patrick.net

A) when I drive my motorcycle, I barely control 1% of all the moving parts. It is however a controlling 1%. It determines everything the bike does.

If you ride carefully, you can still be runover by a truck. If you ride rectlessly, you can still survive a crash.

@SQT,

Thanks. One thing to keep in mind about Atkins (or any low-carb diet) is that while you may initially feel lethargic, once you body has fully adapted (takes a few weeks), you will feel plenty energetic. Basically, your body has to go through sugar-withdrawal. I'm more active and feel better than I ever did at 270lbs.

I still miss chocolate and once in a while have to indulge a little, though.

SFGuy,

Oh no offense taken! I remember watching my grandfather (and later my father) sitting on a stump and stare at the dirt floor of the barn. Occaisionally taking a "swig". Sometimes for hours. I've heard Russian men will sit on the frozen river in Moscow with their vodka staring at the hole they've cut in the ice, making a day of it. It's kind of like this "pre-death state" and they seem to enjoy it, and I'm o.k with that too.

My wife follows a low-carb diet. I just cannot give up pasta.

There is no such thing as randomness.

Unless you are precognizant, randomness exists. Presupposing that it is not "objectively random" does not alter the fact that events still affect *you* randomly, because you cannot discern their "predestination".

There is no hope against fate.

Fate is merely post ante reasoning. Otherwise perception of fate would involve precognition, which would allow fate to be avoided, which would invalidate the fatefulness of fate.

Happily the conclusion says that more funds are spent trying to save the young than the old. Of course this study was done when Boomers were young…

It just concludes that there are more young (boomers) than old (pre-boomers) at this point in time.

@SF Guy,

Yes, you're right. the 40% is each person's estimated portion spent at end of life. Of the total Medicaire budget, that was reported in the paper as about 30% (don't know if you have the ability to access the paper directly).

This paper was before HMO's and even for-profit hospitals proliferated, so you can imagine that the % might be less. I don't know the latest numbers, though.

Unless you are precognizant, randomness exists. Presupposing that it is not “objectively random” does not alter the fact that events still affect *you* randomly, because you cannot discern their “predestination”.

Are you trying to define randomness according to predictability? If our abilities improve then previously random things will cease to be random?

Fate is merely post ante reasoning. Otherwise perception of fate would involve precognition, which would allow fate to be avoided, which would invalidate the fatefulness of fate.

Only if you believe that we are completely in control of our choice. Otherwise, precognition does not necessiate actions. I believe human beings have strong tendencies and they act only if they like what they believe.

softestlanding,

Stop whining and post your own thread, if you find this one boring. Carpe diem.

in my example I was referring to the control i have over the bike.

Alleged control.

Do you think you *can* do things that you *won't* ?

Sometimes

20% of the time? ;)

SFWoman,

I fear I may have misquoted you here. I recall a little while back you pointed out a link that showed "X" percentage of health care dollars were spent in the last 30-60-90 days of life? Do you recall that particular article?

@DinOR,
See my responses to SFGuy.

@SQT,

As long as you can stay healthy with current diet & exercise, I agree. For those who aren't so hard-core about exercise though, low-carb may be the way to go.

Easy solution.

Health coverage should cease if it is determined that the patient is terminal and that life expectency is less than 12 months.

I could be wrong but I believe some life-insurance starts paying in this situation. So people can elect to have that covered.

I find low-carb dieting to just be another word for suffering. I prefer to exercise a ton over low-carb dieting.

I do not have a low-carb diet and I do not do much exercise. However, I am merely overweight, definitely not obese.

How can you force yourself to do exercise though? I want to know.

more bullshit from big boomer inc.

tinyurl.com/yfgmaw

try vanity…then as you grow older switch to fear (unless you’re DinOR)

It does not work for me...

I have conditioned myself not to care so that I could continue being a JBR. :)

How can you force yourself to do exercise though? I want to know.

There comes a time in every fatty McFatasses life that they see themselves in the mirror and are hit with the thought "man, I am a total fat ass". At this point one can force oneself into exercising.

SFGuy:

The homebuilder report suggests that homebuilders have confidence in a pickup in sales over the next 6 months.
http://calculatedrisk.blogspot.com/2006/10/nahb-october-builder-confidence.html

SF is keeping up the YoY averages in the BA, against the Contra Costa county drop.

There comes a time in every fatty McFatasses life that they see themselves in the mirror and are hit with the thought “man, I am a total fat ass”. At this point one can force oneself into exercising.

I would just buy a curved mirror.

Did you know?

You can "lose" up to 20 pounds by weighing yourself on plush carpet. :)

I would guess that if most Americans only ate while at the table there would be a lot less obesity.

And if they ate off dinner plates instead of serving platters...

Just never eating on the sofa in front of the TV.

SFWoman,

Don't forget the two lovebirds in a cage! Thanks for the link.

How about a regressive food sales tax?

Sometimes I go to expensive restaurants just so that I cannot order too much.

I find low-carb dieting to just be another word for suffering. I prefer to exercise a ton over low-carb dieting.

I am the opposite. I could not exercise that much on a regular basis. Even in college at my fittest, I could at best manage 3X/week at the gym. Now? I'm lucky if I exercise once a month.

As far as low-carb = suffering goes, I disagree*. I get to eat all the steak, burgers, cheese, eggs & butter I can handle. I've found that I miss sugar less and less with each passing year.

excepting chocolate

"unsold homes in (LV/PHX) has topped 80%" (certain subdivisions)

Uh, I think that qualifies as a ghost town by almost any measure?

excepting chocolate

I do like the darkest chocolate. It does not have much sugar.

Uh, I think that qualifies as a ghost town by almost any measure?

Many 100% sold subdivisions are also ghost towns.

We finally got fed up with the 1500kW generator and traded up to a 2000kW from CAT. I would post a picture if I knew how. It is pretty big.

It better be big...

@J Galt,

I don't (yet) have children. My wife is basically following the same diet with me, which made it MUCH easier. I don't know if I could have done it if I had to sit & watch her chowing down on Hershey's & Pizza every night. Support from your spouse & family is very important to long-term success, IMO. Even if they don't follow the diet themselves, it's better if they are attuned to your needs (avoiding eating 'bad' foods in front of you).

And if they ate off dinner plates instead of serving platters…

Has anyone noticed the amazing growth in buffet and Hawaiian restaurants in the South Bay? Now there's Happy Buffet, Super Buffet, Crazy Buffet, Family Buffet and more. And L&L, J&J, and many other Hawaiian restaurants.

And they're always packed - some of those buffet places have hour+ long waits on the weekend!

The comments on CalculatedRisk suggest that this tiny uptick is just a blip on the way down. I'm inclined to agree.

Re: diets

I've found that trying to cut down on HFCS results in a healthier diet; but then I've never been a big carb fan; I naturally tend to meat and veggies. My take is, have the incoming calories balance out the outgoing calories, and minimize foods that come in a box, and you'll do fine.

Buffets are usually bad. All you can eat for a fixed price? I bet they do not have many items with high marginal costs.

Peter P,

Were you referring to the "Dark Towers of Financial Doom" that have been sold almost exclusively to flippers and are dark at night (save for a few lights)?

Were you referring to the “Dark Towers of Financial Doom” that have been sold almost exclusively to flippers and are dark at night (save for a few lights)?

Exactly.

Yeah, uh..... carbs. I grew up in an Italian neighborhood and could eat pasta 6 nights a week if you'd let me. We've tried to switch to wheat pasta but it must be an aquired taste. And potatoes? How do you make a meal w/out them?

@Jon,

Exactly. For most people (SQT and professional marathon runners excluded), it's almost impossible to lose weight through exercise alone, unless you also combine it with a healthier diet & fewer calories. The amount of exercise it would take to burn off all the empty calories from a typical obses person's diet is staggering --and for most people, unrealistic.

To me, reducing food intake is analogous to reducing debt intake. Ridding oneself of McAlbatross jumbo mortgage, useless bling, leased SUVs, redundant plasmas, etc. is a whole lot easier than getting those 2 extra jobs. Downsizing --whether food or debt-- requires far less effort, is more sustainable and puts YOU in control of your lifestyle & health.