Modern Ruins Photographic Essays is just wonderful.
But be careful when you visit as this is not a drop in and move on exhibition. It will suck you in and perhaps after spending a bit of time with, say, this photo you might begin to wonder just who, where and when you are.
Thanks to Zombyboy for the reference.
For you being overweight?
Too many would like to foist the blame on corporations and governments. For example:
This Westernization — in some circles, Americanization — of the global culinary landscape no doubt contributed to the fattening of the world. But many obesity experts say it’s hard to know where to place the blame.
“What we’re looking at is not solely an American phenomenon, but a transnational corporation phenomenon,” Rigby said.
Rigby is policy director for the International Obesity Task Force.
Then there is this:
Choice also applies to foreign governments, which Paul Zimmet, director of the International Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia, said have played an equal role in allowing poor diets to become a health crisis.
Governments haven’t done enough to make healthy foods affordable and physical fitness accessible, he said.
Just when did these things become governmental functions?
Zombyboy places the focus right where it belongs:
It is much easier to blame international corporations and America instead of focusing responsibility on the choices individuals make, though. It also takes responsibility for the effects of choices away from those individuals–instead of changing lifestyles and making hard choices, there’s a possible payday from the latest round of lawsuits against the people selling the food.
Eating healthy and getting exercise aren’t things that are forced on us, they are simple choices that we make on a daily basis. That many of us tend to make those choices poorly is not an indictment of an industry or a nation, it’s an indictment against us.
Folks, put the fork down and take a walk!
Yep, my first reaction to this is a definite yuck:
A lot of people probably were shocked this week to read Cubs outfielder Moises Alou’s admission that he urinates on his hands to toughen his hands. Jorge Posada was not among them.
The Yankees’ catcher, who along with Alou and Anaheim outfielder Vladimir Guerrero is among a small number of big-league players who hit without batting gloves, said yesterday he does the same thing.
…..
“A lot of guys like my father, who worked on the land, always used to do it,” Posada said. “It keeps your hands from getting callused and cracking.”
On the other hand, if it works….
Can anyone explain the underlying science?
Via The Sports Frog.
Radley Balko warns of creeping nanny-statism:
The California state assembly is now considering a law banning you from smoking in your own car if your kids are riding with you.
Make no mistake, they’ll be in your home next.
Radley, you are correct. There shouldn’t be any additional laws necessary regarding this. Assault it pretty straightforward and the kids could certainly sue concurrently or later. It shouldn’t take many assault convictions and successful law suits to pretty much eliminated this problem.
I consider adults who smoke in cars or even in their homes with accompanying children to be a bit senseless, if not stupid.
On the other hand, if it is a privately owned establishment that is clearly labeled as a smoking environment then consenting adults should be free to patononize or work there without any outside interference.
Interested in biology, natural schience or medicine? Then take a look at The Tangled Bank. From PZ Myers’ introduction:
In cooperation with several other of us geeky science types, I am pleased to announce our own version of the “Carnival of the Vanities”….
Two things will distinguish us from the original “Carnival of the Vanities”: 1) we are specifically restricting ourselves to articles in the field of science and medicine, very broadly defined, and 2) we’ve got a different name.
PZ Meyers is hosting the first edition at Pharyngula.