Passing the word (having spared you the rant)

I'm not going to rant on the subject. Everyone has their own definition of 'objectionable' and everyone has the right to determine that for their children. However, she said through gritted teeth....

Some of you may have heard about the recent hoo-ha with the SF magazine Asimov's and the school fundraiser.

If not, here's a link: http://woodtv.triton.net/video/realbox.php?ontv=Target8_Magazine_Fundraiser&cat=news

Update: the non-RealPlayer requiring news story link: http://woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1645394&nav=0RclKpQF and the Asimov's discussion board

If you feel the urge to speak out in support of Asimov's (and any other magazine that refuses to curb the legitimate expression of intellectual and creative ideas and is therefore at risk of being penalized), you migh want to drop a note to QSP, Inc, which is a division of Reader's Digest, and the company which was running that and many other fundraisers around the country.

Gary Rich, President
Reader's Digest Association Inc
Reader's Digest Road
Pleasantville, NY 10570
Phone: (914) 238-1000

Handling My Body

Now that I have your attention (*grin*), this is a ramble not about dieting, but about not dieting. It's in response to a question asked on a newsgroup I frequent, about finding a system that works for your individual needs.

About five years ago I realized that trying to 'diet' was a surefire route to failure for me. First off, I'm a foodie. I adore the taste, smell, texture, color of food. Saying Thou Shalt Not any particular type of food is seen as punishment by my brain. And the brain therefore will rebel.

Second, I'm severely hypoglycemic, and my 'tank' will run out with very little notice, often hours before an actual mealtime. So saying 'no snacks between meals' doesn't work, either. Too many people have seen what happens when I hit empty. It's Quite Ugly.

Fortunately for me, in addition to that I'm also lactose intolerant, with a very low sugar tolerance, and hyperactive to boot. So I can't have a lot of creamy/high-fat things, I can't eat a lot of really sweet things at once, and I have to _move_ every day.

So I did the only thing that made sense. I set up a regular exercise program (walking on a treadmill alternating with weights), I do all the 'found exercise' tricks I can (parking further away from the destination, using stairs instead of escalators, etc), and I eat whatever I want... in smaller portions.

For example, today for lunch I wanted pasta. One of the currently ostracized no-no foods -- short cut pasta with olive oil and grated cheese, mmmm. I had been planning to have tuna and carrots. I had a 6 oz serving of pasta and the aforementioned baby carrots, instead. And since I like carrots, it's all of the good.

I'm not at my 'idealized' weight, no. But there's ideal, and then there's 'practical for living in this world, without denying yourself what makes this world good.'

IMHO, anyway.

I have nothing brilliant to say

Here is the news.

I have updated my website. Yay me! Not much you guys don't already know about but go and look at it anyway. Admire the low-tech, basic HTML prettiness that is me. :-) And tell all your friends about d.y.m.k. 'cause I've got a couple of open slots available.

Have followed up on a few projects. No love, no not-love, just lots of waiting. Waiting for the love...

Meanwhile, the story I'm under the deadline gun on is coming... inch by inch, like pulling out my own intestine. Through my nose. And if you're not grossed out by that visual, you need to take a long hard look in the mirror.

But I'm going to get the rough draft done tonight, damn it. Because this is the time I have available to give it, and I do know how to hit deadlines. Really. Often face-first and resulting in reconstructive surgery, but I do hit them. Besides, I've just gotten the phone call saying I'm spouse-free for the night (well, dinner anyway), so I really don't have any excuse.

That is all.

Update: The July title from Luna (Christie Golden's On Fire's Wings) is available for preorder now at Amazon.com. Which means we're next up in the barrel, as it were. *twitch*