Staged Window

Staged

Window

Gefilte Fish

tup.per.wa.re

Gwerpin

ten minute self portrait with MS Paint 101

ten minutes? probably more like 30.

or maybe 45

It's kind of mihaly.csikszentmihalyi.lian

to lose track of time

Stereotype A

Meet Jim.

Jim is a real man.

Notice his big arms, bushy beard, and steely gaze.

Jim has high blood pressure.

Tehran Sprawl

Join the Green Conservative Party Today!

Where Conservative ideology blends with Conservationist ideology

We believe that the best way to protect the environment is through the all-natural boom and bust cycle of a Free Market Economy® !

Study lead author Pierre Friedlingstein and his colleagues said that there was a direct correlation between the recent financial market collapse and the 1.3 percent decrease in global emissions from 2008 to 2009.

® Free Market Economy is a registered trademark of the Green Conservative Party.  The words Free Market, however are in no way meant to imply a market left to the so-called invisible hand.  We believe, instead, that the economy can be aggressively stimulated in various key industries such as Green Technology and Consumer Credit that will inevitably result in market collapses and decreases in global carbon emissions.

Not fit to print

Pith and Dribble

here's a game i like to play

i take the pea sized bundle of conviction
(the burning glow of certainty)
and i subject it to articulate debaters
and watch the gluey gullible glow
stick to one position
then another
twack twack twack
until it turns into a cold marble
of balanced, rational uncertainty

 

*

 

i mount my soap box chair
hands ready at the keyboad
preparing to pontificate
on some topic current and noble
but my ideas are skeletal
and need to be fleshed out
so i look up this and read about that
and the pithy sound bites fall apart
leaving muddy mumblings about
how complicated the issue is

 

Monochromatic Markers

the gaia-invisible-hand hypothesis

bad food in, bad feeling out

Good for Them!

again, i feel the drop

hearing these he.she.its spit

from stage to mic to itunes

to ipod to my head

i hear the spit

and i sink

i drop

i turn away

and bare fluorescent lights flick on

drowning out the mood-light in my head

the harsh light reveals harsh reality

that these kids are not me

that they may like to hear the spit

and the bombastic transparencies

hurled out like something brave

and audacious

as they stand before their like-minded siblings

and permute like-minded sententiousness

good for them!

for them!

not for me.

i must be getting old

because i really have heard it before

even the same structure

the same contrived hipster voices

the funky soulful whatever

contrived.

just young people mating

sending out their whale songs

good for them!

that's cool

they're cool

i'm not.

Fwd: postin up

listening to pri about the 60s 
something came to me, some connection
can't remember right now
mbti, change of beat movement
ah! radicalism, activism 
versus hip society! 
different groups of people
the activist start
then the sensualist follow
where do i fall?
outside of both bubbles, i imagine
neither group would have me
or i wouldn't have them
too dead for activism
too square for hipsterism
instead, i sit by the reflecting pool
full of philo-sophomoric narcissism

piss and shit

gas in my bowels

lead in my veins

cloudy overcast day

cloudy overcast mind

aspiration for life

does not exist

in articulated form

vaguely stupid images

of neanderthal strongman

with artistic bend

pumping out paintings

a steady stream of poems

simpleton, simple man

compulsive sketcher, painter

 

Auf dich!

i dont care about art

(thats a lie)

what i really care about is cool

about the feeling of cool

of something enviable

like damn, i wish id done that first

(i still could  

and maybe people wouldnt notice!)

(naw, thats cheap, 

a lie that would feel like shit)

so i am checking people out 

and making judgments

like, look at him!

thats kind of cool

sort of a dark, manly hulk look

got his own ideas 

aint afraid of living his way

(although hes going to die 

for being so fat!)

black shirt. thats cool

and look at her!

but shes trying too hard

wasnt she a model?

and now she is shadowing him

i know him, hes a dork

(he was all about being cool)

she (literally) has to stoop to his level

(i see her in my minds eye stooping)

and there again

another case of cool

(im all about cool) 

(it just happens to look like art sometimes

artsy or independent, thinking)

but this guy, hes goofy

i mean, hes fun, not dark

but doing his own things

happily popping out tricks

and grunging down his own path

making it look cute and casual

but check it out!

hes got product

hes got resume 

thats something cooler than

despondent, moping, apathy

das ist cool, man

wirklich cool!

Auf dich!

First Search Result in Flickr

In an attempt to find something interesting, I searched Flickr for "art" and found Ben Heine.  I am most impressed with how prolific he is - lots of art.  Lots of variations on certain themes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/benheine/

npd

This just in:

It is no longer "Narcissistic Personality Disorder", it is "personality disorder with narcissistic and manipulative traits"

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/health/views/30mind.html

Food and Livin

Rambling about caloric restriction... there is a lot of recent research out there that makes the caloric restriction diet questionable.

Eat less or Don't change a thing or Eat Less Protein?

there are two major influences on IGF-1 levels: calorie intake and protein intake.

... recent findings suggest lowering protein also might be important to longevity

I suspect that those great endurance athletes with phenomenal VO2 maximums have a price to pay. All that mitochondrial activity leads to increased oxidative stress and accelerated aging or age related illnesses.

The Sirt3 enzyme ...acts on mitochondria, structures inside cells that produce energy and that are the sources of highly reactive forms of oxygen known as free radicals, which damage cells and promote the effects of aging.

Another speculation: Weightlifters and bodybuilders beware - all that ramped up protein synthesis could be killing you. As a gym rat who defaulted into bodybuilding just to have some sense of progress, I have been sensitive to the idea that all this increased metabolism and cellular activity is essentially burning my gene candles at both ends. We only have a limited number of cell divisions before the telomeres run out unless telomerase is increased - which it is through "exercise". The question is whether cardio training is superior to resistance training in upregulating telomerase activity. Also, does increased protein consumption negate the benefits?

IGF-1 is a key hormone for weightlifters, but it has a complex set of pros and cons regarding cancers and aging.

Speed of Expansion of the Universe

Apparently the universe is expanding (at least) almost as fast as the speed of light.

velocity = distance / time

= 13.1 billion light-years / 13.75 billion years = 0.953 times the speed of light

Given:

a) The estimated age of the universe is 13.75 ± 0.17 billion years,^[1] the time since the Big Bang.

b) ...new observations have spotted the most distant galaxy ever seen. The galaxy’s light comes from about 13.1 billion light-years away

But, apparently, this is grossly over simplified (ie, Half-Baked):

Is the universe expanding faster than the speed of light?

Snobflation

Snobbery induced inflation...

Why buy something cheap and convenient when everyone else can too? Better to buy something that shows your buying power! You should always buy the best you can afford because - what would people think?!

Nano cars may be super cheap, but that's like buying obviously cheap clothes, jewelry, watches, etc - people will think you have neither style nor money!

On the grand scale, however, does this attitude actually drive up prices in general? I am sure it has an effect on conspicuous goods, but probably less so on goods that are not revealed as some sort of fiscal fitness indicator. So cars, clothes, jewelry, organic foods, and houses might be subject to competitive snobflation (I'm better than the common rift-raft - I'm with the got-it-together crowd), but behind-the-scenes water, phone, and electric bills might not be driven up by the inflation of keeping up with the Smiths

Faith Healing, Organics, and Libertarianism

Trust me, what is natural is what is best.

All the modern problems are the result of meddling where we shouldn't.

Take it from the bibly, God will take care of you and meet your needs!

Natural food is healthy!

Economic intervention is evil!

No more medicine!

No more increased crop yields!

No more government!

Let the invisible hand of Gaia cure all of our ills!

The good Lord, organic food (and medicine!), and the economy are all self-regulating systems that will take care of themselves if we let them.

Power of the dark side

From today's Globe and Mail Social Studies:

 

"In a new study, Harvard University researchers suggest moral actions may increase our capacity for willpower and physical endurance," Rick Nauert reports for Psych Central News. "Study participants who did good deeds – or even just imagined themselves helping others – were better able to perform a subsequent task of physical endurance. However, the research also shows a similar or even greater boost in physical strength following dastardly deeds. Researcher Kurt Gray, a doctoral student in psychology at Harvard, explains these effects as a self-fulfilling prophecy in morality. 'People perceive those who do good and evil to have more efficacy, more willpower and less sensitivity to discomfort,' Gray says. 'By perceiving themselves as good or evil, people embody these perceptions, actually becoming more capable of physical endurance.' "

Thought du jour

"There is no reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil. The triumph of anything is a matter of organization. If there are such things as angels, I hope they are organized along the lines of the Mafia."

– Kurt Vonnegut

Gravity

The bug and I were racing to fall the fastest from a park bench.

I think she won.

Energy inefficiency

Snippets of dry verbiage that leave an interesting aftertaste...

 

Topic: Energy efficiency and consumption (taken directly from Wikipedia)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox

 

...attempts to reduce energy consumption by increasing energy efficiency would simply raise demand for energy in the economy as a whole.
...that improvements in energy efficiency work to increase, rather than decrease, energy consumption – the Khazzoom-Brookes Postulate

 

First, increased energy efficiency makes the use of energy relatively cheaper, thus encouraging increased use (the rebound effect).

Second, increased energy efficiency leads to increased economic growth, which pulls up energy use for the whole economy.

At the microeconomic level (looking at an individual market), even with the rebound effect, improvements in energy efficiency usually result in reduced energy consumption.[4] That is, the rebound effect is usually less than 100%. However, at the macroeconomic level, more efficient (and hence comparatively cheaper) energy use leads to faster economic growth, that in turn increases energy use throughout the economy. Taking into account both the microeconomic and the macroeconomic effects, technological progress that improves energy efficiency will tend to increase overall energy use.

 

~~  I can almost hear the evil laughter.

First ride of the year - March 28, 2010

Kanata Lakes

First ride of the year - March 28, 2010

First ride on xam

~2.5 hours

Need to increase rear shock pressure to over 200 psi

 

Thurs Feb 18 Workout

Purchased a 2008 19" Jamis XAM 1.0 today. An all-mountain tank of a bike. Should be fun.

Thursday's workout was legs

5 minutes on the elliptical (great for getting rid of any low-key mood you might be in - just show up, warm up, and you're in the groove)

Squats

10 reps 135 warmup

10 reps 225

6 reps 315

8 reps 315

15 reps 135 (post strength wo pump set - elevates GH, lactic acid, etc for greater strength improvements (International Journal of Sport and Health Science Vol.2, 111-118, 2004))

Straight leg deadlifts

10 reps 135

10 reps 225

Lying leg curls (machine)

5 reps 60 (warmup)

10 reps 205

8 reps 205

8 reps 180

Leg extensions (machine)

3 reps 80 (test warmup)

10 reps 305

10 reps 305

8 reps 305

Weighted crunches (machine)

10 r 180

10 r 180

(the idea is to cycle through lower weight incremented up to the machine max of 205 - so that you get progressive load, despite the fact that the machine is limited)

Workout for Feb 17, 2010

This is fairly typical of my upper body workouts lately. A little too long - begging to be split into chest/tri and back/bi. But this would push me into a 6 day/week workout:

Sun - legs
Mon - chest/tri
Tue - back/bi
Wed- legs
Thur - chest/tri
Fri or Sat - back/bi


5 minutes on elliptical
10 r bb underhand row 135
6 r " 205
6 r " 175
10 r inclined bb bench 135
10 r " 175
10 r " 175
8 r " 175
3 x 10 cable row 90
10 r db shoulder press 65
6 r " 65
8 r " 55
3 x 6 r close-grip pull-up 45
2 x 10 r dip 45
2 x 10 db rear lateral raise 40
6 r db lateral raise 30
2 x 10 r " 20
3 x 10 r db shoulder shrugs 95
3 x 10 r lat pull down 80
5 min elliptical
Total time ~ 70 minutes

r = repetitions
bb = bar bell
db = dumbbell

Mardi Gras

My posts have gone from economics and biology to pure babble about working out. I fear for my brain cell.

Nonetheless, how exciting is it to hear that I am a whopping 230 lbs? Appropriate for Fat Tuesday, eh?

My workout today consisted of:

5 minutes on the elliptical

1 set (10 reps) of squat at 135

1 set (10 reps) at 225

6 reps at 295

8 reps at 295

15 reps at 135

3 sets (10 reps) of lying hamstring curls at 175

1 set (6 reps) single leg incline press with 4 x 45 plates

2 sets (10 reps) with 8 x 45 plates

10 leg extensions at 220

8 at 305

8 at 305

experimented with single dumbbell deadlifts - goofy exercise

5 minutes on the elliptical

Total time ~ 45 minutes

Exciting

Volumizing

The secret: Volume + occasional HIT = Volumization

 

I enjoy working out - it is physically satisfying, but it is not fun - I do not laugh or even socialize.

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger: It's as satisfying to me as, uh, coming is, you know? As, ah, having sex with a woman and coming. And so can you believe how much I am in heaven? I am like, uh, getting the feeling of coming in a gym, I'm getting the feeling of coming at home, I'm getting the feeling of coming backstage when I pump up, when I pose in front of 5,000 people, I get the same feeling, so I am coming day and night. I mean, it's terrific. Right? So you know, I am in heaven.

 

 

CNS Fatigue

Stealing from the www.exrx.net forum... as a reminder to myself -

 

1. Olympic lifts, ballistic exercises, speed lifts with 45-55% of maximum, plyometrics, and jumps and bounds

 STOP When the speed of movement decreases.

 

2. Deadlifts (and variations), goodmornings (and variations), squats (and variations), lunges and step-ups, free-weight pressing (overhead, incline, flat, decline, and dips), and free-weight/cable pulling (vertical and horizontal)

 STOP: One to two reps short of failure.

 

[ I go to failure on all sets and feel like dead toad on hot asphalt]

 

3. Machine pressing and pulling, chest isolation work, quadriceps isolation work, hamstrings isolation work, lower back isolation work, and abdominal work

 Go to failure on at least one set per exercise; you can go to failure on all sets.

 

4. Biceps isolation work, triceps isolation work, traps isolation work, calves isolation work, and forearms isolation work Very low Go to failure on all sets.

 You can go past the point of failure (drop sets, rest/pause, etc.) on one to two sets per exercise.

Complexities

I think this is a beautiful illustration of the complexity of biological processes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A_thaliana_metabolic_network.png

"Metabolic network showing the links between enzymes and metabolites that interact with the Arabidopsis TCA cycle KEGG classification M00009. Enzymes and metabolites are the nodes (red), interactions are the lines. In total, 43 enzymes and 40 metabolites are shown. Created on Cytoscape using data from VirtualPlant 0.9."

Pump sets

Following the logic of Kaatsu training, I suspect that one or two light sets (50% 1RM) following a high intensity set (75-90% 1RM) would have good hypertrophic effects.

True to my non-scientific roots, I looked for evidence to support my hunch (as opposed to evidence to refute it):

http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ijshs/2/0/2_111/_article

...results indicated that performing a single set of exercise at low intensity added after a strength-type regimen caused a significant increase in GH concentration. 

I experimented with this yesterday - a warm-up set, 60 second rest, working set (80% 1RM), 30 second rest, "pump set" (50% 1RM), 30 second rest, "pump set" (50% 1RM)

While the study indicated that a 50% 1RM set after a strength-set worked better than standard strength-type workouts, I am not sure if it works better than hypertrophy-type workouts (multiple sets at > 70% 1RM)

The increase in serum growth hormones seems to taper off quickly from about 5 ng/ml for 20% to 7 for 30% to 7.5 for 50%.  I suspect that 60% 1RM would result in something like 7.6 ng/ml.

Japanese Kaatsu Training

Japanese Kaatsu training ?!

http://drsquat.com/content/kaatsu-training

It seems to work because it restricts blood flow similar to anaerobic intensities.

quotes from http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/100/5/1443

... one issue on which applied exercise physiologists and molecular biologists have agreed: to obtain substantial hypertrophy from a resistance training program, the target muscles must be subjected to substantially increased load. Therefore, the American College of Sports Medicine recommended that, during resistance training, the load should exceed 70% of the one repetition maximum to achieve maximum hypertrophy

...resistance training with shorter rest periods between sets results in greater hypertrophy than the same training program with long rest periods (but the same total mechanical work)

There is no doubt that resistance training with restricted flow would amplify high-energy phosphate depletion and lactic acid production compared with training at the same load with normal flow. In fact, insofar as there is a good correlation between high-energy phosphate depletion and acid production vs. load during resistance exercises (20), the recommendation that hypertrophy requires a load >70% of one repetition maximum might just as well be recast as a recommendation that the training must result in substantial anaerobic metabolism.

from http://drsquat.com/content/kaatsu-training

When the muscle is under tension, blood flow is cut off. Thus, Chris Thibaudeau recommends performing a resistance movement of "never allowing the muscles to relax during the set (always flexing as hard as possible during every inch of every rep) with 50-60% of the maximum performed to failure, led to oxygen levels of 23-24%."
Source: Stimulate More Muscle Growth [http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1641547]

The constant tension on the muscle shutting down blood floow. Once the sete is complete, a blood surges to the muscle.

Another method that will "occlude" blood flow to the muscle is an isometric action. The constant tension of the muscle occludes blood flow. David Barr's "Anabolic Pump Training" goes into this. [http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1555945]

Barr also recommends the iscoemtric action be follow with low high reps with a light load.

"Once all heavy work on a muscle is completed, lighter sets are performed with higher reps. Because the muscle is already stressed by the first part of the workout, it's primed to receive the extra nutritive blood flow that the high reps will induce. "

Undulating Periodization

Based on various articles I've read on http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez, I'm thinking about switching to a program that varies more frequently.  Instead of keeping at a specified intensity for one week, I will change intensity for each workout.  More variation seems to work better.

Sample Protocol for Daily Undulating Periodizatoin (DUP)

M: 3-5 RM loads (90% 1RM); W: 8-10 RM loads (75% 1RM); F: 12-15 RM loads (65% 1RM)

In studies using similar males subjects and training programs, Rhea et al . (2002) reported 

improvements about 28. 78% in undulating group and 14.37% in linear group, while Baker et 

al. (1994) obtained 16.4% in undulating group and 11. 6% in linear group. 

It also seems like I need to switch to a multiple set program (3 sets per exercise) for hypertrophy, but this would take too much time for a full body workout.  What should I do?

One solution it to focus on aerobic power for my legs (2 sets) and hypertrophy for my upper body (3 sets, 30-second rest).  I want my legs to perform well for cycling and xc-skiing while I want my upper body to get bigger.  Therefore I will use a much higher rep range for my legs for two sets per workout and multiple sets in a DUP fashion for my upper body.

Legs:

A high repetition group (High Rep, n = 7) performing 20-28 RM for two sets with 1 min rest

The High Rep group appeared better adapted for submaximal, prolonged contractions, with significant increases after training in aerobic power and time to exhaustion.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12436270?log$=activity

Upper:

For loading, it is recommended that loads corresponding to 1-12 RM be used in periodized fashion with emphasis on the 6-12 RM zone using 1- to 2-min rest periods between sets at a moderate velocity. Higher volume, multiple-set programs are recommended for maximizing hypertrophy.

Bigger is Better

Simple Rules of Thumb for Hypertrophy

1. Progressively increase your mechanical load
     For example follow an 11-week cycle such as this: week 1 - use 70% of your 1 rep max load; week 2 - 75%; 3- 80%; 4- 65%; 5-85%; 6-75%; 7-80%; 8-85%; 9-70%; 10- 90%; take a break

2. Full body workouts 3 times a week

3. One warm-up set followed by one working set for each exercise

4. Use compound exercises

5. Keep total workout time under 1 hour per session

6. Maintain a slow, 4-second pace for the eccentric contractions 

7. Eat a balanced, nutritious diet

***** But, see the American College of Sports Medicine Recommendations and Position Stand

They say:

4-5 days per week for advanced training.

Hypertrophy training

• 1-12 RM in periodized fashion
  • emphasis on the 6-12 RM zone
• 1- to 2-min rest periods between sets
• moderate contraction velocity
• higher volume, multiple-set programs

Examples of Complex Carbs

It is important for your immune system to have enough carbs, but too much blood glucose elevates your insulin levels and leads to fat or diabetes.

So, what are good sources of complex carbohydrates?

Looking at GI (Glycemic Index) tables, the line between sources of carbohydrates and sources of protein or fat are blurred...

If I were to pick one Low GI food to increase in my diet in order to increase my total carb intake, I think it would be parboiled or long-grain rice, but macaroni, whole wheat spaghetti and fettuccine are easy, workable choices too.

CHO

On the basis of the current scientific literature, it may be advisable for athletes who are performing high-volume resistance training to ingest carbohydrate supplements before, during, and immediately after resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2003 Feb;17(1):187-96.

exercise-induced immunosuppression

A very interesting article: http://www.nature.com/icb/journal/v78/n5/full/icb200076a.html

Prolonged exercise and heavy training are associated with depressed immune cell function.

Consuming carbohydrate during prolonged strenuous exercise attenuates rises in stress hormones and appears to limit the degree of exercise-induced immune depression. (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16572599)

An athlete exercising in a carbohydrate-depleted state experiences larger increases in circulating stress hormones and a greater perturbation of several immune function indices. Conversely, consuming carbohydrate during exercise attenuates rises in stress hormones such as cortisol and appears to limit the degree of exercise-induced immunosuppression, at least for non-fatiguing bouts of exercise.

(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11897880)

Command and Control Security

Down with command and control economies!

Down with command and control security!

Long live free enterprise security!

Poor economic conditions is to terrorism as poor use of antibiotics is to bacteria.

Is vitamin D used more with resistance training

It seems like intense exercise uses more vitamin D, as well as everything else, since

A)  Chemically, the various forms of vitamin D are secosteroids; i.e., steroids in which one of the bonds in the steroid rings is broken.^[11] 

11^ ^a b c About Vitamin D Including Sections: History, Nutrition, Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Diseases. University of California Riverside

B)  It is important for maintenance of calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood

C) Calcium is critical for muscle contraction

BUT, I can't seem to find anything to support this idea... or to contradict it, for that matter.

Fasting and insulin sensitivity

One way of thinking about muscle growth is that you are trying to make your muscles fat. Fat cells store energy - as do muscle cells; however energy from fat cells is for the slow burn while energy from muscle cells is for the quick burn.

In order to get fat muscle cells, you exercise to deplete their reserves anaerobically, then you replenish them. Part of the way in which muscles replenish is to become insulin sensitive and pump glycogen into the muscle cell fluid. Insulin sensitivity can be increased by exercise induced gylcogen depletion.

I was curious - Would fasting before an exhaustive workout increase the supercompensation of glycogen in muscle tissue? What would be the effects on insuline levels, insuline sensitivity, glycogen transport into muslce tissue.

Apparently, it is a bad idea to fast before exercise. Although fasting and exercise both increase insulin sensitivity (versus insulin resistance, or diabetic), fasting will just make you fat.

The data indicate that intermittent fasting and physical training may increase insulin action via different mechanisms because muscle energy stores did not change with the present fasting intervention. (J Appl Physiol 99: 2128-2136, 2005. )

In other words, fasting before exercise and then replenishing does not cause muscle cells to supercompensate (ie get bigger), but it does cause fat cells to supercompensate...

Less than 20 percent

I can't seem to find the source to this quote from http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Toning.html

"Evidence suggests that less than 20 percent of men, and very few women, can develop large muscles, even if they wanted to, regardless of what program they follow."

But, I've found 20 or so instances of plagiarism on other sites...

a book, a cd

http://www.exrx.net/Store/HL/FitProMusculoskeletalAnat.html

Fitness Professional's Guide to Musculoskeletal Anatomy and Human Movement