How Do You View Video Content?
Published May 1st, 2012 | 
Direct TV continues to compete with cable for subscribers, but I’m thinking it may ultimately be a lost cause. Or at least there are now way more options for viewing movies and other content. What, with the IPad and Kindle and services such as Amazon Prime, the iTunes store and Netflix. There’s also Hulu and rumor has it that Google is going to be getting into the game(they already own YouTube). So maybe it doesn’t matter how many commercials cable runs or how many sales for dx3 direct tv.
I currently view at least 60 percent of all video content online. Today, I spent about 90 percent of my viewing time online. Sooner or later, I suspect all of these subscriber-based services will be available through an Internet connection. Cable or dx3 doesn’t matter. In utilizing the Internet, these services have just about conceded the point.
Bin Laden Death Anniversary is Sour Grapes for Republicans
Published May 1st, 2012 | The first thing I heard on the news this morning while eating my bowl of Life breakfast cereal, was some Republican talking head whining about Obama “celebrating” Osama Bin Laden’s death. Saying that the president is “politicizing the issue.” Let me get this straight: Bush used the events of 9/11 to prop up his failed presidency for eight fucking years! Every time Bush dipped in the polls, there would suddenly news of some new threat (terrorist plots btw which turned out to be a lot of smoke and mirrors). Bush started a new war in Iraq by lying to the American people and preying on their fears. And let’s not forget “mission accomplished.” And in those eight years, we got further away from the initial goal of the so-called “war on terror.” The Repugs had no problem with this. Yet, they are outraged when the current president acknowledges an accomplishment of his administration. Think about this: Clinton couldn’t get Osama. Bush definitely didn’t get Osama. Obama came into office, changed the war strategy and after, a careful intelligence operation to verify Bin Laden’s whereabouts, ordered a brazen assault on the most notorious terrorist in our era even though he had much to lose if the mission failed.
Is Obama wrong to use a major accomplishment of his presidency to make the case for re-election? I don’t think so. Is he wrong to say, Romney wouldn’t have made the same decision? Perhaps, but it’s not that outrageous to suggest that Romney wouldn’t have had the balls to do what Obama did. Romney has already demonstrated that he’s not a man of much real conviction. He’s self-serving, indecisive and follows whatever direction the political winds blow. Not having any military or foreign policy experience, Romney would have follow what the “experts” were saying about the Bin Laden mission and, by all accounts the “experts” thought it was too big of a risk. Romney more likely than not would have calculated that the odds of failure and it’s negative impact on his own approval ratings wouldn’t have been worth it. And prior to the successful outcome, didn’t he specifically say that going after Osama wasn’t a priority for him? Seriously, I cannot imagine Romney dealing with the crap that Obama has had to deal with. So if Obama is politicizing Bin Laden’s death, is it really worse than Romney and his fellow Repugs politicizing the idea that Obama is playing politics? Makes about as much sense as an HIV patient in New York travelling across the country to get a blood test in Anaheim CA. Admit it Repugs, if Obama was one of you, you’d be setting off fireworks and masturbating on Fox news over this anniversary.
At the end of the day, the choice of who will be president is as much about character as it is about accomplishments. You can make the case that Obama’s accomplishments fell short of the goal depending upon how high you set the bar for him, but Romney has very few real accomplishments and he’s demonstrated time and again as a politician that his character is suspect.
Everybody Wants a Beach Body
Published April 30th, 2012 | I’ve battled weight problems for pretty much my entire existence. Oh, there have been brief periods when I was down to my normal weight (or close to it). The first time I made a serious effort was back in high school. By my sophomore year, I had ballooned to 300 pounds. I was pre-hypertensive. The school nurse badgered me into losing weight, forcing me into weekly check-ups to observe my progress. I started exercising and went on a Slimfast diet. Although progress was slow at first, I managed to shed 80 pounds within a year. I managed to maintain this weight for almost eight years. But then I lost my job and found myself sitting on the couch watching a lot of TV. By the time I got another job, I’d gained about 35 pounds. Although my job was extremely physical, I still ate most of my daily meals at fast food restaurants so, while I didn’t add any more weight for the next few years, I wasn’t losing any weight either. Then, one day, in an effort to impress this woman I was in love with at the time, I joined to a gym and cut out most of the junk food and soft drinks. Within 6 months, I dropped to 182 pounds and even had six-pack abs for the first time in my life. Well, the relationship didn’t work out the way I’d hoped and I gradually drifted back to my bad habits. Over the next several years my weight crept back up to 300.
300 unhealthy pounds is an disaster waiting to happen. After yet another job loss and a battle with cancer, my weight dropped dramatically. I looked like a concentration camp survivor. I began to gain weight again several months after finishing my treatments. Despite regular daily exercise and a more sensible diet, managed to gain a lot of weight rather quickly. Ever since then, my weight has gone up and down.
Recently, I decided to rededicate myself to getting my weight under control. I’ve committed myself to an extreme body workout. But after a 90 day review, I still haven’t attained that elusive Beach Body. Perhaps, by the end of the year, I’ll get a little bit closer to my goal.
This is a guest post provided by Fitness Alliance.
