Noggin Thought

Last night ended with listening to good music (thank you Pandora) and good conversation among friends. I found out that I’m behind the technology times (weird since I’m an engineer). I didn’t know Samsung has a connected Blu-ray player. Connect it to your network (which needs to be connected in some way to the internet) and it will play movies from your Netflix instant watch queue and stream your radio stations from Pandora. The music along with trying to do handstand push-ups and explaining the proper squat technique, made for a nice night.

Today we woke up about 1230 Eastern (still not used to that yet) and just lounged around. We’re going to a restaurant in the Village (I think) called The Park. It’s supposed to be a nice place with a lounge and a club upstairs. I’m good with this because while I would rather stay home for the New Year, a restaurant and lounge (not club) is doable. Since we don’t have to leave until 1730 Eastern (yes I’m going to keep doing that), I don’t have to start getting ready for another 30 minutes. But, will we really leave by 1730 Eastern? We have 4 women that still need to get ready. I think 2 of them have already started so we might have a chance. From the moment I step in the shower I only need about 30 minutes so I’ll make it. I’ll let you know how that goes tomorrow.

It is definitely still cold. Snow was on the cars this morning. That’s cool I guess. It is winter in New York. Snow falling in the city just doesn’t do it for me. I like to see new snow when I’m in the mountains. It means the slopes will probably be good for the next session of snowboarding. But in the city it makes me think about ice on the streets, and the already questionable New York drivers.

We landed this morning just before 0600 Eastern. I am not an Eastern, I am a Pacific. So it was early, that’s fine. I knew the flight times, I’m okay with that. What I’m not okay with is the flight. I might have gotten 3 hours of broken sleep on this flight. My seat reclined about 2 inches. Who can sleep like that? Not me! I have enough trouble sleeping on a plane anyway. I don’t like trying to do it upright. Also I have a large head which is hard to keep balanced while trying to sleep upright on a barely reclining seat at 38000 feet! So, I give Virgin America a rating of 5/10, or maybe 2/5. What’s the point of all the amenities if I can’t be comfortable to enjoy them? I still have a return flight with this airline so maybe the rating will average out. We’ll just have to see won’t we Virgin!

…4 hours of better sleep later…

We’re here and it’s cold. Not the fun kind of cold where you bundle up, and go make snow angels, and have snowball fights, and then come in the lodge for hot chocolate (with Baileys Irish Cream).  This is more like the stand on the corner shivering in a foreign city while crowds of people stand and look at an empty ice rink. Why do so many people flock to Rockefeller Center during this time of year? I say flock because they’re all sheep. Just watch it on HDTV, it’s like you’re really there. I was very happy to get into Cafe Lalo near Central Park where it was nice and toasty. (Yes I know that sounded like a woman. That’s just how it is right now) My meal was very good, and I almost wish I was still hungry after and could partake in one of the many desserts available. I would go back if I’m ever in New York again (who know’s if that’ll happen).

I’m currently sitting at about 38000 feet and writing this post. I don’t have anything particularly important to say but so what, the point is I can. I am currently flying over the Midwest and the temperature outside is about -79° F. This information is visible right in front of me on my own private TV provided by Virgin America. So far the amenities on this flight are good. I can’t give it high rankings yet because I still have 3.5 more hours of flight time.

Okay, I do have something important to say, this was not available (probably doable) to airline passengers a few years ago. That is very important to keep in mind when we think about how far technology has come.

Tonight we leave for New York. We will be spending New Year’s there. While this is not something I want to do, the people going with us should make the experience enjoyable. I’ve been to New York twice before now. Once for a college trip in 1996 during spring. It was a nice time of year to be anywhere, but that didn’t matter for us because we only had time to see the next university. The other visit was a few years earlier in the summer of 1993. My brother was graduating from Princeton and having some free time one day, my cousin and I took a train from Newark to New York. I got to see some sites on that visit but didn’t have enough time to go to the top of the Empire State Building. I think that was the only interesting thing I wanted to do in New York. Well, that and go see the projects. I was young and dumb. I listened to rap songs and thought it would be cool to say I had been to the ghettos of New York. Thankfully we didn’t have time for that either.

Flight leaves at 2145 so we’re leaving the house soon. If you’ve ever been to LAX during heightened security you know how it is.

Have you noticed how weight loss is the hot thing again? I guess it’s always been there with Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, and Lindora. There are also the diets: South Beach Diet, Atkins Diet, Zone Diet, Paleo Diet, Low Carb Diet, Fruit Juice Diet, Apple Diet. Okay, the last three aren’t real name brand diets but somebody has tried them. It seems that once these diets become mainstream, they become much less effective because it’s all about money. For the creators to continue to make money they focus more on promotion and less on results.

It’s also the mentality associated with dieting. Why do we call it being on a diet? Or going on a diet? Everything we eat IS our diet. We’re always on a diet. My daily food intake makes up my diet. If we can get past the negative connotation associated with being on a diet I think we have a chance.

The reason this is even on my mind is because of an article I read recently about caloric deficit here. What needs to be included in the discussion is information on what calories we are eating and the effects on our bodies. If I normally eat 3000 calories of crap per day and I cut that down to 2700 calories of crap per day, am I really making a difference? The article would say I am, but it’s still crap food. I agree with two of the diets on my list above, the Paleo Diet and the Zone Diet. I can simplify them in this way, the Paleo Diet is about the quality of the the food eaten, the Zone Diet is about proportions and quantities of the high or low quality food eaten. Neither one is about promoting a product. I really like that they don’t hold your hand through the process. Each one provides the information and it’s up to the individual to follow through. There is no initial buy in. There is actually no additional cost at all. It just requires a behavioral change. And isn’t that how we got here in the first place?

If you want to lose weight, act like it!

What is happening to men these days? I don’t know when it started, but men are increasingly trying to be women. Men are now so concerned about fashion and hair. I don’t mean to say that the grunge look was a good one; really that was just dirty and lazy. But the manicured and pampered look is just wrong. And the damn skinny jeans! REALLY?!

First of all, fellas, don’t you need room in your jeans? It doesn’t matter what body type a man has, short or tall, big or small, he needs room for the package. It’s not healthy to keep it bottled up in an area that shifts around a lot. Then if the weather turns hot it’s gonna be a bad day. I know Levis 501 jeans are very fitting and they’ve been around for years but even those would be considered roomy compared to skinny jeans.

Second, why are you trying to look like women. I don’t know if I can completely explain how a man should dress but men and women are different. Men should not be dressing like women. Women wear tight pants. This is what they do. Maybe over the years the media has perpetuated this stereotype, but I’m okay with it.

Now, women (I can’t let you slide), you all are not helping. Stop telling men that they’re cute in skinny jeans. You don’t want cute. You know you don’t want cute. You want a man, not a manlier version of you.

Think about some real men: Charlton Heston, Gregory Peck, John Wayne, Richard Roundtree, Billy Dee Williams. No skinny jeans.