Tom Faranda's Folly

NFL: Traditional Black Monday as lots of head coaches (7) & execs get the axe

More head coaches were fired Monday than the last 3 years combined.

Exercise and your brain

From the best section of the NY Times, the health and fitness section.

Anyone whose resolve to exercise in 2013 is a bit shaky might want to consider an emerging scientific view of human evolution. It suggests that we are clever today in part because a million years ago, we could outrun and outwalk most other mammals over long distances. Our brains were shaped and sharpened by movement, the idea goes, and we continue to require regular physical activity in order for our brains to function optimally.

The role of physical endurance in shaping humankind has intrigued anthropologists and gripped the popular imagination for some time. In 2004, the evolutionary biologists Daniel E. Lieberman of Harvard and Dennis M. Bramble of the University of Utah published a seminal article in the journal Nature titled “Endurance Running and the Evolution of Homo,” in which they posited that our bipedal ancestors survived by becoming endurance athletes, able to bring down swifter prey through sheer doggedness, jogging and plodding along behind them until the animals dropped.

******

The broad point of this new notion is that if physical activity helped to mold the structure of our brains, then it most likely remains essential to brain health today, says John D. Polk, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and co-author, with Dr. Raichlen, of the new article.

And there is scientific support for that idea. Recent studies have shown, he says, that “regular exercise, even walking,” leads to more robust mental abilities, “beginning in childhood and continuing into old age.”

Of course, the hypothesis that jogging after prey helped to drive human brain evolution is just a hypothesis, Dr. Raichlen says, and almost unprovable.

        But it is compelling, says Harvard’s Dr. Lieberman, who has worked with the authors of the new         article. “I fundamentally agree that there is a deep evolutionary basis for the relationship between         a healthy body and a healthy mind,”

Belgium looks to legislation to extend euthanasis to minors and alzheimer's patients

This post goes hand in hand with this from a number of days ago. - France looking at "accelerated death" legislation

Euthanasia is already legal in Belgium and accounts for about 1% (officially!) of deaths per year.

Belgium looks at euthanasia for minors, Alzheimer's sufferers

Belgium was the second country in the world after the Netherlands to legalise euthanasia in 2002 but it applies only to people over the age of 18.

Socialist Senator Philippe Mahoux, who helped draft the proposed changes, said there had been cases of adolescents who "had the capacity to decide" their future.

He said parliamentarians would also consider extended mercy-killing to people suffering from Alzheiner's-type illnesses.

The Catholic League on the #1 religion story of 2012

And it's a good choice for #1 - an important story.

The top religion story of 2012 was The Chronicle of Philanthropy survey of American charitable giving, “How America Gives”; it was released in August. Its central finding was that the more religious a city or state is, the more charitable it is; conversely, the more secular an area is, the more miserly the people are.

HIt the link - it's a short article. And rather pathetic that states with large Catholic populations do not score well.

2 funny minutes with Phyllis Diller

The NYT is doing a series on people who died this past year, and that's how I found this. I was no big fan of hers, but there are some funny quick lines -

... So then she absolutely insisted I try on this certain dress. She says, ‘Madam, this dress is so sexy it’ll give your husband ideas.’ I said, ‘Why, does a brain come with it?’

Tea Party power diminished, the NY Times wistfully hopes ...

This must be the 30th, or 40th, or 50th(?) article by the NYT trying to explain it all away ...

Clout Diminished, Tea Party Turns to Narrower Issues

The Tea Party might not be over, but it is increasingly clear that the election last month significantly weakened the once-surging movement, which nearly captured control of the Republican Party through a potent combination of populism and fury.

Leading Congressional Republicans, though they remain far apart from President Obama, have embraced raising tax revenues in budget negotiations, repudiating a central tenet of the Tea Party. Even more telling, Tea Party activists in the middle of the country are skirting the fiscal showdown in Congress and turning to narrower issues, raising questions about whether the movement still represents a citizen groundswell to which attention must be paid.

Here's what's diminished - the power of Big Media.

My NY State Senator Greg Ball on the Journal News publishing names of gun permit owners

This has been in the news nationally for a few days. The Gannett-owned Westchester daily paper publishing a map and the names and addresses of people who have legal handgun permits.

I am not a gun owner, and everything Ball says is right.Some blogger has now published the names and addresses of Journal News executives and big-wigs.

Closing the budget deficit - painless!?

An interesting article on the Business Insider website. Lots of charts with supporting text.

The bottom line: all that needs doing is to grow the economy and lower unemployment! There, that was easy ... except - doesn't that free people from government dependency and reduce the power of the government ... and if you have a certain view of the role of government (not my view of course) isn't that an undesireable outcome?

... the primary driver of deficits is a lcak of growth

For 60 years (!) the pattern has held. When unemployment drops, the deficit as a percentage of GDP drops. When unemployment rises, the deficit rises.

So now let's break this down further, to address the idea that we need to increase revenue as a percent of GDP, which is undeniably true if we want to prevent the national debt from growing. The answer there is, once again, improve the employment picture (i.e., increase growth).

Lots of backup to this easy and basic fact if you hit the link.

Greenwich Village 4th St. chess champ crowned! (And it wasn't me)

In a triumph of youth over experience, a Fransiscan Friar-priest mopped the floor with five more experienced (translation: older) players, winning every match. For the record, I came third with a score of 4 & a half out of nine.

The kiddies, learning to cuss.

I laughed at this - my friend Bernadette sent it around.

The 6 year old asks, "You know what ? I think it's about time we started learning to cuss." The 4 year old nods his head in approval.

The 6 year old continues,"When we go in for breakfast, I'm gonna say something with hell and you say something with ass."

The 4 year old agrees with enthusiasm.

When the mother walks into the kitchen and asks the 6 year old what he wants for breakfast, he replies, "Aw, hell, Mom, I guess I'll have some Cheerios.

WHACK !

He flies out of his chair, tumbles across the kitchen floor, gets up,and runs upstairs crying his eyes out, with his mother in hot pursuit,slapping his rear with every step.  His mom locks him in his room and shouts, "You can stay there until I let you out!"

She then comes back downstairs, looks at the 4 year old and asks with a stern voice, "And what do YOU want for breakfast, young man ?"

"I don't know," he blubbers, "but you can bet your fat ass it won't be Cheerios !"

The Washington Post on the worldwide reach of Christianity vis-a-vis other religions

Very interesting charts and stats on world religions, in an easy to view format.

31.5% of the world claims to be Christian, #2 is Islam at 23.2%. Over 16% are "unaffiliated".

Christians are by far the largest group, followed by Muslims. That difference of 8.3 percent might not sound like much, but keep in mind that 8.3 percent of the global population amounts to hundreds of millions of people. If you exclude the “unaffiliated,” then Christians make up about 37.6 percent of all religiously affiliated people on Earth.

Population changes: Where people are leaving, going to, and having children

From the Business Insider - lots of interesting stuff in an abbreviated format.

Among other things, people are leaving the tri-state area.

Domestic migration determines the rate that people leave and enter states to and from other states. Per capita, more natives left New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island to move somewhere else than any other states.

And some other interesting stuff -

North Dakota and the District of Columbia had the highest population growth, with 2.5% and 2.3% population growth, respectively. Texas, Wyoming, and Utah also saw major growth. 

West Virginia and Maine are the only two states where people are dying faster than they are being born, with 0.93 and 0.99 births for each death. 

Utah (3.44) and Alaska (3.33) had the highest birth to death ratio in 2012. That means 3.44 babies were born for each death in Utah. 

Croton Landing Christmas afternoon

Brigid and I went for a walk on the Landing from about 3 o'clock, starting at the Half Moon Bay northern parking lot. Pretty empty - hardly anyone out, and it was a monochrome day.

Brigid sighted the reindeer and took these -

And she took a few weed shots - here are two -

And here she is, pointing out some ducks sh'ed just photographed, and looking suspiciously like the Arab Spring has not come to Croton ...

 

 

 

 

 

A NY Times op ed on finding comfort in prayer

Ann Hood, an author.

I was surprised when I was struck with a desire to go to church earlier this month.

The Queen's Christmas Speech

Brigid watched this and then insisted I watch. Glad I did, a lovely speech. Is the Queen going Catholic?

 

For Christmas: Nollaig Shona Duit

Which means, Happy Christmas to You! With thanks to the Irish online publication Lifezine -

Botticelli This was his only signed painting, done around 1501. Go here to learn a bit about The Mystic Nativity

Note: if you think you've seen this before, you're right. I put up the same post two years ago ... But I like it a lot!

From Australia - the Christmas workout plan!

From Brigid's niece, June.

Ho Ho Ho ...

What does the sale of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) mean?

Well, it's really not good news. Here's Friday's Wall Street Journal editorial -

How is it that a derivatives trading platform younger than Justin Bieber is about to acquire the New York Stock Exchange, NYX -0.68% which traces its Wall Street lineage to 1792? Thursday's announcement that IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) ICE -2.66% will buy NYSE Euronext for about $8 billion is in part the story of a tech-savvy upstart that quickly grew to eclipse established giants.

But this is not exactly a classic capitalist tale of open markets and creative destruction. There's also been some regulatory destruction here, and it's looking less creative lately.

A mere 12 years after its founding, ICE now has a greater market capitalization than the venerable NYSE. This is partly because ICE has been a leader in moving financial instruments on to electronic trading platforms and away from old-fashioned pits filled with people shouting at each other. But it's also because the London energy futures markets where ICE makes a lot of its money have been allowed to grow, while U.S. law and regulation have imposed a heavy burden on the U.S. equity market, the NYSE's traditional core.

Hit the link for the whole story.

 

40 years ago today, the "Immaculate Reception"

My brother Jim reminded me (I'm a Raider fan, along with the Giants ... Still hurts. Thanks Jim!).

There must be a lot of Steeler fans; this vid has been watched over 700 thousand times.

 

True leadership: At Senator Daniel Inouye funeral, Obama mentions himself 63 times

UPDATE: Even a writer at Slate - normally big Obama supporters - are outraged disturbed Today We Are Gathered … To Hear More About Me

Inouye, who won the Congressional Medal of Honor in Italy in 1945.

President Barack Obama used the funeral for Hawaii senator Daniel Inouye to talk about himself. In the short 1,600 word speech, Obama used the word "my" 21 times, "me" 12 times, and "I" 30 times.

If you hit the link and read the article, it's really pretty revolting.

Mt. Everest, like you've never seen it.

Wow.

Go here, and then start hitting the zoom in - out, up - down left - right controls at the bottom.

Here's a brief article and more links at the Washington Post article, where I found it.

PHOTO: Mount Everest, in two billion pixels

This little picture is from wikipedia.

 

 

 

Journalists really hate the NRA

FULL DISCLOSURE - I'm not a member and don't own a gun (& don't know how to use one).

I think much of what LaPierre (NRA President) said at his news conference is true.In fact, in some ways he didn't go far enough. But an armed guard in every school? I don't think so.

Journalists slam NRA throughout press conference

 

 

How Republican "Plan B" tax plan went down the drain

A posting at NRO -

Too bad, I would have voted for it.

Inside the Meltdown

Awaiting the end of the world at the Mayan city that was in the first Star Wars movie

That's right, the top of the temple's are briefly shown at the end of the first movie, as the "death star" moves in to try and blow up the planet ...

Ahhh but the really cool thing is, I've been to Tikal. Ove 30 years ago when I was living in Jamaica and my brother was in the Peace Corps in Guatemala, I visited, and went up to Tikal. It's a fantastic place, deep in the jungle. 

This from the Telegraph (UK) website -

 

The Wall Street Journal on Robert Bork

Bork died a few days ago at age 85. His trashing in the Senate in his confirmation hearings added a new term to the language to "Bork" someone.

Yesterday the Journal had an editorial, and then some excerpts from past columns he'd written for the Journal.

Here's the editorial - hit the link for more than my excerpts -

The jurist had more impact than most Supreme Court Justices.

The U.S. Senate has had many low, retrograde moments, but easily among the worst was its 1987 rejection of Robert Bork to sit on the Supreme Court. Bob Bork died Wednesday at age 85, having contributed far more to American law than the 58 Senators who voted against him and more than most Supreme Court Justices.

******

So nasty was the campaign against Bork that his name became a verb—to bork, as in to utterly trash someone's personal and professional reputation. For younger readers who wonder when U.S. politics took on their current poisonous character, the Bork fight was the turning point. Democrats cast the first smear.

Despite his nomination's defeat, Judge Bork has continued to influence current law and political debate. He was a champion of originalism, which to oversimplify means interpreting the Constitution based on the text and its original meaning.

He believed in judicial restraint in the tradition of Felix Frankfurter, among others, but by the time he was nominated the judicial left had decided the law was whatever liberals say it is. This intellectual divide lives on in our law and at the current Supreme Court, with Justice Scalia perhaps closest in his views to Bork's jurisprudence.

And here's a link to some excerpts from past op eds Bork wrtoe frothe Journal -

From a column in July, 2005 - Once the justices depart, as most of them have, from the original understanding of the principles of the Constitution, they lack any guidance other than their own attempts at moral philosophy, a task for which they have not even minimal skills. Yet when it rules in the name of the Constitution, whether it rules truly or not, the Court is the most powerful branch of government in domestic policy. The combination of absolute power, disdain for the historic Constitution, and philosophical incompetence is lethal.

 

Special Alert: The four theories on how the world will end tomorrow!

 

Off the Business Insider website.

How did the Mayans know all this?

How The World Will End On Friday

Basically, there are four main theories:

• We will get sucked into a black hole
  
• The sun will pass through a "galactic plane" that will cause everything to go haywire
• Solar flares will reverse the poles and fry us
• We will smash into a planet called Nibiru

 The planet Nibiru, you may be surprised to learn, was not invented by L. Ron Hubbard, the man who invented Scientology.

You will probably be relieved to hear that astronomers are, to put it mildly, highly skeptical that we will get sucked into a black hole or fried or clobbered by another planet on Friday. They also note that the sun "passing through galactic planes" is something that takes millions of years.

But, still, you might be curious about this Armageddon thing.

And you might want more details.

After all, it's supposed to be the end of the world.

Thankfully, Wikipedia is brimming with details.

Tim - yet another personal best in the bench press

UPDATE: He didn't PR in today's meet. his personal best is 37'2" and today he threw 36'5&3/4", for a third place finish.

Having hit 280 on his birthday nine days ago, Tim! Turned 16 today!! And celebrates with another personal best bench press last evening Tim benched 290.

And he didn't miss 295 by much. It's getting ridiculous. All told he did a total of 50 repetitions, ranging up from 135 lbs to the 290. After hitting 290 he did a set of eight at 185 and finished with eight at 135.

Today he has a meet, throwing the shot put (indoors of course, at the Fordham field house). No surprise if he gets a personal best (PB, PR, whatever) in the event.

France looking at "accelerated death" legislation

France should allow doctors to "accelerate the coming of death" for terminally ill patients, a report to President Francois Hollande recommended Tuesday.

The author of the report, Professor Didier Sicard, stressed that he did not support any measures which "suddenly and prematurely end life."

"We are radically opposed to inscribing euthanasia in law," Sicard told a press conference.

Really? Well, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck, it's a duck.

Taking on Newsweek and the "myths of Christmas"

Very amusing last line, in a very good article.

“Readers should note carefully that it is Newsweek, and not the New Testament, that is going out of print.”

That's right! Last print edition of Newsweek will be published the last day of this year.

The article is written by Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. It addresses particularly the issue of the historicity of the infancy narratives, as well as the Gospels in general.

Newsweek vs. the New Testament - it must be Christmas

 

Latest Read: Jesus of Nazareth, the Infancy Narratives, by Pope Benedict XVI

The third volume of the Pope's wonderful work (here are my reviews of the first two volumes, #1 Latest Read: Jesus of Nazareth and the second Lenten reading: Jesus of Nazareth, by Pope Benedict XVI).

But as he says, not really a volume; more a short monograph or extended essay; the book is only 128 pages long.

Here's what the Pope writes in the forward:

It is not a third volume, but a kind of small "antechamber" to the two earlier volumes on the figure and the message of Jesus of Nazareth. I have set out here, in dialogue with exegetes past and present, to interpret what Matthew and Luke say about Jesus' infancy at the beginning of their Gospels.

The infancy narratives are more controversial than the body of the Gospels (Mark and John have no infancy stories) because they are not based on the apostolic witness, and many interpreters view them as more theological constructs with a goal of linking the Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament) to the body of the Gospel witness.

Benedict offers his insights as he looks at various interpretations, and spells out his own academic opinions, which he makes clear are not dogmatic statements - simply his own reflections.

The Pope covers everything, from the two annunciations (to Mary in Luke and Joseph in Matthew) to Luke's story of Jesus being lost in the Temple. I found his insights and thoughts on Mary especially interesting. 

He will often sum up his reflections with a preliminary statement, like this one, on page 118, after his discussion of the Three Wise Men (The Magi).

... the question arises, how are we to understand all this? Are we dealing with history that actually took place, or is it merely a theological meditation, persented under the guise of stories?

He then states, in quoting another scripture scholar (and he agrees with this sentiment)

"No foundations would be shaken if it were simply an invention of Matthew's based on a theological idea."

What is the Pope's personal opinion on this? Well, get the book.

I am going to dig out some of my old books by the American scripture scholar Raymond Brown and compare the two men's thoughts, which will agree on some points and disagree on others.

You can find the book here on Amazon, where I'll be posting a version of this review. Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives

 

A short video, as a Chaplain in Newtown speaks and reflects on the grief of First Responders'

Less than two minutes long; Associated Press does not allow embedding of their videos, so hit the link.

Chaplain Describes First Responders' Grief

One of the teachers at Sandy Hook

27 years old. She shielded her first graders.

Family, friends remember the brave, caring legacy of Sandy Hook teacher Vicki Soto

This from a posting - hit the link above to see the picture of the young woman.

A friend posted this picture of Vicki on her Tumblr page where she said she had talked to her on Tuesday "and she told me she loved her 16 angels and never wanted to let them go." She added: "Today when the shooting started Vicki hid her kids in closets and when the gunman came into her room she said the class was in gym. She was then murdered. Not one of her students were harmed. Words can not express how heartbreaking and tragic this is. I will miss you dearly."

Good article on Giants rookie runner David Wilson

He'll be carrying the ball this Sunday when the Giants take on Atlanta, since Ahmad Bradshaw is out.

Wilson displayed the explosiveness that many competitors appear to lack this deep in a season when he paced the Giants’ 52-27 romp over the New Orleans Saints last Sunday, emerging as the first player in N.F.L. history to amass at least 200 kick return yards and 100 rushing yards in the same game. He totaled 227 yards on kicks, including a 97-yard touchdown scamper; he also rushed for 100 yards and 2 more scores.

 

investors are buying up Venezualan bonds - hoping Chavez won't make it

From the Business Insider a couple of days ago.

Investors Are Snapping Up Venezuelan Bonds, Hoping Hugo Chavez's Health Situation Gets Worse

Hugo Chávez suffered some complications from his emergency cancer surgery in Cuba on Monday, causing bleeding that required corrective measures, reports AP. The source of the news, Venezuelan Information Minister Ernesto Villegas, also says that Chavez is now recovering favorably.

The news comes on the heels of a hot run upward in Venezuelan government debt recently, as investors have snapped up bonds in anticipation that Chavez may not be able to finish out his third term as president of Venezuela.

On Saturday, when Chavez made public that he would be traveling to Cuba for the surgery, he also did something he's never done before: in effect, he named his successor, the vice president, Nicolas Maduro.

This leads BofA Merrill Lynch analyst Francisco Rodriguez to conclude that regime change may be right around the corner ...

Rugby: The fastest man in International rugby is an American

Carlin Isles, playing for the USA in the IRB 7's World Series.

For the record, he's 5'8", and weighs less than 160 lbs. Is in the top ten or eleven 100 meter USA sprinters, but didn't make the Olympic Trials this past year. Wants to go to the 2016 Olympics, which will have 7 a side rugby as an event for the first time.

In less than a week, this video has been viewed almost a million and a half times.

 

 

Mick Jagger approaching age 70 - how he keeps going

Here's a video from ABC of Jagger and the Stones at the Hurricane Sandy relief concert the other day.

Jagger actually has a very elaborate fitness routine! I remember seeing a short video of him years ago working out. Here's an article from a year ago - with a short excerpt below it. His father made a living as a fitness instructor and lived to be 93.

Want the “Moves Like Jagger”?

Jagger uses personal trainer Torje Elke, a trainer for Olympic athletes and professional football (think soccer) players.  In preparation for a concert tour, Sir Mick runs 8 miles a day, kick-boxes, swims and cycles. While on tour, he still warms up on a treadmill, but doesn’t overdo it, since it is estimated that he moves about 12 miles during a typical show. He also does a strict strength and conditioning program in the gym.

To help with his balance, Jagger takes ballet and pilates lessons. He also makes sure to stretch properly and has massages  from the personal masseuse he takes on the road with him.

There's more on his elimination of past "vices", his diet, etc. if you hit the link.

More on Apple's stock

Which dropped again yesterday to under $530. I posted this eight days ago. Why is Apple's stock being hammered?

Below is another more complete analysis, But bear in mind that right now Apple's PE is 12 and it's got a 2% dividend. It's now priced close to a value stock level, as opposed to a growth stock.

Warning: The guy who wrote this column is in my opinion an a**hole not cool (but I've never personally met him) based on his securities fraud settlement. But the analysis is solid.

Apple Collapse Continues—Stock Nears New Closing Low

What's going on?

Several things.

Some are fundamental, having to do with changes in Apple's business.

Others are market-related (tax-related selling is likely having a significant impact).

Still others related to sentiment.

******

But here's the good news:

The stock is cheap.

Apple is now trading at 12X trailing earnings per share.

That's not screamingly cheap. In the old days (mid-1990s and earlier), hardware stocks used to trade between 8X-12X earnings, and Dell, HP, and other companies are now trading there again.

Unlike HP, Dell, et al, Apple is still a very healthy company, so if Apple ever gets to 8X earnings, it will be screamingly cheap.

But at 12X earnings, Apple is at least reasonably cheap--cheaper, for example, than the stock market as a whole.

Read the whole article!

 

Huge spike in sexually transmitted disease in NY City

How can this be? New York City gives out 3 million free condoms very month. i guess they need to give out 6 million? Or maybe that approach doesn't work?

A study by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has found that large parts of the city are plagued with soaring rates for multiple STDs – including HIV/AIDS.

The only borough without soaring rates is Staten Island.

Ravi Shankar

Shankar was 92. A real artist/musician. Here's a nice tribute from PBS.

 

An astonishing denial of Medal of Honor for marine

Read the article. Hard to understand the rationale for denial. It was unclear which hand he used to scoop the grenade underneath himself?

He's given the Navy Cross instead? Come on.

As they entered one room, they encountered insurgents lying in wait who opened fire. In the firefight, Peralta was shot in the head and fell as one of the insurgents tossed a grenade. Seven witnesses say Peralta, lying on the ground, scooped the grenade underneath himself, absorbing the blast and saving the lives of the men with him.

“Peralta took his arm out and swept it underneath his body,” Robert Reynolds, who was a lance corporal in the platoon that day with Peralta, told The Washington Times last month. “If he didn’t sweep it underneath his body, I would be dead because I was five feet from him.”

******

Steve Sebby, who was a combat photographer following Peralta’s unit that day, told The Times in November that the Pentagon’s own Navy Cross citation seems to confirm Peralta’s heroism. That citation says Peralta “reached out and pulled the grenade to his body.”

“If he didn’t do any of that stuff, like the forensic evidence says, then why would he rate that medal? It’s either the Medal of Honor or nothing. That’s what stands out in this case,” Mr. Sebby said. “In wars past, the amount of statements that were made by the Marines — that would have flown, that would have gotten the Medal of Honor back in World War II, World War I. You’ve got a bunch of honest Marines recognizing heroism, that would have been enough.”

But they are going to name a destroyer after him!

Read the whole article.

 

 

Our old stomping grounds - the Cayman Islands - has a bit of a political scandal going on.

Where we spent the first two years of our marriage, from 1979-81. No, we wern't in finance, we were teachers.

Cayman Islands leader arrested in corruption probe

It's 12/12/12, the last triple date of the century!

The next one will be January 1, 2101 so I won't be around for it.

Of course if your a Mayan, you may believe that no one will be around for it, since it's all supposed to end on 12/21/2012.

But even more important then all that, it's Brigid's Birthday Today.

Brigid's birthday today

It's a big one, and on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Here's a little history of Brigid, which I put up five years ago, and really can't improve on. My favorite pictures of Brigid, through 2007.

Brigid's Birthday

Here's a picture this past November 7th, out on Croton Point, after hurricane Sandy -

Ibuprofen and it's use by athletes

Ibuprofen (advil, motrin, nuprin) is quite commonly used by athletes (and former ones like moi) as a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory - frequently prophylactically before a workout.

But, according to this research, not helpful and perhaps harmful.

From the always worthwhile health and fitness section of the NY Times.

“The idea is just entrenched in the athletic community that ibuprofen will help you to train better and harder,” Dr. Nieman said. “But that belief is simply not true. There is no scientifically valid reason to use ibuprofen before exercise and many reasons to avoid it.”

Dr. van Wijck agrees. “We do not yet know what the long-term consequences are” of regularly mixing exercise and ibuprofen, she said. But it is clear that “ibuprofen consumption by athletes is not harmless and should be strongly discouraged.”

I report, you decide.

 

Religion in England and Wales

176,632 people in England and Wales identify themselves as Jedi Knights.

'Jedi' religion most popular alternative faith

Tim has nothing on me, as I hit a personal best (for last 20 years anyway) on the bench

Well, actually he has exactly 100 lbs on me. Here's his best from two days ago on his 16th birthday  - 280 lbs.

Tonight, with Tim in the gym I did 180, an improvement on my prior best of 175. I may have lifted a bit more (over 20 years ago!) but I really can't recall. ... maybe my memory is failing?

I told Tim my goal now is to stay within 100 lbs of him, but that won't last long!

Mennonite company joins with others in lawsuit against the Obamacare HHS mandate

The Mennonites are pacifist and oppose all killing - including abortion and the death penalty. Their moral theology is pretty close to Catholicism.

Conestoga Wood Specialties, a Mennonite-owned company based in Lancaster County, filed a federal suit against the mandate, which forces employers to cover abortion-causing contraception for their employees.

        According to a Philadelphia Inquirer article:

“Conestoga Wood Specialties, citing the principles of religious freedom on which William Penn founded Pennsylvania, says in its suit, filed in U.S. District Court, that to accord to its Mennonite beliefs, it would be ‘sinful and immoral for the company to participate in, pay for, facilitate or otherwise support any contraception’ that would have the effect of an abortion.”

What's happened to Green Energy companies?

You can't be too happy if you own stock in them -This article is titled "The Epic Implosion of the Green Energy Bubble."

A stock index that exclusively lists renewable energy companies in down 98 percent since fall of 2008

Rugby: South Africa 7's day two, including the final

And check the World Series Table at the end of the video - USA ranked ahead of England and Scotland.

 

Goldman Sachs predicting economic upturn in second half of 2013

How has their prediction record on macroeconomics been in the past? Pretty average. So don't bet the farm.

Between above-trend growth, housing coming back, the efficacy of monetary policy, the turn in real interest rates, and a new shift in commodity pricing/constraints, it's clear that Goldman is calling for a huge year.

The call is based on an expectation of private sector releveraging, coupled with the end of the fiscal drag.

In turn, Goldman commodity analyst Damien Courvalin is calling for the end of the great gold bull market next year, based on the fact that real interest rates are finally going to start heading higher.

******

Other big calls follow.

Its top stock idea for 2013 is going long huge megabanks, a trade that's based on an accelerating economy, an improving housing market, and the efficacy of monetary policy.