Beginning Weight:  201.5 (-3.5 pounds)

Monday January 19th – Week 8, Day 1
WiiFit Age 33

Torso Twists (6 reps)
Triangle
Spinal Twist
JackKnife (30 reps)
Bridge
Standing Knee
Dance
Single-Leg Extension (20 reps)
Plank (30 seconds)
Cobra
Palm Tree
Tricep Extension (20 reps)
Single-Leg Twist (20 reps)
Half-Moon
Basic Step
Push-up and Side Plank (6 reps)
Downward-Facing Dog
Tree
Single-Arm Stand (6 reps)
Super Hula Hoop (3 minutes)
Warrior
Lunge (20 reps)

Total Workout Time: 53 minutes

Wednesday January 21st – Week 8, Day 2
WiiFit Age 26

Triangle
Torso Twists (6 reps)
Standing Knee
Dance
Single-Leg Extension (20 reps)
Rhythm Boxing (Beginner, 3 minute)
Bridge
JackKnife (30 reps)
Spinal Twist
Sun Salutation
Sideways Leg Lift (20 reps)
Free Step (20 minutes)
Chair
Rowing Squat (15 reps)
Lunge (20 reps)
Warrior
Tree
Single-Arm Stand (6 reps)
Palm Tree
Tricep Extension (20 reps)

Total Workout Time: 64 minutes

Thursday January 22nd – Week 8, Day 3
WiiFit Age 30

Cobra
Plank (30 seconds)
Chair
Rowing Squat (15 reps)
Half-Moon
Single-Leg Twist (20 reps)
Single-Leg Extension (20 reps)
Dance
Standing Knee
Downward-Facing Dog
Push-up and Side Plank (6 reps)
Spinal Twist
JackKnife (30 reps)
Bridge
Warrior
Lunge (20 reps)
Tree
Single-Arm Stand (6 reps)
Free Step (10 minutes)
Rhythm Boxing (Beginner, 3 minute)
Basic Step
Sideways Leg Lift (20 reps)
Sun Salutation
Free Run (10 minutes)

Total Workout Time: 69 minutes

Comments: This was my first week starting back on my Weight Watchers-inspired diet.  As such, I credit the diet for this week’s weight loss more than WiiFit.  However, this isn’t to say that I haven’t noticed any change with WiiFit.  There hasn’t been a dramatic weight loss, but I’ve noticed that formally "jiggly" areas of my body (I’m looking at you, upper thigh) are now not so jiggly.  My endurance is up as well.  Workouts that would have left me out of breath are now a breeze for me.  This week, I tried to push myself to see how long of a workout I could take.  I got up to 69 minutes and could have gone for more had it not been late at night.  I am happy with my WiiFit workouts so far.

I’m very interested in the subject of Copyrights and the Public Domain.  I happen to believe that the length of copyrights have been extended way too far.  When the Constitution was written, copyrights lasted for 14 years.  After that, you needed to apply for a one-time renewal of 14 years.  Over the years, Congress extended copyright terms and made the renewal automatic.  As it stands now, a work copyrighted by a single individual stays under copyright for 70 years after the author’s death.  A work copyrighted by a company stays under copyright for 120 years from the date of publication.

To give an example of how long this is, take this blog post here.  It is under my copyright and will be for 70 years after I die.  I’m 33 years old as I write this.  Let’s assume that I live until 83 (to give nice, round numbers).  This means that this blog post will remain under my copyright until the year 2129.  Of course, I won’t be around to see the copyright run out.  Assuming each of my children (and their children, etc) have their own children at age 30 (again, to keep things nice and round), this blog post will go out of copyright when my great-great-great-grandchild is 5 years old (NHL’s current age).

Why is this a problem?  Well, for one thing, copyright was designed to help encourage innovation.  You get a temporary monopoly on your created work and in exchange the work passes into the Public Domain after a short while.  The temporary monopoly acts as a financial motivator and the Public Domain helps inspire new works.  I’ve had no problem arguing the first part:  How does having my decedents retaining ownership of something 70 years after I pass away motivating me to create new works?  Am I going to rise up out of the ground zombie-style and create new blog posts?  (Latest Post: BRAAAAIIIINNNNSSSS!!!!!)

The second part, however, has eluded my argumentative skills.  I know that a rich Public Domain is important but was never able to fully argue why.  And, more troubling, I’ve been confronted more and more with people who question why we need the Public Domain at all.  Why, they argue, can’t copyrights last forever?  After all, your ownership of your house doesn’t expire and can be passed down to your children.

The immediate argument that came to mind was that, as a work gets older, it gets harder to track down the owner.  There are some video games from the 1980′s whose copyright ownership is unknown.  How could we hope to track down the proper owner of Romeo and Juliet after over 400 years?  Besides this argument, however, I couldn’t come up with a coherent argument for the existence of the Public Domain.

Then, one night, it came to me from the most unlikely of sources.  I was reading NHL his bedtime story, Magic Tree House #30: Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve by Mary Pope Osborne.  We had finished the story itself and were reading the Notes From The Author when I came upon this quote:

Old tales and poetry from around the world are a constant source of inspiration for storytellers. Creating something new from something old allows us to link hands with people of the past. Or, as Morgan le Fay once said to Jack and Annie (in Magic Tree House #16, Hour of the Olympics), "The old stories are always with us. We are never alone."

That was it.  If we allowed the Public Domain to become extinct, we’ll lose touch with that link.  Yes, new stories will be created, but there is something to be said for using old ideas and putting new spins on them.  Disney (one of the big proponent of extending copyright terms) has made many successful films off of stories in the Public Domain.  Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Pinocchio, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Alice in Wonderland, and The Jungle Book were all in the Public Domain when Disney released their movie versions.  Copyrighted works aren’t physical property.  They should be allowed to pass into the public’s ownership after a short period of time so that the public can use those works to create new works.  Thank you, Mary Pope Osborne, for putting it more eloquently than I ever could have.

As you probably know, I’ve been working out using the WiiFit.  As the weeks progressed, I realized two things:

1. I was avoiding some workouts that I didn’t like simply because they challenged me more.

2. I was spending *WAY* too much time between workouts trying to decide what to do next (thus letting my heartrate drop).

I decided I needed some sort of system to randomly select the workouts for me so I could just follow a predetermined list.  Since nothing seemed readily available, I did what any webdeveloper would do: I built it.  It’s gone through a few iterations but I think it’s ready to finally be unleased on the world.  So go ahead, make your own workouts, and get (Wii)fit!

The WiiFit Workout Generator

If you have any comments or suggestions for new features, let me know about them.  I always consider my web applications perpetual works in progress.  There’s always room to improve!

Oh, and thanks go out to the wonderful jQuery and jQuery UI team for their great work on the jQuery and jQuery UI libraries.  I couldn’t have built this site without them.  (Ok, I could have, but it wouldn’t have looked as cool!)

• Got an e-mail promising $7.5M from the UN to anyone who’s been scammed. Just send personal info to W. Africa. How stupid do they think I am? #
• RT @GeekMommy: Okay, seriously, Adam Savage (MythBusters) couldn’t have chosen a more perfect Twitter handle – @donttrythis just rings true! #
• Tweeting Mythbusters. Whoda Thunk it? #
• It’s going to be a long night. NHL has already woken up 3 times: 1x w/ a nightmare, 1x to get a drink, & 1x because JSL made too much noise. #
• JSL, meanwhile refused to go to sleep until nearly 9. Then fussed in his crib before waking up & waking up his brother. #
• NHL & JSL are finally asleep now, so I’m getting to sleep while the gettings good. Goodnight everyone! #
• RT @ProActiveDads: State of Michigan is forcing a new Dad to pay girlfriend’s hospital bill or marry her! http://tinyurl.com/7lbo54 #
• They want to marry anyway, but on their time, not the state’s. Meanwhile, state is taking the $$$ from dad causing financial probs for the 2 #
• First week back on my WW-based diet and I lost 3.5 pounds. I know from experience this will slow in the coming weeks, but still a good start #
• Lunch today: Flat roll (don’t know its real name) w/ hummus & Fiber One cereal on top + cottage cheese w/ Fiber One cereal. 5 points. #
• Celebrities on Twitter http://is.gd/fq2w – I might have to follow some of these folks. (Not the porn stars though. Honest!!!) #
• William Shatner tweets? @WilliamShatner #
• Got an e-mail that begins: “I am calling about…” Um… You aren’t calling. You’re e-mailing. Tough to confuse the two. #
• This morning, NHL didn’t know our current Pres is. As I tucked him into bed he told me he knows who it is: George Bushington! #
• Woah. Almost forgot to work out. Time to clear some space and generate a WiiFit Workout http://www.techydad.com/WiiFitWorkout/ #WiiFit #
• #WiiFit workout done. Pushed myself to 53 minutes today. #
• Wow. Only 24 followers to go before I hit 200. #
• RT @historicaltweet: Obama’s Historical Tweets http://bit.ly/SQiK <== My Historical Tweet idea made it! Cool! #
• Sheesh. Someone in one of my forums hung his flag upside down last night & now is putting it away for 4 yrs to protest Obama being sworn in. #
• It’s way past time to stop the campaign feuding. Obama won the election & we should get behind him regardless of who you voted for. #
• Besides, wouldn’t it be better for America if Obama’s a good Pres & he is proven wrong than if he’s proven right & Obama’s an awful Pres? #
• Ditching the Hulu feed & going to try CNN. Too much fluff there for my taste. #
• The band playing & announcer make this seem like a sporting event. “Ladies and Gentleman, your home team: the House of Representatives!” #
• That announcer sounds like the “Let’s Get Ready To Rumble” guy. #
• “Ladies and Gentleman. In this corner, the President Elect. In that corner Chief Justice Roberts. LLLLLLLet’s get ready to RUMBLLLEEEEE!” #
• Seriously, who *IS* that announcer? Weird to hear a voice that might normally announce sports/wresting announcing political figures. #
• Can’t wait to hear how the “Rumble” announcer will announce Obama. “Ladies and gentleman. Your President Elect: BARACK OOOOOOOBAMA!!!!” #
• Rumble Announcer tripped over his words. How embarrassing would it be if he did that w/ Barack? #
• CNN’s video feed keeps freezing. Audio working fine. #
• …and now the audio is breaking. The Internet is breaking!!!! #
• Quoting the Shma #
• Shma Y’Israel Adonoi Elohainu Adonoi Echad = Here O’Israel. The Lord our God. The Lord is One. #
• And now for the main event! #
• Should I stand if I’m sitting in my office? What’s the inaugural etiquette? #
• Constitutionally, Obama’s Presidency started at noon. So Bush isn’t Pres anymore but Obama’s not sworn in yet. Who’s our Pres??!!! #
• Here we go…… #
• Yikes! He’s messing it up. Nerves must be awful at this moment. #
• We’re DVRing this. I’ll need to watch it again tonight when my video won’t lock up. #
• Small shots of the crowd, but holy smokes are there a lot of people there! #
• Wow. People on statues. People on walls. People on top of people on top of people. It’s just a sea of people out there. #
• More inaugural etiquette. Do I rise in my office? #
• WhiteHouse.gov will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for 5 days & allow comments before the Pres signs it. Cool! #
• Link about the changes coming to WhiteHouse.gov: http://tinyurl.com/6tdmhy #
• RT @jquery: The new White House website (http://ping.fm/8vE8H) uses jQuery <== jQuery. JavaScript powered change you can believe in. #
• W gets on the helicopter. #
• Closing the streaming cast now. Time to get back to work. #
• Wait. Obama’s left-handed? How did I not know that? Hooray for us lefties! #
• To all my left-handed twitterfolk out there, remember: Left-handers are the only ones in their right minds. #
• Wishes Adobe Air didn’t open 2 tabs in FireFox every time I clicked a link in Twhirl. It’s just annoying. #
• RT @dhlawrencexvii: Ah…thanks, Ben Shields! The announcer today is a Navy man: http://www.dailymail.com/News/inaug09/200901190401 #
• Just realized I can’t make my planned meal for tomorrow night. Don’t have a pan that goes from stove to oven. Got to come up with alt plan. #
• Morning Twitterers. #
• I turned in early to catch up on sleep but JSL sabatoged my effort by waking up, coming into our bed, & refusing to go back to sleep. #
• Driving into work today, I noticed my Emergency Brake light was on. Brake wasn’t on though. Simple sensor failure or bigger problem? #
• My car already has 1 sensor failure. The Seatbelt Unbuckled light blinks regardless of seatbelt status. Cheaper to let it blink than fix it. #
• I take a 32oz Nalgene bottle w/ me everyday. Down to 8oz already. Thank goodness for the water cooler in my dept. (24oz in 1.5hrs? Yikes.) #
• RT @elijahmanor: Check out “40 Useful Print-Ready Cheat Sheet For Web Developers” #tech #web http://bit.ly/PVbY #
• This is simply incredible to behold. Yesterday’s Inauguration seen from space. http://is.gd/gDgY #
• Almost done with my second 32 ounces of water. Man, am I thirsty today! #
• RT @thinkgeek: “i’m tweeting this” t-shirt! http://thinkgeek.com/b587 Does not include fail whale or annoying auto “thx for the follow” DMs. #
• RT @WAHMRevolution: Click on links to see full list of recalled products http://bit.ly/3Foyta #
• RT @debworks: http://snipr.com/ahlfk some great companies to follow here <= @SouthwestAir is there too. We’re flying them to DW in 4 months. #
• RT @BuildingCamelot: To all the ladies: what should your man NOT buy you for Valentines day? <= Reply to @BuildingCamelot and retweet #
• Are Nut Bans Promoting Hysteria? http://is.gd/gKnj “…early exposure to peanuts lowers risk of allergy…” So should we give JSL PB? #
• RT @OwenC: Let me summarize the last 24 hours for the PC Geeks: BUSH = CTRL + X, OBAMA = CTRL + N. (via @jowyang) #
• How many oz of water should one drink per day? I’m up to 64oz. Might finish off another 32oz by day’s end. Maybe I’ll shoot for 100oz. #
• This site says Daily Water intake = 1/2 oz of water per pound of body weight if you’re not active. So I need 100oz per day. #
• Oops. Forgot the site’s URL: http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/water.htm #
• Win Little Debbie 100 calorie snacks: http://tinyurl.com/b6hboj #
• Brake light was on on the way home too. Google search shows I need to check my brake fluid. If that’s fine, my brakes need to be examined. #
• The website I wound up at explaining about the brake light: http://tinyurl.com/c5u234 #
• Trying to get the WiiFit Workout Generator to work with my site’s header. #
• This isn’t working right. Giving up for now to work out. Might need to make some kind of custom header for non-blog pages. #
• My WiiFit age is 26. I’m 7 years younger than I really am! #
• Got my Wii stamp on #WiiFIt. #
• #WiiFit Free Step for 20 minutes. 2,000 steps. #
• #WiiFit workout at 48 minutes, can I hit 1 hour? #
• Got the Silver Piggy bank! #WiiFit #
• A 64 minute #WiiFit workout. A new personal best. That should burn some calories. Burn, calories, burn! #
• Way past time for some sleep. Hope I can, though. JSL is already in our bed & I drank a gallon of water today. #
• Morning all. Hope your day’s off to a better start than mine. Tried to check the brake fluid level in my car, but the hood wouldn’t open. #
• Dropped NHL at school, left my stuff at home (in case they needed to take my car in) & brought it into the service shop. #
• Of course, brake light decided to work properly then. Got my stuff at home, went to work, realized I left my shoes at home. Only have boots. #
• Computer doesn’t want to respond today. Another sign I should’ve stayed in bed today. Maybe things will go better after I get breakfast. #
• 2 new AA’s put in Canon A570IS. 1 video taken. 2 days later camera says they’re dying. Checked & they’re fine. Camera’s sensor is messed up. #
• …And now FireFox decided to bomb out on me. Can I crawl under my desk and just hide there till 4:30? #
• I really wish Novell’s iChain would forward on detailed HTTP 500 errors instead of showing a generic error page. Makes debugging difficult. #
• Which of my FireFox extensions is insisting on opening my.yahoo.com every time FireFox starts? That’s definitely not my home page. #
• Why is it when my motivation to get work done increases, my computer decides that’s a good time to slow down? #
• The “Gaston” song from Beauty and the Beast keeps playing in my head. NHL watched B&tB last weekend, why is the song playing in my head now? #
• Playing songs I bought from AmieStreet.com to exorcise “Gaston” from my head. #
• RT @BuildingCamelot: A 17 year old girl has had 6 kids! (3 pregnancies) http://tinyurl.com/bc2lhp <= The fathers didn’t stick around either. #
• My wife is responding to me talking via IM. And I’m only 10 feet away from her! #
• I have 196 followers now. Wonder who will be #200? #
• I have (oh god) a plan! (anyone get the reference?) Going to show NHL Food Network shows to try to expand his culinary horizons. #
• Already showed him Good Eats. After seeing the Edamame episode, he requested that I DVR tonight’s Popcorn and Pretzel episodes. #
• #WiiFit workout generated & almost set to begin tonight’s workout. The workout has both Free Step & Free Run. Should be interesting. #
• Yikes. A 69 minutes #WiiFit workout. Am I nuts? (Well, maybe, but still….) #
• Way too tired to be in work this morning and yet here I am. #
• The AC was shut off so I’m not freezing. Unfortunately, this means the ants are back. I shouldn’t have to choose between ants & freezing! #
• *klonk* *zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz* #
• RT @elijahmanor: Check out “Firebug in IE… a dream come true!” #tech #web http://bit.ly/11n3l #
• Just booked my flight to see my parents. Long Island here I come. (Next weekend) #
• RT @BrettTrout: Call on Obama to boost the tech sector by tackling software patent reform http://is.gd/gVKF Do it for your BlackBerry … #
• Wow. Haven’t taken photos off my camera for awhile. 296 photos to go through dating back to Jan 1st! #
• WiiFit Workout Generator now using #jQueryUI Tabs. Works better than my “fly-out” code. Might have to redo the CSS though. http://is.gd/h07v #
• Pizza Hut commercial advertises 12 pounds of pasta as serving “4 or more.” Really? 3 pounds of pasta is a serving? #
• Got a set of ankle/wrist weights to help kick my WiiFit workouts to the next level. #
• Speaking of which, I think #WiiFit isn’t burning fat so much as building muscle. Formally “jiggly” areas of my body seem to be firming up. #
• NHL just woke up saying “My coughs don’t sound good.” Sounds like he’s getting sick. Croup-y cough. Oh joy. #
• #WiiFit Workout Generator styles updated. Magic Tree House book wisdom copied for a future post. Time for bed. Night all! #

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Beginning Weight: 205 (+1 pound)

Monday January 12th – Week 7, Day 1
WiiFit Age 37

Tree
Single-Arm Stand (6 reps)
Palm Tree
Tricep Extension (20 reps)
Push-up and Side Plank (6 reps)
Downward-Facing Dog
Half-Moon
Single-Leg Twist (20 reps)
Sideways Leg Lift (20 reps)
Sun Salutation
Warrior
Lunge (20 reps)
Jackknife (30 reps)
Bridge
Spinal Twist
Free Step (10 minutes)

Total Workout Time: 45 minutes

Wedesday January 14th – Week 7, Day 2
WiiFit Age 34

Basic Run (Island Lap)
Single-Arm Stand (6 reps)
Tree
Lunge (20 reps)
Warrior
Free Step (10 minutes)
Arm and Leg Lift (20 reps)
Jackknife (30 reps)
Spinal Twist
Bridge
Super Hula Hoop (3 minutes)

Total Workout Time: 47 minutes

Thursday January 15th – Week 7, Day 3
WiiFit Age 32

Rhythm Boxing (Beginner, 3 minutes)
Basic Step
Single-Leg Twist (20 reps)
Half-Moon
Basic Run (Island Lap)
Sideways Leg Lift (20 reps)
Sun Salutation
Advanced Step
Standing Knee
Single Leg Extension (20 reps)
Dance
Arm and Leg Lift (20 reps)
Tricep Extension (20 reps)
Palm Tree

Total Workout Time: 46 minutes

Comments: This week marked my first time using my (soon to be released) WiiFit Workout Generator. I got tired of sitting around between exercises trying to figure out which one to do next, so I worked up something that would make a random workout for me to follow. It wound up including some exercises that I wrote off as ineffective. For example, I did a 10 minute Free Step on Monday while watching Batman: The Brave and the Bold. I never would have considered Free Step and almost didn’t include it as an option for the Generator to use, but I’m glad I did. I hope to release the Generator this week.

Every morning, I read the comics online.  I find it a good way to ease into my day.  Today’s Calvin and Hobbes struck me as all too familiar.  The scene (in case GoComics.com takes it down after 30 days) is set with Calvin asking his mother what’s for dinner.  Calvin’s mom responds "Tortellini."  Calvin, clutching his neck in disgust, yells "Oh, no.  Not Tortellini.  I hate tortellini!!  Oh, gross!  Yecch! Tortellini."  Pinching his nose shut, he continues: "Nothing is more disgusting than tortellini!! Can’t we have something else?"  When Calvin’s mom tells him "No", Calvin proceeds to the dictionary to look up just what Tortellini is.

This struck me as familiar.  I love to cook.  Often, I’ll try new things.  My most recent culinary experiments involve lentils.  Inevitably, however, NHL throws a huge stink over the food.  If it isn’t on his "approved foods list" (not available for parental viewing and subject to change without notice), he simply won’t eat it.  The most we can do is get him to agree to a "No Thank You" bite.  Of course, he then tries to pass off the minimum amount of food in his mouth as his No Thank You bite.  No, NHL, one solitary lentil in your mouth is not a "bite."  If we do coax/threaten him into eating, he’ll eat very little and then tell us he’s full.  Of course, two seconds later he asks if he can have dessert.  Kids must have Main Meal stomachs and Dessert stomachs because the former is inevitably full while the latter is on empty.

I’ve read The Sneaky Chef and Deceptively Delicious.  While I’ve tried some of those recipes to mixed success, I don’t like the idea of hiding the foods from my son.  I don’t want him growing up thinking that  chicken nuggets and pizza are the best foods out there and vegetables are to be avoided as much as possible.  I also don’t want to have to make two different menus every week: One for B and me and one for the kids.  While, I might give them a pass on some of my dishes (say the ones that go heavy on the heat), I want that to be the exception, not the rule.

I also want my kids growing up knowing that trying new foods is a good thing.  To this end, I’ve tried to break a long-time hatred I have for all things coconut.  (History Time: At a friend’s birthday party when I was young, I was served coconut cake.  That night, I got really sick.  It probably wasn’t the cake, but my young mind formed a strong bond between coconut and feeling awful.)  I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t like it, but I don’t loathe it anymore either.

How do you get your children to eat healthier?  How do you get them to eat what you put in front of them without hours of screaming back and forth?  Most of all, how can you get little ones (specifically ones 5 years and ones 19 months old) to try foods that they’ve never tried before without first assuming that they are going to taste awful?

• I’m exhausted this morning. Got to bed late, then NHL woke up which woke up JSL. Then NHL. Then JSL. etc. Only got about 3.5 hrs of sleep. #
• To make matters worse, the AC was shut off & the ants are back. I shouldn’t have to choose between ants & being frozen out of my office. #
• Shoot. Forgot we have a staff meeting today. Lunch is going to be served, but I brought my lunch. #
• Might not take the served lunch anyway. It’s going to be pizza & that’s high points. #
• RT @BrettTrout: TiVo senior programmer programs washing machine to tweet when clothes are done. @PiMPY3WASH http://is.gd/fHjT #
• Staff meeting time. Is it good or bad if they bribe your attendance with food? #
• There’s a poll being run by @redwhiteandnews on suggestions for Bush memoir titles: http://is.gd/fJ7G Please vote for mine. (4th one down.) #
• BTW, my title was: “Buy This Book Or You’re Part Of The Axis Of Evil” #
• RT @BuildingCamelot: How to hallucinate with ping-pong balls and a radio http://tinyurl.com/7guxwj #
• Thinking of doing weekly freeware reviews. Making a list of programs to review so I can work on them ahead of time & schedule the posting. #
• What are some of your favorite freeware programs? #
• RT @eworkouts: Are you a cheater? http://tinyurl.com/9zthyu with tips from other Twitterers <== Contains a tip of mine. #
• Morning all. It’s freezing here. It was 7 as I dropped NHL off at school this morning and that’s not including wind chill. #
• Teen shoots parents. Judge claims he didn’t know killing his parents meant they’d be dead forever because of videogames: http://is.gd/fQJM #
• RT @jquery: jQuery 1.3 is released: http://bit.ly/tUzE Happy 3rd Birthday, jQuery! #
• RT @BuildingCamelot: Time waster: 19 cool generators from Specky Boy http://tinyurl.com/7m38gg #
• Almost passed out just now. Not sure why I’m feeling exhausted when I slept for much longer than usual last night (6hrs). #
• 2 massive searches across our code to check for jQuery 1.3 compatibility issues are slowing my computer down to a crawl. #
• Curse you jQuery Team for coming out with must-have new features! #
• Looks like it’s official. My in-laws’ will be joining us at Disney World. I’m fine with it. Disney World is big enough for both of us. #
• Just because we’re there at the same time doesn’t mean we *HAVE* to do everything together. #
• So far I have a 8 point surplus. 15 points if you count Activity Points. #
• It’s a race. Long running text search to check for jQuery compatibility vs. The Work Day. Which will end first? #
• Got my WiiFit Workout Generator functional. Now I just need to work on the styling to make it look nice. #
• Ok, almost time to do my WiiFit workout. The Generator’s not ready yet, but I can still use it to generate tonight’s workout. #
• Last night’s workout was great. My WiiFit Workout Generator (coming soon) took all the guesswork out of which exercise to do next. #
• Instead of sitting around between exercises trying to choose the next one, I just charged ahead and kept my heartrate up. #
• SC is trying to pass a bill that would make the use of profanity in public a felony. http://is.gd/fQAK Good luck with that! #
• SC’s bill includes publishing items containing profanity or of an “indecent nature.” Publish a book that contains a curse word & go to jail. #
• More on the SC anti-profanity bill. It was submitted by 1 senator (Robert Ford) who keeps submitting the same thing over & over. #
• It never passes. Moveover, this senator has ZERO general bills passed on which he’s the primary sponsor. #
• In other words, he’s a nut & the anti-profanity bill has no chance of getting passed. #
• Why must my computer freeze up when I feel the most productive? #
• Vista sales must be low. Just got an e-mail from Tiger Direct offering me a 500GB HD if I buy Vista. No thanks though. #
• Speaking of Tiger Direct, I keep unsubscribing to their e-mails and yet they keep sending them to me. What do I need to do to stop these TD? #
• RT @phdinparenting: RT @momlogic: BREAKING NEWS: USAir Passenger Plane Down in Hudson River – no fatalities. http://tinyurl.com/7sfz3y #
• Yum. Half of a brownie. A nice treat and not too bad on points. Still have 2 points left for the day. #
• Any WiiFit users out there want to beta test my WiiFit Workout Generator? Would like some input on what’s good & what needs changing #WiIFit #
• 15 minutes until workout time #
• Great 45 minute WiiFit workout done. Now it’s time to get some rest. Goodnight all! #
• Dropped NHL off at school & the thermometer read -6. Way too cold to go out today. #
• Ah, the simple joys of huddling over a warm spaceheater after coming in from the CHILL-YOU-TO-THE-BONE-FREEZE-THE-MUCUS-IN-YOUR-NOSE cold!!! #
• Yay! I won an online contest for a DS game! #
• Is it the weekend yet? #
• RT @debworks: RT @TechGlance: Circuit City fails to be wanted, will now be liquidated http://tr.im/8id7 @bestbuyremix check out the comments #
• RT @lorelleonwp: WordPress Plugin: Viper’s Video Quicktags http://tinyurl.com/ynofba <= I should put this on TechyDad & TheAngelForever. #
• Got 2 beta testers (3 really since 1 is a husband/wife team) for my WiiFit Workout Generator. Anyone else want to beta test it? #WiiFit #
• RT @debworks: http://snipr.com/a6w5z I like #5. <== Uh oh on #2. (Just kidding!!!) #
• RT @TheAngelForever: How can I resist you? –> http://www.theangelforever.com/?p=794 #
• rt @ProActiveDads Parenting.com thinks Dads are inept compared to Moms. http://is.gd/giSR <= Quite heavy handed. Not all dads are like that. #

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A few years back, I went on a Weight Watchers-style diet and lost 75 pounds. Over time, I relaxed my rules and the weight slowly snuck back on. Not all of it, mind you. Still 30 pounds got back in. I would go back on the diet here and there but would never stick with it the way I stuck with it originally. One of the big differences between my initial success and my subsequent failures was that my wife wasn’t dieting with me. When we did it initially, we would support one another. When I tried losing the weight on my own, I failed. Now, we’re both on the diet again, however, and so I think I should be able to shave off 20 pounds before I head to Disney World in May.

Here are some of the lessons I learned from my inital successful diet:

• Support – This is a big one. It could take the form of an online group, an in-person meeting, or family members helping out. Having your spouse onboard is a big help. If your spouse regularly goes off and buys a dozen donuts while you’re trying to shed the pounds you will break your diet no matter how good your willpower is. And no, this isn’t an implication that B did anything to purposefully make me break my diet. However, when she was dieting with me, we could watch each other’s backs. One of us could be strong when the other’s willpower was tested.
• Drink Water – You’d be surprised how often you misinterpret your body’s “I’m thirsty” signal as “I’m hungry.” So drink plenty of water.
• Eat On Small Plates – Perception is a powerful thing. There have been studies where people were shown a movie and given large or small containers of popcorn. Some popcorn was stale and some wasn’t. The people with the large containers routinely ate more popcorn than the people with the small containers – even when the popcorn was stale. If you put a plate in front of yourself your body will think that you are eating more than if you put the same amount of food on a much bigger plate.
• Learn Proper Portion Sizes – The average “American portion” is about three to four times what a real portion is. If you go to a restaurant and order pasta, you’ll be given about 4 portions of it. Don’t be afraid to save leftovers for later. Read nutrition labels to figure out how much a portion is and weight/measure your food.
• Read Nutrition Labels – Yes, I just said this, but it bears repeating. I can’t tell you how many times something sounded good to me until I saw the nutritional information. And watch that “Number of Servings Per Container” number. Some packs that appear to be single serving will actually report numbers based on two servings. Like anyone is going to open a snack bag of chips and only eat half.
• Find Healthy Alternatives – Replace that fat and calorie filled bowl of ice cream with a small bowl of fat free frozen yogurt. Look for low fat, high fiber breads instead of plain white bread.
• Allow Yourself Some Indulgences In Moderation – If you feel cheated on your diet, you *WILL* cheat. So plan on some indulgences. If you like chocolate, Hershey’s Kisses are a great way to get that chocolate fix. I like popping one in my mouth and letting it dissolve without chewing for maximum chocolate-fix satisfaction. If you like pizza, have a slice every couple of weeks. Just don’t indulge too often or with too much quantity.
• Set Goals, Sub-Goals, and Reward Yourself – It’s nice that you want to lose 20 pounds, but don’t think about it in one huge chunk. Think about losing five pounds. When you reach the five pound mark, give yourself a small treat (cookie, slice of pizza, etc) and then focus on the next five pounds. This way you won’t be discouraged that it is taking you forever to reach your goal. You’ll be able to reach your (smaller) goal more often and boost your self-confidence.
• You Will Hit Plateaus – Don’t be discouraged if you hit a plateau. It’s inevitable. Don’t be discouraged when it happens. Just keep at it and eventually the plateau will break. Remember, even if you aren’t losing weight, at least you aren’t gaining weight. And if you do gain a pound or two, don’t stress out about it. Some fluctuations are inevitable as you attempt to shed the pounds.

What weight loss tips do you have? How successful have you been in shedding unwanted pounds?

Beginning Weight:  204 (-5 pounds)

Monday January 5th – Week 6, Day 1
WiiFit Age 24

Tree
Single-Arm Stand (6 reps)
Arm and Leg Lift (20 reps)
JackKnife (30 reps)
Bridge
Spinal Twist
Half-Moon
Single-Leg Twist (20 reps)
Warrior
Lunge (20 reps)
Sun Salutation
Sideways Leg Lift (10 reps)
Tricep Extension (20 reps)
Palm Tree
Rowing Squat (30 reps)
Cobra
Torso Twists (6 reps)
Downward-Facing Dog
Single-Leg Extension (6 reps)

Total Workout Time: 47 minutes

Thursday January 8th – Week 6, Day 2
WiiFit Age 39

Dance
Standing Knee
Single-Leg Extension (20 reps)
Lunge (20 reps)
Warrior
Chair
Tricep Extension (20 reps)
Palm Tree
Rowing Squat (15 reps)
Jackknife (30 reps)
Bridge
Spinal Twist
Downward-Facing Dog
Push-up and Side Plank (10 reps)
Cobra
Plank (30 seconds)
Advanced Step
Hula Hoop
Ski Jump

Total Workout Time: 45 minutes

Saturday January 10th – Week 6, Day 3
WiiFit Age 33

Triangle
Torso Twist (6 reps)
Plank (30 seconds)
Cobra
Half-Moon
Single-Leg Twist (20 reps)
Sideways Leg Lift (20 reps)
Sun Salutation
Tricep Extension (20 reps)
Palm Tree
Warrior
Lunge (20 reps)s
Jackknife (30 reps)
Bridge
Spinal Twist
Dance
Single-Leg Extension (20 reps)
Standing Knee
Advanced Step [320 perfects, only 16 oks)

Total Workout Time: 47 minutes

Comments:  I came pretty close to perfection on the Advanced Step workout this week.  There are a total of 336 moves to perform.  If you do each move at the exact right time, you get a "Perfect" score.  Doing the move too early or too late earns you an "Ok."  Not doing the move at all earns you a "Missed."  On Thursday, I had 324 Perfects and only 12 Oks.  Saturday proved that this wasn’t a one time fluke.  Although I didn’t quite match my previous score, I did hit 320 Perfects and 16 Oks.  I’m also working on a way to randomly choose what workouts I do.  This way I don’t fall in the rut of doing the same workouts over and over.

• Ok, this game was really cool. Can you make it to the end? http://tinyurl.com/8bxawj #
• I feel left out. No Phishing DMs sent my way. Either I’m unpopular with phishers (possible) or I just happen to follow some smart folks. #
• Bed time. Weekend is over already. Why can’t we have 5 day weekends and 2 day work weeks? #
• Ants are back. Worse than before. They’re all over my office floor including where I sit. They’re in my co-worker’s office. #
• I called housekeeping 20 min ago and no response so far. We’ll see how long it takes them. If it gets to 1 hr, I’m going to call back. #
• *Great* start to day. 1st ice everywhere. Almost slipped & fell. Next, ants. Then computer logged off & I lost FF session/all my open tabs. #
• Office vacuumed. That should keep the ants at bay for a little while. No doubt there are ant-reinforcements waiting to march in, though. #
• Ok, I needed a laugh. Thanks Stone Soup!!! http://www.gocomics.com/stonesoup/2009/01/05 #
• Interesting. I tried to purposefully go to the fake twitter login page (just to see it). Site Advisor blocked it for being a phishing page. #
• Then, when I bypassed Site Advisor, my office’s web filter blocked it as a phishing site. (Duh!) Nice job by both Site Advisor & Websense. #
• Twitter Phishers coming from China? Access-Logins.com (the phishy domain name) is registered to zhang xiaohu in Hunan, CN. #
• More evidence. His e-mail is listed as a “126.com” address. That domain name is registered to “Netease.com, Inc.” in Guangzhou, Guangdong CN #
• Whois Record for Access-Logins.com: http://tinyurl.com/7kzzd4 For 126.com http://whois.domaintools.com/126.com #
• Still laughing at this. http://twitpic.com/zwj9 #
• Felt creepy-crawly. Checked the floor. Ants are back! Time to call housekeeping! #
• Is thinking that, since @stkulp is home today. I should really move into her office for the day to get away from the ants. #
• RT @onezenmom: Just in case you live under a rock and haven’t heard about the Twitter Phishing scam: http://preview.tinyurl.com/9rmfy6 #
• Banana bread muffins in the oven. #
• Banana Bread Muffins are done. Putting them away and then it’s WiiFit time! #
• My WiiFit age is…. 24!!! I rocked those tests. I’m a whole 9 years younger. #
• Taking a couple minute break in my workout. Up to 41 minutes, but my legs felt like jelly on that last one. #
• Not only am I working out, but I’m gathering data for a WiiFit web app. #
• Did 47 mins of workouts. I’m going to put away the WiiFit & yoga mat & then head to bed. If my legs will carry me. Maybe I can crawl there. #
• Body doesn’t want to move this morning. Could I have overdone my workout? [bugs_bunny]mmmmm…… Could be.[/bugs_bunny] #
• Another morning spent huddled over my space heater to warm up. Turning the AC full-blast keeps the ants under control it seems. #
• What a choice: freeze myself or be overrun with ants. #
• Awful law to be passed in New Zealand. If you’re accused of copyright infringement/sharing files, your Internet is disconnected. #
• Not proven in a court of law, accused. And there’s no appeals process either. #
• I hereby accuse everyone in New Zealand of mass copyright infringement. #
• Interesting. Found out that a co-worker might have Jewish ancestry. Her great-grandfather’s name was Mordechai. #
• Ugh. Gmail won’t load for some reason. #
• Yum! Banana Bread Muffins came out great! #
• Anyone have any Must-Read articles I could show someone who isn’t up to speed on the Facebook-breastfeeding controversy? #
• Thinking that I’ll need some extra SD cards for the Disney World trip. Might order a few from NewEgg.com tonight. #
• Man, this game is just soooo challenging. http://www.mazapan.se/games/BurnTheRope.php #
• Searching for how to rinse lentils. Making Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew for tomorrow night’s dinner. #
• Anyone know of any good articles on the Facebook/Breastfeeding controversy? #
• Working on a blog post about it and I wanted to link to some other articles on the subject. #
• Found this while looking for breastfeeding photos that Facebook banned: http://is.gd/e8EP None look indecent or sexual in any way to me. #
• Goodnight. Need some sleep to recharge and refocus my mind. (Here’s a hint: Never try to write a blog post while exhausted! ) #
• Got into work ok. Saved some URLs in my draft post as refreshing would surely trigger work’s filter. Breastfeeding pics considered NSFW. #
• The Ant-Slayer is here. Of course, with the freeze-out, I haven’t seen a single ant today. #
• Is wondering how much Verizon charges for mobile web use. Probably more than Disney does for Internet use. #
• To answer my own question on Verizon Wireless mobile web use, it’s billed by the MB, rounded up, at $1.99/MB #
• A day of Disney World Internet costs $10. That’s 5MB of Verizon Wireless Internet usage. We could easily hit that. #
• Plus, our cell phone would be tough to use for browsing. (Not a smartphone, just a LG 8350.) #
• Need to find out whether we could get Disney Internet for some days and not others. #
• Asked the office’s Resident Disney Expert and you *can* turn on Disney World Internet Access for some days & not others. #
• Going to test wife’s camera’s batteries w/ a voltage meter at work tomorrow. Are batteries are really drained or is camera’s sensor wrong? #
• I like big butts & I cannot lie. All you other brothers can’t deny. They’re healthy! … Wait, that’s not how it goes? http://is.gd/eLJI #
• Working on my Facebook/Breastfeeding controversy post. My problem now isn’t rambling, but that I have a lot to cover. The post is too long. #
• Think I’m going to break it up into parts. #
• Ok, you know the country is in trouble when the Porn Industry needs a federal bailout: http://is.gd/eNPf #
• Rethought breaking up the article. Going back to single article format. Almost done with it too. #
• FF went back a page & I lost some of my Facebook/Breastfeeding post. Retyped it & almost done now. #
• Think I’m going to turn in rather than complete it now, however. Getting really tired and hard to think straight. Night all! #
• Morning all! Ant-Slayer was her yesterday, put down ant-bait, so of course tons of ants greeted me this morning. #
• RT @TheDisneyBlog: The cast of Disney ABC’s Pushing Daisies is on Twitter – http://is.gd/eRHn – Is it too late to save the show? #
• Trying to shake off sleepiness and get some work done. #
• SQL Server is down here which means much of my development work can’t be done. ARGH! #
• 121 days until Disney World, 121 days. You take one down, pass it around…. #
• RT @OwenC: Looks like Twitter had a “Delivery Delay” glitch they fixed yesterday: http://status.twitter.com/ Still seems whaled to me #
• Calling all Pushing Daisies Tweeters! Tweet @abcinnercircle “Please bring back Pushing Daisies” #pushingdaisies #
• Update: Calling all Pushing Daisies Fans! Tweet “@abcinnercircle Please bring back Pushing Daisies #pushingdaisies” (leave out the quotes) #
• Finally finished my Facebook/Breastfeeding Controversy: A Dad’s Perspective post: http://www.techydad.com/?p=286 #
• Forgot to work out last night thanks to writing my blog post ( http://www.techydad.com/?p=286 ). Got to make it up today w/ a 45min workout. #
• WiiFit Workout done. 45 minutes of exercise goodness partially interrupted by JSL waking up. #
• Rumbling tummy is insisting on a midnight snack, but I’m going to ignore it & instead drink some water before headed to bed. Goodnight all! #
• QOTD: “We have to do it in the Facebook, with the Twittering, the different technology that young people are using today.” http://is.gd/eHWN #
• Have you read “The Facebook/Breastfeeding Controversy: A Dad’s Perspective” yet? http://www.techydad.com/?p=286 #
• Facebook’s Code Of Conduct ( http://is.gd/eZdL ): “you may not post or share Content that is … obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit” #
• Breastfeeding isn’t obscene. It isn’t pornographic & it certainly isn’t sexually explicit. #
• Some “barely there” bikinis show more breast than breastfeeding pics do. #
• Can hardly keep my eyes open today. Freezing cold in my office & being huddled over the space heater isn’t helping. #
• Is wondering if anyone would notice if I dozed off for a bit. My office door is closed thanks to the AC & I’m way in the back. #
• Brother-in-law visiting & asked us to bring the Wii/WiiFit to my in-law’s house. Haven’t transported it before. Any Wii Transport tips? #
• TweetBack plugin for WordPress looks interesting. I might just try it out http://is.gd/eY1S #
• Wonder how automated Facebook’s banning procedures are. If I marked a scenery or topless guy photo as obscene would it be taken down? #
• Is there any way to change what website Twhirl opens hash tags in? HashTags.org keeps giving 503 Service unavailable. #
• Man did I overeat today. Why is it when I go to my in-laws’ house I lose all willpower? (Not their fault, mind you.) #
• Definitely going to need my WiiFit workout tonight #
• The WiiFit Plank is so not worth it. I spend 30 tortuous seconds doing it & only get 1 WiiFit minute credit? #
• Ok, I know it was only a half minute workout but still it’s a tough one. #
• WiiFit workout done. 47 minutes put in. Now to burn a photo-CD for my BIL & SIL. Oh yeah. And go to bed sometime before 1am. #

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