Sunday, June 28, 2009

Carb Phobia - A Very Real Problem for Low-Carbers


It even happened to me at one point. I was so leery of eating bread especially, as it was my mainstay before low-carbing. Next in line, I was afraid of indulging in sugary desserts and if I did, I sometimes suffered a bit of guilt. I would often put on 2 lbs of water weight due to glycogen stores filling up after strict low-carbing. Then I panicked and thought it would be an upward spiral, but that's not the case when it is an occasional indulgence.

I am a firm believer in cutting out white flour and sugar as much as possible. I will not tell a lie. I like white flour and sugar and things made with it, just like some other people I know. I can even get quite addicted and I will get fat. That is the way it is. I don't like deprivation (goes back to my childhood) and, therefore, set about trying to replace the foods I loved without adversely affecting my waistline. My cookbooks were the result of that drive.

So, I know plenty of people are diehard low-carbers that prefer to never veer off the course. It is truly wonderful and remarkable if you are one of the few people who can maintain such discipline in the face of temptation forever and a day. Some of us - well, life just happens, and it is difficult emotionally and even physically to keep going at those times in life - that's when trouble can hit our waistlines - quite literally. We lose focus, grab whatever is easily available and often it is carbs that will readily and quickly satisfy the need for a boost in serotonin and in mood and feelings of well-being. We don't have the energy to deal with our diets or the lack thereof and the consequences of eating without thinking. This is a slippery slope, of course, to weight regain. If possible, keep trouble foods out of the house, or freeze them. It is important to cut down on compulsive eating at the very least and make trouble foods difficult to come by. Keep acceptable foods around in abundance and keep them coming and interesting at that. If you're too exhausted to cook, get hubby to barbecue and add a large, interesting salad with a tasty dressing.

Alright, here's how I feel about the guilt involved with occasionally slipping up or making the decision to eat something totally off plan - even if it is a few times a week during stressful times. Sure there will be times when you can remain low-carb and strictly so for long periods of time (I myself have done that for years with hardly a slip-up), but I'm talking about other times, when it is not so easy. Forget the guilt, forget the all or nothing approach. It is nonsense stuff and will lead to failure. Acknowledge the fact that you are in charge, that you make the decisions and that you have the ability to say yes or no to a particular food - even when times are stressful. Whenever possible make the decision to sit down to better food choices and if something in there is not on plan - have a little (don't pig out if possible), don't feel guilty and move on - determine to do better at the next meal. In other words - stop and think - the "low-carb diet" mentality has to be with one 24/7 in a sense to keep our brains active on that score and involved in our choices.

Here is an intriguing, sad and probably common story in some ways along these lines written by a very interesting and knowledgeable lady (she is not against low-carb diets, but feels one diet does not fit all) - "She is a Registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. She specializes in weight control, cardiovascular health, polycystic ovarian syndrome, diabetes, sports nutrition and preventative nutrition. A staff dietitian at The New York Presbyterian Hospital for the past 22 years, she also counsels clients privately and is a consultant to physicians, corporations and health clubs. She was the nutritionist for the 1998 NYC Marathon. She was an exercise instructor in NYC health clubs for 15 years.": Case Study Low-Carb Diet Gone Wrong

New Mexico death penalty repeal set to take effect

Although New Mexico officially abolished the death penalty, that doesn't mean there won't be another execution in the state.

There are still 2 men on death row, their sentences untouched by the repeal and the governor unwilling to commute them. 2 other potential death cases are in the legal pipeline, awaiting trial. Conceivably, the state could end up putting someone to death a decade or 2 after capital punishment was outlawed, given the drawn-out appeals typical in such cases.

"Nonsensical," sums up Jeff Buckels, head of the capital crimes unit of the New Mexico Public Defender Department.

"It makes no sense to be seeking the death penalty in a state which has abolished the death penalty," he said.

After a decade of effort, capital punishment opponents managed to persuade the Legislature in March to replace lethal injection with a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The new law applies to certain murders committed as of July 1 and made New Mexico just the 2nd state , after New Jersey, to ban executions since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty 33 years ago.

Unlike New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, who commuted the sentences of eight men when he signed the death penalty repeal in 2007, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson declined to commute the sentences of Robert Fry of Farmington and Timothy Allen of Bloomfield.

The Legislature clearly intended the new law to go into effect on July 1 and the governor respects that decision, Richardson spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said.

"He has no intention of commuting the sentence of anyone facing the death penalty before that effective date," Gallegos said this week.

Fry and Allen are still in the midst of their appeals processes, with no execution dates in sight. New Mexico has executed only one person since 1960: child killer Terry Clark in 2001.

The state Supreme Court is being asked, meanwhile, to rule out the possibility of death sentences in 2 pending murder cases. Michael Astorga is charged in the shooting of a Bernalillo County sheriff's deputy and Billy Joe Watson is accused of hiring another man to kill a Roosevelt
County rancher.

Among other arguments, their lawyers contend it would be unconstitutional to pursue death sentences now that New Mexico has decided it is no longer an acceptable punishment.

"It's over with, and the repeal applies to everybody," said Ruidoso lawyer Gary Mitchell, who represents Watson.

The attorney general's office disagrees, saying the repeal was specific and clear in its effective date and that defendants in pre-July 1 cases don't benefit from the new law.

"We certainly think the community is really expecting us to do everything we can to pursue justice and keep the community safe," said Pat Davis, a spokesman for Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg, who is prosecuting Astorga in the high-profile case.

Defense lawyers argue the state shouldn't continue to pour money into death-eligible cases, which require a heightened level of scrutiny and are more expensive than others.

"They are sucking up resources that could be better used to promote public safety," said defense lawyer Mark Donatelli, a longtime lobbyist for repeal.

Viki Elkey, executive director of the New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty, said her group was advised that a death penalty repeal could not be written to apply retroactively or to affect pending cases.

The new law might have been crafted to effectively preclude any further executions , for example, by eliminating the procedures for lethal injection, Donatelli said. But doing that could well have made it harder to get the repeal through the Legislature, he said.

Death penalty opponents are hopeful that court decisions, or commutations by a future governor , Richardson leaves office next year , or some combination of the 2 will rule out any further executions.

Such an execution "would be an appalling spectacle," Donatelli said.

Source: Associated Press, June 27, 2009

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Senior Iranian cleric says rioters should be severely punished

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami says those involved in 'destructive acts' during postelection protests are enemies of God and 'should receive the severest of the punishments.'

A senior cleric who is close to Iran's supreme leader said in a Friday sermon that anyone who engaged in violence in protests over alleged fraud in the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should receive the "severest of punishments," according to state broadcasting.

Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a confidant of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, described the unsanctioned public gatherings and rallies as being against Islamic law.

In the sermon, he described anyone taking part in "destructive acts" as muharib, enemies of God whose annihilation by true believers is religiously permitted.

"Anyone who takes up arms, be it guns or knives, is a muharib and Islam has said that muharib should receive the severest of the punishments," said Khatami, who shares a last name with a popular former reformist president but has opposite political views.

After refusing to grant demonstrators permission to protest election results, officials have increasingly cast those who massed in the streets for a series of peaceful rallies as extremists opposed to the government or dupes of antagonistic foreign leaders.

Khatami did not directly equate peaceful protesters with rioters, but most observers say that distinction may be lost on the club-wielding pro-government Basiji and Ansar-e Hezbollah vigilantes who have allegedly been beating demonstrators. Critics regard their actions as an attempt to terrorize dissidents into submission.

Instead, the cleric thanked the Basiji forces for their help in quelling unrest. Khamenei last week appeared to give such militiamen sanction to crack down violently on protesters, sparking fiery riots through central Tehran the following day.

Khatami also urged the courts to come down hard on those arrested in connection with the protests.

"I call on officials of the judicial branch to deal severely and ruthlessly with the leaders of the agitations whose fodder comes from America and Israel so that everyone learns a lesson from it," he said.

In Washington, President Obama offered his highest praise yet for Ahmadinejad's challenger, and said more strongly than before that his long-standing diplomatic goal of engagement with Iran could be affected by the election crisis.

"There is no doubt that any direct dialogue or diplomacy with Iran is going to be affected by the events of the last several weeks," Obama said after a White House meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "And we don't yet know how any potential dialogue will have been affected until we see what's happened" in Iran.

Obama said that despite the Iranian government's crackdown on protests, the U.S. and its allies have a national security interest in preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Tehran has denied that its nuclear program is aimed at building nuclear bombs.

The president says Iranians must determine the outcome of the country's election, but went further Friday in hailing Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the reform candidate who has continued to challenge the results.

In an earlier remark, Obama questioned whether Mousavi's election would affect key issues. Since then, Obama said, it's become clear that Mousavi has "captured the imagination" of pro-reform protesters.

"He has become a representative of many of those people who are on the streets and who have displayed extraordinary bravery and extraordinary courage," Obama said.

Around Iran on Friday, small groups of people released green and black balloons in symbolic acts of protest meant to honor Mousavi and those killed in the election aftermath.

Most independent analysts and Iran experts regard the results of the June 12 election, which Ahmadinejad claimed to have won in a landslide, as highly suspicious.

Western officials and the United Nations have decried a broad crackdown on dissidents and activists. Diplomats at a meeting of wealthy Group of 8 countries in Italy issued a statement condemning the violence in Iran.

Russia, often a backer of Iran, joined the West in noting some unease about the Iranian government's reaction to the unrest.

"Naturally, we express serious concern over the use of force, the death of civilians," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Trieste, Italy, according to Interfax news agency. "We do not interfere in the internal affairs of Iran, and we base our position on the principle that all issues that have arisen in the context of the election will be resolved in accordance with democratic procedures."

Khatami criticized Western leaders and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as hypocrites. "You are a miserable fellow," he said, addressing Ban. Many children were killed in Israel's incursion into the Gaza Strip this year, he said, adding, "You were not worried then?"

The election, which reportedly drew 85% of eligible voters, showed the "power and grandeur" of Iran's Islamic system, Khatami said, and he urged Iranians to let bygones be bygones.

"We should put aside the preelection resentments and act brotherly," he said. "We are one nation and one country. Let us not institutionalize grudges and instead institutionalize brotherhood and friendship against the foreigners who have prepared their sharp satanic teeth to loot the legacy of your martyrs."

Source: Los Angeles Times, June 27, 2009

Report back on Valley of Kings and KV57 Horemheb

Well I went up there early this morning, in fact I was the first person in the valley. I went straight to Horemheb, quick before it is closed again. there was no indication from the outside it was open but later I noticed a number of guides who were telling their guests.

The tomb was fantastic, I won't bother describing it as you can get all that from the Theban Mapping Project but i enjoyed the well chamber, the fourth hour and the judgment scene the best. The patterns on the Goddesses dresses were gorgeous.

The tomb is quite large, lots of stairs and ramps. It was quite hot below and humid and I could see crack monitors, and what looked like a moisture monitor.



The valley has changed a lot recently. this picture was taken along the wadi to the tomb of Merenptah. You can clearly see the channel that was used in ancient times to keep water away from the monuments.

Also they have removed the inspectors office next to KV55 so obviously excavation is going to start there soon.

When divorce is the wiser option


updated
No Right Turn has blogged on a report of a study conducted by Professor Kelly Musick and Dr Ann Meier of Cornell University on warring families whose parents have not yet split up because they still have kids at home - so divorce is the wiser option. Well, The Independent pretty much said that, so he uncritically accepted it. The news report actually said that the research was conducted among parents who stay together for the sake of the kids. "Stop Jimmy's mum and dad splitting, and Jimmy will be more likely to stay in school, on the right side of the law, and off drugs".

The research report - a revised 2008 report initially written in 2006 (which is perhaps why The Independent didn't link it, it's old news), noted that parental conflict does not appear to be associated with college attendance or early cohabitation. The report, Are Both Parents Always Better Than One? Parental Conflict and Young Adult Well-Being never implied that divorce is the wiser option, nor does it state that the parents interviewed were together purely for the sake of the kids.

It was actually a report on parental conflict, and in some instances compared two parent families with sole parent families. It was not research on whether parents plan to divorce because of that conflict. The report did, however say that children in two-parent families in the higher end of the conflict spectrum are often no better off than children in sole parent families. Unlike No Right Turn, the report did not say that these kids were considerably worse off, nor did it suggest that conflicting parents would be better to divorce.

Note to Idiot Savant at No Right Turn: Don't believe everything you read in The Independent, especially when it is opinion. Then you'll be less likely to report it as fact.

Iran: Danger of executions after torture and forced confession


According to the Iranian daily Kayhan (close to Ali Khamenei, the Iranian authority's supreme leader) the person who took the film showing Neda Agha Soltan being killed by a bullet has been arrested and confessed participation in planning the shooting at Neda.

Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the spokesperson of Iran Human Rights, warned that many of those arrested under the pro-democracy demonstrations in Iran could be in danger of torture, forced confessions and possibly execution. He said to the Italian daily Corriere della sera: "we have entered a new phase where the Iranian authorities, by taking forced confessions is preparing further arresting and possibly execution of some of those participated in the demonstrations". He continued: "The Iranian authorities will be at the same time using these constructed TV-confessions to intimidate those who are sending pictures and reports of the demonstrations to the international media".

Emphasizing that several hundred detainees are in risk of torture, forced confessions and execution, he asked the world community and UN to intervene and guarantee the safety and humane treatment of those who were arrested.

Several hundred people have been arrested after the pro-democracy demonstrations in Tehran, and they are being held at different detention centers such as Evin prison.

We still do not have the exact number of those arrested or killed in relation to the pro-democracy demonstrations of the past 2 weeks in Iran.

Source: Iranhr, June 27, 2009

Friday, June 26, 2009

22 Iraq people's dead in boma blast

Reporting from Baghdad -- A bomb unseen in a packed Baghdad market for motorcycles killed as many as 22 people Friday, the latest in a string of attacks that look aimed at undermining the government before next week's deadline for U.S. forces to exit Iraqi cities


For information