. I will not try to edit posts after midnight. I will not try to edit posts after midnight. I will not try to edit posts after midnight. I will not try to edit posts after midnight. I will not try to edit posts after midnight. I will not try to edit posts after midnight. I will not try to edit posts after midnight. I will not try to edit posts after midnight. I will not try to edit posts after midnight.

'Scuse me, any of you guys see which way this thread went?