HAMMER!

I could add a few more, but this is a solid...

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:26:38 -0500

I could add a few more, but this is a solid 7.

heathershae:

Graphic-ExchanGE - a selection of graphic projects

there ya go.

"Well, I was hoping you wouldn’t just be interested in making money. I wanted you to understand how..."

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:56:28 -0500

“Well, I was hoping you wouldn’t just be interested in making money. I wanted you to understand how much you could learn from me, and how valuable that would be. That’s why I think $12/hr is a fair rate for you to produce the website. If you can’t work for this rate than you miss out.”

- (via clientsfromhell)

People like this are asshats.

The 7 Foods Experts Won't Eat

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:33:22 -0500

The 7 Foods Experts Won't Eat:

nutritionista:

I knew about most of these, but a few were new to me…

1. Canned Tomatoes

The expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. “You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that’s a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young,” says vom Saal. “I won’t go near canned tomatoes.”

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe’s and Pomi.

2. Corn-Fed Beef

The expert: Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. More money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. “We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure,” says Salatin.

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers’ markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It’s usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don’t see it, ask your butcher.

3. Microwave Popcorn

The expert: Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group,

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize—and migrate into your popcorn. “They stay in your body for years and accumulate there,” says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.

4. Nonorganic Potatoes

The expert: Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nation’s most popular vegetable—they’re treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they’re dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. “Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won’t,” says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). “I’ve talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals.”

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn’t good enough if you’re trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

5. Farmed Salmon

The expert: David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.

The problem: Nature didn’t intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. “You can only safely eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer,” says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. “It’s that bad.” Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it’s farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.

6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones

The expert: Rick North, project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society

The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. “When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract,” says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. “There’s not 100% proof that this is increasing cancer in humans,” admits North. “However, it’s banned in most industrialized countries.”

The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.

7. Conventional Apples

The expert: Mark Kastel, former executive for agribusiness and codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods

The problem: If fall fruits held a “most doused in pesticides contest,” apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don’t develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it’s just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. “Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers,” he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson’s disease.

The solution: Buy organic apples. If you can’t afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them first.

d43pan: jayrosen: This is a mock-up for a news site that I...

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:09:52 -0500

d43pan:

jayrosen:

This is a mock-up for a news site that I think should exist: explainthis.org

Users go to the site and find a prompt similar to Twitter’s what’s happening? or Facebook’s what’s on your mind? But instead of updating their status they type in a question they have for a team of journalists who are… “standing by.”

What I have in mind is not search. It’s not Yahoo Answers or AskReddit, either. This is for questions that cannot be answered by a simple, or even a sophisticated search. Or by the amateur expert who’s been reading Popular Mechanics since 1964. The kind of questions explainthis.org would handle have these three features:

Lots of people have this question and they want a good answer. (Which argues for a participatory system to rate questions and vote them up or down. It also means we can ask those participants for help as the investigation gets underway)

The answer is not easily obtained through search or by “looking it up.”

It takes real journalism—investigative, explanatory, seriously enterprising pro-am journalism—to answer the question completely and well.

I’ve been talking about this idea on Twitter recently. In reply Jim Marko sent me a sample question: why are we still subsidizing corn? That works! A lot of people probably have this question. It cannot be easily answered with a Google search or by looking it up in the Almanac of American Politics. And to understand why we’re subsidizing corn, a good deal of investigation and explanation are required. Which is why we need journalists… “standing by.” (Not that there aren’t good places to start; certainly, there are. And users could help find them.)

So that’s explainthis.org, which is so far just this concept sketch. The journalists who are standing by aren’t… yet. But all it takes is one news company to realize the virtues of doing their investigative and explanatory reporting this way.

Now tell me what you think of it in the comments, okay?

Notes

Inspiration for explainthis.org came from myreporter.com (for more on that site, go here) and my ex-student Cody Brown, who did the mock up, borrowing from his own start-up, Kommons.com, which applies this idea to localities (for more, see this.)

Also relevant is Help Me Investigate, started by Paul Bradshaw in the UK, and spot.us, which was launched by David Cohn, who used to work with me on NewAssignment.Net.

Fantastic idea. The hard part would be finding the journalists. I’m not sure how many real ones actually exist today.

lauriebreaker: funnelthru: Toothpaste For Dinner - The most...

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:58:28 -0500

lauriebreaker:

funnelthru:

Toothpaste For Dinner - The most addictive comic on the web

hahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Exactly.

brog: (via marco) It’s funny and sad at the same time....

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:16:16 -0500

brog:

(via marco)

It’s funny and sad at the same time. Mostly totally fucking infuriating.

passionateminutiae: moviesinframes: Swingers, 1996 (dir. Doug...

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:21:38 -0500

passionateminutiae:

moviesinframes:

Swingers, 1996 (dir. Doug Liman)

You’re so money and you don’t even know it!

It’s so fucking on!

Race Report: Dirt Cheap Stage Race

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:08:55 -0500

Race Report: Dirt Cheap Stage Race

Race Report: Dirt Cheap Stage Race ….The problem with...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:20:51 -0500

Race Report: Dirt Cheap Stage Race

….The problem with trail running (or off road anything really) is that you loose that control. The terrain controls it. Road races have “rolling hills”, trail races have cliffs. Hills that are a few degrees from vertical, covered with gravel and leaves just waiting to take you straight back to the bottom…..

"Don’t ever be surprised by what your body knows. You always wake up right be before..."

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:05:58 -0500

“Don’t ever be surprised by what your body knows. You always wake up right be before you’re home.”

- Candid

"When the Devil came, he was not red. He was chrome."

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:48:56 -0500

“When the Devil came, he was not red. He was chrome.”

- ~Wilco

"Girls, if boys say something that’s not funny, you don’t have to laugh."

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:27:37 -0500

““Girls, if boys say something that’s not funny, you don’t have to laugh.””

- Amy Poehler (at Glamour’s Women of the Year Awards)

ohfortheloveofdog : hurricane-k : redpajamas : claudia : sarakatherine

Ironic, as I’ve yet to laugh at anything Amy Poehler has said. I do think she looks funny though. (via jjae)

"Once you know someone’s modivations, everything else they do makes sense"

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:43:13 -0500

“Once you know someone’s modivations, everything else they do makes sense”

- Ben Franklin (via Matt Nicole via ?) (via brog)

jjae: jamesnord: just sayin’

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:08:13 -0500

jjae:

jamesnord:

just sayin’

jjae: mercurypdx: brianvan: lindsayrobertson: How to open a...

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:35:57 -0500

jjae:

mercurypdx:

brianvan:

lindsayrobertson:

How to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew. I did not know this trick. Start at :40.

I am hesitant to ever try it without good health insurance (knowing my luck), but, wow, I could have used this at so many roof parties where the one cheap pocket corkscrew shattered before half the wine was opened…

Ok THAT was a cool trick.

I hope to never be in this position, but just in case …

This trick would get you laid.

emilyi: It’s not even Halloween yet and the best costume award...

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:24:17 -0400

emilyi:

It’s not even Halloween yet and the best costume award already goes to Matt Nicole.

Best. Costume. Ever.

"Most mammals can sprint faster than humans — having four legs gives them the advantage. But when it..."

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:42:56 -0400

“Most mammals can sprint faster than humans — having four legs gives them the advantage. But when it comes to long distances, humans can outrun almost any animal. Because we cool by sweating rather than panting, we can stay cool at speeds and distances that would overheat other animals. On a hot day, the two scientists wrote, a human could even outrun a horse in a 26.2-mile marathon.”

- http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/health/27well.html?_r=2

jjae: Sitting up front, eating our smuggled food. Whenever I...

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:31:04 -0400

jjae:

Sitting up front, eating our smuggled food. Whenever I go to see a movie with Joel and we’re late, I never worry. It’s rare to find the front row full and that’s where we always sit.

I have to be careful which movies I watch up front, though. I watched The Bourne Ultimatum once and got sick to my stomach. I mean, it probably didn’t help that I had a couple shots of tequila before watching, but … still …

*Edited to add: **SPOILER ALERT** If you don’t read the news or whatever*

Oh yeah, Race Across the Sky was a good movie. A little cheesy, hokey, but I definitely recommend it. Seeing Lance ride like “a man possessed” (as Joel put it) and put a serious hurtin’ on the rest of the competition, and to top it all off - win the race on a FLAT TIRE, was awesome.

Gonna get me a mountain bike and put my name in the Leadville 100 lottery … someday …

Great movie…thinking about putting my name in for the lottery. I’m going to need A LOT of base miles this winter.

jjae: passthemike : tilforever : explodingdog This...

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:35:20 -0400

jjae:

passthemike : tilforever : explodingdog

This is just a temporary cold front…NOT!

There is maybe 1 actual news story on this page. Yes, this is...

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:26:48 -0400

There is maybe 1 actual news story on this page. Yes, this is CNN.com, and it’s ridiculous. A boy in a balloon is not news, a possible sad event, but not front page news. Garth Brooks coming back is NOT news, nor is Rihanna’s “cryptic tweet”, or a KISS member’s breast cancer.

However, New York State mandating H1N1 injections for health care workers and infringing on YOUR privacy and freedoms IS FUCKING NEWS. This whole page should be filled with stories like this.

Don’t be distracted.