Zieglar Blog

BLAMtone!

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:54:00 +0000

I'm a big fan of Blambot. Nate creates some really awesome fonts and even has some free versions that he allows artists to use on published materials. Now, he came out with some tone tone. Ton-age? Ton-ic? BLAMtone!

From the BlamBlog!
BLAMtone!: Want a modern version of the cool black and white comic tones of the 70's and 80's? Check out BLAMtone! http://www.blambot.com/blamtone.shtml

How To Save Comic Books - PART 4

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Even though I love comic magazines I do think they are going the way of the dodo and the six-issue arc nonsense doesn't help. Plus, print is dieing off across the spectrum. I think the big comic publishers will eventually be forced to stop printing comic books due to declining sales -- much like the newspapers that are shutting down all over the country. All I'm advocating is moving more into the digital comics and deciding for themselves when to stop printing comics instead of waiting until lack of sales makes that decision for them. Do I think everyone should stop printing comic magazines altogether? Nope.

I think there MUST continue to be printed comic magazines. However, I think the big guys should only print magazines of a mini-series, if any at all. If the only physical comic magazine that you could get from Marvel (not counting trades or graphic novels) was a two-issue mini-series about Scarlet Spider -- then it should sell-out even with a large run. If it's not a big enough story for a graphic novel or a trade, then a mini would be perfect. It would be a special event when a comic was made. They could even put the two issues together for a digital mini-trade.

I really do mean mini. If there is enough story to make a six-issue arc and a full size trade, then just release it as digital and then make a trade later. Otherwise we are just going in a circle. To reiterate: no comic magazines except for occasional minis, more digital comics which become trades, and more graphic novels. For the big guys. What about the independent publisher and small companies?

The little guy can show his stuff on the internet, but will not have the following to sell digital comics. Characters with almost 100 years of publication behind them like Batman can sell online comics. The character from an unknown/little known creator isn't going to sell online. The indy guy needs to put his stuff online for free like the webcomics model.

That's fine for online and to gain a little popularity, but he also needs something physical to sell at conventions and to earn income. Indy publishers will most likely start with a homemade mini comic that he can run copies of at the local Fed-Ex Kinko's which will be taken home to fold and staple. He can later move on to a "real comic book" thanks to companies like Ka-Blam. One or two issues for a low priced item to sell would be ideal.

If they stick with and build a bit of a fan base then they can print their own trade later on. Or even make a mini-series or graphic novel instead of just collecting what they already have online. These bigger comic book make a good higher priced item to sell alongside of the lower priced comic magazine.

Sometimes when a big-chain convenience store closes a location, then a small family owned operation will open up in the same exact building. The large corporation cannot justify keeping it, but the family can do just fine. Same thing in comic books. The large corporate comics will continue to be unable to justify their magazines. So they do some crazy stuff like taking away Superman's red underwear, killing Ralph Dibny, erase everyone memories, kill the the main charcter(s), bring characters back to life, and anything else they think will ~~temporarily~~ boost sales. They need to knock it off and accept the fact that print is going away. Not all print, but what seems to be hurting are periodicals. Whether it's a newspaper, magazine, or comic book.

Once the denial stops and reality is faced then a plan can be made to deal with it. These posts are my ideas about "How To Save Comic Books". What's your idea?

Remember...

Don't try to save comic books.
Go more digital - at a low price point.
Collect the trade from the digital comics.
Make comic BOOKS (graphic novels).
Print indy comics and mini-series.

How To Save Comic Books - PART 3

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:00:00 +0000

The answer is so simple and obvious that the PTB won't see it. Don't make stories for trades! Make stories for graphic novels - the ultimate comic BOOK. You might even think a trade and a graphic novel are the same thing, but they are not. A trade is a collection of issues. A graphic novel is a single story that is too big for a single issue. The difference is subtle but it's there.

A story written for a trade must take into account how each issue will break down. Where will it end and start again a month later in the next issue? How many pages are in each issue? How many issues are there going to be in the arc? What will be shared in the crossover comics? Will any of the crossovers spoil the main story by coming out a month ahead? It can have a huge impact on the pacing and the story itself. A story written for a graphic novel doesn't need to worry about any of that. The whole story is contained in the issue. There is no need for a cliffhanger on page 22 so that everyone will but next months issue.

There is so much possibility with graphic novels. There could be new novels each month, but not necessarily the same title. You might get Superman and Green Lantern novels one month and Batman and Flash novels the next month. You wouldn't need to have every title every month. If the Spider-Man graphic novel came out twice a year, then it would be about the same amount of content as a monthly magazine, but with better stories set-up for a novel instead of a six-issue arc. How about some of those little used characters?

You don't need a new title or new series every time you wanted to use these characters. You could put out a novel about Ambush Bug or Plastic Man and not do another for five years. This would work for any character with enough fan base to sell one graphic novel, but not enough to support a title. You could have a graphic novel starring Kyle Rayner and not see another one for a few years, but in the meantime there could have been three or four Hal Jordon novels, an Alan Scott novel, and a novel about the GL Corps. They wouldn't need to worry a great deal about continuity, but they also wouldn't need to exclude it entirely.

There could also be some Elseworld/What If style stories that are not canon, but still a fun story. Aaron Diaz of Dresden Codak has re-imagined the Justice League and everyone seems to love it, myself included. I don't know if I would want it as a series, but I know I would want it as a one time graphic novel.

Remember...

Don't try to save comic magazines.
Go more digital - at a low price point.
Collect the trade from the digital comics.
Make comic BOOKS (graphic novels).
Find out in PART 4!

How To Save Comic Books - PART 2

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:00:00 +0000

I like comic books. I always have. Ask anyone in my family. I could sit and read comic books for hours -- still can. When I was a kid each comic had a story in it. Think about it. A story in the comic. It sound's like I'm stating the obvious, but I'm not. Comics today don't have a story in them -- they only have a piece of a story.

When I was a kid, if a story was so long that it was told in two issues -- then it was a special event. A three part story was rare. The stories in modern comic books are usually a six-part arc. They almost always suck. The first few issues have to go at a snail's pace to wet the appetite. Then there is a big reveal -- which rarely lives up to all the hype. Then the last few issues resolve the situation and leave a few cliffhangers for a potential follow-up story or to set up the next story arc. Much like some modern movies are planned to be a trilogy from the beginning. If the sales from the comic books are considered good enough by the PTB then they are collected together for a trade paperback. Like the comic book, only part of the story goes into the trade.

There is often some type of crossover with another comic. So you might have a six-part arc in Batman, but the Flash is involved as well. So to help boost sales some of the story might be told in the Flash comic book. Often these crossovers are not integral to the whole story so their absence in the trade isn't important. Still though, you are missing some of the story.

Sometimes the next arc isn't quite ready and there might be a filler issue. A single story in a comic book -- a rare occurrence these days. Where does it go when the arc is collected together? It might be included if there is room and it doesn't hamper the story arc. Alternatively, it might never be collected into a trade, because it doesn't fit anywhere.

What should be done then? The PTB are already making a step towards digital comics. I think that they need to step that up even more and let the physical comic book rest in peace. The issues can still be collected into a trade. Those tend to sell pretty decent as I understand it. Lots of people will buy a trade, but don't want to buy the individual issues because of costs.

I bet they would be more inclined to buy those individual issues digitally (at $0.99) and then buy a trade. The PTB would save on costs and make enough money by dropping the comic book and selling only digital that the trade would be the cherry on top. Since that trick already works for comic books collected for trade then it would work even better for digital comics for trade. I think it would work really well except for one small problem.

The story arcs would still suck. It's not even so much that the stories are bad in and of themselves; it's that the story is forced into a six-part breakdown designed to sell individual comic books. There is an easy fix for that - one which the PTB will never think of. Find out in "How To Save Comic Books - PART 3".

Remember...

Don't try to save comic books.
Go more digital - at a low price point.
Collect the trade from the digital comics.
Find out in PART 3!
Find out in PART4!

This three-part posting arc is getting annoying, huh?

How To Save Comic Books - PART 1

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:47:00 +0000

Don't. Don't save them. Don't even try. They are a thing of the past and the industry needs to focus on the future. Comic books have been on a steady death march for years now. The PTB (Powers That Be) are making constant attempts to capture new readers with less regard for current readers. I think the reasoning is that the current readers will grumble and moan about changes but ultimately will stay. Therefore the focus MUST be on increasing readership ($ale$) which means gaining NEW readers. Like Sisyphus with his rock and roll -- it's a losing battle.

Kids don't read comic books anymore. They haven't for years and with all the new fangled tech that almost every kid carries in his pocket; that gap is going to grow even bigger. So the PTB have taken a logical step in that direction and started pursuing digital comics. That's a good start, but only partly. They MAY gain some new readers, but the current readers are likely to switch to digital comics as well. That should mean even less sales of physical comic books with increased sales of digital comics. After all, I may not buy every physical comic book I would like due to pricing, but I should be able to most of them digital because of lower pricing. A digital comic should cost way, way, way less than a physical comic. I should be able to buy three or four digital comics for the price of one physical comic book. Why? Because the cost to produce 1,000,000 digital comics is nothing compared to 1,000,000 physical comics.

It's cheaper to produce one digital comic than it is to produce one physical comic. It's the same amount of work to make the original comic with a writer, an artist, and all that, but making copies is not even close between physical and digital. There is no paper, ink, shipping, or any of that physical stuff to COPY a digital comic. You don't even need it (paper, ink) to make the comic -- it can be completely digital from the git-go.

If digital sales cause a big enough drop in physical sales then the knee jerk reaction will be to limit digital sales -- most likely by increasing the price. If physical and digital are the same price (or close enough) then people will lean more towards buying the physical version. So digital sales would drop and physical sales would increase, but the important part would be ignored. Total sales.

If I have $5 to spend on comics then I might be able to get one or two physical comic books if I'm lucky. I should be able to get five digital comics at $0.99 each with a nickle left over. The PTB probably think 99cents is way to low to sell every single digital comic, but if they sell 1,000,000 digital comics a month then they would come out OK I think. Even if it was less money coming in than there is today; they would still be OK. It would balance out because there would be less money going out for expenses. Remember, no printing, no shipping. This is nothing new though. People have been saying things like this for awhile I think.

This digital stuff doesn't address the physical at all though and that's what I really wanted to make a post about. So come back to see why I don't think comic books should be saved.

Remember...

Don't try to save comic books.
Go more digital - at a low price point.
Find out in PART 2!
Find out in PART 3!
Find out in PART 4!

Lose It! Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Sept 19th

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:31:00 +0000

Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Sept 19th

for Frank Zieglar

Daily Summary
	Budget	Food	Exercise	Net	+/-	Weight (lbs)
9/19/11	2,196	2,870	343	2,527	331	287.8
9/20/11	2,196	2,434	497	1,937	-259	287.8
9/21/11	2,196	2,252	343	1,909	-287	287.8
9/22/11	2,196	2,283	0	2,283	88	287.8
9/23/11	2,196	2,591	343	2,248	52	287.8
9/24/11	2,196	2,579	497	2,082	-114	287.8
9/25/11	2,196	1,874	0	1,874	-322	287.8

510 calories under budget for the week

No change in weight this week

Nutrient Summary		% Calories
Fat	791g	42.4%
Saturated Fat	336g
Cholesterol	5,386mg
Sodium	32,639mg
Carbohydrates	1,113g	26.5%
Fiber	129g
Sugars	411g
Protein	1,301g	31%

Exercise Summary		Calories
Running	1 Hour	960
Weight Lifting	1 Hour 30 Min	1029
Stretching	10 Min	34
Total	2023

Report generated by Lose It!. For more information or to sign up for your free Lose It! account, please visit http://www.loseit.com

Lose It! Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Sept 12th

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:36:00 +0000

Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Sept 12th

for Frank Zieglar

Daily Summary
	Budget	Food	Exercise	Net	+/-	Weight (lbs)
9/12/11	2,202	2,260	344	1,916	-286	288.8
9/13/11	2,214	2,421	498	1,923	-291	290.6
9/14/11	2,210	2,378	138	2,240	30	290
9/15/11	2,198	2,702	497	2,205	7	288.2
9/16/11	2,201	2,454	0	2,454	253	288.6
9/17/11	2,196	2,399	497	1,902	-294	287.8
9/18/11	2,196	2,431	0	2,431	235	287.8

346 calories under budget for the week

Lost 0.8 pounds this week

Nutrient Summary		% Calories
Fat	684g	36.1%
Saturated Fat	287g
Cholesterol	5,033mg
Sodium	34,650mg
Carbohydrates	1,392g	32.7%
Fiber	108g
Sugars	671g
Protein	1,325g	31.1%

Exercise Summary		Calories
Running	1 Hour 30 Min	1441
Weight Lifting	1 Hour	482
Stretching	15 Min	51
Total	1974

Report generated by Lose It!. For more information or to sign up for your free Lose It! account, please visit http://www.loseit.com

Lose It! Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Sept 5th

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 17:16:00 +0000

Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Sept 5th

for Frank Zieglar

Daily Summary
	Budget	Food	Exercise	Net	+/-	Weight (lbs)
9/5/11	2,210	2,312	276	2,036	-175	290
9/6/11	2,201	2,720	436	2,284	83	288.6
9/7/11	2,206	2,475	436	2,039	-167	289.4
9/8/11	2,214	2,128	236	1,892	-322	290.6
9/9/11	2,214	2,343	358	1,985	-229	290.6
9/10/11	2,205	2,515	884	1,631	-574	289.2
9/11/11	2,201	1,986	0	1,986	-215	288.6

1,599 calories under budget for the week

Lost 2 pounds this week

Nutrient Summary		% Calories
Fat	803g	43.8%
Saturated Fat	305g
Cholesterol	5,169mg
Sodium	30,547mg
Carbohydrates	1,253g	30.4%
Fiber	144g
Sugars	537g
Protein	1,066g	25.8%

Exercise Summary		Calories
Running	55 Min	884
Walking	30 Min	276
Calisthenics	1 Hour 35 Min	1328
Stretching	40 Min	138
Total	2626

Report generated by Lose It!. For more information or to sign up for your free Lose It! account, please visit http://www.loseit.com

Lose It! Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Aug 29th

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 16:34:00 +0000

Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Aug 29th

for Frank Zieglar

Daily Summary
	Budget	Food	Exercise	Net	+/-	Weight (lbs)
8/29/11	2,229	2,387	0	2,387	158	292.8
8/30/11	2,243	2,225	198	2,027	-216	295
8/31/11	2,225	2,158	522	1,636	-589	292.2
9/1/11	2,230	2,227	198	2,029	-201	293
9/2/11	2,225	1,865	279	1,587	-638	292.2
9/3/11	2,219	1,531	0	1,531	-689	291.4
9/4/11	2,214	1,960	0	1,960	-254	290.6

2,427 calories under budget for the week

Lost 1 pound this week

Nutrient Summary		% Calories
Fat	704g	43.3%
Saturated Fat	265g
Cholesterol	5,185mg
Sodium	29,993mg
Carbohydrates	1,180g	32.3%
Fiber	153g
Sugars	424g
Protein	891g	24.4%

Exercise Summary		Calories
Calisthenics	1 Hour 40 Min	1056
Stretching	40 Min	140
Total	1196

Report generated by Lose It!. For more information or to sign up for your free Lose It! account, please visit http://www.loseit.com

Lose It! Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Aug 22nd

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:36:00 +0000

Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Aug 22nd

for Frank Zieglar

Daily Summary
	Budget	Food	Exercise	Net	+/-	Weight (lbs)
8/22/11	2,232	2,377	489	1,888	-344	293.4
8/23/11	2,230	3,041	466	2,575	345	293
8/24/11	2,231	2,137	652	1,485	-746	293.2
8/25/11	2,221	2,161	486	1,675	-546	291.6
8/26/11	2,232	2,761	931	1,830	-402	293.4
8/27/11	2,229	2,115	279	1,836	-393	292.8
8/28/11	2,221	2,585	259	2,326	105	291.6

1,981 calories under budget for the week

Lost 1.4 pounds this week

Nutrient Summary		% Calories
Fat	811g	41.8%
Saturated Fat	308g
Cholesterol	3,288mg
Sodium	29,873mg
Carbohydrates	1,649g	37.7%
Fiber	167g
Sugars	599g
Protein	894g	20.5%

Exercise Summary		Calories
Jumping Jacks	5 Min	29
Running	2 Hours	1956
Calisthenics	1 Hour	730
Walking	1 Hour 40 Min	817
Pushups	5 Min	30
Total	3562

Report generated by Lose It!. For more information or to sign up for your free Lose It! account, please visit http://www.loseit.com

Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Aug 15th

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:58:00 +0000

Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Aug 15th

for Frank Zieglar

Daily Summary
	Budget	Food	Exercise	Net	+/-	Weight (lbs)
8/15/11	2,236	2,475	490	1,985	-251	294
8/16/11	2,248	2,476	0	2,476	228	295.8
8/17/11	2,238	2,546	496	2,050	-188	294.2
8/18/11	2,239	2,063	0	2,063	-176	294.4
8/19/11	2,231	2,109	489	1,620	-611	293.2
8/20/11	2,230	2,541	0	2,541	311	293
8/21/11	2,230	2,561	0	2,561	331	293

357 calories under budget for the week

Lost 1 pound this week

Nutrient Summary		% Calories
Fat	855g	45.3%
Saturated Fat	290g
Cholesterol	3,233mg
Sodium	29,202mg
Carbohydrates	1,324g	31.1%
Fiber	194g
Sugars	454g
Protein	1,003g	23.6%

Exercise Summary		Calories
Running	1 Hour 30 Min	1469
Activity	5 Min	6
Total	1475

Report generated by Lose It!. For more information or to sign up for your free Lose It! account, please visit http://www.loseit.com

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Three WHAT? Shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:53:00 +0000

I'm sure that most of us remember these powerful T's from a few years back... the Three Wolf Moon shirt! A shirt considered so POWERFUL that it had to be worn with extreme caution.

This shirt has now been conquered and rendered powerless by a t-shirt that's even MORE powerful. Hard to believe I know, but it's true. At least for nerds/geeks. All the rednecks will still prefer the 3wolf.

If you're brave enough, if you're strong enough, if you lack common sense enough... then bring your eyes to rest upon the Three Wheaton Moon shirt!

One shirt to rule them all.

Hey Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 03:28:00 +0000

I end up drawing so many children at the zoo that last month I decided to draw a kid version of myself. Truth be told - I was NEVER this cute as a kid.

Lose It! Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Aug 8th

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:36:00 +0000

Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Aug 8th

for Frank Zieglar

Daily Summary
	Budget	Food	Exercise	Net	+/-	Weight (lbs)
8/8/11	2,236	2,681	490	2,191	-45	294
8/9/11	2,236	2,297	0	2,297	61	294
8/10/11	2,236	2,914	490	2,424	187	294
8/1111	2,236	2,126	0	2,126	-110	294
8/12/11	2,236	2,223	490	1,733	-503	294
8/13/11	2,236	2,603	0	2,603	367	294
8/7/11	2,236	1,990	0	1,990	-246	294

291 calories under budget for the week

No change in weight this week

Nutrient Summary		% Calories
Fat	865g	45.2%
Saturated Fat	261g
Cholesterol	2,445mg
Sodium	32,476mg
Carbohydrates	1,442g	33.5%
Fiber	190g
Sugars	478g
Protein	913g	21.2%

Exercise Summary		Calories
Running	1 Hour 30 Min	1470

Total	1470

Report generated by Lose It!. For more information or to sign up for your free Lose It! account, please visit http://www.loseit.com

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The Essential Weird Al

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:27:00 +0000

I recently got this CD from my local library.

I have been enjoying it very much. I haven't heard hardly any these songs since I was a teenager.

Now, I just need to sit down and draw a caricature of Mr. Yankovic.

Lose It! Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Aug 1st

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:26:00 +0000

Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Aug 1st

for Frank Zieglar

Daily Summary
	Budget	Food	Exercise	Net	+/-	Weight (lbs)
8/1/11	2,259	2,272	496	1,776	-483	297.4
8/2/11	2,259	2,408	0	2,408	149	297.4
8/3/11	2,259	1,974	496	1,478	-781	297.4
8/4/11	2,259	1,930	0	1,930	-328	297.4
8/5/11	2,259	2,424	992	1,432	-827	297.4
8/6/11	2,236	2,656	309	2,347	111	294
8/7/11	2,236	2,100	0	2,100	-136	294

2,295 calories under budget for the week

Lost 3.4 pounds this week

Nutrient Summary		% Calories
Fat	784g	44%
Saturated Fat	244g
Cholesterol	2,115mg
Sodium	30,814mg
Carbohydrates	1,449g	36.1%
Fiber	205g
Sugars	375g
Protein	796g	19.9%

Exercise Summary		Calories
Running	1 Hour	992
Walking	1 Hour 25 Min	1301
Total	2293

Report generated by Lose It!. For more information or to sign up for your free Lose It! account, please visit http://www.loseit.com

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Green Lantern: The Animated Series

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 04:46:00 +0000

This doesn't look half bad. The characters looks like the action figure toys. Reminds a bit of Toy Story when it first came out. I definitely like this animation over all the flashing lights and camera movement of the 90s. I think a lot of anime does that kind of 'animation' as well.

I don't have cable, satellite, or whatever all the other options are nowadays. I use a regular old TV antenna. So I'll never get to watch this unless they put it on Hulu. Looks neato though.

Lose It! Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Jul 25th

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:22:00 +0000

Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Jul 25th

for Frank Zieglar

Daily Summary
	Budget	Food	Exercise	Net	+/-	Weight (lbs)
7/25/11	2,272	2,407	499	1,908	-364	299.4
7/26/11	2,272	1,367	321	1,046	-1,226	299.4
7/27/11	2,272	2,490	499	1,991	-281	299.4
7/28/11	2,259	2,255	0	2,255	-4	297.4
7/29/11	2,259	2,487	496	1,991	-268	297.4
7/30/11	2,259	2,583	0	2,583	324	297.4
7/31/11	2,259	2,220	0	2,220	-39	297.4

1,857 calories under budget for the week

Lost 2.6 pounds this week

Nutrient Summary		% Calories
Fat	712g	40.8%
Saturated Fat	222g
Cholesterol	2,277mg
Sodium	25,303mg
Carbohydrates	1,606g	40.9%
Fiber	228g
Sugars	541g
Protein	721g	18.4%

Exercise Summary		Calories
Running	1 Hour 45 Min	1744
Walking	15 Min	71
Total	1815

Report generated by Lose It!. For more information or to sign up for your free Lose It! account, please visit http://www.loseit.com

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Lose It! Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Jul 18th

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:16:00 +0000

Weekly Summary for Week of Mon, Jul 18th

for Frank Zieglar

Daily Summary
	Budget	Food	Exercise	Net	+/-	Weight (lbs)
7/18/11	2,276	2,658	500	2,158	-118	300
7/19/11	2,276	2,238	0	2,238	-38	300
7/20/11	2,276	2,223	500	1,723	-553	300
7/21/11	2,276	2,390	83	2,307	31	300
7/22/11	2,276	2,402	500	1,902	-374	300
7/23/11	2,276	2,509	286	2,224	-52	300
7/24/11	2,276	2,490	0	2,490	214	300

890 calories under budget for the week

No change in weight this week

Nutrient Summary		% Calories
Fat	737g	39.4%
Saturated Fat	264g
Cholesterol	3,241mg
Sodium	21,506mg
Carbohydrates	1,704g	40.5%
Fiber	162g
Sugars	510g
Protein	848g	20.2%

Exercise Summary		Calories
Running	1 Hour 30 Min	1500
Walking	45 Min	339
Pushups	5 Min	30
Total	1869

Report generated by Lose It!. For more information or to sign up for your free Lose It! account, please visit http://www.loseit.com

My BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:41:00 +0000

Custom BMR Calculation
Thanks for checking your BMR here on Fat 2 Fit Radio. If you're not already subscribed to Fat 2 Fit Radio, consider doing so today. Please visit the Subscribe page to get the podcast delivered automatically to your iTunes, Juice, e-mail inbox or the podcatcher of your choice for FREE.

Entered information: 44 year old male, 70 inches tall, weighing 300 pounds.

From the information that you entered, you'd like to weigh 250 lbs.

Harris-Benedict Formula
There are a few different methods to calculating your basal metabolic rate (BMR). One of the most popular, developed in the early 1900's is called the Harris-Benedict formula. Based on this formula, your current BMR is 2525 calories.

How Many Calories Should I Eat?
Based on your goal weight, the following chart was generated. The chart shows the number of calories that you should eat on a daily basis to reach your goal weight. At Fat 2 Fit Radio we advocate eating like the thin, healthy person that you want to become. The calorie levels you see in the chart are not extreme, but they do create that all important caloric deficit that is required to get you to your goal weight in a safe manner. Once you reach your goal weight, you will continue eating the same number of calories for the rest of your life to maintain that weight. You'll never be on a diet again.

Based on how much activity you do on an average day, the calories in the right column will be the number of calories that you will be able to eat at your goal weight. If you start eating those calories right now (eating like the thinner you), you will eventually become that thinner person. As you get closer to your goal weight, your weight loss will start to slow down. It is OK to eat a few hundred calories less per day (200-300) to speed up your weight loss at this point.

Activity Level	Daily Calories
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job)	2656
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk)	3043
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk)	3430
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk)	3817
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.)	4205

NOTE: Please remember that this calculation is just a guideline. Your metabolism may be higher or lower based on the amount of lean muscle you have. Use these numbers a a starting point and tweak them up or down based on your weight loss or gain. It may take a couple weeks to get your exact calorie level.

Lose It!

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:50:00 +0000

My daughter told me about this app called Lose It! I had seen it before, but ignored it. I decided to give it a try this time and I'm liking it so far. You input your current weight and your goal weight. It will calculate how many calories you can eat each day and when you will achieve your goal.

It's basically a calorie counter, but it's so easy to use. Every day you input what you've eaten that day and it tells you how many calories you have left that day. It has tons of foods already in the database - so you just search for it. If you can't find it then you can enter your own recipe from the list of ingredients. Input how many servings it makes with how many servings that you ate.

You can also input any exercise you did - exercising allows you to eat more that day and still be within your calorie range for the day. It has all sorts of activities including walking, yard-work, sexual activity. Want to know how many calories you can burn with 30 minutes of vigorous sexual activity? Go get the app and Lose it!

Dixon Markette

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 20:36:00 +0000

I absoluty love this marker.

Last time I checked this is the marker used by Kaman's Art Shoppes. I think Kaman's is probably the company that employees and trains the highest number of live caricature artists in the world. They are located in over 30 theme parks and/or locations. Each location has multiple artists that use this marker almost exclusively. Plus Kaman's is available for parties and events. Again this is the marker used.

Although I know a few that don't use these, almost every party artist that I know uses these Dixon Markette's. I know some artists that want these but have trouble getting them. I have been extremely lucky that right here in San Antonio is an art supply store that carries them. I can go grab some off the shelf almost anytime that I want. Other artists that I talk to have to order them online. This is the marker that I DO use exclusively for live events. Kaman's must go through hundreds of boxes in a year. I'm nowhere near as big as Kaman's - I only go through a box or two in a year. I should say that I use to...

They changed the tip and now it is absolutely horrible. I might as well be drawing with a Sharpie. I will not be buying these again. I will not be recommending these to anyone at all. The Sharpie is about the same and costs a whole lot less money than these new Dixon Markette's.

I will looking be looking for a marker to use - so any suggestions would be very helpful.

Happy Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:41:00 +0000

Today I turn 44 and unfortunately I had to miss the Texas Comicon this weekend due to school and work, but my wife and daughter were able to go and represent the noble Zieglar name. They were able to meet Brent Spiner, also known as Data. My wife got an autographed picture from Brent as a birthday present to me! I'm so excited!


To Frank - Brent Spiner

It's from one of my favorite scenes in one the best Star Trek movies. Then she gave this to Brent. I think it was probably the highlight of the con for Brent. How often does he get to collect an autograph? Plus my wife and daughter didn't charge anywhere near as much money as what Brent Spiner charged for his.


To Brent - Megan Zieglar - Kathy Zieglar <3

Green Lantern iPod

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 03:03:00 +0000

Just saw the Green Lantern movie. Liked it overall. Here are some Green Lantern wallpapers I resized for iPod or iPhone.

iPod Flash

noreply@blogger.com (Frank) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:20:00 +0000

Here are a few wallpapers of The Flash that I re-sized for iPod or iPhone.