avocado8

Random News and Non-News

The New York Times has an article (free subscription required) this morning on bloggers getting credentials for the Democratic (and also the Reuplican) convention. A quote from the article:

"I think that bloggers have put the issue of professionalism under attack," said Thomas McPhail, professor of media studies at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who argues that journalists should be professionally credentialed. "They have no pretense to objectivity. They don't cover both sides."

As if traditional media does anymore, either... Hello, Fox News? Or NPR, for that matter?

Speaking of traditional media, I spent an hour this morning working out, folding laundry, and watching CNN's Democratic convention coverage. The main news of the morning was that Teresa Heinz Kerry had told a reporter to "shove it," which seemed to horrify the CNN morning anchors (at least the men; the women anchors seemed less concerned). I could see and hear for myself that Heinz Kerry used the term "un-American" in a speech to the Pennylvania delegates, and that afterward she told the reporter that she didn't say "un-American" or "activities" and that he was putting words in her mouth. What I couldn't hear (or what CNN didn't show) was exactly what the reporter asked her. I heard him say something about "what you meant by un-American", but Heinz Kerry's denial of the *two* words—un-American and activities—suggests that she was asked something else first. What, I'm wondering? The association in my mind was with the House Un-American Activities Committee; was that what the reporter was trying to suggest? Was that what Heinz Kerry was reacting to? Or was the reporter asking a relatively benign question that she misunderstood or overreacted to? I wish I knew. (Story)

Re: The working out, I used to do step aerobics fairly regularly (alternating with Pilates) before I got pregnant, but first-trimester nausea and exhaustion pretty much killed my workout routine. Since about the 12th week of pregnancy, when most of the nausea and exhaustion receded, I've been getting a bit of regular exercise again in the form of nightly walks with my husband. Lately I find myself wanting to get a bit *more* exercise, however, especially since I want to get in shape for all the swimming, walking, and exercise-bike riding I plan to do on our Last Hurrah cruise next week (not to mention all the pushing and screaming I plan to do in December), so this morning I put on my brand-new Gap Body workout shorts with the forgiving, foldover waistband and two sports bras and set up the Reebok step. I moved the step down from level 3 to level 2 and programmed the slower workout songs into the CD player, but I still found it nearly impossible to keep my heart rate under the recommended 140 beats per minute. I found that after the very first song, a song during which I did no leg-lifts or kicks or anything except basic step moves, my heart rate was at about 170. Yikes! I rested for about a minute, got it down to 130, and then tried the (shorter, slower) Body Rock by Moby, but I was still over 150 at the end of the song. Good god, how are you supposed to feel like you're getting any workout at all without raising your heart rate above 140?

I wound up abandoning the step (and the heart rate checks) and just dancing around the basement to the remaining songs. I managed to wake the baby up with all the hip-wiggling and Dance Fever arm-waving; I couldn't tell if he was dancing along to the beat as well or trying to tell me to stop with the pelvic thrusts, already. I hope it was the former, since I found watching the belly in the wraparound mirrors the previous owner left behind exceedingly entertaining. It's a truly hilarious dance accessory, if I do say so myself.