SOPA/PIPA Update

Yesterday, We the People won a small victory. In light of both physical and online protests, as well as thousands of emails and phone calls from concerned citizens, at least 18 senators, 3 bill co-sponsors, and President Obama himself have withdrawn their support of SOPA. We cannot celebrate just yet. This victory was not by any means complete. The bill is not dead - the House of Representatives will revisit the issue next month. PIPA is still on the table; the next Senate vote is scheduled for January 24th.

Google says 4.5 million People Signed Anti-SOPA Petition

U.S Senators Withdraw Support for Anti-Piracy Bills

Were SOPA/PIPA Protests a Success? The Results Are In

Unfortunately with yesterday's victory, we also suffered a loss. Apparently the Supreme Court ruled that the US could take works out of the public domain and put a copyright on them. I wasn't even aware of this ruling, but apparently this is the third case that was meant to challenge US copyright laws as a violation of the 1st Amendment.

Supreme Court Chooses SOPA/PIPA Protest Day To Give A Giant Middle Finger To The Public Domain

We need to continue the vigil. Yesterday, 4.5 million people signed Google's anti-SOPA petition, and 350,000 emails were sent to Congress via Fight for the Future's various sites. It's a good start, but with just over 300 million people in the US, it's far from the best we can do. If you haven't already, sign Google's petition. Visit http://americancensorship.org/ and fill in your info. They'll send an email to your Senate rep. for you. It's just that easy. If you like a more personal touch, look up your representatives and write them a letter or give them a call. If we don't stand up for our rights, we won't have any.

I HATE CENSORSHIP!

Today is the day for SOPA/PIPA protest blackouts. Wikipedia is down, as well as other sites to raise awareness of the dangers of SOPA/PIPA and the dangers of internet censorship. If you'd like to get involved you can sign Google's petition here: https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/


This site will help you find more ways to join the protest: http://sopastrike.com/


Would you like to boycott SOPA/PIPA friendly companies? If so, here's a list to get you started (it isn't comprehensive): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xjisu18X6s7lPtAsIQg5Ol3KJjymPT2az1kasQVwGiw/preview?pli=1&sle=true

xkcd.com also has some great information about SOPA/PIPA and what you can do to help stop them.


Let's not let Congress limit the freedom of the web!

Weight Loss Jar

I found this on Pinterest, and thought it was a great idea: Weight Loss Jar. I've seen this done with to-do lists, but never with weight loss. I think it's nifty to have a visual representation of what you've accomplished (especially in those early stages when it's not apparent on your body yet). I immediately got up and made one of my own after seeing it. I didn't buy marbles or vase fillers, though. I collect rocks, so I already had them laying around and decided to use those. I also only used one rock per pound, whereas this lady uses one gem per tenth of a pound. I suppose it's more visually impressive, and for those weeks where you lose a little weight, but not quite a whole pound, you still can see a difference. Hmm. Now that I think about it, I might need some more rocks and a bigger jar...  Anyway,  I would show you a picture, but my husband is on night shift, so he's sleeping, and going into the bathroom to take pics would disturb him. Maybe later I'll get some posted.

Weird...

So it seems no sooner than I made the post about not wanting to drink water, a strange thing happened. Today, I, without a struggle, drank two stainless steel mugs full of water. That's almost four cups, I think. Wow! And I'm gonna do it again tomorrow too! But, that's not the strangest thing. You see, for two or three days now, I've been having these - urges. I will, at random, get the desire to do my stretches and toning exercises. "That's great," you say. Except this is completely out of character for me. I don't just decide that I need to exercise at unscheduled times. However, I'm very tempted to give in. I mean, I didn't want to do them more than every other day because you're supposed to give your muscles time to rest and repair, but these are pretty simple exercises, and gosh, the urge to do them is almost overwhelming! I almost think I may have been possessed.

Update: I mentioned the random urge to exercise to my husband, and he says he gets them too. Hmm.

Water Woes, Stretching and Clothes

Here's the thing: I can't convince myself to drink water. I know I need to do it, I know it's good for me, but I DON'T WANNA! Water is just so... so... boring. I guess I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and just do it. Meh. Anybody got any pointers? And by pointers, I mean magic that will turn me into a water-lover.
I decided recently to add some stretches to my daily routine. I'm so glad I did this. Stretching makes me feel so good! I mean, it even makes me feel more energized than my workouts, I believe. All I'm doing is a few simple ones that stretch a little bit of everything.

Is it weird that the reason I want to lose this weight is because I want to look better in my clothes? I guess it's not so out there, since a lot of people want to be able to wear a bikini or cute clothes, or sexy lingerie. The thing is, I don't really mind the way I look naked. I mean, yeah, I have cellulite and folds, but I look fairly proportional - still an hourglass shape (well, maybe a two-hour glass). The problem is, when I get into clothes, they just fit poorly. I look all bumpy, and not in the "my humps, my lovely lady lumps" way. Back in the day, it didn't matter what I wore, I looked good. Now, I find that I pay more attention to the cut or shape of a piece of clothing, and will immediately rule out something because it's not flattering. I'd like to get back to a place where I can dress with reckless abandon. I'd like to dress in whatever and have people think that I'm quirky and fun, not that I got dressed in the dark in a hurry.

Can You Stay for Dinner? A Blog

I ran into a pin on Pinterest which was quite interesting. It linked to a woman's blog about her journey to lose 135 pounds. That's not a typo; she lost one hundred and thirty-five pounds. I've read through a couple of her posts, and I'm thoroughly impressed. She's honest and thought provoking, and most of all, she seems to have found a good balance between her health and enjoying life. She's truly an inspiration, and I can't wait to read more of her stuff. Check out Andie's blog here: http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/