Mindconnection eNL, 2014-09-21

Home
 

In this issue:
Good News | Product Highlight | Brainpower | Finances | Security | Health/Fitness | Factoid | Thought 4 the Day

The 23AUG14 issue of Science News ran a short article about using organic molecules to trap rare gases, such as xenon. It can also be used to capture radon (not so rare) and krypton. The article didn't say anything about capturing the putrefied methane that is released in such huge quantities on commercial passenger jets.

The applications for this technique are numerous, and some are quite profound. For example, if you went to your local Xenon R Us to pick up a six-pack of Xenon, you'd pay $5,000 per kg. Pricey stuff.

So who cares about xenon? Visit an auto parts store, and you'll find xenon bulbs on the shelf; lighting is one application. Medical imaging and anesthesia are two very important other applications. What if the cost of capturing xenon plummeted? The costs of applications that rely on it would drop significantly, unless of course the Obama administration decides to "protect" xenon workers with a special, outrageously high tax. Considering the long string of lunacies from this guy, I wouldn't put it past him.

Item 2

The 02JUN14 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences included a paper about bacteria that convert plants into biofuel. This concept has been around a while, but it has suffered from several practical limitations. One of those is the fact that biofuel schemes have been notorious for requiring more energy put into them than they put out.

Side note: This is also a problem with solar, as is the conveniently overlooked truth among "liberals" and other information-challenged individuals that solar is intensely polluting. IEEE Spectrum ran a detailed article about this issue in its September 2014 issue.

The good news on this latest biofuel scheme is the bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescli can break down cellulose rather easily. This greatly skews the energy equation in the right direction. So it's not necessary, as with previous schemes, to burn vast acreage of the Amazon Forest to plant GMO corn to get biofuel. Materials such as switchgrass, corn husks, and even sawdust can be converted into fuel.

Now what remains is the question of how to make it scale. That is probably more a logistical issue than anything else, and a solution may be forthcoming in the near future unless Exxon and BP conspire to kill it.

Item 3

Microsoft has finally listened to the millions of Microsoft victims, er, users, who have voted with their feet (more accurately, our wallets).

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/189976-windows-9-start-menu-makes-video-debut-windows-7-fans-should-finally-be-happy

This may be a case of too little too late.

• It's too late in many cases, because the debacle known as "Windows 8" really soured people on Microsoft products generally. People who've already invested in a Mac won't go back.
• It's too little, because the Windows 7 User Interface (UI) was terrible. People who actually need to get work done have to spend time changing it to have the XP functionality. It's not clear from the article if the Windows 9 can be improved by the user to be actually useful (that is, make it function like XP). If Microsoft's folks really wanted to pull their heads out of their butts, they'd make the W9 UI just like the XP UI.

But in any case, it's good news that an arrogant, customer-deaf organization like Microsoft can be humbled by customers who just say no at the cash register.

Item 4

Amazon may bring the Do More Evil company to its knees. Google's long reign of terror has depended upon Websites running the ads that people click for ad revenue. Now it looks like Amazon is going to kick Google out. That example may trigger an avalanche of Google deserters, at long last giving these psychopaths a taste of their own bitter medicine. Here's an article about this:

http://searchengineland.com/amazons-departure-will-impact-googles-search-network-203172

Maybe Microsoft will give up on the Operating System thing, since it does such a terrible job. And Maybe Google will give up on the search engine thing, since it does such a terrible job. Interestingly, Microsoft has a really good search engine and Google has a really good Operating System. For Microsoft to waste more resources on yet another failed OS or Google to keep wasting resources on its failed "search engine" seems idiotic, at best.

Over time, color prints deteriorate. But that's where their similarity to members of CONgress ends. With color prints, there is hope. Actually, more than mere hope.

I have one of these scanners, and am quite impressed with it.

The Microtek Scanmaker i800 Plus dual media scanner provides many advantages, such as these:

• Time. Its LED light source means no waiting for a lamp to warm up; it's instant-on.
• Quality. The resolution is way beyond what you normally find in this price range.
• Ease of use. Just push a button.
  Flexibility. Scans all kinds of things, including 35mm film.
• Connectivity. The USB 2.0 Hi-Speed Interface also allows for quick previews of your images to your computer.

How to be a crook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i_EgOjeXuM

Imagine any scenario in which moving quickly makes the difference between life and death. Such as jumping out of the way of a bus. In flip-flops, your chances of becoming a casualty escalate exponentially.

Wearing flip-flops in public is as stupid from a personal security standpoint as that punk custom of wearing pants with the waist a foot below where it's supposed to be.

Now, some people are so clueless as to not notice how stupid one looks by dint of dressing this way (even though they can see that properly attired people "somehow" get better service at the restaurant, at the air terminal, at the bank, etc.).

Others see it and just don't care that their experiences are diminished all-round. Dress appropriately (e.g., men wear a tie) and enter a decent restaurant; you'll likely get great seating and an attentive waiter/waitress. Show up in flip-flops and a tee shirt, and you will have a less welcoming experience. Think of the two very different levels of respect you'd be emanating by the two different modes of dress, and the reason for the experiential difference is abundantly clear.

Maybe being disrespectful at a restaurant or other place of business is kind of OK, because it's not a matter of life and death when you are made to wait while others get served. If you don't wish to be taken seriously when conducting business, that choice won't kill you. You get to insult the people who work there, and they get to respond in kind. Everyone's happy, in a weird sort of way.

But this same "I am a nobody and so are you" way of dressing--in flip-flops--makes you a target for violent criminals because you are obviously more vulnerable than properly attired targets. And, as mentioned, you have a much harder time getting out of the way of anything.

If you have a CCP (concealed carry permit) and carry without exception, does this not render the issue moot? Well, no. Think about a proper shooting stance; it is like any other martial arts stance, in that you are projecting force through your legs (and thus your feet) into the ground. And those flip-flops pose other issues for getting into position and so forth.

And you must consider the other scenarios such as those mentioned. You aren't going to stop a bus by pulling out your pistol.

Parents have a special obligation to see to it that their children wear proper footwear. It's not just the security issues, it's also the podiatric ones. And the chiropractic ones. And the fact that these foot hobblers aren't exactly conducive to playing a healthy game of soccer; if you want your kids to be part of the obesity epidemic, then by all means make them more sedentary by sticking flip-flops on their feet.

Proper foot apparel isn't just a fashion issue. Think carefully about the choices you make.

A common precaution is to slather sunblock all over yourself half an hour before going outside. There are a few problems with this approach, including the fact that many sunblock products contain multiple carcinogens. I suggest using these products sparingly, mostly to add another layer of sun protection on your ears, nose, and (back of) neck.

I don't know how many of the following precautions my dearly departed neighbor took, consider implementing all of following yourself.

And please understand that I personally am of the "fair complexion" type so I do pay attention to melanoma risks. But most of these precautions are not specific to melanoma. Many cancer risk factors apply to multiple forms, or even all forms, of cancer.

• The number one admonition: Do not let other people smoke on you.
  
  Why did I not say "Do not smoke?" That is so obvious, it's like saying, "Keep your vision clear by not stabbing yourself in the eye." What many people fail to account for is the fact that the cancer-ette does not know which person's mouth is the hole in which its butt is resting. Cancer-ette smoke is cancer-ette smoke. Don't "avoid" it; eliminate it.
   
• Do not eat meat, wheat, corn, or soy. All of these (if sourced inside the USA) have pernicious effects on multiple cancer risk factors.
   
• One of those risk factors is body fat. The kind that is most commonly observed as "belly fat" though it also accumulates on a person's back. It's basically a cancer factory. I choose not to have this kind of fat (see photo above). How can you not get an accumulation of this dangerous fat? The previous bullet point is a major factor, but of course there's more. We've covered other factors in this eNL previously. Future issues will present more.
   
• Do not use Teflon-coated cookware. If you have it, toss it. If you want to stick with nonstick pans, replace Teflon ones with ceramic-coated cookware; make sure that any pans you replace are stainless steel rather than aluminum. And it's really hard to beat an old-fashioned cast iron skillet for some types of cooking.
   
• Eat plenty of green vegetables. The chlorophyll helps remove toxins, plus these give you cancer-fighting nutrients. Plus these are one of those "no belly fat" factors.
   
• Make fruits (a variety of them) and vegetables (of many colors) at least 60% of your diet. Just about any vegetable you eat contains anti-carcinogens. Some are very powerful; for example, eggplant does to colon cancer cells what Obama does to American jobs.
   
• Consume black pepper (an anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogen) and turmeric (an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogen); when combined, they don't merely add. They multiply each others' effects. Make a point of consuming these at least twice a day.
   
• Avoid going outdoors between 1000 hrs and 1500 hrs. Those are the peak times for both sun intensity and pollen count.
   
• For extended times in the sun, wear a broad-rimmed hat. A baseball cap does not qualify. A sombrero or a cowboy hat will provide a good radius of protection, but less "pronounced" hats will also do.
   
• Wear a shirt that's made from a quality cotton material. That 6lb-cloth T shirt does not cut it; go for a better cloth and maybe even a nicer garment such as (at least) a polo shirt. Not sure what 6lb vs 9lb means? It has to do with the density of the weave. Any embroidered shirt supplier can explain this, if you need more info. Basically: as that number goes up, the amount of light that can come through the shirt goes down.
   
• Use a sublingual Vitamin D supplement (we sell this). The RDA is about 1/3 of what you actually need; it's based on very old data for preventing specific types of diseases. The correct daily dose is based on reams of test data (mostly with professional athletes, whose team owners paid for the research). We also sell a Vitamin D Test Kit, so you can see where you are. This testing is worth doing. So far, only one person has passed it without supplementation; she was on the Australian Olympic Team. Yep, yours truly flunked the test (though I was WAY above the RDA).

• The best workouts are short and intense.
• A good diet contains far more flavors and satisfaction than the typical American diet.

Peanut oil is used for cooking in submarines because it doesn't smoke unless it's heated above 450 Degr F. Ray Bradbury observed that books burn at 451 Degr F.

Regarding this issue's factoid:

The US CONgress continues to burn money regardless of the temperature. With all the concern about global warming, has anyone considered addressing how much money CONgress burns or how much hot air the politicians emit lying about it? I'm just saying....