title_0
{"item":{"status":"visible","url":"\/2011\/07\/27\/why-you-should-not-be-a-vegetarian\/","trash":"","name":"why-you-should-not-be-a-vegetarian","parent":"","title":"Why you should not be a vegetarian","date":"2011-07-27 15:57:12","filepath":"posts\/2000305_why-you-should-not-be-a-vegetarian.xml.json","type":"post","content":"<img class=\"size-full wp-image-306 alignleft\" title=\"brain\" src=\"http:\/\/www.8bitrobot.com\/media\/uploads\/2011\/07\/brain-icon.jpg\" alt=\"brain\" width=\"107\" height=\"75\" \/>There are health concerns for any diet, be it\u00a0vegetarian,\u00a0Atkins, or the popular <a href=\"http:\/\/cdn.mos.totalfilm.com\/images\/s\/street-trash-195-75.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">liquid diet<\/a>. \u00a0Here are some data points explaining why eating calorie dense foods like meat is a good thing.\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<blockquote>\"A three-pound human brain burns up to 20 times as many calories as three pounds of muscle.\"\n\n\"Twenty-five percent of all the calories you eat each day end up fueling your brain.\"\n\n\"...This dramatic increase in brain size required a dramatic increase in metabolism.\"<\/blockquote>\nSo, how do we pay for it? \u00a0For one, we're weaker:\n<blockquote>\"Our muscles contain fewer glucose transporters than in chimps' muscles.\"\n\n\"...Our ancestors evolved extra molecular pumps to funnel sugar into the brain, while starving muscles by giving them fewer transporters.\"<\/blockquote>\nAnother possibly is our smaller guts:\n<blockquote>\"[Our guts] weigh only 60 percent of what you'd normally expect in a primate of our size. \u00a0Intestinal cells also need a lot of energy, because they are highly innervated. \u00a0Losing such a big portion of their guts could have allowed our ancestors to compensate for much of the brain's extra energy demand.\"<\/blockquote>\nHowever our diet has more of an impact on brain size:\n<blockquote>\"...Leonard found A switch from lower-energy diets of bark and leaves to higher-energy cuisines of seeds, tubers, and meat in the brainer species.\"\n\n\"As brain-to-body ratio increases, presumably, the denser calories supply the additional needed fuel.\"<\/blockquote>\nWhich is why being a vegetarian is an unhealthy yearning for the past; the very distant past.\n\n<em>Quotations are from <a href=\"http:\/\/discover.coverleaf.com\/discovermagazine\/20110708?pg=21#pg21\" target=\"_blank\">\"The Brain\"<\/a> by\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/carlzimmer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Carl Zimmer<\/a> over at <a href=\"http:\/\/discovermagazine.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Discover Magazine<\/a>.<\/em>\n\n<em>read the <a href=\"http:\/\/discover.coverleaf.com\/discovermagazine\/20110708?pg=21#pg21\" target=\"_blank\">article<\/a><\/em>"}}
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{"item":{"status":"visible","url":"\/2011\/07\/26\/soda-bottle-sky-light-for-3rd-world-countries\/","trash":"","name":"soda-bottle-sky-light-for-3rd-world-countries","parent":"","title":"Soda bottle sky light for 3rd world countries","date":"2011-07-26 09:43:50","filepath":"posts\/2000297_soda-bottle-sky-light-for-3rd-world-countries.xml.json","type":"post","content":"The project developed by MIT is called Liter of Light and is an innovative idea for bringing light into dark shanty dwellings by reusing a liter bottle. You too can build one with water and some bleach to keep algae from growing in the bottle.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><object type='application\/x-shockwave-flash' data='http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/resources_v2\/flash\/video_embed.swf?videoId=216968892' id='rcomVideo_216968892' width='460' height='259'> <param name='movie' value='http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/resources_v2\/flash\/video_embed.swf?videoId=216968892'><\/param> <param name='allowFullScreen' value='true'><\/param> <param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always'><\/param> <param name='wmode' value='transparent'> <embed src='http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/resources_v2\/flash\/video_embed.swf?videoId=216968892' type='application\/x-shockwave-flash' allowfullscreen='true' allowScriptAccess='always' width='460' height='259' wmode='transparent'><\/embed> <\/object><\/p>\nThe concept depends upon water refracting and\u00a0diffusing\u00a0light when sunlight hits it. \u00a0Excellent idea!\n\n<em>via <a href=\"http:\/\/www.boingboing.net\/2011\/07\/19\/soda-bottles-become.html\" target=\"_blank\">BoingBoing<\/a>.<\/em>"}}
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{"item":{"status":"visible","url":"\/2011\/07\/25\/do-not-contract-with-china-for-high-speed-rail-in-california\/","trash":"","name":"do-not-contract-with-china-for-high-speed-rail-in-california","parent":"","title":"Do not contract with China for High Speed Rail in California","date":"2011-07-25 14:22:19","filepath":"posts\/2000320_do-not-contract-with-china-for-high-speed-rail-in-california.xml.json","type":"post","content":"<a href=\"http:\/\/www.8bitrobot.com\/media\/uploads\/2011\/07\/train.png\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-321\" style=\"margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px;\" title=\"train\" src=\"http:\/\/www.8bitrobot.com\/media\/uploads\/2011\/07\/train-300x276.png\" alt=\"train\" width=\"108\" height=\"100\" \/><\/a>The following is a letter to my California Legislature and Governor on why California should not contract anything with China for our high speed rail. Even though Arnold Schwarzenegger praised China for it's trains, he is misguided and Californians should not consider China for our High Speed rail. Let's hope Brown will make a better decision.\n\nThis issue has become more important since the recent train collision in China.\n<blockquote>Hello,\n\nIn regards to the high speed rail plans for California, do not contract the construction or purchase equipment from China.\n\nKeep in mind China's role in obvious human rights abuses, the crimes committed against US businesses and US government\/military, the attitude towards other nations like Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines (for example, the island disputes), etc...\n\nMore to the point, consider the safety of Californians riding the trains. The train collision in China is tantamount to a confession of inexperience, incompetence, and cover up. Why make a contract with a country that doesn't have a system that is able to tell other trains to halt when there is a disabled train on the track? \u00a0 This train system was built in 2007 and is in no way old!\n\nOne other thing to consider is China is leasing technology from Japan, Germany, and France. They cannot export the technology, otherwise they would be in breach of technological licensing. Do not facilitate this crime.\n\nWhy go through a middle man that is extremely new and obviously inexperienced at high speed train technology, when California should be going directly to the source?\n\nJapan has had the Shinkansen running flawlessly for 45 years without a single accident or fatality. The Japanese economy, although lagging a bit lately, is still one of the strongest in the world and they back the US 100 percent and share American principles of democracy and freedom. You also don't see Japan acting aggressively militarily.\n\nEven if the price of contracting California high speed rail with Japan is more than China, we should be doing it anyway. Why risk Californian lives? Why not do it right the first time instead of spending unexpected money on maintenance down the line, which I'm sure will happen if China built the rail or the trains.\n\nRewarding a strong ally like Japan while getting their excellent experience and quality is a no-brainer for California. I hope you also feel the same way.\n\nThank you.<\/blockquote>\n<strong>Sources:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n\t<li>China island disputes with Philippines and Japan: \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sfgate.com\/cgi-bin\/article.cgi?f=\/g\/a\/2011\/07\/22\/bloomberg1376-LOSGBR0YHQ0X01-508M66V48AABLBVI6UKCAFEISS.DTL\" target=\"_blank\">SFGate.com<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li>China Hacking is an Act of War: \u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/online.wsj.com\/article\/SB10001424052702304563104576355623135782718.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFT\" target=\"_blank\">Wall Street Journal<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li>China covering up train crash: <a href=\"http:\/\/headlines.yahoo.co.jp\/hl?a=20110725-00000537-yom-int\" target=\"_blank\">Yahoo Japan<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li>China illegally selling train technology originally from Germany, France, and Japan: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sfgate.com\/cgi-bin\/article.cgi?f=\/n\/a\/2011\/07\/24\/financial\/f230825D56.DTL\" target=\"_blank\">SFGate.com<\/a><\/li>\n\t<li>Japanese Shinkansen and safety record: <a href=\"http:\/\/articles.sfgate.com\/2010-05-09\/news\/20890794_1_chronicle-rail-exclusive\" target=\"_blank\">SFGate.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<strong>Update (7\/29\/2011):<\/strong>\n\nThe Economist has a short story and more pictures of the accident. \u00a0Not only is the world concerned about China's train wreck, but the\u00a0tragedy is boiling the blood of the citizens of China too.\n\nThe train wreck in 2008 is still alive in people's minds, especially when they find out the new administrator appointed to replace this recent discraced train official was demoted in response to the 2008 crash. \u00a0Incompetence is alive and well in China.\n\n<em>Read the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.economist.com\/node\/21524914\" target=\"_blank\">Economist article<\/a>.<\/em>"}}
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{"item":{"status":"visible","url":"\/2011\/07\/25\/did-you-know-its-a-napron-not-an-apron\/","trash":"","name":"did-you-know-its-a-napron-not-an-apron","parent":"","title":"Did you know: It's a napron, not an apron...","date":"2011-07-25 11:13:19","filepath":"posts\/2000291_did-you-know-its-a-napron-not-an-apron.xml.json","type":"post","content":"<dt>When people heard the term \"napron\", which means small table cloth, they heard \"an apron.\" \u00a0So, as we usually do, we embraced error and accepted \"apron\" as the proper word. \u00a0Interesting!<\/dt> <dt> <\/dt> <dt><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/index.php?term=apron\" target=\"_blank\">apron<\/a> <\/em><\/dt> <dd><em>mid-15c., faulty separation (cf.\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/index.php?term=adder\" target=\"_blank\">adder<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/index.php?term=umpire\" target=\"_blank\">umpire<\/a>) of\u00a0a napron\u00a0(c.1300), from O.Fr.\u00a0naperon\u00a0\"small table-cloth,\" dim. of\u00a0nappe\u00a0\"cloth,\" from L.\u00a0mappa\u00a0\"napkin.\"\u00a0Napron\u00a0was still in use as recently as late 16c. The shift of Latin\u00a0-m-\u00a0to\u00a0-n-\u00a0was a tendency in Old French (e.g.\u00a0conter\u00a0from\u00a0computare,\u00a0printemps\u00a0from\u00a0primum,\u00a0natte\u00a0\"mat, matting,\" from\u00a0matta). Symbolic of \"wife's business\" from 1610s.\u00a0Apron-string tenure\u00a0was in ref. to property held in virtue of one's wife, or during her lifetime only.<\/em><\/dd><em>via <a href=\"http:\/\/www.etymonline.com\/index.php?term=apron\" target=\"_blank\">Online Etymology Dictionary<\/a><\/em>\n\nSomeone told me as a child they thought the word for \"apple\" was \"napple\" since everyone asked, \"Would you like an-apple?\"\nThis would be best called the \"reverse napron.\"<em>\n<\/em>"}}
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{"item":{"status":"visible","url":"\/2011\/07\/25\/how-to-ride-a-motorcycle\/","trash":"","name":"how-to-ride-a-motorcycle","parent":"","title":"How to ride a motorcycle","date":"2011-07-25 11:08:22","filepath":"posts\/2000289_how-to-ride-a-motorcycle.xml.json","type":"post","content":"I ride a motorcycle, but this guy knows how to ride. \u00a0No, he's not going over 30mph, but he knows how to handle a bike. \u00a0I hung my head in shame after watching this video.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe width=\"560\" height=\"349\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pJxOsYh12yY\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\nThe video is of Donnie Williams during a demonstration for a police officer training course in Grand Prairie, Texas."}}
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{"item":{"status":"visible","url":"\/2011\/07\/24\/new-fad-in-japan-lens-less-geekhipster-glasses\/","trash":"","name":"new-fad-in-japan-lens-less-geekhipster-glasses","parent":"","title":"New fad in Japan: Lens-less geek\/hipster glasses","date":"2011-07-24 10:17:23","filepath":"posts\/2000284_new-fad-in-japan-lens-less-geekhipster-glasses.xml.json","type":"post","content":"There's a new fad becoming surprisingly popular in Japan in the past few months. Girls have begun to wear thick black glasses without lenses. Hipsters in the states have done this for a while now (and geeks much longer), which makes the trend even more surprising since many US fashion trends originate from Japan.\n\nHere's an example from a cute, doll like girl in Harajuku. \u00a0How do they keep their skin so white?\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/tokyofashion.com\/cute-harajuku-girl-glasses-blonde-bob-striped-socks\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"alignnone\" style=\"margin: 5px;\" title=\"Too Cute Harajuku Girl\" src=\"http:\/\/tokyofashion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/TK-2011-04-17-007-002-Harajuku-600x900.jpg\" alt=\"Too Cute Harajuku Girl\" width=\"360\" height=\"540\" \/><\/a><\/p>\nIs this the point where the snake begins eating its own tail?\n\nCheck out <a href=\"http:\/\/tokyofashion.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Tokyo Fashion<\/a>. I did before my trips to Japan so I wouldn't look like the obvious tourist."}}
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{"item":{"status":"visible","url":"\/2011\/07\/23\/dubstep-mime\/","trash":"","name":"dubstep-mime","parent":"","title":"Dubstep Mime","date":"2011-07-23 11:13:33","filepath":"posts\/2000272_dubstep-mime.xml.json","type":"post","content":"\u00c0 la Richard James (of Aphex Twin - See <a href=\"http:\/\/www.metacafe.com\/watch\/1675623\/aphex_twin_rubber_johnny\/\" target=\"_blank\">Rubber Johnny<\/a>), <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/esoterradubstep\" target=\"_blank\">Dubstep Mime<\/a> voice mimes dubstep... He speaks it.\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe width=\"425\" height=\"349\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JEcj2xi9Ctc\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">You can't stop watching.<\/p>\n<!--more--> Rubber Johnny\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><div style=\"background:#000000;width:440px;height:272px\"><embed flashVars=\"playerVars=showStats=yes|autoPlay=no|videoTitle=Aphex Twin - Rubber Johnny\" src=\"http:\/\/www.metacafe.com\/fplayer\/1675623\/aphex_twin_rubber_johnny.swf\" width=\"440\" height=\"272\" wmode=\"transparent\" allowFullScreen=\"true\" allowScriptAccess=\"always\" name=\"Metacafe_1675623\" pluginspage=\"http:\/\/www.macromedia.com\/go\/getflashplayer\" type=\"application\/x-shockwave-flash\"><\/embed><\/div><div style=\"font-size:12px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.metacafe.com\/watch\/1675623\/aphex_twin_rubber_johnny\/\">Aphex Twin - Rubber Johnny<\/a> - <a href=\"http:\/\/www.metacafe.com\/\">Watch the best video clips here<\/a><\/div><\/p>\n"}}
title_7
{"item":{"status":"visible","url":"\/2011\/07\/23\/a-new-form-of-dance\/","trash":"","name":"a-new-form-of-dance","parent":"","title":"A new form of dance","date":"2011-07-23 10:05:56","filepath":"posts\/2000280_a-new-form-of-dance.xml.json","type":"post","content":"<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Guys using a wind tunnel (normally used for sky diving training) as a venue for a dance performance. \u00a0Amazing!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe width=\"425\" height=\"349\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iVvRWVoHDb8\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>"}}
title_8
{"item":{"status":"visible","url":"\/2011\/07\/22\/fish-torpedo-away\/","trash":"","name":"fish-torpedo-away","parent":"","title":"Fish Torpedo, Away!","date":"2011-07-22 11:06:44","filepath":"posts\/2000267_fish-torpedo-away.xml.json","type":"post","content":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.8bitrobot.com\/media\/uploads\/2011\/07\/fish_torpedo_away.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-268\" title=\"Fish Torpedo Away\" src=\"http:\/\/www.8bitrobot.com\/media\/uploads\/2011\/07\/fish_torpedo_away-300x272.jpg\" alt=\"Fish Torpedo Away\" width=\"300\" height=\"272\" \/><\/a><\/p>\nFish: \"A little to the left of my temporal lobe... no... no... yeah. \u00a0Ahhhh! \u00a0That's the spot!\""}}
title_9
{"item":{"status":"visible","url":"\/2011\/07\/21\/shuttle-returning-home-for-the-last-time-from-space\/","trash":"","name":"shuttle-returning-home-for-the-last-time-from-space","parent":"","title":"Shuttle returning home for the last time (From Space!)","date":"2011-07-21 15:38:31","filepath":"posts\/2000300_shuttle-returning-home-for-the-last-time-from-space.xml.json","type":"post","content":"Here's a beautiful photo of the shuttle passing through the atmosphere back to Earth. The photo was taken from the International Space Station.\n\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/multimedia\/imagegallery\/image_feature_2014.html\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"shuttle\" src=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/images\/content\/573233main_image_2014_946-710.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"341\" height=\"256\" \/><\/a>\n\n<em>via <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/multimedia\/imagegallery\/image_feature_2014.html\" target=\"_blank\">NASA image of the day<\/a><\/em>"}}
