Sunday, November 09, 2003
Monday, November 03, 2003
Buy American
Interesting post on Marginal Revolution:
Nice headline.
Interesting post on Marginal Revolution:
US Sperm Exports Explode; Canadians Upset
The US is a world leader in sperm exports primarily because sperm banks in the U.S. are run on a for-profit basis. As a result, US sperm is reckoned to be of high quality. . . .
Nice headline.
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
Monday, August 18, 2003
The state of the game console business
Slashdot links to this hilarious comparison of game consoles.
Slashdot links to this hilarious comparison of game consoles.
Sunday, August 17, 2003
The night that the lights went out in Ohio
Cato and RPPI are all over the electricity fiasco. If I understand them correctly, RPPI seems concerned that regulation has prevented adequate investment in transmission lines, while Cato's scholars are more bothered by legal barriers to "vertical integration" (joint ownership of power generation and transmission facilities) in the electricity industry.
Cato and RPPI are all over the electricity fiasco. If I understand them correctly, RPPI seems concerned that regulation has prevented adequate investment in transmission lines, while Cato's scholars are more bothered by legal barriers to "vertical integration" (joint ownership of power generation and transmission facilities) in the electricity industry.
Boaz on libertarianism
David Boaz recently gave a nice speech introducing people to libertarianism. You can listen to a recording here. Tell your non-libertarian friends.
David Boaz recently gave a nice speech introducing people to libertarianism. You can listen to a recording here. Tell your non-libertarian friends.
Looks like I may be worm food.
Shoutin' Across the Pacific links to this Sports Illustrated article about Alcor and Ted Williams. It's pretty apalling. Apparently Alcor cut off Williams' head, despite the fact he was supposed to get a full body suspension. Then several cracks developed in the head "due to fluctuating storage temperatures." And the evidence that Ted Williams wanted to be frozen at all seems a bit shaky. Apparently Alcor's chief operating officer blew the whistle and then resigned.
UPDATE: Alcor has responded to the Sports Illustrated article in this press release. As Alcor tells it, COO Larry Johnson is a disgruntled ex-employee looking to smear his former employer. "No Alcor Cryopatient has been treated negligently in the style that Johnson suggested to Sports Illustrated." The press release also announces Alcor's intention to have Johnson prosecuted for violating a privacy agreement. Unfortunately (conveniently?), Alcor's privacy policy prevents them from responding in detail to Johnson's allegations. They do say that fractures are an expected side effect of vitrification, and the benefit of vitrification is reduced overall cell damage.
Shoutin' Across the Pacific links to this Sports Illustrated article about Alcor and Ted Williams. It's pretty apalling. Apparently Alcor cut off Williams' head, despite the fact he was supposed to get a full body suspension. Then several cracks developed in the head "due to fluctuating storage temperatures." And the evidence that Ted Williams wanted to be frozen at all seems a bit shaky. Apparently Alcor's chief operating officer blew the whistle and then resigned.
UPDATE: Alcor has responded to the Sports Illustrated article in this press release. As Alcor tells it, COO Larry Johnson is a disgruntled ex-employee looking to smear his former employer. "No Alcor Cryopatient has been treated negligently in the style that Johnson suggested to Sports Illustrated." The press release also announces Alcor's intention to have Johnson prosecuted for violating a privacy agreement. Unfortunately (conveniently?), Alcor's privacy policy prevents them from responding in detail to Johnson's allegations. They do say that fractures are an expected side effect of vitrification, and the benefit of vitrification is reduced overall cell damage.
Silence = death
Alan Kors confronts the intelligentsia for their silence on Communist atrocities in this passionate, moving speech. (Link provided by Hit and Run.)
Alan Kors confronts the intelligentsia for their silence on Communist atrocities in this passionate, moving speech. (Link provided by Hit and Run.)
"It's like having our own private police department."
SFGate.com has an article about how private security agencies are increasingly assuming responsibilities traditionally handled by public police departments. The author of the article is obviously alarmed, and wants to see more government regulation, but as far as I can tell there's no evidence private security officers abuse their power more than police officers. Indeed, it would seem to me that private security companies face better incentives. Like police departments, they're legally liable for officer misbehavior. The article frets that large private companies are difficult to beat in court, but is it easier to win a case against the police? Which institution has a greater incentive to avoid lawsuits: private companies risking their own money, or police departments risking taxpayer dollars? Moreover, private security companies are responsible to their customers. (The article implies that private security officers may have provoked an unnecessary shootout last December in front of an Oakland liquor store. As a result of the incident, the agency was fired. Try doing that with the police.) The author pushes government oversight, but seems blissfully unaware of the public choice problems attending that approach. Has "public oversight" worked very well for the SFPD (link 1, link2)?
Here are some figures from the article that might interest Jake:
SFGate.com has an article about how private security agencies are increasingly assuming responsibilities traditionally handled by public police departments. The author of the article is obviously alarmed, and wants to see more government regulation, but as far as I can tell there's no evidence private security officers abuse their power more than police officers. Indeed, it would seem to me that private security companies face better incentives. Like police departments, they're legally liable for officer misbehavior. The article frets that large private companies are difficult to beat in court, but is it easier to win a case against the police? Which institution has a greater incentive to avoid lawsuits: private companies risking their own money, or police departments risking taxpayer dollars? Moreover, private security companies are responsible to their customers. (The article implies that private security officers may have provoked an unnecessary shootout last December in front of an Oakland liquor store. As a result of the incident, the agency was fired. Try doing that with the police.) The author pushes government oversight, but seems blissfully unaware of the public choice problems attending that approach. Has "public oversight" worked very well for the SFPD (link 1, link2)?
Here are some figures from the article that might interest Jake:
Last year, California licensed 15,450 new security officers, for a total of 185,000. Of that number, an estimated 14,000 are licensed to carry guns. During the same period, 60 new security companies opened for business in the state. In fact, the Pacific region is the fastest-growing market for private security services. Nationwide, the $33 billion industry is growing at more than 7 percent a year, according to Freedonia Group, a business research company. That's plenty robust in a wheezing economy. It also outpaces the growth of police by more than three times.
Sunday, August 10, 2003
Saturday, August 09, 2003
Friday, August 08, 2003
Thursday, August 07, 2003
Our founding fathers lead a freaking revolt against the king when he tried to tax their favorite breakfast beverage. Sadly, we are a bunch of pussies today...
Wednesday, August 06, 2003
Tuesday, August 05, 2003
Governor Flynt?
If you haven't heard already, Larry Flynt is running for governor of California in this October's recall election. This article says he's a "self-described libertarian," and this one says he would legalize drugs and prostitution, "expand the right of casinos to operate slot machines," and declare amnesty for illegal immigrants. On the other hand, it also says he would close the borders. :-(
If you haven't heard already, Larry Flynt is running for governor of California in this October's recall election. This article says he's a "self-described libertarian," and this one says he would legalize drugs and prostitution, "expand the right of casinos to operate slot machines," and declare amnesty for illegal immigrants. On the other hand, it also says he would close the borders. :-(
Sunday, August 03, 2003
Hunting for Bambi is a hoax
The "hunts" were staged for gullible reporters to promote sales of the video.
The "hunts" were staged for gullible reporters to promote sales of the video.
Thursday, July 31, 2003
A no frills flight over the English Channel
Today, Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner jumped from an airplane 30,000 feet over England--and landed in France 14 minutes later. According to the BBC, "He wore only an aerodynamic jumpsuit with a 6-foot (1.8-metre) carbon fin strapped to his back, an oxygen tank from which to breathe, and a parachute to land." His speed peaked at 220 miles per hour, and the initial temperature at the jump point was 40 degrees below 0 (Celsius). Watch the video.
Today, Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner jumped from an airplane 30,000 feet over England--and landed in France 14 minutes later. According to the BBC, "He wore only an aerodynamic jumpsuit with a 6-foot (1.8-metre) carbon fin strapped to his back, an oxygen tank from which to breathe, and a parachute to land." His speed peaked at 220 miles per hour, and the initial temperature at the jump point was 40 degrees below 0 (Celsius). Watch the video.
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
Remember ideas futures?
Robert Hanson, the guy who came up with the notion of "ideas futures," is back; this time he's interested in setting up a futures market in terror and assasination. Too bad the research program got killed by demagogic congressmen.
Robert Hanson, the guy who came up with the notion of "ideas futures," is back; this time he's interested in setting up a futures market in terror and assasination. Too bad the research program got killed by demagogic congressmen.
Thursday, July 24, 2003
Friday, July 18, 2003
Monday, July 14, 2003
Friday, July 11, 2003
The secret of the Vitruvian man
(Found this interesting website)
Here's an interesting discovery in the famous Vitruvian Man (c. 1492) by Leonardo da Vinci, which was named after the Roman architect Vitruvius. The secret concerns a geometric algorithm in human form. In this unity, Leonardo saw the solution to the problem known as squaring the circle.Leonardo's man is an algorithm!
Squaring the circle is an ancient geometrical problem whereby of a pair of compasses and a ruler are used in an attempt to construct a circle and square of equal area. In the 19th century it was proven beyond doubt that this is not possible in a finite number of constructional steps. Solutions do exist in infinite numbers of steps, however.
The algorithm in the Vitruvian Man is based on an approach involving a continuation into infinity.
For the first time, the reconstruction of the algorithm provides an insight into the unique and bold image of man which Leonardo da Vinci has bequeathed to us in the form of this mystery.
The Vitruvian Man may not be the sole mystery of this type.
You can now witness the unfolding of the mystery with the aid of computer animations.
The Vitruvian Man shows a man represented as a double figure.
The drawing conveys movement via the double depiction of the limbs. The figure with horizontally extended arms and closed legs describes a square. The figure with arms stretched to head height and open legs forms a circle. The navel is the centre of this circle.
Leonardo thus framed the double figure with a flush-fitting circle and square. He took this idea from a treatise by the Roman architect Vitruvius.In the text on the configuration, Leonardo summarizes Vitruvius's ideas.
In this context he refers to the proportions (as fractions) of the depicted man.
Throughout his life, Leonardo sought solutions to the problem of squaring the circle. He even planned a treatise in which he intended to present his proposed solutions. Although the text on the drawing makes no specific mention of squaring the circle, the question nevertheless arises as to whether this work is not connected with this problem in some way.
Leonardo's mathematical studies and the very presence of the circle and square provide sufficient grounds for considering this possibility.
It is possible to measure the circle and the square in Leonardo's Vitruvian Man. No-one appears to have done this before us.
The area ratio of circle to square is approx. 1.16. As can be seen with the naked eye, the circle is larger than
the square.
The decisive step towards discerning the mathematical core of the Vitruvian Man involves adding a supplementary element to each of the two objects of unequal area, circle and square.
The square is supplemented by a circle of equal area to the square.
The circle is supplemented by a square of equal area to the circle.
Instead of a square and a circle with a slightly larger area, we thus now have two pairs of equal area, each consisting of a circle and square, whereby one pair is slightly larger than the other.
After adding these two supplementary elements 'on spec', one is surprised to establish that the drawing had already indicated the new circle.The middle fingers of the horizontal arms mark this circle in the same way as the middle fingers of the upward-stretched arms indicate the large circle.
At the base of the figure´s neck, Leonardo has drawn a line with two thick end points. The extensions of this line meet the points of intersection of circle and square on the left- and right-hand sides.
At first sight, only the high degree of symmetry which the sheet displays in all planes suggests that the second square is part of the 'plot'.However, the drawing provides sufficient direct evidence that this supplementary square is most certainly part of the concept of the Vitruvian Man.
The drawing shows how to construct the large equal-area pair consisting of circle and square. The starting point for this construction is the small pair consisting of circle and square.
1. The large circle is constructed first of all.To this end, the centre is also determined (the navel).The two arm movements illustrate how one is to proceed from the starting pair of circle and square to the large circle. These movements correspond to two construction circles, whose centres Leonardo has included in the drawing:
They are the two end points of the line at the base of the neck.
2. Now the large square is constructed.It is produced by two straight lines. These begin at the bottom corners of the existing square and pass through the centre of the previously produced circle (the navel). Higher up, the lines intersect the path of the large circle.
The level of these points of intersection is to be regarded as the edge length of the new square.
All the constructional steps for the algorithm are to be seen here once again. Starting from one pair of equal area, the construction leads to another pair of equal area (within the bounds of drawing accuracy). This second pair is slightly larger.
Of course, this discovery is not sufficient to qualify as a proposal for squaring the circle, as the result required to this end - a pair of equal area consisting of circle and square - constitutes the initial input for the construction.
This input is implied in the form of the figure with the horizontal arms.
But what happens if one begins this construction on the basis of an initial pair of unequal area?
The circle of the initial pair selected here has a smaller area than
the square. The lateral points of intersection are thus lower than in the original proportional study. Aligning a figure on the basis of this pair produces different proportions to those of the original.
The construction is then carried out on this basis.
A figure is then aligned once again on the basis of the resultant pair. It corresponds more closely to the original, because the area ratio has improved.
This effect can be intensified by repeating the construction on the basis of each new pair. The process is continued in this way to produce a sequence of pairs.
Whatever the appearance of the initial pair may be, the pairs of the sequence which is based on this initial pair always approach an area ratio of 1.00037.
This is an excellent squaring value which bears up admirably to comparison with any other corresponding values.
In theory, this method is intended for continuation into infinity, but after only a few generations the area ratio remains at the above-stated value.
This state is referred to as convergence.
Leonardo's Vitruvian Man as a drawing shows the method in a state of convergence by means of two successive pairs.
He draws the square of one of these pairs, and the circle of the other.The state of convergence makes the double figure´s harmonious proportions possible. This convergence is at once the rule and the result of the anthropomorphic algorithm.
Leonardo's knowledge in the fields of planimetry, anatomy and the philosophy of nature merges to produce a unique trans-disciplinary observation on the human condition:
Leonardo sees mankind as the representative of a principle of creation whose rules are ultimately dictated by mathematics.
The Vitruvian Man serves Leonardo as exemplary evidence of a genuine unity of mathematics and nature..
(Found this interesting website)
Here's an interesting discovery in the famous Vitruvian Man (c. 1492) by Leonardo da Vinci, which was named after the Roman architect Vitruvius. The secret concerns a geometric algorithm in human form. In this unity, Leonardo saw the solution to the problem known as squaring the circle.Leonardo's man is an algorithm!
Squaring the circle is an ancient geometrical problem whereby of a pair of compasses and a ruler are used in an attempt to construct a circle and square of equal area. In the 19th century it was proven beyond doubt that this is not possible in a finite number of constructional steps. Solutions do exist in infinite numbers of steps, however.
The algorithm in the Vitruvian Man is based on an approach involving a continuation into infinity.
For the first time, the reconstruction of the algorithm provides an insight into the unique and bold image of man which Leonardo da Vinci has bequeathed to us in the form of this mystery.
The Vitruvian Man may not be the sole mystery of this type.
You can now witness the unfolding of the mystery with the aid of computer animations.
The Vitruvian Man shows a man represented as a double figure.
The drawing conveys movement via the double depiction of the limbs. The figure with horizontally extended arms and closed legs describes a square. The figure with arms stretched to head height and open legs forms a circle. The navel is the centre of this circle.
Leonardo thus framed the double figure with a flush-fitting circle and square. He took this idea from a treatise by the Roman architect Vitruvius.In the text on the configuration, Leonardo summarizes Vitruvius's ideas.
In this context he refers to the proportions (as fractions) of the depicted man.
Throughout his life, Leonardo sought solutions to the problem of squaring the circle. He even planned a treatise in which he intended to present his proposed solutions. Although the text on the drawing makes no specific mention of squaring the circle, the question nevertheless arises as to whether this work is not connected with this problem in some way.
Leonardo's mathematical studies and the very presence of the circle and square provide sufficient grounds for considering this possibility.
It is possible to measure the circle and the square in Leonardo's Vitruvian Man. No-one appears to have done this before us.
The area ratio of circle to square is approx. 1.16. As can be seen with the naked eye, the circle is larger than
the square.
The decisive step towards discerning the mathematical core of the Vitruvian Man involves adding a supplementary element to each of the two objects of unequal area, circle and square.
The square is supplemented by a circle of equal area to the square.
The circle is supplemented by a square of equal area to the circle.
Instead of a square and a circle with a slightly larger area, we thus now have two pairs of equal area, each consisting of a circle and square, whereby one pair is slightly larger than the other.
After adding these two supplementary elements 'on spec', one is surprised to establish that the drawing had already indicated the new circle.The middle fingers of the horizontal arms mark this circle in the same way as the middle fingers of the upward-stretched arms indicate the large circle.
At the base of the figure´s neck, Leonardo has drawn a line with two thick end points. The extensions of this line meet the points of intersection of circle and square on the left- and right-hand sides.
At first sight, only the high degree of symmetry which the sheet displays in all planes suggests that the second square is part of the 'plot'.However, the drawing provides sufficient direct evidence that this supplementary square is most certainly part of the concept of the Vitruvian Man.
The drawing shows how to construct the large equal-area pair consisting of circle and square. The starting point for this construction is the small pair consisting of circle and square.
1. The large circle is constructed first of all.To this end, the centre is also determined (the navel).The two arm movements illustrate how one is to proceed from the starting pair of circle and square to the large circle. These movements correspond to two construction circles, whose centres Leonardo has included in the drawing:
They are the two end points of the line at the base of the neck.
2. Now the large square is constructed.It is produced by two straight lines. These begin at the bottom corners of the existing square and pass through the centre of the previously produced circle (the navel). Higher up, the lines intersect the path of the large circle.
The level of these points of intersection is to be regarded as the edge length of the new square.
All the constructional steps for the algorithm are to be seen here once again. Starting from one pair of equal area, the construction leads to another pair of equal area (within the bounds of drawing accuracy). This second pair is slightly larger.
Of course, this discovery is not sufficient to qualify as a proposal for squaring the circle, as the result required to this end - a pair of equal area consisting of circle and square - constitutes the initial input for the construction.
This input is implied in the form of the figure with the horizontal arms.
But what happens if one begins this construction on the basis of an initial pair of unequal area?
The circle of the initial pair selected here has a smaller area than
the square. The lateral points of intersection are thus lower than in the original proportional study. Aligning a figure on the basis of this pair produces different proportions to those of the original.
The construction is then carried out on this basis.
A figure is then aligned once again on the basis of the resultant pair. It corresponds more closely to the original, because the area ratio has improved.
This effect can be intensified by repeating the construction on the basis of each new pair. The process is continued in this way to produce a sequence of pairs.
Whatever the appearance of the initial pair may be, the pairs of the sequence which is based on this initial pair always approach an area ratio of 1.00037.
This is an excellent squaring value which bears up admirably to comparison with any other corresponding values.
In theory, this method is intended for continuation into infinity, but after only a few generations the area ratio remains at the above-stated value.
This state is referred to as convergence.
Leonardo's Vitruvian Man as a drawing shows the method in a state of convergence by means of two successive pairs.
He draws the square of one of these pairs, and the circle of the other.The state of convergence makes the double figure´s harmonious proportions possible. This convergence is at once the rule and the result of the anthropomorphic algorithm.
Leonardo's knowledge in the fields of planimetry, anatomy and the philosophy of nature merges to produce a unique trans-disciplinary observation on the human condition:
Leonardo sees mankind as the representative of a principle of creation whose rules are ultimately dictated by mathematics.
The Vitruvian Man serves Leonardo as exemplary evidence of a genuine unity of mathematics and nature..
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
Monday, July 07, 2003
A question came to me via email about the bodyscissor and it had this nice link... It works all right, heheh
I suppose this was inevitable
MSNBC has fired Michael Savage for "anti-gay comments:"
MSNBC has fired Michael Savage for "anti-gay comments:"
"Oh, you're one of the sodomites," Savage said. "You should only get AIDS and die, you pig. How's that? Why don't you see if you can sue me, you pig. You got nothing better than to put me down, you piece of garbage. You have got nothing to do today, go eat a sausage and choke on it."
. . . He asked for another phone caller who "didn't have a nice night in the bathhouse who's angry at me today."
Thursday, June 26, 2003
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Stepping Up My Game: Wrestling Summer 2003
I have just returned from an exciting few days of wrestling. I went to Portland, Oregon to train with Team Quest. Randy Couture and Matt Lindland were excellent trainers. Their clinch game is excellent and I picked up a lot. BJ Penn was substituted for Chuck Lidell at the last minute. Again BJ was a really cool guy, and though Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is not my cup of tea, he was a great ambassador for the sport.
I came back from these ten days humbled by these coaches excellent ideas and their kindness and professionalism. I was able to detect several holes in my game thanks to their coaching and I look forward to learning from them from here on out!
I have just returned from an exciting few days of wrestling. I went to Portland, Oregon to train with Team Quest. Randy Couture and Matt Lindland were excellent trainers. Their clinch game is excellent and I picked up a lot. BJ Penn was substituted for Chuck Lidell at the last minute. Again BJ was a really cool guy, and though Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is not my cup of tea, he was a great ambassador for the sport.
I came back from these ten days humbled by these coaches excellent ideas and their kindness and professionalism. I was able to detect several holes in my game thanks to their coaching and I look forward to learning from them from here on out!
Sunday, June 15, 2003
This can't be for real
Check out this blog. The author describes himself like this: "My name is Dick Babione and I'm a 48 year old used car salesman. My wife is a frigid wasp, my two kids are God damned headjobs, my neighborhood looks like the bad end of Chilifuck New Mexico, and my Crown Vic recently started making strange rattling noises. Every day that I don't set myself on fire is a triumph."
I don't buy it, but it's funny.
Check out this blog. The author describes himself like this: "My name is Dick Babione and I'm a 48 year old used car salesman. My wife is a frigid wasp, my two kids are God damned headjobs, my neighborhood looks like the bad end of Chilifuck New Mexico, and my Crown Vic recently started making strange rattling noises. Every day that I don't set myself on fire is a triumph."
I don't buy it, but it's funny.
Friday, June 13, 2003
What hardcore Trek fans look like
Some people just can't deal with the death of Captain Kirk.
Some people just can't deal with the death of Captain Kirk.
We merely want to see the character have a happy ending in official Trek canon. Not as a hologram, a flashback, a temporary time-travel appearance, a double, an evil twin, a prequel, or a spirit. We also are not asking that he be brought back to be "killed off" again. We want him back one last time so he can have a classy ending where he rides off into the sunset similar to Star Trek VI. We want him alive.
Slick Willie lays the smack down
In an open letter to Hillary Clinton, Dick Morris recalls how he threw down with Bill Clinton:
In an open letter to Hillary Clinton, Dick Morris recalls how he threw down with Bill Clinton:
Bill ran after me, tackled me, threw me to the floor of the kitchen in the mansion and cocked his fist back to punch me. You grabbed his arm and, yelling at him to stop and get control of himself, pulled him off me. Then you walked me around the grounds of the mansion in the minutes after, with your arm around me, saying, "He only does that to people he loves."
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
Bush Administration Backs Tasers for Airline Security.
Bob Sapp has made Time magazine. Read it HERE
Bob Sapp has made Time magazine. Read it HERE
Wednesday, June 04, 2003
Classie Freddie Blassie, RIP
Charles Oliver notes the passing of wrestler Classie Freddie Blassie, who is known to me only for his song "Pencil-Necked Geek," which I remember hearing on the Dr. Demento radio show years ago. Writes Oliver:
Now I understand why the doormen at Incredibly Strange Wrestling frisk everyone.
Charles Oliver notes the passing of wrestler Classie Freddie Blassie, who is known to me only for his song "Pencil-Necked Geek," which I remember hearing on the Dr. Demento radio show years ago. Writes Oliver:
Blassie was stabbed for the first time by a fan in a match in Rome, Georgia. He actually finished his match after the fan was arrested, but wound up spending several days in the hospital. Blassie would go on to be stabbed almost two dozen more times by fans. And he lost the sight in one eye after fans in Boston tossed a hard-boiled egg from the cheap seats that hit him in the head. He really knew how to draw heat.
Now I understand why the doormen at Incredibly Strange Wrestling frisk everyone.
Sunday, June 01, 2003
Sunday, May 25, 2003
Feeding Cycles of Undereating and
Overeating May Increase Lifespan and Protect From Disease
Recent studies suggest that the health benefits of periodic fasting
followed by a overeating range from longer life span to less stress
and increased insulin sensitivity.
The studies that were conducted by Dr. Mark Mattson and colleagues
at the National Institute of Aging found that mice that fasted
every other day and overeat every other day, respectively, had an
extended life span. The new experiment found that mice also did
better in factors involving diabetes and nerve damage in the brain
similar to Alzheimer's disease.
Research Report References:
R. Michael Anson *, Zhihong Guo *, Rafael de Cabo, Titilola Iyun,
Michelle Rios, Adrienne Hagepanos, Donald K. Ingram, Mark A. Lane ,
and Mark P. Mattson, "Intermittent fasting dissociates beneficial
effects of dietary restriction on glucose metabolism and neuronal
resistance to injury from calorie intake", Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition the week of April
30, 2003 (www.pnas.org/cgi/content/...5720100v1)
*W. Duan, Z. Guo, H. Jaing, M. Ware, X-J. Li, and M. P. Mattson,
"Dietary Restriction Normalizes Glucose Metabolism and
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels, Slows Disease Progression
and Increases Survival in Huntington Mutant Mice" Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition the week of
February 10 (www.pnas.org/cgi/content/...0/5/2911).
See the Warrior Diet for more information...
Overeating May Increase Lifespan and Protect From Disease
Recent studies suggest that the health benefits of periodic fasting
followed by a overeating range from longer life span to less stress
and increased insulin sensitivity.
The studies that were conducted by Dr. Mark Mattson and colleagues
at the National Institute of Aging found that mice that fasted
every other day and overeat every other day, respectively, had an
extended life span. The new experiment found that mice also did
better in factors involving diabetes and nerve damage in the brain
similar to Alzheimer's disease.
Research Report References:
R. Michael Anson *, Zhihong Guo *, Rafael de Cabo, Titilola Iyun,
Michelle Rios, Adrienne Hagepanos, Donald K. Ingram, Mark A. Lane ,
and Mark P. Mattson, "Intermittent fasting dissociates beneficial
effects of dietary restriction on glucose metabolism and neuronal
resistance to injury from calorie intake", Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition the week of April
30, 2003 (www.pnas.org/cgi/content/...5720100v1)
*W. Duan, Z. Guo, H. Jaing, M. Ware, X-J. Li, and M. P. Mattson,
"Dietary Restriction Normalizes Glucose Metabolism and
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels, Slows Disease Progression
and Increases Survival in Huntington Mutant Mice" Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition the week of
February 10 (www.pnas.org/cgi/content/...0/5/2911).
See the Warrior Diet for more information...
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
Welcome to the New Discipline of Evolutionary Medicine (Also the Paleo Diet):
Evolutionary Perspective on Eating
Do Germs or Genes Cause Cancer?
Paleolithic Diet Resources
Paleolithic Nutrition Guidlines
Does Skipping Meals Make You Healthy?
Mice that were only fed every other day had more protection from diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease than mice eating low-calorie or unrestricted diets, according to a study.
The findings suggest that humans may benefit from skipping a meal now and then, though researchers noted that going an entire day without food may not be a good idea.
One group of mice fasted for a day, then the next day the mice were allowed to eat as much food as they wanted. This group of mice ended up eating the same amount of calories as the mice that were allowed to eat as much as they wanted every day. A third group of mice was fed a low-calorie diet each day, consuming 40 percent fewer calories than the other two groups.
After five months, researchers gave the mice a neurotoxin that damages nerve cells similarly to Alzheimer’s disease. Mice that fasted had fewer damaged nerve cells in the brain than mice that ate unrestricted or low-calorie diets.
Eating fewer meals may protect nerve cells by causing them mild stress, which then makes them better able to cope with stress such as the neurotoxin, according to researchers.
Moreover, researchers conducted blood tests and found that the fasting mice had lower insulin levels than the other mice, which suggests that they had a lower risk of developing diabetes.
Researchers noted that the findings seem to contradict the generally accepted notion that humans should eat regularly throughout the day and said that more studies need to be done to determine whether humans really need to eat three meals a day.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2003;10.1073/pnas.1035720100
Evolutionary Perspective on Eating
Do Germs or Genes Cause Cancer?
Paleolithic Diet Resources
Paleolithic Nutrition Guidlines
Does Skipping Meals Make You Healthy?
Mice that were only fed every other day had more protection from diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease than mice eating low-calorie or unrestricted diets, according to a study.
The findings suggest that humans may benefit from skipping a meal now and then, though researchers noted that going an entire day without food may not be a good idea.
One group of mice fasted for a day, then the next day the mice were allowed to eat as much food as they wanted. This group of mice ended up eating the same amount of calories as the mice that were allowed to eat as much as they wanted every day. A third group of mice was fed a low-calorie diet each day, consuming 40 percent fewer calories than the other two groups.
After five months, researchers gave the mice a neurotoxin that damages nerve cells similarly to Alzheimer’s disease. Mice that fasted had fewer damaged nerve cells in the brain than mice that ate unrestricted or low-calorie diets.
Eating fewer meals may protect nerve cells by causing them mild stress, which then makes them better able to cope with stress such as the neurotoxin, according to researchers.
Moreover, researchers conducted blood tests and found that the fasting mice had lower insulin levels than the other mice, which suggests that they had a lower risk of developing diabetes.
Researchers noted that the findings seem to contradict the generally accepted notion that humans should eat regularly throughout the day and said that more studies need to be done to determine whether humans really need to eat three meals a day.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2003;10.1073/pnas.1035720100
Saturday, May 10, 2003
Also check this interesting history of the great wrestlers from India (The Great Gama especially)...
Friday, May 09, 2003
Amazing
See the commercial. Then read how it was made. Supposedly only one second of the ad uses computer-generated assistance.
See the commercial. Then read how it was made. Supposedly only one second of the ad uses computer-generated assistance.
Thursday, May 08, 2003
Thursday, May 01, 2003
Monday, April 21, 2003
Donald Rumsfeld: Wrestler
Interesting article by Ben McGrath in the April 14, 2003 New Yorker on Donald Rumsfeld's wrestling career, and his famed 1953 bout at the Eastern Intercollegiate championships. The reporter interviewed the participants, for whom Rumsfeld's match remains legendary.
It was presumed that in the 157 lb class, an undefeated Ken Hunt (Cornell) would meet Ed Rooney from Syracuse, but Rumsfeld knocked Rooney out of the tourney in what was considered a huge upset.
"Among his Princeton teammates, Rumsfeld had earned a reputation for quick takedowns. He was an avid practicioner of the fireman's carry... But, amid the tougher competition at the Easterns, Rumsfeld stood out for his superior conditioning and his fierce determination; he was relentless, a bulldog.
"Ed Rooney was what is known as a leg wrestler, attempting to tie his opponents up below the waist and then overpower them...Rooney has since died, but his son, Jim...recalled: "My father fell behind in that match and was trying to catch up. And basically, he spent the last three minutes chasing Donald Rumsfeld all over the mat. Final score: Rumsfeld 6, Rooney 4.
"The championship bout took place later that night, with Rumsfeld, in his orange and black togs, squaring off against Ken Hunt...Hunt said that, in contrast to Rooney, who was aggressive from the start, he liked to 'try to get other wrestlers to make a move first, and I'd react, and just count on my speed to win.' The strategy seemed to work well against Rumsfeld. 'He would go in for this so-called takedown, and see that he couldn't get it, and as he backed off, that's when I would go in and take him down with an ankle pickup,' Hunt said. 'I took him down three times with that, and that was six points right off the bat.' ('Rumsfeld was the kind of wrestler, you knew what he was going to do and he'd do it anyhow,' Don Dickason, a Cornell teammate of Hunt's, said.)
"Still, Rumsfeld wouldn't give up. 'Kenny was an amazingly slick wrestler, just as smooth as can be,' Harvey said, 'but Rumsfeld was obviously in much better condition.'
"'I think I was ahead eight-zip or eight-two,' Hunt said. "And then I began to run out of gas. I had the feeling that he could taste blood, you know, if he could get me real tired - and I was getting tired.'
"In the third period (there are three to a match), Rumsfeld began 'reversing' Hunt. 'He exploited every possible tool,' Hunt said. 'I think we rolled into the spectators at one point.'
"'It was just a thing of beauty, where there'd be a move and a countermove and a countermove,' Dickason said. 'In a way, it didn't matter who got the final points. It was just that both guys were so good.'
"'I frankly don't remember the end of it,' Hunt said. "One of my best friends from high school was at the edge of the mat there, and I remember him saying, 'One more minute!' Don may have gotten one takedown toward the end - gosh, I don't remember. He had sheer will and determination."
"Final score: Hunt 9, Rumsfeld 5. Hunt never wrestled again.
Roger Oleson, who has been called the Boswell of wrestling...has just co-written a book about the 1953 wrestling season, called "The Turning Point." (The preface begins, "Wrestling is not, as some contend, like life. Wrestling _is_ life - reduced to its essence.")
'They've always built Rumsfeld up as being a great wrestler," Oleson said. 'But he wasn't. Rumsfeld, I think, was just a plugger. He would keep coming after you even when the final verdict was no longer in doubt.'"
Interesting article by Ben McGrath in the April 14, 2003 New Yorker on Donald Rumsfeld's wrestling career, and his famed 1953 bout at the Eastern Intercollegiate championships. The reporter interviewed the participants, for whom Rumsfeld's match remains legendary.
It was presumed that in the 157 lb class, an undefeated Ken Hunt (Cornell) would meet Ed Rooney from Syracuse, but Rumsfeld knocked Rooney out of the tourney in what was considered a huge upset.
"Among his Princeton teammates, Rumsfeld had earned a reputation for quick takedowns. He was an avid practicioner of the fireman's carry... But, amid the tougher competition at the Easterns, Rumsfeld stood out for his superior conditioning and his fierce determination; he was relentless, a bulldog.
"Ed Rooney was what is known as a leg wrestler, attempting to tie his opponents up below the waist and then overpower them...Rooney has since died, but his son, Jim...recalled: "My father fell behind in that match and was trying to catch up. And basically, he spent the last three minutes chasing Donald Rumsfeld all over the mat. Final score: Rumsfeld 6, Rooney 4.
"The championship bout took place later that night, with Rumsfeld, in his orange and black togs, squaring off against Ken Hunt...Hunt said that, in contrast to Rooney, who was aggressive from the start, he liked to 'try to get other wrestlers to make a move first, and I'd react, and just count on my speed to win.' The strategy seemed to work well against Rumsfeld. 'He would go in for this so-called takedown, and see that he couldn't get it, and as he backed off, that's when I would go in and take him down with an ankle pickup,' Hunt said. 'I took him down three times with that, and that was six points right off the bat.' ('Rumsfeld was the kind of wrestler, you knew what he was going to do and he'd do it anyhow,' Don Dickason, a Cornell teammate of Hunt's, said.)
"Still, Rumsfeld wouldn't give up. 'Kenny was an amazingly slick wrestler, just as smooth as can be,' Harvey said, 'but Rumsfeld was obviously in much better condition.'
"'I think I was ahead eight-zip or eight-two,' Hunt said. "And then I began to run out of gas. I had the feeling that he could taste blood, you know, if he could get me real tired - and I was getting tired.'
"In the third period (there are three to a match), Rumsfeld began 'reversing' Hunt. 'He exploited every possible tool,' Hunt said. 'I think we rolled into the spectators at one point.'
"'It was just a thing of beauty, where there'd be a move and a countermove and a countermove,' Dickason said. 'In a way, it didn't matter who got the final points. It was just that both guys were so good.'
"'I frankly don't remember the end of it,' Hunt said. "One of my best friends from high school was at the edge of the mat there, and I remember him saying, 'One more minute!' Don may have gotten one takedown toward the end - gosh, I don't remember. He had sheer will and determination."
"Final score: Hunt 9, Rumsfeld 5. Hunt never wrestled again.
Roger Oleson, who has been called the Boswell of wrestling...has just co-written a book about the 1953 wrestling season, called "The Turning Point." (The preface begins, "Wrestling is not, as some contend, like life. Wrestling _is_ life - reduced to its essence.")
'They've always built Rumsfeld up as being a great wrestler," Oleson said. 'But he wasn't. Rumsfeld, I think, was just a plugger. He would keep coming after you even when the final verdict was no longer in doubt.'"
Sunday, April 20, 2003
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
Thursday, April 03, 2003
Thursday, March 27, 2003
Okay, here goes. I’ve broken down the “fat burning” supplements into 7 categories (not in any particular order):
1. Ephedrine and Ephedra. Ephedrine and its herbal forms Ephedra and Ma Huang are often included in supplements designed to promote fat burning and/or energy. Ephedra has been in the news recently over the death of a baseball player (Steve Bechler) AND football player (Korey Stringer) during spring training, but it has not been conclusive.
2. Caffeine and Guarana. Caffeine and its herbal form Guarana are often included in supplements designed to promote energy and/or fat burning. Caffeine is also known to suppress the appetite.
3. Ephedrine & Caffeine Combos. The combination of Ephedrine and Caffeine makes up the core of some popular supplements that has been proven to burn fat and while retaining lean muscle mass. The supplements below represent many variations of this popular combo or their herbal equivalents (Ephedra / Ma Huang and Guarana). Xenadrine is a popular brand in this category.
4.Synephrine Combos (Herbal form: Citrus Aurantium or Bitter Orange): these are thought to be easier on the central nervous system than supplements that contain ephedrine or its herbal equivalents. Synephrine is still a stimulant but is a milder alternative to ephedrine.
5. Thyroid Boosters: designed to preserve or increase thyroid output and preserve or increase the metabolic rate to promote fat loss stimulant free. Excellent alternatives to supplements containing stimulants.
6. Insulin Mimickers are said to aid or act similar to insulin in order to help avoid large amounts of natural insulin from being secreted in the body - which would result in excess carbohydrates being stored as fat! My long distance running friends take Chromium Picolinate, from Michael Coglan's book.
7. Carnitine and Actetyl-L-Carnitine
Obviously, I have preached Carnitine (and Actetyl-L-Carnitine) in the past, as it has very low risk. But you know the expression: The greater the risk, the greater the reward. Ask yourself if it’s really worth it. Pick & choose your supplements carefully
1. Ephedrine and Ephedra. Ephedrine and its herbal forms Ephedra and Ma Huang are often included in supplements designed to promote fat burning and/or energy. Ephedra has been in the news recently over the death of a baseball player (Steve Bechler) AND football player (Korey Stringer) during spring training, but it has not been conclusive.
2. Caffeine and Guarana. Caffeine and its herbal form Guarana are often included in supplements designed to promote energy and/or fat burning. Caffeine is also known to suppress the appetite.
3. Ephedrine & Caffeine Combos. The combination of Ephedrine and Caffeine makes up the core of some popular supplements that has been proven to burn fat and while retaining lean muscle mass. The supplements below represent many variations of this popular combo or their herbal equivalents (Ephedra / Ma Huang and Guarana). Xenadrine is a popular brand in this category.
4.Synephrine Combos (Herbal form: Citrus Aurantium or Bitter Orange): these are thought to be easier on the central nervous system than supplements that contain ephedrine or its herbal equivalents. Synephrine is still a stimulant but is a milder alternative to ephedrine.
5. Thyroid Boosters: designed to preserve or increase thyroid output and preserve or increase the metabolic rate to promote fat loss stimulant free. Excellent alternatives to supplements containing stimulants.
6. Insulin Mimickers are said to aid or act similar to insulin in order to help avoid large amounts of natural insulin from being secreted in the body - which would result in excess carbohydrates being stored as fat! My long distance running friends take Chromium Picolinate, from Michael Coglan's book.
7. Carnitine and Actetyl-L-Carnitine
Obviously, I have preached Carnitine (and Actetyl-L-Carnitine) in the past, as it has very low risk. But you know the expression: The greater the risk, the greater the reward. Ask yourself if it’s really worth it. Pick & choose your supplements carefully
Saturday, March 22, 2003
Joseph Coors, R.I.P.
Heritage Foundation president Edwin Feulner pours a libation to honor the late Joseph Coors, president and CEO of the Coors Brewing Company. The way Feulner tells it, Coors was largely responsible for ending the Cold War.
Jake replies:
Hm, Coors seemed very cutting edge with regards to missle defense, but will he hop on the "Viagra Booze" bandwagon??
Heritage Foundation president Edwin Feulner pours a libation to honor the late Joseph Coors, president and CEO of the Coors Brewing Company. The way Feulner tells it, Coors was largely responsible for ending the Cold War.
Jake replies:
Hm, Coors seemed very cutting edge with regards to missle defense, but will he hop on the "Viagra Booze" bandwagon??
Friday, March 21, 2003
Some articles on the "direct-action" idiots
"About 20 young people calling themselves Pukers4Peace emptied the plaza in front of the Federal Building with a street performance--of induced vomiting. . . . The group splattered its message between 7 and 10 a.m., but pools of vomit still covered much of the plaza at mid-afternoon. . . . 'My puddle is the longest-lasting one,' proudly declared Lauren Errea, a UC- Berkeley student."
Like sand in the gears: Fast-moving demonstrators shut down S.F., frustrate cops
Charming.
"'We had a beautiful and very successful action today,' Ilyse Hogue of Direct Action yelled into a megaphone to demonstrators gathered outside the Federal Building. 'We were able to unplug the war machine for a day.'"
Racing into Iraq--Rage in S.F. streets: PROTESTS: 1,400 arrested in 16 hours
No, Ilyse, you weren't. Get a clue.
"'Sorry about the inconvenience, people, but there are people dying,' [protestor Anna Wilson] said. 'How addicted to our stuff are we that we can't stop work for one day?'"
Maybe they protest too much: SYMPATHETIC: But people say they need to get to their job
How addicted to your ego are you that you can't let innocent people go about their lives in peace?
"'We are annoyed that we can't get to work right now, but there are people who are suffering, who are not eating and who are being bombed,' [web designer Meredith Brown] said. 'This is just a minor inconvenience compared with that.'"
Ibid.
Um, yes, Meredith, but how does making innocent third parties suffer even a little bit of inconvenience do anything to help the Iraqis?
"'I'm against the war, too. But all this does is hurt people,' [financial district worker Allison] Cruz said. 'I'm not the one dropping the bombs.'"
Maybe they protest too much: UNHAPPY: Inconvenience caused by the civil disobedience is directed at the wrong people
Exactly.
"About 20 young people calling themselves Pukers4Peace emptied the plaza in front of the Federal Building with a street performance--of induced vomiting. . . . The group splattered its message between 7 and 10 a.m., but pools of vomit still covered much of the plaza at mid-afternoon. . . . 'My puddle is the longest-lasting one,' proudly declared Lauren Errea, a UC- Berkeley student."
Like sand in the gears: Fast-moving demonstrators shut down S.F., frustrate cops
Charming.
"'We had a beautiful and very successful action today,' Ilyse Hogue of Direct Action yelled into a megaphone to demonstrators gathered outside the Federal Building. 'We were able to unplug the war machine for a day.'"
Racing into Iraq--Rage in S.F. streets: PROTESTS: 1,400 arrested in 16 hours
No, Ilyse, you weren't. Get a clue.
"'Sorry about the inconvenience, people, but there are people dying,' [protestor Anna Wilson] said. 'How addicted to our stuff are we that we can't stop work for one day?'"
Maybe they protest too much: SYMPATHETIC: But people say they need to get to their job
How addicted to your ego are you that you can't let innocent people go about their lives in peace?
"'We are annoyed that we can't get to work right now, but there are people who are suffering, who are not eating and who are being bombed,' [web designer Meredith Brown] said. 'This is just a minor inconvenience compared with that.'"
Ibid.
Um, yes, Meredith, but how does making innocent third parties suffer even a little bit of inconvenience do anything to help the Iraqis?
"'I'm against the war, too. But all this does is hurt people,' [financial district worker Allison] Cruz said. 'I'm not the one dropping the bombs.'"
Maybe they protest too much: UNHAPPY: Inconvenience caused by the civil disobedience is directed at the wrong people
Exactly.
A word about the self-righteous pricks blocking traffic in San Francisco
When Gulf War I began in January of 1991, I was a sophomore at the University of Toledo. I remember reading in the student newspaper about some students who, having watched the outbreak of the war on the television in the student lounge, decided they would protest the war by refusing to leave their seats. I recall being puzzled by their behavior. Just what did they think they were accomplishing? Their chosen form of protest disrupted their own lives, but had zero effect on the people who were actually running the Desert Storm campaign.
I was reminded of this incident yesterday, when mobs of anti-war protestors blocked traffic, broke windows, and generally disrupted the lives of normal people in San Francisco. How was any of this nonsense supposed to help anyone? Let's review what they accomplished:
1. They caused inconvenience to a lot of innocent people.
2. They risked the lives of innocent people by tying up police and blocking the paths of emergency vehicles.
3. They cost innocent people money by doing property damage and disrupting commerce.
4. They pissed off a lot of people who might otherwise have been sympathetic to their cause.
5. They brought dishonor to everyone else who's opposed to the war, and made it easier for the government to classify war dissenters as subversives.
Thanks, guys.
Like the actions of those UT students 12 years ago, the behavior of these hooligans will do nothing to change the minds of the people actually in charge of making war. At least the University of Toledo students confined themselves to fucking up their own lives!
Deep down, I think the little shits know they're not going to stop the war. Stopping the war isn't the point of what they're doing. The point is to create a little drama for themselves, in which they can play the heroic underdogs struggling against the powerful forces of evil. Justin Raimondo had it right when he wrote: "In nominating themselves for sainthood, the direct-actionists are acting out their personal fantasies on the political stage. In their little morality play they are the stars, moral paragons who, by the sheer power of their goodness and bravery, will shut down the war machine." And in a piece published today, he has the right solution: "They all ought to be thrown in jail, beaten within an inch of their lives, and charged to the max." [UPDATE: Looks like Justin has edited that line out of his article. :-\ ]
Okay, I don't know about the beating part.
When Gulf War I began in January of 1991, I was a sophomore at the University of Toledo. I remember reading in the student newspaper about some students who, having watched the outbreak of the war on the television in the student lounge, decided they would protest the war by refusing to leave their seats. I recall being puzzled by their behavior. Just what did they think they were accomplishing? Their chosen form of protest disrupted their own lives, but had zero effect on the people who were actually running the Desert Storm campaign.
I was reminded of this incident yesterday, when mobs of anti-war protestors blocked traffic, broke windows, and generally disrupted the lives of normal people in San Francisco. How was any of this nonsense supposed to help anyone? Let's review what they accomplished:
1. They caused inconvenience to a lot of innocent people.
2. They risked the lives of innocent people by tying up police and blocking the paths of emergency vehicles.
3. They cost innocent people money by doing property damage and disrupting commerce.
4. They pissed off a lot of people who might otherwise have been sympathetic to their cause.
5. They brought dishonor to everyone else who's opposed to the war, and made it easier for the government to classify war dissenters as subversives.
Thanks, guys.
Like the actions of those UT students 12 years ago, the behavior of these hooligans will do nothing to change the minds of the people actually in charge of making war. At least the University of Toledo students confined themselves to fucking up their own lives!
Deep down, I think the little shits know they're not going to stop the war. Stopping the war isn't the point of what they're doing. The point is to create a little drama for themselves, in which they can play the heroic underdogs struggling against the powerful forces of evil. Justin Raimondo had it right when he wrote: "In nominating themselves for sainthood, the direct-actionists are acting out their personal fantasies on the political stage. In their little morality play they are the stars, moral paragons who, by the sheer power of their goodness and bravery, will shut down the war machine." And in a piece published today, he has the right solution: "They all ought to be thrown in jail, beaten within an inch of their lives, and charged to the max." [UPDATE: Looks like Justin has edited that line out of his article. :-\ ]
Okay, I don't know about the beating part.
Monday, March 17, 2003
Hypnosis Research Info
As there are several people reading these who are interested in hypnosis, I thought I'd pass along a cool resource that I came across...
The Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis has an extensive
database of thousands of research papers and studies that
have been done, for more than the past 50 years.
Take a look, search for some cool stuff, and if anything looks
interesting, post it (or a link) here!
http://www.hypnosis-research.org/hypnosis/index.html
http://www.hypnosis-research.org/hypnosis/contrib_search.html
david
dx1mx2@aol.com
As there are several people reading these who are interested in hypnosis, I thought I'd pass along a cool resource that I came across...
The Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis has an extensive
database of thousands of research papers and studies that
have been done, for more than the past 50 years.
Take a look, search for some cool stuff, and if anything looks
interesting, post it (or a link) here!
http://www.hypnosis-research.org/hypnosis/index.html
http://www.hypnosis-research.org/hypnosis/contrib_search.html
david
dx1mx2@aol.com
Monday, March 03, 2003
The Day Liberty Lost a Son: Joe Fuhrig RIP
Today I learned the sad news that friend and mentor Joe Fuhrig, 'the worlds greatest libertarian golfer' has died. Joe was a kind, well respected California libertarian having run on the Libertarian Party ticket for U.S. Senate in 1982 and for Governor in 1986. His love for liberty was evident to anyone he spoke to and he was presented the Libertarian Party of California's Sons of Liberty award in 1983 as "the candidate who was most effective in communicating libertarian principles to the voters". His latest endeavors included heading the economics department at Golden Gate University (he was the one to convince me to get into graduate school), he was a Fellow at the Independent Institute, and was actively trying to challenge younger people passionate about liberty through the Summer Seminars in Political Economy program at Holy Names College. He will be missed...
Today I learned the sad news that friend and mentor Joe Fuhrig, 'the worlds greatest libertarian golfer' has died. Joe was a kind, well respected California libertarian having run on the Libertarian Party ticket for U.S. Senate in 1982 and for Governor in 1986. His love for liberty was evident to anyone he spoke to and he was presented the Libertarian Party of California's Sons of Liberty award in 1983 as "the candidate who was most effective in communicating libertarian principles to the voters". His latest endeavors included heading the economics department at Golden Gate University (he was the one to convince me to get into graduate school), he was a Fellow at the Independent Institute, and was actively trying to challenge younger people passionate about liberty through the Summer Seminars in Political Economy program at Holy Names College. He will be missed...
For those of you interested in Mixed Martial Arts in the East Bay area (i.e. Oakland, Berkeley, etc.) check out the folks at Modern Combatives. Alan, Lilly, and Jude really know their sh*t so check them out, they are a real class act.
Saturday, March 01, 2003
Reverse Engineering Natural Patterns
I pulled the following from http://www.gordon-glasgow.org/fibonacci.html
"A Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers beginning with 1 in which each number is the sum of the two previous numbers: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, etc. Like I said, interesting, but so what? It's not like nature would ever do anything with it, right?
Wrong. Most everyone knows that a sunflower head is formed of two opposite sets of spirals. I had always assued that they were equal. There are lots of spirals in nature - the outsides of pine cones and pineapples, etc. Well it turns out that the sunflower has 21 spirals going one direction and 34 going the other. Consecutive numbers in a Fibonacci sequence. A pine cone? 5 and 8. A pineapple? 8 and 13. Seems like this Fibonacci sequence pops up in the darndest places! Coincidence? Maybe.
The ancient Greek builders were aware of a certain ratio of height to width in rectangles that was particularly pleasing to the eye. They used it everywhere and it came to be known as the Golden Ratio, or Golden Section. There is a geometric process for constructing a Golden Ratio, it isn't just eyeballed. The ratio between the height and width of this figure is 1:1.618.
Back to the Fibonacci sequence for a sec. For any value larger than 3, the ratio between any two consecutive numbers in the sequence is approximately 1:1.6. More coincidence? Hmmmm......."
I pulled the following from http://www.gordon-glasgow.org/fibonacci.html
"A Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers beginning with 1 in which each number is the sum of the two previous numbers: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, etc. Like I said, interesting, but so what? It's not like nature would ever do anything with it, right?
Wrong. Most everyone knows that a sunflower head is formed of two opposite sets of spirals. I had always assued that they were equal. There are lots of spirals in nature - the outsides of pine cones and pineapples, etc. Well it turns out that the sunflower has 21 spirals going one direction and 34 going the other. Consecutive numbers in a Fibonacci sequence. A pine cone? 5 and 8. A pineapple? 8 and 13. Seems like this Fibonacci sequence pops up in the darndest places! Coincidence? Maybe.
The ancient Greek builders were aware of a certain ratio of height to width in rectangles that was particularly pleasing to the eye. They used it everywhere and it came to be known as the Golden Ratio, or Golden Section. There is a geometric process for constructing a Golden Ratio, it isn't just eyeballed. The ratio between the height and width of this figure is 1:1.618.
Back to the Fibonacci sequence for a sec. For any value larger than 3, the ratio between any two consecutive numbers in the sequence is approximately 1:1.6. More coincidence? Hmmmm......."
Thursday, February 27, 2003
X the Owl is crying
Mister Rogers has passed away. Mr. McFeely breaks the news.
Jake replies:
I always will remember Mr. Rogers for this (thanks to Howard Stern)
Mister Rogers has passed away. Mr. McFeely breaks the news.
Jake replies:
I always will remember Mr. Rogers for this (thanks to Howard Stern)
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Super Coffee recipe
1) 1/4 to 1/3 cup of powdered milk
2) 1 Carnation Hot Cocoa mix (Sugar Free- regular has saturated fats)
3) 5 grams micronized creatine powder
4) 2 heaping teaspoons of Folgers or Tasters Choice, instant coffee
5) full cup of freshly brewed Folgers (cheapest grind) coffee
Mix all the above ingredients and drink. Wait 10-15 minutes and drink a glass of grapefruit juice (grapefruit juice has a compound that slows the "breakdown" of caffeine by the liver and increase the "zoom time.")
1) 1/4 to 1/3 cup of powdered milk
2) 1 Carnation Hot Cocoa mix (Sugar Free- regular has saturated fats)
3) 5 grams micronized creatine powder
4) 2 heaping teaspoons of Folgers or Tasters Choice, instant coffee
5) full cup of freshly brewed Folgers (cheapest grind) coffee
Mix all the above ingredients and drink. Wait 10-15 minutes and drink a glass of grapefruit juice (grapefruit juice has a compound that slows the "breakdown" of caffeine by the liver and increase the "zoom time.")
Sunday, February 23, 2003
Here's a tip to help repair those aging bodies (like me), and I'm not talking Glucosamin or Chondroin....
Add Omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. Omega-6 fatty acids is found in all meats (from fat), nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables. However, getting enough Omega-3 fatty acids is the trick (to balance out the ratios). You want to find foods with a higher Omega-3 fatty acid to Omega-6 fatty acids ratio (not the other way around!), which is mainly salmon and other fish, as well as flax seed and oils. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for proper cell growth and repair. Omega-3 fatty acids are important in the function and formation of a healthy nervous system and in modifying the body’s inflammatory response to allergies, asthma, arthritis and eczema.
So, once again, I will suggest a poor person's guide to better health! Buy flax seed in bulk at any grocery or heath food store, and use a coffee grinder to crush it up! Pennies a serving! The Berkeley Bowl (in Berkeley... duh!) sells flax oil pretty cheap too!
Try it out and post your results on the blog!
Add Omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. Omega-6 fatty acids is found in all meats (from fat), nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables. However, getting enough Omega-3 fatty acids is the trick (to balance out the ratios). You want to find foods with a higher Omega-3 fatty acid to Omega-6 fatty acids ratio (not the other way around!), which is mainly salmon and other fish, as well as flax seed and oils. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for proper cell growth and repair. Omega-3 fatty acids are important in the function and formation of a healthy nervous system and in modifying the body’s inflammatory response to allergies, asthma, arthritis and eczema.
So, once again, I will suggest a poor person's guide to better health! Buy flax seed in bulk at any grocery or heath food store, and use a coffee grinder to crush it up! Pennies a serving! The Berkeley Bowl (in Berkeley... duh!) sells flax oil pretty cheap too!
Try it out and post your results on the blog!
Saturday, February 22, 2003
The Thin Yellow Line?
According to this article (link provided by Shoutin' Across the Pacific), police officers are cowards because they're unwilling to take the risks we pay them to take. The author may overstate his case a bit; I wouldn't necessarily have fired every police officer who was afraid to venture into bad neighborhoods during the Los Angeles riots. Police officers aren't paid to take unlimited risks, after all, and I'm not in a position to judge the risks in that case.
Still, it seemed odd to me that Littleton, Colorado police officers refused to enter Columbine High School on the grounds that they didn't know the situation inside, and they didn't want to compound the problem of civilians getting killed by risking the lives of police officers. That attitude does strike me as, well, cowardice.
Any thoughts, Jake?
Jake replies:
Well, at first blush I think about the logical fallacy of composition. It is quite tough to judge all cops by a few cops' actions. I guess most prejudices are rooted in that fallacy.
I do wonder what the price is on your life though? Cops are doing a job like anyone else. Ask yourself if you would stick your head through a door when hostile subjects have automatic weapons and are ready to blow your head off. Would you want to pull over a vehicle in the middle of the night with tinted windows in the middle of nowhere, not knowing who is in that vehicle? If you have a wife and kids only compounds your risk aversion.
Unfortunatley, headlines like this don't sell as many papers or generate as many 'click throughs' as stories about bad cops.
A police officer's job description says you need to enforce laws, and often times many police officers are killed in the line of duty. Follow this link for a few (actually MANY) stories about cops that died in the line of duty. I think the salient issue is not the cops but the laws that they must enforce.
With regards to the Columbine case, I think that to err is to be human but to err and be a cop is news... If I were to find fault with the 'average' police officer, I would say that many cops are out of shape and do not practice their perishable skills (such as marksmanship, combatives, etc.) often enough.
According to this article (link provided by Shoutin' Across the Pacific), police officers are cowards because they're unwilling to take the risks we pay them to take. The author may overstate his case a bit; I wouldn't necessarily have fired every police officer who was afraid to venture into bad neighborhoods during the Los Angeles riots. Police officers aren't paid to take unlimited risks, after all, and I'm not in a position to judge the risks in that case.
Still, it seemed odd to me that Littleton, Colorado police officers refused to enter Columbine High School on the grounds that they didn't know the situation inside, and they didn't want to compound the problem of civilians getting killed by risking the lives of police officers. That attitude does strike me as, well, cowardice.
Any thoughts, Jake?
Jake replies:
Well, at first blush I think about the logical fallacy of composition. It is quite tough to judge all cops by a few cops' actions. I guess most prejudices are rooted in that fallacy.
I do wonder what the price is on your life though? Cops are doing a job like anyone else. Ask yourself if you would stick your head through a door when hostile subjects have automatic weapons and are ready to blow your head off. Would you want to pull over a vehicle in the middle of the night with tinted windows in the middle of nowhere, not knowing who is in that vehicle? If you have a wife and kids only compounds your risk aversion.
Unfortunatley, headlines like this don't sell as many papers or generate as many 'click throughs' as stories about bad cops.
A police officer's job description says you need to enforce laws, and often times many police officers are killed in the line of duty. Follow this link for a few (actually MANY) stories about cops that died in the line of duty. I think the salient issue is not the cops but the laws that they must enforce.
With regards to the Columbine case, I think that to err is to be human but to err and be a cop is news... If I were to find fault with the 'average' police officer, I would say that many cops are out of shape and do not practice their perishable skills (such as marksmanship, combatives, etc.) often enough.
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
Michael Jackson Freak Show Continues
For those of you who are fans of Michael Jackson, or else revel
in watching a slow train-wreck of a life...
Michael Jackson is offering up his own video of the conversations
between him and interviewer Martin Bashir, who hosted the hugely-
rated and embarrassing "Living With Michael Jackson." Jackson claims
they were manipulated and edited to portray him in the worst light.
Fox will air "Michael Jackson, Take Two: The Interview They
Wouldn't Show You" on February 20, 8-10p. While the footage does not
include any new interview with Jackson, it does include a lengthy interview
with Debby Rowe, Jackson's former wife and mother of his two eldest
children.
I hate to admit that I'm a serious fan of Jackson's work. I've got
pretty much everything he's done solo, including rarities, demos,
unreleased songs, remixes, etc. It's no surprise to anyone to say
that the quality of his work has continued on a steady slide. What
people do seem surprised to hear is the horrific accounts of his
childhood abuse by his family, and the surreal life he was thrust
into as little kid. Among other things, he was apparently taught
by either his record company or his family to lie in media interviews.
As a child, he lied about how he was discovered, who discovered him,
what his day was like, who he enjoyed listening to, and even lied
about his age (consistently cutting a year or two off his already
young age.)
Reliable biographer sources say that he was practically dragged
to a brothel on his sixteenth birthday to loose his virginity
to a hooker. Jackson has talked about how, when he was on tour
with the Jackson 5, his older brothers would make him hide under
the hotel bed so they could bring in groupies and have sex in
apparent private. How could any nine year old boy listen to
his older brothers having sex with strangers on the bed above
him, and not come away from the experience tweaked?
From my limited knowledge of psychology and psychotherapy,
I watch Jackson's interviews and mentally tick off the
textbook symptoms that he readily demonstrates and exhibits.
I keep wondering, doesn't any interviewer or reporter
catch these red flags??
Blah blah blah. Whatever. Celebs thrive on controversy, and
would rather be criticized than ignored, but it's still
a shame to watch the media produce another Howard Hughes,
Elvis, and Old Yeller, all rolled into one.
David Morris
dx1mx2@aol.com
Wow finally a political movement worthy of a helping hand~
Masturbate for Peace: Using Masturbation to End War
Check the 10 Favorite Bumper Stickers:
10. War is silly, whack your willy
9. War's no joke, stop and stroke!
8. War is heinous, thumb your anus
7. I'm going blind for mankind
6. Abuse your middle piece, not the Middle East
5. All we are saying, is give peace a wank
4. War is out, pound your trout
3. Touch your sack, not Iraq
2. My bush doesn't declare war
1. I cum in peace
Masturbate for Peace: Using Masturbation to End War
Check the 10 Favorite Bumper Stickers:
10. War is silly, whack your willy
9. War's no joke, stop and stroke!
8. War is heinous, thumb your anus
7. I'm going blind for mankind
6. Abuse your middle piece, not the Middle East
5. All we are saying, is give peace a wank
4. War is out, pound your trout
3. Touch your sack, not Iraq
2. My bush doesn't declare war
1. I cum in peace
Dig 'em!
I don't know why, but I found this amusing.
Note that today the cereal is simply called "Smacks," just as its Post Cereals counterpart started life as "Super Sugar Crisp" and is now known as "Golden Crisp." I assume the ingredients are pretty much the same.
I don't know why, but I found this amusing.
Note that today the cereal is simply called "Smacks," just as its Post Cereals counterpart started life as "Super Sugar Crisp" and is now known as "Golden Crisp." I assume the ingredients are pretty much the same.
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
Monday, February 10, 2003
I guess we shouldn't be surprised
Benjamin Curtis, the guy who played Steven the slacker in Dell television commercials, has been arrested for possession of marijuana. (The headline on the SFGate homepage reads, "Dude, Yer Gettin' Arrested!")
Benjamin Curtis, the guy who played Steven the slacker in Dell television commercials, has been arrested for possession of marijuana. (The headline on the SFGate homepage reads, "Dude, Yer Gettin' Arrested!")
Little Green Capitalists are Raping the Martian Ecosystem!
Or maybe not. Clayton Cramer makes a good point about global warming.
Or maybe not. Clayton Cramer makes a good point about global warming.
Warlords of the Dance.
Suni (my fiancée, on the off chance that someone other than Jake is reading this) sent me this link. I'm sure Kalaripayattu is fun and good exercise, and it may even be spiritually uplifting. Still, I suspect its practitioners would get the snot beat out of them at, say, UFC. But this gives me an idea for a new fighting tournament: let's get together all the Capoeirists, Tae-Bo people, and other disciples of the "dancey" martial arts, and have them do submission fighting. It would probably be an interesting spectacle.
Jake replies:
That would be great, maybe we could throw in Richard Simmon's Sweating to the Oldies people too (just to have some Christians for the Lions...)
Suni (my fiancée, on the off chance that someone other than Jake is reading this) sent me this link. I'm sure Kalaripayattu is fun and good exercise, and it may even be spiritually uplifting. Still, I suspect its practitioners would get the snot beat out of them at, say, UFC. But this gives me an idea for a new fighting tournament: let's get together all the Capoeirists, Tae-Bo people, and other disciples of the "dancey" martial arts, and have them do submission fighting. It would probably be an interesting spectacle.
Jake replies:
That would be great, maybe we could throw in Richard Simmon's Sweating to the Oldies people too (just to have some Christians for the Lions...)
Do you want peace but loathe the peace movement?
Peter Bagge feels your pain.
On a related note, check out "A Dove's Guide: How to Be an Honest Critic of the War."
Peter Bagge feels your pain.
On a related note, check out "A Dove's Guide: How to Be an Honest Critic of the War."
Friday, February 07, 2003
Remember when Michael Jackson was cool?
What the heck happened to him?
What the heck happened to him?
"Why can't you share your bed?" Jackson said, holding hands with the 12-year-old and letting him rest his head on his shoulder. "The most loving thing to do is to share your bed with someone."I'll give him the benefit of the doubt on the child molestation charges, and I kind of feel sorry for him, given all the public ridicule to which he's been subjected. But man, he really is pretty creepy.
The boy, who says he met Jackson after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, said when he asked to spend the night in the singer's bedroom, Jackson gave him and his brother the bed and slept on the floor himself.
In a later interview, Jackson also said he slept on the floor that night, but he added, "I have slept in a bed with many children," including former child actor Macaulay Culkin together with his siblings.
He said there was nothing sexual involved. . . .
[W]hen [Jackson and his dermatology nurse, Debbie Rowe] wed in 1996, she understood that he wanted children from the marriage. "I used to walk around holding baby dolls . . . because I wanted children so badly," Jackson said, adding that Rowe wanted to bear children for him "as a present." It was a "lovely gesture," he said. . . .
When Paris [Jackson's second child] had a difficult birth in 1998, Jackson said, "I was so anxious to get her home that after cutting the cord--I hate to say this--I snatched at her and just went home with all the placenta all over her... Got her in a towel and ran."
Found this at Reason Online:
Four police officers in Forth Worth, Texas, bought drugs from a man on the street and watched as he walked into a nearby convenience store. After the man entered the store, they slipped on hoods that covered their faces and pulled out their guns. As they entered the store, the clerk thought he was being robbed and shot one of the officers.
Contrary to what the headline says, the officer wasn't killed (at least not as far as I've been able to ascertain). You can read more about the story here.
On a whole, training is probably 80% of the success, and nutrition, rest & recovery make up the other 20%. Give or take a few percentage points here & there.
I'll start off with a nutritional post here... a lot of athletes (including wrestlers) take creatine. Either 5 grams post workout, or 2.5g pre & 2.5g post. Muscle Tech CELL-TECH brand has been a favorite, no doubt. I've tried it, and I can say it helps my recovery (I am not interested in gaining muscle mass... at this point :o) Problem is, it's too expensive! A 4lb can cost $42.95 USD, which equates to $1.07 per 5 gram (of creatine) serving. But they recommend 10 grams, but that includes 75g of glucose. Hmmm, ever had a blood glucose test done? Guess how many grams of glucose is in the orange bottle (to spike your insulin up)... yup, 75 grams! (so that makes it $2.14 per serving!)
In all fairness, I tried Dymatize pure micronized creatine, added some L-glutamine, sometimes adding it to Gatorade or other recovery drinks, and to be frank, I get the same effects of recovery. Costs $29.95 USD for 1100grams (220 x 5g servings), or about 14 cents per 5 grams or 27 cents per 10 grams.
If I was sponsored by Muscle Tech, sure, I would continue to use it, but there are other supplements out there in addition to creatine that are just as important, and I don't have $50 a week to spend on supplements. I'll add some more tips later.
I'll start off with a nutritional post here... a lot of athletes (including wrestlers) take creatine. Either 5 grams post workout, or 2.5g pre & 2.5g post. Muscle Tech CELL-TECH brand has been a favorite, no doubt. I've tried it, and I can say it helps my recovery (I am not interested in gaining muscle mass... at this point :o) Problem is, it's too expensive! A 4lb can cost $42.95 USD, which equates to $1.07 per 5 gram (of creatine) serving. But they recommend 10 grams, but that includes 75g of glucose. Hmmm, ever had a blood glucose test done? Guess how many grams of glucose is in the orange bottle (to spike your insulin up)... yup, 75 grams! (so that makes it $2.14 per serving!)
In all fairness, I tried Dymatize pure micronized creatine, added some L-glutamine, sometimes adding it to Gatorade or other recovery drinks, and to be frank, I get the same effects of recovery. Costs $29.95 USD for 1100grams (220 x 5g servings), or about 14 cents per 5 grams or 27 cents per 10 grams.
If I was sponsored by Muscle Tech, sure, I would continue to use it, but there are other supplements out there in addition to creatine that are just as important, and I don't have $50 a week to spend on supplements. I'll add some more tips later.
Monday, February 03, 2003
These are great Olympic Lifting sites with video demonstrations (thanks to FJ Lee):
Power Lifting Link 1
Power Lifting Link 2
Power Lifting Link 1
Power Lifting Link 2
Friday, January 10, 2003
~~Sports Entertainment vs. Wrestling~~
Vince McMahon is a genius for classifying his product as Sports Entertainment. 'Professional Wrestling' is pretty tarnished (due to 'worked' or fake matches) as a brand so the switch was a great idea for him. He could also get around the State Athletic Commissions that way too. The funny thing is, here are some of the 'Sports Entertainment' brothers and sisters of WWE:
-The first that comes to mind is the Harlem Globetrotters.
-The Ice Capades is Sports Entertainment
-Cirque Du Soliel is Sports Entertainment
-Roller Derby is Sports Entertainment
-Monster Truck Rallies are Sports Entertainment
I applaud his branding of Sports Entertainment as something completely different from wrestling and I laugh out loud to hear Ice Capades and WWE lumped together like this.
In a perfect world, the word 'wrestling' would refer to folkstyle, freestyle, greco-roman, catch as catch can, collar and elbow, etc. Unfortunately, most people still confuse the WWE product with 'wrestling'.
Maybe someday we'll get some sort of league akin to the NFL, NBA, of NHL with real wrestlers having legitimate contests. The best chance of that happening right now seems to be the guys over at the (UFC) and (Real Pro-Wrestling). I find it hard to believe given the Olympic interest in combat sports (judo, boxing, freestyle and greco-roman wrestling, and tae kwon do) that the commercial interest is not there...
Vince McMahon is a genius for classifying his product as Sports Entertainment. 'Professional Wrestling' is pretty tarnished (due to 'worked' or fake matches) as a brand so the switch was a great idea for him. He could also get around the State Athletic Commissions that way too. The funny thing is, here are some of the 'Sports Entertainment' brothers and sisters of WWE:
-The first that comes to mind is the Harlem Globetrotters.
-The Ice Capades is Sports Entertainment
-Cirque Du Soliel is Sports Entertainment
-Roller Derby is Sports Entertainment
-Monster Truck Rallies are Sports Entertainment
I applaud his branding of Sports Entertainment as something completely different from wrestling and I laugh out loud to hear Ice Capades and WWE lumped together like this.
In a perfect world, the word 'wrestling' would refer to folkstyle, freestyle, greco-roman, catch as catch can, collar and elbow, etc. Unfortunately, most people still confuse the WWE product with 'wrestling'.
Maybe someday we'll get some sort of league akin to the NFL, NBA, of NHL with real wrestlers having legitimate contests. The best chance of that happening right now seems to be the guys over at the (UFC) and (Real Pro-Wrestling). I find it hard to believe given the Olympic interest in combat sports (judo, boxing, freestyle and greco-roman wrestling, and tae kwon do) that the commercial interest is not there...
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