Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Bristol Palin On Dancing with the Stars
Bristol Palin on Dancing with the Stars is now a political punching bag for Liberals who are making national news by commenting that Sarah Palin's daughter is only winning this dance contest because of her mother's popularity and not because Bristol is a good dancer.
It makes me laugh that a dance contest with a young woman is rattling the cages of the Liberals. One liberal commentator stated that Bristol is the worse dancer he has ever seen. I have been watching Dancing with the Star when it first aired and she is not the worse dancer on the show. The judges have said that she has never missed a step; she lacks the emotional commitment to the dance because she is not a 'performer' or actress; like some of the other dancers who find it so easy to show emotions; although, Bristol is learning very fast.
One of the professional dancers, Maks, was laughing, too; even as, he and his partner, Brandy, were being voted off the show last night. Maybe, he was laughing because he felt justified when the viewers overrode the judges's choice. Maks had previously disagreed with one of the judge's ruling going against Brandy on one dance; and, he was angry enough to argue with the judge openly which was unusual considering the judges favored Brandy above Bristol. His anger carried over into the next show.
The voting fans are half the votes needed to win. That's part of the game. Although, Maks and Brandy looked professional and showed more emotion during their dances than Bristol and her partner; Brandy did not have the viewers votes to win and I don't think Brandy "got it" because she did not rally her fan base to vote for her.
When asked about losing to Bristol and her partner, Maks stated that his family left Russia to come to America because of the right to vote and he thinks it's a great thing to be able to vote for the person you want. He did not seem angry about losing to Bristol and Mark.
There have been plenty of excellent dancers in the past who were voted off prematurely and I never once heard the Liberals screaming out against the others who won. If the Liberals want their dancer to win; then they should get off their butt and vote; instead of writing bias statements against an innocent dancer caught in the cross fire. Their bias comments only fuel the fire; activating the opposition to vote.
The Liberals had their chance in 2008, when they elected Obama as their dance partner. So why are they so afraid of this happy, dancing mini Sarah Palin? Is it because their chosen one: the Second Coming has come and gone for them.
Observations
The rules of the show are based on the combination of popularity votes from the viewers and the professional votes from the 3 judges; who also, have been just as bias for their favorite dancer.
Case in Point: a judge told Brandy that he noticed there was a dance step fumble in her execution; but since the overall dance was so good he felt he would give her a higher score anyway.
On the same program, that same judge told Bristol that he would knock off a full point because; although, he felt her dance was executed perfectly, he did not like her facial expression; the expression, he knew was professionally choreographed into her dance. Go figure!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Traveling Light
In the old days while flying, before fast foods, except for Swanson Dinners,
I once took raw potatoes in a metal pot on board a flight from South Carolina to Biloxi, MS. I was little miss Betty Crocker cooking her meals from scratch as soon as my little feet touch ground.
The older I get, the less I pack for traveling. In fact, I have noticed lately that when I travel for 2 days, my suitcase is really a roller backpack; but because, I never use the back straps, I don't think of it as a backpack.
Most bellhops who see my roller bag ask, " Is this it?"
I reply, "Yes. I don't need any help."
I am packing for a 4 days trip to Montana. I am down to a pair of snow boots, one pair of Blue jeans and a top; long underwear, a dress and shawl for dinner. I have a large size purse which holds a smaller purse and all the food I need if we sit on the tarmac for a few hours.
Food is more important than clothes; so Eve thought, until she ate the apple.
I don't have to pack my coat or the clothes I wear; only the bath and makeup essentials which the airlines make so easy, since I can only take small liquids in a ziplock bag.
I wish I could get it all in a backpack, but the boots alone will take up half the space in a small carry-on suitcase. They look like boots for the moon; heavy enough to hold me down so I won't fly away.
I think of clothes as a bare minimum necessity; not a fashion statement.
When my daughters tell me that my dress is out of style by two years ; I remind them that, according to the history of fashion; the same style comes back every 20 years which means: I am Not out of fashion; I am ahead of the Times by 18 years.
It seems my husband packs more than I do these days. His suitcase is bigger than mine; although, the smaller one for carry-on purposes. Sometimes he buys an extra shirt or sweater on a trip because he does not pack according to the weather.
I remember giving him some advise as to what to pack one day when we were traveling together. He snapped back at me that he is a "world traveler;" unlike me, and he didn't need any help in packing. And then he proceeded to pack, absentmindedly, leaving all his underwear at home. We were on our way to a country retreat with his company.
While sitting with the boss's wife, I thought it was safe enough...wife to wife...mentioning my husband's packing, superiority attitude towards me while he was forgetting his underwear. She laughed.
The next day, on one of our bus tour outings to a country BBQ; the bus stopped to pick up some singing cowboys standing on the roadside out in the middle of nowhere. They serenaded us with a thinly disguised western song about my husband and another team member who left their underwear somewhere and had none.
My husband looked at me and I looked at him...
I am thinking all the while that: that innocent comment I had made the day before had gone up the ladder to the boss who obviously gave it to a couple of singing cowboys who, in turn, wrote a song about it.
I said to my husband, " What a coincidence. "
He repeated, " It's amazing, what a coincidence!"
Since he chooses not to read my blogs...he will never know; unless you tell him.
I once took raw potatoes in a metal pot on board a flight from South Carolina to Biloxi, MS. I was little miss Betty Crocker cooking her meals from scratch as soon as my little feet touch ground.
The older I get, the less I pack for traveling. In fact, I have noticed lately that when I travel for 2 days, my suitcase is really a roller backpack; but because, I never use the back straps, I don't think of it as a backpack.
Most bellhops who see my roller bag ask, " Is this it?"
I reply, "Yes. I don't need any help."
I am packing for a 4 days trip to Montana. I am down to a pair of snow boots, one pair of Blue jeans and a top; long underwear, a dress and shawl for dinner. I have a large size purse which holds a smaller purse and all the food I need if we sit on the tarmac for a few hours.
Food is more important than clothes; so Eve thought, until she ate the apple.
I don't have to pack my coat or the clothes I wear; only the bath and makeup essentials which the airlines make so easy, since I can only take small liquids in a ziplock bag.
I wish I could get it all in a backpack, but the boots alone will take up half the space in a small carry-on suitcase. They look like boots for the moon; heavy enough to hold me down so I won't fly away.
I think of clothes as a bare minimum necessity; not a fashion statement.
When my daughters tell me that my dress is out of style by two years ; I remind them that, according to the history of fashion; the same style comes back every 20 years which means: I am Not out of fashion; I am ahead of the Times by 18 years.
It seems my husband packs more than I do these days. His suitcase is bigger than mine; although, the smaller one for carry-on purposes. Sometimes he buys an extra shirt or sweater on a trip because he does not pack according to the weather.
I remember giving him some advise as to what to pack one day when we were traveling together. He snapped back at me that he is a "world traveler;" unlike me, and he didn't need any help in packing. And then he proceeded to pack, absentmindedly, leaving all his underwear at home. We were on our way to a country retreat with his company.
While sitting with the boss's wife, I thought it was safe enough...wife to wife...mentioning my husband's packing, superiority attitude towards me while he was forgetting his underwear. She laughed.
The next day, on one of our bus tour outings to a country BBQ; the bus stopped to pick up some singing cowboys standing on the roadside out in the middle of nowhere. They serenaded us with a thinly disguised western song about my husband and another team member who left their underwear somewhere and had none.
My husband looked at me and I looked at him...
I am thinking all the while that: that innocent comment I had made the day before had gone up the ladder to the boss who obviously gave it to a couple of singing cowboys who, in turn, wrote a song about it.
I said to my husband, " What a coincidence. "
He repeated, " It's amazing, what a coincidence!"
Since he chooses not to read my blogs...he will never know; unless you tell him.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
About Health in General
This article is well rounded when it comes to eating any foods.
My philosophy is: eat everything in moderation. In the end, God will decide how and when you will die; no matter what you are eating or not eating because Life is predestined in our DNA. Researchers are just now learning how to eliminate, through surgery, certain chromosomes that carry life threatening diseases.
Cutting to the chase I edited the article by taking out this author's day to day account of "what to eat." "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease."Full story
........" I'm not your typical dietary subject. After all, I'm 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, and I'm fit and lean from the time I spend in the gym. At 27 years old, I have never been on a diet -- I eat what I like and what I feel is generally healthy. Yet the way I consume food has been altered considerably after spending nine days on a heart-protective diet.
My editor approached me about trying the diet proposed by Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. in his book "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease." The diet takes seriously all the food and drinks that pose a risk to a person's long-term health, specifically heart disease. In that respect, this diet is seen often as a last-ditch resort for people at risk for heart complications, among other health problems.
Former President Bill Clinton is one example. He tried the diet after undergoing a heart procedure in February, even though he had already lost weight after bypass surgery in 2004. Another reason President Clinton turned to Esslestyn's proposed diet was to lose weight in preparation for his daughter Chelsea's September wedding. He raved about it to Wolf Blitzer on his CNN show, emphasizing he had lost 24 pounds and felt great. I figured if President Clinton could show restraint, then there shouldn't be any reason I couldn't do the same.
Dr. Esselstyn's diet revolves around swearing off much of the typical Western diet. It means halting consumption of all meat, eggs, dairy products, nuts and processed foods. You read that correct. No meat. No organic chicken, no wild fish, no cold cuts. One more thing: You can't even consume oils -- not even olive oil. The items have too much fat, salt and bad cholesterol to be considered safe for long-term heart protection, according to Dr. Esselstyn. Now, take a deep breath and read what's permissible to eat.
Fruit, vegetables (except avocados, which are too fatty), whole grains and legumes. Those are the core of what I had to eat. Dr. Esselstyn's argument is that living by the standards of this diet will prevent the onset of heart disease, among other health problems.
There was some flexibility to the diet. Alternative forms of milk, such as almond milk, were fine. Maple syrup, sugar, salsa, vinegar and spices were encouraged by Dr. Esselstyn. But when I broke down the way I ate before taking on this diet, I was surprised at the number of products I couldn't touch for at least a week......
..........I'm not a fan of almond milk. I still don't understand why it's permissible to drink that stuff when I can't eat almonds. I need to find out from Dr. Esselstyn. I don't feel a need for any dairy products except for milk. I've been drinking exclusively water. Fruit juices are largely dismissed in this diet except for using small quantities in recipes. Milk is really the drink I want, but almond milk does nothing to make me forget about that 1 percent milk I normally guzzle.
I do fine during the day, but I still find myself craving a slice of pizza. I go out to a bar for Happy Hour but hold off on food. It's not until I get out of the bar several hours later that I resign myself to the fact I really want a slice. So, I end up getting an entire pie. Hey, it's been a good ride. However, I live in New York City; enjoying a good pizza every now and then is practically a prerequisite to living here.
Most folks might think the diet is too restrictive after taking a first look at it. That understandable when someone discovers meat and dairy aren't allowed. I found the transition difficult, but that's also because I have limited kitchen space with a very limited amount of kitchen tools. But I feel that if I, a healthy 27-year-old single guy living in New York City, can focus on just fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, then it should be possible for lots of other people.
Eating in this manner really made me feel better. I had more energy, my sinuses cleared and I felt leaner. My weight loss wasn't significant. I weighed 159 before the diet and clocked in at 156 on Saturday. I imagine this diet would work very well for someone looking to lose weight. Eating produce and whole grains is as natural a way to eat as can be done in a reasonable manner. My sinus problems have cleared up. I've had ongoing sinus issues for a couple years. I started getting allergies after I moved to New York City from Montana in June 2007. My allergies have become progressively worse each year, which I attributed to my negative reaction to the city's smog. However, my mom pointed out it could be that my sinuses have cleared since I'm no longer consuming dairy products. It's certainly a reasonable theory since I consume milk, butter and yogurt on a regular basis.
However, I do have a couple issues. I understand that I'm not exactly the perfect test subject for this. It is aimed in the direction of people in their 40s and older who have serious health conditions. But to say that any meat, eggs, dairy, oil, nuts or refined food is unacceptable is a little too restrictive. Dr. Esselstyn goes as far as to call much of that food "toxic" at various points of his book. I understand his point, but never eating any of those foods is unrealistic. Bill Clinton was reportedly seen eating a steak while traveling abroad four months ago. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/dining/27clinton.html?_r=1&ref=dining
Life is about experiences, and part of those experiences include the food you eat. A more idealistic person might think life is too short not to take advantage of the many incredible flavors that can be experienced from eating an array of food, from grilled salmon to pizza to cheesecake. Maybe Dr. Esselstyn has scientific evidence on his side, that this diet is healthier, but there are lots of things in life that can be harmful. Walking across the street carries risk. Enjoying a steak or drinking milk shouldn't be viewed as toxic, especially if it's done on occasion.
That said, I do plan on making changes as a result of this diet. I don't imagine I can eliminate dairy entirely, but I'm going to start by dropping cream cheese and butter. I'll try to hold myself to three Greek yogurts per week -- its protein content is valuable -- and I'm going to drink far less milk. I can't give up eggs, so I'll continue to eat those. I had already given up pork and most red meat earlier this year, so that won't be a problem. Yet organic chicken, wild fish, peanut butter and almonds are reasonable to eat.
Where I think the biggest change might come from is in processed foods. Ezekial loaves of bread will become my chosen option over the processed bread I used to buy. I'll stick with brown rice over white, and whole wheat pasta is the only way for me to go. I will do my best to keep tortilla and potato chips out of my kitchen. I don't miss them, anyway.
I encourage anyone looking for a healthier way to eat -- or a way to feel better physically -- to consider going on this diet. Try a week on it. It might seem like a boring way to eat as you buy groceries, but the beautiful part of this diet is that it forces you to become more creative in your food preparation. Food should never be an afterthought. It should be exciting. People can create their own little form of art with the dishes they make. Try Dr. Esselstyn's diet for a week and see how you feel physically. You just might want to extend it after noticing the positive physical and mental changes this diet inspires.
Comments from viewers about the diet below:
I'd be curious to know what percentage of the weight President Clinton lost was fat versus muscle. I can't imagine one would be able to build any muscle mass on this diet. And, when one eliminates ALL fats, the body makes its own cholesterol and often causes an elevated cholesterol level.
I am a 73 year old healthy woman. I used to eat everything in sight and never gain any weight. I have a fast metabolism, but if you cut out many of the foods, especially fats that he list and things like pizza cheese many dairy you will live longer. But to say you would rather die,you are probably young & yes you will die but probably slowly that is the sad part of heart disease, cancer. So its easy to say that you would rather die. Just try cutting out many fats, & add exercising
My philosophy is: eat everything in moderation. In the end, God will decide how and when you will die; no matter what you are eating or not eating because Life is predestined in our DNA. Researchers are just now learning how to eliminate, through surgery, certain chromosomes that carry life threatening diseases.
Cutting to the chase I edited the article by taking out this author's day to day account of "what to eat." "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease."Full story
........" I'm not your typical dietary subject. After all, I'm 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, and I'm fit and lean from the time I spend in the gym. At 27 years old, I have never been on a diet -- I eat what I like and what I feel is generally healthy. Yet the way I consume food has been altered considerably after spending nine days on a heart-protective diet.
My editor approached me about trying the diet proposed by Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. in his book "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease." The diet takes seriously all the food and drinks that pose a risk to a person's long-term health, specifically heart disease. In that respect, this diet is seen often as a last-ditch resort for people at risk for heart complications, among other health problems.
Former President Bill Clinton is one example. He tried the diet after undergoing a heart procedure in February, even though he had already lost weight after bypass surgery in 2004. Another reason President Clinton turned to Esslestyn's proposed diet was to lose weight in preparation for his daughter Chelsea's September wedding. He raved about it to Wolf Blitzer on his CNN show, emphasizing he had lost 24 pounds and felt great. I figured if President Clinton could show restraint, then there shouldn't be any reason I couldn't do the same.
Dr. Esselstyn's diet revolves around swearing off much of the typical Western diet. It means halting consumption of all meat, eggs, dairy products, nuts and processed foods. You read that correct. No meat. No organic chicken, no wild fish, no cold cuts. One more thing: You can't even consume oils -- not even olive oil. The items have too much fat, salt and bad cholesterol to be considered safe for long-term heart protection, according to Dr. Esselstyn. Now, take a deep breath and read what's permissible to eat.
Fruit, vegetables (except avocados, which are too fatty), whole grains and legumes. Those are the core of what I had to eat. Dr. Esselstyn's argument is that living by the standards of this diet will prevent the onset of heart disease, among other health problems.
There was some flexibility to the diet. Alternative forms of milk, such as almond milk, were fine. Maple syrup, sugar, salsa, vinegar and spices were encouraged by Dr. Esselstyn. But when I broke down the way I ate before taking on this diet, I was surprised at the number of products I couldn't touch for at least a week......
..........I'm not a fan of almond milk. I still don't understand why it's permissible to drink that stuff when I can't eat almonds. I need to find out from Dr. Esselstyn. I don't feel a need for any dairy products except for milk. I've been drinking exclusively water. Fruit juices are largely dismissed in this diet except for using small quantities in recipes. Milk is really the drink I want, but almond milk does nothing to make me forget about that 1 percent milk I normally guzzle.
I do fine during the day, but I still find myself craving a slice of pizza. I go out to a bar for Happy Hour but hold off on food. It's not until I get out of the bar several hours later that I resign myself to the fact I really want a slice. So, I end up getting an entire pie. Hey, it's been a good ride. However, I live in New York City; enjoying a good pizza every now and then is practically a prerequisite to living here.
Most folks might think the diet is too restrictive after taking a first look at it. That understandable when someone discovers meat and dairy aren't allowed. I found the transition difficult, but that's also because I have limited kitchen space with a very limited amount of kitchen tools. But I feel that if I, a healthy 27-year-old single guy living in New York City, can focus on just fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, then it should be possible for lots of other people.
Eating in this manner really made me feel better. I had more energy, my sinuses cleared and I felt leaner. My weight loss wasn't significant. I weighed 159 before the diet and clocked in at 156 on Saturday. I imagine this diet would work very well for someone looking to lose weight. Eating produce and whole grains is as natural a way to eat as can be done in a reasonable manner. My sinus problems have cleared up. I've had ongoing sinus issues for a couple years. I started getting allergies after I moved to New York City from Montana in June 2007. My allergies have become progressively worse each year, which I attributed to my negative reaction to the city's smog. However, my mom pointed out it could be that my sinuses have cleared since I'm no longer consuming dairy products. It's certainly a reasonable theory since I consume milk, butter and yogurt on a regular basis.
However, I do have a couple issues. I understand that I'm not exactly the perfect test subject for this. It is aimed in the direction of people in their 40s and older who have serious health conditions. But to say that any meat, eggs, dairy, oil, nuts or refined food is unacceptable is a little too restrictive. Dr. Esselstyn goes as far as to call much of that food "toxic" at various points of his book. I understand his point, but never eating any of those foods is unrealistic. Bill Clinton was reportedly seen eating a steak while traveling abroad four months ago. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/dining/27clinton.html?_r=1&ref=dining
Life is about experiences, and part of those experiences include the food you eat. A more idealistic person might think life is too short not to take advantage of the many incredible flavors that can be experienced from eating an array of food, from grilled salmon to pizza to cheesecake. Maybe Dr. Esselstyn has scientific evidence on his side, that this diet is healthier, but there are lots of things in life that can be harmful. Walking across the street carries risk. Enjoying a steak or drinking milk shouldn't be viewed as toxic, especially if it's done on occasion.
That said, I do plan on making changes as a result of this diet. I don't imagine I can eliminate dairy entirely, but I'm going to start by dropping cream cheese and butter. I'll try to hold myself to three Greek yogurts per week -- its protein content is valuable -- and I'm going to drink far less milk. I can't give up eggs, so I'll continue to eat those. I had already given up pork and most red meat earlier this year, so that won't be a problem. Yet organic chicken, wild fish, peanut butter and almonds are reasonable to eat.
Where I think the biggest change might come from is in processed foods. Ezekial loaves of bread will become my chosen option over the processed bread I used to buy. I'll stick with brown rice over white, and whole wheat pasta is the only way for me to go. I will do my best to keep tortilla and potato chips out of my kitchen. I don't miss them, anyway.
I encourage anyone looking for a healthier way to eat -- or a way to feel better physically -- to consider going on this diet. Try a week on it. It might seem like a boring way to eat as you buy groceries, but the beautiful part of this diet is that it forces you to become more creative in your food preparation. Food should never be an afterthought. It should be exciting. People can create their own little form of art with the dishes they make. Try Dr. Esselstyn's diet for a week and see how you feel physically. You just might want to extend it after noticing the positive physical and mental changes this diet inspires.
Comments from viewers about the diet below:
I'd be curious to know what percentage of the weight President Clinton lost was fat versus muscle. I can't imagine one would be able to build any muscle mass on this diet. And, when one eliminates ALL fats, the body makes its own cholesterol and often causes an elevated cholesterol level.
I am a 73 year old healthy woman. I used to eat everything in sight and never gain any weight. I have a fast metabolism, but if you cut out many of the foods, especially fats that he list and things like pizza cheese many dairy you will live longer. But to say you would rather die,you are probably young & yes you will die but probably slowly that is the sad part of heart disease, cancer. So its easy to say that you would rather die. Just try cutting out many fats, & add exercising
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