Manatee

Bob should have sent the Whinging Cousins back to Jillian -- but you know he cannot stand to let go of any member of his Flock. Brother Bob's ability to brainwash his team every season is truly frightening. I think Jillian and I would mesh a lot better than Bob and I. Take responsibility for your actions, damnit. In regards to the blue team strategy: let's see, Mandi was the only competition in the ball sit, Mandi brought y'all back into contention in the challenge (if the editing wasn't TOO misleading), and yet "It's Mandi's time to go." WTF? If you look at it not as blue vs black, but rather as Bob's original team vs Jillian's original team, then perhaps it makes sense. Throw all the weigh-ins, get rid of all the ex-Jillian people, and go into the singles competition with enough Bob-bleheads to take out Tara and the other remaining Jillian folks. Maybe Brown Ripple Dad IS the mastermind game player after all...or Bob is pulling the strings behind the scenes. (edit: if you don't like my posts, don't read them; if you think I can't walk the walk, check my pictures. If you just don't like me, it's your loss.)

It's not a gimmick, precisely. From what I've read from previous contestants, the actual weigh-in occurs elsewhere earlier. The production crew already knows the results, and the contestants are brought up to the fake scale in the most dramatic order for TV.

Feel free to put me on ignore. I will not change my opinion of him nor his 'team'. Life is not all rainbows and butterflies, and I don't believe in coddling the incompetent.

I figured it was just easier to quote myself. I'd dearly love to learn the Brown Ripple Dad Jedi Mind Trick that he's using. "This is not the contestant you are looking for" (waving hand)

Black's not thinking strategically. They should have thrown that challenge.

Ok, some more quickie reviews: Watchmen -- great if you are a fan of the graphic novel. If you're not, and expecting a Batman flick, you're going to be confused and disappointed. If you accept it at face value, it's a complex dissertation on human nature and group dynamics. I liked it quite a bit. The Wrestler -- bleak view of an aging ex-superstar. It's very much "Glory Days" by Springsteen in feel. Roarke plays the role well. NOT a feel-good flick, but worth a rental maybe. The Reader -- Really hard to watch, but worth watching. Interesting look into post-war German psyche and culture. Into the Wild (DVD) -- Supposedly a journey of life and discovery, but really it follows the path of a dumbass as he wanders unprepared into the Alaskan winter and gets what he truly deserves. Well photographed and acted, but it's hard to feel sympathy for the guy.

Just a couple of post-revision pics. Still got a bit of swelling, but overall not bad for a guy who was almost 300 lbs on a 5'9 frame less than 2 years ago. Still want the hardbody look, but -that- is up to me and my eating/workout habits. That's a year 3 goal :biggrin:

My thoughts on this, from a previous blog post: http://killthefatman.livejournal.com/32994.html

Well, remember the goal of the show isn't healthy -- it's THIN. Muscle weighs too. Surely you have seen those stick-women wandering around your town too?

Why? Looking at your ticker, you really don't need that. Aren't they bitching at Cathy for her "measly" 48lb loss?

Check my sig.

A couple of quick thoughts: 1) Two-part episodes annoy me 2) The Jillian/Laura dynamic is a great example of what I was speaking of earlier. It's not fair, people are mean, blah blah. Focus on you, take responsibility, and kick some butt. I did really feel for Laura though when she spoke about needing to be loved. I hope she gets some psychological help after she burns off the weight. Sugar Ray hit it on the head (so to speak) about this being as much a mind problem as a physical one. 3) I really dislike this pressure they're placing on Mike. The thing doesn't hinge on him, and the team shouldn't be thinking that way. 4) I bet they're missing Dane right about now... 5) I love Tara telling team Blue they were stupid about that choice

I saw it also. I think he worked very hard to avoid saying it was his idea. "It was understood" is a lame way of offsetting responsibility. Did you, or did you not, make the decision to get in the van? This will ruffle some feathers, but so be it: a very common thing among the MO is an aversion to taking personal responsibility for their actions. Things 'happen to them' a lot. WE are responsible for our actions. WE choose the consequences. WE choose what we eat, what we do, whether we exercise, where we live, what our situation is. If something 'can't be changed,' all that means is we don't want to deal with the impact of making a decision to change it. If you look, you'll see that attitude all over this board, especially among those who's band is "is failing me". He got in that van. He could have said no. "To desire the end is to desire the means to that end. If you are unwilling to embrace all actions required to achieve it, you never really wanted it at all." -- SM Stirling

Swelling is common and will hide the actual results for many months. Something else to keep in mind, there's a big difference between squeezing into a size and fitting into it well. My tummy tuck only changed my waist size an inch or so, but it really changed the shape. Give it time.

This thing is crumbling under it's own success I think. Time to invest in some serious hardware and pipes to keep it up.

SPOILER SPACE -- IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT <STOP> ok. Jillian proves the old Bear Bryant saying "I'll beat you with my team today, and I'll beat you with your team tomorrow.” A product-placement quiz gives the black team a 3 lbs pass that they end up not needing, because Jillian is a raging force of nature and even the (former) Big Blues are scared of her. At the weigh-in, Bob's team gets smacked down, with Brown Ripple Dad trailing behind as usual. In the meantime Dane has set some sort of record for losing 100 lbs faster than anyone. Of course, he started at about 700 lbs, but he carries it well on his 8'3" frame. Nevertheless, Bob's Boobs have to decide who goes home. Now, if I recall correctly, this is a game. With, ya know, a LOT of money at stake. And right now, it's a team thing, so Bob's team needs to step up, get that % weight loss thing happening, and start kicking ass. So, naturally, they decide.... To cry. Again. "I love my dead gay son," sobs Brown Ripple Dad. Or something like that. Somehow, The Stud Loser Dane becomes the target. I'm not sure how, but I'm certain it's because the Twit Twins (Andi, Mandi, Sandi, whateveri) have a thing for the Ripple Dad. Maybe he reminds them of their favorite stuffed bear. In any case, the crying continues into the Table Of Banishment scene, in which Bob's team decides to send home the athletic dude with the huge weight losses, and keep the guy who weighs 400 lbs and loses 5 lbs a week. For a total percentage weight loss of NOT FREAKING ENOUGH. Most people lose more weight with a good bowel movement. This of course means that Jill's team pretty much has the next few team competitions sewn up. The competition will get even weaker when Bob blows out that vein on his forehead at the beginning of the next episode, and drops dead on the spot. Maybe that's why TBL is looking for a new trainer? In the post-separation scene, Dane talks about how fabulous he's doing, and how he's been inspired to run a marathon. Funny thing, though, is that he didn't look that much smaller. Oh, and they didn't mention his weight. Oh, and one other thing? Turns out he didn't REALLY run that marathon after all. Take a look at the following link, near the bottom: Melancholy Smile: WE DID IT! Tune in next week when in an attempt to keep people interested despite the inevitable Black smack-down, the editors make it look like Tarrable walks out on Jillian. Yah. Right. The chick is a MACHINE.

Well.... There's been much said this season about how they are more 'real' and less game-play oriented than previous seasons. I understand that, but STUPID STUPID STUPID decision. All they did was guarantee that next week they'll end up voting off the one that should have gone now. Y'all are playing a game. Never forget it.

Aw, c'mon. You KNOW why Bob was upset at losing the blue guys That one ex-blue dude pissed me off though, when he was claiming he just couldn't work out fully with Jillian. Get over yourself and lift the dang weights.

Nah, I look OK. I know I look OK. I was just hoping that after 2 band surgeries, 2 years, and 2 plastic surgeries I would look better than OK. Media images screw with guy's heads too. But that's fodder for another thread. Recent pic, just for you. That's a genuine A-bomb in the background

Well........I think there's something wrong with me. Seriously. If I had cash or insurance I'd probably talk to a counselor. Even though I now fall well into "normal" and I don't look bad at all, I'm still not very happy with this body. I'm just so -pissed- that I wasted all the years in the past getting all blobby and distorted. Even after the surgeries, it won't be close to what I really want. Back to the gym next week, gotta start building the pecs and arms next.

In my case, the revision was expected from the onset, and was included in the original cost. Followed up with doc today. Stitches out, no fluids to drain, just standard swelling. 4 weeks to next checkup. Really, it's a lot easier this time since I was not split from side to side.

I will not do it in a car, I will not do it near and far, I will not do it, firm I am. I will not have blue balls and Pam

Seuss is overrated. It's easy to rhyme when one simply makes up words. I tried that and got a C in freshman English.

He's Just Not That Into You: Lame, lame. That Gigi character was the scariest needy lady I've seen in a long time. No wonder she was alone -- she just radiates "boiling bunny" vibes Taken: Harsh but a good action flick. I liked the fact that the lead character didn't try to save anyone but his daughter. It showed a realism that isn't often seen in that kind of movie Coraline: Creepy. I didn't really think it was a kid's flick. I really liked it, and now need to hunt down a 3D version Paul Blart, Mall Cop: I felt really uncomfortable during this movie, especially since so much of the humor in the movie was "look at the fat loser try to be heroic". Not something I want to see again. The Pink Panther 2: Horrible. Just horrible. I wasted $7 and 2 hours on this, and cannot believe it was actually made. Slumdog Millionaire: I got dragged to this because of the hype. Frankly, it just wasn't that good a movie. Very obvious where the plot was going, and the main thing it brought home was to NEVER go to India. New in Town: A lot of fun, if light on plot Bride Wars: Kate Hudson looks horrible in this one, Anne Hathaway looks good, but it's hard to really care about these two spoiled brats. Bedtime Stories: Well, it's an Adam Sandler pic. I didn't have high expectations, and it lived down to them.