Wednesday, May 14, 2014

New book on race by Nicholas Wade: Professor Ceiling Cat says paws down « Why Evolution Is True

http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2014/05/14/new-book-on-race-by-nicholas-wade-professor-ceiling-cat-says-paws-down/

For this Wade offers virtually no evidence, because there is none. We know virtually nothing about the genetic differences (if there are any) in cognition and behavior between human populations. And to explain how natural selection can effect such rapid changes, Wade posits some kind of "multiplier effect," whereby small differences in gene frequencies can ramify up to huge societal differences. There is virtually no evidence for that, either. It is a mountain of speculation teetering on a few pebbles.

---Steve

Slate: Pete Holmes Does a Hilarious, Spot-On Spoof of Sherlock

I thought you would like this article from The Slate Magazine for iPad




---Steve

Monday, May 12, 2014

CDC - Water Fluoridation Additives - Engineering Fact Sheet - Community Water Fluoridation - Oral Health


Fluoride Additives Are Not Different From Natural Fluoride

Some consumers have questioned whether fluoride from natural groundwater sources, such as calcium fluoride, is better than fluorides added "artificially," such as FSA or sodium fluoride. Two recent scientific studies listed below demonstrate that the same fluoride ion is present in naturally occurring fluoride or fluoride drinking water additives and that no intermediates or other products were observed at pH levels as low as 3.5. In addition, fluoride metabolism is not affected differently by the chemical compounds nor are they affected by whether the fluoride is present naturally or artificially.

  • The ionic speciation study conducted in 2006 mentioned previously (Finney WF, Wilson E, Callender A, Morris MD, Beck LW. Re-examination of hexafluorosilicate hydrolysis by fluoride NMR and pH measurement. Environ Sci Technol 2006;40:8:2572)
  • The pharmacokinetics of ingested fluoride was studied by a 2008 study (G.M. Whitford, F.C. Sampaio, C.S. Pinto, A.G. Maria, V.E.S. Cardoso, M.A.R. Buzalaf, Pharmacokinetics of ingested fluoride: Lack of effect of chemical compound, Archives of Oral Biology, 53 (2008) 1037–1041).

---Steve

Support P.K. Gregory creating Honkabilly Blues

http://www.patreon.com/pkgregory


---Steve

Roasted, Spiced, Almond-y Cauliflower, a recipe on Food52

I think you'll like this:

https://food52.com/recipes/27792-roasted-spiced-almond-y-cauliflower


---Steve

Slate: Scales of Justice



---Steve

Tuesday, May 06, 2014

40 Maps That Explain The Middle East

http://www.vox.com/a/maps-explain-the-middle-east

People started farming here in 9000 BC, and by around 2500 BC the Sumerians formed the first complex society that resembles what we'd now call a "country," complete with written laws and a political system. Put differently, there are more years between Sumerians and ancient Romans than there are between ancient Romans and us.

---Steve

Gundlach Bundschu Winery and Vineyards, Sonoma Valley, California

http://www.gunbun.com/index.cfm


---Steve

Saturday, May 03, 2014

The Great Works of Software — The Message — Medium

https://medium.com/message/705b87339971


---Steve

Top 10 Douchiest Guitarists of All Time - Page 2 | Village Voice



8. Esteban
If you've ever come home drunk at 4 a.m. and stared at infomercials for a half hour, chances are you've seen this guy. Your first thought: "Who is that mysterious man in black and how did he learn to play guitar like that?" Turns out that dashing axe man in the bolero hat and shades is none other than Esteban, lord of the Spanish guitar who is about as overly suave and mystical as they come. So suave he doesn't even need a last name. Aside from the overwhelming cheese factor in each of his videos, there's the fact that a white guy from Pittsburgh (real name: Stephen Paul) would commandeer a Spanish name and go parading around like a wannabe Zorro. Fail.



---Steve

10 great gadgets under $50

Check out this article from USA TODAY:

10 great gadgets under $50

http://usat.ly/1ncQ5SF


---Steve

Monday, April 28, 2014

Exclusive Audio: 'Nashville,' by the Old 97's : The New Yorker

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2014/03/listen-to-nashville-by-the-old-97s.html


---Steve

Bees and Smart Meters

http://www.forkauaionline.com/bees-and-smart-meters/


---Steve

Heartland Institute Edits George Carlin's Words For Cheap Facebook Hits | Crooks and Liars


Because the owners of this country don't want that. I'm talking about the real owners, now. The real owners, the big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians, they're an irrelevancy. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don't. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They've long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the statehouses, the city halls. They've got the judges in their back pockets. And they own all the big media companies, so that they control just about all of the news and information you hear. They've got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying,­ lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want; they want more for themselves and less for everybody else.

But I'll tell you what they don't want. They don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don't want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. They're not interested in that. That doesn't help them. That's against their interests. They don't want people who are smart enough to sit around the kitchen table and figure out how badly they're getting fucked by a system that threw them overboard 30 fucking years ago.


---Steve

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Place training

Chat Wars | Issue 19 | n+1


Microsoft was far too efficient to waste time improving a project beyond what was needed to defeat their competitors. In the late '90s I got a chance to tour the legendary Massachusetts computer company Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC, later bought by Compaq), and the difference in culture was remarkable. There were people at DEC who had been working on threading (the manner in which operating systems manage concurrent sets of linear processor instructions) for twenty years. Half the people had PhDs in their areas of specialty. Corners were never cut to release something earlier.

Ah, I thought. This is why Microsoft won.

---Steve

The 2014 Ohio Mumps Outbreak « Science-Based Medicine

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-2014-ohio-mumps-outbreak/#more-31155


---Steve

Friday, April 25, 2014

Tweet from Gina Ferrari (@WordYouDontKnow)

Gina Ferrari (@WordYouDontKnow)
Law of Superstition: It's bad luck to be superstititious.

Download the official Twitter app here


---Steve

The American Scholar: The Best of the Bard - Our Editors


Light thickens; and the crow
Makes wing to the rooky wood:
Good things of day begin to droop and drowse;
While night's black agents to their preys do rouse.

—Macbeth, Macbeth: Act 3, Scene 2


---Steve

The American Scholar: The Best of the Bard - Our Editors


Things without all remedy
Should be without regard: what's done is done.

—Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, Act 3, Scene 2

---Steve

Why these are the ‘Ten Best Sentences’ | Poynter.


There are many pleasant fictions of the law in constant operation, but there is not one so pleasant or practically humorous as that which supposes every man to be of equal value in its impartial eye, and the benefits of all laws to be equally attainable by all men, without the smallest reference to the furniture of their pockets.
—Charles Dickens, "Nicholas Nickleby"

---Steve

Larry Page’s University of Michigan Commencement Address – News announcements – News from Google – Google

http://googlepress.blogspot.com/2009/05/larry-pages-university-of-michigan.html

blew me away. 53 years ago at his graduation my Dad said: "…we are entering a changing world, one of automation and employment change where education is an economic necessity. We will have increased periods of time to do as we wish, as our work week and retirement age continue to decline. … We shall take part in, or witness, developments in science, medicine, and industry that we can not dream of today. … It is said that the future of any nation can be determined by the care and preparation given to its youth. If all the youths of America were as fortunate in securing an education as we have been, then the future of the United States would be even more bright than it is today."
---Steve

Larry Page: The Untold Story - Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/larry-page-the-untold-story-2014-4


---Steve

Nitrogen metabolism


The majority of useful nitrogen for animal metabolism comes from proteins in the form of reusable ammonia (NH3). Nitrogen is fixated in form of ammonia by microorganisms (see chapter on amino acid synthesis) and all 'higher' forms of life (eukaryotes) depend on this primordial source of nitrogen extracted from the air. The 'usefulness' of proteins depends on four distinct properties:

1. total amount of protein ingested 
2. digestibility of proteins 
3. amino acid composition of proteins 
4. total caloric intake
Digestibility and amino acid composition define the biological value of dietary proteins. Hair and skin keratin is non-digestible and useless as such. Pretreatment like heating can improve protein usefulness. Animal proteins are a better mix for our diet than plant proteins based on their amino acid composition. 
Nucleic acids, on the other hand, are not needed as dietary supplement. Excess nucleic acid in the diet is degraded and secreted and most nucleic acid synthesis in cells is provided by protein degradation (in form of amino acid precursors). Since all nitrogen containing compounds are dependent on protein supply, protein deficiency is one of the major nutritional problems in the world. This is specifically important for children and pregnant women, since the developing organism has a several fold higher need for proteins in the diet than the adult. Low protein intake results in lowered protein synthesis and thus in a lower supply of essential proteins involved in food digestion (proteases) and blood plasma transport (lipoproteins).

---Steve

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

66-68ingl”s.qxd

http://www.xn--essstrungen-aargau-h3b.ch/media/archive1/fachpersonen/diagnostik/differentialdiagnostik/Orthorexia_NewEatingDisorder.pdf

Worst Part of Christine Jones' Campaign for Governor So Far? | Phoenix New Times

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2013/10/worst_part_of_christine_jones.php


---Steve

Old Town Center for the Arts ~ Cottonwood, AZ

http://www.oldtowncenter.org/event/6th-season/robin-dean-salmon-blackbird-05-10.html


---Steve

The effects of different levels of energy intake on protein metabolism and of different levels of protein intake on energy metabolism: A statistical evaluation from the published literature

http://www.nzdl.org/gsdlmod?e=d-00000-00---off-0fnl2.2--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-1l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00-0--4----0-0-11-10-0utfZz-8-00&cl=CL2.8&d=HASH0184e572fd4122fe657c2048.8>=1
For a number of years, Pcal% has been suggested as a useful dietary indicator for protein sufficiency (MILLER and PAYNE, 1961; BEATON and SWISS, 1974), but its limitations have also been recognized (BEATON and SWISS 1974; PAYNE, 1975; FAO/WHO/UNU, 1985). The relevance of the simple ratio, even when correctly calculated (average protein: average energy), as a basis for assessing diets has been questioned since it does not take into account individual variability in the needs for energy and of the extent to which these are independent of variability in protein requirements. For the US diet, the Pcal% stays at about 16% (15.4 to 17.5) across a wide range of age, sex and income groups, despite a more than two-fold range in protein availability (PELLETT and YOUNG, 1990), and even for poor developing countries, average Pcal% values from food balance sheet data (YOUNG and PELLETT, 1991) are usually in excess of Pcal% = 11%.

---Steve

The Dangers of the 80/10/10 Diet

http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=4864372


---Steve

Dietary protein, calcium metabolism, and skeletal homeostasis revisited


Epidemiologic studies, taken as a whole, do not satisfactorily describe the chronic impact of low-protein diets. When bone mineral density (BMD) is the primary outcome, most (44–53) but not all (54–58) epidemiologic studies show a positive relationship between protein intake and BMD. Stated another way, most of the epidemiologic evidence shows that when other known dietary factors are controlled, individuals who consume low-protein diets have lower BMD. Using the NHANES III database, we found that in 1882 non-Hispanic white women 50-y-old and older, after adjusting for age and body weight, a low protein intake was associated with a significantly lower hip BMD (53). Similarly, Hannan et al (52) studied 615 participants in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study over a 4-y period and found that lower levels of protein intake were associated with significantly higher rates of bone loss at the hip and spine. Persons in the lowest quartile of protein intake showed the greatest rates of bone loss. These findings are consistent with earlier work of Freudenheim et al, who reported that a low protein intake was associated with greater loss in bone density from the wrist in 35–65-y-old women (44). 

---Steve

Monday, April 21, 2014

CRON-O-Meter

https://cronometer.com/


---Steve

Castle Hill Walking Tour - Free Walking Tour in Budapest

http://visitbudapest.travel/activities/budapest-sightseeing/castle-hill-walking-tour/


---Steve

How your government is ignoring you | MSUToday | Michigan State University

http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2014/how-your-government-is-ignoring-you/


---Steve

Intestinal Bacteria & B12


It is possible that some vegans can ward of overt vitamin B12 deficiency, and even mild B12 deficiency, through B12 production by bacteria in the small intestine. However, this is an unusual condition, especially in Western countries, and should not be relied upon, including by raw foodists.

---Steve

WHO_TRS_935_eng.pdf



The value accepted for the safe level of intake is 0.83 g/kg per day, for proteins

@100kg body weight, 83g protein/day  



---Steve

Friday, April 18, 2014

Why I Don't Buy the Resurrection Story: The Main Argument

hagiography," a sacred account of a holy person regarded as representing a moral and divine ideal. Such a genre had as its principal aim the glorification of the religion itself and of the example set by the perfect holy person represented as its central focus. Such literature was also a tool of propaganda, used to promote certain moral or religious views, and to oppose different points of view

---Steve

nooneliveshere_.jpg 1,285×1,490 pixels

http://cdn.theatlanticcities.com/img/upload/2014/04/17/nooneliveshere_.jpg

Monday, April 14, 2014

Did Access to Birth Control Reduce Poverty? | Peer-reviewed by my neurons

Did Access to Birth Control Reduce Poverty? | Peer-reviewed by my neurons: " Poverty reduction and strong marriages. The pill is everything a social conservative could ever want."



'via Blog this'

J.D. Winteregg lobs electile dysfunction label at John Boehner | www.daytondailynews.com

J.D. Winteregg lobs electile dysfunction label at John Boehner | www.daytondailynews.com: " “If you have a Boehner lasting more than 23 years, seek immediate medical attention”"



'via Blog this'

Sonic hedgehog, a member of a family of putative signal... [Cell. 1993] - PubMed - NCBI

Sonic hedgehog, a member of a family of putative signal... [Cell. 1993] - PubMed - NCBI: "Cell. 1993 Dec 31;75(7):1417-30.
Sonic hedgehog, a member of a family of putative signaling molecules, is implicated in the regulation of CNS polarity.
Echelard Y1, Epstein DJ, St-Jacques B, Shen L, Mohler J, McMahon JA, McMahon AP."



'via Blog this'

Game of Thrones, series 4, episode 2, review: 'King Joffrey takes centre stage' - Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/game-of-thrones/10761153/Game-of-Thrones-series-4-episode-2-review-King-Joffrey-takes-centre-stage.html

Lady Olenna (Diana Rigg) set the scene nicely, greeting Sansa (Sophie Turner) with condolences for the loss of her brother: "War is war, but killing a man at a wedding? Horrid.... As if men need more reasons to fear marriage."

---Steve

WTF Taxes Aren't Voluntary??

Check out this article from USA TODAY:

Top frivolous reasons for not paying taxes

http://usat.ly/1iM4qkc


---Steve

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Eye on Psych: Atheists and Their Capacity for Awe at Life

http://scottsworlds.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/atheists-and-their-capacity-for-awe-at.html

Researchers who have studied the experience of awe have defined it as a response to the experience of vastness combined with a need to make sense of an experience so vast it surpasses one's current understanding (Keltner & Haidt, 2003). Vastness implies something that is perceived as immense, e.g. in regards to size, scope, number, or even social bearing (e.g. a powerful leader). When this happens, a person may feel overwhelmed and therefore be motivated to acquire new knowledge to accommodate such an awe-inspiring experience into their world-view. According to a series of research studies, one of the consequences of experiencing a sense of awe is that one's perception of time is expanded, almost as if one feels that time is standing still (Rudd, Vohs, & Aaker, 2012). This is in contrast to the feeling that one does not have enough time, a great source of mental stress for many people. Hence, experiencing awe can induce a feeling that one does have plenty of time, and a sense of savouring one's momentary experiences more deeply. Rudd, Vohs and Aaker found that it was possible to experimentally induce feelings of awe in people (e.g. by reading a story about ascending the Eiffel Tower and seeing Paris from on high) and that doing so produced not only a feeling of expanded time, but an increase in momentary satisfaction with life.
---Steve

For those heading to Las Vegas hoping to win vast... | Vizual Statistix

http://vizual-statistix.tumblr.com/post/81310472772/for-those-heading-to-las-vegas-hoping-to-win-vast?utm_source=digg&utm_medium=email


---Steve

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Home energy audit with SRP's Home Performance ENERGY STAR Program

http://www.savewithsrp.com/RD/homecheckup.aspx


---Steve

The Arizona R-Value « Blog « APS – SRP Energy Audit Phoenix

http://northsightenergysolutions.com/the-arizona-r-value/


---Steve

College Athletes Union Could Put Billions at Stake - ABC News

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/t/story/college-athletes-union-put-billions-stake-23214705?singlePage=true&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2F%3Fcount%3D150%26after%3Dt3_22ktq3


---Steve

Re: FYA: http: heartbleed.com

http://article.gmane.org/gmane.os.openbsd.misc/211963


---Steve

Good riddance, Barbara Walters - Salon.com

http://www.salon.com/2013/05/13/the_long_gross_career_of_barbara_walters/

let's get things started off right, by reminding everyone how her entire public life has been an extended exercise in sycophancy and unalloyed power worship.

---Steve

4 biggest things you don’t already know about the gender pay gap — but should - Salon.com

http://www.salon.com/2014/04/08/4_biggest_things_you_dont_already_know_about_the_gender_pay_gap_but_should/?upw


---Steve

Does religious belief promote prosociality? A c... [Psychol Bull. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22925142


---Steve

Basic 50 years

http://m.slashdot.org/story/200517


---Steve

Intel closes Costa Rica operation, cuts 1,500 jobs | Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/09/us-intel-costa-rica-idUSBREA371TJ20140409


---Steve

A Few Thoughts on Cryptographic Engineering: Attack of the week: OpenSSL Heartbleed

http://blog.cryptographyengineering.com/2014/04/attack-of-week-openssl-heartbleed.html


---Steve