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The nanotech company Shrink Nanotechnologies, Inc. has just announced that it has formed a subsidiary, Shrink Solar LLC, in order to market a solar film that could be used to retrofit windows and other elements of existing buildings to function as mini solar power stations.  The technology can also be applied to conventional silicon crystal solar panels to boost efficiency.

Instead of relying on mirrors or other conventional concentrating solar technology, Shrink Solar uses nanocrystals to soak up parts of the light spectrum that conventional silicon crystal solar panels don’t absorb.  And just imagine, we have that classic children’s toy from the Disco era,  Shrinky Dinks, to thank for  this…

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Filed under: Health, Healthy Eating, Eat This

I am always thrilled to hear about studies that find positive health benefits for garlic, mostly because I absolutely adore the stuff. Bad breath be damned, I love me some garlic!

A few years ago, I was excited to discover a study published in the … Read more

 

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The state hotel tax would rise from 12 percent to 15 percent under a bill that passed the state House of Representatives by a 88-50 vote late Thursday and is headed for action in the Senate.

One-third of the 3 percentage point increase would go to the cities or towns where the hotels that collected the money are located; two-thirds would go to the regional planning organizations on a pro rata basis.

All hotel tax revenue currently goes into the state’s general fund.

Regionalization requires coordination and start-up money, and that’s why giving cities and towns a portion of the money collected from the state hotel tax is so important, said Rep. Brendan Sharkey, D-Hamden.

The state has 15 regional planning organizations, and, hopefully, tourism would is a priority for those organizations, said Sharkey, co-chairman of the legislature’s planning and development committee.

Based on projections, Connecticut’s finances will not improve any time soon, Sharkey said, and lawmakers need to find ways to help cities and towns diversify their revenue streams regardless of the economy. Municipalities are relying too much on a property tax, he said.

“The property tax is choking our state,” Sharkey said, adding that regionalization efforts could result in future savings. “We have to do something. We have to act now.”

Action might be needed, but Rep. T.R. Rowe, R-Trumbull, questioned whether a higher tax was the answer.

“We always seem to attempt to solve problems by raising revenue,” he said. “It’s how can we squeeze more from the taxpayers or the tourists.”

Rowe also said he worried that increasing the hotel tax would hurt the state’s competitiveness, particularly in tourism locations.

Some cities and towns have expressed concerned, but, generally, the tax increase would not hurt the state, Sharkey said, and the extra that money cities and towns would get would more than offset any potential loss.

The Office of Fiscal Analysis estimates that the hotel tax increase would generate $9.4 million in fiscal 2011, which starts July 1, and $18.8 million in fiscal 2012 for cities and towns and regional planning organizations.

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities has been lobbying hard for cities and towns to receive a portion of the hotel tax.

The Connecticut Lodging Association, however, has said they have serious concerns with the bill. It says the lodging industry is being targeted to produce additional revenue even though the state has consistently cut funds for tourism marketing.

CCM reports that Connecticut is one of only nine states lacking some sort of local hotel tax. Massachusetts has a local tax rate of up to 6 percent, while Rhode Island has a 1 percent local hotel tax.

According to a new University of Wisconsin study, folic acid supplements may help improve the condition of patients with severe brain and spinal cord injuries.

Using a rodent model, lead author Bermans Iskandar and her colleagues discovered that folic acid was capable of promoting nerve cell regeneration through a newly discovered molecular pathway in subjects with severe neurological injuries.

In an accompanying editorial, Matthias Endres and Golo Kronenberg, of the Humboldt University Medical School in Berlin, Germany, admit that while the findings are preliminary, they provide a basis for testing whether folic acid supplementation is worthwhile in individuals suffering from spinal cord injuries and brain trauma.

Meanwhile, a separate study has found that fewer than 24 percent of women of childbearing age are meeting the daily folic acid minimum intake recommended by the United States Public Health Service and Institute of Medicine, according to ScienceNews.org.

Mothers who do not consume enough folic acid or vitamin B9 are known to be at an increased risk of giving birth to children with neurological defects.

In the study, nearly 75 percent of women who took a nutritional supplement received at least the minimum daily allowance of the nutrient.

According to a new ABC News poll, fewer than one-third of registered voters plan to back their current representatives in Congress in the upcoming November elections. This marks the greatest level of voter discontent regarding incumbents since the Republican Party took control of the House and Senate in 1994.

However, the poll also found that registered Democrats were far more likely to vote for current members of Congress than were Republicans and independents.

While most political pundits assume the Democrats will fail to maintain their considerable majority in Congress this November, the survey revealed some positive signs for President Obama and his party.

In the party-to-party measure, a total of 46 percent of Americans said they trust Democrats to handle the main problems facing the country, compared to just 32 percent who favored Republicans.

The poll also indicated that an overwhelming majority of Americans blame former President George W. Bush for the current state of the economy and the ballooning budget deficit, while just more than one-quarter find Obama to be the most culpable.

*Don’t feed this to the homeless. When a small church delivered a load of fried chicken that its members had spent hours making to the Bowery Mission in New York City, the folks running the feed-the-homeless program said “thank you very much”—then promptly threw it all away. Why? Because of a law the city passed back in 2008 banning everyone with a Health Department license from having trans fats in their food. That includes emergency food providers such as the Mission. More and more it seems the world is going crazy—and the inmates are running the show.

*These guys want their free beer. From Copenhagen, Denmark, comes news that workers at the local Carlsberg brewery have walked off their jobs to protest a new company policy restricting how much free beer they get. There used to be coolers stocked with beer throughout the plant; a worker could grab a brewski anytime he wanted. Now, free beer is available only during lunch hours in the company cafeteria. Some 800 workers walked off their jobs in protest.

*Sounds a little risky to me. A brokerage firm is running ads in The Wall Street Journal with the following pitch: Borrow from us at only 1.3 percent interest and buy stocks paying 5 percent in dividends. Not only that, you can borrow $5.6 for every $1 you have in your account (assuming you have at least $100,000 invested with them). The ads do warn that doing this “is only for sophisticated investors with high risk tolerance.” Thanks for the warning, guys.

*The sign of the week. This one was seen at a tax day protest in Manhattan on April 15: There were two columns of numbers; the one on the left was headed “Govt Takes” and had six different taxes listed below, totaling 69.825 percent. The one on the right was headed “U Keep” and had only one number underneath: 30.175 percent. Talk about a picture worth a thousand words.

—Chip Wood

Results of a recent animal study suggest that individuals who are at a high risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease may benefit from the naturally occurring antioxidants found in grapes.

For the study, a team of scientists from the University of Michigan Health System monitored the health of a group of overweight lab rats that were fed a diet consisting of high-fat foods mixed with a powdered form of table grapes.

After three months of follow-up, the researchers found rodents that consumed a grape-enriched diet had better heart function, lower blood pressure and reduced inflammation than a group of control rats that were not given the fruit powder.

"Reducing these risk factors may delay the onset of diabetes or heart disease, or lessen the severity of the diseases," said lead researcher E. Mitchell Seymour. "Ultimately it may lessen the health burden of these increasingly common conditions."

The beneficial health effects took place even while the rodents experienced no change in body weight. The research team plans to conduct a similar human trial later this summer.

My, my, you are certainly a contentious bunch. Thus far, more than a thousand of you have clicked the reply button to my column two weeks ago on The Worst President Ever. Your remarks have run the gamut from the sublime (those that agree with me, of course) to the ridiculous (the worst president in history was the first one George Washington?).

I just spent the past couple of days reading every single one. Yes, even the ones that ran more than a full page IN ALL CAPS! Oh, the sacrifices I make for my loyal readers.

Hey, folks, I know you feel pretty passionate about some of these issues. And I love that so many of you enjoying commenting on what you’ve read—or what some imbecile before you said. But trying to shout in email really doesn’t work—it just makes your comments hard to read. Please, turn off the all-caps key before you start typing.

But definitely keep those cards and letters coming. Or at least the emails. The comments sections are one of the best-read parts of Personal Liberty Alerts. I wouldn’t change that for all the rice in China. In fact, I’m going to quote from several in today’s column.

What got me started on the subject was a visit my son-in-law and I made to the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. He pointed out that Franklin Roosevelt laid the cornerstone for that majestic building. I remarked, “Isn’t it ironic that one of the worst presidents in history dedicated the memorial to one of the best?”

This led Micah to ask me who else I would number among the worst presidents ever. I surprised him by saying I wouldn’t include Barack Obama—at least not yet. Let’s let him finish at least one term (hopefully his only one) before guessing what history will say.

That left the rest of my list: FDR, Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton and (to the surprise of many) Richard Nixon. But the absolute worst, I said, was Woodrow Wilson. You can explore my reasons in the original column; I won’t repeat them all here. Click here to read it.

An overwhelming number of you wrote to say I had made one huge mistake in that piece—my exclusion of Barack Obama from my “five worst” list. In fact, many of you were outraged that I didn’t put him at the very top. Lee Ann spoke for a lot of readers when she said “anyone with a brain” would know that.

Interestingly, to many of you he doesn’t even deserve to be called Barack Obama. He’s B.O. Or Barry Soetoro. Or a lot worse. Thanks to a pretty tough spam filter, the most intemperate comments don’t get posted. But there sure are a lot of ways to be (relatively) polite while you say something nasty about our Teleprompter-in-Chief.

You may be surprised to hear that not everyone who reads Straight Talk can be found on the right side of the aisle. Hannington Okello wrote: “Barack Obama? You have got to be kidding yourself! He is and will be the best president America has ever had and one you wish could rule forever.”

Gee, Hanny, I think you kind of gave yourself away there, with your “rule forever” comment. How long before you demand that we serfs gently tug our forelocks as we bow to every bureaucrat and say, “yes, massuh”?

But Mr. Okeno has at least one ally in our comments section. Che King wrote to say, “President Obama will go down as America’s best president even before he finishes his second term.” Hate to rain on your parade, Mr. King, but I don’t think Obama will be in the Oval Office in 2012. Not after Jan. 21—unless he’s a guest of the new president.

Christopher Huber had a perfect rejoinder for the Obama idolaters in the audience. “Whatever drugs you are on,” he replied, “I want some.” Nicely put, Chris.

So who else did our readers nominate for the “worst of all time” list? There was a spirited debate lasting for many pages on the various demerits of Jimmy Carter vs. Bill Clinton. Bill made my original list, Jimmy did not. I will admit there was much the peanut farmer from Georgia did to embarrass me while he wore the title of the world’s most powerful leader. But being a sanctimonious, hypocritical, weak-kneed wuss isn’t enough to make my top five.

Several readers claimed that Bill Clinton wasn’t bad enough to deserve that honorific, either. But Lynette insists they didn’t know what they were talking about. Listen to this lady’s rant:

“Bill Clinton was one of the biggest drug dealers this country has ever known! He has been bringing in cocaine from Mena, Arkansas for years. While he was governor and while he was president. Watch The New Clinton Chronicles for a real eye-opener.”

I didn’t mention any of that. Or Whitewater, or Vince Foster, or even the unbridled ambition of his First Lady. All I know is that I was ashamed he was the leader of my country. I was delighted when he was impeached and sorry when he wasn’t found guilty and removed from office.

I thought my inclusion of Richard Nixon in a “worst ever” list would have many of you rushing to straighten me out. But in fact, most who commented on his appearance agreed with me.

No, the Republican president an extraordinary number of you loathe and despise is George W. Bush.

There are some of you who believe that GW personally conspired to bring down the towers of the World Trade Center. I guess the fact that 27 fanatical jihadists, armed with box cutters and other weapons, took control of those airplanes was strictly a coincidence? I like a good conspiracy theory as well as the next man. But this one is beyond absurd, as far as I am concerned.

RK denounced one contributor with the comment, “You are as stupid as the Tea Party.” (Did I mention that many of my readers enjoy insulting each other?) He then added, “The list of the worst president should read as follows: #1 George Bush, #2 George Bush, #3 George Bush.”

Apparently RK liked his comment so much, he posted it twice. Sharon added that since he only named three, she wanted to add two more: “#4 George Bush, #5 George Bush.”

At least some on the left have a sense of humor.

One who does not is Debo, who wrote that, “You might be watching too much Fox News. You and your ilk are not qualified to question the competency of the president of the United States.” Gee, do you happen to know Hanny Okello, Debo? Maybe I could introduce you.

In addition to George Bush, two other Republican presidents came in for an inordinate amount of reader-bashing. One didn’t surprise me—Abraham Lincoln. Many readers wrote at length, with eloquence and passion, about why they felt the Great Emancipator belonged on the list. Several said he should top it.

Jesse put it succinctly: “Lincoln prosecuted an illegal war against the Southern states… [that] resulted in the deaths of over 600,000 men on both sides.” This was more fatalities than we suffered in every war since then, he added.

You may be surprised to learn that many Americans consider Abraham Lincoln a terrible president. I’m not. I’ve read enough to know that these critics have some powerful facts to buttress their arguments. (See Thomas DiLorenzo’s Lincoln Unmasked: What You’re Not Supposed to Know about Dishonest Abe and The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War.)

So who was the other Republican a number of readers disparaged? None other than Ronald Reagan.

I have to say, the unbridled vituperation many of you exhibited against the Great Communicator did surprise me. I’ll be the first to admit that as president (and before that, as governor of California), Reagan did many things with which I disagreed. More to the point, he did not do many things he promised he would—such as abolish useless cabinet agencies, reduce the cost of government, balance the budget, etc.

But being wrong or ineffectual didn’t make him evil. On the positive side, he brought the United States a new respect around the world. He said many of the right things—and he said them more eloquently than any president since the Founding Fathers. (And unlike JFK, he wrote most of the words he spoke.)

This triggered a provocative question from one of our regular correspondents. Beberoni asked: “Once I saw for myself what Ronald Reagan did, I ran as fast as I could from the Democrat Party to Ronald Reagan’s conservative party. I now wonder why the Republican Party has run away from Reagan’s conservative party. Why wouldn’t you continue a successful thing, when he showed them how to do it?”

Maybe they will, Beberoni, maybe they will. We’ll know this November.

And with that folks, I’ve run out room for this month. So let me close by encouraging you to join this fray once in a while. Read some of the comments at the end of my columns. Or if you’re a real glutton for punishment, read them all. And then join them yourself.

Unless you do, you won’t know why at least some loyal readers want Franklin Pierce, or Rutherford Hayes or James Buchanan added to the “worst ever” list. Or why one insists the top spot must go Dick Cheney.

As I said, my readers are a contentious and cantankerous lot. God bless you, each and every one.

Until next time, keep some powder dry.

—Chip Wood

Conservative groups that fight against overturning the "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy also frequently share stories of ex-gays who have found the way to socially acceptable lifestyles. Recently, some of those activists have taken Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele to task for failing to meet with members of the ex-gay community.

The group, called Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX), quoted an interview Steele gave to Gentleman’s Quarterly in which he allegedly said he doubted that ex-gays exist. Since then, despite PFOX efforts, Steele has refused to meet with ex-gays and hear about stories of individual change, despite the fact that one of his predecessors, Ed Gillespie, held such meetings.

"It’s no wonder the RNC continues to lose factions of its members, such as Tea Party conservatives," said Christopher Doyle, a PFOX board member. "Steele would be better off if he extended ex-gays a place at the table rather than paying his staff to watch lesbians dance on it at strip clubs."

Meanwhile, in the sign that the fight over "don’t ask, don’t tell" is heating up, Family Research Council and the Alliance Defense Fund representatives held a news conference on April 28 to announce the release of a letter to President Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, signed by more than 40 retired military chaplains.

The letter addresses the chaplains’ religious liberty concerns against what it calls "the practice of open homosexual behavior in the military."

Filed under: Morning Scoop

Each morning, we dish out a few links we love.

Before the weekend hits, consider this: Your unhealthy habits can age you by as much as 12 years. Ouch.

So does the amount of shut-eye you get really affect your weight? Here’s some important info … Read more

 

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The House Executive Committee voted 10-1 to send the bill to the full House, where it could be voted upon as early as Friday.

The action would give vouchers not only to the schools where
students are poorest and lowest performing. But it also would extend
vouchers to students from poor families in the most-overcrowded
schools, a change from the bill when Meeks won Senate approval.

Public teacher unions lined up in opposition and warned of a lawsuit if the bill becomes law.

Jim Reed, spokesman for the Illinois Education Association, said
today the bill violates the Illinois Constitution by giving state money
to private schools, which support the measure.

"The fact that you’re diverting funds from public schools means that
the kids that are left in those existing public schools are going to
have fewer resources," Reed said.

The only "no" vote came from Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, who said
the state’s billion-dollar budget deficit should be addressed before
considering new programs.

"We have a responsibility and an obligation to our existing schools
that we pay the debt we owe them first and then we talk about
experiments in vouchers," said Brady, who said he had a child in
private school.

Supporters maintained the pilot program is worth it if students can get a shot at a better education.

"It’s time to try something, and it goes back to the kids, not a
bunch of adults haggling over dollars," said Rep. Ed Sullivan, R-Mundelein.

Track
owners have long coveted the idea of pumping up their bottom lines with
slot machines, but it’s a tough sell unless all of the far-reaching
gambling interests are on board any gambling bill. And it’s clear that
not all are on board, including the casino boats.

"We’re fighting it," said Tom Swoik, executive director of the
Illinois Casino Gaming Association. He maintained the boats have seen
their profits nosedive over the last couple of years due to factors
that range from the state’s anti-smoking laws to the rocky national
economy.

Swoik maintained the bill effectively would create land-based
casinos, creating competition that would further erode riverboat
gambling profits.

The call for slots at tracks comes after many communities opted out
of allowing video poker within their borders, raising concerns that a
key portion of the funding for the program to fix roads and bridges
would fall short.

A variety of other delays have slowed revenue expectations,
including the time needed to put in place complicated regulations for
the video poker games.

"We’re working hard to line up support," said Rep. Will Burns, D-Chicago, who secured support from major labor unions and Republican Rep. Mark Beaubien of Barrington Hills, a point man on budget issues.

Under the proposal, Cook County tracks could have up to 1,200 slots
and other electronic games. Supporters estimated the plan could create
up to 1,500 permanent jobs.

Their powers may have faded from the glory days of Imperial, old-world Europe, but what today’s royals lack in governing power they make up for in sheer class and style. The young royal ’set’ can often be found partying across the nightspots of the globe, from St. Tropez to Rio, London to Ibiza – just don’t ask them to go to war (excepting Harry!) or actually govern a country with the iron fist of their grand ancestors.

10) Prince Andrea of Monaco

The eldest son of Princess Caroline of Monaco has been blazing a trail across the most achingly hip party spots of Europe for several years now, setting hearts aflutter with his lock of blond hair and devil-may-care attitude to life. Included by People magazine in the Top 50 World’s Most Beautiful People, Andrea is often snapped with socialite girlfriend, Tatiana Santo Domingo, sunning himself and partying until the early hours in Ibiza – but he’s not just a pretty face. Fluent in French, English and Italian, the prince is also deeply involved in several charities, spending eight months in Africa teaching young children, and is currently pursuing graduate studies in New York City.

9) Princess Beatrice of York

As grandchild to the Queen, Beatrice is the first female, and fifth in line, to the British crown and the sixteen independent states of the Commonwealth realm. Currently studying for a degree in history at Goldsmiths University, London, she makes relatively few official appearances, but is often seen emerging from the most fashionable London nightclubs in the early hours – it is even rumored she can drink her notoriously hard-partying older cousins, Prince William and Harry, under the table. Along with her sister, Eugenie, they are the only granddaughters of the Queen to hold the style princess, and she was the subject of controversy recently when it emerged that palace officials had spent nearly $400,000 renovating a room in St. James palace, London, for her to live in while she studies. Hardly your typical student digs then.

8) Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden

Princess Victoria is the heiress-apparent to the Swedish throne, and although she may not be your typical blonde-haired, blue-eyed Swede, she certainly generates her fair share of male attention. She has often been the subject of intense press speculation surrounding her romantic life, and after being snapped looking unhealthily thin at a Gala in 1997 it emerged she was suffering from anorexia. Victoria subsequently spent a period in the US receiving professional help and studying at Yale University and today is the radiant beauty we all know her for. In February 2009 it was confirmed that she had become engaged to long-term love, Daniel Westling, her personal trainer and gym owner.

7) Charlotte of Monaco

Princess Charlotte Casiraghi, a.k.a. Charlotte of Monaco, was seriously blessed when she came into this world: not only is she fourth in line to the throne of Monaco (doesn’t get a lot more glamorous than that, really), but she’s also a straight up babe and oh-so chic to boot! This brunette bombshell seems to be eternally on holiday in the most fashionable parts of the world and has spent the last few years strengthening her ties in the fashion world and hanging out with Stella McCartney. The two met when Charlotte wrote for a magazine Stella edited and it now seems the young Monegasque, whose grandmother Grace Kelly was a patron of Dior, Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent, is set to make waves in the fashion world.

6) Princess Eugenie

The Queen’s other granddaughter, Eugenie, is younger and slimmer and less high-profile then her sister, Beatrice, but make no mistake, she is the epitome of royal poise and beauty. She caused outrage at her public school in 2008 when she cavorted in the nude and absolutely drunk around the school with a group of friends, celebrating their graduation. Sounds like our kind of girl! These days she keeps out of the limelight, and is currently studying for a degree in Art History, English and Politics at Newcastle University – having actually got decent grades at school, unlike her cousin Harry!

5) Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden

Think Orlando Bloom, crossed with polo hottie, Nacho Figueras, and you’re getting close. Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden has chiseled cheek bones and the luxurious lifestyle to go with it. Known for his passion for fast cars, which he began racing in Karlskoga in 2004, he also has a creative side and has exhibited his photographic work on more than one occasion, as well as being a tough guy in the Swedish Navy (can you be ‘tough’ in the Swedish Navy?). The whole package then? Well not quite, perhaps. According to insiders his one flaw is his terrible fashion sense, and he often has to be dragged off to Gucci by his sister, Princess Madeleine, and long-term girlfriend, Emma Pernald – tough life, eh?

4) Zara Phillips

A vision of regal beauty, with her blonde hair and sharp riding outfits, Zara Phillips is the epitome of English equestrian privilege. Granddaughter to the Queen, but only through the female line, she is not styled as a princess but remains twelfth in line to the throne. Often seen leading the style race at British horse events, Zara has forged for herself a successful equestrian career, winning both European and World championship events and gaining herself an MBE in the process. But if you’re thinking about chatting up this royal hottie, think again – rugby playing boyfriend, Mike Tindall, is 6 ft 2 and 16 stone and smashes people up for a living!

3) Princess Madeleine of Sweden

With her blond hair and sparkling blue eyes, Princess Madeline is the embodiment of a Nordic-princess fantasy, and she leads a flamboyant life too: she is best known for her stunning good looks, wild partying, a foiled kidnap attempt by Eastern European gangsters and the fact that she is a paparazzi ‘honey pot’. Since attempts by royal advisers to calm her down and shed her party-girl image, she has devoted most of her time to studying, completing internships at the UN and working for her mother, Queen Silvia’s foundation World Childhood Foundation. Nice.

2) Prince William

When it comes to patrician style, natural born class, stately leadership and old-world royal poise, Prince William is the cream of the crop. William has inherited his mother, Princess Diana’s, elegance and grace, and whilst he may not be quite as flamboyant as his younger brother, Harry, what he lacks in wild-style he makes up in imperial strength. The second in line to the British throne serves in the military with his brother and has recently undertaken a course to become a helicopter pilot with the RAF. But it’s sad news for you girls out there: the Prince’s rocky relationship with on-off girlfriend Kate Middleton took a positive step recently when speculation mounted that Buckingham palace had stocked up on Champagne ahead of an imminent engagement announcement.

1) Prince Harry

Royal heartthrob, Harry, is best known for one thing: his wild ways. Where should we start? The Hitler costume worn to a fancy dress party, the snorting of the vodka out of shot glasses while holidaying in Namibia, smoking weed at age 16, getting caught on camera feeling up his female friend last year, using a racist term to describe an ethnic recruit on his army commissioning course… Well, we’d really rather celebrate the prince’s good side. Devilishly handsome and a skilled horseman and polo player, Harry insisted on doing his bit and accompanying the Household Cavalry Regiment to the front line in Afghanistan. Sure, he only lasted three months before his cover was blown and he was extracted sharpish, but in our book that makes him a pretty gnarly dude. And handsome to boot.

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

In my last post, I teased you with why having a strong midsection is so important, and now I’m going to get into the “how to” of accomplishing it.
Pilates

Pilates was developed a century ago by some guy named Joseph Pilates (go figure) and today … Read more

 

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Filed under: Friends & Family, Advice, Fitness, Ask a Fitness Expert

Are you having a tough time getting motivated to workout? Personal trainer Kathleen Trotter recommends exercising with a buddy to increase accountability, relieve boredom and try some nifty new exercises.

Q: Why do you recommend working out with a … Read more

 

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Filed under: Health, Healthy Eating, 30-Day Nutrition Challenge

Participants in the 30-Day Nutrition Challenge are just past the half way point in their quest to remove gluten, dairy, sugar, alcohol, caffeine and processed foods from their diet for a full month.

I’ve received a number of questions from … Read more

 

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Apparently Apple has filed to trademark its official app icons. The trademark motions cover the standard iPhone and iPad icon library as well as the iDisk and MobileMe Gallery icons in ridiculous detail. [TUAW via The Loop] More »

Daniel Pink on the surprising science of motivation. [HT TEDxCalgary]

“Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don’t: Traditional rewards aren’t always as effective as we think.”

Filed under: Business, Calgary, Canada, Science & Technology, TED, Video, YouTube

Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, Healthy Eating, How to Be Happy

Each week, holistic nutritionist Joy McCarthy tells us about a common health problem she’s seen in her practice and how she came to a solution.

This week’s client: Leila, 27, a fashion design student.

The Problem: Leila came to me desperate … Read more

 

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Dean Kamen: The emotion behind invention. [HT BMD]

“Dean Kamen talks about the profound people and stories that motivated his work to give parts of their lives back with his design for a remarkable prosthetic arm.”

Filed under: design, Health Sciences & Medicine, Healthcare, Science, Science & Technology, Video, YouTube