Reality TV Shows Are Staged

Here’s something you might find interesting. It’s a comment a friend of mine emailed me about reality TV shows in general and the upcoming Kid Nation show.

“There are very strict laws about treatment of children on sets for television and movies. There have to be adults present. One of my friends in residency was “The Bachelor” a couple years ago and that show was entirely staged. Survivor has been busted on two occasions that I know of re-filming scenes, sometimes using doubles. Many former reality show participants have come out and revealed that they were given scripted lines and that their conversations were spliced together from conversations on different days about different topics to artistically create a plot. I witnessed this personally with a reality show filmed at Vanderbilt called Resident Live. Several of my friends were also involved in that project, one of which was kicked off because she wouldn’t fake scenes. I wouldn’t worry about the kids on this particular show.”

Makes you wonder doesn’t it?

I’ve long suspected that these reality show are staged. This just confirms my suspicions.

The Roof and the Tree

They didn’t cut down my tree!

The roofers finished the last building today at noon, packed up and left. Apparently they forgot about the tree (or didn’t really want to mess with it in the first place).

That tree also provided nice shade for the house on these hot summer days.

And I just like trees.

One of the reasons I moved to here was for the trees. Where I grew up it was mostly cornfields. Here we have a lot more hills and trees. Where I live is right in the foothills of the mountains. Not as spectacular as the Rocky Mountains, but they’re better than nothing.

It may have to come down one of these days, but for now the birds, the squirrels and I will party on!

And I finally have a new roof!

I guess I’ll have to find a place for that bucket now.

Mark

The Tree – Friday

I’m starting to think they’ve forgotten about my tree.

When I talked to the head honcho of the roofing crew on Monday, he indicated that Slumlord wanted him to cut the tree down. I knew all along it would have to come down. It really is too close to the house. That’s why I even went so far as to ask him about it.

He said he was going to bring his chainsaw on Tuesday and take care of it. Well, Tuesday came and went and I thought he must have forgotten his saw because he didn’t cut down the tree. I was just happy to have one more day to enjoy my little furry friends.

When the crew started on the roof Thursday and the tree was still standing, I started to think that maybe if it wasn’t in their way, they would forget that they were supposed to cut it down.

Well, my roof is all done and they’ve moved on to the house next door. No one has paid any attention to my tree.

Mark

New Roof – Thrusday

Six roofers can sure raise a ruckus. I thought the worst of the noise was going to be the demolition that took place on Tuesday. I figured the constant nailing wouldn’t be that bad and it wasn’t. These guys were using pneumatic nail guns and all you heard was tap, tap, tap, tap…. Tap, tap, tap, tap.

What I wasn’t prepared for was every ten to fifteen minutes they would drop another bundle of shingles on the roof. Every time it sounded like something had fallen out of the sky and landed right over your head. It shook the whole house like an earthquake.

So, all morning long I’m being serenaded with, “Boom, tap, tap, tap, tap…tap, tap, tap, tap. Boom, tap, tap, tap, tap… tap, tap, tap, tap.”

New Roof – Wednesday

Roofers should be back today and finish. With six guys on the crew — and as fast as they work — it shouldn’t take long at all to knock this baby out.

However, I’m going to lose the tree that grows right outside my kitchen window.

The problem is it’s growing too close to the house. So close in fact that it rubs on the guttering and could damage it.

I hate to lose that tree because I’ve grown short of attached to it. For one thing there’s a family of squirrels that play in it everyday. They will come and look in the window every once in awhile. Sometimes one of them will just hang upside down and we’ll watch each other.

Then there are the birds. Cardinals, Bluebirds, Jays, Robins, Finches, Woodpeckers and dozens of others I don’t know the names of.

I started to keep a dish of water at the base of the tree last summer during the drought and the birds and squirrels would come from all around to get a drink. So now I keep it full of water year round.

Needless to say, I’m going to miss my little friends sitting within feet from me… up close and personal. Kitty’s going to miss watching them too.

*****

Update: Nope, roofers didn’t work on my roof today. They tore the roofs off the two buildings next door… both owned by Slumlord. Guess he’s getting a package deal.

Sure glad to finally be getting a new roof so I can stop worrying about it leaking in and ruining something. But I’m definitely going to miss my tree.

New Roof – Tuesday

They started today tearing off the old roof.

They worked until noon and then quit due to the triple digit heat. It had to be unbelievably hot working up on that roof.

These guys work fast. They managed to get the old roof off, replaced the rotten sheathing and put new felt paper down. If it weren’t for the heat, I’m sure they could have finished the job in one day.

Kitty stayed under the bed for a while, but eventually headed for the basement. I think ripping the old sheathing off was what prompted her to move.

Poor Kitty, she can’t stand thunderstorms so I’m sure she didn’t know what to think having six pairs of boots clomping around ripping the roof off over her head.

Mark

The New Roof

I pay rent,
On a run-down place,
Not much view,
But there’s lot’s of space,
In my heart,
The heart that you own. – Dwight Yokum

*****

I’m finally getting a new roof.

Big deal you say? Well, my roof has been leaking for over five years. (No joke.) I told Slumlord about it way back when it first started but apparently that news went in one ear and out the other.

I’ve told him a dozen times since then, but nothing has ever been done about it.

I patched it twice myself but the roof was so shot that any repair short of total replacement was an exercise in futility. It only stopped the current leak. Within a few months it would start leaking again in another spot.

The only damage so far has been to Slumlord’s property in the form of water spots on the ceiling. Only during really heavy downpours would it actually start leaking in. Not the most pleasant experience. However, all the uninvited guests have been relatively well behaved and polite enough to miss any of my property.

I have a bucket that permanently sits in one corner of the bedroom to catch the worst leak. It’s been there so long I’ve come to regard it as part of the decor.

The leak in the kitchen is right over the sink so it’s what you might call slightly inconvenient. The only damage has been to Slumlord’s cabinetry. (I tried to tell him.)

So why don’t I just move? Good question. I’ll save that post for another day.

Mark

I’ve lost 20 pounds

Seems like the only blog posts I’ve been making so far have been diet updates. One of these days I’ll add some other stuff.

The good news is I’m down to 165. That’s a total weight loss of 20 pounds over the last couple of months. Not bad, not bad at all. Still have a ways to go, however. I still have a layer of fat that wasn’t there back when I was in better shape. That has got to go.

So I’ll continue to stick with my diet and exercise program because it’s working.

I’ve definately lost some muscle mass over the years that hopefully I can gain back as I do more weightlifting. I used to look ripped at 175. Now I’m flabby at 165. That means I’ve lost over 10 pounds of muscle. Ouch!

Diet Update

I’ve lost 10 pounds so far. I’m down to 175 and holding. Of course, I’ve been working out more and so I’ve probably gained a couple of pounds of muscle over the last two months. For a couple of weeks I know I was eating more than I should and not exercising enough. But I’m back on track now.

I can really tell the difference. My abs are starting to show and overall muscle tone is improving. I still have a ways to go, but I’m confident that the program is working. Bought a couple of watermelons now that they are showing up in the stores again. Still early in the season and they haven’t been that good, but they help curb the desire for something sweet after meals.

Wish I had the time to do more aerobic exercise like running or swimming. I think that would help shed the pounds faster. As it is, I’m doing good just to find the time to exercise here at home for now.

Time to Cut the Fat

I’ve decided to get serious and start a diet this week. I’m pushing 185 right now and it’s not a pretty sight. I should weigh about 160.

Here’s my diet plan:

I’ve decided to cut out all deserts.
I’m cutting concentrated calories such as fruit juices to a minimum. (I almost never drink pop or other “junk food” beverages or alcohol.)

Typical Breakfast:
Bowl of Oatmeal (No Milk or Sugar)
1 or 2 Softboiled eggs
Fruit (usually an orange)

Typical Lunch:
Apple
Sandwich (peanut butter on whole wheat bread. No Jelly or Honey.)
Fruit Salad: (Crushed pineapple with banana and grapes. Takes the place of Jelly on sandwich… thus fewer concentrated calories.)

Typical Dinner:
Meat (Broiled chicken or Roast beef)
Potato or brown rice
Steamed veggies

Typical Snack: (If I just need something late at night.)
Raisen bran (I like to make my own from Wheat flakes and Raisens. You get more raisens and they are juicier and more tendor than what you get in a box of “Raisen Bran” type cereal.

My goal is to lose approximately 20 pounds, however I seldom step on a scale. Weight is meaningless and I prefer to gauge my progress by how I look in the mirror.

In other words, I just need to get rid of this layer of blubber I’m carrying around. If I looked good at 185, I wouldn’t care.

Mark