October 2019 - Boxes Near Me

Posted on October 28, 2019 by James Simons — Leave a comment

Do you want to live forever?

Do you want to live forever? Immortality has fascinated humans for thousands of years. From Emperor Chin the first Emperor of China, the ancient Egyptians, the quest for the fountain of youth by Juan Ponce de León humans, especially the wealthy, want to live for as long as they could. In the 21st century the potential of medical intervention either by gene splicing or nutritional intervention may bring this idea from the realm of science fiction to reality.

I had an interesting conversation with a colleague of mine last week about this subject. He is almost 70 and is looking to extend his useful life by taking nutritional supplements. As I listened to him tell me about certain scientists who are researching the use of certain chemicals he mentioned resveratrol, grapeseed extract and other anti-oxidants. He also mentioned studies suggesting that slowing down the degradation of telomeres could help to extend human life.

My response to his comments is the human body is so complex there is a 0% chance that any one chemical or even groups of chemicals can make much of a difference to the human life span. Let’s take his example of telomeres. If you are not familiar with telomeres. A telomere is a region of repetitive nucleotide sequences at each end of a chromosome, which protects the end of the chromosome from deterioration or from fusion with neighboring chromosomes. One theory of aging shows that aging has to do with the shortening of telomeres. There is a limit to the number of times a cell can divide, about 30 times, before it can no longer divide. This ultimately leads to the death of the organism.

I appreciate the information on telomeres there are many other factors that contribute to aging such as the age of the father, the environment, the amount and quality of food and the underlying genetics of the individual and family. It is an interesting idea to ponder, imagine if you will a world where everyone can live for as long as they want. What would that do to society? Would the wealthy become immortal and control society? Could the human mind stay sane after living for many centuries? Do you want to live forever?

Posted on October 25, 2019 by James Simons — Leave a comment

Red Meat. Good or Bad?

Red Meat. Good or Bad? Another study was released earlier this month telling the world that red meat is good for you. This is after all of the negative news over the last 30 years claiming red meat is bad for humans. Is red meat good, bad or is it something else entirely? If you mention animal protein to an evolutionary biologist they will tell you without animal meat humans would not have developed a big brain and would not be humans as we are now. Here is a list of the benefits of unprocessed of red meat.

Red meat is the only natural source of heme-iron
Red meat is the only natural source of B-12
Contains other B-vitamins
Provides all of the essential amino acids

Here is a list of problem associated with red meat.

Use of Estrogenic Hormones with possible links to early puberty in girls & cancer
Indiscriminate use of antibiotics linked to resistant bacteria
Genetically modified Corn for Fed
Increased methane production

For more information on the pros and cons of red meat follow this link: https://www.cheatsheet.com/health-fitness/pros-cons-of-eating-red-meat.html/

Posted on October 23, 2019October 23, 2019 by James Simons — Leave a comment

Can the government limit a public servants free speech?

Can the government limit a public servants free speech? As a veteran of the armed services I had my right to free speech limited because of security concerns and for proper functioning of the chain of command. In the age of social media where people want others to know of their political ideology, is it in the best interests of the public good to limit police officers, fireman and other public servants free speech?

Our right to free speech is limited by the courts and from laws passed by congress. The example everyone uses is “shouting fire” in a theater or other confined public spaces. We are also not allowed to call for the violent over throw of the US government. People working in sensitive government or government contractor positions sign papers telling them they will go to prison if they divulge the information they have to the public.

How does this apply to police and firemen? The police and fire unions claim they have the right to express themselves on their own time. Their expressions of political or other ideologies does not affect how they perform their duties. Comments that are inflammatory or racists erode public trust in the police and fire departments. Can the public trust a policeman or fireman will do or not do something because of ideology? It is a real concern that the police and fire unions are not considering in their defense of free speech.

Freedom of Speech is not freedom from consequences. This is what is being overlooked in this conversation. Policemen, firemen and other public servants should have a contractual limit on their free speech. There is nothing wrong with this as I have written about earlier. They can sign the paper and abide by those restrictions as a condition of employment. If they will not sign they will not be hired. This is a common practice across industries that should be a part of employment for public sector employees. Can the government limit a public servants free speech? I see no reason why they cannot if it is for the public trust.

Posted on October 22, 2019 by James Simons — Leave a comment

Yes, that wild animal is cute and it will bite you

Yes, that wild animal is cute and it will bite you. I am not sure why I am surprised when another story of a person harassing or feeding wild animals ends with that person hurt. Wild means just that. An animal no matter how small or apparently defenseless will use all of its weapons to survive. Even if you think an animal somehow likes you because you are feeding it does not mean it will not interpret one of your actions as threatening. The latest example of an animal literally biting a human feeding it happened in Tucson this past weekend. The woman in question was feeding a pack of wild Javelinas table scraps. She was bitten in the hand. Fortunately there may have been no lasting damage from the bite.

Javelina have sharp tusks that can lead to nasty woulds. What makes javelina unique from other new world pigs is they live in family groups. This can make them more dangerous as the group is likely to have infants or youngsters in the group. Their response to perceived danger is no different than if your family was in danger. The Javelina, just like humans, tries to run away from danger but will attack if there is no other alternative.

Wild animals live is in very different and difficult circumstances than humans. Everyday is a struggle to find food, shelter and protection from predators. As humans have become more isolated from the natural world we have lost our understanding of how difficult it is for animals to survive. It is best to appreciate wild animals from a distance. Yes that wild animal is cute and it will bite you.

Here is the link to the article on the woman and what you can do to keep Javelinas from invading your yard.

https://www.azfamily.com/news/tucson-woman-bitten-by-javelina-after-feeding-it-table-scraps/article_dbb29aba-f455-11e9-8c0b-8f7715880692.html

Posted on October 21, 2019 by James Simons — Leave a comment

How to protect yourself on Amazon.

How to protect yourself on Amazon. Amazon is one of the biggest retail operations in America. Does this mean Amazon can protect the consumer from expired food or other possibly dangerous products? If the news reports are to be believed the answer is MAYBE. Why maybe? The answer lies in how Amazon does business. If you are buying from Amazon itself, that is when Amazon is the buyer and the seller of the product it is in their best interest to only sell you quality products. If you are buying from one of many third party sellers on Amazon, if something is out of date or dangerous you have little recourse with the seller or Amazon. About the only thing Amazon can do is suspend the account of the seller. It is unlikely you will receive your money back.

How does Amazon allow individuals to sell expired foods or potentially dangerous products on their site? The answer is Amazon does not verify every product a third-party seller is listing on Amazon. This is because Amazon is not responsible for what a third-party seller is offering to sell to you on their site. Amazon is merely an intermediary. Amazon provides the selling platform. If you are buying from a third-party seller it is always Caveat Emptor. Here is a link to a recent article about this problem. https://gizmodo.com/amazon-is-reportedly-selling-loads-of-expired-and-inedi-1839228825

Back to the original question for the post. How do you protect yourself from unscrupulous third-party sellers on Amazon. There is a section on the left side of any Amazon product page that says SELLER. Listed under the Seller heading is all of the different companies that sell the same item, Usually the first seller listed is Amazon.com. This tells you that Amazon buys and sells the product. Click the box next to the Amazon.com. You will only see products that Amazon itself buys and sells. If there is a problem with your item you know you are dealing with Amazon and not a third-party. This will give you a measure of confidence that you are getting the product you ordered. Of course this example applies to all websites you are buying from. If you are not sure who the seller is it is better to pay a little more than to lose all of your money for a bad or dangerous product.

Posted on October 18, 2019 by James Simons — Leave a comment

Old technology causes problems for me.

Old technology causes problems for me as I am the person who makes thing work in our house. My wife came into the den when I was working on the computer telling me she found a new radio station. I think I left the radio on 92.7 fm when I last drove the car. 92.7 fm/1440 am is a low power station out of Florence, AZ. The only place I can hear 92.7 is in the car. Most car radios have better FM sensitivity than stereo receivers and headphones.

She excitedly told me she liked the mix of music played on 92.7. The problem is she could not hear the station on her cheap Sony headphones. This radio station is an AM station in simulcasting on FM. The signal strength is not the best. I told her the frequency to set her headphones. She came back a minute later accusing me of not giving her the correct frequency because all she heard was static. I googled the station showing her I had told her the correct FM frequency. I told her I was never able to hear 92.7 on any of the different stereo receivers I have in the family room or the garage. This did not help my case for being correct. My wife gave the look and left the room.

Having grown up with the radio I enjoy listening to whatever is being broadcast. I would spend my days outside working in the yard with either listening to music or a baseball game. Is the local radio broadcast headed for extinction? The millennials in my extended family do not listen to the radio. They prefer to stream the music they like. I am finding that I prefer streaming to local radio. I have found myself streaming stations from around the world playing music without commercials. So I am guilty of hastening the demise of local radio as well at least at work. Old technology causes problems for me until it disappears.

Posted on October 17, 2019 by James Simons — Leave a comment

Everyone complains about the next generation

Everyone complains about the next generation. Since the beginning of the family and society adults have been complaining about the younger generation. We know this because the ancient Greeks and others wrote their complaints down on stone or clay tablets. As a parent or grandparent, aunt or uncle you are members of the biggest club in the world. You do not understand you children. The quotes below may bring you some comfort in that you are not alone.

“I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words… When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint”.

(Hesiod, 8th century BCE)

hey [Young People] have exalted notions, because they have not been humbled by life or learned its necessary limitations; moreover, their hopeful disposition makes them think themselves equal to great things — and that means having exalted notions. They would always rather do noble deeds than useful ones: Their lives are regulated more by moral feeling than by reasoning — all their mistakes are in the direction of doing things excessively and vehemently. They overdo everything — they love too much, hate too much, and the same with everything else.

(Aristotle)

The children now love luxury; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are tyrants, not servants of the households. They no longer rise when their elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize over their teachers.’

(Commonly attributed to SOCRATES by Plato

“Whither are the manly vigour and athletic appearance of our forefathers flown? Can these be their legitimate heirs? Surely, no; a race of effeminate, self-admiring, emaciated fribbles can never have descended in a direct line from the heroes of Potiers and Agincourt…”

Letter in Town and Country magazine republished in Paris Fashion: A Cultural History
1771

“…a fearful multitude of untutored savages… [boys] with dogs at their heels and other evidence of dissolute habits…[girls who] drive coal-carts, ride astride upon horses, drink, swear, fight, smoke, whistle, and care for nobody…the morals of children are tenfold worse than formerly.”

Anthony Ashley Cooper, the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, Speech to the House of Commons
February 28, 1843

Posted on October 14, 2019 by James Simons — Leave a comment

A little less Stranger Things

A little less Stranger Things and a lot more familiar things with mundane writing. My wife and I binged season 3 of Stranger Things this weekend. There were many things to like about this season. The kids are going through puberty. An interesting time in most of our lives. The mysteries that boys and girls represent to each other are very funny especially the “species” comment. The sexual tension between Joyce and Hopper is quite funny. The scene in the car with Joyce and Hopper bickering is punctuated by Murray telling them to pull over and have sex right now. This is followed by Murray speaking to Alexei in Russian about Joyce and Hopper not yet having sex. Murray is what we all would like be in order to say to friends who are compatible but are afraid to act. I was laughing out loud during this scene.

There are more than a few things I found eye rolling if not completely unrealistic. Yes even more unrealistic things than a creature from another dimension who wants to take over the earth. The entire premise of people being taken over by another creature or intelligence has been done many times. Think of the original 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers movie. The most unrealistic plot device in this series is the Russians building an underground fortress in Indiana.

Let us take the room elevator four of the kids discovered when they push a button on the control panel. The elevator appears to go several hundred feet underground. How did the Russians create a concrete shaft several hundred feet into the earth without out anyone in the local community of state taking notice? No one at the power company noticed excessive electrical usage when the machine is turned on? That is just the obvious plot holes I noticed.

I do not mind “the suspension of disbelief” when a show is written well. I lose the ability to suspend my disbelief when I see plot holes I could sail the Titanic through. A little less Stranger Things is enjoyable from a preteen point of view.

Posted on October 9, 2019 by James Simons — Leave a comment

Pumpkin Spice – really?

Pumpkin Spice – Really? Last week my wife thought she would surprise me by bring home pumpkin spice bagels. I am not one to put up a fuss about one flavor over another. I am fine with plain bagels as with about any flavor. Before I ate the bagel I read the ingredients panel on the bag. Funny thing is I did not see one mention of pumpkin and spice flavoring in the ingredient list. I did see turmeric which is used as food color to give foods an orange appearance. Hmmmm!!!!

This past Monday morning I made my usual breakfast of hardboiled eggs, banana, coffee and the pumpkin spice bagel. I usually slather the bagel with strawberry jam. I did so with the pumpkin spice bagel. The only flavor I tasted was the jam. The bagel had a nice consistency and color but no real flavor.

Tuesday morning I tried the second bagel with a little butter. Again all I could taste is the butter. This morning, Wednesday, I decided to see if there was any pumpkin spice aroma or taste I could discern. I ate this mornings pumpkin spice bagel with nothing on it. The mouth texture is very nice. The bagel was easy to chew. Alas I could not taste any pumpkin or spice or for that matter any other flavor. The bagel may have looked orange but that is the extent of it. Maybe I will see it can cut scary faces into the bagel and use one for a mini-haunted house.

The moral of this story is one of expectations versus reality. There are many foods that claim to have specific flavor. Sometimes the manufacturer hits the mark and sometimes there is no flavor. Whatever the case it leaves the consumer disappointed by not only having little no flavor but also having wasted their hard earned money. If this were a new product instead of a line extension of an existing product, the company who made this could very well be out of business.

Posted on October 7, 2019 by James Simons — Leave a comment

What not to do on social media

What not to do on social media should be a mandatory course for anyone who is old enough to use a smartphone or a computer. When cell phones first became cheap enough for the average person to afford I would hear stories about people drunk dialing someone they knew. Next when texting became free I would hear of people drunk texting people they knew. When sending pictures from your phone became free we had drunk picture taking and sending to everyone a person knew. Now as I am sure you are aware we have sober people in the cold light of day posting racist, mysogynistic or threatening statements on social media.

The latest example of posting while lacking emotional maturity comes to us from the great state of Iowa. A science teacher from Waterloo West High School, Matt Baish, posted “Don’t have my sniper rifle” Thursday on an article shared from Little Village Magazine about Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish girl who has been a leading voice of youth activism around climate change. As is always the case, this man did not engage his brain before letting his fingers do the walking. The threatening comment and his Facebook page has been deleted. Link to article is here: https://news.yahoo.com/iowa-teacher-leave-sniper-rifle-214735817.html

Before social media you would not like something a public person or politician was saying or doing. You might swear at the tv or radio and maybe write a strongly worded letter to the editor. Any of these outlets for venting your frustrations would let you calm down before saying or doing something equally stupid. Now instead of just texting your friends or leaving a email you have the ability to react in real time.

It takes a lot of self-discipline to not react in the moment. Do you really want to be known as that crazy man or woman who responds to anything or everything with vitriol? Are you ready for the backlash that writing on Facebook or Twitter will bring. How about posting on Snapchat and Instagram. It is one thing to post pictures of your children’s milestone or the latest funny thing your cat did that day. It is completely another thing when you post threatening video’s to the interweb. One last thing for your consideration. Everything you post online can be found for many years afterwards. The internet can be forever or at least it seems that way if you post or say stupid things. A good rule of what not to do on social media is the same as it has been when we wrote letters to the editor or took pictures at parties. If you cannot show it to your grandmother you should not write it or take the picture.