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A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and does what he wants to do. - Dylan Cool JPG |
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Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them. - Einstein |
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October 31, 2004 Super Size Me, Security Mom
Ok, here's where I'm going with the Super Size Story. I'm generally about a year behind in movie watching. As things are finally returning to normal here in Clearwater, I decided to join Netflix again (they just reduced their monthly fees). On my first weekend off in months, I decided it was time to see the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. So I set aside Friday, Saturday and Sunday night to watch the series (yes it was a lot of time wasted, but I deserved and needed a wasted weekend). I managed to get through all three (much easier than actually reading the books) and thought it was time well spent. I read the books back in the 1970's and, given the special effects are so much better now than back then, I'm glad they waited for a few decades to make the movies. Overall, one can't complain about the movies, yet the wealth of details in the books and the vivid imagination that the written word can evoke is lost in the films. Even great special effects can't make up for that. Not wanting to overdose on fantasy-adventure flixs, the following weekend I opted for some "reality" films: Super Size Me and Fahrenheit 9/11. I'm not sure what all the hype was about with Moore's "documentary". The right-wing nut cases were quick to point out all the inaccuracies and the liberal weenies viewed it as some sort of religious experience. Pick any political ad from any party and you find the same: half-truths, misconceptions and outright lies. So what's the big deal? Mandatory daily reading for all citizens: www.factcheck.org. One has to wonder why we collectively seem to be more interested in hearing more of our own distorted views rather then seeking out real truths. I'm glad Moore made a lot of money on the film instead of Disney. I wish he'd lose about a hundred pounds so he can continue making films. Maybe he's learned from all his critics to better get the facts right next time around. He's a good enough filmmaker to get his point across without distortion. Speaking of mandatory, the book Fast Food Nation and the documentary Super Size Me should be required reading/viewing for all students across the country. There's some hope for the kids, but it appears to be a losing battle. Well, actually there is no battle as the media and the government have driven us perpetual fear of the terrorists. Nothing else seems to matter. Given American adults seem to have the attitude it's their god-given right to eat themselves to death, I don't see much hope for them. Odd how us baby-boomers were supposed to be such an enlightened group and we turned out to be the fattest:
Now you ask why does this theme keep recurring in my blogs? Well first, that guy on the right is me - I'm 190 lbs. and I should be 165! But I'm doing something about it. Not some dumb-ass Atkins Diet but real, long-term lifestyle changes. The odd thing is, it feels great to exercise and it feels great to eat right. And once one gets into that "zone" it's not all that hard to continue. Want to solve the health care "crisis" in America: quit smoking if you smoke, get off your butt and burn some fat and stop eating all that crap! I'd like to hear one politician say that. That's how you solve the health care crisis. That how you reverse out-of-control health care costs. That's how you save American lives!
So Security Mom's, want to protect you kids from the terrorists? Educate yourselves as to what the real threat is, both for you, your husband and your children. After soccer practice, forgo the Chuck-E-Cheese poison and Happy Meal garbage. Applebees and Outback are no better. And for you, know that most of the upscale Parena Bread sandwiches have more saturated fat than a Big Mac or a Whopper! Make an effort, get creative and design some healthy snacks and meals for the kids. Let them help. Wean them off of fat laden macaroni & cheese, sodium laden Campbell's soups and transfat killing Oreos. Understand that the massive evil Food Lobby is doing everything to work against you and that the Bush Administration is clearly in bed with. Odds you will be killed by a terrorist: about as "good" as winning $200 million in a super lotto. Odds of dying prematurely from the crap you eat: overwhelming and getting "better" all the time.
So who then is the real terrorist here in terms of body count?
3000 needlessly killed in 2001 400,000 needlessly killed every year October 17, 2004 Now that the hellish Florida summer finally has dissipated, I've made some major lifestyle changes (again). I'm working less, signed up with Netflix (again) and getting damn serious about regaining me fitness (again). Evenings are so climatically glorious that I've returned to my somewhat odd (but pragmatic) ritual of walking to the grocery store on a nightly basis. I keep so little food in the house, at least stuff deemed suitable for dinner, I'm forced to get my 45 minutes of aerobics or go hungry! A walk at dusk is a great stress reliever as well. As the round trip to the store is only about 30 minutes (excluding the brief time to shop), I start with 10 minutes on my stair stepper while getting caught up with the news. For me, 10 minutes is about the maximum I can endure of such tedium anyway, so its just a jump start to getting my heart rate up to optimum for the walk. The first segment of my walk is along a maturely landscaped golf course in my somewhat snooty gated community within a gated community. I take great pleasure in walking along the "private" golf cart trail, which often upsets my aloof neighbors to the point of calling security. If the security folks actually show up before I get across to "public" property, they don't really do or say anything, just sort of make their presence known. It has become quite an entertaining game for all of us. Once I get past the final gate, I take a hard left directly to the first upscale little shopping center, before the one with the grocery store it in. At this point, I have some tempting options (none of which I've exercised to date). I can decide to dump the exercise program for the night and stop at a friendly little Sushi Bar or a wonderfully stocked wine store. There's also two pubs and a local gym along that corridor. So in the event I've just not in the mood to drag back some food and actually cook it, I do have options. But to date I just keep walking to the store at a robust, but controlled pace. Once inside I make the rounds quickly, picking up fresh fruit and vegetables and a cut of unprocessed chicken breast or fish. On the trip back, I increase the pace as I have no concerns about working up a sweat. Once home, I get my vegetable steamer in action and endure about five more minutes on the stair stepper and a little cool down stretching. After a brief shower, I spend 15 minute max in preparing my masterpiece and then relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. Well, I got hungry and the super size me/security mom story will have to wait. But you can guess what really is killing American children (and adults by the millions) -- and it ain't the dumb-ass terrorists. October 10, 2004 I'm back. I won't mention the H word and the official end to summer in Clearwater is still five days off (when life returns to an environment fit for human existence). This summer and the H's zapped all the creative energy out of me. So it must soon be returning (hopefully with a vengeance). More, much more, coming soon.
© 2000-2004 Michael Milauskas - Composites-By-Design Corporation |
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