With the recent recall of a long list of supplements, designed to build muscle-mass by reducing fat production, I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop. So many products contain ingredients which, in and of themselves, are probably fairly safe. But, to my mind, when manufacturers throw a variety of appetite suppressants together in one capsule, the potential for problems just magnifies.
As I've mentioned on several occasions, one of the most common functions of weight loss / fat-burner supplements is called thermogenesis. Thermogenic products work to increase fat burning by increasing heat production in the body. It's a natural process, in and of itself; which is why exercise is a benefit to weight loss. However, artificially increasing that natural function, also tends to artificially increase the internal temperature of the body.
Participating in exercise or sports programs that already elevate body temperature while taking these supplements can magnify the chances of collapse from heat-exhaustion. Without knowing the exact levels of thermogenic ingredients in products that simply list 'proprietary' blends, it's virtually impossible to determine an individual's risk factors. Living in a place like Arizona, already increases the risk.
Normal exercise and a balanced diet are always the best weight-loss plan.
I have been avoiding the Heene story. My first thought, seeing the breaking news story, was "Yeah, right!" And, with that thought, we changed channels. Who'd have thought we'd still be hearing about this disfunctional family? Certainly not me.
The more I hear and read about this man's desperate need for media attention, the more I wonder why everyone doesn't just shut up about him. It's obvious that he'll do anything - including encouraging his children to lie - to get his face on TV. By continuing to pay attention, he wins and receives the message that it's okay.
Frankly, I worry for the kids. It doesn't appear that they have even one responsible parent. How sad!
If you've ever coveted or even just shopped for plasma TVs, you have probably experienced the same sticker shock that Mark and I went through. Well, no more.
As is true of all technology, if you wait long enough, the prices do eventually come down. Of course, it takes some shopping time to find the best deals, but they are out there and they are worth hunting down. I know that I would never have imagined getting a 42-inch plasma HDTV for under $1,000.00.
Even better, the technology tends to improve over time. Apparently, there were resolution problems in the early plasmas that have been improved in newer models. Things like shadow images and odd skintones made playing games and simple movie-watching less than enjoyable. Makes me glad we didn't jump on the plasma TV bandwagon at the beginning.
Now, we can get a much better viewing experience for much less.
One of the last things I do, before falling asleep, is to read 'Dear Abby' and entertainment news. It isn't (usually) as upsetting or depressing as US and World news. Often, what I read triggers an interesting memory.
Last night, one of the letters reminded me of many people I've observed or worked with over the years. A woman wrote in to comment on a co-worker who is chronically late and spends most of her time making personal calls. I can tell you, this is not a problem limited to the office environment.
Just a short while ago, I was at the corner store. Due to an employee's involvement with their cell phone, I had to wait to be served. It wasn't an emergency call; the discussion covered an impending social engagement.
The same thing used to occur frequently in the office. In fact, I even had a clerk who would sneak off to the movies in the middle of the afternoon. She never managed to get her work done and, what did get done, was usually incorrect.
Behavior like that used to be cause for termination. If this is progress, can we go back to when employees were happy to have a job? When people did more than required of them, not less?
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a high-tech phone user. Making calls, sending texts, and reading the news when I can't sleep is about all I need or use. And, frankly, I don't even send that many text messages.
This commercial / video got my attention, though. The available applications for the iPhone 3G are impressive. Seriously! How many phones out there will let you take a picture of an item and then search for the best online price?
Or hunt for an apartment? What about a touch-screen that lets you choose, crop, and send pictures? I truly didn't know that phones were this sophisticated.
Before you spend money somewhere else, check out the sale prices on Buy.com. They are as impressive as the iPhone. Trust me!
I don't know if you've been reading the election follow-up stories. There are a lot of them; from both sides.
McCain supporters are desperately searching for a scapegoat, without actually looking too closely at the Republican party and eight years of bad choices. It's easy to blame Bush, but members of the GOP didn't question or challenge him at the time. So, suck it up people. You had your chance.
What has actually amazed me, in what I've been reading, is the common theme; one word repeated over and over again. Relief!
I first heard the word from my daughter, shortly after we listened to the concession and victory speeches. We both cried that night. I'm not sure why I was moved to tears; it started with McCain's speech and just grew through Obama's. Looking back, it makes sense.
We have been living on the edge of a precipice - financial struggles, two unwinnable wars, and a two-year high-pressure presidential campaign. Inundated with speeches, media hype, lies and half-truths was nothing compared to the fear that McCain/Palin would be given 4 years to complete the destruction of our country. I, like millions of Americans, was terrified by the possibilities.
Seeing the numbers come in, slowly and steadily putting Obama in the White House, one could hardly feel anything but relief.
God Bless America and God Help Obama. He's gonna need it.
Okay - this is a real 'Duh!?' moment. I was reading the AP article about how, for the bailout to work, the housing market has to mend. Maybe I don't get it. (Wouldn't be the first time.)
There's $700 billion (big B) designated to pull Wall Street's head out of its ahem and it may be next year - or later - before the bucks start to flow? Wrong Answer people! Let's get that money where it needs to be - and do it now!
Now, at the risk of shining a light on my lack of understanding, this is what I see: We know which lenders and financial institutions habitually took advantage of consumers, right? These consumers were talked into more house or more mortgage than they could afford, right? Well, isn't that where we start?
You see, that is what I have never understood - through this entire housing crisis. When a mortgagee has trouble making payments, few banks will work with them - even in the face of artificially inflated property values. Instead they foreclose, evict a family, and - find any logic here, I dare you - auction off the home for a fraction of the mortgage value, writing off the difference!!
Take some of that pretty bailout money - and rewrite those mortgages. (Someone somewhere is holding the paper from these lenders.) Home values have consistently dropped for months now - so adjust the value of the mortgage to reflect the value of the home. Apply a realistic finance rate - and keep these families in their homes!
Of course, for speculators and 'flippers' this refi does not apply. You tried to make money in an inflated market - if you lost your shirt, you'll just have to play for the skins.
I read Op/Ed articles quite a bit. With the exception of one slightly cuckoo columnist, I find that even when I disagree with the writer, I still enjoy their perspective. One of my favorite reads is Ted Rall's column. He pulls no punches.
This latest column, exploring the Palin Parenting Program, is spot-on.
Not only is it highly improbable that Bristol and her boyfriend made the choice to marry and raise the baby, it's highly probable that 'Mom' brooks no disagreement once she's determined a course of action. An unusual segment of the teen population notwithstanding, getting pregnant at 17 and without benefit of marriage is not a teen's personal choice - whether male or female. It's an accident, rarely remedied by interfering overbearing parents. The whole situation is just going to destroy those three young lives.
There is absolutely no benefit in compounding one mistake with another and another.
I realize that I'm a little late to the party, but a friend sent a link to a very disturbing YouTube video today Kill and Destroy. (Although there are no graphic images, I've chosen to offer a link, rather than embed the video.) This is, in my humble opinion, important viewing.
After watching Kill and Destroy, I started researching the information it put forth. I am - without question - not an Obama supporter - never have been, but I prefer to have my facts straight before I blithely post something. Let me tell you - it was not difficult to find information on this topic!
A quick Google search turned up thousands of related pages and sites. Some of the most compelling, though I'm not sure I agree with her politics, come from Illinois nurse, Jill Stanek.
I have never trusted Obama or virtually anything that comes out of his mouth. It is my opinion that we couldn't do worse for this country than putting this man in the White House.
We had a rough time with our electronics last night.
It started with being unable to get on the Internet. We were, supposedly, connected, but couldn't get into any sites - no matter which site we tried. Even the ones I was in at the time.
Then, the cable started going 'snowy' every few minutes.
Apparently, our bank also had problems because our monthly deposit didn't show up at midnight - it showed up after 6:00am. Needless to say - we were just a tad freaked out.
Did anyone else have problems about 12:00AM GMT -7:00 ?
We were watching this video from YouTube earlier and, being the skeptic I am, I had to look into this. According to Snopes, this is a True Story. Although, it's not quite what it seems.
These domesticated elephants are trained to use the paintbrushes and recreate the same picture, over and over. When they want a new color, they drop the brush. Obviously, they are not able to pick up a paintbrush, so their trainers give them a new one. That is, beyond the repetitive training, the only intervention by humans in the 'painting' process.
The organization that trains these elephants and sells the artwork offers this mission statement:
The Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project (AEACP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the diminishing number of Asian elephants left on our planet through its work with domesticated elephants. The AEACP raises funds through donations and the sale of artwork created by elephants in order to fulfill its mission.
Asian Elephants are seriously threatened in the wild, with populations estimated at less than 35,000. I'm not certain that I agree with teaching an elephant to paint, but I do support any efforts to protect these beautiful animals.
In the interest of my sanity, of which I have precious little, I have been doing some computer parts shopping. Rather than looking for a complete desktop system, it occured to me that we could simply replace the broken parts, find a monitor, and upgrade the memory for less than a brand new unit. Especially when most of the ones I've found are waaaay more than we really need.
Well, I've learned why I don't build computers for a living. Just looking at all of the computer memory options made my head spin. About the most I remember from the good-ol'-days, when I worked on my 386, is that the faster the CPU, the better the power system needs to be. (A couple of burned out units taught me that one - fast!)
I think I'll go back to pricing full systems and leave the rebuilding to those with better skills.
As is true of all technology, if you wait long enough, the prices do eventually come down. Of course, it takes some shopping time to find the best deals, but they are out there and they are worth hunting down. I know that I would never have imagined getting a 42-inch plasma HDTV for under $1,000.00.
Even better, the technology tends to improve over time. Apparently, there were resolution problems in the early plasmas that have been improved in newer models. Things like shadow images and odd skintones made playing games and simple movie-watching less than enjoyable. Makes me glad we didn't jump on the plasma TV bandwagon at the beginning.
