Hugh's Worthless Blog

My wife has been researching type 2 diabetes and recently checked a book out of the library which included a body mass index (BMI) chart much like the one pictured here. Whereas it is fairly easy to follow, I, of course, think it must be converted to an online calculator! However, when I checked the Internet, there were already a billion of them so I had to make one that was different. So my lovely BMI BMR calculator accepts either inches or centimeters for your height and pounds or kilograms for your weight and calculates not only your BMI, but also your BMR (basal metabolic rate) which determines how many calories you should consume! So I made a spiffy "all in one" healthy body indicator calculator which not only determines how underweight or overweight you are, but also tells you how many calories you should consume to maintain or improve your ideal weight. 

Since it is now less than two weeks away from the change in times on the Metrobus routes and Metrolink trains (five trains an hour during rush hour, every 12 minutes), I have decided to create my own handy dandy condensed online schedule for just the Blue Line between Shrewsbury and Grand Station during the work week. My schedule lets you select any stop time for any station, and it will automatically show you the times for that run at the other stations. It sure works easier on the eyes than the massive PDF file from Metro. In reality I primarily only care about the schedule between Brentwood and Skinker, but since I am putting this online I thought I could at least include the Blue Line out to Grand for any other Wash U people who could use it. I could have taken it all the way to Fairview Heights, but then it wouldn't be all that condensed, now would it? I will have to admit I have never ridden the train into Illinois, and I have never actually ridden it past the Brentwood st...

Last week my wife went to the County library and tried to find some weird personal finance book to keep me busy for a while. What she brought back was a very interesting and fast read called The Fair Tax Solution by Ken Hoagland. The idea is to get rid of the current incredibly complicated federal tax system and replace it with a set federal retail sales tax that would also eliminate the FICA and Medicare taxes. The premise sounds much too easy to work, but the book was quite convincing. It is difficult to think of any big negatives of the plan besides the elimination of the complete "income tax" industry (tax accountants everywhere, H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, TurboTax, etc.) and the very cumbersome transition from the huge current tax infrastructure in place to the simplified sales tax. I am surprised we have not heard more about this idea. It sounds like Mike Huckabee was a big supporter back before the 2008 election, but the idea died down back since the election. I ...

Okay, I was checking on the radar before I left today and it looks like practically all of the Metro area was pretty much clear of rain. But when I looked out my window it was raining! How could this be? Sure enough, when I zoomed in on the KSDK radar the only rain in sight is centered directly on top of Wash U and Richmond Heights. I guess I will be needing my umbrella after all. What wonderful luck!

Today I found a better, sunnier picture of myself as I was walking to the Metrolink station this week. It was warm, but still a much nicer day to be walking to the Skinker station than in the pouring rain (which seems to occur much to often these days)! And speaking of the Metrolink , I noticed that they have finally posted the updated train schedule that begins on June 28 (in just 17 short days.) The morning eastbound trains during rush hour that now depart at :04, :19, :34 and :49 from Brentwood will then be leaving at :09, :21, :33, :45 and :57 and the evening westbound trains from Skinker will change from :11, :26, :41 and :56 to :07, :19, :31, :43 and :55. Since in the morning I rarely could catch the 7:34 anyway and usually took the 7:49, I should make the 7:45 no problem and get here to work 4 minutes earlier! And in the evenings I usually take either the 4:26 or 4:41 so now I will have three choices at 4:19, 4:31 or 4:43 (and even 4:55 or 5:07 when I'm running really late!...