Biking Update - December 27, 2008

This week was notable for two things. First, for the first time in many, many, many years, I crossed a line in the BMI (Body Mass Index) graph from "Obese" to "Overweight." This is a huge deal for me, as even when I was not too much overweight in the past (in my own mind at least) the BMI always said I was "obese". This is first time since I tried Atkins that I have been simply "overweight." Or as Mom calls it "normal." The Wii Fit indicates that my "ideal weight" is 162 lbs, which is less than I weighed in high school, when I was pretty much skin, bones, and muscle, so I doubt I will ever (or would want to) reach there. But being here is a big accomplishment and a huge encouragement. (And I was able to wear my "skinny suit" to the Christmas Eve service!) Second, Christmas hit. I was pretty good overall - still avoided sugar - but Christmastime in American means lots of food whose choice you have limited control and late nights (and thus little sleep). So, you can see on the graph, after a new low last Saturday I had a jump in weight and held pretty steady until yesterday when Christmas lunch and dinner pushed me up again. But Christmas is now over and it is likely I will be able to return to eating strictly, at least until New Years.

Oh, and again this week the only biking I was able to do was on the stationary bike. Early sunsets, frigid weather, and rain meant there was little chance to go outside without threatening my health. Today is supposed to be (relatively) warm, but possibly very rainy. So we may be able to get out and exercise a bit in the great outdoors. And now that the Solstice is past, the days should be getting longer.

This is the last Saturday "Biking Update" post of 2008, so it seemed worth noting a few accomplishments biking-wise in the last year.
- Bike first purchased: June 7, 2008
- First Bike Ride: June 8, 2008 - By the River in Shelton with CRChair and Bowhunter
- First Biking Trail Ride: June 14. 2008 - On the Larkin Bridle Trail with Nick & Nora
- First 100 miles ridden: August 3, 2008
- Second 100 miles ridden: September 20, 2008
- Total Miles Ridden in 2008: 267.38 miles
- Total Pounds Lost in 2008: 63.2 lbs

Overall, I think 2008 was a success. Not only did I lose a significant amount of weight, but I kept it off as well. I can now climb the stairs at work without breathing hard, I have little to no back pain on a regular basis (since my surgery until I started this program I literally hurt every day), I am very "regular" now, and I actually get some good looks from the single ladies here and there. For 2009, I plan more of the same, with a few moderate goals. First, I want to try and hit 200 lbs by the end of next year. That is only another 20 lbs in 12 months, but I like achievable goals. Second, I want to take part in a number of charity races, including the short (20 miles) form of the Ididaride. (Bowhunter did the long - 75 miles - form in 2008, and I doubt I will be up to that quite yet.) Third, I want to maintain this weight loss all the way thru to the end of 2009. They always say the hard part of dieting is not losing weight, but keeping it off. I want the new lifestyle to be one that I can do long-term and maintain.

Wish me luck and God's blessings health-wise and weight-wise in 2009. And maybe a chance to find that special lady, now that I have a shape that is sometimes worth looking at.

Biking Update - October 18, 2008

Well, this was my WORST week for biking since we started in June. I spent no time at all on the real bike, and only a few hours on the exercise bike in the attic. But I did learn a valuable lesson. Apparently, constant worry can be just as effective an exercise/weight loss regimen as doing biking and the Wii Fit every day. Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that we started dog-sitting our mother's dog Biscuit on last Saturday. She had been having issues with her bowel movements earlier in the week, but our mother was unable to take her to a vet. We got her on Saturday and she was in bad shape - no energy, no appetite, no BMs at all. We took her to a nearby veterinary hospital Sunday right after church when it became clear she was NOT getting any better with time. We spent most of the day at the vet on Sunday, then were back Monday and Tuesday as well. Biscuit has been diagnosed with "significant" heart disease and also gastro-intestinal disease. Basically, her heart is pulling in more blood than it is pumping out, leading to a backup of fluid elsewhere in the body. The "elsewhere" in this case is her intestines, so they are developing all kinds of problems. As of Sunday, we were not sure she was going to survive. The doctor immediately put her on both heart medications and antibiotics (which we have to shove down her throat, because she won't eat even the chewables on her own). Saturday thru Tuesday morning were very tense days. Neither of us slept much, and we spent most of the day watching to make sure she was still breathing while in her bed. Tuesday was the day things started to turn around, as she had a major bowel movement and began eating again. We have been taking care of her since then, as well - I have arranged to work from home this week so that she has someone with her all day - and the progress has been good. She is now eating well, pooping regularly, and has her personality back. She is still very sick - we go back Monday to start talking about addressing the next stage of the illnesses - but she is much better and probably safe for the moment. Phew.

But with all of the watching and worry, there was no time to bike away from the dog (bringing her with us was not a realistic option) and every night when I was free of responsibility to go and bike, I was already exhausted from worry. So, I have been exercising maybe every other day. But it turns out that this does work for weight loss, as well. I guess the lack of appetite on my part may have also helped. I crossed the threshold this week and have now lost over 50 pounds! I only have another 4 lbs to go as of today until I have reached my goal weight of 230. If that works, I will probably keep trying to lose so that when the holidays hit I have some "cushion" to gain a little weight and still be below 230. Then I'll take some time and figure out whether I want to maintain (as per Mrs. B's comment last week) or try to lose more. It is a good decision to have to make. Oh, and the karate studio interview got pushed back a week by the events of this week. So, assuming Biscuit is still recovering next week, I should have more to report on that front.

(I am) Voting for John McCain

Much has been said on this Blog on why people are not voting for John McCain this election and are instead trying to find a 3rd party candidate to vote for. I am voting for John McCain and the main reasons have more to do with Barak Obama than with John McCain. I am no fan of John McCain (Some of you will remember the post I wrote during the primary season of why I was not voting for John McCain then.) but the thing he wants to accomplish can be reversed if they do not work. Barak Obama is proposing things that will fundamentally alter our country and the expectations of its citizens in the future. This is why I can not vote for Obama.

The first and most important issue that Obama wants to change in America is Healthcare. If elected along with a Democratic controlled congress, Obama will enact a Universal Healthcare system. It may not start out as all encompassing, but no one can dispute that government entitlement plans only get bigger and more costly as time goes on. (See Social Security and Medicare.) Once the government is providing healthcare, employers will most likely make the choice to stop providing health insurance to their employees as they won’t have to worry about hearing how they took away this coverage and left millions of people without health insurance available. So the program will grow. Eventually, the cost of the program will grow so big that there will be calls to overhaul or end it. But just like social security, no one will have the guts to really either tackle the problems with the system or to abolish it. At that point, health insurance will be looked at as a right, not a benefit or privilege. In America, we already have the right by law to health treatment. Anyone, regardless of the ability to pay, can go to an emergency room and be treated for illness or injury. We should be very careful before enacting any plans that will be almost impossible to get rid of if things go badly.

The second issue important issue is taxes. I know my taxes will go up under Barak Obama and a Democratic controlled Congress. Bill Clinton raised taxes in his first 2 years as President before the Republicans took control of the House and Senate. Obama and Congress will do the same. There will be little incentive for Obama to stand up to the Congress on taxes as long as they enact his other major initiatives in return. And when Obama and congress increase taxes on corporations, that cost will be passed on to consumers as that is how it always works. Working for a small business, I know that when our costs go up, we pass that cost on to our customers as we need to do that just to keep our margin of profit at its current level.

The third reason I am voting for John McCain is that I think he will do a fine job. I do not think he will be a great president, but I also think he will not be a failure. That is all that is required for him to be a reasonable alternative to the other candidates running for president. By voting for John McCain in 2008, we are not locked in to him being the nominee in 2012 if either his has lost some of his ability to govern or has done a poor job as president.

John McCain may not be the perfect candidate, but his policies do not lead us down a road of no return.

Biking Update - October 4, 2008

This was a strange week as far as weight loss is concerned. You'll note on the weight graph to the left here that the graph suddenly went from linear to a ragged sawtooth. I was literally fluctuating by 4 to 6 lbs a day, when usually the change is more like 0.4 lbs per day in any one direction. The good news is I wound up down another 1.2 lbs for the week and am have now pretty much lost 45 lbs since the start! So I guess the moral of the story is all's well that ends well. I also have learned over the last couple of weeks that, for me, there is a huge difference in weight loss between 45 minutes of exercise a day, and 60 minutes of exercise per day. When I am up at 60 minutes, the weight comes off much more easily and seems to stay off. At 45 minutes, it comes off much more slowly and is eager to return. You'll note one big difference in the weight graph this week - actual numbers for the weights. I figure I have lost enough now to 'fess up and admit how badly I started out. This will also increase the accountability factor, which is so key to maintaining weight loss.

That being said, it was not a great week for biking. Actually, weather-wise it was a spectacular week for biking. Cool, clear, and crisp. But my schedule was not similarly clear - Saturday was taken up taking the Bible Quiz Team to a meet and then to Ellis Island and then I was scheduled most of the rest of the nights in the week. Today, CRChair has a commitment at church, so he and I will not be biking then either. But Nick and I are going to try and do some biking down by the Startford Beach. The foliage is starting to turn, so it is likely that we will have some really nice photos to take of the fiery New England scene. It is also getting chilly, so it is not unlikely that we'll be trying out some techniques for staying warm at the start of the ride and cool at the end of the ride. Techniques that are old hat to experienced riders, but discoveries for we neophytes.

Speaking of neophytes, the other things worth noting this week was my second published article over at MTOBikes.Com. It is a site dedicated to more hardcore riders than me, but I am trying to write the kinds of articles that I wish I had found as a newbie. This one is on options for lights to attach to your bike.

Thoughts on the 2008 Republican Convention (Wednesday Night)

I decided to stay up and watch all the major speeches last night at the Republican Convention. Here is a summary of what I thought about each person’s speech.

Sarah Palin- Grade: A- She did everything she needed to do and came off as one of the most at ease speakers of the night. I was surprised at how aggressive she decided to be in going after Obama and Biden, but I guess I shouldn’t have been since that is one of the roles of the vice presidential candidate. She did not invoke the name of Hillary Clinton which was a good choice. She took on the attack of her being a “small town mayor” well. Overall, she did an excellent job and I can’t imagine anyone being less likely to vote for her following this speech.

Rudy Guliani- Grade: B+- Rudy was the attack dog for the night. His “New York” personality came out and allowed him to hit both Obama and Biden hard while mixing in humor. The best new line of attack on Obama was begun by Guliani who contrasted the jobs that Palin and McCain have held with that of Obama who’s only job has been as a Community Organizer. He questioned with humor what a community organizer really does.

Mike Huckabee- Grade B+- The “Huckster” used his humor and public speaking experience to weave together a speech that seemed less partisan than it was. Huckabee mainly focused on the “small town” values of Palin and to dispel the myth that all Republicans grey up rich as he, Palin and many others came from humble beginnings.

Mitt Romney- Grade B- My Man Mitt did a nice job, but did not give a speech that will propel him to be the next Republican nominee. I did think it was interesting that he got the second warmest welcome from the crowd after Palin. The delegates in the hall definitely like him and that will help him in the future. Overall, his speech was not as good as either his “religion” speech or his speech to CPAC where he dropped out of the presidential race.

Linda Lingle- Grade B+- The governor of Hawaii was a surprise to me. I had never heard of her and found it interesting that a state that recently has voted for John Kerry and Al Gore would have a Republican governor. She did a nice job. She was a good person to set the stage for Palin as they have worked together as governors and also wasn’t so great a speaker that she would overshadow Palin.

Biking Update - August 2, 2008

Well, as expected, this was a tough week for the weight-loss plan and for the habit of biking. It was even harder than expected, due to unforeseen circumstances. As mentioned before, we travelled down to Savannah, GA for the wedding of a good friend. While down there, we had the expected difficulties - too much good food, irresistible wedding cake, and lots of sitting around waiting or sitting around admiring the ceremony. I did eat reasonably at most meals, although a little more than I should have, but got very little exercise because of the tight schedule of events for the weekend. What really messed things up, though was the travel home. We were supposed to fly home on Sunday, but were waylaid by thunderstorms from Washington DC to Massachusetts and after 6+ hours of waiting to take off on the ground in Savannah, wound up stranded in Philadelphia. This meant lots of good exercise (walking endless terminals, trying to find an alternative way home) but very little good nutrition and eventually we simply crashed at a hotel after a highly caloric but comforting meal. We drove home on Monday instead, which meant another many, many hours of sitting still and not eating as well as we should. The stress of the flight, along with the exposure to virii from all over this great country then left me sick for two days afterwards, during which I did not biking but mostly slept and slept and... well... slept.

But, when it was all said and done, I did not end out too badly. I was up about 2 pounds from the whole sugary weekend, and I was back almost to my low by Friday morning. At this point, I am back on track and ready to return to the weight-loss routine. I have been good since returning home and returning to work, and we are hoping to get in a good day of biking today. Not sure where, exactly, but we're going to see where the spirit leads. Maybe to an established route or trail, or perhaps to a new road of discover. Please keep praying that I keep up the biking, and keep losing weight!

Celtics: 2008 NBA Champs

I thought CRChair would post this, but since Nick already scooped us I wanted to get something up. The Celtics are the 2008 NBA Champs. It feels like the 80s again.

Comparing Hulk 2003 to Hulk 2008

A good deal of the discussion of the HULK trailer the last couple of days has been whether the new Hulk looks too much like the old Hulk. Here are a few photos to compare.


Hulk 2008


Hulk 2003


Hulk 1978


Hulk 1962

In Defense of John McCain

In the spirit of fairness, here is a spirited defense of John McCain by Michale Medved. He lays out his defense well by responding to the 6 main attacks leveed at McCain.

Why I am Not Voting for John McCain

With John McCain’s recent rise in the polls and primary victory in New Hampshire, I have been forced to take a closer look at his candidacy for President. I have never been a supporter of him, but do not hate him either. Let me get the obligatory “He is an honorable man and served his country well both in the military and the government” out of the way. All of this is true, but is not nearly a good enough reason for me to support him for President. The following are the reasons that I have chosen not to support John McCain in the Republican Presidential primary.

The first reason that I am not supporting him for President is the most obvious, his age. Few political pundits are willing to admit it, but this is a major disadvantage in a general election for him. In American politics, we are always looking to elect the “next generation” of leadership. Senator McCain, would be a step towards electing the previous generation. President George W. Bush was born in 1946. Senator McCain was born in 1936. This means that Senator McCain will be 10 years older than the current president on the day that he would take office. Even more striking is that he is 25 years older than Barak Obama, 17 years older than John Edwards and 11 years older than Hillary Clinton.

The second reason that I am not supporting John McCain for president is his position on immigration. McCain has not been a strong supporter of securing our borders. Although the recent immigration bill he tried to pass did include a component of securing the borders, that was not what it came to be know for. It became known for being an “Amnesty Bill”. Whether or not you believe it was amnesty does not matter. McCain was not able to argue effectively to the American people that this bill was the right course of action. What makes us think that as President he will have any more success?

The third reason I am not supporting John McCain is that he has never been a strong proponent of tax cuts and fiscal discipline. McCain did not vote for President Bush’s tax cuts and still says that he would not vote for them. McCain does get some credit for his being against “pork barrel” spending, but this issue also shows McCain’s lack of being able to influence Washington as earmarking is still prevalent in government budgets.

A forth reason I am not supporting John McCain is that he has never been strong pro-life advocate. McCain will argue that he has a pro-life voting record and that may be true, but he has never conveyed that it is an important part of his political life.

The fifth reason that I am not supporting John McCain is his work on campaign finance reform. I believe that if it was up to John McCain we would have total public financing of elections. He has worked to limit the money that individuals and groups can spend in support of an issue or candidate. His famed McCain-Feingold bill is opposed by just about every important voice in the conservative movement as an attack on free speech.

The 6th and final reason that I will give in this article is perhaps the least purely logical reason, but still it is important. I believe that John McCain will “surprise” conservatives with something major that he does if he is elected president. McCain has been too willing to compromise conservative principles in the name of showing bipartisanship or progress for a specific issue. The McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill and the failed immigration bill and are both examples of this trait. Neither bill is based on American conservative philosophies.

I have not made my final decision yet on who I will vote for in the primary, although I am leaning toward a certain candidate. Connecticut votes on February 5th, so I will need to wait and see which candidates make it to that date before making my final decision.

Happy New Year!

May 2008 be both a quieter and much better year than 2007

Is that the sound of a vacuum starting up?

2008 may wind up being the year the American people clean house. A new poll shows Democrats no longer holding any significant edge over Republicans with the electorate. The problem is it is not because the GOP is doing better, but because the Democratic party has lost all credibility on the Iraq War. This raises the question of whether 2008 might wind up being the year that a Third Party can truly make their mark by sweeping both major parties out of power. Of course, a year is a long time in politics - time enough for one party to recover or for a new party to rise. But the early indications are not good for traditional choices.

History makes me think we'll see a Democratic President in '08 but a Republican Congress

I was talking about this wth CRChair and realized it might make for a good Mod-Blog article. I am thinking that American history shows us that the Presidency is the Democrats to lose in 2008. Historically - with the exception of the Civil War times - any party that is in power for 8 years, especially with both Congress and the Presidency, requires some time out of power in order to reform itself and shake off the parasites that always follow power. As such, a Democratic president will shock the GOP into cleaning house, doing a reality check against the grassroots, and prepare themselves for 2012.

That being said, the current Democratic Congress is making no friends, either. They are failing to act like serious lawmakers, but rather stand up to GWB only when it is easy and tend to back down on even their core issues when they become inconvenient. This is likely to lead to another backlash in 2008, and return us to the state that Americans seem to like best - a Presidency and Congress in the hands of different parties.

But even if they think I am right, the major parties should not get complacent. There is plenty of room in this election for a Third Party to step in and steal the election from out under the major parties. We are in a time of shifting alliances within American politics, and it is not unimaginable that the shift may bring about a new 2-party system to replace the old.