Location:
Portland, OR
Date:
18.07.2009
Map:
Pictures:
The Romanian Dream
the green green grass
8 Feb 10
Fantastic Mr. Fox
First, watch the trailer here: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2620588569/
Now that you saw the trailer, couple of questions:
How can your life be fantastic if your neighbors are not fantastic? I mean, something being fantastic basically means that it is perfect. If something disturbs this, it’s not fantastic.
Another thing, if Mr. Fox’s life is fantastic, why do they feel the need to also mention that his wife is fantastic? If his wife was not fantastic, would they even dare mention something about his fantastic life?
Last, but not least, he’s called Fantastic Mr. Fox right? Could he be fantastic without a fantastic life?
Conclusion: A trailer full of redundancies and contradictions. He might be fantastic, but the trailer to the movie sure isn’t.
7 Feb 10
Fat Loss Resources (Losing weight saga – 8)
There comes a time in the weight loss journey when you realize that some things are more important than actually losing weight. I mean, in the first phase of losing weight, a good indicator of how you’re doing is the actual weight. After a certain point you might see that although the amount of weight you are losing is not so much you seem to get thinner. This is usually related to gaining muscle mass (remember that muscles weight more than fat). So as far as maintaining your goal weight and continually improving a good indicator of how good you are doing is actually the fat percentage in your body. Managing to maintain the weight you have, while reducing the fat percentage is the goal we are shooting here.
Here is a good resource on this topic:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss
If you have the time and patience to read through this you will learn quite a few about how we think out body works vs how it actually work and learn some tips in approaching fat loss. As always be careful to take this with a grain of salt but, compared to other bullshit sites that promise you’ll get rid off all excess fat in 2 weeks, this site contains valid information that when put in correct context can set you up for long term success.
Another important aspect of becoming fit and reaching your goal weight is the attitude you have and how good you are at staying motivated while you’re on your journey. In this category, here is a good resource:
It’s a podcast about, well, getting from being fat to being fit. You couldn’t have guessed that in a million years, right? Their ‘mantra’ is quite simple: eat and act as you would be the person you want to be – meaning the thin, fit you probably want to be. Doing this you will, of course, reach this goal and the transition will not be harmful to your body, and of course you will manage to keep the excess weight because you’ve changed your lifestyle 
Well, that’s basically true. But the main reason I love this podcast is because it somehow manages to keep me motivated and learning new things about weight loss and healthy habits.
Enjoy.
6 Feb 10
How to collect Google Analytics stats only for non authenticated users
The problems: you want to collect data about visits to your Wordpress powered blog, but you don’t want to count visits of yourself or any authenticated users (that, of course, contribute to your blog). This problem really exists for small to moderate blogs where Google Analytics not cutting this out can really influence your stats. It also shows real visitors on your blog.
I’m not going to describe how Google Analytics works or how to set it up in detail. You can find all this here: http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/ and here: http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?answer=55488&utm_source=DiscoverList&utm_medium=et&utm_campaign=en_us&hl=en
The code that you’re supposed to insert into your code (usually in wordpress footer.php for the current theme) looks like this:
<script type=”text/javascript”>
var gaJsHost = ((“https:” == document.location.protocol) ? “https://ssl.” : “http://www.”);
document.write(unescape(“%3Cscript src=’” + gaJsHost + “google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”));
</script>
<script type=”text/javascript”>
try{
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(“UA-xxxxxx-x”);
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script>
If you put only this into the footer you’re going to get Analytics tracking everything on your site.
To enable it only for authenticated users use following code:
<?php
if ( is_user_logged_in() )
{
echo “<!– “;
}
?><script type=”text/javascript”>
var gaJsHost = ((“https:” == document.location.protocol) ? “https://ssl.” : “http://www.”);
document.write(unescape(“%3Cscript src=’” + gaJsHost + “google-analytics.com/ga.js’ type=’text/javascript’%3E%3C/script%3E”));
</script>
<script type=”text/javascript”>
try{
var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker(“UA-xxxxxx-x”);
pageTracker._trackPageview();
} catch(err) {}
</script><?php
if ( is_user_logged_in() )
{
echo ” –>”;
}
?>
What this does is when an authenticated user is on the site if comments out (by outputting <– before and –> after) the script that reports back to Analytics. That’s it.
Don’t forget to replace UA-xxxxxx-x with your own code.
3 Feb 10
Future Hikes: Mount St. Helens
It’s official. At the end of May we will be climbing Mount St. Helens. We’ll probably use the the Monitor Ridge Route (4,500 feet in 5 miles to the crater rim at 8,365 feet elevation!)
USFS Official Page: http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/
What makes this hike special is the fact that Mt St. Helens is an active volcano. And the advanced preparation is needed because in a day only 100 hikers can go up the mountain. You need to buy a special pass. And the passes vanish rather quickly each year. For full pass story and the link to page where you can buy the pass check: http://www.wta.org/trail-news/signpost/mount-st.-helens-permits-open-feb.-1
More about Mt St. Helens and the 1980 volcanic eruption: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_St._Helens
1 Feb 10
Taboo – American Health System
Introduction here: http://theromaniandream.com/blog/2009/07/17/taboo/
Today’s topic: American Health System
To put it short the system is as crappy as it seems viewed from outside the US. Even crappier.
Health care is a business in the US. It’s not about the patient anymore. It’s about the profits of the Health Care “Provider”. Anything and everything will be done to save every cent they can. On paper your health insurance might be great, but when you need something the story you are told is completely different.
To give an example: Lately I’ve been experiencing some ankle pain. I made an appointment to have it looked at. It took “only” 2 weeks from the moment I made the appointment until I finally got to the doctors to see it. How does that happen? Or is the “let’s schedule you in 2 weeks maybe your pain goes away until we see you” principle at work? To put this in context: I have one of the best health insurances available here. At least available for the “masses”. Hundreds of dollars flow into the health care providers pockets each month for them to take care of my health. How the heck is that possible?
To give you another absurd example: Somebody suffers an accident and needs urgent care. Hospitals have what the call “Urgent Care” or “Emergency Rooms”. Kinda like what you see in the movies, NOT. What do you think it’s the average time you spend in one of these special rooms? I’ve never heard of anyone spending less than 3-4 hours. Even heard of cases of 8+ hrs. How the hell is that urgent? I thought that if you have a problem that needs urgent attention, you’d receive urgent attention. And what do they do? Make you fill a mountain of paperwork and ask the same questions over and over again.
So, in conclusion: Health care, pfff… I don’t want to think what you go through when you don’t have insurance.
I’m not saying that the system back in Romania was perfect, but at least over there money could and would get you immediate attention. You would solve your problem and go your way. Health care in US, pfff…
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Tagged american, american dream, americans, attitude, health, health care, morons, politically correct, rant, taboo
30 Jan 10
Eat To Save Your Life (Losing weight saga – 7)
Ran into this on youtube. It’s called “Eat to Save your life” and you can learn a thing or two about healthy eating. Of course it’s made in a commercial manner that can be tasted by the masses. But if you look past that you will see some valid ideas.
Enjoy.
Part 1 of 8:
All the parts, in a playlist, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srUZwQf76Xs&videos=kWmZC3EAOZY
28 Jan 10
Shallowness
Here is the ultimate expression of shallowness:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Shore_%28TV_series%29
Enjoy
http://www.mtv.com/videos/jersey-shore-ep-4-fade-to-black/1627937/playlist.jhtml
Who would want to watch this dumbed down version of Big Brother? And Big Brother was a dumb show to start with. 3 f’n million viewers per episode.
© 2010 The Romanian Dream
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Based on a work at theromaniandream.com