One Year of Biking & Weight Loss

One year ago today, I started on a project. I had looked in the mirror and realized that my body was severely out of shape. I had noticed that I ran out of breath while climbing stairs, and that I was buying larger and larger clothes. I finally stepped onto a scale June 1, 2008 and saw that I weighed in at 285 lbs. That was far higher than I had ever weighed-in before. It was time for a change. I combined many different tricks from different weight-loss plans, bought a bicycle, and resolved to start anew. First thing, weigh every day. Second thing, write down my weight and everything I ate every day. My first bike ride was about 2 miles down by the river in Shelton.

So how did I do in that year? Not bad! A few changes worthy of note:
1. Weight Loss (77 lbs): June 1, 2008 - 285, June 1, 2009 - 208.
2. Clothing Sizes: June 1, 2008 - Size 48 waist, June 1, 2009 - size 38 waist
3. Miles Ridden: June 1, 2008 - 0 miles, June 1, 2009 - 437.69 miles ridden



What's next? Not sure, although the "diet" is not over. The plan is that this is not a "diet plan" but a lifestyle change. I am hoping to stay here as long as possible, or improve. My next goal is to hit 205 lbs. And to ride in an official (charity) ride for 20 miles or more, this year. We'll see how it goes from there.

Gone Fishin'?

From yesterday's ride along the Stratford, CT shoreline. Some days I wish I still owned a fishing pole. Other days, I realize I have forgotten almost all of the skills necessary for fishing, except sitting still.

Great Site to See Baseball Stadiums New and Old

This is a great site that has pictures of old time baseball stadiums. Want to know what the Polo Grounds or Old Yankee Stadium looked like? Just check out this site.

Biking Update - May 30, 2009

Another poor week for weight loss, as I spiked up several pounds over last weekend - for no sufficiently-explainable reason - and had to work hard over the course of the week to get back down. I never got back below 210. I had hoped to get to 205 lbs by June 1 for a larger yearly weight loss, but that is unlikely now.

That being said, it was a great week for biking. We rode first on Saturday with Nick and Nora by the beach in Stratford - a BEAUTIFUL day with sun, a nice breeze, and wind surfing in the background. Afterwards, we had a great cookout at their house, and were joined by St. Patty and his family. Then we also rode along the shore in Stratford on Memorial Day without any of the GNO guys. The sun was stronger but there was still a nice breeze, and we saw more people per square foot on Short Beach than ever before. Finally, we had a good ride up to Captains Pizza for Guys Night Out. Lots of biking for the week, not to mention all the nights spent on the Stationary Bike in the attic.

Not sure what next week has to offer. My Trek Navigator 3.0 went into the shop last night for its annual tune-up, so any riding will be on the Dahon Matrix. Not a problem, but the Matrix is much better on roads than trails.

Nuclear Tantrums are a Bad Thing

Let's be calm and fair in assessing Sotomayor

CNN has up a good commentary calling for calm, deliberate consideration as the Senate moves to consider Sonya Sotomayor as the replacement for David Souter. The rhetoric from some corners of the G.O.P. has been quite strident, and some are clearly seeing this fight as an opportunity to reconstruct the party by unifying it against President Obama's pick. Personally, I think it is an opportunity to try and change the dynamic that has controlled Supreme Court nominations since Robert Bork.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/28/rollins.sotomayor/index.html

I suspect a respectful examination of Justice Sotomayor - even a tough one - will win more converts to the Republican Party and keep more within the tent than another circus sideshow.

Scary precedent

Hat tip to Nick for finding this story.

http://www.10news.com/news/19562217/detail.html

- Mark C
(Sent from my 3G iPhone)

How badly are Christians portrayed in Hollywood?

Yes, I know that programs like Focus on the Family have beaten this to death, but it is still worth considering. Why does Hollywood believe it is okay to beat on Christians more than any other religious group? Is it that familiarity breeds contempt, or that the only overtly religious figures who catch the attention are stereotypes and hypocrites? Or is it simply lazy writing? (Warning, link has some non-family-friendly language.)

On the other hand, we’ve got Conservative Christians who are statistically far and away the most generous people on the planet (whether you’re judging by missionary work or basic tax returns) consistently being portrayed as hateful villains often using scripture to justify horrifying acts (see nearly every spiritual horror/psycho thriller movie made in the last three decades). Disregard the fact that people like my middle-class father annually give more to charity than President Obama and Joe Biden combined...

I am interested to know the opinions of Mod-bloggers on this. I think the comment about the charitable nature of Christians vs. the current president/vice-president is significant, too. Mostly because I know a few (non-rich) people who have confirmed the same thing about their own giving when compared to our leaders, including Hollywood's leaders.

Reality Check (political cartoon)

From here.

MOVIE REVIEW: STAR TREK

MOVIE: Star Trek
MPAA RATING: [PG-13]
MOD-BLOG RATING: 4.75 out of 5

THE SHORT VERSION: A roller-coaster of a movie which starts with established Trek canon and then goes off in its own direction. Good acting, good writing, good effects, but stretches suspension-of-disbelief to its limits at times.

THE LONG VERSION: Star Trek has used up most of its 9 lives. We've had 5 series (Original Series, Next Generation, Deep Space 9, Voyager, and Enterprise), 6 original-cast movies, 4 next-generation movies, and countless spin-offs in novels, comic books, cartoons, etc. The quality of the product has steadily declined since the end of Next Generation, and skepticism from fans and non-fans has grown to unsustainable levels. So what do you do, if you are Paramount and eager not to lose this cash cow?

Apparently, you throw everything away and start over... as best you can within existing canon.

This new Star Trek movie is a reboot of the franchise which begins with a Star Trek staple - time travel. After a disaster on the home planet of the Romulans (an emotional offshoot of the Vulcans), a mining vessel goes back in time to avenge themselves upon the Federation. Their first act is to destroy the first ship they come across, which just so happens to be captained by George Kirk - father of James T. Kirk from the original series. From this kickoff point, we see the origin and development of the Original Series crew of the Enterprise through Starfeet Academy to taking their places on the bridge of the old ship. Several other key foundations of the earlier Star Trek universe are also wiped out along way, and it is made quite clear by another surprise cameo that this Star Trek is a different history than the one we knew before. Nothing is secure here, except that the Enterprise crew will come together before possibly being torn apart.

Overall, this is a solid film with a carefully thought-out story designed to be acceptable to existing Trekkies/Trekkers, but also accessible to those new to the series (or more likely, to those who grew fed up with the series long ago). The effects are amazing, including significant upgrades from the 1960s-designed Enterprise, but can be distracting at times (especially the random strobe effects that seem to appear all the time on the bridge). The actors do a great job representing the same characters as the original series, but bringing their own spin onto them. Zackary Quinto is especially memorable as Spock - believable as a young Leanard Nimoy while not being restricted to a copy of Nimoy. This film is up to a 21st century level of sexiness, and there are a few swears that parents will want to be aware of before allowing young children to see the film, but both are handled carefully and are consistent within the story.

The only major flaw in the film is the extent to which credibility is stretched at times. From the "major changes" mentioned earlier - which include a fundamental revision to all Trek canon - to mysterious technobable weapons which have no relation to any known physics, this Trek pushes the limits of audience suspension-of-disbelief at times. Likewise, coincidence upon coincidence piles up in such unlikely combinations that even the characters feel required to comment upon them. At times, this takes the audience out of the film, until the next time a phaser is fired and you are reminded this is just a popcorn flick.

Gas prices

Gas prices
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

(Sent from my 3G iPhone)

Philly.Com disses the Philly Cheesesteak

Okay, it appears that a website dedicated to covering Philadelphia has opined that the Philly Cheesesteak is inferior to the Grilled Pork Sandwich. Isn't this like Stalin insulting vodka, or Fidel Castro giving up cigars, or Jimmy Carter admitting his secret love for M&Ms over Jelly Beans?

As for me and my house, we remain faithful to the cheesesteak... although we don't live anywhere near Philadelphia anymore, so I am not sure we get a vote.

Edit 1:24 PM EST: "like" changed to "live". Ah, the curse of having an intelligent, detail-oriented audience. ;-)

Judge Sonia Sotomayor to join the Supremes?

President Obama has announced his pick to replace Justice David Souter - Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who would be the first hispanic to join the Supreme Court. Judge Sotomayor was first picked by George H. W. Bush for a judgeship, and was elevated to the Court of Appeals by Bill Clinton. Her views are characterized as "moderate-liberal" by most analysts.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/26/supreme.court/index.html

It will be interesting to see what kind of fight is staged here. This seems like a more-or-less middle-of-the-road appointment for a very liberal president to make. However, Congress has very few examples in the last 28 years of any Supreme Court nomination which did engender pretty nasty battles and unpleasant rhetoric.

Why no birdfeeder is truly "Squirrel-Proof"

Gas priced

Gas priced
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

(Sent from my 3G iPhone)

North East Scores Lowest in Driving Tests

GMAC released its results for driver knowledge tests in a survey that was conducted recently. Connecticut ranked 42nd, New Jersey ranked 50th and New York ranked last. The test itself can be taken here. Connecticut recently eliminated the written portion of its drivers test. The legislature is now considering reinstating the written test.

North Korea tests "Hiroshima bomb"

In what is clearly intended to be an insult to America on a day we remember our dead, North Korea tested a nuclear bomb on par with the one that hit Hiroshima at the end of World War II. It is being claimed that Kim Jon Il gave the USA less than hour's notice of the test.

Russian defence experts estimated the explosion's yield at between 10 and 20 kilotons, many times more than the 1 kiloton measured in its first nuclear test in 2006 and about as powerful as the bombs the US used against Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the second world war. One kiloton is equal to the force produced by 1,000 tons of TNT.

The force of the blast made the ground tremble in the Chinese border city of Yanji, 130 miles away...Today's test will add to fears that the North is moving closer to possessing the ability to mount a nuclear warhead on long-range missiles that are capable, in theory, of reaching Hawaii and Alaska.

"This test, if confirmed, could indicate North Korea's decision to work at securing actual nuclear capabilities," Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Dongkuk University in Seoul, told Reuters.

Two questions hang in the air at this point. (1) What can we do to limit North Korea and thus protect the region - Japan is clearly convinced they could be a target of a NK nuke? (2) What are North Korea's actual intentions for these weapons - defense or conquest? Either way, Kim Jong Il seems to be set on convincing the world that he is a clear and present danger to international peace.

Thanks to all those who died for our freedom

Map of the Fallen Unveiled

A member of the Google Earth Outreach team has announced that he and others have been working on an add-on to Google Earth that will show where and when each person who died in IRaq died and where they were from. There is then a link to the persons bio. It is meant to be a way for people to learn about the real people who died in Iraq and to honor their memory. They have started a website to download the map at www.mapthefallen.org

An Open Account of a Personal Credit Problem

Edmund L. Andrews, an economics reporter for The NY Times writes a very open and honest account of how, though he should have known better, he is now deep in debt and behind on his mortgage. He also talks about just how easy it was to get there. Andrews realizes that the blame lies solely with himself and his wife, which makes this article a great read. The article discusses many of the lending options available to him, allowing him to "fix" the current insufficient funds issue without fixing the underlying overspending problem. It's a long article, but well worth the read.

Happy Birthday, Nick!

Happy birthday to Mod-Blog friend and frequent commenter, Nick, who turns the big 3 0 today. May today be a day of joy and this next year be one of happiness and contentment.

Segregation Still Exists, But There Is Hope

While I know that there are still racist people in the U.S., I would never have thought that segregated proms are still the norm in some areas of the country. These proms, rather than funded by the school, are funded by parents and as such would qualify as private parties. The good news is that the students seem to find it ridiculous and have healthy interracial relationships.

Biking Update - May 23, 2009

I'll keep this one short, since ultimately all I have to report is "no biking, no weight loss." I learned the definition of the phrase "adding insult to injury", as I hurt my back and thus had to abstain from exercise while I let it heal. This lead to less burning of calories which meant my weight was up all week. Not out-of-control-up, but still up. At this point, it is unlikely I will reach by 205 lbs by June 1 for the one-year anniversary, which is both discouraging from a goals standpoint but takes some pressure off, as well. 75 lbs in one year is enough. Hopefully, I'll be able to get back on the bike for this long Memorial Day weekend. (For those wondering, the photo is from the wedding of a friend, last weekend. And yes, the suit is too big. It is my THIN SUIT and it is too big. :-)

Seth Green, Financial Genius

Un-Broke: The Seth Green Cribs Edition - watch more funny videos

For Sean

Lazy in extremis

From here.

An interesting conundrum

It recently came to light that the US military burned a bunch of Bibles in Afghanistan.  The reason behind this is that a soldier received them from his church, but the military has rules against proselytizing. I understand the military's stance on the issue - we can't appear to be Crusaders seeking not only geo-political change but also theological.  But as a Christian how do you work with these rules? Personally I've always taken the position that if you join the military you follow the rules given whether you agree with them or not, but I wonder if there are members of the Mod-Blog readership that see the issue in another light.

Cheap Shot, But Still Funny

From here. Especially appropriate as TERMINATOR SALVATION comes out tomorrow with a "digital Ahnuld".

American Idol to focus on...being married

I pretty much hate American Idol, but the first part of this article warmed my heart.

Sure, winning American Idol is great. But Kris Allen is really looking forward to getting back to being a husband.

After tonight's big win, the Conway, Arkansas-bred singer faced his wife, Katy, and said, "Ah, we can be married." He explained to reporters backstage after the finale: "We haven't been able to be married for the last nine months. She's amazing. She's just the coolest chick in the world. Hopefully, me and my wife will get to spend some more time together."

At least something good has come out of that beast of a show.

MOVIE REVIEW: Fanboys

MOVIE: Fanboys
MPAA RATING: [PG-13]
MOD-BLOG RATING: 3.5 out of 5

THE SHORT VERSION: A solidly funny, if occasionally raunchy, film if you are a Star Wars fan or love one. Especially fun if you are steeped in science fiction movies, and can identify all the in-jokes and cameos.

THE LONG VERSION: I am a die-hard STAR WARS fan. I grew up in the furor and the insanity surrounding the original trilogy. I was too young to see the first one in the theater (first saw it when it came to WPIX in the late 80s) but saw both EMPIRE and JEDI with wide eyes and soaring heart. I loved the story, the characters, the amazing effects. I bought lots of the toys, most of the books (both canon and spin-offs), and spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to merge the Star Wars, GI Joe, and Transformers universes during my play-time. I am one of those fans who knows pretty much all the trivia from the universe (not so much the actors surrounding it) and who has strong opinions about the difference between a "Dark Jedi" and "Sith Lord". (No, they are NOT the same thing.) So, I was very excited to see FANBOYS, a movie which focuses in on the extreme end of Star Wars fandom. The movie was only in limited release in theaters, but is now out on DVD for all to see.

The basic plot of the movie begins 6 months before the release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Five STAR WARS fans are friends in their mid-twenties, and are eager to see the next "masterpiece" coming from George Lucas. There is only one problem. One of them has been diagnosed with untreatable cancer, and will not live to see opening day. So what is their solution? Travel cross-country and break into Skywalker Ranch to steal a copy of the movie.

The movie is funny - not rollicking, laugh-out-loud funny, but I was entertained the whole time. It has a solid cast who seems to understand the archetypes of the Star Wars fan, and the writer and director handle the mythos with care. The movie is full of cameos from science fiction icons - from William Shatner to Carrie Fisher - and there are almost constant inside jokes for those who are familiar with classic sci fi films. There is even a running joke/plotline dealing with the rivalry between Star Wars and Star Trek fans. And the film ends with what is a mostly happy finish.

The only real downside to this film is a plethora of sex jokes, most of which were unnecessary. Still, this is the Kevin Smith generation - he even makes a cameo, along with Seth Rogan - so it is not unexpected. Still, families with children should probably avoid this one and take the PG-13 rating seriously.

But if you grew up with Star Wars, this is a must-see movie. More likely than not, you'll see yourself somewhere in here. If you ar NOT a Star Wars fan, then there is probably something with Matthew McConaughey out there for you to watch.

New credit card rules

The House will be passing a bill changing the way credit card companies can act in short order.  Lifehacker is running an article breaking down what this well mean to most of us.  It's helpful as most news stories focus on how great it is Obama took this on...yuck!

Been there

Cola Addicts Experience Weakness

During my weight-loss journey, one of the first things I did to cut calorie consumption was to cut out soda altogether. I like water and juices, so it has been easy to switch and it automatically has made every trip to a restaurant healthier by reducing the sugar intake. But a new study is showing that the only danger in cola is not sugar, but also a combination of problems which can lead to muscle weakness.

The first, a 21 year-old woman, was consuming up to three litres of cola a day and complained of fatigue, appetite loss and persistent vomiting. An electrocardiagram also revealed she had a heart blockage, while blood tests showed she had low potassium levels.
The second also had low potassium levels and was suffering from increasing muscular weakness. It turned out she had been drinking up to seven litres of cola a day for the last 10 months.
In a commentary on the paper, Dr Clifford Packer from the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Centre in Ohio relates the strange case of the ostrich farmer who returned from the Australian outback with muscle weakness. He had been drinking four litres of cola a day for the last three years and drank up to 10 litres a day when he was in the outback, causing a rapid reduction in his potassium levels.

I know several people who have switched from coffee to cola for their daily caffeine fix, because of the perception that it is healthier. I wonder how many of them are suffering from muscle weakness and have no idea that the cause is the fizzy drink in their hands.

HARDWARE REVIEW: Canon PowerShot SX200 IS

The Short Version: I love this camera. While it has a few clear weaknesses, it more than makes up for them in quality, ability, and manual controls.

Background: I am a photography enthusiast. Not the kind who stalks around taking random pictures of strangers, or who wanders the forest looking for interesting plants. The kind who enjoys taking pictures at events: quiz meets, softball games, weddings, etc. to share with friends. I own a Canon EOS 50D (digital SLR) but also like to have a smaller point-and-shoot for travel or situations where the "snap-click" noise of an SLR is unacceptable. My last point-and-shoot had proved bad for the lower-light situations where I tend to shoot, and a wedding was coming up that I wanted to cover. In the past, I had always gone for ultra-compacts but this time around I wanted something that could handle both low-light and long zooms while still being pocketable. I tried an Olympus Stylus 9000 (returned due to impossibility of focusing reliably and blur indoors) and researched the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. But in the end, I chose the Canon Powershot SX200 IS and purchased it from Amazon.Com.

The Good: This camera is a joy to use. It has an automatic mode, a "super-easy" mode, 5 scene modes, a dedicated "special scenes" mode with less-used options, video, full manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, and Program mode, like an SLR. Unlike the competition, the camera has nearly as much customizability as an SLR and the controls are fairly easy to use due to a new menu structure for Canon camera. The pictures are clear, crisp, and has relatively low noise even down to 1600 and 3200, when compared to other point-and-shoot models. The SDHC card slot will accommodate even the largest 32 GB models of memory card (yes, I tested with one those those) and saving to card is quick. The 3.0" LCD on the back is also clear and crisp. And I love the "selective desaturization" mode in the camera. And how do you beat 12x zoom (28 to 300mm equivalent lens) in this size package?!

The Bad: The camera is not perfect. First, while very pocketable, it is not an ultra-compact - it is about as long as an iPhone but 4 to 5 times as thick and it is has definite heft in your hand and pocket. Second, time from shot to shot is not quick, even in "burst" mode, sometimes taking a full second or 2 to recycle between shots. Third, battery is life is only moderate - over the course of a wedding and reception (about 8 hours) I went through 3 fully-charged batteries, and the batteries themselves take over 2 hours to recharge. Finally, when zoomed to the extreme, the camera often finds it hard to find a focal point and may vacillate between two of them, forcing you to let go of the shutter and recompose the shot. This lead me to lose a few really critical photographs.

The Bottom Line: This camera is a keeper, but you'll want to keep your SLR for the most important or challenging occasions. The 12x zoom is great for getting in close or finding a good wide-angle option. It is pocketable, has a plethora of manual options to allow you to get the best shot, has several really fun auto options, and comes in at under $400 even at the expensive shops. How much did I like this camera? Let's just say that I am now one of 3 friends who all own the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS.

Have you heard of "Wolfram Alpha"?

After the carpet-bombing of tech blogs, I had assumed everyone had already heard of Wolfram Alpha, but in a few conversations with non-techie friends I am learning it is still news to many. This new search engine is an attempt to provide a true alternative to Google. Instead of providing links to web pages in its results, Wolfram Alpha takes a more semantic approach to information and tries to answer the underlying question directly. For example, if you search for "freezing point of water", you get: 0 degrees Celsius along with a series of common conversions to other temperature standards. The same query on Google brings up a list of articles from Wikipedia and the like on the phenomenon of freezing.

Which is better? Ultimately, it depends on what you are looking for. For 99% of what I need a search engine for, Google provides a better summary of the "collective wisdom and knowledge" of the web. But there is that 1% time when I need pure dry facts and Wolfram Alpha provides those quickly and without clutter. I suspect Wolfram Alpha will become a favorite of primary school math and science students looking for exam answers, for example. Still, Wolfram is in the "alpha" stage of development (i.e. the earliest stable form) and may grow into something bigger. It is worth watching and waiting to see.

Recession Special: Peanut Butter Play Dough

Whether we are still in a Recession or not on a technical level, times are still tough. I was thinking over the weekends that my parents and my friend's parents had economized over the years, I was reminded of a fun recipe from my childhood: PEANUT BUTTER PLAY DOUGH. It is a cheap and easy recipe that my best friend's mother used to make when we lived in Cherry Hill, NJ (early 80s). It might be something that our readers with young children may want to try out now. It is non-toxic, edible/tasty, and if you add in food coloring then it is just as much "fun" as the official stuff. Click on over and check it out.

UPDATE: Sean made a good point about many kids having peanut allergies these days. For those in that particular boat, here are some alternate recipes including Kool-Aid play dough and coffee play dough. Honestly, I have never tried any of these, so try at your own risk. Although they all claim to be non-toxic, so the only real "risk" is tasting bad.

Perspective is Important

Biking Update - May 15, 2009

Not a great week for weight loss. I started at 209 lbs and ended the week at... 209 lbs. Again, I appear to be near the end of my natural weight loss using my existing plan. I have resumed the 100 push-up challenge and am doing 50 crunches a day. But no additional weight loss has been seen from that work. We'll see what happens long-term. I was also held off from additional weight loss by back pain which has limited the amount of exercise that I can do. Hopefully, the pain will pass soon, and I resume biking an hour a night.

But it was a good weekend for biking as Shadowmom celebrated Mother's Day by suggesting we go for a bike ride, while she listened to the Yankees Game. It was a perfect day for a ride... and a perfect day to listen to the Yankees, apparently.

Robo-callers targetted by FCC

If you have been getting those "Your warranty is expiring" calls, you may be interested to know the FTC is finally looking into them. Personally, I'd think AT&T would be the #1 pursuer here, since these kinds of relentless robo-calls are driving me (and others) to cell phone and VOIP phones, where you can easily block numbers for free.

It took some heavy sleuthing to determine what companies were responsible because they made "extraordinary" efforts to conceal their identities by masking their true phone numbers, he said.

If a consumer received such a call about his car warranty, "there's a very real chance that these guys did it," Leibowitz told reporters in a conference call...

While seeking return of allegedly illegal profits from the companies, the FTC isn't immediately seeking civil fines against them but may consider doing so later on, agency officials said.

Personally, I think it is all a robot apocalypse and Skynet is behind it all.

Most Americans Now "Pro-Life"

A new poll released yesterday found that for the first time over 50% of the American people describe themselves as Pro-Life when asked about abortion. This is the first time that the number has gone above 50%. Let's hope this is a result of peoples "hearts and minds" changing on this issue and not just an anomaly in polling.

Dead men cash no checks?

Why is it most of the Obama administrations errors seem to be in the "well-meaning but clueless" category? Giving DVDs to the English Prime Minister that won't play in British DVD players. Sending VP Biden to talk about Swine Flu. And now issuing stimulus checks to the dead. Or did I miss a "Zombie Americans Act" somewhere?

Antoniette Santopadre of Valley Stream was expecting a $250 stimulus check. But when her son finally opened it, they saw that the check was made out to her father, Romolo Romonini, who died in Italy 34 years ago. He'd been a U.S. citizen when he left for Italy in 1933, but only returned to the United Stated for a seven-month visit in 1969.

The Santopadres are not alone. The Social Security Administration, which sent out 52 million checks, says that some of those checks mistakenly went to dead people because the agency had no record of their death. That amounts to between 8,000 and 10,000 checks for millions of dollars.

GM to export American jobs thanks to American taxpayer money?

We spent billions of dollars to save GM. Why? To save American jobs. So what is their response? Let's import more cars from China, and move more American jobs to there.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090514/D985PEDO0.html

I can't really express my dismay at this. Either GM has a political tin ear, or a death wish.

H1N1 (Swine) Flu may present without a fever

I have been critical of the panicky tone that mainstream media stories about H1N1 (i.e. Swine) Flu have taken on. During slow news times, it has been the default story with the clear undertone - "We're all gonna die!"

But the H1N1 truly is a weird mutation of the virus, and it is preventing doctors from always getting a tight grip on what they are fighting. The newest wrinkle is H1N1 infection may NOT spike a fever in some patients. Fever is used almost universally as the sign of a serious flu, and the lack of this in many Mexican patients may indicate that American flu counts may be low. The virus is also presenting with diarrhea, which is not typical of most influenza infections.

The moral of the story? If you feel sick, and there is no clear cause like allergies or that week-old slice of moldy pizza you ate last night, go to the doctor for diagnosis. Properly treated, H1N1 is easily cured. Left untreated, it can be deadly... and highly infectious.

AT&T hamstrings Slingplayer for iPhone

I don't own a Slingplayer. Don't even want one. But I can see the utility of it, especially for those who travel and desperately want a chance to watch their local sports team or local news broadcasts. (For those not aware, Slingplayers allow you to stream your local TV across the internet to any net-connected system which can run their software.) Slingplayer has been available for Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices for years, and finally an iPhone app is on the way, perhaps in the next 24 hours.

The problem? Despite already allowing Slingplayers on all other Smartphones on its network, AT&T has forced Apple to ban use of Slingplayer on their 3G network so that the final release app only works on Wifi. Why? AT&T says "the iPhone is not a phone but a computer." The real reason? AT&T is finally coming to grips with the fact they have sold more network bandwidth than they have to offer.

I suspect a class action lawsuit may be on the way, if AT&T does not rectify the situation by late summer. The next iPhone is sure to stress their network even more, and nothing says "push Apple to Verizon" faster than banning apps users desperately want.

GM slouches toward bankruptcy, despite bailouts

When President Bush began the bailout of GM and Chrysler, it was with the idea of keeping them out of bankruptcy and savings the millions of jobs that these companies directly and indirectly create. President Obama continued this policy and has given out multiple extra bailouts to the companies in the meantime. He even managed to get GM's CEO fired in the process.

What it is the result of all of this expensive government intervention? Bankruptcy for GM as well as Chrysler. And, of course, Chrysler sold to Fiat, an Italian company who will likely ultimately move the jobs to Italy. We're right back where we started. GM is even talking about leaving Detroit entirely, despite the fact that one of the MAJOR reasons given for the bailout was to save the struggling region.

Are we finally ready to bite the bullet and admit the bailouts were a mistake?

Gas prices

Gas prices
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

(Sent from my 3G iPhone)

Communities who need it most, getting least Stimulus money

I guess we file this under "paving the road with good intentions". Anyone else wondering if rushing that bill through Congress may have caused a few "bugs" to slip though unnoticed?

Altogether, the government is set to spend 50 percent more per person in areas with the lowest unemployment than it will in communities with the highest.
The AP reviewed $18.9 billion in projects, the most complete picture available of where states plan to spend the first wave of highway money. The projects account for about half of the $38 billion set aside for states and local governments to spend on roads, bridges and infrastructure in the stimulus plan.
The very promise that Obama made, to spend money quickly and create jobs, is locking out many struggling communities needing those jobs.
The money goes to projects ready to start. But many struggling communities don't have projects waiting on a shelf. They couldn't afford the millions of dollars for preparation and plans that often is required.

Should courts decide what is said in schools?

I know many people will say this is a case of "What's good for the goose is good for the gander." But I am disturbed by news of a court case where the courts are deciding exactly what it is appropriate for school teachers to say about the Creation/Evolution debate. In this case, a student took an teacher to court for calling creationism "religious, superstitious nonsense". And he won the case.

Now, I am one who has challenged the assumptions behind evolution from time to time. I have read a lot of Creation Science, and a lot of Evolutionary Science as well. So, I am sympathetic to anyone looking to get equal time. But the courts do not belong in discussions like this. It can only lead to bad things. With rare exceptions, these kind of issues should be handled locally. Do you really want the Supreme Court taking a position on scientific issues?

Happy Mother's Day!

We here at Mod-Blog want to wish all of the women in our lives - the mothers, the mothers-to-be, the someday-mothers, and the mothers-to-children-not-their-own - a very happy Mother's Day. May you be truly blessed by those you love, and those who love you... even if they are not always the same people.

Flowers for Mom

Flowers for Mom
Originally uploaded by crchair

Yeah, we're the good sons.

Biking Update - May 8, 2009

A bad week for biking - thunderstorms, drizzles, and downpours conspired against cycling over the weekend and expected thunderstorms stopped all but Bowhunter from riding up to GNO. But a good week for weight loss. Last week's nearly-inexplicable spike of pounds pretty much melted away this week, and I even hit a new low - 205.8 lbs - for a VERY brief period. Overall, I seem to be settling back to the 206 - 210 lb swing that I entered before Districts, leading me to suspect that I need to change something in order to go lower. So, I am resuming the 100 push-up challenge, along with 50 crunches a day. We'll see if that helps to add some more calorie-burning power to my situation. I am not sure if I am really ready to decrease my calorie count any more, so exercise has to be the way.

The other interesting occurence of the week was the discovery of some old (pre-digital) photos from 2001. I scanned them in and was reminded of just how far I have come. Here is a 2001 photo next to one taken at Districts. In some ways, it is hard to tell it is the same man.

Someone is laughing at Skywalker Ranch

Obama skips National Day of Prayer

I had been struggling with this story, as I am not sure what to say about it. On the one hand, I am saddened to see the National Day of Prayer effectively abandoned by our president. On the other hand, presidents before George W. Bush gave it far less attention, too, and President Obama has never worn his religion on his sleeve.

I guess this post is as much a place for discussion as anything else. What do Mod-Bloggers think? Is this a travesty? Is it restoring the symbolic day to its previous station? Or is it a proper separation of church and state. I look forward to reading your comments.

Happy Anniversary, My Vibe!

It is with a mixture of joy and wistful sorrow that I celebrate the third anniversary of picking up my 2006 Pontiac Vibe. I have absolutely no regrets about buying this great car, which has served me through the thick and thin of the last 3 years. But I feel sorrow that soon no one will be buying Pontiac Vibes as GM phases out the Pontiac brand.

At least I know it will survive in the form of the Toyota Matrix.

Boy Scouts Enact Weight Requirements

Long-time Mod-bloggers are aware that I have lost 75 lbs this year, so (1) I know what it is to be fat/obese and (2) I know how hard it is to lose weight. Still, I am don't think it is unreasonable for the Boy Scouts to enact a weight requirement for stress activities. A lot of volunteers are up in arms about the change.

The national Boy Scout destinations, such as the Florida Sea Base, have always had these standards, Smith said. According to the FAQ, local councils will be able to impose additional requirements on top of the national policy, depending on the activity in their region.

"We want to note that these policies do not restrict a person's ability to volunteer in the scouting program and are not meant to make it difficult to participate in scouting activities; rather, they are meant to ensure the health and safety of those who participate in high adventure activities," Smith said in an e-mailed statement to ABCNews.com. "Therefore, we do not expect it will greatly impact many volunteers or leaders."

Armstrong said he was concerned that the new requirements would preclude him from teaching archery next year, something he's done for years. The day camp, he believes, is more than 30 minutes away from a medical facility.

Fat people truly are discriminated against, but this doesn't seem like one of those cases. I am interested in hearing the opinions of some of our wilderness readers on this. Is this a reasonable restriction?

Perhaps my favorite Star Wars parody ever

I am sucker for any Star Wars humor. But this set of posters for a Disney Star Wars Weekend is something special.

More Progress for Equality

Something very significant happened within the last year to promote equality of races in the world. No, I'm not talking about the election of Barak Obama as President of the United States. I'm talking about the first non-white Swiss Guard member being sworn in. Since 1506 A.D., the Swiss Guard has fought for and maintained security for the Pope. This year, Dhani Bachmann became the first non-white man to be sworn in. He was born in India and adopted by Swiss parents. To be considered for the Swiss Guard a person must be from Switzerland, have served their obligatory military service in the Swiss Army and be of high moral character.

Call to arms for Fathers

I have been stricken recently by a trend I see more and more in society of expecting less and less of fathers. Commercials have designated the father as the butt of all jokes. Sitcoms show fathers as either bumbling or clueless. Dramas usually show them as abusive or absent. And the phrase you hear most often of fathers in the office is, "Well, at least he isn't a deadbeat dad." Not exactly high praise. Our society has gone from "father knows best" to "father's gone missing." So it is nice to see at least one commentator calling us on this trend.

I remember watching an OnStar commercial. And as the company touted the features, it showed a father driving his child around, and when the kid starts to cry, the dad freaks out and has to quickly call the mom to calm the baby down. I'm watching that and saying, "Man, it's your child, too! So calm it!"

Then there is the commercial -- I don't even remember what they were pitching -- of two or three kids in the kitchen making a mess after spilling the cereal. The hapless and hopeless dad looks at them and says, "Where is your mom?"

Every time that commercial comes on I scream at the TV, "Where is your mom? Where are your parenting skills, you ingrate!"

I am still a single guy, so I don't have a lot to offer on fatherhood. But I respect my friends who are fathers, and who truly give everything to be good dads to their kids. I know this Sunday is Mother's Day, but here is a Mod-Blog salute to good fathers, too!

Maine Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage; New Hampshire Next?

Maine is now the fifth state in which same-sex marriage is allowed. "Maine Gov. John Baldacci... who hadn't indicated how he would handle his state's bill, quickly signed it." New Hampshire's legislature is expected to send a bill to their governor on Wednesday legalizing same-sex marriage. This would solidify New England with only Rhode Island not allowing same-sex marriage. Rhode Island has a bill that has been introduced, but it is not expected to pass.

The Good Samaritan: Asking the wrong question

The parable of the Good Samaritan - as preached by most pastors - has always bothered me. Most of us know how the story goes: an expert in the law stands up to challenge Jesus, and comes up with the commandment "Love your neighbor as yourself." He then asks Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus then tells the story of a traveller who is mugged and left for dead on the road. Two religious authorities walk by but do nothing to help the man. Then a Samaritan (a hated group for the Jews) comes upon the man, helps him, treats his wounds, and takes him to an inn where he pays for the victim to stay until he is healed. Jesus then asks "Who was this man's neighbor?" The expert replies "The one who had mercy on him" (i.e. the Samaritan). Jesus replies "Go and do likewise."

Most teachers say that the moral of the story is "Be a good neighbor." But if you look at a plain reading of the text, it says something different. "Love your neighbor as yourself" - "Who is my neighbor?" - "The one who has mercy on him." What is the logical conclusion of these three statements? "Love the one who has mercy on you." Not quite what your sunday school teacher taught, right? A very wordly way of looking at things - do good to those who do good to you!

But I had missed the last statement "Go and do likewise." (Thanks to Mark Driscoll whose sermon - on another topic entirely - triggered this line of thinking.) If you look at the whole, Jesus is really saying to the expert, "You're asking the wrong question." The expert asked "Who is my neighbor?" - i.e. "Who do I *HAVE* to love?" Jesus wants him to ask "Who do I *GET* to love?" The answer then is "Whoever you see in need. Whoever you are, wherever you're going." The former question reduces the Law to a prescription. The latter question opens it up as guide to living. The former is a checklist, the latter is a lifestyle. The former is the minimum, the latter is the maximum.

I thought this might be interesting to other Mod-Bloggers out there. Maybe I am the only one who hadn't "gotten" this previously - sometimes my logical nature gets in its own way. But I suspect this may be of use to others, as well.

Arlen Specter loses seniority as a Democrat

One of the keys to Arlen Specter's decision to switch parties was an understanding that he would NOT lose seniority on the committees on which he serves. But now, after having thoroughly burned all of his Republican bridges, he apparently has burned a few Democratic bridges, too, and is now being told he will be at the bottom of the seniority rung. This, of course, removes most of his power on shaping law.

http://www.rollcall.com/news/34648-1.html

Someone once said, I think of Benedict Arnold, "The problem with being a traitor is even those your behavior benefitted will never trust you again or consider you a friend." Not that I put Arlen Specter as a Benedict Arnold - this is just a political move - but it explains why he will likely wind up a pariah even among his new friends.

Think You're Having a Bad Day?

Try being a bird that has been strapped to someone's leg while they try to sneak you into the country.

1984 and Torture

Unlike my sister, I'm not a reader. I used to love to read. Part of the problem is that I'm a very slow reader. Part of the problem is time. Still, I realize that there are certain books that I should have at least a basic knowledge of. To that end, I've started listening to audio books that I can get from my local library. I first started out with an abridged version of 'Atlas Shrugged' by Ayn Rand and followed it with George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'. Recently I finished his book '1984'.

I found '1984' to be an interesting story and can see why people would start mentioning '1984' with respect to some of President Bush's policies. In the book, "members of the party" (as opposed to the common people) are in danger of having their every action monitored. If they show any signs of not being absolutely loyal to the party, they are subject to being carted off to prison or killed. (Yes, I realize I haven't done the book justice, but this is not so much a book review as a commentary on how it fits in to modern America. Warning, there will be a spoiler in the next paragraph.) While I don't see us reaching a state of '1984' where every action is monitored in the very near future, I do see our government moving closer and closer to it. We see this with the warrantless wiretaps.

The bigger thing that hit home was in relation to the article Nomad wrote regarding evangelical's views on torture. I understand and agree that we must not torture. On the other hand, I can't answer the question, "What do we do when we know someone has the information and they will not give it to us until we 'break' them?" I've subconsciously justified it as "punishment" since "we know they're guilty" rather than torture. I've also tried to reason how it's necessary and not torture. In '1984', a character is sent to prison because he wishes to overthrow the party. He freely admits it. Thus begins the process of breaking him so that he falls in line with the party. The part that struck me most in regards to torture is the final way the party breaks a person. Since they've been able to monitor them, they know that which they fear most. By threatening it (death by fire, death by rats, etc.) they enact an uncontrollable, instinctual response in which the person will do or say anything to stop the process before it starts. My understanding of waterboarding is that you feel like you are drowning and it is intense enough that people don't last long. In my mind, that is clearly torture. On the other hand, I think that some of the other forces used that have come out in the report are not torture, at least certainly not on the level of waterboarding. I still don't have an answer for what we do when we know someone has information and won't tell us, but I've pretty firmly settled in my mind that waterboarding is torture and that we are not to use it.

I'm waiting on another audio book and also am going to attempt the unabridged version of 'Atlas Shrugged' so in the mean time I've picked up 'Blade Runner' by Philip K. Dick.

Sprint Bungles Boost Mobile

Sprint sold thousands of its prepaid Boost Mobile phones with the $50 a month unlimited plan. The problem is that those phones are depended on the Nextel network which Sprint isn't spending much money to upgrade. Looks like they have been caught off guard by this massive influx of users. Looks to be a major goof that could cost Sprint in the long run.

It's a Dog's life

Will Pakistani uprising give Al Qaeda a nuke?

Amidst the Swine Flu - I mean H1N1 flu - panic, we have somewhat lost sight of a sobering reality in the country of Pakistan. An uprising lead by Taliban and Al Qaeda sympathizers has been winning battles in Pakistan, and has begun to capture towns and cities near the capital. Why do we care, you ask? Because there is a very real possibility of the insurgents capturing a nuke from the Pakistani security system.

Several current officials said that they were worried that insurgents could try to provoke an incident that would prompt Pakistan to move the weapons, and perhaps use an insider with knowledge of the transportation schedule for weapons or materials to tip them off. That concern appeared to be what Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was hinting at in testimony 10 days ago before the House Appropriations Committee. Pakistan’s weapons, she noted, “are widely dispersed in the country.”

“There’s not a central location, as you know,” she added. “They’ve adopted a policy of dispersing their nuclear weapons and facilities.” She went on to describe a potential situation in which a confrontation with India could prompt a Pakistani response, though she did not go as far as saying that such a response could include moving weapons toward India — which American officials believed happened in 2002. Other experts note that even as Pakistan faces instability, it is producing more plutonium for new weapons, and building more production reactors.

Allowing a nuclear weapon - any nuclear weapon - to fall into the hands of terrorists is clearly a worst-case scenario. Hopefully, Pakistan will be wise in their use of these weapons, and America will aggressive in its intelligence-gathering and oversight of the arsenal. But here's hoping President Obama shows the toughness he has always claimed to have in addressing this threat with Islamabad.

Comic Reality

More laughs than the Wolverine Movie

Saw X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE yesterday and it was a fun but fairly mindless movie. Lots of good explosions, some fun battles, some questionable CGI work. This is one fan's answer to it, which had me laughing far more than the Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds's character) in the film.

RIP Jack Kemp

The first presidential campaign I could vote in was in 1996, Clinton/Gore v. Dole/Kemp. I was never a huge fan of Bob Dole as a candidate, but I really liked Jack Kemp. Clearly they lost that election and today Jack Kemp lost his battle with cancer. He was clearly a great man who did many great things both as a quarterback for the AFL Buffalo Bills as well as a US Senator. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jack's family and friends.

Biking Update - May 2, 2009

A bad week for weight loss. I started out the week on a "free weekend" as I traveled to Lancaster, PA with the Bible Quiz Team I help to coach. A "free weekend", for those of you who are new to the blog, is a vacation from the diet where I can eat what I want... within reason. No sugar, still, but otherwise anything. I had burgers, I had mozzarella sticks, I had french fries, etc. All stuff that I normally avoid, or have in very small portions. During the weekend, my weight stayed completely flat. Great! But when I got home, even though I returned to the diet, my weight jumped up to 214 lbs (my previous low had been 207 lbs). It also did not help that allergies are giving me headaches and sore throats, which has made it hard to get onto the stationary bike. Overall, I wound up the week up a few pounds from last week, even though I was down from the high. Not a horrible week for biking, though, as we did bike up to Captains Pizza for Guys Night Out.

Next week will probably be better, as rain should clear out the air and thus my allergies, and cooler temperatures should make it a bit easier to keep biking even when it is just biking upstairs on the stationary bike. Keep praying for me on this. It is easy to keep losing weight when you're losing at a steady pace - motivation is snap. But when you are maintaining, or losing slowly, it is hard to stay on task.

How does the iPhone stack up in an EXTREME typing test?

No it isn't scientific - it doesn't even pass the laugh test - but it sure is fun to watch.

• iPhone vs netbook rally challenge
• |
• CNET UK

Supreme Court Justice David Souter to retire?

People have been expecting the older members of the Supreme Court to retire for some time now, but instead it appears that Supreme Court Justice David Souter will be the next one to leave the bench. This gives Obama his first chance to bring onto the court someone who reflects his own views. Although, while Justice Souter was nominated by President George H. W. Bush, a Republican and moderate conservative, Souter himself has consistently sided with the liberal-wing of the court. So, this change is unlikely to alter the landscape overall.

The question now is whether Conservatives will want payback for all of the justices that were filibustered and obstructed during the George W. Bush years. I am hoping that the GOP can rise above tit-for-tat, but I am not very hopeful in the current leadership's ability to do so. It is more likely they will want eye-for-an-eye and will stand in the way of any justice that President Obama nominates.