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‘Global Warming’ Graduates to ‘Global Warmed’, Tries its Best to Kill You

August 4, 2010 By James View Comments

If you are an infant, child, elderly person, obese person, taking blood pressure medications, heart medicines such as beta blockers and diuretics, seizure medications, antihistimines, and antidepressants the heat has a couple of words for you, “drop dead“. No, seriously, that’s what the warning said.

With triple digit temperatures expected Tuesday in 16 states, and the heat index possibly reaching 118 degrees in some areas, it’s crucial to know the signs of heat stroke.

Heat stroke – and the less deadly but still serious heat cramps and exhaustion – strike when sweating, the body’s usual method of compensating for the heat, just isn’t enough to cool the body down.

Luckily that global warming skeptics are health nuts so I’m sure they have nothing to worry about.

Filed Under: Environment Tagged With: Environment, global warming, health, heat stroke

REVIEW: Klean Kanteen – Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is

July 24, 2010 By James View Comments

I do a lot of talking about the environment and how completely effed things seem to be and how little seems to be being done about it.

Still, global warming and what you can personally do about it can seem overwhelming and frustrating.

The really cool and wonderful truth of it is that by simply making a few, small decisions and actually sticking to them, over time, you can look back and realize that you actually have managed to reduce your carbon footprint significantly.

One thing I did a year or so ago was invest in a Klean Kanteen water bottle. I bought the 27oz Klean Kanteen® Classic along with the Stainless Loop Cap.

The bottle is made from high quality, 18/8, food-grade stainless steel that’s totally free of BPA and other toxins. Because stainless steel itself is safe, we don’t need to coat the inside of the bottle with a plastic or epoxy lining, which is one of the main differences between a stainless steel Klean Kanteen® and aluminum bottles.

When my wife saw mine she loved it and wanted one of her own. I ordered her the same one I have and I also bought my 2-year-old daughter the kid kanteen klassic sippy which she absolutely adores. To be honest, it’s actually one of the only ways we can get her to drink water is by putting it in her Klean Kanteen.

One the best things about the stainless steel Klean Kanteens is that drinking water out of them tastes great. I can’t explain it but whether or not it’s just straight out of the tap water or refrigerated water from the Brita, the water always tastes great.

This is a great example of the point I was making. With a small amount of research I was able to find something that I could use on a daily basis, something that was healthier for me (free of BPA and other toxins) than what I was currently using and at the same time was reducing my carbon footprint. 

Will my Klean Kanteen save the environment? Of course not. But mine and yours and the thousands of other people making active choices to lead environmentally responsible lives continue to add up and eventually the sum total of our actions will begin to negate the actions of those who continue to put profit above all else, even something as fragile as the environment.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: bpa, Environment, health, klean kanteen

CNN Fails on Coverage of Historic Passing of Health Care Reform

November 7, 2009 By James View Comments

Yes, I know it’s only the House of Representatives and that the bill still needs to make it through Congress, but it’s an historic vote nonetheless. No other such “sweeping” health care reform has made it this far. But to devote more real estate to a woman that lost 71 pounds? Seriously, that’s just ludicrous. WTF CNN?

cnn_fail

Filed Under: Politics Tagged With: cnn, health, health care reform, Media, Politics

Mouthwash Causes Cancer – Sweet, Minty Fresh Cancer

January 11, 2009 By James View Comments

listerineSoon it’s going to be easier for us to just start keeping track of what doesn’t cause cancer rather than what does.  In case you’re keeping track, you can add mouthwash to your list.

According to a new study in Australia:

The ethanol in mouthwash is thought to allow cancer-causing substances to permeate the lining of the mouth more easily and cause harm.

Acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product of alcohol that may accumulate in the oral cavity when swished around the mouth, is also believed to be carcinogenic.

“We see people with oral cancer who have no other risk factors than the use of alcohol-containing mouthwash, so what we’ve done in this study is review all the evidence that’s out there,” he said.

“Since this article came out, further evidence has come out too. We believe there should be warnings.

“If it was a facial cream that had the effect of reducing acne but had a four- to five-fold increased risk of skin cancer, no one would be recommending it.”

The only problem is that the American Dental Association is hell bent on a campaign to spread the word on how important it is to add regular mouthwash use to your normal brushing and flossing routine.  I guess mouth cancer is a small price to pay for a beautiful smile.

Cliff Whall, director of the ADA (American Dental Association) Seal of Acceptance program, agrees that adding “rinse” to the mantra would probably be a good move for most everyone as well, as antimicrobial mouthwashes have been shown in clinical studies to prevent the gum disease gingivitis, an inflammation of the gums caused by the accumulation of plaque along the gum line.

Whall says dozens of antimicrobial rinses, like Listerine and the prescription mouthwash Peridex (also known by the generic name chlorhexidine), have carried the ADA Seal of Acceptance for two decades now for this very reason. Many rinses containing the tooth-strengthening chemical fluoride have also garnered this seal.

“The council came to the conclusion that putting more information out would be beneficial, as the message just hasn’t gotten out there as much as it has with fluoride toothpaste.”

Thanks Cliff, dick.  Listerine is more than likely the worst mouthwash you can use because it contains the most alcohol.  I just checked my Target brand Listerine knock-off and it’s 21% alcohol.  Fuck me.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ada, cancer, dentists, health, listerine, mouthwash

Steve Jobs not Dying, but is Suffering from Hormone Imbalance

January 5, 2009 By James View Comments

steve-jobsWhen Steve Jobs announced he wouldn’t be giving his usual keynote address at this year’s Macworld it renewed the flurry of rumors that he was on his death bed.  Now these rumors aren’t completely unfounded because any Mac fanboy can tell you that during 2008 Jobs looked like he was literally wasting away.

Jobs has always adamantly denied the rumors of his demise, but today he did release a statement acknowledging that there is something going on.

As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.

Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.

The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.

Apparently the letter served its purpose in allaying people’s fears.  Apple’s stock is up 4 points so far today.

Filed Under: Tech Tagged With: apple, health, mac, steve jobs

Fat People Find Something They Like More than Food: Money

December 9, 2008 By James View Comments

twinkie_moneyA new study proves that fat people are just as greedy and money hungry as skinny people.

One group of dieters was given $3 a day plus additional matching funds for meeting weight loss goals, meaning they could earn up to an extra $168 during a four-week period. A second group was eligible to compete in a cash lottery for $10 to $100 a day during the study period if they achieved weight loss goals. A third control group simply attended monthly weigh-in sessions.

At the end of 16 weeks, the dieters in the lottery group had lost an average of 13.1 pounds each, while those in the matching-funds group had lost an average of 14 pounds each, compared to just 3.9 pounds in the control group, according to a report published today the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The downside is once the money dried up the eating ramped back up and most everyone put back on the weight, although even seven months later both groups remained an average of six to nine pounds lighter.

“The goal is to design a reward system in a way to help people in the short term do what’s in their long-term best interest,” said Dr. Volpp, an internist and health economist. “A lot of insurers are starting to spend a lot of money on incentive programs to improve health. This shows that providing tangible rewards with a higher degree of frequency makes the use of these dollars more effective.’’

Yeah, I guess living a longer, healthier life isn’t reward enough to get off your fat ass, but throw $10 cash money into that mix and I am all about Jenny Craig.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: health, insurance, obesity, weight loss