I am back.
I lost 25 pounds last year. It reminds me of the time I lost 25 pounds when I was in the fifth grade. I was a fat kid. People made fun of me. I remember for a long time, after I lost the weight, I was very sensitive to weight remarks that kids made about each other. Even though I was no longer chubby, I would jump to defend other overweight kids that were being made fun of even if it was behind their backs. I was a fat kids' hero. I remember one time in choir in sixth grade, we were playing musical chairs, and this one big boy broke a chair trying to get to it. The whole class was laughing. I said something about the other kids being jealous that they had lost. Yeah, I sure told them.
Okay, maybe I was not exactly a fat kids' hero, but I was courageous then. It felt good to stand up for things back then. It is harder now as an adult. I would like to be better about that, but it will have to wait until I am no longer in this "assistant" stage in life.
When I lost 25 pounds in 2008, I did the same things I did when I was 10. I ate healthy, worked out regularly, and ate less. People waste so much time and money on foods, programs, dvds, motivational tools, books, and more to lose a few pounds. All the books and motivational tools promote the idea that losing weight is complicated to understand, but easy to go through with when you know what you are doing. The opposite is true. Losing weight is very simple; it is just hard to go through with. There are no tricks, and anyone who knows how to make a decision can do it. Whether it is motivated by embarrassment brought on by fat facebook pictures or the the desire to stop people from making fun of you as a little kid, some want has got to be bigger than your want for yummy food. That is all.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Boo-Yah's
Something that fascinates/encourages me is our ability to change each others' minds. It doesn't happen very often. Consider this: it is not every day that you are in the middle of stating your point to a person about something he or she disagrees with you about, and they say, "You know what? You are right." In fact, I am pretty sure this has only happened to me a few times (from what I can remember). To be fair, I cannot recall too many instances when I was the one to abruptly change my mind about something as a result of an intense discussion. Of course, this does not take into account all the times my mind was changed, but pride kept me from saying anything. I will admit the times I have done this, it has always been a positive experience. There were no "I told you so's," or "Boo-Yah's." It is refreshing to allow myself the freedom to think from a different point of view, rather than relying on whatever my immediate instincts say. I cannot count the times I thought I knew something for sure, and it turned out to be wrong. Assurance is relative and doesn't necessarily reflect what is true. The thing I am most sure of is most likely different than whatever other people are most sure of. For me, it is that there is a God; for someone else it could be that there is no god. It doesn't matter how sure we both are; we are not both right, and the truth is not affected by our belief or disbelief in it. It is what it is. This is not to say there is no place for guts and instincts when it comes to deciding what to think about things, but I know that we don't set them aside nearly enough when it comes to really listening to each other. Sorry to go all "Oprah" on you.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
I have this friend...
I would like to preface this by informing you that it is a waste of your time to read the following entry. I had fun writing it, but if your time is at all valuable in this moment, you have a life, or you would resent me for wasting your time with such foolishness, please stop now.
That being said, I am so happy you have continued...but don't say I didn't warn you.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a real-life love square on our hands. I have this friend. We'll call her Doris. This is someone I know really well out there in the dating world. She could make any guy the luckiest person in the world which is why, I fear, she is in this position to begin with. I write this post because I got to thinking tonight...she could write some interesting blogs about what she has going on right now. Unfortunately, she does not have a blog in which to entertain us with all her dating mishaps and victories so I have taken it upon myself to report.
The square consists of Doris and three gentlemen: Clark, Gabe, and Bailey.
CLARK: the oh so lovable "friend". He likes to invite her to hang out in groups and then always makes sure they spend a lot of one-on-one time together. Does this guy just really need a friend right now (who happens to be a nice, pretty girl), or does he need to get over himself and grow some balls?! Clark's slow but steady approach is intriguing but may get him into trouble if someone else sees the opportunity to swoop in.
BAILEY: the super-intense, over confident "suitor". He seems like the obvious last-place choice at this point. However, could his "we are meant for each other" pursuant behavior be just the kind of thing that lands him the girl in the end (think "Serendipity" or "Sabrina"). The exchange between these two has gone something like this:
GABE: likely to be an early fan favorite. He is adventurous, handsome, and has some guts. They have already been out a couple times, and find themselves talking and texting quite a bit. The problem: after only knowing each other for two weeks, he moved across the country for 2 months. Will their recent connection be enough to fuel their interest in each other until he returns?
While this is an honest example of what is going on in the single world these days, there are also other methods people like to use to find the right person. The online dating community has grown over the past few years and has been a real success for singles and even for non-singles. The internet has not only made it easier to discuss relationships in this fashion, but it has made it possible to actually form them. I suppose it provides a good alternative to the mess described above.
That being said, I am so happy you have continued...but don't say I didn't warn you.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a real-life love square on our hands. I have this friend. We'll call her Doris. This is someone I know really well out there in the dating world. She could make any guy the luckiest person in the world which is why, I fear, she is in this position to begin with. I write this post because I got to thinking tonight...she could write some interesting blogs about what she has going on right now. Unfortunately, she does not have a blog in which to entertain us with all her dating mishaps and victories so I have taken it upon myself to report.
The square consists of Doris and three gentlemen: Clark, Gabe, and Bailey.
CLARK: the oh so lovable "friend". He likes to invite her to hang out in groups and then always makes sure they spend a lot of one-on-one time together. Does this guy just really need a friend right now (who happens to be a nice, pretty girl), or does he need to get over himself and grow some balls?! Clark's slow but steady approach is intriguing but may get him into trouble if someone else sees the opportunity to swoop in.
BAILEY: the super-intense, over confident "suitor". He seems like the obvious last-place choice at this point. However, could his "we are meant for each other" pursuant behavior be just the kind of thing that lands him the girl in the end (think "Serendipity" or "Sabrina"). The exchange between these two has gone something like this:
SUITOR: Would you accompany me on a date this Saturday evening?
DORIS: I would love to hang out with you, but I wouldn't want to give you the wrong impression by calling it a date. I am not interested in you in that way.
SUITOR: That's cool. Let's go anyway.
-------------------------DATE NIGHT---------------------------
SUITOR: No, I insist on paying.
DORIS:Cool. Let's get dessert.
---------------THE DROP OFF FROM THE DATE---------------
SUITOR: When my I have the pleasure of a second date?
DORIS: Huh?
SUITOR: Tomorrow works for me. I can take you to a great little bakery by the water.
DORIS: That is fine, but...
SUITOR: Settled! Goodnight----> (leans in)
GABE: likely to be an early fan favorite. He is adventurous, handsome, and has some guts. They have already been out a couple times, and find themselves talking and texting quite a bit. The problem: after only knowing each other for two weeks, he moved across the country for 2 months. Will their recent connection be enough to fuel their interest in each other until he returns?
While this is an honest example of what is going on in the single world these days, there are also other methods people like to use to find the right person. The online dating community has grown over the past few years and has been a real success for singles and even for non-singles. The internet has not only made it easier to discuss relationships in this fashion, but it has made it possible to actually form them. I suppose it provides a good alternative to the mess described above.
Sunday in th City
I have lived in my new apartment for a few weeks now, but I am just starting to settle in. The place is still a mess. I have spent pretty much every weekend since moving working on it: painting, buying things, setting up, unpacking. It is just starting to pay off, and I am so happy with the way it is coming together.
This move has brought on a lot of changes for me, but there is one specific change that I am so pleased with that I feel my life will never be the same; I, for the first time in my life, have a DVR. I have no idea how I ever lived without one up until this point, but I will never be going back. Never again are the days of being stressed about getting home on time to see "The Office", missing a single episode of "The Colbert Report", or even having to watch commercials. When the presidential debate starts at 6:00 PM on a Friday, I can spend my Friday night elsewhere doing "young people" stuff (not that I actually did "young people" and didn't watch the debate last Friday night...but there is always that option). It is so comforting to know I may not always be there for my shows, but they are always there for me.
I like Sundays. My Sundays usually consist of things like the farmer's market, groceries, eating out for lunch, cooking dinner, maybe seeing a movie in the middle of the day, and going to bed at a decent hour. I think this one will be no exception, and I am about to get to it.
This move has brought on a lot of changes for me, but there is one specific change that I am so pleased with that I feel my life will never be the same; I, for the first time in my life, have a DVR. I have no idea how I ever lived without one up until this point, but I will never be going back. Never again are the days of being stressed about getting home on time to see "The Office", missing a single episode of "The Colbert Report", or even having to watch commercials. When the presidential debate starts at 6:00 PM on a Friday, I can spend my Friday night elsewhere doing "young people" stuff (not that I actually did "young people" and didn't watch the debate last Friday night...but there is always that option). It is so comforting to know I may not always be there for my shows, but they are always there for me.
I like Sundays. My Sundays usually consist of things like the farmer's market, groceries, eating out for lunch, cooking dinner, maybe seeing a movie in the middle of the day, and going to bed at a decent hour. I think this one will be no exception, and I am about to get to it.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Hollywood Assistants like stuff about Hollywood Assistants
I got my first taste of Hollywood assistantship during my time as an intern a few years back. I was still in school, and against my parents wishes and possibly my better judgement, I moved to LA for the summer to be an unpaid intern. Woohoo!
Internships in this industry don't even need the word "unpaid" to proceed them because I have only heard of one paid internship in the whole town (at my company). Job adds for unpaid interns usually read something like this:
Here is the breakdown of what this really means:
Looking for bright, self-motivated intern---SELF - motivated, not monetarily-motivated
to commit at least 20 hours/week---we will never learn your name for less than 20hrs
Great opportunity---great opportunity for US to get free labor...FREE!!!
to really get your foot in the door---and then right back out, more like dip your toe in the pool because there is no room for you here
and learn the basics of the entertainment industry---you get to listen to us do possibly cool things while you file stuff
!---we are fun and like to use exclamation points!
Looking for someone with a great sense of humor---to make up for our lack there of
ability to multitask---there are a lot of things we don't want to do that you will have to...sometimes more than one at a time
and eagerness to learn---we want you to be enthralled by all of our stories and what goes on here, what we do
Must receive school credit---we don't want to feel bad about not paying you...not that we would...oh yeah, and it's the law
This all sounds very cynical and is probably slightly unfair since I did have a really good time at most of the internships I completed when I was in school. One of them even ended up being such a great experience, I chose it as a career within the industry. I cannot say the others were not worth it because there is no other way I could have felt so comfortable completely eliminating them as career options for myself. The worst and/or most useless thing I had to do as an intern was count the number of trash cans that were scattered about the set of a reality show I was working on. To this day, I don't believe there was a reason for this. If there was, it didn't matter because when I went to report back to my supervisor the information I had so proudly gathered, she was busy and never asked for it in the future.
I guess I tell you all this because the theme of this post is true: Hollywood assistants like things about Hollywood assistants. This notion does not stop with assistants. In fact, this is just where it starts. It just grows and spreads the more years you are a part of it. I am determined to evade this level of self-importance and self-interest (as some are able to do), although I fear this post is not really proving my commitment to that determination.
Perhaps the greatest display of all this and my inspiration for this entry is this blog entitled, "Stuff Hollywood Assistants Like":
http://www.stuffhollywoodassistantslike.com/2008/09/brunch.html
And let me tell you something, it is dead on. I guess that is why it is so funny. It is like watching a gentle/tasteful roast of yourself, funny and strangely enjoyable. And who in LA doesn't enjoy a good episode of "Entourage"? Sure it is good television, but there is something different watching from this perspective.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a completely different note, I am on Ron Paul's mailing list, and I got an email from him this afternoon that I wanted to share. This is just a small bit of it, but I thought it was interesting. It is on the economic crisis going on right now:
Internships in this industry don't even need the word "unpaid" to proceed them because I have only heard of one paid internship in the whole town (at my company). Job adds for unpaid interns usually read something like this:
"Looking for bright, self-motivated intern to commit at least 20 hours/week. Great opportunity to really get your foot in the door and learn the basics of entertainment industry! Looking for someone with a great sense of humor, ability to multitask, and eagerness to learn. Must receive college credit."
Here is the breakdown of what this really means:
Looking for bright, self-motivated intern---SELF - motivated, not monetarily-motivated
to commit at least 20 hours/week---we will never learn your name for less than 20hrs
Great opportunity---great opportunity for US to get free labor...FREE!!!
to really get your foot in the door---and then right back out, more like dip your toe in the pool because there is no room for you here
and learn the basics of the entertainment industry---you get to listen to us do possibly cool things while you file stuff
!---we are fun and like to use exclamation points!
Looking for someone with a great sense of humor---to make up for our lack there of
ability to multitask---there are a lot of things we don't want to do that you will have to...sometimes more than one at a time
and eagerness to learn---we want you to be enthralled by all of our stories and what goes on here, what we do
Must receive school credit---we don't want to feel bad about not paying you...not that we would...oh yeah, and it's the law
This all sounds very cynical and is probably slightly unfair since I did have a really good time at most of the internships I completed when I was in school. One of them even ended up being such a great experience, I chose it as a career within the industry. I cannot say the others were not worth it because there is no other way I could have felt so comfortable completely eliminating them as career options for myself. The worst and/or most useless thing I had to do as an intern was count the number of trash cans that were scattered about the set of a reality show I was working on. To this day, I don't believe there was a reason for this. If there was, it didn't matter because when I went to report back to my supervisor the information I had so proudly gathered, she was busy and never asked for it in the future.
I guess I tell you all this because the theme of this post is true: Hollywood assistants like things about Hollywood assistants. This notion does not stop with assistants. In fact, this is just where it starts. It just grows and spreads the more years you are a part of it. I am determined to evade this level of self-importance and self-interest (as some are able to do), although I fear this post is not really proving my commitment to that determination.
Perhaps the greatest display of all this and my inspiration for this entry is this blog entitled, "Stuff Hollywood Assistants Like":
http://www.stuffhollywoodassistantslike.com/2008/09/brunch.html
And let me tell you something, it is dead on. I guess that is why it is so funny. It is like watching a gentle/tasteful roast of yourself, funny and strangely enjoyable. And who in LA doesn't enjoy a good episode of "Entourage"? Sure it is good television, but there is something different watching from this perspective.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On a completely different note, I am on Ron Paul's mailing list, and I got an email from him this afternoon that I wanted to share. This is just a small bit of it, but I thought it was interesting. It is on the economic crisis going on right now:
To combat the depression by a forced credit expansion is to attempt to cure the evil by the very means which brought it about; because we are suffering from a misdirection of production, we want to create further misdirection - a procedure that can only lead to a much more severe crisis as soon as the credit expansion comes to an end... It is probably to this experiment, together with the attempts to prevent liquidation once the crisis had come, that we owe the exceptional severity and duration of the depression.
The only thing we learn from history, I am afraid, is that we do not learn from history.
The very people who have spent the past several years assuring us that the economy is fundamentally sound, and who themselves foolishly cheered the extension of all these novel kinds of mortgages, are the ones who now claim to be the experts who will restore prosperity! Just how spectacularly wrong, how utterly without a clue, does someone have to be before his expert status is called into question?
Oh, and did you notice that the bailout is now being called a "rescue plan"? I guess "bailout" wasn't sitting too well with the American people.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
rules for being naked in front of strangers
I have been going to the same LA Fitness since January. I go four days a week. As you might expect, there are people I see there on a regular basis. There are the people I feel like I know but have never talked to, people I talk to on occasion but know nothing about personally, and then those that I never necessarily notice. The way people relate at the gym is just fine with me as they mostly keep to themselves, but that is not what this post is about. This is about when people at the gym are all finished with their workouts, when it is time to clean up and get out. This is about "Locker Room Etiquette", or better yet, "Rules for being naked in front of strangers".
RULE #1 DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT: There is plenty of time throughout the day to look someone in the eye, let them know you are strong, confident, and you are a person who knows what she/he wants. The locker room is neither the time nor the place for this. Looking someone in the eye when you are butt-naked is like staring straight at someone's eyes when you both know there is a huge white-head at the tip of their nose. You both know how hard you are trying not to pay attention to what is going on outside of your direct line of vision. It is not that you want to look, but you are intrigued by how different your bodies are, and you wonder whose is more "normal".
RULE #2 ...OR CONTACT OF ANY KIND: Do not touch anyone, anywhere. Hand to shoulder, shoulder to shoulder, and so on are all inappropriate when one or both people are lacking coverage in the locker room. Sense of touch is simply heightened the less clothes each party is wearing.
RULE #3 DO NOT BE A BEAR: Bears are hairy. If you happened to share this quality with them, you should reconsider "baring" all.
RULE #4 KEEP QUIET: Contrary to scenes in movies and TV shows, locker rooms are not places to make friends and influence people. They simply provide a way for you to leave the gym clean and ready for the workday without the trip home to take a shower. Nothing you say to someone in the locker room translates into real life with any sense of normality so don't waste your breath...or more importantly anyone else's.
RULE #1 DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT: There is plenty of time throughout the day to look someone in the eye, let them know you are strong, confident, and you are a person who knows what she/he wants. The locker room is neither the time nor the place for this. Looking someone in the eye when you are butt-naked is like staring straight at someone's eyes when you both know there is a huge white-head at the tip of their nose. You both know how hard you are trying not to pay attention to what is going on outside of your direct line of vision. It is not that you want to look, but you are intrigued by how different your bodies are, and you wonder whose is more "normal".
RULE #2 ...OR CONTACT OF ANY KIND: Do not touch anyone, anywhere. Hand to shoulder, shoulder to shoulder, and so on are all inappropriate when one or both people are lacking coverage in the locker room. Sense of touch is simply heightened the less clothes each party is wearing.
RULE #3 DO NOT BE A BEAR: Bears are hairy. If you happened to share this quality with them, you should reconsider "baring" all.
RULE #4 KEEP QUIET: Contrary to scenes in movies and TV shows, locker rooms are not places to make friends and influence people. They simply provide a way for you to leave the gym clean and ready for the workday without the trip home to take a shower. Nothing you say to someone in the locker room translates into real life with any sense of normality so don't waste your breath...or more importantly anyone else's.
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