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Friday, August 21, 2009

Are You Overweight? Here's How to Lose Weight?

How many different diets have you tried and failed? My guess is all of them. If you ever try one and succeed, you'll stop looking to lose weight. Diets are designed to fail, not on purpose, but because the people who design diets usually don't take into account that the people who will go on it don't plan to do it forever. What I mean is that a diet is forever.

If you live a life eating 3,000 calories a day, but you only burn 1,500 a day, you're going to gain weight. then, when you "go on a diet" where you're only eating 1,000 calories a day, you'll lose that weight quickly, but you'll feel terrible, like you're starving yourself and once you finally get down to a weight where you're happy, you "go off" the diet, if you even make it to that point. Normally, you'll drop a few pounds, then treat yourself for the quick success and never go back on the diet. Then you end up gaining back the few pounds you lost plus a few more.

OK, so how do you really lose weight? Obviously you don't want to exercise, or you want to, but don't have the time or energy, or you just don't know how. So, how do you lose weight without changing your lifestyle and without starving yourself? My solution is very easy, but also a bit of a pain in the ass. You will have to change your eating habits some, but you don't have to starve yourself.

Here's the simply instructions and I'll try to explain in a bit more detail later. Take your current weight and subtract your ideal weight. But what is your ideal weight? I'll explain that later also. Now, take 10% of that and subtract it from your current weight. That's your goal weight until you achieve it. then you start this process over until you reach your ideal weight. This may seem complicated, but now I'll explain in detail and make it simple.

Let's start with our ideal weight. Click here to find your ideal weight range.

Now take the Max Weight and subtract it from your current weight. Let's say you are a 5'2" woman and weight 190 lbs. Your ideal max weight is 136 lbs. 190 - 136 = 54 lbs. 10% of 54 lbs is 5 lbs. Your goal is to lose 5 lbs.

Now, we need to figure out how much you can eat in order to lose these 5 lbs. Your current weight is 190 so you're shooting for 185. Now, it may seem tricky, but it is so simple. Just add a 0 to the end of this goal weight, so 185 now becomes 1850. That's how many calories you need to eat. Sure, you may think that by eating fewer calories, you'll lose weight faster. You will, but you'll also be starving yourself and you're more likely to fail this diet. Try to eat as close to 1850 calories per day until you get to 185 lbs. Then start over.

Now, this will work, but in order to make it work a little faster and healthier, try splitting this into 6 meals per day, instead of just 3. 1850 calories divided by 6 equals 308 calories per meal. this means smaller portions of food, but eating twice as many times per day. Soon, your body will tell you when you're hungry and by eating more meals per day, you're less likely to snack and we all know that snacking is the thing that kills all diets.

Add in some exercise and you'll drop that weight like crazy.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Chili Recipe

Here is the absolute best chili recipe on the web.
http://chilirecipe.webs.com/index.htm

Background:
I have been working on my chili recipe since 1993 when I bought a little seasoning packet and added it, per the instructions, to a pound of ground beef. It's come a long way since then. Now I actually cut up my own vegetables and add the spices, etc. to my own taste. Below you will notice that I have both ground beef and Italian sausage. If you want this to be super hot, to where you actually will sweat while eating it, then just use the sausage and double the amount. If you don't like hot chili, then go with the ground beef doubled up.

Over the years, while eating my chili, most people would comment on how great it tasted, but also about how hot it was. I've had many requests for me to make it again, but this request was usually followed by another request to "not make it so hot this time". This was during the time when I used only the sausage and I tried many thing to try to "cool" if off some. I found the only way to cool it down was to mix in some ground beef and now I normally make it half and half.

One variation that I want to try, but just haven't gotten around to yet, is to switch out the ground beef with steak. I figure to use 1 lb of steak, probably a london broil, sliced up into 1/2 inch cubes.

Ingredients: (an asterisk * next to the ingredient means it's an estimate. I normally don't measure, I just add and taste until I like it)

1 lb Ground Beef
1 lb Hot Italian Sausage
8 Baseball Size Tomatoes
1 - 2 Baseball Size Onions
1 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce*
1/2 cup crushed Red Pepper*
1/2 cup ground Cayenne Pepper*
1/2 cup Chili Powder*
1 cup shredded Cheese (your choice of type/flavor)
1 cup Sour Cream
1 can Kidney Beans (or two if you like a lot of beans)
Assorted Hot and Chili Peppers (your choice)

Directions:
Dice the tomatoes and onions and simmer them in a large pot. Next, if sausage is in links, cut it free. Grill the beef and sausage together. Make sure the meat is crumbly, like taco or sloppy joe meat. Once the beef is completely cooked through, drain it and add it to the tomatoes and onions. Add the kidney beans. Dice and add any assorted peppers you chose (I don't normally use these). Add hot sauce.

Now you can add the spices, but only add a little of each at a time. Stir and taste after each few spoonfuls added until you like the taste. You should add about 1/4 cup of each.

Simmer for about an hour. This will make it almost soupy. It's ready to serve at this point. Use the sour cream and shredded cheese as toppings. I usually let people add their own and I serve it with dip style tortilla chips.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Just How Big is the Universe?

I watched a program recently called "Journey to the Edge of the Universe". It amazed me at just how big the universe is and just how small we are. The average person is less than 6 ft tall. The Earth is about 8,000 miles in diameter. Remember digging in the ground as a kid and thinking about digging all the way to China? 8,000 miles is a long way to dig.

If we were to say that every person were exactly 6 ft tall and we lined them up from head to foot, we would need 7,040,000 (that's over 7 million) to equal the diameter of the Earth.

The Sun is 93 million miles away from Earth and is about 800,000 miles in diameter. To put this in more relative terms, if the Earth were 1 inch in diameter, about the size of a quarter, then the Sun would be 8 ft in diameter and it would be 1.5 miles away. Hold a quarter in your hand next to a wall in your home. Most homes have walls about 8 ft from floor to ceiling. The quarter is the Earth and the wall is the Sun. Now imagine that the wall is 1.5 miles away from the quarter.

It would take 704 million people lined up to equal the diameter of the Sun and 81,840,000,000 (0ver 81 billion) people lined up to stretch from the Earth to the Sun.

Just think, if the quarter was a person, then the Earth would be about 111 miles in size. You'd have to drive about 1.5 to 2 hours. The Sun would be about 11,111 miles in diameter. So, if a person was the size of a quarter, the Sun would still be larger then the actual size of the Earth. People on the Sun are roughly equal to ants on earth.

To make matters worse, or to make us feel even less significant, the Sun is a very, very small star. This website shows a nice graphic display of some large stars and the size comparison of our Sun to them. http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0003-how-big-is-the-earth.php

Now I ask you, if God created everything, and he created Man in his imagine, why did he make us so small compared to everything else?

On top of size, what about lifespan? Humans live for about 80 years. The Sun has been in existance for about 4.65 billion years and is only about half way through its lifespan. This means the Sun will live for about 9 billion years. If we live for a mere 1 second of time, that would mean the Sun lives for about 3.5 years, or if we live for 10 seconds, the Sun lives for 35 years. If the sun were to live for only 80 years, then people would live for only about 22 seconds.

And the Sun hasn't been around for the entire existance of the Universe. I believe the program said the Universe has been around for about 14 billion years. In relative terms, if the Universe has been here for 10.5 years, then our average lifespan would be just 1 second, or, if the Universe existed for 84 years, then our lifespan would account for just 8 seconds of that time.

We are so small and live for such a short time. I know, in death, we probably grow to insurmountable porportions and live forever, right. Sure, those who believe in a God will certainly have an answer for this, as they do for everything. But I will still find it amazing that in the face of such greatness as the mere existance of this vast Universe, people still believe we are the most important things in it.

I think if there were a God out there who created all this and created some part of it in His imagine, then He most likely would have created the Stars in His imagine, as they are far more substantial then we.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Teachers are overpaid

I hear way to often that public school teachers are underpaid. I don't get it. where does this comes from? Why do people believe this statement? I have done research. In my state, the average teacher is paid over $52,000 per year and they are only required to work 185 days, according to the state law that governs their career. The average worker in my state only earns $43,000 and works 250 days.

Let's break this down:
$52k @ 185 days = about $281/day
$43k @ 250 days = about $172/day

On a per day basis, teachers are paid more than 1.5 times as much as the average worker.

As for what exactly a teacher does during their time at work; that doesn't matter. You may say they are shaping our future or dealing with our kids, which is great, but I have trashmen who have to pick up my garbage, there are people who regularly work in sewers and other disgusting jobs, but don't necessarily get paid a lot of money.

You may say that teachers tend to work longer days. This is not exactly true. Some do, but not all and it is not a requirement of their job. Many non-teachers tend to work 12 - 16 hour days on a regular basis.

Teachers also have the ability to get another job during their summer break time, which can also increase their annual income. At minimum wage they can earn about $3500 during this time. that puts them over $55,000 a year on average. That's about $26 per hour.

Now, if you were presented with a job making over $55,000 a year or $26 per hour, would you turn it down because you felt it wasn't enough money?

Friday, August 14, 2009

Michael Vick and the Eagles

Apparently many people are outraged that the Eagles would sign a convicted felon, especially one who killed poor defenseless dogs. I have seen many people say they are going to look for a new team to be their new favorite. Are these people crazy? Are they true fans?

My first thought is yes, they are crazy and no they are not true fans. I don't support what Michael Vick did, but I think I understand it. As I understand (and I could be wrong), Michael Vick grew up in an area where dogfighting is common, even if it is illegal. To someone who grew up with this lifestyle, it is not inhumane or wrong. Just as we kill cows to eat, our lifestyle is considered wrong by those who hold cows as a sacred being. I love dogs and could never see myself using them in such a manner, but I suppose, if I grew up where dogfighting and killing was commonplace, then i too would have no problem engaging in it, just as I love eating my hamburgers and steak.

Michael Vick went to prison and served his time. He is out now and he should be allowed a chance to prove to everyone that he is a changed man. If the punishment for what he did was the death sentence, then that is what he would have gotten; however, that's not what his punishment was, so he should not have to pay that price. He should be given the chance to work again. It just so happens that his career is playing football, so he shouldn't have to be made to get a lesser job just because he was convicted of a felony. If it is your view he should have to take a lesser job, what would be right, or low enough to satisfy you?

As for looking for a new team to be a fan of...well, I say go. If you're not a true enough fan to believe the Eagles are doing what is best for them, then go cheer on that other team. We don't need fair-weather fans here; we have enough tried and true, devoted fans to carry on and we'll see you when the bandwagon returns, after people see that this is a good decision for the Eagles. just wait until Michael Vick is the reason why the Eagles beat the Cowgirls and he drove them into the playoffs and to the Superbowl. Then we'll see how many people hate him so much. Sure, this senerio may never happen, but if it does, I know I'm right about all the so-called fans who are jumping ship right now.

Grow a pair and support your team.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Education Reform - 8 to 5 School Day

This is my first post in a series of how I believe our school system should be reformed. I've decided to begin with a simple change, the length of the school day. Now most people see this and immediately think that it is is simply too long a day for the children and think it also means eliminating after school activites. This is not true and actually is just the opposite.

Good-bye after school activities?
In a sense, yes. children won't need to stay after school to participate in these activities anymore. They will now be able to participate in them during normal school hours, which will be between 8am and 5pm. Classes need to be structured to allow students to have a few hours each day to participate in extracurricular activities. Some students may prefer to take classes for the entire day, while others will prefer to take fewer classes and do a sport, group or other club. After school activities normally don't give credits towards graduation. Why not? These things do teach children may things that they will need in life after school. So give them credit and let them do this during school hours. This will most certainly increase student participation in these activities.

The day is too long?
If children have more time in class during the day, they should expect less time needed for homework (ie., do the work in class instead). Also, by allowing children to do their after school activities during the school day, for credit, it reduces the time they spend sitting behind a desk.

Savings on transportation.
Right now, schools pay to provide transportation for students to get home around 2 or 3pm when school lets out, and then again for those students who choose to stay after for extra study, sports and other after school activities. By pushing the end of the school day to 5pm, the school only has to pay for that transportation once.

Reduced crime and after school care expenses.
Working parents have two choices for their children after school: after-school care or let them hang around home alone. After school care costs about $50 - 100 a week, which is about 3 - 15 hours of work for the parent. As you can see, the lower paid parents are struggling to get by since more than 1/3 of their pay is going to child care costs. And this is if they have only one child. if they have three or more, they may as well stay home and collect money from the government. Their other option is to allow their children to head home with no adult supervision. These kids generally don't spend this time doing their homework. Some end up hanging out with local gangs or drug dealers. By keeping these kids in school, away from people engaged in illegal activities, we can help the local communities by reducing some crime and giving these kids a better chance of a successful future. We can also give parents a chance to spend some of that hard earned money on getting ahead in life.

I'm sure I haven't covered everything I wanted to say here, but since this is a blog, I know I have plenty of time and space to include what I may have forgotten at a later date.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Make money online or on the internet with Google

Yesterday I saw an ad that said someone is making $63 per hour online with Google and that anyone can do it. So i clicked it to see what it was about. This particular ad wanted me to fill out a simple form to get the information about how to make money online with google, but down at the very bottom was a privacy statement and a terms agreement. i clicked those links and read the terms.

In the terms is states that I will have to pay, with a credit card, $1.95 for a CD on how to make money online with google. Then, every month, I will be charged about $70 to remain a member of this group or site that will continue to teach me and send me more information on how to make money online with google. I decided not to fill out the form. I felt it had to be a scam, so i did more research.

What I found was something I have been doing for years, but only on a slight occassion and not really benefitting from it. The basic program is from Google and it's called AdSense. Look on this site and many others and you will see some ads or links. When you click on one of those links, I will get paid from google. It is only a few pennies, but imagine if you had 100 website, or 1000 and you had good traffic through those sites.

But what do you know about building a website? And if you could build a website, how are you going to get enough people to click those links so you can make money online with google? And can you really take the time needed to build 100 or 1000 websites? What would you put on each of those websites? And is anyone ever going to give you 100% of the information you need to make money online with google?

The quick answer is no. I've already explained what it is you need to do to make money online with google. I just have not given step by step instructions.

Well, here are your step by step instructions:
Step 1: Build a website on something you want to talk about.

Try to be very specific about the topic. The more specific, the better. I suggest using a free webhost, otherwise you have to pay for the domain name and that's not free. Broad general subjects are harder to make money on, so make sure you are specific.

Step 2: Sign up for Google Adsense.

Make an account, which is free and follow the step by step instructions. then post the code for the ads on your new website.

Step 3: Submit your website to google, yahoo, msn, and any other search engines you can.

You need to get your site seen, so also get friends to link to it with facebook, myspace, twitter, etc.

Step 4: Repeat Steps 1 - 3 with another website on a different topic.

Do this every day for a year and you'll have 365 websites with ads. If they all link to each other and to other websites outside of your own group, you'll begin to see money coming in. It takes time to do this. There is no quick easy way to make money online with google, so don't be fooled. But start now, because in one year, you're going to be upset with yourself for not having started a year ago. this system really does work, but it take work to make it work.

Click this link to get more information about AdSense:
http://guice.webs.com/moreaboutadsense.htm

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

First Post: About this Blog

I've always been someone to have his own views on things ranging anywhere from religion to politics to education to how many kids to have and why. I've voiced many of these views with family and friends, some over a few drinks. Many of my ideas have merit, but most could probably use some fine tuning. Some of my ideas were spouted out just for fun and to see the reaction.

Over the years I have also been someone who has been sought out for relationship advice. I feel confident that I understand the minds of men, women, girls and boys. I see things how they are and how they should be. If you have any questions about anything, feel free to contact me and I'll be glad to share my advice or views with you.

The purpose of this blog is to share with you what I am thinking and to help you with your everyday problems. Maybe I can be a source of entertainment for you, or your true to life savior. I'll try to provide you with serious answers when you ask for them; but also a laugh when it is needed.
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