Comments on: Swinging for the Fences http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/ Chinese, Linguistics, Science, Cultural Observations and whatever else I feel like writing about Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:52:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Mark http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/comment-page-1/#comment-6739 Mark Fri, 08 Sep 2006 05:12:11 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/#comment-6739 Yeah, I've got a membership at <i>California Fitness</i>. Yeah, I’ve got a membership at California Fitness.

]]> By: Prince Roy at-large http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/comment-page-1/#comment-6736 Prince Roy at-large Fri, 08 Sep 2006 04:36:13 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/#comment-6736 have you found a gym yet? Maybe I could join the diet with you. Expand the control group so to speak. have you found a gym yet? Maybe I could join the diet with you. Expand the control group so to speak.

]]> By: Mark http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/comment-page-1/#comment-6698 Mark Thu, 07 Sep 2006 18:05:25 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/#comment-6698 I think yo-yoing is from losing muscle during the initial "diet", and then gaining more fat than muscle on the upswing due to a lowered metabolism. The effect doesn't seem to be a problem for body builders, who often shed more than 50 pounds in their "cutting" phases. My idea for an "all-out" diet isn't losing 20lbs a month; it's losing about 5-10 (depending on your weight), and losing very little fat in the process. In other words, building up to about 40 minutes of cardio 5 times a week, weightlifting 3 times a week, and cutting calories to about 10% less than maintenance. I could be totally wrong, but at the very least, I'll be entertaining. I'm going to start such a diet soon, and I'll be posting my results on the blog! I think yo-yoing is from losing muscle during the initial “diet”, and then gaining more fat than muscle on the upswing due to a lowered metabolism. The effect doesn’t seem to be a problem for body builders, who often shed more than 50 pounds in their “cutting” phases.

My idea for an “all-out” diet isn’t losing 20lbs a month; it’s losing about 5-10 (depending on your weight), and losing very little fat in the process. In other words, building up to about 40 minutes of cardio 5 times a week, weightlifting 3 times a week, and cutting calories to about 10% less than maintenance. I could be totally wrong, but at the very least, I’ll be entertaining. I’m going to start such a diet soon, and I’ll be posting my results on the blog!

]]> By: Battlepanda http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/comment-page-1/#comment-6693 Battlepanda Thu, 07 Sep 2006 14:40:32 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/#comment-6693 I agree with what you're saying about learning (not too sure about the weight loss.) I've been taking patternmaking/sewing lessons on a flexible basis for a while now (I buy a certain number of lessons and just turn up at the workshop whenever I want). Of course, since I stopped working, I started going a lot more intensively, and my improvement since then have been dramatic. I've had no time to forget anything I've learnt, and my overall understanding has been getting a lot deeper since I finish a project much faster, giving me a better sense of how all the steps fit together. I think I'm getting a lot more out of this course just by taking it in a shorter span of time. I don't quite agree with you on the weight loss because of the yoyo effect, which afflicts a lot of folks who try to lose too much weight too quickly. I agree with what you’re saying about learning (not too sure about the weight loss.) I’ve been taking patternmaking/sewing lessons on a flexible basis for a while now (I buy a certain number of lessons and just turn up at the workshop whenever I want). Of course, since I stopped working, I started going a lot more intensively, and my improvement since then have been dramatic. I’ve had no time to forget anything I’ve learnt, and my overall understanding has been getting a lot deeper since I finish a project much faster, giving me a better sense of how all the steps fit together. I think I’m getting a lot more out of this course just by taking it in a shorter span of time.

I don’t quite agree with you on the weight loss because of the yoyo effect, which afflicts a lot of folks who try to lose too much weight too quickly.

]]> By: Vitaly http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/comment-page-1/#comment-6649 Vitaly Wed, 06 Sep 2006 16:07:57 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/#comment-6649 Japanese literature in translation? Pretty cool. What about Japanese poetry? Probably also in translation. It's even cooler. What would you say about the idea of learning English literature in translation? Do you know how 'Catch-22' or 'Catcher in the rye' sound in translation? They sound completely different to say the least. About understanding movies. Sometimes I understand what all that they are saying but I don't understand the movie at all. For example 'Napoleon Dinamite'. Aren't those 'nerds' supposed to have good grades, go to unveresity and become a middle class whereas their bullies become 'trailor trash'. But in this movie those nerds are trailor trash. And how come this movie is so popular in States? Does it mean that so many people can assosiates with those characters. America is enigmatical country... The concept of this movie is elusive to me as much as concept of "two years BA" or "learning Japanese literature in translation". They say that when foreign professors come to American universities to teach English literature to American students, they professors are shocked that those students never heard about, for example, Faulkner. But probably it's not a true story, just insinuations. Japanese literature in translation? Pretty cool. What about Japanese poetry? Probably also in translation. It’s even cooler. What would you say about the idea of learning English literature in translation? Do you know how ‘Catch-22′ or ‘Catcher in the rye’ sound in translation? They sound completely different to say the least.

About understanding movies. Sometimes I understand what all that they are saying but I don’t understand the movie at all. For example ‘Napoleon Dinamite’. Aren’t those ‘nerds’ supposed to have good grades, go to unveresity and become a middle class whereas their bullies become ‘trailor trash’. But in this movie those nerds are trailor trash. And how come this movie is so popular in States? Does it mean that so many people can assosiates with those characters. America is enigmatical country…
The concept of this movie is elusive to me as much as concept of “two years BA” or “learning Japanese literature in translation”. They say that when foreign professors come to American universities to teach English literature to American students, they professors are shocked that those students never heard about, for example, Faulkner. But probably it’s not a true story, just insinuations.

]]> By: Mark http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/comment-page-1/#comment-6622 Mark Tue, 05 Sep 2006 17:52:24 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/#comment-6622 One more thing. I'm NOT a language prodigy. Foreign languages have always been my worst subjects. I took Latin for two years in middle school, and French for four years after that. I can't speak either at all. One more thing. I’m NOT a language prodigy. Foreign languages have always been my worst subjects. I took Latin for two years in middle school, and French for four years after that. I can’t speak either at all.

]]> By: Mark http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/comment-page-1/#comment-6620 Mark Tue, 05 Sep 2006 17:43:04 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/#comment-6620 Vitaly, slow down! You made quite a few assumptions and I think you've over-estimated how much is expected for someone with a B.A. in Japanese Language and Literature. I did learn a multitude of <i>characters</i> (not "ideographs"), and thousands of words. I also learned a bit about Japanese culture in the course of my studies. However, the literature part of the degree was done in translation. When I graduated, I could read online newspapers with the assistance of Rikai, and I could <i>mostly</i> understand movies. There's no way I could possibly have read the literature we studied in the original, though. I did all the required <i>major</i> classes within two years. Since I originally entered college at the age of 13, studied math for two years before going to high school, and then returned for two more years of college starting when I was 18, I had nearly double the number of credits required for a degree when I graduated. It was only the Japanese classes that I did over the span of two years, not the entire degree. And, no. I've never been to Japan. Vitaly, slow down! You made quite a few assumptions and I think you’ve over-estimated how much is expected for someone with a B.A. in Japanese Language and Literature.

I did learn a multitude of characters (not “ideographs”), and thousands of words. I also learned a bit about Japanese culture in the course of my studies. However, the literature part of the degree was done in translation. When I graduated, I could read online newspapers with the assistance of Rikai, and I could mostly understand movies. There’s no way I could possibly have read the literature we studied in the original, though.

I did all the required major classes within two years. Since I originally entered college at the age of 13, studied math for two years before going to high school, and then returned for two more years of college starting when I was 18, I had nearly double the number of credits required for a degree when I graduated. It was only the Japanese classes that I did over the span of two years, not the entire degree. And, no. I’ve never been to Japan.

]]> By: Vitaly http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/comment-page-1/#comment-6616 Vitaly Tue, 05 Sep 2006 15:14:40 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/#comment-6616 You got a bachelor degree in just two years? And aside from oral language you also learned multitude of ideographs to achieve fluency in reading? Your degree is in Japanese literature, right? So it means that within these two years you read whole bunch of literature in your second languge? They say that language can not be separated from culture. So probably you figured out all cultural references without ever living in Japan. In this case you are definetely a language prodigy. You got a bachelor degree in just two years? And aside from oral language you also learned multitude of ideographs to achieve fluency in reading? Your degree is in Japanese literature, right? So it means that within these two years you read whole bunch of literature in your second languge? They say that language can not be separated from culture. So probably you figured out all cultural references without ever living in Japan. In this case you are definetely a language prodigy.

]]> By: Daniel http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/comment-page-1/#comment-6610 Daniel Tue, 05 Sep 2006 05:36:09 +0000 http://toshuo.com/2006/swinging-for-the-fences/#comment-6610 Hey Mark, I agree that just doing one thing properly is hard enough - and doing something intensely on a near daily basis is the only way to improve. But then you have to cope with the doubts of all the things you're not doing, or doing slap-dashly. Hey Mark, I agree that just doing one thing properly is hard enough - and doing something intensely on a near daily basis is the only way to improve. But then you have to cope with the doubts of all the things you’re not doing, or doing slap-dashly.

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