The problem with us.

I just returned from a five day cruise through the caribbean with the 'rents and never before have I witnessed the issues our nation has with weight control in such a concentrated timeframe. Like most, I have always acknowledged that the problem exists. I've seen all the 20/20 episodes, I've visited www.bantransfats.com, and I've read the National Geographic article a few months back about obesity in the U.S. I have to admit though....I was even surprised at how much food a group of people can put down in a short amount of time. Of course I'm as guilty as every one else though. We went to a midnight buffet one evening complete with ice carvings, mermaids made entirely of cheese, and watermelons carved into the shape of roses. I wasn't in the least bit hungry, because just a few hours earlier we had eaten a fancy five course dinner, but I couldn't walk out of the buffet without sampling a little bit. It was just that beautiful. That's right everyone....the food was beautiful. Maybe that's part of our problem. The food is designed in our country to appeal to our visual sense as much as it appeals to our sense of taste. For a minute, lets examine countries that dont have problems with obesity yet have the financial means to be just as glutenous as the U.S. (ie..we arn't gonna be making any comparisons between us and Sudan).

First off...the mideast. The average middle class Saudi Arabian has far more wealth than the average american (thank you halliburton) and therefore more money to spend on fancy food, yet they have far less of an obesity issue. Why is this? Because the food just doesn't look that appetizing. Curry tastes great, but when you stare at it on the plate in front of you, it just doesn't look that good.

Second....Japan. Sushi tastes great, but can anyone ever really get over the fact that they are eating seaweed?!? I certainly can't and to be truthful, I really don't like the fact that when I'm eating Japanese cuisine, the food actually has the capability of winking right back at me.

Lastly....South America. The food they eat consits of the same basic ingredients and lack of creativity yeilds lack of attractive options.

I think my point is this....we do have a huge problem in this country with overeating and over indulgence and I realize, thanks to the cruise, that a lot of that is because the food we serve in the United States looks so dang good. We have many attractive options and our eyes make us want to try everything as a form of agreement and confirmation that yes...the food does taste as good as it looks. Maybe a good plan to reduce our issues with obesity, would be to make food less attractive. Instead of worrying about dieting and counting carbs and calories, we should just make all of our loaves of bread in the shape of something really disgusting. Or maybe we could start dying powdered sugar brown. It just wouldn't have the decorative effect that it does now. Whatever we can do to help because this really is a problem. Any more ideas?

Fight!

Do you remember those days in Junior High when that word would echo through the halls and kids would flock from miles away hoping to catch a glimpse of the gory details? We never really grow up. I went to a hockey game in OKC last night and as soon as we found seats, the guy i was with said..."this will only be a good experience if we get to see a fight." My dearest friend from college and her soon to be "significant other" joined us a few minutes later and sat down claiming..."I've never been to a hockey game...I hope we get to see a fight!"

For anyone else who has been to a Blazers game, is it just me, or does it not seem natural to have to sit through the entire game? By standing while the puck is in play you run the risk of getting cussed at, screamed at, and threatened. Is this proper hockey etiquette and I just don't realize it since Avs game cost upwards of 200 dollars per ticket and quite frankly...I've got better things to spend my money on? Now watching these guys play is not exactly like watching Forsberg or Sakic, but the game was still pretty entertaining and I have to admit to even crossing my fingers for a fight.

When the final buzzer went off, we all thought we would have to leave the arena without the fistacuffs that we were hoping for. We were wrong though.....and all hell broke lose on the ice, much to the added pleasure of myself, my friends, and about 1000 other fans at the game. Even the goalies left their respective goals and started beating on eachother. Now these are two players who had no interaction with eachother at all during the game and they even joined in on the fun. The game is over! What exactly is it that they're fighting over? My theory is that it is all a marketing tool. Because of the inherent nature in us, left from those good old days in the dangerous halls of Ken Caryl Middle School, we expect and yearn for a fight at a hockey game. It's the only reasonable place in our adult lives to hope for a fist fight. The marketers know this so there has to be something contractual going on under the table with the players. They know that if they show us a fight, we'll keep coming back for more. Believe me....it works!

Pitt the New Newman

My mom and I were talking about hot men in the movies recently and she brought up Paul Newman. "Yuck....ew gross...he's old!" was my reply. This got me thinking, if my mom was my age when Paul Newman was the hottie in the spotlight, who will be the heartthrob that I pine over in the future, making my daughter exclaim "ew gross mom!"? It will have to be Brad Pitt and I'll explain my reasoning. He fulfills two requirements to be this man who in thirty years, causes 50+ women all over the country to swoon, leaving their daughters baffled. First of all, he is the right age. He is 40 now, and when my future daughter turns twenty, that will age Pitt somewhere in the range of 65-80. He has great looks no doubt, but hasn't quite shown us the lasting image of say....Tom Cruise. Second, he has the acting skills (ala Fight Club and Spy Game) that endure and will certainly still be in the movies unlike George Clooney, who will be a no name in approximately 3 years. Both of these seem to mimick the carreer of Paul Newman so I really think that ladies....he is our man. Join the bandwagon now. Membership is free but donations gladly accepted.

But what about a free T-shirt?

Whenever a friend and I would discuss 5km road races in which we were considering participation, at some point during the conversation the design on the t-shirt would come up as we evaluated whether the race was worth the entry fee or not. He would explain the color scheme and design used on the shirt and how it was similar or different from shirts we already had from other races. If you look into the third drawer on the left side of my dresser (and please dont), you will find a neatly folded stack of t-shirts that I have collected from various volunteer or group events through the years. Typically they are sized XXL so rarely do I ever wear one. My grandmother even made me a quilt of the shirts I collected during my four years in high school.

Why is it, that every where we go, a t-shirt to commemorate the event is offered? We as a society have even come to expect them. If for some reason we leave empty handed, we feel cheated. We feel as though we didn't receive what was due to us by constitutional right. Could it be our need to feel associated with something bigger than ourselves? Or possibly the conformation from our peers that when you break through the facade, none of us are truly fashionable and would rather just dress alike. Possibly we all just really like free stuff and t-shirts are the compensation fad of the 21st century. Whatever the case, I have learned to embrass this part of society because I can show my friends the shirts as somewhat of a wearable journal. Each shirt marks a significant event in my life and can bring back stories and memories I wouldn't have otherwise recalled. I never actually wear them, but my free t-shirts are truly and integral part of my wardrobe. Maybe we should consider making free t-shirts part of the constitution!? We have the right to bear arms, and the right to receive a free t-shirt with participation in any social, volunteer, or extracurricular event. Can you imagine the law suits!?!

On losing

Two of the most important battles were fought this past week....and I have found myself on the losing end of both of them. As I examine both, I cant help but notice some similarity. First of all, just as Bush was able to capitolize on one catch phrase (flip-flop) throughout the campain, the OU sooners were able to capitolize on their lucky, bobbled catches to run in for a touchdown. And just as Kerry was unable to recover from the setback of the annoying outsider Swiftboat veterans, OSU could not get the annoying outsider OU band to stop playing that incesent "boomer sooner" song. It goes both ways though because much like Jeb kept his brother in the running in Florida, OSU wouldn't have stood a chance without the Woods' brothers. We should really start paying their parents to procreate. There isn't a NCAA Div. 1 reg. against that is there? An lastly, just as the better man lost out the election in the end, OSU just couldn't find a way to pull off a Bedlam victory this year. I'm going to go wallow in misery and self-pity. On brighter notes, Oklahoma did pass the lottery to fund public education so not only are my kids going to benifit from a good edumacation, but I soon will be rolling in the dough. Maybe then I can afford to buy an election too.

Karl Rove for President

Am I right people? I mean really.....this is the man who was able to convince just slightly over half of the American people that George W. was a reasonable choice for the Presidency. Despite major setbacks like Bush's poor political views, desicions that would baffle even the most conservative of followers, and the fact that he cant pronounce the word nuclear (It's not nucular Mr. President), Karl Rove was still able to pull out a win. We should send this guy overseas and put him to real work. Kim Jong Il would disarm his entire nulear program after just minutes with Rove. We need to redirect this whole political campaign philosophy and start outsourcing these great talents. If a guy can make someone who graduated Yale with a 'c' average in "how many shots do we have to take before I can show you the backseat of my mercedes, baby" seem presidential, then I would put my money on him against the world's fiercest political leaders any day.

Kerry the Election

I promised myself I wouldn't allow this to get political....so much for that. Since most of my friends live in semi-swing states, I hope that you all get out and vote. My vote however, doesn't count for much since hell would have to freeze over before Oklahoma would vote for a donkey. But hey....I can always influence others through the power of the internet. I heard one of Bush's speeches on NPR a couple of nights ago and he made the blatant claim that no terrorist attacks would occur in the next four years if he is re-elected. "Not on my watch," he said. The irony of his statement though, is that the last terrorist attack happened on his watch. A whole year into his presidency to be exact. How the American people can not hold him accountable for this baffles me. He can make excuses about "bad intelligence" all day long, which also happens to be the bad excuse he is using to for the obviously poor decision to attack Iraq, but when so many American's die "bad intelligence" just does not cut it as an explaination. I'm sure you have all heard of the records of C. Rice stating that Osama was not a threat to the American people just weeks before the attack so I won't start on that. Nor will I start on the scare tactics that Bush uses to swing votes. That is the most offensive and demeaning political tool I have ever witnessed. Go vote (for Kerry!) and let's have a fresh start and a more optimistic and undivided future!