Showing posts with label Mark Twain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Twain. Show all posts

Sunday, July 10, 2016

LIES, DAMNED LIES AND STATISTICS

"Lies, damned lies, and statistics" is a phrase describing the persuasive power of numbers, particularly the use of statistics to bolster weak arguments. It is also sometimes colloquially used to doubt statistics used to prove an opponent's point..
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Yesterday I posted a graph showing my most recent 13 pounds weight loss. It is a thing of beauty, it shows almost a straight line going down over the past two months. Here it is:

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However, if I expand the length of time to be examined out one more month. My progress is far less impressive.  In fact, one can see that in three months, I have made NO PROGRESS, in fact, I GAINED 0.1 pounds.

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And if I extend the timeline out to six months?  Things look even worse, this chart highlights how I have GAINED nearly 14 pounds in the past six months.
Well, if one can go back six months, how about going back one year? In this chart, perhaps there can be made a case that things are not so bad, as I have ONLY gained 8 pounds in the past 52 weeks (one year).
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It is on this last chart that I can take solace in my weight loss achievement. Since I started my WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY on December 24, 2014 - I have LOST 80 POUNDS. This is something to be proud of, and I am proud of this achievement. It has not been easy. It is clear that it will never be easy to hold onto this achievement.  But hold on, I will.


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Yesterday was an unremarkable day regarding my calorie burning.  In the morning, I spent 97 minutes on the elliptical machine. In the evening, I took a walk to REI to pick up some new socks and made that trip a five mile trip before returning home.
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Your Food Diary For:

BREAKFAST Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 1 medium 95 25 0 1 2 19
Kroger - Instant Country Grits 500 105 5 10 1,700 5

595 130 5 11 1,702 24
L U N C H
Breaded Fried Chicken (Drumstick) 520 16 28 48 1,000 0

520 16 28 48 1,000 0
D I N N E R
Hebrew National - Beef Franks - 4 Franks 680 8 52 24 1,800 0

680 8 52 24 1,800 0
S N A C K S
88% Dark Chocolate, 1 bar 420 34 40 8 0 10

420 34 40 8 0 10
Totals 2,215 188 125 91 4,502 34
Your Daily Goal 4,022 503 134 202 2,300 150
Remaining 1,807 315 9 111 -2,202 116
Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar
*You've earned 2,092 extra calories from exercise today

If every day were like today...   You'd weigh 199.6 lbs in 5 weeks     
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your Exercise Diary for:


Cardiovascular Minutes Calories Burned
97 1,132
71 910
Ic_i N/A 50

   
Daily Total / Goal 169 / 30 2,092 / 590  
Weekly Total / Goal 1174 / 210 11,951 / 4,130             
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This quote is often attributed to Mark Twain, although it is also attributed to Benjamin Disraeli. 

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and on a completely unrelated topic....
My personal Kobayashi Maru. Star Trek predicted that Donald Trump will win the presidency, and annihilate  the Rupublican Party.  I know this going in.  I am going to vote for Donald Trump.  If Hillary Clinton were to be elected, it will not just be a political party that she destroys, but America itself. Not a great choice for a Republican to make: vote to destroy the Republican Party, which will lead to the destruction of America in the future or vote to destroy America immediately. (Oh, you don't know what a Kobayashi Maru is.... let me offer an explanation)
from wikipedia...
The Kobayashi Maru is a test in the fictional Star Trek universe.
It is a Starfleet training exercise designed to test the character of cadets in the command track at Starfleet Academy. The Kobayashi Maru test was first depicted in the opening scene of the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and also appears in the 2009 film Star Trek. Screenwriter Jack B. Sowards is credited with inventing the test, naming it after a friend whose last name was Kobayashi. The test is sometimes mentioned or depicted in ancillary Star Trek media, including novels and video games. The test's name is occasionally used among Star Trek fans or those familiar with the series to describe a no-win scenario, or a solution that involves redefining the problem and testing one's character.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

UV INDEX ZERO

I am a bald man. I have no issues with this. It bothered me when I was younger. A long time ago, when I realized that a fairly good looking man, Sean Connery (aka James Bond) was also bald - I started to embrace my baldness. Baldness seemed to work well for Patrick Stewart (aka Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek).  I speak of baldness this morning, because I (try to) never go outside for any length of time without a hat. Sunburn on the top of one's head is particularly unenjoyable. Yesterday morning when I set out for a brisk walk through the streets of Hannibal, Missouri, I skipped the hat as the UV INDEX was ZERO.  This might have been because I started my walk at 4:20AM!


"High" A UV Index reading of 6 to 7 means high risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure. Protection against skin and eye damage is needed. Reduce time in the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If outdoors, seek shade and wear protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and UV-blocking sunglasses.
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Conditions at the start of my 8 mile hike.  Low temperatures, low humidity and low UV INDEX (not so unusual at 4:20AM)
The sign above me is recognizing that Hannibal's record flood level was  on July 25, 1993 @ 31.8 feet.  As this photo was taken before 5AM, it was still a bit dark outside.
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I am not sure that I can trust the veracity of this sign...I thought Tom Sawyer was a fictional character.
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Your Food Diary For:

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

BREAKFAST Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar
Quaker - Instant Oatmeal - Original 500 95 10 20 375 0

500 95 10 20 375 0
L U N C H
Quaker - Choc Rice Cake, 14 cake 840 168 14 14 560 56
Special K - Protein Meal Bar - Chocolatey Chip  170 25 5 10 170 15

1,010 193 19 24 730 71
D I N N E R
Subway - Broccoli Cheddar Soup, 1 cup 180 16 11 5 990 3
Subway - Footlong Steak and Cheese, 1 footlong sandwich 760 96 20 52 2,060 16

940 112 31 57 3,050 19
S N A C K S
Blue Bunny - Malt Cup Chocolate, 12 fl oz 340 57 9 9 210 42
Quaker - Ricecakes - White Cheddar, 14 cake 630 112 7 14 1,470 0

970 169 16 23 1,680 42
Totals 3,420 569 76 124 5,835 132
Your Daily Goal 3,236 404 108 162 2,300 121
Remaining -184 -165 32 38 -3,535 -11
Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar
*You've earned 1,306 extra calories from exercise today         
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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Cardiovascular Minutes Calories Burned
125 1,322
Ic_i N/A -16

   
Daily Total / Goal 126 / 30 1,306 / 590  
Weekly Total / Goal 390 / 210 4,636 / 4,130             
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Tuesday, June 7, 2016

MISSISSIPPI RIVER - INTERSTATE HIKING

Any dolt can take a hike within a state. It takes a special 'flight plan' to cross over into another state. Yesterday, I 'parked' myself at a hotel in Hannibal, Missouri right across the Mississippi River so that I could travel a quick 15 miles to Quincy, Illinois for my Tuesday 9AM appointment. It occurred to me that I could walk across a bridge from Missouri and re-enter Illinois, and then turn right around an re-enter Missouri. It was my first interstate hike. Hannibal, Missouri is the hometown of Samuel Clemens, aka, Mark Twain. My hike included a stop at a statue of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer as well as a the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse. After arriving in Hannibal at 5PM, I had a very rewarding 12 mile hike which lasted nearly three hours. Recently I have been seeing America like I have never seen it before. I have stayed in this town before, and I had never seen the Mark Twain inspired statue or the Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse. I had never noticed the topography of the town that rises 200 feet above the river bank. It was as if I had never been here before. My new hobby of walking is a hobby that I enjoy very much. I get some fresh air, I get in some steps, I get in some cardio, and I get in some local history. It is a win-win-win-win hobby.  My old hobby would have me arrive in a town, grab some McDonald's 'food' and settle in for 5 hours of Fox News. That was clearly a very unproductive hobby. And as Fox News has now been rebranded as TNN (Trump New Network) - I can't even bear watching it for more than a few minutes. My fascination with Donald Trump does not rise to the level of the Fox News executives. I am going to vote for him - but I don't care to hear about his daily tweets and misguided statements. 

Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse
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Approaching the bridge to leave Missouri, cross the Mississippi and enter Illinois
On the bridge, looking south at the Mighty Mississippi River
Entering Illinois
After turning around on the bridge, re-entering Missouri
From Hannibal, Missouri looking at the bridge from a distance

Mark Twain inspired statue in Hannibal, Missouri

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Your Food Diary For:

Monday, June 6, 2016

BREAKFAST Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar
Restaurant - 3 Egg Omelette - Ham and Cheese 400 1 30 40 1,225 0
Bacon Style Turkey, 6 slices 210 3 18 12 900 0
Cream of Rice - Hot Cereal, 2 cup 320 72 0 6 0 0
Sage - Red Delicious Apple, 1 medium apple (170g) 95 25 0 1 2 19

1,025 101 48 59 2,127 19
L U N C H
Stuffed Shells, 1.36 meal 600 55 30 26 1,541 10
Earthbound Farm - Baby Spinach, Organic, 6 oz 40 6 0 4 130 0
Crab - Imitation 100 18 0 8 563 4
WHOLE CASHEWS (RAW)(approx 1/4 cup) 300 13 23 8 0 3

1,040 91 53 46 2,234 17
D I N N E R
Rice Cake-White Cheddar 630 112 7 14 1,470 0

630 112 7 14 1,470 0
S N A C K S
YOGURT ALMONDS, 80 g (approx 12 pcs) 440 44 28 8 40 38

440 44 28 8 40 38
Totals 3,135 348 137 126 5,871 74
Your Daily Goal 6,401 800 213 321 2,300 240
Remaining 3,266 451 76 194 -3,570 166
Calories Carbs Fat Protein Sodium Sugar
*You've earned 4,471 extra calories from exercise today         
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       Your Exercise Diary for:

Monday, June 6, 2016

Cardiovascular Minutes Calories Burned
90 1,200
174 2,130
Add Exercise
   
Daily Total / Goal 264 / 30 3,330 / 590  
Weekly Total / Goal 264 / 210 3,330 / 4,130             
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CONDITIONS IN HANNIBAL AS I SET OUT FOR MY 12 MILE HIKE