Apparently I am Bulimic

I had a strange conversation with a strange employee yesterday who believes that participating in a training for endurance races is a form of Bulimia. First of all he had to have meant Anorexia since I don't know a single endurance athlete that binges and then purges, at least not on purpose, there are of course those days that you eat too much before a long run or take in too many calories during a long ride and your body decides to revolt with a full frontal attack.

So let's take a look at what Anorexia is and how it compares to endurance athletes

1. Anorexia is defined as a person that is 15% below their ideal weight. For me a 5'-8" 138lb male, I have an ideal weight between 145-161, with over 161 being condidered overweight, so I am 4.8% below my ideal weight. No
   
2. Rapid weight loss over several weeks and months - I have fluctuated around the high 130's since I was in high school. No
   
3. Having an unusual interest in food, calories, nutrition and cooking - every endurance athlete has an unusual interest in nutrition that sometimes tips into complete obsession about calories and nutrition but for the exact opposite reason than anorexics, we have to make sure that we are getting enough calories during our workouts. Yes
   
4. Depression, anxiety and irritability - I've got 10+ hours of workouts scheduled for this week which is only going to increase as the weeks go on, so yes I am depressed and irritable. You got a problem with that? Yes
   
5. Wearing loose clothing to hide weight loss - I am in a Speedo and cycling shorts as much as I am in jeans. No
   
6. Social withdrawal - After a 3+ hour workout the last thing that I want to do is go out and socialize. Yes
   
7. Compulsive exercise - No comment. Yes

So it appears that there is a possibility that I am actually anorexic. I will seek help immediately.

Actors/Athletes

Something really irks me about actors participating in athletic events like marathons and triathlons, it might be that I have to balance a full time job, family and the pocket book in order to afford a coach, gear and entry fees in order to race and all these stars have to do it turn down the next film role and train with world class coaches and Olympic champions. So after a lot of thought this is how I have decided to deal with my frustration; I find out the times that these movie stars are coming in at and that is my time to beat just to prove that the best coaches can't make you fast or able. Worked out for the run of the US Open compared to Matt Damon's 59:54 for his 10K at the Miami Triathlon and I came in at 52:03 and that was with him only doing the running leg and I had already swam nearly a mile and biked 25 miles, so Ha! suck on that!

Now I have my first marathon goal time.

Our Dumb World

Our Dumb World is an atlas of the World presented by The Onion. It manages to inform (poorly) and entertain at the same time. For instance, here's their description of Israel:

Home to one-third of the world's Jews and two-thirds of the world's anti-Semites, the nation of Israel is a place so holy that merely walking in it can gain you a place in the World to Come, nowadays often within minutes.

and...

Site where Jesus turned water into 2,000 years of unending conflict.

Film Addicts

Are you a film addict?

I thought that I was until I took this and only got 40.8%. I know that there are some films on here that are must sees that I haven't seen yet like the Alien trilogy and Schindlers List but what ya gonna do?

The Periodic Table of Awesoments

Click to enlarge.

Ilibu Dibu Douchoo

I guess that every country needs their own William Hung

This is the Bulgarian version of American Idol. The translation at the bottom of the screen is what she is singing.

Done With The News

I am very close to giving up on the news all together and sticking to things that are safer like music and sports; with sports at least you still get the drama but very rarely does anybody get killed and when someone loses their job you know that they are going to get hired somewhere else or they made enough money that they will be alright for a while, shoot, even Wade Phillips will get picked up by somebody by next season.

The final straw came for me today with two stories on the front page of the Dallas Morning News (or Liberal Rag as my dad calls it), the first story, with a large color picture, was about how Dallas is trying to cut down on it's stray population and is euthanizing most of the captured dogs. The picture is of a dirty stray being wrangled by one of those dog catcher nooses with the dog attacking the pole like any frightened, hungry animal would do. Now, I live in ignorant bliss about somethings and this is one of them, I know that there are strays out there and I know that a lot of dogs are put down due to any number of reasons but there isn't a whole lot that I can do about it. I got my dog for free from a family that had a stray wonder up on their land pregnant, I don't frequent pet stores that sell dogs and plead with anyone that I talk to that is thinking about getting a dog to go to the pound or a rescue society first before going to a breeder. I also don't want stray dogs running around either since most nights my wife or I are taking our dog for a run and I must admit I need motivation to get out and run especially during the winter but being chased by a crazed dog is not the kind of motivation that I need.

The other story has to do with, of course, the bailouts and how banks are not only refusing to release information as to where the tax payers money has gone but can't track the money. The AP called 21 banks all of whom declined to disclose details as to their spending. This is another one of those articles that I figure all you can do is throw up your hands and say this is way bigger than me so once again the american public get shafted by the rich and powerful. I have been having that exact thought go through my head alot more often lately and have started to wonder if anyone is for the little guy anymore.

So I think that I will stick what's safe for a while, that being the sports page and the comics.

I'm A Cat Person

I Tried

I tried to warn the media not to start blowing "the 'Boys are back" horn before they played a formidable opponent but did they listen to me? No!

New Poll

What do you guys think will be the ultimate fate of Plaxico Burress?

Tomlinson Ran Over Me!

The NFL will mark a momentous occasion tonight as it broadcasts it's first game in 3D at theaters in Los Angeles, New York and Boston. If this takes off, all those arm chair Quaterbacks can finally feel as if they are really a part of the game. There are some pessimists to the advancement of this technology, thinking that it will be too expensive and will exclude the people that don't want to go to a theater to watch a game. Well we'll just have to show them by putting on the best smashmouth game of the year. So who is it that the NFL has decided should convince the Owner's, GM's and the world that we need to see football in 3D?

Oh... the umm...4-8 Chargers vs. the 3-9 Raiders; great choice, I'm sure this will strike excitement into the hearts of those doubters.

NFL, you should fire your marketing director.

Best Holiday Commercial

I had forgotten about this commercial until my wife reminded me of it last night. It definitely ranks up there with one of the best commercials I've seen.

Give Credit When Credit's Due

It's no surprise to anyone when I say that I am no fan of the Cowboys. Growing up and in my home now we live by the ABC rule - (Anybody But the Cowboys). The abhorrence started back in the early 90's when they were winning all the Superbowl's and everyone was jumping on the band wagon; there was the arrogance of Michael Irvin and through this whole thing you still have Jerry Jones at the helm making bad decisions and bringing in troubled players that cause more trouble off the field then help on the field.

There is a point to this post, I swear I'm not just venting.

The Cowboys have been going through a bit of a rough patch as of late, what with and Romo's broken pinkie, Pacman Jones getting into more trouble, and a slew of other injuries not to mention they have lost of few games during this time. But they have won their last two games with much applause from the Dallas newpapers. Let's take a look at the last two games and who the opponents were. Week 12 - first game back with Romo and they have to have the fearsome 2-9 49ers and in week 13 on Thanksgiving day they faced the powerhouse 2-9 Seahawks. Woohoo they won both games!
Let's hold off on the "Cowboys are back" talk until they face some real teams again. Their last four weeks should be a test against the Steelers, Giants, Ravens and Eagles. If they can come out with winning two games I will be surprised. Let's also not forget that it is December.

Iron and Wine on ACL

I'm not a big fan of Iron and Wine but their performance on Austin City Limits last week was phenomenal.

I can't find the video to embed so you'll have to link to it here.

One Man Band

In a compilation of 64 videos all shown at once, one man recreates Thriller; the howls, the beats, everything with his own voice.