His Image Is Safe

Jack LaLanne has passed away.

I remember seeing his show as a mere child back in the 60's; I had no idea his television show ran into the 80's.

And he went out strong:

Mr. LaLanne promoted himself and his calling into his final years, often accompanied at events by his wife, a physical fitness convert but hardly a fanatic. He brimmed with optimism and restated a host of aphorisms for an active and fit life.

“I can’t die,” he most famously liked to say. “It would ruin my image.”

MORE:  Glenn provides a link to a YouTube clip of Jack LaLanne giving nutrition advice.  The gist:

Breakfast:  Fresh fruit, eggs or a meat patty, whole wheat toast and honey, skim milk or coffee.

Lunch:  Big raw vegetable salad and meat, fish, or low-cal cottage cheese

Dinner: Big vegetable salad, two undercooked vegetables (steamed), and meat or fowl, and fresh fruit with yougurt for dessert.

That advice holds up well and I guess America wasn't listening.  For comparison, here is the Harvard Food Pyramid.  Walter Willett, the chair of the Harvard Nutrition Department, is on the anti-refined carbs program but is OK with whole grains.  As a practical matter, any plan to feed the planet will have to include wheat, corn and rice, so focusing on refined products may be shrewd for countries, if not individuals. 

Another guy who would like the Jack LaLanne diet is Gary Taubes, a science writer playing Galileo to the Ptolemaic view of the nutrition establishment that dietary fat is a health problem.  Taubes would argue that refined grains and sugar are the bane of the Western diet, and have been the bane of native populations wherever they are introduced.

OK, back to Jack - the Times includes this:

“He was perfect for the intimacy of television,” Robert Thompson, a professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University, told The San Jose Mercury News in 2004. “This guy had some of the same stuff that Oprah has and Johnny Carson had — the ability to insinuate themselves in the domestic space of people’s lives.”

It is possible I am having a 60's flashback, but watch this clip and see for yourself whether Jack LaLanne drips charisma.

And let's get some fire and brimstone from Jack on the subject of sugar.  Now you're fired up!

Comments

[Danube of Thought]

Mel: what are the Chicago scribes saying about Cutler?

[Melinda Romanoff]

MayBee-

No, it's definitely local, internecine warfare.

There are suspicions as to whom is financing the attorneys looking to kick him off, because they are THE Dream Team for this particular attack.

Oh, and Rahm can't hire any of their associates.

Pity, that.

[clarice]

Maybe it's Daley himself..

[Captain Hate]

C'mon Mel; spill it on Cutler. He's gotta be getting skewered for coming up small in a big game plus he's not exactly well-liked around the league. Martz should be getting grilled also for that dumbass gimmick play he called a timeout for after the original play as run by Slingin' Caleb Haney looked like the right call.

[Melinda Romanoff]

DoT-

Some defensive, some serious analysis, and, finally, the slashers in the press are slashing (those that would write about some jerk writer screaming "Fire" in a crowded theater, right after yelling it).

All in all, balanced, and they're going after Martz a bit.

Gotta go.

G'night all.

[MayBee]

Daley quits...Rahm leaves WH for his job...another Daley moves into his place...Rahm kicked off ballot in Chicago.

Very interesting.

[Pofarmer]

and to this day wish she and I could have shared a cup of coffee".

I'd make sure she had her own, just in case.

[clarice]

Daley never tipped off Rahm that he would not run again which would have given rahm more time to set up everything and he never endorsed Rahm-- somethng many professional blabbers had predicted he'd do.

Just throwing that in for consideration.

[hit and run]

Pofarmer:
I'd make sure she had her own, just in case.

I spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocane powder.

[clarice]

Sylvia left just when I was anticipating she'd explain how TM made big bucks blogging.

That's it MayBee--I think you and I have pieced together a very plausible explanation for who's behind bumping off Rahm.

[Ranger]

Daley quits...Rahm leaves WH for his job...another Daley moves into his place...Rahm kicked off ballot in Chicago.

Very interesting.

Posted by: MayBee | January 24, 2011 at 11:01 PM

What goes around comes around. Rahm has played hard ball his entire political life... he just got a dose of his own medicine.

BTW, the general read in Illinois is that he is totally hosed. The ballots will be printed without his name on them, and the SC is a long shot here. It is not even in session right now, and even if it hears the case in time, a tied vote goes to the current finding. There are four republicans and five dems, but one of the dems is the wife if a Chicago power broker whow is backing a different candidate. So even if she sits the case out... Rahm is probably screwed.

[clarice]

If so, is Daley just teaching O a lesson?
Is he fed up with O's nuttiness and forcing his brother in there to moderate things and save the party?

Is he asserting himself to take power away from this nitwit?

Well, I'm going to bed. Have at it west coasters.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Before Rahm ran for Congress, wasn't he a Clinton flunky?

[JM Hanes]

"That's it MayBee--I think you and I have pieced together a very plausible explanation for who's behind bumping off Rahm."

I love it! I should think there would be some serious resentments around town over Rahm sailing back into Chicago as if he owned the place. I also wonder if a lot of his support came from folks who were more interested in his ostensible inside track with Obama rather than the actual kingmakers in Chicago?

Wish I could remember where I read it, but someone said that even if Rahm ends up on the ballot, a whole lot of people will have given the other candidates a major 2nd look in the meantime.

[Frau Fritten]

Just for you, ChaCo, but ...

you'll need the LUN.

[Ralph L]

Wiki: He served as senior advisor to President Clinton at the White House from 1993 to 1998

[Frau Fritten]

Don't write off Rahm. Weasel Murkowski did an end run around Joe Miller and taught spelling and collected from her political friend up and down Alaska.

[hit and run]

Good Morning...

Only 11 more months until Christmas!

[sylvia]

Is that some kind of veiled threat?

[narciso]

'al jauza, al jauza, al jauza'

[Danube of Thought]

Rahm can't run as a write-in. He either greases the right palms at the SCt or he'll be looking for some other way to interfere in people's lives.

[daddy]

The more I hear about this magic diet I think this guy Taubes is nothing more than a bigot. Think about it:

No peanuts
No French fries
No Sweet Potato Pie
No tobacco
No avocados
No corn on the cob
No chocolate

Heck, wouldn't surprise me if was anti-tomato as well.

What's he got against foods from the New World?

Rotten bum. He's a Hemispherist!

There's not enough stuff in that 800 pages of his to feed an Incan or a Mayan, much less the Aztec Empire. And we all know those guys were fat right? Not.

Go ahead and check. I'll bet my bottom dollar he don't recommend shots of Tequila. Bah, humbug.

If you guys want to follow the advice of that bigot, be my guest. All I can say is I know not what courses others may take, but as for me, Give me ">http://cunnan.sca.org.au/wiki/New_world_foods"> New World Calories or Give me Death!

[Frau Fritten]

Prost, daddy!

[daddy]

Well this is a relief.

ABC News is reporting that the White House says the playing of that anti-American song at the White House was in no way an insult to America. It simply happened to be one of the Chinese Pianists favorite songs. That a billion Chinese and other Asian nations recognized it immediately as a slap in the face to the US is just a coincidence and of no consequence.

Pay no attention says the White House to China One News reporting: "Chinese web users are acclaiming pianist Lang Lang's choice of tune for a White House state dinner given in honour of President Hu Jintao - a patriotic theme song from an anti-US war film...It's deeply meaningful to play this in the United States, but I don't know if the Americans can understand? Ha ha."

Pay no attention says the White House to Nick Eberstadt, a senior adviser to the National Board of Asian Research and a member of the Global Leadership Council at the World Economic Forum, when he says "the song is “classic Mao-era anti-American invective and it’s astonishing that none of the China experts on the American side called it out before it was put into the program for the banquet.”

Instead listen to White House spokesman Tommy Vietor: “any suggestion that this was an insult to the United States is just flat wrong." ">http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/01/white-house-says-chinese-folk-song-played-during-state-dinner-was-not-an-insult-experts-divided.html"> link.

Whew!. That's such a load off my mind I think I'll have some Vanilla Ice cre---oops. Vanilla's a new world food dammit-all:(

[Melinda Romanoff]

Wrong on both Daleys and Rahm.

And I'll explain a bit after the opening...

[I'm salivating.]

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
=================

[cathyf]

Yeah, c'mon, Mel, the powers-that-be can't possibly be backing Carol Mosley Braun, can they? Or is she some sort of brilliant chameleon who only appears to be dumber than a box of rocks?

[clarice]

I read this morning that Odelson, the lawyer, is being paid by a lawyer and a retired police officer to challenge Rahm. Hmmm.
Kass says the unions and the black voters are the ones who want him out.

while some reports today say Rahm is optimistic he'll get this reversed, the ballots are about to be printed and the ll Supreme Ct probably won't act in time.

Bennie kass says Rahm will be seen wandering the corridors of power moaning about why did he rent his house out. He received only $5k a month for doing that and he's rich enough not to need it.

[clarice]

I meant JOHN Kass.

[Ranger]

Rahm will be seen wandering the corridors of power moaning about why did he rent his house out. He received only $5k a month for doing that and he's rich enough not to need it.

Posted by: clarice | January 25, 2011 at 09:37 AM

Yeah, and it was a long term lease, not a month to month rental. He clearly had no plans on returning to the city very soon, until he decided to run for mayor.

He also requested a waiver for paying the 3% state income tax because he was living in DC, and only pulled the request after he had decided to run.

[PD]

He also requested a waiver for paying the 3% state income tax

Unpatriotic.

[Ignatz]

--I believe that is a joke, Iggy.--

I know bgates' was, but subsequent comments were a little less obviously so.

[Janet]

Unpatriotic.

LOL!! These scoundrels are always wanting our money, but always trying to get out of paying them themselves.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Richie Daley was told by Holder and Fitz he could either run for re-election and get prosecuted for corruption, or walk away. The statute of limitations clock would stay off as long as he stayed away from public office, and would restart the moment he ran for dog-catcher. The messenger with that little tidbit for Richie? Rahm.

Why was Bill asked to be Chief of Staff? Olive branch to Chicago/Daley operation for the help that's going to be needed for Obama's '12 campaign. Translation: "Nothing personal, but you were going down. Go live with your sick wife for a long time."

Rahm tipped his hand early by mouthing his desires on national TV, without even trying to "build a base" here in Chicago. Typical arrogant Rahm, tick off everyone whose help you're going to need to even start to run. Rahm is known as a "demander", meaning, he demands favors from others and doles out none. That's not how it's done here.

Odelson, the premier electoral attorney in the state, was locked up by a retired policeman to block Rahm's run. Obviously, the most successful retired policeman to be able to afford $750/hr attorneys. Where the cash comes from is THE entertaining rumor, and has been for weeks.

Those are the "whats".

The "whys"? This is a rare opportunity to get a new mayor, beholden to outside parties, elected. Rahm would not be. All the other candidates would be compliant, and Mosely-Braun is in it for the payoff. She has four delinquent mortgages on an oversized and over-paid-for mansion on the South side. She stepped in front of Mr. Shakedown and he's none too pleased about the development either.

And, I couldn't leave out the other big truth in the talk among the local politicos.

The powers that be hate the fact that a Jew is daring to run. Just loathe it.

I suspected it was there, but it wasn't confirmed to me until yesterday.

For some it's still 1969, especially in political circles.

That's about the best I can sum up the sewer that is Chicago and Springfield.

[clarice]

The thing is, I bet he paid no local taxes, claiming he was a resident of ILL here temporarily serving in the federal govt. I fact, it'd be a good bet that he did.
Ted Kennedy, for example, who lived high on a tax free tahitian trust set up by his old man, avoided paying some taxes on his expensive Georgetown property in DC claiming it was his residence until someone blew the whistle. I think Kerry might have done the same thing. Teresa avoids property taxes on her huge estate in Penn claiming it's a farm.

[MayBee]

Very interesting, Melinda.

[Melinda Romanoff]

clarice-

For '09 (I think), he filed DC, and amended to IL, after announcing and the residency flap.

Early voting begins on Monday, Jan. 31, if he doesn't get a quick hearing, he won't appear on the early ballot, if at all.

If they decline to hear the case, everyone's wondering what he'll do for revenge, because he will.

Oh, and this would kill any chance for his old Congressional seat, as well. Once a loser...

[PD]

Sheriff Joe needs to weigh in on the civic responsibility of paying taxes.

[clarice]

Which candidate is most favored by the unions, Mel?

[Melinda Romanoff]

Chico, hands down.

[narciso]

Were they ever this servile, in the era of William Thompson, in the LUN

[Jim Ryan]

Welp, as usual I'll be following your live blogging of the SOTU, and VP's drunkblogging, without listening to the bally thing. Gimme a shout out if the camera passes over my Cong Robert Hurt.

Ryan better slow down his speech and make it clear and simple. Wonky eyes-glaze-over stuff will be almost as bad as Jindal's macabre lighting.

[JM Hanes]

Live blogging has never been quite the same since we lost Elliott to a different time-zone. :-(

[clarice]

As predicted, Pelosi turned down Cantor's offer.

[Jane]

Mel,

That was worth waiting for.

[Ignatz]

--As predicted, Pelosi turned down Cantor's offer.--

If the MSM was even handed the headlines would read:
Former Speaker Pelosi Refuses to Sit Next to Jew.