Drop that fork!

So I was reading in todays spec, an article focusing on obesity and the medical world. To summarize, very obese patients do not fit into some of the older scanners such as CT machines and MRI because they are too fat (note - as a pizza carrying member of the calorically challenged, I can safely use the word "fat" without repercussion). Even basic x-ray machines. These "old" scanners were only designed to accommodate patients weighing less than 400 lbs (180ish kilos for us metric folks).

Even something like an ultrasound can be blocked or appear "fuzzy" because of the many layers of fat blocking the waves. If patients can't be properly scanned they can't be properly diagnosed. This leads to an improper or even a missed diagnosis of many things such as liver disease and cancerous tumors. Even just getting Shamu onto the scanner bed is a ton of work (no pun intended). How many of you can say you know what it's like lifting an unconscious fat person?

We at Hamilton EMS have a tarp (called a Manta because it's as big as a Manta Ray) which is designed for people up to 800 lbs (360ish kilos). It's designed for 6-8 people to use, we affectionately call it the "fat mat".

The article further states that obesity in North America was 13% in 1978, and in 2004 that number was 23%. That's huge (again - no pun intended). So where do they send the fatties? Veterinary clinics to use machines designed for farm animals. That's right, people get sent out to be x-rayed on a machine that is used to the weight and size of cows and horses. I would hate to find out how that would make me feel.

So here's where I'm going with this...Put down the fork. There are some people that have genuine hormonal and or glandular problems that make you obese. They are however a small minority. Most suffer from what I call "fork in mouth disease". I am one of those people.

At what point do you say "no thanks" to that second helping and decide to go for a small walk after dinner? Or opt for a small bowl of Jell-O instead of ice cream and cake for dessert? Where is the breaking point? I know it's an individual thing that takes will power and support from those who love you to even have a chance to work.

My breaking point came about two weeks ago. I stepped on the scale and it groaned out a reading of 301lbs (never mind the kilos). Down went my fork. I have struggled with my weight since I was kid and I got all the names "Fat-so, tub-o-lard, Orca" etc. Enough is enough.

I love my food and especially Jaci's cooking but something has to give and it won't be my arteries. So to date I have lost a little more than 10lbs. I am not looking for a pat on the back here, Jaci is proud of me and that's all I really need. I have just come to the conclusion that I am too much a fat bastard and it's high time I fix that fat.

I'll keep you posted periodically as I lose decent numbers.

'Nuff said.

John Denver Rocks!

For pretty much all of my life I have been made fun of for my tastes (or lack thereof) in music. Particularly for my adoration of the music of John Denver. People that have made fun of me include but are not limited to my mom, both sisters, (not dad, he likes him too), and of course my lovely wife.

Jaci being at work today afforded me the opportunity to re-watch John Denver's Wildlife Concert. Being home alone gives me the chance to sing at the top of my lungs to the music that I love. Don't be fooled though, the presence of others is by no means a deterrent to my vocal expressions of JD joy.

My mother, with only the slightest of prompting, delights in regaling with stories of how I would sing JD's music when I was younger. I would put the album on the record player (remember those?), crank the volume and try to sing louder than the speakers. Mom first thought to just put ear phones on me but she soon learned to her dismay that earphones don't stop my singing to John Denver. Ever. When I hear his music, I must sing. It's almost a Pavlovian response.

Most people that are my age and younger have never really listened JD's music. They may have heard it but I doubt they listened it; at least not the way that I do.

I would never say that John Denver is a country singer. Not in a million years even though he has done some country songs. John Denver is a western singer. How many actually believe there's a difference? I know I do.

If you really listen to JD's songs, they are filled with images and experiences that many have had and are available to most people regardless of sociology or geography. For example, you may not have been to West Virginia but chances are you know what it's like to drive down Country Roads.

Another of his tunes, called "Annie's Song" starts with "You fill up my senses, like a night in the forest. Like a mountain in springtime, like a walk in the rain. Like a storm in the desert, like a sleepy blue ocean. You fill up my senses, come fill me again." The images in that passage alone are breathtaking.

It's clear that his inspiration comes from first the outdoors and the beauty that can be found in nature, and second from a deep seeded love that he has for the woman in his life. Can anything get more simplistic or beautiful than that? I doubt it.

I find that music today doesn't often seem real. A song sung by one person, was written by someone else, music by a third person and produced by a fourth. Whose song is it? John Denver wrote most of his material (music and lyrics) and to my mind his music has a timeless quality that artists today just don't have.

In his career which spanned more than three decades, he earned fourteen platinum and eight gold albums. In 1985, and by invitation he toured the U.S.S.R. and in 1992 also by invitation he toured mainland China. How many of today's popular artist can say the same?

One day I will have children and I hope that I can pass along to them the joy that I experience with JD's music. I'm quite confident that many years from today, I will be annoying the nurses in my nursing home with a rendition of "Sunshine On My Shoulders" and woe to any who try to get me to stop!

Cheers!

New...and improved?

So today in the "Throne Room Links" section of my blog, I have added three additional links that I enjoy and/or check on a regular basis. I would encourage everyone to check them out!

The first is a link to the History Channel's website. This link takes you to a "today in history" page where there are all kinds of facoids for the history lover in everyone! I know I enjoy this page immensely and thought to pass it along to you folks!

Second is a link to a beverage page. It lists all kinds of drink recipes, most alcoholic but many are not. If you are like me and enjoy drinking in all it's forms, you will definately love this page. Surf and enjoy and if you find a really good recipe, let me know!

Last but not least is a link to Neopaws. This site (based in Toronto) sells many products that can be useful to your dog, some of which Jaci and I bought for our four legged beastie. There are of course, many products that I think most dogs not only can do without but would actually prefer to. If you have a dog, please wander through the site and enjoy!

That's all for now.

Go for the Gusto!

This afternoon Jaci and I went to St. Jacobs (yes, everything was closed, shut up) and out for dinner with Natasha, and Mark and Krista. Mark and Krista are a couple we met at church and we are starting to get to know.

today's plans came about from Thursday. We went over to Mark and Krista's house for dinner with them, Natasha, and Mark and Krista's two kids, Madison and Eden. These two little girls are two of the cutest kids you will ever see. They are so cute that you almost want to throw out the contraceptives; almost.

So during the dessert phase of the evening, I look over and Eden (the youngest) has one of those applesauce cups that you buy from the grocery store as her dessert. She has taken some of the good stuff and smeared it down her chest (her shirt came off earlier when she spilled on it) almost like Indian war paint from the old John Wayne movies.

Not only did she paint herself, she was digging with her small fingers into the applesauce cup to get every last tasty bit, and jamming them into her mouth. That's when it started to hit me. That was such a simplistic gesture that to me was huge. It reminded me of simpler times when we didn't give a rat's behind what anyone else thought of us as we gleefully ran through the sprinkler of life.

When did it become socially unacceptable to lick the pudding cup? I'm not just talking about the tops, everyone does that. I'm talking about getting your tongue down into the cup to grab every last bit. One would think that as an adult, with a bigger tongue, it would be easier. But we don't do it, at least not in public.

Are we afraid people will think we have no manners? No social grace? Dare I say it; no couth? Or are we just afraid to look like a pig digging for truffles? I don't know, and that saddens me.

I love the fact that not only did Eden dive into that cup with reckless abandon, but parents Mark and Krista let her have at it! That's the best part. Mom and dad let her be her, let her enjoy the meal because really, it all comes out in the wash. It's nothing a paper towel and some soap won't fix, and she looked clean as a whistle by bed time.

I hope that when I have kids of my own that not only will I allow them to dive in with gusto, but that I will teach them how! Pudding cups of the world beware! Your days are numbered!

So I doff my hat to all parents that let their kids enjoy life and all that it has to offer without straddling them with a burden of "What will the neighbors think?"

Bootleggin'

Last week a fourteen year old Hamilton boy was rushed to hospital via ambulance because of alcohol poisoning. Understand that any alcohol is poisonous to the body. This is widely recognized because ingestion of this substance leads white men to think they can dance, and makes you think you are funnier and more attractive than you really are.

Drinking too much alcohol too fast can be in fact lethal, and the young lad taken to hospital is very lucky to be alive. How did this boy get the booze? Not in the traditional manner of teenagers of past ages (pinching it from mom and dad), no no no. He called Hamilton Cab and asked for it. He and his buddies gave their order, gave an address they didn't live at and told the dispatcher they would wait at the curb for the cab. When the cabbie arrived, he handed over the booze without checking for ID and drove off. Another cab driver from Blue Line was done in this weekend for the same thing on a police sting operation.

Here's how it works. The customer calls the cab company and makes the order (case of Bud for instance), the cabbie goes to the beer store, buys the beer and delivers it to you. The cost is usually at least twice as much as if you had gone yourself. Here's the thing though, it's illegal. There are companies that are licensed to deliver booze, but no cab company in Hamilton as a license. There are rules to legal companies. For instance they can't deliver after the beer and liquor stores have closed, they can't give to minors or to the intoxicated.

I have in the past used the bootleg service ( I know, I know) but I used it when I was over 19. The one time I used it the cabbie did check for ID and I never used it again (WAAY to expensive). The problem a cabbie will tell you is that if they don't sell the booze, they are out of pocket and they don't profit. A good bootleg night will make more in a night than a cabbie can make in a week, and it's under the table.

So what's the solution? Even if dispatchers stop the practice every cabbie has a cell phone. Most even encourage customers to call them on their cell phones to avoid the dispatcher and therefore make it an under the table transaction. So I don't know what the ultimate solution is.

Most times the police are too busy with assaults, drugs, and other such crimes to be too concerned. Something should be done but I'll be damned if I can figure out what. As long as there are teens with money, there will be cabs with booze.

Incidentally, I linked the cab companies web sites above so that if you want to voice your displeasure at their practice, you can find contact info there.

Bye for now.