Balls and Walnuts
more than you ever wanted to know
Various, meet sundry
Currently reading Dexter by Design on my wife’s eBook reader. At Kizer Kamp this week, lots of people noticed it and said, “Oooh, is that a KINDLE?” No fraid not and it ain’t a Nook, either. Wish it were, since black-on-gray kills my eyes in dim light. I’m not young anymore.
This Dexter is slickly written, or at least I thought so until Lindsay sent Dex traipsing off to Cuba. Lindsay’s Cuba pales besides memories of Martin Cruz Smith’s Havana Bay. Speaking of which, am I really going to have to wait until MARCH 2010 for Smith’s next Arkady Renko novel? (BTW, what a crappy blurb.) Dex in Havana? The book stumbles into a crawl just as it should be zooming along. Still, it’s been a fun novel up until now.
Something I learned the other day at Kizer Kamp: Disneyland has closed It’s A Small World. Why? People are too fat. They’ve been bottoming out the boats. But that’s okay — that ride sucked donkey balls. Even when I was five, I couldn’t see the point.
Women are fatter. I wish I could remember the stats, but I think it ran something like this: average American woman’s weight in the 1950s was under 140 lbs; now it’s 170. To me, even 140 sounds heavy, but then I’m married to a ninety-pounder.
Happy patients today, some deliriously so. Some of the happiest patients you’ll ever meet are the ones who have parted with their unholy tonsils. Bill Cosby had an old routine wherein the young Bill would question the doctor, Why do I need to have my tonsils taken out? The doctor replies, Son, tonsils are like soldiers fighting in a vicious, bitter war . . . and yours have joined the other side.
So true.
Sometimes I look at my blogroll, and it’s like looking at a reflection of an earlier me. A fossilized me. Where are some of these people nowadays? Some of them haven’t come around in years. Nor have I visited their blogs. Why do I hang onto them? Is it just inertia?
Karen’s watching Shadow of the Vampire. What a fun movie!
D.
1. I love the Kaiser commercials especially the one with the old ladies and the music in the background that says, “When I grow up I want to be an old woman” especially since I’m on my way.I also liked the one with the little fat boy who pats his gut.
2. I’m glad they closed It’s a Small World if for no other reason than the song is annoying and sticks in your head for days.
Thanks, now it’s in my head.
3. I know I told you one of my tonsils grew back (never bothers me though).
4. KIDS are fatter these days though I don’t have to tell you why and that some kids can sit and get no physical activity and still be skinny.
5. Are women encouraged to be fatter through Lane Bryant and the “heavier models” who “embrace their right” to be a plus size model? Or shows like “The Biggest Loser”? All I know is I feel better at 127-128 than I did when I had 168 pounds on a 5′ 2″ frame.
I’m not sure anyone knows why people are getting fatter. Economics may be one thing — the rich are getting richer, the poor poorer, and a supersized meal at a fast food joint is still the best value around in terms of calories/dollar. Carbos are cheap, meats vegetables and fruits are expensive. Maybe I should try to get Bix (author of the ever-fascinating, oft-depressing blog, Fanatic Cook) to come over to comment on this.
Disneyland has closed It’s A Small World
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I went to Disneyland for the first time when I was 16. My brother had had surgery on his foot the week before we left, so was on crutches and needed to take frequent rest stops. We spent 2 days there and every time my brother need to sit down, my sister and I would run from wherever we were in the park to ride It’s A Small World, singing at the top of our lungs the whole way through. To this day, I’m not sure if we thought we were being ironic or just liked being weird.
I don’t think there’s any big mystery about why people are getting fatter. I think there has been an increase in the average caloric load in a meal, but I think the bigger factor is that we are more sedentary. Automation has eliminated many physical jobs, and created more desk work. I now sit for 10-12 hours a day rather than walk around as I used to.
Chris: you know, you can still run around singing “It’s A Small World.” Don’t let us stop you 😉
Dean, yes, I think that’s a part of it. But I can remember many obese patients who had/have very physical jobs. And then there are all those obese baseball players, too (aren’t there? I don’t watch baseball. Maybe I’m just thinking about Babe Ruth).
Did they look at weight vs. height? Just wondering whether some of the increase is associated with taller women. (I’m reminded of a Svlvia cartoon – remember those? – My weight is perfect for my height, which fluctuates.)
During our recent trip to D-land, dragged the kids through It’s a Small World – they weren’t too excited. My dad claims that he was trapped in the ride for hours during a misfunction and he still shudders at the memory.
Renko! Will keep an eye out for the latest. I admit to liking the early ones better than the last one I read.
Just finished wrapping huge Playmobil buildings for the boys for Christmas – finally finished that gigantic roll of wrapping paper I bought at Costco in 2001…
Obesity in atheltes is frequently the legacy of heavy steroid use, isn’t it?
Thought I would throw this in regarding obesity. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11nsZ3lEWD0&feature=PlayList&p=C5CD53A1E2ABC080&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=13
What I find interesting, if a bit disturbing, is that there seem to be mixed messages people are getting about increased weight. On the one hand, we’re told often enough that being overweight is a key indicator for a large number of possible nasty conditions – heart disease, kidney problems, diabetes… and on the other we’ve got quite a movement of folks on the box telling us to that it’s OK to embrace your pudgy nature.
Case in point was a trailer I saw for a US TV show called Ruby which stars a morbidly obese woman who used to be (what’s twice as morbid?)ly obese. Supposedly a feel good show, but I couldn’t look at her new self and feel very good, I can tell you. 🙂
It’s not the same, Doug, it’s just not the same 🙁
I’m going to sleep better knowing that ride is closed forever. Now if only I could be sure the Abraham Lincoln that twisted and breathed was gone. Nightmare material, all of it.
Kate, I’m pretty sure they put Abe in mothball decades ago.