Blog

Thanks to Mark’s Daily Apple reader Jerry Borrero for sending in this fantastic video of his Primal Blueprint park workout. For more of Jerry check out his kettlebell routine. And click here to view all MDA video posts. Grok on!

Get Free Health Tips, Recipes and Workouts Delivered to Your Inbox

Related posts:

1. Primal Blueprint Fitness: 8 Minute Workout
2. Primal Workout Feral Fitness
3. The Primal Blueprint Fitness Laws with Clayberg

So Hollywood is all concerned that Redbox DVD rentals at $1 per day are going to do serious damage to the Hollywood economy — except, of course, that the actual numbers say exactly the opposite. Still, if they’re all freaked out (and some are in court) over $1/day rentals, you’d have to imagine they’re not particularly pleased about rentals that could be even cheaper. Rose M. Welch points us to the news of a new DVD rental kiosk operation, called Big Box DVD, which is moving forward with a business model of charging a whopping 6 cents per hour for a new release (4 cents per hour for an older release). For folks willing to just rent the video, take it home, watch it and return it, that can be quite cheap. Of course, if you keep it for a full 24 hours, it’ll be a bit over a dollar. How long until we hear about how much damage this is doing to Hollywood?

Permalink | Comments | Email This Story

After the recent release of the final report of the PESETA project on the impact of climate change in Europe, the JRC’s Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) is launching a series of monographic reports with more information on each of the sector specific studies of the project. The first such report, "Impacts of climate change in agriculture in Europe" has been published today. If the climate expected in the 2080s occurred today, European agriculture could face an annual decrease of up to 10% in crop yields, which would translate into yearly additional GDP losses of 0.32%.

Yesterday's huge natural gas rally has only made the U.S. an even more tempting market for seaborne Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) imports according to RBS. If the U.K. is any guide, this could be bad news for gas prices and, of course, great news for consumers.

RBS: The current rally has substantially lifted the prospects of LNG coming to the United States. LNG has done its job beating the price of UK gas down, and today's rally in US NG pricing certainly makes the US a considerably more attractive destination than it was only a couple of weeks ago. As the chart below suggests, as of today’s close, Transo-Z6 (non-NY) is at a $1.26 premium to NBP. Hello LNG.

Thus the more natural gas rallies, the more foreign LNG will come and act to push prices downward. Still, there remain substantial U.S. infrastructure restrictions to accommodate LNG imports, so they can only grow so far... or go through Mexico.

Rianovosti: Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller met on Monday with Mexican Energy Minister Georgina Kessel and Mexican Ambassador to Russia Alfredo Perez Bravo to "consider deliveries to Mexico of liquefied natural gas with its consequent transportation to the U.S. market as part of the Sakhalin II project."

Long term, natural gas will be fine, but the global LNG glut just isn't helping right now.

(Chart via RBS, Natural Gas Weekly, Brison Bickerton, 10 December 2009)

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Natural Gas Spiking On Huge Inventory Drawdown (UNG)
• Citi: Natural Gas Won't Rally Until 2011 (UNG)
• Four Reasons Natural Gas Could Explode (UNG, XOM)

CrossFit Radio had me on their show this Wednesday. We talked grains, inflammation, the difficulties of sorting fact from fiction in nutrition studies and the power of the Primal Blueprint. I had a great time and hope to do more in the future. You can listen to the full Episode 97 podcast by visiting the CrossFit Journal site or by listening here:

CrossFit Radio with Mark Sisson

Get Free Health Tips, Recipes and Workouts Delivered to Your Inbox

Related posts:

1. Announcement: Free Events
2. Book Tour Update
3. Interview with Jimmy Moore of Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb

The banks are repaying TARP. Great.

But if you think the banking and credit system has returned to health, you need to think again.

Nathan’s Economic Edge has done a fantastic job of gathering charts mostly from the St. Louis Fed to demonstrate the real state of the US banking system

Can’t understand why Chase won’t give you a loan for that new 2010 Camaro?

Click here to see the real state of the banking system >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• The SEC Is Looking Into Securities Lending Business
• Now See The REAL State Of The US Labor Market

Filed under: Motorcycle

As far as we’re concerned, there will always be a market for sporty vintage-styled machinery like the Triumph Thruxton. After all, not everyone needs 150 horsepower and 200 mile-per-hour top speeds to have a good time on two wheels, and few motorcycles possess the kind of style that Hinckley bakes into its line of modern classics.

This is especially true of the new 2010 Thruxton SE, which gets a Crystal White paint job on the tins with a single red stripe and a matching red powdercoated frame. Completing the package is a small flyscreen, black engine cases and a smattering of appropriate decals.

There aren’t any changes to the sportiest Bonnie’s 865cc parallel-twin powerplant, which puts out a claimed 68 horsepower and 51 lb-ft of torque. While we’d gladly take at least a little power boost, if we were in the market for such a bike the Thruxton SE would certainly be on our short list.

[Source: Triumph via Hell for Leather]

Triumph releases 2010 Thruxton SE, we like what we see originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

As Google keeps on growing it’s always looking at new areas in which to expand. Recently though this has meant treading even more on the home turfs of some of its, now former, close allies. This is especially the case with Apple as the two companies find themselves competitors in more and more markets. For the most part it was Google that was on the offensive but Apple has taken a clear swipe at the search giant with the acquisition of music-streaming service Lala, which was apparently heavily courted by Google as well.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Google was in late talks with Lala with the clear intention of acquiring it. The company wanted to use the music-streaming provider to bolster its new Google music offering. More than a month ago Google released a new music-focused OneBox, which enables users in the US to get direct information about a band or song and even to stream it in a pop up from the search engine itself. Google doesn’t license the music itself and doesn’t offer its own service, rather it partnered with a couple of providers to power the streaming, iLike, now owned by MySpace, and Lala, now owned by Apple.

The most interesting part is that Google didn’t have any idea that both its launch partners would get snatched up so soon. The company is getting closer to closer to MySpace so… (read more)

Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

—Parkinson’s_Law, discussed in this “Beyond The Pedway” profile of 37signals (and also years ago here at SvN: “Don’t break Parkinson’s Law”)

Solo Slim is a diet pill that “suppresses and curbs your appetite and boosts your metabolism in a healthy, all natural way” (website). This Solo Slim review will explore the ingredients contained in Solo Slim diet pills as well as reveal the cost and guarantee associated with Solo Slim to help you determine if this is the product for you.

Solo Slim Ingredients

Konjac Glucomannan has been proven to contribute to weight loss when taken in doses of 2-4 grams per day. Solo Slim fails to mention how much Glucomannan it contains, but it is very unlikely that it contains the necessary 2-4 grams per day.
Lotus Leaf Flavonoids and Alkaloids do not contribute to weight loss.
Fucoxanthin is what gives seaweed its brown color. It is an antioxidant. Many diet pills claim fucoxanthin significantly contributes to weight loss, but there is no scientific evidence to back up these claims.
Citrus Aurantium Synephrine is an excellent diet pill ingredient; it has been proven to contribute to weight loss. The important thing to note with synephrine is the concentration contained–the higher the concentration the better. Unfortunately, Solo Slim fails to list the concentration of synephrine it contains.
Hawthorne Hyperosides does nothing for weight loss.
L-Carnitine Tartrate does not cause weight loss.
Decaffinated Green Tea will not cause weight loss. While green tea has been proven to contribute to weight loss when taken in doses of 300 mg per day, it is only because of the caffeine it contains. Therefore, this Solo Slim review finds green tea with no caffeine will do nothing for weight loss.
You will note that Solo Slim diet pills do actually contain some effective ingredients. However, since they fail to list how much of each ingredient is included, there is no way of knowing how effective Solo Slim will be.

Solo Slim Cost

Solo Slim diet pills cost $39.99 per month. While this is not especially expensive for a diet pill, it is still too much considering there is no way of knowing if there is enough of any ingredient to contribute to weight loss.

Solo Slim Guarantee

Solo Slim does offer a 30 day, money back guarantee. Unfortunately, 30 days is not long enough. We prefer a 90 day guarantee so you can really know how a product works (or doesn’t work) before returning it.

Solo Slim Conclusion

So, the question is will Solo Slim diet pills cause weight loss? The answer: maybe. There simply isn’t enough information on the amount of each ingredient included in Solo Slim. If you are looking for a diet pill that will give you the weight loss results you are looking for, go with one that includes proven ingredients in the necessary amounts.

I know. You’ve heard it a million times. Test your smoke alarms. But have you actually tested them or did you check it off that mental to do list because you planned to test them?  Alarms are only as good as the batteries you have in them. If they’re dead, the alarms are worthless.

It has always been important to have working smoke alarms in our homes, but the economy has made them even more essential. A Baltimore man who perished in a house fire may have done so simply because budget cuts slowed down emergency personnel response times. The firefighters had to come from a firehouse that wasn’t closed instead of the nearby firehouse, which was closed for the night to save money. If you hate to test your alarms or seem to always forget to do so, consider having several hardwired alarms installed in your home to back up the battery operated models.

Another important alarm for your home is a carbon monoxide detector. These detectors can alert you to dangerous leaks or malfunctioning equipment. We installed ours shortly after we discovered that my grandparents had a close call with a faulty water heater. They had no idea that carbon monoxide was filling their home. Fortunately, the water heater started to leak and the service person they called in discovered the gas problem in time.

Do you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors? If so, do you test your battery operated models?

Photo: K Thomas

Post from: Blisstree

Home Safety – Alarm It

The fight for what our kids eat continues to rage on. The battle has moved from the home to  school lunch rooms, fast food restaurants and grocery store shelves. Fresh versus frozen. Organic and local versus imported produce. Natural versus artificially sweetened beverages.

There’s no denying that we all care about what our kids consume. Yesterday, Children’s director of the Optimal Weight for Life Program, David Ludwig, MD, PhD, wrote a piece expressing concern about the widespread use of artificial sweeteners in soft drinks. (The Washinton Post recently featured Dr. Ludwig on this topic. Also read more of Dr. Ludwig’s articles on children’s health here.)

This week there have been several news stories concerning the foods and beverages our children consume.

• Activists have persuaded many schools across the country to stop serving chocolate milk because of its sugar content. To fight the chocolate milk ban, the dairy industry has launched the “Raise Your Hand for Chocolate Milk” campaign that has on online petition and its own Facebook page and Twitter following.
• General Mills has made a public commitment to reduce the amount sugar in its cereal advertised to children. This will affect 10 products.
• A USA Today investigation has found that school lunches are worse than fast food. According to the investigation, “In the past three years, the government has provided the nation’s schools with millions of pounds of beef and chicken that wouldn’t meet the quality or safety standards of many fast-food restaurants, from Jack in the Box and other burger places to chicken chains such as KFC.” Watch this CNN interview with USA Today reporters.

As a parent, how do you balance your child’s diet? Any simple tips for getting your kids to eat well while not turning “junk food” into the forbidden fruit?

Related posts:

1. How local goverments can help kids be healthier
2. This week on Thrive: Dec. 7 – 11
3. Back to school: A new report card to measure if your child is obese?

Filed under: Classics, Performance, Auctions

1964 Shelby Cobra 427 Prototype – Click above for high-res image gallery

January is just a short few weeks away, and along with the Detroit Auto Show, that means classic car auctions to us automotive types. The televised circus of Barrett-Jackson and the more reserved auction houses of Russo and Steele and RM will be hoping to empty the pockets of those automotive aficionados who still have money left to burn after more than a year of tough economic times.

With most of the lists of cars being finalized for each auction, the highlight of the weekend will likely be a 1964 Shelby Cobra 427 that will be offered to the highest bidder at RM’s sale at the Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. While just about any Cobra merits attention, this particular one is the actual prototype for the legendary 427 Cobras. Nicknamed the “Flip-Top” for its clam shell design, the car actually competed at tracks like Riverside, Sebring, and Nassau, and has an extensive vintage racing history.

RM doesn’t provide an estimate, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see the final bid easily reach seven figures. You can read a short description of the car after the jump or browse the high-res gallery below provided by RM.

[Source: RM Auctions]

Continue reading 1964 Shelby Cobra 427 prototype to be auctioned by RM in January

1964 Shelby Cobra 427 prototype to be auctioned by RM in January originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Many products and brands will come and go, but there are certain ones that will remain a constant in our lives.  Lenox is one of those brands.  When I hear the name Lenox, it takes me back to my childhood.  I recall times of hearing about crystal clocks, Christmas china, and beautiful collectables.  Lenox has become a trusted name in home design.  For this reason, I was pleased when I was asked to review the Lenox 12 Days of Christmas dessert plates and mugs. Each 12 Days of Christmas mug and dessert plate bears a different design inspired by the popular Christmas carol, and is accented with holiday holly berry and garland.  The collection is crafted of Lenox ivory fine porcelain and includes a nice box that could be used for gift giving and storage.

Post from: Blisstree

Lenox Christmas China Review & Giveaway

And now here we have a good sign, which contradicts some other, more negative data:

Marketwatch: Consumer sentiment improved markedly in early December, according to media reports on Friday of the Reuters/University of Michigan index.

The consumer sentiment index rose to 73.4 in early December from 67.4 in November. The increase was larger than expected.

Read the whole thing >>

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Consumer Credit Falls For Ninth Straight Month
• Recovery? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? US Consumer Is A Disaster
• Consumer Confidence Rises 0.8% In November

Today, there was some limited progress on a few implementation issues which are largely peripheral to the main obstacles to a consensus agreement.  Most of the work was done behind closed doors by separate working groups.

In the morning session, intellectual property protection was a major focus as developing countries insisted on the free flow of new climate friendly technologies while R&D companies feared the conversion and cloning of their intellectual property.  In addition, scientists discussed in various briefings the implications of deforestation.

India and China continue to oppose ‘targets’ for emissions reductions.  Indeed, the Chief Negotiator for the G-77 walked out amid developing countries frustrations.  At this point, one possibility openly discussed is a political agreement among most developed countries only.  The divide between developed and developing countries continues to center on funding, defined emissions reductions targets, and the transfer of technologies.  Unfortunately, even in closed door sessions, posturing dominates over any actual concessions.  Indeed, there was so little consensus that even the stream of competing drafts dwindled to a trickle.

The Conference had a frenetic atmosphere as an avalanche of people converged on the Bella Center.  Already, Conference organizers have started to consider new volume control measures as worries mount that the facility will reach capacity beginning early next week.  Enhanced security amidst expected protests and the arrival of world leaders have complicated the capacity issue.

Much of today's positive +1.3% November retail sales growth was indeed caused by a huge 6% jump in gasoline station sales, as shown below.

Data from here:

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Stocks Muted Despite Huge Retail Sales Surprise
• Deutsche Bank: Bad Weather Does Not Explain The November Retail Debacle
• November To December Retail Sales Dropoff Is Worse Than In 2008