THE ROSE REVIEW: Best

by Dr. Don Rose

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Which do you want: a tip top torso, or a wide wobbly waist? Do you want to look like a Greek god in sandals, or get a big gut with large love-handles?

It gets harder to avoid the latter as we age; that’s why bloated bellies tend to be seen more often on older folks – like Boomers and seniors -- than on the younger set. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Anyone at any age can have a great looking bod, and not fear their rear, if one follows some exercise and eating rules of thumb. The rules presented below offer ideas on how to get fit and fight fat – something especially useful around holiday time, when calories tend to tempt us time and time again. The modern middle-aged male’s midsection is often more massive than it should be, which can mean many medical maladies if not modified. The good news: most midsections can be trimmed and tightened with time, through tenacity and tried-and-true techniques.

1. Moving Morning: move your workouts to the A.M. if possible -- the earlier the better. Early exercise increases the metabolism, which stays high for several hours afterwards. Benefits of getting your body moving early: more calories burned during the rest of the day and your appetite tends to decrease for a few hours after a workout.

2. Big Breakfast: eat more in the morning (and at lunch) than in the evening. Not only will this get your metabolism going, but you also have all day to burn off “early calories.” Think of your ideal daily calorie intake as an inverted triangle -- more in the morn, tapering off till twilight.

3. Welcome Water: try to drink at least 8 glasses (cups) a day, if possible. Besides the many benefits from the water itself, drinking water before a meal makes you feel fuller and hence you are less likely to overeat. Everyone’s needs are different, of course, but the common maxim says to drink 8 cups a day for optimal health. (Note: urine color indicates whether you need more or less H20; a deeper darker color means you probably need more water.) Tip: try drinking 1 or 2 cups upon waking, before you do anything else; my friend said her friend lost several pounds via this tip alone.

4. Healthy Half: some folks have lost pounds by eating and drinking whatever items they want, but half the usual amount. By doing this, you’re not denying yourself any particular food or beverage – but half the portion means half the calories, which helps you lose weight. For example, one might eat a sandwich with only one side of the bun. (This not only halves the bun calories, but less bread means less carbs -- so it’s a double salvo in your weight loss war.) You also stretch your food budget twice as far.

5. Ditch Dessert: a variant on the previous rule, where you eat whatever you want, with one restriction. In Rule 4, the single restriction was halving portion size; in this rule, it is eliminating any item that is sweet (that is, items with sugar, since sugar is dense with calories). Combining Rules 4 and 5 can be especially effective.

6. Best Buddies: it’s often helpful to have a buddy (or significant other) following the same or similar rules and routines as you -- for support, and to compare notes. Your buddy may discover a useful technique, trick or tip you didn’t think of (or vice versa).

7. More Meals: eat more often, but less per meal. This keeps the metabolism constantly in high gear to burn off calories. Try to keep the smallest meals (i.e., snacks) healthy, too. Using this rule along with Rule 4 can be a sensible combination. For example, instead of 3 or 4 “normal portion” meals per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner and an occasional late supper/snack), try eating 6 to 8 small meals, each at half a “normal portion” or less. This keeps you feeling full and your metabolism high all day. If possible, reduce portion size as the day goes on (see Rule 2).

8. Food Focus: paying attention to what you eat can pay big dividends. First, you’ll enjoy your meal more, since your increased attention will lead you to savor the eating process. Second, the seconds will seem like minutes the more you focus on what you are eating; it will seem like you are eating for a longer time. Third, you will end your eating earlier, because you’ll be aware of the onset of “feeling full” faster – which means less calories taken in, and the gift of extra time to do other things. It’s win win win. Combining this rule with Rule 4 can be effective; the more you truly focus, the more your “half portion” will seem as filling as your former “full portion.”

9. Ending Eating: evening calories are less likely to get burned off that day, and eating right before bed can lead to heartburn or restless sleep, so try to consume less at night (as touched on in Rule 2). Ideally, stop consuming calories at a set time each night. For example, no food after 8pm. Make a rule and stick to it – whatever works for you. The goal: put as many hours as you can between “last bite” and “good night.”

10. Sound Sleep: sleep is when muscles repair, and in general the body uses this time to heal itself. Make sure you get enough hours of shuteye each evening (most people need around 8 hours per night). They don’t call it “beauty sleep” for nothing!

Refer back to these rules when you need to remind yourself of some good habits to follow. These rules are by no means exhaustive, but I hope they provide a general roadmap that will take you closer to your final destination: a fine, fit physique.

If you find it hard to remember all of the information presented above, here is a closing two-line poem that may help, summarizing the rules in ultra-brief form:

Work out mornings, more food early. Focus, buddy; half, no sweet.
8 cups water, 8 food servings. 8 o’clock stop, 8 hours sleep.

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The information provided here is, to the best of our knowledge, reliable and accurate. However, while The Rose Review strives to provide true, precise and consistent information, we cannot guarantee 100 percent accuracy. Readers are encouraged to gather more information before drawing conclusions and making decisions.

Dr. Don Rose writes books, papers and articles on many topics, including computers, the Internet, artificial intelligence, science and technology, and issues related to seniors.

This article is sponsored by Life Alert -- for more information about its emergency response services and other benefits for seniors nationwide, please visit the following websites:
http://www.lifealert.com
http://www.seniorprotection.com
http://www.911seniors.com

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article by Don Rose

Maybe, in the holiday rush, you forgot to get a gift for the most important person in your life -- you. Or maybe you want to get something good because your "friends" gave you gifts you can't really treasure -- like the William Hung "She Bangs" Singing iDoll, with Adjustable Offkeyness. Or maybe the best gift is something from the Three Great F categories: Fun, Fulfilling, or Free. Whatever the reason, no matter the season, here are Dr. Don's 2005 Favorite Things.

...Photo Crazed. They turn your photos into high-end Pop Artwork. Take regular ole pix, and transform them into AndyWarholesque or Lichtensteinian creations, without having to shell out millions of dollars and wait forever for a busy, famous artist to make it for you! I like it. Heck, isn't the expanding of Pop Art techniques to cover all people, pets and things the ultimate democratization of that art form, its ideal evolution? If Warhol's works of the 60's/70's showed how anything and anyone in pop culture can become the subject of art, Photo Crazed completes the vision -- and proves that (here in the OhOh decade) anycat, anymom and anypop can be pop art as well. Great service. See www.photocrazed.com .

..."Eye for an Eye", excellent show hosted by Kato Kaelin that makes you think between the laughs. Imagine a wacky kinda Peoples Court where winners get revenge in lieu of money. Or two parties must battle it out in creative (sometimes crazy) ways to decide who wins a case, when the judge deems this a better way to resolve a dispute (example: a courtroom battle between a man and his ex over custody of an engagement ring segues into them dueling as human pinatas). I could explain further, but better you check out this totally awesome show yourself, on WB channel 5 in LA, back to back shows 2pm to 3pm.

..."Eight Characters of Comedy". Book by acting coach Scott Sedita is a Hollywood “How-To” guide with an intriguing premise: 8 character archetypes exist for every situation comedy, which can help actors and writers find who their characters really are, and form a firm foundation on which to build. It's also fun to look at your favorite shows and figure out which characters map onto which archetypes. Ideal for those wanting to break into sitcoms, meaning 90 percent of Los Angeles, and 100 percent of Studio City. But seriously, it's funny. And fun. See www.sitcomacting.com .

..."The Dick Cavett Show" DVD boxsets. Ray Charles, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and Rock Icons are the subjects of 3 multi-DVD packages released in 2005 from the vaults of "The Dick Cavett Show" (assuming anyone even uses vaults anymore, except maybe Vault Disney -- although "video dungeon" doesn't really cut it either). TDCS was one of the great TV talkers of the 60s-70s; what other guy could talk to Woody one minute, then have the Stones or Bowie bowing the next? Wonderful collections... guaranteed regifting-proof. Take a trip back to when music actually had melody. (If you asked "what's that", just move along.)

...Napster. Their latest software works well, even on dialup connections (minimal buffering time), features a very intuitive interface, plus discounts when you buy in bulk, and no buck-a-song if you go "all you can eat" (9.95/month for basic). Plus, do the math: if you normally buy a CD a month anyway, at 9.95 or more a pop, imagine if that CD came with a million other songs for free; great deal. If you prefer a tune or two at a time, iTunes may be a better bang for your buck. But if you really hunger for music, Napster lets you feast on great music for minimal sheckels. More info at www.napster.com .

..."I Love LA". Speaking of great music, this Randy Newman tune still holds up. I defy you to listen and not feel in a better mood afterwards. Note: having a big nasty redhead at your side adds to the effect.

...Louise's Trattoria. One of the reasons I love LA. Great pasta dishes, and more -- on Pico, Montana, and other locations. Also amazing: their focaccia bread. Note: having a big nasty redhead at your side adds to the effect. More on Louise's at www.louises.com .

...StealthSurfer II. Thumb-sized storage drive lets you surf the Web with anonymity from any computer; enables 100-percent secure and encrypted wireless Web browsing, so you can peruse your porn in peace. SS2's privacy features keep surfers safe from identity theft, phishing and pharming spam attacks (and phreaks named Phred). Ideal for anyone who uses their laptop wirelessly in a public hotspot. The tiny USB 2.0 drive plugs into the USB port of your computer. Available in memory configurations of 128-megabytes to one-gigabyte, $99 up, SS2 is pre-loaded with privacy protection tools: Firefox (browser alternative to Internet Explorer); Anonymizer Anonymous Surfing (safeguards a user's identity and Internet activities); RoboForm (one-click form-fill and user ID/password management); and Thunderbird (portable email). See www.stealthsurfer.com .

..."FREE 411". Call 800-FREE411, get numbers at no charge; they even connect you (yes, FREE) if you stay on the line, saving time and money at the same time. Wow. A deal this good may not last, so jump on it. Their website enables number searching too: www.free411.com .

..."TELL ME". Free service, 800-555TELL. Many free voice-activated features, like Driving Directions: tell it start and end locations, it says turn by turn directions. Other favorite free services from their Main Menu include Time (for any time zone), Blackjack (against a dealer who sounds a lot like Sean Connery), and News. Did I mention it is all free?


Note that, for the record, I am not getting paid to say nice things about any of these favorite things, I just like them -- and besides, letting a company pay your mortgage and Lexus lease and throw wild parties for you with newly single Jessica Simpson in your new hot tub is not considered "payment", right? Good. My congressman said the same thing. Happy new gear!


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Don Rose is Editor In Chief of “The Rose Review”, an online magazine available at www.therosereview.com . He also serves as writer and editor for “New News Network”, at trrnnn.blogspot.com . He may be reached at ddrose@aol.com .

I'll Shun Illusion: Cunningly Shunning, or Running From The Stunning Truth?

by Dr. Don Rose

I used to think it was bad to live in a world of illusion. Always reading science fiction, watching TV, playing games, playing music, writing, inventing, living so totally in the world of ideas -- those created by my mind or others -- escaping from my mind in various ways via various media.

What about the real me, spending some time getting to know him?
Should I pay a visit in there, get back to reality?
Maybe time to get real, make it real?
People say they want to do that all the time, or feel they should.

Never mind.

I am questioning that view now.
Think about this thought: maybe there IS no reality that we can ever really know.
Maybe all we EVER have is an illusion to live in, based somewhat on the so-called reality we inhabit.
If so, why quest for the impossible by trying to "get real"?

Marvelous mind maven Marvin Minsky, in his fine thought-provoking afterword to the Vernor Vinge story "True Names", notes that when we humans brag of being self-aware, we might want to think again. Are we really so aware? What are we aware of? In most cases, not that much. There is a lot we dont understand about how parts of us work, we just operate the machine -- like how we drive a car without needing to know how it all works in every detail.

Minsky is right. There is a seemingly infinite assortment of facts and details about how we operate that we don't know, yet don't need to know in order to live our lives. We don't know that much about the many processes going on subconsciously inside us, most of that stuff operates on autopilot.

(Of course, doctors or biologists do know a lot more than most mortal men about such things, yes, perhaps one can say they are more selfaware. But even they don't know everything of what is going on at a deeper level ---- that is for physicists to know, but they don't know everything about the biological level like doctors, and so on).

We are only really aware that we sort of know our beliefs and the sensory data we are gathering and that we seem to have continuity of thoughts from day to day --- we only know the tip of the iceberg of our potential self knowledge.

On top of all this, our data is often skewed, incorrect, or processed poorly (think drunk, or don't pay attention due to thinking of something else, and the data we take in can be altered on the way to our mind, or even ignored --- have you ever driven to work and then pondered how you didn't pay attention the entire way, like you were driving on autopilot?).

My point is that we are always living in an illusion.
Reality is abstracted in our minds so we can deal with it; we would be overwhelmed if we had to consciously process every little thing every day -- hence, abstraction plays a useful, even vital, role.

But if we can admit our world is an abstraction we create in order to survive and thrive, is it really so bad, or unnatural, to simply live a little more in the abstract? And then a little more?
Will a fully-VR world eventually prove to be a perfectly fine place to live, as long as the dirtywork of reality is taken care of by our bodily autopilots --- plus, perhaps, software or machines?

There I go again. Living in the world of ideas.

Just like you.

We are all abstraction-making goal-creating problem-solving dealing-with-skewed-imperfect-data biomachines.

Reality? That is out there, or in here, somewhere, maybe.
Something for our bodies to figure out and deal with (and we will develop more and more ways of helping our bodies deal with it, so we can more and more live in the mental realm).
This may be our future, for those who want to continue on the curve of increasingly living in the pure abstract, not pure fact -- assuming facts even really exist.

For those who just want to "keep it real",
good luck finding and proving absolute reality.
I think it will prove absolutely impossible.
Really.

Quote of Note i wish i Wrote:

Everything has been thought before, but the problem is to think of it again. ------Goethe

What a terrific tip... think things that time-tested thinkers thought. Gotta give Goethe credit. Which I am, right here... telling this taut thought. Stop me before I get infinitely loopy.

But yes, I believe this can prove valuable, such as after certain lines of valid research are abandoned, only to be rediscovered and turned into great discoveries at a later, more fitting epoch (see Mendel and the history of genetics for one example).

On the other hand, maybe Goethe was just saying plagiarism rocks.

You decide.
Either way, it's still a terrific thought. I think.

By the way, anagram fans,
GOETHE rearranged spells THE EGO, and GO THEE.
Discuss.

# posted by Don @ 12:36 PM 0 comments