Photo by clevercupcakes / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

You know what I like about the Olympics (besides the thematically delicious cupcakes)? I just like knowing it’s there. During the two weeks in which the winter games are held in Vancouver, I know that I can turn on my TV, flip to NBC, and there is a 70% chance I can watch someone more athletic than me do something dangerous while wearing an outfit that would look ridiculous at a cocktail party. It’s comforting. It’s reassuring. It’s solid.

I like turning on the Olympics while I’m writing emails, or designing mockups, or coding HTML, or writing blog entries, like right now. It’s non-offensive, uplifting except when it’s devastating, and I can tune in and out without losing the plot. People spin, jump, zoom by. I got it. I like seeing Bob Costas in prime time and wondering what he gave the devil in exchange for never aging. I like listening to Dick Button talk about an ice skater’s artistry and hearing Scott Hamilton get SO EXCITED when someone lands [...]

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As some of you already guessed, I moved in with a roommate a few months ago to help cut my rent costs. Sorry, I am not shacking up with a guy, which is too bad because in 16 months my COBRA runs out and I’m gonna’ need some health insurance. If I were smart, I’d start hunting down well-insured grooms right now. Anyway, I agreed to keep my roommate off of the blog as one of the terms of our co-habitation. However, I can talk about indirect events that have happened since we moved in together, in particular the fact that I now have cable television and it is the mental equivalent of eating everything off of that bakery markdown tray. It looks good, but it’s probably not that good for me.

I lived without cable television for…five years? I don’t really remember. It was a long time and particularly unexpected because I grew up on television. In 4th grade, we had to track how much TV we watching in a week, and I was [...]

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My television won’t turn on. Either this is part of a conspiracy by the booksellers of America to get me to buy more paperbacks, or Philips electronics manufactured a faulty power regulator thing-a-ma-bobby-gig. A couple weeks ago I ditched my clunky, cathode-ray TV at Goodwill because, ironically enough, it wouldn’t turn off. If I could merge these two devices, perhaps I’d get a TV that functioned properly.

I tried unplugging the TV and then plugging it back in. This worked a few times, but the magic must have run out because all that does now is make me feel slightly dizzy from all the bending over and getting up. I’ve left the TV unplugged for a whole day and then plugged it in again and I still can’t get it to light up. So I called Philips and they’re sending me a new one, which hopefully is not defective.

The strange thing is, the TV broke two weeks ago and I only called Philips yesterday. One would think I’d have the TV DT’s by now, but I’m [...]

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I don’t have cable, but if I did I would be watching “Ruby” on the Style Network. “Ruby” is a new documentary-style reality show that follows the charming and delightful southern belle Ruby Gettinger as she seeks to lose over 300 pounds. “Ruby” isn’t a game show like “The Biggest Loser.” She’s not competing against anyone, though she does have professional help from an obesity expert, a trainer, and a therapist. Ruby has to live in the real world and doesn’t get to move to a ranch where she exercises six hours a day. Instead she lives at home on disability with her nephew’s assistance. Ruby is an average Georgian girl with one serious problem she’s decided she must overcome or die trying.

I may not have cable, but I did receive a screener of the second episode and was able to watch the complete first episode on the show’s web site here in the “Videos” section. (ETA: Looks like they have taken the episode down now. Sorry!) As I watched the show, I found myself [...]

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Hopefully my appearance on The Early Show went super duper fantastic and you are checking out my web page because you were interested in my book and not because I fell off the stool or spilled coffee on the host. Feel free to discuss the show in the comments. If you missed the show, I don’t know if/when video of it will be available online, but I’ll let you know when it is. If you are new, check out my best entries and take a look at my book, Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir. I really hope they let me say the title on TV this time.

ETA: Here’s the video.

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