quid.pro

Sitting sucks

A friend recently lost a bunch of a weight (like 40+ pounds) by buying one of these. I have to admit, I've been tempted, even though it's ridiculously expensive and I already have a non-desk treadmill. In its defense, the NY Times blogs had yet another piece about how bad sitting at your desk is for you:

But it looks as though there’s a more sinister aspect to sitting, too. Several strands of evidence suggest that there’s a “physiology of inactivity”: that when you spend long periods sitting, your body actually does things that are bad for you.

As an example, consider lipoprotein lipase. This is a molecule that plays a central role in how the body processes fats; it’s produced by many tissues, including muscles. Low levels of lipoprotein lipase are associated with a variety of health problems, including heart disease. Studies in rats show that leg muscles only produce this molecule when they are actively being flexed (for example, when the animal is standing up and ambling about). The implication is that when you sit, a crucial part of your metabolism slows down.

Very interesting story, I highly recommend reading it all.

Playing with both phones

I still like the iPhone better but the Nexus One (i.e., Google phone) has a lot more to recommend it than I would have predicted. The camera and flash are far superior (almost Nokia-like, by which I mean great for a phone camera). The hardware is better except the buttons, which I really don't like but would probably eventually get used to.

The bulk of my problems with it and really the main reason I won't switch now has to do with the software, both OS and apps. Both are very fixable, and probably will be. Apple has some real competition, which is great to know even if I do stick with my iPhone. For now, I'm going to carry both around and see if my opinion changes.

(Written with great difficulty from my Google phone. By far the worst aspect of the software so far has been the keyboard.)

At Google, on my Google phone

Posting via Gmail. But to TypePad, natch.

I actually quote Glenn Beck

"Hello, my name is the Republican party and I got a problem. I'm addicted to spending and big government...."

Glenn Beck via www.washingtonexaminer.com

Guilty pleasures

Last.fm remains one of my favorite music sites for the simplicity of what it does: keep a record of all the music I listen to on my home music server. It works as a plug-in into your music server — I use the SLIMP3 — although it'll also sync up with iTunes, iPods and just about everything else. Essentially it sits around waiting for you to play a song and once you've listened to at least half the song, it uploads the data to the Last.fm website, where it builds various charts, top 10 lists and radio stations on your profile based on your listening patterns.

One of the features Last.fm allows is the ability to delete anything from your history. I haven't availed myself of that feature as I could never understand what could be so embarrassing that I'd actually listen to it yet not want anyone else to know. Music is universal and if you enjoy it, good for you. When I moved my entire CD collection online about 7 years ago, I ripped everything I owned, including CDs like Roxette from the early 90's that I briefly had a fling with (I've always had a soft spot for sugary Swedish pop dating back to Abba in the 70's). Every once and awhile, I even listen to them again.

So I was amused to see what looks like a new section on Last.fm, their playground (at least it's new to me). One of the features they added is a list of most frequently deleted tracks from the last month.

I had seen something like this a year ago or so and it was all Britney. It looks like Lady GaGa has displaced her with Ke$ha and Katy Perry filling out the top 7. C'mon people, own up! And for the record, I love Lady GaGa although she'll need a few more albums before she'll break into my top 30.

Would I use a free Kindle?

Michael Arrington writes this morning that Amazon is looking for ways to give free Kindles to all Amazon prime users:

In January Amazon offered select customers a free Kindle of sorts – they had to pay for it, but if they didn’t like it they could get a full refund and keep the device. It turns out that was just a test run for a much more ambitious program. A reliable source tells us Amazon wants to give a free Kindle to every subscriber.

I've been a happy Amazon prime member since the day they launched the program (and an Amazon customer dating back to almost the day they launched Amazon). I'm also increasingly getting sick of owning useless atoms — and I'd certainly put most of the books I've bought into that category. I don't need to buy more things that I'll use for a few days and then put on a bookshelf for the next few decades. So in theory, I should be thrilled with this offer and in fact, should have already bought a Kindle myself.

But I don't know... there's something about it that still just doesn't feel right to me. Most of my heavy reading friends love theirs (I'm looking at you Sippey). I'm buying an iPad as soon as it comes out and can see applications for it in my life all over the place. And hey, I'll happily take a free device I didn't want any time. But for some reason, I just don't see myself lustily opening that free Kindle and gleefully downloading away.

Not that I won't try, mind you. Jeff... you have my address.

Johnny Depp on Keith Richards

“I was almost afraid to meet him for a long time, because there is always a fear that your heroes are going to be shitheads.”

Johnny Depp describing his movie dad, Keith Richards via Rolling Stone

The good news is, we haven't been attacked

Whew.

Those silly Swedes

"There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes."

An old Swedish maxim, as quoted in The Economist

Driving through a metaphor

It's raining on Sand Hill Road, blue skies everywhere else.