Sunday 25 May, 2008 at 10:52AM (Nereus)  ::  permalink  ::  comments (1)  ::  trackbacks (1)

This is a diet I've actually used, and as I wrote in a previous entry, it really worked. It uses a theory of 'negative calories', which basically means food that has such a low calorie count, that the energy used by your body to digest it is more than what the food itself provides. It centers around a vegetable soup that I have altered somewhat from the original recipe to give it more flavor, and in the process, slightly less calories (the original recipe worked out to around 71 calories per bowl of soup, my recipe cuts it down to around 53 calories, while still retaining all the important 'negative calorie' components). The good thing about it is that you don't have to starve - you can eat as much of the stuff as you like, as long as it's the right stuff.

The diet is in the form of a 7-day eating plan, which can be used as often as you like. If correctly followed, it will clean out your system of impurities and give you a feeling of well-being and energy. After 7 days of this process, you can lose 10 to 15lbs, depending on your initial weight. Of course you have to eat sensibly once you lose the weight too - watch your calorie intake each day and try to minimize things like candy bars, as they pack in a huge amount of calories for such a relatively small amount of food. It's a whole lifestyle change really, but it doesn't need to be drastic, and if you start gaining weight again, just go back on the diet for a few days. It's also a good idea to cut down on soda drinks - even though there are plenty of zero-calorie soft drinks on the market (I'm partial to diet coke), it's not so much the calories but the effect of the carbonated liquid that has a negative affect on dieting. The reason is that the little bubbles actually help your guts absorb the drink (and food already in there) much faster. Ever notice how drinking champagne gets people 'tiddly' in a shorter space of time than still wines? That's why - the carbonated liquid enables your body to absorb the alcohol into your bloodstream much faster. While some may say this is a good thing (and I wouldn't argue that point), it's not such a good thing when it comes to dieting. This diet specifically says not to drink any carbonated drinks whatsoever (even diet drinks) while on the 7-day plan, but I'll get to that later. First of all, here's the main component of the diet - the soup.

With the following ingredients, a can size is about 14.5oz / 411grams. I prefer low or no salt ingredients because salt raises blood pressure, and although I don't have high blood pressure, I don't particularly want to develop it. The stock cubes I use are larger than normal (each is about 6 grams), which is why I wrote ½ a cube - if you use standard stock cubes, use a whole one. The soy and worcestershire sauce amounts can be altered according to taste - I've been fairly conservative there, and probably use significantly more myself. You can also season with pepper and salt if you wish, but I think the two sauces cover the need for salt and pepper fairly well. The light cheese triangle segment I use is made by a company called 'Laughing Cow', and each wedge is about 21 grams and contains 35 calories. I use either their garlic and herb light cheese or the french onion light cheese - both taste nice even on their own. I use 'Poland' brand spring water as opposed to tap water because the quality of tap water here isn't the best, although I think spring water actually improves the taste too.

soup ingredients :

• 1/2 can stewed tomatoes (I use the type with no salt added)
• 1/2 can french style cut green beans (again, I use the type with no salt added)
• 3 large green onions (also known as spring onions, or scallions)
• 1 bunch of celery
• 1/3 lb baby carrots
• 1/2 medium green pepper (also known as capsicums)
• 1/2 large cube of chicken stock
• 1 triangle segment of light cheese
• 4+ tbsp worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins)
• 4+ tbsp soy sauce (I use the 'lite' soy sauce with less salt)
• spring water
• a pot that holds about 1 gallon (3.75 liters) or more of liquid - certainly no less.

soup instructions :

Dissolve the stock cube in a cup or so of boiling water at the bottom of the pot. Cut all the celery, carrots, green onions and green pepper into small to medium size pieces and then throw them in the pot, along with the stewed tomatoes and green beans. Add enough water to cover everything, then add the soy and worcestershire sauce. Chop the cheese into smaller chunks and toss it in, and then give the whole lot a good stirring to mix it all up. Put a lid on the pot (if you have a lid with a small steam vent, even better), bring the soup to the boil and keep it boiling for 10 minutes, then reduce to a slow simmer and continue to cook until the veggies are tender. Voila, the soup.

This will make a little shy of 1 gallon (3.75 liters) of soup, with a total of about 265 calories. With the bowls I use, this equates to about 5 bowls of soup, of 53 calories each. If you want a full-on break down of the nutritional content, here it is (this is for one whole pot of soup) :

7-day eating plan :

Now for the 7-day eating plan. During this period, the soup can be eaten any time you are hungry. Eat as much as you want, whenever you want - the more you eat, the better. If you're going to be away for the day, take a thermos of soup with you. At the very least, have three bowls of soup each day.

Permitted drinks :

• unsweetened juices
• tea (including herbal tea)
• black coffee
• cranberry juice
• skim milk
• water, water, and more water.

Day 1 :
Any fruit (except bananas) - cantaloupes and watermelon are lower in calories than most other fruits. East only soup and fruit today.
Day 2 :
All vegetables. East until you are stuffed with fresh raw, cooked or canned veggies. Try to eat green leafy veggies and stay away from dry beans, peas or corn. Eat veggies along with the soup. At dinner tonight, reward yourself with a big baked potato and butter. Don't eat any fruits through today.
Day 3 :
Eat all the soup, fruit and veggies you want. Do not have a baked potato. If you have eaten as above for 3 days and not cheated, you should find that you have lost 5-7 pounds.
Day 4 :
Bananas and skim milk - eat at least 3 bananas and drink as much milk as you can today, along with the soup. Bananas are high in calories and carbohydrates, as is the milk, but on this particular day you body will need the potassium, carbs, proteins and calcium to lessen the cravings for sweets.
Day 5 :
Beef and tomatoes - you may have 10 to 20 ounces of beef and a can of tomatoes, or as many as 6 tomatoes on this day. Eat the soup at least once today.
Day 6 :
Beef and veggies - eat to your hearts content of the beef and veggies today. You can even have 2-3 steaks if you like with green leafy veggies, but no baked potato. Be sure to eat the soup at least once today.
Day 7 :
Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juice and veggies. Again, be sure to stuff yourself and eat the soup. You can add cooked veggies to the rice if you wish.

By the end of the 7th day, if you have not cheated on this diet, you should have lost at least 10 pounds. If you have lost more than 15 pounds, stay off the diet for a couple of days before resuming again. This diet is fast, based on the principle of burning more calories than you take in. This diet does not lend itself to drinking any alcoholic beverages at any time, because of the fat build-up in your system. Go off the diet at least 14 hours prior to drinking alcohol.

Due to the variety of digestive systems in individuals, this diet affects different people differently. You may find after several days on the diet that your bowel movements change. If it's a problem, eat a cup of bran or fiber. The basic fat burning soup can be eaten any time you feel hungry during the 7 days - remember the more soup you eat, the more you lose. You can eat broiled or baked skinless chicken instead of the beef if you wish. If you prefer, you can substitute broiled fish for the beef, but only for one of the beef days, as you need the high protein the beef will provide.

Do Not, Do Not, Do Not :
Do not eat any bread or drink any alcohol or carbonated drinks (including diet drinks), and no fried foods whatsoever.

Do, Do, Do :
Drink plenty of water - at least 6-8 glasses every day, as well as any combination of black coffee, unsweetened fruit juice, cranberry juice and skim milk (where mentioned).

This diet allegedly comes from the Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital and is used for overweight heart patients in order to lose weight rapidly, usually prior to surgery. If you ask which Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital, I don't have a clue. All I know is that it worked for me.

disclaimer :

This information is not presented by a medical practitioner. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Neither UrbanScrawl.net nor the authors warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the information provided here, nor any guarantee of results. Please consult your doctor before starting any weight loss plan - we are not responsible for any medical conditions that you may have, or even medical conditions that may occur while on this weight loss plan. If you decide to undertake this plan, you do so at your own risk. The views and statements expressed here represent the opinions of the authors and should not be considered scientific conclusions.

hospital diet

     Saturday 24 May, 2008 at 11:52PM (Nereus)  ::  permalink  ::  comments (0)  ::  trackbacks (1)

I came across this diet ages ago but have never tried it. Apparently it is (or was at the time) used at Greenlane Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, for overweight patients who are to undergo heart surgery. Apparently the diet is suggested by the Miami Heart Institute and must be followed exactly to lose 10lbs in 3 days (so it claims).

Day 1 :
Breakfast :
1 cup black tea/coffee
1/2 grapefruit
1 slice dry toast
2 tsp peanut butter
Lunch :
1/3 cup tuna
1 slice dry toast
1 cup black tea/coffee
1/2 cup weight watchers vanilla ice cream
Dinner :
2 slices any meat 3oz.
1 cup string beans
1 cup beetroot
1/2 cup weight watchers vanilla ice cream
1 cup black tea/coffee

Day 2 :
Breakfast :
1/2 banana
1 slice dry toast
1 egg
1 cup black tea/coffee
Lunch :
1/2 cup cottage cheese
5 snax crackers
1 cup black tea/coffee
Dinner :
2 frankfurters
1 cup broccoli
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 banana
1 cup black tea/coffee
1/2 cup weight watchers vanilla ice cream

Day 3 :
Breakfast :
5 snax crackers
1 slice cheddar cheese
1 small apple
1 cup black tea/coffee
Lunch :
1 boiled egg
1 slice dry toast
1 cup black tea/coffee
Dinner :
1 cup tuna
1 cup beetroot
1 cup cauliflower
1/2 melon
1 cup black tea/coffee
1/2 cup weight watchers vanilla ice cream

Allegedly this diet works on a chemical breakdown method, and should be followed to the letter, with no variations or substitutions. However, there's a few things about this diet that are a little too vague to be able to follow to the letter in my opinion. Day 3 dinner mentions half a melon - there's a big difference between half a big watermelon and half a small cantaloupe or honeydew. Day 2 breakfast says 1 egg - is that boiled, fried, poached ..or raw? The fact that Day 3 lunch specifies a boiled egg also makes it unclear what kind of egg to have on Day 2 for breakfast. Should I have white toast or whole wheat toast? Can I drink water between meals? How big is a slice of cheddar cheese for that matter?

Anyway, there is another diet I know of that I have used before, and it definitely worked - I lost 40lbs in 2 months. It uses a theory of 'negative calorie' food, which is basically food that has such a low calorie count, that the energy used by your body to digest it is more than what the food itself provides. The good thing about it is that you don't have to starve, you can eat as much of the stuff as you like, as long as it's the right stuff. It centers around a vegetable soup that I have altered somewhat from the original recipe to give it more flavor, and in the process, less calories. Believe me, it really worked for me, although you do get a bit sick of the soup after a month or so. I'll write it up tomorrow.

carrot and cashew nut roast

     Friday 23 May, 2008 at 3:27PM (Nereus)  ::  permalink  ::  comments (0)

This recipe was given to me by a fellow Kiwi surfer. I have yet to try it, but it sounds good, and apparently it tastes good too. I think it comes out kind of like a meatloaf but with no meat, or perhaps like a loaf of bread, I'm not 100% sure, but I am told it's good hot or cold. If you get around to making it before I do, please comment how it came out.

• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
• 450g carrots, cooked or mashed (keep the water you boiled them in for stock)
• 225g cashew nuts, ground
• 2 cups fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
• 1½ tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tsp marmite or vegemite
• juice of ½ a lemon
• 75ml stock from the carrots
• salt and pepper to season

Fry onions and garlic in a pan until onion is soft. Remove from heat and transfer into a large mixing bowl.
Add all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Place mixture into a greased loaf tin and level off the surface.
Cover with tin foil and bake at 180°C / 350°F for an hour.
Remove foil and bake for a further 10 minutes.
Leave to stand in loaf tin for at least 10 minutes before turning out.
Serve in slices with roast potatoes, salad, garlic bread etc.

obamessiah

     Wednesday 21 May, 2008 at 4:18PM (Nereus)  ::  permalink  ::  comments (3)

Lots of concern about who to vote for come elections in November. Regardless of who gets the nod on the democrat side, the choice out of McCain, Obama and Clinton is pretty dismal any way you look at it, in my opinion. I'm rapidly reaching the conclusion that I may not even vote for the POTUS position (President of the United States), and just vote at local and Congressional level and hope the United States survives the following four years.

I'm stunned at how many people are enamored with Obama without actually having any reason to be, I mean heck, the other day he was asked a question about the massive multi-billion dollar Hanford nuclear waste site and what he proposes to do about it. His reply was, and I quote, "I'm not familiar with the Hanford, uuuuhh, site, so I don't know exactly what's going on there." Guess what happened? The crowd broke into applause! I'm not kidding. I've never seen anything like it. It's like there's this huge swath of sheeple who have no clue whatsoever, and just fall over themselves at anything that comes out of his mouth, even if it's complete gibberish.

Earlier this month in Oregon, Obama even managed to mess up how many states there are in the United States: "Over the last 15 months, we've traveled to every corner of the United States. I've now been in 57 states? I think one left to go.".And of course complete silence from the media - in their eyes he can do no wrong apparently. In fact it is the media that decides elections here, because it seems the majority of Americans don't actually bother to research anything, they only care if there's a 'D' or an 'R' after the name, and beyond that will vote only according to which candidate seems to be favored by the press. Insane.

If you want an example of media bias, I'll gladly give it. At one point, Hillary Clinton made a claim that she was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, the New Zealander who first reached the summit of Everest in May 1953, along with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. As it happens, Hillary Clinton was born in October, 1947. Kind of hard to be named after someone who was unknown at the time. That little claim got plenty of media attention, and became a real rally cry for the Obama fans for a while. Similarly and more recently was the claim Hillary made about landing in Bosnia 'under fire', which the media (and Obama fans) had a field day over.

Last March, on the anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, Alabama, Obama claimed his parents united as a direct result of the civil rights movement, and I quote: "There was something stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Alabama, because some folks are willing to march across a bridge. So they got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born." Well guess what? Obama was born in 1961. The Selma march took place in 1965. Go figure that one out. Obama's spokesman, Bill Burton, later explained that Obama was "speaking metaphorically about the civil rights movement as a whole." Yeah right. This is almost an exact parallel to Hillary's little birthday gaffe, yet the media of course completely ignored it.

When Obama made a big song and dance about supporting Reverend Wright after the initial uproar over his racist sermons, Obama was portrayed as a great and loyal man of honor and dignity by the media. Later, when Reverend Wright got completely out of control with his comments publicly, Obama did a complete 180° turn and effectively disowned Reverend Wright (so much for the lauded loyalty). Of course the media, instead of pointing out the glaringly obvious, chose to paint Obama as a betrayed victim of his faith in others. What the f..?

In perhaps the most seriously troubling set of gaffes of them all, Obama told a Portland crowd over last weekend that Iran doesn't "pose a serious threat to us", cluelessly arguing that "tiny countries" with small defense budgets can't do the US any harm, and then he promptly flip-flopped the very next day, claiming, "I've made it clear for years that the threat from Iran is grave." And people just don't see it. It's unbelievable.

This is just a couple of many examples. It's kind of scary, and makes one wonder who's really pulling the strings in this country in light of how the media play this. Great stuff for conspiracy theorists, that's for sure. I'm not saying either Clinton or McCain are necessarily a better option, but the Obama phenomenon is just so far out there that it's, well, it defies explanation. As the saying goes, 'you can't make this stuff up'.

all sorts

     Tuesday 20 May, 2008 at 3:42PM (Nereus)  ::  permalink  ::  comments (0)

I've been neglecting updating the site since, well, last year some time. Oops. I recently completed a mission going through all the entries since 2001 and weeding out ones that really served no purpose, such as entries about website updates and when some new version of some utility came out etc. ..entries kind of like this one actually. The final result was a drop of about 150 entries and something like 600 comments. Meh, whatever.

Been up to a lot this year. We went to London for 7 days, staying at a hotel in Baker Street about a block from the BakerLoo line station. It was a work trip for Ice, so I just sneaked along in her basket, as ya do. Pretty awesome. Hope to post some pictures eventually, but don't hold your breath. Amazingly enough, the weather was really nice just about the entire time we were there, which is almost unheard of in London for that time of year. Lucky huh. We also did another trip to Las Vegas which was great, and then I spent another week in Los Angeles when my father was gravely ill and the Doctor didn't think he was going to survive. It was the first time I'd seen my father in about 20 years. He has since recovered remarkably well, although is still in a recuperative hospital for now. In the space of a month or so, I changed time zones seven times. Don't think I ever recovered from it - the last two nights I didn't get to sleep until maybe 5:30am, and then up again a couple of hours later. Had a lot of that for a while after I came back for L.A. too.

Got down to the final five for a permanent auditor position with one of the 'Big Four' accounting firms here in NYC - I was the only person left from New York, and there were two flown in for the final interviews from Texas, and two others from somewhere down south around New Orleans I believe. Was a little surprised I didn't get it actually, and disappointed obviously. Never mind - onwards and upwards. I still have 1 year to go to finish my degree, so there's light at the end of that tunnel at last. My eyes are getting too tired to continue staring at the monitor. Later.

anzac day 2008

     Friday 25 April, 2008 at 12:46PM (Nereus)  ::  permalink  ::  comments (2)

In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of an Allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli Peninsula, under a plan by Winston Churchill to open the way to the Black Sea for the Allied navies. The objective was to capture Istanbul, capital of the Ottoman Empire and an ally of Germany. The ANZAC force landed at Gallipoli on 25th April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold strike to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stale-mate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915, the Allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian and 2,700 New Zealand soldiers died. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians and New Zealanders at home, and 25th April quickly became the day on which they remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war.

Though the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives of capturing Istanbul and knocking Turkey out of the war, the Australian and New Zealand troops' actions during the campaign bequeathed an intangible but powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as "the ANZAC legend" became an important part of the national identity in both countries, as well as with the English who dubbed them "The Knights of Gallipoli".

After the First World War, returned soldiers sought the comradeship they felt in those quiet, peaceful moments before dawn. With symbolic links to the dawn landing at Gallipoli, a dawn stand-to or dawn ceremony became a common form of ANZAC Day remembrance during the 1920s, and today the "Dawn Service" has become an integral part of the ANZAC Day commemorations for New Zealanders and Australians, both at home and around the world. Anzac Day is also officially celebrated in the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga.

"And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" is a song written by Eric Bogle in 1972, describing the futility, gruesome reality and the destruction of war (here's the youtube link - not quite sure why the vid has Canadian soldiers near the end though. I removed the embedded video - found it was sucking down CPU resources. There's also another version of the song sung by Liam Clancy). The song is a vivid account of the memories of a young Australian man who, in 1915, had been recruited into the ANZACs and sent to Gallipoli, who "for ten weary weeks" kept himself alive as "around me the corpses piled higher". He recalls "that terrible day" ... "in the hell that they called Suvla Bay we were butchered like lambs at the slaughter" ... "in that mad world of blood, death and fire". In its clear and stark retelling of the events of the battle and its aftermath, it is a passionate indictment of war in general, and notes the passing of other veterans with time, as younger generations become apathetic to the veterans and their cause. The song incorporates the melody and a few lines of "Waltzing Matilda's" lyrics at its conclusion, and is often praised for its haunting imagery of the devastation at Gallipoli, and although it apparently was written as a criticism of war, it has since become a strong symbol of the sacrifice made by the ANZAC soldiers who died on the beaches of Gallipoli.

what financial records to keep

     Monday 24 March, 2008 at 11:53PM (Nereus)  ::  permalink  ::  comments (0)

Was wondering about what financial records I should be retaining, and for how long. It seems there is a significant amount of differing opinion out there, so I would recommend staying on the conservative side of any fairly reliable advice you come across, meaning that if, for example, one source says 3 years and another says 7 years, go with the 7 years. Also your personal situation can have an effect on this - for example, if you itemize deductions on your personal tax return, you should retain the relevant records, whereas if you take the standard deductions, then certain records you wouldn't need to hang on to such as credit card records.

According to the IRS, "You must keep your records as long as they may be needed for the administration of any provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Generally, this means you must keep records that support an item of income or deduction on a return until the period of limitations for that return runs out." With that in mind, here's some fairly conservative guidelines for an individual salary or wage earner in the US:

• Tax Returns - permanently.
  Includes associated records for tax deductions, charitable contributions, mortgage interest, retirement contributions, etc. Note that the IRS has three years from your filing date to audit your return if it suspects good faith errors. The three-year deadline also applies if you discover a mistake in your return and decide to file an amended return to claim a refund. The IRS has six years to challenge your return if it thinks you underreported your gross income by 25 percent or more. There is no time limit if you failed to file your return or filed a fraudulent return.
  
  
• IRA contributions - permanently.
  If you made a nondeductible contribution to an IRA, keep the records indefinitely to prove that you already paid tax on this money when the time comes to withdraw.
  
  
• Retirement/savings plan statements - from 1 year to permanently.
  Keep the quarterly statements from your 401(k) or other plans until you receive the annual summary, then if everything matches up, shred the quarterlies. Keep the annual summaries until you retire or close the account.
  
  
• Bank records - permanently, or minimum 7 years.
  Go through your checks each year and keep those related to your taxes, business expenses, home improvements and mortgage payments. Shred those that have no long-term importance.
  
  
• Brokerage statements - until you sell the securities.
  You need the purchase/sales slips from your brokerage or mutual fund to prove whether you have capital gains or losses at tax time.
  
  
• Bills - from 1 year to permanently.
  Go through your bills once a year. In most cases, when the canceled check from a paid bill has been returned, you can shred the bill, however, bills for big purchases such as jewelry, rugs, appliances, antiques, cars, collectibles, furniture, computers, etc. should be kept in an insurance file for proof of their value in the event of loss or damage.
  
  
• Credit card receipts and statements - from 45 days to 7 years.
  Keep your original receipts until you get your monthly statement, then shred the receipts if the two match up. Keep the statements for seven years if tax-related expenses are documented.
  
  
• Paycheck stubs - keep for 1 year.
  When you receive your annual W-2 form from your employer, make sure the information on your stubs matches. If it does, shred the stubs, if it doesn't, demand a corrected form, known as a W-2c. Keep final pay stubs from old employers for 7 years.
  
  
• House/condominium records - from 7 years to permanently.
  Keep all records documenting the purchase price and the cost of all permanent improvements such as remodeling, additions and installations. Keep records of expenses incurred in selling and buying the property, such as legal fees and your real estate agent's commission, for 7 years after you sell your home. Holding on to these records is important because any improvements you make on your house, as well as expenses in selling it, are added to the original purchase price or cost basis. This adds up to a greater profit (also known as capital gains) when you sell your house. Therefore, you lower your capital gains tax.
  
  
• Phone and utility bills - 1 year to 7 years.
  Toss after a year, as long as you don't have a home office, use your phone for business calls, or anticipate any need to prove long-term residency. Retain for 7 years if you have more than one home. If you have moved within the past few years keep a copy of the last year at the previous address.
  
  
• Insurance records/policies - permanently.
  Keep all policies permanently, or for 7 years after maturity. Retain records of any claims made for 7 years.

There's probably a bunch of other things, but this is just a basic guideline. You should keep two home files - your active file and your dead storage file. Your active file will hold unpaid bills until paid, paid bill receipts, current bank statements, current canceled checks, income tax working papers. After 3 years, move these items to your dead storage file. That should keep things running fairly smoothly. If in doubt, don't throw it out.

bandwidth theft

     Saturday 9 February, 2008 at 6:28PM (Nereus)  ::  permalink  ::  comments (0)

Was just sifting through some older files and had a giggle when I came across this image:

I made it years ago when I was on another host and found a heap of my images were being hotlinked from other websites (and therefore using the bandwidth I was paying for), so I added an .htaccess file and had this image served up whenever another site was hotlinking an image.. was pretty amusing at the time ..and effective.