Wellness Score 2009

Last year my Wellness Score was 95. This year it's 85 which means that I'm 10 points less healthy this year. Aparently I don't do enough physical activity which surprises me because yesterday I went mountain biking in the desert, used the Wii Fit and went for a swim. I also don't eat enough fruit and veg which is ironic because I was eating a bowl of berries while answering the survey. 

Fat in Flight

In August 2008 I blogged Airline Fat Tax where I proposed that airlines charge passengers by total weight (luggage and biomass combined). This will removed the price discrimination that is currently in place where lighter people subsidise the ticket prices for heavier passengers.

In the CBS news story United To Charge Heavier Passengers Twice To Fly we hear about how passengers that don't fit into one seat now need to buy a ticket for a second seat next to them. This is reasonable because they are taking up 2 seats. If a parent is traveling with a child in their lap they still need to pay an extra fare even though that child isn't taking up a seat.

However, what the airlines are missing at the moment is the weight discount approach. In order to reduce how much they offend their passengers they should charge a higher price and offer discounts for each pound your total weight is under their threshold. $1/pound sounds reasonable to me. Someone who's luggage and body weighs in at 240 lbs should be given a $60 refund to their credit card once they've checked-in at the airport assuming that a 300 lbs threshold per person is set. Of course there would also have to be a minimum because you're taking up a seat.

What effect would this have? Easy, people who are lighter and/or travel with lighter luggage will suddenly start traveling with that airline. The airline is carrying less weight and using less fuel and can offer a more competitive price to its customers. The other airlines have to handle the heavy weights.

Being an extra

One of my goals in life is to be an extra in a film. I have a friend who played the part of a stunt corpse in American Ninja 4 - The Annihilation and on a stag weekend we ended up in a hotel that had a small video collection which had American Ninja 4 and he showed us the scene that he starred in and it was so cool to be watching the movie with one of the "stars."

Today, my wife and I went and watched the Reduced Shakespeare Company's production of Completely Hollywood at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts (theater 4301). There were only 3 actors doing the performance and as part of the act they included members of the audience. I remember hearing someone complain about this before saying that they go to the theater to be entertained and not to have to entertain. I sometimes feel that way, but not today.

This was very well done. The part that my wife and I "starred" in was a scene where eight members of the audience were pulled on stage and we were each given different and sometimes multiple roles. Ours was to be a young couple dancing and we put on an absolutely fantastic Oscar award winning performance.

What we lacked in youth and skill we made up for in enthusiasm. It was a lot of fun.

Shovelling Sunshine

We've had a particularly rough winter in Phoenix this year. They say that we've already had 17.5 zillion photons of sunshine. Every single morning this winter I've had to shovel sunshine out the driveway before getting the car out.

I've put in an application with my HOA's architecture committee to plant some trees next to my drive. I'm hoping that the shade from these trees will solve this problem.

Image IQ #6

Where in Arizona can you see this aerial image of Oprah and what I assume is a promotion for 3 TV?

Javalinas on Canal Path

Out biking on the canal path on the south side of Reach 11 came across these two javalinas. I was holding the camera with one hand while cycling. I need to get a steady-cam for these action shots.

Golden Globes Best Dressed

I was just watching some of the Golden Globes' red carpet arrivals and the standard question that they were all being asked was "who dressed you?" The answers were typical; Calvin Klein, Gucci, Valentino, Versace, Christian Dior etc.

Now I know that most of you celebrities read my blog so I have a dare for you. Next time you're asked that question on the red carpet say "Wal-Mart." Go on, I dare you.