Bread makes you fat?!
Speaking as someone who has dealt with a whole gammut of eating disorders and yoyo’d back and forth some 30% of my entire body weight several times over the past six years, people really don’t notice changes to other people’s bodies as much as you think they do. I mean, yeah, if getting in a certain shape helps you feel more confident and healthy set goals, but getting ideas like “People will respect me when I weigh x pounds and wear size x and lift x amount and finally things will start getting better for me” is a disheartening step down the long, disappointing, dangerous rabbit hole of body dismorphia.
*edit* Tweak some dialogue in the colour version ’cause folks did seem to be missing what I was getting at here.
IN OTHER NEWS
So hey, who here knows about Johnny Ryan’s comic, Prison Pit? A team of folks in my studio have been working on an animated adaptaton of it between other projects for the past year or so, and preorders for book one are ready to go! If you are familiar with prison pit you know what to expect, if not, warning, it is not for the faint of heart, there is all the bodily fluid, dicks, and gore you might expect to see in a story about a dude named “Cannibal Fuckface”. Absolutelllyyyyy 18+ material.
is the commander sure Jared is not trying to miss the point of the pep talk
Well, the way I see it, it’s a bit of an unfair analogy. The commander’s exercise thing changed his physical appearance – his performance was the same regardless. Jared, on the other hand, wants to be strong. He just sees being big and bulky as the means to that.
I could be wrong.
It’s getting so hung up on the idea of the end result you don’t want to go about doing it the safe, healthy way because all you’re fixated on is how far you are from your goal rather than how much you’re capable of right now. You start looking for cheats, and kind of halfass your efforts in doingit the legitimate way because you’re like “whatever I’m bad at this anyway, I’ll find an easier way”. That focus on end results and getting down on yourself and disregard for what you’re actully capable of that leads to reasoning like ” eating healthy food is so tough and I can’t run enough to burn all the calories from everything I eat, I just won’t eat at all.” And then when you lose weight an you’re still self-conscious and believe everyone is looking down on you (because that’s what happens when you’re obsessed with your size) you figure the problem is you still aren’t skinny enough and again, your actual progress, size, and health mean nothing, it’s all about this unobtainable “when I look like that things are gonna be different” goal.
Similar for people who want to get bigger, a soon as you make up your mind “I’m so far away from that place I want to be, I can’t get there without this specific workout machine/this book/this drug/etc you only push yourself half as hard because you’ve made up your mind that you can’t do it anyway. It’s looking at the top of the stairs so intently you can’t see the individual steps and it seems like an insurmountable wall so you don’t even try and look for something to carry you. And if you find it,no matter how high you go it always seems like the top of the stairs is further away.
In this case, Jared’s unwillingness to try is betraying his lack of interest in actually being stronger and more capable, and fixation on the end results only. Like people who say “I wish I could draw/ play that instrument/knit/juggle/ whatever” but don’t actually have any interest in practicing to get better. They just like the idea of what they could have if they didn’t have to worry about the hundreds of hours of work it would require over the course of years of their life.
Please accept this shower of diamond-encrusted kittens for posting that. It’s something we all need reminding of from time to time, and most folks don’t hear it often enough or recognize it when the situation leaps up and eats their head.
Augusten Burroughs wrote something very similar in his book “This is How: Help for the Self.” People hang so many things on “thin” or “fit” that don’t really belong there, then when/if they reach their goal, no matter how dangerous the method, they are surprised to find that all of their problems haven’t gone away.
Thank you also for making The Commander a patient guy with a good head on his shoulders. You are just all kinds of fantastic.
As a person that is currently hip deep in said mental trap, its nice to hear that I’m not the only one that is caught in that particular bog of despair. Which sounds funny to say really. “Oh I’m so happy someone feels horrible too!” Honestly it sounds ridiculous. But its also true. When you’re in it, there’s no way out and you feel completely alone because no one seems to see what you see. So thank you for this comic. Seeing the build up to this has been a great reminder of needing to set the right course for yourself.
^^ Yup
Very much appreciating this timely set of comics (plus they’re great and funny and all the usual stuff, on top of the message!)
Man, I need to start drawing more.
Thank you so much for this particular comic. Too many people fall into the trap you talk about, and don’t even realize it.
I used to be that way about drawing, but I’d only sketch something during work breaks if I could make the time, then a local comic shop started a monthly get together called Drink and Draw at a nearby bar, so I started improving slowly. Especially when a friend and I started meeting on the weeks Drink and Draw didn’t meet. I’m not great, but then again I am the best self-defeatist I know.
Just because practice can make you better at something doesn’t mean in the end you’re capable of it. Its garbage like that which leads to all the kids getting a trophy. I have tried, for years, to learn how to play a guitar. I’d practice daily for some of those years. Fact is I’m tone deaf. I can’t hold a rythmn, I can barely manage to string together music I do know and though I know all the mechanics of my guitar and how to make them work I don’t know how to -make them work-.
Something similar happened to me when I tried to be an artist when I was younger.
Its not just about practicing or putting effort forward, its about learning your own strengths and finding happiness in them. In the end, I learned I was a great writer, and I practice my writing near daily with stories and poems that few people get to read but myself. I do it because I don’t just want to get better, I enjoy getting better and I enjoy learning the mistakes I make.
So please, go on about how any lazy person could learn how to play guitar if they just applied themselves a little more. I’m going to keep writing and enjoy myself.
Uh yeah the point of what I was getting at seems to have gone completely over your head.
Hey, they never claimed to be a great reader.
This is so accurate regarding my past efforts that I’m seriously considering printing it out and pasting it to my fridge.
First-time commenter, long-time fan here. Thanks for this strip. I’ve been meaning to go to the gym for the vainest of all reasons, rather than the fact that I’m getting old and I’m not happy with the aches and pains I’ve been having with all the lugging of this overweight body.
Well, depending upon how old “old” happens to be (hell, I’m 34 and call myself older than some forms of dirt), might be you just need to adjust some habits and exercise a bit more to drop some weight. Really write down what you eat for each meal for a week, then review that list and see where you might be able to trim a few calories here and there. Walk more. That kind of stuff. Get the ball rolling, then step into more and more involved programs as you feel confident.
Panel 6 is my favorite.
Yup, starch in the bread is a thing. Eating bread at every meal every days isn’t good. Makes kids fattier. That’s why it’s kinda messed up in our schools, giving them 1 or more piece of bread every time. But hey, gotta spend that energy somewhere.
It’s a Scott Pilgrim quote, not an actual question.
I love you, coela!
huh Scott pilgrim?
never really saw the movie or played the game ( learned about the game by surfing YouTube).
tell me, in your own personal opinion, is it gud?
The game was fun. But it was originally a comic.
So it evolved from a comic into a movie and then into a game?!
damn I never even saw a tv show make it in the gaming world but THIS…
did they make a tv show out of it yet?
also on a side note, jared shouldn’t worry about gaining muscle for the following reason:
since he is lighter he can run faster ( does it work like that). And if he gains muscle then he’ll become heavier and slower.
and let me tell you running away from stuff and/ or flanking the shit out of things with your speed is better than being slow and fighting something with your weight.
To further my point, really think…if you we’re in a fight….which would benefit you better? Strength or speed?
plus, since he’s light and fast, at least he’ll get first turn in Pokémon battles (:
Oh good lord more of this nutritional misinformation.
The only thing that makes you fat is consuming an excess of calories as compared to your exercise. Energy in, energy out. There is nothing wrong with starch – a carbohydrate- it is essentially a sugar compound. And a much less harmful one than refined sugar or fructose corn syrup that a lot of processed food has these days.
Eating fucking potatoes or bread in and of itself will not make you fat. Eating too much will, sure. But so will eating too much cabbage. What makes kids fat these days is fast food in excess, and a lack of physical exercise – such as playing.
/nutrition goggles on
Not all calories are equal. A calorie of fat is processed differently than a calorie of carbohydrates. If you had to go with one, go with the fat; any carbohydrate will ultimately be processed by the body into glucose (taxing the insulin response system if you take in too much, leading to diabetes if done on an extended basis), whereas the capacity for fat storage is much greater if you can’t burn through it. Plus, fat is more sating than carbs are.
/nutrition goggles off
These last few comics have been delightful, by the way.
I know that man. It’s just that most people don’t care and stop listening when you go into that much detail. You need to keep it simple with beginners, and the Energy in, energy out line is very effective if you drill it into people’s head.
Eating too much fat causes cholesterol buildup though. You need to balance it. You can’t cut out any of your macros from your diet, it’s unhealthy as hell. A mix of protein (no need to consume more than 1g per kg of lean muscle though), carbs and fat is best.
I like these comics too. If only because they give me an excuse to rant about lifting and nutrition.
I dunno man the oversimplified “calories in energy out” with no further elaboration was what made me bulimic a few years back.
Oversimplified being key. You use that phrase to get someone started. It’s about keeping someone interested and motivated. Immediately dumping all sorts of info on people tends to make them feel overwhelmed.
You start with energy in, energy out, then proceed slowly towards macros and micros, the importance of a balanced diet, the need to take in fibre, and so on. And taking it to become bulimic is kinda excessive. Energy in, energy out, just means: eat 3000 calories, then you should spend 3000. Want to lose weight? Eat 2800, spend 3000. You don’t need to drop down to 1000 to lose weight.
Eating too much fat causes cholesterol buildup though.
You’re still oversimplifying things to the point of being wrong.
Problem with your hypothesis: you require bile (produced in the liver) to break down fat in your digestive system, while insulin works in your blood, so it’s actually more taxing breaking down fat than breaking down carbohydrates or sugars.
As Borislav said, it’s better to balance fats, carbs, and protein than to consume one in excess
I would just like to re-point out (as already done by our gracious author/artist above) that the quote “Bread makes you fat!?” is from Scott Pilgrim. It is the titular Scott’s response to being told this by his love interest, quite possibly just to mess with him (the whole conversation is about how garlic bread is Scott’s favorite food).
That is all. It’s pretty well known, I think, that consuming way more calories in a day than you expend will lead to the generation of fat (since that’s how your body stores the extra energy). I remember learning about it in high school biology.
>Scott Pilgrim is pretty well known.
American Ethnocentrism spotted, comrades. I have never heard of it. After googling it, I think it’s possibly because I’m older than it’s target demographic… and it looks kinda gay.
Bryan Lee O’Malley is Canadian.
Well, a couple of the characters are, but most aren’t.
Reading comprehension. Obviously not one of your strong points, though I suppose from the way you reacted elsewhere on the page that you just like to be combative for the sake of it.
The person you responded to said nothing of Scott Pilgrim being fairly well known. He said “It’s pretty well known, I think, that consuming way more calories in a day than you expend will lead to the generation of fat”.
Thanks for being ignorant enough for me to make my first post ever on this site such a negative one.
“It’s pretty well known” implies not only a condemnation of the fact that I don’t know it, and means practically the same as fairly well known. Fairly and pretty are synonyms, man. You changed one word for fuck sake.
Combative? Just because I chose to focus on the actual statement rather than it’s context? Context matters, it isn’t everything, and his statement was rather pedantic, restating my own point to me in children’s talk. Maybe that’s just me, but that seems like asking for a negative response.
BenWhatsisname’s post claimed that the fact that consuming excessive calories will result in fat gain is well known.
BenWhatsisname’s post did not claim that Scott Pilgrim is well known.
You misread the post.
*laugh* Scott Pilgrim isn’t my cup of tea, either, but it’s not terribly gay. I mean, I think the Main Love Interest did have a girlfriend in there, but mostly it’s pretty hetero. ;)
That said, references aren’t meant for everyone. :P They’re meant for those who get them, and add a delight for those folks. As a non-fan of Scott Pilgrim, though, I still found it amusing. (Believe it or not, I love to read this comic and haven’t played half the games it references, nor do I like Pokemon. Still, it’s delightful to me and brings me much joy, and these recent ones make me happier because Commander is just totally sane about the whole body image and reasons for upkeep thing. :D
Speaking of which, any Lost Vikings comics coming ?
You know, that story with three married viking warriors travelling through space and time to go back to their wives and kids. A great Blizzard product.
You know, despite having played Lost Vikings, I totally read “three married viking warriors” very differently. And then you mentioned wives and I realized what you meant.
Lost Vikings 2 was the best Blizzard game ever. Also just about the only platformer I enjoyed. I wish it was on GoG.
THE Lost Viking, on the other hand, is the finest blizzard minigame ever, probably. I think i spent more time on that than I actually spent on SC2
I think the lesson is you should always eat that last bit of garlic bread because you never know if you are going to get kidnapped by pirates, (or shot down by Russian separatists) tomorrow.
Vikings. You never know if you’re going to be kidnapped by _Vikings_.
There, I fixed that for ya.
Hey, vikings can be pirates too you know. Equal opportunity.
Technically, Viking is a subcategory of pirate. It was originally a verb, meaning roughly “Go steal whatever you can carry from whoever can’t stop you.” In practice, that usually meant going somewhere there’s foreigners, because your neighbors are usually as heavily armed and belligerent as you are. There were loads of other Nordic types who got their money by trading things, but that’s not nearly as dramatic, so they don’t get mentioned much.
Jared does bring up a good point, though. How did the Commander and his brothers get kidnapped by vikings? As far as I know, the Commander is the only one that does any time traveling, so this would have to be in the future. Were they captured by Space Vikings?
They all time travel, they moved as a unit when they were younger, but they all got their own individual assignments when they got older.
Sorry, can’t hear your reasonable explanation over the awesome sound of SPACE VIKINGS[/deathoftheauthor]
Garlic bread is my favorite food. I could honestly eat it for every meal. Or just eat it all the time without even stopping.
You’d get fat
No, why would I get fat?
Bread makes you fat.
Bread makes you fat?!
Speaking as someone that has to watch this for grocery shopping, you get far more nutrients in a half plate of vegetables. If you fill your plate with starches and fats, you miss those nutrients. Your body then thinks that it needs to eat more, even if you’ve already consumed your calories for the day. Short version: Your body craves less when nutritional needs are met. So, from that perspective, yes – too much bread can make you fat.
I’ve been conforming to my husband’s diabetic meal plan, and I’ve never felt better. I’ve also lost close to forty pounds in six months.
From someone that is actually doing something about her own weight, to anyone interested:
I personally suggest the divided plate method. Half your plate is vegetable. One quarter lean meat, and one quarter grain (rice, whole grain bread, whatever). You can have a serving (actually look it up and MEASURE IT) of fruit and milk. Cut out the soda. Have sweets only once or twice a week. Add in some exercise (climbing the stairs twice a day does not count) and you’re good to go.
If you want to track actual calories and such, WebMD has a tracker that you can use for free. If you do it that way, calculate the calories required to sustain the weight that you WANT and eat that amount. Just make sure to get all your nutrition in. And, no, vitamins are not an acceptable substitute. You miss the micronutrients and other good things – like fiber. You really want fiber.
Recognize that your weight will fluctuate based on hormonal cycles, so you may gain a pound and then lose three. Or the other way around. Do not weigh yourself more than once a week, for your own sanity. Also, depending on what you’re wearing, clothes can add two to ten pounds of weight. (My husband’s knee-high steel toes are at least five pounds on their own.)
Finally, as the voice of experience: DO NOT ELIMINATE FAT COMPLETELY. That will seriously mess you up. Reduce it to a reasonable level. Don’t eliminate it.
Reference (Whooosh!) –>
Your head
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v
I have to say, Squid. . . your comics aren’t just funny, entertaining, and well-written. They have beautiful life advice to offer, too. Stuff like this, combined with the courageous honesty in your posts, really inspires me. Keep up the good work.
I had this idea that you were publishing a graphic novel of this. I want one!
Wait, isnt Commander from the space future? How did he end up on a viking ship? Do the vikings make a comeback in the future?
Notice all the time travel.
He missed the last arc ^^;;
As usual, Commander knows what’s up.
Now i’m imagining Jared running amok with a hammer…mmm, i never got around to watch “Oldboy”
I love Scott Pilgrim, Bread Makes you Fat? has been our Quiz team name a couple of times.
And I like the Hogun helmet. Is there going to be any comics about the Female Thor who isn’t Thor but also is Thor storyline?
Speaking as a recovered anorexic myself, you are absolutely right. Once you start thinking “oh if I get my biceps to be JUST another half inch bigger around”-or-“if I lose JUST another half inch off my thighs everyone will see just how hot and desirable I am”, it can turn into obsession pretty damned quick.
By the way, I just discovered your comic recently, and normally, I am totally squicked out by huge, macho dudes (not so much by their bodies, rather by the mindsets that such guys seem to develop), but Commander Badass has really taken me by surprise. He’s unassuming, a responsible father, respectful to his ex-wife even though we’ve been led to believe their divorce was quite messy, and he dispenses AMAZING advice. This whole workout story arc, the thing with Poison where he said “it don’t matter what parts someone’s got if you’re not planning to get with them anyway”, all of it. He’s like a Yoda with too much body hair. So, well done Coelasquid, well done.
I’m not even into muscles at all, and I would totally have the Commander’s gaybies. Personality makes all the difference. The only thing I worry about is he’s a bit too perfect as a character. I mean, when will we see the Commander being stupid and irrational and Jared being right sometimes?
He’s always stupid and irrational when it comes to things that are very similar to him but not quite, like his irrational dislike for Canada guy and objection to being compared to Hank Hill because he objects to propane grills. Plus you know, that time he went on a whole JRPG adventure instead of going to the doctor.
So he’s got too much of an ego when it comes to being a unique person?
Not really, just nitpicky about superficial details when it comes to things he’s interested in, like a lot of people are. Like the distgust you would get from a power metal fan if you mistakenly called their music death metal. To them it’s an ergregious error, to everyone else it’s fukken metal dude what’s your damage.
Or Babylon 5 fans when you tell them that B5 owes a huge debt to Star Trek, rather than the other way around.
I think Yoda is Yoda with too much body hair.
The Commander somehow got cooler than he already was if that’s even possible.
“Norrcent Mal”? Was gibt? I can’t interpret it based on context.
it’s Norrœnt Mál, “Nordic Speech”, old Norse language the viking would have spoken, implying their predicament is Commander’s fault.
I kinda just assumed it was because we were seeing the translation of them talking in Norrœnt Mál. Where somehow the commander is still talking in “manly slang”. I think I will continue to hold this version as canon haha.
Just as a random fact (otherwise my head periodically explodes with the volume of randomness collected within), when they did the terrible, but very over-the-top macho, film of Pathfinder, they actually used Icelandic as the viking language. Very guttural and angry sounding performance of it, but nice to see an authentic(ish) language being used. :)
When I am truly displeased/angry/etc with myself…I simply throw a shifty glance around the room to see if anyone is observing me, then I throw my hands in the air, and follow in the footsteps of two great American Heroes.
Curly Howard and Dr. Zoidberg. Cause ‘Whoop’ing around a room is a sure-fire cure for the blues.
I thought I knew where Commander was going with this, but then the bit about Vikings came up and I totally got distracted by it, because they’re Vikings.
Fortunately, I was able to find him again before he finished. Sadly, Jared got too hung up on the Vikings. Not that being hung up on Vikings is a bad thing. After all, they’re Vikings.
Prison Pit, there is going to be an animated adaptation of that? Haven’t read any of it but it sounds like the sort of thing I could get into in my more hedonistic/angsty of moods, so this might be the thing to tip me over from ambivalent territory to eventually reading it, so thanks for letting us in on the scoop for that one.
Wait, the _first_ time you got captured by Vikings? How do Space Marines from the frickin’ spacefuture get captured by Vikings, escape somehow, and then not learn enough from the experience to get captured again?
Or, were they doing this on orders? Seeing as how their officers are a bunch of d**k-mongers, I find this more likely.
Just wanna lose my paunch, so it’s low carb, cardio, and later a bit of lifting and stuff to keep me in shape. Getting stuck on a Viking slave ship might help, but that’s unrealistic.
Dunno, maybe grab a rowing machine and a recording of a steady drum?
I could do that.
>low carb
Does nothing unless you actually know what you’re doing. You want to either cycle it with LOW carb intake, not none, to normal intake to avoid going into starvation mode.
>bit of lifting to keep in shape
Fitness is a terrible way to lose weight if you’re not willing to be very serious about it. Fitness is an intense, time consuming thing, if you want to see any results from it at all. Do cardio, like running or swimming, and bodyweight exercises to lose weight.
“yeah i’m gonna do low carb, cardio and a bit of lifting.”
“actually you want to do LOW carb and CARDIO.”
I feel that this comic is over-simplified, even if it is well meaning. I feel Jared might not be the best target demo for Commander’s advice. Jared looks like he is outside of the range of normal body weight for his height. Whether you’re overweight or underweight, people will treat anyone who’s too far out of the range of normal like shit. That’s probably something Jared deals with, which the Commander has never had to deal with. Your brothers ribbing you about not having a six pack, isn’t the same as hundreds of people calling you shit-names over time.
Jared just wants to be big for the sake of being big and showing off, like people say “I wish I could draw” or “I wish I know how to play piano”. Commander’s had a life of judgement, criticism, being surrounded by the kinds of people who foster that toxic you-aren’t-good-enough-if-you-aren’t-on-my-level atmosphere, being in leadership positions over people who behave like that (which means there’s an extra pressure to prove himself to people impossibly stronger than him), and the constant threat of people just up and deciding to modify his body wihout his consent. If you’ve ever hung around fitness forums that deal with weightlifting and bodybuilding, you’d know that there’s a whole culture that tends to be way more harsh and critical of people who are actively trying to lift and bulk up who aren’t quite as big or quite as strong or quite as defined as them than they are of people ho don’t care about bodybuilding at all. Again using art as an analogy, it’s like artists who don’t give people who don’t draw anyway crap for not being artists, but mercilessly tear into mid-skill-level creators and call their work shit. Relentless shaming of athletic people presumed to be “out of shape” is a known issue.
Jared’s never been shit on for being a small guy in this comic and to say that he “probably does” is projecting. The worst he’s gotten is called a “skinny nerd” in the Charles Atlas parody (and not even by the bully character picking on him). Commander has been pushed around over the state of his body and has on multiple occasions shown that having other people try to dictate what he should look like is a sore spot for him. I made an effort to avoid using the word “fat” in the comic, but he was built to be the big, broad, tanky dude in the group, guy with that kind of physique often end up growing up as “the fat kid” until they hit an age where hormones kick in and let them pack on muscle. The other dudes he grew up with tease him like he’s “the fat one”. He has explicitly dealt with more harassment and body image issues in the comic than Jared.
Not to be a dick but… that dude you posted, he is at an unhealthy level of fat.
Fat attaches to your organs, can cause heart problems and all sort of other medical issues. Fat shaming is not good, no. But Glorifying it, as fat acceptance movements do, is not just bad for themselves, but also bad for society. It increases healthcare cost, and these people* will* die younger. I do not see why we should encourage role models, like athletes, to be fat. It sets a bad precedent and example for others. Being fat is simply not good for you, and the worse thing is, it is a result of bad decisions and lack of information and discipline. It is a choice, and that makes it so strange to me that people defend it. It’s “treatable” and for the benefit of the individual. Why promote this?
Having some love handles, that’s not fat or unhealthy. Having an overhanging paunch, is bad for your health. Why encourage that?
You seem to be confusing ‘having a barrel chest’ with ‘being fat and unhealthy’. Have you seen the World’s Strongest Man competitions? The bodybuilders you see on stage, perfectly defined muscles glistening with oil, yeah, most of that is just show. You seem to be stuck on a single body image of someone being fit and healthy. Fit and healthy is not always small, not always skinny, not always toned.
You should look at more deadlifters and powerlifters then. Bodybuilders and athletes look ‘cut’ on TV and in ads because they’ve starved themselves to lose fat around their muscles for show. That is unhealthy. It is normal to have fat around your muscles for function.
The guy in the photo looks fine. And it’s kind of bizarre how disconnected the idea of “being fit” and “looking fit” is when people can look at a professional athletes who make their living on their physical abilities and say that they are unhealthy.
I’m a powerlifter myself. Deadlifter? You mean a person who does deadlifts? That’s part of powerlifting, not a separate sport.
There’s a huge difference between strong-fat, so known “bear mode” and the guy in that image. For one, if he were a lifter, he doesn’t have the muscle for it. Secondly, competition powerlifters (i.e. the atheletes among us) are not by any stretch of the imagination healthy. That you would even think so is bizarre. They push their bodies beyond healthy, messing up their joints and many suffer heart problems due to the stress they put on themselves (and, sadly, in many cases, because of steroid use).
The man in the picture is at around 30% bodyfat. That is enough for it to start affecting testosterone production for heaven’s sake. You want to tell me a male athlete is in any way benefited by reduced testosterone production? Cause he isn’t. Beside, that guy isn’t even a powerlifter. He’s a baseball player. He needs to run and have high endurance. His performance will be affected by the weight he needs to carry around. And the extra stress it puts on his heart.
As for Buretsu: nice projection there mate. I’m talking only about the health issues caused by being overweight, and the social impact of promoting and accepting such unhealthy levels of weight. I didn’t say a word on abs or glistening muscles. That’s all you.
This is all talking about athletes. The average person doesn’t exercise that much. So promoting the idea that a pro athlete can’t even stay in shape, kinda puts forth the idea that you can’t lose weight no matter how hard you try. Which is bullshit.
You know, being fat isn’t nearly as bad for you as gym worshipers like to make it out to be, either. A lot of the heart issues and such that people associate with fat are actually caused by stress and depression that come from people othering them for it. I’m a big fat guy. Not ashamed of it, I don’t give a flying fuck what anyone thinks of it. My cholesterol is perfect, my blood pressure is where it needs to be. In other words, except for having a big belly, I’m the picture of health every time I go to the doctor. It’s really quite funny, actually, to see them freak out because the BMI chart based on hollow-boned California anorexics says I’m “Morbidly Obese” and then they pull out my chart to use as ammunition in their condescending lecture and it gives them nothing to work with.
Also, Borislav, did you find an article or something that spelled out that guy’s bodyfat? Because if not, it seems pretty far-fetched that you could know that much about the man’s health and body from looking at an airbrushed magazine glamor shot.
BMI was based on an equation made by a Belgian mathematician trying to work out a series of formulas that would basically calculate the most average Belgian man. The height/weight one was only one of them, basically obtained by him rounding up his sample population, measuring their height and weight, and deciding when he figured they started looking fatter or skinnier than he considered normal. He was not a medical doctor, and his formula only really accurately applied to average Belgian men
>A lot of the heart issues and such that people associate with fat are actually caused by stress and depression that come from people othering them for it.
Gonna need a study backing that mate. Also, that’s psychology. Hardly a measurable factor. I’m talking science here, not muh feelings.
BMI means nothing. Body fat, cholesterol and insulin levels are sure indicators. BMI is only for people who don’t exercise, and don’t overeat. As coelasquid says, made by a control freak Belgian.
You’re fat? If your doctors find you oddly healthy, chances are you’re not getting ECG and blood tests done. Fat attaches itself to the organs, particularly the heart, causing undue stress and increasing chances of a cardiac arrest. Too high a glicemic index will also start affecting your testosterone production. Which is essential for men’s health.
How do I know his bf%? I’ve been a trainer for 4 years, I’ve been in the gym for well over 10. You start learning to estimate bodyfat after dealing with thousands of people daily and their exercise and improvement and deterioration. I’m not saying it’s exactly 30%. I’m saying it’s roughly around that.
Actually I have had blood tests done, and ECG, and everything else you can think of. A while back I was sick from something that turned out to be simple stress, but they did every test in the book because they thought it might be something else. They all came back clean, I was in perfect health aside from the exhaustion my job was causing.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I’m some kind of athlete. I’m out of shape. The point I’m trying to make is that it’s possible to be in shape and fat at the same time. Some of us just have genetics that make us that way. The current climate of deciding that anyone who’s waist isn’t smaller than their chest is an unhealthy drain on society bugs me to no end. Even people who say they’re just trying to help us all get healthier don’t seem to have any idea of the emotional damage their well-meaning words cause. And if they get called on it, they retreat behind the, “well they’re fat and that’s a choice so they deserve it!” defense.
If I’ve misjudged you, then I apologize. It’s hard to tell tone from text, after all. But the things you said about that athlete just sounded way too similar to all the other people I hear denouncing anyone who doesn’t fit the mainstream ideas of a properly healthy body for me to support them.
“well they’re fat and that’s a choice so they deserve it!” defense.”
It is a choice though. And before you come with glandular and Thyroid issues, though they are true issues, they also only account for around 10-15lbs. Not something that will make you obese, or even really overweight. Being in shape is a question of choice and discipline.
I don’t really have anything against you, or that athlete. If you’re around his weight, you’re not dangerously overweight or anything, though it will affect your health and increase your chances of heart failure, joint problems and of course type 2 diabetes. But you can be quite healthy, if not tremendously fit at that weight.
No, what I have a problem with is fat acceptance groups and obese people who refuse to accept they’re unhealthy, and refuse to accept it’s their own doing. “Fat is beautiful” kind of people. People who say modern beauty standards are fascism. And I do agree, that what you see on TV and in ads is exaggerated, but then again everything is. People with a reasonable bf% (12-18% for men and 16-24% for women) are considered prettier than fat people not because of some cultural bullshit, but simply because they don’t conform to our animalistic brain’s idea of a good mate to have progeny with. It’s just evolutionary psychology.
I don’t oppose people being tubby, is my point. Nor do I think everyone should be a hunk of muscle. I am scared by this massive obesity epidemic though. And I don’t think showing pro athletes being fat, whose entire job is exercise, is a great idea. It won’t exactly help. I’ve seen so many people who want to lose weight (except not really) and who will latch on to any excuse, or absolutely deny that it’s possible to lose weight for them… I guarantee some guy at the gym will see this guy, go “well he’s an athlete, and he’s fatter than me!” and then just use that as an excuse, and say he’s in shape. Then he’ll be back to the gym after 6 months, or as a new year’s resolution, and he’ll find another excuse in no time. And eventually he ends up fatter and fatter, and though he may be relatively healthy now, his sedantary life style WILL catch up with him.
As will yours mate. Age fucks everyone over, but the fatter you are, the harder it hits. Not trying to shame you, just trying to inform you.
Have a nice day man.
Well, at least you don’t hate us for being fat, I guess. That’s fair. Let me ask you for some advice, then.
I live in a rural area, 30 miles from the nearest town. I also live paycheck to paycheck on a part-time, minimum wage job. My only way out of that is to go back to driving a truck long-haul.
So. . . how do I get in shape? The gym is impossible. I can’t afford a membership, nor can I afford the cost of gas to travel into town to work out. If I go back to driving a truck, I’ll be behind the wheel 10 hours a day, and when I stop, I’ll have to be in bed within an hour in order to be well-rested enough to drive the next day’s ten hours.
So. . . what can I do? What’s the best way to be healthy, with that set of limitations? I’m not asking this as a debating point. It’s an honest question, because I do want to be healthier, and and I’m not sure how to do it in my situation.
@CaveTroll
You said “Part-Time” that indicates that you don’t spend all of your time working. Also, if you have the time to type out that message and view the webcomic you can just do a few crunches push-ups sit-ups, basic stuff.
Do it during break at your job, too. When I was on break I’d walk around my work place’s perimeter after eating meal. Just basic stuff. All boils down to the basic things. I take a walk before I go to bed as often as I can. Speaking of which I need to do that now.
Hope you improve, friend. God Bless.
There are many health problems that can cause an extreme upswing in weight, and, of course, height can make what would look like a bit of weight gain on one person look like a lot on someone else.
For instance, fibromyalgia. People with fibromyalgia have, on average, a 25% slower metabolism that those without it – I know this because my mom has fibromyalgia. She’s also three inches shorter than me, and her build is slighter, and so while 15 extra pounds on me is negligible, those same 15 pounds on her are very obvious.
Also, someone may be suffering from diseases such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, such as this awesome dancing lady does.
Now, in my case, I’m overweight because I’ve gotten lazy, been doing a less physical job for work the past few years, and noshing on too many Cheetos while playing World of Warcraft, but that’s all on me. Still, I know people who had big bellies like me because they were basically all gummed up inside from gluten, and when they cut it out, their midsections shrunk down real fast. … I’m ambivalent about trying that, but that’s me being stubborn.
All I’m saying is, yes, some people are responsible for being very overweight (me!), but some people aren’t at fault. I think everyone is beautiful the way they are. Do I think everyone is healthy the way they are? No. Do I think we should body shame fat people? No. I also think we shouldn’t shame those people who put forth the effort to be fit despite having three kids, working full time without a nanny and post pictures asking people what’s your excuse, because, honestly, having to apologize for valuing yourself enough to take care of yourself is just wrong, wrong and sad… okay, maybe she should’ve asked “what’s your motivation” instead.
At any rate, I’m rather impressed that Mr. Fielder can leg-press 1000 pounds, aren’t you?
CaveTroll, if you’re looking for free and easy ways to get in shape or just exercise a little more, just type any basic phrase like ‘exercise video’ or ‘get in shape’ into YouTube and you will instantly find a million free videos to peruse at your leisure.
Heck I can’t afford a gym membership and I live out in the boonies as well. Plus I’m lazy. :P I just YouTubed’ “exercises I can do while lying in bed” so I could be lazy while exercising. And I found stuff!
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. :)
Unfortunately, at the moment I can’t watch Youtube videos. I’m only able to afford about 3 gigs of pre-paid internet (the only kind available out here) a month. But I have been walking, so hopefully if I can keep that up there’ll be some improvement.
I’m from California, mate, and even when I was a skinny toothpick girl with the five other same-sized toothpick girls in my weight-training class I was still naturally 10 to 15 pounds heavier. (We were all quite confused on where the extra weight was kept, since we were all EXACTLY the same size, shape, bra size, etc. We eventually decided it is probably a combination of extra muscle and strong bones since I could lift more weights than they could.) I haven’t seen anyone around here who fits a”hollow-boned California anorexic” profile. In fact, many of the people around here tend to be tubby.
On a slightly different note, anybody hear about skinny fat? Hidden fat can be just as bad as obvious fat, and in some ways worse, because being skinny fat allows you to be more in denial about your health than someone who has problems fitting in a size 6 jeans.
Isnt that guy a pro baseball player or something? If he’s that good, why does it matter what his bodyfat level is? I get that its not HEALTHY exactly, but I cant imagine someone that active being even close to UNhealthy. Of course, Im not even close to being a fitness expert, so I dont know.
On an unrelated note, Borislav, thanks for the workout tips a while back, I’ve made some changes in my routine, and I can tell the difference when I work out.
No worries man, glad to help! Hope you do well with your lifts.
I don’t even like baseball, to be perfectly honest. He may be a fantastic athlete, despite the fact that his weight puts him at a disadvantage. Good for him.
I’m just concerned about the image it projects when a professional athlete is overweight. There’s an increasing Obesity crisis in the west, and you come across staggering amounts of nutritional misinformation and exercise related ignorance.
So if a Pro athlete looks like that, whose job it is to move and be athletic… I’m afraid it may discourage (or give an excuse) to many people, who would become unmotivated.
But if he’s athletic, then he isnt really overweight, is he? I dont know that much about fitness admittedly, but from what I understand, there is no singular optimal level of body type, since sports require tons of different kinds of strength, endurance and stamina levels. If an athlete’s body is modified to fit his sport, then how has he done aything wrong?
Speaking as someone who actually is a baseball fan, it doesn’t put him at a disadvantage. Fielder’s a power hitter, the type of guys who’re expected to hit home runs. They tend to be built that way. Hell, Babe Ruth was built that way.
*Looks at thread created by comment, backs away slowly*
Oooooookaaaaaaaaay.
Kinda proved your projection about big strong guys with extra bellyfat not knowing what it’s like to be harassed for their size wrong, at least.
CaveTrollWithABeard – sorry, I’ll have to reply here, can’t click on your post for some reason.
Right, well, seeing as you’re in those circumstances, I’d recommend doing calisthenics. Push ups, pulls ups, crunches, dips, jumping jacks… I’d start slow though, because bodyweight excercises when you’re heavy can stress your joints. I’d mix medium bodyweight exercise routine with cardio. The best Cardio would be swimming, but I imagine if you can’t pay for a gym, a pool isn’t an option either. Maybe you’re lucky and live near a lake or river, otherwise I’d say do jogging or cycling. Cycle to work for instance. 30 miles may seem like a lot, but as you become a better cyclist, it will be trivial. You may not have the time for that though.
I’d say do this routine once every 2 days (other day is rest day):
-3x set of push ups (go for a max of 20 per set, more is wasting time)- targets chest and core muscles (abs)
-3x1min jumping jacks – this is cardio.
-3x 30sec plank (up the time as you get stronger)- targets dorsal muscles and abs
-3x sets of dips (no more than 8 reps a set, I wouldn’t do more than 5 if you’re at 240lbs, you’ll need to build strength first). This will target triceps and lower chest.
-3×5 pulls ups, If you can manage pull ups, have a friend assist if you can’t, otherwise just keep trying everyday to do one. You will manage eventually. Then keep going till you manage 8 in a row. Then it’s time to add weight, you can do this with old tires and a rope or belt around your waist.
-3×10 bodyweight squats. This one is very important. You need to hit your legs hard, to balance your upper body, and since legs are around 40% of your muscle, you need them. More muscle also means you burn more energy in and of itself.
In addition to this, I’d do some form of cardio. Cycling, running or swimming are usually easiest. If you run, and have poor endurance, cycle between running for 1min, then walking for 2 for about 10-15 minutes. As you get in better shape, you reduce the amount of walking and up the amount of running.
You can also do things like flipping tractor tires to build core and leg strength, and you can even make inexpensive weights with concrete and Iron Mesh (there’s places on the internet you can find instructions).
And last but not least, adjust your diet. Hydrate properly, drink about 3L of water a day, and I’d recommend not drinking Soda. Try to get your carbs from vegetables instead of bread and pasta (since you live in a rural area, I imagine veggies are cheaper there). Also, eat oats in the morning, instead of bread. Oats are a complex carbohydrate, so they give you energy throughout the day, making you feel less hungry, and also have a good amount of protein. I can give you some recipes if you find them bland. Eat chicken and turkey, lean meat, rather than pork chops and steak.
I hope you can do something with this.
Last tip: don’t give up. You’ll see some results in the first 2-3 weeks, then you’ll plateau for a while. Don’t worry, it’s normal. Muscle gain and fat loss is a very slow process. You won’t see really good results until you’re around 6 months in.
Good luck!
Wow, thanks man! This is a comprehensive and easy to understand workout regimen. I think I can even do a lot of these when I’m back in the cab of a truck. Thank you!
One question. For Cardio, could jumping jacks, running in place, and other such things replaced things like walking and running? When I go back to being a long-haul driver, I’ll often be parking in places where it’s not safe to leave the truck for long periods of time, or go out walking in unfamiliar territory, so I need stuff I can do right beside the cab with my tirethumping/skullcrushing hammer within easy reach.
Buy a good jump rope (not the cheap plastic ones, though they do a good job for a short time). I know they look kind of kiddie, but for me they really work well to increase the heart rate. Plus they give you an additional incentive to see how much you can do without tripping, so your mind is more involved.
Those long waiting times could also be a good time to stash some weights in the truck for you to do some exercises as well. Make good use of your otherwise “dead time”.
Though really, speaking as a beginning amateur with a less than ideal schedule, but trying to find the time or make the time and every little bit helps.
It’s not as good, obviously, but yes, sort of. Jumping jacks are pretty decent cardio, but I mostly put them in there so you have a good warm up, it’s never good to start exercising cold. Do them first, then pull ups or push ups so you don’t tire your core and legs too quickly. Shoulda put it at the beginning, really. Running in place… eh, no. You can do burpees though, they’re on par with jumping jacks.
Nothing can quite match running for Cardio though, because you move almost every muscle in your body and it spends calories like crazy, which is the reason cardio is good (also because it trains your heart very efficiently). You can lose weight without cardio, it’ll just take more lifting and more time. And you won’t gain the same endurance with lifting. You’ll still be strengthening your heart, burning calories, and losing weight. If you eat at maintenance, obviously. Don’t forget to adjust your diet, that’s key! Eat what you spend, don’t let yourself get hungry, and get enough protein.
Another exercise you can do, if you have a place to do pull ups, is leg raises. That’s another core exercise, and this will also strengthen your forearms. If your pull up bar is free standing or has clearance, you can also do muscle ups for a bit of cardio. But you won’t be doing those straight away. They’re hard.
Just a quick note, CaveTrollWithABeard – I love your name. I don’t know why. I just do.
Anyways, Borislav gave great advice for anyone looking to put in some extra physical activity into their daily routines. However, in case you might have any issues with knee problems. Jumping jacks can exacerbate existing knee issues, and if done wrong or too enthusiastically when not used to them, cause knee problems, so be careful with how far apart you spread your feet at first. Don’t go past shoulder width apart. When I was in primary, I was taught to go farther apart than that, and several kids in the class ended up injuring their knees pretty badly within a year. I myself was trampled a few years after that by my phys ed class and my knees have never been quite the same.
Also, try planking if crunches and sit ups aren’t your cup of tea. It actively engages your core, and can be modified to your level of ability, from up on you hands and toes, to down on your forearms and knees. You should feel the burn within a minute if you’re doing it right (keep your back straight! People always forget to keep their backs straight!)
Finally, if you are really out of shape or, like when my sister was a kid, severely asthmatic and experience breathing issues when running, try what I call “mosh marching” in place, swinging your arms so your fists get level with your forehead and bringing your thighs up in parallel to the ground, maybe with a bit of a twist. It always makes me grin because I feel so silly. Or, heck, just do the twist – it engages pretty much your whole body, too, just like most dancing does. So… just rock out to your favorite radio station, or DJ iPod, or what have you. Running may be great cardio, but people don’t always stick with it because it’s not always fun. Find a cardio activity you love and stick with it, or mix it up with several different ones so your don’t get bored and lose interest.
A simple way to make weights is, depending on your strength level, to fill up empty milk jugs with water, or sand, or whatnot. It may looks ridiculous, but it works.
Oatmeal is delish, and mine tastes like cookies. You can fix it up however you like and it will be awesome.
Another excellent source of protein is eggs. You can do pretty much anything with eggs. And don’t let anyone guilt you about killing a baby chick when you eat an egg – it was never fertilized to begin with. That’s a win as far as I’m concerned. Oh and yogurt. I prefer regular yogurt to Greek yogurt, because I hate the tangy flavor and the fact that there are millions of barrels of toxic waste byproduct that they’re trying to bury, but that’s besides the point.
I miss Pepsi, after having drank it for 15 years pretty much exclusively, I can honestly say that caffeine has no effect on me, though I’m sure the calories and sugar did. Funny enough, when I quit, though I replaced it with just water, I immediately gained 20 pounds. No difference in diet, no difference in… okay a little difference in exercise – I had started exercising a bit more. Gained 20 pounds anyway. Oh well.
Yeah, okay, it wasn’t just a quick note, but I need to have been asleep like six hours ago and it’s just not happening so I am loopy. Okay, bye.
Commander is the best down to earth guy.
I find it oddly comforting to know there will be garlic bread in the distant spacefuture.
What’s odd about it? Garlic bread is the best shit.
Indeed it is BUT it also gives you BO.
Feels like a Red Orm tribute here. “Of all the ways to trim one’s beard, having it chafe off at the oar must be the worst.”
I wonder if Braum from League of Legends will ever make an appearance in here? He’s a big, manly (mustachioed) man, but he’s the kind of guy who’d agree with the Commander on stuff like this. I think it would be a pretty interesting subversion of the other manly video game characters that appear in this.
*Feeds all the body images shamers to the hungry in various countries. Problems Solved!
Give me a couple for the school year and i’ll help you with that.
Is this Commander’s personal record for most “swears” in a single page?
I mean, that depends on whether you consider “shit” a profanity…
but has he usually (or ever) said “shit” as much?
I don’ wanna fixate on that at all… don’t care, I just noticed today for some reason.
And wow, add fitness to a popular weekly comic and watch all the fitness pros come outta’ the woodwork and empty their wormcans.
“Don’t just eat Cheetos and r’member to move sometimes” – that’s my pro advice.
Good series.
I know that Jared is the non serious guy but I hope he keeps working out.
After I started gym and got more or less used to attending it I passed 5 months without doing a physical evaluation. When it was requested I was pretty surprised with the results.
One of the things, losing 1,5 kg of fat and gaining 1 kg of muscle.
I basically was a skeleton covered in grease (my body type is something like Jared).
I’ve always been a naturally bigger dude. I wouldn’t say I’m like a beefy dude in this comic, because that’d just be a lie. I’m 6′ tall and 240 lbs. I’m not buff. I don’t have 6 pack abs. What I do have is a never say die attitude and have an amazing level of upper body strength that surprises and astounds both me and my co-workers on a fairly regular basis. I’d tell a story, but it’d only serve to inflate my tiny ego, and it does not need that. Do I go to a gym? When I’m not working regularly, twice a week. Can I get rid of my spare tire? Wouldn’t dream of it. Am I happy with the way I look? When I’m as attracted to my own reflection as I am, you don’t need to feel sad about it.
Cheers, Coela. Love your comic.
>When I’m as attracted to my own reflection as I am, you don’t need to feel sad about it.
You made me grin so hard my face hurt… Just had an image of you admiring yourself in the mirror, winking and blowing kisses at yourself, saying “~hi-ya, handsome~.”
The goal is to be healthy. Exercise right, the little extra is probably good for you. Got a bit of a roll around the center myself and doctors are surprised I have excellent cholesterol levels and optimal blood sugar. Just keep active and the extra fat becomes a benefit. Used to be much larger, but regular activity brought it down to a bit of a lump. I’m not about to starve myself to get rid of it, no benefit to that. If it goes away over time from my exercise, so be it. But I won’t give up burgers and ice cream to do it.
The only way people notice a change is if they haven’t seen you in a year.
A: that was awesome
B: oh, Jared. You never change, do you? Except that you do, you just don’t notice.
Meh. I actually like bread. Good, fresh bread without all the preservatives. Bread is delicious, and my body seems to appreciate it, so I’ll run with it.
And um, push hay around. Off to go do that!
So… Nobody else going to comment on the “first time” part of being held on a viking slave ship and the fact that that implies that it happened more than once? No? Just me?
I’m going to comment that Drakkars didn’t have bilges big enough to have slaves in them. Nor multiple decks. And they wouldn’t waste space with slaves when they could carry more warriors.
The only situation I can picture where this type of ship, crewed by slaves, would be used by vikings, is if this is a Dromon of the Varangian guard during the invasion of Sicily around 1100.
Maybe they’re vikings of an alternate universe in which they used Roman-style galleys? After all, sending troops to your own universe’s past can potentially mess up the timeline in a thousand ways.
Roman Style galleys wouldn’t let them raid though. Drakkar’s main advantage is their shallow draft. Not to mention that Galleys have too high a point of gravity for the north sea. They’d sink. Galleys barely saw any use in the north of Europe, and even then only in the much calmer Baltic.
Shh! You’re not supposed to think about how time travel works, remember?
Slave laboring is a great way to build upper body strength
… well, as long as you are properly fed. malnutrition is a great way to lose it
or a great way to die.
So, am I the only one who imagines Jim Cummings voicing the Commander?
I think so. I imagine the commander has a much thicker southern drawl than Jim Cummings. Slow speech and lotsa dialect, ya know?
Colea already said his voice is closer to Beetlejuice.
Beetlejuice!? With that phonetic rendering? I can’t picture Commander having such a high pitched voice either…
The best way I can describe the voice I have for him in my head when I write is Beetlejuice crossed with Tom Waits. I was gonna try to do a little lip sync with him to that “you been to Saturn? Hey I been to Saturn” line pitch peocessed lower but then I didn’t care enough.
Funny, i was thinking David Sobolov (Shockwave in Transformers Prime).
I kind of just read his voice in a rather plain way. Jared sounds like me, he’s the one I relate to the most in the comic. But I’m pretty sure he’s the, uh, audience surrogate? I think that’s the term…
Or Mr. Fishy. I can see me as Mr. Fishy.
Yeah, Jared is the closest depiction of your average Joe. ^_^
isnt that jones though?
Aha, but Jones are not an avid XBox gamer like Jared.
^_^
I like how they’ve been stuck on a Viking slave ship more that once
Is the lady he’s with the one who got all cyborgified?
Yeah
are we ever going to see a comic explaining how the commander got stuck on a viking slave ship?
I like how he implied he has been captured by vikings more than once
Commander was right.
Garlic bread is totally worth any and all space future consequences.
Enough about all that nutritional stuff, the historically inaccurate portrayal of viking ships is what matters here.
regarding people not noticing changes in your body as much as you think, too true, the first time I went out in a chest binder, I was nervous, but I’m small chested to begin with and had been wearing the tightest sport bras I could find for years.
To me the difference was huge, but it took 3 months for my *dad* to notice and even then it was only because he felt it when hugging me
So I just noticed that Past!Commander is already missing a tooth, which would imply he got kidnapped by vikings after that one date with Jonesy… Huh.
That’s not when he got his tooth knocked out.
Ah, time travel’s fulla bullshit, anyway.
Just wanted to drop a comment on this particular one, in my long run of catching up with the comic from 2013 onward!
Thanks, Kelly. I’m sure I’ve heard this hundreds of times by now, and it’s all stuff that people should know yadda yadda yadda.
I’m going to remember The Commander saying that though; I hope I’m conveying here just how much I appreciate you making a character whose advice I feel I can take this much to heart and not be weirded out by xD
Thank you, so much!
Oh right. So Jared’s where I was when I was hanging out with manly men doing manly things (to supercomputers in airconditioned buildings).