Clearing Up a Myth

Okay, who here has heard the myth that when you watch TV, your metabolism is actually slower than when you are sleeping?? Come on, admit it – we all believed it. It turns out they’ve proven this wrong in 1996! They being some scientists who tested obese people while they were watching TV to see if their metabolisms slowed down. They did, but to a level about equal to other sedentary activities, so no more harm than any other sitting on your butt.

But for more than 6 years, I’ve been thinking that TV puts me into such a trance, I’d be better off sleeping. Phew! No reason to hit the sack now (except that I don’t own a TV set – does anyone still say TV set anymore? Where did that come from anyway? What exactly is it a set of???).

I wonder if it counts for internet TV?

My Wish List

It’s not that I want other people to buy me this stuff (although that would be nice). It’s more that I need to write this kind of stuff down b/c otherwise I’ll forget that I want it.

Ugh, how American of me.


Breadmaker
ER DVD
Waffle maker
Nice pair of leather gloves
New glasses
Nice hair cut w/highlights
A starter aromatherapy kit

To be continued

Dateline NBC: To Catch a Predator

Okay I have a problem with this show. I just saw it last night at the gym. (I don’t, chas v’shalom, have an avodah-zarah box in my house (well, I do have cable internet…)). If you’ve never seen it, this is what it is – basically, they set up someone to do a crime, in last night’s case, to proposition a minor, and then go in and arrest him, catching the whole thing on national TV – and displaying the perpetrators’ names. They chatted up these guys on the internet, pretending to be 13 year olds (boys or girls), had them come over to a house rigged w/video cameras and then stopped them before anything could happen.

It’s totally predatory and seems wrong. I mean, I get that we don’t want these guys going after kids when they’re not on national television, but is it fair to lure them in to do a crime? If the police were like, hey, want some marijuana, and then they snap the handcuffs on you when you try to take it – that would also seem unfair.

Something about it just rubs me the wrong way. Maybe b/c they’re sensationalizing the process. I don’t know.

Going Under the Knife

A conversation with my sister prompted this post.

Would you date someone who had gastric bypass surgery and was now normal weight? What about someone who had a nose job b/c he had a horrible nose? Are these two asking the same thing – or is there something inherently different between them?

My answer to both is yes, not just b/c I’m desperate but b/c hey, we all have “defects.” As people are quick to remind me, I am not perfect; I have my flaws and so will my potential spouse, and these don’t seem like really big flaws to me, in the grander scheme. If I think the guy is cute and I like everything else about it, then who cares if he once had more chins than Chinatown? I think I’d actually give him a lot of credit for trying to take charge of his health. I have a bigger issue w/the nose job guy b/c I see that as purely cosmetic. As I know from my discussions of masochism and self-mutilation w/my last professor, it’s not so obvious that cosmetic surgery is okay with Jewish law.

But my sister brought up the point about future progeny, i.e., what if they have the misfortune of inheriting his propensity towards largess or his Jewish schnoz? I still say, it’s hard enough to find a husband and worry about whether he goes to shul, is a kind person, and doesn’t carry the same genetic diseases as you – why introduce more limiting factors into the game? Besides kids will always have problems, no matter how great your spouse is.

My Core is Sore

Monday nights I can’t make it to the gym b/c I have class until 8, don’t get home until after 9 and the gym closes at 10. I know, why don’t I just go then? Because I have a problem – I need to workout for an hour, or else it’s not worth it. I know, it’s wrong, but hey, that’s me so just accept it. I also have trouble giving up some of my hour cardio to do strength training, which is a separate problem in itself. For another time.

Anyway, so I have these Winsor pilates DVDs b/c we just created a website for them at my job, so I figured I’d try them. And let me tell you, anything you might have thought about pilates, if you’ve never tried them – they are tough! None of this peaceful, serene business. No sir. This is pain, sweat, push, pull. And you want to ask these women how they can hold their bodies that way. It’s weird. You roll into a ball and rock back and forth so your tushie is up in the air. Not normal.

The whole point, as Sarah tells me, is to strengthen your core, to keep your abs tight and make them do all the work. Well they must have been doing something b/c I feel it today. Every time I move, I hurt. It feels good though. I actually broke blood vessels in my arm by doing those arm circles and pull downs. You know what they say…no pain, no gain!

Never got that expression by the way. You don’t want to GAIN, right? You want to lose. Whatever. Lots of expressions don’t really make sense I guess.

Another first day of school...

How many have I gone through? I actually won’t spend time trying to figure that out right now b/c I am getting paid to be at my day job. But it’s frustrating that I was just in class Thursday night, and now, here we go again. And I know this teacher – she assigns a lot of work. She’s good at what she does, but can she let up on the work a little? Some of us have to write our theses this semester!

Yes, I know I spelled it with two “e”s b/c it’s plural. I didn’t look it up on dictionary.com but I’m kind of hoping I’m right. I like being right.

So class starts tonight and I actually don’t know where the first class is held. Zoiks. Better log onto the class website – blackboard – and look it up before I have to leave at 5.

You have got to be really bored to be reading this...

Okay, to relieve some of the anxiety I feel about school – and to relieve some of the stress on my roommates – I’ve decided to post a blog about my schoolwork instead of having to talk about it to them. (Round of applause please, guys?) So that’s it. No more heated debates into the night about nationalized health care or trans fat bans or what Phil says versus what the Torah says…nope, it’s over, kids. The fat lady has sung.

I have to write a paper on this Farm Bill conference I went to. I’m also working on reading this book called Sweet Charity for a book report for the same class. Yep, here at the end of grad school, I still am writing book reports, albeit somewhat more intense than my third grade ones, but at least then I got to make dioramas to go with the report. What would I make a diorama of?

So far, the book seems to be about how horrible charitable organizations are b/c they make sure poor people get food instead of advocating to the government to make sure poor people get food. I hear the point, but I mean, is it better that people starve as long as we are acting on principle? Come on, people!