Jeff McNeill - Internet Marketing - Chiang Mai, Thailand

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-25

jeffmcneill — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 04:34:00 +0000

@RossKamakahi It's a more manual, service-based business so they have to charge. Google offers a different information service (search). in reply to RossKamakahi #
Let's be careful out there folks – The Web Means the End of Forgetting – NYTimes.com http://nyti.ms/cPu2b1 #
Only puny secrets need protection, great discoveries are protected by public incredulity. -Marshall McLuhan #
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/07/16/the_world_s_worst_ongoing_disasters #
There is no fair wind for one who knows not wither he is bound. -Seneca #
Think marketing is difficult? This town has turned "mud" into multi-million revenue streams… http://www.mudfestival.or.kr/english/main.php #
Last week spent in bed means there is a lower-than-usual threshold for success this week… #

Alternatives to Earth Class Mail – Remailing Services in the US

admin — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 02:18:12 +0000

Earth Class Mail Sucks

Earth Class Mail, besides very poor service, has nearly tripled it’s charges. Even simple requests to improve the service are met with thankful tidings and then silence, for years-on-end. It’s really quite maddening. In any case, I’ve abandoned them, and it turns out all for the best. There are a myriad of other service providers who offer the same or similar services. Here are a few I have looked into that appear to have good offerings. There are many more out there.

Mail Link Plus

Mail Link Plus is based in Las Vegas and offers mailbox and mail forwarding. Street address comes standard and they do mail scanning. Prices start at $30/3 months. Reasonable.

My RV Mail

My RV Mail , as the name suggests, focuses on the RV people, but the services are the same needed by expatriates. Mail forwarding services, online scans of mail, florida address. Starting around $25/mo for full access, down to $15/mo for yearly prepay.

Virtual Post Mail

Virtual Post Mail offers a very low “introductory price” but reasonable prices after the trial. Address in Los Angeles, CA (actually Walnut, CA). Check deposit services also available.

Mailbox Forwarding

Mailbox Forwarding has real addresses in Michigan (free), Los Angeles and Pompano Beach, FL (additional price/month). Reasonable $10/mo not including additional address charges.

St. Brendan’s Isle

St. Brendan’s Isle targets cruisers as well as other travellers and travelling business people. Added value of helping establish Florida residency. Around $20/mo with online access to scanned mail. Prepay $100 and monthly debits against the credit.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-11

jeffmcneill — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 04:34:00 +0000

Biggest Defaulters on Mortgages Are the Rich http://nyti.ms/bdjgxh #
To resist change is like holding your breath–if you persist, you will die. -Lao Tsu #
@gregqbear Thanks Greg! in reply to gregqbear #
@gregqbear Everything is great. Nothing noticeable from recent events. Rainy season, rains every other day, mainly at night. Beautiful. in reply to gregqbear #
This guy is making a big mistake – leave the country or take that first job, don't wait http://nyti.ms/9IMYE4 #
The new Flickr preview is horrible. It takes 3 extra clicks to do anything. Please, please, PLEASE don't roll out this garbage! #
No shortcuts today; I’m in a hurry. -Swiss saying #
The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who don’t have it. -George Bernard Shaw #

I lost 20 kgs in 12 months

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 04:48:52 +0000

20 kgs in 12 months

20 kilograms is not a magic number, but we humans do like the symmetry and nice, evenly divisible round numbers are more attractive. With this it is also easy to do math, such as 1.5 kgs/month on average loss.

The final 1/2 kg took me going into the gym bathroom, wringing out two cups of water from my gym shirt, and taking off my shoes. I came in at just under 86kgs on July 6, 2010 (06/07/53 Thai Calendar). This is one year after I made my serious start at the gym.

44 lbs at 44 years old

In another tidy numerical oddity, I’ve lost the same number of pounds as my current age in years. A majority of the weight loss took place during my 43rd year. Still, another nice symmetry to contemplate.

One thing is, it is more difficult to lose weight at an older age. I lost around 30 pounds in 2 years back in the mid 1990s, so I knew it was possible to lose weight, and the process to go about it.

One thing that needs to be emphasized is that weight loss, rather than aerobic activity has to be the goal from a medical/health perspective. Aerobic activity is the means and weight lost the end, as that has been found to be much more effective from a preventative medicine viewpoint.

The Gym

The first thing is exercise, something I had largely neglected (aside from walking) for a long time. In Chiang Mai, I tried Powerhouse Gym off Nimmanhaemin but they were a bit far away, and had fewer classes and machines than my current gym, Fitness Thailand. Fitness Thailand cost me 900 THB for the first month, and after that I signed up for a year at 6,000 THB ($28 USD and $185 USD, respectively). That fee comes with unlimited access to the gym and all classes.

My favorite sport is bicycling and I really enjoy spinning (aka studio cycling, aka indoor cycling. This is an aerobic, high energy (high calorie expenditure) but safe and joint-friendly workout activity.

The first few weeks are very painful as the muscles and connective tissue adapt to the changes, but by the first six weeks or so, the body adjusts and feels pain when not going to the gym. At first I was not able to finish a spinning class (45 mins), but have since worked up to be able to do two classes, and at one point three classes in one workout.

Running

After a while I was able to use the treadmills to do some running, as well as the outdoor fitness park at CMU, and some nice hiking up Doi Suthep.

Dancing

Once I got enough weight off, I went dancing a few times while dating. I actually did a lot of dancing when I was younger, and it had been years. Still got some moves, and what is most important, enjoyable and a great workout. I don’t like the bar scene but I do like the dancing.

Thai Massage

One part of the Chiang Mai lifestyle is access to world-class massage at very low prices. I usually pay 150 THB ($5.00 USD) for an hour of excellent, firm bodywork. Regular massage keeps the body able to workout at a high level without pain and to make solid gains in athletic ability and weight loss (the massage itself is somewhat painful).

How did I get overweight in the first place?

This is a good question, and the simple answer is bad habits, as well as what I now interpret as depression in my living and working situation. Basically, a lack of exercise and poor eating habits. Even though the bicycle was my main form of transportation in Hawaii, bicycling here and there is not enough for several reasons: 1) Honolulu is very small so there is not a lot of exercise in there and 2) the need to do actual aerobic activity (or some kind of strenuous activity) to maintain an effective metabolism.

Eating garbage

Junk food, highly processed, high fat, high sugar and low nutritional content. Hawaii where I gained the weight over a number of years, is certainly not the health food capital of the world, and little organic options are available (compared with Berkeley, CA or most of the West Coast).

In Thailand, I am able to find extremely inexpensive, tasty and fresh food without a lot of oil, excess fats, sugars, etc. I still love some foods like Nam Prik Ong and Pad Thai, which have a lot of oil. But I never really cut back my food intake too much in terms of variety. I do eat more vegetables and soups, and more fruit, so that helps.

Still, it is important to note that I lived in Thailand for six months before I started at the gym, and started losing weight. Diet alone does nothing for me, a conclusion found in a recent meta-analysis as well:

diet-plus-exercise interventions provided significantly greater weight loss than diet-only interventions

Breakfast

One thing that helped a lot, but I did later in the year, is to start eating breakfast. On the advice of several friends, breakfast has significant metabolic advantages, even over not eating. The key to weight loss is managing the metabolism as well as energy input and expenditures. I think of metabolism as the rate of energy conversion/expenditure.

For breakfast we usually eat about a half cup of instant oats and some black sesame mixed with three or four cut fruits and topped with low sugar soymilk. Very tasty, quick to make, and can get the cut fruit at the night market for the morning (30-40 THB – $1 USD) for three people. Instant oats are available at Lotus Kamtieng for around 100 THB ($3 USD) and the soymilk for around 10 THB/small carton – $0.30 (1-2 cartons for 3 people).

On those days we don’t get fruit, a nice Khao Tom with chicken and egg can be found for a quick sit-down breakfast for 15 THB/person ($0.50) at the Chang Puak market.

Cut back on the beer

Reducing beer intake, which didn’t actually happen for quite a while, does have an effect on weight based on the calorie intake. I had developed a bad habit of simply drinking too much. It can be enjoyable with friends and a way to relax, but over time it takes a toll on the body as well as makes a dent in the wallet.

At one point I switched largely off of beer (mostly Leo and Beer Lao) to Thai Whisky (Mekong and Benmore). I’ve done the calorie math but I’m simply not sure about the advantages of the trade-off. Still, I certainly feel less bloated when drinking a whisky soda than a big Leo. Nevertheless my favorite beer in the region has to be Beer Lao, and I find that very tasty (in small quantities).

Over time the intake was cut back and about the time of the new girlfriend I simply became disinterested in drinking (she doesn’t). There is a Mekong bottle in the house that has about 1/3 left in it from the past two months. Other than that I’ve been out for a beer or two about once a week.

Weight is only One Measure

Weight is not a good measure of fitness, though it is a measure that is important for various medical and other health reasons. When overweight, it is the primary goal measurement. Better, though, and more personal and noticeable is size, namely how one fits into one’s clothes.

A number of great milestones take place when one’s clothes begin to not fit and new clothes are needed. The belt is especially helpful as there are notches that one begins to walk back across.

Process and Progress

At the beginning of the process there are big gains in both weight and size (how the clothes fit). Some months however show no difference in weight (though a big difference in size) as more fat (by volume) is replaced by muscle. Overall it is a process and progress is measured in various ways, but most importantly by following the routine.

Commitment and Patience

All of this is nothing but a random collection of observations without commitment to the process and patience with oneself throughout. It is making the routine and the changes in diet a priority and an integrated part of every week and every day that is most vital. Visits to the gym 5-6 times per week (sometimes 2x day), visits to the massage therapist 3-5 times per week, and eating regularly and well (no sacrifice on tastiness need be made).

Some times there has been a gap of several days or almost a week between workouts, that is fine. Once there was an 11 day gap. After a bout of Dengue fever it was 13 days before I went to the gym. Funny thing, it was my level of fitness I believe that got me back and fully recovered within a month.

Next Steps

There are still 6kgs to lose, and that should take 3-6 months. Same routine. I know what to do.

The Six Mistakes of Man – Cicero

Interesting

jeffmcneill — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:01:52 +0000

Interesting Qs, originally uploaded by qthomasbower.

No related posts.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-07-04

jeffmcneill — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 04:34:00 +0000

The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do. -B. F. Skinner #
Thailand attracts investment despite turmoil http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/business/global/30rdbseathai.html #
http://original.antiwar.com/huber/2010/06/28/what-me-mcworry/ #
Either repeat the same conventional doctrines everybody is saying, or say something true–and it will sound like it’s from Neptune. -Chomsky #

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-06-27

jeffmcneill — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 04:34:00 +0000

counterinsurgency has succeeded only in creating a never-ending demand for … perpetual war http://bit.ly/cFjI9c #
Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it. -Mark Twain #
Iphone 4 is the promise of the Iphone realized. I can now switch from the Nokia. http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/wwdc10/ #
All You Haters, LOL http://bit.ly/9Y5lxD #
What is now proved was once imagined. – William Blake #

Beyond Augmented Reality: Ubiquitous Media Experiences

jeffmcneill — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 05:36:11 +0000

Irresponsible Support Staff at Identica Delete Legitimate Accounts, Claim “Probable” Spamming Activity, No Accountability

jeffmcneill — Tue, 18 May 2010 01:17:31 +0000

Apparently I am “probably” a spammer. But it doesn’t matter in any case…

Ah, this is how an open system works, I see. Well, for one I haven’t subscribed to anyone in a long time. Secondly I do not spam.

Identica Cannot be Trusted

This is about trust. How can I trust a service with my follow list, with management of subscribers, with my content (which I’ve agreed to open source as a part of the terms of service) and most importantly, with my time? I can’t.

Identica Terms of Service are Horrible

Over at the Identica Terms of Service we see the following horrific term:

Operator may terminate your access to all or any part of the Website at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice, effective immediately.