...but numbers aren't meaningless. They just don't always mean what everybody assumes they do.

So, since it's the beginning of a new year, the "by the numbers" post:

K got me going to the gym last year before New Year's (end of December 2008).

It took me about a week to reach the point where I wasn't dying after 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. K picked me up a heart rate monitor, and I started using the heart rate programs on the machines. This was good because it warned me when I was pushing myself more than I should.

Just before FurCon 2009, I weighed myself for the first time in ages and came up over 230 pounds (how much over, I don't remember). Just before FurCon 2009, I bought a bunch of new 36" waist jeans because my old 36" jeans were wearing out (because they were too tight). Except for one pair, they were a bit tight.

I worked up to an hour a day on my preferred elliptical machine, and once I adapted to it, moved to a different elliptical machine that's more flexible. I switched to two days a week on stairmill.

In early November, I weighed in at 201 pounds. I cut 5" off the end of my belt. I bought several pairs of 34" waist jeans. They're tight enough to not fall down without a belt, but still not tight.

November and December being the months of eating indiscriminately (and missing workout days because of travel, parties and, surprisingly enough, work), I've bounced back up to the 205-210 range. That said, the fit of my clothes hasn't shifted significantly, so I'm not particularly worried. It's also moving back down again.

I've switched one day a week to an actual treadmill. I hate treadmills, but I'm slowly losing the false motion impression that lingers after I stop. I still ache the day after, but I'm aching a lot less the day of.

I'm not going to be back down to my driver's license weight (190, in 1999) by FC or Galli (as I had hoped), but I'm also not worried about that.

I can touch my toes without unlocking my knees again (and I haven't been able to do that since I was 13 or 14).

I'm able to fit in clothes that I bought more than 5 years ago (and my kilts fit better). I should fit in the suit that I bought in London a decade ago. I might get back down to 32" waist jeans, but I'm not sure I really want to buy a half-dozen pairs of jeans again in 6 months.

All in all, a rather satisfactory place to be.

New Post in THE VAULT: The Writing process for The Pandora comic http://ping.fm/rEJkS

I know it's not much to go on, but any help would be most appreciated! Thanks in advance.

from slimmeroftheyea from last year:
The Prince of Darkness's Wife (from me: in NI Office speak fro ma few years back; Peter Robinson)
Was in the cafe in my place of work on Friday wrapping cutlery in festive napkins. And I swear I hadnt been drinking.


(now we know why...)

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ICanHasCheezburger/~3/pP9xYrt1Y10/

http://icanhascheezburger.com/?p=226927

http://nkjemisin.com/2010/01/and-now-a-moment-of-shameless-fangirlery/

http://nkjemisin.com/?p=187

Via Stomping on Yeti, just saw the cover of the latest Temeraire novel! Go here to view it and read an excerpt. Oooh, is that Iskierka entwined with Temeraire? Probably not, given the coloring and lack of steam/flame. Plus he can’t stand her, the fussbudget; can’t imagine him happily tangling up [...]

I'm wondering if someone can help me. I read this book in 7th grade and loved it, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. It had something to do with the theme of the game 'Clue.' I think they made a movie based off of it too, and there might be a character by the name of Turtle in it too, I'm not sure. It was a book written for middle school aged kids.

Thanks for the help!

Way back in the mid to late 70s, my sister-in-law gave me a thriller/murder type paperback to read.  It was about a mental patient who, as a child, had killed his mother.  He fakes his death, escapes the mental and then goes about killing with an ice pick.   His mental illness had been brought about because his mother had locked him in a cellar in the dark when he was a child.   

I may have two books mixed up together here but am hoping someone can help me find this book (s) again.

Did anyone else watch The Colbert Report on Monday and see him talking about the LOL-Cat in the interview? It was awesome!

Here's the video in case you missed it, he talks about the LOL-Cat about 1minute 10seconds into the clip:

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Erick Erickson
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy

I can has EARNED cheezeburger!!!

OUT YONDER: Sick And Unseen In America is an excellent essay by Neil Shea, densely illuminated with photography by Andrew Cutraro, released in magazine form via POD operation MagCloud.

I’d read an article about this particular phenomenon last year, but Shea and Cutraro really bring it home in OUT YONDER: the plight of uninsured Americans trying to survive via the use of free healthcare clinics in rural Appalachia. It’s a sad and frightening read.

(Automatically crossposted from warrenellis.com. Feel free to comment here or at my internet church at Whitechapel. If anything in this post looks weird, it's because LJ is run on steampipes and rubber bands -- please click through to the main site.)

We have been nominated for a Shorty Award via Twitter by a few of our listeners, and I think it would be not only lovely to win, but also incredibly funny. I know we have a ton of friends out there in the aether.

So, if you have already have an account, please vote for us by typing in "I nominate @clockwrkcabaret for a Shorty Award in #steampunk because [your reason goes here]. http://bit.ly/shorty '

Thank you in advance!

I've been an avid lurker on cat_macros for some time now. I hope these are lulz-worthy. u_u

( Read more... )

Youtube clips for all the international fans. If you are in the US, please consider to watch directly on CBS.com if you are unable to watch the show live or don't own a DV-R. Also, the show will rerun the same night on SoapNet. Please check your local listing.

This is asked all the time but...
What's it called when you hear about something and then you start seeing it/hearing it everywhere?
My sister wants to know and I can't remember it, plus my google-fu is failing me.
Thanks!