PhoneBoy Says

2) Sugary beverages are a key factor in rising obesity rates. They happen to be sweetened, usually, with high-fructose corn syrup. But, again, that's because it's the cheapest sweetener. It's probably not the specific sweetener that's the problem here, but the fact that Americans drink a lot of sugary beverages. We'd be seeing a problem from over-consumption even if the sweetener was sugar.

via boingboing.net

It's like I posted earlier: cane sugar affects the body differently than corn sugar. It takes less of a drink sweetened with cane sugar to satisfy than it does a drink sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. The end result: with the prevalence of HFCS in soft drinks, more are consumed, and we're all fatter for it.

I was watching a movie on an Arab-based Satellite TV channel, a few weeks ago, when I noticed something occur for the nth time: they cut a scene right before the two protagonists were about to kiss. No kiss for us, viewers. It's taboo. I've been dwelling over this for weeks, going over and over trying to rationalize the reasons behind such a policy. As I said, this wasn't the first time: I merely ever see a true kiss/hug/love scene on any Arab-based TV channel, yet they have no problem whatsoever posting scenes of murder, violence, crimes, bodies torn to pieces, and other obscenities. In what logic is that even understandable?

And it's not only limited to Arab-based TV channels. Look around you, look at the American rating system for movies and shows, look at the cartoons and PSP games our children watch/play.How is it that, legally, our kids are allowed to view scenes of violent murder with PG-13 and R rated movies, or play games where they make points by blowing people up, long before they grow all their teeth, but are prohibited to view X rated movies until they turn 18? What kind of society are you raising when you instill in your youth's mind, time after time after time, that killing someone is not taboo but kissing, groping, hugging, making love… are?

via dotsisxblog.com

No, I don't like this double-standard either. They show people killing each other on prime-time television, yet people get their panties in a twist when Janet Jackson accidentally shows her nipple during the Super Bowl. It's a breast. Everyone has them. We've all sucked on one at one point or another in our lives.

Heaven forbid if we show one on TV, though. What will the children think? Oh wait, they're too busy playing the latest edition of Grand Theft Auto or Modern Warfare to notice.

Look at this propaganda by the Corn Refiners Association:

My body can certainly tell the difference between the two. Let's take sodas. Last week in Dallas, I had Dr. Pepper. With real sugar. And you know what? I felt pretty full after just one. Meanwhile, I can drink three times the amount of the high fructose corn syrup corn sugar-sweetened variety and still be hungry.

There is no accident that soft drink consumption has generally increased in the United States. I bet it skyrocketed shortly after they phased out sugar and went with high fructose corn syrup.

As they'd say on No Agenda: Coincidence? I think NOT!

Just before 5am this morning, I awoke to the sound of my UPS going off. That can only mean one thing--a power outage! For once, it wasn't caused by wind, but rather a failed insulator on a transmission line. Whatever the cause, power outages suck for many reasons. Not the least of which is the possibility of one or more electronic devices not surviving the experience. Thus why I have a few things on a UPS, namely the cable modem, router, and my backup hard drives. Laptops have their own built-in battery, so they don't require a UPS. While we used to keep flashlights near our beds in case this happens, the mobile phone has become the universal flashlight. At night, at least, it's next to my bed on the charger, thus it's ready to go when I need it. It's also almost always on my person, thus always handy.

Meanwhile, the early wake-up did give me a chance to get a jump-start on the day. Given the time difference between here and Israel, an extra hour can be real handy.

On Friday, we lost another member of the family--our (nearly) 18 year old cat Toby, a.k.a. Bubba. The name "head" was also used in conjunction with both names (e.g. Toby Head and Bubba Head). The house will certainly be cleaner--no more cat hair and no more clay footprints on the wood floors--but it's certainly emptier. He will be missed.

Toby was often a test subject for the various cameraphones I've had over the years, so I have a lot of pictures of him. I picked out a few of the better ones to put in this gallery.

Just as relevant today as it was in the late 1970s when it came out.

Found aboard Air Force One at the Museum of Flight in Seattle

Erik Scott's Death - A Father's Statement
8/30/2010

Erik's family would like to keep our class updated on what is occurring in the case of Erik's death.

Below is a statement from Erik's father, William Scott.

Erik Scott's Death

Erik B. Scott, a 1994 U.S. Military Academy at West Point graduate, was shot and killed by three Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (Metro) officers in front of the Summerlin Costco store on 10 July 2010. The shooting is still under investigation, but here are the basic facts, based on numerous eyewitness reports:

Erik was carrying a legally registered concealed firearm, while he and his girlfriend were shopping at Costco. He also had a concealed carry permit in his wallet, issued by the same Metro department that killed him.

When Erik squatted on the floor to verify that three metal water bottles would fit into a soft-sided, zip-up cooler, a Costco employee saw the weapon. Erik's shirt had lifted up, revealing an inside-the-belt holstered pistol tucked into the back of his jeans. A civil interchange ensued, and the employee informed Erik of Costco's policy that guns were not allowed inside company stores -- although there are no signs to that effect posted outside or inside the facility. Erik calmly responded that his gun was legal and that he had a concealed carry weapon (CCW) permit on his person. Like many other Boston Scientific pacemaker sales reps, Erik carried a concealed weapon for personal protection, because reps are required to enter dangerous areas of the city at all hours of the day and night to serve patients fitted with cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators. Contrary to wildly erroneous news reports, we don't believe Erik had a second gun on his person.

via usma1994.com

A simple misunderstanding and over-reaction leads to an innocent man's death. It's stories like these that make people distrust and disrespect the police.

A Sopwith Pup @ The Museum of Flight

I think I need to find a way to get to EMP|SFM when this exhibit is in town…