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Showing posts with the label Index L

Life is a Brand -- My Life Brand

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I grew up in an era where “brands” belonged to large corporations like Johnson & Johnson, Ford, and IBM, not ordinary folk like me. It never occurred to me that my personal blog might need branding, but, apparently, I’m supposed to be promoting and branding my life, and, perhaps, make a little green with it – Seriously. The whole thing makes me a bit queasy: who wants to be associated with branded-to-the-hilt Paris Hilton and anything Kardashian? With a few exceptions, my life has been rather mundane, my day-to-day activities a snore to outsiders and maybe even to family. Do you really want to read about my ailments, gripes, and gossip about people you don’t know? A blow by blow narrative of my trip to Disney World? Photos of people you don’t know? (I thought not.) I use Facebook for that. Still, I have been wanting to get away from such an intensive focus on food/dieting and start focusing on...well, I dunno. I’m not young, I’m not drop dead gorgeous, and I can

The Limerick Project: There was once a poet named Immerick...

I love Limericks--perhaps it's the Irish in me--so when I found an old book filled with Limericks, I bought it: Limerick Lyrics , edited by Stanton Vaughn, published by Sully and Kleinteich, 1906. This little volume contains well over 500 Limericks, all public domain, so, over time, I will post most of them on this site. I haven't felt much like posting regular articles here lately, so these Limericks will fill in the gaps. An opening "double" Limerick from the book: There was once a poet named Immerick, Who worked 40 days on a "Limerick," At the end of which time, He remarked of his rhyme, "There's a limp in the limb of my Limerick." I never could quite see the trick, I never wrote a limerick, I've often tried And gone to bed a-feelin' sick. Also, if I run across any other public domain Limericks, I'll post them here. Ta!

Legalized Lying

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Winston Churchill, 1874-1965 ___________________________________ A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on. --Winston Churchill Have you ever had a day when thoughts seem to flow like an oozing sludge? Today is such a day--it must be the back thing caused by the treadmill mishap: I have a compression fracture of the L1, so I'm a bit concerned about that. Tomorrow I'm going to the spine specialist, so that I can get a treatment plan and put the injury out of my mind. Meanwhile, I keep going back to the H.G. Wells quote: "Advertising is legalized lying." Seems especially timely right now: my husband Jerry is shopping around for tires, and the various ads appear to be offering some good deals. However, when he inquires about the so-called deals, suddenly the fees begin piling on: taxes, recycling fee, disposal fee, installation fee, balancing the tires fee, breathing fee--well, almost. Jerry is normally a patient person, but

Thought for the Day--March 29, 2011: Learning From Old Diets

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Okay, so you have tried every diet in the world. Most likely, many of them were dismal failures. But here's the thing: You can learn something important from each diet experience, even extreme diets. If nothing else, sensible dieting does teach you about proper foods and knowing the correct portions. Each diet can teach you something you didn't know before. After many attempts, including the old, old Weight Watchers and the old points WW, I have found what works for me now and what is likely to work for the long haul: PointsPlus Weight Watchers. The original Weight Watchers' diet was very strict, high on protein and low on carbs and the old points was still a bit too strict. I like to think that WW has evolved since those old days. What I have learned from other diets: The Milkshake Diet It doesn't matter which milkshake diet, the principle is the same: for one or even all meals, you don't eat food, you drink it. What does that teach you? Not much, because once you

Thought for the Day--March 26, 2011: Learning from Slim People

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It's true that some slim people don't "get" our lives and our complicated relationship with food and our bodies. But we can still learn from them. Instead of lamenting the unfairness of how slim people seem to maintain their weight without effort, we can imitate some of their food behaviors. For us, taming the hungry beast is probably one of the most effective ways to fend off bingeing but also one of the most difficult to do. So how do naturally slim people tame the beast? My general observations: 1. Slim people always seem to eat when they're hungry. It may not be a lot, but it's enough to stave off the beast. 2. Slim people tend to graze, rather than eating three large meals a day. 3. Slim people never deprive themselves of treats. Instead, they will eat small portions of their favorite foods and put the rest away (and actually forget about them). You rarely see a slim person polishing off an entire cake or a bag of potato chips. 4. Usually, slim people are

Thought for the Day--March 21, 2011: Loved Ones and Unhealthy Behavior

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If someone you love is engaging in unhealthy behavior, such as overeating or drug abuse, do what you can to help effect change, but without being judgmental and naggy. Obviously, drug abuse is much more immediately dangerous than overeating, but it's still difficult to watch someone slowly killing him or herself with a fork and knife. If your adult loved one doesn't want help, there isn't much you can do, other than not enabling that person's destructive behavior. For example, for family or social gatherings, you are not obligated to bring high-calorie treats. In fact, you can use this as an opportunity to bring healthy treats that are both low calorie/fat and tasty. Perhaps your family member or friend will get the message when he or she sees how much you are enjoying your diet and new lifestyle. Show, don't nag.

Memoir Madness: Driven to Involuntary Commitment