Bugs

What a deal.

I saw a short blurb on this, somewhere, and thought that maybe my spiderphobe sister could use one. Then I thought naw, and forgot about it.

But later sometime the itty bitty gears in my teeny tiny mind finally made enough revolutions, and then I got an idea, eh?

I know that even for someone tough and gnarly and all there are maybe nevertheless a few bugs that a person who likes to look at bugs would like to look at but not touch.

So, FWIW, as they say, there is the Carson HU-10 BugView

Just in case anyone wonders, no, I don't make any money from saying this. Not a chance.

I in fact have two separate, well-known governments sending me money every month just so I stay far away and maybe nap quietly in a corner and don't bother them or anyone else, and that's the whole of it, except for what I was able to put into savings, and the office supplies I stole while I was still working.

In between naps and going out for lunch, I spend my time counting my marbles because it's hard to keep track of them otherwise, and as you may know every so often it seems like a couple of those marbles seem to go missing, but as you may also know if you've tried to keep track, it's hard to tell with marbles.

Some things you just can't ever be sure about, although it is a shame to lose your marbles, so I keep on with the counting.

Feliz, Eh?

It's almost N-Day. Coming soon. Next Monday, five days from now. Navidad.

Feliz Navidad, y'all. Merry Xmas, that's what I say.

I bought a bunch of gifts, all the same. Little boxes of chocolates, Guylian. Exotic.

Ecuador produces the world's best chocolate, but Belgian chocolate is exotic, so I bought that. Nothing says "thank you so much" like whatever it is that you can't normally get, or don't normally buy, or are unable to afford, or is foreign. Belgian chocolate is all of those.

I've never tasted it, but I've heard that it's good, so that's what I buy.

This chocolate is available in small boxes, four or six pieces per box, and costs $3.50. That's reasonable — I can afford to buy a bunch of those little boxes, and anyone on the receiving end knows that it's not a joke, not cheap, not a toss-off, not an empty gesture, but then again, it isn't wildly extravagant, and there isn't too much of it in one box, just a taste, enough to thrill without satiating.

So I bought around $140-worth this year, a bit less last year, about $250-ish in total for both 2016 and 2017.

The people where I eat lunch each got a little box, and the owner and his wife got a big box ($15). Same at the hotel where I live, though I haven't seen everyone yet. I still have lots of boxes to hand out, but I did get started.

Then I gave another big box to a legless beggar who works a corner about three blocks from here, so he and his family can enjoy all 16 pieces together. I'm glad I got to him before his annual Xmas vacation. He apparently gets by OK from begging but without "gifts" from random people like me, he's got nothing, so I dropped a big one on him.

The "bread lady" got a box. She probably earns minimum wage ($366 a month) at the panaderia, if that, so why not?

And two of the three dwarfs on nearby corners. The third one got away for now. I'll nail him later. I ran out and when I came back to drop a treat into his hands as well, he'd knocked off for lunch, so I strolled past a young female busker and tossed a dollar coin into her hat, followed by a little gift bag containing a box of chocolates. I'm probably the only one who's ever done anything like this. She exploded in smiles.

You know how it's said that it's more blessed to give than to receive? Eff that — it's flat out fun, a real kick in the head, keep the blessings. I don't want any.

I have two friends in the religion biz and they're both dicks. Two former friends, both very bright. Haven't seen much of them them since high school 50 years ago, but I've managed to update myself on their doings and whereabouts every few years. Yep. Religion Biz. Keep it, I don't want any. Nasty and dirty. Ugly.

I turned atheist about age 14, hung onto that for a few years, and eventually grew out of it. Now I'm simply plainly anti-religious. I don't want any of it. I don't care about it. Name your religion and I'm against it, whichever one it is. I'm even more hostile to the business of religion, but some of the ideas behind religion? Sure. One or two. Sign me up. What's right is right. I'm for that. Keep the hatred.

If I can do a little good, I'll do it, and refuse credit. Call me Mr Anonymous. That's fine. Screw the blessings. I don't want blessings, or awards, or recognition or a plaque, signed certificate, or my name in the news.

But fun, sure. I like random unexpected fun, especially when I can cause other people to experience it.

Giving stuff away is cool. I have more money than I need and since I'm going to die soon, if I don't spend it it will do no good at all. A few bucks here and there, scattered irresponsibly via walk-by charity, will make a few people feel good, and that makes me feel the same. Feeling good is good.

I wish I was this nice every day.

Camera Obscurity

I bought another picture-taking device used by photographers. Camera. A camera. That's what we call them these days.

A few years ago when it became time to sort out my possessions and trim them back I had 13 cameras. I cut that to two, one "big" and one small. I've hardly used the big one in the five years since, but do use the small one all the time. It's the best single camera I've ever had, a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-Hx50V (pant, pant).

It has a long name and a long reach: "The smallest 30x optical zoom camera", Sony says breathlessly, and it is good, for a tiny camera with a tiny sensor, and I love it, and am moving up to a different camera.

This new one is a Panasonic "LUMIX 4K Digital Camera ZS100 with 20 Megapixel Sensor, 25-250mm F/2.8-5.9 LEICA DC Lens Zoom, WiFi and Electronic Viewfinder - Black". Also pant, pant. That's a lot to say.

The "old" sensor is small. The "new" sensor is also small, but much larger. It's a case of a 1/2.3" sensor versus a 1" sensor, which is four times larger. Larger is gooder. One hundred sixteen square millimeters as opposed to twenty-eight point five. Sounds appropriately impressive, right?

The new lens doesn't have as much reach, but with the larger sensor I can crop the image and get close to the same effect. In Barnack (35mm) units, it's a case of 720mm versus 250mm. Optional digital zooms on each camera amount to 1440mm and 500mm, respectively, and result in somewhat degraded images.

The small sensor is great on simple subjects with little detail, like the murals I've been photographing for the last five years, as at the top of this post, but gets confused when there is too much detail, as in an outdoor scene.

So who gives a fart? Nobody. I'm only trying to stay in practice with blogging. The next post might be interesting, but don't expect it to be because I'm not.

Full speed ahead then, gentlemen, and let's try not to fall off our horses with excitement.

More info.

"Camera"

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-Hx50V

Oskar Barnack

Wray Way, Eh?

Mr. Christopher A wray (wtf@mbe.wtf.ne.jp)

Attn:Beneficiary...

I am Mr. Christopher A wray. the FBI director on behalf of world security agency. After proper investigations, we discovered that your impending payment that have been withheld by imposters, claiming to be Lamido Sanusi Lamido (Governor of the Central Bank of Benin Republic), Mr. Patrick Aziza, Mr. Frank Nweke, none existing officials of the oceanic bank of Benin and zenith bank, UK winning lottery, Andy Lear of HSBC bank, coca-cola winning lottery and among a list of others is now under our custody with the help of the economic and financial crimes commission (EFCC) and the local police force. Investigations revealed that you have spent a lot of your personal earned money just to conclude the successful transfer of your funds into your nominated bank account by obtaining transfer documents as requested by the impostors, costing you a lot of money but all to no avail.

The FBI Executive Officers had sent some financial crime investigators from our headquarters in Washington DC to Africa in order to carry out proper investigation, after receiving series of other reports similar to yours as you are not the only person awaiting the legal transfer of funds from Africa. The FBI has giving authority to the international monetary funds (IMF) to assist the federal ministry of finance and all the organization involved; such as the central bank, zenith bank, and legit lottery organizations to immediately commence with the compensation of all the beneficiaries awaiting the successful transfer of their funds. With the help of some best internet investigators attached to the FBI, we traced your information from the internet as one of the beneficiaries awaiting the successful transfer of funds to your nominated account.

I am pleased to inform you that a meeting was held as regards the best way to carry out with the compensation exercise for transparency and most especially to avoid re-occurrence of the delay in transferring your funds and the high cost of procuring transfer documents and came to a final conclusion as all head of organizations involved was duly represented. It was approved to be issued to you as a valid international ATM card cash-able at any ATM machine designation in the world. The ATM card account has already being credited with eight hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($850,000.00) with a daily limit of withdrawal of Four thousand United States dollars only. ($4.000, 00). The ATM card has already being packaged and approved to be delivered to your door step via express courier delivery service.

To affect the release of your ATM card valued at $850,000.00. Contact Mrs. Ogechukwu Emma, F.B.I agent in Benin and reconfirm your delivery information as stated below and your security code with five digit (FBI10) number has to be submitted as subject alongside with your delivery information for security reasons. To contact Mrs. Ogechukwu Emma, do click reply bottom and send message direct to her.

You are advised to contact him with these information as stated below:

Delivery information:
Full name and age:
Delivery address:
Cell phone number:
Current occupation:
Preferred payment method (ATM / cashier check)

Have it in mind that the delivery fees of your ATM card package delivery to your destination have been settled with the courier company in charge of your ATM card delivery. so you are mandated to pay for the security keeping fee only for your ATM card to be delivered to you. A reliable and a trusted courier company have been contracted to deliver your package to your destination, as soon as you contact Mrs. Ogechukwu Emma she will update you with the courier company email contact address in other to avoid any undue delay of your ATM card.

Note: under normal circumstances you are suppose to come and collect your ATM card in person and sign some documents as proof of the collection of your ATM card but IMF and the finance minister agreed that you pay for the security keeping fee only of your ATM card via western union money transfer, which will cost you only $128.00 to cut down travel expenses. We hope that this is very clear. A receipt to this effect will be sent to you and a copy kept in your file for future documentation. There is no much time left and the fees need to be paid today to enable them board tonight flight and it will take 18 hours to get the package delivered to you.

Use the details below to send the $128.00 via western union or money gram or ria and forward the payment slip for documentations.

Receiver name.......... Mark Chris
Address................101 Agbokou Road, Portonovo, Benin Republic
Country.................Benin Republic
Country code............+229
Test question..........good
Answer.................service
Amount.................$128.00
MTCN and sender name.......

We also advise that you stop further communications with these imposters and forward any correspondence / proposal you receive from them to Mr. Solomon Morgan in other for us to bring justice to those still at large.

God bless us.

Regardsl,

Mr. Christopher A wray (F.B.I Director)
Cc: Canadian Police Association
Cc: General Intelligence Department (GID)
Cc: Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG)
Cc: Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I USA)
Cc: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Cc: Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
Cc: International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Cc: International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)
Cc: International Banking Security Association (IBSA)
Cc: International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Cc: Institute de Formation Interbancaire (INSIG)
Cc: World Customs Organization (WCO)
Cc: Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
Cc: Offshore Group of Banking Supervisors (OGBS)
Cc: World Central Bank (WCB)

I HOPE THIS MAIL FINDS YOU

I believe everything I read.

Especially if it comes chasing me.

I got this today. It ran me down and gave me a good hard bite.

I think I'm rich now.

Things will be different. It'll be just me and MR. JOHN KELLY or me and MG Timothy J. Lowenberg, Adjutant General and Director State Military or me and MR. JEH JOHNSON the now Secretary of U.S Department of Homeland Security of America or me and ODO TAYE from here on out. One of them guys. At least one. Maybe all of them. Maybe they're all the same guy, you think?

The jury is still out. I might have to wait a day or two to see just how this situation shakes out, but I do feel like a whole new person already, kinda.

Wanted. Needed. Singled out.

So then.

I don't think I'm allowed to talk to you any more, from here on out, seeing as I have a new status.

Bye. (Details below.)

MR. JOHN KELLY "www."@festa.ocn.wtf.jp

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY,

MG Timothy J. Lowenberg, Adjutant General and Director State Military

Department Washington Military Dept., Bldg1 Camp Murry ,Wash

98430-5000 USA

ATTENTION: PLEASE

I HOPE THIS MAIL FINDS YOU IN GOOD SPIRIT AND IN GOOD HEALTH? BECAUSE I AM QUITE AWARE OF YOUR LOSSES IN THE PAST YEARS NOW, IT MAY SURPRISE YOU THAT I AM ALSO AWARE OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOXES PURSUIT IN BENIN, GHANA, TOGO, NIGERIA, SPAIN, FRANCE, MALAYSIA, INDONESIA, CHINA, AND KOREA, MY NAME IS MR. JEH JOHNSON THE NOW SECRETARY OF U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY OF AMERICA , AM IN CHARGE TO MONITORED ALL FOREIGN TRANSACTIONS IN AFRICA EUROPE AND ASIA. I HAVE BEEN IN THE U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY NOW SINCE THE GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT BARRACK OBAMA, MONITORING THE VARIOUS TRANSACTIONS GOING ON IN AFRICA, EUROPE AND ASIA, MOST ESPECIALLY CONSIGNMENTS CASES AND BANK TRANSFER. I DO NOT INTEND TO SPOIL YOUR DAY OR TO PUT YOU UNDER DURESS. BUT YOU CAN NOT RECEIVE ANY OF YOUR CONSIGNMENTS BOXES PURSUIT, WITHOUT A CLEARANCE FROM THE U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. HOWEVER, UPON MY ARRIVAL IN BENIN REPUBLIC AFTER SERIES OF MEETINGS WITH OUR PRESIDENT BARRACKS OBAMA AND UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL BANI-MOON, DUE TO NUMEROUS COMPLAINS FROM OTHER SECURITY AGENCIES FROM AFRICA ASIA, EUROPE, OCEANIA, ANTARCTICA,SOUTH AMERICA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA RESPECTIVELY, AGAINST THE BENIN GOVERNMENT AND NIGERIA OVER THE RATE OF SCAM/FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY AND AFRICA.

WHEN I ARRIVE IN THE BENIN PARLIAMENT IN COTONOU, I FOUND YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX CLEARANCE FILE LYING ON THE FOREIGN AFFAIR OFFICE DESK WITHOUT ANY ATTENTION ON A THOROUGH SCRUTINY I DISCOVERED THAT YOUR CONSIGNMENT HAVE BEEN ABANDONED BY YOUR DELIVERY AGENT. MEANWHILE, I WAS MADE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE TRIED TO REACH YOU, BUT NO WAY AND THEY HAVE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT YOUR DELIVERY AGENT BUT TO NO AVAIL. TO MY GREATEST SURPRISE, DURING MY RECENT ROUTINE RE-CHECKING, I PERSONALLY DISCOVERED THAT YOUR CONSIGNMENT CONTENT DECLARATION DOCUMENTS STATED THAT YOUR CONSIGNMENT CONTAINS PERSONAL EFFECTS MEANWHILE, IT CONTAINS UNITED STATES DOLLAR BILLS WORTH OVER US$4.5 MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CONSIGNMENT TO BE DELIVERED TO YOU EARLIER BEFORE NOW. BASED ON THIS PERSONAL DISCOVERY, I AM CONTACTING YOU NOW TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WITH MY POSITION AND POWER AS THE SECRETARY OF U.S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, I CAN ASSIST YOU TO LEGALLY CLEAR YOUR CONSIGNMENT FUND, BUT YOU MUST AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS. BECAUSE I HAVE CALLED OUR OFFICE IN WASHINGTON,DC FROM BENIN, WHO HAS BEEN INTERCEPTING ALL YOUR TELEPHONE CALLS, WITH THE HELP OF MTN, TIGO VODAFONE AND AIR-TEL NETWORK BENIN.

I ALSO RECEIVED SOME INFORMATION FROM OUR HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICE IN BENIN REPUBLIC, ABOUT YOUR EMAILS, THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DEALING AND SENDING MONEY TO PEOPLES IN BENIN, GHANA, SOUTH AFRICA, TOGO, BENIN, AND NIGERIA , WHO CLAIMS TO BE THE WESTERN UNION DIRECTOR. YOU ARE ALSO DEALING WITH A BANK, AND OTHER NAMES WHICH I AM STILL WAITING TO BE FORWARDED TO ME FROM OUR OFFICE IN WASHINGTON DC. WHO HAVE MONITORED ALL YOUR DEALINGS WITH THIS HOODLUM?

YOU ARE ADVICE TO HENCE FORT STOP FURTHER DEALINGS WITH ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED PEOPLE, UNTIL WE COMPLETE OUR INVESTIGATION. BECAUSE YOU’RE DEALING WITH THEM IS TERMED AS ILLEGAL TRANSACTION. I WISH TO INFORM THAT WE THE HOMELAND SECURITY IS ON LOOK OUT FOR ALL THE ABOVE MENTIONED NAME, MOSTLY THOSE WHO CLAIMS TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF WEST AFRICAN DEBT WESTERN UNION AND MONEY GRAM AND PROPERTY RECOVERY BENIN. ALL THIS MENTIONED PEOPLE ARE IMPOSTOR, AND WE INTEND TO APPREHEND THEM SOON. I WANT YOU TO PLEASE STOP COMMUNICATING, AND DEALING WITH THEM UNTIL WE COMPLETE OUR INVESTIGATION. I WISH TO NOTIFY YOU ABOUT THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT CONCERNING YOUR BOX OF CONSIGNMENT THAT WAS HANDLE OVER TO ME AFTER THE MEETING HELD BETWEEN ME AND SOME OF THE TOP PARLIAMENT MEMBERS OF BENIN AND THE FOREIGN AFFAIR MINSTER IN THE BENIN CAPITAL HEADQUARTERS COTONOU, DUE TO THE DELAY FOR YOU NOT HAVE RECEIVED YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX FOR LONG TIME NOW. ACCORDINGLY, WE HAVE WAIVED AWAY ALL YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX CLEARANCE FEES AND AUTHORIZED THE GOVERNMENT OF BENIN REPUBLIC TO ALLOW ME FLY WITH YOUR APPROVED CONSIGNMENT BOX TO YOU WITHOUT ANY DELAY WHICH THEY HAVE AGREED. THE ONLY FEE YOU WILL PAY TO CONFIRM YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX RECEIVED IN YOUR POSSESSION IS THE WEIGHT FEE OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX WHICH IS SUM OF$100.00 ONLY.

IN ORDER WORDS YOUR BOX IS WITH ME NOW AND I SHALL BE COMING TO YOUR COUNTRY OR STATE AS SOON AS I HEAR FROM YOU AND I WILL BE COMING ALONG WITH YOUR BOX OF CONSIGNMENT, BUT REMEMBER THAT AS THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, I AM A US GOVERNMENT SECURITY AGENT AND I HAVE THE POWER TO GO THROUGH ANY AIRPORT CUSTOMS WITHOUT INSPECTING WHAT I CARRY ALONG. AND AS SOON AS I ARRIVE IN YOUR STATE I WILL GIVE YOU A PHONE CALL FOR YOU TO GIVE ME DIRECTION TO YOUR HOME ADDRESS SO THAT WE CAN MEET FACE TO FACE AND HAND OVER YOUR BOX TO YOU BEFORE PROCEEDING BACK TO THE STATES. SO I WANT YOU TO RE-CONFIRM TO ME THE BELOW INFORMATION FOR PROPER UNDERSTANDING BY FILLING THE ATTACH HOMELAND SECURITY REGISTRATION FORM OKAY.

BENEFICIARY NAME:......................... ........

ADDRESS:...................... .............................

TEL PHONE:........................ ........................

OCCUPATION:................... .........................

COUNTRY:...................... .............................

SEX:.......................... .............................. ......

AS SOON AS I ARRIVE I SHALL CALL YOU ON YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER THEN MEET YOU IN PERSON AND HAND OVER YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX TO YOU BEFORE I RETURN BACK TO WASHINGTON DC. I HAVE TAKEN THIS ASSIGNMENT UPON MYSELF BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE REALLY PAID SO MUCH ON THE COST OF DELIVERY, BUT NOTHING WAS RECEIVED BY YOU. SO BE ADVICE TO CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY YOU GET THIS EMAIL NOW BECAUSE EVERY THING HAS BEEN DONE OK. THIS IS DIRECTLY FROM OUR PRESIDENT BARRACK OBAMA. ONCE YOU SEND THE MONEY, TRY TO NOTIFY ME WITH THE MTCN FOR EASY PICK UP AND FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION ON THE DELIVERY OF YOUR CONSIGNMENT BOX, FOR YOU TO RECEIVE YOUR INHERITED FUNDS WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DELAY AGAIN. SINCE YOU WERE UNABLE TO RECEIVE IT SINCE

PLEASE SEND THE FEE VIA MONEY GRAM OFFICE WITH THE BELOW INFORMATION.

RECEIVER'S NAME:............ ODO TAYE

COUNTRY:........... BENIN REPUBLIC

CITY:.................COTONOU

AMOUNT:..........$150.00

MTCN:........

SENDER'S NAME:.............

AS SOON AS YOU SEND THE FEE THROUGH MONEY GRAM OFFICE TODAY MAKE SURE YOU SEND ME THE PAYMENT INFORMATION. ONCE YOU SEND THE MONEY, TRY TO NOTIFY ME WITH THE MTCN FOR CONFIRMATION AND FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION ON THE HANDLING OVER OF YOUR FUND TO YOU. ALSO YOU ARE TO FORWARD TO US ANY MAIL THAT YOU HAVE BEEN RECEIVING FROM PEOPLE FOR PROPER VERIFICATION AND INVESTIGATION BEFORE YOU DEAL WITH THEM OKAY.

I HAVE A VERY LIMITED TIME TO STAY HERE SO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO URGENTLY RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE WITH THE PAYMENT, MY DEAR, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU AND HAVE TO COMPLY AND YOUR BOX SHALL BE DELIVERING TO YOUR DESIGNATED ADDRESS. BUT REMEMBER THAT AFTER (3 DAYS) YOU DID NOT MAKE THE PAYMENT THEN I WILL DIVERT YOUR FUNDS TO US GOVERNMENT FUND OR BENIN GOVERNMENT TREASURY. PLEASE TREAT THIS AS MATTER OF URGENCY.

SINCERELY YOURS,

MR. JOHN KELLY

+229 658123494

Bite Me With Abandon

I'm learning. It's fun.

It started a little over two years ago one morning while I was out walking and listening to The Current on CBC radio.

I was living in Port Angeles, WA at the time, only a few miles south of Victoria, BC, and well within range of the CBC Radio One transmitter. I had a clear signal. That was good, because I've made real changes since then, inspired by what I heard that morning.

The guest that morning was Nina Teicholz, flogging her new book The Big Fat Surprise. To summarize what I heard: Fat is OK. Fat never was a problem. Eat it.

To get a bit more specific while still over-simplifying, three points.

• Eating fat doesn't make you fat.
• Eating cholesterol-rich foods does not increase the blood level of cholesterol.
• Saturated fat does not cause heart disease.

Teicholz spent 10 years digging through more than half a century of nutritional research, reading the original papers, reviewing the original data sets, and interviewing any still-living researchers.

A big deal has been made since the 1960s of the connection between eating fat and coronary heart disease. Meanwhile, the rate of that disease has fallen dramatically and both obesity and diabetes have increased radically.

So you could say that eating less fat and more carbohydrates have been successful in a left-handed sort of way. Except that there is and never has been a connection between eating cholesterol or saturated fat, or any animal fat, and developing heart disease. It's a fraud, and has been all along.

Along with that, carbohydrates (sugar especially), are looking to be really bad. That seems to be where a lot of obesity and diabetes come from.

Ancel Keys was the primary player in promoting the "Diet-Heart Hypothesis" that inspired the no-fat craze of the last few decades. He was at best a poor researcher, and even committed scientific fraud to promote his ideas, but he was a great political in-fighter and bulldozed right over those opposed to his hunches. Because that's what they were, but he knew he was right, so a little tweaking of data here, conclusions there, sample sizes, populations studied, geographical areas, and so on were, in his eyes, justified.

But no longer.

It's known now that a fundamental element of Keyes's "research" was the island of Crete. He apparently loved it. He went there at least three times. The last visit was a key element of the invention of the Mediterranean Diet, which didn't exist until two Italian women invented it in the 1960s.

During Keyes's third visit to Crete, he studied a few men (men only), and discovered that they were eating what they ripped out of their gardens, fish, and wine. And they seemed healthy. And a lot of them were both old and healthy. That was during the Christian season of Lent, a time of penance.

That's why the were eating fish. It was punishment for their sins. They preferred red meat, which they habitually ate during normal times. Keyes chose not to notice.

He also ignored Germany and France, the two most populous European countries, where people happily ate lots of saturated fat and also did not have much heart disease. He ignored Germany and France because what was going on in Germany and France didn't fit his preconception of the origins of heart disease.

So dietary science isn't. All the answers aren't in yet, but there is to this day no proof that either red meat or the fat that goes with it is anything but supremely healthy.

As meat has been saying all along: "Bite me with abandon."

Other things I've learned:

• Calories don't exist. A calorie is a unit of energy. It is a useful concept in physics and chemistry, but doesn't apply to metabolism.
  
  Food calories (kilo calories, or "Calories", each one the equivalent of 1000 "small" calories), are determined by burning a piece of food in an oxygen environment. This has no relationship whatsoever with what happens to that food inside any animal body. It may be passed through undigested, might be consumed by gut bacteria, could be digested and then stored in the body and not "burned", or is possibly metabolized completely.
  
  But no matter what happens, body metabolism is not "burning" in any sense other than that electrons are transferred from one molecule to another. It is not at all the simple physical process that actual burning is.
  
  Weighing food is just as good as counting calories. Eyeballing the volume of food is also as good. For anyone counting calories, they have to learn how many calories of which do what. In other words, you have to convert from a quantity of food to what happens to you after you've eaten a lot of that food over time. By trial and error.
  
  There is no formula because metabolism, as noted, isn't a simple physical process, so why bother with calories when they have no relevance? Simply measuring by the teaspoon, tablespoon, or cupful is easier and just as precise.

• Salt intake is probably not an issue, except in a very few special situations. James J. DiNicolantonio has just written a book titled The Salt Fix, which contains possibly unsubstantiated or poorly-supported claims about human ancestors eating much more salt than modern humans, but the interesting point to me is that normal kidneys, according to the author, can remove from the bloodstream about one teaspoonful of salt every five minutes. Which sounds pretty effective.
  
  I can't tell if this is true or not, but it's worth keeping track of.

• Sugar is bad, probably. No one knows for sure because dietary research so far hasn't been either scientific or reliable, but there is growing biochemical evidence.
• Carbohydrates are bad, probably. No one knows this for sure either, but Gary Taubes and others are bringing the tools of investigative journalism and basic rationality to this subject and to that of sugar.
• Eating plant fats is iffy at best. Olive oil is trendy but for most of human history it was burned in oil lamps to provide light.
  
  Most human populations, let alone pre-humans, had no access to olive oil, ever, so it's a strange food, but since it was available in some areas, it is less strange than soybean oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, sesame seed oil, or the others. These substances are the result of intense industrial processing. It is literally impossible to go up to any plant on earth, bite it, and end up with oil running down your jaw.
  
  Vegetable fats do not occur naturally.
  
  They have to be forced out of plants, so they are not in any way actual foods, although various amounts of vegetable fats occur in various plants, mixed in as a minor component with indigestible fiber, protein, starch, and sugar.
  
  Humans evolved eating mammal meat, and the fat thereof, which is universally available on every continent, Antarctica excluded, but humans have never lived on Antarctica so that's a moot point. Since humans evolved eating the fat of mammal meat, we're adapted to it, and it's probably very good for us. Research has not decided this issue ether way, although it has been proven that humans can live indefinitely and healthily on meat alone.

• Anti-oxidants are most likely bogus. There has been research showing beneficial effects, but there has also been research showing that chocolate candy has beneficial effects. Sponsored by Mars, the candy company. Go figure, eh?
  
  Chocolate: out. Red wine: Not a health food, and maybe not healthy in any way. Coffee? Meh.

I'm still learning. It's fun.

Recommendation for Dr Kumar

Original post from GringoWorld:

Recommendation for Dr Kumar, homeopathic physician

My story is like that of so many other couples. We tried for so many years to have a child but it wouldn't happen. I had all the testing done and felt like I was getting older by the minute. One of our friends suggests finding a homeopathic physician could help us achieve our family planning plans. Word cannot express how thankful we are to Dr Kumar who is an Indian homeopathic physician in Cuenca. We have nothing but fabulous things to say about the treatment, care and moral support of this doctor. He honestly made one of the most stressful experiences of my life a lot easier to get through. After 1 year treatment, my wife became pregnant and now we are parents of a beautiful baby girl. Thank you so much for making our dreams comes true. I highly recommend Dr Kumar to those that need these treatments.

Address: Cuenca, Ecuador

Recommended by John.

So similar to what my Betty and I go through.

Dogs with long, floppy ears are frequently victims of ear infections. But Betty isn't the dog. What to do? And no ears on a parrot anyhow.

Time to see Dr. Lorraine Boogar, noted homeopathist and parrot whisperer. (True fact: parrots are yelling intolerant! Therefore the whispering! Makes sense, right?)

OK so Dr. Boogar figured out pretty quick a homeopathy treatment for Betty. Had to remove that bolus of car wax she ate last month. Without injury. Once again to free up her life force and relieve the constipation as well.

Treatment consists of Noted Vegetable Substances "tabacum" and "cocculus", plus two more secret remedies for good measure, and water. Lots water. Always the key, water.

According to Gold Prize Winners of Latest Homeopathic Olympics, "The more diluted the active ingredient, the greater the benefit. So, by definition such remedies are so diluted that the helpful ingredient is no longer detectable, even by aliens." (You know, in case of late night probing and stuff.)

Water is critical part. To treat consists of 0% active ingredients and approximately 59,256.35996*10234% pure tap water. Couldn't hurt then? Nope.

So Betty? She fine now. Eggs all over. Can't quit laying the eggs these days. Pooping like a trooper too. I feed eggs to cat (Marvin). Lucky us for Marvin to enjoy munching the parrot egg so we all OK now.

Bye.

No, it's watermelons this time. For sure.

GrumpyPost

Surlandia's Best Gringo Forum, More Or Less.

Recent topics.

Subject: The new US $

Jim Wigglie (one of my favorites) has spoken of the dual currency coming up in the near future for the US.

The domestic version he calls the shises dollar. He says we'll get a 30% devaluation out of the gate, and more later. So. My question is, will we use that domestic $ or the international version here in Surlandia?

Also, what form will the international $ be? Gold backed? The petro $ is failing. That we know.

Jack / Tuesday, February 28, 2017

3 comments on GrumpyPost

Ken * 15 minutes ago

Jim Wigglie's sole goal in life is to scare you into buying physical gold and silver. Nothing more.

Dual Currency? Petro Dollar Falling? Shises Dollar? International Dollar? You got sucked in. How much have you spent buying Gold and Silver through his website?

"How do we know the Truth? Jim told us!"

Richard * 16 minutes ago

Did Jim Wigglie also predict when the Mothership will arrive to save us? Or do we just drink the Cool Aid now?

Juts Liek * 24 minutes ago

True fact: Everyone who predicts the future is right 100% of the time, so let's all run for the hills right now. Meet in the park at noon.

Bring only what you can carry, plus a knife. Or a teddy bear if that's all you have. (We need snuggles too.)

And snacks, if you gottem. (I for one am always hungry in situations like this.)

The rumor I heard is that the new currency will be marbles. Got any? If so, keepem. Whatever happens, everybody, DON'T LOSE YOUR MARBLES!

Yow!!!!!!, etc.

And, as always, keep humming this handy refrain:

When in trouble,
When in doubt,
Run in circles,
Scream and shout.

This works like a charm, guaranteed.

P.S. Don't forget to meet in the park at noon. Wear a sock over your head so we can identify you. The rest of us will be standing by the tree (the one that looks like a tree).

Bye for now.

Comments on this topic now closed.

And not a moment too soon.

Go away already. Scat!