Archive for September, 2010
I Understand It. But I’m Not Comfortable With It.
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010What Does It Say About Me …
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010King Cluck
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010ExoPlanet Gliese 581-G May Have Life
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010304 to 118 NASA IS AUTHORIZED!
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010The Internet routes around damage (wiretapping)
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010In a story that has been simmering for a while, the New York Times reports that the Feds want to be able to easily wiretap a wide variety of Internet services, including Skype, Facebook,and Blackberry (RIM) communications.
Someone needs to remind them that the Internet was designed to be able route around damage, and wiretapping looks like damage. If someone was plotting something nefarious, either they are stupid enough to use Facebook and deserve to get caught, or they are smart enough to use some other method of communication. It is almost trivially easy to create new communications methods using Internet protocols, and the FBI would never even know about them if those that created them only tell their Best Friends Forever. This represents an erosion of privacy for the rest of us, and only a trivial deterrent to criminal activity.
Recorded Vote Demanded by Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords on NASA Authorization
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010Bolden Endorses Commercial Space Plan
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010Tribute to the Last Men on the Moon in 1972
Wednesday, September 29th, 20102010 Space Generation Congress Successful
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010Healthy at a large size
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010Paleo blogger Melissa McEwen takes a look at Healthy at Any Size, which I take it is one of the central tomes of the fat acceptance movement. Her conclusions: intellectually and morally speaking, Linda Bacon is right; the dietary advice leaves something to be desired.
She basically says enjoy your food, don’t feel guilty, but increase fiber intake dramatically and lower your meat/saturated fat intake. First part is good, but the rest is what happens when you drink only half the government-sponsored health recommendation Kool-Aid [ * * * ] It seems odd that she says the government scare-mongering about OMGFATPEOPLERUININGTHECOUNTRY is wrong, but their fat recommendations are right…hmmm.
The “Healthy at Any Size” approach generally strikes me as a good one, if perhaps a little enthusiastic. The acceptable weights ranges strike me as too narrow, an attitude that both Atkins and Paleo communities tend to share. My own goal weight will still leave me almost in the “obese” category. BMI advocates are recommending that we weigh in at the low end of the “normal” range which would put me between 140-157 lbs.
I think that would make me look emaciated. That’s not true. I think I would be emaciated. I don’t anticipate ever seeing the other side of 200lbs again, at least not in good health.
Ten years ago I remember hearing about how all the women’s magazines and media portrayals of women give women unreasonable expectations about their bodies. That’s still true, but Cosmo and Hollywood are now aided and abetted by the Department of Health & Human Services.
Nevertheless I’m losing weight. But the weight loss is more of a happy side effect for me. The real improvements since I reduced carbohydrates have been other changes. I am still a very heavy person. But I feel much better. I am much healthier.
Would I like to lose more weight? Absolutely. There are a lot of practical reasons I’d like to lose more weight. But if I never lose another ounce my life is still vastly improved.