Archive for March 11, 2013

Even the Mummies Had Hardened Arteries

March 11, 2013 · Filed under Uncategorized

Per AP, (via Instapundit), the mummies had atherosclerosiss. It wasn’t unique to Egyptian mummies, either. Peruvian mummies had it, as did Aleutian mummies and mummies from the southwestern desert areas of the U.S.

Reactions to the study were, of course, mixed. Doctors said that perhaps there is a genetic link to atherosclerosis. A researcher said that we need to follow a healthy diet, exercise, and not smoke unless we want to end up like the mummies. I note as a point of interest in the article that the older mummies were the ones with evidence of atherosclerosis, and they were about 43 years of age at the time of death. The ones without atherosclerosis were about 32 years of age at the time of their death. Hunh.

Well. I don’t believe that following a “healthy” diet, exercising, and not smoking is going to make me immortal, so I shall ‘be like the mummies” one of these days if by “be like the mummies” he meant “dead”. Grin. I also note that a diet high in whole grains without pesticides or the diet of a hunter gatherer does NOT make one immune to atherosclerosis. The intensive exercise that they did gave them arthritis. And nobody smoked cigarettes but perhaps inhaling the smoke from cooking fires gives the same effect.

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Should I Improve the Outside of My House Now?

March 11, 2013 · Filed under Economy, life in Florida

Since I was taking time off to fix the place up (reroof, put up fences), I mentioned painting and landscaping to my little brother. Note: The livestock had eaten all of the landscaping during a drought when I let them into the yard to graze. I am, therefore, starting over with a clean slate, as it were.

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea!” opined my lil’ brother.

“Um, why?” I asked curiously.

“Well, look at it from the point of view of a thief. He’s looking for the greatest return on his investment in time and thievery because he’s risking his life for valuables that may be in that house. ”

“Riiiiiight. And the only way he has of knowing what’s INSIDE the house is to base it on the appearance of the OUTSIDE of the house!”

“And there are a lot of unemployed pissed-off people right now. Thanks to Obama, they think rich people owe them. You have a house. Therefore, you are rich.”

“YOU FIXED UP MOM’s PLACE AND PAINTED IT!” I protested.

“And somebody’s home almost all the time. Besides, her place is wood and would deteriorate if there weren’t a fresh coat of paint. Yours won’t.”

I have to say that I do not find fault with his reasoning. If I were going to break into a vehicle, it would not be an old clunker. If I were going to break into a house, would I break into one where it looks like the inhabitants can’t afford paint?

I have to think about this some, because I really wanted to get the outside all pretty again. But, when I go back to work, I probably couldn’t keep up with the maintenance necessary on the shrubberies and flowerbeds.

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