sport
New Year Fitness?
06/01/09 10:22
It’s probably the same where you live, but here in
the UK the TV ads are full of advice as to what one
needs to buy to recover from the excesses of the
holiday period. Whether it’s diets, detox or a new
fitness regime, we are all being encouraged to make
health and activity part of our New Year resolution
list.
Which got me into thinking about us Mac lovers who spend endless hours in front of our machines, both at work and at home in our leisure time. Are we less fit and more prone to obesity than the wider population? More interestingly, are we really achieving a better sedentary-activity life balance than our PC counterparts, as the appearance of the characters in the famous Mac-PC ads (both UK and US versions) would have us think?
Not surprisingly, Google reveals little regarding this particular query. There’s a lot about safe ways to sit and avoiding eye sight problems when using the computer and there appears to be much fitness software on the market. Keying in ‘obesity’ and ‘computer’ brings up pages about children and the harm caused to them by poor diet along with too much time spent with the TV, computer and other indoor ‘toys’.
So we could be breaking new ground here. Would it be fair to say that Mac lovers, if we don’t watch ourselves, can be easily seduced by Apple’s marketing methods? We have to regularly remind ourselves that Apple is in essence just another big company that wants our money. Yes, it makes great, reliable products that look good but that’s where it ends. A Mac is not a lifestyle. And yet there is something about its advertising, on TV or web that might attract a certain kind of person? One who values a lifestyle which includes a certain level of activity and fitness? What do you think?
Which got me into thinking about us Mac lovers who spend endless hours in front of our machines, both at work and at home in our leisure time. Are we less fit and more prone to obesity than the wider population? More interestingly, are we really achieving a better sedentary-activity life balance than our PC counterparts, as the appearance of the characters in the famous Mac-PC ads (both UK and US versions) would have us think?
Not surprisingly, Google reveals little regarding this particular query. There’s a lot about safe ways to sit and avoiding eye sight problems when using the computer and there appears to be much fitness software on the market. Keying in ‘obesity’ and ‘computer’ brings up pages about children and the harm caused to them by poor diet along with too much time spent with the TV, computer and other indoor ‘toys’.
So we could be breaking new ground here. Would it be fair to say that Mac lovers, if we don’t watch ourselves, can be easily seduced by Apple’s marketing methods? We have to regularly remind ourselves that Apple is in essence just another big company that wants our money. Yes, it makes great, reliable products that look good but that’s where it ends. A Mac is not a lifestyle. And yet there is something about its advertising, on TV or web that might attract a certain kind of person? One who values a lifestyle which includes a certain level of activity and fitness? What do you think?
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An Excellent Sporting Day
17/08/08 12:55
It’s difficult not to sound nationalistic, but
today’s successes for GB in the Olympics were
particularly exciting. Maybe it was due to us
having a few years where medals of any colour have
been a bit thin on the ground.
Particularly refreshing were the post-effort interviews. First, they revealed just how much effort and emotion had been expended, not only during competition, but in the previous weeks and often years and how much the subsequent reward, the medal, was valued. In addition, whatever each athlete lacked in interviewing technique was more than made up for in sincerity. Having witnessed the clipped comments of those pampered premiership poseurs on Match of the Day last night, it was so refreshing to hear it from the heart for once.
Particularly refreshing were the post-effort interviews. First, they revealed just how much effort and emotion had been expended, not only during competition, but in the previous weeks and often years and how much the subsequent reward, the medal, was valued. In addition, whatever each athlete lacked in interviewing technique was more than made up for in sincerity. Having witnessed the clipped comments of those pampered premiership poseurs on Match of the Day last night, it was so refreshing to hear it from the heart for once.