Ryan Thomas Goodenough

Fall Semester 2004: 235 lbs

Summer 2005: 215 lbs

In the span of less than a year, I lost 20 pounds.  However, I had been stuck at 215 lbs ever since then, until this summer.

By combining regular Wii Fit  routines and 5 daily games of 21 Rebound, I’ve gotten down to 205 lbs, my lowest since I was a freshman in high school.  However, I need to drop down below 200.  One reason is that would finally give me a “normal” BMI.  Another reason is that it would be fun to be back in the 100s.

To accomplish this feat, I plan to do the following:

• Continue my 5 daily games of 21 Rebound
• Work out for 30 minutes/day on Wii Fit (10 minutes of Rhythm Boxing, 10 minutes of Super Hula Hoop, and 10 minutes of a mixture of Stepping and Balance Games)
• Avoid large portions, minimize snacking/desserts

I’ve set a goal of losing 10 lbs in 3 months (December 29, 2008), bringing me down to 195.  I will be reporting throughout this process. I will try to report the following data: Wii Fit Age, BMI, and Weight each time I check in.

Based on yesterday’s routine:

Wii Fit Age: 20 (first, and probably last, time I will accomplish that feat)
BMI: 25.6 (calculate your BMI)
Weight: 205

Let’s see how this thing plays out.

This one is pretty funny!

Excerpts from a Dog’s Diary….

8:00 am - Dog food!  My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride!  My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park!  My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted!  My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch!  My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail!  My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones!  My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball!  My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow!  Watched TV with the people!  My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed!  My favorite thing!

Excerpts from a Cat’s Diary….

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets.  Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape.  In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet.  I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of.   However, they merely made condescending comments about what a ‘good little hunter’ I am.   Bastards.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight.  I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event.  However, I could hear the noises and smell the food.  I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of ‘allergies.’   I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking.  I must try this again tomorrow — but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches.  The dog receives special privileges.  He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return.  He is obviously retarded.

The bird has got to be an informant.  I observe him communicating with the guards regularly.  I am certain that he reports my every move.  My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe.  For now………

This weekend, I’m off to Rochester/Finger Lakes to see my brother and his fiance tie the knot.  Today is the traditional Lady Sangeet for the ladies, tomorrow is the rehearsal dinner, and Saturday is the big day.  Fun times!

I’ll try to snag some photos for posting later, but I imagine I won’t be able to do too much of that.  I’m sure they will get plenty of photos that can be shared later.

Congratulations Adam and Suj!

 This post is a little late coming because I wanted to wait until after I surprised my parents with my new car.  Last Thursday, I picked up my brand new 2009 Honda Fit after selling my Sentra on Monday.  The car came fully loaded with a few “extras” that the dealer threw in (rear bumper applique, side molding, cargo organizer, all-weather mats, and wheel locks).  I love the all-weather mats–custom fitted for the car and you can just pull them out and clean them off with a hose.

I took the first major trip with it last weekend–39.3 mpg for the trip (not too shabby!).  I’m loving cruise control and the inside is just beautiful:

Better yet, the new-to-2009 USB cable is amazing.  Just plug your iPhone or iPod into the cable and you can browse your playlists, albums, artists, and songs using the built-in CD player.  With complete volume control and the ability to skip around, you completely forget that you even have your iPod in the car.

This car has all the features of a more expensive car and yet it’s classified as a “budget” car.  The “magic seats” that allow you to fold the rear seats all the way down into the floor and the front seats all the way back give you a very impressive amount of space.

Lots of utility + cool new features + beautiful outside = the perfect car for me.

Starbucks Corporation’s announcement that it would close 600 of its company-owned locations beginning in July has prompted a widespread protest among fans of the coffee retailer.  According to the Wall Street Journal, Save our Starbucks’ petitions have begun circulating as far flung as San Diego, Dallas, and New York.In announcing the cuts, Starbucks said it was shutting down unprofitable locations in the wake of a decline in profits.  The company cited both the faltering economy and its own explosive growth as factors.

Often, in fact, new Starbucks stores cannibalized profits of another Starbucks nearby.  But the existence of other convenient outlets hasn’t dissuaded the many coffee drinkers from going to their local Starbucks store.  Their Save Our Starbucks protests bear testimony to how deeply the Starbucks brand has penetrated the U.S. market.  And they stand in stark contrast to earlier trends when local groups organized to keep outlets of the retailing giant out of their neighborhoods.

A more creative and profitable approach to the current retrenchment would be to look at the store closings as a blessing in disguise–and turn the daily outlays for gourmet coffee into a more secure retirement.

The table below, drawn from August 2007 issue of AIER’s Research Reports, shows how saving an additional $3 a day (the cost of a single “tall” coffee at Starbucks”) can add up to real cash over the years.

If the average coffee drinker had invested the $3 she spent on coffee every day in a low interest (3%) savings account, she could have more than $12,000 in just 10 years.  That’s the power of compound interest.

I told you I wanted me some soccer for the iPhone.  Real Soccer 2009 is quite the accomplishment.  For those of you familiar with the video game versions of soccer, this is probably closest to EA’s FIFA series.  The onscreen controls are rather amazing in how well they allow you to control the players and select the right moves.  I never would have imagined that someone could develop a touch screen d-pad that could work so well, but Gameloft did.  Granted, soccer doesn’t need the pinpoint accuracy of, say, a first-person shooter, but its control is still remarkable, nonetheless.

Besides gameplay, Real Soccer 2009 allows you to play exhibition games, complete a season long “league,” or try your luck in securing one of six different trophies.  It would be nice if the game had some of the historical plays that FIFA has, but I recognize that this game is only $9.99.  Additionally, I would like to see some randomization of the weather and time when playing through league or cup modes.  The weather effects are actually impressive and it’s a shame that they don’t randomize during the other modes besides exhibition.

All in all, this is a fantastic soccer game.  I can’t wait to get the update.

Looking at all these great games I already have, anybody interested in a used Nintendo DS? I kid, I kid…sorta.

Short post, but I absolutely love eBay.

1 year ago, when I bought my computer, it was going to cost about $500 to upgrade my computer from 1.5 gb of ram to 3 gb.  A few weeks ago, I picked up a 2gb stick on eBay.  How much was it you ask?

$40.

$40 instead of $500? I’ll take that any day of the week.

As I do this whole Director of Communications-thing, I thought it would be useful to share the occasional insight into the world of marketing, especially direct marketing.  This week’s tip:

If what you’re selling isn’t tangible or practical, don’t even bother. Get real.

As I’ve learned, no one really wants to know about the “critical issues facing the nation” or the problems with property rights. People want to know how their problems can be solved and, in our case, how they can organize and protect their financial affairs. Unless you make it real clear why those critical issues affect them, don’t bother trying to tell them it’s critical.

Of course, you’re now probably saying to yourself “Well, duh! Tell me something I don’t know.”  Unfortunately, very little in marketing ever makes sense so, when it does, it comes as a surprise and definitely worth a post.

I love me some soccer.  I love me some video game soccer too.  Now I think I want to get me some iPhone soccer.*

*Get a Master’s degree and that’s the sort of communication skills you will be blessed with. Amazing.