Nod Over Coffee

Nod Over Coffee http://glynisp.multiply.com/ Leaving 360 is hard to do...but here I am, trying to cozy up in a new little corner of the web to ramble about fitness and rant about the rest of life. Fri, 4 Jul 2008 01:45:44 -0000 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:14:00 -0000 Nod Over Coffee http://images.glynisp.multiply.com/logo http://glynisp.multiply.com 100 100 Legislating Waistlines and Big Fat Lies Imagine coming in to work one day to be told you must report to the conference room down the hall for an important, mandatory procedure.  Or imagine being summoned to your town hall for a government mandated exam.  Imagine that both of these summonings required that you submit to having your waistline measured. According to the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/world/asia/13fat.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3&hp">New York Times</a>, Japan has deemed that there are mandatory limits to the size of citizens waistlines and they are determined to ensure the population complies.  A male is allowed a waistline of no greater than 33.5 inches; a female is required to have a waistline of 35.4 inches of less.  Two months ago it became law in Japan that companies and local governments must measure the waistlines of citizens between the ages of 40 and 74.  The government will impose penalties on those companies and local governments who do not fall in the accepted range in order to reach the goal of reducing the overweight population by 10% in four years and 25% i... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/472/Legislating_Waistlines_and_Big_Fat_Lies Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:14:00 -0000 Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London The video he made to werewolves of londonwatch out for that hairy handed gent. http://glynisp.multiply.com/video/item/33/Warren_Zevon_-_Werewolves_of_London Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:47:01 -0000 Lord of the Past Ever have those days when you are just plain haunted by the past?  The dumb things, the crazy things, the bad things....mistakes and regrets, looming specters that rise up like boogie men from the dark recesses of your consciousness.  Whenever it happens that I'm plagued by those sorts of thoughts, I try to cling to these words: <a style="font-family: comic sans ms; " href="http://bible.cc/philippians/3-13.htm">Philippians 3: 13</a> Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, <a style="font-family: comic sans ms; " href="http://bible.cc/philippians/3-14.htm">14</a> I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Many years ago I heard this song by Bob Bennett in which he expresses the essence of this sort of haunting along with that healing Hope ...  it is often my prayer.  Here is a nice cover of it.  (I'm so glad that this song hasn't long been forgotten, that someone found it worthy to keep alive). LORD OF THE PAST Bob Bennett © 1989 Matters Of The Heart Music (ASCAP) Eve... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/471/Lord_of_the_Past Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:23:00 -0000 Emotional Lives of Animals (and other great books) I am currently reading Marc Bekhoff's <a style="font-family: comic sans ms; " href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/1577316290/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books">The Emotional Lives of Animals</a>.  Fascinating book.  The foreward is by Jane Goodall.  Here is one editorial review of it: From Publishers Weekly Any dog owner knows that her own pet has feelings, but what evidence exists beyond the anecdotal, and what does this evidence teach us? Bekoff, professor emeritus of biology at the University of Colorado, pores through decades of animal research-behavioral, neurochemical, psychological and environmental-to answer that question, compelling readers to accept both the existence and significance of animal emotions. Seated in the most primitive structures of the brain (pleasure receptors, for example, are biologically correlative in all mammals), emotions have a long evolutionary history. Indeed, as vertebrates became more complex, they developed ever more complex emotional and social lives, "setting rules" that permit group living-a far better survival strategy than going solo. Along the way, B... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/467/Emotional_Lives_of_Animals_and_other_great_books Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:38:00 -0000 Burn Your Fat In HELL! The Devils Workout!!! You have to contend with some advertising, but there are a series of great plyometric exercises here (and a good core exercise, the plank). RippedAbsFast.com brings you one of the most effective home workouts for weight and fat loss ever!! This is one of the workouts I used during my own body transformations to lose over 100lbs in just 6 months!If you are looking for a powerful and affective full body weight loss workout then this is it! It will not just get your ripped but also provide you with all the other health benefits of getting fit fast! Its for males or females who wants to get fit and ripped fast! Peter Carvell http://glynisp.multiply.com/video/item/30/Burn_Your_Fat_In_HELL_The_Devils_Workout Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:11 -0000 Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones workout Brought to you by Valerie Waters:Jamie Milnes, long time Personal Trainer to Harrison Ford, shares a typical workout used to prepare Harrison for his new Indiana Jones movie. I could listen to this guy's accent all http://glynisp.multiply.com/video/item/29/Harrison_Fords_Indiana_Jones_workout Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:24:56 -0000 The Swirling Eddies - I've Got an Idea from the classic Swirling Eddies film "Spittle & Phlegm." There's a light inside of me, once burned a little low I believe it is a lot brighter now a fire in the hole Deep thoughts don't occur to me I'm not famous for my brain But a log just dropped on my destiny and love has fanned the flame I've got an idea (I think I love you) I've got an idea (I think I really do) Do you want to hear my idea? (I've been thinkin' of you) and I'm thinkin' that my big idea is your idea too When I find the words to say You beat me to the punch I wanna say -- oh, never mind. . . I always talk too much! But it seems to me that long ago I knew you were the One They call that metaphysical I guess I'm not that dumb, cos' I've got an idea (I think I love you) I've got an idea (I think I really do) Do you want to hear my idea? (I can't rise above you) and thinkin' that my big idea is your idea too You got a hold on me You are my sanity I'm thinkin' endlessly ab... http://glynisp.multiply.com/video/item/28/The_Swirling_Eddies_-_Ive_Got_an_Idea Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:45:03 -0000 77s - Sticks and Stones - Nowhere Else The Seventy Sevens Hey Na Na Hey Na Na There is nowhere else I'd rather be Than in your heart There is nowhere else I wanna be But in your eyes In your arms The moon blew through the valley Carried away the clouds The stars seem so much brighter this night Orion's belt is shinin' The big dipper's upside down Over us it's pourin' out it's light You slip your arms around me Draw me to your side The full moon's shinin' so clear Is that music in the distance? For a moment of time There is nowhere else but here There is nowhere else I'd rather be Than in your heart There is nowhere else I wanna be But in your eyes In your arms I could walk across the desert Build my own oasis Where the palm trees shade me from the sun I could swim across the ocean Find a desert island But your arms would always draw me back home There is nowhere else I'd rather be Than in your heart There is nowhere else I wanna be But in your eyes In your arms Hey Na Na He... http://glynisp.multiply.com/video/item/27/77s_-_Sticks_and_Stones_-_Nowhere_Else Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:40:35 -0000 77s - Eighty Eight - I Can't Get Over It The Seventy Sevens You say you're sorry I can't get over it I said I forgive you I can't get over it You say you'll learn from this mistake I can't get over it I should be giving you a break But I can't... We've put it behind us now I can't get over it Nothing left to remind us now I can't get over it They say that time heals every wound I can't get over it You thought the worst was over soon I can't get over it You need somebody Who can get over it You need somebody Who can get over it We know you're wiser now I can't get over it I don't want to despise you now I can't get over it I try and force myself to forget But it's hanging right over my head I've done so much worse so many times myself I can't get over it I've got no right to indict somebody else I can't get over it You hurt us both, I'm hurting us more Not getting over it Could I say I ever really loved you If I don't get over it We need somebody Who can get over it We need someb... http://glynisp.multiply.com/video/item/26/77s_-_Eighty_Eight_-_I_Cant_Get_Over_It Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:38:35 -0000 McDonald's 4 Year Old Cheeseburger Video <a href="http://diet.com" target="_blank" title="http://diet.com" rel="nofollow">http://diet.com</a> Author and Obesity Activist Julia Havey has been aging a McDonalds cheeseburger for 4 years. Find out what happens to this old burger? Fast food cheeseburgers age better than most humans. The French Fries still look fresh and vibrant. Sarah, Diet.com Host, also guest stars. http://glynisp.multiply.com/video/item/25/McDonalds_4_Year_Old_Cheeseburger_Video Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:16:49 -0000 Lost Dogs Some of my favorites. http://glynisp.multiply.com/music/item/17/Lost_Dogs Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:12:43 -0000 Why Weight (s)? When the average person tells you that they have begun a fitness program, they are likely to tell you that they have begun walking, or perhaps running or cycling.   In fact, if you ask someone who professes to be an active person what form of exercise they do, generally some form of cardio will be their answer. Exercise shouldn’t be a temporary solution that you turn to in order to lose weight (and generally gain it back if you stop exercising).  Exercise is about good health; it’s about taking care of that one-and-only body that belongs to you.   It’s about improving the quality of your life.  I’m here to tell you why you shouldn’t wait to use weights.   Aside from the aesthetics of it (making you look better), here are some very good reasons why you should make resistance training a non-negotiable, integral part of your fitness plan. 1)      It can lengthen your life. 2)    It increases ... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/451/Why_Weight_s Thu, 29 May 2008 01:15:00 -0000 IT'S A GIRL!!! My daughter and her husband arrived this afternoon with ultrasound pictures in tow.  She has a beautiful baby girl in there.  We are so excited!  I thought we'd crack from anticipation waiting for them to get back from the doctor today. Everything is very healthy - both mommy and baby are in good shape. Now the shopping can begin in earnest!  I have seen too many absolutely adorable frilly little girl things. :)  The girls are so wound up about being aunts.  And everyone is excited about being able to refer to the baby as "her" and "she" instead of "it." ~o~ I spent most of the day working on the castle float needed for the Memorial Day parade.  Since I got back I have been super busy, so I still have paint in my hair which everyone keeps pointing out to me.  We are assembled turrets that are made to look like they are tiled, but those had to dry before we could attempt attaching them to the castle walls.  That will be tomorrow - as will the m... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/447/ITS_A_GIRL Thu, 22 May 2008 22:05:00 -0000 Proud of the House We Built I dropped to my knees in that field on your daddy's farm. Asked you to marry me, all I had to give was my heart. While other kids went diving into swimming holes, You and me dove off into the great unknown. We were barely gettin' by, takin' care of each other. Then I became a daddy; you became a mother. Was an uphill battle nearly every day, Lookin' back I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm proud of the house we built. It's stronger than sticks, stones, and steel. It's not a big place sittin' up high on some hill. A lot of things will come and go but love never will. Oh, I'm proud. I'm proud of the house we built. Still workin' our way through the land of milk and honey. At the end of the day there's always more bills than money. I close my eyes at night and I still feel The same fire in my heart I felt out in that field. I'm proud of the house we built. It's stronger than sticks, stones, and steel. It's not a big place sittin' up high on some hill. A lot of... http://glynisp.multiply.com/video/item/24/Proud_of_the_House_We_Built Fri, 16 May 2008 10:33:55 -0000 Tuesday Ten, April 29 1.  Everything you could ever want to know about the benefits of flaxseed or flaxseed oil in your diet is over on the Precision Nutrtion Forum...<a href="http://www.precisionnutrition.com/members/showthread.php?t=11409">here</a>. 2.  If you read this, you probably already know I don't believe that man-made global warming is a scientifically sound theory.  Neither does Dr. William Gray, who once said that pro-global warming scientists are "brainwashing our children."  Dr. Gray heads the  Tropical Meteorology Project at the Colorado State University.  Until 2005 he made yearly hurricane predictions which are still carried on by his project, but are now made by one of his former students.   Grey believes, as does Dr. John Coleman (The Weather Channel), that global warming is a hoax created by scientists hungry for research funding.  Apparently the boys are getting nervous and want to shut him up and are cutting back on media support of his forecasts.  You can read the article in <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5736103.html">The Houston Chronicle</a>.  3.  ... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/429/Tuesday_Ten_April_29 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:42:00 -0000 Good & Bad Things on a Monday First, the bad.  Actually, AWFUL.   <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/catalog/index.php?action=showdetails&product_ID=405">Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Wheat-Free Baking Mix</a>.  It has a recipe on the back for shortcakes.  I purchased it with the plan of making strawberry shortcake with it.  Upon opening the mix, it smelled strangely beany.  I read the label and a main ingredient was garbanzo bean flour.  That explained the smell.  I thought, "Hmmm, perhaps it won't taste of it once everything is all mixed together and it is baked."  WRONG!  ICK! YUK! EWWW!  The kitchen smelled horrid.  My daughter was brave enough to taste one and after a single bite she decided we might want to see if the birds or squirrels were interested in them. Now some good.  Skwigg had wrote in her blog that the workouts in Valerie Water's <a href="http://redcarpetready.com">Red Carpet Ready</a> program were "fluffy."  She decided to give them a try and found out that the program kicked her butt.  Like a true lemming, I had to buy it and find out for myself. ... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/428/Good_Bad_Things_on_a_Monday Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:48:00 -0000 Stepping Out & Weird Germs Attack Again Yesterday I thought it was a terrific idea to get up, head to the local stadium and run these bleachers. <a href="http://s116.photobucket.com/albums/o40/glynisp/?action=view&current=Stadium1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o40/glynisp/Stadium1.jpg" alt="stadium" border="0"></a>  And that's what I did.  This is just a small piece of them.  I jogged 1/4 mile for a warm up around the track, then I ran the home team side twice, the away side once and then jogged another 1/4 mile for a cool down.  For a woman my size, this is supposed to burn almost 950 calories an hour (at least the running UP part is).  I did it for 40 minutes.  I felt great!  My thighs were trembling for almost the next hour, but I didn't mind.  I went home and did a bit more than half of the P90X back & biceps DVD.  Around 8pm, while cleaning up from Erin's birthday party (eight kids, two very rowdy and hard to settle down), my calves started to ache.  Again, I didn't mind - this was the sign that I'd worked hard.  When I woke up this morning, they didn't just ache...they were stiff, too.  And that would have been okay if t... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/421/Stepping_Out_Weird_Germs_Attack_Again Sat, 19 Apr 2008 20:15:00 -0000 Viral Hamsters? And other scary things When your child asks you for a cute, fuzzy little hamster does it ever once occur to you that it might be carrying some sort of disease?  After all, with it's teddy bear-ish features and pouches stuffed with seeds, a hamster looks perfect harmless.  Usually the worst stress you get from one is the incessant wheel running in the middle of the night.  Imagine the horror of contracting a rare virus from your wee rodent chum? Lymphocytic choriomeningitis is a viral infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord and three people have died from it after receiving organs from the body of a woman infected...by a pet hamster.  <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351573,00.html">An article</a> at Fox News gives the details.  Never once have I purchased a hamster and been told that the rodents may possibly carry a virus that can be passed on to humans.  The wife of one of the deceased is suing Petsmart (who sold the infected hamster which infected the woman whose organs killed three people). And thinki... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/420/Viral_Hamsters_And_other_scary_things Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:35:00 -0000 Sadly it is less expensive to get fat on junk, the Biggest Loser, etc. A while back I wrote about how studies have been done showing that the populations in poorer economic areas have a higher rate of obesity than the residents of more affluent zip codes.  This is because crappy food is cheaper.  <a href="http://www.beachbody.com/product/302.do?code=NEWS_302_9WAYS#article">An article </a>in this week's Beach Body newsletter talks about this issue and how to eat healthily for less.  The article cites a study done by the University of Washington which found that "getting your average day's worth of 2,000 calories from the junk side cost $3.52 while getting your 2,000-calories worth from nutrient-dense cuisine would cost $36.32. Since the average American spends about $7.00 a day on food, you can see where the rise in obesity might come from." I find that very, very sad.  There are so many people out there struggling to make ends meet and with junk being cheaper the choice is almost made for them.  We have a couple of budget supermarkets around here...Aldis and Save-a-Lot.  They are the bag-your-own, strippe... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/419/Sadly_it_is_less_expensive_to_get_fat_on_junk_the_Biggest_Loser_etc._ Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:16:00 -0000 Tuesday at the Doc's, Etc. Today was my appointment to go over the blood work from last week.  From my lab reports, there is not even a hint of the miserable condition I was in five months ago.  Praise God! My blood pressure was 122/70...and that's with my usual white-coat anxiety.  My temperature was even right on target, 98.6F (it is usually running lower).  When I had my blood drawn last week at 1:15pm, I had no idea that it was supposed to be a fasting blood test.  No one mentioned it - and really, who fasts until 1:15pm?  So I went there, definitely not fasting, and yet the test showed that my blood glucose level was only 95!  That's in the hurray "70 - 100" fasting zone, even though I'd eaten breakfast and lunch, done a crazy workout, etc.  The  best thing was my free T4.  The last couple of blood tests showed my free T4 being just below the normal range.  It should really be in the upper one-third.  (The free T3 was and my TSH were fine).  ... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/418/Tuesday_at_the_Docs_Etc._ Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:36:00 -0000 Ready to burn your bra? Or not. :) I read an interesting article today in <a href="http://www.onfitnessmag.com">On Fitness</a> magazine about bras and breast cancer.  The opening line was pretty compelling:  "If 100 years ago, you went around announcing that smoking or sunlight causes cancer, you'd be laughed right out of the room - even by doctors." The author interviewed Sydney Ross Singer, a medical anthropologist and director of the Institute for the Study of Culturogenic Disease in Hawaii.  Singer says that bras restrict the lymphatic system and this constriction inhibits the ability of that system to remove toxins from the body. (The lymphatic system has no internal pressure and the tiny vessels are known to be easily compressed).  Lymph blockage is known to cause some types of cancer. Women tend to wear bras that don't fit right - if yours leaves red marks and indentations when you remove it, then you're constricting your lymphatic system in your breasts.  Singer and a team studied bras and breast cancer in 1991-1993, with ove... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/416/Ready_to_burn_your_bra_Or_not._ Sun, 13 Apr 2008 01:20:00 -0000 More Gardasil Grief <a href="http://s116.photobucket.com/albums/o40/glynisp/?action=view&current=gardasil.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o40/glynisp/gardasil.jpg" alt="Photobucket" border="0"></a>  My friend's daughter, Sierra, has been completely taken in by the pharmaceutical advertising campaign of "One less, one less."  Her mother called me in aggravation after a trip to the pediatrician (who I had already told her was a complete jerk).  The pediatrician started pushing the Gardasil vaccine and Sierra jumped in and said, "Mom, the commercial says, 'One less' so you need to get that for me."  My friend (Julie) said, "No thanks.  I want to research this a bit better."  The doctor then got extremely snippy with her, her daughter got obnoxious...and she was forced to sign a release form...for NOT accepting the vaccine. As it turns out "One less" might not be such a bad slogan.  If the side effect of possible infertility side effect turns out to be common place, Mereck just found the answer to population control.  By mandating this vaccine and forcing it on less-educated masses in urban areas, I'm sure some super-power somewhere has thought... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/415/More_Gardasil_Grief Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:33:00 -0000 Nothing much on a Thursday This has been a generally hectic week.  I got my van back...hurray...although I'll miss the happy box car and all the smiles directed towards it. I've just been running from pillar to post, had some unpleasant drama, a wee bit of a stomach bug, some definitely stress-reducing conversations and laughter. I passed a coding course that I was taking with a 92% on the final.  Kind of mad at myself for making a silly mistake.  I'm a perfectionist, so less than A+ irks me - but I think I'm almost over it. :)  I'm also plugging away at my personal trainer certification - and in that I have a perfect 100% average. Hopefully I'll be done with that by early to mid-summer.  Wednesday, I had an awesome rough workout and then later felt wiped out by a bug.  Today I managed an hour of cardio and anything else I planned to do was neglected due to TOO MUCH ON MY PLATE.  I'm afraid next week might turn out chaotic, too, so I'm planning ahead that I will make every effo... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/414/Nothing_much_on_a_Thursday Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:30:00 -0000 Another Tuesday Ten Let's see if I can pull up 10 things floating around my mind today... 1.  It's kind of gross to know that the FDA allows for 10 fruit fly eggs per cup of orange juice... but only two maggots.  Given that I'm allergic to cockroaches, I wonder what portion of cockroache parts is allowed? 2.  Gymnasium comes from the Greek word meaning "to exercise naked."  I'm glad no one takes that literally these days.  3.  A gigantic John Deere tractor pulled out across the road in front of us yesterday and we spontaneously yelled, "We think your tractor's sexy!!!"  However, the windows weren't rolled down so our dignity is still somewhat intact.  I think that spring is in the air and addling our brains...that and Kenny Chesney has just made it impossible to look at tractors the same way since he first wrote that song. 4.  I'm thinking of adding a little glutamine supplementation to my diet.  Glutamine can become depleted when you are doing anaerobic ex... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/413/Another_Tuesday_Ten Tue, 8 Apr 2008 20:14:00 -0000 Second Thoughts I needed a song with some attitude today. :)  I especially love this line: "I hate that stupid old pick up truck you never let me drive..." My daughter, Erin, was noticing lately that we girls here are always having second thoughts.  We head out the door and ask, "Did I turn off the coffee pot?"  We get out of the car and someone says, "Do these shoes look stupid with these jeans?"  Being in our usual little society of females, most of our second thoughts involve appearance... is my hair doing crazy things, does this match, is this skirt too short?  Other times it is "I wish I had said..." or "why didn't I say 'no'?"  or  "I hope they understood that I didn't mean that." Herman Mellville mentions second thoughts in Moby Dick, "Possibly, too, Jonah might have ensconced himself in a hollow tooth; but, on second thoughts, the Right Whale is toothless." To have second thoughts it means you either are in doubt about something or have changed your mind/o... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/412/Second_Thoughts Mon, 7 Apr 2008 00:17:00 -0000 Swiped from Chris 1. What is the thing in life you are most proud of accomplishing?  I agree with Chris, who said most people will say, "their children."  So instead of that canned answer, I will say running my first marathon after making it through Graves' Disease...or being the keynote speaker at the local medical school three years in a row for their M-1 orientation. 2. What is the wildest thing you have ever done? Probably two things that involved sex:  a golf course and a bridge under construction.  No details. :) 3. Who or what is your first thought in the morning? You know, I'm not really sure. Sometimes it is "where is my Bible" and other times it is "Ouch, the dog has his elbow in my ribs." 4. What's the most unusual item that you have ever just found? A geo-caching clue that people had to sign, tucked into a loose space between rocks at a grave site. 5. What's the one thing you would really like to tell someone but you can't really tell them? You aren't immortal - it will catch u... http://glynisp.multiply.com/journal/item/411/Swiped_from_Chris Sat, 5 Apr 2008 17:11:00 -0000