ScienceDaily (Apr. 3, 2011) — A lack of vitamin D, even in generally healthy people, is linked with stiffer arteries and an inability of blood vessels to relax, research from the Emory/Georgia Tech Predictive Health Institute has found.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Men need not apply
MANCESSION UPDATE: looking at the BLS numbers: “The unemployment rate among men 20 years and older dropped only because the male labor force dropped by 31,000. Those employed barely rose by 4,000. Contrast with stats for women 20 years and older below. The labor pool for women rose by 96,000. The number of employed women rose by 247,000 vs. 4,000 for men. Thus, improvement in Friday’s jobs numbers came entirely from women, at least according to the household survey.”
Babies And Dogs ...From Paris
April 3rd, 2011 by Pamela Wallace
"Sheriff deputies reported finding 22-month-old Tyler Jacobson alive and well after missing over night. His best buddy might be the reason for the happy ending...
Searchers found little Tyler about a quarter of a mile from his home, cold and scared, but none-the-worse for wear. Along with Tyler searchers also found his “best buddy” trotting along with him. His dog, a mixed Labrador retriever apparently had gone missing with him, though searchers were never informed of this by Jacobson.
“To tell you the truth, that dog is what kept him alive,” Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews told The State on Saturday.
Timeless Lace ...From Paris
Lace is timeless.
Violet Trends, Continued ...From Paris
This photo of Marloes Horst in her trendy violet swimsuit, is much prettier.
Dining out getting more expensive.
The cost of beef has gone through the roof, coffee prices are at a 13-year high, and even produce grown right here in California is more expensive than usual. Grocery prices rose by more than 1 1/2 times the overall rate of inflation in 2010, according to government statistics, and economists predict that it will be even worse this year. For months consumers have grappled with higher prices at the supermarket, while restaurateurs pulled out every kitchen trick they could to absorb food inflation costs. Well, the party is over. Experts say restaurant-goers can expect to see as much as an 8 percent increase in their checks.
He is right. It will be revised upward and it is terrible where it is at.
Krugman warns not to celebrate last week's unemployment data: 'It's still terrible'
Liberal Nobel Prize-winning New York Times columnist not as hopeful about economy despite unemployment rate dropping to 8.8 percent
Rose by any other name is not always a rose.
People with Norman names wealthier than other Britons
People with "Norman" surnames like Darcy and Mandeville are still wealthier than the general population 1,000 years after their descendants conquered Britain, according to a study into social progress.
Research shows that the descendants of people who in 1858 had "rich" surnames such as Percy and Glanville, indicating they were descended from the French nobility, are still substantially wealthier in 2011 than those with traditionally "poor" or artisanal surnames. Artisans are defined as skilled manual workers.
GOOD QUESTION
IS IT TIME TO GET OUT OF AFGHANISTAN
I think it is. In the aftermath of September 11, we had no choice but to overthrow the Taliban, destroy al Qaeda's training centers and kill and scatter as many al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists as possible. We did that, brilliantly. Bin Laden escaped by the skin of his teeth, but al Qaeda has never recovered from that initial devastation.
Since then, for going on nine years, we have pursued a somewhat half-hearted peacekeeping/democracy policy in Afghanistan. The Bush administration was right, I think, not to devote excessive resources to Afghanistan, which is virtually without strategic significance compared with countries like Iran, Iraq and Egypt. Moreover, the country's human natural and human raw material could hardly be less promising.
Study: Candy eaters slimmer than non-candy eaters
Chocolate lovers should enjoy this one.
Those with a sweet tooth might not need to feel so guilty about admitting it. People who eat candy and chocolate tend to have smaller waists, weigh less and have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who don't indulge in these treats, a new study says.
In addition, candy and chocolate consumers had a 14 percent lower risk of elevated blood pressure and a 15 percent decreased risk of having metabolic syndrome — a collection of symptoms that put people at risk for heart disease and stroke. However, the results do not suggest that eating candy helps you lose pounds, the researchers say. Rather, it may be that candy consumers exercise more to make up for the additional calories they're taking in.
Totally Trendy Tortoise Shell ...From Paris
 |
| There is something comforting and classic about tortoise shell accessories; Gift of the Magi elegant. Watch for this trend in sunglasses, hair accessories and handles for bags. |
BP to start deepwater drilling again in Gulf
The London-based oil giant promised to abide by rules that are stricter than guidelines set after the April 20, 2010, blast on the Deepwater Horizon rig that killed 11 workers, The Financial Times and The Sunday Times of London reported. The accident, which released almost 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, was the largest marine spill in U.S. history.
Best Selling Playboy Issue: November 1972
The best-selling Playboy edition was the November 1972 edition, which sold 7,161,561 copies.
New M5. I am a big BMW M5 fan, but this one looks, well, Japanese
SPY PHOTOS
This is the new BMW M5
Ray Wert — Well, it's the 2012 BMW M5 concept anyway (of a car we already drove!). BMW held a private unveil of the BMW M5 concept to a select few journalists in Munich, Germany this week and somehow these shots leaked out.Thank you Yossarian; A year ago we were 7 millionth in the world. Today we are closing in on 3 millionth. Thank each of you for taking the time to look at us.
Dailybrisk.com's three-month global Alexa traffic rank is 3,166,668. We estimate that 80% of visitors to the site come from the US, where it has attained a traffic rank of 530,925
 3,166,668Alexa Traffic Rank  |  530,925Traffic Rank in US |
Iodine and Health
There is growing evidence that Americans would have better health and a lower incidence of cancer and fibrocystic disease of the breast if they consumed more iodine. A decrease in iodine intake coupled with an increased consumption of competing halogens, fluoride and bromide, has created an epidemic of iodine deficiency in America.
People in the U.S. consume an average 240 micrograms (µg) of iodine a day. In contrast, people in Japan consume more than 12 milligrams (mg) of iodine a day (12,000 µg), a 50-fold greater amount. They eat seaweed, which include brown algae (kelp), red algae (nori sheets, with sushi), and green algae (chlorella). Compared to terrestrial plants, which contain only trace amounts of iodine (0.001 mg/gm), these marine plants have high concentrations of this nutrient (0.5—8.0 mg/gm). When studied in 1964, Japanese seaweed consumption was found to be 4.5 grams (gm) a day and that eaten had a measured iodine concentration of 3.1 mg/gm of seaweed (= 13.8 mg of iodine). According to public health officials, mainland Japanese now consume 14.5 gm of seaweed a day (= 45 mg of iodine, if its iodine content, not measured, remains unchanged). Researchers have determined that residents on the coast of Hokkaido eat a quantity of seaweed sufficient to provide a daily iodine intake of 200 mg a day. Saltwater fish and shellfish contain iodine, but one would have to eat 15—25 pounds of fish to get 12 mg of iodine.
Health comparisons between the two countries are disturbing. The incidence of breast cancer in the U.S. is the highest in the world, and in Japan, until recently, the lowest. Japanese women who emigrate from Japan or adopt a Western style diet have a higher rate of breast cancer compared with those that consume seaweed. Life expectancy in the U.S. is 77.85 years, 48th in 226 countries surveyed. It is 81.25 years in Japan, the highest of all industrialized countries and only slightly behind the five leaders — Andorra, Macau, San Marino, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The infant mortality rate in Japan is the lowest in the world, 3.5 deaths under age one per 1,000 live births, half the infant mortality rate in the United States.
APFemale Sex Symbol over Female Leaders
There’s a Simple Reason Why Our Society Still Values Female Sex Symbols More Than Female Leaders
Sex and Power: Our society still values female sex symbols more than female leaders. The pace of change is too slow.
More to the point, why is it that, “our society still values female sex symbols more than female leaders?”
Here’s a radical suggestion: Our society values female sex symbols more than female leaders because THAT’S WHAT WOMEN VALUE. Put another way, most women believe that being Elizabeth Taylor is more likely to get them the things they want in life than being Geraldine Ferraro. They’re probably right about that, by the way. The world is a beautiful woman’s oyster.
A reader asks the logical question
My wife asked, "Is anyone concerned that the man in this picture gets to wear protective head gear, the women have to wear scarves? What happens if they are fired upon? What about safety first?" Does anyone have an answer? While reading the reactions to the story, even Americans seem to be more concerned over the "we're turning into Islam" rather than we are putting our women at risk. Where is the outrage?
Mickey goes Chinese
Reuters
Walt Disney Co. on Friday will break ground on a new theme park and resort in Shanghai, according to people familiar with the matter, after years of red tape and negotiations with the Chinese government.
The groundbreaking ceremony follows Disney's recent receipt of final approval from the Chinese central government to move ahead with its long-gestating plans for the 963-acre park and resort. That is about 1/26th the size of the 40-square-mile Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.
'Spring Pools'...From Paris
These pools that, though in forests, still reflect
The total sky almost without defect,
And like the flowers beside them, chill and shiver,
Will like the flowers beside them soon be gone,
And yet not out by any brook or river,
But up by roots to bring dark foliage on.
The trees that have it in their pent-up buds
To darken nature and be summer woods --
Let them think twice before they use their powers
To blot out and drink up and sweep away
These flowery waters and these watery flowers
From snow that melted only yesterday.
Defense of Nukes. Not really the best time, but if we had continued to build nukes there would be a lot less CO2.
The graph below compares our actual CO2 output in blue with the higher output we would produce if our handful of nuclear plants were replaced with coal plants in green. In red we see the lower output if planned nuclear plants had been built instead of strangled in red tape. The purple line indicates the still lower output if instead of wringing our hands about the fanciful "China syndrome," we had been responsible enough to build a nuclear infrastructure like energy-exporting France did:
A New Conspiracy Theory (If you know TV reporters, there is an easier explanation)
Are U.S. government microwave mind-control tests causing TV presenters' brains to melt down?
By Tom Leonard
A bizarre spate of television presenters dissolving into on-air gibberish has sparked claims that the U.S. military could be to blame.
Oldest Picture of Christ?
Is this the first ever portrait of Jesus? The incredible story of 70 ancient books hidden in a cave for nearly 2,000 years
The image is eerily familiar: a bearded young man with flowing curly hair. After lying for nearly 2,000 years hidden in a cave in the Holy Land, the fine detail is difficult to determine. But in a certain light it is not difficult to interpret the marks around the figure’s brow as a crown of thorns.
The extraordinary picture of one of the recently discovered hoard of up to 70 lead codices – booklets – found in a cave in the hills overlooking the Sea of Galilee is one reason Bible historians are clamouring to get their hands on the ancient artefacts.
If genuine, this could be the first-ever portrait of Jesus Christ, possibly even created in the lifetime of those who knew him.
U.S. economy "sugar rush"
One Brit's take on the U.S. economy: The latest “flow of funds” data from the Federal Reserve shows that “deleveraging is over”. In other words, banks are now lending again. During the final three months of 2010, while consumer credit fell by a net $20bn, this was more than offset by a $99bn rise in net corporate borrowing. For Wall Street’s commission-based optimists, many of them with a mountain of stocks to sell, and their own home loans and credit card bills to service, such credit growth is Exhibit A when it comes to making the case that America is now out of the economic woods. If only it were so. The trouble with this latest US recovery is that it amounts to little more than an economic “sugar-rush”. The recent growth-burst is built on monetary and fiscal policies which are wildly expansionary, wholly unsustainable and will surely soon come to an end. When the sugar-rush is over, and it won’t be long, the US will end up with a serious economic headache. Investors should keep that in mind.
Campaign Money Hypocrite in Chief
From the Washington Post: President Obama is kicking off his 2012 reelection campaign with a concerted push for help from wealthy donors and liberal groups unbound by spending limits. The strategy — which could begin in earnest as early as Monday with the formation of an official presidential committee — suggests a notable shift in emphasis for a president who has long decried the outsize role of money in politics. To paraphrase the President: "I mean, I do think at a certain point you've RAISED enough money."
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