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September 3rd, 2010 · No Comments

(UPDATE to Lightning Motors sets electric motorcycle world land speed record at Bonneville)  This week is the BUB Speed Trials on the Bonneville salt flats, and both MotoCzysz and Lightning Motors are there attempting to win the title of “Fastest Production Electric Motorcycle in the World”. The Lightning Motors team has claimed a series of records this week, first breaking last years record set by Mission Motors on their first run at (162 miles/hr), setting another record at 166 miles/hr, and setting yet another record this morning with a fastest speed of 176 miles/hr and…

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david-18

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September 3rd, 2010 · No Comments

Nearly a month ago, I expressed my dismay and displeasure at the infiltration fo quackademic medicine into what is arguably the premier medical journal in the world, The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in the form of a highly credulous review on the use of acupuncture for low back pain that brought eternal shame on the hallowed pages of a once-great journal. As Mark Crislip put it, trust, once damaged or lost, is very hard to restore, and I definitely lost a lot of trust for the NEJM compared to what I had for it a month ago. Since then, I’ve been keeping my eyes out for other examples of quackademic medicine infiltrating various peer-reviewed journals. Unfortunately, I have not lacked for examples.

Fresh in my memory, though, remains the stench of quackademic medicine in the NEJM. Unfortunately, just as the faint odor of urine can be revived by hot and humid weather, the stench of quackademic medicine at the NEJM was restored, at least in my memory, by an article that a reader sent to me. Apparently someone was interested in just who some of the writers of the NEJM article were. At the time, when I wrote about the article, I didn’t really care too much about any of the authros other than the lead author, Dr. Brian Berman. Apparently this reader thought I should check out at least one of the other authors, which I proceeded to do. I happened to pick Dr. Helene M. Langevin of the University of Vermont. (Who knew Vermont had quackademic medicine?) One thing led to another (PubMed, specifically), and suddenly I found this gem of a quackademic medicine article by Dr. Langevin in, of all places PLoS ONE, entitled Electrical Impedance of Acupuncture Meridians: The Relevance of Subcutaneous Collagenous Bands.

Senior author? Dr. Langevin.

Funding source? What do you think? The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), of course!

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September 2nd, 2010 · No Comments

Happy Yoga Month everyone! Unfortunately, when I started my yoga journey, there was no Yoga Month. I had little in the way of yoga awareness, so I had to unleash my curiosity and hunt around for information. I read books, attended workshops and conferences, searched for popular classes, studios, and teachers, and kept an open mind in regards to what would happen when I unfurled my mat in yet another unfamiliar space with an unfamilar teacher.

At first I played it safe and stayed with the style of yoga that I was used to — Vinyasa. After practicing yoga regularly for a few years, I decided that it was time to experiment and try new styles. My journey through yoga was quite fun and I found that I quite enjoyed a number of yoga styles. When I lived in Boston, I had trouble finding a Kundalini class. I had read a bit about Kundalini and was intrigued, but I continued to strike out when searching for a class. My first Kundalini experience was a DVD by Ana Brett and Ravi Singh. Because I lacked experience, I overdid it and wound up with a sore neck for 3 days. Ouch!

When I eventually found a class locally, I was a wee bit intimidated by all of the white, the head coverings, and the kurtas. When I walked into my first class, I was not wearing all white (nor was my head covered) and I felt as if I were somehow disrespecting the tradition. Luckily, the teacher and my fellow classmates (many of whom were also not wearing white) seemed tolerant of my lack of preparedness in the clothing department. For me Kundalini yoga was an acquired taste. I found the motto “push through the pain” to be a little off-putting as I’m firmly in the camp of “if there’s pain, stop!” Still, there was something that had me coming back to Kundalini.

Years later I now practice Kundalini quite regularly. The difficulty in finding classes nearby hasn’t changed though, so I’ve created my very own library of my favorite teachers/classes. If you’re a Kundalini Yoga fan or if you’d like to add another style to your yoga repertoire, check out these online resources:

  • One of my favorite Kundalini teachers is YogaToday’s Sarah Kline. Yoga Today offers a whole library of Sarah’s classes, which you can download for only $3.99. There’s a huge selection to choose from. Here are some highlights: Sequence to Eliminate Fear, Kundalini Practice for Optimum Health, Create Youthfulness, Your Emotional Health Is in Your Glands, The Warrior Workout, Awakening Creativity. The list goes on and on. The phrase “there’s something for everyone” applies here. If you’d like to see Sarah in action, check out these free Kundalini Yoga classes on YouTube: Karmic Kundalini, Introduction to Kundalini Yoga, Renewing Our Rhythms, A Brain Balancing Kundalini Set. All of these free classes are excellent and no, Sarah doesn’t wear white.
  • Yogi Jim offers a number of short Kundalini sets and meditations on his Web site. He also offers longer class — Flexibility, Weightloss and Strength. This videos on this site are perfect for anyone wanting a short Kundalini break. Click here to browse through the videos. 
  • Guru Rattana offers Kundalini streaming video classes on the Yoga Technology Web site for a monthly fee of $7.95. These classes are akin to taking a class in a traditional Kundalini studio. Click here for more information. 
  • YogaVibes offers only 1 Kundalini class, but it’s a goodie! The Kriya for Morning Sadhana class runs just over an hour and includes 23 kriyas done for approximately 1 minute each along with a meditation and relaxation complete with gong. Click here for a preview of the class and purchasing instructions.
  • MyYogaOnline.com has a bigger selection of Kundalini videos than YogaVibes with the range running from full length practices to shorter practices that last anywhere from 9-15 minutes each. Some of the classes offer vigorous practices, so they are perfect for a Kundalini yogi looking for a challenge. The collection of Kundalini classes even includes Maya Fiennes’ Kundalini Yoga to Detox and Destress, which was formerly offered in DVD format only.
  • If you don’t need video and are happy with pictures and well-written descriptions of the poses, check out the free Kundalini Yoga Exercises and Kundalini Kriyas on Anmol Mehta’s site. The sets include spinal warm-up, a beginner’s set, core abdominal strengthening kriyas, a heart chakra balancing set, a fountain of youth set, and yoga exercises for eye care and vision problems. There are 21 sets in total. Click here to access them. KundaliniYoga.com also offers free online classes, laid out in the form of 24 lessons. The lessons are not limited to, but include kriyas. Click here to access them.

Yoga Month is about discovery for new students, yes, but it’s also about exploration for existing students. Why not try something different — a new style, a new teacher, a new studio, or perhaps, a new DVD. Some of my richest yoga experiences are when I have kept an open mind and tried something new.

MyYogaOnline is celebrating Yoga Month by offering free online yoga classes for anyone interested in trying something different. Click here to access the free classes.

Even though I’ve been practicing yoga regularly for over 12 years, my yoga journey is far from over. May your journey be a long one as well, filled with exciting and enlightening twists and turns. Happy Yoga Month everyone!

Namaste!

 

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September 2nd, 2010 · No Comments

Happy Yoga Month everyone! Unfortunately, when I started my yoga journey, there was no Yoga Month. I had little in the way of yoga awareness, so I had to unleash my curiosity and hunt around for information. I read books, attended workshops and conferences, searched for popular classes, studios, and teachers, and kept an open mind in regards to what would happen when I unfurled my mat in yet another unfamiliar space with an unfamilar teacher.

At first I played it safe and stayed with the style of yoga that I was used to — Vinyasa. After practicing yoga regularly for a few years, I decided that it was time to experiment and try new styles. My journey through yoga was quite fun and I found that I quite enjoyed a number of yoga styles. When I lived in Boston, I had trouble finding a Kundalini class. I had read a bit about Kundalini and was intrigued, but I continued to strike out when searching for a class. My first Kundalini experience was a DVD by Ana Brett and Ravi Singh. Because I lacked experience, I overdid it and wound up with a sore neck for 3 days. Ouch!

When I eventually found a class locally, I was a wee bit intimidated by all of the white, the head coverings, and the kurtas. When I walked into my first class, I was not wearing all white (nor was my head covered) and I felt as if I were somehow disrespecting the tradition. Luckily, the teacher and my fellow classmates (many of whom were also not wearing white) seemed tolerant of my lack of preparedness in the clothing department. For me Kundalini yoga was an acquired taste. I found the motto “push through the pain” to be a little off-putting as I’m firmly in the camp of “if there’s pain, stop!” Still, there was something that had me coming back to Kundalini.

Years later I now practice Kundalini quite regularly. The difficulty in finding classes nearby hasn’t changed though, so I’ve created my very own library of my favorite teachers/classes. If you’re a Kundalini Yoga fan or if you’d like to add another style to your yoga repertoire, check out these online resources:

  • One of my favorite Kundalini teachers is YogaToday’s Sarah Kline. Yoga Today offers a whole library of Sarah’s classes, which you can download for only $3.99. There’s a huge selection to choose from. Here are some highlights: Sequence to Eliminate Fear, Kundalini Practice for Optimum Health, Create Youthfulness, Your Emotional Health Is in Your Glands, The Warrior Workout, Awakening Creativity. The list goes on and on. The phrase “there’s something for everyone” applies here. If you’d like to see Sarah in action, check out these free Kundalini Yoga classes on YouTube: Karmic Kundalini, Introduction to Kundalini Yoga, Renewing Our Rhythms, A Brain Balancing Kundalini Set. All of these free classes are excellent and no, Sarah doesn’t wear white.
  • Yogi Jim offers a number of short Kundalini sets and meditations on his Web site. He also offers longer class — Flexibility, Weightloss and Strength. This videos on this site are perfect for anyone wanting a short Kundalini break. Click here to browse through the videos. 
  • Guru Rattana offers Kundalini streaming video classes on the Yoga Technology Web site for a monthly fee of $7.95. These classes are akin to taking a class in a traditional Kundalini studio. Click here for more information. 
  • YogaVibes offers only 1 Kundalini class, but it’s a goodie! The Kriya for Morning Sadhana class runs just over an hour and includes 23 kriyas done for approximately 1 minute each along with a meditation and relaxation complete with gong. Click here for a preview of the class and purchasing instructions.
  • MyYogaOnline.com has a bigger selection of Kundalini videos than YogaVibes with the range running from full length practices to shorter practices that last anywhere from 9-15 minutes each. Some of the classes offer vigorous practices, so they are perfect for a Kundalini yogi looking for a challenge. The collection of Kundalini classes even includes Maya Fiennes’ Kundalini Yoga to Detox and Destress, which was formerly offered in DVD format only.
  • If you don’t need video and are happy with pictures and well-written descriptions of the poses, check out the free Kundalini Yoga Exercises and Kundalini Kriyas on Anmol Mehta’s site. The sets include spinal warm-up, a beginner’s set, core abdominal strengthening kriyas, a heart chakra balancing set, a fountain of youth set, and yoga exercises for eye care and vision problems. There are 21 sets in total. Click here to access them. KundaliniYoga.com also offers free online classes, laid out in the form of 24 lessons. The lessons are not limited to, but include kriyas. Click here to access them.

Yoga Month is about discovery for new students, yes, but it’s also about exploration for existing students. Why not try something different — a new style, a new teacher, a new studio, or perhaps, a new DVD. Some of my richest yoga experiences are when I have kept an open mind and tried something new.

MyYogaOnline is celebrating Yoga Month by offering free online yoga classes for anyone interested in trying something different. Click here to access the free classes.

Even though I’ve been practicing yoga regularly for over 12 years, my yoga journey is far from over. May your journey be a long one as well, filled with exciting and enlightening twists and turns. Happy Yoga Month everyone!

Namaste!

 

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September 2nd, 2010 · No Comments

There’s something that has puzzled me about the recent stem cell decision that led to an injunction that prevents the NIH from spending any funds on research involving human embryonic stem cells. I’ve read the decision (pdf), and it appears to be incredibly broad and damaging to NIH funding in general.

I could understand an injunction based on a finding that the policy violated federal law: I think that’s stupid, but I get it. What I don’t understand is the finding that NIH policy causes harm to the plaintiffs (the researchers who brought the suit):

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September 2nd, 2010 · No Comments

BREAKING: This week the Lightning Motors team is on the Bonneville Salt Flats for the yearly time trials, and on their first time run, with a speed of 162 miles/hr, they have set the AMA and FIM land speed record for electric motorcycles. They are making this speed attempt fresh from winning the TTXGP North American series two weeks ago at Virginia International Raceway.
Last year in a time trial event organized by the Southern California Timing Association they achieved a 166 miles/hr speed record. This time around it is AMA and FIM accredited.
According to Richard Hatfield, team owner, in…

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david-18

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September 2nd, 2010 · No Comments

Yesterday Matthew Dieckmann, 29, of Santa Rosa California died in a motorcycle accident. Matt was an entrepreneur in the electric motorcycle field, being the owner of ElectricRaceBikes.com, a small business selling parts for high performance electric motorcycles, and the owner of the Electric Race Bikes team. The Electric Race Bikes team, consisting of Matt and professional rider Mike Hannas, raced this year in the TTXGP and e-Power electric motorcycle races. History was made and new territory was pioneered due to their efforts.
Dieckmann was riding a newly built electric motorcycle at 10…

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david-18

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September 2nd, 2010 · No Comments

There’s a new medical study of the effects of alcohol consumption that finds a surprising result:

Controlling only for age and gender, compared to moderate drinkers, abstainers had a more than 2 times increased mortality risk, heavy drinkers had 70% increased risk, and light drinkers had 23% increased risk. A model controlling for former problem drinking status, existing health problems, and key sociodemographic and social-behavioral factors, as well as for age and gender, substantially reduced the mortality effect for abstainers compared to moderate drinkers. However, even after adjusting for all covariates, abstainers and heavy drinkers continued to show increased mortality risks of 51 and 45%, respectively, compared to moderate drinkers.

My immediate reaction, as an academic, is that I can’t wait for these results to make an appearance in the arguments about campus alcohol policy. That’s going to be simultaneously hilarious and painful.

Both Time magazine and Slate report the news Jeopardy-style, with a headline in the form of a question (”Why do Heavy Drinkers Outlive Non-Drinkers?” and “How Does Booze Extend Your Lifespan?”). I am obviously not a medical doctor, but in the fine tradition of physicists pontificating about other fields, I do have a simple answer to this question:

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September 2nd, 2010 · No Comments

There’s something that has puzzled me about the recent stem cell decision that led to an injunction that prevents the NIH from spending any funds on research involving human embryonic stem cells. I’ve read the decision (pdf), and it appears to be incredibly broad and damaging to NIH funding in general.

I could understand an injunction based on a finding that the policy violated federal law: I think that’s stupid, but I get it. What I don’t understand is the finding that NIH policy causes harm to the plaintiffs (the researchers who brought the suit):

Read the rest of this post… | Read the comments on this post…


→ No CommentsTags: Health

September 2nd, 2010 · No Comments

There’s a new medical study of the effects of alcohol consumption that finds a surprising result:

Controlling only for age and gender, compared to moderate drinkers, abstainers had a more than 2 times increased mortality risk, heavy drinkers had 70% increased risk, and light drinkers had 23% increased risk. A model controlling for former problem drinking status, existing health problems, and key sociodemographic and social-behavioral factors, as well as for age and gender, substantially reduced the mortality effect for abstainers compared to moderate drinkers. However, even after adjusting for all covariates, abstainers and heavy drinkers continued to show increased mortality risks of 51 and 45%, respectively, compared to moderate drinkers.

My immediate reaction, as an academic, is that I can’t wait for these results to make an appearance in the arguments about campus alcohol policy. That’s going to be simultaneously hilarious and painful.

Both Time magazine and Slate report the news Jeopardy-style, with a headline in the form of a question (”Why do Heavy Drinkers Outlive Non-Drinkers?” and “How Does Booze Extend Your Lifespan?”). I am obviously not a medical doctor, but in the fine tradition of physicists pontificating about other fields, I do have a simple answer to this question:

Read the rest of this post… | Read the comments on this post…


→ No CommentsTags: Health