The power of Advertising

NOTE: This was written when I was fairly HAPPY with Google's eBlogger. But since then, over the last 16 hours, their administration functions have prevented me from posting per my normal blog schedule which was very frustrating. Sorry for the lapse - but it was beyond my control - W.C.C..

When I decided to start a blog I went ahead and allowed Google-provided advertising on my page. The reasoning behind this was three-fold. Obviously if I provide content that people actually want to read, then eventually such ads might produce some coin for my trouble. Secondly, by dedicating sidebars on my site I have placeholders for interesting widgets like the debt clock or maybe something I design myself in the future. Third, let’s face it , just like in grade school, the bigger the borders and margins, sometimes you can fool the teacher into thinking you have written a lot more ‘good stuff’ than you really have – are you fooled yet?

Anyway, I have been basically happy with the idea of limited advertising on my blog. It is not too intrusive and especially since I write on a wide variety of topics, Google constantly feeds ‘content-relevant’ ads which might be beneficial to my readers. The truth is that more often than not, the ads will pique MY interest far more than any of you. For example, If I write on ‘the magic of toilets’, Google will send me ads about toilet accessories or magic tricks. If I write a post on brass, then Google will send my site ads on metal cleaners to marching band supplies. Oddly, I am the type of person who is legitimately interested in learning more about ALL of these things.

The problem is of course is that we who sign-on to Ad Sense revenue, agree to a strict contract which does not allow us to click on any ‘pushed’ ads on our OWN websites. While sometimes frustrating, this is totally understandable. Even web advertising can be expensive so it would be inherently unfair to sign on every day and just start clicking ads to boost hit counts for stuff I have no interest in. However, more than once, I actually HAVE had to leave my site and look up whatever an advertiser is selling, BUT AWAY from my blog. I have never bought anything yet, but at least the little ads are doing their job generating interest … MINE!

But today, on my blog, something new with the side-bar ads, gave me moment to pause and an even longer moment to laugh. The content sensitive crawler that Google’s Ad Sense uses to send my blog ads, posted an advertisement something akin to: “ Lesbian love potions …”. I refreshed my ‘canned meat’ article in disbelief and the ads switched over to accounting and other mundane topics. I refreshed the page again and THERE WAS MORE??? - “Meet Local Lesbians”.

Now I honestly do not know what ‘cute’ phrase or keyword pairing that I wrote which triggered such provocative ads? Would anyone in love really respond to the notion of being playfully referred to as ‘canned meat’? Could It have been the liberal use of phrases like ‘buttered bread’ or ‘special handling’. Regardless, if you ever decide to click on my blog ads or even monetize your own website, you are now in the know. People with alternative lifestyles APPARENTLY love canned meat just like ME! I can’t wait to tell my wife … she’ll will finally be so happy that after all these years, I have finally found a group with which I can truly identify!

Canned MEAT

You name it, Roast Beef, Chicken, Tuna, Spam or Deviled Ham – whatever it is, as long as it is packed in a can, I love it. Now believe me I have taken a lot of ribbing over the years about this. Most people prefer their meat fresh cut and in a non-chunky or mashed pablum state.

Honestly I like all those meats in their natural condition too, but the truth is, fresh or frozen foods are kind of needy. They all NEED some kind of refrigeration, special handling, or fancy preparation to prevent you from getting sick. This is not true with the canned stuff. I can just open a rectangular ingot of canned Spam, scrape off that amber-colored gelatin goo, and eat it straight, happily bundled between two pieces of buttered bread.

Canned Tuna is great on crackers or mixed with a little mayo on a salad. But would you ever yank poor ol’ Charley the Tuna from his aquatic bliss and suck him down head-first like a seal? Yeah some of the old school Japanese folks might filet up a little tuna in the raw, but for the vast majority of us, we want our tuna dressed properly for dinner with a little salt and pepper.

Now I consider my uncanny canned meat obsession a by-product of my inherent need to survive. I can stock up on all my favorites and they will last for decades in the cupboard. Try that with that half a cow foil-wrapped meat puzzle that you have date-labeled in the freezer. You would think given all the obvious benefits, people like me should guard and protect their cans like gold. You are right – because aside from blogging, all I do is sit on my CAN all day and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands!

Old TIMER'S Radio

You know one thing I was a little too young to take advantage of much was old time radio shows. Throughout the late 1930’s, 40’s, and 50’s, these short plays and comedy acts were THE biggest of the big deal of their day. Yes before television, internet, and satellite programming, radio drama and comedy were the top dogs on the block. Now talk radio is king but it tends to be repetitive, argumentative, and makes for anything but stress-free fun.

By 1960, most U.S produced radio dramas and fun comedy programs were canceled as TV quickly seized control of our lives with a bloodless coup. As a teen, on Sunday nights, one radio station in California would re-broadcast old time radio shows for only one hour. I would try to listen as often as I could and enjoy the colorful way the actors brought a script to life with inflection, emotion, and sound effects.

Apparently Sundays too, were the days with the least amount of radio listeners for normal music programming, because I remember my folks allowing me to listen to the very experimental Dr. Demento radio show. The program featured comedy, music, bawdy drinking songs, and anything goofy, weird and UN-television. Dr. Demento hangs on in relative anonymity today with his web presence and limited terrestrial radio audience. However in the homogenized 70’s, I think the show appealed to me with its irreverent humor and sophomoric innuendo which I embarrassingly still draw on today in my writing.

Despite worldwide media’s huge turn toward internet entertainment, television, and large budget motion pictures, radio still happily lives on today. Obviously with the advent of talk radio, mostly of a political tone, commercial markets in the United States, have boomed over the last 20 years . Still to this day Britain’s BBC media giant, produces NEW regularly scheduled radio dramas and soap operas for their European markets. Many of these programs air daily, or on weekends and are sometimes available through internet podcasts.

Now these days, whenever stuck in my motorized appliance, I have the good fortune of a satellite radio on board for audio entertainment. The XM/Sirius folks provide a whole channel dedicated to JUST old time radio shows. I love listening to the ‘Shadow’, or ‘X minus 1’, George Burns, Abbott and Costello – you name it. All the shows are not rip-roaring funny, or deceptively mysterious, but for anyone who spends as much time with words as I do, they are ALL very entertaining. If you are interested in a taste of the ‘good ol’ days’ then check out this site for true old time stress-free radio programming. Give them a listen, and you may never go back to your redundant talk radio station again.

Designer "SunGasses"

Hey I get it, you are supposed to protect your eyes from V.D., U.V., B.O., or some other random alphabet pairings of harmful sun rays. I think sunglasses are so great in fact that I even own a pair. But what I don’t get is the need to have fifty pairs of sunglasses or some designer initials glued on my face?

When did the world change so much from being ALMOST practical? When I was a kid, I do not remember everybody having lots of sunglasses or lots of anything for that matter. I knew we were not rich growing up, but I did not feel poor either. I always had what I needed to comfortably navigate through any given day, sunny or otherwise; but I just did not have lots of extras to waste.

Now it seems that everything from eyewear to underwear comes in various colors, styles, and designer brands. Honestly now at least with sunglasses somebody might actually notice that name brand advertisement framing your head. But how many people do you PURPOSELY introduce to your designer under-duds, bundling your rump every day? I’m thinking if it is a high number then it is inversely reflective of your I.Q.

I also don’t understand why the most expensive Sunglasses have the dorkiest names. I thought you are supposed to be ‘ultra-cool’ when you sport those top-flight, self-darkening Aviators? Is ‘OAKLEY’ really a great name? I don’t see people EVER naming their kids ‘Oakley’ and living to admit it. Now I have traveled coast to coast, and I have met many a hippy and hillbilly. But not one of these folks has had the guts to name any of their clan ‘Oakley’.

And what about ‘Ray-Ban’ – does anyone named Ray actually own these things or is the privilege strictly for the rest of us ‘un-RAY-diated’? 'Ray-Ban' sounds like a bad knock-off battery to me or maybe Flash Gordon’s interstellar ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy. I don’t know, maybe I should breakdown and invest in pair of designer sunglasses that match my skivvies? If I do, you’ll be the first to know. Just look for the easily recognizable and famous maker’s initials – P.U. !

Extension Cords - Prime 9 uses

I recently wrote about all the reasons that extension cords and I do not get along. I kind of got a lot of pushback hate mail from extension cord fans (along with other small appliances too) who seem to really benefit from the mobility that longer cords bring. So in the interest of fairness and equal time. I now submit for your approval, the Prime Nine alternative uses for extension cords:

1) An anchor line for an Electric boat

2) The business end of a really REALLY big string trimmer

3) Dental floss for the Mountain Dew drinkin’, gap-toothed smilin’, Deliverance folks

4) Fishing line for stupid fat catfish of the evening who’ll ‘noodle’ ANYTHING, even fingers

5) For a high-powered 120 volt Electric Fence (Ha - Too Easy)

6) Hanging that really gauche black felt artwork with the real working car headlights

7) A modern swinging vine for a high tech Tarzan & his blue tooth connected chimp, 'Cheeta'

8) Use as a lasso by Robert Redford’s Electric Horseman to electrocute Jane Fonda

9) A clothesline for only SHORTS & wind BREAKERS (the JACKETS … nothing else)

There you have it - my ‘prime 9’ homage to alternative uses for stupid electrical extension cords. I am sure you have a few clever ideas of your own so do feel free to enLIGHTEN us all. Whatever you do though don’t get distracted from this post to do something else. Because if you do that is a clear sign you probably have ‘Extension Deficit Disorder ‘!

Targeting the MACHO myth

A favorite memory when I was younger was when my old man would take me out target shooting. I know that statement sounds a bit macho and sexist, but it really was a ‘mans’ thing then, uh at least the shooting part. My mother always seemed to encourage us to go as I think she knew it was good Dad/Son bonding time away from the normal home environment. As a family we would actually shop for ammunition, gun cleaning stuff, and of course the ubiquitous tan and black paper targets.

Probably one of these earliest excursions that I remember was to an abandoned missile silo somewhere on the outskirts of Denver, Colorado. My dad prepared a black satchel with the pistols while my mom brewed up a thermos of coffee and made some snacks for our adventure. Once there, we would set up cans and whatever we could find as targets. My Dad was an excellent shot and he tried to teach me proper breathing technique, how to pull vs. jerk the trigger, and the proper way to address the target ( … Hello Target! ) – Sorry, that has nothing to do with the story but I can never ‘address’ something without thinking of Art Carney using the similar gag ala the Honeymooners.

Later in life, I would repeat much of these same steps but with my wife ‘T’ in tow. Her family had not had a lot of experience with guns when she was growing up so it was exciting to learn some up-close weapons training and handling. We would go to the local police range to practice on those same stock styled paper targets from years ago. My wife learned quickly and she oddly was more accurate with the larger caliber pistols than the smaller .22 'plinker' guns. Later still, my daughter came along and we passed on the same target shooting tradition.

Like her mother, our kid is innately accurate with heavy caliber handguns. I probably would not have noticed it as much but unlike her parent’s ‘cheap’ targets, the young one insists on the bright orange and black ‘Splatter’ targets in the shape of HUMAN silhouettes. Beyond the human body painted on the front, just the target’s name ‘SPLATTER’ should give concern shouldn’t it? With every slug through the target’s rings, tiny fissures of white show around the hole, thus making the placement of your shot easier to see. My innocent little girl would rip the concentric 8, 9, and 10 rings up of that sad silhouette with glee and save her targets like they were time-honored trophies.

Since that time, our kid has gone off to college, in Texas no less - probably the perfect place for her? While most first year students were considering an art class elective, or maybe an intramural sport, our kid signed up for ‘Skeet Shooting’. A friend even brought a dead six foot snake in the back of his pick-up to show her what he had shot. I guess he knew she would appreciate his marksmanship? Yes, it turns out that gun skills are an equal opportunity employer. I’m proud that we have done our part to put that ‘macho’ stereotype myth to rest – or am I? Turns out they have an Equestrian team at my daughter’s university too, so I am beginning to wonder if my GIRL will end up majoring in cowBOY!?

When good rules go bad

I admit it, I am a bit of a ‘rules’ kind of guy. I prefer things to be fairly straightforward, vividly explicit, and my rainbows to come in two colors - black and white. It really is not my fault since my first and ONLY internship in college was at a legal clinic. Even as a lowly intern, it did not take too long to realize that no physics are involved at all - the world ACTUALLY revolves around contracts and the rule of law.

Now of course my parents were pretty careful to set me straight too whenever I attempted to stray as a youngster. So given all that foundation for a lawful life, it is no wonder that I am tuned a tad tighter than a cheap guitar when it comes to rules. Today, it is fashionable to find shades of gray in most every law and it seems even the rules of grammar, ( such as the true meaning of ‘IS’) are apparently debatable.

Preamble ramble aside, rules truly ARE important, but in my life, probably the one overriding principle that has proven MORE critical, time and time again, is fundamental fairness. Oh no, I have opened that triple-locked and sealed door of interpretation – what happened to all that ‘holier than thou’ tough 'Texas Ranger' talk?

Well I have to admit, even though I am not much of a sports fan, I was frustrated that Detroit Tigers baseball pitcher, Armando Galarraga was denied a ‘perfect game’ due to a admittedly erroneous umpire call. Now mind you this was not any old ump-blunder , this was the LAST OUT of the LAST INNING of a NO HITTER! There have been only 20 perfect games in the entire history of baseball and Galarraga delivered the goods for a 21st yesterday and deserves the appropriate recognition.

Now there is no CRISIS in baseball – this was an admitted error on the part of a human umpire. Replay tapes clearly show the batter was out and everyone knows it. Major League Baseball does not have to change any long term rules about the use or non-use of replays in games. The Commissioner simply has to step up and RIGHT AN OBVIOUS WRONG and reverse the call. It is a matter of fairness and is EXACTLY why we still have HUMANS with REAL gray matter in leadership positions judging anything or any contest. Our brains are BETTER because they are not rigid and inflexible like computerized machines.

Sports MUST compete with a set of common rules or else chaos would ensue and record books would become meaningless. However in rare and clearly SPECIAL circumstances, FAIRNESS should be the prevailing rule and the letter of the law must take a backseat. True leadership is knowing when those unusual and special times have arrived at your doorstep; and when history DEMANDS the use of your moral prerogative, power, and BRAINS to do something about it. See, even a ‘rules’ guy like me can have a heart – uh … but let’s wait and see, that opinion may yet be reversed upon closer inspection?


LATE UPDATE: This piece was prepared 12 hours prior to scheduled posting. Since that time, ML Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said 'He will not reverse' the bad call. But on a happier note, GM executive Mark Reuss, GAVE A BRAND NEW CORVETTE to pitcher Galarraga for his 'Grand Sportsmanship'. Way to go GM - I call that a class-act. Yet another reason to BUY American!

'EX' Extension Cords

Yeah I have a love hate relationship with extension cords. When you need one, they are your best friend because while bathing, it is almost impossible to get the toaster close enough, for hot fresh toast without one. But other than that, most of the time they are bulky, hard to store, and always tripping me up. Let’s put it this way – I will never marry an extension cord no matter how titillating the tingle or how electric our connection seems to be.

My number one pet peeve with electrical cords are the ground plug and the polarized holes at the end of the cord. First off, whenever I plug something into that little surprised face at the end of the cord, I feel a little guilty. You probably would look shocked as well if somebody shoved some metal electrified prongs in your eyes and mouth too? Second, by the very nature of a polarized plug, one blade of your appliance will be wider than the other. You would think by odds alone, I would attempt to plug the thing in correctly at least half the time. Don’t bet on it.

The reality is that I NEVER get the plug right and properly oriented the first time. I will push and push on the plug trying to make the fat blade go into the skinny hole. My wife will stare in amusement as this scenario is repeated by me dozens of times per month. I am sure I remind her of the ‘slow’ kid who keeps PUSHING IN on the one way swinging door which reads ‘OUT ONLY’.

I get tired of storing these bulky orange garage extension cords too. I coil them up like snakes, wrap them in paper like fish, pile them up like … well you name it, but they are always a pain. Even when I KNOW and can see that a wormy extension cord is present, it will trip me up and tangle in my feet. I have become so gun-shy now, whenever I approach an unfurled cord, my pace and demeanor takes on the careful tip-toed persona of a diamond thief. Yes I admit it, I will likely continue to be menaced by these evil cords until they probably kill me. Like all electricity, and any bad marriage, my extension cord goal is to simply avoid contact, and hence eliminate the need for a messy, painful divorce. Because sadly, as many previously married folks know, you rarely can have an EX without TENSION!

Sole Man

Honestly I know I should eat more fish. While I do not eat much red meat these days, our crew around here eats a lot of turkey and chicken instead. On occasion when my daughter is complaining that she needs iron before giving blood, we will venture out for some ribs or a burger. But even then, at nicer restaurants, I am more of a ‘chicken man’.

Wow I really do not like the repressed memories called up from being a ‘chicken man’. Horrible images come to mind while I was a child when my parents would taunt me with an Easter card that featured a bright yellow chicken with a blood red beak. My folks will swear that I have it all wrong, but secretly my Dad tries too hard to hide a ‘ knowing smirk’ when this subject inevitably surfaces every Easter.

Hard to believe, when I was an adult, we kept a chicken as a pet for a few years. OK, I liked the egg production but beyond my responsibilities to begrudgingly feed and water her, that red chicken never ‘beaked’ my interest. It didn’t matter, the little red hen bonded more with my wife anyway. Yeah the tricky chick got its kicks by following my wife anywhere around our property, just like a dog.

Gee all this chicken talk REALLY makes me want to eat more fish so I can change my official food classification to ‘Sole Man’. I don’t mind seafood’s flavor at all especially when other people prepare it in THEIR kitchens. It seems though whenever I make fish at home … well the house REALLY STINKS? But I have to admit it’s worth it; there’s nothing like frying up a pile of those bite-sized 1200 milligram fish oil pills with a roll, side of rice, and a little garlic butter. Mmmmm – now that’s a meal with SOUL!

Needy Paradox

I have never owned a big boat but someday I would like to. Yes I know everyone says that the best days of boat ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it. I believe that’s humorously correct, but I also believe, THAT POINT is true for most things when you are human. Humans are inherently never satisfied. If they have shoes, they will eventually want a skateboard. If they have a reliable food source, they will always want more variety of foods. If they have a hut, they will eventually want a bigger hut than their neighbor PLUS a 3-skateboard garage.

The human paradox is, no matter what the ‘IT’ is, as soon as the perceived need is satisfied - it actually ISN’T. Now I know that seems as if I missed the point – the premise is that owning a boat is a lot of hassle after the fun wears off. I actually do get it. However, I simply think we are too quick sometimes to blame the OBJECT of our affections for our unhappiness rather than ourselves. More often than not, if we dig deeper beyond the emotional surface, regardless of the problem, the REAL ‘blame’ for negativity and dissatisfaction will be mostly with OURSELVES.

Most people will instantly reject the discomforting thought that family and friends too, fall along the same logic thread. It has been quite awhile since it was fashionable to consider people as mere objects. But syntax aside, the odds are high that you have chosen your friends and mates, beyond superficial camaraderie, because they fulfill some important need in your life. Yes just like those old smarmy dramas so often proclaim, your spouse actually DOES ‘complete you’. The hard part of these ‘developed’ relationships is to learn how to successfully balance between your needs and the needs of your loved ones.

Obviously every time you get a little antsy or distracted, you can’t simply discard your family and friends like that sporty floating ‘albatross’ you bought last year. Fortunately, people are much more complex and interesting than most objects. People continue to grow, change, and re-fresh constantly (assuming they will bathe once in awhile). Unlike THINGS, people actively interact within the environment around them, learn from their experiences, and usually get a little better with age. As we get older we are perceived wiser and more responsible because we temper our emotional highs, lows, and needs a bit. We are more self-assured, settled, and often choose to focus on the needs of others more, than those of ourselves. When we are young and impetuous, our needs are extreme and life is challenging, wildly unpredictable, and yes, necessarily selfish.

So when evaluating your newest needs or lamenting last year’s moment of weakness to possess that once big, beautiful, and perfect SOMETHING, remember the paradox. Another thing better will ALWAYS follow. That does not mean to endlessly wait, put your life on hold, and avoid life’s every risk, decision or significant relationship. It simply means to make THE BEST CHOICE when you are ready and don’t forever second guess that decision. Don’t blame others in your life for your dissatisfaction. You ALONE are ultimately in control and responsible to find a way through life’s maze and be happy for what you have MADE, with what you have. Ok, that’s MY LAST WORD on the subject but don’t tell my wife … I’m sure she’ll have a few more choice ones of her own on that boat idea!

Autonomous

Yeah I have a fondness for robots that may be a bit abnormal. It is ok because although my wife is not a robot herself, she enjoys robot extra-curricular interests as well. Most of the robots we are involved with are actually kind of beefy and quite large driven by wheels or tracks. The dream of robot designers is autonomous control – that is the robot is given a variety of input data and it in turn makes decisions and operates independently of a human operator. Take it from me, this robot Nirvana is a very difficult task and takes lots of time to perfect, so most of our robot adventures are remotely controlled by humans.

I always wanted to build a remote controlled airplane. With easy build fast kits, this goal has become far simpler now than when I was a kid. With new miniature gyroscopic circuitry you can now even amaze and terrorize your friends with small easy to fly indoor helicopters. To robot lovers, these little remote controlled marvels are truly amazing. Just a few years ago, to re-create the functionality of these micro copters would have cost thousands of dollars and endless hours of training to fly.

Now, not to be outdone, the Robo-folks over at the University of Pennsylvania decided to design a 4 rotor helicopter that is amazingly, small, agile … and are you ready - YES, autonomous. This is a pretty big deal actually so have a look. Beyond the obvious military and clandestine uses, such a device could be awfully fun around the school yard playing ‘Duck Duck Goose’. Maybe if I’m good this year, my wife will build me one of quad copter things for Christmas? I don’t know of course because I’ll have to ASK her. You see, despite my wife’s sophisticated programming and extensive training – as her husband, after all these years, I’m still not AUTONOMOUS!

Bet on ANY port in a storm

Now I haven’t gambled much in my life. No it is not because I am an exceptionally moral or smart ‘dunder-dude’; It actually has more to do with the fact that I LOSE MOST OF THE TIME. Wow, I haven’t even started yet and I have already depressed myself. But REALLY, my poor gambling track history does not just extend to Vegas games of chance, or cards with buddies. No, I just tend to bet on the wrong things at the wrong time so now I am gun-shy to play Russian roulette.

Take the weather for instance. My wife and I had all day to work on some projects and update the GPS on a Cessna that we use. For some odd reason, we waited until around 3PM to accomplish this rather minor task. Well the reality in the Midwest is that thunderclouds build rapidly in the afternoon so this was not our best plan nor as usual, a GOOD BET for me. Actually the GPS work went fine, but we also had some equipment checks to do on a tiny Piper Tripacer that my wife will be flying with a partner, in an air race at the end of the month.

We watch the weather fairly carefully as it can be a matter of life and death for a pilot. My wife and I weren’t worried actually; even if a storm came, it would drop a few drips, maybe a clap of thunder – how bad could it be? My wife’s under dash work tied her up in a knot inside the little plane. I was holding the door and offering sage advice, when all of a sudden the wind picked up. It proceeds to become a gale force blow and I can feel the little plane rocking on the ground wanting to fly. We had left our car at the front of the building and walked to the ‘north 40’ of the tarmac, so there was no easy retreat. The rain started pouring in buckets and the thunder crashed above us. I was mostly dry under the starboard wing but the wind continued to push more rain my way still.

My wife expressed some concern that I was standing in a water puddle with lightning cracking overhead and tried to make room for me to haul myself up into the plane where at least the rubber tires might keep me toast-free if I said something particularly offensive to anger the lightning gods. So there I was – legs half hanging out in the wind like a fat windsock and the other half crammed into this clown-sized mini plane? My wife and I are stuck in this position for fifteen minutes as wind-driven rain is dripping on my arm and all the other parts attached to my legs. What a pleasant little diversion this turned out to be? Can you now see why I am not a betting man. Too many dark clouds follow me around I guess? I think I need to move somewhere that it doesn’t rain much. Hmmm your thinking maybe Las Vegas … uh, nice try but, NO, I wouldn’t bet on it.

10,000 steps

Just about every wellness program known seems to include some sort of a provision for walking. Most of them have settled on the idea that 10,000 steps is about enough to get you on the road to good health habits. Now I know from experience, that number seems totally unachievable especially if you sit around all day at a computer. But happily I am here to tell you that it takes only surprisingly LITTLE extra effort to achieve this goal and feel a little better about your personal health.

Now before you accuse me of trying to kill you, I know all the books say check with the doctor before starting any new exercise program. But hey folks, I am talking about WALKING here not digging ditches or chasing kites in storms. Call your mom, Rabbi, or that freckled kid who packs your bags at the supermarket – all of them will tell you that a little walking never hurt anyone. Anyway, you have to trust me on this, it is considered poor blogging etiquette to kill off your readers unless it is through boredom – then that’s actually quite normal.

So assuming you’re still alive and are willing to up your health ante a tad, probably the easiest part of doing 10,000 steps is to do NOTHING DIFFERENT for the first few days. Grab your pedometer and record how many steps your normal routine consists of currently. You will probably be surprised because even sedentary people tend to walk 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day. Now mind you half of that is back and forth between the refrigerator, but let’s think positive and realize that you are already well on your way! My normal routine was just under 5000 steps per day. Now it did and DOES take effort to double my activity rate daily. But oddly, a trip to the market here, or a window shopping mall excursion in the afternoon – it is amazing how fast the steps build up.

The goal is to INCREASE your activity so don’t beat yourself up if you never reach 10,000 steps consistently – do things that interest and motivate you first and then slowly incorporate more movement and walking in your normal routine. By working in the garage with my wife over the weekend, I generated more than 1200 steps in less than an hour. Remember, most of that is just puttering and organizing things – it’s fun, not stressful work or evil exercise. Seek out walking ‘missions’ that you and your family can do together. We sometimes pick berries off a beaten path at the park, or other times we may just take a quickie hike around the neighborhood. Whatever the minor goal, it is better than just sitting around and staring at a computer screens all day. Hmmm but what if I walked BETWEEN computer screens all day? Wow this 10,000 steps dealy is easier to achieve than I thought!