Stand up, this or that

There has been much talk in recent years about how bad it is for human beings to be sitting down at their jobs 8-9 hours per day.  Human bodies are not designed to be sitting all the time.  There are studies that show office workers that spend the majority of their time on their asses have significantly more risks for various health problems.  Supposedly that was the case even if these people did exercise outside of the office environment.  Sitting that much just isn’t good.

My co-worker got a standing desk a year or so ago and has liked it.  The entire desk raises up and down, allowing him to switch between standing and sitting position throughout the day.  Last week I saw an ad for a product called Varidesk.  It allows you to transform any desk into a standing variety.  It’s an adjustable platform that your monitor, keyboard and mouse fits on.  When retracted it allows you to work in the conventional seated position.  When extended the equipment is at a level comfortable to work on from a standing position.

Ever since I got into the computer business I have done more sitting than standing.  My network admin job I have had for the last 14 years has been the most sedentary of all.  I literally can do almost everything I need throughout the day without leaving my desk.  I figured it’s time to shake that up.  I got the ok to order myself a Varidesk.  It will be interesting to see what stand up computing feels like.

I have some distinctive preferences in certain situations.  I thought I would cover a few of them here for no particular reason.

Coke or Pepsi

Coke, duh.  Pepsi always tasted overly sugary to me.  Add Mexican Coke into the equation and it is a slam dunk.  I officially do not endorse drinking soda and I typically drink very little beyond the couple I will have on Friday pizza night.  Still if I have to pick, it’s Coke every time.

McDonalds or Burger King

McDonalds again is an easy choice.  This is an even more silly choice since I eat fast food even less than I drink soda.  Burger King actually has some menu items that are more inline with my pescatarian diet including their veggie burger and a good fish sandwich.  Even so I am a McD’s guy at heart, perhaps it was all those feel good commercials of the 70’s and 80’s as I was growing up that brainwashed me.  All I know is if I am going to go the junk food route, I am looking for some golden arches.

Ford or Chevy (GM)

I am a General Motors guy, again not quite sure how I wound up that way.  My first vehicle was a 69 Buick that my mom bought for me, since then my vehicle ownership track record includes a very heavy GM tendency, owning at least 12 of them, including the current party van and my beloved SSR .  I have owned a few Ford products like my Probe GT turbo which was more Mazda than Ford.  My original party van was a 1993 Econoline.  Ford’s are fine but my brain is hard wired to prefer a Chevy.

Football – Baseball – Basketball – Hockey

This again is a no brainer, football (pro) is the only major sport I follow or watch with regularity.  I used to be a HUGE baseball fan as well aspiring to be a pro baseball player in my youth.  I used to watch a lot of Phillies games and when I couldn’t watch them I would be listening on the radio.  For whatever reason that love for the sport just went away.  I used to be into NBA basketball starting in the Dr J era and ending as Jordan faded away.  Now I could care less.  Hockey never caught my interest.  The only time I was vaguely familiar with the Flyer roster was when Eric Lindross was playing.

That is only a few of the this or thats are popping into my mind currently, I am sure others will follow.