My roommates bought a deep-fat fryer

I live with three other people: K, N and J... N and J are guys, K is a girl. When we moved in N and K were dating... now they're engaged, and plan on getting married next spring. Since moving in, N and K have gained weight. They eat a lot of processed, frozen food. Over spring break, they purchased a deep-fat fryer to cook their processed, frozen food.

A deep-fat fryer.

America is in the midst of an obesity epidemic, and they bought a deep-fat fryer.

I'm freaking out about the 10 extra pounds and how I have no time to exercise, and they bought a deep-fat fryer.

Buying a deep-fat fryer these days is like starting to smoke. We now know the dangers and a lot of people are trying to quit. I should buy the a pack of cigarettes, just to prove my point.

I don't care that they're not super-models. But they're not healthy.

It's like having sex with a bunch of people with out condoms, or any type of birth-control, for that matter.

Not to mention it stinks up the house when they use it.

I'm debating whether I should ask them not to use it so much. I view that type of activity the same way I view smoking. It's stupid, it stinks, and it hurts your health, and I don't like to be around it.

= YUCK!

Snow

The snow creates a silence. It's a beautiful silence. A combination of extra insulation and the fact that no one wants to be outside. The silence isn't like the silence that comes from the bitter cold. That silence carries too much noise. The silence that comes from snow like today is a beatiful thing. You can go for a walk and feel warm, even though you are surrounded by feet upon feet of white dense wetness. It's beautiful:

Dear Britney Spears:

For those of you who don't know Britney Spears pretty much had a break down this weekend. This is what I would tell her, if I could.

It's okay. You haven't been having the best time lately. You've made some mistakes, we all have. You fell in love with a looser... I've done it. You wanted a child. It's not like you don't have the money to support them. We were all behind you when you filed for divorce from Kevin Federline. I understand why you wanted to party so much. You were free. You needed to be free. We know that you had a baby sitter watching your children. We wanted you to have a big comeback.

This is my advice to you: Take your babies and go to Louisanna. Spend time with your family. Retreat to the country. Get away from LA, get away from the stress.

Maybe you're just a really big Demi Moore fan? She did the Vanity Fair cover pregnant and naked, you did the Harper's Bazaar cover naked and pregnant. She shaved her head... you shaved your head. Look at Demi's hair now, it's gorgeous. Better than ever. She totally took time off and raised her kids in the country. Now she's hotter than ever! Do the same honey. Just chill. If you want people behind you, make a smart choice.

This is my final peice of advice to you: Run away. Run far, far away. Go back to the simple things. Let your mother be a country grandma. She'll bake cookies and make soup.

Be intellegent, we know you're capable, and then we'll love you again

Sincerely,
Katherine Grandstrand

Do we have an obesity or anorexia epidemic?

When you turn on the TV, there's always either something about how Americans are too fat, or about how celebrities are too skinny. Which is it? An article from MSNBC/Newsweeks says that it's both.

While the travails of the thin and beautiful almost always make for good copy, we should remember that only about 1 percent of the American population is anorexic, while nearly two thirds of adults are overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So it's not as if skinny models have inspired an epidemic of slimness. In fact, the real danger may be that the contrast between the girls on the catwalks and the girls at the mall is creating an atmosphere ripe for binge dieting and the kind of unhealthy eating habits that ultimately result in weight gain, not loss.

Has anyone else noticed this, does this bother anyone else? Are we too fat or too skinny? Why can't we promote a healthy body image?

What drives me crazy is the fact that we can't call anyone "fat" anymore. It's not politically correct. When we stopped calling people fat, waistlines increased dramtically. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that everyone who has a few extra pounds should be called fat. I was called fat 15lbs ago... what does that make me? It's scary how many obese people there are, and how many people are happy at an unhealthy BMI.

I don't see myself as fat. I do see myself as someone with a little extra fat. When I look at my eating and exercise habits, I see why. I'm not perfectly happy with the way I look, but at the same time, I'm going to take drastic and unhealthy measures to loose weight.

We've lost the strive to be better, but some have gained the obesession with "perfection."

The Dove study found that just 2 percent of women and girls said they would describe themselves as beautiful, while two thirds said they avoided basic activities on days they felt unattractive. Those activities ranged from going to the beach or a party to showing up for work or school—even voicing an opinion.

No one is perfect, no one ever will be. Flaws are great, but not all flaws need to be there. Promoting good diet and exercise, along with good external care (hair, skin, face) will make everyone feel better. Why are we afraid of healthy people?

Sunday

Ah, Sunday. That day of the week that is either the end of a beautiful weekend, or the dreaded last day of the weekend that is used to catch up on all the stuff that needs to be done by Monday. I'm guessing it's the latter for most people. I have a minumum of stuff to do for tomorrow, which is nice. A little procrastination goes a long way.

The hardest thing, for me anyway, about balancing school and work is housework. Squeezing in time to do a load of dishes so your roommates don't hate you, or finally seeing the carpet in your bedroom for the first time in a month. I used my afternoon yesterday to do just that. The dish'll come later this week. Saturday morning, when getting ready for work, I noticed a bulk of clothing that I hadn't worn for a while. So I grabbed some bags and sorted through it: KEEP, TOSS, and DONATE. The Salvation Army will be happy with me. Two and half bags of clothes (and five pairs of shoes), including a tasteful formal gown that doesn't fit me anymore. I hope it ends up being some girl's dream prom dress.

Have you ever donated stuff, and then gone down the the Salvation Army to see how much they're charging? It's kinda fun. The last time I did it, I went to check it out about a week after I dropped stuff off. I could only find about a quarter of the stuff I left. It was kinda fun. The infamous "I don't think I can do a pink purse" pink purse was still there. I might drop this stuff off tomorrow. If anyone's looking for last year's size 7 clothing... check out the Salvation Army this week.

Off to do the rest of my homework...