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Did it get deleted? If so, by who?
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
By me, I do not need constant nitpicking and "advice" on how to 'fix my life' in a thread where I'm trying to decide what I want for christmas with half of you making asinine suggestions that I get things like a treadmill.
(Post edited by Janitor Blade, language was a bit strong Blayne. I did get your whistle from earlier, but it seems you took care of business.)
I wouldn't be surprised if the next post was someone suggesting that I ask for COAL y'know to warm my house since OBVIOUSLY MY LIFE SUCKS and coal is just what I need right now to get things on track.
And then of course unwarranted, unasked for, unwanted, unappreciated criticism about me 'making excuses' as to why I don't have a drivers liscense or the other half dozen horse beating suggestions that I somehow magically in the middle of nowhere summon the physical fitness and will power to in the apparantly serious I'm not joking or making this up suggestion to bike 9 hour round trips just to 'broaden' my social life in some way.
No.
No thank you.
The goat suggestion ha ha fine funny ha ha, harmless.
I have had enough of this.
I'm sorry to the people who weren't making an ass of themselves in giving actually thoughtful suggestions (I already just emailed my brother inquiring about borrowing his guitar) but the thread was getting too aggravating for me.
posted
Blayne: You should consider that many posters would not know the geography of where you live very well. I personally am quite out of shape, but a bicycle would be a fantastic gift for me. Where I live, just being able to ride a bike to say my place of employment or school would make my life so much better in terms of quality of life.
I'm sure you're out of shape, you've said so, and so initially riding a bike would feel like some form of torture, but in reality it makes you feel better afterward. You're healthier, you have more energy, your moods are better. When I got a bike for my birthday (before it was stolen) I started riding it to and from work and it was so difficult. I was so out of breath each way, and would stumble in the door and lurch into the shower. After a week or so, I suddenly started feeling like the trip wasn't so bleeding hard. By a month, it wasn't so bad, I was sweating maybe a little but nothing more.
Same thing happened in Beijing. I got a bike, started riding it everywhere, my muscles screamed at me when I went to bed that night, I was dripping with sweat when I got to my room, I had to shower after class everyday. But I felt great after a few days of that. Now, I'm back in Utah, I don't have a bike, I know I'm out of shape again. But I also know how important being in shape is.
I probably shouldn't guess but I'd wager you never much enjoyed physical activities, but they have so much to offer you if you get past the initial adjustment, just like learning to play on a brand new console that has just come out. You don't know the button layout, things feel clumsy and unresponsive, but eventually it gets ironed out with muscle memory.
Anyway, some people were undeniably being snide with their suggestions, but I think most people want you to get something different, unique. You already know what a 4th monitor will do for you, you have no idea what karate lessons might do for you. You are more than capable of figuring out what is or is not realistic, but try thinking outside your comfort zone just a bit.
I was once asked by my father on a vacation to spend the week getting scuba diving lessons, rather than boogie boarding, jet skiing, etc. Spending a week in a class with several hours of homework each evening sounded like the antithesis of a vacation, but my father asked me to trust him. I took him up on it, and I have loved every moment I've spent under the ocean, 30 meters down. My time playing video games easily crushes the amount of time I've spent scuba diving, but I recognize that there are diminishing returns to any activity.
You know how much you like video games, anime, etc. You don't know how much you would like X. You'd be amazed just how many Xs are out there, that can captivate you. That's all most people are trying to tell you.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Blayne Bradley
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posted
Nearly every activity I have done always results in me thinking "What can I do to get this done faster to get back to doing what I like?"
I am already jogging 15 minutes a day with an 1 hour cool down walk and working my way up from there.
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I was trying to be genuinely helpful when I suggested the bike. I think it would be good for you physically and emotionally. I also think it would be fun once you got used to it.
Also, 6 hours round trip turned to 9 hours and I didn't know it was that long when I recommended it. Even so, you would be able to make new friends. The cycling community is active and friendly. Another benefit.
A nice part is that you don't realize you're exercising because you're trying to get somewhere. You're so focused on the destination and surroundings that you forget that it's tedious.
Posts: 2705 | Registered: Sep 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Nearly every activity I have done always results in me thinking "What can I do to get this done faster to get back to doing what I like?"
I am already jogging 15 minutes a day with an 1 hour cool down walk and working my way up from there.
I've always been a much bigger fan of cycling over jogging. I can't stand jogging, I *love* cycling though.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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I'm the same way. The impact from jogging kills my knees, and I like to be able to go further distances for the time I have, so cycling is nice, and a lot easier on my body. However, I can't cycle where I am right now because it's far too hilly. I tried to cycle to school when I first moved and almost died from an asthma attack. However, there are beautiful cycling trails all over the place, and I love them oh so much.
In general I like cycling better. My ear buds never fall out of my ears from the jostling. I have a place to hold my water bottle. I get to see more things and go faster. I don't feel the teeth rattling impact whenever I hit the pavement. It's a great way to do a low-impact but great cardio workout while listening to some music or a podcast.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: By me, I do not need constant nitpicking and "advice" on how to 'fix my life' in a thread where I'm trying to decide what I want for christmas with half of you making asinine suggestions that I get things like a treadmill.
To be fair to them, and me, I think part of the motivation there was disgust for your lifestyle- that and everybody here knows, at least strongly suspects, you post things like this here knowing exactly what people are going to say. Personally I think you do it to punish yourself for the very faults that are being criticized. Makes some sense, right? You post a "Blayne" topic, you get criticized, then you get to exercise the defensive part of your brain by acting out your victim role- and it helps you convince yourself that we, who are only saying things you have certainly already considered in your heart of hearts, are really just a bunch of heartless bastards who want to see you fail- and this is why we advise you to do things that are good for you.
Posts: 9912 | Registered: Nov 2005
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*shrug* You can get physically fit and start doing some light, low impact physical fitness. The exercise bike suggestion was serious, Blayne. I (could have but didn't help being) was snide because of the very, very, very large numbers of times and threads you've made talking about video games, Internet, etc., coupled with complaints about things, and it seems to me that here we are, years later, and you're still largely posting about the same things, that's all. I was trying to be helpful.
If you got an exercise bike, you could use it, plop it down in front of your setup, possibly with a bit of extra work to rearrange things, and in surprisingly little time you'd be in substantially better shape. If you're a console guy it's even easier because you could just hold the thing in your hands while you exercise.
I mention that because I can tell you from experience that there's few better ways, like Jon mentions, to exercise than to exercise while exercising and also doing something else: either going somewhere or doing something else. BlackBlade's points are all rock-solid as well. You can take these constructive suggestions as the thoughtful, considerate advice they are, or scarf down some more electronics that'll be forgotten inside of a year, tops.
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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For the record, Blayne, I am not disgusted by your lifestyle. I worry about the way you've deliberately restricted your options -- both professional and social -- to the things that are the easiest and most convenient, and not necessarily things that might be more fulfilling or promising in the long run. I have seen people do this, and their life winds up retracting into a routine that, while comfortable, is rarely satisfying.
Right now, you're in an interesting place. You haven't started a career yet, you have no real commitments, you have no major health issues, etc. In other words, none of the things that normally prevent people from experimenting with their options apply to your case. Now is the best time in the world for you to try to pick up new skills outside your comfort zone; it might be the last time in nearly thirty years that you're going to have the opportunity. So, yeah, pick up the guitar, or find a sport -- even shooting -- that you really enjoy, or discover a talent for carpentry or welding.
I strongly believe it should be something physical, something tactile. You have a tendency to live within the mental and physical spheres, and wear headphones to block out the world as much as to listen to music. This constitutes unwanted advice, I know, but I think you would be enormously relieved -- on a level that I don't think you're even consciously aware of -- to discover that you are joined to the rest of humanity on a physical, visceral level. There is a sense of profound accomplishment involved in learning to play a piece of difficult music, or hiking more than 25 miles in a day, or running your first mile in years, or building your own dresser. That's not to say that more electronic accomplishments don't give a similar rush, but it's a cheaper rush and, in its own way, more addictive; it's the difference between eating a meal and sucking on a lollipop.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Nearly every activity I have done always results in me thinking "What can I do to get this done faster to get back to doing what I like?"
I am already jogging 15 minutes a day with an 1 hour cool down walk and working my way up from there.
I've always been a much bigger fan of cycling over jogging. I can't stand jogging, I *love* cycling though.
Add me to the list. I like walking and love cycling but have never been able to get into jogging. If you jog for an hour, you're barely going further than around the block. If you cycle for an hour, you can get somewhere interesting and different.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Nearly every activity I have done always results in me thinking "What can I do to get this done faster to get back to doing what I like?"
I am already jogging 15 minutes a day with an 1 hour cool down walk and working my way up from there.
I've always been a much bigger fan of cycling over jogging. I can't stand jogging, I *love* cycling though.
Add me to the list. I like walking and love cycling but have never been able to get into jogging. If you jog for an hour, you're barely going further than around the block. If you cycle for an hour, you can get somewhere interesting and different.
Add me aswell, I prefer cycling and skating, the bouncing motion of running makes me nauseous (wow that's a hard word to spell ,__,) and dizzy.
Posts: 461 | Registered: Nov 2010
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quote:Originally posted by The Rabbit: If you jog for an hour, you're barely going further than around the block. If you cycle for an hour, you can get somewhere interesting and different.
I want to point out that jogging/running isn't necessarily about the location/journey/destination. It's about the challenge. I ran a half-marathon this summer, and had never run more than 2 miles before. I started training in May, struggled until I hit the 3 mile mark in June, and then started to really enjoyed the runs, including the half-marathon in September. I also lost 10 pounds. The entire experience was very personal, very much an internal struggle. I would bike or drive or hike if I wanted to see the sights.
Posts: 1711 | Registered: Jun 2004
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White Whale it's not the same for everyone, jogging can be about many things, but if I wanted to jog for a challenge I would buy a treedmill(spelling??), the outfits some people wear when they are jogging, cycling, or biking are rediculous in my eyes.
Posts: 461 | Registered: Nov 2010
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The White Whale: Have you read Christopher McDougall's book, Born To Run?
That book made me want to take up running pretty badly, it also talks about just what is different about our running now as opposed to what ancient man would have done. Its extremely well written, a very compelling story, and an all around solid read. I recommend it very highly.
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I enjoy sprinting, as the exhilaration of suddenly bursting forward with speed and flying to your destination is very enjoyable. Jogging takes that speed away for me. Cycling things come at you fast at even a moderate speed, to say nothing of putting the front part of your feet on the pedals and engaging your warp drive. Slight downward inclines give you a fun boost, while upward ones provide a challenge.
Just talking about all this makes me want a bike pretty badly.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:...the outfits some people wear when they are jogging, cycling, or biking are rediculous in my eyes.
That's a pretty ridiculous objection to exercising.
Oh I exercise, I just don't wear spandex or special helmets, honestly any capible person can ride a bike without accident, I don't see the point in helmets...( oh I get the point, falling and landing on your head would suck, but what person doubts their skill enough to assume they would fail doing something even small children can do without failing)
Oh yes,
quote:Originally posted by BlackBlade: I enjoy sprinting, as the exhilaration of suddenly bursting forward with speed and flying to your destination is very enjoyable. Jogging takes that speed away for me. Cycling things come at you fast at even a moderate speed, to say nothing of putting the front part of your feet on the pedals and engaging your warp drive. Slight downward inclines give you a fun boost, while upward ones provide a challenge.
Just talking about all this makes me want a bike pretty badly.
Blackblade i had a feeling kinda exhillerating ones before, I was on my rollerblades going somewhere between 10-20mp/h in the middle of the night on a cracked sidewalk, with only a distant streetlight and moonlight lighting the way, I watched the ground and felt um well I saw things strangely, felt like a fast moving cat maybe.. my field of vision rounded out like looking through a paper towel tube, but the detail and rate of speed I was seeing thing was amazingly clear even though I was moving rather fast... only had that feeling once in my life but the whole 5 minutes of it was awesome enough .__. ( I totally went outlier on that one)
Posts: 461 | Registered: Nov 2010
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Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
quote: . You have a tendency to live within the mental and physical spheres, and wear headphones to block out the world as much as to listen to music.
*Blink*
Have you been in contact with my father or something?
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quote:Originally posted by The White Whale: First, jogging on a treadmill can be terribly boring.
Indeed. This is the main reason why I will be jogging outside in freezing temperatures throughout the winter rather than running at the gym.
Posts: 161 | Registered: Aug 2010
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Jogging with music on through cities and such makes you more of a victum towards muggings and being raped /:
I am also unable to exercise seriously if I feel like I am being watched ... yaaaaaa I know...I'm wierd...
Posts: 461 | Registered: Nov 2010
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quote:Originally posted by Rawrain: honestly any capable person can ride a bike without accident, I don't see the point in helmets...( oh I get the point, falling and landing on your head would suck, but what person doubts their skill enough to assume they would fail doing something even small children can do without failing)
First, have you seen small children bike? Or walk, for that matter?
Second, do you go through life assuming that you'll never make a mistake, and that nothing bad will ever happen to you?
Third, I almost feel like I'm being trolled here...
Posts: 1711 | Registered: Jun 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Rawrain: I just don't wear spandex or special helmets, honestly any capible person can ride a bike without accident, I don't see the point in helmets...( oh I get the point, falling and landing on your head would suck, but what person doubts their skill enough to assume they would fail doing something even small children can do without failing)
And of course, unexpected road conditions, sudden flats, cars sideswiping you -- all those are totally in the rider's control.
quote:honestly any capible person can ride a bike without accident, I don't see the point in helmets...( oh I get the point, falling and landing on your head would suck, but what person doubts their skill enough to assume they would fail doing something even small children can do without failing)
Even if that's true for you (it's never been true for me -- I reckon that crashing one's bike is a natural part of riding one), wearing a helmet often isn't meant to protect you from your own incompetence as a rider, but from the mistakes that others might make. Other people, driving cars that weigh more than 10x what you and your bike weigh, who go faster than you, and who far too often just don't see you.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Rawrain: I don't see the point in helmets...( oh I get the point, falling and landing on your head would suck, but what person doubts their skill enough to assume they would fail doing something even small children can do without failing)
You know, some of us haven't yet acquired the ability to control other people's actions, especially other drivers and riders. I'm pretty sure even small children are unable to keep from falling after getting hit by a car. It's not just a protection from ourselves; it's a protection from everyone else.
Posts: 161 | Registered: Aug 2010
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As others have indicated a helmet is indispensable as you cannot control the actions of others. Even if you are just nudged off your bike, a minor fall where your head takes the brunt of the impact can end in death.
While I was in Beijing studying, the superintendent of the program urged us all to please get helmets, (I couldn't find a bike shop that sold them, fortunately I never needed one) he had been living in Beijing for years, riding his bike, and never bought one. Finally his wife prevailed on him to get one and not 24 hours later he was hit by a car and hit the road so hard with his head he had a concussion even with a helmet on. I can only imagine how much more the damage would have been compounded without one.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Blayne Bradley
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posted
I live in the countryside, no risk of muggings here unless its by angry bears.
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Something similar happened to my uncle. He bought fire insurance and the next day his building burned down.
Posts: 1794 | Registered: Jul 2002
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The few bike incidents I have been in were because of deliberate recklessness, and I would never have been in a bike accident had I not been doing stupid things for fun... I learned my lesson, don't play with bike ramps made of scrap wood ( I landed on a board that started to slide and it caused my bike to fall on it's side and I slid a little on my side, went home took a nap and I was fine from my road rash).... as for watching for cars, depends where you are riding your bike, ultimetly a helmet won't help much if you're hit by a car >___>
As for the lawsuit comment, the government should have no right in judging what we decide for ourselves as safe; for instance if I don't wear a seatbelt I endanger no one but myself, so why can I be given a ticket for not wearing one /:
Posts: 461 | Registered: Nov 2010
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quote:Originally posted by Rawrain: The few bike incidents I have been in were because of deliberate recklessness, and I would never have been in a bike accident had I not been doing stupid things for fun... I learned my lesson, don't play with bike ramps made of scrap wood ( I landed on a board that started to slide and it caused my bike to fall on it's side and I slid a little on my side, went home took a nap and I was fine from my road rash).... as for watching for cars, depends where you are riding your bike, ultimetly a helmet won't help much if you're hit by a car >___>
As for the lawsuit comment, the government should have no right in judging what we decide for ourselves as safe; for instance if I don't wear a seatbelt I endanger no one but myself, so why can I be given a ticket for not wearing one /:
I'd like to register a blanket state of disageement with pretty much each and every point; well, every statement excluding those of the poster about his own mental state (i.e., whether the recklessness was deliberate).
It's probably best to leave it at that, and I will. Carry on.
Posts: 831 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Ah, now, I looked at that, and I thought "hmmm, depends on the wood and the one assembling it." There can be good bike ramps made of scrap wood, although many are poorly made and should be avoided. I do disagree with the blanket statement.
My sweetie and I go messin' around in a backwoods park off the edge of the coast that has a whole traffic system of rotting, falling-apart scrap wood ramps and platforms for biking. It looks like the dark side of Endor. Don't play there.
But if I made a bike ramp of scrap wood, you could use it. If I let you.
Posts: 831 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Nearly every activity I have done always results in me thinking "What can I do to get this done faster to get back to doing what I like?"
Have you ever considered creating a list of things that you might like that you've never done before or that you don't know if you'll like?
I'll add that jogging is exactly one of those activities that I never thought I'd have interest in doing but which I enjoy very much now.
Posts: 161 | Registered: Aug 2010
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I knew it was reckless when I was doing it, but I was having fun, then I had to go one-up my buddy and well I succeeded and failed, I made the jump bravely then landed right, but the board slid and so did I... I sniffled up to my house and feel asleep on the couch, after which I felt much better... I do not recommend jumping ramps of scrap wood unless you plan on having a potential accident.
All in all you won't crash a bike unless YOU do something wrong, end of story. I trust myself enough not to screw up... so I wear no helmet >;o
Posts: 461 | Registered: Nov 2010
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quote: I trust myself enough not to screw up... so I wear no helmet
You know, the thing that irritates me the most is that you (and many others I've known with this level of...we'll say self-confidence) will probably make it through your entire life without incurring an injuring serious enough to change your perspective.
edit: not that I'd want you to get hurt.
Posts: 1945 | Registered: Jul 2005
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I have been two bicycle crashes in which I hit my head hard enough to break my helmet. The first time, I was mountain biking and my friends dog ran into my front wheel (I did not hit the dog, the dog hit me) which caused me to catapult of my handle bars. Unless you call mountain biking near a dog "doing something wrong", I crashed and did nothing wrong.
The second time I was making a sharp turn on glare ice. The temperature was 40 F and so I wasn't anticipating ice. Clearly I should have been.
My husband, who rides well over a hundred miles a week and has for decades, has been hit by cars 6 times. It has never been his fault. By shear luck, he hasn't ever been seriously injured although he's had several bikes destroyed and been taken to numerous emergency rooms.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
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quote:ultimetly a helmet won't help much if you're hit by a car
False. I've personally known three people that have been hospitalized from being hit by a car while cycling. (Dallas is not a biker friendly city.) In every case, the doctors said that without a helmet they probably would have died.
Posts: 1947 | Registered: Aug 2002
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quote:Originally posted by mr_porteiro_head: You're irritated that somebody by the idea of somebody not being seriously injured?
No, I'm not a monster (that's you). It was more of a "life's not fair" complaint with a hint of jealousy for those with the physical prowess to back up that level of self-confidence. I'm a total klutz, so I take most safety precautions pretty seriously for fear of losing a limb or something.
You know, looking back on the spills I took as a kid, I'm actually astounded I never broke anything.
Posts: 1945 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Oh I exercise, I just don't wear spandex or special helmets, honestly any capible person can ride a bike without accident, I don't see the point in helmets...( oh I get the point, falling and landing on your head would suck, but what person doubts their skill enough to assume they would fail doing something even small children can do without failing)
See, here's where I'm going to use your own 'no white lies' policy in speaking to you: you're speaking very foolishly, and so foolishly that it makes me very seriously doubt you actually adhere to that no white lies policy to the extent you actually a) espouse it and b) enjoy it when people do so towards you. As others have doubtless pointed out to you - I don't even have to look except to know that there are at least a few responses - you don't just wear a helmet because of the >0 chance that you will commit an error while cycling and possibly injure yourself, but that someone else will do so and injure you or cause you to injure yourself.
This is fundamental stuff here. Doubting your 'skills'? That's just stupid, Rawrain.
quote:All in all you won't crash a bike unless YOU do something wrong, end of story. I trust myself enough not to screw up... so I wear no helmet >;o
This is also stupid, and what's funny is you've told us the real reason you won't wear any sort of protective gear: because it looks ridiculous. If you find anyone who actually knows what they're doing on a bicycle to the extent that they do it professionally, by and large they do it with protective equipment. There's a reason for that: they enjoy continuing to do it uninjured, and probably realized, "Even if the helmet does look ridiculous - subjective - not wearing it is a badge of an entirely different sort."
For your own sake you ought to pull your head out of your ass before you get yourself hurt, not necessarily while exercising, but that sort of thinking, it dramatically increases the likelihood.
And besides, you're the 'no white lies' guy, right? You're concerned with content, not with things like appearance, right, right?
Right.
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This is just to prove a point. Well, two points, really. I won't be going on about this anymore with him, no worries, BlackBlade.
quote: I trust myself enough not to screw up... so I wear no helmet
Trust has nothing to do with it. It's simple physics.
My cousin - who is as close to a professional bicyclist as you can get - was recently very seriously injured in a biking accident. Was riding in a pack, got bumped, hit a curve and went end over end into a driveway, sliding and rolling a good twenty feet on solid pavement.
If it wasn't for his helmet, it would have probably killed him.
Posts: 3486 | Registered: Sep 2002
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