So next week begins our journey to Nashville. Still seems so far away however. Well considering I still have a full week of work left, haven’t paid my rent, and praying that this week will not be like the last and I’ll actually have enough dough to make it down there. You know, the obvious things that distract you in NYC. The things that keep you from seeing the big picture sometimes. But what I have been trying to do is keep things in perspective so I don’t have a mental breakdown, which has happened before and can be totally avoided! So I’m trying to focus on……Nashville.

Ah… Even the way it rolls off your tongue. Just makes everything better. It’s not because it happens to be the largest music city in the world, or that people down there are in a generally better spirit, or that the weather is
Nicer and living is cheaper. Because all ofthe above would make the city sound majorally appealing right?

It’s because The Shells have some great opportj ities there awaiting us! First and formost, we have a huge meeting lined up with CAA, or rather Creative Arts Agency. One of the largest in the country and we blare meeting with the head of Nashville office! Awesome! Then we meet with people from BMI, who we are becoming apart of, to get the wheels turning on Joe they can get our music out to radio, TV, tours ect. And we are also meeting with Billboard Nashvile! These opportunities are huge for us, but there is more!

We have two gigs down there that we are so great to have gotten. It is a differant scene in Nashville when it comes to booking gigs. You can’t be just anyone and call up to play. You play your dues at open mics and make a name then get a show, so to be doing Billy Blocks Radio show on December 8th at 12th and Porter at 10pm and then hitting up Mercy Lounge on December 10th at 8pm, is such an amazing opportunity! We are also very lucky to have players onstage with us both nights from Carrie Underwood’s band and Little Big Town!!

Talk about perspective. The Shells are apart of a charity organization called Musicians on Call. They bring us to local hospitals around the country to sing for the sick in hopes to make thier day a little brighter. It is so amazing what music can do for a person. We are very lucky to be visiting a hospital while in Nashville for musicans on call. Just another added perk of the trip!!

So all of these things have put things in a much better perspective for myself. It isn’t easy to look at the bigger picture sometimes when you are swamped trying to keep up with the city that doesn’t wait for you. But it is the city that will always being here and awlays be moving. So I think this will be a great thing for myself and The Shells. We need this to remind ourselves that we are working hard and slowly but surely are climbing up our ladder of success. I’m so stoked about next week! Till then I am just trying to keep things in perspective.

‘Tis the season to consume a lot of calories, and my tighter fitting, post turkey-day trousers can attest to that fact. Healthcare reform is front and center in the national debate, as well, and the rising epidemic of obesity should play a significant role in the discussion. Why is this issue so important? According to female financial guru, Suze Orman, we are already spending $57 billion more on obesity than cancer. Obesity-related health care costs totaled about $117 billion in 2000, according to the CDC (Center of Disease Control). One study on obesity estimates the problem will cost the United States $344 billion in health costs by 2018.

Although it may be an uncomfortable issue to talk about, this matter has had a direct personal impact on my family, making the problem all the more tangible to me. Regardless of the function of genetics or what lifestyle choices are made, the negative consequences are indisputable.

Take a look at the table of negative outcomes provided by the CDC:

These consequences obviously take a large toll on the individuals, but they also have a massive impact on our healthcare system. And the CDC has the data to backup the severity of this intensifying problem:

“More than one third of U.S. adults—more than 72 million people—and 16% of U.S. children are obese. Since 1980, obesity rates for adults have doubled and rates for children have tripled. Obesity rates among all groups in society—irrespective of age, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, education level, or geographic region—have increased markedly.”

Before solutions can be created, the root problems need to be addressed. One of the factors contributing to increased incidence of obesity is our unhealthy dietary habits (myself included). A chart from the New York Times highlights the economic impact of our food choices has been impacted by inflation trends. Over the last 30 years, unhealthy foods (beer, butter, and soda) have become much cheaper than healthy foods (fresh fruits and vegetables), on a relative basis (see chart below). Making a trip to fast food chains has not only become more convenient, but the practice has also become more affordable.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (NY Times)

With our work lives stretched even further and stress levels rising, the picture below highlights the relationship between obesity (as measured by the Body Mass Index) and minutes spent per day eating. Our unhealthy, indoor, sedentary lifestyles take away from our healthy eating habits as well. The U.S. is the country with the highest percentage of individuals who are obese and the country that spends the third fewest minutes per day eating (eating more fast food). Seems like a fairly tight correlation.

Data Source: OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)

Solutions?

Education / Government: Educational support through cooperation with the government is necessary to spread the word regarding the consequences of obesity. Incentives also need to be integrated into our healthcare system so individuals can responsibly attack obesity head-on.

Behavioral Modification: Healthier diet and exercise lifestyles need to be evangelized. Implementation of economic incentives can possibly improve behavior by lowering insurance premiums in exchange for better health compliance. 

Medications: Research needs to continue so innovative medications can help prevent and control obesity. Arena Pharmaceuticals (ARNA), VIVUS (VVUS), and Orexigen Therapeutics (OREX) are  in the late stages in an attempt of getting their obesity drugs approved by the FDA. There is tremendous profit potential if the proper mix of efficacy and safety can be proven, however the detection of side-effects can potentially derail adoption and approval.

Surgery: Advancements have been introduced through medical technologies as well. Allergan’s (AGN) Lap-Band device is an example of an FDA approved device that effectively wraps around the stomach like a rubber-band to control excessive eating urges.

Obviously this is not an easy problem to deal with, as evidenced by the skyrocketing numbers. Many face inherent genetic hurdles in conquering diabetes, while others may have other health issues that contribute to overweight problems.

With the holidays upon us, I still plan on responsibly splurging on occasion, but I’m praying I will have the discipline to mix in some veggies and a run around the block with my eggnog and turkey leg. In the meantime, perhaps I’ll help support the economy by running to the mall and burning some holiday calories by doing some shopping!

Wade W. Slome, CFA, CFP®

Plan. Invest. Prosper. 

DISCLOSURE: Sidoxia Capital Management (SCM) and some of its clients own certain exchange traded funds and AGN, but at time of publishing had no direct positions in ARNA, VVUS, or OREX. No information accessed through the Investing Caffeine (IC) website constitutes investment, financial, legal, tax or other advice nor is to be relied on in making an investment or other decision. Please read disclosure language on IC “Contact” page.

Students at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania aren’t very happy. And you probably wouldn’t be either if your school told you that you were too fat to graduate.

Sound rude? Yeah.
Are they right? Maybe.

But the real question is: does a university have the right to tell students that they have to lose weight?

As of now, Lincoln University is requiring all students with a BMI of 30 or more (which is considered obese) to enroll in a physical education course that meets three hours a week. Receiving a diploma will be contingent on them completing this course.

In other words, you may ace every course you take, but if you can’t walk up a flight of stairs to get to the classroom, you won’t be receiving a diploma come graduation time.

Some students find it unfair that they are being targeted because of their weight, claiming they came to college to get an education, which has absolutely nothing to do with their body mass index. On the flip side, the University claims that they are committed to aiding students in “achieving and maximizing students life goals” and that obesity is a factor that hinders this process.

On one hand the school is helping students adopt a healthy lifestyle (and who wouldn’t want to get credit for working out? Goodbye, gym membership!), but at the same time, is it the university’s job to force students to adopt a certain lifestyle or yank their degree?

What do you think?

Results of my weigh-in this morning: 152.4 lb

Up 2.0 lb from last week. So much for optimism that I would defeat the evil Thanksgiving week temptations. Actually, I did really well as far as the food choices went. I did eat breakfast AND lunch on Thanksgiving day, and I had fairly light portions of everything on the table. I only filled one plate and mostly with veggies, mashed potatoes, and turkey. And, the real kicker was that I only had 1 piece of pie—pumpkin pie. So, I stuck to my guns as far as the desserts went. But, I also had about 4 glasses of wine, so it probably evened itself out.

And tomorrow is picture day. I’m not too enthused about it. I think I look pretty much the same as in my November 1st pics. I can’t seem to get myself off of this plateau! I literally screamed this morning when I saw that stupid number on the scale. I’ve been running, walking, doing push-ups, trying to remain active, yet I still can’t get under this wicked 150-lb mark.

I’m trying to lose weight and not change how I would normally live my life. Yes, I could easily starve myself and eat nothing but salads to get under that 150-lb mark, but most likely I’d only gain the weight back when I started eating like a human being again. And that wouldn’t make me feel too hot. So, I guess I’ll keep plugging away. Maybe I have to add more exercise to the mix. And I’d hate to admit that DD might be right, and perhaps I’ll add some weight-bearing exercise. Blech.

One thing that I’ve been shying away from is my food reporting here on the blog. I have to get back into the swing of things. If I’m writing it down, I’m taking responsibility and admitting what I’m eating. Maybe I think I’m doing OK, but there’s probably places where I could cut back.

Food choices today so far:

• Breakfast: 1 cup frosted flakes w/milk, 2.5 cups coffee
• Snack: Handful of pistachios
• Lunch: 4 slices turkey from Turkey Day. You wouldn’t believe how many leftovers we have!

From professional muscle builders to beginners, an orderly chart for tracking down the progress in workouts is essential. Strenuous workouts require muscle builders to test their compatibility and measure the success ratio. The chart helps keep a track of how an exercise works on your body, and how much mass you gain overtime.

Jeff Anderson, the ‘muscle nerd’ kept a detailed documentation of all his workout plans. This documentation helped him design the Optimum Anabolics program. His theories and exercise plans are a reflection of his ‘tried and tested’ formulae for muscle building.

Working out recklessly, without tracking your workout balance sheet is not a professional approach to all the sweat you excrete in the gym. You would never be able to know which exercise combination suits your body type and which one is eating up your muscle mass. A ‘workout chart’ would help you to detect if your workout has put you at a standstill, and if your body is adapting to your current exercise schedule.

A number of planning options such as Pyramid Weight Lifting Chart, Blank Weight Lifting Chart, Body Mass Index Chart, Body Fat Percentage Chart, Weight Loss Chart, Weight Lifting Rep Chart, Calories Chart, and so forth are available. Besides, you get charts of diet, weight, body index, body fat, muscular mass, and body mass index. You can get printed copies of these charts from the internet.

Maintaining these charts meticulously not only quantifies your success ratio but also keeps you self-motivated and focused on the program. You can decipher the best and the worst workout combination and save loads of time and energy spent on smaller muscle group workouts. Your story of transformation from a skinny physique to a muscular person could be an inspiration for all.

Registering the measure of your progress in numbers and percentage is imperative to your success as a bodybuilder. If you have any suggestions, please post them in the comments section below.

Muscle Gaining Secrets

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website.
_____________

The Chronicle-Herald, the daily newspaper from Halifax, Nova Scotia, ran a story Saturday, November 28, describing a situation where Canada’s national composers’ society (SOCAN) is wanting to be paid for the music used by local gymnastics groups. (See story here.) Gymnastics Canada has refused to pay songwriters for their music, calling SOCAN’s position “immoral.” But in my opinion, SOCAN is in the right.

Yet again, professional songwriters and other composers are placed in the all-too-familiar position of having to explain that, for them, songwriting is a profession. It’s what earns them their bread and butter. They create a product, and people buy that product. And there are guidelines for that product’s use. To use an analogy, buying software created by professional designers requires the purchaser to enter into a licensed agreement with the software company, and there are rules that govern the use of that software. Music, in this instance, is no different.

SOCAN, like ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and a host of others, is a performing rights agency. It is through SOCAN that Canadian songwriters are paid. For most, it’s not a bonus; it is, for most, a vital part of how they’re paid. They receive payment for each CD sold (pennies!), and then they are paid a tiny amount for each time that music is broadcast. And yes, as Gymnastics Canada has been told, running your program by using the original work of composers requires payment.

Three things really bother me about this situation. First, take a look at the photo in the article. Do you think that the power company has donated the power that keeps the lights burning for the dancers? Unlikely. What about the mats, the clothing, the blaster? All donated? Possibly, but unlikely. Is the janitor who cleans the room after use asked to donate his/her services? Unlikely. Are they all accused of making a money grab, as SOCAN is? Unlikely.

There’s something else even worse that’s really bothering me about this: Let’s say, for the moment, that you couldn’t afford to buy an item in a store. Would you consider it acceptable to steal it? If you’re questioned about the theft, would you reply, “Well, I thought the price for that was unreasonable, and so of course I stole it.” If neither Gymnastics Canada nor Gymnastics Nova Scotia can afford to buy the music they’re using, the proper course of action is to not use it, to ask for donations, or to negotiate. SOCAN is on the record as saying, “Whatever their issue was financially, we would work with them to ensure that they abided by the copyright law.” The improper course of action is to take it and use it anyway.

And there is a third, even worse aspect to this whole story. Gymnastics Canada is raising an entirely new generation of young people that will now believe that if you can’t afford music, it is perfectly acceptable to steal it. Gymnastics Canada and Gymnastics Nova Scotia have a moral duty to correct this problem, explain to their young members that they were in the wrong, and start paying professional musicians if they want to use their music.
___________

Gary Ewer has written several e-books designed to get you writing the kind of songs you’ve always known you could write! Click here to read about those e-books.

My bad! Thank you to Lindsey for reminding me to update.

Wow, time has flown – I went on vacation to Palm Springs last weekend and things were a whirlwind before and a whirlwind after, lol.  But I’m back!

Week Forty-Five Results:
Starting stats:
Weight: 247 lbs.
BMI: 36.5

Today’s stats:
Weight: 175 lbs.
BMI: 25.8

Week Forty-Six Results:
Starting stats:
Weight: 247 lbs.
BMI: 36.5

Today’s stats:
Weight: 174 lbs.
BMI: 25.7

Week Forty-Seven Results:
Starting stats:
Weight: 247 lbs.
BMI: 36.5

Today’s stats:
Weight: 175 lbs.
BMI: 25.8

So what’s the story there? Basically, I screwed up on vacation.  Big time.  I ate whatever I wanted – a whole bunch of it.  But, I learned my lesson (a bunch of lessons, actually), and I only gained one pound, for which I’m exceedingly grateful.

Back on this WW wagon with a vengeance!

Here’s some pics from the lovely Palm Springs, CA – and yes, that’s me in a two-piece suit! Crazy, right?

Letzte Woche habe ich endlich den Termin bei einer Diätassistentin angenommen. Mein Hausarzt hat mich dorthin überwiesen. Sie hat sich meine Geschichte genau angehört und hat mir dann einige Empfehlungen mit auf den Weg gegeben. Unter anderem war sie voll des Lobes über die Ernährung der Deutschen. Aus ihrer Sicht sind wir den anderen Ländern weit voraus.  So kommt es auch, dass sie mir ausschließlich deutsche Präparate gegeben hat. Ich nehme jetzt also

1. Legalon zum Aufbau von neuen Leberzellen
2. Gallexier als Unterstützung der Verdauung
3. Meta Oil um meinen Cholesterinhaushalt in Ordnung zu bringen

Dazu soll ich zum Abendbrot keine Kohlehydrate mehr essen oder trinken. Also weder Kartoffeln, Reis, Nudeln, Brot noch Fruchtsaft und schon gar nicht Schokolade und Süßigkeiten. So soll die Leber die Chance bekommen, über Nacht weiter zu Kräften zu kommen. Mal sehen, wie lange ich brauche, um mich daran zu gewöhnen. Im Moment ist der Abend schon nervig. Auch muss Gerlinde für mich extra kochen

Über mein Gewicht war sie zu meiner Freude sehr zufrieden. Ich wiege zur Zeit 84 kg (knapp darunter) und habe bei einer Größe von 1,80 einen BMI von 25,9. Für Männer ist das schon ganz ok, aber meine Leber braucht noch ein paar Kilo weniger, damit die Verfettung zusammen mit dem Abnehmen verschwindet. Da die Leber so ziemlich das Organ des Körpers ist, dass sich am besten regeneriert, bin ich sehr zuversichtlich, dass sich das alles zum Guten wendet. Mein Ziel ist es, durch die Diät auf ca. 78 kg zu kommen. Da ich im Moment recht viel laufe – ca. 3 x pro Woche 30-45 Minuten, wird das alles schon gut klappen.

I used to be 56 Kg and now I am 76. How did I manage to put on so much weight over 20 years? To put it laughably, one kg a year. I was still about 65 Kg about 10 years ago and at my height of 159cm, that was fine with a BMI (body mass index) of between 23 to 27. As I tipped the scale at 69 Kg, I started to feel conscious of my weight with its implications on the state of my health.

I love chocolate, ice cream, cakes,oxtail soup,long-grain white rice, fried chicken but I also love fruits and vegetables Food galore! I know my sin foods and yet I cannot help having them. I tried to exercise, walking briskly for about 40 minutes about three times a week but I end up being more hungry and eat more! I went to a gym but found the atmosphere depressing with everybody, working out in robot-like fashion and most of them are not even fat by my standard, what the hell are they doing in the place? Okay, some people might say that these exercise freaks are there to maintain their “good” health and not so much about losing weight.

Yes, I watch the “Big loser” programme on TV a couple of times but the pressure and the pain the participants go through is not my idea of a relaxing entertainment.

The only time I really lost my weight down to 60 Kg was when I was angry and disappointed with my partner with his merry ways. I was depressed for almost a year, did not feel like eating to the point that I suffered from malnutrition, my hemoglobin went down to less than 10 (normal 12 to 14). I was unhappy and emotionally drained and food did not give me the joy like they do now! I was not healthy at all. No exercise, mind you, just wasting away. I got over it somehow with family support then gradually my weight started to climb.

I was still 69 Kg about seven years ago and the last two years had really spoiled me with rich foods, served buffet-style and those meetings that I attended on a regular basis. When you attend a seminar or conferences held in five-star hotels, you would expect dining five times a day! And the almost daily take-away and frequent restaurant lunches with my “rehabilitated” partner also did not help matters.

My weight reached 74 Kg two years ago and I started some exercise program and it went down to 72 in eight months then I went to Europe late last year for three weeks and was not on regular meals, it further dropped to 71kg and thought I could maintain it upon returning home, but not the slightest chance, especially when my favorite food is fried noodles, Belgian chocolate drink from Coffee Bean and New York cheesecake!!! It is no wonder that I added five kg after 10 months. Now, how to lose this excess fat without doing away with my sin foods? I have tried but I cannot help it. May be I shall eat in small amounts, would it help? I wonder.

I have friends and acquaintances who have similar weight problems and they are also in the same predicament, they just cannot change their diet style even when they know they are going to get high blood pressure and diabetes etc. Food is like drug addiction, the only different is the latter affect the nervous (upper) system,making you THIN, the former attack the “lower system”, making you FAT.

The struggle with my weight and BMI reaching unhealthy 30 has been a long-drawn out process. It requires constant awareness and the will to go on. I do not want to reach 80 Kg, or Lord! No thank you. All my clothes would not fit me as if that is the most important point! No, at that weight I am sure my body will just give in and my blood pressure and sugar are going to build up and my knees would be subject to greater stress and I might have arthritic pain. And very importantly, I might no longer look attractive ( is this scary enough?).

I must lose weight, I am aiming at 65Kg, but I do not want to be depressed while doing it. I still want my favorite foods in small amounts perhaps and I want to exercise whenever I feel like it and not because I am forced to. Are these too much to ask?

Die Die Die is a really cool band hailing all the way from New Zealand.  Check out more of their music HERE

One of the most challenging things I have had to do so far is writing the feature intended for the BMI in-flight magazine Voyager. I had it all worked out; what I wanted to write about, how I wanted to write it and when I was going to write it. But it fell through when the interview I was told I would get was cancelled. Obviously, this is something every journalist have to get used to; you are not always in control of your own work! With only a couple of days left to deadline I had to come up with a new idea and a new interview. Here is the result:

My Edinburgh

Recently voted ”the most desirable city in the UK ” this UNESCO world heritage site is well worth a visit.

As one of the major centres of the enlightenment, led by Edinburgh University, the city earned its nickname “Athens of the north”. The cultural tradition has been carried on by famous authors such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ian Rankin, Alexander McCall Smith and J.K Rowling, not to mention the annual month-long Edinburgh Festival, dedicated to performing arts, music and literature.

Edinburgh’s two main parts – the Old Town and The New Town – creates a unique city picture;

The Old Town, Edinburgh’s medieval heart, is dominated by Edinburgh Castle – a mighty stone building which looks sprung from the rock on which it stands. From the Castle run the Royal Mile all the way down to Holyrood palace and the Scottish parliament, off it leads narrow streets, so called closes.

The New Town was an attempt to balance the once too crowded Old Town, and with its Georgian houses and well designed squares it is easy to picture it as the background setting to a period drama.

Between the Old and New Towns is Princes Street Gardens, once a loch it is now a green oasis in the middle of a bustling city centre, offering shade and rest on warm summer’s days and a spectacular Christmas fair every December with fairy lights, an ice skating rink and stalls.

To the south of the Old Town lays the student friendly areas of Marchmont and Bruntsfield, almost like small towns in the big city they offer specialist shops, cosy cafés and quaint art galleries.

Someone that has seen it all and fallen in love is Poppy Bending Beckett, 22. She lives and studies in the city, and this is her Edinburgh:

The Meadows:

I love this stretch of parkland in the middle of the city, especially during the autumn with all the colours. I often get a take away lunch and go sit on a bench to watch people. It’s like you can see all of Edinburgh in one place, people kissing, people walking their dogs, people playing football, cricket or rugby, or people just having a picnic. The fact that it is massive makes for a nice walk or run, and it’s just absolutely beautiful.

The National Museum of Scotland:

If you walk alongside the Meadows towards George Square and turn left it will take you to George IV Bridge. This is where three of my other favourite places are located, the first one being the National Museum of Scotland. If you go in the middle of the day on say, a Monday, it will be almost empty and they have all these touchy feely exhibitions you can then have all to yourself!

The Elephant House:

Just across the road from the National Museum is the Elephant House. It is a lovely coffee shop with an abundance of, yes you guessed it, elephants! Paintings of elephants, wee elephant figurines, big wooden elephants, customer’s drawings of elephants and even elephant stools! They serve great vegetarian food, my favourite is a porto bello mushroom burger that comes with roasted parsnip and sweet potato with pine nuts and a honey dressing. It is famous for being the place where a then poor J.K Rowling sat for many hours over one cup of coffee writing the first book about Harry Potter, and if you sit by the window and look out you understand from where she got the inspiration for Hogwarts – there is an amazing view of the Castle!

The Bedlam Theatre:

This is the last of my favourite places located around George IV Bridge, but definitely not the least! Basically it’s a gothic church that has been made into a theatre, it’s home to the Edinburgh University Theatre Company and completely run by students. During the Edinburgh Festival in August it’s a busy festival venue where many small independent theatre companies get to set up their plays. I always go to see a couple of the free ones during the Fringe festival, the quality obviously varies but it’s great fun!

Hillend Ski Centre:

This is for the outdoorsy people, and I prefer it to Arthur’s Seat to be honest. Hillend is the longest artificial ski slope in the world, and since I love snowboarding it’s a great way to practise without having to leave the city!

But I also like to go up there just to enjoy the view, especially on summer nights just as it is getting dark. It really is pretty when you see all the lights of the city coming on. And there are never as many people as you would get on Arthur’s Seat, more excluded and just as great a view!

Sidebar:

Other popular Edinburgh sights:

• Edinburgh Castle is the most prominent feature of the city picture. Located at the top of Castle Rock it overlooks the city, and behind its massive stonewalls lays what can best be described as a small village where the oldest building dates back to the 12^th century. Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to her son James VI in one of the castle’s grand rooms.
• The Royal Mile is, as its name implies, a one-mile long street stretching between the two royal palaces; the Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen’s Edinburgh residence. The street is a busy tourist hub, with many cashmere and souvenir shops and also the place where the Edinburgh ghost tours start…
• Edinburgh Zoo opened in 1913 and is today the home of such varied species as lion, koala and pygmy hippos, and the zoo also runs extensive conservation and research programmes. A perfect day out with the kids as some animal interaction is available!
• Calton Hill just east of New Town offers lovely views of the city and is dominated by the only half finished National Monument, modelled on the Parthenon in Athens. There is also the City Observatory, the Nelson’s Monument, the Dugald Stewart Monument, the Robert Burns Monument and the Political Martyre’s Monument to be seen.

Rabid Scotsman, Zeiram Wing, AcidBee, Xcalybr, Hardlydan, and myself have a great bit to be thankful for this year. Among our blessings are you, the listener. So, here’s our chance to show our gratitude and give something back. Here are the dishes being served on The Gamesmen’s table this Thanksgiving:

TQcast, Episode 88- Assassin’s Creed 2,Peggle on the PS3, Modern Warfare 2, Sony to charge for the PSN, and Black Friday mO DeAl$ to save you some cash this holiday season. All that, plus your TQshots, video games, movies, album, and drink tip of the week, and of course much much mO! LISTEN

TQraw, Episode 10.5- Filty surprises Desz with a special guest, Brazil Gets a new old school Gaming console, Google Chrome OS, Smoking not allowed around your iMac, plus much more.. WATCH

BMI XI- The Modern-Day John Dillingers; Simon D. I. and Pat Preezy bring you the finest in Hood Food and Drinks on BMI XI with a couple 40s of Ol’ English, Steel Reserve and Magnum. Also, Chicken, Cheese Puffs and Lemonheads are on deck as well. The fellas cover November’s Hottest downloads including the Hangover, the Orphan, Bruno, New Super Mario Bros, Windows 7 and Modern Warfare 2. LISTEN

The Couch Mercenaries, E89- After a good steak and a few Smirnoff, we chat about the big games this week and not surprisingly a ton of other non related issues like the poor quality of the KFC fillet meal. Give us a listen if you dare and as always save your applause for the end of the show. LISTEN

Overseas Connection E39- The Overseas Connection brings you their nominees for Game of the Year and other categories. Join Murphys Law, Big Bad Daddy and Chin Chinny as we discuss this weeks breaking news, what we have been playing, community emails and the new releases with our special brand of humor from the states and across the pond. LISTEN

Thumbsticks, Episode 22- This week Adrockski and RDD talk about the new social and entertainment updates to hit the 360 (blissfully unaware of the PS3’s swift response), plus we draw a line under Dragon Age and take to the roads with Forza 3. More fun than you can shake your granny at, it’s your Thumbsticks. LISTEN

Evolved Gaming, Episode 68- This week Cory, Drew, and Jay, along with guest Omri, bring you what they have been playing and the news including Twilight Scene It coming to Wii, Scene It coming to PS3, Blizzard says Diablo 3 not coming in 2010, Phoenix Wright coming to WiiWare in January, Lost Planet 2 preorder comes with Wesker as playable character, and much more! LISTEN

RageQuit Vidcast, Episode 21- That’s right! The show is now legal to consume alcohol so much that it goes into a coma and slowly drowns in it’s own vomit, but that’s for a different time. Here it is episode 21. We talk about New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Crimson Skies, Assassin’s Creed 2, and many others. We also name off our top 5/4/10 games of the year…you don’t get it? You will. Just watch. WATCH

As part of my Journalism course at Edinburgh Napier university, we were given the task of writing a portfolio of work over the first trimester. One of the four pieces which we had to write was a feature article which would be suitable for publishing in the BMI Voyager flight magazine. Here is that article, which I did on sport in Edinburgh as well as the side bar which would accompany the piece.

BMI Feature

Edinburgh is widely known for its rich culture and history rather than its sport, but don’t let that fool you – Scotland’s capital is as obsessed with it as much as the rest of the country. But while Glasgow is considered Scotland’s home of football, Edinburgh could equally be known as the home of rugby.

A trip to and tour of the magnificent Murrayfield stadium, is an essential activity for any rugby fan visiting Edinburgh. Treating you to an exploration into the history of Murrayfield and Scottish Rugby, the tour lasts approximately an hour and a half and also shows off the state-of-the-art facilities which Murrayfield accommodates. A mere £6.00 for adults and £3.50 for concessions, a tour of the ground is a bargain day out and enlightens customers to the history of Murrayfield and Scottish rugby union. In conjunction with the Taylor report, which stated that stadiums of a certain size must be all-seated, Murrayfield was rebuilt in 1994 reducing the capacity to 67,130 although it remains the biggest in Scotland. It is currently home of Edinburgh Rugby, Edinburgh Sevens and, of course, the Scottish national team.

Having been built in the early 1920s as an alternative to the grounds at Inverleith and Raeburn Place, Murrayfield hosted its first match on the 21^st of March 1925, when Scotland defeated England, and has remained the home of Scotland’s rugby union side ever since. Seeing as the ground wasn’t built until the 1920s, Murrayfield missed out on the beginnings of international rugby, which also had its roots in Edinburgh.  Raeburn Place in Edinburgh played host to the first ever game of international rugby when Scotland took on England on the 27^th of March 1871. Scotland’s international games continued to be played at Raeburn Place or Inverleith until a variety of reasons persuaded the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) into buying land in order to build Murrayfield. In fact, one of the main reasons that the SRU decided this was because of the troublesome nature of some local schoolchildren. If you were a pupil at the local school in Raeburn Place then you were given a special card that granted you free access to the games. However, due to the open-air nature of the ground, once inside the schoolchildren would then proceed to hand the card to all their friends so they would get in for free as well. This was costing the SRU a lot of money and they therefore decided to jump ship to the more secure site at Murrayfield.

As is the case with many other sports, Scotland is considered one of the oldest and proudest nations in rugby union history. They were one of the founder nations of the International Rugby Board (IRB), at that time the International Rugby Football Board, in 1886 along with Ireland and Wales. Since the first tournament in 1883, Scotland has also competed in every Home nations, Five Nations and, in recent times Six Nations, and have been outright winners of it 14 times, making them the fourth most successful side in the tournaments history. Yet, in spite of their rich history in the sport, Scotland has yet to win the Rugby World Cup since its introduction in 1987.

The club rugby scene is also a popular one in Edinburgh and many teams are based in the city. Edinburgh Rugby is the only professional side currently playing in Edinburgh and they compete in the Celtic League, one of the three major rugby union leagues in Europe. Edinburgh is also home to the second oldest rugby club in the world – Edinburgh Academicals. Interestingly, the club does not have the word rugby in their name; rather they are called Edinburgh Academical Football Club as their formation in 1857 preceded the breakaway of rugby from the Football Association in 1863.

Today, rugby is as popular as it ever was in Edinburgh, with Murrayfield regularly sold out for an international game. With the Autumn Tests quickly approaching, Edinburgh’s passion for rugby is sure to increase as fans flock to the capital city to roar on their nation.  

Sidebar

Edinburgh, though, is not an all rugby city as it also plays host to a diversity of sports. Football is one of the most popular sports in the city and there is an intense rivalry shared between the two main sides Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian. There are also many other semi-pro and amateur teams based in and around Edinburgh. Many other sports are participated in the capital city, which represent the wide range of interests and cultures present in modern day Edinburgh. For fans of American sports, supporters can follow the fortunes of Edinburgh Diamond Devils baseball club, the Edinburgh Capitals ice hockey team and the non-professional American football team; the Edinburgh Wolves. Cricket is also well-liked in Edinburgh with the national team playing their home matches at The Grange in north Edinburgh while there are also many cricket fields present in the Meadows public park for recreational purposes. The city has also held an annual marathon since June 2003 which runs from the city centre out towards Musselburgh in the east and often attracts some of the world’s top athletes. One of Scotland’s most treasured national sports is golf and Edinburgh provides its fair share of picturesque golf courses, with locations such as the Braid Hills, Princes and Silverknowes courses providing commanding views of the city and its surroundings.

Established by the City of Edinburgh Council in 1998, Edinburgh Leisure is responsible for running Edinburgh’s many sport and leisure services and is always looking out for ways of improving those facilities and building new ones. Edinburgh leisure provides facilities for a wide variety of sporting activities and also offers coaching services for kids in order to get them involved in sport from an early age and live a healthy lifestyle.

Siehe auch “Deutschland: Lufthansa will in der Verwaltung sparen“.

Gefunden bei sueddeutsche.de:

26.11.2009 04:00 Uhr

BMI streicht 600 Jobs

Frankfurt – Die britische Lufthansa-Tochter BMI plant, mehr als 600 Arbeitsplätze zu streichen und die Flotte deutlich zu reduzieren.

Die defizitäre Londoner Fluggesellschaft begründete den Schritt damit, unprofitable Strecken aufgeben zu müssen, um möglichst schnell wieder in die schwarzen Zahlen fliegen zu können. Der Stellenabbau betrifft 14 Prozent der 4400 BMI-Mitarbeiter. Dem Unternehmen zufolge sind weitere Einschnitte möglich. BMI verkleinert die Flugzeugflotte von derzeit 39 auf 30 Maschinen und zieht sich weitgehend aus dem Langstreckengeschäft zurück. Lufthansa hat BMI kürzlich ein Gesellschafterdarlehen eingeräumt.  jfl

 

Bmi (British Midland Airways) Airbus A330-243 G-WWBB (msn 404) MAN, originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Bmi (British Midland Airways) (East Midlands and London Heathrow) will return its Airbus A330-200s and will end its long-haul services in an attempt to reduce its losses. The company will cut 600 jobs, reduce its fleet by nine aircraft and cut seven routes (including Tel Aviv and Kiev).

News link with full details:

business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/

article6932432.ece

Copyright Photo: Rob Skinkis.

Please click on photo or link below for full view, information, prints for sale and other photos:

http://airlinersgallery.com/2/2679d93/#/gallery/bmi-british-midland-airways/bmi-a330-200-g-wwbb-01-tko-man-5r-lr-904214/

Well, after me complaining in a previous post about the lack of contact given to me by Hibernian FC, I was given the chance to interview someone. Wayne Henderson was his name. He is not a player, or a coach, or a board member… he was in fact the head groundsman.

I was only told about this as a possibility when I yet again cycled around 8 miles to get to the stadium to take a few photos. I was treated rather well by the club I have grown up supporting. The interview is not exactly with a glamorous star (if such a thing exists at Easter Road) but with a man who has the same feelings for the club as I do. This to me gave the interview a more personal feel, yet it remained professional.

Of course my whole piece was not all about Hibernian and football. I cycled to the museum, located within the deeper realms of the building, nestled on the top floor was actually the ‘Scottish Sports Hall of Fame’. As noted in the actual article (which will be posted this afternoon) it is full of famous faces from different aspects of the sporting history of Scotland and Edinburgh.

To me the article taught me something, it taught me that Edinburgh is home to more than a colony of beautiful buildings and 7 hills, which coincidentally feature in my sidebar. Edinburgh is essentially the crown jewel of sporting history, from Jawbone Walk where a placard states that the first Edinburgh derby was played to Easter Road. From Murrayfield Stadium to the Museum, Edinburgh is a cosmopolitan city with a diverse range of sports on offer.

In short, the interview and being allowed access inside Easter Road for a few photos was a great experience. Having supported the club all my life and seeing my own photos taken from inside the empty stadium enabled me to see everything from a different point of view. I also learned more than my fair share of new facts about sport such as the first golf ball was made of leather and feathers.

Edinburgh is really a fantastic city of sport, whether it be present day or history. Whether your sport is football, ice hockey, rugby, tennis, swimming or Formula 1, there is something in Scotland’s capital city for everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I hit a nice milestone this morning.  I am now under 170!  Woo-hoo!

And the VERY NEXT milestone will be VERY VERY COOL.  The next milestone (in 1.8 lbs) will be the point at which I have removed 50% – that’s FIFTY PERCENT of my starting weight.

I will quite literally be half the woman I was.

But this current milestone is pretty cool in its own right, because I remember being in the 160s in college.  Not  HAPPY about being in the 160s (It seemed too high and it was), but I looked and felt pretty good.  Especially compared with how I’ve looked and felt for the past 15 years… 

When I started this “BMI Chasing” project back in May of 2007 I would have been ecstatic just to get under 200 and stay there.  Or even 300 and stay there.  I don’t think I ever really believed I’d actually be at a weight range I recalled from college, or a stone’s throw from a “normal” BMI of 24.99  (which is exactly 10.1 lbs away from where I am now, and completely do-able).

When I hit that 50% mark I will paste my original BMI Chasing post in with it, just so I (and anyone else interested) can see how far I’ve come…

And baby, I sure have come a long long way!

A frota da BMI terá somente um A330 (Foto: Airliners.net / Clique para ampliar)

A empresa inglesa BMI anunciou que fará cortes em sua frota, operações e em seu staff em um esforço dramático para voltar e ser rentável.

A aérea, que agora é da Lufthansa, cortará aproximadamente 600 de seus 4.470 cargos conforme diminuir suas operações. A BMI também está retirando de serviço 9 de seus 39 aviões e deixará de operar em várias rotas não rentáveis. Com o retorno de dois A330-200 ao operador de leasing, a empresa definitivamente deixa de operar em rotas de longo curso, com exceção de alguns poucos voos para o Oriente Médio.

A BMI disse que pretende focar em “manter sua rede de operações (BMI e BMI Regional) e serviços no Reino Unido e Irlanda, Europa e adjacências, Oriente Médio e Arábia Saudita.” A companhia acredita que “uma vez estabilizados os negócios, a empresa poderá crescer novamente após a melhora da economia, quando a demanda de mercado justificar a expansão.”

A redução de frota de nove aeronaves será completada na primeira metade de 2010. A BMI planeja vender três jatos ERJ-145 da Embraer, e retornará dois de seus três A330 para o operador de leasing. Os serviços médios-longos serão operados por um A330-200, um Boeing 757-200 e a frota de A321.

A BMI deixará de voar entre Heathrow e Bruxelas, Tel Aviv, Kiev e Aleppo em janeiro de 2010, enquanto os serviços para Amsterdam serão suspensos em março do mesmo ano. Serviços sazonais para Veneza e Palma não serão reiniciados no próximo verão.

A empresa apresentou um grande prejuízo de 155 milhões de Libras com vendas de 1.05 bilhões de Libras em 2008, e a Lufthansa concordou em fornecer auxílio para que a BMI continue voando em longo prazo. A empresa alemã está procurando por ofertas para vender a BMI, mas acredita-se que a mesma só ocorrerá com a recuperação do mercado, quando a BMI tiver um maior valor de mercado.

Nuova stangatina su British Midland, compagnia da pochi mesi controllata da Lufthansa.

Il vettore, in chiara difficoltà economico-finanziaria ha annunciato nuove misure per fornteggiare le perdite e armonizzare le operazioni con la mainline Lufthansa.

Due le fondamentali novità odierne: da un lato torna a colpire la mannaia sulla forza lavoro con un taglio di ben 600 posti; sul fronte della flotta e del network, saranno ben 9 sia gli aeromobili sia le rotte tagliate: sospesi del tutto i collegamenti per Bruxelles, Tel Aviv, Kiev e Aleppo a partire da Gennaio 2010,  a Marzo sarà la volta di Amsterdam mentre per la stagione estiva non verranno riattivati i collegamenti per Venezia Tessera e per Palma di Maiorca.

La ridimensionata BMI potrà con tare su 30 aeromobili: di fatto non vengono rinnovati 9 dei contratti di leasing in scadenza nel primo semestre 2010. Esemplificativo il caso dei due A330-200, usati fino ad oggi per il lungo raggio che in qualche modo segna la rinuncia a questo segmento del mercato.

Buone notizie solo per Brussels Airlines, che sostituirà il vettore britannico sui voli da e per Bruxelles.

Di seguito il comunicato ufficiale:

25 November 2009

bmi restructures mainline and bmi regional operations

- focus on core network serving key destinations
- frequencies and capacities that match market expectations

bmi has today announced the restructuring of its mainline and regional operations. The move takes place against a background where the airline industry is facing the challenges of a downturn in demand and the worst recession in the UK since records began. In addition to cost saving initiatives the programme also includes a wide range of revenue enhancement initiatives.

The restructuring plan will see bmi focus on the following key areas:
• Suspending loss making routes
• Adjusting capacity to optimise efficiency and profitability
• Strengthening organisational productivity and efficiency in all areas
• Making use of the synergies of Lufthansa and other partner airlines in all areas
• Maximising revenue generating opportunities with codeshare and Star Alliance partners

The airline’s goal is to focus on maintaining within bmi mainline and bmi regional a core network of services in the UK and Ireland, Europe, the CIS, The Middle East and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Through a combination of improved aircraft productivity and efficiency, and from early 2010 the suspension of non-core and unprofitable services, bmi will reduce the number of aircraft in its mainline operation by nine from the current 39. This reduction will include two of five Embraer aircraft operating on mainline routes that will be returned to bmi regional.

Leases will not be extended on aircraft when they expire in the first half of 2010, including two of the three long haul A330 aircraft. bmi will therefore continue to serve mid haul markets with two long-range aircraft and its fleet of A321s.

bmi regional, which through its niche market position and a long term charter agreement with Airbus, is maintaining a viable operation but is feeling the impact of a prolonged downturn in business-type travel. The return of two Embraer aircraft from the mainline operation at Heathrow and one additional spare aircraft will result in these three units being surplus to requirements. The company is in discussion with potential customers with a view to mitigating this situation.

A reduction in the number of aircraft deployed in bmi mainline and bmi regional operations will result in job reductions coming from all areas of the business, operational and corporate functions. The number of full-time equivalent jobs at risk of redundancy is expected to be approximately 600. However further job cuts cannot be ruled out as corporate overheads will also be cut to reflect the reduced flying programme. Management has today commenced consultations with unions and staff representatives with a view to minimising the number of compulsory job losses wherever possible.

The Lufthansa Group took over bmi in July 2009 and shortly after undertook a due diligence exercise which highlighted the need for a restructuring of the business. Lufthansa has given bmi its full support for the actions it is undertaking in this restructuring programme.

Once stabilised, the business can then be grown again in the years ahead when the economic environment improves and market demand justifies it.

bmi today announced it’ll be further suspending following routes during 2010.  The latest suspension sees cancellation service to Aleppo, Brussels, Kiev, Tel Aviv and Amsterdam.  In addition, 2 of 3 Airbus A330 currently on lease will not be renewed.  The long-haul flight will be mainly operated by Airbus A321 by then.

Following routes will be suspended from 10JAN10:
5 weekly Aleppo (routing via Damascus. Damascus retained)
5 weekly London Heathrow – Kiev
2 Daily London Heathrow – Tel Aviv (last departure from Tel Aviv 10JAN10)

From 10JAN10, its 6 Daily London Heathrow – Brussels service transferred to brussels airlines. Its own service will be cancelled.

From 27MAR10, bmi will cancel 4 Daily London Heathrow – Amsterdam service

bmi has expanded its codeshare agreement with brussels airlines.  The expanded codeshare deal sees bmi’s “BD” code appears on 10 routes beyond Brussels by brussels airlines.  Codeshare routes and flight numbers as follows:

Results of weigh-in this morning: 150.6 lb

Down. 1.2 lb from last week. And still in the same general area for over 4 weeks now. Uber frustrating. You have no idea how much I plead with my scale this morning to just give me a result that was 0.1 less than 150 lb. It laughed in my face, and I’ll have to settle. Again. Also, apologies for posting my weight 1 day later than promised. I wasn’t around a scale on Monday morning, so I figured that 1 more day wouldn’t matter much.

The only thing I can hope is that the extra running and watching my food will help next Monday. I gotta get below 150 lb some time. Perhaps Thanksgiving week isn’t the best time to expect or even wish for it, but I’m gonna do it. I can’t remain stagnant.

Food choices today:

• Breakfast: An English muffin w/peanut butter, 2 cups coffee
• Snack: Pistachios (switchin it up from the almonds)
• Lunch: Lean Cuisine meal (tortilla-crusted fish w/rice), yogurt
• Snack: An orange
• Dinner: Some leftover cole slaw, some pistachios, and 2 glasses of wine. Weird, huh? Well, my excuse is that I’m baking pies to prepare for Thanksgiving, so I’m picking

And you thought this was health care “reform.”

Consider this from the Wall Street Journal “The Health Care Buffet“

Hey, I pay my premiums, bug off!

“What’s more, the House legislation specifically bars incentives for Americans to lose weight. The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) lobbied against provisions that would help businesses use financial incentives to promote weight loss. The NAAFA also opposed allowing insurers to use a person’s weight or BMI to differentiate rates or deny coverage.”

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